Vessels of God in Babylon
DANIEL 1:1-2
1 ¶ In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
These vessels that were once in God’s house had been carried to Babylon and were now captive in a heathen land, in the treasure house of a false god.
These vessels represent the bride of Christ over seven church ages and especially you and I in this heathen age – so we want to follow the journey of these vessels that were once in the house of God to see how that after 70 years (a type of the seven church ages) they are restored back to the house of God in Jerusalem again.
II TIMOTHY 2:20-21
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. (A house is like a domain, a church age, and each age had the true bride of Christ, but also housed the foolish virgins and also the antichrist)
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
Vessels of God in Babylon
Humanity is likened in the scriptures unto Vessels.
The word "Vessel" was a common Greek metaphor for "body" since the Greeks thought of souls living temporarily in bodies.
In our natural world there are many different kinds of vessels that are designed for a multitude of different purposes.
A vessel can be a pot or a jar, or a jug like with earthen ware, or a glass or golden or silver cup. There are vessels that are made out of wood like barrels for storing wine and grain etc, there are vessels made from stone, ivory, brass, and in our modern age plastic. Regardless of what culture you would look at, vessels are everywhere; they are an essential part of human life and are found in every culture under heaven.
Many ancient civilisations are able to be identified by their pots and vessels that are discovered in archaeological findings.
And each vessel is designed for a specific purpose of service to be used for being filled with almost anything that you could imagine, from dirt to oil, grains or fruit, spices, fluids, wine and water.
Vessels are also used to store and preserve legal documents. Vessels are also used for storing treasure.
There are also ornamental vessels for the purpose of not just service, but also for art and beauty.
The bible talks about vessels of righteousness and vessels of unrighteousness referring to humanity.
ROMANS 9:21-23
21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
When the potter makes a vessel, he designs it with a specific purpose in mind.
In ancient times they would make vessels for the purpose of storing important documents.
JEREMIAH 32:13-15
13 And I charged Baruch before them, saying,
14 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days. (We know that the vessel that was unsealed represented Christ at his first coming, he was the mystery of God opened to them at that time through the vessel of His humanity, but the bride would remain sealed up until His second coming when she would then be unveiled, she is the mystery of God in his bride body form on earth, she is the other half of the Chinese laundry ticket – and it takes both vessels to be unsealed in order to reveal the full mystery because it takes the husband and the wife to reveal the one full unit and revelation of God - that is the mystery of what Paul was talking about regarding the husband and wife being one flesh in Ephesians 5:32)
15 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land. (When these two earthen vessels have been unsealed and the title deed read out (which is what is taking place in this age by the opening of the seven seals), then we can go back to Eden again which for us is the millennium)
In the story of Gideon - God won a great victory for Israel by using vessels with lamps in them. That is us in this age that have the light of the message of the hour by revelation within these earthen vessels of our bodies.
JUDGES 7:16
16 ¶ And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.
MATTHEW 25:3-5
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
So vessels in the bible are representing humanity that are designed to hold something within us that is of use to God.
II CORINTHIANS 4:6-7
6 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.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
God has filled us in this hour with the treasure of the revelation of the mystery of himself by the opening of the seven seals.
If you are a believer in this hour and have the revelation of the revealed word in your heart by the Holy Ghost, then you are a vessel of honour that God has design for this day to hold this great treasure.
Opening scripture…
DANIEL 1:1-2
1 ¶ In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
In Daniel chapter 1 - Babylon represents the Catholic Church and the spirit of antichrist that takes the children of God into captivity for seven church ages but how the people of God chose not to be defiled by the “kings” diet.
Daniel chapter 2 - is King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the image with the head of gold down to the feet of iron and clay which Daniel the prophet interprets as the four gentile kingdoms.
Daniel chapter 3 – is the statue of gold of a holy man that king Nebuchadnezzar tried to force all the known world to worship at the time when all manner of music would be playing (a prophecy showing the condition that would be manifested in the last age with the music industry of today (at the time when you hear all kinds of music playing) – everywhere you go there is all manner of music being played, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bend or bow or burn.
Daniel chapter 4 - is when king Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about the great tree that was cut down which represented him because he wouldn’t humble himself (like this age), and because he wouldn’t humble himself he went insane showing that this end time age will also go into total insanity.
