The Ark of The Covenant

Jerusalem housed the temple, which, housed The Ark, which, housed God's Covenant with mankind. The Ark was the sign and the seal of God's presence upon the earth - the place where God's presence and glory dwelt. The Ark was carried for hundreds of years through the wilderness, to search out a resting place. Num 10:33-35. It was overlaid with pure gold, and was called, "holy." 2 Chron 35:3. It was, also, called, The Ark of the Testimony. Rev 19:10 tells us, that "...the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

The Lord spoke and communed with Moses from the Mercy Seat, atop The Ark of The Covenant. Ex 25:22; Num 7:89; 8:1.

As God had instructed, Joshua told the priests to stand in the middle of the Jordan River, bearing The Ark, and the water parted. Josh 3:8; 4:7. After, The Ark was removed, the waters receded. Josh 4:18.

At Jericho, seven priests bearing The Ark with seven trumpets, on the seventh day encompassed Jericho seven times. Jericho fell. Joshua cried out to the Lord before The Ark and God spoke to Joshua from The Ark. Josh 7:6,10.

The children of Israel wept, fasted, and offered burnt and peace offerings before The Ark. Jud 20:26,27.

God spoke to Samuel from The Ark. 1 Sam 3:3,4.

When Eli heard that The Ark was taken, he fell backward and died. 1 Sam 4:18.

Phineas's wife named her child, "Ichabod," saying, "The glory is departed from Israel; for The Ark of God is taken." 1 Sam 4:19-22.

The Philistines put The Ark in the house of their god, Dagon. Dagon fell before The Ark of God, his head and palms broken off. 1 Sam 5:1-5.

Uzzah touched The Ark and was struck dead. 2 Sam 6:6,7.

Gob blessed the household of Obed Edom, while, The Ark was there. 2 Sam 6:11.

When The Ark was brought to Jerusalem, David danced before the Lord with all his might. 2 Sam 6:12-15.

Solomon offered burnt and peace offerings before The Ark. 1 Ki 3:15.

The chief function of the temple was to house The Ark. When The Ark was placed in The Most Holy Place, nothing was in it, but, the Ten Commandments. 1 Ki 8:9; 2 Chron 4:10. And the glory of the Lord filled the house. 1 Ki 8:11. David called the temple, a house of rest for The Ark of The Covenant. 1 Chron 6:31; 28:2.

When The Ark was brought up from Kirjath Jearim, David and all of Israel "...played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals and with trumpets." 1 Chron 13:5-8; 15:28.

The Ten Commandments are God's eternal Covenant with man. Deut 4:13; 2 Chron 6:11, Ps 111:7,8. The Lord wrote this Covenant with His own finger, in tablets of stone, which, were placed inside The Ark. The people had said, that, they could keep His law in their own strength, but failed. Ex 24:7. The New Covenant is God engraving His Covenant upon our hearts and minds. Jer 31:31-34; Heb 8:10. He gives us a new heart and His Spirit and "CAUSES US" to walk in His law. Ezek 36:26,27. It is the same Covenant, in a different place. Now, if we are born-again believers, His Covenant is within us. He enables us by His Spirit of Grace (Heb 10:29) to walk with Him in loving obedience.

The Ten Commandments = one Covenant. James 2:10,11 tells us, that if we break one commandment, we become transgressors of the law and are guilty of breaking all of them.

The 4th commandment is the mark of God's authority as Creator and Redeemer. Deut 5:12-15. Our Creator calls the seventh day, "My holy day." Isa 58:13.

Sabbath is "Shabbath"in Hebrew:
Sha = "Eternal One."
Ab = "Abba," or "Father."
Bath or Beth = "house of," or "sign of."
The combination = "The sign of the Eternal Father" - a sign of the Lord that sanctifies. Ex 31:13.

Christians were, still, keeping the Sabbath in 321 A.D., when Constantine instituted the first Sunday law, and in 364 A.D., when the Sabbath was "changed" to Sunday. The penalty for worshipping on the Sabbath was death! As a consequence, many Sabbath-keepers were martyred. One of the marks of The Antichrist is "...he thinks to change times and laws." Dan 7:25. He, only, "thinks to change," because, no man/institution can change God's law.

