Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 18:21-40; 19:2-12; 2 Kings 2:1-14
Ⅰ
Elijah was a minister of the age with the vision for his age (cf. Mal. 4:5-6; Luke 1:13-17, 76-80; Matt. 17:1-13; Rev. 11:3-12); in every age the Lord has special things that He wants to accomplish; He has His own recoveries and His own works to do; the particular recovery and work that He does in one age is the ministry of that age; Elijah’s ministry was for him to be an anti-testimony, telling the children of Israel that idolatry is a sin that offends God; when all Israel worshipped idols, Elijah told them that the idols they worshipped were false gods, and only Jehovah was the true God:
A
Elijah’s name means “My God is Jehovah”; this speaks of his mission and message; he was the most prominent and the most representative of the prophets before the captivity, and he was an overcomer.
B
At the time of Elijah all Israel was worshipping Baal, and only Elijah said that Jehovah is God; he was a prophet raised up by God at one of the darkest hours of Israel’s sad history, when their desolation and darkness were most severe; the entire kingdom of Israel was following a pattern of idolatry—1 Kings 18:19.
C
Their worshipping Baal was actually their worshipping Satan; 2 Kings 1:2 says that the god of the Ekronites was Baal-zebub; in the New Testament Beelzebub means “the lord of flies,” referring to Satan as the ruler of the demons; this name was changed contemptuously by the Jews to Beelzebul, which means “the lord of the dunghill”—Matt. 10:25; 12:24, 27; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15:
１
As the lord of the dunghill, Satan specializes in leading flies to feed on dung; since he is also the lord of flies, all sinners are like flies that follow Satan to “feed on dung”; all the fallen descendants of Adam are captives of Satan, who leads them about to commit sins and makes them “a slave of sin”—John 8:34.
２
We need to follow the apostle Paul’s pattern, who said that all the things that were once gains to him in the past, he counted as “refuse” (dregs, rubbish, filth, dog food, dung) that he might gain Christ—Phil. 3:5-8.
D
Ahab provoked Jehovah to anger more than all the kings before him; consequently, God raised up Elijah to declare that the children of Israel had been troubled because of idolatry and that only Jehovah is God—1 Kings 16:33; 18:4, 17-18, 37:
１
As New Testament believers, we need to take heed to the apostle John’s word—“Little children, guard yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21); idols refer to anything that replaces or is a substitute for Christ as the true, genuine, and real God (John 20:28-29); we need to see that the man Jesus is the very God (1:1-2; 5:18; 10:33; Rom. 9:5; Phil. 2:6; 1 John 5:20).
２
Jehovah said to Ezekiel, “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts”; an idol in our heart is anything within us that we love more than the Lord and that replaces the Lord in our life—Ezek. 14:3.
３
In the word antichrist, the Greek prefix anti has two main meanings—first, it means “against”; second, it means “in place of,” or “instead of ”; to be an antichrist is, on the one hand, to be against Christ, and on the other hand, it is to have something instead of Christ, something that replaces Christ—1 John 2:18-19.
４
We need to ask the Lord to save us from having a living that is in the principle of antichrist, the principle of replacing Christ, who is both the anointed One and the anointing; to have a living in the principle of antichrist is to have a living in the principle of being “anti-anointing,” which is to be “anti” the moving, working, and saturating of the Triune God within us—vv. 20, 27.
５
Satan’s aim is to receive worship from men by hiding behind numerous idols and religions (Matt. 4:8-9); idols have evil spirits and demons hiding behind them because Satan is behind them; the Father has to seek for worshippers because Satan is trying to rob God of worship (John 4:23-24; cf. 1 John 2:20, 27).
E
Elijah represents the principle of not caring for one’s own life in order to maintain God’s testimony; he was strong and courageous to stand before the king, the people, and the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal; when the church is desolate and the majority of the believers are lukewarm, God raises up overcomers to be an anti-testimony, who do not care for their own life and care only for God’s will (such as “Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells”)—Rev. 2:13-14; 12:11.
