Volu me 2 ~ Issue 1 Janu ar y /Febr u ar y 2 0 1 8

In this Issue:

Two End-time
Churches
The House of Eli &
the House of Samuel!

God is Fire!
His Nature of Justice THE
HOUSE
Seven Biblical OF eli
Covenants
Part 2

My House, THE
a House of HOUSE OF
sAMUEL
Prayer

And More-
 Editorial
U nfortunately due to the bussiness
of the holidays and a prolonged
sickness I got a very late start on this
issue but I hoped to get it out before
February and looks like I will. Despite
its late start it is jammed packed with
many interesting articles. I hope you
will take the time and download
this issue, and read it at your leisure.
The Lord spoke to me very clearly
about the two kind of endtime
churches and its similarity to the
House of Eli and the House of Samuel.
There will be many churches steeped
in tradition but dead and religious and
there will also be churches that walk in
the Spirit, hear God’s voice and move
under his power. Read my article on
The Two Endtime Churches.
God’s promises are “Yes and Amen.”
He has set His promises to his people
through covenants. Inside is the
second part to my article “The Seven
Covenants of God!
In the last issue of TPP there was an
article on the nature and properties
of light as they relate to God. In this
issue I show another side of God in
“God is Fire-His Nature of Justice”
What does it mean when the bible
says “God is a consuming fire?”.
I wrote a short article on the need
for Prayer in the church. It is the least
attended meeting in church yet is so
important. Read “My House, a House
of Prayer!”
There are several other articles
for your edification and enjoyment.
Please feel free to drop me a line and
let me know what you think. If you
would like to contribute financially or
with articles you might think fit with
this publication please contact me
and submit your article for me to see
if can be published in an upcoming
issue.
This is an intense job of writing,
editing, designing, laying out and
publishing for a single person but I
will continue as long as I can to share
what the Lord
shows me. Please
pray for this work!
Blessings!
Jerry Wall
Editor/
Publisher
Table of Contents
DEEP FOUNDATIONS
By Rick Peterman
This book
contains Biblical
Table of Contents
insights about
History, Prophecy,
the Trinity, Spiritual
Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Warfare, Heaven & 4
our accountability at
judgment day. It also
explains how God’s SERMON - Two Endime Churches. . . . . . . . 4
sovereignty & man’s
free-will both work together in complete
harmony. You will find this book enlightening,
empowering, thought provoking and well
documented in the authority of Scripture. The Seven Covenants of God! - part 2. . . . 9
The information contained in this book will This e-magazine is self 9
be interesting, relevant and useful to at least publized and is the sole
four types of people. expression of its author. Any
To the Skeptic: The honest doubter content may be copied and God is Fire- His Nature of Justice. . . . . . . 14
can see how the Bible has logical and
used by permision from the
reasonable answers to the problems in our
world. It reveals the causes and effects we publisher. For any comment,
see all around us, as well as the reasonable
conclusions, we often don’t see in time.
requests or advertising
information please contact
My House, a House of Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . 18
(Galatians 6:7)
me at: 14
To the Truth Seeker: You may be
looking at all the different religions of the
world with their isolated and disconnected
jerrywalldesigns@gmail.com
BIOGRAPHY - Phoebe Palmer. . . . . . . . . . . 19
ideas that promote contradictions. It is
important to know how to test them to find
out if they have true lasting treasure or are
just an illusion that temporarily makes you God’s City - The New Jerusalem. . . . . . . . . 21
feel good. (John 8:32)
If you are interested in 18
To the Believer: It gives a foundation
publishing an article in this
for our belief, connecting the facts between
the origins of Genesis 1 to the destiny of magazine, or advertise in this Poem - Cup of Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Revelation 22. By examining the details and publication please contact the
illustrating the sequences of events, we can editor below. Articles must
see and understand how redemption works,
as well as the many benefits available to us. be in context with the theme How to How to
(Luke 6:48) of this magazine and can be Navigate Navigate Back
To the Spiritual Leader: It encourages
provocative but not divisive.
19 to Article to Contents
and challenges us with truth, exposing the
Deceivers’ strategy. It gives Biblical insight to jerrywalldesigns@gmail.com This Table of Contents To return anytime to the
the mysteries and questions of life. It helps is fully interactive. Click Table of Contents, click
us to envision our future rewards, reflect on on the article title and it on the
our present position, and take a closer look will take you directly to
at our past traditions and assumptions in the the article page.
light of our ultimate authority, the Word of icon on the top of the
God. 2 Timothy 2:7) page and you will return
21 to the Table of Contents.
BUY TODAY AT : http://patmospapers.zohosites.com
2 3
 SERMON - Two Endime Churches
The House Of Eli And The House Of Samuel
The definition of the word contrast is “to compare
two people or things in order to show the differences
between them.”.
Awhile back I woke up one morning and heard the
Lord speaking to my spirit. He told me that in the last
days there will be two types of churches. One will be
like the house of Eli and one would be like the house of
Samuel. Naturally I was quite curious so started studying
the two and seeing the contrasts and similarities. The
contrasts are quiet stark. Jesus often used contrasts to
convey a teaching point such as lambs and wolves,
wheat and tares, good fruit and bad fruit, broad roads
and narrow paths, etc. There has always been a wide
expanse between dead, complacent churches and real,
sincere churches. Jesus made that comparison in His
day with the Pharisees and religious leaders and the
poor devout sinners. In the book of Revelation the
church is warned by the Lord to be careful not to be
complacent, corrupt, high minded, overly tolerant and
religious but rather be sincere, humble and repent and
hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Many
of the churches are becoming the very thing that the
Lord warned them against. So lets examine the lives
of two men who can represent two different ministries
that may be indicative of the direction of our churches
today!
4 5
The House of Eli
Eli was A high priest from to the tribe of Levi. He
was a judge in Israel. He lived at Shiloh in a dwelling
adjoining the Temple. We know little about him until he
was well advanced in age. The first mention of him is
when Hannah came to the temple to seek GOD!.
The fact that, unlike other judges we hear nothing
about him speaks volumes. Prior judges did great
exploits for the Lord. We know of Samson and Gideon
and Deborah and others but Eli's life was uneventful.
Nothing is recorded of his judgments in Israel. There
is nothing recorded of his priesthood or years of being
high priest in Israel. There is no record of him hearing
from God or speaking for God. It says:
“... In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there
were not many visions.”1 Sam. 3:1
He was simply a religious figurehead in a dead
religion. He followed all the rules of the temple and
went through all the motions but there was no spirit
and no life. This is the conditions of many churches
and ministries. There are dead churches or religious
churches where the ministers and the people are going
through the motions but there is no life. The voice of
God does not speak. There are no miracles; the Spirit
of God is not present yet they continue with their ritual
SERMON - Two Endime Churches
year after year. “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees,
Eli was advanced in years when the bible records hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look
his encounter with Hannah. Hannah was childless and beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones
went to the temple to pray. Her heart was so broken of the dead and of everything unclean. In the same way,
on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside
she stammered as she wept and cried out to God. The you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. “ Matthew
Bible says that the Lord had closed her womb and even 23:27-28
though her husband loved her, Hannah felt disgraced in
Many churches are large and ornate and look good
not having children. The Bible says:
on the outside but are dead on the inside. Many are
“In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, outwardly righteous but inwardly full of hypocrisy and
weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord
Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery lawlessness.
