The
Priesthood of the Apocalypse
Part II
In order to understand how
the priesthood will function during the time of the end it will be necessary to
briefly review the priesthood in Scripture beginning with the first “Priest”:
“And the king of Sodom went out to meet him [Abram] after his
return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him,
at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale. And Melchizedek king of
Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most
high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most
high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God,
which has delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he [Abram] gave him
[Melchizedek] tithes of all.” (Genesis 14:17-20)
While Melchizedek is the
first priest to appear in the Scriptures, the primary purpose for his
appearance is to exalt God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ who is our Great High
Priest. This Melchizedek is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who became God’s
Personal Priest when He gave His life and shed His Blood on the Cross as God’s
Personal Sacrifice for the sin of mankind:
“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; Being
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His Blood, to
declare His righteousness for the remission [forgiveness] of sins that are past
through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time His
righteousness: that He might be just, and the Justifier of him who believes in
Jesus.” (Romans 3:23-27)
The Lord Jesus, as “the
Lamb of God” (John 1:29), was the only one Who could satisfy the demands of
a righteous, holy God Who needed this “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate
from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26) Lamb of God
to be His Sacrifice that He might be able to present every man with His loving
mercy found only in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ!
The Lord Jesus Christ’s
priesthood is clearly announced by God:
“The LORD has sworn and will not repent, Thou [Lord Jesus Christ]
art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:4) This Psalm of David has as
its pivotal verse the celebrated proclamation of God the Father to His Son
after the Lord Jesus Christ’s “once for all” (Hebrews 10:10) sacrifice
on the Cross:
“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for
ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till His
enemies be made His footstool.” (Hebrews 10:12, 13)
Therefore, the
timing of this statement by God in Psalm 110:4 is fixed for it occurs right
after the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven to present His precious Blood to
His Father in heaven:
“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; 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. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of and
heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh: 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 9:11-14)
And, the opening verse of
Psalm 110 also determines the topic or theme of this powerful jewel of the
Messianic Psalms as God pronounces His intent and purpose of making the enemies
of the Lord Jesus Christ His footstool. However, Christ’s enemies
will not be made His footstool until the great Day of the Lord (Isaiah 2:11-21)
which is when God will pour out His wrath (Revelation 6:12-17) upon the enemies
of Christ. This wrath of God is detailed in the Seven Trumpet Judgments, the
Seven Seal Judgments, the destruction of Babylon and the Battle of Armageddon
(Revelation 8-19).
The remainder of Psalm 110 continues this
prophetic theme by skipping over the ages in between the time the Lord Jesus
Christ is seated at the Father’s right hand in verse one and proceeds
immediately to the end times when God will “Send the rod [tribe] of Thy strength out of Zion” (Psalm 110:2).
The Lord Jesus Christ as “The
Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5) will “Rule in the midst of
His enemies” (Psalm 110:2) as He “shall be the Peace when the Assyrian
[Antichrist] shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our
palaces”(Micah 5:5) in that future day.
This end times conflict in
the land will occur right after the “abomination of desolation” spoken
of by Daniel the prophe (Daniel 11:31) and the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:15). The Lord Jesus gives His
people in the land of Judea this pointed instruction in the very next verse:
“Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains.” (Matthew 24:16)
Although this command is
given to the faithful in Judea, it applies to all born again believers world
wide for this intense persecution called “Great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21)
will come upon all saints as the Antichrist’s “War with the saints” (Daniel
7:21; Revelation 13:7) will be global in scope.
This flight of the faithful
in the land of Israel is also recorded in the book of the Revelation as Satan’s
focus will be upon the holy land and the city of Jerusalem::
“And the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place
prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and
three score days…And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that
she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a
time, and times, and half a time, for the face of the serpent.” (Revelation
12:6,14)
However, there will be
certain faithful Jews who remain:
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant [rest] of her seed which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony
of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 12:17) This group called
the “remnant of her seed” also appears in Daniel’s prophecy:
“But the people that do know their God shall be
strong and do exploits. And they that understand among the people
shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by
captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall they shall be
helped with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And
some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to
make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time
appointed.” (Daniel 11:32-35)
These Jews in the land who “know
their God” will minister to their brethren during the time which
follows the “abomination of desolation” (Daniel 11:31, Matthew 24:15) Many will fall as martyrs
(Revelation 6:9-11, 12:11, 20:4) during the Antichrist’s vicious persecution
until the appointed “time of the end” (Daniel 11:35) when the “great
tribulation” is cut short (Matthew 24:21) and “then shall the end [day
of the Lord] come” (Matthew 24:14).
Then, those “Servants
of our God” (Revelation 7:3) that remain will be sealed (Revelation 7:1-8)
and continue their ministry during the Day of the Lord as God’s “royal
priesthood” (I Peter 2:9) continues after the saints are
raptured (I Thessalonians 5:13-18) and received in heaven (John 14:3;
Revelation 7:9-17).
