THE SPIRIT LETTERS

Message Twenty - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEFJ

Joseph the son of Jacob, a key incarnation of the Son of GOD, had “grown up” from the Abrahamic lineal tree as its main BRANCH – as had been foretold in Num. 24:16-19 –and confirmed in the Book of Chronicles:

“Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn; but, inasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler [Jesus Christ]; but the birthright was Joseph’s (1 Chron. 5:1-2).

In Jewish ancestries, the firstborn son in a family ordinarily held the birthright over any other sons. It was his duty, obligation and honor to take over familial responsibilities if and when the father should grow old, or for some other reason be incapable of handling the family’s affairs. That this rule was not destined to permanently prevail was underscored when the extremely spiritualized Jacob replaced two of his own natural-born sons, Reuben and Simeon, with his son Joseph’s two sons Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. 48:5) and then set second-born Ephraim ahead of first-born Manasseh.

Jacob then blessed all of his sons, instructing them:

“Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.” (Gen. 49:1).

Jacob then spoke of Judah as one whom his brothers would praise; whose hand would be on the neck of his enemies: one before whom his father’s children [his brothers] would bow down: “a lion’s whelp that had gone up from his prey.” This meant that the time for Judah’s lineage to prevail over the children of Israel was nearing an end – as was foreshadowed by the next verse:

“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet – empowered in the place in which he stood – until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.” (Gen. 49:10).

The Shiloh who was predestined to come to replace Judah’s lineage was Jesus Christ: He was to become the Lawgiver (Isa. 33:22; James 4:12). Jesus, as Shiloh, afterward taught that those who believe in Him and follow Him need have no fear of those who can kill the body and after that can do no more, but rather should fear Him who, once He has killed, has the power to cast into hell (Mt. 6:25; Lk. 12:4-5).

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily, He took not on Himself the nature of angels; but he took on Himself the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to GOD, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” (Heb. 2:14-17).

Jesus Christ, having been born in Bethlehem, in Judah, in fulfillment of prophesy (Micah 5:1-3), it was difficult for Jews to accept Him as their Messiah, or to permit Him to teach them, because, insofar as was known, He held no valid priesthood:

“It is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning a priesthood. And it is yet more evident that after the similitude of Melzhizedec there arises another priest, who is not made after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. (Heb. 7:14-16).

These all-important verses explained that Jesus Christ still held the eternal Priesthood of GOD, with which GOD had anointed Him when He had incarnated as Melchizedec. It was a spiritually-ordained eternal priesthood – not a temporal one of the kind that expires at the death of a human priest. As the Hebrews writer explained,

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest who is set at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. A minister of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man (Heb. 8:1-2).

This heavenly tabernacle “which the Lord pitched,” is the true Christian Church, the Spirit of Christ the Son of GOD, into which Beloved John taught that the souls of those who have Christ’s Spirit in them are to be “received into Himself” when He returns in the cloud to gather those who are His; that they may ever be with Him, where He is (Jn. 14:3; Lk. 21:27).

Series to be Continued in Message 21 - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Messages Eighteen and Nineteen - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

The heavenly higher-self spirit of Joshua the son of Nun, was the Son of GOD written of in Psalm 2:6-12. He had incarnated first as Adam, during which experience He “fell” as the result of his disobedience of GOD’s Will; but thereafter incarnated as Enoch son of Jared, which manifestation was a stepping stone for Him as He obediently “walked with GOD” throughout that life, and “was not” because GOD took him off from the earth” (Gen. 5:22-24). The Son then embarked upon a series of spiritually-perfecting earth experiences which would ultimately lead to his flesh incarnation as Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The Holy Bible remarkably traces the incremental steps in the spiritual escalation of the Son of GOD though His earth incarnations from Adam to Jesus Christ. An angel of the Lord showed Prophet Zechariah visions disclosing that Joshua the son of Josedech was an incarnation of the Spirit of the Son of GOD, who was HIS servant, the BRANCH:

“And the showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, even the Lord that has chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is this not a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel – possibly the same angel that had long before redeemed Jacob from all evil Gen. 48:15-16). And he, the angel, answered and spoke to those who stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I [Zechariah] said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by. And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, GOD the Father: if thou wilt walk in my ways, and shall also keep my charge, then thou shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by. (Ref. Ezek 18:30-32). Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.” (Zech. 3:1-8).

The Lord subsequently expanded upon this above-quoted prophesy through Zechariah:

“Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest; and speak to him, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and He shall build the temple of the Lord. Even He shall bear the glory, and sit and rule upon His Throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both” (Zech. 6:11-13).

When it was written that Joshua would “grow up out of his place,” it reflected back to Jacob’s comment referring to his son Joseph – an earth experience of the Son of GOD – when he blessed him, saying, “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall” (Gen. 49:22). And when it was inscribed that Joshua was The BRANCH who was to “build the temple of the Lord,” it did not refer to the earthly temple made of stone in Jerusalem. Rather, it referred-to the temple of the Son’s Spirit body, which, understood in its spiritual sense (2 Cor. 3:3-6), is the heavenly Spirit-church. The Spirit that was in Joshua the son of Josedech was that of The BRANCH of GOD’s Holy Spirit, later to incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth. It is biblically foretold that those souls that have the Spirit of Christ the Son of GOD in them, Christ will receive unto Himself (Mt. 14:3), when He returns in the cloud, as foretold in Lk. 21:25-28).

The Lord, speaking through Prophet Malachi, had foretold that one would be sent as HIS messenger – John the Baptist – and that the “Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in: behold He shall come, says the Lord.” (Mal. 3:1). That this temple referred-to the Spirit in Jesus Christ was made evident on an occasion when some doubting Jews asked Him:

“What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things? Jesus answered, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years were required to build this temple, and will you rear it up in three days? But He spoke of the temple of His body.” (Jn. 2:18-20).

Zechariah’s striking prophetic vision at Zech. 6:11-13 spells out clearly that Joshua was the man incarnated on earth at that time who bore the name The BRANCH. The temple that Joshua was to build later – as Jesus Christ – was the perfect Spirit Temple that GOD resurrected to HIS right side and empowered there over heaven and the earth (Mt. 28:18). Christ the Son of GOD had been “made a little less than the Angels” (Heb. 2,7,9), but after He had been raised up to GOD’s right hand and enthroned there, He fulfilled the prophesy that He would “bear the glory and that the counsel of peace would reign between Him and GOD His Father (Zech. 6:11-13).

But this spiritual escalation, foretold in Zechariah’s time, was conditioned upon his fulfillment of the charge GOD gave Him. He was required to “walk in GOD’S ways and keep the charge GOD had given Him,” if He was to “judge HIS house and keep HIS courts (Zech. 3:7):

“And this day shall come to pass if you will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your GOD.” (Zech. 6:15). This charge of course applied to the Son’s earth life as Joshua the son of Josedech: which was an important stepping stone for Him.

Series to be Continued in Message Twenty - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Seventeen - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

One of the many mysteries written into the Holy Bible is found in the Book of Daniel:

“But I will show thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holds with me in these things but Michael, your prince.” (Dan. 10:21).

It was Archangel Gabriel who spoke to Daniel to “give him skill and understanding” (Dan. 9:21), He disclosed to the “greatly beloved” Prophet that his words had been heard from the first day that he had set his heart to understand, and to chasten himself before GOD (Dan. 10:11-12). As noted, supra, Gabriel had disclosed to Daniel that Michael was his prince; and he further foretold to the prophet that the time of Deliverance was to come at some time in the future “at a time of trouble such as never has been since there was a nation,” at which time Daniel’s people, whose names shall be found written in the Book of Life, shall be saved” (Dan. 12:1.)

At first consideration, the idea that Michael the Archangel has been predetermined to be man’s Savior and Redeemer, does not square with New Testament writings asserting that Jesus Christ is man’s Savior and Intercessor to GOD; and that there is “none other name under heaven among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:10-12).

When this seeming dichotomy is resolved, it comes down to this: in Daniel’s time Jesus Christ’s name was unknown because the Son of GOD would not incarnate as Jesus until a number of centuries afterward, and it was not revealed in Daniel’s time. Obviously, though, much revelational information was made known to Daniel, revealed to him through the Spirit by Archangel Gabriel; who obviously knew many spiritual mysteries. He was aware that “one like the Son of man was to come in the clouds of heaven, and would be given everlasting dominion, glory, and a kingdom, and that all peoples should serve Him” (Dan. 7:9-14).

Prophet Daniel even knew that the anti-Christ was to manifest and “speak great words against the Most High GOD, wear out HIS Saints – even consider trying to change times and laws and the dividing of time” (Dan. 7:25). But the Judgment shall sit, and take away the anti-Christ’s dominion, and consume and destroy it” (Dan. 7:26); and the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High GOD, whose kingdom is everlasting, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him (Dan. 7:27). As disclosed in the Book of Acts, when GOD empowered Christ HIS Son over heaven and the earth (Mt. 28:18), HE insured that only HE would ever be able to change the times or seasons – HE retained them under HIS own power (Acts 1:7).

It is understood that the Son of GOD is man’s Savior: that He incarnated in Daniel’s time when He was known as Michael the Archangel, as afterward noted in John’s Revelation:

“I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war…He had a name written that no man knew but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and His name is called, The Word of God. And He has on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (Rev. 19:11-16).

Michael the Archangel was a name by which the Son of GOD was known during Prophet Daniel’s time. As would later be inscribed by the writer to the Hebrews, the Son of GOD was not an angel: He was made better than the angels, having by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said HE [GOD] at any time: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to me a Son?” And again, when HE brought in the first begotten into the world, HE said, Let all the angels of GOD worship Him…but unto the Son HE said, thy throne O God, is forever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore GOD, even thy GOD, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows” (Heb. 1-9).

Thus Daniel identified “Michael” as “the great prince which stood for the children of his people, and their deliverer when the time of trouble would come, such as had never before been seen on the earth” (Dan. 12:1). The Prophet foretold what is yet to take place during the Lord’s Indignation (Isa. 26:20; Isa. 34:2: Ezek. 21:31; Micah 7:9; Nah. 1:6; Heb. 10:27), but unwittingly identified man’s Deliverer as Michael the Archangel: because at that time the incarnation of Jesus Christ lay hundreds of years in the future, and was not yet known on the earth.

As for Archangel Gabriel, he divulged remarkable spiritual truths to Prophet Daniel, to whom he was sent to make him understand what was to befall his people in the Latter Days; for the vision in which he appeared to Daniel was for many days (Dan. 10:11-14). Gabriel disclosed that only Michael shared with him that which was written in the “scripture of truth” (Dan. 10:21). It thus became clear that Michael the Archangel – another name for the Son of GOD – and Archangel Gabriel, ranked high up in the heavenly hierarchy at that time. The fact that Gabriel had been sent to Daniel to divulge spiritual mysteries to him, reflects to that which was written of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth, who began to appear under that designation after Jesus Christ had been Glorified, and empowered over heaven and the earth (Mt. 28:18). He was to be sent by GOD in Jesus’ name, to teach His followers all things, and to bring to their remembrance whatsoever he had said unto them (Jn. 14:26; cf Jn. 16:7, 13-15).

Gabriel continued to divulge important spiritual truths during the New Testament days: to those to whom he was sent: priest Zacharias and Beloved Mary the mother of Jesus (Lk. 1:7-35). This has caused some to reach the understanding that the Holy Ghost is synonymous with Beloved Gabriel, who after his brief but important visitations with Zacharias and Beloved Mary is not thereafter biblically mentioned by that name. It is, however, written that Jesus foretold that when the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth, came, “He shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear he shall speak; and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me, for he shall receive of minde and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father has are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine and shall show it unto you.” (Jn. 16:13-15).

Series to be Continued in Message 18 - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Sixteen - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF *

“What the two oldest gospels report of the public life of Jesus takes place in the course of a year. It is in the spring, with the parable of the sower, that Jesus begins to proclaim the secret of the Kingdom of GOD. At harvest time He is hoping that the heavenly harvest also, like the earthly, will begin (Mt. 10:37), and He sends out His Disciples to make a final proclamation of the nearness of the Kingdom. Shortly thereafter He abandons His public activity and lingers along with His Disciples in the heathen territory in the neighborhood of Caesarea Phillipi, probably until near Easter, when He starts on His journey to Jerusalem.

“At the last meal which He takes with His Disciples, He gives them to eat and to drink wine which He has consecrated by prayers of thanksgiving, and declares that He will no more drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when He will drink it new in His Father’s Kingdom. Thus, at His last earthly meal He consecrates them to be His companions at the coming Messianic meal. From that time onward, as persons who carry within them the certain assurance they are invited to the Messianic meal, gather together in continuation of that last supper, for ceremonial meals at which over the food and drink, prayers of thanksgiving are offered up for the speedy coming of the Kingdom and the Messianic meal.

“Jesus expects, then, through the effect of His atoning death, to bring in the Messianic Kingdom immediately, without any preliminary tribulation. He tells His judges that they will see Him as the Son of man seated at the right hand of GOD and coming in the clouds of heaven.

“Since on the morning after the Sabbath the Disciples find the grave empty, and in their enthusiastic expectations of the glory in which their Master is soon to appear, have visions of Him as risen from the grave, they are certain He is with GOD in heaven, soon to appear as Messiah and bring in the Kingdom. [They were not to know the "times" and "seasons," which GOD had put in HIS own power" (Acts 1:7)].

“What constituted the celebration, then, was not Jesus’ words of institution so-called, which spoke of bread and wine as His body and blood, but the prayers of thanksgiving over the bread and wine. These gave both to the supper of Jesus with His Disciples, and also to the solemn meal of the primitive community, a meaning which pointed forward to the expected Messianic meal.

[There was also the consideration that Christ the Son of GOD as Jesus held the eternal Priesthood of GOD, that of Melchizedec (Gen. 14:18-19; Heb. 6:19-20).]

