Friday, March 7, 2014

Pilgrim's Progress (Elijah's Version)


Before departure from this mundane world to heaven The Lord took (or rather sent) Elijah to 4 cities:

First, Gilgal
Second, Bethel
Third, Jericho
Forth, Jordan.

Why did the Lord choose these and those in that order?

The answer is found in the names of the cities.

Gilgal: rolled away, rolling away of reproach (which you have picked up on your life while sojourning in this side of the world) Joshua 5:9 

Bethel: house of God where life is no longer a rat race but ascending to and descending from heaven (Genesis 28)

Jericho: a city of palm trees, symbolic of the righteous thriving in it (Deuteronomy 34:3; Psalm 92:12)

Jordan: crossing out of the [promised] land [to go back to the Lord, gaining heavenly dimension] (2Ki 2:8-11) (Mark 1:10; John 1:51)

The order denotes the spiritual stations : have your reproach (dishonor, disgrace, shame, discredit, stigma, stain) rolled away, begin a life's journey away from the father's house to Paddan Aram/mundane world only to come back, joining the city of the righteous, then crossing the river in glory.




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