These 144 Thousand priests
unto God are described in Psalm 110:3 the verse just before God’s announcement
of the Lord Jesus Christ’s priesthood:
“Thy [Christ’s] people shall be willing in the day of Thy power
[Day of the Lord], in the beauties of holiness [priestly garments] from the
womb of the morning Thou hast the dew of Thy youth [young men].” (Psalm 110:3)
The priesthood which began
with Melchizedek in Genesis 14 continued as God’s people, the Jews,
progressively grew in size for there were priests among the Israelites after
they came out of Egypt when the total number of Israelites is estimated to be
approximately 1.5 million:
“And let the priests also, which come near to the
LORD, sanctify
themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them…And the LORD said
unto him [Moses], Away get thee down, and thou shall come up, thou, and Aaron
with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through
to come up unto the LORD, lest He break forth upon them.” (Exodus 19:22,24)
However, under Moses’
leadership, God revealed His desire for a major expansion of the priesthood
when He explained:
“Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My
covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all
the earth is Mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests
and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shall speak unto the
children of Israel.” (Exodus 19:5,6)
This covenant foreshadows
the priesthood blessing (I Peter 2:5, 9) given to every new covenant believer
in Christ. But, Israel as a people/nation, did not obey God even though they
expressed their good intentions immediately after Moses gave them these Words
from God:
“And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid
before their faces all these Words which the LORD commanded him. And all the
people answered together, and said, All that the LORD has spoken we will do”
(Exodus 19:7,8)
But, their bent toward
idolatry became evident shortly thereafter when:
“Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered
themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up make us gods, which shall
go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land
of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.” (Exodus 32:1)
Aaron fashioned a golden
calf from the people’s jewelry and then declared:
“These be thy gods” (Exodus 32:4) which eventually caused God
to judge the rebellious people:
“ And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put
every man his sword by his
side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every
man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor. And
the children of Levi did according to the Word of Moses: and there fell of the people
that day about three thousand men.” (Exodus 32:27, 28)
Aaron, Moses older brother,
was the first high priest of the Levitical priesthood, which began with God’s
appointment of Aaron and his four sons:
“And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him,
from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto Me in the
priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar,
Aarons’s sons.” (Exodus 28:1)
This priesthood continued
for over 900 years until Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by
Nebuchadnezzar and the people were carried away to Babylon in 586 B.C. However, when they returned
to the land and rebuilt the temple after their seventy-year captivity the
Levitical priesthood once again was back in operation:
“And the children of Israel, the priests, and the
Levites and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of
this house of God with joy.” (Ezra 6:16)
But, the temple in
Jerusalem was destroyed again about 600 years later which was foretold by the
Lord Jesus Christ:
“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and His
disciples came to Him for to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus
said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, There shall
not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
(Matthew 24:1,2)
This destruction occurred
in 70 A.D. by the Roman armies of Titus about 40 years after the Lord Jesus
Christ spoke these prophetic words:
“And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know
that the desolation thereof is nigh” (Luke 21:20)
During this time the
Romans slaughtered multitudes of Jews and took many captives:
“And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led
away
captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of
the
Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” (Luke
21:24)
When the temple was
destroyed the Levitical priesthood came to an end. But, in recent days, almost
2,000 years later, there is a movement within the land of Israel to restore the
priesthood which will definitely be in operation during the 70th
Week of Daniel when “the daily sacrifice” (Daniel 8:11,13,26, 9:27, 11:31)
will once again be offered and the Jews will worship in the 70th
Week temple of God:
“And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood
saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and
them [the Jews] that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple
leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy
city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.” (Revelation 11:2)
Therefore, what began with
Melchizedek has progressed throughout the pages of Scripture with the
present-day priesthood made up of born-again believers. They are currently the
mediators between God and man under the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ who
is our Great High Priest in the heavenlies.
When the saints are
raptured, the majority of God’s mediators will be removed from the earth. Then,
the 144 Thousand sealed “Servants of our God”(Revelation 7:3), who are
described in Psalm110:3 as priests, will remain (Revelation 9:4) and continue
their ministry during the Day of the Lord (Revelation 9:4; 14:1-5, 17:14) as
the Lord’s “holy priesthood…a royal priesthood, and holy nation”
(I Peter 2:5,9). Therefore, the 144 Thousand who are sealed
from the twelve tribes of Israel will continue their Redemption Ministry on
earth and become:
“The Priesthood of the Apocalypse”
Herein lies the primary
purpose for these 144 Thousand young men. For, one of the primary purposes in
redemption itself is the creation of a “Kingdom of priests”
(Revelation 1:5, 6, 5:9, 10) to go forth as the Lord’s army of mediators
throughout the earth representing God to man and man to God! Someone has rightly said:
“Prayer is the battle, the ministry is but the picking up of the spoils”. And, it is this Holy Spirit-led praying
by the priest unto God that wins the battle for the souls of men.
This enables the priest
unto God as they enter the battlefield daily to “pick up the spoils” i.e. those
souls to whom the Spirit of Christ leads as the believer-priest becomes their
mediator before God’s throne! This is the primary work of
the priest unto God! The time the priest spends on their knees preparing their
daily battlefield by kneeling at the foot of the Cross which is the priest’s “altar”
(Hebrews 13:10), seeking the kingdom (Luke 12:31,32), confessing sin (I
John 1:9), casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts
itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to
the obedience of Christ (II Corinthians 10:3-5) is of utmost importance in
order for the Lord to win the battle in the heavenlies and accomplish His will
upon earth.
This preparation of the heart and mind of
the priest formulates the basis for the daily victories won in the lives of
those to whom the believer-priest is led by the Holy Spirit. This is and will continue
to be the battle plan for the obedient priest unto God who is militantly
victorious in the heavenly conflict which will continue to rage on until the
last soul is won for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ!
This is a simple but
undoubtedly the only effective plan of attack for every priest unto God just as
the Lord Himself gave the example:
“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went
out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” (Mark 1:35)
Although He was God in the flesh, He still practiced the discipline
of praying to His Father thereby receiving His marching orders as it were for
the upcoming day because He also was fully Man.Yes, “God
was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself” (II Corinthians 5:19) but, it was
still necessary for Him as the God Man to commune with “Our Father which art in heaven” (Matthew 6:9).
