THINE ONLY SON – The UNIQUENESS of the DIVINE Burnt Offering – The Atonement –

Thine ONLY Son
By Faith Abraham Offered His Son

By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, (Hebrews 11:17)
Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: (Hebrews 11:18)
Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. (Hebrews 11:19)
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And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. (Genesis 22:1)
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. (Genesis 22:2)
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. (Genesis 22:3)
Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. (Genesis 22:4)
And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. (Genesis 22:5)
And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:6)
And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? (Genesis 22:7)
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:8)
And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. (Genesis 22:9)
And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. (Genesis 22:10)
And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. (Genesis 22:11)
And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. (Genesis 22:12)
And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. (Genesis 22:13)
And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. (Genesis 22:14)
And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, (Genesis 22:15)
And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: (Genesis 22:16)
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; (Genesis 22:17)
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. (Genesis 22:18)
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Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? (Psalm 2:1)
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, (Psalm 2:2)
Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. (Psalm 2:3)
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. (Psalm 2:4)
Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. (Psalm 2:5)
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.(Psalm 2:6)
I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. (Psalm 2:7)
Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. (Psalm 2:8)
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. (Psalm 2:9)
Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. (Psalm 2:10)
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. (Psalm 2:11)
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. (Psalm 2:12)

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INTRODUCTION

   Three times in the book of Hebrews in Chapter 11 we read of the faith of Abraham. By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. (Hebrews 11:8) We also read of the continuation of Abraham’s faith in his sojourn. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as [in] a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. (Hebrews 11:9) Now we approach the trial of Abraham in verse 17, By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten [son]. Therefore, we see Abram’s call was BY FAITH, we see his walk BY FAITH, and as Peter informs us we see the trial of his FAITH, That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: (1st Peter 1:7)
   As we view Abraham let us also see ourselves making SURE of our call of faith, walking through this troubled world with the footprints of faith that is a common thing to ALL the children of God. It may come in different forms, but nevertheless, you will definitely experience the trial of your faith. Looking into Hebrews Chapter 11:17-19 and the trial of Abraham BY FAITH, we cannot miss the connection with Genesis 22. Genesis 22 is a witness of the foreknowledge of God of the TRAIL of FAITH of Abraham.

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THINE ONLY SON

Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac,
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. (Genesis 22:2)

  God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners has given us many glimpses of the Divine Mind. God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets. (Hebrews 1:1) Not having a son, and an heir of all that Abraham had, both Sarah and Abraham had an ache in their hearts and in their souls. Although Ishmael was born to Hagar by Abraham’s seed. Ishmael was NOT the child of the Spirit, thus God performed a miracle in the birth of Isaac. God named Isaac as He had previously named Ishmael BEFORE birth. But Isaac would be the miracle from a dead womb and from one as good as dead. God shows us the first of the heavenly seed, and reveals the birth of the Spirit IN Isaac. When that ache of the heart was satisfied by God there was laughter and joy in both Sarah and Abraham. After all those many years of a barren womb, now the womb of FAITH gave Abraham and Sarah a son of their love, a child of promise, and a child of the Spirit of God. What a joy that must have been to watch Isaac grow and to KNOW that the ache in the heart was satisfied in Isaac thanks to the God of promise. Then the cloud of TRIAL of FAITH, Take thy son, thine ONLY son. Now, the ache in the heart became life and death. Here at sundry times and in divers manners the Almighty God told Abraham to walk before me, and be thou perfect (Genesis 17:1) laid upon Abraham an ache so deep that demanded complete obedience to the offering up of Isaac.
  Genesis 22, verses 1 to 19 reveals a complete view and shadow of Calvary, Golgotha, the place of the skull. In God’s foreknowledge this was over 1800 years BEFORE the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have a three way relationship in the testing or tempting of Abraham. We have the love between a father and a son. We have the will of God the Father, and we have the future in the Son of His love when God would bring Christ forth in the fullness of time. The Lord Jesus would be the ONLY begotten of the Father. He would be the unique Son from heaven, the unique Seed of God, the unique holy thing, holy child and Holy One. He would be the MAN separate from sinners. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens (Hebrews 7:26).
   In the two sons of Abraham we have Ishmael, the son of bondage, the son of the flesh, the son of Adam, the son of sin with Abraham and Sarah’s disobedience to God by taking the bond woman and forcing the issue of sonship and heirship. Abraham and Sarah were NOT satisfied with God’s promise of an heir. God was taking too long, and their days were getting shorter. Man is truly an impatient being. Always wanting to run ahead of God. To do things himself and not by the Divine Hand of God.
    In Genesis 22:14 the Lord was given a new name by Abraham by adding to the name of God, Jehovahjireh. Abraham gives the true interpretation of this new name In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. (Genesis 22:14) Through this title of Jehovahjireh we see God’s foreknowledge and we see God’s inspiration given to Abraham describing the fullness of time. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law (Galatians 4:4).
   Genesis 22 reveals the determinate counsels and foreknowledge of God. Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: (Acts 2:23). The revelation of God’s foreknowledge flows throughout Scripture. We see it in part of the text in Psalm 2, as God displays the history of the heathen and the kings of the earth, and the rulers and then He presents His ONLY begotten Son, the KING and HEIR of ALL things. Although Christ was a Man of sorrows and rejected by the world, both then and now, HE IS STILL THE KING, and He is STILL THINE ONLY SON.

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FATHER and SON TOGETHER
and they went both of them together
And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:6)

   In Genesis 22, we have a father and a son. We see a mutually shared love between them. The burden IN Abraham was about to break his heart. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:6) The words and they went both of them together discloses a son and his father, AND a Father and His Son. We also see this in the fullness of time, we see that God the Father always had a PRESENCE with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Son of God always had a PRESENCE with His Father. God did not send His Son into the world and leave Him there without HIS PRESENCE. We see this at the banks of the Jordan. The Jordan was known as the river of death, however, when the Lord Jesus was baptized and came up OUT of the river of death, the heavens opened, and the Spirit descended as a dove, and a Voice from heaven proclaimed This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: (Matthew 3:16) And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17)

   In Matthew Chapter 3, the Spirit of God introduces us to the love of God in the personality of the Father. We see both Fatherhood and the love of God in the words beloved Son. This took place AFTER the Lord Jesus had been baptized into His coming future death on one of the mountains of Moriah. In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. It shall be seen of the Lord. There at the Jordan river, the journey began as they went both of them TOGETHER, the ONENESS of God surrounds the Lord Jesus Christ.

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The GODHEAD United TOGETHER
and they went both of them together

   In John 3:11, (Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness) the Lord Jesus discloses the unity of the Godhead. Three times, He used the word WE. WE speak (Father Son and Holy Ghost). The testimony is from heaven. There the faithful and true witness of the Godhead speaks of ALL three personalities of the Godhead as a witness to the Adamic race. Then He reveals the foreknowledge of God . . . WE do know. The divine knowledge is unsurmountable for the race of Adam.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8)
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9)
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: (Isaiah 55:10).
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)

   Isaiah presents a Divine Intelligence far beyond the reach of mortal man. Even BEFORE Adam sinned, he had not acquired the divine knowledge of God. He did not know the mind of God, and he was subject to the will of God. In Adam’s disobedience, bringing sin into the world, he opened a chasm of death that he could never climb out from. Death became the impossible of man’s life, for sin has reigned since Adam brought sin into the world.
   In John 3:11, we have the phrase, WE have seen. God is not blind. The eyes of the Lord go to and fro throughout the whole earth.

● For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. (2nd Chronicles 16:9)
● For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. (Job 34:21) There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. (Job 34:22)
● For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. (Proverbs 5:21)
● The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3)
● For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes. (Jeremiah 16:17)
● Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings: (Jeremiah 32:19)
● For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth. (Zechariah 4:10)
● And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. (Revelation 5:6)

   The Lord Jesus said speaking for the Godhead, We see you now, and you will not receive our witness. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. (John 3:11)
   It is evident that AFTER the sin of Adam, God offered up two lambs as a witness of divine redemption, and clothed both Adam and Eve with the skins. Now here is the dilemma of Adam and Eve, they did not receive the witness of God because although clothed in skins of death, they had refused the grace of God. Now the world also receives not our witness with the divine gospel, the message of peace with God, the covering of righteousness with the Lord Jesus Christ, the redemption of our soul, the divine witness of everlasting life.
   Speaking to Nicodemus, a ruler and teacher of the Jews, the Lord Jesus was expressing the present of the word WE. However, the Holy Spirit recorded it for US today in our present. WE is present tense, now OUR is from the beginning. Adam’s race has been under the watchful intense eyes of God from the beginning. By the way, there are only two major races of mankind: one is of Adam, that which is of the flesh; and the second race is that which is of Christ in the Spirit. This is why in the history of Abraham, we have Ishmael, born after the flesh and born of sin; whereas Isaac was the seed given from heaven and was born of the Spirit and of the generation of Jesus Christ. The minor races sprang from Adam . . . blood touches blood. All the races of mankind today are the minor races. This took place at the Tower of Babel. God not only confounded their language, but He also divided them by race into minor races, and scattered them abroad, and ye receive not our witness.
   Psalm 139 brings out the presence of God around us and His ability to know our thoughts afar off.

●Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. (Psalm 139:2)
● For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. (Psalm 139:4)
● Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? (Psalm 139:7)

   Look what God reveals through these three verses from Psalm 139. In verse 2, it is my thoughts afar off. It is YOUR thoughts. The thoughts of YOUR heart afar off. In verse 4, it is the WORD in my tongue or mouth. God knows the speech before you speak it. In verse 7 is for the runaway, there is no place to hide nor to escape from the Almighty for He sees the evil of man’s heart, and He also sees the work of the righteous.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:13)

  In these two verses in the New Testament God goes much deeper. He examines man, the conscience of man with His two-edged sword, which is the WORD of God. It divides the thoughts and the intent of the heart. As He looked down on the sons of man in Genesis Chapter 6, He saw the evil intent of their hearts and their wicked imaginations. We live in a world of imaginations today. Not only on the divine part, for man imagines a God that does NOT exist. Man refuses the Divine Being, the Divine God, the DivineMan, Jesus Christ. Man REFUSES the Word of God because it cuts into His heart. It exposes man to the witness of God the Spirit, I may be writing to stone, but in these last days God has preserved His word by His Spirit in the world of man and there is ONE Divine written authority, and that is the King James Bible. Make no mistake, God is greater than your thoughts. God is greater than your power. God is greater than ALL of man’s wisdom, and HE KNOWS the very intent of your heart. Again, WE speak, WE do know, WE have seen, and you receive not OUR witness.
   Although God created Adam in the likeness of God, Adam was NOT divine. Adam was dust. Although God spoke, Adam received NOT the witness and words of God . . . WE speak.

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (Genesis 2:16)
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:17)

   This was the Godhead speaking. This was the first LAW given to man. This is the first, THOU SHALT NOT. And this is the first WE SPEAK. 

And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? (Genesis 3:9)
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. (Genesis 3:10)
And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? (Genesis 3:11)
And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. (Genesis 3:12)
And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. (Genesis 3:13)

   Then the Lord Jesus declared that WE HAVE SEEN. And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? (Genesis 4:9) And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. (Genesis 4:10) And you receive not OUR WITNESS. The punishment was too much for Cain to bear.

And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. (Genesis 4:13)
Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. (Genesis 4:14)
And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. (Genesis 4:15)
And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. (Genesis 4:16)

   Whenever hell, the judgment seat of Christ or the lake of fire, is brought up man slips into the evil imaginations of his heart and denies the validity of the word of God. Just as Cain, the punishment of sin is too much for mankind to bear. Man literally runs from the two-edged sword which is the word of God. Man knows that God’s word will cut his inner being into pieces. It will dismantle his evil heart. As the punishment was too much for Cain to bear, he went into the land of Nod to build on the evil intents of his heart, and his wicked imaginations. And ye receive not OUR WITNESS.
   In the gospel of John, Chapter 3, Nicodemus was a ruler and a teacher and scholar of the Jews. He was the only one present in this meeting with the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, out of the pages of heaven, the Spirit of God made sure that this testimony of truth was in the text. If you receive not this witness, there is no other witness for you. If you believe NOT the word of God, you have cast all hope aside. There is no anchor for your storm. There is no lighthouse to guide you. There is no mountain where you can find refuge. You have cast yourself out into the deep in a tiny ship full of holes.
   In John 3:12 the Lord Jesus discloses that there are earthly thoughts that have been revealed, and God has revealed them in diverse manners and at sundry times. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?  But in these last days He has sent the Voice and the Presence of His Son to proclaim the truth unto Adam’s race. As the Lord Jesus spoke to Nicodemus on earth, He is NOW speaking to us from heaven above.

And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. (Hebrews 12:24)
See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: (Hebrews 12:25)

   God has witnessed to us in every book of the Old Testament. Every word is written by the Spirit of Christ that was IN them. Every book in the New Testament was written by the same Spirit of Christ from heaven. Every word has the seal of the Eternal Spirit of God. God has revealed Himself throughout the history of Adam’s race. Just a light reading of the Old Testament will reveal the progression of evil in Adam’s race.
   As you get to the book of Malachi, the last words of the Old Testament, you say to yourself . . . WHO, WHO is on the Lord’s side? Malachi, the last Old Testament book, and the last Old Testament prophet in the writing of the Septuagint bore in himself the burden of truth. Who [is there] even among you that would shut the doors [for nought]? neither do ye kindle [fire] on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. (Malachi 1:10) But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he [is] like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap. (Malachi 3:2) These words that Malachi wrote were heavy on his heart. Unlike today, Malachi was NOT involved in a popularity contest. The truth that Malachi wrote and spoke is hard for the sinner, but it is also hard for the messenger. For as he speaks or writes, he KNOWS having ears to hear, that they hear not and having eyes to see, they see not. In verse 1 in Chapter 1 in the book of Malachi, The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. It is the BURDEN of the word of the LORD. It is the BURDEN of the truth. It is the BURDEN of the righteous in the day of ruin. Malachi is a good example, it reveals that in ALL man that they are blind to their own sin, and so, man thinks that God is also blind. Malachi could say in his day, yet, ye receive not our testimony. Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. (Malachi 1:10) What we see in this verse is man’s thoughts were higher than God’s thoughts. Man demanded his price for serving the Lord. This is a hard saying. Few man today believe these words, Freely ye have received, freely give. In the days of Malachi, they lived on the stolen widow’s mite. They kept the harvest for themselves, and would ONLY OFFER the infirm, the lame, the maimed, and the rotten fruits of their fields to The Almighty God. They not only wanted the treasures of this world, but they wanted to deny God’s portion of those treasures that they themselves had received from above.
   How many today live solely by faith, and receive only Manna from heaven? Think about it and think hard and long. Your footsteps are all counted by the God of heaven. Years ago, in fact, twenty years ago, a pastor’s wife while talking to my wife and I said that her husband could only accept a position for a salary of $65,000, plus a house and a vehicle. When you walk by faith you cannot understand the greed in the Christian community. There is NO limit to their begging, and their baskets have no bottom. I guess that is why many stay away from the teaching in the book of Malachi. It was by FAITH Abraham had all his possessions. There is no doubt that Abraham acquired his possessions by wealth, by work , by the overthrow of the four kings of the east, and by rejecting the wealth and position of the king of Sodom. Abraham could say, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,

And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, (Hebrews 14:22)
That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: (Hebrews 14:23)
Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion. (Hebrews 14:24)

   The eye needs to see that Abraham started from heaven to the earth, and not the earth to the heaven. Abraham KNEW the difference between the two kingdoms. He understood that there was a kingdom of God and the God of that kingdom was the POSSESSOR of heaven AND earth. He also knew the waywardness and the evil entities of the kingdoms of man. The tangible wealth was all that they understood. As Cain, it is the works of their hands that they glorify their own image.

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AFAR OFF
● thy son, thine only son AFAR OFF
● a burnt offering AFAR OFF
● upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of AFAR OFF
● and saw the place AFAR OFF
Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. (Genesis 22:4)

   It was by FAITH that Abraham was given a son of joy or laughter, Isaac. Now, by FAITH, God required Abraham to take thy son, thine ONLY son and offer him on one of the mountains in the land of Moriah for a burnt offering. It will be a place which I will tell thee of.
   On the third day of their travels Abraham AND Isaac AND their two men of witness saw the place that God had given afar off. What do OUR eyes see afar off? Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. (Genesis 22:4) The word of God is God’s declaration of the history of man. It is also a declaration of God’s BEING and His dealings with Adam’s race, and His dealings with the generation of Jesus Christ. The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. (Matthew 1:1) CLICK HERE for more about the Generation of Jesus Christ.
   As we look into the word of God, our eyes see the divine Temple of the Lord.

Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. (John 2:19)
Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? (John 2:20)
But he spake of the temple of his body. (John 2:21)
When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. (John 2:22)

   We have lifted up our eyes afar off. We see the Temple of the Lord tabernacled with us; we see the Temple of divine righteousness afar off within the Lord Jesus Christ. In John Chapter 2, it is God speaking of Himself. The words of the Lord Jesus are God’s words, and ye receive NOT OUR witness. We sit under the fig tree of FAITH, and muse on our Messiah, and then, through the miracle of FAITH we meet the Son of God, the King of Israel.

Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. (John 1:45)
And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. (John 1:46)
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! (John 1:47)
Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. (John 1:48)
Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. (John 1:49)
Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. (John 1:50)
And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. (John 1:51)

  As we lift up our eyes and see the things afar off, whether in the past or in the future, we remember from the word of God that Joseph of Arimathaea had his own sepulchre where death had not yet entered. This sepulchre was chiseled out of a rock and both Joseph and Nicodemus placed the Body of Jesus IN that sepulchre.

● When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: (Matthew 27:57)
He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. (Matthew 27:58)
And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, (Matthew 27:59)
And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. (Matthew 27:60)
● And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. (John 19:38)
And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. (John 19:39)
Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. (John 19:40)
Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. (John 19:41)
There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand. (John 19:42)

  These two men, Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus, lifted up their eyes and SAW the promises of God IN Jesus Christ afar off. What do YOU see from the mountain of the word of God? Take off thy shoes, for this is holy ground. The mountain of these words have been breathed by our God and Savior. Thy word is truth from the beginning.

Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (Philippians 3:17)
(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: (Philippians 3:18)
Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) (Philippians 3:19)
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (Philippians 3:20)
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:21)

   Now let’s lift up our eyes and consider Chapter 1 of John 1-4, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) The same was in the beginning with God. (John 1:2) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3) In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4)

   God reached down with His own deity in presenting to us the Living Word of God who IS the Lord Jesus Christ. He presents to us His WORD of deity from the beginning, the beginning of the creation of God. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; (Revelation 3:14) 
   In John 1:1-4, we see the unity of the Godhead, in the beginning was the WORD and that WORD was with God and was God. The same that was in the beginning WITH God, and by His WORD, the LIVING WORD, He divided the Light from the darkness, In him was life; and the life was the light of men. This was the SAME that divided the Light from the darkness, the great separation between good and evil in Genesis 1:3 and 4. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. (Genesis 1:3) And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:4) Darkness wasn’t nullified. It still existed, but it was separated. It was divided from the Light. The Lord Jesus came to spiritually and Supernaturally divide the Light from the darkness of man. The Lord continued to use Himself as a Light in a dark world. Even in the darkness of His sepulchre, He was dividing the Light from the darkness.

● For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1st Peter 3:18)
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; (1st Peter 3:19)
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. (1st Peter 3:20)
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: (1st Peter 3:21)
Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. (1st Peter 3:22)
● Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Ephesians 4:8)
(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? (Ephesians 4:9)
He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) (Ephesians 4:10)
● For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; (Hebrews 7:26)
● And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. (John 3:13)

   In 1st Peter Chapter 3, we see the POWER of Christ over darkness DIVIDING the Light from the darkness and revealing Himself AS the LIGHT to the darkness in the days of Noah. In the New Testament that the Just One, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the Justifier of just men made perfect through Him. The proof is that out of the darkness of death, LIGHT divided life and death and by His Eternal Spirit The Law of Sin and Death that was given to Adam in Genesis 2:17, and destroyed in Romans 8:2, For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 
   In Ephesians Chapter 4, we have a process in the darkness of the tomb that when Christ had ascended on high, He led captivity CAPTIVE, HE BROKE THE SHACKLES OF SIN AND DEATH and its slavery that kept mankind in fear of death. Ephesians also discloses that He descended FIRST in those hours of darkness into the lower parts of the earth. In verse 10 of Ephesians 4, this ONE who descended was NOT bound by the darkness, for He also ASCENDED. The words ascended up far above all heavens is linked with our great High Priest who is holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners, and MADE HIGHER THAN THE HEAVENS. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; (Hebrews 7:26)
   These are things that we see in the word of God afar off. But God has shown the place to go to find Manna for our souls. Just as He directed Abraham to one of the mountains of Moriah, to a place I will show thee of where Abraham built his altar, where Abraham laid the wood, where Abraham bound his son, and where Abraham lifted up the knife; then Grace and Truth SPOKE as the angel of the Lord.

And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. (Genesis 22:10) And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. (Genesis 22:11) And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. (Genesis 22:12)

   This was a battle of FAITH versus ALL of man’s reasoning. Yet, Abraham, through FAITH obeyed God. God expressed that FAITH as obedience. But there is an article that God brings out and that is the FEAR of God. You know in the New Testament, in the book of Hebrews, we are admonished about the fear of God. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: (Hebrews 12:28) For our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29) There is a reverence joined to godly fear. They both work together. It is needful in our day and age to have that divine reverence and that godly fear to watch our steps and keep them in the divine path of FAITH.
   There are many mysteries in the 3rd Chapter in the gospel of John. The Lord Jesus tells us that the Spirit of God is a mighty wind, and that wind changes the heart, soul, and spirit of man, for a man MUST be born again. It is here in John 3 that we see the UNSEEN and the SEEN. We also see the thoughts of deity, and the infirm thoughts of man. In John 3 we see the mystery of the Godhead revealed as we saw in verse 11. After that, the Lord Jesus in verse 12 separates the earth from heaven. He discloses the weakness because of sin in man where man does not understand the movement of God on earth or in His dwelling place in the heavens. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? In verse 13 we have a great truth; it is the omnipresence of the Son of God as the Son of man. Christ was visible on earth and proclaimed that He is the Son of man, however, He disclosed that at the SAME TIME of His manifestation on earth, the Son of man has a presence in heaven with God the Father. We should remember that the manifestation of the invisible God was NOT a natural transaction by man. It was a SUPERNATURAL manifestation of the DIVINE invisible God. What is so amazing is that now, in our day, the Son of man, the Lord Jesus Christ glorified sits at the right hand of the majesty of God in heaven. At the same time, God the Father has sent the Spirit of His Son into the hearts of all the redeemed on earth. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:6) In the miracle of the manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ, the GODMAN was on earth. The miracle of His resurrection and His ascension to the right hand of God is that NOW we have a GODMAN in heaven for us that in the priesthood of Melchisedec He continues to reveal His love for us in making intercession for us before God the Father. There are many mysteries of the earth that man has not yet uncovered. There are many mysteries of evil that man does not understand. There are many mysteries of the Divine Being of God that man is not able to enter into the thoughts and the ways of God. It is only through the revelation of God’s word, of God declaring Himself, that we can understand our own position before a Holy and Righteous God. In verse 12, the Lord Jesus told Nicodemus that if you cannot understand how a person MUST be born again, how can you possibly understand the things of heaven? Which even today overwhelms the true saints of God.  Through FAITH we not only see the past, and live in the present, but we see the things to come AFAR OFF. 
   Abraham saw those things afar off. Why? Prior God told Abraham things, and he was thus looking for that mountain in the land of Moriah, thus, he went to the exact place that God had shown him. It was there where Abraham built his altar. God builds in the present to erect His foreknowledge in the future. He did that with Abraham. It was God who gave him instructions, it was God who told him of the region, and the mountain and the place. It was GOD who first disclosed the burnt offering. It was GOD who led Abraham to the mountain of the Lord where it would be seen in the fullness of time where God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, would NOT be spared by the wrath of evil men. He would not be spared by the divine judgment from heaven above in the judgment of the sin of the whole world. In the bondage of sin and death, by belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, man is FREE from that bondage by the Spirit of life that is IN Christ Jesus.
   As Abraham was given instructions, so we today, have sixty-six books to the heart of man of the divine knowledge and divine truth of heaven to mankind. Yet, man does not understand the things of earth, nor the things of heaven. In John 3:13, the Holy Spirit deliberately puts this verse BEFORE the cross in verse 14. And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. (John 3:13) And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up. (John 3:14) 

   The Lord Jesus used the symbol of the serpent on the pole for a reason. The divine reason was that He was revealing the battle from heaven against the serpent on the earth. Not only was He going to bear the judgment of sin, but He would be in battle, divine conflict with Satan to destroy both death and possess hell for the evil and evils of the world.

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 had the power of death, that is, the devil; (Hebrews 2:14)
And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:15)

   In John 3:14, it is the serpent lifted up on the pole. The Lord Jesus never declared any affinity with that serpent or with that pole. He simply said, even so must the Son of man be lifted up. Here is the reasoning: because of the sin of the nation of Israel there were fiery serpents sent among them. If an Israelite was bitten, they died. So God provided a brazen serpent made from brass which is the metal of judgment, and when a bitten Israelite looked to that serpent on the pole they would NOT suffer death. Their judgment was stayed in the symbolic serpent of brass. The Lord Jesus in John 3:14 separated Himself from the serpent by explaining that He also, by being lifted up, would take away the sin of man and the death of man. He disclosed in Scripture that as the Son of man would be lifted that He would draw all man unto Him. Giving all of mankind the opportunity to be free from the penalty of death and hell.
   WE speak and WE do know and WE testify that WE have seen and you receive not OUR witness. In John 3:14 we have the lawgiver in Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness of Sin to deliver the Israelites from the death by the serpent that the sin of Adam brought into the world. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. (Romans 5:12) This is what we see afar off on one of the mountains in the land of Moriah. It is death and hell and the works of the devil being overthrown by the divine judgment of God upon a Holy and Righteous Lamb of God. Now, this is what we see AFAR OFF, I [am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. (Revelation 1:18) And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27) But Christ has come, Christ has died, Christ has delivered us by raising US from the deadness of our own sin. When we first believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God quickened us, He delivered us from both death and hell.
   There is a mystery surrounding satanic evil. We do not understand the depth of this evil, but we also have the divine mystery of Christ for we are told that the Lord Jesus REDEEMED things in heaven, things on earth, and things under the earth.

● And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20)
● That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; (Philippians 2:10)
● And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. (Revelation 5:3)
● And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, [be] unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. (Revelation 5:13)

  In these verses, we have the divine mystery of redemption. However, we are told how to acquire our own redemption THROUGH Jesus Christ. But we do not understand all the mysteries of THAT redemption. We are told, that a man must be born again, and that remains a mystery to the soul UNTIL the Spirit of God breathes upon us and we become born again. Then we KNOW these things are true for truth has spoken truth to us in the words, Ye must be born again. Who can fathom the knowledge of God? God blesses us with what was, but there is always a mystery for He is the God of mystery. But FAITH uncovers the UNSEEN for us. FAITH exposes the revelation of God to our hearts. FAITH allows us to see the things of God AFAR OFF.

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THE SHADOW OF THE DIVINE OFFERING AFAR OFF
Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac,
offer him there for a burnt offering
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. (Genesis 22:2)
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. (Genesis 22:3)
Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. (Genesis 22:4)

   We are studying the 11th Chapter of the book of Hebrews, and we are seeing the trial of Abraham. In Genesis Chapter 22, we see the beauty of the father and son relationship, and how God interjects the burnt offering into the narrative. You see, Isaac was just one of the many children of FAITH brought into the promises of Abraham.

Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:7)
And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. (Galatians 3:8)
So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.(Galatians 3:9)
And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:10)

   The Lord Jesus, the Son of God was made HEIR of all things. He also created the worlds. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. (Hebrews 1:2) And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. (Genesis 21:12) In Hebrews 1:2 we have the divine side of Heirship. In Genesis 21:12, we have an example of divine Heirship given to us in Isaac. The life of Isaac from his conception to where we are on mount Moriah is an example of the holy thing from heaven, the holy child, the Holy One, and the Holy Man, Jesus Christ.
   The Heirship of Christ was given to Him BEFORE HE created the worlds that HE would be HEIR of ALL things. Just as He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, the path through time has given us many examples of that Lamb. All the Old Testament offerings, not only describe the offering of Christ, but they also describe different characteristics of His Holy life and may I say, His Holy death upon the cross. Although He bore the sin of the whole world, He NEVER surrendered His holiness or His righteousness. When Christ committed His Spirit to God the Father, that preserved both His holiness and His righteousness. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. (Romans 1:4) The path of both Abraham and Isaac reveals much in relationship to the fullness of time. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law. (Galatians 4:4)
   The Lord Jesus was made the HEIR of ALL things BEFORE HE made the worlds by the WORD of His power. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Hebrews 11:3) Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. (Hebrews 1:3)
   In the last book of the Bible, in Revelation 3:14, we have the Lord Jesus specified as the beginning of the creation of God. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.

 ● In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
The same was in the beginning with God. (John 1:2)
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3)
● That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (1st John 1:1)
(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) (1st John 1:2)
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1st John 1:3)
And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. (1st John 1:4)
● In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

   Let us briefly summarize what we have seen in these verses. As all the promises would be fulfilled in Isaac, the heir of all that Abraham possessed, so IN the Lord Jesus, He is the HEIR of ALL things, in heaven, in the earth, and under the earth. He is HEIR of the past, the present and the future. He is the Beginning of the creation of God as HE is the BEGINNING and the END: the Alpha and the Omega. To fulfill His complete inheritance, He will IN Himself create a NEW heaven, and a NEW earth wherein righteousness will dwell.
   In the first book of the Bible, we learn MUCH about creation, and it is the same with the last book of the Bible, we learn A LOT about the creation of God, and the works that He has done and will yet do in His creation. Christ is also proclaimed to be the Possessor of ALL things. This would put Him as MASTER of ALL things. For thou Lord, in the beginning has laid the foundation of the earth.

But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. (Hebrews 1:8)
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Hebrews 1:9)
And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: (Hebrews 1:10)

   The whole sequel of Abraham and Isaac was designed by the GODHEAD in the determinate counsels and foreknowledge of God in diverse manners and in sundry times to project a divine offering in the fullness of time, which was Christ our Lord. No son of Adam could take away sin, for ALL had been infected by Adam’s seed of sin. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12) But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. (Romans 5:15) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)
    God has made the MAN Christ Jesus the HOPE of mankind through FAITH. Without Christ man has NO hope, for it is NOT in man to justify himself, or to redeem himself. Man has neither the holiness, nor the righteousness to eradicate sin and death. Man cannot leave the sty of swine. Man wallows in his sin when he commits it, then he lives in that muck and mire that covers him with the blackness of sin and death. Man LIVES without Christ under The Law of Sin and Death. Yes, it is common place for me to repeat, for in every element of teaching, repetition is the best teacher. When I took my first engine apart it was a slow process and a learning experience. When I took my hundredth engine apart, the parts all moved as one, and the knowledge received through the years produced a better product. Now the word of God is a mechanism of words designed by a Holy and Righteous God and through repetition, one sees the parts put in the proper order. Reading the word of God once is only an outline, but reading and studying many times, it becomes a glorious picture of the Living Glory which is the Lord Jesus Christ. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2nd Corinthians 4:6)

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INTRODUCTION to the BURNT OFFERING

   We have been dealing with the divine witness of both a father and a son. Genesis 22:2 presents for the first time the burnt offering of the Lord. If you understand the first mention of the burnt offering in Genesis 22, you’ll understand the fourth mention of the burnt offering in Genesis 22:7. Whether you like the use of numbers or not, nevertheless, in Genesis 22:7 we have the fourth mention of the burnt offering. As Abraham uttered those words, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: it was the fifth time that the burnt offering is mentioned. The number five is the number of grace, and Grace and Truth came BY Jesus Christ.

The Burnt Offering Determined

1. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only [son] Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. (Genesis 22:2)
2. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. (Genesis 22:3)
3. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid [it] upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:6)
4. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here [am] I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where [is] the lamb for a burnt offering? (Genesis 22:7)
5. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:8)
6. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind [him] a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. (Genesis 22:13)

   The burnt offering is directly connected to the Lamb of God and to the gospel of Luke 22:22 in the very words of Abraham, God will provide HIMSELF a Lamb for a burnt offering. Turn to the gospel of Luke Chapter 22:22, And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! In Luke 22:22 we have a witness to the world through the number four (four twos). The key word in this verse is the word determined. This brings in the foreknowledge of God in Genesis 22:7. Isaac asked but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood. : but where [is] the lamb for a burnt offering?  The word determined in Luke 22:22 brings us to the determinate counsels of God and the fulfillment of those counsels in the fullness of time.

