Ephesus - Moriel Ministries

Specifically, it is the ministry of priests to
bring sacrifices and intercede for the people. As
it says in 1 Peter 2:9,” all believers are priests.
There is no such thing as a Christian who is
not a priest. Anyone who is not a priest is not
a Christian or minister; anyone who is a Christian
is also a priest and a minister, a word meaning
“servant.” The idea of an ordained “priest”
under the New Covenant is entirely a human
invention. Therefore the whole debate about female
“priests” is utter nonsense. How an entire
institution can split over something which has
no basis to begin with defies logic!
… and in the middle of the lampstands I
saw one like a son of man, clothed in a
robe reaching to the feet, and girded across
His chest with a golden sash. (Rev. 1:13)
But the appearance of Jesus in Revelation
1 typifies the High Priest’s garments. He had
to wear a form of breastplate on His shoulders,
and a tunic that He must not remove. This tunic
represents the garment of salvation. The Mormons
wear a kind of underwear that they never
take off, and the pope wears a scapular, a form
of apron or vest. It sounds absurd, but this is
where they get the idea. On top of this, Aaron
wore a breastplate with twelve plates on his
chest representing the twelve tribes.
When a priest prays for someone’s toothache,
the prayer is said and done and the task
is completed. However, the breastplate represented
a burden, the burden of intercession
which the High Priest did not take off, day or
night, until the battle was won. If someone is
an intercessor, that burden is going to be on his
heart until it is answered and the battle won.
That is what Jesus is doing now; He is carrying
the burden of Israel and those adopted into her
by His work on the cross as the High Priest of
the New Covenant. But notice that Aaron had to
pass these garments on to his sons.
All believers have been given a measure of
faith by God and “without faith it is impossible
to please Him” (Heb.11:6). But not everyone
has the gift of faith. There is a special gift of
faith (1 Co. 12:9) and people who are intercessors
have this God-given gift and carry a burden
for a particular issue just as the Lord Jesus did.
But every believer should still, in a sense, carry
the burden that is on their shoulders and on their
heart, not only for Israel but also, by extension,
for the church—and for the lost.
Slain in the Spirit
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a
dead man. And He placed His right hand
on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the
first and the last, (Rev. 1:17)
Contrast this to Zechariah 4…
Then the angel who was speaking with me
returned and roused me, as a man who is
awakened from his sleep. (Zech. 4:1)
The phenomenon of being “slain in the
Spirit” occurs many times in both Testaments.
They fell down in God’s presence. But the term
comes from Revelation 1:17 where John says
he “fell at His feet as a dead man.” It happened
to Daniel in Daniel 10.
George Whitefield, was very disturbed
when he saw people being “slain in the Spirit”
at John Wesley’s meetings, but a few days later
it happened in his own meetings. Granted a lot
of it found today is just nonsense, pushing people
down or people getting stirred up emotionally
by a hypnotic and manipulative speaker.
Of course it may be counterfeited, but the real
thing is scriptural—it does happen.
“He said to me, “What do you see” And
I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all
of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and
its seven lamps on it with seven spouts
belonging to each of the lamps which are
on the top of it; also two olive trees by it,
one on the right side of the bowl and the
other on its left side.” Then I said to the
angel who was speaking with me saying,
“What are these, my lord” So the angel
who was speaking with me answered and
said to me, “Do you not know what these
are” And I said, “No, my lord.” Then he
said to me, “This is the word of the LORD
to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor
by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the
LORD of hosts. ‘What are you, O great
mountain Before Zerubbabel you will
become a plain; and he will bring forth
the top stone with shouts of “Grace, grace
to it!” ’ ”
Also the word of the LORD came to me,
saying, “The hands of Zerubbabel have
laid the foundation of this house, and his
hands will finish it. Then you will know
that the LORD of hosts has sent me to
you. For who has despised the day of
small things But these seven will be glad
when they see the plumb line in the hand
of Zerubbabel—these are the eyes of the
LORD which range to and fro throughout
the earth.”