Therefore, our “Great High Priest” (Hebrews
4:14)
set the perfect example for us
during His earthly ministry in order that we might look “unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2) as we minister
as priests unto God during our time here for “We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the
excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (II Corinthians 4:7)
After their Redemption Ministry during the Apocalypse is
complete, the 144 Thousand priests unto God will enter the Millennium which is
the 1,000 year time period recorded in (Revelation 20:1-6). This is when the
Lord Jesus Christ will physically reign upon earth from David’s throne in the
city of Jerusalem (Isaiah 9:6, 7; Luke 1:32).
However,
two other groups of Israelites will also join the 144 Thousand to populate the
land of Israel during that same time as outlined by Micah the prophet:
“Therefore
will He [Messiah] give them [Israel] up until the time [End of 70th
Week] that she [Israel] which travails [during the time of Jacob’s trouble]
(Jeremiah 30:7) has brought forth: [all Israel shall be saved] (Isaiah 59:20;
Romans 11:25,26) then the remnant [rest] of His [Messiah’s] brethren [the
woman] (Revelation 12:1,6,14) shall return unto the sons of Israel [144
Thousand].” (Micah 5:3)
After the 70th Week temple in
Jerusalem is destroyed during the Day of the Lord another temple will be built
during the Millennium which is documented in Ezekiel 40-42. Then, the Levitical
priesthood will be re-established and memorial blood sacrifices will be offered
(Ezekiel 43:15ff).
Therefore, the priesthood which began with
Melchizedek in Genesis 14 will of necessity continue throughout the ages for
God’s ongoing plan of redemption requires His mediators to be present
continually in order that His glory through His Son’s redemption of men can be
known upon earth:
“Then saith He unto His
disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye
therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers
into His harvest.”
(Matthew 9:37-38)
The
Lord is focusing upon the great abundance of souls ready for harvest, but the
laborers or practicing priests unto God who can and will
actually reap His harvest are few! He commands His disciples to pray as
priests unto God laying the necessary
groundwork in order for the Lord to call the laborer/priests He so
desperately needs at this very moment in time and the coming “Time of the
end”.
Priesthood Practices of Melchizedek:
1.
Supplied physical needs/refreshment-bread /wine (Genesis 14:18)
2.
Supplied spiritual blessing to Abraham (Genesis 14:19)
3.
Supplied opportunity for Abraham to worship the most high God through tithing (Genesis 14:20)
4.
Gave the “most high God” the glory for Abraham’s miraculous victory (Genesis 14:20)
This man Melchizedek spoke only a dozen
words or so in the KJV text, but the impact he has had on the rest of Scripture
is very significant for in this single appearance in the Word of God he laid
down principles that continue on to this very day for every believer-priest
unto God.
If we use just the activities listed above
we can structure a very effective ministry to those that the Lord brings into
our path. We as mediators between God and man can supply the physical needs of
those brethren who engage in spiritual/physical warfare and are in need of both
physical and spiritual nourishment.
Secondly, we must supply others with the
spiritual blessings of the Lord Jesus Christ through our witness/testimony. We
must be ready to answer every man that asks a reason of the hope that is in us
and supply them with the answers necessary for the lost to be saved and be a
blessing and encouragement to those who are in Christ.
Melchizedek was careful to give the glory
to “the most high God” Who
was responsible for bringing about Abraham’s miraculous military victory when he concluded:
“And
blessed be the most high God, who has delivered thine enemies into thy hand.”
(Genesis 14:20)
The Practice of the Believer-Priest unto God
It is the high calling and duty of every
born-again priest unto God to
offensively engage in the spiritual battle that rages in the heavenlies
against the “Principalities…powers…the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual
wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). However, the only way actual victory can be attained is by “putting
on the whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11).
This
is the last and possibly the most important “Put on” command given by
Paul in his inspired writings. He then supplies the believer-priest seven
specific elements necessary for the soldier of Christ to be victorious in the
battle. The first five are protective defensive armor and the last two are
God’s mighty offensive weapons.
Putting
on the armor is a daily necessity for the child of God if victorious living is
to be realized. The saint militant is the saint victorious, but this military
struggle is not an earthly battle, it is waged in the heavenlies for the
eternal souls of men who are battling the three progressive enemies of the
soul, the world, the flesh and the devil himself!
And, just as soldiers on the battlefield
must be disciplined, alert and capable, so also must the warrior in the Lord’s
army possess these military qualities in order to be effective in winning the
battle for their Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The one essential motive must be our love
for Him recognizing we are an extension of His love to those to whom we
minister. Love, therefore, is the prime mover in all of ministry
that occurs when we pray mightily in the heavenly, moment by moment, Spirit-led
battle that He lays before us.
It will be especially necessary to recognize,
understand and utilize these spiritual warfare principles at the end of the age
when Satan and his angels are cast down to earth inflicting upon faithful
believers his “Great wrath because he knows that he has but a short time”
(Revelation 12:12).