and remember me, and not forget your servant but give Eli so quick to judge, was corrected by Hannah:
her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman
days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or
head.”As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take
her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying
her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli here out of my great anguish and grief.”Eli answered,
thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long are “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what
you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.” I Sam. you have asked of him.” 1 Sam. 1:15-17
1:10-14
Eli is not hearing from the Lord here. He is not
Eli the high priest had lived such a dead spiritual life prophesying! He is just saying “ May the Lord grant
he had no sense of discernment, or compassion. you what you've prayed for. Eli did not know what she
It is ironic that years later God would speak to prayed for. He did not know that she made a vow to
Samuel and tell him when it was time to pick a king God that if the Lord would open up her womb and give
over Israel: her a child then she would dedicate that child to the
“The LORD does not look at the things people look at. Lord. She promised the child would take on a Nazarite
People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD Vow like Samson did (Numbers 6:1–21) . No razor
looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 would touch his hair. He would abstain from fermented
Eli looked at the outward appearance and assumed and strong drinks. He would not eat anything unclean
that Hannah was drunk. Eli did not understand that nor come near dead or unclean bodies. His life would
she was pouring her heart out to God. He had become be wholly dedicated to the Lord. Thus Hannah was
judgmental not gracious. Religion is very judgmental. saying that if God gave her a son than that son would
The Pharisees often judged Jesus for dinning with be brought to the temple and dedicated to the service of
tax collectors and prostitutes; for healing the afflicted God as a priest.
on the sabbath. He too contrasted the outside and inside This is exactly what happened. She went home got
when he said: pregnant and had a son and named him Samuel! Hannah
named him Samuel to commemorate her prayer to God
for a child. “Samuel” is from the Hebrew root word
"sha’al", meaning "asked". How ironic that there is no
record of God answering Eli's prayers even as a judge
over Israel but God hears and answers the woman he
called drunk.
Hannah weaned Samuel and brought him to the
temple (probably at the age of 4) and left him in the care
of Eli to be brought into the service of the priesthood.
“After he was weaned, she took the boy with her,
young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,an
ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to
the house of the Lord at Shiloh. When the bull had been
 SERMON - Two Endime Churches
sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to
him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am
the woman who stood here beside you praying to the
Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted
me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord.
For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And just grow up in church or even grow up in bible school
he worshiped the Lord there.” 1 Sam. 1:24-28
Hannah dedicated Samuel to the Lord “For his whole
life”. She came every year to visit but entrusted her son
to the Lord that Samuel would grow up to be a man of
God. Eli replaced Samson, a judge who lived for the 4:15
flesh, sowed to the flesh and broke every Nazarite vow.
He had strength but even that was taken away. Eli a
spiritually dead leader would replace a carnal leader not have it. He did not know it. He only knew religion
But God raise up Samuel to do everything Samson like so many churches.
couldn't. He kept his Nazarite vows and grew up a true
spiritual leader and prophet in Israel.
“But Samuel was ministering before the Lord—a boy
wearing a linen ephod. Each year his mother made him
a little robe and took it to him when she went up with
her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. Eli would
bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give
you children by this woman to take the place of the one
she prayed for and gave to the Lord.” Then they would
go home. And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she
gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile,
the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.” 1
Sam. 2:8-21
In 1 Sam. 1:28 it says that when he was brought to
the temple “He worshiped there.” In 1 Sam. 2:8 it says
when Samuel was in the temple He “ministered before
the Lord” and in 1 Sam. 2: 21 it says that Samuel “grew
up in the presence of the Lord.”
If Samuel represents the true spiritual church we see
a different contrasting pattern here. The first is worship.
Even as a very young boy he came to the temple not
just for religious ritual but to sincerely worship God.
Some know the temple of the God but some know the
God of the temple. Jesus said:
“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in
the Spirit and in truth." John 4:24
A true church has genuine worship not just a
perfunctory service.
Second we see even at an early age he was
“ministering before the Lord.” He had an ephod which
only the priests could wear and though not quite an
adult he was serving the Lord not just the temple.
The true church is ministering before the Lord
not before men. They are serving their God not their
religion, denomination, sect or sanctuary!
Thirdly it says that Samuel grew up in the presence
of the Lord! How wonderful. Gods true people do not
or seminary. The church is not just about growing in
knowledge, experience or even in maturity. It is growing
in and before the presence of God!
“But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in
all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.” Eph.
The true church contains the presence of God! Eli did
”Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything
his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept
with the women who served at the entrance to the tent
of meeting. So he said to them, “Why do you do such
things? I hear from all the people about these wicked
deeds of yours. No, my sons; the report I hear spreading
among the Lord’s people is not good. If one person sins
against another, God may mediate for the offender; but
if anyone sins against the Lord, who will intercede for
them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s
rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.
And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and
in favor with the Lord and with people.”1 Sam. 2:22-26
Eli was getting old and the tradition was that the
priest’s son would follow in the fathers steps but Eli's
sons were corrupt. They took the best meat from the
offerings for themselves and were sleeping with the
women serving in the church (er... Temple). Eli tried to
warn them but they did not listen and did not fear the
Lord.
Samuel’s wicked sons: Phinihas and Hophni!
6 7
SERMON - Two Endime Churches
God sends a prophet to Eli and rebukes him and his
sons and the Lord says “Why do you honor your sons
more than me?”. Many churches put people, traditions
and other things before the Lord and in the end will
lose those things. The prophet pronounces a curse on
the house of Eli:
“I promised that members of your family would
minister before me forever.’ But now the Lord declares:
‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor,
but those who despise me will be disdained. The time
is coming when I will cut short your strength and the
strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will
reach old age, and you will see distress in my dwelling.
Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your
family line will ever reach old age. Every one of you that
I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare
only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and
all your descendants will die in the prime of life.“‘And
what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas,
will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same
day. I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who
will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I
will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will
minister before my anointed one always. Then everyone
left in your family line will come and bow down before
him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead,
“Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to
ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons
eat.”’”1 Sam. 2:30-36
made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. And
As God did with King Saul when he looked to David therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the
to replace him for his wickedness so God was rejecting iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice
nor offering for ever.” 1 Sam 3:12-14
the house of Eli and would instead build the house of
Samuel. Samuel would : The word was a judgment on the house of Eli. It was a
“...continued to grow in stature and in favor with the judgement also on Israel for the Lord said he was going
Lord and with people. 1 Sam. 2:26 to do a thing that would make every ones ears tingle.
Rabbis say that Samuel was about 11 when the next This is not the death of Eli’s sons but the prophesy that
events in Chapter 3 occurred. Eli has not just very old soon the ark of the covenant would be taken form the
but he was now nearly blind. Dead religion blinds you house of the Lord. Later about that.
in the end. Eli went to lay down one night when God Eli asked Samuel what the Lord said and this would
called out Samuel's name. Samuel thought it was Eli be the first test of little Samuel. Like Nathan with David,
calling him but Eli said it wasn't him. After the third time a prophet must speak the word no matter how bad or
that God called Samuel. Eli recognized that perhaps the convicting. Samuel hesitated but told him everything
Lord was talking to Samuel so Eli told Samuel, the Lord said and Eli said :
“It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good.”
“Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak,
Lord, for your servant is listening.’” Samuel grew in the Lord and the Lord appeared to
Samuel did so and this is what the Lord told Samuel: him and often spoke to him. He became a great prophet
“Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the and priest and was often called Samuel the Seer. The
ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day true church must be prophetic with a solid spiritual
I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken priesthood. They must be guided by the word of the
concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an Lord and not just by nice sermons, great music and old
end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for traditions.
 SERMON - Two Endime Churches The Seven Covenants of God! - Part 2
is void of the Spirit for “ the Glory has departed.”
