End times, rapture, Second Coming, israel, Bible SAtudies, Prophecy Watch, Prayer Watch, israel watch, persecuted church, revival fire, dove light ministries, holy ghost baptism, speaking in tongues, hebraic roots, the land of israel, Islam's trheat to Christianity, world evanglelism, encouragement, edification, exhortation, christ crucified, ministry studies, pastoral ecnouragement, lion of judah, six seals, six trumpets, six vials, lamb of God, blood of Christ, blood of Jesus, blood of the New Covenant, apologetics, defending the faith, defending the Word of God, Cross of Christ, Holy Spirit Sermons; Bible Sermons; Revival Sermons; Revival Fire; Speaking in Tongues, Speaking as the Spirit of God Gives the Utterance; Utterances in Tongues; Gifts of the Spirit; Rapture, Tribulation, Return; Rapture, Tribulation Christ Comes As The Sun of Righteousness, Bright Morning Star, Blessed Hope, Fruit of the Spirit Sermons; The Cross of Christ, Passover, Lamb of God, Jewish RootsThe Message of the Lamb

When John the Apostle saw a Lamb as it had been slain in the midst of the throne of God, that would forever be the message from heaven concerning man's redemption- the message of the Lamb. The Holy Spirit put his seal of approval on this message by allowing John to see the Lamb having seven horns, seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God. Seven is the number of completion meaning NOTHING need be added to this message or nothing taken away. It is the CROSS and the CROSS alone that sets man free. During this Easter season of 2008 the modern church has slipped away from preaching this message to the peril of countless millions. We MUST preach Christ Crucified, the message of the Lamb!

TEXT: Rev. 5:6 - And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

As we commemorate the Christian celebration of the Lord's Resurrection this 2008 Easter season Satan has launched one of his greatest attacks on the church concerning the message of the Cross of Christ. Apostasy very seldom gets into the blood stream of the church from the outside; that's why Satan fights his best war on the INSIDE to woo the church away from its real source of power - the BLOOD OF JESUS and the power in what He accomplished for us at the Cross. Passover is a prophetic type of this great victory we have been given THROUGH CHRIST - the PASSOVER LAMB, sacrificed for US - over sin, the flesh, the world - AND SATAN. The blood of the Lamb of Deliverance is our only defense against the enemy of our soul. That is why he constantly seeks to move our faith to something other than that which will destroy his power in our lives!

It was the Passover sacrifice that delivered Israel from the power of Pharaoh so that her people would never again serve Egypt. It is the CROSS, of which the Passover was a prophetic type, that delivers us from the power of Satan and slavery to the corruption of the world. Never forget that. It was not the miracles that got Pharaoh to loose his grip on the children of Israel - but the BLOOD! Realizing this today, Satan rages war against those who turn to the cross just as Pharaoh did against Israel when he saw he was losing his power over them. Like the Passover did in type, the cross brings judgment upon the evil of the world, but delivers those who embrace it from the world. The sacrifice of the Lamb has always been the main point of conflict in eternity and it will always be the point of conflict in future events yet to take place upon planet Earth and in heaven. But the LAMB of GOD is the LAMB OF DELIVERANCE AND HE HAS PREVAILED AND WILL PREVAIL FOR ALL ETERNITY! The Lamb of God has come to TAKE AWAY the SIN OF THE WORLD. Christ took away the penalty of death over us through His great sacrifice and broke the power of sin by conquering every foe of darkness that would seek to bring the child of God into bondage.

Col. 2:13-14
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; [14] Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

The feast of Passover is the celebration and retelling of the great story of how God redeemed the Jewish nation from enslavement in Egypt, a type of the believer's redemption from sin through Christ and Him crucified, was given to the Jews while they were still in Egypt.

The first Passover in Egypt centered around the Passover lamb, which was sacrificed and its blood put over the doorposts as a sign of faith and protection from that which the Lord would do in the killing of the firstborn of all who. The great promise of Exodus 12:10 - "when I see the Blood, I will pass over you," is the hallmark promise of what this writer believes to be Israel's greatest feast on her calendar - the beginning of months, the Feast of Passover. When we came to Christ, who brought us out of Egypt through His precious blood, we experienced a "first of months," or beginning spiritually as we became new creatures in Christ Jesus!