Paul outlines the foundational struggle in
which each
believer/priest
must be engaged for we must never lose sight of the fact that we have been duly
called as practicing priests unto God:
“For
though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh; For the weapons of
our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of
strongholds: Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that
exalts itself against the knowledge God, and bringing into captivity
every thought to the obedience of Christ: And having in a readiness to revenge
all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” (II Corinthians
10:3 –6)
Notice, the three-fold mind control battle
plan Paul outlines:
1. Casting down imaginations and every high thing that
exalts itself against the knowledge of God
2. Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience
of Christ
3. Having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience
This
letter was written about five years before Ephesians as Paul’s continued
understanding of the battle in the heavenlies progressively grew until he wrote
the detailed account of spiritual weaponry given in Ephesians 6:10-18. That is
where we find the specific “Weapons of our warfare”.
The entire book of Ephesians must be
understood as “The Book for the Battle” for Paul carefully unfolds the
Lord’s battle plan for each progressive enemy of the soul:
1.
The World (Ephesians 1:1-3:21)
2. The Flesh (Ephesians
4:1-6:9)
3.
The Devil (Ephesians 6:10-18)
Ephesians 6:10-18 is one of the most
powerful and important passages of Scripture for the victorious Christian. That
is, the Christian who is truly living in victory for the Lord Jesus Christ by
winning the daily battle with the world, the flesh and the devil.
These vicious enemies of the Christian can
not be defeated without God's formula for victory found in the book of
Ephesians. In Ephesians 6:10, 11 Paul summarizes the entire book of Ephesians
by dividing it into three specific areas. These three distinct divisions are
especially designed by the Lord to give us the victory over the three enemies
of our soul.
The first enemy is the world system and
for this enemy Paul commands:
"Be strong in the Lord..." literally: “Be continually strengthened in the Lord”.
This phrase summarizes chapter 1:1-3:21 as
Paul gives us the ammunition to have complete victory over the allurement of
the world system and all its trappings by knowing our present and eternal
position in the Lord as described in these first three chapters of this
powerful epistle..
The key word for victory over this first
progressive enemy, the world, is "Faith":
“For whatsoever is born of
God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world even
our faith” (I John 5:4).
Faith based upon exactly who we are in
Christ! Paul uses the phrase “In Christ” over 30 times in the book of
Ephesians. Our heavenly position and possessions are thoroughly described in
Ephesians 1-3 and beautifully pictured in Ephesians 2:6:
"And hath raised us up
together, and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus".
This is our present exalted
position! We are "right now" supernaturally raised from being dead in
our sins and seated in the heavenlies in Christ with all of the:
"Spiritual blessings in
heavenly places in Christ."(Ephesians 1:3)
Faith in our position, who we are in
Christ, and our possessions, what He has given us, are blessings that are
eternal and will never change! We must
rejoice in these manifold spiritual blessings for there are at least two dozen
mentioned in these first three chapters of Ephesians:
1.
He hath CHOSEN us in Him (1:3): Selected for Himself, Separated from the rest
of mankind, Picked out from among many.
Illustr:
Abraham (Genesis 12); Demoniac of Gadara (Mark 5); Samaritan Woman at the Well
(John 4)-All Gentiles
2.
Having PREDESTINATED us (1:5): To appoint from the beginning, To foreordain, To
decide beforehand (Romans 8:29) and lay
out a plan for each believer/priest
3.
The ADOPTION of children (1:5): The act of making us His children accomplished
by His own will, giving Gentiles the same relationship to God as the Israelites
(Romans 8:15; Gal 4:5)
4.
He hath made us ACCEPTED in the Beloved (1:6): To make graceful, charming,
lovely, and agreeable; To compass or surround with blessing and favor by
enduing believer/priests with His grace.
5.
In Whom we have REDEMPTION through His Blood (1:7): To buy back, ransom,
liberate by paying a price, He already owned us by creation, but we were sold
into the slave market of sin through the transgression of Adam, He then
purchased us with His Blood! (Hebrews 9:12)
6.
The FORGIVENESS of sins (1:7): Released from bondage, imprisonment and given
full remission of the penalty of sin through the gift of repentance and faith
in His Blood (Luke 24:47; Romans
3:25)
7.
Having made KNOWN unto us the mystery of His will (1:9): He has given us the
privilege to know the mystery of His will concerning His gathering together in
one all things in Christ.
8.
We have obtained an INHERITANCE (1:11): A portion allotted and given to the
rightful heirs, those who are in Christ are joint-heirs with Him (Romans 8:17)
9.
Ye were SEALED with that Holy Spirit of promise (1:13): To stamp permanently as
a sign of ownership; To set a seal upon; To mark with a seal for security by
the Owner
10.
The REDEMPTION OF THE PURCHASED POSSESSION (1:14): To keep safe, secure, to
purchase for oneself and preserve for a future day, The guarantee of
glorification/glorified body is given by the indwelling Holy Spirit's presence.
11.
To have THE EYES OF OUR UNDERSTANDING ENLIGHTENED (1:18): The spiritual eyes of
the heart illumined to experientially know:
1. What is the hope of His
calling
2. What the riches of the glory
of His inheritance
3. What is the
exceeding greatness of His power:
Illustration:
(II Kings 6:17) The eyes of Elisha's servant were opened
12.
He hath QUICKENED us (2:5): To be made alive spiritually, To be energized with
the life of God
13.
He hath MADE US SIT TOGETHER IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS (2:6): Our
present position in the eyes of God is in heaven in Christ, just as Christ is
in us here on earth in us, we are in Him in heaven! (John 15:4)
14.
We are His WORKMANSHIP created in Christ Jesus (2:10): His work of art, His
poem of love (Greek word for workmanship)
15.
We are MADE NIGH by the Blood of Christ (2:13): To be brought near, to be
ushered into the very presence of God before His heavenly throne i.e. ‘The
throne of grace’ (Hebrews 4:16)
16.
