CARRIERS OF COVENANT AND THE WORD OF GOD

CARRIES OF COVENANT AND THE WORD OF GOD

Let us start at the beginning of creation so we can set the foundation of truth. It is imperative that you pay attention to the sequence of creation because in line two you might think the earth was already created and it was not. Also in line number two “the deep” refers to Water and Word because everything was created by the Word of God. You will see later that “Water, Word and Spirit” are ONE in Christ Jesus. Okay lets get started by reading Genesis 1:1-10.

Genesis 1:1–10 (NKJV)

The History of Creation

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.

Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

In line six we see that God created a firmament in the midst of the waters (deep) and it divided waters from the waters. Also notice that “were” is italicized in your bible as I italicized all of scripture to make it stand out from my writings. God separated the Water/Word by firmament and created Heaven. When we read line nine we see that the waters under heaven gathered into one place and “dry land” appeared God called the dry land Earth. Okay, so now that we have established this we can see that the waters above as well as below the firmament are the Water and Word of God.

Proverbs 18:4 (NKJV)

4 The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;

The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.

So let us now reflect on Noah’s Arc and what the Arc represents and who the person of Noah reflects. We know that Noah was a preacher of righteousness which is the Word of God. We know that God told Noah to build the Ark so it was God who created the Ark by the hands of Noah. God was about to destroy the earth by the flood and Noah was the carrier of the Word of God in the Ark of the Covenant! The Ark represents the Covenant as we know God told Noah when you see the rainbow it is the NEW Covenant.

Genesis 9:12–17 (NKJV)

12 And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 14 It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; 15 and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Now remember the correlation between Noah and Covenant by means of the Ark. Now we can look into the person of Moses.

We know Moses as an infant was to be killed by order of Pharaoh. However Moses mother created an “Ark of bulrushes” for him and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. Notice “ark of bulrushes” as this is similar to Noah’s Ark carrying the Word of God and the Covenant of God!

Exodus 1:22–2:10 (NKJV)

22 So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”

Moses is Born

2 And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.

Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?”

And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

We must notice in line one of chapter two the bloodline of Levi of Moses parents which is the royal priesthood. The “Ark of bulrushes” is what carried Moses and Moses was to be the person carrying the Word and Covenant of God. Moses would prophecy of  the “ONE TO COME” which would be the Lord Jesus. So now you see that Noah’s Ark and the Ark of Bulrushes” are one of the same as carries of the Word and Covenant ABOVE THE WATERS OF THE EARTH. This is an essential point of mention, above the waters of the earth as in Genesis mentioned earlier as the Water and Word are one of the Same, Christ Jesus.

Now let’s look at King David who was a carrier of the Covenant and Word of God which was the presence of God. Through David the Lord made a Covenant.

2 Samuel 6:1–23 (NKJV)

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

6 Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.

And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God. And David became angry because of the Lord’s outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place Perez Uzzah to this day.

David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 So David would not move the ark of the Lord with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his household.

12 Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness. 13 And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep. 14 Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.

16 Now as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. 17 So they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. 19 Then he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, everyone to his house.

20 Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”

21 So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord. 22 And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.”

23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

I did a posting earlier about walking on water and now I’d like to bring more to that posting. Notice the name Moses means “out of the water”! Okay, now lets go to Jesus walking on water again.

Matthew 14:25–33 (NKJV)

25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

Now from what I have spoken about Genesis and the “deep” waters being separated by firmament and the Waters and Word are ONE you can see how Noah, Moses, David and Jesus were carriers of Covenant and Word as well as Jesus being the incarnate Word in Flesh. You can also see how Jesus sustained their mortal lives through floods, pestilence, plagues and rulers. Jesus walking on water was symbolic of Jesus’ baptism by John the baptist. Jesus came up out of the “Water which was the Word of God” thus Jesus walked on water. Jesus rose above the firmament which separated the “deep” waters in Genesis. Above the firmament was heaven below the firmament was the earth yet both were “Water and Word”. This is how Jesus makes a bold statement He was not of this World and us being born again come up out of the Water & Word raised above the firmament into the Kingdom of Heaven no longer in the kingdom of darkness!

Matthew 3:13–17 (NKJV)

Baptism of Jesus

Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–23

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

This is what happens through true repentance and Water and Spirit baptism we emerge from Water and Word which is Christ Jesus. We emerge with an open heaven! We have access to the Father through Christ Jesus! Jesus was demonstrating what was awaiting those who are baptized with Water and Spirit to the disciples. Remember initially Peter did walk on water but when Peter took his focus off Jesus and focused on the storm it inhibited Peter from continuing walking on the water. When Christ Jesus was pierced with the spear on the cross Water & Blood came out of Him. Water and Word are One in Christ Jesus. Jesus told the woman at the well that He could give her LIVING WATER.