Ⅱ
James 5:17 and 18 say, “Elijah was a man of like feeling with us, and he earnestly prayed that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth sprouted forth with its fruit”:
A
For Elijah to pray “earnestly” means literally that he “prayed in prayer”; this indicates that a prayer from the Lord was given to Elijah, in which he prayed.
B
He did not pray in his feeling, thought, intention, or mood, or in any kind of motivation, arising from circumstances or situations, to fulfill his own purpose; he prayed in the prayer given to him by the Lord for the accomplishing of His will—cf. Psa. 27:4; John 15:7.
C
On Mount Carmel Elijah said to all the people of Israel and to the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal, “How long will you go hopping between two opinions? If Jehovah is God, follow Him; but if Baal is, follow him”—1 Kings 18:21:
１
Elijah prayed to “Jehovah, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,” and “the fire of Jehovah fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench”—vv. 36-38.
２
“When all the people saw this, they fell on their faces and said, Jehovah—He is God! Jehovah—He is God!”; afterward, all the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal were executed—vv. 39-40.
３
When Jezebel heard about this, she threatened to kill Elijah; because in his weakness Elijah was afraid, he ran for his life; he went forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God, and he went into a cave and lodged there—19:2, 9-10.
D
While Elijah was on the mount of God, suddenly Jehovah passed by, and He was not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire; after the fire, God spoke to Elijah in “a gentle, quiet voice”; this indicates that God was ushering Elijah into the New Testament age, in which God speaks to His people not by thundering but gently and quietly—vv. 11-12; Rom. 8:6b; 2 Cor. 2:13; 1 John 2:27.
E
God then said, “I have left Myself seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed unto Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18; Rom. 11:2-5); these faithful overcomers are His “hidden ones” (Psa. 83:3b), and our God is “a God who hides Himself ” (Isa. 45:15).
Ⅲ
Elisha’s following of Elijah from Gilgal to Bethel, from Bethel to Jericho, and from Jericho to the river Jordan shows that in order to enter into the ministry of the New Testament age, we should intrinsically follow the minister of the age according to the vision of the age; to do this we must follow the Lord through four crucial places—2 Kings 2:1-14:
A
Elijah is a type of the Old Testament age with the Old Testament economy, and Elisha is a type of the New Testament age with the New Testament economy.
B
The age was changed by passing through Gilgal, the place where God’s people were circumcised to deal with their flesh; it is the place where the flesh is judged and the place where God gives us the light to judge the flesh—Josh. 5:2-9; Gal. 5:24; Phil. 3:3-8:
１
The flesh is everything we possess from our birth (John 3:6); the flesh is the uttermost expression of the fallen tripartite man, and the Spirit in our spirit is the ultimate realization of the Triune God; the fallen flesh is the strongest and most evil enemy of God (Rom. 7:5—8:13) and is thoroughly and absolutely hated by God (Gen. 6:3; 1 Cor. 2:14-16; 3:1, 3).
２
All that we possess from our birth—not only sin, uncleanness, and corruption but also natural goodness, kindness, talent, zeal, wisdom, and ability—is displeasing to God.
３
Rejecting the flesh is the highest expression of the spiritual life; all those who have not learned to reject the flesh have not started on the spiritual pathway, and they do not truly know the spiritual life.
C
The age was changed by passing through Bethel, which is the place to give up the world and turn to God absolutely, taking God as everything; Bethel refers to victory over the world—Gen. 12:8; 1 John 2:15:
１
According to Genesis 12:8, Bethel is the place where Abraham built an altar, the place of fellowship and communication with God; it is the place where we consecrate ourselves to God and are totally given to Him to overcome the world—13:3-4.
２
Victory over the world is a condition for being raptured and receiving the power of the Holy Spirit; if a believer truly desires to be filled with the Holy Spirit and be raptured, he must pay the price to forsake the world and learn to fellowship with God on the altar of total consecration.
D
The age was changed by passing through Jericho; it was the first city that Joshua and the people of Israel had to defeat when they entered into the good land, and it signifies God’s enemy, Satan—Josh. 6; Rev. 12:11:
１
Joshua 6 speaks of overcoming Jericho, which means “cursed”; the Canaanites signify the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies mentioned in Ephesians 6:12.