Exodus 12:1-3
And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, [2] This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. [3] Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:

2 Cor. 5:17-21
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. [18] And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation

Exodus 12:13-14
And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. [14] And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

The blood on the door posts was to be a token to all Israel that God would pass over those who placed their faith in the slain Lamb from which the blood came. It was a powerful prophetic eternal picture of the coming Crucifixion years into the future when Heaven's glorious Lamb shed His blood for the sins of all mankind. Holy Spirit through Paul declares that Jesus Christ is our sacrificial Lamb.

1 Cor. 5:7
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:

The Passover lamb in Egypt was to be a "male without defect," a type of Christ, the "lamb without blemish or defect."

1 Peter 1:18-19 - For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

In addition, when the lamb was roasted and eaten, none of its bones were to be broken, speaking to us of the Psalmist's prophecy of the coming Messiah, whose death was both miraculous and prophetic in nature:

Exodus 12:46
In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.

Psalm 34:20
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

It was customary during crucifixion to break the leg bones of the person after a few hours in order to hasten their death. The only way a person could breathe when hanging on a cross was to push up with his legs, which was very exhausting. By breaking the legs, death followed soon by asphyxiation. However, in the case of Jesus, they broke the legs of the other two men, but did not break His, since He was already dead.

John 19:32-33
Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:

John 19:36
For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

The feast of Passover contains many symbolic and prophetic tones of Christ, our risen Lamb! Let me tell you this friend and I should have stated this sooner. The cross of Christ and His subsequent resurrection, of which Passover celebrates, is the only thing that stands between man and eternal hell. Men today don't believe in a hell but the fact of Christ's resurrection warns all men - without exception - that there is a life after this life we see in the natural. EVERY single human being will spend eternity after they die on this earth in either one or two places - heaven or hell. For the child of God death has no fear but a glorious promise. Because HE lives, we shall live also!

For the sinner without God, eternity does not hold such a promise of life but eternal death and punishment in the lake of fire, separated from God for all eternity. That sounds blunt but blunt is what this writer must be to express the importance in faith in the Passover Lamb we speak of. We no longer partake of a roasted animal but we partake of a LIVING CHRIST. John declared, "Behold, the LAMB of God, who takes away the sin of the World."

John 1:29 - The next day John saw Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.

During a normal Passover celebration, five days before the lamb was to be sacrificed, it was chosen by the head of the house. Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem five days before the lamb was killed in the temple as the Passover sacrifice for the sins of the people of Israel. Therefore, Jesus entered Jerusalem on lamb selection day as the lamb of God five days before He would lay down His life on the Cross for the sins of all mankind.

The nation of Israel did not understand the significance of this then and millions do not understand it today; with a fickle heart scores greeted Him with palm branches and hailed Him as King, shouting "Hosanna," which means "save us." However, Israel's religious leaders were not looking for a spiritual Savior, but a political savior, and thus had rejected Christ's claim He was both Israel's Messiah and the Son of God. I ask you today, how many millions of people have their faith in a "political," or "social," or "racial," or a myriad of other Christs instead of embracing and having their faith in the Crucified Lamb of Glory, embracing His cross and walking after Him in self-denial, repentance and faith?

One cannot come to God except one come through Christ the Son; one cannot come to Christ except one take up his cross, deny himself and follow after the Lord. Denying one's self signifies repentance and crucifying the lusts and power of the flesh through yielding ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 9:22-24
Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. [23] And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. [24] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

Palm branches were a symbol of freedom and defiance, since Simon Maccabeus had entered Jerusalem with that symbolism years earlier. Christ knew the hearts of those welcoming Him in such a manner and He knows the hearts of all those who falsely accept Him today. His reaction was to weep as He recognized Israel's blindness in understanding His purpose in coming - the Cross. Israel wanted freedom from Rome; Christ came to give freedom from Satan, who controlled both Rome AND Israel at that time. Israel wanted a political saviour; Christ came to change the hearts of men, not change ruler ship over Jerusalem.