Philippians 4:6–7 (NKJV)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

So if we focus on Philippians 4:6-7 we see that “peace” was challenged and when peace is challenged it is from one to three sources. One being our adversary the devil attacking our peace in Christ by spiritual conflict, secondly relying on our own abilities, worries or concerns and third an attack on our faith/belief! We must have unwavering faith in Spirit and Truth according to the Word of God and Spirit of God that conquerors the enemy and helps us trust fully in Jesus.

In 2 Samuel 8 we know that the Lord made a covenant with David and that the incarnate Christ Jesus would come from the bloodline of David. I hope you see who Noah on Water, Moses on Water, David with the Ark and Jesus walking on water all represent “Covenant & Word” as Jesus came to be our blood covenant as the sacrificial Lamb. Noah’s Ark, Moses Ark of Bulrushes, David with the Ark of the Lord and Jesus walking on Water as Jesus was the Water and Word made flesh and was the NEW COVENANT being the “Blood Covenant” of the sacrificial Lamb.

I have provided some more scriptures to support the “Water, Word and Spirit” as being ONE. I will continue after you read a few scriptures.

John 3:5 (NKJV)

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

John 7:37–38 (NKJV)

Christ Reveals the “Living Water”

37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

John 19:34 (NKJV)

34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

Ephesians 5:26 (NKJV)

26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

So we have gone from Genesis to Noah, Moses, David and Jesus. Now let’s go from Jesus to the disciples to finish this part of the post. Let’s read about Jesus feeding the 5000 and the 12 disciples roles in this. It is important to see the final stages of the fulfillment of Jesus being the Blood Covenant and the fulfillment of His death, burial, resurrection and ascension. Pay attention to the words in bold type.

Matthew 14:14–21 (NKJV)

14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”

16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

17 And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”

18 He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

I highlighted line 14 because I wanted to emphasis that Jesus was moved with compassion. Consider John 3:16 and Christ slain before the foundation of the world. Additionally these were “unsaved” not born again people and Jesus had compassion and care for them. So how much more at the end of the age will Jesus provide for His church/bride! Those that are TRULY His.

In line 16 Jesus gives the disciples instruction to give them something to eat. Isn’t this the same as Jesus telling Peter “feed my sheep” when Jesus restored Peter in love! Line 17 states there were 5 loaves of bread and bread being the Word of God from the Bread of Life Christ Jesus because Jesus multiplied the bread so it was divine bread! Five is the number of GRACE and the bread was the Word of God. The disciples were each told to pick up 12 FULL baskets of fragments. Notice the word FULL. This represented the grace of God with each of the disciples FULL OF THE WORD OF GOD. This would be the great commission of Matthew 28 and once Pentecost came they were filled with the Holy Spirit and everything the Lord had taught them the Holy Spirit would bring back to their remembrance. This is why I tell people when you receive revelations from the Holy Spirit they are eternal and NOT subject to your soul which would be your mind but the mind of Christ being built within you by the Holy Spirit. The disciples were to become Apostles carriers of the gospel of Christ Jesus the blood covenant of reconciliation with the Father through “Christ Crucified”. I mentioned in an early posting about needing 12 witnesses to fulfill “legal” requirements of baring witness. The 12 disciples fulfilled that requirement and became Apostles when the Lord breathed The Holy Spirit on them.

John 14:26–27 (NKJV)

26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Now I will begin to conclude this post as I hope you can see the “carriers of covenant” and the “Ark of Covenant” all the way to the Incarnate Christ who came to be our sacrificial lamb for the Blood Covenant.