“Thus we get also an explanation of the fact that the celebration of the Supper in the earliest period is designated a “Eucharist,” or thanksgiving. There is in Apostle Paul’s writings another doctrine of an entirely different character, according to which believers experience in themselves in a mystical way the death and mythical resurrection of Jesus, and thereby become sinless, ethical persons. [Paul had personally experienced this conversion on the Damascus Road (Acts Chapters 9, 22, 26). It was after that illuminating experience that he wrote his hugely important update to the Corinthians, strikingly distinguishing between those who have undergone such spiritualizing experiences, and so receive "the things of GOD;" whereas the un-spiritualized natural man cannot discern or comprehend them because they are spiritually discerned].

“Jesus takes upon Himself the sins of others and endures His excruciating pain without, for the most part, their understanding of why He does so. But GOD knows why, or HE would not have put His Son through such a terrible testing ordeal. Just as Jesus announces the Kingdom of GOD not as something already beginning, but something that lies in the future; so He does not think He is already the Messiah. He is, however, convinced that at the appearance of the Messianic Kingdom, when the predestined ones enter upon the supernatural mode of existence intended for them, He will be manifested as Messiah.

“This knowledge about His future dignity remains His secret. To the people He comes forward as the announcer of the approaching Kingdom of GOD. There is no need for His hearers to know with whom they have to do. When the Kingdom appears they will learn it. His self-consciousness displays itself only so far that to those who confess to Him and accept His message about the Kingdom, He promises that the Son of man (of whom, as though He Himself were not identical with Him, He speaks in the third person) will recognize them immediately as His own.”

* OUT OF MY LIFE AND THOUGHTS, By Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Pub. By Henry Holt & Co., Lmtd., Translated by C. T. Campion. 1933, 1949.

Series to be Continued in Message 17 - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Fifteen - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEFProphet Zechariah foretold that those who refused to listen to the words of GOD would inevitably be “scattered among all nations whom they knew not.” (Zech. 7:11-14). When the Son of GOD incarnated as Jesus Christ of Nazareth, He spoke as the “prophet foretold to be raised up from among His brethren, like Moses,” in whose mouth GOD would put HIS words that He was to speak” (Deut. 18:18). As Jesus would later explain, “Believe you not that I am in the Father and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwells in me, He does the works” (Jn. 14:10). It is GOD the Father’s Spirit Energy that moves, guides and directs HIS Son, who receives HIS Spirit without any limitation (Jn. 3:34).

Apostle Paul’s comment that GOD the Father is “above all, through all and in us all” (Ephes. 4:6), coupled with Apostle John’s statement that GOD is a Spirit, together express the principle that Spirit is miscible in itself – it mixes with itself – at least within certain vibrational intensities and frequencies. The fact that the Son of GOD has available to Him as much of GOD’s Spirit to accomplish whatever He sees fit to utilize, explains His miracles, as well as His vast knowledge and His ability to perform the amazing supernatural acts that became characteristic of Him during His brief ministry.

About 40 A.D. Jerusalem fell, the temple was destroyed and the perishable genealogical records of the Twelve Tribes were lost along with it. As had been foretold, “the scepter had departed from beneath the feet of Judah” (Gen. 49:10), clearing the way for the Son of GOD to later manifest as Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the “Shiloh,” around whom the people were to gather. As the writer to the Hebrews elaborated in considerable detail, Jesus held an eternal priesthood established “after the order” of that of Melchizedec (Heb. 5:6)

Jesus, the Son of GOD, held the Priesthood of Meclchizedec because He had previously incarnated as Melchizedec. When Christ had incarnated as Joshua the son of Nun, He had been Moses’ minister for the same reason, based on the same rationale. The Bible does not confirm the existence of any heavenly-ordained Priesthood in Joshua’s time, but it does disclose that Joshua was Moses’ minister, and implies that he went up into the Holy Mount with Moses as his intercessor to GOD.

Considering that the Spirit that was the soul in Joshua is understood to have later incarnated as the spirit of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and had been GOD’s eternal High Priest when He had incarnated as Melchizedec – without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of GOD, abides a priest continually (Heb. 7:3) – then it is evident that He never actually died, nor did His priesthood expire. It continued through the generations and was ordained, as a matter of spiritual inheritance, to Jesus.

Of this, the Hebrews writer noted: “Being made so much better than the angels, He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said HE at any time, Thou art MY Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father and He shall be to ME a Son? (Heb. 1:4-5).

This writer asked the all-important question:

“If perfection were by the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?” (Heb. 7:11). There were many Levitical priests because they were not suffered to continue, but, not being eternal, they died (Heb. 7:23). But, it was explained,

” Because Jesus, like Melchizedec, continues ever, He has an unchangeable priesthood, and is therefore able to save them to the uttermost that come unto GOD by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. Who needs not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s; for this He did once when He offered up Himself. For the law makes men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, makes the Son, who is consecrated for evermore. (Heb. 7:24-28).

The writer then added to this message:

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum:

We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens: a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” (Heb. 8:3)

Our eternal heavenly high priest – the Son of GOD who was Jesus Christ on the earth – is now available to all true Christians when they fulfill the sacred Eucharist, and when they pray their prayers – especially the Lord’s Prayer – Mt. 6:9-15 – which many have found to have great power and to bring astounding results.

Series to be Continued in Message 16 - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Fourteen - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

The Bible subtly conveys the idea that the name “Joshua” was understood to equate with the name “Jeshua.” In Nehemiah 8:17 it is noted that at the time the chosen people were returning from their exile in Babylon, Joshua the son of Nun was referred-to as Jeshua the son of Nun. This is not as small a detail as it might seem, because both names – Joshua and Jeshua – equate with the name Jesus the Son of GOD when He manifested on earth subsequent to His incarnations as both Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister; and his later appearance as Jeshua the son of Josedech. For those who will receive it, all three of these names refer to separate incarnations of the Son of GOD during different periods of time.

It is noted in the Bible that when the time came for the end of the 70-year exile in Babylon, Prophet Ezra declared:

“Now these are the children of the province that went up out of captivity…and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one to his city. They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and Nehemiah and many others. And the “Tirshatha” – the title of a high Persian dignitary who held important spiritual authority – said unto them that they should not eat of the most holy things until there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim. Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak – also biblically-named Joshua the son of Josedech – and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shieltiel, and his brethren, and built the altar of the GOD of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the Law of Moses, the man of GOD (Ezra 2:1-2, 63; Ezra 3:2

Not much is known today about the Urim “lights” and Thummim, but some sources indicate that they revealed the spiritual empowerment of a priest able to be guided, moved and directed by heavenly forces. There were “perfections” – gemstones – bourne by the High Priest of Israel on the ephod constructed as part of his priestly garments. They were said to have been used by the High Priest to determine God’s “yes” or “no” in certain situations. Some believe that God would cause the Urim and Thummim to light up in varying patterns to reveal His decision in matters asked of HIM. Some understand that the Urim and Thummim were kept in a pouch carried by the empowered High Priest, and were engraved with symbols identifying yes / no and true / false to questions asked of him.

It is unclear whether the Urim and Thummim were affixed on, or by, or inset into, the High Priest’s ephod. Today the precise nature of the Urim and Thummim, or exactly how they were used, remains a mystery. The Bible supplies only limited information; but it is clear that they afforded some kind of mystic illuminating connection between a High Priest and a heavenly source of spiritual truth and knowledge. This has created the understanding that they enabled the High Priest to establish contact with the Spirit-source later known as the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth and “Other Comforter” written of long afterward in Jn. 14:15-17; 26; Jn. 15:26; and Jn. 16:7, 12-15). This becomes feasible when it is considered that the Son of GOD’s Holy Spirit Energy was in both Joshua son of Nun and Joshua son of Josedech, both of whom held the Eternal Priesthood of Melchizedech: which, according to the writer to the Hebrews, was also in Jesus Christ of Nazareth (Hebrews Chapters Five through Nine). References to the Urim and Thummim are rare in the Bible. They are first mentioned in the description of the breastplate of judgment (Exodus 28:30; Leviticus 8:8). When Joshua succeeded Moses as leader over Israel, he was to receive answers from God by means of the Urim through Eleazar the High Priest (Numbers 27:21). The Urim and Thummim are also found in Moses’ dying blessing upon Levi (Deuteronomy 33:8).

It is unclear what became of the Urim and Thummim during the 70-year Exile in Babylon. It had apparently been the incarnation of the Son of GOD as Asaph that had laid the ground-work for what was to come after the Exile, which separation caused many of the sons of Levi to lose their spiritual purity and thus their eligibility to conduct services after the return to Jerusalem and the reestablishment of its religious services. During the period following the reign of Joshua the son of Nun, even the chief priests had reportedly committed transgressions, and the heathen had been permitted to enter into the house of the Lord, which HE had hallowed at Jerusalem (2 Chr. 36:14)

When it was time for those whose spirit GOD had raised to journey to Jerusalem to rebuild the house of the Lord (Ezra 1:5), it was discovered that the Levitical lineages carrying eligibility to attain to the priesthood in Aaron’s line of descendants, had been spiritually decimated and scattered, and was in such a state of disarray that a number of the direct descendants of Aaron who sought to qualify as priests were found to be unacceptable (Ezra 6:61-62).

Even some of the sons of Joshua had married daughters from tribes that worshiped idols (Ezra 10:18), and the list of others who had done so was lengthy: some having fathered children of their heathen wives who did not believe in Israel’s Lord (Ezra 10:19-43). This 70-year Exile was clearly designed as a test of the chosen people to ascertain who would voluntarily endure its devastating isolation while remaining true to the spiritual principles that bound them to GOD. The Exile had been imposed upon the people as punishment for ther not having sufficiently followed GOD’s commandments, rules and laws, which had detached them from HIS guidance and protection, so that the Chaldees came down upon them and showed them no quarter (Judges 36:17).

The Lord, speaking through HIS Prophet Jeremiah, had succinctly foretold this important development:

“Thus saith the Lord: He that remains in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goes forth to the Chaldeans shall live: for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live. Thus saith the Lord: This city shall be given unto the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which shall take it.” (Jer. 38:2-3).

This constituted another great test imposed upon the people of Israel. Those who wisely chose to accept exile escaped the sword, but were held in captivity in Babylon as servants, along with the vessels of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king and the people (2 Jud. 36:18-20). Total destruction of the city followed (Jud. 18-21).

Series to be Continued in Message 15 - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Thirteen - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

The Lord, who continually tests all souls incarnated in temporal flesh bodies on the earth, looks for obedience in HIS people (1 Sam. 15:22). In one of Moses’ most celebrated admonitions to the people of Israel, he pointed out the crucial importance of their remaining a spiritually-oriented people, respecting all that GOD desires of them; and he explained to them why:

“For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven; that you should say: Who shall go up for us to heaven and bring it down to us that we may hear it and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it? But the word is very nigh unto you: in thy mouth and in thy heart that you may do it! See, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil; in that I command you this day to love the Lord thy GOD: to walk in HIS ways and to keep HIS commandments and HIS statutes, and HIS judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord thy GOD shall bless you in the land that you go to possess. But if your heart turn away so you will not hear, but shall be drawn away and worship other gods and serve them: then I denounce you this day that you shall not prolong your days upon the land which you pass over Jordan to possess. If you turn away, then I call heaven and earth to record this day against you: that I have set before you life and death, a blessing and a cursing. Therefore choose life that both you and your seed may live. That you may love the Lord thy GOD, and that you may hear HIS voice, and cleave unto HIM: for HE is your life and the length of your days: that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore unto your fathers – to Abraham, Isaac, and to Jacob to give them” (Deut. 30:9-20).

And in the sight of all Israel Moses called out to Joshua, encouraging him:

“Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you shall cause them to inherit it.” (Deut. 31:7)

Long afterward, when the Son of GOD reincarnated as Jesus Christ, He would reiterate a crucial portion of what Moses had exhorted in the afore-quoted Old Testament verses, making it an integral part of His codification of the Ten Commandments:

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy GOD with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” (Mt. 22:27) The Son of GOD, incarnated as Jesus, brought in His Gospel of Love, Truth and Righteousness, so He added to His primary commandment a second one: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Mt. 22:39). Jesus then reflected back to ancient days when He had been incarnated as Joshua the son of Nun, and Moses, the servant of GOD, had expounded to him:

“I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil; in that I command you this day to love the Lord thy GOD: to walk in HIS ways and to keep HIS commandments and HIS statutes, and HIS judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord thy GOD shall bless you in the land that you go to possess.”

Jesus replaced the Law of Moses with His New Covenant, as GOD had promised through HIS Prophet Jeremiah:

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah. Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband unto them, saith the Lord. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel: after those days 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.” (Jer. 31:31-33)

GOD the father is credited with having uttered the above verse, and yet HIS Son’s spiritual state of at-One-ness with HIM emerges in Jeremiah’s next following verse:

“And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord!:for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, saith the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jer. 31:34).

This confirms that the Son of GOD possesses GOD’s Spirit Energy sufficiently to heal sick persons, and even revive them from death itself; as in the case of Lazarus. Apostle John disclosed – recorded in Jn. 3:34.-– Jthat esus Himself had declared: “The words that I speak to you I speak not of myself: but the Spirit of Father that dwells in me, HE does the works.” (Jn. 14:10). And, He explained: “It is the Spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life” (Jn. 6:63).

When the Son of GOD’s Spirit Energy had incarnated in Joshua the son of Nun, he had already been quickened, spiritualized, by GOD’s Holy Spirit during His previous incarnation as Melchizedec, who, like Adam, had simply manifested on the earth in a flesh body as the result of GOD’s Will. As Melchizedec He had no parents and no lineage (Heb. 1:1-12), so neither He nor his Priesthood of the Most High GOD (Gen. 14:18-19) ever expired. It was sustained from His incarnation as Meclchizedec through to His incarnation as Joshua the son of Nun; which explains how Joshua held the ethereal spiritual credentials that made him eligible to be Moses’ Minister (Josh. 1:1).