John 12:12-13 - On the next day the great multitude who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet Him, and began to cry out, "Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.

Matthew 21:8 - And most of the multitude spread their garments in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees, and spreading them in the road.

I wander how much He weeps today over His church which little understands His purpose in coming as well! Israel stumbled over the Cross, called a "stumbling block," to the Jews and "foolishness," to the Greeks i.e. Gentiles, and millions stumble over the Cross today. There is an offense most don't want anything to do with. There was an offense in sprinkling blood to the door posts in Egypt but without the sprinkling of blood those outside the house lost their firstborn to the death angel. There is a death angel coming for ALL those not under the Blood today just as he came to the houses in Egypt so long ago.

1 Cor. 1:22-23 - For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: [23] But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; [24] But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. [25] Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. [26] For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

That is why we preach Christ Crucified! That is why we embrace the Passover Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ; that's why we preach about Him; that's why we sing about Him; that's why we write about Him!

To say it again - Christ did not come to deliver Israel from Rome but to deliver mankind from the powers of darkness! For nearly 1,200 years on each subsequent day the Passover Lamb was to be sacrificed, the priest would blow the shofar (ram's horn) at 3:00 p.m. - the moment the lamb was sacrificed, and all the people would pause to contemplate the sacrifice for sins on behalf of the people of Israel. At 3:00 P.M. when Jesus was being crucified, He cried, "It is finished" - at the moment that the Passover lamb was sacrificed and the shofar was blown from the Temple. The sacrifice of the lamb of God was fulfilled at the hour that the symbolic animal sacrifice usually took place.

John 19:30
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

At the same time, the veil of the Temple (a three-inch thick, several story high cloth that demarked the Holy of Holies tore from top to bottom - representing a removal of the separation between God and man. Fifty days later, on the anniversary of the giving of the law (Pentecost), God left the earthly temple to inhabit those who call on the name of Jesus through His Holy Spirit.

Matthew 27:51
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

Hebrews 9:3
And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;

Luke 23:45
And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

Unleavened Bread and First Fruits -Burial and Resurrection

Passover actually involves two other feast - the feast of unleavened bread, and the feast of first fruits - each speaking of the crucifixion; the feast of unleavened bread speaks to us of Christ's sinless perfection and His burial as a perfect sacrifice; the Psalmist says He did not see corruption while in the grave;

Psalms 16:10 - For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt Thou allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay.

Psalms 30:3 - O LORD, Thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol; Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

Psalms 49:15 - But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol; for He will receive me. Selah.

Psalms 118:17 - I shall not die, but live, And tell of the works of the LORD.

The festival of unleavened bread began Friday evening (at sunset) when the Jews would take some of the grain - the "first fruits" of their harvest - to the Temple to offer as a sacrifice. In so doing, they were offering God all they had and trusting Him to proved the rest of the harvest. It was at this point that Jesus was buried - planted in the ground - as He said right before His death. Paul refers to Jesus as the first fruits of those raised from the dead in 1 Corinthians. As such, Jesus represents the fulfillment of God's promise to provide the rest of the harvest - resurrection of those who follow the Messiah.

John 12:23-24
And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. [24] Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

1 Cor. 15:20
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.

1 Cor. 11:24
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

John 19:40
Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

Isaiah 53:5
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

We also see Christ in the Passover Seder itself. Three matzahs are put together (representing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit); the middle matzah is broken, wrapped in a white cloth, and hidden, representing the death and burial of Jesus. The matzah itself is designed to represent Jesus, since it is striped and pierced, which was prophesized by Isaiah, David,and Zechariah.

Zech. 12:10-12
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. [11] In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. [12] And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;

Psalm 22:16
For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

Isaiah 53:5-9
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. [6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. [7] He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. [8] He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. [9] And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

Following the Seder meal, the "buried" matzah is "resurrected," which was foretold in the prophecies of David. It was during a Passover Sederthat Jesus proclaimed that the meal represented Himself and He was instituting the New Covenant, which was foretold by Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah.