   Under the Law of Moses, ONLY the high priest could offer the sin offering. So, this makes Luke 22 more interesting to the Spirit. Luke 22:2 reads this way, And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people. Although these were evil men and they are said to have wicked hands, they were still among the priesthood and unknown even to themselves that they were seeking ways to kill the Lamb of God. They were being used even in their own wickedness by the determinate counsels of God. As the Lord Jesus stepped closer to His Day, to His hour, and to His time to be crucified by an ungodly world both Jew and Gentile gathered against the Lord’s anointed to slay the Prince of Life and to shed the blood of the Lamb of God.
   Genesis Chapter 22 is also important for after the Lord had offered Himself in the upper room to His disciples in the bread and in the cup, He then went to the Mount of Olives. He took Peter, James and John and told them to watch while the Lord Jesus prayed apart. Now the Holy Spirit gives us the private prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ to God His Father, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. (Luke 22:42) This was His trial in the days of His flesh to COMPLETE the will of His Father and to fulfill the determinate counsels of God. The cup here in verse 42 is the cup of all the dregs of the world. He had the foreknowledge of exactly what He would endure on the cross of Calvary. Yet, He would NOT turn aside. He would NOT give into the world. He would NOT turn His back to the determinate counsels of God. The Spirit of God gives us the exact words of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of man, His earthly title, And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined. After the first stage of His prayer, the heavens opened and there appeared an angel from heaven to strengthen Him. In Luke 22:44, the agony of the cross had already begun in the preparation of offering HIS SOUL for sin. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10)
   As He was in agony, the Lord Jesus was strengthened. This was not an outward physical agony, but this was an agony of divine magnitude and significance. Here was the manifestation of God on earth as the Son of man, as the holy thing, as the Holy One; as the holy child, and as the Holy Man He was facing the sin of the whole world. In verse 44 of Luke 22, He suffered the double weight of the world upon Him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. As He prayed this Supernatural Being sweat as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
   The first man who was slain on earth, Abel, God told Cain (the slayer) that his brother’s blood spoke to HIM from the ground. Now, many say, that it is impossible for man to sweat great drops of blood. May I remind you that this was NOT Adam, but this was The Holy One of God. This was IMMANUEL, God with us. The Holy Spirit tells us that the Divine Being, God was IN Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. We are also informed that the blood that was shed on Calvary was God’s blood. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. (Acts 20:28) The Spirit of God gives us more on the prayers of the Lord Jesus in Gethsemane.

   In Hebrews 5:7 and 8, we read, Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; (Hebrews 5:7) Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; (Hebrews 5:8) What the Holy Spirit opens to us in Chapter 5 is that Christ learned obedience. This seems as a contradiction of His whole life, for He delighted to do His Father’s will. He proclaimed that what the Father had given Him to do He would fulfill. Even as a young child, He told His parents, I must be about my Father’s business. So therefore, how can a Holy and Righteous Son of God learn obedience? He learned obedience through the death of Himself. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:8) There is a paradox in all of this. God who is Eternal cannot die. However, the manifestation of God in the likeness of sinful flesh, but apart from sin, and separated from sinners, can go into the depths of death as the burnt offering, as the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. He can learn the obedience of death to destroy him who had the power of death.  

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 had the power of death, that is, the devil; (Hebrews 2:14)
And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:15)
For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. (Hebrews 2:16)

   The Lord Jesus, as the Son of man, endured the wrath of man upon His divine Being as the Son of man. All that man could do to His flesh; man did in spewing out his hatred for the Lord Jesus Christ who had declared to them that HE was the Son of God. Then, on the cross, as not only the Son of man, but also as the Son of God, it was there that the beloved Son of God was judged in the flesh as the Son of man and as the burnt offering. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. (Ephesians 5:2) The whole purpose of the manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ upon earth was to give the sinful world and ALL sinners a determinate and an obedient burnt offering for sin IN HIMSELF, and to fulfill in the fullness of time through the determinate counsels and foreknowledge of God. Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. (Acts 2:23)

● Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: (Hebrews 10:5)
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. (Hebrews 10:6)
Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. (Hebrews 10:7)
● Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. (Hebrews 10:9)

—–◆—–
WHERE IS THE LAMB?
but where [is] the lamb for a burnt offering?
4. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here [am] I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where [is] the lamb for a burnt offering? (Genesis 22:7)

  Let us return to mount Moriah to the fourth mention of the burnt offering in the seventh verse and consider the question of Isaac, and Abraham’s reply as they both (father and son) ascend into the mount of the Lord TOGETHER. Isaac asked, but where [is] the lamb for a burnt offering?
   This is a question for all of mankind today who have NO understanding of the Divine Being who delights in doing the impossible. So, the Holy Spirit gives the impossible answer to Abraham in the fifth mention of the burnt offering in the eighth verse.

5. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:8).

   God will provide HIMSELF a Lamb for a burnt offering. Again, pay attention to the words, so they went both of them together. However, they were NOT alone. Hebrews 11:1 is revealed in this sequel for the angel of the Lord went with them. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) In the UNSEEN, the angel of the Lord in verse 11 and 15 of Genesis 22, IS the Lord Jesus Christ. How do I know this? Because it is only God Himself who used the double call in Scripture. The Spirit of God deliberately placed this double call of Abraham, Abraham, so that we would KNOW that it was the Lord Jesus Christ.

◆ SIDE NOTE: The Double Call. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here [am] I. (Genesis 22:11) And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time. (Genesis 22:15)
  Later on in Scripture we have the double call as a witness of the Divine Being, and Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
1. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here [am] I. (Genesis 22:11)
2. And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here [am] I. (Genesis 46:2)
3. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here [am] I. (Exodus 3:4)
4. And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. (1st Samuel 3:10)
    In the New Testament the double call of God when out to Saul in Acts 9:4,
5. And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Then in Acts 22:7 and 26:14, Saul (now called Paul) mentioned twice more about the double call on the Damascus Road.
And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? (Acts 22:7)
And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? [it is] hard for thee to kick against the pricks. (Acts 26:14)
   Consequently, through both the Old and the New Testament there were FIVE individuals who heard the double call. Through the substructure of Scriptural progressive revelation, we see GOD’S GRACE to man in the FIVE DOUBLE CALLS‘. Add the TOTAL number of times that the DOUBLE CALL was documented there were SEVEN documentations of the DOUBLE CALL. Thus, GOD stamps HIMSELF into the DOUBLE CALLS. There is NO END to the Holy Spirit’s revelations of the SOVEREIGNTY of God over HIS LIVING WORD and over His written word.
   There is a formula in Scripture as that first math problem you faced as a child, 1+1=2. With Scripture because it is of and from the Divine Mind, we have to compare Scripture WITH Scripture in both the Old and the New. The Old Testament is brought to reality by the New Testament, and the New Testament is brought to light by the Old Testament. These are the divine testimonies of TWO witnesses in written form to us today. Here is God’s formula for learning the word of God.
● Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. (Isaiah 28:9)
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: (Isaiah 28:10)
For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. (Isaiah 28:11)
To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. (Isaiah 28:12)
● For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4)
● All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (2nd Timothy 3:16)
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2nd Timothy 3:17) The heart of the man of God is found in Psalm 119.
   Too many men of renown today build their theological studies on one or two Scriptures, and they rely more on the teaching of their fathers, and on the traditions of men then on the Holy Scriptures. God gave the formulas that we presented out of the word of God FOR a purpose. They are there to prevent the errors of secular indoctrination. The Bible is a SPIRITUAL BOOK. It has been written by the UNSEEN for the Spirit of God IN Christ Jesus who is the AUTHOR of every word, every line, every number and every precept. Just as the Lord Jesus is the Living Word of God, so He has by His Spirit breathed LIFE into His Holy Word. ◆ The End of the Side Note: The Double Call.

   The double witness of Genesis 22 cannot be denied by mortal man. When Abraham in the very beginning of the journey to mount Moriah cleaved the wood for the burnt offering the angel of the Lord was watching from heaven. Every step that Abraham took, was viewed by the eyes of the LORD. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son] from me. (Genesis 22:12) When the angel of the Lord said to Abraham, Now I KNOW, it was not just the lifted knife, but the journey that the angel watched out of heaven.
   We have established that this was the Angel of the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ by the repetition of the double call for Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, and Saul. What was the first thing that the angel revealed to Abraham? What did the eyes of the Lord see? NOW I KNOW THAT THOU FEAREST GOD. This is not only an Old Testament concept, but we can follow this concept into the New Testament. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. (Hebrews 12:28) For our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29)
   Another point of uniqueness of Genesis 22, is the phrase, fearest God. It is ONLY mentioned ONE time in all of Scripture. Now let us use the teaching method of the Lord, line upon line, and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. This leads, of course, to repetition. Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. (Isaiah 28:9) For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: (Isaiah 28:10)

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. (Hebrews 5:12)
For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. (Hebrews 5:13)
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:14)

   Let us again return to Genesis 22:7. The question of Isaac, the question from all mankind, but where [is] the lamb for a burnt offering? The answer to Isaac’s question and to our question is in verse 13 in the sixth mention of the burnt offering for the sin of man.

6. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind [him] a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. (Genesis 22:13)

   Here God provided the Lamb, a RAM, a male sheep caught in the thicket by his horns. The word horns is ONLY mentioned ONE time in the book of Genesis, the first and only mention is in Genesis 22:13. He was CAUGHT by the thorn bush wrapped around his horns, the symbol of His completeness and his power. So, the Lord Jesus wore the crown of thorns, not only as a symbol of the curse, but a symbol of restraining His POWER, the HEADSHIP of Christ as HEIR of ALL things determined by the fullness of the GODHEAD that WAS and IS within the Lord Jesus Christ. WAS (His manifestation) and IN His glory he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high.

   When the ram was taken in Genesis 22:13 it is the LAST mention of the burnt offering in the book of Genesis. The finality of verse 13 shows us that the LAST burnt offering, was in fact, the Lord Jesus Christ caught in the thicket by His horns as a symbol of the curse in the last burnt offering. The fullness of the number 13 is brought out in the 13th Chapter in the book of Revelation.

   In Revelation 5:6, we have the last mention of HORNS as it relates to the Lamb of God, a male, with His SEVEN horns and His SEVEN eyes which are the SEVEN Spirits of God. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

—–◆—–
THE MOUNTAIN
THE BURNT OFFERING SHALL BE SEEN

   We are still on the mountain of the Lord; mount Moriah. Abraham NOT knowingly, but surely inspired proclaimed, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. In Genesis 22:14 the phrase In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen is only mentioned ONE time in ALL of Scripture. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. (Genesis 22:14)

    Do you see a pattern in Genesis 22? We have a pattern of FIRST mentions and ONLY mentions in this Chapter. It is amazing that God used the words burnt offering SIX times, which is the number of man IN his sin, and the burnt offering was the ONLY offering to atone for ALL of Israel’s sin.
   Again, let us look at the burden of Abraham. He looked afar off and he saw the mountain that God had told him of, and BY FAITH, he continued on in his journey. His heart was heavy, yet, he FEARED God and FAITH gave him strength to continue. This is the faith of Abraham according to Hebrews 11:17-19. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, (Hebrews 11:17) Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: (Hebrews 11:18) Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. (Hebrews 11:19)
   In verse 17 we remember that in Genesis 22, that the LORD called Abraham, and Abraham turned and said, Here am I. This was the beginning of the trial. In Hebrews 11:17, the voice of the Spirit discloses the heart of Abraham. The Spirit of God used the words in the PAST tense offered up Isaac. Thus, showing us, that when Abraham lifted the knife the transaction in his heart of offering up his son was complete. It was THEN that the angel of the Lord stayed his hand. Abraham in his heart had COMPLETED the sacrifice of his son, but the God of Grace stayed his hand. However, in the fullness of time, God the Father did not stay His own hand in offering up His Son as a burnt offering for the sin of the world.
   Here is another point: God has promised YOU the promises of a SEED and an inheritance in the land and all these promises of God will be fulfilled in Abraham’s miracle SON. And now Abraham had to offer him on one of the mountains of Moriah. In verse 17 of Hebrews 11, we have the ONLY time that Isaac is called his only begotten son.
   The Voice of the Spirit of God is connecting the offering up of Isaac WITH the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD. In this 17th verse of Hebrews 11, the Spirit of God, ties the offering, the burnt offering, and the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON together. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. And not only that but in Genesis 22, Abraham did not offer his son, BUT GOD offered up His only begotten Son. The Spirit of God is completing the fullness of time for us in the offering up of the Lord Jesus Christ.
   In verse 18 of Hebrews 11 we have the seed of promise, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Everything that God had promised to Abraham DEPENDED on the seed of promise. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (Galatians 3:16) For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. (Hebrews 2:16) In these two verses, normally man only sees one seed, but when the Spirit of God opens the eyes of understanding, man then sees and earthly seed and then a heavenly SEED which is Christ. That holy thing of Luke 1:35 was sent down from heaven as a SEED which is Christ. The Holy Ghost by His divine power conceived the impossible in Mary’s womb, and then, remained to protect that SEED from any corruption from mankind. Here that holy thing came forth as the holy child, the Holy Son, to reveal Himself as The Holy One that would see no corruption. (Acts 2:31)
    When Abraham began his journey, he understood the burnt offering. He understood the offering up of his only begotten son, and he also understood the doctrine and the truth that God was able to raise up Isaac even from the dead. Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. (Hebrews 11:9) As I wrote previously, when Abraham lifted up the knife, the transaction was complete in his heart, and then the angel of the Lord stayed his hand, and the Holy Spirit tells us that Abraham received his son figuratively back to life. Abraham had committed in his heart to the death of Isaac, and he had also committed in his heart that through FAITH that God was able to raise Isaac from the dead. The Holy Spirit waits until the book of Hebrews to disclose this truth to us and to encourage us in the resurrection from the dead IN HIM who IS THE RESURRECTION: the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: (John 11:25) And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (John 11:26)
   There is another major point in the ascent of Abraham and Isaac to the top of the mount of the Lord. The words of Abraham in Genesis 22:7, Here am I, my son, reflect in Luke 22 when God the Father sent the angel out of heaven to strengthen the Lord Jesus. Also, let us consider with that time of agony, the wonder of the high priestly prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilling His priesthood as Melchisedec in the entire Chapter of John 17. There in John 17 we see a truth of intimacy between God the Father and God the Son and His own, those who He has bought with His precious blood. There is nothing closer to us in the atonement for our sins then the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even God the Eternal Spirit brings this point in Hebrews 9:14. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
   What is revealed is that both Abraham and Isaac KNEW of the burnt offering. So, when Scripture discloses that they went both of them TOGETHER, we see that both had the burden of the burnt offering. When Abraham said that both he and the lad were going up to worship, both their hearts and souls were knit together.
   As we read of Abraham and Isaac’s r ascent together, we also see the ascent of the Lord Jesus Christ up the SAME mountain with God the Father and with the fire of God’s judgment, and the wood in the cross. We also remember the question of Isaac, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
   The Lamb was presented to the world by John the Baptist, a man sent by God, when He proclaimed, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. The Lord Jesus fulfilled ALL through sundry times and diverse manners. Christ came forth in the fullness of time to climb that same mountain as Isaac, bearing His cross till there was no strength left in Him. He had been to Gethsemane to beseech if it was possible that this cup would pass from Him. Within Himself, the fullness of the Godhead, the words where ideal, nevertheless, not my will, but thy will be done. Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. (Luke 22:42)
   Again, we see the determinate counsels of God working step by step as Christ climbed the mount of the Lord, the place of the skull, Golgotha. A king (David yet to be anointed as the king of Israel) had slain the giant Goliath, now a KING (the Lord Jesus Christ yet to be proclaimed as KING over the world) would slay both sin and death and destroy the devil and his works. 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 had the power of death, that is, the devil. (Hebrews 2:14)
   We must see the mind of the Spirit even in our age today. Man is prodded by the Spirit of God and the question that man should ask himself is the same question that Isaac asked his father, Where is the lamb for the burnt offering? God gives us the answer in the manifestation of the invisible God in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. God provided HIMSELF a Lamb for a burnt offering. You cannot get any more explicit then this picture in the foreknowledge of God. Here is where the divine mind differs from the human mind. Even if Abraham had offered his son, Isaac could not atone for ONE sin let alone for the sin of the world. This makes Genesis Chapter 22 a wonderful comfort to the souls of the redeemed because we see our God working out His plan of redemption in the foundation of the world.
   As Isaac could not atone for one sin, so God has always been totally against human sacrifice. Human sacrifice has always been an abomination to the Almighty God. When Israel sacrificed their children to Moloch, God sent them into captivity for the sins of Manasseh who caused his children, his seed to pass through the fires of Moloch. As the king of Judah, he destroyed his own seed, as Satan continually attempted to destroy the lineage of the kings of Judah.