Then I said to him, “What are these two
olive trees on the right of the lampstand
and on its left” And I answered the second
time and said to him, “What are the
two olive branches which are beside the
two golden pipes, which empty the golden
oil from themselves” So he answered
me, saying, “Do you not know what these
are” And I said, “No, my lord.” Then he
said, “These are the two anointed ones
who are standing by the LORD of the
whole earth.” (Zech. 4:2-1)
Somehow the architecture of the physical
temple reflects the truth of heaven, and somehow
it reflects certain truths about the church. That is
what Revelation tries to bring together, reflecting
Zechariah Chapter 4: the seven lampstands
in Revelation are the seven churches, and the
two anointed ones appear again in Revelation 11.
Some say they represent Moses who died physically,
Moses and Elijah whose body was taken
up by God; others say they represent Moses
and Enoch, for Enoch also walked into heaven.
It is interesting that the phrase “son of
man” appears in Revelation 1:13. Whenever it
occurs in the Old Testament it is teaching something
about Jesus. Daniel and Ezekiel are types
of Jesus. Ezekiel is a major type of Jesus. And
in Daniel 10:9 he says, “I fell into a deep sleep
on my face, with my face to the ground.” Daniel
evidently also fell down like one slain.
Paul writes:
Feature Article – Continued
“Boasting is necessary, though it is not
profitable; but I will go on to visions and
revelations of the Lord. I know a man in
Christ who fourteen years ago—whether
in the body I do not know, or out of the
body I do not know, God knows—such a
man was caught up to the third heaven.
And I know how such a man—whether in
the body or apart from the body I do not
know, God knows— was caught up into
Paradise and heard inexpressible words,
which a man is not permitted to speak. On
behalf of such a man I will boast; but on
my own behalf I will not boast, except in
regard to my weaknesses. For if I do wish
to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be
speaking the truth; but I refrain from this,
so that no one will credit me with more
than he sees in me or hears from me. Because
of the surpassing greatness of the
revelations, for this reason, to keep me
from exalting myself, there was given me
a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan
to torment me—to keep me from exalting
myself!” (2 Co. 12:1-7)
Paul was obviously talking about himself,
probably when “they stoned Paul and dragged
him outside of the city, supposing him to be
dead ” (Acts 14:19). It was a form of rapture;
he was somehow caught up into heaven. And
it also happened to Zechariah, Elijah, Ezekiel
and Enoch. Every one of those passages says
something about what is going to happen when
“the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who
are alive and remain shall be caught up (in Latin,
“rapturo,” hence the word “raptured” in the
AV) together with them in the clouds to meet
the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be
with the Lord.” (1 Th. 4:16-17)
When Jesus was transfigured on the mountain
(Mt. 17), suddenly there appeared Elijah who
never died, and Moses who died but his grave
could not be found. But they all had this same
glorious splendor, this white radiance. Whether
believers die or not, they shall all appear the
same. What is going to happen to them when
they die That is the big question which Revelation
explains. Somehow, perhaps after “sleeping”
for centuries, believers will all be caught
up to be with the Lord forever. People like Paul
and John had a glimpse of these things ahead
of time—“things inexpressible.” (2 Co. 12:4)
The Faithful Witness with a New Body
Next comes the concept of the faithful witness.
…and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead, and the
ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who
loves us and released us from our sins by
His blood— (Rev. 1:5)
Jesus is described as “the faithful witness.” But
in the Psalms...
“His (David’s) descendants will endure
forever. And his throne as the sun before
Me. It shall be established forever like the
moon, And the witness in the sky is faithful.
But You have cast off and rejected,
You have been full of wrath against Your
anointed (your Messiah).” (Ps. 89:36-38)
Hence in Revelation is described the faith-
December 2010 • Moriel Quarterly