Now I hope you see greater revelations of truth and how the Lord’s Word is faithful and true. I’d like you to consider what I have revealed and shared above and now apply it to the coming of the Lord and the pestilence, plagues and fire that will come upon the earth before the return of the Lord Jesus. With this in mind focus on the flood and Noah, the plagues of Egypt not affecting Moses and David conquering kingdoms for the Lord. The end of the age to come is with pestilence, plagues, fire and kingdoms against the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus. Think back and remember the three Hebrew men in the fiery furnace who were not burned neither smelled of smoke and apply this knowledge to the end of the age and being able to stand in the fire to come. All those who have been taught and believe the false doctrine of the per-tribulation rapture are NOT being prepared spiritually to overcome what is developing and to come upon the earth. Their faith is based in a lie and the Lord will not empower a lie as the Lord only empowers His Spirit and Truth. They embrace an illusion of living their best life now and embrace this world and the teachings of this world. They do not seek revelations of Truth from the Lord. The blind leading the blind. Meditate on the scriptures below and see how the Lord will sustain those that are completely His who have prepared themselves spiritually to overcome. I pray you receive revelations of Truth and repent for believing lies and following wolves in sheep’s clothing or leaning on your own understanding. You are following your own “pride of life” and not the truth of scripture.

Isaiah 43:2 (NKJV)

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,

Nor shall the flame scorch you.

Psalm 66:12 (NKJV)

12 You have caused men to ride over our heads;

We went through fire and through water;

But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.

Psalm 23 (NKJV)

Psalm 23

The Lord The Shepherd of His People

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever.

Psalm 91 (NKJV)

Psalm 91

Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust.”

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler

And from the perilous pestilence.

4 He shall cover you with His feathers,

And under His wings you shall take refuge;

His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,

Nor of the arrow that flies by day,

6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,

Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,

And ten thousand at your right hand;

But it shall not come near you.

8 Only with your eyes shall you look,

And see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,

Even the Most High, your dwelling place,

10 No evil shall befall you,

Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,

To keep you in all your ways.

12 In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,

The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;

I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him,

And show him My salvation.”

Zechariah 2 (NKJV)

Vision of the Measuring Line

2 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. So I said, “Where are you going?”

And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.”

And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him, who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’ ”

Future Joy of Zion and Many Nations

“Up, up! Flee from the land of the north,” says the Lord; “for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the Lord. “Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.”

For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.

10 “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. 11 “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. 12 And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!”

In my time with the Lord today the revelation of Moses Ark of bulrushes was given to me and it brought me all the way back to genesis to revelations as “Jesus is our Ark” or “Dwelling Place” and those that dwell in Him shall be protected from the pestilence, plagues, fires and destruction to come.

It was the Lord that “shut Noah in the Ark”, it was the Lord that delivered Moses from the death of Pharaoh as an infant, it was the Lord who slew the giants and kings for David and it is the Lord who will keep us from the onslaught of our enemies and the coming destruction.

I hope you have been enlightened, encouraged and edified to “stand firm” in Spirit and Truth and witness the hand of the Lord in your life and redemption.

Isaiah 66:14–24 (NKJV)

The Reign and Indignation of God

14 When you see this, your heart shall rejoice,

And your bones shall flourish like grass;

The hand of the Lord shall be known to His servants,

And His indignation to His enemies.

15 For behold, the Lord will come with fire

And with His chariots, like a whirlwind,

To render His anger with fury,

And His rebuke with flames of fire.

16 For by fire and by His sword

The Lord will judge all flesh;

And the slain of the Lord shall be many.

17 “Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves,

To go to the gardens

After an idol in the midst,

Eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse,

Shall be consumed together,” says the Lord.

18 “For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. 19 I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. 20 Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. 21 And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says the Lord.

22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth

Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord,

So shall your descendants and your name remain.

23 And it shall come to pass

That from one New Moon to another,

And from one Sabbath to another,

All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.

24 “And they shall go forth and look

Upon the corpses of the men

Who have transgressed against Me.

For their worm does not die,

And their fire is not quenched.

They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH

When I was a youth and I would be at a funeral I would hear Psalm 23 spoken and I would imagine as it was recited that it reflected the after death journey from this earth to heaven because it was spoken after people died and at their funeral. Mind you I was young and not a born again Christian The religious affiliation I had only heard Psalm 23 spoken at a grave site and I had never actually heard it elsewhere and it was not even mentioned in church growing up other than for funerals. Thus my perception although wrong was what I believed. If you will continue to read further you will understand that the valley of the shadow of death is not some far distant land of the days of old.

While the Lord inspired me to write this I believe it relates to a recent YouTube video I saw about tours of the Holy Land where a man stood up on a hill and pointed to a valley between two hills and said this is the valley of the shadow of death were David walked. I thought no that isn’t the valley of the shadow of death because of the revelation the Lord gave me. This is why the Lord prompted me to write this post. When you understand that the whole earth is the valley of the shadow of death you will understand the great commission to preach the Gospel of Christ Jesus throughout the earth. Under the curse of sin and the consequence of death from sin the whole earth groans for the sons of God to come forth.