２
Satan is the ruler of this world (John 14:30), and the evil spirits are the world-rulers of this darkness, which refers to today’s world; the evil spirits are the rebellious angels, who followed Satan in his rebellion against God and who now rule in the heavenlies over the nations of the world—such as the prince of Persia and the prince of Greece (Dan. 10:20).
３
We need to be those who “put on the whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:11, 13); the whole armor of God is for the entire Body of Christ, not for any individual member of the Body; we must fight the spiritual warfare in the Body, not as individuals.
４
The way to overcome the world is to exercise our spirit of faith to believe in God’s word, act according to His word, and believe that we will receive the results of carrying out His word (2 Cor. 4:13; John 17:17; 6:63; Eph. 6:17-18); Jericho fell by the Israelites relying on God’s word and standing firm in their position; when the Lord was being tempted by the devil three times, the Lord responded three times by saying, “It is written…” (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10).
５
In order to overcome the attack of the evil spirits, we must disregard every situation and feeling and exercise our spirit of faith to believe in God’s word of promise; we must also stand in the position that Christ has given us, which is in the heavens, and must put down Satan and his evil spirits to their inferior position—2 Cor. 4:13; Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1-2.
６
The bearing of the Ark by the priests at Jericho signifies that in spiritual warfare the first thing we should do is to exalt Christ, giving Him the first place, the preeminence, in everything; the blowing of the trumpets and the shouting (the seventh time around the city) signify the testifying and proclaiming of God with Christ (the Ark) through faith in God’s word of instruction—Josh. 6:1-20.
E
The age was changed by passing through the river Jordan; this river, where the New Testament baptism began, signifies death; crossing the river Jordan is overcoming death in order to live and minister in resurrection—Matt. 3:5-6; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 2:20:
１
The Lord’s baptism signifies death, and His coming out of the water signifies resurrection; by the power of resurrection, the Lord overcame death; by being baptized, He was able to live and minister in resurrection even before His actual death and resurrection three and a half years later—Matt. 3:13-17.
２
We obtained Christ as this resurrection life at the time of our regeneration; the man-God, Jesus, was nailed to a cross and killed by the hand of lawless men, but God raised Him up, “having loosed the pangs of death, since it was not possible for Him to be held by it”—Acts 2:23-24; John 11:25; 1 Pet. 1:3.
３
To walk in newness of life is to live in the reality of our baptism (Rom. 6:4); to serve in newness of spirit is to serve in the reality of our baptism (7:6).
４
We need to pursue knowing the power of Christ’s resurrection; it is by the power of Christ’s resurrection, not by our natural life, that we determine to take the cross by denying our self and are enabled to be conformed to His death by being one with His cross—Phil. 3:10-12; Matt. 16:24; S. S. 2:8-10, 14.
５
While preparing to be raptured, we must learn how to cross the Jordan and overcome death; we must learn how to resist the power of death that exists in us and in our environment, and we should demonstrate and manifest that we are joined to our resurrected Lord, knowing and expressing Him as the power of resurrection in all things—1 Cor. 6:17; 2 Cor. 1:8-9; 5:4; 3:17; cf. 4:5, 10-12.
６
The life of the cross is lived by the power of resurrection and is encouraged by the riches of resurrection (Phil. 3:10); the concluding word of Song of Songs is Christ’s loving seeker praying for her Beloved to make haste to come back in the power of His resurrection (gazelle and young hart) to set up His sweet and beautiful kingdom (mountains of spices), which will fill the whole earth (8:13-14; Rev. 11:15; Dan. 2:35).
F
If we want to receive the rapture of Elijah and a double portion of the spirit with the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Kings 2:9-15), we must pass through Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho, and the river Jordan; in order for the age to be changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament in our experience, we must deal with our flesh (Gal. 5:24; Phil. 3:3), give up the world and turn to God (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17), defeat Satan (Eph. 6:10-20; Rev. 12:11), and pass through death into a living that is in resurrection (Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 2:20).