And when the Son of GOD long afterward incarnated as Jesus Christ of Nazareth, it naturally raised serious questions about his eligibility to conduct Himself as minster of GOD. But as the writer to the Hebrews explains: Jesus has entered within the heavenly veil as our forerunner, having been made an high priest forever after the order of Melchizedec (Heb. 6:19-20). As we now understand, this was a spiritually fitting ordination because Christ the Son of GOD had been Melchizedec. Under Jesus’ rule that “All things gained or loosed on earth are gained ot loosed in heaven” (Mt. 18:18), when the Son had incarnated as Joshua the son of Nun he had spiritually-inherited the Eternal Priesthood with which GOD had anointed Him when He had walked on the earth as Melchizedec. And He carried that inherited spiritual Priesthood with Him when He manifested during still another earth experience between the time of His incarnation as Joshua the son of Nun, and when He afterward reincarnated as Jesus Christ: as will be discussed in the next message: Number Fourteen.

Series to be Continued in Message 14 - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Messages Eleven and Twelve - Book Three - Series SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

After Israel’s failure to overcome the Canaanite mountain fortress at Ai, and the effects of Achan’s disobedience had been effaced, Ai fell and its king was hanged from a tree (Josh 8:29). He was one of thirty-one kings overcome by Israel under Joshua’s command (Josh. 12:7-24). It was inscribed that Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had said unto Moses, and that Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes (Josh. 11:23).

It appears that Joshua was bent upon fulfilling the Lord’s Will to the last possible limit: he was not destined to repeat the error made before by King Saul, who had failed to exterminate every vestige of Israel’s enemies as the Lord had commanded him (1 Sam. 15:11-28). Obviously the Lord was set upon eliminating the evil spirit-energy that existed in every negative soul. That which had been left undone by King Saul in Samuel’s time had been fulfilled by Joshua the son of Nun in the days when Ai fell and thirty-one kings were removed from the earth.

This process of the elimination of evil from the earth was only temporarily put on hold by these above-quoted events: it is still a principle objective of the Son of GOD, whom GOD has granted all power over heaven and the earth (Mt. 28:18). Jesus explained by parable that at the present time mankind is coasting, as opposed to suffering the full impact of the Lord’s Spirit-Force, which is being held in abeyance until the time comes for mankind to undergo great tribulations designed to straighten or extinguish those who obdurately remain evil to that time. Jesus spoke in parables to His followers, some of whom asked Him why He spoke in parables to those who did not follow Him:

“He answered and said, Because it is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whomsoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that he has. Therefore I speak to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not; neither do they understand.” (Mt. 13:10-13)

Jesus then explained that this unspiritual state had been foretold by Prophet Isaiah (Isa. 6:9-10), and He put forth another parable for them:

The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while he slept, his enemy came and sowed tares [weeds] among the wheat and went his way. But when the wheat blade sprung up and brought forth fruit, the tares appeared also. So the householder’s servants came and told him, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? from whence then has it tares? He replied to them saying, An enemy has done this. The servants then asked him, Will you have us go, then, to gather them up? But he said, Nay, lest while you gather up the tares you root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in that time I will say to the reapers, Gather you together first the tares, and bind them in bundles and burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. “Mt. 13:24-30)

Those on the earth who do evil may have a change of heart and spirit, and repent and convert to the Way Christ has made passable into heaven. Hopefully as many as possible will seek and attain to spiritual rebirth in a way similar to that experienced by Saul son of Kish – later named Apostle Paul – on the Damascus Road (Acts Chapters 9,22,26). Before his conversion by the Christ Spirit, and receiving the Holy Ghost, Paul was a self-described ” natural man,” as he afterward wrote to the Corinthians:

“But as it is written, Eyes has not seen nor heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which GOD has prepared for them that love HIM. But GOD has revealed them to us by HIS Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea the deep things of GOD. For what man knows the things of a man, except the spirit of a man which is in him? even as the things of GOD knows no man, but the Spirit of GOD – [GOD IS A SPIRIT (Jn. 4:24)]. Now we [those who have undergone spiritual rebirth in Christ] have not received the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of GOD; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of GOD. Which things we speak not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual with spiritual. But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of GOD, for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor. 2:9-14).

When Saul son of Kish – a Jew who devoted much of his time to persecuting Jesus’ followers – underwent spiritual rebirth and received the Christ Spirit and that of the Holy Ghost, he was converted into a “new man,” who from that time forward received the Spirit of GOD from the risen empowered Christ, who receives it from GOD the Father without measure (Jn. 3:34) – that is, without any limitation.

It is that powerful Spirit-Energy that enabled the Spirit of the Son of GOD, incarnated as Jesus Christ, to perform the miraculous things He did. As He declared:

“Believe you not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwells in Me, HE does the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me, or else believe me for the very works’ sake.” (Jn. 14:19-11).

Paul admonished the Corinthians, who remained in the carnal “natural” state:

“Brethren, I could not speak to you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk and not with meat; for until now you were not able to bear it, and you are not yet able to bear it. For you are yet carnal; for there is still among you envying, strife and divisions, so, are you not carnal and walking as [natural] men?” (1 Cor. 3:1-3).

Paul summed up his case to the Corinthians by admonishing them:

“Know you not that you are the temple of GOD, and that the Spirit of GOD dwells in you? If any man defiles the temple of GOD, him shall GOD destroy; for the temple of GOD is Holy, which temple you are.” (1 Cor. 3:16-17). Day by day we draw ever nearer to the great Tribulation, which to the wise means it is time to repent and convert to the Living Way made passable by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ the Son of GOD on the Cross. The red flag is up!

Series to be Continued in Message 13 - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Ten - Book Three - Series SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

Apostle John envisioned the eternal heavenly city, the New Jerusalem when he was “carried away in the spirit to a great and high mountain” – ostensibly the Mountain of GOD – “descending from out of heaven from GOD” (Rev. 21:10). One implication is that the eternal city he was privileged to have observed is actually composed of of GOD’s Holy Spirit: which is “above all, through all and in us all” (Eph. 4:6). in the same sense that the Spirit of Christ the Son of GOD is “the Church,” or “Spirit-temple,” into which saved souls are to be gathered when Christ returns in the cloud (Lk. 21:25-28) to receive unto Himself all souls that are His (Jn. 14:3).

Souls with the Christ Spirit permeating them are quickened by it, and are no longer “natural men:” Rather, they are new men (Eph. 4:22-24 – spiritualized people – who desire to spend eternal life with Him; “wherefore GOD has prepared for them a city “whose builder and maker is GOD” (Heb. 11:10, 16). John reported that the Holy Jerusalem he was shown in visions was bounded by twelve gates bearing the names of “the twelve angels,” the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel (Rev. 21:12). And John also observed that the city had twelve foundations, in which were inscribed the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Rev. 21:14). This implied a direct connection between Jesus’ twelve chosen Apostles["I know whom I have chosen that the Scripture may be fulfilled: he that eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me" [Ref. Psalm 41:9]; and the twelve sons of Jacob, whose prophetic blessing of his spiritualized sons before his demise is described in Gen. 49:1-50. Those verses incidentally disclose an interesting comment about what transpires at the time of death: that Jacob “gathered up his feet into the bed and was gathered unto his people” (Gen. 49:33). It implies that families tend remain together in other dimensions after physical death.

Peter, an Apostle of Jesus,’ is reported to have told the Master that they had forsaken all to follow Him, and asked what they would receive for having done so. He replied:

“Verily I say unto you, that you who have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of His glory, you shall also sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that has forsaken houses, or brethren, or father or mother, or wife or children or lands for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life..” (Mt. 19:27-29).

And He declared to His Disciples:

“You are they who have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as My Father has appointed unto me: that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Lk. 22:28-30).

These developments had long before been abstractly foreshadowed when Joshua had planted seeds of prophesy in the Jordan River that pointed ahead many centuries to divulge what was to transpire when he would incarnate as Jesus Christ of Nazareth. At Jericho, as the chosen people marched around the city, at a particular point the horns sounded, Joshua signaled, and a great shout went up. Then the walls fell and they immediately halted their circling of the city and went straight up into it. At that crucial point each tribe was in a pre-conceived position according to where each was situated when the wall fell. This prearrangement meant that each tribe would be at the specific place predetermined for it when the fall took place; according to the overall level of the spirituality of its members.

Oddly, this principle applies to certain recorded near death experiences [NDE’s], in which the spirits of those “taken up” while their flesh bodies lay dead and inert on the earth – usually in their sight – view a beautiful city: presumed to be the eternal New Jerusalem. But they are not permitted to enter into this city, and instead must return to inhabit their flesh body. Many report having seen a river, which accords with Psalm 46:4-6). One NDE’r recalled visiting an ethereal heavenly place where he met members of his family he recalled knowing during one or more previous earth experiences. They communicated for a while, after which they crossed a river and departed, while he returned to earth to reenter his flesh body that he had for a while left behind as hospital personnel feverishly pursued procedures to resuscitate him.

These things seem unreal to those who have not experienced or observed them, but to those who have undergone them they are real beyond any shadow of doubt. In fact, Edgar Cayce once recounted what had taken place when he entered into the deep-trance state to give a reading*:

“Let me tell you of an experience of my own. I feel it was a very real experience, and as near an illustration of what happens at the time of death as it is possible to put into words. On going into the unconscious state one time to obtain information for someone, I recognized that I was leaving my body. There was just a direct, straight and narrow line in front of me, like a shaft of white light. On either side there was fog and smoke, and many shadowy figures who seemed to be begging me to come aside to that state they occupied. As I followed along the shaft of light, the way began to clear.

“The figures on either side grew more distinct: they took on clearer form. But there was a continual beckoning back, or the attempt to sidetrack me and bring me aside from my purpose. Yet with the narrow way in front of me, I kept going straight ahead. After a bit I passed to where the figures were merely shadows attempting to assist; they urged me on rather than attempting to stop me. Then they took on more form, and they seemed to be occupied with their own activities. When they paid any attention to me at all, it was to urge me on.

“Finally I came to a hill, where there was a mount and a temple. I entered this temple and found in it a very large room, very much like a library. There were books of people’s lives, for each person’s activities were a matter of actual record, it seemed, and I merely had to pull down the record of the individual for whom I was seeking information. I have to say, as Paul did, Whether I was in the spirit or out of the spirit, I cannot tell, ( 2 Cor. 12:2-4). But that was an actual experience.”

* “WHAT I BELIEVE,” by Edgar Cayce, Copyright 1946, by the Association For Research And Enlightenment, Inc. Virginia Beach, VA, A.R.E Press [Pages 31-32].

Series to be Continued in Message 11 - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Nine - Book Three - Series SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

Apostle Paul’s spiritual rebirth experience on the Damascus Road, when the Christ Spirit entered into him, caused him to be spiritually illuminated under the principle Jesus had enumerated:

“It is the Spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.” (Jn. 6:63)

Radiation of the Christ Spirit in Jesus was so powerful that He was able to perform miracles, heal diseases, and even to revive the spirit of a deceased person – as in the case of Lazarus (Jn. 12:1). In another case, a daughter of the ruler of the synagogues house had died, but Jesus admonished those present to fear not, but to believe and she would be made whole. Only those of strong faith were allowed to enter into her presence – Peter, James, John and the maiden’s parents – and when Jesus commanded, “Maid arise!” her spirit came again and she arose (Lk. 8:50-56).

Apostle Paul – after his dramatic experience on the Damascus Road during which the Spirit of the risen Christ entered into him and quickened and illuminated him – declared to the Thessalonians that he had been shown “by the word of the Lord” that those who remained alive in the flesh until the coming of the Lord:

“Shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of GOD: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so we will ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thess. 4:15-17)

This correlates with Apostle John’s recollection of Jesus’ having foretold that He was going to prepare a place for His followers, and that He would “come again and receive them unto Himself, that where He was, they might also be” (Jn. 14:3).

It is understood that Michael the Archangel was a name under which the Son of GOD was known during Prophet Daniel’s time – a considerable time before the Son incarnated as Jesus Christ and was empowered by GOD the Father over heaven and the earth (Mt. 28:18) – when Daniel wrote of Him:

“Yet Michael the Archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, the Lord rebuke thee.” (Jude 9).

When the Son of GOD had incarnated on earth in Daniel’s time, He was known to that Prophet as Michael the Archangel. He had not yet been glorified nor empowered over heaven and the earth, so He called upon GOD the Father to rebuke the devil, not having at that early time been able to do so Himself. But after the Seventy Disciples He had sent out had returned, jubilant that they had power over devils, Jesus told them:

“Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding, rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (Lk. 10:17-20)

Prophet Daniel “had an excellent spirit in him” (Dan. 6:3), and he understood that it was the Spirit of Michael the Archangel that was actually that of the Son of GOD, – “the great prince that stands for the children of Daniel’s people.” And he understood that tribulations, more terrible than have ever before been seen on the earth, are to come in the future, at which time it will be the Spirit that was in Michael the Archangel who will stand up at the time of deliverance of those whose names shall be found written in the book – the Book of Life.

This of course meant that it will be the Son of GOD who will “stand up,” because He was in Daniel’s time known as Michael the Archangel. So it is not surprising that Apostle Paul referred to the appearance of man’s Savior “with the shout of the Archangel” at the time Christ reappears in the cloud to gather up those souls that are His, that they may ever be with Him where He is (Jn. 14:3).

The thrust of these above-quoted biblical writings supplies an answer to the question often asked: about the process of man’s salvation and transformation: Is the entire flesh body raised up into heaven? or is it the soul that is elevated into higher dimensions than the earth?