The ark was returned to Israel 20 years later and
Samuel urged the people to repent:
“And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying,
If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then
put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among
you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve
him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the
Philistines. “ 1 Sam 7:3
Most people think of only two covenants in the bible... the “And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast
During tough times and spiritual drought, the true Old covenant and the New covenant, There are however done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every
church will continue to preach repentance. Israel seven biblical covenants that God made with man. In the beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust
repented but the Philistines attacked and Samuel prayed last issue we talked about four of those Covenants, so lets shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity
recap: between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and
and God supernaturally defeated them The bible says: her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his
“So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy
Ark of Covenant being brought into battle!
more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the Lord 1. The Edenic Covenant sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth
was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.” 1 children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall
The dead church can not stand. Soon the word of Sam. 7:13 The first covenant God made with man was with Adam rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast
judgment came upon the house of Eli. The Philistines and Eve in the garden of Eden thus it is referred to as the hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the
Samuel had the same problems with his children as tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat
attacked Israel and were defeated. They thought that if Edenic covenant. This was before the fall and God promised of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou
they do what Israel had done in the past and bring out Eli. They were wicked but He did not put his sons over a blessing to Adam and Eve and their seed and thus was eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall
intended for all mankind and creation. In Genesis we read:
the ark of the covenant then they would win like in the his Lord. Samuel would go on to be a powerful man of it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return
days of Jericho and the early battles for the promised God who would lean upon the word of God and walk in unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou
land. Eli’s sons Hophni and Phinihas brought out the the power of the Spirit. He would anoint two kings over “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful
and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Gen. 3:14-19
ark but Israel was defeated again, both sons were killed Israel. It is believed that he started the school prophets. dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of
on the same day as the prophet prophesied and the He was the last judge. Perhaps the Samuel church will the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the The following curses came upon Adam and Eve as a
Philistines took the ark of the covenant as a spoil. The be the last witness before the Lord returns. earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every result of violating the Adamic covenant.
plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth,
news was brought to Eli. and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them • Enmity between Satan and Eve and her descendants.
“Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes Samuel anoints David to be King of Israel for food. And unto every beast of the earth and to every • Painful childbirth for women.
were dim, that he could not see. And the man said unto bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the • Marital strife and servitude.
Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given • The soil cursed.
day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, every green plant for food.” And it was so.” Gen. 1:28-30 • Introduction of thorns and thistles.
my son? And the messenger answered and said, Israel • Survival to be a struggle.
is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a The covenant was a three-fold blessing: • Death introduced.
great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, 1. Fruitfulness: blessed in multiplying and propagating • Death will be the inescapable fate of all living things.
Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is the species.
taken. And it came to pass, when he made mention of 2. Dominion- Blessed to subdue and take dominion over Although these curses are severe there was also the
the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward all living creatures (animals, birds and sea creatures.) promise a future Messiah or deliverer from sin.
by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: 3. Provision – blessed in food provision from
plants and trees (But not meat. Eating of meat was .
for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and
Israel forty years.” 1 Sam. 4:16-18 established in the Noahic covenant: Genesis 9:3).
between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise
Eli knew that a judgement would come upon his sons However this covenant of blessing was conditional. The your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Gen. 3:15
for their wickedness but when he found out the ark was one requirement was to not eat the fruit of the knowledge of
good and evil (and we know how that worked out.)
taken, he fell back, broke his neck and died. So goes 3. The Noahic Covenant
the house of Eli. The ark symbolized the presence of
God and the glory of God. When one of Eli’s daughter 2. The Adamic Covenant The third Covenant God made was with Noah. Like
in laws heard about the ark being taken she too died but with Adam, this covenant pertained to all mankind. The
before she did she gave birth to a son and called him This is the covenant that God made with Adam first three covenants God made was with gentiles and all
Ichabod which means “the glory has departed.” and Eve after the fall. Now instead of blessings, nations including Israel! After the flood, mankind got a
there were restrictions and curses placed upon them. reboot. God destroyed all mankind for their wickedness
In the end time there will be a church that goes God came down to judge the serpent and Adam and except Noah, his three sons and their wives. He tells
through all the motions but can not hear from God and Eve along with their progeny.
8 9
 The Seven Covenants of God! - Part 2
them as he did Adam and Eve to repopulate the world
and promises to not destroy the world again by rain. He
now adds a sign to His covenant which is the rainbow. His
covenant was with all humanity because it was to them
and their descendants. See Gen. 9:1-17
God blessed them but gave restrictions. The Noahic
Covenant included:
• Blessings upon the eight survivors of the flood.
• A command to be fruitful and multiply (as commanded
to Adam and Eve) to replenish the earth.
• Fear of mankind upon all living creatures.
• Permission to now eat meat with exception of the
blood.
• Prohibition to murder.
• The sign of the rainbow as a promise not to destroy the
earth again by flood.
4. The Abrahamic Covenant
The fourth Covenant that God makes was with
Abraham. This was not a global covenant but a personal
and national covenant with Abraham and his descendants,
the Jews. God sets aside a people to become a nation that
would bear witness to the one and only true God. At this
point polytheism and idolatry had spread to all mankind.
God revealed himself to Abraham as the creator; the
only one and true God. This conditional covenant is
found in Genesis 12-17. There are actually many parts to
this covenant. The first part came when God first called
Abraham out of Mesopotamia to go to Canaan.
“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your
people and your father’s household to the land I will show
you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I
will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will
curse and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Gen. 12:1-3
Abraham had to be willing to leave his old life behind
and start a new life! The promise was that God would make
him a great nation. This is unusual since Abraham was 75
years old and too old to have kids. He would eventually
have Isaac when he was a hundred years old!
The second part of the covenant came later. After
​ as belonging to God. Here is man’s blood covenant with
Abraham rescued Lot when he had been captured and
Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils to Melchezidek the
Lord appeared to him again to renew the covenant but
with a prophetic sign! See Gen. 15:1-21
In this encounter:
• God reveals himself to Abraham as his shield, or
protector!
• God says a natural not adoptive child shall be his heir.
• God has Abraham look at the stars of the sky to
confirm his seed will be innumerous.
10
• God promises the land of Canaan as his children's
inheritance.
• God has Abraham sacrifice animals as a sign and
prophecies the Egyptian captivity and entrance into
the promise land.
The significance of this covenant is the sign of the
sacrifice. Abraham was doing a prophetic act signifying
the future Mosaic period. Interestingly, the animals
were a heifer, a goat, a ram, a dove and a young pigeon.
These were the same offerings that would be required by
the priests in the tabernacle and temple sacrifices. God
was showing Abraham the future of Israel and the blood
sacrifices that would point to both Moses and Messiah
Jesus!
Abraham was instructed to cut the animals in half.
This is like the parting of the Red sea. He had to drive the
ravens away just like the armies of Pharaoh were driven
away and most interesting is that in a vision Abraham saw
two things pass between the divided animals: a smoking
firepot with a blazing torch! This is a type of the pillar of
smoke and pillar of fire that went between the parted red
sea and guided the children of Israel in the wilderness.
In the final part of the covenant God initiates the sign
of circumcision.
See Gen. 17:1-13
In this third part God reiterates his covenant with a
couple of additions or addendum's. First he changes the
name of Abram to Abraham. Abram means "Exalted
Father", which was probably an embarrassment since he
aged without children. He however didn’t receive that name
from God but from his father. God gives him the name
"Abraham", which means "father of many” to reaffirm that
he would be a father of a great multitude as promised by
God. His wife Sarai, which means “my princess, “would
have her name changed to “Sarah,” “mother of nations”,
again fitting with the promise of God to multiply their
seed. Also God basically added the “ah” sound to their
names. Ah in Hebrew is the word “oath” thus affirming
the covenant!