The Lord Jesus Christ is our PEACE (2:14-17): Peace is not the absence of outer
turmoil, trial, tribulation, but the presence of inner rest in Christ Jesus
(John 16:33) regardless of circumstance.
“The
peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:7)
17.
For through Him we both have ACCESS unto the Father (2:18): The act of bringing
someone into the presence of an exalted dignitary or person of power, bringing
a peasant into the King's court.
“We
have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand” (Romans 5:2)
“In
Whom we have boldness and access by the faith of Him with confidence”
(Ephesians 3:12)
18.
Now, therefore, ye are...FELLOW-CITIZENS (2:19): The reality of possessing citizenship the same as others
who were natural born. The Gentiles brought into the same position as the
Jew
19.
Ye also are an HABITATION OF GOD through the Spirit (2:22): To be built
together with others to make up the whole. All parts/pieces required to make up
the entire Kingdom of God, God’s dwelling place in His saints
20.
That the Gentiles should be FELLOW HEIRS (3:6): To be joint participants in the
blessing of the Jews “Heirs together of the grace of life” (I Peter 3:7)
21.
That the Gentiles should be...PARTAKERS OF THE PROMISES (3:6): To be joint
participants of the O.T. promises of the Jews
22.
We take part in God's ETERNAL PURPOSE (3:9-11): God demonstrates to the
principalities and powers in heavenly places His wisdom BY THE CHURCH, through
Meditation on the Word, Spirit-led Prayer, Preaching of the Word, Witnessing
with the Word and Winning of the Lost.
23.
We have BOLDNESS, and ACCESS, with CONFIDENCE by the faith of Him (3:12): God
gives a Fearless Confidence, Freedom to speak the Word, Courage with
Cheerfulness, and an Over-coming Christ-like Assurance to His children.
24.
That He would grant you according to the RICHES OF HIS GLORY (3:16-19):
Supernatural Spiritual Strength, The Knowledge of the Indwelling Presence of
Christ, Being Rooted and Grounded in THE LOVE, Supernatural Comprehension, to
experientially KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST, that ye might be filled with ALL the
FULLNESS OF GOD!
Full comprehension of our position and
possessions as completely described in the above list is a must for victory
over the "World". When the world and all its allurements
knocks on the door of your soul, focus your heart upon the eternal spiritual
blessings/possessions found in Christ and turn your desires and passions to
these heavenly things (Colosssians 3:1). This will build your faith and provide
complete victory over the sin of hungering and thirsting after the things
of this present world. Rejoice in His riches, not earthly rubble!
Rejecting these temporal worldly desires
by memorizing and meditating
on the reality of these marvelous eternal blessings in Christ is the only
answer for victory over the world! Yes, it is our faith, faith rooted and
grounded in our exalted unchanging, and eternal heavenly position and
possessions that gives us the victory over the world!
“For
whosoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that
overcomes the world, even our faith.” (I John 5:4)
The next progressive enemy Paul deals with
is the animal who dwells within us who wars with the Spirit call the "Flesh".
For victory in the battle with the flesh Paul commands: "Be strong...in
the power of His might". This precise and pointed command summarizes
chapter 4:1-6:9. The expanded translation literally says: “Being continually
strengthened in the power of God's might”.
This
can be found only in the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. Five times in this
section of Scripture Paul uses the word "Walk" to
describe our practical victory over the "Flesh" by walking in
the power of the Holy Spirit.
First of all he commands every believer
to: "Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are
called" (Ephesians 4:1). A worthy “Walk” can only be
accomplished by the Person of the Holy Spirit for Jesus said: "Without
Me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5).
We can not in the strength of the flesh,
our own will power or vain efforts, please God:
“So
then, they that are in the flesh can not please God” (Romans 8:8) Only
the Spirit of Jesus can please God! Only as we yield by faith to the power of
the Holy Spirit will be able to "Walk" with our Lord
demonstrating the worthiness of our high and holy “vocation”.
The primary calling that He has given us
is to be Holy Spirit led priests unto God! And, this calling can only
be accomplished as we obey this essential command:
"This
I say then, walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the
flesh" (Galatians 5:16).
The second "walk"
Paul emphasizes is found in (4:17) where he commands
us to "walk not as other Gentiles walk". He then
describes a
multitude of flesh works in (4:17-19) second only to his list in
Galatians
5:19-21.
The only possible way to have victory over
these flesh works described here is by faithfully yielding to the control of
the Holy Spirit. This must be accomplished by faith on a daily basis when we
prepare our hearts to enter the kingdom/battle in the heavenlies. Being "continually strengthened in
the power of His might" necessitates a full dose of the Word of God!
We must digest the "living Word" by letting it "Dwell in us
richly" (Colossians 3:16).
The result of memorizing and meditating on
the Word of God will result in Colossians 3:16 "Teaching and
admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord."
This is the direct result of letting the
Word dwell in us richly! It is also the direct result of being "filled
with the Spirit"! (Ephesians 5:18, 19) which are the key verses in
this second section of Ephesians. It is significant fact of Scripture that
being filled with the Holy Spirit causes the same result as letting the Word of
Christ dwell in us richly:
"Speaking
to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making
melody in your hearts to the Lord." (Ephesians
5:19)
These
two passages (Ephesians 5:18,19; Colossians 3:16,17) clearly underline the
vital need of digesting/internalizing the Word of God in order for the Holy
Spirit to fill and empower the believer for the victory to be won in the
heavenly battle.