Ⅳ
This present age is the age of the overcomers, and the ministry of this present age through the ministers of the present age is the sounding of the Lord’s call for the overcomers (those who see the vision of eternity, live the life of eternity, and work the work of eternity—this is to see God’s ultimate goal and live out and work out the New Jerusalem); these overcomers are for the building up of the reality of the Body of Christ, the preparation of the bride of Christ, and the manifestation of the kingdom of Christ; in order to meet God’s ultimate need in these last days, we have to make a resolution to be the overcomers, the vitalized ones—Judg. 5:15-16, 31; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26-29; 3:5-6, 12-13, 21-22.
Morning Nourishment
1 Kings 18:18 ...He said, I have not troubled Israel, but you... have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of Jehovah and have gone after the Baals.Phil. 3:7-8 ...What things were gains to me,...I have counted as loss on account of Christ...I also count all things to be loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord...and count them as refuse that I may gain Christ.
In every age the Lord has special things that He wants to accomplish. He has His own recoveries and His own works to do. The particular recovery and work that He does in one age is the ministry of that age.
It is God’s mercy that a person can see and come into contact with the ministry of that age. Yet it is altogether a different thing for a man to take up the courage to forsake the past ministry...Yet whether or not one can set aside his past ministry is entirely up to God’s mercy. (CWWN, vol. 57, “The Resumption of Watchman Nee’s Ministry,” pp. 260-261)
Today’s Reading
Elijah’s ministry was an anti-testimony. When all Israel was worshipping idols, Elijah told them that the idols they worshipped were false gods, and only Jehovah was the true God (1 Kings 18:18, 21, 36; 2 Kings 1:16)... Elijah, as an anti-testimony, told them that idolatry is a sin that offends God. (CWWL, 1954, vol. 4, p. 549)Elijah...was the most prominent and the most representative of the prophets before the captivity, and he was an overcomer. When the people worshipped idols, he stood fast and did not worship them; thus, he was an anti-testimony. At that time, under the leading of the king of Israel, the people forsook God and went far away from Him; thus, God raised up Elijah to stand before the king and the people as an anti-testimony. At that time the people worshipped Baal, but Elijah told them to worship Jehovah instead. When the people said that all was peaceful and well, he told them that there would be no rain for three and a half years (1 Kings 17:1). He was a living testimony before the king and the people, and his conduct was contrary to that of the people.
There were many prophets of Baal during the time of Ahab, and they called themselves prophets of God. Although there were seven thousand hidden ones who did not worship Baal at that time, only Elijah openly bore an anti-testimony and did not fear death. Elijah alone stood before the king, the people, and the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal without any fear (18:17-40). Elijah represents the principle of not caring for one’s own life in order to maintain God’s testimony. When Elijah stood up to testify, the whole earth was against him; he alone testified for God. In this matter Elijah was special. Throughout the ages, among God’s people, some have been this kind of overcomer.
These matters in the Old Testament typify matters of the church in the New Testament. When the church is desolate and the majority of the believers forsake God’s testimony, God raises up overcomers to be an anti-testimony. Today the church needs overcomers according to this principle, that is, ones who do not care for their own life. Every overcomer and witness for God has the feeling that he alone is standing... Although God had hidden seven thousand who did not worship Baal, Elijah’s feeling was that he alone was standing (19:10)...To be an overcomer, one cannot fear the consequences, hold on to the past, or care for the attitudes of others; he must care only for God’s will. Elijah did not care for his life but stood as an anti-testimony, maintained God’s testimony, and told the people that they should follow Jehovah instead of Baal ...The principle of the overcomers that he represented in this period is that of rising up to be an anti-testimony when God’s people forsake His testimony. (CWWL, 1954, vol. 1, pp. 429-430)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1986, vol. 2, “The Vision of the Age,” chs. 1-3; CWWN, vol. 11, “What Are We?” pp. 843-859; CWWN, vol. 57, ch. 25
Morning Nourishment
1 Kings 18:21 Then Elijah came near to all the people and said, How long will you go hopping between two opinions? If Jehovah is God, follow Him; but if Baal is, follow him...37 Answer me, O Jehovah; answer me, that this people may know that You, O Jehovah, are God and that You have turned their heart back again.