Luke 22:15
And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:

Jeremiah 31:31-33

Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Ezekiel 11:19-20

And I shall give them one heart, and shall put a new spirit within them. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.

Isaiah 42:6

I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations

The celebration of this covenant has become the ordinance of communion in the Christian Church known as the Lord's Supper which is in fact, an actual part of the Jewish Seder, which is what actually took place during the Lord's "last supper" with the disciples.

Luke 22:15
And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer:

At the end of the meal, Jesus took the unleavened bread, broke it, and said that it represented His body. Then He took the cup of wine, which would have been the third cup of the Seder - the cup of redemption. He said that it was the new covenant in His blood "poured out for you."

Thus, it is through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ ALONE that we are declared clean before God, allowing those of us who choose to accept the pardon, to commune with Him - both now and forevermore through the eternal life He offers. That is the message of Passover - the glorious declaration of Jesus the LAMB and what He did for us at the Cross and the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing Justification, Sanctification and Glorification to all those who believe.

This is why we celebrate Passover; this is why we preach; this is why we sing; this is why we praise God; this is why we worship; this is why we give; this is why we write; this is why we pour our lives out for the gospel's sake for it to go forth through whatever means necessary. I pray one day to be back behind a pulpit full time preaching the gospel and pastoring but until that time comes this website will be used as a pulpit to proclaim Jesus saves, Jesus heals, Jesus baptizes in the Holy Spirit and Jesus is coming again! The great message of redemption was bought with blood and praise God for it! It was not just any blood, but PRECIOUS blood, divine blood, yet human; it was human blood, yet divine. Christ was 100% man and He was 100% God at the same time.

Only the Heavenly Father could accomplish such! No wonder Paul called it a "great salvation." No wonder angels looked into this great plan of salvation and wondered in amazement at how fallen human creatures who come to Christ in faith could be redeemed, bought with a price through such love than no mortal tongue could even begin to describe it! This is the message of Passover! This is the glorious message of the Resurrection!

Hebrews 2:3
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

Hebrews 3:1
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

1 Cor. 6:20
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Let the reader be clear: if one does not keep the Cross as the object of one's faith at ALL times, the result will be what happened to Israel - self-righteousness, which in reality was what the spirit within the religious leaders of the nation who put Christ on the Cross, which in the natural was the most despicable act in human history even though for those of us who have embraced it's glory was the greatest victory ever known to mankind and the most glorious! Israel's self-righteousness led to her demise and friend ANY faith that is not faith in the Christ will produce such that will lead to our demise as well!

Mark 15:33 -39 - And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. [34] And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? [35] And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calls Elias. [36] And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. [38] And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. [39] And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God

It took heaven a little over six hours to finally secure man's eternal redemption through the death of Jesus Christ. The last three hours were the darkest of all as God Himself had to turn away from the awful scene of our sin laid upon His Son. In three hours all of hell shook with the cry "It is Finished," for in that cry - mankind was delivered from the powers of darkness forever and forever. All we must do to receive this deliverance is to believe and repent.

Rom 3:25
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

Acts 20:21
21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

The bedrock of the gospel message is the cross of Christ which testifies to BOTH the Jews and to the Greeks of "repentance," toward God and FAITH toward our Lord Jesus Christ! Notice that it's BOTH - not that works can save man but true faith always points man to REPENT and turn from sin! That is the message of the Passover Lamb who was slain upon a bloody cross to secure man's eternal redemption.

Heb 9:12-14 - 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 an 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?

Another by product of a lack of modern understanding of the Cross, we little understand the power of sin and darkness. Sin is more than act. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. ALL have missed the mark. No one is righteous, NO NOT ONE, says the scripture. Sin has a power to it that beggars description because it's more than just what we do or don't do, it's a NATURE. When Adam and Eve fell by disobedience, the eternal heavens shook with the force of their rebellion against God and throughout the ages every single human being that has followed since Adam has come under the same curse - DEATH. This death is more than just the breathing out of our last breath here on earth - but SPIRITUAL death which causes men to spend eternity without God in eternal hell.