Besides the changing of names, God instituted the
​
sign and act of circumcision. Remember when Abraham
“Cut” the animals’ n half? This is known in Hebrew as
the Brit bein HaBetarim, the "Covenant between the
Parts". Circumcision is called the brit milah (covenant of
circumcision) in Judaism. By being “cut” you are marked
God until Jesus sheds His blood for man!
​This was a covenant not for humanity but for the nation
and people of Israel only! God would use the nation of
Israel as a witness to the world of monotheism and the true
and living God. He would accompany that covenant with
signs, miracles, prophecy and ultimately the Messiah who
would be the deliverer of not only Israel but all mankind.
Now let us continue with the last 3 Covenants!
The Seven Covenants of God! - Part 2
5. The Mosaic Covenant
The fifth Covenant that God made with man was
with Moses and can be found in Exodus 19-24 and
Deuteronomy 5:6-22.
“I am the Lord your God, who brought
you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make
for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven
above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You
shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord
your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the
sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those
who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations
of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the
Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
“Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord
your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor
and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath
to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work,
neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or
female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your
animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so
that your male and female servants may rest, as you do.
Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the
Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty
hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your
God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.|
“Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God
has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may
go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
11
“You shall not murder.“ You shall not commit adultery.“
You shall not steal. “You shall not give false testimony
against your neighbor. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s
wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house
or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or
anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a
loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain
from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and
he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone
tablets and gave them to me.” Exodus 19-24
This conditional covenant is often referred to as the
Sinaic Covenant since it took place at Mt. Sinai or simply
the Law. At the time of the covenant, God reminded
the people of their obligation to be obedient to His law
(Exodus 19:5), and the people agreed to the covenant
when they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do!”
(Exodus 19:8). the Mosaic covenant is a much larger and
complicated covenant with laws, rituals, and a tabernacle
that allowed humans to enter Yahweh’s presence. This
covenant would serve to set the nation of Israel apart from
all other nations as God’s chosen people.
The Mosaic Covenant differs significantly from the
Abrahamic Covenant and later biblical covenants because
it is conditional in that the blessings that God promises
are directly related to Israel’s obedience to the Mosaic
Law. If Israel is obedient, then God will bless them, but
if they disobey, then God will punish them. The blessings
and curses that are associated with this conditional
covenant are found in detail in Deuteronomy 28. The
Mosaic Covenant either brought God's direct blessing for
 The Seven Covenants of God! - (Cont)
obedience or God's direct cursing for disobedience upon
the nation of Israel. Part of the Mosaic Covenant was the
Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) and the rest of the Law
contained over 600 commands—roughly 300 positive and
300 negative .
In this covenant God promises to make Israel “a
kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). The
polytheistic nations around them would be witnessed to
by Israel and its relationship with the true God. Israel was
to be God’s light to the dark world around them. They were
to be a separate and called-out nation so that everyone
around them would know that they worshiped Yahweh,
the covenant-keeping God.
The sacrificial system of the Mosaic Covenant did
not really take away sins (Hebrews 10:1-4); it simply
foreshadowed the bearing of sin by Christ, the perfect
high priest Who was also the perfect sacrifice (Hebrews
9:11-28). The Mosaic Covenant is also referred to as the
Old Covenant (2 Corinthians 3:14; Hebrews 8:6, 13.
6. The Davidic Covenant
“Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David,
‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture,
from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my
people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went
and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I
will make for you a great name, like the name of the great
ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people
Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their
own place hand be disturbed no more. And violent men
shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I
12
appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you
rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to
you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days
are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise
up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body,
and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for
my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom
forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a
son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with
the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my
steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from
Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house
and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.
Your throne shall be established forever.’” 2 Samuel 7:8-16).
Whereas the Mosaic Covenant was the priestly covenant
the Davidic is the Kingly and prophetic covenant. The
Davidic Covenant is God's unconditional promise to
David that he would have an eternal dynasty.
The provisions of the Davidic Covenant center around
three major components:
• An everlasting throne,
• An everlasting King (Jeremiah 32:21)
• An everlasting kingdom (Daniel 7:14).
Found in 2 Samuel 7:4-16 and 1 Chronicles 17:3-
15, There will be a time, however, when someone
from the line of David will again sit on the throne and
rule as king. This future king is Jesus (Luke 1:32-33).
Christianity traces David's lineage to Jesus Christ, who
was a descendant of David many generations removed,
and see Christ as the rightful heir. Jesus kingdom will be
everlasting (Psalm 45:6-7; Psalm 89:3-4; Revelation 1:5-6).
The Seven Covenants of God! - (Cont)
The Davidic covenant is an unconditional covenant—that towards them. He promised also to put the law into their
is, its fulfillment does not depend on David's actions, or minds, and write the law on their hearts. This prophecy
the actions of any of the members of his household. Both of Jeremiah looks forward to the coming of the Holy
David and Solomon committed grievous sins (2 Samuel Spirit, who would indwell all who have faith, teaching and
11:1-27; 1 Kings 11:4-8), and though these sins were helping them to follow the Lord's commands (John 14:26;
displeasing and hurtful to God, He would still honor His Psalm 23:3-4; Romans 8:9-11).
promise to establish David's house eternally. God had
purposed to do it, and He would accomplish His promise, Some of the provisions:
despite the actions of men (2 Timothy 2:13). • Forgiveness of sins
• Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
• Law fulfilled (In Love -written on their hearts)-
7. The New Covenant Rom. 8:2, Gal. 6:2)
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a Some people believe there are more or less numbers of
new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house covenants. Many add an eighth covenant called the Land
of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with Covenant or Palestine Covenant giving the promise land
their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to
bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant to the Israelites but this can be inclusive of the Mosaic
covenant.
they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith
the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I
will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their
hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. CONDITIONAL and UNCONDITIONAL
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and
every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall COVENANTS
all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of
them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I
will remember their sin no more. Thus saith the Lord, which Three of the eight covenants of the bible are conditional:
giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the The Edenic ,Mosaic and New Covenant. Many
moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth argue that the New Testament is unconditional since God
the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is sovereignly did the work of salvation regardless of man
his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith while others argue that salvation non-the-less requires
the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being man’s acceptance and commitment to Jesus.
a nation before me for ever. Thus saith the Lord; If heaven
above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth The other unconditional covenants are:
searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel The ADAMIC, NOAHIC, ABRAHAMIC, and
for all that they have done, saith the Lord. Behold, the days DAVIDIC
come, saith the Lord, that the city shall be built to the Lord
from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner. And The covenants that God has made are ETERNAL and
the measuring line shall yet go forth over against it upon
the hill Gareb, and shall compass about to Goath. And the are not conditioned by time.
whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the
fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse God’s Covenants are eternal promises to His people and
gate toward the east, shall be holy unto the Lord; it shall his legal commitment to his word, His church
not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.” and to Israel! Shalom~
Jeremiah 31:31-40
The most important element of the new covenant is
the blood of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, blood
sacrifices were required for cleansing and atonement
when the Law was broken. Under the new covenant, Jesus
Christ provided His own body on the cross as a sacrifice
that would purify once, for all time, those who had faith
(Hebrews 10:10, 14). God proclaimed the first covenant,
the Mosaic covenant, as flawed because of the inability of
the people to fulfill their part of the deal. Because His love,
and His promise to Abraham, superseded the demands of
the Mosaic covenant, God did away with the old covenant
and made the "new covenant" in Christ's blood (Hebrews
8:8-13). According to the terms of the new covenant, God
would forget about the sins of the people, and be merciful
13
 God is Fire- His Nature of Justice
L
ast month I wrote an article on the nature of
Light, it's properties and its relationship to God.