Speculatively speaking, it appears from Jn. 14:3 that at the time of death of the flesh body the soul incarnated in it is raised up to become a part of the Son of GOD’s Holy Spirit, construed to be “the Spirit Church of Christ.” Many near death experience s [NDE’s] suggest that this may be the case. It further appears that the experience of Jesus Christ indicates that after three days His flesh body was translated and transformed into an eternal body in which He was able to appear on the earth; able to consume material food, and yet disappear and reappear here at His Will. But of course He is the Son of GOD, not a son!

Series to be Continued in Message 10 - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Eight - Book Three - Series SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

After Joshua led the children of Israel into Canaan they underwent the rite of circumcision, it having been held in abeyance while they remained in the wilderness; and the Lord lifted the reproach of Egypt from them (Josh. 5:1-9).They kept the passover on the plains of Jericho and ate corn, the manna that had provided them sustenance during their long journey no longer appeared (Josh. 5:10-12).

As they approached Jericho, Joshua experienced a profound spiritual encounter after the order of that undergone by Moses while he kept Jethro’s flock in the desert and came across a burning bush that was not consumed by the flames. On that memorable occasion, the Lord had commanded Moses:

“Draw not nigh here: but take off your shoes from your feet, for the place whereon you stand is holy ground.” (Exod. 3:5).

It was at that time that the Lord called Moses to commence preparations for the Exodus, charging him in considerable detail (Exod. 3:6-22; 4:1-7). Now, years later, at another crucially important point after Joshua had succeeded Moses, the people were encamped on the plains near Jericho, poised to attack that first city they had encountered inside Canaan. Joshua, observing a man standing nearby with his sword drawn, asked:

“Are you for us or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay, but as captain of the host of the Lord I am now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship him, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose they shoe from off of your foot; for the place whereon you stand is holy. And Joshua did so.” (Josh. 5:13-15)

On reflection, this above visitation appears to have signaled that the Lord was with Joshua and the people in their invasion of Canaan. This was borne out when the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying:

“See, I have given into your hand Jericho… And you shall compass the city, all you men of war, and go round about the city once. This you shall do for six days… And the seventh day you shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horns, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout: and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.” (Josh. 6:2-5).

The residents holed up inside the walls of Jericho must have been totally unnerved by the sounds of the treading of the invading forces marching around outside, no words being spoken, the only other sound being the periodic haunting blasts on the ram’s horns, striking fear into the hearts of those within.

The order in which the invaders were interspersed, according to their tribal designations, was such that when the great wall collapsed members of each tribe would have been at a certain place outside. It was rather like a huge game of musical chairs, except it was not a game. The attack on Jericho foreshadowed what is to take place at the time of the Lord’s Indignation, of which the Prophets have long warned:

“Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land desolate; and HE shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens and the earth, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord if hosts, and in the day of HIS fierce anger.” (Isaiah 13:9-13)

This above-quoted prophesy was inscribed by Zephaniah as a part of the Old Testament, during days before the Son of GOD incarnated as Jesus Christ, The prophet noted that the great day of the Lord was near, when might men would cry bitterly; a day of wrath, trouble, distress, desolation darkness and of clouds and thick darkness; of which the Lord spoke darkly:

“I will bring distress upon men, that the shall walk like blind men because they have sinned against the Lord: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of HIS jealousy: for HE shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.” (Zeph. 1:17-18).

But Zephaniah held out hope for those who would bring themselves under GOD’s Will before the anger of the Lord would come upon them, declaring:

“Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought HIS judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be that ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.” (Zeph. 2:3).

Gospel writer Luke explained in considerable detail that which Christ foretold is to take place when He returns to redeem His people (Lk. 21:19:28); and disclosed that Christ will reappear in a cloud (Lk. 21:27), as He had appeared over the chosen people during the Exodus. And Apostle John reported that Jesus had foretold that He had gone to prepare a place for those who follow Him, and He will “receive them unto Himself,” that where He is, they may be also (Jn. 14:3). Because Christ the Son of GOD is at GOD’s right hand in heaven, the implication is that those who follow Him will be with Him in heaven. As incredible as this seems, He is quoted as having declared: “To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in HIS Throne.” (Rev. 3:21).

 Series to be Continued in Message 9 - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Seven - Book Three - Series SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

After Moses had passed away, Joshua son of Nun took command over the chosen people as the Lord had commanded. He sent two men across Jordan to reconnoiter in preparation for the crossing of the river, the invasion of Canaan, and the taking of the walled city of Jericho to follow. The two scouts experienced , among other things, an encounter with a psychically-gifted harlot who lodged there. Perhaps as the result of her psychic gift, the incursion did not come as a surprise to her. She understood that the Lord had already granted Canaan to Israel (Josh. 2:1-9), had learned of the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea as the Exodus had gotten under way, and knew of Israel’s destruction of Sihon and Og (Josh. 2:10).

This unusually psychic Moabite already understood that Israel’s GOD resided in heaven above and in the earth beneath (Josh. 2:11), and that Israel was predestined to overcome Jericho. Having acquired knowledge of these things, and sensing things to come, Rahab saw the handwriting on the wall. She surreptitiously hid and counseled the two spies Joshua had sent on the surveillance mission to Jericho, with the result that they were able to return safely to Joshua to report that the Lord had delivered the wild land of Canaan into their hands (Josh. 2:23-24). But before assisting the two spies, Rahab had thoughtfully extracted a promise from them that when the city was captured she and her family would not be killed.

When Jericho fell, Joshua honored this agreement, personally seeing to it that his men sought out Rahab and her family from among the captives and taking their belongings to a secure place outside the camp of Israel (Josh. 6:22-23). It was written that Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household and all that she had; because she hid the messengers that Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho (Josh. 6:25).

After that time Rahab dwelt safely among the chosen people, apparently having changed her beliefs and ways. A striking parallel was seen centuries afterward when the Son of GOD – whose Spirit had before incarnated as Joshua the son of Nun – reincarnated as Jesus of Nazareth and during His ministry Saved an adulteress. After she had confessed her transgressions, He removed the stains of sin from her and admonished her not to sin again. On another occasion, Jesus removed seven devils from Mary Magdalene, indicating that she had to that time sinned grievously enough to permit the entrance of the devils into her spirit. Mary thereafter apparently ceased committing sins, because she not only became an intrepid follower of Jesus,’ and was present at His Crucifixion (Jn. 19:25), but she was the first to whom He appeared afterward (Jn. 20:14, 16-17).

In Joshua’s time, the morning after the two spies he had sent out returned, he led the people to the Jordan, where they camped for three days in preparation for their venturesome crossing. Three days later he sent officers through the ranks to command them that when they saw the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant they were to follow it; but not too closely, because they “had not been this way before” (Josh. 3:1-4). This alluded to the spiritual rebirth experience a soul passes through as it is spiritually quickened by Christ the Son of GOD – as illustrated by Jesus (Lk. 4:1-13), and later by Apostle Paul (Acts Chapters 9,22,26). Those who follow “the Way made Passable” into heaven undergo a spiritualizing process during which the Spirit of GOD is infused into them, emanating from the Son of GOD since GOD empowered HIS Son over heaven and the earth (Mt. 28:18). This experience is often extremely upsetting, but as a result of its spiritual cleansing a human being no longer remains a “natural man,” but is spiritualized so he is able to receive what the Holy Ghost teaches – as Apostle Paul reveals in 1 Cor. 2:9-14.

When Joshua counseled the chosen people that they should proceed cautiously into the hostile territory of Canaan, it was a warning that they were entering a negative territory they had not before experienced, so they should diligently exercise caution. The Lord spoke to Joshua, saying:

“This day will I begin to magnify you in the sight of Israel that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” (Josh. 3:7).

When the priests carried the Ark of the Covenant into the Jordan it was in flood stage (Josh. 3:15), and the water “rose up on an heap” a distance up-river as the priests who carried it stood on dry ground amidst the riverbed. This reflected a power that had been given to Moses when the Red Sea parted so he was able to lead the people safely across.

GOD then ordered Joshua to select twelve men from among the people – one from each tribe – and to send them to the place where the priests’ feet stood firm on the river bed. When they each carried one stone into Canaan, following which Joshua built a monument of twelve other stones in that place, it foreshadowed that twelve of the fourteen sons of Jacob would later reincarnate and be selected by Jesus from among His followers. When a member of each of the twelve tribes removed a stone of his choice from beneath the firm footing that supported the Levitical Priests at the Jordan Crossing leading into the peoples’ earthly promised land, it foreshadowed a great spiritual change predestined to come. These events took place while Joshua – an incarnation of the Son of GOD – was Israel’s leader, presaging that it would be a reincarnation of Joshua’s Spirit, as Jesus of Nazareth, that would lead His followers into the eternal heavenly promised. land.

Series to be Continued in Message 8 - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Six - Book Three - Series SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

When the time finally arrived for the chosen people to cross Jordan to enter into their earthly promised land, the Lord announced what must have come as a baffling declaration: Moses was to be removed as the leader of the chosen people, would not be permitted to enter into Canaan! (Num. 27:12-13). At the time of this proclamation Moses was not ill nor suffering from any serious disability (Deut. 34:7), which deepened the mystery of his enforced retirement at such a crucial time, when the people stood poised to fulfill the Lord’s promise and take possession of the fruitful land HE had given them. In hindsight, this sudden change must have presaged some exceedingly important and purposeful event; apparently there was some important reason for Moses’ removal from his leadership position over the chosen people. He had been GOD’s servant, trusted in all HIS house, and had guided the people through all their many tumultuous experiences, but his leadership days were declared by the Lord to be finished.

The Lord simply explained that Moses had rebelled against HIS commandment at the waters of Meriabah, in Kadesh Deut. 32:51), and He said to Moses:

“Get thee up into this mountain Abarim…in the land of Moab, over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession: and die in the mount where you go up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother did in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people: because you trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because you sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel. Yet you shall see the land before you; but you shall not go into the land which I give the children of Israel” (Deut. 32:48-52).

It was later biblically inscribed:

“So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor: but no man knows of his sepulcher unto this day. And Moses was an hundred and twenty years when he died: his eye was not dim nor his natural force abated.” (Deut. 34:5-7).

When it was written, as above-quoted, that “he buried him,” the writer may well have known that it was the Son of GOD as Joshua who was the “he” who buried Moses; because Joshua son of Nun in that flesh manifestation is understood to have been an earth incarnation of the Son of GOD.

As would be expected of the humble and meek Moses, when he was removed from his position as the leader of the chosen people, he accepted it with characteristic aplomb, acceding to the Lord’s command without rancor or complaint. In fact, the Bible reports that he straightforwardly suggested:

“Let the Lord, the GOD of all spirits of flesh, set a man over the congregation; who may go out before them and go in before them; who can lead them out and bring them: that the congregation of the Lord be not like sheep that have no shepherd.” (Num. 27:16-17). Long afterward, when the Son of GOD was incarnated as Jesus Christ of Nazareth, He at one point commented that He had “sheep of another fold that He needed to also bring, so there would be one fold and one shepherd” to guide and move and direct them (Jn. 10:7, 16; Ref. Ezek. 22:24-31; Ezek. 34:1-31).

During the Son of GOD’s incarnation as Joshua son of Nun he began to lay the foundations for his unique earth experience as Jesus of Nazareth. When Moses explained GOD’s termination of his earthly responsibilities, he did so in terms that pointed up Joshua’s continuing spiritual elevation, explaining:

“… the Lord was angry with me for your sakes, saying, You also shall not go in. But Joshua the son of Nun, he shall go in: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.” (Deut. 1:37-38).

After the demise of Moses, the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying:

“Moses my servant is dead; now arise, go over this Jordan with all this people unto the land which I do give them. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given to you. As I said to Moses…there shall not any man to stand before thee all the days of your life. As I have been with Moses, so I will be with you: I will not fail you nor forsake you. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shall you divide for an inheritance the land which I swore unto their fathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to the law, which Moses my servant commanded you: turn not to the right hand or the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.” (Josh. 1:2-7)

The Law of Moses continued in force until Jesus Christ brought in His New Covenant based upon faith and belief in Him as man’s Savior, Redeemer, Intercessor to GOD, and man’s eternal high priest in heaven – as explained in the Book of Hebrews, especially in Chapters Seven, Eight and Nine; which verses include the promise:

“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many: and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” (Heb. 9:28)

His coming will be in the cloud (Rev. 14:14) in which he appeared over the chosen people during the Exodus (Num. 14:14). At that time He will “receive unto Himself” those souls that are His, that where He is they may be also (Jn. 14:3).

Series to be Continued in Message 7 - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Five - Book Three - Series SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

There were twelve original sons of Jacob, but when he adopted the two sons of Joseph and Asenath, there were then fourteen sons. The two adopted sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, remained in the background, even though when Jacob blessed them he promised that they would be great: not only as individuals but as nations (Gen. 48:19).

A comment of Joshua’s when he divided the promised land of Canaan among the tribes of Israel pointed out that the tribes named after the sons of Ephraim and Manasseh were to be more than ordinarily blessed:

“Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and Manasseh, saying, Thou are a great people, and have great power: you shall not have one lot only.” (Joshua 17:17).

It was this background of spiritually mandated priorities that afforded the foundation upon which Moses’ selection of the rulers of the twelve tribes, sent to spy in Canaan, was mandated. When Joshua was called a second time to join the spying party without any tribal affiliation, it was signaled that he had been called to substantively represent the tribe of Joseph, it signified the fulfillment of Jacob’s prophetic empowerment of Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

The selection of Joshua by Moses to lead the spy party was within tribal hierarchical rules, because ten generations before that time he had incarnated as Joseph. His lineage traces directly back to Ephraim in nine generations, and back to Joseph in ten (1 Chron. 7:22-27), for which reason he was the one soul incarnated on earth at that time best qualified to represent the tribe that he had himself fathered: Joshua having lived before as Joseph son of Jacob.