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:17-21
For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) [18] Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. [19] For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. [20] Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: [21] That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

When you see a man sitting at a bar drinking his alcohol and getting so drunk he don't know what day it is or what his name is - you're looking at DEATH. You're looking at the death of a home, the death of man, the death of another person perhaps and if that individual is careless and gets behind the wheel of a car. When you see a heroin addict jamming their arms with needles to get a quick fix you're looking at DEATH. When a man or woman commits adultery on their spouse and spurs a marriage covenant, you're looking at DEATH. Our actions carry consequences and if not repented of will bring eternal pain to the guilty. We just can't "sin" and get away with it. You just can't do your own thing and think "I can live foot-loose and fancy free" and nothing is going to happen to me. Those are the words of a fool; people with such views usually make a mockery of sin and rebellion. That's what America's attitude toward sin has become - a big 'joke' and 'punch line.'

Proverbs 14:9 - Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favor.

Sin is not a laughing matter. To hear comedians on our television make fun of adultery, drugs, stealing, and immorality it gives people a sense that sin is OK. SIN IS NOT OK neighbor and God is not laughing at America's Tom foolery. The WAGES OF SIN is death. Death. Death. Death. I ask you again, "What do we mean when we say death?" Are we talking about the mere cessation of breath in our bodies? NO! We're talking about something more horrifying and horrible than ANY casket would hold for the corpse that lays inside. I'm talking about eternal death - separation from God. Because of the power of sin's nature, man has no power to save or deliver himself from it's results and consequences - both physical and eternal.

After Adam and Eve's fall, God killed an innocent animal in the garden shedding BLOOD, which would forever and eternally speak of man's inability to save himself from his sin. Adam and Eve should have been smitten on the spot, but instead the one stricken was an innocent victim - more than likely a lamb and declared from that point until NOW that without the SHEDDING of BLOOD, there would NEVER be remission, or removal, or forgiveness, or deliverance from sin!

God's act in the Garden of Eden was the first message of the Lamb and the Cross; His second act was the night of Passover in Egypt; and His third act was the death of His Son Jesus Christ upon the Cross! Adam and Eve's children - Cain and Abel - carried this revelation of the shedding of blood a bit further when the two boys fully illustrated this eternal conflict between man's works and God's grace. Cain would become a tiller of the ground and offered up to God the things made with his own hands. Abel, the Bible said, who was righteous, learned the lesson from his parents - the way to God is through sacrifice and blood.

The revelation of the Lam in Genesis tells us that we all are alike. There is no difference between any of us underneath our skin. We are all sinners. Adam and Eve were the world's first sinners, not the first dysfunctional family. Cain was the first murderer, not the first "abused victim," of Adam and Eve's failures. And it is in this arena that man wrestles with the question of his eternal soul with God. Millions are in hell right now because they NEVER admitted they were sinners and in need of a gracious God. Many good people who probably never killed a soul, never stole a dollar, never drank a drop of beer, never smoked a joint, are in hell today. Why? Because we must ALL come to the realization that we are SINNERS and the only remedy for this malady in our souls is the CROSS of JESUS and the blood that was shed on that cross some 2,000 years ago.

Hebrews 9:20-22
Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. [21] Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. [22] And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

There is no other way to God than through the blood of the Lamb. Let me repeat it again: Without the SHEDDING of BLOOD there is no remission, no removal, no taking away, no purging, no remedy for SIN. Modern society laughs at the notion that our kids are killing each other because they are demonically tormented but folks the root of the problem in the recent school shootings is NOT SOCIETY, it's SIN! The psychologists chairs are FULL of people trying to find out why they do such deranged things with their life and hurt others and themselves. THE REASON IS SIN! Couples go to marriage counselors seeking an answer why they are divorcing and committing fornication on one another - ITS SIN! The problem in our homes is SIN. The problem with our lack of ethics and morals is SIN. We may deal with symptoms and cure the symptom BUT ONLY THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST CAN SET THE SINNER FREE FROM THE POWER THAT IS CONTROLLING HIM TO DO WHAT HE IS DOING! Glory to God.