● And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. (2nd Chronicles 33:5)
And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. (2nd Chronicles 33:6)
● And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 18:21)
● Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. (Leviticus 20:2)

   Although God tried Abraham, it was to prove Abraham’s FAITH. So, they both climbed the mountain together. At the summit, right where the cross of the Lord Jesus would be planted, Abraham built an altar for the burnt offering. The cross of the Lord Jesus would be the altar of sacrifice. It would be firmly planted and set on the skull of Goliath at Golgotha, the place of the skull. This is where David buried the skull, and this was to complete the prophecy of Genesis 3:15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. It was Christ the Seed from above, the holy thing that bruised the serpent’s head. Goliath was the epitome of evil against the armies of Israel, and against the nation of Israel. Daily, Goliath showed himself and all his enmity against the children that God had raised up to be a nation in whom He would delight in. Although they lost that delight in many ways and many times, God still considers Himself as the King and Shepherd of Israel. Goliath not only mocked Israel, he mocked the GOD of the armies of Israel. As Goliath was the epitome of evil, God sent a shepherd to fall him. This shepherd would become a shepherd king and David would be a picture of the Great Shepherd who would appear as the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings who one day will rule in righteousness over the whole earth.

● And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. (1st Peter 5:4)
● Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, (Hebrews 13:20)
● I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. (John 10:1)

   When Satan is bound in Revelation 20:1-3, he will be cast into the bottomless pit and CHAINED for a thousand years. Ask yourself, where is this bottomless pit? Only in speculation, Could it be where David buried the head of Goliath? AND where Abraham built his altar to offer his son, AND where the cross of Christ was placed on the skull of Goliath? How vast are those words of Abraham? It will be seen in the mount of the Lord. How great was the victory of the cross that God drew both the past and the future to a present fullness of time. In Hebrews 11, those of the Old Testament saw the things that we cherish in the Lord Jesus Christ afar off. Now, we, with the benefit of that victory on the cross look to the future and the coming of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. In our hearts, in our souls and in our spirit, we see these things afar off. But, God in His infinite wisdom and power will bring these things nigh at hand and bring all the prophetic writings to pass both Old and New Testaments. There are many things yet to be fulfilled that were written in the Old Testament concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ there is a ocean wealth of prophetic knowledge yet to be fulfilled. This is what we see afar off. Now, with all of the writings of the prophets, with the words of the Lord Jesus as He also gave us prophecy in the prophecy throughout the epistles and then in Revelation, we need to bury these prophecies deep within our souls and see that all the battles that are yet to come were victorious when Christ was lifted up between heaven and earth and when He proclaimed, It is finished. He concluded the entire history of mankind in destroying the devil, atoning for the sin of the world, breaking the chains of both death and hell, and destroying ALL the works of the devil. Victory was in the words It is finished. Man asks the question of Isaac in many ways. Isaac asked, Where is the lamb for the burnt offering? Man asks this in many different ways. Some have said, Where is the God of creation? Others have said, Where is the God of Moses? And others may say, Where is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Then we have those who outwardly deny the existence of God. I will tell you, their verbal denial is only in spite of what they really know. The demons who were in direct opposition to the Almighty God, their character was to always deny God in every way, and yet, when the Lord Jesus approached them, they not only recognized Him, but they had NO power to act against His words.

● And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, (Mark 1:23)
Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. (Mark 1:24)
And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. (Mark 1:25)
And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. (Mark 1:26)
● And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. (Mark 1:34)
Saying, Let [us] alone; what have we to do with thee, [thou] Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. (Luke 4:34)
● And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ. (Luke 4:41)

   These demon spirits knew Him, they KNEW His name (Jesus) from His presence in heaven, they KNEW His position as the Holy One of God from His presence in heaven, they KNEW that He was CHRIST, the anointed of God, from His presence in heaven; they KNEW that He was the Son of God from His presence in heaven. All these things: JESUS, CHRIST, SON OF GOD, HOLY ONE OF GOD . . . He was all these things BEFORE the creation and foundation of the world. Yes, they ALL KNEW HIM BEFORE time and space, and they ALL KNEW HIM at His manifestation on earth, as Jesus of Nazareth. This Supernatural Divine Being was KNOWN in God’s Holy and Righteous realm as Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God and the Holy One of God.
   Now let us consider John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. This is a written message to the whole world that God is a God of love. Those who deny Him, and say that He does not exist, will NOT admit that they are so adamant against God that they will even deny the testimony that God has given to their souls. They don’t deny Him because He does not exist, they deny Him because in spite of themselves they know that He does exist. Sin is a great separator. It separated Adam and Eve from God. So, all man have found themselves separated from God. The only one who can repair that broken link between God and man is the Lord Jesus Christ. Where is the lamb for the burnt offering? The answer is found in Ephesians 5:2, And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. In the offering up of the Son of God, God the Father would not stay His hand and God the Son would not quit the battle to fulfill all righteousness.

● For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) (Romans 5:17)
● But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? (Matthew 3:14) And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. (Matthew 3:15)

   It was at the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ in the river of death, the Jordan River when Christ was baptized into His own death that God revealed the Lamb of God. God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. This begins the journey of the Lord Jesus to the cross. Every day His foot steps climbed the spiritual mountain of Genesis 22. Every day brought Him closer to the cross. As He many times expressed, He KNEW the day, He KNEW the time and He KNEW the hour. He KNEW the moment of His own sacrifice. He carried that upon His shoulders throughout His entire ministry. He KNEW that for the joy that was set before Him that He would endure the cross, despising the shame, and yet, although His soul would be offered for sin as a burnt offering, all things that were written of Him in Scripture would be fulfilled. The determinate counsels of God CANNOT be moved. His path was to fulfill Divine Justice. His path was to bring in Divine Righteousness through His death. All righteousness was brought to bear on the cross of Calvary IN the Lord Jesus Christ. Only in His finished work can we be brought into His righteousness. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. (1st Corinthians 1:30) He was bruised for OUR iniquities. He carried OUR sorrows within Him, and He was wounded for OUR transgression. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.(Isaiah 53:4) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

    Isaiah 53 brings out many qualities of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. One of the qualities is that He shall SEE the travail of His soul. Now in both verses 10 and 11 His soul is mentioned. One, as an offering, and the other in travail, this is the suffering of His own Holy Soul. But in this, what He bore for you and me, He shall be satisfied BY His knowledge (which is infinite) by God’s Righteous Servant, as He humbled Himself even to the death of the cross for the joy that was set before Him, He would justify many. Therefore, He would make many men as the spirit of just men because He would bear ALL their iniquities. The Lord Jesus became the Eternal Justifier. He could accomplish this because He was The Just One. Justification was in fulfilling His own righteousness by offering HIS own SOUL to redeem and to restore the souls of HIS holy brethren brought IN by His finished work.

● Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; (Hebrews 3:1)
● He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3)
● Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:16)
● And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8)

   PAY ATTENTION to the book of life in Revelation 13:8. It not only discloses the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world, but the Lamb of Revelation Chapters 4 and 5, but this verse also establishes the book of life from the foundation of the world.

● According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Ephesians 1:4)
● Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (1st Peter 1:2)
● But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (1st Peter 1:19)
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, (1st Peter 1:20)
● In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; (Titus 1:2)
● Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. (2nd Timothy 1:9)

   God’s divine plan of redemption is without repentance. He will NEVER turn from the course of His own righteousness. As mere men, we cannot conceive the thoughts of God. Remember, our total being have been affected by sin. Our minds dwells and lives in a world of sin. The collective thoughts of man are based on sin and revolve around sin. Throughout time, man has been alienated from God. Man has not reached out to God, but God has reached out to man. Man’s intelligence reveals itself every day in every moment through sin. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9)
   Every day (through sin) we have a link back to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Sin brought down the first kingdom of man. Adam was the divine appointed potentate of the world, over all the animal kingdom, over all that flew in the air, and all that was in the seas. This link of present sin not only takes us back, but projects the future to the judgment of unrepentant sin of those who will be cast into the eternal lake of fire. The only ONE who can break that link is the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter tells us that God will create a NEW heaven and a NEW earth. He discloses, through the Spirit, that the heavens will be on fire and the earth will be dissolved. But all through Scripture, there is NO mention of the termination of the lake of fire. The judgment of God upon unrepentant souls will be from everlasting to everlasting. A serious thought for all of mankind.
   There is a lot to consider in the word of God. Many times, it becomes overwhelming when the Spirit of God illuminates a passage, a sentence, a verse or a Chapter or even one word to the heart. The word of God is the road map of the child of God. There are so many roads in a sinful world. There are many signs: this way; no, that way, no over here. We are informed by Scripture that there are many roads, many are highways, and many paths that lead to destruction. This is why God gives us sundry times and diverse manners. So, that we can watch Abraham who has already acquired the righteousness of God in Genesis 15 and NOW he is walking a path up the mountain of the Lord with his son Isaac, his ONLY son. Abraham took the path that God laid out for him. There was no temptation of the devil involved. The devil was left out of that sundry time and diverse manner. This was GOD’s doing. It was marvelous and IS marvelous in our eyes. In our day, the trial and testing of God’s people is not over. You say that you have faith? Rest assured that God is going to prove that FAITH. The tangibles of faith is an obedient child, one who is tempted, and proved and through the love and fear of God, stands on the mountain of the Lord as an overcomer in Jesus Christ. There are many voices in the word of God. We can listen to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, to Moses and to the voice of the prophets and to the book of Psalms to the words of psalmists.

Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: (Luke 24:25)
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? (Luke 24:26)
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:27)
And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. (Luke 24:28)
But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. (Luke 24:29)
And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. (Luke 24:30)
And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. (Luke 24:31)
And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? (Luke 24:32)

   Then we have a continuation of the voice of the Spirit of God in Luke 24:44-48.

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (Luke 24:44)
Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, (Luke 24:45)
And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: (Luke 24:46)
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:47)
And ye are witnesses of these things. (Luke 24:48)

   As the Lord Jesus delivered things concerning HIMSELF, the Person of His Deity in the Old Testament, that HE WAS THE GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That HE WAS THE GOD that sat face to face with Moses, this was NOT a sermonette that we hear today. The souls of men are so restless that they cannot BARE the word of God for more than fifteen minutes. It is a tragic SHAME to the pastors, to the preachers, to the servants of God that they spend so little time in preparation and in the word of God, so that God can bring HIS message in HIS time and for HIS time period. What would happen today if the man of God stood up and received the TRUE message from on high word by word, and sentence by sentence, and that servant of God expounded the things of the Lord Jesus from Moses, the prophets and the Psalms and continued to speak with the voice from above from day light to the shadows of night. And yet, Paul did just that! There was no mention of people leaving, only one poor fellow fell asleep, and it cost him dearly, but Paul raised him up. This is the TRUTH about the church today. Men stand in the pulpit not with the fear of God, but the fear of the congregation! The fear of the worldly influence in the church, the fear of the traditions of men. What can anyone give or receive in fifteen minutes of a watered-down humanistic sermon.  If we want the people of God to be strong in the Lord, to be MIGHTY in the Lord, to have GRACE in the Lord, and to have TRUTH in the Lord, we have to plant the fields, water the seeds, and watch them grow and then reap the harvest. You cannot sow a worthy field in fifteen minutes. Pray about it and see what God has to say. How great is your God? How great is the GodMan Jesus Christ?
    The Jewish people in the days of the Lord Jesus Christ had only the Old Testament writings of God, and yes, they had The Living Word of God among them. From Abel throughout the Old Testament, God had been tilling the ground, He had been planting the seed of FAITH and nourishing the ground with the word of God preparing the ground for the COMING of the Messiah, who was that holy thing, that holy child, that Holy One, the Holy Man, Christ Jesus.
    John the Baptist beheld the Lord Jesus Christ and verbally pointed to HIM as the Lamb of God, as the sacrifice and as the burnt offering. The footprints of Abraham and Isaac were seen in that very moment as sundry times and diverse manners. God had answered Isaac’s question from heaven, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Many people do not see the full impact of the inspired words of John the Baptist from heaven. First, Behold the Lamb of God. Behold the sacrifice. Behold the burnt offering. Behold the perfectness and the preciousness of this Lamb of God. Not a lamb of man, but a Lamb of GOD which taketh away the sin of Israel? NO. Which taketh away the sin OF THE WORLD! When we allow the Spirit of God to stretch each word, each sentence, each verse, each Chapter and each book, we will see in the prophetic truth and the symbolism from on high a GREATER book than man has ever had. A LIVING SYMBOL with breath and a heartbeat of heaven in the very words in our King James Bible, given to us by the Spirit of The Living Word from on high.
   In Genesis 22, the very Chapter is a double witness to us. The number 22 involves TWO men, Abraham and Isaac. Then it involved TWO witnesses that went with them and stayed with the beasts. (The double witness within the Old Testament and the New Testament, yet AFAR OFF.) We have another double witness in the unity of the father and son, Abraham and Isaac. The father LED and the son was in subjection to the will of his father. This was the diverse manners, a witness of Christ in the Old Testament. He verbally, the Lord Jesus Christ, reminded ALL humanity of HIS presence in the Old Testament in Luke Chapter 24. That not only the record of His manifestations, but the record encompassing of the exact burnt offering from above. That, Thou, speaking of God the Father, shall make HIS soul and offering for sin. There is NO way, that if the Holy Spirit did not write those words to us, that we could understand such a marvelous thing that the LOVE of God did for us, for YOU and for me when HE offered the SOUL, the very SOUL of the GODMAN as a burnt offering to take away the sin of the world.

   (We had a piano once that was out of tune, so we called a professional to come and to tune that piano. Immediately, the man identified that it was a long time since that the piano had been tuned. Do you see where I am going? Do you want to be in tune with the Lord? Has it been a long time since you have read the word of God and diligently prayed over every line and listened for the Spirit’s voice. The piano tuner worked on that piano for hours. Finally, every key, every string played TRUE. But the man told us at the end, If you call me every year, it will not take this long, and I will not have to work as hard to keep your piano in tune. I ask you again, Are you getting the message from the piano. You eat food every day and yet Scripture declares that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of God. Stop listening to the traditions of men. Stop listening to the Greek and Hebrew experts, and the language experts and start listening to the Holy Ghost and let HIM keep you in tune with the word of God.)

   The Bible tells us that we should diligently seek Him. That is NOT a one-time thing. That’s not walking down the aisle one time. That’s meeting with God EVERY day and throughout that day. I ask you to try this, and it will be difficult for it is difficult for me, when we first wake up in the morning, let your first thought be of Christ, and ask the Lord Jesus, What do you have for me today? Throughout the Old Testament, and again remember, that in the days of the Lord Jesus on earth, it was ONLY the Old Testament, and those of faith could only understand the symbolism and the manifestations through the guidance of the Spirit of Christ that was IN them.
    In Genesis 22, in verse 2, we are introduced to the burnt offering which in the fullness of time would be the divine witness, GOD HIMSELF, in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, we have two more actions: the Holy Spirit of God writes, speaking of Abraham and Isaac, they went both of them together. Not once does the Holy Spirit write, but TWICE in verse 6 and in verse 8, they went both of them together.