Elijah rose up to be an anti-testimony. At that time all Israel was worshipping Baal, and only Elijah said that Jehovah is God. He was a prophet raised up when the darkness and desolation were most severe. At that time King Ahab and Jezebel not only worshipped idols but also killed the prophets of God; the entire kingdom was following a pattern of idolatry...God raised up Elijah to declare that the children of Israel had been troubled because of idolatry and that only Jehovah is God (1 Kings 18:18, 37). Elijah warned them that if they did not believe, he would ask Jehovah, and there would be no rain for three and a half years ... (17:1; 18:1). Nevertheless, Ahab still would not repent.
One day on Mount Carmel,... Elijah challenged [the people of Israel and the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal] to prove who really was God (v. 21). (CWWL, 1954, vol. 4, p. 543)
Today’s Reading
Elijah was strong and courageous; he went against the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and all the people of Israel. To stand up as an anti-testimony at the time of desolation, one must have the spirit of Elijah, the courage of Elijah, and the testimony of Elijah. Every age of desolation needs overcomers like Elijah to step forward; while everyone is going after idols, there needs to be ones who can stand up and denounce everyone’s mistake. Today the church is still in desolation; thus, there is still the need for people like Elijah to rise up to be an anti-testimony, not caring for their own lives, not caring for the extent of the outward opposition, and not caring about their numerous opponents. In the end all the prophets died, but not Elijah; rather, he was raptured alive (2 Kings 2:1). We do not need to fear death; people may want us to die, but God wants to rapture us. This was Elijah’s testimony. (CWWL, 1954, vol. 4, p. 544)There is a sinning factor, an addiction to sinning, within man... [that] is Satan himself... In the Bible, Satan is also called Beelzebul... Beelzebul means “the lord of the dunghill,” from the name meaning “the lord of flies.”... As the lord of the dunghill, Satan specializes in leading flies to feed on dung; hence, he is also the lord of flies. Since he is the lord of flies, all sinners are like flies that follow Satan to “feed on dung.”
All the descendants of Adam are the captives of Satan... After he captured us, he entered into us as...the lord of flies and began leading us about to commit sins. Deep in his heart, no one wants to sin, but when a person becomes addicted and is stirred up by Beelzebul, he has to follow, allowing himself to be led around “by the nose.”... Although deep in his heart no one wants to sin, eventually everyone sins. No one has control over himself, and everyone has become a slave of sin. This is why the Lord Jesus said, “Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34). (CWWL, 1984, vol. 4, “The Jubilee,” pp. 29-30)
In this age Satan is the ruler of this world. In his entire life Satan’s aim is to receive worship from men by hiding behind numerous idols and religions. Many idols have spirits because Satan is behind them. Satan’s intention is to rob God of the worship from men. Therefore, the Scriptures say that God is a jealous God... John 4:23 says, “The Father also seeks such to worship Him.”...The Father has to seek for worshippers because Satan is trying to rob God of the worship from men. (CWWN; vol. 15, pp. 28-29)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1984, vol. 4, “The Jubilee,” ch. 3; CWWN, vol. 15, ch. 4; CWWL, 1954, vol. 4, pp. 537-549; Life-study of 1 John, msgs. 31, 33
Morning Nourishment
James 5:17 Elijah was a man of like feeling with us, and he earnestly prayed that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.1 Kings 19:11-12 ... Jehovah was not in the wind... Jehovah was not in the earthquake...Jehovah was not in the fire. And after the fire, a gentle, quiet voice.