Centuries later, the Lord the Son of GOD spoke through Prophet Jeremiah to reveal that he had indeed incarnated on earth as Joseph son of Jacob; and that His son, Ephraim did indeed hold the birthright over second-born Manasseh:

“…I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.” (Jer. 31:9)

Validation of this declaration is confirmed by GOD through Prophet Ezekiel, indicating that the main branch of the lineage of Joseph had flowed through his son Ephraim; not firstborn Manasseh; and that a crucially-important spiritual linkage was predestined to be formed by the tribes of Judah, Joseph and Ephraim: [Note: in the below quotation the word “stick” also means “scepter”

“…take one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: and join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in your hand. Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his fellows, and will make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. And the stick whereon you write shall be in your hand before their eyes.” (Ezek. 37:16, 19-20)

These above-quoted verses provide evidence that the Son of GOD had incarnated on earth as Joseph son of Jacob, that Jacob had indeed set Ephraim ahead of Manasseh, and that the ruler selected to spy in the promised land represented Joseph’s tribe in name only. This seemingly trivial detail foreshadowed that the Messianic Christ would manifest as Jesus in the lineage of Ephriam, not Manasseh, fulfilling Moses’ prophesy that a prophet was to spring up out of Israel who would speak GOD’s words:

“I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put MY words in His mouth; and He shall speak unto them all that I shall command Him.” (Deut. 18:18).

It further foretold that the lineage of Judah would produce that Prophet; and further, a time was foretold to come when there would be a merger of the spiritual power of the scepters of Judah and Joseph, to be joined as one in GOD the Father’s Hand before the eyes of the children of Israel. But these prophesies of Ezekiel’s applied to a future time.

The incarnation of the Son of GOD as Joshua was an exceedingly important earth appearance. It was during the search of Canaan that opportunities opened up for Joshua the son of Nun and for Caleb the son of Jephunneh, to distinguish themselves spiritually. The spying sojourn lasted 40 prophetic days (Num. 13:17-25), after which the spies returned to relate their experiences and observations to the assembled congregation. They reported that the cities they were up against were walled and virtually invulnerable; and that even though the land was “flowing with milk and honey,” it was populated with fierce tribes of wild and powerful people (Num. 14:26-29). Their general opinion was that it was hopeless for them to attempt to cross over Jordan in the face of such overwhelming forces. They forthrightly ruled out an attack against Canaan, because to them it seemed impossible.

But one from among the spies stood up and disavowed that gloomy forecast. Caleb, from the tribe of Judah, stood up and attempted to turn the negative tide. He argued that the Lord was with them, and had promised them the land that lay before them, and that He would support them. They should not delay, he urged them, but should move at once to take possession of it. The other scouts immediately lined up against Caleb. They had seen what they had seen, and were convinced that it was folly to go up against the mighty force that confronted them: men who were so large in stature that the Israelites were as grasshoppers alongside them. They condemned the land as a treacherous territory that devoured its own inhabitants (Num. 13:31-33).

This was a depressing development that brought severe anguish upon the people, who had already endured incessant afflictions and suffering during their protracted journey that had at last brought them to the threshold of hope and promise, only to see their prospects evaporating before their very eyes. Actually, the Exodus, considered in its spiritual sense, parallels man’s spiritual journey on the earth as he life after life seeks in faith the eternal city, the New Jerusalem, which has spiritual foundations, whose builder and maker is GOD (Heb. 11:10). At this juncture, Joshua “stood up” in support of Caleb.

Series to be Continued in Message 6 - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Four - Book Three - Series SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

At each point during an incarnated soul’s earth experience its level of spiritual knowledge and understanding is expressed outwardly by its attitudes, decisions and actions. The Bible is a compendium of the experiences of multitudes of incarnated souls, each of whose works have revealed their relative states of spirituality during an earth experience at a certain time.

For example, the Bible subtly discloses that when the soul of Moses, “the servant of GOD,” was incarnated during the period when Joshua son of Nun served as his minister, their respective levels of spiritual knowledge and understanding caused them to view certain events and occurrences in contemporary ways that divulged their divergent spiritual states.

When Moses was commanded by the Lord to select seventy elders from among the congregation of the chosen children of Israel to share the weighty burdens of leading them under oppressive conditions, he did so. Two of those he selected, however, for whatever reasons failed to enter into the tabernacle as the Lord had commanded. However, the Spirit of the Lord having been bestowed upon them, they were able to prophesy along with the other sixty-eight: quickened by GOD’s powerful Holy Spirit, they had been granted unusual spiritual and psychic powers (Num. 11:25-26). When a young man appeared before Moses to inform him of what had taken place, Joshua spoke up to advise him:

“My Lord, Moses, forbid them.” (Num. 11:28).

Joshua had taken the position that anyone who failed to strictly adhere to the Lord’s commands should not be permitted to serve HIM or Moses, because to permit them to do so constituted overt disobedience against GOD’s Will, which was intolerable. Moses, however, did not view it that way. He saw good in it, but apparently did not perceive the stumbling blocks in the idea of GOD’s quickening every soul incarnated among HIS chosen people at that time. All of them were passing through earth experiences designed to test them – even as Abraham had been tested for many years of spiritual preparation before he was able to receive the fruits of GOD’s promises – and in Moses and Joshua’s time most incarnated souls were not yet able to sufficiently fulfill GOD’s Will for them to be quickened into a highly spiritualized state:

“And Moses said unto Joshua, Enviest thou for my sake? would GOD that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put HIS Spirit in them!” (Num. 11:29)

At that comparatively early time not nearly all of the Lord’s people were sufficiently spiritualized to serve the Lord as HIS prophets. There lay ahead many centuries of testing for all incarnated souls, and it simply would have backfired on the chosen people had they all undergone spiritual rebirth at that time. Two of the sixty-eight Moses had selected to assist him were already disobeying GOD’s Will, and Joshua recognized it as a sign of things to come if the spirit of disobedience were to be permitted to take hold. As the Son of GOD He had fallen as Adam, made His way back into GOD’s grace as Enoch, and was now moving forward reincarnation after reincarnation toward His destined position at GOD’s right hand. He was well aware that disobedience against GOD was intolerable to HIM.

When Prophet Samuel was incarnated on earth as a Prophet of GOD’s, he admonished Saul the first King of Israel, who had failed to fully carry out GOD’s command that he slay Amalek and utterly destroy everything they possessed, sparing nothing (1 Sam. 15:3). But Saul instead spared Amalek and the best of the enemy’s sheep and oxen and instead destroyed everything “that was vile and refuse ” (1 Sam. 15:19). He then told Samuel that he had performed the Lord’s commandment, but the Prophet was not favorably impressed with that comment. He outrightly accused Saul of having disobeyed the Lord’s command to him, and remonstrated:

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, HE has also rejected you from being king.” (1 Sam. 15:22-23)

This prophesy of Samuel’s may have represented more his own personal view of the situation, than that of the Lord’s. It is understood that the soul in Saul long afterward reincarnated in Saul son of Kish, who during the early part of his life persecuted Jesus Christ’s Apostles, and was “born out of time (1 Cor. 15:8),” but who received the Spirit of Christ and the Holy Ghost on the Damascus Road. That spiritualizing experience converted him from a “natural man” into a true and faithful follower of Jesus, and a teacher of His New Covenant Gospel (Acts Chapters 9,22,26).

When the chosen people reached Paran the Lord commanded that the territory across Jordan be scouted, and a ruler was called out from each tribe by Moses; except for the tribe of Levi because no lands had been granted to that tribe. (Num. 18:20-21). Num. 13:4-16 enumerates the rulers who were selected from the tribes, in a way subtly pointing-up Joshua’s elevated position, while at the same time presaging things to come.

Numbers 13:11 specifies that Joseph’s tribe we to be represented in name only by Gaddi, son of Susi, of the tribe of Manasseh. This is not as trivial as it appears at first consideration: it indicated that the tribe of Manesseh was in some subtle way attached to the tribe of Joseph, and yet was not permitted to directly or substantively represent that tribe. Numbers 13:8 discloses that Joshua was called to represent Ephriam’s tribe, which was within hierarchical rules because Joshua’s lineage traces back directly to Ephraim though his father, Nun (1 Chron. 7:22-27). Numbers 13:16 surprisingly adds that Joshua was called a second time to serve on the scouting party, but in a separate unassigned and unexplained capacity and without any tribal affiliation.

It was puzzling that the leading tribe of Joseph would not be strongly represented during the search of Canaan. Joseph had been granted the birthright over the sons of Jacob after Reuben had forfeited his position as “firstborn” (1 Chr. 5:1-2). Joseph’s two sons by his wife Asenath had been adopted by Jacob, who placed them in the position of his own two firstborn sons, Reuben and Simeon (Gen. 48:5). Then, contrary to contemporary traditions, he placed second-born Ephriam, ahead of first-born Manasseh (Gen. 48:17-20: a decision that carried important future ramifications.

Series to be Continued in Message 5 - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Three - Book Three - Series SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEFA man’s earthly position may be indicative of his position in the heavenly hierarchy. This principle was exemplified in Moses’ time by the fact that he was known as “the Servant of GOD,” charged to lead the chosen people out of Egypt, and fulfill the Lord’s Will on earth. His spiritual closeness to GOD was disclosed when the Lord admonished Miriam and Aaron that HE spoke directly to Moses, whereas HE ordinarily conveyed HIS commands – even to HIS prophets – in dreams:

“And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. And HE said, Hear now my words: if there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak to him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth.” (Num. 12:5-8)

The high position held by Moses in the eyes of the Lord was signaled when the Lord commanded Moses to come up to Mt. Sinai to speak with HIM (Ex. 24:1). After performing certain rites (Ex. 24:4-8), Moses, Aaron, the Seventy Elders and certain others, proceeded to a place near enough to see in the distance the God of Israel on the Mount. They halted there and drank and ate (Ex. 24:1-2). It was later understood that the “God of Israel” on the Holy Mount was actually the Son of GOD, because, as Jesus Christ the Son of GOD incarnate, He long afterward disclosed that no man had to that time ever seen GOD the Father (Jn. 1:18; Jn. 5:37).

The Lord then summoned Moses to come up to HIM to receive tablets of stone upon which HIS commandments were inscribed, in order the Moses might teach them to the people. At that point an unusual occurrence took place. The Bible records that somewhere along the way Joshua had been installed as Moses’ minister, which was an overt implication of his ever-increasing spiritual empowerment. In fact, it is understood that Joshua did accompany Moses up into the Holy Mount; albeit the Bible only subtly suggests it when the matter is considered in its spiritual sense (Ref. 2 Cor. 3:3-6): The Scripture relates that Moses rose up, and his minister, Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of GOD. And Moses said to the elders:

“Tarry here for us, until we come again unto you: and behold Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man has any matters to do, let him come up unto them. And Moses went up into the Mount, and a cloud covered the mountain.” (Ex. 24:13-15).

That the Spirit in the cloud was that of the Son of GOD, was disclosed in the Psalms, and is spiritually-discerned, in accordance with 1 Cor. 2:14. The following Psalm discloses

“Sing unto God, sing praises to His name: extol him that rides upon the heavens by His name, JAH, and rejoice before Him. A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families: He brings out those who are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.” (Psalm 48:4-6).

The biblically-inscribed exploits of the life of Moses portray him as being of such a high spiritual character that only an extremely-spiritualized successor would be qualified to serve as his minister. Joshua the son of Nun – an incarnate experience of the Son of GOD – was thus brought to the forefront of the chosen people to minister to Moses as their leader. The Lord knew Joshua very well: knew what he had accomplished after his fall as Adam, his spiritually-perfected walk with HIM throughout his incarnation as Enoch; his heavenly ordination as GOD’s eternal High Priest Melchizedec; and what he had, accomplished as Joseph son of Jacob. And now here he was, leading the chosen people as they stood poised on the threshold of invading, claiming and occupying the earthly promised land that GOD had given them.

For Joshua to have been ordained into a sufficiently high priesthood to serve as the exalted Moses’ minister, implied that such a priesthood must have necessarily ranked higher than that of Levi; which was an earthly hereditary ordination. The Levitical priesthood passed from one generation to the next by way of the priestly Tribe of Levi; qualified members of which were eligible to attain to it. Thus, for Joshua to have been ordained as Moses’ minister – empowered to accompany him up into the Holy Mount when the tablets of GOD were turned over to him – implied that Joshua in some way held an extremely high priesthood. Because nobody is eligible to hold a heaven-authorized spiritual priesthood except by authority of an appropriate ordination. Presumably, then, Joshua must have attained to such an exalted priesthood in order for him to be eligible to serve as the great Moses’ minister:

“For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to GOD, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way: for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. And by reason hereof, he ought as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. And no man takes this honor unto himself, but he that is called of GOD, as was Aaron” (Heb. 5:1-4).

Joshua the son of Nun had by spiritual inheritance attained to the highest Priesthood available to anyone on earth at that time. He had before incarnated as the Spirit in Melchizedec, for which reason he had spiritually inherited GOD’s eternal heavenly priesthood, described in Gen. 14:18-19. That eternal Priesthood had never lapsed nor expired as the Son of GOD passed through His earth incarnations. Therefore, under the rule later enunciated by the Son of GOD as Jesus, – that all things gained or loosed on earth are gained or loosed in heaven (Mt. 18:18) – the Son of GOD at the time of His earth experience as Joshua son of Nun, already held GOD’s eternal heavenly priesthood, into which he had when he had before incarnated as Melchizedec. He was therefore fully qualified to serve as Moses’ minister, and to accompany him all the way up into the Holy Mount.

In fact, Joshua was the channel, the intercessor, between GOD and Moses. The eternal Priesthood of the Son of GOD when He later incarnated as Jesus Christ was that of a priest forever empowered after the order of Melchizedec (Psalm 110:1-6), because He had attained to the eternal Priesthood of GOD when He had incarnated as Melchizedec.