"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God...For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore (for THIS reason) the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." Ex 20:8-11. Our Creator sanctified and blessed the seventh day, because, it was the day in which He rested from His work of Creation.

In Revelation 14:6,7 we read, "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell upon the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue and people. 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 water."

The everlasting gospel is revealed in the 4th commandment, in which are the three components of a seal"

1. His NAME: Lord God. Isa 42:8
2. His AUTHORITY: Creator of all. Isa 40:25,26; Jer 10:10-12; Rev 4:11.
3. His DOMAIN: Heaven and earth. Gen 2:1-4; Ex 20:8-11.

The 4th commandment is God's SEAL upon the Covenant. The everlasting gospel is calling us back to the one commandment, that, He told us to "remember." He is calling us to sanctify Him as Creator and Redeemer - Jesus, the "Lord of the Sabbath." Mark 2:28.

The Ark is symbolic of Jesus Christ, and of the New Covenant believer, who has His Covenant written within the heart and mind. When we walk with Him in loving obedience, it is an expression of a converted heart, and evidence of a Spirit-filled life.

"Know ye not that YE are the temple of God, and the the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" 1 Cor 3:16.

Does His Covenant find in you a resting place?

"And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple The Ark of His Testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail." Rev 11:19.

The Apostle John wrote, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have RIGHT to the tree of life, AND MAY ENTER IN through the gates into the city." Rev 22:14.

Hi sscr01, how are you?

You said,

"Sabbath is "Shabbath"in Hebrew:
Sha = "Eternal One."
Ab = "Abba," or "Father."
Bath or Beth = "house of," or "sign of."
The combination = "The sign of the Eternal Father" - a sign of the Lord that sanctifies. Ex 31:13."

May I ask, where did you get this from?

For instance(I'm not very learned in foriegn languages, or even Biblical languages) so I'm wondering, in what language does [i]sha[/i] mean [i]Eternal One[/i]? Or ab, mean father?

I did a little bit of checking and found this at wikipedia...

"Moreover, ancient and modern Hebrew dialects have different pronunciations and therefore different [b]transliterations[/b](emphaisis added) into English. Usually the archaic Tiberian Hebrew of the Bible gets pronounced as if Israeli or Ashkenazi and then transliterated into English. For example, Biblical Hebrew שַׁבָּת (meaning "Sabbath") is really Tiberian Shabbath(note: the accent over the letter 'a' in 'Shabbath' did not reproduce in pasting so the regualar letter 'a' was inserted) but can become Israeli Shabbat or Ashkenazi Shabbos."

You're not reffering to something in Tiberian are you? I didn't even know there was such a language before I read this. I certainly would never have thought to look there for a secret meaning to the several parts of an english transliteration of a word in Hebrew.

According to this article, the Hebrew word is

שַׁבָּת

Not sha..

Not ab..

Nor bath...

but

שַׁבָּת

This is perplexing. Are you sure you've got this right?

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanization_of_Hebrew]Romanization of Hebrew[/url]

Chris

I am no expert on languages, perhaps, you are right, but, it is "Shabbath" in Hebrew and the Scripture does call the Sabbath a "sign" between God and the believer. Ex 31:13.

The Sabbath is a sign of our Eternal Father.

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. (Col. 2:16, 17)

One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. (Romans 14:5)

Christ is the end of the Law to everyone who believes. This is not to say we are 'lawless' but it is certain that we will get no closer to the glory of God by merely re-establishing [i]Shabbat[/i] as the formal day of Christian worship. First century Christians observed Shabbat on Saturday and continued on in fellowship with believers on the first day of the week. This practice ended when the Perushim (Pharisees) established the [url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=1954]"Birkat Ha Minim" (Curse of the Christian Heretics)[/url]

Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. (I Cor. 16:2)

This is clearly Sunday. Sabbath began at the first star appearing on Friday night and ended when the first star appeared on Saturday. It is the Jews who believe that Messiah would return if every Jew on earth would observe Sabbath at one time. This is a tradition.