Romans 8:19–22 (NKJV)

19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

8:22 groans together and suffers agony The created order is in turmoil. Like God’s people, it is longing for Christ’s return, when He will liberate the world from death and decay (see Rev 21:1 and note). This restoration is a prominent theme of the ot1 prophets2 (compare Isa 35:1–10).3

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

The true spiritual battle is based on the great commission and Ephesians 6 tells us about our opposition to fulfilling the great commission. The objective is by preaching the good news of the gospel which will deliver people from the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus. This can only be done by preaching the gospel in power through the Holy Spirit. In short people need to believe in the whole gospel, repent and be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Not a sinners prayer. Too many are deceived believing in the prayer and not the finished work of Calvary which includes the death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus.

1 Corinthians 2:4–5 (NKJV)

And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Sadly I was visiting a church in Florida during one of my ministry travels. At the end of the sermon the pastor asked everyone to close their eyes and then asked those in attendance who wanted to be saved to raise their hand and he said no peaking. He then said you can put your hands down and everyone can open their eyes. He said I will lead “everyone” in a prayer for salvation. First of all I was already saved and filled with the Holy Spirit by saying this prayer the enemy would likely laugh at me as in the form of a question. “Look he doesn’t know if he is saved or not”. In addition the Word of God clearly states that we are not to be ashamed of the gospel. So why was everyone told to close their eyes! The deceptions of Satan!

Matthew 10:33 (NKJV)

33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

While we battle with spiritual hosts, principalities, rulers of this world the gospel must be preached. In any type of warfare you must know your adversary along with your “equipment” and plan of action. In spiritual warfare we need the equipment listed in Ephesians 6 and plan of engagement being LED by the Spirit of God. Take for instance Moses conversing with the Lord about delivering the Israelites (Exodus 3) Moses was raised in Egypt in the Egyptian palace and their traditions. Who better to be commissioned as Moses knew the enemy of the Israelites personally.

Romans 5:17 (NKJV)

17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Let’s look at Psalm 23

Psalm 23 NKJV

The Lord The Shepherd of His People

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever.

One day about three years ago, give or take, I was walking with the Lord in a remote area by a river praising the Lord and meditating on scriptures. This was only about 4 or 5 years after my born again experience. As I was meditating the Lord spoke to me and asked me a question which really opened my eyes to Psalm 23. The Lord asked me “where was David when he wrote Psalm 23”? I said Lord David was in Israel but Lord, that answer does not witness in your spirit with me to be the correct answer. So I kept talking with the Lord as He listened I said Lord in the beginning (Genesis) of creation you make no mention of creating Israel. You created the heavens and the earth. Lord the earth is the Valley of the Shadow of Death. I said Lord even though they recite Psalm 23 at funerals David was alive when He wrote Psalm 23. The Lord said yes, that is correct and confirmed that the earth is the valley of the shadow of death.

I never doubted or had any misconceptions that evil spirits existed as the Lord has had me come against demons in people and command them to come out. I guess in my mind I just did as the Lord led me each day but I never really thought of the bigger picture. I was focused on what was in my immediate area in my daily walk and the spiritual realm that would come against me and the will of God that I didn’t see the bigger picture. For me it was natural to share Christ Jesus with people and I never really saw the bigger picture and to me each day no matter where I was there was the great commission.

I said Lord, now everything come into proper understanding of the spiritual realm and why the battle is so real. I am alive in Christ, but I am surrounded by people who are physically alive, but spiritual dead to the Lord. If they are dead to you Lord then the devil uses those people who are not of you Lord (born again) to come against us because their father is the Devil and they are influenced and blinded by the spirit of this world the Devil. Now Ephesians six took on a whole new perspective so did the great commission to go throughout the world and preach the gospel.

Rather than put an overwhelming amount of scripture I thought I would just list them as a timeline as most of us know about the Garden’s provisions, the tree of Life, etc.

Let’s go back and read Genesis 1:1

Genesis 1:1 (NKJV)

The History of Creation

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

When the Lord God created the earth He saw that it was good.

Genesis 2:7 (NKJV)

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Man was created from the dust of the earth which God saw that the earth was good. In Genesis the serpent was cast to his belly to eat the dust of the earth. Wasn’t humanity/man created from the dust of the earth. The devil comes to kill, steal and destroy!