The bible says in 1 John that “God is light.” his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised,
st
Well by the same token we can see another side of God.
God is fire! God is both grace and justice; He extends heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing
mercy and executes judgment!
Fire plays an important place with man. It can be what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since
both beneficial and dangerous! It can warm the body, we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let
heat up food, fuel a fireplace, fire clay pots, smelt metal
and much more. But it can also burn and destroy!
God can be gracious to the righteous and fearful
to the wicked! Fire represents God's holiness and his
justness and judgment. We see this in Deuteronomy:
“Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your to the wicked and those who love darkness more than
God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves
an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has
forbidden. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, of Adam and Eve. When they were kicked out of the
a jealous God.” Deut. 4:23,24
It does not say he is like a fire. It says He is a
consuming fire! The new testament affirms this fact:
“You have not come to a mountain that can be touched
and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and
storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking
words that those who heard it begged that no further
word be spoken to them, because they could not bear
what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the
mountain, it must be stoned to death.” The sight was so
terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”...
...See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If
they did not escape when they refused him who warned
God is Fire- His Nature of Justice
Let us look at the nature of fire: To keep a fire going one must stoke the fire. That is
The definition of fire is “combustion or burning, he must poke and stir up the fire and ashes to add more
in which substances combine chemically with oxygen oxygen to it. When a fire looks like it is almost out,
from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, when you stoke it, it will ignite again. Stirring the fire
and smoke” will increase it. Perhaps that is what Paul meant when
Combustion is burning with fire and smoke is the he told Timothy to “stir up the gift of God which is in
result of that burning. you through the laying on of my hands.”
There is a trinity with fire. When oxygen and a fuel Fire is an example of the nature of God but has
source and heat combine than this can ignite a fire. several implications in the bible.
Fire can be extinguished by removing any one of those
three elements of the fire. A campfire will go out if you Fire Represents The Presence Of God!
remove the wood (no more fuel), smother the fire ( no Fire communicates the very presence of God. As
more oxygen) or pour water on the fire (no more heat)! mentioned before in burning bush from which God
[perhaps God's anger is the heat, His spirit is the oxygen spoke to Moses ( Exod. 3:2-6 ), here fire from which
and the ungodly men and fallen angels will be the fuel] God spoke was a manifestation of God himself. Moses
Fire produces several by-products: turned away from the sight "because he was afraid to
them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away • A Flame -This is a mixture of reacting gases and look at God" (v. 6). Similar to this is Yahweh's descent
from him who warns us from heaven? At that time solids emitting visible, infrared, and sometimes upon Mount Sinai "in fire" (Exod. 19:18; Deuteronomy
ultraviolet light! This visible part emits light and 4:11-12, 15, 33, 36)
“Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heat. In the upper room the Holy Spirit fell on the In the New Testament Paul describes the second
120 as tongues of fire (or individual flames). coming of Christ as "in blazing fire" ( 2 Thess 1:7 ), an
of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that • Soot or ash- impure carbon particles or incomplete appearance that carries overtones of judgment as well
combustion of gas and include the residual fuel as mere presence. Also John's vision of Jesus was with
particles such as coal, charcoal or charred wood, eyes "like blazing fire" ( Rev 1:14 ; 2:18 ; 19:12).
us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with and petroleum coke that may become airborne.
“And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and
reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” Soot is an airborne contaminant causes cancer and
thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of
Heb. 12:18-21,25-29 lung disease.
fire burning before the throne, which are the seven
• Smoke is a collection of airborne solid and liquid
God is Love and Life to those who seek truth and Spirits of God.” Rev. 4:5
particles and gases emitted when a material
righteousness but is a destructive, all consuming force
undergoes combustion. Air is often mixed into
the mass. Smoke is commonly an unwanted by- Interestingly the Holy Place in the temple had two
light.
product of fires but may also useful such as pest sources of fire representing the presence of God. One
The first time we read about fire is right after the sin
control (fumigation), communication (smoke was the menorah, a seven branch candlestick which
signals), defensive and offensive capabilities in was lit by a wick dipped in oil by the priests every day.
Garden the bible says:
the military (smoke screen), cooking, or smoking The rabbis said that the seven branches represented
“After he drove the man out, he placed on the (tobacco, etc.). Smoke is used in rituals where the seven days with the center branch representing the
east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and incense, sage, or resin is burned to produce a smell
a flaming sword flashing back and forth to for spiritual purposes. Smoke is sometimes used
guard the way to the tree of life.” Gen. 3:24 as a flavoring agent, and preservative for various
foodstuffs. Smoke inhalation is the primary cause
of death in victims of indoor fires.
An angel with a fiery sword protected the Tree. That
fire must have been a sight to see! • Gas and Fumes- Visible particles emitted from
a fire are referred to as smoke. Invisible particles
Moses met God in the wilderness when He spoke to
him from a burning bush and later when he climbed are generally referred to as gas or fumes. This is
best illustrated when toasting bread in a toaster.
Mount Sinai the mounted contained Gods presence
with fire and smoke! As the bread heats up, the products of combustion
increase in size. The fumes initially produced are
The children were led in the wilderness by a Pillar of
smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night! invisible but become visible if the toast is burnt.
14 15
 God is Fire- His Nature of Justice
Sabbath and light of God.
The other was The altar of Incense also called the
Golden Altar. Incense was burned daily on this altar
at the time of the morning and the evening sacrifices.
The bloodied coals used on this altar had to be taken
from the Altar of Burnt Offerings which was outside
the temple where all the offerings were sacrificed. The
incense used had to be made according to a specific
formula (Exodus 30:34-35). The burning of the incense
was symbolic of the prayer of the people rising up to
God (Psalm 141:2; Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4).
Once a year, the Altar of Incense was purified when
the High Priest, mixed the blood of animals together
then smeared the blood on each of the four corners of
the Golden Altar. Gods wrath must be purified by the
blood of His Son. He was the offering and our prayers
to God like incense go through the Son (John 14:6).
Fire Represents The Glory Of God!
A number of passages focus on fire as synonymous
with God's glory. At Sinai "the glory of the Lord looked the wicked as judgment:
like a consuming fire" ( Exodus 24:17, Leviticus 9:23,
Leviticus 9:24, Deut. 5:24 ). In visions of God in his
glory in both Old and New Testaments, fire is a regular
phenomenon.
Fire Consumes The Sacrifice!
• When Aaron's was set in as priest.
( Lev 9:23-24).
• God's acceptance of offerings of Gideon ( Judges
6:19-24 )
• The offering of the father and mother of Samson
( Judges 13:15-20 ).
• David's offered on the threshing floor of Araunah
the Jebusite (1 Chronicles 21:26).
• The dedication of the King Solomon's temple
(2 Chronicles 7:1)
• Also fire came down and consumed the sacrifice
when Elijah prayed:
"Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people
may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You
have turned their heart back again." Then the fire of
the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and
the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the
water that was in the trench. When all the people saw
it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD,
He is God; the LORD, He is God.” I Kings 18:37-39
16
In each sacrifice consumed by fire from heaven,
God was making an important point. In David’s case,
God was forgiving David’s sin for conducting a census
and halting a plague in Israel. He was also choosing
the place where the future temple would be built. In
Solomon’s case, God was consecrating that location
as the place where His name would dwell forever (2
Chronicles 7:16). The people’s reaction was to worship
the Lord and say,
“He is good; his love endures forever” (2 Chronicles
7:3).