This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (Gal. 3:3)

This is the question above all others. The people in Galatia had to endure the teaching of folk who came in believing they could improve the spiritual climate of the church by bringing the people back under certain aspects of the Mosiac law. Circumcision was one of them. Tithe is one that is often preached also. Sabbath is another. But it is impossible to find a deeper spirituality in coming under the Law again. Revival will not come because the people start observing Shabbat- it would actually be a step backwards.

The Ark represented the throne of God. As you entered the Tabernacle the sense was of ascending into heaven. Imagine the horizontal structure standing vertically. The veil prevented man from entering the throne room. It was 4 inches thick woven of one seam. Who could enter? Some say that God's glory drew the High Priest through the veil with the blood in the container in his hands. Yet, it was a clear barrier. This was true for the vast majority of departed souls as well as coming into the throne room of grace in prayer. There is a liberty that we have now that did not exist before. Beside of this the key to the New Covenant is the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.

Having begun in the Spirit will we now improve upon our Spiritual state by coming under certain aspects of the Law? Certainly not. The key to revival is a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit that causes us to live out the personality of God contained within the Law. Christ is our Sabbath rest. We have ceased from our own works as God did from His. If a person wants to observe Sabbath that is their own perogative. But to preach it as essential to spiritual blessing is to incur the wrath of Galatians 1. Paul said he wished that they were even cut-off that 'trouble' you. If I want to observe Sabbath I can. But I must not suggest that you 'must' or that somehow I am the more 'spiritual' or pleasing to God in the doing. It is a matter of conscience.

The passage in Colossians is referring to the sabbath feast days, which, were part of the ceremonial law and fulfilled in the sacrifice of Jesus. The temple was destroyed,the veil has been rent. Jesus is our high-priest, our sacrificial Lamb, our Manna...

Ceremonial Law:

1. Is called, "the law contained in ordinances." Eph 2:15.
2. Was spoken by Moses. Lev 1:1-3.
3. Was written by Moses in a book. 11 Chron 35:12.
4. Was placed in the side of The Ark. Deut 31:24-26.
5. Was nailed to the cross. Col 2:14.
6. Was abolished by Christ. Eph 2:15.

10 Commandments:

1. Is called, the "royal law." James 2:8.
2. Was spoken by God. Deut 4:12,13.
3. Was written with the finger of God. Ex 31:18.
4. Was placed inside The Ark. Ex 40:20; Heb 9:4.
5. Is to "stand forever and ever." Ps 111:7,8.
6. Was not destroyed by Christ. Matt 5:17,18.

The Ten Commandments reflect God's nature, and reveal our own. The Holy Spirit uses them in our on-going process of sanctification.

"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." Rom 3:31.

How is that possible? When the law is written in our hearts and minds, we walk in His Spirit. The Holy Spirit will, never, lead us into sin, or, "...the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:13

The N.T. Christians met in each other's homes, daily, but, they continued to keep the Sabbath.

If you look up "Sabbath" in the Strong's, you will see, that, it was the custom of Jesus, the Apostles and the New Testament Christians to keep the Sabbath.

Jesus said, "But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day: For then shall be Great Tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, nor ever shall be..." Matt 24:20,21.

Jesus prophesied the Sabbath, still, being kept in the Great Tribulation, and we are not there, yet.

Isa 66:22,23 says, "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord." We will keep the Sabbath in His kingdom.

To say, that men began keeping Sunday, is correct. So, are you exalting tradition over the Word of God? Jesus said, "Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." Matt 15:6.

You are losing sight of a very important issue: Our Creator instituted the Sabbath at the beginning of the world, and He never changed the day. He is the, only, One who can over-rule His law and make a change and He never did.

"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." Rom 3:31.

We do not establish the Sabbath in the sense you are trying to convey. I am sure the teachers at Galatia were quite crafty also; but the fact is Christ is our Sabbath Rest. The Sabbath is also a shadow of things to come, but the Body is of Christ.