Genesis 3:14 (NKJV)

14 So the Lord God said to the serpent:

Because you have done this,

You are cursed more than all cattle,

And more than every beast of the field;

On your belly you shall go,

And you shall eat dust

All the days of your life.

Genesis 2:15–17 (NKJV)

15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Genesis 3:22–24 (NKJV)

22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Garden of Eden. Location east of Eden (Gn 2:8) in the Tigris-Euphrates area of Mesopotamia, referred to 14 times in the OT4. The data in Genesis 2:8–10 show that it was in the Shinar Plain area, and that four “heads” were formed from the one river flowing through Eden to water the garden. The heads were the Tigris and Euphrates (both of which are familiar modern rivers), and two rivers which have disappeared—the Pishon and Gihon. The latter were most probably irrigation canals, since in cuneiform there is no separate word for “river” and “irrigation canal.” Thus the Eden area was irrigated after the Sumerian manner, making for a highly fertile garden. If Pishon and Gihon were in fact irrigation canals, the narrative places Adamic man firmly in a historic high culture, and takes him out of the realm of myth and legend. If the above identification is correct, Cush referred to the land of the ancient Kassites, while Havilah may have indicated Arabia.

The notions that the rivers were the four encircling the earth and that Eden is to be identified with the Sumerian Dilmun are based on inadequate geographical information.

Eden was the testing ground of man’s fidelity to God’s commands, and through disobedience, the garden was lost. It will be regained in the form of the new paradise (Rv 22:14).5

So as you see the whole earth is the valley of the shadow of death. Now lets look at some of the verses from Psalm 23.

Psalm 23:1 (NKJV)

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

This passage reflects the Lord’s care and protection.

Psalm 23:2 (NKJV)

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

Sheep graze in pastures so this reflects the Lord’s provisions and nourishment for us.

Psalm 23:3 (NKJV)

3 He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

This would reflect being led by the Spirit of God as the Lord orders our steps and those who are led by the Spirit are the sons of god. (Proverbs 16:9 & Romans 8:14)

Psalm 23:4 (NKJV)

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

This symbolizes that life will not always be characterized by green pastures and that we will walk through darkness and gloom.

Psalm 23:5 (NKJV)

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

While my study bible does not specifically state this, I see this as a prophesy of the last supper as well as David uses the term “table” and yet it also refers to David’s daily walk with the Lord. The holy Spirit revealed this to me and as I continue you will see it more clearly. Seeing how it prophesies of the “table in the presence of enemies” it is telling us that even surrounded by darkness and enemies we can partake of the Bread of Life Christ Jesus. See how this ties in the last supper. Hallelujah, praise the Lord. The anointing of oil symbolized constant refreshing of the Lord. (Psalm 92:10)

Psalm 23:6 (NKJV)

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever.

This statement refers to being led and guided by the Lord through the Holy Spirit and the Lord’s unfailing convenantal love. I also see Psalm 91:1 even though it is not mentioned in my study bible. So when you meditate on God’s Word you will see the last supper and Psalm 91 in Psalm 23.

I would also like to make this statement because to many speak Psalm 91 like they are entitled to this. The rest of the Psalm 91 will not apply to you unless you yourselves fulfill line one. This is also stated in John 15 as I always like to provide more than one scripture.

Psalm 91:1 (NKJV)

Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

So know I hope you see the greater picture and revelation of the spiritual battle and significance of the valley of the shadow of death how it relates to the great commission. I would also like to state while I have been invited in the past to travel to other nations the whole world is our mission field and a saint must be sent by the Lord and in the Lord’s timing. It is not that I do not want to go so please do not take it personal or feel offended or left out.

We must be led by the Spirit, this is just the plain truth. You can see in the book of Acts for yourselves that Jesus sent the Apostles out to different areas they did not chose where they were sent and commissioned. While I know there are many afflictions of the righteous and many degrees of affliction globally I also know that suffering is not local it is global. That being said my mission field is always before me and not confined in a region as the whole world is the valley of the shadow of death.

Psalm 34:19 (NKJV)

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Perhaps now you can see why when the second coming of the Lord arrives the Lord will create a new heaven and a new earth as the corruptible and evil ways of this world will be no more.

Numbers 6:24–27 (NKJV)

24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;

25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.” ’

27 “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.

1ot The biblical books produced by the “writing” prophets, including the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the twelve minor prophets.

2 prophets The biblical books produced by the “writing” prophets, including the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the twelve minor prophets.

3 Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ro 8:22). Lexham Press.

4OT Old Testament

5 Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Garden of Eden. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 839). Baker Book House.