And you say- huh?
And I say read on, beloved!
When I read the other day about the angel measuring with a reed………..
This reading stopped me.
I thought and wondered why is God having all these measurements
taken in Ezekiel, Zechariah, Revelation and then Daniel…… hmmmm?
We never get the results of them, except in a couple books…… Curious!
Obviously it means more than just measuring for blinds or drapes,
which has been my experience in tape measures.
God’s communication with Abraham was His blessing
and covenant without measure….
toward him and his descendants forever more…..
God reveals His integrity and goodness to His called out one.
Then Moses is given the exact measurements for the Tabernacle of Meeting.
As well as, the ten commandments and the cleansing and eating correctly commands……
God does not keep things hidden on His ways.
So as we move on, Israel fell short of the standard that God had set for them.
Dark days followed them as the
books of the prophets reveals all the warnings from God
that were issued to His people: over and over again,
He urged them to leave their wicked ways and return to His…..
then they would have peace and joy in their land again.
As written in Ezekiel 40:3-5:
and behold,
there was a man [an angel] whose appearance was like bronze,
with a line of flax and a measuring reed in his hand, and he stood in the gateway.
And the man said to me,
Son of man,
look with your eyes and hear with your ears
and set your heart and mind on all
that I will show you,
for you are brought here that I may show them to you.
Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.
This angel proceeded to reveal all these measurements of the temple,
and as far as I know, it has not been built in the physical…… but maybe in the spiritual???
I could be wrong on that for I am certainly not a historian…
God knows. He has plans and lots of them.
The measurements do reveal the soon coming Messiah……
For all things in the Word of God,
reveal the Word of God, Jesus Christ,
the Son of the living God.
Then in Ezekiel 47:3-8:
Then he [my guide] brought me back
to the door of the house [the temple of the Lord];
and behold,
water was flowing
from under the threshold of the house (temple) toward the east,
for the front of the temple was facing east.
And the water was flowing down from under,
from the right side of the house, from south of the altar.
Then he brought me out by way of the north gate
and led me around on the outside to the outer gate
by the way of the gate that faces east.
And behold, water was spurting out
from the south side [of the gate].
When the man went out toward the east
with a measuring line in his hand,
he measured a thousand cubits,
and he led me through the water,
water that was ankle-deep.
Again he measured a thousand [cubits]
and led me through the water, water that was knee-deep.
Again he measured a thousand [cubits]
and led me through the water,
water reaching the hips.
Again he measured a thousand [cubits]
;and it was a river that I could not pass through,
for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be crossed [by wading].
And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?”
Then he brought me back to the bank of the river.
So the angel brings Ezekiel to River of God,
revealing all that the Son of God was going to bring to us.
His Spirit is not stopping and always increasing,
and completing the purpose of God from His Beginning.
This River or Holy Spirit is also not seen with the human eye,
but the believers that have been baptized in Him,
live from the River of God, His Holy Spirit.
Hmmmm…….Is He measuring Himself in His people ?
Looking for His image in the land?
Just thinking…….
Now, we see again an angel in Zechariah measuring
in chapter 2:1-5:
And I looked up,
and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.
So I said, “Where are you going?”
And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem,
to see how wide it is and how long it is.”
And behold,
the angel who was speaking with me was going out,
and another angel was coming out to meet him,
and he said to the second angel,
“Run, speak to that young man, saying,
‘Jerusalem will be inhabited [like villages]
without walls [spreading out into the open country]
because of the great number of people and livestock in it.
For I,’ declares the Lord,
‘will be a wall of fire around her [protecting her from enemies],
and I will be the glory in her midst.’”
Pretty cool, huh?
In Ezekiel’s time, there was great evil in the His land…….
God was showing Ezekiel His plan of restoration…..His Son.
In Zechariah’s time, the rebuilding of the temple was on hold…..
but God had His plans……….He always has His plans to keep going
like an army tank in theory but beyond our comprehension in stature…..
Unstoppable and immutable, that is our God.
There is no one like our God. No one.
In Revelation 21:9-17:
Then one of the seven angels
who had the seven bowls filled with the seven final plagues came
and spoke with me, saying,
“Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a vast and lofty mountain,
and showed me the holy (sanctified) city of Jerusalem
coming down out of heaven from God,
having God’s glory [filled with His radiant light].
The brilliance of it resembled a rare and very precious jewel,
like a jasper, shining and clear as crystal.
It had a massive and high wall,
with twelve [large] gates,
and at the gates were stationed twelve angels;
and on the gates
the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were written.
On the east side [there were] three gates,
on the north three gates,
on the south three gates,
And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Christ).
The one who was speaking with me
had a gold measuring rod to measure the city,
The city is laid out as a square,
its length being the same as its width;
and he measured the city with his rod—
twelve thousand stadia (about 1,400 miles);
its length and width and height are equal.
He measured its wall also—
a hundred forty-four cubits (about 200 feet),
according to man’s measurements,
which are also angelic measurements.
Okay, here we go again, the angel is measuring and for sake of room,
I did not print the measurements or the description of the city of the Lamb.
I can tell you to read it for your self and see who is in the midst and center of
the Lamb’s wife.
Not only is the fire around her but in her midst as written before…. Hmmmm.
There is no need of light for the Lamb is her light and
she lives by the illumination of her God’s glory.
I think we have the answer to all the measurements….
I hope we all seek Him for the manifestation of this prayer in
our lives, our family, our city, and state and country and all the nations.
Ephesians 3:14-17;
For this reason
[grasping the greatness of this plan
by which Jews and Gentiles are joined together in Christ]
I bow my knees [in reverence]
before the Father [of our Lord Jesus Christ],
from whom every family in heaven and on earth
derives its name [God—the first and ultimate Father].