Hebrews 4:1-16 describes how in Christ we have entered into God's rest from works. This is our observance of Sabbath today. We have shabbat from our own works for righteousness. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for everyone that believes. The penalty for breaking the Sabbath was death. The same holds true today. If we are justified by the works of the law Christ shall profit us nothing. The expression of our fulfillment of the sabbath as we walk in the Spirit is that we [i]rest[/i] in the finished work of the Cross. A Christian is compelled to observe Sabbbath in no other sense than this.

Ceremonial Law:

1. Is called, "the law contained in ordinances." Eph 2:15.
2. Was spoken by Moses. Lev 1:1-3.
3. Was written by Moses in a book. 11 Chron 35:12.
4. Was placed in the side of The Ark. Deut 31:24-26.
5. Was nailed to the cross. Col 2:14.
6. Was abolished by Christ. Eph 2:15.

10 Commandments:

1. Is called, the "royal law." James 2:8.
2. Was spoken by God. Deut 4:12,13.
3. Was written with the finger of God. Ex 31:18.
4. Was placed inside The Ark. Ex 40:20; Heb 9:4.
5. Is to "stand forever and ever." Ps 111:7,8.
6. Was not destroyed by Christ. Matt 5:17,18.

The Jews recognize that the first laws given by God were the Noachide laws. This was followed by the Ten Words and that became [url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=1979]the 613 Laws. [/url]. Add to that the Oral law which eventually became the Talmud. If we look at the requirements for Gentile proselytes they were required to keep the Noachide laws. Acts fifteen strips this to just a hand full of commands. It is what was good to the Holy Spirit and to the Apostles. The [b]Royal Law[/b] according to James 2:8 is to "Love your neighbor as yourself." This is the sum of all the law and the prophets. It has nothing to do with keeping the Sabbath in the literal sense.

Hi again sscr01.

"...the Scripture does call the Sabbath a "sign" between God and the believer. Ex 31:13."

I think we need to make some important distinctions here.

Let's take this pasage you qouted...

"Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you."

[i]Speak thou also unto the children of Israel[/i]

One distinction is here, is that [i]believers[/i] are not [i]children of Israel[/i]. They are children of Abraham, by faith(Gal 3:7).

[i]it is a sign between me and you[/i]

The sign here is between God and [b]the children of Israel[/b], throughout [i]their[/i] generations. It is between God, and those with whom He had covenanted. Those who had said

All that the Lord hath spoken we will do(Ex 19:8)

and...

All the words which the Lord hath said will we do. (Ex 24:3)

And so it is written

[i] And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.[/i]

[i]which the Lord hath made with you [/i]

I am not part of that [b]you[/b]. Are you?

Paul the Apostle makes a pretty solemn declaration where he says

"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them."

[b][color=000000]Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them[/color][/b]

You said elsewhere

"The Ten Commandments are God's eternal Covenant with man. Deut 4:13; 2 Chron 6:11, Ps 111:7,8. "

But I read here where it says...

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments." -Exodus 34:27:28

[i]...for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.[/i]

Here again, this was for Israel, not mankind. I do not recall ever reading that God entered into a covenant, or binding agreement, with mankind through them, that is, the Ten Commandments.

You made refrence to 2 Chronicles 6:11

"And in it have I put the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord, that he made with the children of Israel."

[i]wherein is the covenant of the Lord, that he made with the children of Israel[/i]

But here again, the [i]children of Israel[/i] are mentioned. Not mankind, as you said.

Going back to the passage in Exodus chapter 31, verses 16 and 17 read

"Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed." -Exodus 31:16-17

[b][color=000000]It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever[/color][/b]

Again, not mankind, as you have said.

Well, I think this is pretty important, to get this right.

Chris

Brother Robert said

"We do not establish the Sabbath in the sense you are trying to convey. I am sure the teachers at Galatia were quite crafty also; but the fact is Christ is our Sabbath Rest."