In Elijah’s case, God was shaming the prophets of
Baal, whose god sent no fire, and claiming His rightful
title as Lord God of Israel. The people on Mt. Carmel
“fell prostrate and cried, ‘The LORD—he is God! The
LORD—he is God!’” (1 Kings 18:39).
Fire Consumes The Wicked!
The Bible records several instances of fire falling on
• Fire fell from heaven and destroyed Job’s flocks
(Job 1:16).
• Fire in the form of burning sulfur rained from
the heavens and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah
(Genesis 19:24; Luke 17:29).
• Moses called down hail mixed with fire in Egypt.
(Exo. 9:23-24)
• God also used fire from heaven to judge the
soldiers sent by the wicked king Ahaziah to
arrest Elijah—twice, fire descended from heaven
to consume a group of fifty soldiers sent on the
king’s business (2 Kings 1:10, 12).
• In the rebellion of Korah and his followers many
of them perishing by fire, a manifestation of
God's hot anger ( Num. 16:35; 26:10; Lev. 10:2).
• And, at the end of the millennium, God promises
that He will destroy the armies of Gog and
Magog with fire from heaven (Revelation 20:9).
Interestingly, during Jesus’ earthly ministry, two
of His disciples, James and John (rightly called
the “sons of thunder”-Mark 3:17), wanted to call
down fire from heaven in judgment of a Samaritan
village that did not welcome the Lord. James
and John wanted what they thought was justice,
but their idea went against God’s plan of mercy.
God’s justice will come, but in His time, not ours.
God is Fire- His Nature of Justice
“For behold, the LORD will come in fire And His chariots
like the whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And
His rebuke with flames of fire.” Isaiah 66:15
The Prophets Likened Judgement To Fire!
David said:"How long will your wrath burn like
fire?" ( Psalm 89:46 )
Isaiah sees him "coming with fire" and bringing
down his rebuke "with flames of fire" (66:15).
Jeremiah says in reference to the destruction of
Jerusalem that Yahweh "poured out his wrath like fire"
( Lam 2:4 ).
Ezekiel uses the term "fiery anger" to speak of God's
out-poured judgment, especially when speaking of the
impending Babylonian conquest ( 21:31 ; 22:31 ). This
is also the language by which he describes the overthrow
of Gog in the end times. In his "zeal and fiery wrath" he
will bring about massive calamity ( 38:19 ).
Fire , The Nature Of Trials And Tribulation!
The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
(Daniel 3) is a great example of trial by fire. They
trusted God and God spared them. He burned away
their rope bindings yet they came out with out even the
smell of smoke on them and Jesus was the fourth man
in the fiery furnace.
“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious
than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire,
might be found unto praise and honour and glory at
the appearing of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:7
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal
that has come on you to test you, as though something
strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch
as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that
you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” 1
Peter 4:12-13
“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that
thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou
mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness
do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve,
that thou mayest see.” Rev. 3:18
17
Counterfeit Fire
• Aaron's sons Abihu and Nadab were killed
because they offered “Strange fire” (foreign or
profane) on the alter rather than the prescribed
method that God had told them. (Lev. 10)
• Korah and 250 men contended with Moses about
the authority of the Levites They thought they
had the same right as the priests to carry the
fire in the censors but they were consumed by
fire; their censers are taken away, destroyed, and
symbolically refashioned.
• In the end-times tribulation, the false prophet
will cause fire to come down from heaven as a
means of deceiving people into worshiping the
Antichrist (Revelation 13:13).
Fire: The Final Judgment
• Most commonly, fire is associated with the
judgment of hell ( Matt 3:10-12 ; 5:22 ; 18:8-9;
Mark 9:43 Mark 9:48 ; Luke 3:17 ; 16:24 ; James
3:6 ; Jude 7 ; Rev 20:14-15, Rev. 21:8)
• The destruction of the old heavens and earth in
preparation for the new ( 2 Peter 3:10, 2 Peter
3:12 ).
“Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day
shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and
the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.” 1
Cor. 3:13
“But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the
same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against
the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” 2
Peter 3:7
God is Love and mercy to those who seek him and
his righteousness but to the wicked and unrepentent He
is justice and judgement y fire!
 My House, a House of Prayer
My House, a House of Prayer?
“My House shall be called a house
of Prayer” (Isaiah 56:7)
“And said unto them, It is
written, My house shall be called
the house of prayer; but ye
have made it a den of thieves.“
(Matt. 21:13)
When Jesus turned the tables
of the temple he accused them of
being a a den of thieves rather than
being a House of Prayer. He was
doing more than quoting Isaaih, he
was saying that the temple wasn’t
just a place of sacifice but it was
meant to be a place of corporate
communion with God.
A People of Prayer and Praise
Daniel prayed 3 times a day on his knees (Daniel 6:10)
Psalms says David prayed 3 times a day; evening,
morning and noon. Psalm 55:11. Psalm 119:164- says
David praised God 7 times a day.
The Jews traditionally fixed three times a day for prayer:
• The Third Hour, (9am) morning prayer - (this is
about when the holy Spirit fell in the Upper room
(Acts 2:15)- [This was also the time of the morning
sacrifice!]
• The Sixth Hour, (12am Noon)- Mid-day prayer
-(Judgement of Jesus by Pilate (Behold your king)
• The Ninth hour, Evening Prayer (3pm), [Time of
the Evening Sacrifice.] Peter and John went down to
the temple at the “hour of Prayer” (the ninth hour-
3pm) when they encountered the lame man.
Prayer and the early Church
The early church made prayer a vital part of its meetings:
“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ teaching and
fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers. And
fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs
were done through the apostles.” Acts 2:42-43-
Church history confirms that according to Clement in
the 2nd century many in Alexandria were observing the
same three hours of prayer.
The Didach, (60 ad )- the oldest known liturgical manual
for Christians, recommended disciples to pray the Lord's
Prayer three times a day.
After the ascension the disciples went back to Jerusalem
to the upper room and prayed for 10 days until the Holy
Spirit fell on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 1:14). Many want
18
the Acts 2 experience without
the Acts 1 prayers. They want the
signs and wonders; the tongues
and miracles but dont want to
seek, inquire and wait upon God.
Ten days of prayer brought them
to the point of unity (They were
in one accord). Then they were
ready to recieve the power of
God!
We may not be unified in
doctrine or teaching. We may not
get along with everyone in our
fellowship. We may have diferent
liturgies and traditions, but the one
thing we can be unified in is prayer.
Difficulty of Prayer
Jesus asked his disciples to pray with him for ONE
HOUR in the Garden of Gethsemene but they kept
falling asleep!
I met with an intercessory group for eight
years. We weekly invited the church to meet with
us one day a week and pray for us for one hour
and out of a church of 200 we averaged about
seven people a night each week. We use to joke
that you can get alot of people to come out for
a bible study and everyone to come out for
a pot luck dinner but hardly anyone would
come out to a prayer meeting! Prayer is so
essential to the life of a church but sadly
Church is no longer much of a house of
prayer! The saints of old met three
times a day but we can not pray for
one hour a week.
The Bible’s’ Call To Prayer
• “Ye have not because you ask not”
(James 4:2)
• “Whatsoever you ask I my name.”