What can WASH away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can MAKE me whole again - NOTHING BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS! Oh, precious is the flow, that MAKES ME WHITE AS SNOW!! NO OTHER FOUNT I KNOW - Nothing but the blood of JESUS! Nothing but the blood can set the captive free. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can set the homosexual free. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can turn a drug addict around and put him in the ministry to preach the gospel. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can set a thief free and keep him from stealing anymore. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can calm a hurting heart and wounded spirit and give life again to a person who has lost all hope of living and has tried suicide to end their life. NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD! And it was at CALVARY where it was shed and the Lamb was slain. That is the message of Passover - the LAMB and the Cross!

Genesis 3:21
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

In Genesis 3:21 God killed an innocent creature in order to clothe those who stood naked in His sight because of sin. In like manner, the Father gave up His Son, the innocent One, unto death in order to provide an atoning covering for the souls of men. An innocent victim would have to die; however, it would have to be victim who would be perfect in every respect, which would make a suitable Sacrifice in order that the sin debt be paid and the Righteousness of God be satisfied. Man could not furnish that Sacrifice, such being impossible to him; therefore, God furnished the Sacrifice Himself, actually becoming man in order to pay this terrible price, which He did at the Cross.

This of which we have just mentioned, was and is the greatest display of LOVE that humanity has ever known and ever shall know. Jesus did many things as it regards Redemption, which includes His Virgin Birth, which of course was an absolute necessity, and as well, His sinless, perfect life, never falling one time to sin in any shape, form or fashion. As well, He performed every type of miracle that one could begin to think; however, all of this, as important and necessary as it was, was ancillary to the main event, His DEATH ON THE CROSS. The Cross is NEVER to be looked upon as an incidental situation, in other words, just a part of all that Jesus did.

Listen closely friend. Had Jesus came to earth born of a virgin, lived a sinless perfect life, did all the miracles He did - ALL OF THESE THINGS COULD NOT HAVE REDEEMED A SINGLE SOUL! It took the CROSS, or DEATH to do that. We must ever keep that before us this Passover season. The cross was necessary for man's initial salvation AND IT IS NECESSARY FOR OUR CONTINUED VICTORY as CHRISTIANS today. All "abundant life," and "rest," Jesus promised to those who believed Him could come about only as a result of the CROSS.

Christian friend hear me good. It took what Jesus did at the cross to SAVE YOU and it will take faith in that Finished to KEEP you and Save you! When we say the "Cross" we are also speaking of the "Resurrection," and "Exaltation" of Christ. We are seated in that exalted place Christ has obtained - but we are only there in reality if we have embraced the CROSS.

ALL VICTORY IS IN THE CROSS. ALL OVERCOMING POWER IS IN THE CROSS. ALL ABUNDANT LIFE IS IN THE CROSS, meaning that every single thing we receive from the Lord from the time of conversion, comes through the FINISHED WORK OF JESUS! And the Holy Spirit works through the same FINISHED WORK. All that we receive from God comes through the Holy Spirit - who has come to earth to point us back to JESUS - AND HIS WORK AT CALVARY! THIS is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith!

1 John 5:4
For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.

The Church And The Cross

We have two extremes going on right now in the Body. The non-Pentecostal world has attempted for years to preach the cross without the Holy Spirit. That culminated with them preaching neither one, which is what is happening at present. Conversely, the Pentecostal Church world has attempted to preach the Holy Spirit without the Cross. As a result, they are preaching neither one. This leads us down a road that causes us to chase "spirits" instead of the HOLY SPIRIT because friends when we are listening to the HOLY SPIRIT HE IS ALWAYS LEADING US TO THE CROSS where the finished work of the SON was accomplished.