Seems to me this is just as the Lord had told Moses, saying

[b]...My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.[/b] -Exodus 33:14

And as the Lord Jesus had said also,

[b][color=660033]Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.[/color][/b]

EDIT I would like to be extra clear in that I agree completely with what RobertW is saying and that was my thought it offering these verses.

ChrisJD's Brother Robert said

"We do not establish the Sabbath in the sense you are trying to convey. I am sure the teachers at Galatia were quite crafty also; but the fact is Christ is our Sabbath Rest."

Seems to me this is just as the Lord had told Moses, saying

...My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. -Exodus 33:14

The concern is to miss the understanding of this and miss the full meaning of the Cross. Paul took it a step farther:

Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. (Gal. 4:10, 11)

That is a serious concern. Paul was trying to tell the people that adding the Law did not improve their state. It is never the answer. It is not more 'spiritual'. Whether it be weekly Sabbath or Yom Kippur, observance of days is observance of days. Our rest or our 'Shabbot' is to rest in Christ. All that we have and need as Christian's is found in being 'in' Christ. Being found 'in' Him, etc. the finished work of the cross is applied to us as His history becomes our History as we are 'in' Him. We are co-crucified with Christ. These are the things we 'rest' in. this is not working towards righteousness- but resting in Him and being filled with all the fullness of God. The Law cannot improve upon this because the Law was not made for the righteous.

Greetings...
I was just about to post that the sabbaths were called by Moses "a sign" (Ex. 31.13-18) when I saw Chris' post with the same emphasis.

Robert and Chris have got it right. There is once again in the Church a lot of foggy understanding as to the difference between the old covenant and the new, and many these days are trying to put a yoke on the believers of Christ, saying it is necessary to keep the law of Moses (although they are quick to say, of course this does not mean the sacrifices).

But we have come not unto the mountain that might be touched (Mount Sinai), but unto Mount Zion from whence our Lord Jesus Christ, seated at the right hand of the Father, is mediating a NEW Covenant (which is, by the way, of a far higher and more demanding order than the old... How thankful and grateful we are that it is HIS work to bring it into being in our lives).

It is the clear teaching of Scripture and the Holy Spirit that "the law and the prophets were UNTIL JOHN: since that time THE KINGDOM OF GOD is preached..." (Lk. 16.16).

This Kingdom is the Rule of Grace, the Rule of the Spirit in our lives, and it is in the Rule of the Spirit that the law and the prophets is FULFILLED. Jesus revealed clearly that He had not come to do away with the Law and the prophets, but to FULFILL them.

The Ark is fulfilled in Himself; He Himself is our "Mercy Seat" (Rom. 3.25). The Law in that Ark is fulfilled as it is written on our hearts and minds.

The Sabbath is fulfilled as we walk abide in His Rest TODAY.

"TODAY if ye will hear His Voice, harden not your hearts."

"There remaineth therefore a Rest (a sabbatismos a keeping of the Sabbath) to the people of God" (Heb. 4.9).

Let us be very watchful here, brethren, and not let this "leaven" back in again. Many, many these days are getting confused in this thing.

But God has called us beyond the realm of the "signs" into the reality they spoke of, has called us beyond the types and shadows into the True Light. Let us walk in it.

AD

The 10 Commandments Came at Mount Sinai. Paul deals with this so to make it absolutely clear.

Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. (Galatians 4:24)

That which was given at Sinai is said to be to bondage. the covenant that contained the Ten Commandments genders to bondage. It cannot meet the need of man's redemption. It can only expose the law of Sin that [i]was[/i] (or is) in our members. We have to die to the Law so we can be espoused to Christ. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Adding any of the Old Covenant to the New only takes away from the perfection of the New. The goal is the Fruit of the Spirit. That is the goal. The Ten Commandments cannot take us there. Only the fulness of the Holy Spirit in us- as we rest in Christ can accomplish what the Law never could.

...Now I read Robert's latest post. I am glad there is a clear witness on this matter.

"And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? Then is the offence of the Cross ceased" (Gal. 5.11).