In this way the Bible discloses part of the incremental stepping stones of the spiritual elevation of the Son of GOD from Adam through His incarnation as Joshua the son of Nun, during which He already held GOD’s eternal heavenly Priesthood. As the Bible records, the Son of GOD carried that sacrosanct heavenly Priesthood with Him through future incarnations as an integral part of His spiritual inheritance.

Series to be Continued in Message 4 - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Two - Book Three - Series SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

Evidence of reincarnation threads its way through the Holy Bible, connecting the earth manifestations of certain individual human souls to reveal a pattern of spiritual progression or regression taking place in each of their series of earth experiences. Details of what takes place during a particular incarnation are not ordinarily recalled by a soul after its flesh body has expired, but it goes to a judgment in much higher dimensions than the earth (Heb. 9:27). There its future course is determined: whether it is to be held in abeyance pending its reincarnation as a “newborn” in another flesh body, or whether it moves on in its continuing quest for eternal life. The Bible discloses that details of what has transpired during an earth life is ordinarily removed from a soul’s conscious recollection:

“There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.” (Ecclesiastes 1:11)

The above-quoted verse indicates that the process of the blotting-out of a soul’s memory of what it has done during an earth incarnation is destined to continue until its flesh body expires at the end of an experience, at which time it is taken to an incremental Judgment (Heb. 9:27). When its skein of soul-perfecting incarnations is completed, then it goes to Final Judgment before Christ to receive the product of what it has done during all of its flesh experiences (2 Cor. 5:10).

Crucially important rules and principles pertaining to man’s spiritualization were revealed when Jesus Christ the Son of GOD was incarnated on earth. One of these emphasizes the importance of what a soul does during an earth incarnation:

“Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Mt. 18:18)

Whenever an incarnated soul refrains from doing evil, and instead does that which is right and good and helpful to others, it acquires a proportionate spiritual increase. Apostle Paul taught that he planted seeds of spiritual knowledge, after which Apollos came along behind him and “watered it” – reinforced it – but it was GOD Who then awarded a proportionate spiritual increase (1 Cor. 3:5-9). The obvious opposing aspect of such a process is that a soul that does evil sustains spiritual losses delaying its spiritualization. Jesus warned of this spiritual depletion:

“For whomsoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even what he already has. (Mt. 13:12).

Jesus expressed this momentous spiritual principle after having explained to his followers why they had been given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to others who had rejected Him and His teachings, the “keys” by which able to open their understanding of spiritual mysteries had not been given (Mt. 13:9-11). It was the Spirit of Jesus that opened the understanding of those who were His Apostles and Disciples:

“Then opened He their understanding that they might understand the scriptures.” (Lk. 24:45)

These above quoted verses underscore the idea that a soul’s spiritual gains acquired during an earth incarnation accrue to the advantage of that soul, and become a part of its spiritual inheritance. The writer to the Hebrews stated that the Son of GOD Himself had inherited a more excellent name than the angels, for GOD had said to Him, “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee” (Heb. 1:1-4; Ref: Psalm 2:6-12).

The biblically revealed process of the increasing spiritualization of human souls is graphically illustrated in the Bible, even though the Scripture does not outrightly define the spiritual increases earned by individual souls during specific incarnations. For example, The Son of GOD commenced His earth experiences as Adam, who was not born in any human lineage; but rather was simply brought into existence in a flesh body as the Son of GOD (Lk. 3:38; 1 Jn. 3:8). He “fell” inadvertently fell from GOD’s Grace, and lost his high state of spiritualization during that experience. But He reincarnated seven generations later as Enoch son of Jared, and announced that the Lord would one day come with ten thousands of His Saints to execute judgment upon everyone: of the ungodly deeds they have committed (Jude 14-15; cf. 2 Cor. 5:10).

The Son of GOD reincarnated after His fall as Adam, manifesting seven generations later as Enoch, during which experience he earned an enormous spiritual increase by walking obediently with GOD his entire life (Gen. 5:22-24). Thus spiritualized, He reappeared as Melchizedec (Hebrews Chapters 7-8), then as Joseph son of Jacob, and after that as Joshua son of Nun, building up an increasingly distinguished spiritual status during each of his incarnations.

Looking back, Moses had commanded the Exodus from its inception, leading Israel through marvelous and perilous events and occurrences, diligently serving the Lord humbly and meekly. Joshua the son of Nun’s role in the Exodus only began to come to light at the point when the chosen people reached Rephidim, after having passed through a number of territories after departing from Egypt (Num. 33:3-14). He dramatically emerged from anonymity when the powerful Amalek confronted Israel with his formidable army (Exodus 17:8).

For undisclosed reasons, Moses “called out” Joshua the son of Nun and commanded him to select men from among Israel’s travel-weary ranks to do battle. Joshua did so, and the Lord was with him and with Israel, and after a heated conflict (Ex. 17:9-12) the chosen people prevailed over their enemy (Ex. 17:9, 13). This was a remarkable feat for a young man not yet twenty years of age, and it set the stage for a series of portentous occurrences that focused GOD’s spiritual spotlight upon Joshua, who, it had swiftly become clear, was an uncommon soul. It was biblically recorded that the Lord said to Moses:

“Write this for a memorial in a book, and repeat it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it “Jehovahnissi:” for he said, ‘Because the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation’ (Exodus 17:14-16; Ref. Num. 24:20; Jn. 5:46-47). It portended that their hostility was predestined to continue as they reincarnated in future generations.

Series to be Continued in Message 3 - Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message One - Book Three - Series SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

The Holy Bible is not simply a compendium of speculative writings. or the randomly-recorded notions of souls incarnated in human flesh bodies on the earth, as is often thought to be the case. Nor does it consist of idle insignificant spiritual principles, events and occurrences of use and value only to those who view it in its shallow “letter” sense: rather than comprehending it in its deeper spiritual sense (2 Cor. 3:3-6). When spiritually construed,,what emerges from its hallowed pages is the truth – not easily fathomed – that a pattern of reincarnation is continuously at work in mankind’s generations, designed to provide each soul with a succession of incarnate flesh experiences that they may learn that GOD expects HIS children to be obedient to HIS Will. In fact, HE insists upon the obedience of all who seek eternal life in HIS Light, because evil will not be allowed to exist, nor be perpetuated. Man’s earth experiences are designed as a testing device – a spiritual sieve through which human souls are screened life after life while incarnated in temporal flesh bodies in the earth dimension. Those that manifest spiritual improvement while incarnated in flesh receive incremental spiritual credit life after life for having acquired spiritual, or “karmic,” gains which are recorded in higher dimensions than the earth, in some ineffable ethereal way. Spiritual credits accrue to each soul as the result of each spiritually-oriented earth incarnation. A routine judgment is conducted in higher dimensions after each of a soul’s incarnations – as biblically recorded in Heb. 9:27 – during which its spiritual attainments are tallied and preserved. These are held in abeyance until Final Judgment: of which crucial event Apostle Paul wrote:

“For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident and willing to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labor, that whether absent or present, we may be accepted of Him (Refer: Jn. 14:3). For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad.” (2 Cor. 5:-10)

Edgar Cayce – of whom there are many things to be disclosed beyond that which is commonly known and understood – was able to enter into a deep trance state and translate his consciousness into a higher level of knowledge and understanding. When asked questions, he was able to respond to divulge illuminating physical and spiritual information that has dramatically added to man’s understanding of biblical events and occurrences recorded over an extended period of time. This has been preserved in the form of individual “readings” that spell out an enlightening characterization of man’s manifestations in flesh on the earth. Here a few Cayce readings that illustrate the unusual kind of information he received, which is biblically sound.

“Jesus, born in Bethlehem of the Virgin Mary, is the same soul entity who reasoned with those who returned from the captivity in those days when Nehemiah, Ezra, and Zerubbabel were factors in the attempts to reestablish the worship of GOD; and also Jeshua son of Josedech, the high priest and scribe who translated the rest of the biblical books written up to that time. Then realize that was the same entity who had before manifested as to father Abraham as the prince, as the Priest of Salem, without father and without mother, without days or years, a living human being in flesh made manifest in the earth from the desire of GOD the Father to prepare an escape for man; as was also warned by that same entity as Enoch; and this was also the entity Adam. And this was the Spirit of Light.

“So we see how that our coming into the earth has been and is for the purpose of evolving the soul in its awareness of the effect of all influences in its experience in the varied spheres of activity; and that only in Him who was the creator and maker, “the experiencer” of mortality and spirit and soul, could materiality be overcome.

“Keep in the Way that leads to understanding: for the Spirit gives understanding and freedom. Carnal thoughts, and focusing on one’s self, leads to contention and discord. The Way that leads to heaven is before you. Much has come to your own understanding. Keep the faith of the fathers, and know that through looking within one may find the answer to all problems.” (Edgar Cayce Readings 3054-3; 5032-2; 2126-1

In considering man’s experiences in the earth dimension, one of the most extraordinary is the wondrous birth, raising and experiences of Moses, who was described in the Old Testament as “the servant of GOD.” The manner in which he was “called” from higher dimensions and manifested to Israel, and the subsequent calling-out of the people under his leadership, indicates that he was an exceptionally spiritualized soul. He was designated by GOD to preside over all the twelve tribes of Israel, which by implication places him high in the heavenly hierarchy in his time. It is more than coincidental that Moses’ brother, Aaron, was also called by the Lord and that those two brothers were charged to fulfill a crucially-important part of the prophesy given to Abraha,m four generations before the Exodus set out from Egypt (Gen. 15:13-16).

The prophetic disclosures given to Abraham carry the implication that the Lord had decided to commence a series of divinely-guided events that would be brought to pass during Abraham’s time. He and his wife, Sarai – later named Satah – had been chosen to fulfill their important mission only after they had passed a protracted testing to assure their obedience to GOD. The framework of the time in which it was set places the origins of GOD’s Messianic Plan at about the time when the Son of GOD was incarnated on earth as Melchizedec: when he was known as GOD’s eternal heavenly priest (Gen. 14:18; Heb. 7:1-3). Considered in its spiritual sense, this indicates that GOD’s shift of spiritual power away from Egypt ended up being a division of spirituality within the lineage of Abraham. GOD’s Spirit Energy flowed into the sons of Jacob; the fathers of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. This is understood to have taken place during the Son of GOD’s incarnation as Melchizedec. During his previous incarnation as Joseph son of Jacob, in Egypt, he had held the leading position over his brothers, and after that life experience he never relinquished his spiritual predominance over them. Reincarnation was the framework within which these developments took place.

Prophet Elijah had enigmatically foretold that two segments of “seeds”, or souls, were predestined to be saved into eternal life: that some would be Saved from among the chosen people of Israel; and some from within the ranks of other souls incarnating in the earth dimension, known as Gentiles. The Bible reveals that it took place precisely as Elijah had foretold.

Series to be Continued in Message 2 of Book Three - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Thirty: CONTINUATION OF MESSAGE 29: And the LAST MESSAGE OF BOOK 2; Book 3 Next:

“Jesus Christ is our Lord and Master, the first among those to put on immortality in order that there might be an opportunity provided for others to overcome the forces of error in spiritual activities. Only by actually living through various earth experiences may one come to a sufficient understanding of the differences between good and evil (Mal 3:18), and the fruits that follow each kind of conduct. No individual is condemned by being in Jesus Christ, but condemnation resulted from Satan’s intervention in earth affairs in a disobedient way. On may find his way out of condemnation by finding Him – Christ, who came in all ages.

“Have you read how the sons of GOD came together, and Satan came also? (Job 1:6-12; Job 2:1-10). [And GOD said] ‘Have you considered my servant, Job? Have you seen his ways?’ And the answer came back, even from the Devil’s evil force: ‘Put forth your hand, touch him in these things that pertain to the satisfying desire that is flesh, and he will curse you to your face. Then came the command to the Devil: ‘he is in your hand, but touch not his soul!

“The pattern of incarnations upon the earth by souls from higher planes was commenced for the evolving of souls into an awareness of the effects of all influences in its varied experiences in different spheres of activity. Only by Him who was the creator, the maker, the experiencer of mortality and spirit and soul, could all be overcome. And He has not willed that any soul should be lost, but has prepared a way of escape to Him, the Maker – as written in 1 Cor. 8:6.

“Who, then, is the worthy servant? He who has endured to the end!

“He has come in all ages when it has been necessary for the understanding to be centered in a new application of the same thought: the truth that GOD is a Spirit, and requires all who worship HIM to do so in Spirit and in truth! (Jn. 4:24)

“Many, then, have prepared the way as channels on the earth for the one who was to come who would maintain the course and the way, and through whom alone may salvation be accomplished. His Spirit has been present in all times and places, and in every race, color, or activity, seeking to settle the influences which bring contention in the minds and hearts of all souls that dwell in flesh.” (Composite of Edgar Cayce Readings 1158-5,9; 3054-4; 5759-5,14).

An outstanding spiritual truth that emerges from the above-quoted composite of Edgar Cayce Readings is that each earth incarnation provides a soul with a valuable experiential opportunity to increase its spiritual condition and status. By being obedient to GOD’s Will — as had the Son of GOD when He incarnated as Enoch – a soul may move toward a state of perfection in which it may be “received unto the Spirit of the Son of GOD” (Jn. 14:3) – which is “the Spirit Church.” 14:3)

On the other hand, an incarnated soul may deplete its spirituality by remaining a spiritually-dense “natural man” as Apostle Paul explained in 1 Cor. 2:14. Paul – before his rebirth experience, named Saul, had been in just such a spiritually un-quickened condition before his spiritual rebirth on the Damascus Road (Acts Chapters 9,22,26). However, when the Spirit of Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost entered into Paul, he was spiritually converted, and no longer possessed “the spirit of man and of the world..” Rather he knew “things of the Spirit of GOD, which men do not teach, but which are taught by the Holy Ghost” (1 Cor. 2:9-13).