● And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid [it] upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:6)
● And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:8)

   Now here is the truth of the matter. In the mouth of two or three witnesses, EVERY WORD IS ESTABLISHED. When the Lord Jesus was manifested, we have the witness of the Father for His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We have the witness of His Son for His Father in heaven, and then lastly, the witness of the Holy Ghost for the fullness of the Godhead bodily. So, a simple phrase, they went both of them together, and then the importance of that phrase, it is mentioned TWICE.
    In the upper room, when Christ took the bread and the cup, God the Father was there. When they came to take the Lord Jesus with swords and staves, and the traitor Judas, God the Father was there. When they beat the Lord Jesus and plucked out His hair, and mocked Him as the Son of God, God the Father was there. When they dragged Him to the Court of Pilate and presented Him, the King of glory, to the World Court of Rome, God the Father was there. When Pilate asked the Lord Jesus, Art thou a king? And the reply was, To this end was I born. God the Father was there . . . they went both of them together. Both of them stood before Pilate’s thugs, his band of men, as they also beat the Lord Jesus, as they also mocked Him as the Son of God, and God the Father was there. It wasn’t a custom for a condemned person to carry his own cross to the place of the skull. But Pilate made an exception for the Lord Jesus that He would bare the burden of His own cross. The two thieves beside Him later did not bear their own crosses.
    In Genesis 22:6, And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid [it] upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. The number six is the number of man. With the number of man, we see Isaac bearing the wood upon himself.

◆ SIDE NOTE: The Beast of Burden:
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. (Genesis 22:3)
Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. (Genesis 22:4)
And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. (Genesis 22:5)
  We see the beast of burden in the ass. The ass in Scripture is an unclean beast, therefore, in Genesis 22, it is the ass that initially carried the wood, the burden of sin upon him. But the ass, being an unclean beast, could not reconcile himself nor others. The burden of the wood was then placed on the ONLY son. Thus, showing that man could not redeem himself. Redemption could only come from the Son of the Father’s love as an offering in a sweetsmelling savor. (Ephesians 5:2) ◆ The End of SIDE NOTE: The Beast of Burden.

   By the way, the wood was just as much part of Abraham’s altar as the stones were a part of that altar. So, Christ would bear the burden of His own cross, of His own altar. The weight of that cross was a symbol of the weight of man’s sin and guilt to where the Lord Jesus NO longer could continue up the hill of Golgotha, the place of the skull. But God the Father was with Him, and God the Father helped Him. Simon was compelled to bear the weight of the cross to the top of Golgotha, the place of the skull. He was just passing by, but God compelled him through the people to bear the cross, and by the word compelled, we also see the Simon, a Cyrenian who had come out of his own country and being moved by the Holy Spirit bore the cross to the top of Golgotha. Notice also, that God had gathered into Jerusalem at the time of the Passover, disciples of the Jews from ALL nations. Even an Ethiopian eunuch beheld what transpired in Jerusalem concerning the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ.

● And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. (Matthew 27:32)
● And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. (Mark 15:21) And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. (Mark 15:22) 

   God the Father was there watching His Beloved Son and as Abraham, He had a heavy heart for they both went up the mountain together. They crucified Him there. Notice also, in verse 25 of Mark 15, it was the third hour. In verse 33, it was the sixth hour. Christ had hung on the cross for three hours, and God the Father was watching. Now in verse 33, when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness, the dead of darkness that covered the whole land and over all the earth.

● And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. (Mark 15:25)
● And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. (Mark 15:33)
● And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. (Luke 23:44)

   This darkness came over all the earth. This was the spiritual flood of man’s evil OVER ALL THE WORLD. God exposed the darkness of man’s hearts because their enmity hated the Light. Well, if you hate the Light, then you will live in darkness. There will be no Light around you, nor Light within you. In the New Testament, we have the testimony of the darkness, of the depth of the darkness of man’s heart.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18)
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19)
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. (John 3:20)

   When the Lord Jesus spoke about man’s darkness, He used the light of the eye as a symbol. If there is no light in the eyes, and I speak of man’s heart, how great is the darkness. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6:23) This darkness flowed over the world for three continuous hours. Here is the matter: in three hours of darkness, the world was being judged. You say, How? From the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to the tree at Golgotha, and all the future sin of the world was being JUDGED ON CHRIST during those three hours of darkness that fell upon the whole earth . . . how great is that darkness.
    Under Genesis 2:17, man was given the Law of Sin and Death. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:17) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)

   This is the knife in Genesis 22:6, the knife is hanging over man every day of his life. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. (Romans 5:12) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23) Man cannot hide from the Law of Sin and Death. Man cannot justify Himself. Man cannot be made righteous from sin. Don’t get ahead of me now. Adam was locked out of the garden, and all of his descendants. He had NO key in his descendants to return back to the garden. This is why God sent us a Man from heaven. This is why God sent us His Son. Not only did Abraham have a knife, but he also carried the fire. When they packed up and left the camp, Abraham already had in his hand a burning fire. This reminds us of the flaming sword that kept Adam out of the garden. That sword was not only a symbol of death, but it was also symbolizes judgment and conflict. It was also a sword of fire. In the Bible, the sword of fire, or flaming sword is the first reference to actual fire. However, we see the first reference to fire was actually IN heaven, and the stones of fire. Now, who was Lucifer? He was the anointed cherub. He is the ONLY angel who was anointed in the Bible. He was also responsible for the sanctuaries and he defiled them by the multitude of his iniquities.

Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. (Ezekiel 28:13)
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. (Ezekiel 28:14)
Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. (Ezekiel 28:15)
By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. (Ezekiel 28:16)
Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. (Ezekiel 28:17)
Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. (Ezekiel 28:18)

   Lucifer walked among the stones of fire . . . thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. It was Lucifer’s self will that brought about iniquity within him, as he began the rebellion of one third of all of the angels against The Almighty God. That was not the end of his sin or of his iniquity. When the rebellion failed in heaven, Lucifer was cast down to the earth. So, at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Lucifer, Satan, the old serpent the devil began a new rebellion on earth using Adam and Eve as pawns of his destruction of sin and death. The fire in the hand of Abraham symbolized judgment, to turn the sin of man to ashes in the burnt offering. When we come to the Lord Jesus on the cross, we see the relationship of the fire to the burnt offering. So, where do we see the fire? How about in Psalm 22:14 and 15. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. (Psalm 22:14) My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. (Psalm 22:15) Wax only melts with heat. Since we are in such a situation in Psalm 22, we must consider a reference to fire in the judgment of God the Father upon His Son when thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, a burnt offering for sin. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10)

   Both the knife and the fire were in the hands of Abraham. This links to the judgment of God the Father. There was a physical judgment that the Son of man experienced. There was a spiritual judgment that the Son of God experienced. Although Christ was ONE and the SAME there were these two different aspects of judgment. The Pharisees and the Sadducees and the priests and the people of the Jews and Pilate and the Romans though they thought they were judging Christ under THEIR law, they could not see that they were filling up their own cup of sin and iniquity before an Almighty God. They were under the complete influence of the prince of darkness. Satan had blinded them to all truth because he was a liar and a murderer from the beginning. He lied in heaven causing a rebellion. He lied on earth causing a rebellion. However, the Lord Jesus exposed the devil and his children in John 8:44. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. The stones of fire, the Eternal fire of God, when we first see Lucifer in Scripture, he is walking among the stones of fire. The last time that we see Lucifer/Satan, the old serpent the devil, he is cast into the lake of fire. We have a prophecy that was given by God directly to Lucifer in heaven. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. (Ezekiel 28:18)

   This prophecy is fulfilled in Revelation 20:10, And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Let us consider the lake of fire. It has a direct connection with the sin of man. Adam sinned and fire kept him out of the garden of Eden. Adam brought sin into the world, and sin kept all mankind out of the garden of Eden. That flaming sword blocked the way to the tree of life because the death of life and death would only come in the fullness of time. In the book of the Revelation, the lake of fire is mentioned four (4) times.

1. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20)
2. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10)
3. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (Revelation 20:14)
4. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)

   In Revelation 20:10, it is the deceiver himself who is cast into the lake of fire. This is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Ezekiel 28:18. In Revelation 20:14, both death and hell are cast into the lake of fire. In Luke 16, the Lord Jesus gives us a divine witness of hell as an actual place of deserved torment. In Revelations 20:15, we have the finality of the judgment of man under sin for ALL who are not in the book of life are cast into the lake of fore.
   This all takes place at the great white throne judgment. If your name is NOT found in the Lamb’s Book of Life, you will certainly be cast into the lake of fire, and this is the second death. Four times, the lake of fire is mentioned, and four is the number of the world. And to whoever I am writing to and for, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is still going out into the whole world. This gospel is your document of freedom from sin and death. If you deny the Person of Jesus Christ, you will be found in Revelation 20:15 standing before the great white throne with NO excuse, all the excuses that you give now will NOT matter. There will be NO return, NO exit door, NO reprieve, you will be cast into the lake of fire where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth, and as I wrote before, there is NO end, there is NO termination, it is from everlasting to everlasting . . . for ever and ever.

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THE BURNT OFFERING
IN THE DETERMINATE COUNSEL AND
FOREKNOWLEDGE OFGOD
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: (Acts 2:23)

   Back to Genesis 22 . . . In 22:2, we have the first mention of the burnt offering. In the entire book of Genesis, the only place that you will find the burnt offering is IN Genesis 22. In this Chapter, the burnt offering is mentioned SIX (6) times. The number six is the number of man. In the finality of the number of man is seen in The Beast, the man of sin, in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, and that number of THAT man is 6 – 6 – 6. Since the burnt offering is mentioned SIX times in Genesis 22, the Spirit of God is unveiling to us the need of ALL men covered in sin. Compare Revelation Chapter 13 to the last mention of the burnt offering in Genesis 22:13.
1. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only [son] Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. (Genesis 22:2)
2. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. (Genesis 22:3)
3. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid [it] upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:6)
4. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here [am] I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where [is] the lamb for a burnt offering? (Genesis 22:7)
5. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:8)
6. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind [him] a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. (Genesis 22:13)
   But how did all of mankind become covered with sin? When Adam brought sin into the world, both the woman and the man were in transgression. But Adam, being the Federal Head, or the first created man, brought sin into the world. He became sin, and Eve’s womb became the womb of sin, and ALL of Adam’s race from that point forward would be born IN sin. There was ONLY ONE HOLY THING in the womb of a woman.

● And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)
● But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 1:20)

    Consider these two verses, that holy thing was sent from heaven under the guidance and protection of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost did not leave the womb of Mary while that holy thing grew in the womb, the Holy Ghost kept that holy thing separate from sinners. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. (Hebrews 7:26) As we look at Hebrews 7:26 we should examine the words that the Holy Ghost gives us and there are four main points that make HIM, the Lord Jesus Christ, the ULTIMATE burnt offering. The first point is WHO IS HOLY. Speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ: yesterday, today and forever. His Holiness was from His Holy throne in heaven above. That HOLY THING could not be defiled by sin or by the ways of man. The word harmless denotes the character of the Lamb of God.  He was meek, lowly in heart. Then we have the word undefiled. Although He bore the sin of the whole world He was NOT defiled. His righteousness was upheld by the character of His own holiness. He was the High Priest of God walking among the stones of fire of the sin of mankind. He was SEPARATE, not separated, but SEPARATE that means that HE had NO LINK to Adam. In that womb of Mary the Holy Ghost protected that holy thing, and that holy thing being Manna from heaven was fed from above for He was undefiled. Many speak of the birth of Christ as a miracle birth, and they have no understanding of that miracle. The entire conception and growth of that holy thing in the womb of Mary was a SUPERNATURAL act of God. There was NO chance, even in the womb, that this Lamb of God would be defiled. He was the PERFECT and the most PRECIOUS burnt offering of all. There was so much separation in Mary’s womb that even the blood of that holy thing was God’s blood. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. These three words found in Acts 20:28, his own blood denote that the blood that flowed through the veins of the Lord Jesus had no human element to it, but it was God’s own blood. In Hebrews Chapter 12, we have the sprinkling of blood that speaketh better things than that of Abel. What is the Holy Ghost disclosing in the section of Scripture? And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than [that of] Abel. (Hebrews 12:24) You cannot understand this verse without a good understanding of the book of Hebrews. God presents HIS SON in the very first Chapter as the brightness of His glory and the express image of His Person. He presents the Lamb of God from heaven and as we travel through the book of Hebrews we see the many characteristics of the Son of God, His offering, His Priesthood, His blood of perfection, His sacrifice, and His blood that speaketh better things than that of Abel. This verse in Hebrews 12 can be understood better when reading Chapter 9, verses 23 – 26.

● It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. (Hebrews 9:23)
For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: (Hebrews 9:24)
Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; (Hebrews 9:25)
For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:26)
● But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; (Hebrews 9:11)
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Hebrews 9:12)
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: (Hebrews 9:13)
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14)

   Here is the blood of sprinkling: Christ ascended, after His resurrection, to God His Father with the blood of the everlasting covenant, His own blood, and as the High Priest of God went into the Holy Place in heaven and sprinkled ALL things with His own blood especially the Mercy seat. This was the fulfillment of ALL grace and truth. This was the FINALITY of the redemptive process and plan. What was SEALED on earth with His resurrection was NOW SEALED in heaven in the Holy Place on the Mercy seat. The angels looked on and wondered at this marvelous LOVE that Christ had, that GOD had IN Christ reconciling the world unto Himself.
   There are three things that you should consider: in Genesis 22, God discloses that He offered His Son as a burnt offering. In Isaiah 53:10, God discloses that He offered the SOUL of His Son. In Hebrews Chapter 9, God discloses that He offered HIS BLOOD. Three definite points of the burnt offering, for in the burnt offering, God SAW the Lamb of sacrifice. God FELT the offering of His SOUL. God GAVE His blood to cover the sin of the whole world, and to reconcile the things in heaven, the things in earth and the things under the earth IN ONE BLOOD, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ . . . God’s blood on the Mercy seat within the veil in heaven above.
   Also, in the burnt offering we see God the Father offering His Son when He GAVE the Lamb of God to the world. We see the Son of God, as Melchisedec, offering Himself as the burnt offering. And lastly, through the Eternal Spirit that Christ offered Himself.

● How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14)
● And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: (Romans 1:4)
● For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1st Peter 3:18)
● And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. (Luke 23:46)

   When Christ gave His Spirit to God the Father, this was THE ETERNAL SPIRIT of Hebrews 9:14. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? In Romans 1, it was the same ETERNAL SPIRIT of holiness that raised the Lord Jesus from the dead. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. His Spirit was SAFE in the Godhead, so His Body would NOT see corruption. His resurrection would bring forth that holy thing that had descended from heaven above. Notice, in Luke 1:35 that holy thing. And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Notice the holiness in relationship with the Spirit of God that RAISED the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ in Romans 1:4. Then compare that with the holiness of the High Priest in Hebrews 7:26. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.

Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. (Acts 2:24)
For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: (Acts 2:25)
Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: (Acts 2:26)
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (Acts 2:27)

   When the Lord Jesus commended His Spirit to God the Father, we see the work of His Spirit while His Body remained at rest. As His Body slept in the dark sepulchre, His Spirit was still active in the work of His Father in preaching to the souls of the lost spirits.

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1st Peter 3:18)
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; (1st Peter 3:19)
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. (1st Peter 3:20)
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: (1st Peter 3:21)
Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. (1st Peter 3:22)

   Many ask this question, What did the Lord Jesus preach to the spirits in prison? He preached the everlasting gospel. Although the word gospel is used many times in the Bible, in many different ways, the everlasting gospel is only mentioned once in Scripture in Revelation 14:6 and 7. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, (Revelation 14:6) Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. (Revelation 14:7) The everlasting gospel is from everlasting to everlasting. It is the TRUTH centered IN the ONE who is ALL truth. The Lord Jesus never turned aside from truth because IN HIM was the Spirit of ALL truth. The Spirit of truth is mentioned four times in the writings of John the apostle by the Spirit of God.