*Remember that the book of Daniel is largely dealing with gentile dispensations, and in many places is especially dealing with this end time age.
DANIEL 5:1-31
1 ¶ Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. (this is a great party – a great entertainment gathering like we see in this age)
2 Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
(These were the vessels of the Lord which represent you and I in this age who were designed for the house of God but find ourselves in a strange environment serving in a Babylonian system for the pleasure of the heathen)
3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. (These vessels of the house of God that were designed for the use in the service of God and in His temple were now in a location that the enemy was using them for their own purposes and for their own pleasure - and so this was the last straw that caused God to bring judgment upon that whole Babylonian kingdom, and so this is repeating again in this age)
4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. (The entertainment industry of today – money, wine, popularity, rock stars, movie stars, fallen stars, rich and increased with goods)
5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. (It was at this same time that all this pleasure and entertainment industry was going on that God sent a word in unknown tongues to bring judgement and an end to that known world and kingdom – notice that this was all taking place in the hours of total darkness which is the age that we are also living in)
6 Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
8 Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
(All the best of their denominational scholars couldn’t read the writing)
9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.
10 ¶ Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: (now they have to have a woman to tell them what to do next, because all the men are so backslidden)
11 There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods (notice her Trinitarian concept of many gods); and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;
12 Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.
13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?
14 I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
15 And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:
16 And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 ¶ In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. (Notice again - that it was on the same night that the unwritten writing was interpreted that destruction followed)
31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.
THE.HANDWRITING.ON.THE.WALL_ CHICAGO.IL V-14 N-7 WEDNESDAY_ 58-0108
1 This being Wednesday night, I promised last evening to--was going to speak, if the Lord would permit tonight on the subject of: "The Handwriting On The Wall." It's a very... Oh, we could put weeks on the subject, and then never scratch the surface.
THREE.KINDS.OF.BELIEVERS_ JEFF.IN V-3 N-6 SUNDAY_ 63-1124E
170 And there was a handwriting on the wall, of unknown tongues, at the beginning of the Gentile kingdom, that no one could read but that prophet. And there is a handwriting on the wall today, that's right, "Ichabod," that the glory of God has departed from them things. And the handwriting is on the wall and can be read by the spiritual mind that believes in spiritual things, has been born of the Spirit of God.
The hand writing on the wall was interpreted at the beginning of the gentile kingdom by a prophet of the Lord, and what was revealed showed them that judgement was imminent, and the same thing has repeated today with what has been revealed by a prophet at the end of the Gentile kingdom, and that is also revealing that judgement is again imminent, that before this night of Laodicea is over there will be a new king on the throne.
POSSESSING.THE.GATE.OF.THE.ENEMY.AFTER.TRIAL_ DENHAM.SP.LA SUNDAY_ 64-0322
90 Let's take the Hebrew children, 'cause they stood true and wouldn't a tolerate with image-worship. They refused to bow down to an image that the king of the nation had made. It was made after a holy man, too, the image of Daniel.
91 Showed that the Gentile race was brought in under the false side, of worshiping an image of a holy man. It goes out the same way, when people will be forced to worship images of people. It come in by revelation, of Daniel being able to interpret the Word, that was wrote on the handwriting on the wall. That's the way it come in, and that's the way it goes out, the same way, of the image of the Gentile.
96-2 EPHESIAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.3
Get back to God. Repent before it is too late. See the handwriting on the wall. It is writing judgment. As the sacred vessels were desecrated and thus brought the wrath of God, now the sacred Word has been desecrated and the Spirit grieved, and judgment is here, even at the door.
This is the age where the vessels of God (you and I that have this great revelation of this hour within our earthen vessels) are surrounded by all the drunken festivities of Laodicea, and some of us are even being used in the system of this evil age by the people of the world to further their kingdom of defiance against the true and living God, and so this is what causes God to finally call an end to it.
But that is not the end for these vessels of the house of the Lord, because then we see that after this that these same vessels are returned back to the house of God again – full redemption and restoration.
EZRA 6:3-5
3 In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits;
4 With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house:
5 And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God.
We see the journey of these Vessels of God from the house of God to the house of Babylon and back to the house of God again – in my father’s house are many mansions, many vessels, many theophany bodies.