(John 14:13)
• Ask, seek and Find and you will receive”
(Luke 11:9)
• “Call on me and I will show you great and
mighty things, which you know not of.”
(Jer. 33:3)
In these last days, it is time to seek Him
and make again His house a House of Prayer!
BIOGRAPHY - Phoebe Palmer
Phoebe Palmer ~ (December 18, 1807 – November 2, 1874)
Phoebe Palmer was a 19th-century female Methodist
evangelist associated with the holiness movement.
She is considered one of the founders of the Holiness
movement in America.
Palmer was born Phoebe Worrall in New York
City. Her father Henry was a devout Methodist who
had experienced a religious conversion during
the Wesleyan Revival in England before
immigrating to the United States. Their
parents were active members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church in New
York City. They instilled in their
children strict Methodist values and
they conducted twice-daily in-house
family worship services.
For the century after John Wesley
founded Methodism, conversion
meant emotion, an intense religious
experience lasting moments or
days. It established one's salvation
and was considered the absolute
prerequisite of Christian perfection, or
"entire sanctification." But still she had not
experienced the "powerful conversion" (as she put
it) as had her Methodist friends and family.
Her first decade of marriage to Methodist physician
Walter Palmer didn't help. Their marriage was strong,
but she lost three of her four children. Phoebe was
convinced God was punishing her for not totally devoting
herself to him: "Surely I needed it, or it would not have
been given," she wrote. "Though painfully learned, yet
I trust the lesson has been fully apprehended."
They developed a particular interest in Wesley’s
doctrine of Christian perfection, which is the belief that
a Christian can live a life free of serious sin. At some
point in the year 1837 Phoebe Palmer experienced
what she called “entire sanctification.” She didn't
need "joyous emotion" to believe—belief itself was
grounds for assurance. Reading Jesus' words that "the
altar sanctifies the gift," she believed that God would
make her holy if she "laid her all upon the altar." She
identified entire sanctification with the baptism of
the Holy Spirit. She linked holiness with power and
taught that entire sanctification is the beginning rather
than the ultimate goal of Christian life. To a greater
19
extent than Wesley, Palmer believed that the "second
blessing" could be instantaneously acquired. Through
her "altar theology" she simplified the achievement
of sanctification to a three-step process of entire
consecration, faith, and testimony. She taught that
one needed no evidence other than Biblical text to be
assured of entire sanctification.
"I now see that the error of my religious life
has been a desire for signs and wonders,"
she wrote. "Like Naaman, I have wanted
some great thing, unwilling to rely
unwaveringly on the still small voice
of the Spirit, speaking through the
naked Word."
Her family experienced this
"sanctification" soon thereafter. They
felt that they should teach others about
that experience and teach them how to
have it for themselves.
In 1835 Palmer’s sister, Sarah
Lankford, began having weekly prayer
meetings or “class meetings” with
Methodist women. Class meetings, started
by John Wesley in 1742. In the American version
of the class meeting each member was assigned to a
class and was placed under the direct supervision of a
class leader. Weekly, when the class met, each member
was called upon to stand up and talk of his experience.
Two years later, Phoebe Palmer became the leader
of the meetings, which were referred to as the Tuesday
Meeting for the Promotion of Holiness. The meetings
were held in the Palmer’s home. Beginning in 1839, men
were allowed to attend the meetings. Among the men
were Methodist bishops, theologians, and ministers.
Eventually, word of these successful prayer meetings
inspired similar gatherings around the country, bringing
Christians of many denominations together to
pray. Phoebe soon found herself in the limelight—the
most influential woman in the largest, fastest-growing
religious group in America. At her instigation, missions
began, camp meetings evangelized, and an estimated
25,000 Americans converted. This renewed interest in
Holiness eventually influenced the Methodist Church
nationwide.
She wrote several books, including The Way of
 BIOGRAPHY - Phoebe Palmer God’s City - The New Jerusalem
Holiness, which was a foundational book in the Holiness to Holiness in 1864. It had been started by Timothy
movement. In her book, The Promise of the Father, Merritt to promote the doctrine of Christian perfection.
Palmer defended the idea of women in Christian ministry. Phoebe Palmer edited the magazine from that time until
From the northeastern United States the movement her death.
spread. She and her husband visited other regions, then Though she considered herself simply a "Bible
Canada in 1857, Christian" who
and then the United took Scripture with
Kingdom in 1859. “Earnest prayers, long fasting, and burning tears absolute seriousness,
They stayed in the may seem befitting, but cannot move the heart her theology is her
United Kingdom of infinite love to a greater willingness to save.” legacy. Considered
for several years. the link between
Phoebe Palmer's Wesleyan revivalism
own expanding activities included "protracted meetings" and modern Pentecostalism, her "altar covenant" gave
The protracted meeting was a well established rise to denominations like The Church of the Nazarene,
practice in Methodism by Palmer's time. These had The Salvation Army, The Church of God, and The
been introduced by revivalist Charles G. Finney. The Pentecostal-Holiness Church.
protracted meeting did everything the camp meeting
M ost people think that the
New Jerusalem is just
another name for Heaven.
This is false. The New Jerusalem is an
actual city that will come down from
The clue was the foundations.
The Prophet Isaiah saw in vision the
future City of God built in splender
acompanied by peace. He too saw the
foundations:
city the New Jerusalem and gives us
a greater picture of this great city:
“The one who is victorious I will
make a pillar in the temple of my
was supposed to do except the atmosphere was more heaven during the thousand year God. Never again will they leave it.
"urbanized." It was at these protracted meetings that BOOKS: reign of Christ or when he creates a “Afflicted city, lashed by storms I will write on them the name of
New Earth afterwards. and not comforted, I will rebuild my God and the name of the city
Palmer came closest to "preaching", although she did • The Way of Holiness (1843), you with stones of turquoise, your
The city of New Jerusalem is a of my God, the new Jerusalem,
not admit to it being "preaching, technically so called." • Entire Devotion to God (1845), fascinating study. When settlers came foundations with lapis lazuli. I will which is coming down out of
She was a concise and articulate speaker. By 1866, • Faith and its Effects (1848), to America, they often renamed make your battlements of rubies, heaven from my God; and I will
Phoebe was a "well-polished " public speaker. • The Promise of the Father (1859) cities after existing cities they had your gates of sparkling jewels, and also write on them my new name.”