Circumcision came to represent the keeping of the law to the Jews (although to Abraham it actually meant entirely a different thing). But Paul was saying he could have evaded all the persecution that came his way if he would just compromise a little, and say, okay, it's valid to keep the law, or parts of it. NO... The Cross of Christ he loved and gloried in would have to suffer shame for him to do that. He would not do it.

AD

Amen brothers.

[b][color=000000] For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.[/color][/b]

First Christ said this; Enter in at the strait gate, not any broad preacher doctrine will do. But as for the law, what a tochy subject! What strife, Christ's servant moves to avoid.
Romans 3:27,28,31 (K.J)3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. (W.T.N.T - we rather maintayne the lawe)

From A disciple (Israel following other gods caused many a time to grieve God and cause his glory to go).
Look at Daniel 7:25 He shall think to change times and laws. Read the book of Daniel in the KingJames and it has strong text and MEaning, yet, an eye opening study of Daniel on faithofgod.net in the easy to read version of the early Mathew's 1537 English O.T(Particually 7,9,11th chapters) Really let's look at ourselves while we open Daniel and look at 7::24-26 from the said version.
24 The ten horns, are ten kings that shall arise out of that kingdom, after whom there shall stand up another, which shall be greater than the first.
7:25
He shall subdue three kings, and shall speak words against the highest|hyest| of all: he shall destroy the saints of the most highest and think, that he may change times and laws. They shall be given under his power, until a time, two times, and a half a time.
7:26
But the judgement shall be kept, so that his power shall be taken from him, for he shall be destroyed, and perish at the last

Does thou understand the beast in this chapter, along with revalacions? Here is the patience of saints. Does thou believe in Jesus Christ? Now? Revalacion 14:9-12 (TyndaleN.T1526-07) verse 9 And the third angel followed them saying with a loud voice: If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or on his hand,
10 the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured in the cup of his wrath. And he shall be punished in fire and brimstone, before the holy angels, and before the lamb.
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up evermore. And they have no rest day nor night, which worship the beast, and his image, and whosoever receiveth the print of his name.
12 Here is the patience of saints. Here are they that keep the commandments and the faight of Iesu.

Brothers this is to open the eyes of the blind, to get the lame man to leap as an herte and so that the dumb man's tongue give thanks.
That the saving health of Iesus Christ be known, that is the touch of healing Christ used in Matthew 8 with the centurion.

Amen brother preach on let's ride together against this beast and come out of Babilon, before the day draweth nye?
I rose up early and sent on to you all my servants the prophets, and thou wouldnot herken, nor incline thine ear to obey, but were worse then their fathers, as they hardened their necks against Jeremy.

Amen to God and his son Jesus Christ

I think it is worth emphasing again some things which have been said here by ADisciple and brother Robert. I'll take what RobertW said here

"Our rest or our 'Shabbot' is to rest in Christ. All that we have and need as Christian's is found in being 'in' Christ. Being found 'in' Him, etc. the finished work of the cross is applied to us as His history becomes our History as we are 'in' Him. We are co-crucified with Christ. These are the things we 'rest' in. this is not working towards righteousness- but resting in Him and being filled with all the fullness of God. The Law cannot improve upon this because the Law was not made for the righteous."

The scripture says

[i]Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.[/i]

[i] For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.[/i]

As I see it, either we can lay claim to all of the goodness, and merit, and faithfulness, and excellency, and obedience, and lovelyness of the Lord Jesus Christ, by faith, either we can do that..

[b][size=small]or[/size][/b]

we can lay claim to our own.

But how could it be both or some mixture of the two? What good is a speck of dust to a mountain of sands? Or what good is a drop of water to an ocean?

Is it not [i]either[/i]...

all Christ's obedience, or all mine?

all of Christ's faith, or all of mine?

all of Christ's infinite goodness and worth before Almighty God, or it is all of mine, whatever [i]goodness[/i] and [i]worth[/i] that may be?

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." -Jeremiah 23:5-6

How could it be both?