[“Earnestly prayed” in James 5:17 means literally] “prayed in prayer.” This indicates that a prayer from the Lord was given to Elijah, in which he prayed. He did not pray in his feeling, thought, intention, or mood, or in any kind of motivation, arising from circumstances or situations, to fulfill his own purpose. He prayed in the prayer given to him by the Lord for the accomplishing of His will. (James 5:17, footnote 1)
“Elijah was a man of like feeling with us” (James 5:17), and he also could not stand the test of God’s hiddenness. On Mount Carmel God was obviously with him. After that time, however, God tested him. When God withdrew and hid Himself, Elijah could not bear it and went into a cave. When God asked him, “What are you doing here?” he answered, “I have been very jealous for Jehovah the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars, and slain Your prophets with the sword; and I alone am left, and they seek to take my life” (1 Kings 19:9-10). God knew that Elijah wanted God to be a manifest God; he did not realize that God likes to hide Himself. (CWWL, 1956, vol. 3, p. 33)
Today’s Reading
God charged Elijah to go out and stand upon the mountain before Jehovah (1 Kings 19:11a). Elijah waited for the word of commission, thinking that it must be in the big windstorm or in the earthquake or in the fire, but Jehovah was not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire (vv. 11b-12a). When Elijah became fully disappointed, a gentle, quiet voice came (v. 12b)...The fact that God spoke to Elijah in a gentle, quiet voice indicates that God was ushering Elijah into the New Testament age. Today God does not speak to us by thundering. God always speaks to us gently and quietly. (Life-study of 1 & 2 Kings, p. 71)God does not like an intimidating display... Elijah told God, “I alone am left” (1 Kings 19:14)...Outwardly, it seemed that God had not done anything, but secretly He had left Himself seven thousand men. This was God’s hidden work.
God is a God who hides Himself, and His work is always hidden. Do not keep hoping for a great touch, a great vision, or a great seeing. These are not necessarily of God. I would like to tell all of God’s children that the truest work of God is His hidden work in us—just a little voice, a little feeling, or a little thought, which seems to be both God’s moving as well as our own impression. Moreover, it is often so faint that it seems as if it is not there. This is God’s most precious and truest work. Sometimes in the deepest part of our being there is a small thought, feeling, voice, or word, telling us, “This is your flesh. This has not passed through the cross. This is not of the Lord.” This is the mightiest, greatest work of God in us. There is not one day or one moment in which God is not working in us ...We may become cold or backslidden, even to the point of not coming to the meetings or of doing what is most displeasing to Him, but at this point, this reality is still present within us. This is the irrefutable proof of our salvation. When we are committing sins, it seems that He is saying, “This is enough. Do not do this anymore. Stop at this point and repent.” When we have not gone to the meetings for two months, it seems as if a tiny voice within us is saying, “Go to the meetings. For how much longer will you wait?...” We may doubt such a voice and say, “Is this God’s speaking? Isn’t this coming from myself?” But ...this is God’s truest speaking, and this is His most precious work. (CWWL, 1956, vol. 3, pp. 33-34)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1956, vol. 2, “A God Who Hides Himself,” pp. 3-11; Life-study of 1 & 2 Kings, msgs. 10-12
Morning Nourishment
2 Kings 2:1 And when Jehovah was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.Phil. 3:3 For we are the circumcision, the ones who serve by the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.
Elijah is a type of the Old Testament age with the Old Testament economy, and Elisha is a type of the New Testament age with the New Testament economy. The age was changed by passing through four places—Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho, and the river Jordan (2 Kings 2:1-8). Gilgal was a place where God’s people were circumcised to deal with their flesh (Josh. 5:2-9). (2 Kings 2:1, footnote 1)
Today’s Reading
The Bible reveals that the strongest and most evil enemy of God is our flesh [cf. Rom. 7—8] ...The flesh is thoroughly and absolutely hated by God. God will not tolerate it. In a sense, God may tolerate our mistakes and transgressions, but He will never tolerate the flesh... At the time of the third fall, the entire human race became flesh. Thus, God stepped in and told His servant Noah that He was going to destroy that whole generation. (Life-study of Genesis, p. 369)In [2 Kings 2:1-14] there are four journeys. These include setting out from Gilgal, the journey to Bethel, the journey to Jericho, and the crossing of the Jordan River. Before Elijah was taken into heaven and Elisha received a double portion of the Holy Spirit, they passed through these four places. If we want to be like Elijah, who was taken into heaven, or like Elisha, who received the outer clothing of the Holy Spirit (that is, the Holy Spirit descending upon him like an outer garment), the crucial lesson is that we must travel on these four journeys. Whether we are raptured or receive the power of the Holy Spirit, we all must set out from Gilgal and journey until we cross the Jordan.