The third "Walk"
mentioned is in (5:2) where Paul gives still another command:
"Walk
in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given Himself for us an offering
and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor."
This command brings to mind the Lord
Jesus' merciful love that only He could have demonstrated to us by His great
suffering on the Cross. But it is this same supernatural love for Him that
enables us to also “Crucify the flesh” (Galatians 5:24) providing
the opportunity to “Walk in love” by His Holy Spirit.
We as lowly men and women could never
perform such an act as this in our own strength. But, if we are "Continually
strengthened in the power of His might" we can actually “Crucify
the flesh” and “Walk in love” as Christ walked (I John 2:5, 6) or
else the command to do it would never have been given!
What a miraculous thought! We have the
ability to walk in love as He walked if we "Present our bodies a living
sacrifice"(Romans 12:1) to Him who alone can do these miraculous works
through us by the power of the Holy Spirit! The simple act of yielding to Him
is all it takes…He does the rest!
The fourth "Walk"
continues to challenge us to give full control to the Holy Spirit as Paul gives
still another command: "Walk as children of light" (5:8).
Immediately following he underlines the necessity of demonstrating the "Fruit
of the Spirit" in order to fulfill this most important requirement.
His emphasis centers on separating from
all "Unfruitful works of darkness" in the process we should do
the positive thing and "Reprove them." Here again the power
and presence of the Holy Spirit is the means necessary to have the victory of
walking as children of light.
The fifth and final "Walk"
Paul commands us to perform is found in 5:15:
"Walk
circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise"
which directly leads into the closing passage of this section dealing with the
second progressive enemy of our soul the "Flesh".
This command is connected with wisdom and "Understanding what the will of the Lord is." Unless we are filled with the Holy Spirit where all wisdom dwells, providing us with His
full knowledge of God's will, we cannot expect to "Walk"
as we are commanded!
In order to bring the Holy Spirit’s power
into our lives we must digest the precious Word of God, allowing it to dwell in
us richly providing the spiritual food/power the Holy Spirit thrives on!
It is through this process of memorizing and meditating on the Word of God that we are able to, by faith, yield full control to the Holy Spirit allowing Him to "Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody in our hearts to the Lord" and thereby get the victory over the "flesh".
The ultimate command given by Paul in this
vital section for victory over the "Flesh" is the most
important: "Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be
(continually) filled with the Spirit."
The result of the Holy Spirit’s filling is
not speaking in tongues, but "Speaking to yourselves in songs and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the
Lord". Herein lies the formula for victory! As mentioned before, this result coincides
with the Word of Christ dwelling in us richly!
Please compare these two passages:
Ephesians 5:18, 19 & Colossians 3:16,17. If you want to be filled with the
Spirit get filled with the Word! Allow the Living Word, the Son of God to
control your mind, and the Holy Spirit will control your heart attitudes and
actions! Besides, it’s the only Biblical
formula for God’s success and prosperity! (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2, 3; I Timothy
4:15)
All of these flesh-victory “Walks”
given by Paul can be handily summarized in one verse:
“But
put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill
the lusts thereof” (Romans 13:14)
Paul's third summary command deals with
the final and most deceptive enemy of our soul, the devil himself! He gives us the only sure-fire way for
victory over the wily, wicked methods of the devil when he says:
"Put
on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil"(Ephesians 6:11).
It is this powerful spiritual weaponry,
the full and complete armor of God centered in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ
that will give us victory over the "wiles of the devil"
This third command summarizes the closing
section of the book of Ephesians:
6:10-18:
"Put
on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
With this powerful enemy of our soul we
must "Stand against" him, "resist him steadfast in the
faith" (I Peter 5:9), "Resist the devil and he will flee from
you" (James 4:7). All three of these significant commands of Scripture
are rooted in the same Greek word meaning "To take a position in the
battle, to oppose, to fight in a great struggle".
We must recognize beforehand that the
devil seeks to open "Doorways" to our soul by entangling us in sins
that provide him with the opportunity to “Set up shop” (Ephesians 4:27) in our
lives, thereby defeating us in the battle for souls.
These "Doorways of the Devil"
are specifically underlined in the Word of God. The first is found in Acts
5:1-11, which records the sad story of Ananias and Sapphira. "Satan
filled" the hearts of this couple "To lie to the Holy Ghost".
This sin of hypocrisy caused God to take the lives of both Ananias and Sapphira
as demonstrations of God's chastisement of sin.
The Spirit of Hypocrisy involves putting
on a mask, hiding the truth from others, trying to impress the saints by lying
openly to the Spirit of God who was mightily evident in His working in the
church at Jerusalem. Their penalty for yielding to the Spirit of Hypocrisy was
instant physical death!
God exacted the degree of His penalty to
the same degree His presence and power was manifested to these two believers
who had experienced all the miraculous working of the coming of the Holy
Spirit, the phenomenal occurrences of the day of Pentecost, the presence and
power of the Apostles, witnessing the multitudes that were being saved, seeing
God shake the building wherein they prayed, and the other unwritten acts of the
Holy Spirit's power must have been very inspiring to witness.
But, they decided to yield to Satan and
lie to the Holy Spirit. In the
process they both lost their lives after their sin against the Holy Spirit was
uncovered! The Spirit of Hypocrisy, the most oft condemned
sin in Scripture, is one of the easiest to fall into.
The second Doorway to the devil’s working
is opened in
II
Corinthians 2:10, 11:
"To
whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgive any thing, to whom
I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan
should get an advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices."
