JOSHUA’S WITNESS
Paul wrote, in their exodus from Egypt, Israel were baptised into Moses as they passed through the Red Sea, under the cloud. That is, they were immersed and washed in Moses testament. Forty years later, Moses and all the men of war, who came out of Egypt had died, and a new generation of Israelites born in the wilderness, prepared to pass over the River Jordan under the anointing of Joshua, whose name means; ‘the Existing One’s Salvation.’ (1Corinthians 10 and Joshua 3-5)
On the tenth day of the first month, as the Jordan overflowed in the time of harvest, the Levite Priests, carrying the Ark of the Covenant entered the Jordan, and as their feet touched the river, the waters above them were cut off, and backed up, and the waters below them ran dry. And so the Levites and the Ark of Gods Testament, remained in the midst of the river until Israel’s Tribes passed into a land of seven nations.
To memorialise the event, Joshua had one man from each of the twelve tribes, take a stone from the midst of the Jordan, and stack them in a heap at the place they first camped in the land of Canaan. Further, Joshua laid twelve more stones at the feet of the Levites, whose stones were covered when the Jordan returned to its normal flow. They named this camp Gilgal, as it was here, all of those men born in the wilderness were circumcised, and Egypt’s shame removed. On the fourteenth day Israel kept the passover, and after waived the first green shoots of harvest in the promised-land.
In Joshua’s witness lay the tenants of the water, the blood and the Spirit, that underpin Jesus’ baptism and entry into the Kingdom of Heaven. Testaments the Apostle John said; ‘on earth, agree in one.’ (1John 5) And point you to the sixth Plague in the Book of Revelation; where the Euphrates dries up, as the ‘kings of the east’ prepare to cross, and Jesus Testimony is cleansed. I ask you all now, as Joshua did then, to humble your heart, and lift up JESUS Ark, and the witness of his twelve Apostles, above our own understanding.
Some hundreds of years later, at Gilgal, all of Israel gathered to witness Samuel, both Prophet and Priest, anoint Saul king of Israel. To which rebellion and delusion God Almighty consented, but of which moment he later said; ‘there at Gilgal I hated them.’ And so after the reign of King David and Solomon, Israel was divided into two parts. The ten tribes of the ‘northern house,’ called Israel, and the two tribes of the ‘southern house;’ Judah and Benjamin. And in the house of Israel, first grew that idolatry Jeroboam planted in the Bulls of Bashan, that cut off God’s Testimony, and in time consumed both houses.
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ELIJAH’S WITNESS
Yet in the days the house of Israel bowed to the gods of the nations about them, God sent Elijah to turn the hearts of his children back to him. Elijah’s name means; ‘God is the Existing One.’ And through great famine and plague brought his people upon their knees to Mount Carmel, to ask of them a question at the mouth of Elijah. Who asked Israel to decide in their minds that day; ‘If the LORD is God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.’ And had the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal set up their sacrifice, and call upon Baal’s name to accept it by fire. But when after many hours their gods did not answer them, and having cut themselves to place their own blood upon the altar; Elijah in the evening, begged the tribes to come near.
Then Elijah repaired the altar Baal’s prophets had trampled. And took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes, God said; Israel shall be thy name. And placing those stones in their order, built an altar in ‘the name of the Existing One.’ And placed the wood in its place upon the stones, and the flesh offering in its order upon the wood. And dug a trench about the stones, and had them pour four barrels of water over the sacrifice, three times. And like Joshua’s stones, the water ran over them and filled the trench. Then Elijah prayed; Hear me, O LORD, that this people may know that you are the LORD God, and that you have turned their heart back again. And at this fire consumed, and accepted, the twelve stones, the wood, the flesh and the water.
And this brethren in kind, is the same altar Jesus had the Apostle Peter lay at Pentecost, in the season of the firstfruits. And I will come to this shortly, but point you now to New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation. Not to Jerusalem upon this earth, nor to those who wait there in error for Jesus’ return. But to Heavens Jerusalem. Built upon twelve stones. And within its four walls, twelve gates, and in them, like Elijah’s stones, the names of the ‘Angels of Twelve Tribes.’ Whose Angels testify of Jesus’, whose name means; ’the Salvation of the Existing One.’
For this Son as Isaiah revealed, is the Everlasting Father.
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JOHN’S WITNESS
Now, in the days the Existing One’s Salvation became flesh, came the Voice of the One crying in the wilderness; ‘prepare you the way of the LORD, make straight his way.’ And John, whose name means; ‘the Existing One has graced,’ preached; the baptism of repentance for the remission of men’s sins. And while men came and confessed their sins, Jesus who was without sin, came also to the river Jordan. And commanded John to baptise him with water, to fulfill all righteousness. And as he came up out of the water, the Spirit descended upon JESUS as a dove, and a ‘Voice from Heaven’ accepted him saying; you are my Son, in whom I am well pleased.
For as it is written; because I could swear by no greater, I swear by myself.
Later, Jesus’ in the season of the passover was accused by the religious and sentenced to death by Pilate. Who nailed him to a cross and killed him. And in this Jesus fulfilled the tenants of passover, redemption, and atonement. Which statutes commanded the sacrifice was washed before it was slain, and that its blood once placed on the mercy seat, the glory of God appeared. And of these things, Jesus said; ‘Moses wrote of me.’
Jesus too fulfilled the prophets like Elijah, who washed the sacrifice with water, laid it upon the wood, and offered it up upon twelves stones in the name of the ‘Existing One,’ whose name is JESUS Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.
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PETER’S WITNESS
There are three that testify upon the earth. The water, the blood and the Spirit, and these three agree in one. (1John 5)
And so we come to Pentecost and the ‘Feast of Firstfruits,’ which firstfruits we see in the Book of Revelation, as twelve tribes sealed upon their foreheads with their Father’s name. For it is here at Pentecost the Apostle Peter, commanded by Jesus to baptise in; the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: fulfilled that command and baptised in the name of JESUS Christ. It is here Peter, given the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, declared ‘JESUS is both LORD and Christ:’ That is; JESUS is both the Existing One and Anointed One.
Then Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
Here now; the water, the blood and the Spirit agree in one. The waters of repentance, the blood of remission and the Spirit of Truth. And if we accept their witness, then what Peter bound on earth is sealed in heaven. I pray you understand Jesus has laid all these stones in place.
For if we reject one part, then we reject all. And if we deem water baptism unnecessary for our salvation, then we oppose Jesus, His Apostles, Prophets and Law. And if our creeds like the trinity or Jehovah’s Witness teachings deny Jesus is both LORD and Christ, then we are those antichrists the Apostle John said, deny Jesus Christ is both the father and son. (1John 2)
And in this and other things besides, the Messiah’s Sacrifice is cut off, and the abomination of our churches placed upon his altar make us desolate. I pray with all my soul this is not the case. I pray you hear the beloved Apostle Paul who taught; ‘in the waters of repentance our old man is put to death in Christ. And that those who die in Christ, shall rise in Christ.
I pray you hear the witness of Joshua, Elijah, John the Baptist and Peter, for they stand in heaven today. I pray you humble yourselves to Jesus’ testimony of himself. I pray he repairs in you, the altar men have cast down and restores in you all that the locusts have eaten. I pray you repent and are baptised into JESUS Christ; the LORD God Almighty who was, and who is, and who is to come.
Glory. Amen.