Gilgal means “to roll away.” Joshua 5:2-9 tells us that the generation of Israelites who came out of Egypt were circumcised; however, those of the second generation, who were born in the wilderness, were not. At that point, they were about to enter Canaan and to receive the inheritance; they needed to have the old flesh and shame of Egypt rolled away so that they could begin a new living. Therefore, the meaning of circumcision is to put off the body of the flesh (Col. 2:11).
In the Bible the flesh is condemned by God and is very displeasing to God. The flesh is everything we possess from our birth. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh” (John 3:6)... In the flesh there is not only sin, uncleanness, and corruption, but also natural kindness, talent, zeal, wisdom, and ability. The most difficult lesson for a believer to learn in his life is recognizing his flesh. God must bring him through every kind of failure and exposure before he will know the flesh.
God says the flesh must be put off; we must, therefore, agree with Him. When God says it must be cut off, we have to cut it off. We must start from Gilgal, and we must reject the flesh. It is not a matter of how much cutting should be done, but a matter of judging the flesh. The present error is that men pay attention to being zealous, doing good, and working, while forgetting to reject their flesh. But it is very important to judge the flesh the way God judges it. According to what I have learned before God, regeneration, sanctification, perfection, the overcoming of sin, and the acquisition of power are not the highest expressions of spiritual life. Rejecting the flesh is the proper spiritual path and goal of spiritual living. All those who have not set out from Gilgal have not started on the spiritual pathway. All those who have not learned to reject the flesh do not truly know the spiritual life. They can be zealous, work, and rejoice, but they do not truly know the spiritual life. (CWWN, vol. 9, pp. 307-309)
!Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 9, pp. 307-314; Life-study of Genesis, msg. 27; CWWL, 1979, vol. 2, “Basic Lessons on Service,” lsns. 17-18
Morning Nourishment
2 Kings 2:2 And Elijah said to Elisha, Stay here, for Jehovah has sent me as far as Bethel. And Elisha said, As Jehovah lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. So they went down to Bethel.Gen. 12:8 And [Abram] proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent,... and there he built an altar to Jehovah and called upon the name of Jehovah.
Bethel is the place to give up the world and turn to God absolutely, taking God as everything (Gen. 12:8); Jericho, the first city that Joshua and the people of Israel had to defeat when they entered into the good land, signifies the head of God’s enemy, Satan (Josh. 6:1-27). (2 Kings 2:1, footnote 1)
Bethel is the place where Abram built an altar [Gen. 12:8]. The altar is a place of fellowship and communication with God. It is the place where we consecrate ourselves to God, the place where we are totally given to Him. (CWWN, vol. 9, p. 309)
Today’s Reading
While Gilgal refers to the victory over the flesh, Bethel refers to the victory over the world, because Egypt signifies the world. Victory over the world is a condition for being raptured and receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. If our heart has not completely overcome the world and the people, affairs, and things of this world, and if these things have not lost their place in our heart, we will not be able to arrive at the goal before us. If a believer truly desires to be filled with the Holy Spirit and be raptured, he must pay the price to take the way of the Lord, which is to journey to a place where the Lord can give him His Spirit. We must forsake the world and learn to fellowship with God on the altar of total consecration.In the world there are no trials; but the pathway of obedience to God is full of trials. This is the road that must be traveled in order to be raptured and receive power... Even though we can avoid trials in Egypt, there is no altar there.
Joshua 6:26 says, “...Cursed be the man before Jehovah who rises up to rebuild this city Jericho!” Thus, the name of this city means “cursed.” This portion of history speaks of the Israelites’ first victory over the enemies in Canaan. The Canaanites signify evil spirits, which are of the devil. They are the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies mentioned in Ephesians 6:12.
We have overcome the flesh and the world; now we still must overcome the enemy. The only way to overcome the enemy is to believe in God’s Word, act according to His Word, and believe that we will receive the results of carrying out His Word. God has spoken, and it is sufficient. The men of Jericho said that they had a city; we say that we have God’s Word. The men of Jericho said that their city was as tall as heaven; we say that our God is in heaven. The men of Jericho said that every place surrounded by their city belonged to them; we say that God has promised us every place that the soles of our feet will tread upon.