Here Paul openly tells us that the sin of
yielding to the Spirit of Unforgiveness literally opens the door to Satan and
his deceptive devices, his crafty methods, and his spiritual trickery! If we
are unwilling to forgive others Jesus clearly warns: "Neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses."(Matthew 7:15)
"And
his lord was wroth and delivered him to the tormentors" (Matthew 18:34) is how Jesus describes the punishment that comes to
those who will not forgive:
"So,
likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts,
forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." (Matthew 18:35)
The word "Tormentors" in
(v.34) literally means torture by use of the rack, to vex with grievous pains.
This vicious abuse of the unforgiving person is not performed by the God of
heaven, no, He simply allows you to be delivered to Satan and he does his all
too familiar but torturous handiwork!
The third Doorway is mentioned in
Ephesians 4:26, 27:
"Be
ye angry and sin not, let not the sun go down upon your wrath; Neither give place to the devil." The sin of wrath, outbursts of uncontrollable anger
or rage, opens up a place for the devil to operate in our lives!
Paul says righteous anger is not sin, but
allowing the sin of uncontrollable anger, wrath or rage to continue, letting
the sun go down upon it day by day does indeed give opportunity for the wicked
one to do business in and through the saint of God.
Yielding to the Spirit of Wrath is not an
uncommon Doorway opened
to the devil in the lives of God's people. Paul mentions this same
word in his list of "Works of the flesh" in Galatians 5:20
proving that this too was one of the many sins that was found there in the
church at Galatia.
This very attitude yields control to the
one who relishes the manipulation of God's children, in order that he might
damn and destroy the testimony of those for whom the Lord Jesus Christ shed His
precious Blood and died! Therefore, the believer must guard against this common
sin or reap the Satanic consequences!
The fourth Doorway opens in I Timothy 3:6:
"Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the
condemnation of the devil." The Spirit of Pride, was the very sin
committed by the devil in the beginning causing his great fall (Ezekiel
28:13-17).
Pride is the root cause of the majority of
man's sin. The attitude which causes us to think we are some great one or have
accomplished some good thing in and of ourselves. Thinking we, in our own strength and ability,
are the ones responsible for something when in reality what have we gotten that
we have not received? All good things come down from "The Father of
Lights" the Lord God of heaven! There is nothing we can take credit for,
nothing we in and of ourselves have accomplished!
This Spirit of Pride certainly opens the Doorway to the devil's working in our minds, telling us lies that he "The
father of lies" fabricates to deceive us! Three common signs of the
proud are:
1. Not giving God the glory for His working in our lives
2. But instead taking credit for accomplishments
3. Blaming others for our failures.
The
Bible lists at least seven devastating effects of the Spirit of Pride:
1. Condemnation of the devil (I Timothy 3:6)
2. Shame (Proverbs 11:2)
3. Contention (Proverbs 13:10)
4. Destruction (Proverbs 16:18)
5. Deception (Jeremiah 49:16)
6. Hardening of the mind (Daniel 5:20)
7. Resistance from God (James 4:6)
The fifth Doorway of the devil is found in
I Timothy 3:7: "Moreover he must have a good report of those which are
without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil." Falling
into reproach refers to one who has blemished their testimony through openly
committing sin. Our testimony is the most valuable thing we own and can not be
purchased with money!
Therefore, if we continually sin and it is
known by those "Which are without" who are the lost, we will
bring ourselves into “The snare of the devil”, the very trap he has set
to cause us to be caught in our own sin! This will surely cause those who are lost
and saved alike to discount our words/witness thereby damning the souls of
those that we could have impacted for the glory of God! Therefore, we, as
children of God, must have a good report among all men if we are to witness and
win souls for Jesus, otherwise the devil will claim another victory as we fall
into his well-baited trap!
The last Doorway of the devil is found in
II Timothy 2:24-26:
"And
the servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men, apt to
teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God
peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And
that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken
captive by him at his will."
The Spirit of Opposition, actively
opposing revealed truth, causing us
to be hearers only and not doers of the word, deceiving their own selves plays
right into the hand of the great deceiver himself! The Spirit of Opposition
also rears its ugly head when we disregard and rebel against those whom God has
put in authority over us.
This same Spirit of Opposition says:
"I don't care what the Bible says I know what I've experienced" or
"I will not separate from these worldly associations, music, friends,
activities" or "Who does that preacher think he is, telling me what
to do with my life?" or "It has been
our tradition to...why must we change the way we always have done
things, just because the Bible says..."
Yes, those believers who actually oppose
the revealed Truth of God oppose themselves, those in whom the Spirit of Truth
abides, thereby causing them to fall into a trap, a snare specifically designed
to take one captive coming under the power of the will of Satan himself! The Greek word in this text indicates that
this trap/snare requires outside help in order to be set free from the will of
the devil which serves to underline the grave danger of opposing God’s ordained
authority and or His truth.
So then, how do we enter into continual
victory over the devil? By putting on
the "Whole armor of God".
How do we put on the whole armor of God? By “Putting on the Lord
Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14) Who is clearly detailed and described here in
the specific pieces of armor. It is an action of simple childlike faith! Through faith we must have "Our loins
girt about with truth" being protected by Him Who is Truth (John
14:6), the Lord Jesus Christ!