When we have major denominations, both Pentecostal and non-Pentecostal, supporting and advocating 12-step programs from the world of Psychology we are not listening to the HOLY SPIRIT! Believe me friend the HOLY SPIRIT will not lead you down a road with 12-steps in it - HE'LL SET YOU FREE!! Why? Because He will take you back to the CROSS OF CHRIST where the BLOOD WAS SHED 2,000 years ago that set man free and delivered him from darkness. It takes FAITH and REPENTANCE to find victory, not some advice from a new age guru dressed up in a suit and giving you a list of 12 things to do to get free!!

The Cross represents a losing of our lives and wills to DO HIS WILL and DO HIS PURPOSE throughout the earth. And the same Holy Spirit who leads us to Calvary will not lend Himself to things that would make professional wrestlers blush! We must come back to Calvary. We must come back to the source of man's freedom. And it only took a total of six hours.

Upon Whom The Holy Spirit Remained....

John 1:28-31 - These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. [29] The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. [30] This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. [31] And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. [33] And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost. [34] And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. [35] Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; [36] And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

John the Baptist declared that upon WHOM the Holy Spirit remained - HE would be the Messiah, the Anointed Son of God, who would come and Baptize with the Holy Ghost. Please forgive me here for saying what I am about to say but say it I must. When we come to Christ we receive the Holy Spirit; yet the Holy Spirit's work inside the believer is JUST beginning not ending. Child of God, you need the baptism in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking with other tongues. You need to be endued with power from on high from the ONE John saw and said was "MIGHTIER," than him and had come to be made manifest to Israel. He said "I saw the SPIRIT descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon HIM," meaning Jesus. It didn't abide upon the Assemblies of God; the church of God; the Southern Baptist Convetnion; the Methodist church; the Presbyterians; or the Charismatics. HE DESCENDED UPON CHRIST, who is the baptizer in the Holy Ghost. Jesus Christ did not come and die JUST so men could be saved, but that they might be FILLED with the HOLY GHOST AND FIRE! That was the record of the strong witness of John the Baptist as the HOLY GHOST penned these words through the Apostle John!

The dove was a sacred bird to the Jews as a symbol of peace, gentleness, purity and innocence; but even more significant, the dove was often identified with the Spirit of God thus when the dove descended upon Christ, it symbolized the Spirit of God Himself descending upon Christ. The dove identified Jesus as the Messiah and endued Him with the power of God!!!

Mark 1:9-10
And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. [10] And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

In the Old Testament the Spirit of God came upon men only on special occasions. He never came and remained upon men. John went out of his way to point out that the Spirit’s descent upon Christ was unique: He abode (John 1:32) and He remained upon Christ (John 1:33) entering the life of Christ once-for-all, permanently and powerfully, in His full manifestation and unlimited power. Everything the LAMB OF GOD did as it pertained to our redemption - the miracles, the sinless life, the power He showed, the grace, the mercy - were all done as a man endued with power by the Holy Spirit! He did these things as a man, not as God, yet even though He was a man who had stripped Himself of the expression of God, He was always GOD never losing His deity!!!! That is powerful! That causes this writer to weep thinking of the GLORIOUS salvation we have today as we celebrate this Easter and Passover season! My Lord someone needs to shout with me right now!

When a person is baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ at salvation, the Holy Spirit enters the life of the believer and becomes a permanent experience of the believer. When that believer then goes onto faith and believes in the baptism in the Holy Spirit it is CHRIST who baptizes us in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking with other tongues. Two separate experiences - one that takes place at conversion, the other AFTER we are saved, yet all is done that we should go forth and bring forth FRUIT and that FRUIT remain!

John 15:16-17
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. [17] These things I command you, that ye love one another.

Romans 8:9-10
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. [10] And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

John 16:7
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

1 Cor. 12:3
Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Acts 1:5
For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 2:1-4
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. [2] And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. [3] And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. [4] And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The Holy Spirit was the Promise of the Father and His job is to point us to the Lamb of God!