She herself would often preach, "Earnest prayers, known in England. Thus there was all your walls of precious stones. Rev 3:12
long fasting, and burning tears may seem befitting, York, England and New York in All your children will be taught by
America. Same with New Jersey, New the Lord, and great will be their
but cannot move the heart of infinite love to a greater Hampshire, etc. Well Jerusalem in “Then I saw “a new heaven and a
At age 11, she inscribed a peace. In righteousness you will be new earth,” for the first heaven and
willingness to save. God's time is now. The question is poem on the flyleaf of her Bible: Israel is so precious to God that he has established: Tyranny will be far from
not, What have I been? or What do I expect to be? But, constructed a city in heaven to bring the first earth had passed away, and
you; you will have nothing to fear. there was no longer any sea. I saw
Am I now trusting in Jesus to save to the uttermost? If to earth and calls it New Jerusalem. Terror will be far removed; it will not the Holy City, the New Jerusalem,
so, I am now saved from all sin." She combined constant come near you.” Isaiah 54:11-14 coming down out of heaven from
Old Testament
personal testimony with "exhortations" to believers to The Book of Ezekiel contains the New Testament God, prepared as a bride beautifully
lay hold upon the promised blessing by simple faith first record of the New Jerusalem and The term New Jerusalem occurs dressed for her husband. And I
Palmer was also deeply concerned about social the fourth Jewish temple. (Ezekiel twice in the New Testament, in verses heard a loud voice from the throne
ills. She was an ardent supporter of the temperance This revelation—holy, just, and true 40-48). The problem with Ezekiel's Rev 3:12 and Rev 21:2 but is referred saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place
Though oft I read, it seems forever new; New Jerusalem is the measurements to in many other places: is now among the people, and he
movement and one of the founding directors of are far smaller than the ones given will dwell with them. They will be
America's first inner-city mission—New York's Five in Revelations. This is more likely a • Galatians 4:26- talks about the
Jerusalem that is above his people, and God himself will be
Points Mission. While light from heaven upon its pages rest, description of the future temple to be with them and be their God.‘He
A prominent religious woman in such an age was I feel its power, and with it I am blessed. built and a new walled city that is a • Heb.12:22–24–It is called will wipe every tear from their
type of the New Jerusalem in Heaven. Heavenly Jerusalem eyes. There will be no more death’
met with suspicion. Actually, she agreed with critics All though Ezekiel first mentions
Henceforth, I take thee as my future guide, • Heb. 13:14 – It is called “the or mourning or crying or pain, for
that it was not right for women to engage in "women it, Abraham knew about and looked city that is to come”
Let naught from thee my youthful heart divide the old order of things has passed
preaching, technically so called." But, she added, "it is for the city of God that later would
. be called by the prophets the New away.” Rev 21:1-4
in the order of God that women may occasionally be Some believe that the New
brought out of the ordinary sphere of action and occupy And then, if late or early death be mine, Jerusalem. Jerusalem will come down during Apocrypha
in either church or state positions of high responsibility." All will be well, since I, O Lord, am Thine! the millennium reign of Christ while Although the book of Esdras is not
“...for he was looking for the city other believe the New Jerusalem will
Such an example inspired other women, like the which has foundations, whose in our protestant canon it was widely
come down after the New Heavens used by the early church and many of
Salvation Army's Catherine Booth and the Women's architect and builder is God.” and Earth are made. There is good the Church Fathers
Christian Temperance Union's Frances Willard. The Heb. 11:10 scriptural argument for either view In 2 Esdras 10, there is a vision of a
Palmers bought a monthly magazine entitled The Guide Abraham knew that there was a city but probably the latter is most likely. woman who turns into a city. It speaks
not built by man but by God himself. But the book of Revelation calls this of a Woman who had a son who died
20 21
 God’s City - The New Jerusalem
entering his wedding chamber. (Jesus
-the Messiah!) She mourned for her
son but an angel tells her “For if you
acknowledge the decree of God to be
just, you will receive your son back in
due time.”(resurrection!)
In the Vision Esdra says:
“When I looked up, the woman
was no longer visible to me, but a city
was being built,[ and a place of huge
foundations showed itself.”
An angel tells him that the woman
that turned into a city is Zion. Zion
has always been Jerusalem. The angel
says to Esdra:
Therefore I told you to go into the
field where there was no foundation
of any building, because no work of
human construction could endure
in a place where the city of the Most
High was to be revealed. “Therefore
do not be afraid, and do not let your
heart be terrified; but go in and see
the splendor or the vastness of the
building, as far as it is possible for
your eyes to see it.”
The Dead Sea Scrolls
The Dead Sea scrolls contain a
New Jerusalem tradition that focus
specifically on the twelve city gates,
The gates of Simeon, Joseph, and
Reuben are mentioned in this partial
fragment. The New Jerusalem’s twelve
gates signify the reunification of the
twelve tribes of Israel. We do not have
enough scroll fragments to completely
analyze their New Jerusalem picture.
Their vision of the New Jerusalem
looked for the reunification of the
twelve tribes around an eschatological
Temple.
The Splendor of the City
John's elaborate description of the
New Jerusalem show many features
of the Garden of Eden with a river
of life that flows down the middle of
the great street of the city from the
Throne of God.
The tree of life grows on either
side of the river. The tree bears twelve
kinds of fruit and yields its fruit every
month. According to John, “The
leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nations.”
The New Jerusalem is "pure gold,
like clear glass" and its "brilliance is
like a very costly stone, as a stone of
crystal-clear jasper."
The street of the city is also made
of "pure gold, like transparent glass".
The base of the city is laid out in
a square and surrounded by a wall
made of jasper. It says in Revelation
21:16 that the height, length, and
width are of equal dimensions - as
it was with the Holy of Holies in the
Tabernacle and
subsequent Jewish
temples.
The Structure
of the City
The Wall is 72
yards thick. There
are twelve gates
in the four walls,
three each on the
east, north, south,
and west sides.
There is an angel
at each gate. These
gates are each
made of a single
pearl, The names
of the twelve tribes
of Israel are written
on these gates.
The city has twelve foundation
stones, and on these are written the
names of the Twelve Apostles.
Each of the twelve tribes has long
been associated with a certain type
of precious stone. These historical
connections go back to the time of
Temple worship, when the same
kinds of stones were set in the golden
Breastplate of the Ephod worn by
the priests. The names of each of the
twelve tribes of Israel were inscribed
on each stone.
The Vastness of the City
The city of New Jerusalem is huge!
In Rev. 21:16, the angel measures
the city with a golden rod or reed, and
records it as 12,000 stadia by 12,000
stadia at the base, and 12,000 stadia
high. A stadion is usually 185 meters,
or 607 feet, so the base has dimensions
of about 2220  km by 2220  km, or
1380 miles by 1380 miles, nearly
22
Poem - Cup of Life
half the width of the United states.
This is roughly equal to 1.9 million
square miles. If rested on the Earth,
its ceiling would be inside the upper
The Cup Of Life
boundary of the exosphere but
outside the lower boundary. Clearly by Jerry Wall
Israel could not hold this city without
drastic geophysical changes. Most
likely it would take a new earth with
Drink from the cup of life,
no sea for this city built in heaven to
come down to earth and fit.
A tiny taste will do!
A child need not worry,
For there is much for you! This e-magazine and others are FREE
to download and/or read online at:
Drink from the cup of life, www.issuu.com/visualdesigngraphics
Gulp up with zeal and zest!
Savor much in youth,
For there is plenty left.
Please visit our Facebook Page
Drink from the cup of life, and like us at:
Though its half way through. https://www.facebook.com/PatmosPaper/
Sip and salivate the taste
Size of base of New Jerusalem
as life seems long and full!
The Presence of God
All comments, suggestions, and
There is no temple building in
the New Jerusalem. God and the correspondants may be sent to the
Lamb are the city’s temple, since Drink from the cup of life, editor/publisher at:
they are worshiped everywhere.
God presence will fill the city as this A quarter yet remains. jerrywalldesigns@gmail.com
is the place where He will dwell with
man forever!
Forget about the loss
John states that the New Jerusalem
will be free of sin. Night will no
And focus on the gains!
longer fall, and the inhabitants of
the city will “have need no lamp Please visit our website at
nor light of the sun, for the Lord Drink from the cup of life, www.patmospapers.zohosites.com
God gives them light.” John ends
his account of the New Jerusalem Sip slowly and with care.
by stressing its eternal nature: “And
they shall reign forever and ever.” Savor every drop old one
We too like Abraham should be For soon the cup is bare!
looking for a city:
“...whose architect and
builder is God.”
23
Janu ar y /Febr u ar y 2 0 1 8

24