Jesus taught that those who receive a disciple of His, by so doing also receive Him, and at the same time receive the Spirit Energy GOD the Father (Mt. 10:40). GOD is a Spirit (Jn. 4:24), so for a man to “receive” a true Disciple of Jesus Christ’s, is for that man to also receive a portion of that Disciple’s Spirit, a portion of Christ, man’s Maker, and also the Holy Spirit of GOD the Father:

“But to us there is but one GOD the Father, of whom are all things, and we in HIM; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him.” (1 Cor. 8:6)

It was from the first day that Prophet Daniel “set his heart to understand and to chasten himself before GOD,” that his words began to be heard in higher dimensions (Dan. 10:12). It was only then that Beloved Gabriel was sent in a vision to reveal to Daniel that Michael – who was understood at that time to have been an Archangel – was Daniel’s Prince. But it was long afterward revealed to Apostle John in his Revelation that apparently Michael the Archangel was a name of the Son of GOD, who was destined to subsequently reincarnate as Jesus Christ. It was revealed through John that “He had a name written that no man knew but He Himself: that His name was called The Word of GOD; and that on his vesture was written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Rev. 19:12-13 16). There is no question at all as to Whom that referred.

In Prophet Daniel’s time, “Michael” was understood to be the name of man’s Savior and Deliverer: “the great prince which stood for the children of Daniel’s people,” who would stand up” in a time of great trouble, such as never was since there was a nation” (Dan. 12:1). At that time, Daniel prophesied: “many that sleep in the earth shall awaken, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Dan. 12:2). And, the prophet added, “they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. (Dan. 12:3)

The “time of trouble” foretold to come by Daniel, is detailed in the New Testament:

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not seen since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days shall be shortened, there should be no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there: believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they should deceive the very elect. For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so shall the coming of the Son of man be. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with great power and great glory. And He shall send His Angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Mt. 24:21-31). All mankind is now encompassed in that great prophecy, as unmistakable signs bear witness.

End of Book 2 in the Series, SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF. Coming Next: Book 3.

Message Twenty-Nine - Book Two - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

Before Apostle Paul’s dramatic spiritual rebirth experience on the Damascus Road, he was a Jew whose principle aim in life was to persecute Christians (Acts 9:1-2). After his conversion by the Christ Spirit and that of the Holy Ghost, however, he understood vastly more (Lk. 24:45), and wrote to the Corinthians to explain that the un-spiritualized “natural man” does not and cannot receive the things of the Spirit of GOD because they seem like foolishness to him, and are only spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). He taught that those who undergo spiritual quickening “have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16), and explained that men ordinarily know the things of the spirit of man, but not the things of the Spirit of GOD. But he disclosed that the things that he – and those who had undergone spiritual rebirth – spoke not in words that man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches. The Holy Ghost had began to be sent after Jesus Christ’s Glorification (Jn. 14:12-14, 26; Jn. 15:26; Jn. 16:7, 12-14).

The Edgar Cayce was able to enter into a deep trance state in which he received extremely important spiritual information: as had the unique Prophet Balaam long before him, who “had heard the words of GOD and knew the knowledge of the most high, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open.” (Num. 24:16). But Balaam failed to fulfill the Lord’s Will, for which reason he was diminished in the Lord’s eyes (Rev. 2:14). On the other hand, Edgar Cayce “persevered with the Lord to the end” of that earth incarnate experience, during which he received illuminating disclosures which have been preserved * for the benefit of all who seek spiritual truth.

One Edgar Cayce reading delineated an important difference between Jesus Christ the Son of GOD and other prophets who had manifested in flesh on the earth:

“The other great prophets and masters are but stepping stones to that which may awaken in individuals the knowledge of the Son of GOD in their lives.” (Edgar Cayce Reading 262-14)

The following selection of Edgar Cayce Readings discloses that the Son of GOD – first biblically revealed in Psalm 2:7-12 – incarnated in a number of earth experiences, and that his heavenly higher self is the Christ Spirit:

“To give the full concept of what it means to say that Jesus is the only begotten Son of GOD, is to give the history of all those who have entered flesh without the sexual act man knows as copulation. For He came into the earth first of those that were the sons of GOD to enter flesh, the first and only begotten of GOD. Again, as names would indicate, Enoch walked with GOD, having become aware of GOD; and was still that entity, that soul, later called Jesus, who had been Melchizedec; without father, without mother, that later appeared on earth as Jesus; the portion of GOD that manifests.

“This Spirit-Entity became as the elder brother to all who are born on earth: He is as the Maker, as the Creator, as the first and as the last; as the beginning and as the end of man’s soul’s experiences through the earth, and throughout the spheres of consciousness in and about the earth. This Spirit-Entity earned His position as elder brother of each son and each daughter on the earth: as Jesus the son of Mary, and also of Melchizedec who had no father or mother on the earth: who was therefore without days or years.

“Jesus, then, is the only begotten, the firstborn, the first to know flesh as Adam, and the first to purify it. In the same way that He found and earned His way, so man by his understanding of spiritual matters and his knowledge and wisdom of GOD, purifies himself; here a little, there a little, seeking salvation.

“One must endure to the end; that is, endure the unkind things which may be said by others: endure that which is of the world. For, as He said, ‘You are in the world, but be not of the world!

“The imaginative forces by which we bring about our activities are to be creative, and if they require sacrifice by one or another specific experiences, then one should fulfill whatever is required. That is what is meant by enduring.”

“Jesus advised that He went to prepared a place, and that if it was not so He would have said so. He went to prepare it that where was is, all who follow Him cab be with Him there (cf. Jn. 14:3). ‘Who shall I say has sent me? I AM THAT I AM!’

“Does it not all, then, remain as a whole story – that which is found in the Scripture? It is all one related statement. Without Abraham, or Moses, or King David, what need was there for Melchizedec, or Enoch, or Joseph, or Joshua to live again embodied in flesh to fulfill all? When we have fulfilled all, then we are One with Him.

“First, find yourself! Apply yourself in such a way and manner as to know what you will do with this man Jesus of Nazareth, who had also been Jeshua son of Josedech, high priest in Jerusalem; Joshua son of Nun in Shiloh; Joseph in the court of the Pharaoh in Egypt; Melchizedec as he blessed Abraham; Enoch as he warned the people; Adam as he listened to Eve… And He was first in the beginning, then lived as Enoch, then Melchizedec in the perfection. Then in the earth as Joseph, Joshua son of Nun, high priest during his life as Jeshua, and finally as Jesus Christ.”

“Make Jesus your ideal, and hold fast to it. And do not attempt to shed or surpass, or to go around the Cross: it is that upon which each and every soul must look, and know that it is to be borne in self with Him.* A.R.E. Library, 215 67^th Street Virginia Beach, VA, 23451

This Message and Series to be Continued in Message 30.

Message Twenty -Eight - Book Two - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

Prophet Zechariah’s strikingly accurate prophecy, biblically inscribed at Zech. 9:9), was issued several hundred years before the Son of GOD manifested on the earth as Jesus Christ of Nazareth The prophesy inevitably leads to consideration of some of Zechariah’s other prophesies. Long before the Son of GOD incarnated as Jesus Christ of Nazareth, GOD the Father spoke through Zechariah to astonishingly foretell:

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications: and they shall look upon me, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn” (Zech. 12:10)

It is noteworthy that the Lord foretells though Prophet Zechariah that “they shall look upon me as one mourns for his only son,” which declaration suggests that it was the Son, the Word of GOD, speaking through Prophet Zechariah on behalf of GOD the Father; or that GOD the Father and HIS Son are the same identical entity, for which reason they spoke with one voice.

Long after Zechariah’s above-quoted prophesy was given, Apostle John related an incident that took place at the scene of Jesus’ Crucifixion:

“Then came the soldiers and broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw the He was dead already, they did not break His legs: but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith there came out blood and water. And he that saw it bore record, and his record is true: and he knows that what he says is true, that ye may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled: ‘A bone of Him shall not be broken.’ And again another Scripture saith, ‘They shall look upon him whom they pierced.’” (Jn. 19:32-37).

In this above-quoted writing of John’s, it was Zechariah’s 12:10 prophecy to which he obviously referred. Zechariah also uttered another prophesy foreshadowing the time predestined to come when The Son of GOD, the Rock of Israel, would manifest in flesh as mankind’s Messiah:

“And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, says the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my GOD.” (Zech. 13:8-9)

When Prophet Malachi prophesied after the time of Zechariah, and before the Son of GOD incarnated as Jesus Christ of Nazareth, The Lord used these same above-quoted descriptive terms to describe the appearance of HIS Son in the flesh:

“…the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the Covenant, whom ye delight in, sayeth the Lord of hosts [GOD the Father]. But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appears? for He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap. “And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.” (Mal. 3: 1-4).

An understanding of the spirit meaning of these above verses falls into a category once defined by Apostle Paul when he declined to fully or precisely elaborate on the relationship between the Son of GOD, and the Son’s previous earth appearance as Melchizedec:

“Of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing” (Heb. 5:11)

Paul described such an unspiritualized individual as a “natural man,” unable to receive the things of the Spirit of GOD, for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because the deeper abstract spiritual matters are incomprehensible to the ordinary spirit in man – which is the spirit of the world – that it is necessary to receive that which the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth, teaches, “comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” (1 Cor. 2:11-13). Apostle Paul was able to comprehend such abstract spiritual truths only after he had undergone spiritual rebirth on the Damascus Road: during which experience the Christ Spirit and the Spirit of the Holy Ghost entered into him (Acts Chapter Nine). Before that extraordinary event he was a “natural man.”

The New Testament lays down a reliable spiritual pathway that all “natural” as yet un-spiritualized human beings may effectively follow to establish contact with Christ. As many have learned, direct contact may be effectively made by (1) frequently and meaningfully reading the Bible; (2) praying the Lord’s Prayer; and (3) meditating in faith and belief in Jesus Christ, asking in His name. We don’t receive “the Spirit of GOD, Christ and the Holy Ghost simply by attending “churches of stone’: the Spirit-church is the Spirit of the Son of GOD; and it is His Spirit into which He has promised to receive those souls who are His when He “returns to receive them unto Himself, that they may forever be with Himwhere He is (Jn. 14:3).

“The three steps emphasized above – if followed while living a sound spiritual life, patiently, seriously, and resolutely desiring to make contact with GOD, Christ the Son, and the Holy Ghost – will likely bring about a spiritually-rewarding and illuminating experience.. The Bibles urges: “Seek and you shall find!” (Mt. 6:33; Mt. 7:7; Lk. 11:9). “But without faith it is impossible to please HIM: for he that comes to GOD must believe that HE is, and that HE is a rewarder of them that diligently seek HIM” (Heb. 11:6).

Series to be Continued in Message 29 - Book Two - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Twenty-Seven - Book Two - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

The appearance of the Son of GOD (Ps. 2:6-12) in flesh as Jesus Christ did not come as a surprise to those spiritualized people on earth, who were familiar with prophesies of long-standing. One of these had been explicated by Prophet Zechariah:

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion: shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King comes unto you; He is just, and having salvation; lowly and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” (Zech. 9:9)

“Riding humbly upon a lowly beast of burden” had been considered the harbinger of a king to be imminently crowned, which was revealed at the time King Solomon was enthroned:

“So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the Prophet, and Beniiah…and others went down and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.” (1 Kings 1:38)

Prophet Micah foretold:

“Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he has laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. But thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto ME that is to be ruler in Israel: whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting. Therefore will HE give them up, until the time that she which travails has brought forth: then the remnant of His brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.” (Micah 5:1-3)

GOD removed the scepter of power from Judah in accordance with Gen. 49:10, but afterward revived it when Beloved Mary travailed and birthed Jesus Christ in Bethlehem by way of her Immaculate Conception, in accordance with Isaiah’s prophesy at Isa. 7:14. When this took place, the door was opened, so to speak, for the Son of GOD and His brethren from among the children of Israel to return – to reincarnate on earth – in accordance with the unique promise of GOD through Prophet Malachi, when HE promised those who feared HIM that they would be HIS when HE made up HIS Jewels, at which time:

“Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serves GOD and him that serves HIM not.” (Mal. 3:16-18).

As the Lord foretold though Prophet Micah, supra, “the remnant of the Son of GOD’s brethren” did return unto the children of Israel.” They had incarnated previously during the Hebraic Age, and they reincarnated among Jesus Christ’s Apostles and Disciples, having before been “His brethren” during previous flesh incarnations – in particular when the Son of GOD was Joseph son of Jacob, and his “brethren” were actually His flesh brothers.

Zechariah’s prophecy (Zech. 9:9), quoted supra, which had been given a considerable time before Jesus Christ conducted His Ministry, was reportedly fulfilled, according to Gospel writer Mark, who recounted that when Jesus and His followers came to the Mount of Olives, He commanded them:

“Go your way into the village nearby: and as soon as you enter it, you shall find a colt tied, upon which no man has sat. Cut him loose and bring him here. And if any man say to you, Why do you this? say that the Lord has need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside in a place where two ways met; and they cut him loose. And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and Jesus sat upon him. And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. And they that went ahead and those who followed, cried out, saying, ‘Hosanna: blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that comes in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.’” (Mark 11:1-10)

This event instantly flared into a tumultuous scene of pandemonium as it dawned upon those present that they were seeing Zechariah’s remarkable prophesy bring brought into reality by Jesus Christ, long after it had been forecasted. It had been foretold and recorded during the Hebraic Age, and here it it was being unerringly and meticulously fulfilled right before their eyes! Many doubters in the spiritual empowerment of Jesus Christ were inevitably converted, from unbelievers into believers and followers of His, because of His extraordinary – even miraculous – implementation of Zechariah’s prophesy that had at last ripened into fulfillment during their lifetimes. Being knowledgeable about biblical prophecies, they immediately recognized that a prophesy of Zechariah’s – that had been reposing on the shelf of time for many years – had suddenly been brought into reality in a way that left no doubt in their minds about the efficacy and accuracy of the writings of the prophets who had paved a way before them. They had seen for themselves the striking accuracy of Zechariah’s prophesy that bridged across the centuries.