1. [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. (John 14:17)
2. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: (John 15:26)
3. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (John 16:13)
4. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. (1st John 4:6)

   As we examine these four mentions of the spirit of truth, we also see in them the spirit of grace which is only mentioned once in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament. (Zechariah 12:10)

● And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10)
● Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:29)

   We should also consider the spirit of holiness that is only mentioned once and yet, it is mentioned surrounded by the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. (Romans 1:4) Now the question can be asked, What is the MIND of the Spirit? The phrase the mind of the Spirit is only recorded once in Scripture, and through that ONE time HE, the Spirit of Truth, is making intercession for the children of God, those who are born of the Spirit of Christ. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:27) The Spirit of grace ministers to us from the throne of grace. We are under the protective umbrella of grace when we are born again. The children of God are BEGOTTEN of God BY His Spirit into a NEW being of His Spirit.
    We are still living in earthly surroundings. The devil, Satan, the old serpent is STILL trying to shake the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He tries to weaken us through the many religions of this world: his religions. He is the prince of darkness. He is the possessor of the spirit of negative darkness. He delights in trying to devour the children of God. So, we need a place of refuge. A place we can go to. A physical place in heaven, which is the throne of grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are spiritual beings trapped in our own old flesh until we pass from THIS life into our presence with the Lord. So at times, we need to find a place of mercy, and this mercy can only be found at the throne of grace of the Lord Jesus Christ given to us as a place of refuge. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
   This is the mind of the Spirit that makes intercession for us in Romans 8. Many in this world, who profess the Lord Jesus Christ, ACT like they are all alone in this world. They have never been transformed by the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Grace. They do not possess the mind of the Spirit. As we go back to Abraham and Isaac, Abraham could NOT leave his dwelling place unless he had the mind of the Spirit of God. Abraham and Isaac went both of them TOGETHER in the mind of the Spirit of God. Although Isaac asked the question, Where is the Lamb for the burnt offering? The mind of the Spirit of God answered through Abraham, that GOD WILL PROVIDE HIMSELF A LAMB FOR A BURNT OFFERING.
     In John 3:14, (And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up) the world only sees the cross. However, they do not see the serpent on the pole. They do not see the battle between HE, who is GOOD, and the serpent who is evil. The Lord Jesus presents the author of sin and death to us in this evil serpent of death. Who was this serpent of death? Israel had sinned against the Lord, and the Lord sent fiery serpents among them because of their SIN, and wages of sin is death, so, death passed upon all who had been bitten. This could have destroyed the nation of Israel, almost at its birth, however, mercy overcame The Law of Sin and Death.
   As people were dying, Moses cast a brazen serpent and put it on a pole. God had instructed him and Moses complied with God’s instructions. Moses became the intercessor between the fiery serpents and those who had been bitten. If they looked to the brazen serpent on the pole, they lived. If they turned away from God’s mercy, they died. Christ in John3:15 discloses the tragedy of sin in an object lesson from the Old Testament. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. That HE, HIMSELF, would be lifted up before man, that if man would look to Him and surrender to the everlasting Spirit that he would be saved and have eternal life. The cross was the altar of the Lamb of God. It was the place of the burnt offering and the shedding of the blood of God. Research the words burnt offering and burnt offerings. Many verses have dual mentions and even triple mentions. The phrase burnt offering is documented 184 times. The phrase burnt offering is found however in only seventeen books and they are ALL in the Old Testament.

—–◆—–
The UNIQUENESS of The BURNT OFFERING
AS THE ATONEMENT

   The burnt offering is the FIRST offering in the book of Leviticus. (Leviticus 1:4) And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. In this verse the first offering (the burnt offering) is linked together with the word atonement, thus, bringing out the character of the burnt offering. Now, the word atonement is mentioned 81 times in 70 verses in 33 Chapters in 8 books in Scripture. Eighty (80) times in the Old Testament and only ONE (1)time in the New Testament in the book of Romans 5:11. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Numbers are very important especially with the word atonement. The word atonement is found in 70 verses. The number 70 speaks for itself.

   The number 7 is the completion of God’s perfection in His work which reflects the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is finished. The number 70 is the fulfillment and the presence of God’s rest: because of the ATONEMENT we rest in Jesus Christ. Here is another number that should get your attention. The word atonement is only seen in 33 chapters. We have the double three related to the atonement, and we can use the words of the Spirit, they went both of them together in the fullness of the Godhead bodily. You would think that this would complete the voice of the Spirit, but let us go on, the word atonement is only found in 8 books of the Bible. The number 8 is the number of the first day of the week, the number of new beginnings, and the number of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

   You can take all of the modern translations that have been translated out of the theological schools of the Nicolaitans and you will not be able to build on your faith as these references because they are ONLY found in the one Bible sent down by God with the commission and the approval of a worldly king documenting the words of the heavenly King of Kings. It is commonly called, the King James Bible. However, it is by no means COMMON.
    Now let us look at the SUM of the things that we SEE in the burnt offering of which Isaac was a type in Genesis 22. We see that God called Abraham. It was the Voice of the Lord that Abraham answered, Here am I. It was the Lord who designated the lamb AND the mountain AND the location of the burnt offering. Who is sufficient for these things? It was the Lord who told Abraham of this new thing: the burnt offering, and the Lord specifically mentioned Isaac to be the burnt offering. It is the Lord who first used the phrase ONLY SON as it applied to Isaac. It was NOT Abraham who gave this title to Isaac. It was the LORD Himself who designated Isaac as Abraham’s ONLY SON. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only [son] Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. (Genesis 22:2) Remember the book of Genesis Chapter 22 is the ONLY place in that book that we have the words burnt offering, and only son. This gives us a direct connection with Hebrews Chapter 1: 3, 4 and 5.

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3)
Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (Hebrews 1:4)
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? (Hebrews 1:5)

   Another wonderful point that the Spirit of God brings out is that ONLY ONE time in Scripture Christ is the ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER, making Christ the ONLY BEGOTTEN with a divine nature. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) What we see is a direct link of the Lord Jesus as the burnt offering. Again, read Leviticus Chapter 1, see the words sweet savour, these words describe what ascended up to God in those offerings. Yes, we are going to repeat ourselves because this is important! Ephesians 5:2, discloses the burnt offering IN the Lord Jesus Christ. It unveils the atonement in the offering up of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us read it together. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. The word  sweetsmelling (as ONE WORD) is only recorded ONCE in Scripture. This discloses that the offering of Christ AS God’s burnt offering was far above the offerings of the Old Testament, that all of the offering combined were NOT a sweetsmelling savour. We see this first in the deity of the offering. No man nor beast could match the work, the holiness, the righteousness, and the position of the Lord Jesus Christ. It also shows a direct relationship with the similitudes of the burnt offering in the Old Testament. Again, in Isaac we see Abraham’s ONLY SON.

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. (Galatians 4:28)
But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. (Galatians 4:29)
Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. (Galatians 4:30)
So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. (Galatians 4:31)

   Remember that the womb of FAITH is also the seed of promise. For all things revolve around the seed of Abraham and the promises that God has given to him. I speak in the present because all of those promises are relevant to our present day and age. We are compared to Isaac who was born of the Spirit, who came out of the womb of FAITH by the God of promise. The Lord has brought us, the children of God, into the land of mount Moriah, the mountain of the Lord. How could we NOT see this that we are born by the Spirit of freedom IN Christ Jesus THROUGH the atonement, the burnt offering, the sweetsmelling savour of Christ.
   We are the children of Abraham THROUGH Jesus Christ. We are the children of promise THROUGH Jesus Christ. We are the children of the eternal generation of Jesus Christ.

● There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)
And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:29)
● The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. (Matthew 1:1)

   It has always amazed me that when a person reads Matthew 1:1, they skip over or do not properly read the word generation. They skip over this word and go on to the list of names in the genealogy. Now let me give you the meaning of the word generation in Matthew 1:1. It is not generations of Adam, or of David or of Abraham. The Holy Spirit is specific . . . it is the generation of Jesus Christ. This is one The Generation of Eternity –eternal generation made up of all those who have come out of the womb of FAITH by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Go to Psalm 22, verses 30 and 31. A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. (Psalm 22:30) They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this. (Psalm 22:31)
   A seed shall serve Him. The HIM is the Lord Jesus Christ. This seed is part of His generation, the eternal generation of God Himself. In verse 31, it even describes our responsibility that we should declare His righteousness to the people who shall be born. As it is seen in the mountain of the Lord, we are to proclaim that He has bought us with His precious divine blood. Now on to Isaiah 53:8. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. We see again the witness of the righteous for they shall declare his generation. The Holy Spirit again centers on the word generation. Go to Psalm 24:6. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. The casual reader will get confused with the name Jacob. The Spirit of God uses Jacob as a symbol of the promises that were given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is very similar to the words Abraham’s bosom used in Luke Chapter 16. They both refer to the promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. However, as we look closer at Psalm 24:6, it is the generation of them that seek him.
   Now on to the New Testament with that same generation. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. Here we have a chosen generation. (1st Peter 2:9) This chosen generation lives by the FAITH of the Son of God who loved them and gave Himself for them. He has promoted us and given us a royal priesthood to offer up prayers which is the fruit of our lips, and that we should shew forth His praises for He has called us out of darkness into his marvellous light. He has divided us from the darkness of sin and death and has given us Light and Life IN Himself. Each individual Christian that is born of the Spirit of Christ is a tangible building block of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Buildings and congregations mean NOTHING without the individual Spirit of Christ in the hearts of His children who collectively come as individuals to worship the Lord Jesus Christ and to show forth His glory to a dark and unrepentant world. Consider 1st Peter 1:2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. This is not a verse for an unbeliever. The word ELECT throws them into a dizzy spell. Without the Spirit of God in the heart, it becomes difficult for man to reconcile the Sovereignty of God with the concept of election. God tells man what to do. Man does not tell God what to do. The elect of God began with Abel, and then throughout all the children of faith in Scripture. Then, we have the word the foreknowledge of God. The unrepentant heart refuses to allow God to work out His determinate counsels according to His foreknowledge. The entire foundation of the plan of redemption pivots on the foreknowledge and the determinate counsels of God. Does God have a right to choose. Yes, He does! The redeemed were chosen IN Christ before the foundation of the world. The grace of God according to 1st Peter 1:2, is only for the elect. With that we have peace with God AND through our journey of FAITH and experiencing the hand of God in our lives, our peace is multiplied. 1st Peter 1:18, this is NOT for the world, it is NOT for the lost. It is for those who have been washed with the blood of the Lamb.

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; (1st Peter 1:18)
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (1st Peter 1:19)
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, (1st Peter 1:20)
Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. (1st Peter 1:21)

   As Isaac was a child of promise, as we see in Galatians 4, so are WE, who have come through the Spirit of God from the womb of FAITH.
   As we travel up the mountain of the Lord in the land of Moriah. The Lord used the phrase  thy only son three times. He used this phrase in two different phases. In Genesis 22:2, we have the beginning of the trial of Abraham. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only [son] Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. It is emphasized in Hebrews 11:17 when we are informed that Abraham offered up his son by FAITH. Faith sees the invisible purposes of God. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. What we see in Hebrews Chapter 11 is that Abrah am fulfilled and completed in his heart the offering up of Isaac, his only son. When God speaks to Abraham in the very beginning of Genesis 22, there is no question of spirit of doubt from Abraham to the Lord. Abraham had learned to trust God in complete obedience to God whether it was defeating (in battle) the four kings of the East, or in the separation between Abraham and Lot, or watching from afar the dark clouds rising into the skies from the destruction of Sodom because they DID evil continuously, thus, God judged them for the sins of their flesh.
    You think that your walk of faith is difficult. Think of this man Abraham every time you complain. He was told to take his ONLY son and to offer that son as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of Moriah. He did not turn away nor try to hide himself among the trees, but he was obedient to the very letter of the Lord’s request. So, the first mention of thine only son in Genesis 22:2 is answered by a man of FAITH, the friend of God, Abraham. The only one who was called a friend of God. So how did God repay the FAITH of Abraham. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son] from me. (Genesis 22:12) Lay not thine hand upon the lad. Here we have the grace of God answering the man of FAITH. Everyone of faith faces trials in life. It is how we respond to those trials that God judges our hearts. The man of faith is given a reprieve; he had raised the knife into the air when God stayed his hand. As we have previously mentioned, FAITH is mysteriously wed with the fear of God. We see again the fulfillment of the transaction that began in verse 2. For God proclaimed that Abraham did not withhold his son. That means that Abraham had mentally, emotionally and spiritually surrendered his son as a burnt offering to the Lord. God saw ALL that IN Abraham. How about the reward of faith? We see the reward of faith in the last mention of thine only son by God Himself. And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son]. (Genesis 22:16) In verses 17 and 18 God details the blessings of faith because of the ACTIVE faith of Abraham. That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; (Genesis 22:17) And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. (Genesis 22:18) In verses 17 and 18, the God of promise extending His promises to Abraham. As God blesses Abraham, He will multiple Abraham’s seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand upon the seashore. Both the stars and the sand are innumerable and they have existed for millenniums over our heads and under our feet. We are completely surrounded by the promises of God. God now gives another promise. This brings in the saints today. In Abraham’s seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Why should they be blessed? They are ALL blessed because of the action of FAITH. In verse 2, Abraham moved according to faith. In verse 12, Abraham fulfilled his obligation according to faith. In verse 16, God honored that faith by declaring that Abraham did not withhold his son from the Almighty God. Then faith receives its reward. We, today, being of Abraham’s seed, the seed of faith, enter into the promises of God for we are as the stars of the sky, AND the generation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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THE BURNT OFFERING SLAIN
THE LAMB SLAIN
5. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:8)

   In Genesis 22:8 notice also Abraham used the word My son for Isaac, and he used the word lad in verse 25, but Abraham NEVER used the phrase, thine only son, or only son. ONLY GOD used those two phrases.  This stands out for God Himself would not only provide a Lamb for a burnt offering, but that Lamb would be God’s ONLY BEGOTTEN SON. God offered that RAM caught in the thicket by thorns wrapped around its horns on one of the mountains of Moriah. The burnt offering was slain. We know that the number eight speaks of a new beginning. The number eight also speaks of the first day of the week, the day that the Lord Jesus arose from the dead.

   Here is what we have in the burnt offering SLAIN in the Lord Jesus Christ from the foundation of the world. Eight times in Scripture the Lord is referred to as SLAIN. In Luke 9:22, Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. This first mention was by the Lord. That leaves seven more times that the Holy Spirit witnesses to the burnt offering being SLAIN. In Acts 2:23, it was by wicked hands that they crucified and had SLAIN the Lord Jesus. Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. In Acts 13:28, there was NO CAUSE of death found in the Lord Jesus, yet the priests and the Levites and the people desired that the Lord Jesus should be SLAIN. And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. Then in Ephesians 2:15 and 16 we read, Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. Examine these two verses closely, remember that we are considering the burnt offering. Christ abolished the enmity within us from the sin of Adam. Christ also reconciled us to the Law and Commandments and the Ordinances that were held against us, and that had condemned us under the Law of Moses and also The Law of Sin and Death. Christ made in Himself of twain, of TWO, one New MAN, so making peace. As the Son of man in His flesh, He become the burnt offering. As the Son of God in His Spirit He became the sweetsmelling savour to God the Father making ONE NEW MAN of resurrection glory and yet, even in resurrection showing the wounds that He bore to reconcile us unto God. That He might reconcile IN ONE BODY by the death of Himself in the burnt offering on the cross of Calvary. In that process, He has SLAIN the enmity by Himself. This is why, as we have been born again, we can bring the message of peace with God to you for He has reconciled US in ONE new being by the Spirit of God.
   From the book of Ephesians to the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, four times in similitude we see the burnt offering in the Lamb that was SLAIN. However, connect what was discussed in the book of Ephesians to what we are about to write. This is what I want you to do. I want you to behold THE BURNT OFFERING in the midst of the throne, NOT SITTING UPON the throne, but He Himself, as the Lamb SLAIN is BOTH the THRONE OF GOD and the TEMPLE OF GOD. He is standing there AS a Lamb that HAD BEEN SLAIN. This tells us that those scars, the nail prints in His hands, and the wound in His side are still visible to the saints in heaven. The evidence of the RAM caught in the thicket, the evidence of the burnt offering slain on the altar, and the evidence of the Lamb of the cross is VISIBLE in heaven. Now to the best of our knowledge, the people of the earth NEVER sang a song of the Lamb that was slain, however, the saints of heaven in Revelation 5:12, with LOUD voices, not little whimpers, but LOUD VOICES proclaim, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Worthy was the burnt offering of God. Worthy was God’s ONLY SON. Worthy, take my only Son and offer Him on one of the mountains of Moriah for the sin of the whole world. Worthy is the Lamb of God. Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. (Revelation 5:12)

● And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. (Revelation 5:6)
● And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (Revelation 5:9)
● Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. (Revelation 5:12)

    And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8) in this verse we have the condition of the world under The Beast who is the man of sin, and the number of his name by interpretation is 6 – 6 – 6: three times the number of man denoting Adam under the curse. Three times the number six is used to take us back to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Three times God gives us the number six depicting the trinity of evil in The Beast, in the False Prophet and in their father, the devil.
    Now the world has given themselves to this trinity of evil. So much so, that they bear the number of his name willfully, without restraint and they are so PROUD and VAIN to belong to him, that they worship The Beast, which is the last name for Adam; they worship the False Prophet, with the lying tongue of Satan, and then they worship Satan himself. Their names are NOT written in The Book of Life of the Lamb, the burnt offering, the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON SLAIN from the foundation of the world. So, now, do we see more in Ephesians 2:15 and 16? He has SLAIN the enmity. This includes the future when He casts The Beast, and the False Prophet ALIVE into the lake of fire. Who is sufficient for these things?
   In Genesis 22:6, again we have the number of man. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. It is here in verse 6 that Isaac becomes the burden bearer by carrying the wood for the sacrifice, the specific sacrifice of the burnt offering. We not only see the son bearing the burden, again, Abraham’s ONLY SON, but we see the relationship of father and son as they travel UP mount Moriah, which is later designated as the mountain of the Lord. And of course, as we mentioned previously, that in THIS, we see Christ bearing His own cross. So what do we see in the cross? Apparently, according to Paul the apostle by the Spirit of the Lord in the book of the Galatians, we should see the glory of the cross not only outwardly, but within ourselves. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Galatians 6:14) This is what I see in this verse: I see the wood for the burnt offering, I see the burden of sin that the Lord Jesus bore for us. I see a great High Priest bringing IN Himself a sacrifice to God for us. He is bringing the bread of His flesh, and the blood of God as a Divine offering that ONLY deity could offer to Himself for the sin of man. God said in His word, by His own hand He has upheld His salvation.