We must put "On the breastplate of
righteousness" the very righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ who is
our Righteousness (I
Corinthians 1:30). Our spiritual feet must be "Shod
with the preparation of the gospel of peace" again through Him who is
our Peace (Ephesians 2:14). Taking the "Shield
of faith" “The faith” (Galatians 2:20) found only in Him,
the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
The spiritual "Helmet of
salvation" can only come through Jesus’ salvation/deliverance for:
"Neither
is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven
given among men whereby we must be saved." (Acts
4:12)
The next piece of weaponry is offensive.
It is with the powerful, living
Word of God that the soldier of Christ assaults the kingdom of darkness. Herein
lies the weapon utilized for the putting on of all the armor of God:“And
take…the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17b)
This offensive weapon is the very source
of our faith, for "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of
God."(Romans 10:17). Through it we gain all that is necessary to
perform the supernatural fetes of faith in winning the battles with Satanic
enemies for the Word of God does the work of God!
Just as the Lord Jesus Christ quoted the
Word of God when tempted of the devil in Matthew 4:4, 7, 10 in order to refute
and defeat the devil’s temptations, so too, we must in like manner have the
ability to use this most powerful weapon to do the same for:
“The
Word of God is quick [living] and powerful and sharper than any two-edged
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.
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
4:12, 13)
The second offensive piece of armor
mentioned is the method whereby we commune with the King! Prayer, without it we
would be still in our sin! It was the prayer of faith that brought us to the
foot of the Cross, it was prayer that gave us the ability to cry out to God in
repentance as we laid hold upon salvation by faith in what Jesus accomplished
when He paid the penalty for our sin as He bled and died upon the Cross!
Prayer, the humble utterance of faith
brought us to salvation and now brings us to Him who alone can save and deliver
us from the presence and power of sin!
Utilize the weaponry of God and walk in victory over the world, the
flesh, and the devil and his manifold doorways of sin!
But, Paul gives precise instruction on
exactly when to pray, what kind of prayer, how to pray, and who are the primary
focus of the priest unto God’s praying:
“Praying always, with all
prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all
perseverance and supplication for all saints.” (Ephesians 6:19)
1. When? Praying always
2. What kind? Praying with all kinds of
prayer and supplication
3. How? Watching and praying with all
perseverance
4. Who? Praying for all saints
Although we must pray for those who are lost,
prayer for the saints/brethren is the priority of the Holy Spirit-led
believer-priest. This vital ministry is the overwhelming emphasis throughout
the New Testament and should be the central theme of the militantly victorious
priest unto God.
Yes, the priest must be militantly
victorious as a well-equipped soldier of Christ in the army of the King of
kings!
Paul made very specific provision in the
epistle to the Ephesians, with definite and precise instruction in “The Book
for the Battle" so that we might have complete victory over the three
progressive enemies of the soul, the world, the flesh, and the devil.
However, the struggle that continues in
the heavenlies against the devil and his angels will be at maximum strength
during the last days of this age as Revelation 12 explains:
“And
there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon: and
the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was there place
found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent,
called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world; he was cast out
into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice
saying in heaven, Now is come salvation [deliverance] and strength [power] and
the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ; for the accuser of our
brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night. And they
overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony; and they
loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore, rejoice ye heavens, and ye
that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! For the
devil is come down unto you, having great wrath because he knows that he has
but a short time.” (Revelation 12:7-12)
The battle will
intensify during those days and there will be those
saints who overcome the devil as recorded in this passage.
They will
utilize three important weapons:
1. The Blood of the Lamb
2. The word of their testimony
3. They will love not their lives unto the death
But, Revelation
13 gives another view of this same time period:
“And
it was given unto him [the beast/Antichrist] to make war with the saints, and
to overcome them; and power [authority] was given him over all kindred, and
tongues, and nations.”
(Revelation 13:7)
Daniel provides
these facts pertaining to this same time frame:
“I
beheld, and the same horn [Antichrist] made war with the saints and prevailed
against them…And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall
wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and
they [the saints] shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the
dividing of time.” (Daniel
7:21, 25)
There will be
those saints who overcome the devil and those saints who are overcome by the
devil during the last days of this age. Those who utilize the power of the
Blood of Christ, have a blameless testimony and have sacrificially given
themselves to the Lord even in the face of death will be victorious.
During this same
time Daniel describes those who “Know
their God shall be strong and do exploits. And they that understand among the
people shall instruct many: they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by
captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall they shall be
helped with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And
some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to
make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time
appointed.” (Daniel 11:32-35)
So, victory does
not mean deliverance from a martyr’s death, but victory means facing death in the strength and power of the
Lord Jesus Christ through His grace for there will be martyrs in abundance in
that day. But, in order to be victorious we must be prepared for the battle by fully
utilizing the Lord’s spiritual weaponry.
This will be
especially necessary for those 144 Thousand Priests of the Apocalypse who are called out to serve Him during the final
days of this age and the ensuing Day of the Lord when planet earth will be a
reeling cauldron of fiery and bloody judgment from the hand of God as described
in Revelation 8-19.
These young Hebrew men will be prepared to do battle with the devil and his emissaries
during the time when he is cast down unto the earth which occurs right after
the mid-point of the 70th Week of Daniel. They will be among “They that understand” described in
Daniel 11:32-35 before they are sealed.
And, as “The time of the end”
unfolds before our very eyes, it is certain that God will continue to bring to
pass the events necessary to begin the 70th Week of Daniel through
the restoration ministry of Elijah the prophet (Malachi 4:5, 6; Matthew 17:11),
and the call and preparation of these 144 Thousand “Servants of our God”
(Revelation 7:3) who will make up The Priesthood of the Apocalypse!
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