As we look back upon past spiritual events and occurrences, observing the startling lack of belief and faith of people today –, even in many Christian-oriented countries – we see apathy as a dominant factor, very much to mankind’s detriment.As Apostle Paul taught: the man who remains a “natural man,” unspiritualized, cannot receive the things of GOD because “they are foolishness to him, and he cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). Paul explained a crucial difference between “natural men” and those who are able to receive the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 2:9-13).

Series to be Continued in Message 28 - Book Two - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Twenty-Six - Book Two - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

When Jesus of Nazareth was led up into the wilderness to undergo spiritual testing by Satan (Lk. 4:1-13), He was in a spiritually-quickened condition, being “full of the Holy Ghost.” He had long before been tested when He had incarnated as Adam, along with His eternal binary soul mate, Eve, and they had fallen to the wiles of Satan and been trapped in the earth dimension, unable to return at their will to the heavenly place from which they had descended for the purpose of “destroying the works of the devil (2 Jn. 3:8). They then each commenced a series of spiritually-perfecting earth incarnations in flesh on the earth, as the Bible recounts when construed in its spiritual sense; not in its letter sense (Ref. 2 Cor. 3:3-6). As Apostle Paul explained – after having been touched by the Christ Spirit during his spiritual rebirth experience on the Damascus Road (Acts Chapters 9, 22, and 26) – for as long as a human being remains an unspiritualized “natural man:”

“He receives not the things of the Spirit of GOD: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor. 2:14).

It was after Jesus Christ underwent His Spiritual experience in the wilderness, and was able to stand up against Satan’s trickery, as noted, supra, that He was prepared to embark upon His Ministry. The Bible meticulously retraces His foot steps from the time of His exit from the wilderness through His unique earth experiences as He dramatically fulfilled His earth mission, was Glorified by GOD the Father, raised up to HIS right hand in heaven, and empowered over heaven and the earth (Mt. 28:18, Heb. 1-3). Souls incarnated on earth are required to pass through this spiritual “rite of passage” and emerge in a spiritualized condition: as Jesus Christ did, and as Apostle Paul later also did. They were living examples for all who would come after them to emulate.

When the Son of GOD incarnated as Jesus Christ, it was a new thing on the earth, and those He encountered along the Way found it incredibly difficult to accept Him as the Prophet long before prophesied by GOD through Moses, predestined to appear at some future time:

“And I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee [Moses], and will put my words in His mouth, and He shall speak unto them all that I shall command Him.” (Deut. 18: 18).

Jacob had also foreseen the earth manifestation of a “Lawgiver, who would be known as ‘Shiloh’, around whom the people were to gather.’” (Gen. 49:10). ‘Shiloh’ was in fact the Son of GOD, who subsequently incarnated as Jesus Christ. It was predestined that at the time He would appear as Jesus Christ, the “Scepter of spiritual power” would pass to Him from the lineage of Judah. This had been long before foretold in the Bible:

“Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn (For he was the firstborn; but forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, Jacob: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler (Christ the Son of GOD); but the birthright was Joseph’s.” (1 Chronicles 5:1-2)

Joseph son of Jacob was an earth incarnation of the Son of GOD, who, as above noted, held the heavenly birthright above the other sons of GOD. When He later incarnated as Jesus Christ, He taught that no man on earth had ever seen GOD the Father, but that those who had seen Him, Jesus, had seen the Father. The Bible discloses that GOD does not “measure out” HIS spirit to His Son (Jn. 3:34); which means that He receives it in an unlimited flow; which intimates that GOD the Father and HIS Son are composed of the same Holy Spirit Energy, yet they are two individual entities, the Spirit of the Father forming the Spirit – the soul – in HIS Son, manifested in flesh as Jesus Christ.

This idea was suggested when Jesus met Philip on the road during His Ministry, and declared to him:

“Have I been so long a time with you, and yet have you not known me, Philip? He that has seen Me has seen the Father: and how say you then, ‘Show us the Father?’ Believe you not that I am

in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but of the Father who dwells in me, HE does the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.” (Jn. 14:9-11)

There is the strong intimation in these above-quoted verses that the Spirit Energy of GOD the Father is in some ethereal way mutually-shared with that of HIS Son. That there is an attunement, or state of spiritual at-oneness, existent between them. There is, then, the further implication, that the soul in each human being – before it is quickened by GOD’s and Christ’s Holy Spirit into a spiritual state – is an un-quickened “natural man” of the kind Apostle describes in 1 Cor. 2:14. A man in this un-spiritualized state cannot receive the things of GOD because they are spiritually discerned. Nor can the soul in such a man be “quickened” into a condition that when Christ the Son returns to “receive unto Himself those who are His” (Jn. 14:2), they will be transformed and translated into heaven to be ever where He is.

This explains the biblical declaration that, “as in Adam, a natural man,” all die; even so in the Spirit of Jesus Christ shall all be made alive, but every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they who are Christ’s at His Coming (1 Cor. 15:21-22). The Spirit-Body of Christ is thus seen to equate with the Christian Church; which is where those who are of Christ’s Spirit go when they are “taken up” (Jn. 14:1-4), at the time of His return.

Series to be Continued in Message 27 - Book Two - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Twenty-Five - Book Two - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

PSALMS RELATING TO ASAPH: WHO IS UNDERSTOOD TO HAVE BEEN AN EARTH INCARNATION OF THE SON OF GOD, BEFORE HIS EXPERIENCE IN FLESH AS HIGH PRIEST JOSHUA THE SON OF JOSEDECH: (Haggai 1:1, 12)

Biblical Psalms record a number of messages dedicated “To the Chief Musician” – Asaph – some of which are selectively quoted below.

King David is recorded to have dedicated a number of Psalms to Asaph, who is understood to have been “The Chief Musician” at that time:

“The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of GOD before HIS eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes until his iniquity be found to be hateful. He devises mischief upon his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not abhor evil. Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reaches into the clouds. How excellent is thy loving kindness, O GOD, therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of your wings. (Psalm 36:1-7)

A Psalm attributed to King David, who was incarnated on earth at the same time as Asaph, and worked with him, makes similar brief assertions:

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and HE delights in his way. Though he shall fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord holds him up with HIS hand. I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread. He is ever merciful and his seed is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good, and dwell for evermore. I have seen the wicked in great power and spreading himself like a green tree: yet he passes away, and lo he was not. Yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. (Psalm 37:23-27, 35-37)

Another Psalm dedicated by David to Asaph, the Chief Musician:

“Every man walks in a vain show as he heaps up riches, not knowing who will reap them! (Psalm 39:6)

King David reportedly dedicated the following highly predictive Psalm to Asaph, the Chief Musician: to whom it would apply when he later incarnated as Jesus Christ:

“Yea, mine own familiar friend, whom I trusted, which did eat at my table, has lifted up his heel against me (Ref. Gen. 3:15 and Jn. 13:18). But thou, O Lord be merciful unto me, and raise me up that I may requite thee. By this I know that you favor me, because my enemy does not triumph over me.” (Psalm 41:9-11).

The Bible notes that the following two verses, quoted from Psalm 45, were dedicated to Asaph. They delineate and quantify a difference between the spiritual power of GOD the Father and HIS Son, whom GOD sent into the earth plane, incarnated as Jesus of Nazareth:

“Thy throne, O GOD, is forever and ever: the Scepter of thy kingdom isa right scepter. Thou lovest righteousness and hate wickedness: therefore GOD, thy GOD, has anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” (Psalm 45:6-7)

The following Psalm, reportedly dedicated “To the Chief Musician,” Asaph, carries heavenly implications, as well as an implied differential between GOD the Father and His Son, both of Whom move through the heavens in a cloud (Ex. 16:10; 24:18; 34:6; Num. 10:34; 12:5; Lk. 9:34-35). [Luke quoted this Psalm, which had been written at a time before the Son of GOD manifested on earth as Jesus Christ]:

“GOD is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of GOD, the Holy Place of the tabernacles of the Most High. GOD is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: GOD shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: HE uttered HIS voice, the earth melted (Ref. 2 Pet. 3:10). Be still, and know that I am GOD: I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts [GOD the Father] is with us: the GOD of Jacob is our refuge. (Psalm 46)

This next Psalm was biblically reported to have been dedicated by King David “To the chief Musician, Asaph,”after Nathan the Prophet came unto David after David had ” gone in to Bathsheba,” as recounted in the Bible in 2 Sam. 11:4-5:

“Have mercy upon me, O GOD, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Behold, I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me know wisdom. Hide my face from my sins and blot out all of my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O GOD, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (Ps. 51:1-13.

This next Psalm of David’s was dedicated to “the Chief Musician,” ostensibly Adaph:

“The fool has said in his heart, There is no GOD. Corrupt are they that have done abominable iniquity: there is none that does good. GOD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did good. Every one of them has gone back: they are altogether become filthy: there is none that do good, no, not one. Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called foon GOD. (Ps. 53:1-4).

Series to be Continued in Message 26 - Book Two - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.

Message Twenty-Four - Book Two - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF

ASAPH: CONSIDERED AS AN EARTH FLESH MANIFESTATION OF THE SON OF GOD.

The Bible does not ascribe any parents to Asaph, who is understood to be a manifestation of the Son of GOD: which carries the implication that he simply appeared on the earth in flesh form, as He had first appeared as Adam, and subsequently as Melchizedeck (Heb. 7:1-3) – without parents or any known or recorded lineage.

In king Hedekiah’s time, Asaph was a seer, (2 Chron. 29:30) – or as would today be known as a prophet. In King David’s time, Asaph was a seer and a psalmist, many of whose writings are inscribed in the Bible. One of the most revelational of these quotes him as having declared:

“I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most high. But you shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth: for you shall inherit all nations.” (A Psalm of Asaph: Psalm 82:6-8)

In his subsequent earth experience as Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the soul that had incarnated as Asaph – the Spirit of the Son of GOD – spiritually prepared himself to “Arise and Judge the earth” after being raised up to GOD’s right hand in heaven and empowered over heaven and the earth (Mt. 28:18). The Son of GOD fulfilled all prophecies relating to Him at that time, and during the course of His hallowed manifestation as Jesus, He on one particular occasion confronted Jews who opposed Him in a way that reflected back to His incarnation as Asaph. After reminding them that He had shown them many works from GOD His Father, He asked for which of those works were they about to stone Him? (Jn. 10:32

These Jews replied that they did not stone Him for His good works, but rather for His blasphemy as a man who “makest thyself God.” (Jn. 10:33)

Jesus replied, “Is it not written in your law? that I said, ‘Ye are all gods’ [He had made this assertion when He was incarnated as Asaph, as noted supra.] Jesus then called to their attention:

“If He [Asaph] called them gods, unto whom the Word of GOD came, and the Scripture cannot be broken, Say you then, whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world, ‘Thou blasphemer:’ because I said I am the Son of GOD? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though you believe not me, believe the works: that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in HIM. (Jn. 10:34-38). He spoke of GOD’s Spirit Energy.

The above-quoted verses unquestionably reveal – when considered in their spiritual sense – that Asaph – for whom the bible discloses no earth parents – was an earth manifestation of the Son of GOD, whose Spirit subsequently incarnated as Jesus Christ. The verses provide palpable evidence that it is not possible to conceive of the origins of Jesus Christ without understanding the pattern of reincarnation that is at work in human beings manifesting on Planet Earth. The Holy Bible provides clear and convincing evidence that the spirit soul incarnated in “the first” Adam (Lk. 3: 38 and 1 Jn. 3:8), long afterward manifested as Jesus Christ, “the Last Adam” of whom Apostle Paul write in 1 Cor. 15:44-48.

One spiritual revelation which may be construed from the above-quoted biblical verses is that Jesus’ comment about Asaph’s disclosure that “Ye are all gods” implies that spirit-souls incarnated in human beings on the earth are actually biblically referred-to as “the children of the most high GOD.” It insinuates that the souls incarnated in human beings are actually portions of the spirit energy of GOD’s angels, or “gods” existent in higher dimensions than the earth. This accords with biblical verses bearing on that subject:

“Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou are clothed with honor and majesty. Who covers thyself with Light as with a garment: who stretches out the heavens like a curtain: who lays the beams of His chambers in the waters: who makes the clouds His chariot: who walks upon the wings of the wind. Who makes His angels spirits: his ministers a flaming fire: Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed forever.” (Ps. 104:1-4)

This above-quoted Psalm 104 specifically refers to the Spirit Energy of GOD the Father, Who is a Spirit, as biblically disclosed in Jn. 4:24; whose Spirit Energy is “above all, and through all, and in us all” (Eph. 4:6). It is GOD the Father’s Spirit Energy that composes all things: and it was Jesus Christ His Son who Made all things of GOD’s Holy Spirit:

“But to us there is but one GOD, the Father, of Whom are all things: and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him.” (1 Cor. 8:6).

The Son of GOD, after His incarnation as Asaph, manifested as high priest Joshua the Son of Josedech, born into the Priesthood Tribe of Levi, during which experience he held the Urim and Thummim by command of GOD to Moses (Num. 28:18-23). [The Urim is understood to be a symbolic object in the High Priest’s breastplate.]

Thus, when the Son of GOD was long afterward reborn in Bethlehem as the result of Beloved Mary’s prophesied Immaculate Conception (Isa. 7:14), He already held – as the result of His unique Spiritual Inheritance (Heb. 1:4) – the Aaronic Priesthood, which had been ordained to Him when He had been Joshua son of Josedech (supra). And He also held the Eternal Heavenly Priesthood of Melchizedec (Heb. 7:1-3); Melchizedec having been an earth manifestation of His as He made his way through His biblically-recorded incarnations from His fall as Adam, to His victory as Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Series to be Continued in Message 25 - Book Two - SOMEWHERE BEYOND BELIEF.