● And I looked, and [there was] none to help; and I wondered that [there was] none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. (Isaiah 63:5)
● And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. (Isaiah 59:16)

   The same glory that Paul saw in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ in Galatians 6. When we compare Galatians 6:14 with Galatians 2:20, we behold a marvel that only the Spirit of God could present to us that IN that cross, in the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, my enmity against God, all my transgressions, the load of my own sin and the burden of my own death was satisfied and dealt with in the righteousness of the Son of God. I am crucified with Christ. God sees my carnal death in the cross of His beloved Son. In my life, I should glory in that cross for the world has been crucified in that cross. And I have been crucified unto the world. I left my earthly life for a life with my beloved as a child of the Living God and as the saints in heaven, I sing praised unto the Lamb that was SLAIN. I live by the FAITH of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
   Now let us consider the burden of Isaac. All men carry the burden of sin. Where did we first acquire that burden? We received it at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil when Adam brought sin into the world as Adam became a child of the serpent, the devil himself.

● Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)
● He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (1st John 3:8)
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (1st John 3:9)
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. (1st John 3:10)
For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. (1st John 3:11)
Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. (1st John 3:12)

   Therefore, ALL mankind falls under The Law of Sin and Death. (Genesis 2:17; Romans 8:2) Our sin cannot be removed from our carnal being. It is IMPOSSIBLE for the flesh to be renewed to a position prior to Adam’s sin. ONLY CHRIST, in the Spirit of His own life can give us NEW life and free us from The Law of Sin and Death. In Genesis 22:6, we see the knife in Abraham’s hand, and we see the fire both hanging over mankind. The knife to bring forth death, and this knife is SIN hanging over ALL of mankind. Now the fire is there to show us that AFTER death, there is a JUDGMENT. Fire always speaks of judgment. Every sacrifice in the Old Testament suffered judgment in the fire of God. The very first offering that Moses and Aaron offered was on the brazen altar. Within the brazen altar was the fire of God SENT down from heaven, and this fire was to be a continual burning fire in ALL of Israel’s offering throughout their history. Of course, this also broke down because of the disobedience of Israel and the Levitical priesthood. They turned away from the fire of God because they refused to accept that The Almighty God as Judge over them. Man continually, from the Old Testament to this very day, likes to substitute his own will and reasoning over the will of God and the truth of God. Man continually thinks that he can work out his own redemption. He does not have a clue until the Holy Spirit of God opens the eyes of his heart to see the depth of his own vileness before a holy and righteous God. Then, the Holy Spirit presents the Lamb of God that bore all of man’s transgressions, all his sins and all of his iniquities on the cross of Calvary. When a person is moved by the Spirit of God and cries out, Forgive me Lord, for I know not what to do. Believe me, God will show you the path right to the cross and He will show you what He has done for you. He will reveal the wood, the knife, the fire, and the love of God In Christ Jesus THE RAM. I bet you didn’t realize that the journey up the mountain of Moriah was long, and we have not yet reached the summit. I am going to sit on one of these rocks and rest awhile, and then we will continue this journey. Get some rest, drink plenty of water and we will continue in the morning.
   Did you have a good rest? Well, time to continue onward up the mountain . . . It will be seen at the mountain of the Lord. The Spirit of God uses the phrase, thine only son, three times in Genesis 22. The number three is related to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ declared that He would raise HIMSELF up on the third day. And so, with the Spirit of holiness, He was raised on that third day. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. (Romans 1:4) The three mentions of thine only son, is connected to God will provide himself a lamb as a burnt offering. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:8) This takes place with Abraham and Isaac nearly 1900 before the birth of Christ. That is almost two millenniums, and yet, we see a lot of detail. When we skip to verse 14, Abraham gives a prophecy of what had just transpired. God will PROVIDE HIMSELF a lamb and it will be seen in the mount of the Lord. The RAM caught in the thicket was God’s Supernatural provision for Abraham and Isaac, both of them were delivered on THAT day. They were delivered not from their sin but from a heart rendering task, and just as Isaac asked, Where is the lamb? Abraham immediately answered from the Spirit of God. God continued to take them to the summit of the mountain, to the VERY PLACE where Abraham built an altar, where Abraham laid the wood, where Abraham bound his son, where Abraham raised his knife, and then the LORD stayed his hand. By grace are ye saved through faith. Another thing that relates to the hearts of Abraham and Isaac, in verse 5 we have the word worship. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. The worship that Abraham and Isaac understood was a heart felt experience with the LORD Himself. They were going UP the mountain, both of them together to WORSHIP the LORD. Here again, Abraham was well aware of what God had asked of him, and yet, WORSHIP was involved. We see a heart for God. Although Abraham feared The Almighty, he had experienced the love and mercy of God. Abraham also knew, as Job of old, that although he slay me, yet will I trust Him. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. (Job 13:15) Both Job and Abraham understood that God was able to raise the dead. That God was THE POWER of resurrection. Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. (Hebrews 11:19)
   All this connects to Genesis 22. Without Isaac, there would be no promises because the promises that Abraham received were SEEN in his son, Isaac. The miracle birth of a son to a woman whose womb was dead, and to man who was as good as dead. Yet, God sent the seed and gave Sarah strength to conceive, although her days were past. Abraham was quickened by the Lord to produce a son whom God named Laughter or Joy, his name shall be called Isaac. According to Galatians 3, those of us today who are born of the Spirit of God through the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross, the Lamb that God would provide, we are brought in by the Spirit of God as the seed of Abraham. This is a divine miracle and I am not going to attempt to explain it, we should understand that the promises of God are without repentance. All the promises of God carry throughout the generation of Jesus Christ. Each one of us who have been born again out of the womb of FAITH, the seed of Abraham born of the Spirit of God. We have been liberated from The Law of Sin and Death by the Living Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:2) Consider Isaac again, according to Galatians, he was born of the Spirit, and again, from a dead womb, and yet, he is the promised seed. He is a seed from heaven. He was a shadow of that child that was born, that holy thing, the Seed of Almighty God, as we see in Galatians 3:16, Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. Thy seed, which is Christ, takes us to a higher realm, for Christ was GOD’S SEED. Christ was that holy thing sent down from heaven. That holy thing came with the POWER of the highest. The Holy Ghost conceived that Seed in Mary’s womb. We do not grasp the full impact of Isaiah 9:6, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. The Spirit of God presents a special child, ONE who was sent from above. ONE who would bear the government of the world upon His shoulders. He was a CHILD that was given from above, who would be the Wonder and WONDERFUL display of God manifested in the flesh. The INVISIBLE God presented Himself in the lowest state of a child needing the care of a mother and a father and growing up amongst man. His name is WONDERFUL.
   That name from the Lamb SLAIN at the foundation of the world, that name is Jesus. The last name to close the book of the Revelation is the Savior Himself, declaring HIS name, I Jesus. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, [and] the bright and morning star. (Revelation 22:16) God cannot deny Himself, therefore, the entire canon of Scripture ends with the name JESUS. God’s Seed was Jesus Christ. God was IN CHRIST reconciling the world unto Himself. Christ was IMMANUEL, which means God with us. Christ was the image of the invisible God. Christ, as the Son of God, was the brightness of His glory and IS the express image of His Person. God the Father sent His Son in these last days. WHY? He sent His Son because from Abel He sent His prophets, He sent His messengers. He sent all those men of faith, and yet, men refused to lay hold of the obedience that God demanded from mankind. Man failed every test. Man took over the vineyard of God with man’s traditions, and man’s religion, and man’s worship of an UNKNOWN God. So, in these last days, God sent His Son to us, a child that was born, and a Son that was given, THINE ONLY SON, the ONLY BEGOTTEN of the Father full of grace and truth. Who in these last days would be the TRUE witness of God and declare Himself the beginning of the creation of God. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. (Revelation 3:14)
   In Isaiah 9:6, after we get passed the miracle, the Supernatural act of God in the birth of the child, we get a SON that was given. This takes us back to Genesis 22 when God proclaimed to Abraham, Take the son, thine only son and offer him on one of the mountains of Moriah as a burnt offering. A SON that was given was also a Gift although he would become the ultimate burnt offering for the sin of the world. Six times the burnt offering is mentioned in Genesis 22. This covers the entire spectrum of mankind. Every child of Adam whether they believe or not were placed under the umbrella of the Divine Burnt Offering, the Lord Jesus Christ.
   The first number in Genesis 22 that relates to the burnt offering is verse 2. 1. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only [son] Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. (Genesis 22:2) Here we see that the number two is the number of witness, and the two witnesses of God’s will, will be Abraham and his only son, Isaac. Also, the two men who remained behind, they are also brought into the cloud of witnesses.
  The next mention is the second mention of the burnt offering is in Genesis 22:3. 2. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. (Genesis 22:3) Here we see a three day journey to one of the mountains in the land of Moriah. The number three is not only the number of resurrection, but it is also the number of the Godhead bodily. In the physical sense, Abraham and Isaac went up the mountain, in the Supernatural and in the UNSEEN it is evident that the LORD went up the mountain WITH them for He was at the summit to stay the hand of Abraham.
3. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid [it] upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:6) In the third mention of the burnt offering in Genesis 22:6, we have the witness of judgment, the wood that Abraham had claved, this is the same wood that Isaac carried up the mountain. Connecting them both together we have the determinate counsels of God and His foreknowledge in presenting God’s SON as the burnt offering. In Abraham’s hand we have the fire AND the knife and we should also see the burden of both men as they went both of them TOGETHER UP INTO the mountain of the LORD. On the wood on Isaac’s back, we see the burden of ALL mankind in their sin. ALL men have a need for an offering outside of themselves. Adam could NOT offer himself, nor could any of his descendants for a burnt offering as a substitute for a RAM caught in a thicket. The cross was the binding place that held the Lamb of God. GOD PROVIDED HIMSELF a Lamb wearing a crown of thorns.
   I find verse 7 of Genesis 22 remarkable. Verse 7 is the number of God’s PERFECT COMPLETION, the number of His rest, and in the seventh verse we have the FOURTH mention of the burnt offering. 4. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here [am] I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where [is] the lamb for a burnt offering? (Genesis 22:7) In the seventh verse, it is Isaac who asks his father, but where [is] the lamb for a burnt offering? Abraham replied that God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. In connection to this wonderful prophecy, and the number seven is also the divine words that Christ spoke from the cross. IT IS FINISHED. Now, we did not see all that Christ went through in the UNSEEN. We did not behold the fires that fell upon Him in the sin of the whole world, but HE saw it to the end. He felt it to the end. He endured it to the end for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and could say IT IS FINISHED. God will PROVIDE HIMSELF a Lamb. Those who the Lord Jesus calls, those lambs who belong to His flock, must come in through the very death of the Lamb. It is only God Himself who can atone for mankind. Atonement must come from afar, OUTSIDE of man, so God PROVIDED the PERFECT burnt offering, HIS SON to take away the sin of the world.
   In verse 7 of Genesis 22 we have a wonderful testimony of the Spirit of God. There is a question that should ring in every heart, Where is the lamb for a burnt offering? Through ALL these things, we see the wood, the fire, the knife, and yet, man is BLIND to the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you realize what He has done for YOU? He took away the sting of death. If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, you will NOT DIE, you will simply fall asleep IN Jesus, until God raises YOU from that sleep. He died on the cross that YOU might live. He overcame death by the Spirit of Life that is IN HIM. He took away The Law of Sin and Death, and gave mankind an opportunity to LIVE FOREVER IN the Spirit of Life that is IN Christ Jesus. The Bible informs us that the Lamb of God was here to take away the sin of the world. However, in Colossians 1:20, He reconciled ALL things unto Himself whether things on earth or things in heaven. And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
   Where was the first mention of sin in the Bible? You’re going to say that it is in Genesis. It is in Ezekiel Chapter 28. The first mention of sin in God’s heavenly realm is in verse 16.

● Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; (Ezekiel 28:6)
● Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. (Ezekiel 28:15)
By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. (Ezekiel 28:16)

   Lucifer brought sin into heaven; therefore, Christ had to redeem ALL things unto Himself. The total power of His righteousness and holiness had to be used against SIN, against Lucifer, the old serpent, the devil, against the sin that had first transpired in heaven, and then transpired on earth, it ALL had to be reconciled unto God by the death of His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
    But there is more. ALL the sin of mankind past, present and future, from Genesis to the lake of fire in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ ALL had to be reconciled. On the cross, He defeated Satan, and destroyed the works of Satan, this included the war in heaven, all the way to the great war on earth when Christ will cast The Beast, the false prophet into the lake of fire ALIVE. Then, lastly, He will cast the devil himself into the lake of fire. This will be the conclusion of what He accomplished on Calvary’s cross destroying the works of the devil. 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 had the power of death, that is, the devil. (Hebrews 2:14) By destroying the works of the devil He has given the opportunity of freedom to those who have come into this world, all of Adam’s race, because they are BORN with the bondage of sin and death, and by the miracle of FAITH, they are FREE in the Spirit of Christ. Psalm 2 discloses that the whole world is against the LORD’s anointed. Do you know how great that anointing was? We have to wait until Hebrews 1:8 and 9 to understand the Wonder of the anointing of the righteous Son of God.

● But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. (Hebrews 1:8)
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Hebrews 1:9)
● Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? (Psalm 2:1)
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, (Psalm 2:2)
Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. (Psalm 2:3)

   This is the only time that the oil of gladness is mentioned in Scripture because it was the anointing of the Holy and Righteous Lamb of God after the order of Melchisedec: the royal and holy Priest of the heavens above, as Himself, as the Divine Sacrifice on the cross of Calvary was anointed. Where is the lamb? When Isaac asked that question Christ was standing in the UNSEEN, HE was there on the mountain with full knowledge of history past, full knowledge of the present, and full knowledge of the future. We do not behold the magnificent value and personality of our Divine Creator. Much less, we do not see the marvels in His divine plan. Do you believe that there is going to be a new heaven and a new earth wherein ONLY righteousness will dwell, completely removed from the present world that we dwell in? As HE was anointed with the oil of gladness, He was anointed for the sacrifice of Himself. The awareness of taking on the sin of the whole world, that sin must be placed upon HIM, not IN HIM, when a sinner in the Old Testament brought a sin offering for his sin, he had to place his hand on the head of the innocent victim, and regarding his own sin, must shed the blood of that innocent victim. By confessing his sin at the offering of the victim, the sinner received forgiveness for that sin. With Christ, man rejected the Lamb, they mocked the Lamb, they beat Him, they plucked out His hair, He was beaten to a point more than any man. And the world still asks the question, Who is He? Who is He? All of Scripture testifies of the Lord Jesus Christ, whether He speaks from a burning bush, or the Captain of the Lord’s host, or the Angel of His presence, or the beginning of the creation of God. Here is ONE who is PERFECT in righteousness without sin, and He must bear the sin of the world. He must reconcile things in heaven and things on earth. His very SOUL became an offering for the sin, a burnt offering. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10) Only THIS burnt offering would God call a sweetsmelling savour. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. (Ephesians 5:2)
4. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here [am] I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where [is] the lamb for a burnt offering? (Genesis 22:7) This is the fourth time that the burnt offering is mentioned in Genesis 22. We have the number 4, the number of the world, which is confirmed in verse 1 of Psalm 24. The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Here is the possession of both the earth and the world, there is a division, when God created the heaven AND the earth, but the world was made. The world became the habitation of man, and man was God’s creation to dwell upon the earth. When Adam brought sin, he brought sin into a world created by sin, and inspired by the father of sin, Lucifer, the old serpent, the devil. What is the sin of the world? It is the north, the south, the east and the west. These are the parameters not given to the earth, but to the world of mankind. God set up these territorial measurements or directions and has set these as a boundary for mankind . . . the world AND they that dwell therein. These are the ones who cried out Crucify him, crucify him. No one of Adam’s race is innocent of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. (Acts 4:26)
For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, (Acts 4:27)
For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. (Acts 4:28)

   Notice how the Holy Spirit gathers the groups together AGAINST the Lord, and against the ONE anointed with the oil of gladness. Also notice in verse 28 that it was because of the determinate counsels of God. Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. (Acts 2:23) The determinate counsels of God do not excuse mankind from their wicked and evil works. The Holy Spirit used the phrase by wicked hands to show that man is responsible for ALL his actions. In Acts Chapter 7, the Holy Spirit, through Stephen, condemned the Jews for always rejecting the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit of God.

Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. (Acts 7:51)
Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: (Acts 7:52)
Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. (Acts 7:53)
When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. (Acts 7:54)

   The darkness that was at the cross was still covering the hearts of the Jews. As Stephen preached beginning from the age of Abraham to their present age, they refused the voice of the Holy Ghost through Stephen. Stephen was not an apostle, but he was the first person in the book of Acts with a documented message sent down by the Holy Spirit of God to convince sinners and to show those men that they had betrayed and condemned the Holy One of God. Did they believe? No. They gritted their teeth and took Stephen and stoned him. These are the men of darkness. This should give us a better understanding of the three hours of darkness that came over the entire world as Christ was crucified. And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. (Luke 23:44) And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. (Luke 23:45)
   How great was that darkness? This was the DEEP of Genesis 1:2. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. This was the darkness that God divided from His Light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:4) It was not the deep of the waters. It was a place separated from the waters. It was THE DEEP that the spirits feared. And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. (Luke 8:30) And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. (Luke 8:31) 
   It was there at the cross of the Lord Jesus that man filled up his cup of darkness with the hemlock of sin. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19) For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. (John 3:20)
   Stephen made a statement not only to the Jews who were present, but to the Jews of the past. Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers [did], so [do] ye. (Acts 7:51) Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost, which is the Holy Spirit of God. This cut the Jews as a knife to their hearts. Conviction was there, but they cast it off and they stoned God’s messenger. They resisted the Holy Ghost with the gospel sent down from heaven, and given to them by God’s servant Stephen. We live in an age of complacency where truth is not truth, where lies are accepted in the world and in the professing church. The devil has a scheme, if you tell a lie often and long enough, the people will believe the lie. He has been working that lie since at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The children of the devil, the descendants of Adam, would rather believe a lie than to believe the truth.

—–◆—–
THE DIVINE OFFERED HIS OWN SOUL
AS THE BURNT OFFERING FOR SIN

   Where is the Lamb? He is in heaven’s glory. He finished His work on the cross of Calvary. He stood on the mountain of Golgotha, the place of the skull. He stood between heaven and earth on HIS cross of crucifixion. Who can understand the sorrows that He suffered? The pain of physical despair, and the attack on His Spirit of the tremendous load of sin that He endured as the burnt offering. Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. (Lamentations 1:12)

● He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:3)
● But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. (Psalm 22:6)
All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, (Psalm 22:7)
He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. (Psalm 22:8)
But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. (Psalm 22:9)
I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly. (Psalm 22:10)
Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. (Psalm 22:11)
Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. (Psalm 22:12)
They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. (Psalm 22:13)
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. (Psalm 22:14)
My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. (Psalm 22:15)
● I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. (Isaiah 50:6)
● As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: (Isaiah 52:14)

   All these verses discloses the worthiness of the Lamb. They show the quality of the burnt offering that He offered His own soul for the sins of many. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11) The Holy Ghost witnesses to us in both the Old and the New Testament that the Son of God was set apart for a Divine Offering, that HIS SOUL endured the fires of judgment against the SIN of man. He HAD to be separate from sinners to REDEEM man from man’s sinful state. He HAD to eradicate SIN AND DEATH by the death of His own physical Body. In the Old Testament God reveals His foreknowledge of the crucifixion of His beloved Son. John the Baptist did NOT author the words Behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. These words were given to John from heaven by the Holy Ghost. The words in the Old Testament that His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men reveals the extreme hatred that the world has for their Creator God. As they rejected the Lamb of God, man took all of his evil and guile out against his own Creator. The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ IS THE CREATOR of ALL things. Man STILL rejects HIM today, even in the world church. Yet the Bible proves that God sent His Son, who IS the HEIR of ALL things and THE CREATOR of the worlds. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. (Hebrews 1:20) Do not stumble over the plural of world (worlds) because the Lord Jesus is going to be the Creator of both the new heaven and the new earth. As HE also creates every day precious souls by the Spirit of His life, and He gives those souls eternal life IN Himself.
   We need to lay hold of these truths because they testify of a GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR and a wonderful Lamb of love. To testify of the Lord’s creatorial power in Revelation 3:14 we have the testimony that Jesus Christ began the creation of God. He began those things that we see which were not made of things that existed. From a vacuum of darkness, He created ALL things by the WORD of His POWER. He SPOKE the worlds into existence. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Hebrews 11:3) When we look closely at Revelation 3:14, And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, we notice concerning the Lord Jesus Christ is that He testifies that HE is the AMEN, These things saith the Amen, this is the final letter to the churches. This letter to the Laodicean church is the FINALITY of His message to ALL churches. HE IS THE AMEN. No one else is going to enter into His realm. HE IS THE AMEN of the faithful and true witness of God. Man has failed to be a true witness of God whether it had been in the Old Testament or in the New Testament or in our present age or even in the future. MAN HAS FAILED to be the true witness of God. The TRUE WITNESS of GOD disclosed that HE IS the BEGINNING OF THE CREATION OF GOD. HE is the Alpha and the Omega. HE is the LIGHT and the LIFE of all mankind. And yet, man loves darkness and hates the Light. Think of this: as the faithful and true witness of God He had to listen to the lies of mankind, He had to bear the reproach, and still does, of the children of Adam. He had to endure the silence of His Father during His most needful state with the words, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? As this was taking place, the Lord Jesus Christ still honored grace and truth. During His sufferings, He cried out to God, Father forgive them for they know not what they do.
   Do we really understand sin? We see the acts of sin, but do we really understand sin itself? When you examine the period of time from Judas, the betrayer, and the mock trial of Christ before the Sanhedrin, and then again before Pilate; all acted with madness through madness. This insanity began at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Even the world of man recognizes evil when it is magnified by atrocious acts. Man sees the insanity of evil and yet; he does not know that SIN has brought all this about. When Adam took the fruit from Eve’s hand, and partook of that evil fruit, Adam BECAME a child of that old serpent, the devil. I know that this is hard, but look at all that has transpired in man’s history. See the darkness that SIN brought into the world. See the evil works that the devil has done. Adam after he brought sin into the world had NO escape. Adam then lived with the FEAR OF DEATH. He had broken The Law of Sin and Death.

● But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.(Genesis 2:17)
● For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)

   When man was tempted in the garden, man FAILED. Man became a child of the devil. When Christ was in the Temple teaching the people, the self-righteous children of the devil, the Pharisees, brought in a woman caught in the very act of adultery. They didn’t care about the judgment against the woman; they deliberately brought her to tempt the Lord to speak against the Law of Moses.

And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, (John 8:3)
They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. (John 8:4)
Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? (John 8:5)
This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. (John 8:6)

   There is a connection that we have to make between Matthew 4 and Luke 4 when the devil tempted the Lord Jesus. Here in the Temple, it was the children of the devil tempting the Lord Jesus. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)
   In Matthew 4 and Luke 4 we see the cunningness and craftiness of the tempter, Satan himself. As we apply this to John Chapter 8, we see his children have the same qualities. If you ask anyone today who knows NOT the Lord Jesus Christ, Are you a child of the devil? They would say NO. For the devil has concealed this fact that ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God. You can’t take this statement from the Bible. Just as a sinner is born again by grace and truth IN Jesus Christ, so too, Adam surrendered his position and became a child of the devil and brought SIN and DEATH into the world. Let’s connect sin to death. Sin is the vehicle of death. Sin is the venom of the serpent. And this venom flows through the veins of all of mankind. Therefore, all men are under the sentence of death. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. (Romans 5:12) Why bring all this out, because the seventh verse of Genesis 22 brings out the character of the burnt offering. The meekness of the Lamb, the willingness of the Lamb to be SLAIN, the wood, the fire, and the knife. If we see the order, we see the cross. We see the wood in the cross, then we see the fires of judgment upon the Lamb of God, and lastly, we see the knife in the centurion’s spear thrust into His side, and HE GAVE UP THE GHOST.
   In verse 8 of Genesis 22, we have the fifth mention of the burnt offering. Here we see grace and truth. 5. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:8)

And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. (John 1:16)
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18)

  As we mentioned before, the numbers in Genesis 22 are truly a divine witness to us. The number eight as in verse 8 is the number of new beginnings, the eighth day which is the first day of the week. This is brought out in the Law of the Leper in Leviticus 14, verses 16 – 31. (CLICK HERE for more about the Law of the Leper) It was on the eight day that the leper showed himself to the high priest. It was on the eight day that the Lord Jesus revealed His resurrection. And then, the Holy Ghost gives us the fifth mention of the burnt offering, and the number five is the number of grace. In verse 8, Abraham sees beyond natural sight. It is a prophecy of FAITH. God will PROVIDE not just a lamb, but Abraham used the word HIMSELF for a burnt offering. We see in Abraham the love for his son, his ONLY son. In John17:24, we have the love of the Father for the Son before the foundation of the world. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

   This Sonship existed before the foundation of the world. Christ was HEIR of ALL things in His SONSHIP before HE made the world. In His SONSHIP Christ and the Father and the Holy Ghost set up their own determinate counsels, and in that counsel He would be the Savior of man. He would come forth in the fullness of time in the image of the invisible God. He would step OUT of the UNSEEN realm and be born in Bethlehem to dwell and tabernacle among man. God will PROVIDE HIMSELF a Lamb for the burnt offering.
6. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind [him] a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. (Genesis 22:13) This is the last and final mention of the burnt offering in Genesis 22 in verse 13.
   Abraham did not choose the ram, the Lord had chosen the ram specifically a male without blemish both within and without. This ram had been examined by the Lord to be a perfect example of the burnt offering, and a perfect example of the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. The ram was caught by his horns. The Holy Spirit used a symbol of the curse. The thorn bush is a symbol of the curse that was put on man. The very curse that was given to man is symbolized in the burnt offering.

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; (Genesis 3:17)
Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; (Genesis 3:18)
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. (Genesis 3:19)

   Here is another point to consider: the RAM, the THICKET, the HORNS, the BURNT OFFERING took place in verse 13 of Genesis 22. It was there that SIN and evil must meet righteousness and truth in the burnt offering which in the fullness of time would be the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, Chapter 22 is the ONLY Chapter in Genesis that the burnt offering is documented. It is the ONLY Chapter in Genesis that God calls Isaac, thine only son. Abraham never used the term, only the LORD used that term. In a further presentation given to us in Galatians, where Ishmael was born of the flesh and Isaac was born of the Spirit, the Spirit of God separates the seed of Abraham in a supernatural way presents the Divine Seed which is Jesus Christ. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (Galatians 3:16)
   The number 13 speaks of evil. The fulfillment of that evil is found in Revelation Chapter 13. The Holy Spirit of God reveals the throne or the seat of Satan in Revelation Chapter 13. CLICK HERE for more about the number 13. 

● And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. (Revelation 13:2)
● Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (2nd Thessalonians 2:3)
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2nd Thessalonians 2:4)
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? (2nd Thessalonians 2:5)
And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. (2nd Thessalonians 2:6)
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. (2nd Thessalonians 2:7)
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: (2nd Thessalonians 2:8)
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (2nd Thessalonians 2:9)
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (2nd Thessalonians 2:10)
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (2nd Thessalonians 2:11)
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2nd Thessalonians 2:12)

   This is the final outcome of the seed of Adam. Adam is no longer a man but a BEAST. We also see the trinity of evil with Satan, the father, and his son, The Beast. What is the outcome? All those of the earth who have the mark of The Beast, not only worship The Beast, but they also worship Satan. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? (Revelation 13:4) Stop here and READ Chapter 13 of the book of the Revelation. Also consider the 13th Chapter of the gospel of Matthew. The parables of Christ reveals the craftiness of the devil. There is no end to his deceit and treachery. It is no wonder that Peter informs us in his first epistle, Chapter 5, verses 8,9 and 10.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1st Peter 5:8)
Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. (1st Peter 5:9)
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. (1st Peter 5:10)

   In this, also consider the trials of Job. One of the wonders that we find in Genesis 22 is that man’s dilemma is God’s opportunity to show forth His love through the ONE who is both Grace and Truth. Three times, take the son, thine only son, knowing that there was a fullness of time to come and it would be complete in His determinate counsels and foreknowledge. We are blessed today having the fullness of the WORD of God plus the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

—–♦—–
JEHOVAHJIREH
IN THE MOUNT OF THE LORD IT SHALL BE SEEN

   The Lord has blessed us through the knowledge of the Divine Living and written word of God. Never place man’s limited knowledge into the word of God. It is Abraham who offered the burnt offering in the stead of his son. Here is something that you do not see in man very often. Abraham gave a name to the place where Christ would be offered. It was Jehovahjireh. Now the meaning of that name is right in verse 14, in the mount of the Lord, it shall be seen. That is the true interpretation, not what is written in the margin.
   Now we enter into another phase of the faithfulness of Abraham.

And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, (Genesis 22:15)
And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: (Genesis 22:16)
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; (Genesis 22:17)
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. (Genesis 22:18)

   The angel of the LORD announced By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD. So, now, this angel of the Lord is the LORD HIMSELF. Since Abraham had been faithful, he received blessings upon blessings. Do you see that in Genesis 22:17? That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. In verse 17, the blessing of Abraham is expanded. The nations of the world have not seen the blessings of Abraham because of the animosity and hatred for Israel. One day, when the Lord Jesus COMES, the nations of the earth WILL BE BLESSED by the promises that were given to Abraham because he OBEYED the voice of God. CLICK HERE for more about the number 17.
   When Abraham returned to his young men, there is NO mention of Isaac being with him. So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba. (Genesis 22:19) This is very important for us today, for in Genesis 24, when the unnamed servant brought the bride (Rebekah) THEN we see Isaac, and then he brought his bride into his mother’s tent. The Lord Jesus is waiting for the moment when He will take His Bride and brings His Bride into the holy city, the new Jerusalem, the Jerusalem that is above filled with the spirits of just men made perfect.
    Numbers play an important role in the word of God. Numbers can be considered sundry times and diverse manners. All the tempting of Abraham was under grace and truth which is IN the Lord Jesus Christ. Both grace and truth have five letters in the English language, and these words surround the Lord Jesus Christ. He is Sovereign over Grace. He is Sovereign over Truth. The burnt offering is a beautiful illustration of the TRUE OFFERING which WAS and IS the Lord Jesus Christ. He was OFFERED ONCE in the end of the world for us. Every thing drew to its conclusion in the words, IT IS FINISHED. History was made complete. ALL prophecy was made complete. The very Presence of His crucifixion was made complete. The future was made complete. We read the Scriptures, and we study the Scriptures to receive Manna from above and to receive comfort in The Almighty God, who is a flame by night and a cloud by day. Remember, Genesis Chapter 22 reveals that the walk of FAITH comes from above from the Author and Finisher of our FAITH.

—–◆—–
THE BURNT OFFERING

1. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only [son] Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. (Genesis 22:2)
2. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. (Genesis 22:3)
3. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid [it] upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:6)
4. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here [am] I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where [is] the lamb for a burnt offering? (Genesis 22:7)
5. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:8)
6. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind [him] a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. (Genesis 22:13)

Amen and Selah

© Copyright – Michael Haigh
Published on July 11, 2026 @ 1:10 PM (EST).
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the King James Bible. (KJB)