The real spiritual warfare is the warfare between us and Satan with his evil spirits. Every mature believer should join in this warfare. God’s children on earth are often attacked by evil spirits. Some of these attacks are in the environment, some are in the physical body, mind, emotion, or spirit. It is not by power that Jericho fell, but by the Israelites’ relying on God’s Word and standing firm in their position. In order to overcome the attack of evil spirits, we first must disregard every situation and feeling and believe in God’s Word of promise. This will defeat the enemy. Second, we must stand in the position that Christ has given us, which is in the heavens, and must put down Satan and his evil spirits to their inferior position. Without God’s Word and without exercising our faith to choose the position God has given, we cannot overcome the enemy. (CWWN, vol. 9, pp. 309-312)
Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 50, “Messages for Building Up New Believers (3),” ch. 43; Life-study of Daniel, msg. 15
Morning Nourishment
2 Kings 2:8 And Elijah took his mantle and wrapped it together and struck the water; and it parted to this side and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.14 ...[Elisha] took Elijah’s mantle, which had fallen from him... When he...struck the water, it parted to this side and that, and Elisha crossed over.
The river Jordan, where the New Testament baptism began, signifies death (Matt. 3:5-6 and footnote 2 on v. 6). To cross the river Jordan, Elijah struck the water with his mantle, which typifies the outpoured Spirit, the Spirit of power (2 Kings 2:8). The Spirit of power dealt with the river of death so that the way was opened for Elijah and Elisha to cross over. All this signifies that in order for the age to be changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament in our experience, we must deal with our flesh (Gal. 5:24), give up the world and turn to God (1 John 2:15-17), defeat Satan (Rev. 12:11), and pass through death (Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 2:20). (2 Kings 2:1, footnote 1)
Today’s Reading
The Jordan signifies the power of death. Crossing the Jordan is overcoming death. This is to be raptured.The Lord’s baptism [in the river Jordan] signifies death, and coming out of the water signifies resurrection. By the power of resurrection, the Lord overcomes death. The greatest power of Satan is death. The Lord seems to have said to the enemy, “Try your best to do what you can to Me.” Satan exhausted what he could do; but God resurrected Him. Satan wanted the Lord to die, but the Lord has a life which death cannot touch or hold down. The Lord passed through it on dry land! There is no power other than the Lord’s resurrection which can overcome death. We obtained this resurrection life at regeneration.
There is a difference between crossing the Red Sea and crossing the river Jordan. The crossing of the Red Sea was forced upon the Israelites at that time. They had no alternative but to cross over because there were enemies pursuing. But crossing the river Jordan comes out of man’s willingness and is man’s own choice. There are some who will not cross the river Jordan. Many do not want the power of resurrection. Paul regarded the power of resurrection as important, and he pursued it (Phil. 3:10-12). Many people have already resurrected with the Lord, yet they still do not know the power of the Lord’s resurrection. Therefore, they do not have the experience of overcoming death.
At this hour when the rapture is imminent, the last enemy that believers should overcome is death. Whether it is the death of the body, the death of the mind, or the death of the spiritual life, everything should be overcome. The present world is truly filled with the atmosphere of death ...While preparing to be raptured, the believers must learn how to cross the Jordan and overcome death. They must learn to resist the power of death that exists in them and in their environment and must manifest the power of resurrection in all things. We should prove more and more that our Lord is resurrected. At the same time, we should demonstrate that we are joined to Him and have also been resurrected.
If we want to receive the rapture of Elijah and the outer garment of Elisha (the Holy Spirit), we must start from Gilgal and continue until we cross the river Jordan. The Holy Spirit can only descend upon those who are full of the resurrection life...We must pass through Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho, and the river Jordan. We must pass through all these places before we can be raptured, just as Elijah did in that day. God has told us that we will be raptured. Now we need to follow our course. We should... go on until we cross the Jordan. God is waiting for us there! (CWWN, vol. 9, pp. 312-314)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, “Crystallization-study of Song of Songs,” chs. 5-6; Life-study of Song of Songs, msgs. 3, 9