May He grant you out of the riches of His glory,
to be strengthened
and spiritually energized with power
through His Spirit in your inner self,
indwelling your innermost being and personality],
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith.
And may you,
having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love,
be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints (God’s people)
the width and length and height and depth
of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love];
and [that you may come] to know
[practically, through personal experience]
the love of Christ
which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience],
that you may be filled up [throughout your being]
to all the fullness of God
[so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives,
completely filled and flooded with God Himself].
Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and]
do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask
or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams],
according to His power that is at work within us,
to Him be the glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations
forever and ever. Amen.
When we were kids, we were sent home with cards,
which we were hoping our parents forgot the day.
We always got them on Friday,
when I knew grounding would be barking up my way.
At least if we received them on Monday,
I could celebrate my last days of freedom
before my head was stuck in my Math and English book forever.
Oh, those dreaded report cards…..
Maybe some of you were very proud of your report card….
Not me…. Always some place I needed to get more involved
with my class to improve.
Did not want to face my parents.
They gave me a great education.
My availability was before me in succeeding, but I was the blockhead stopping me.
They certainly did not want me to waste my time.
They were showing me there was alot more in which I was capable to achieve,
if I went after it like I did other things.
I think that maybe the measurements God always makes is
to see if we are receiving all we can in His grace and truth,……. of Him.
And to reveal all that is available before us, so we keep on track of all His goodness.
He has given us all things that pertain to godliness as written in 2 Peter 1:2-11:
To those who have receive and possess
[by God’s will] a precious faith of the same kind as ours,
by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
Grace and peace [that special sense of spiritual well-being]
be multiplied to you in the [true, intimate] knowledge
of God and of Jesus our Lord.
For His divine power has bestowed on us
[absolutely] everything necessary
for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness,
through true and personal knowledge of Him
who called us by His own glory and excellence.
For by these He has bestowed on us His precious and magnificent promises
[of inexpressible value],
so that by them you may escape from the immoral freedom
that is in the world because of disreputable desire,
and become sharers of the divine nature.
For this very reason, applying your diligence [to the divine promises,
make every effort] in [exercising] your faith to,
develop moral excellence, and in moral excellence, knowledge (insight, understanding), and in your knowledge, self-control,
and in your self-control, steadfastness,
and in your steadfastness, godliness, and in your godliness,
brotherly affection, and in your brotherly affection,
[develop Christian] love
[that is, learn to unselfishly seek the best for others
and to do things for their benefit].
For as these qualities are yours
and are increasing [in you as you grow toward spiritual maturity],
they will keep you from being useless
and unproductive in regard to the true knowledge
and greater understanding of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For whoever lacks these qualities is blind—
shortsighted [closing his spiritual eyes to the truth],
having become oblivious to the fact
that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Therefore, believers,
be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling
and choosing you [be sure that your behavior reflects
and confirms your relationship with God;
for by doing these things [actively developing these virtues],
you will never stumble [in your spiritual growth
and will live a life that leads others away from sin];
for in this way entry into the eternal kingdom
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly provided to you.
We keep our eyes on Him.
We do not do the measuring.
If we try to study ourselves or our naval, we will never get
His growth in us…… We keep our eyes on Him.
We should be faithful in obeying and He is faithful in
completing the beautiful creation He is making in you and me.
His eyes roam to and fro to see who He can show Himself strong on our behalf as written.
He alone is capable and worthy to fight our battles.
We know we can’t do anything on our own.
He knows too! This is why He says come on up and let me show you.
Come on and sit at My feet and watch and hear Me.
Come and take My yoke upon you. Come and follow Me.
Come and be My disciple. Come to Me, you are My beloved.
He want us to join Him in all of our lives.
He wants our joy to be full…..
He doesn’t care if you miss the ball.
His joy is in throwing it to you as you will be throwing it back.
Then He will toss it again until
we have coordinated by faith
we can do all things through Him who loves and strengthens us.
Then the ball gets bigger as our faith grows knowing- in Him,
we can take the ball all the way to
shout out —-touchdown! God scores and never loses…..
Only His enemies think He has, but wait and see
what He will do this day! Do not ever be dismayed!!
Knowing it is because of Him and Him alone!!!
He alone gets the glory!!!
He wants us to be with Him in all things and then He will be in us in all things.
Beloved, be filled with the knowledge and grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.
See, it is not us that did that running by faith in Him……
All our ability is from God, our Father in heaven,
who has given us His Spirit so in all things
we can be as He has called us to be in His Son, Christ Jesus
and in His Spirit as His Spirit is in us…..Conquerors in Christ Jesus!
So what is He measuring ? Receive Him and you have All you need!
Keep Him in our focus and then He is free to fill us
to the measurement He wills to be
in you and me. What is that you ask?
God always fills our cup all the way up and…..
beyond to overflowing as the river which was so large no one can ever cross it…..
He never ends as He wants us all to be filled to the overflowing fullness of Him.
See all things will be of Him and of Him….
His glory shall fill the whole earth!
How can this be?
For certain it is not by you and me,
but behold, the One who calls the rain to fall and the waves to roll in,
will see to His glory and knowledge fills this earth as the waters
cover His seas!!!!
Stay tuned and you will see!!
I am going to stop for now…..
There may be a part two and three.
He wants His heart revealed to you this day.
The fire of God surrounds us and is in us…… Hmmmmm….
So we may know His never stopping, never ending love that
He has given us in His Son and now, we have to know and experience
His indwelling Spirit with in us….Fire around and fire within……
Let us keep burning for and in Him.
SELAH!!.