Luke 24:49
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

The Spirit and the Lamb

Rev. 5:6-7
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. [7] And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

When the Lamb of God was first revealed here on the earth, His ministry was confirmed and empowered by the witness of a dove - the Holy Spirit. John said, "when you see the Spirit descending and staying upon the One Coming, HE IS THE LAMB OF GOD!" What a way to bear witness of the Lamb's coming ministry to all mankind.

In this vein of though so too there is another supreme moment mentioned in scripture when the APOSTLE JOHN gets his first sight of Jesus Christ in heaven AFTER the resurrection as given to John on the Isle of Patmos at the onset of those events recorded in the Book of Revelation. John had already seen Christ in his first vision and message to the churches; he only got to see Christ standing in the midst of the seven golden lamp stands, which were a type of the churches.

But now John catches his first sight of the glorified Son of God in heaven, which was bound to be the most spectacular sight ever seen in human history, for God was letting a mere man see His Son at the throne of God. He was showing why His Son is worthy to rule and reign over the universe and the message of eternity for all mankind. It is interesting to note that John saw a lion as well as a lamb but it would be the LAMB as it had been slain that would stand in the Middle of the Throne of God.

It seems as if John was looking to see the mighty lion that the Elder had mentioned, but instead he sees a Lamb. The world wants to see the lion of Judah today, which is a very important aspect of the Lord's character and ministry. Before He can be the Lion of Judah, He MUST be the Lamb of God. In heaven's view of redemption, it is the LAMB of GOD, not the Lion of Judah who is found right in the middle of the Throne, the four Living Ones, and the 24 Elders, signifying the center of attention.

This Lamb is not just any lamb, but as "as it had been slain," bearing the marks of the Crucifixion. The Lamb had "seven horns," denoting perfection and total dominion; "seven eyes," denoting perfect, total, and complete knowledge and illumination.

The Holy Spirit is represented here as working so closely with the Lamb, as it refers to the Atonement, as to be inseparable. Let that statement sink in friend; it is the theme of this journal series on Passover! The Spirit of God and His work as it pertains to our salvation cannot be separated from that which Christ did at the Cross. The "Seven Spirits of God" denote the total and complete attributes of the Spirit, who carries out all the work and plans of the Godhead on Earth, hence Him being referred to as "sent forth into all the Earth."
Jesus Christ is the center of the heavenly scene and is the very center and focus of all attention - past, present and future; every eye and thought is upon Him and one day ALL will bow the knee and declare Him Lord of ALL. He is the centerpiece of God’s throne room, the central figure on the stage of universal history, and the history of both heaven and earth. As such men deny Him to their own destruction and peril.
As we have already stated, the earthly witness to Jesus was that He was the Lamb of god who died for our sins; the heavenly witness around the throne as seen by John was the same; The lamb was sacrificed so that the judgment of God could pass over the people.
Exodus 12:3
Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
Isaiah had said that the Messiah was to bear our sins by being brought as a lamb to the slaughter.
Isaiah 53:6-7
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. [7] He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
We have already looked at the words of John the Baptist and Peter concerning the Lord as the Lamb of God. A.T. Robertson, the Greek scholar, points out that the word for lamb throughout the New Testament is ho amnos. But throughout Revelation John uses another word arnion, and he uses the word twenty-nine times for the crucified Christ. The difference is this: the word chosen by John stresses the slaughter, suffering, pain, agony, and humiliation of Christ. And all the suffering is still seen in heaven. As Robertson says: "The Lamb is now alive, but...with the marks of the sacrifice" His sacrifice for us will stand the test of time eternal and will cover us when we stand before the throne of God at the judgment! He did this ALL as the Ideal and Perfect Man meaning that when we see Him in glory He will still bear the marks of the nail prints in His hands and feets. The CROSS will forever be the focus - even in heaven!
This is the reason Jesus Christ stands in the center stage of heaven. But even in heaven He stands as the One who has loved and given Himself for us; He stands as the Lamb who was slain as the perfect sacrifice for our sins.
Hebrews 9:12-14
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. [13] For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: [14] 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 10:11-13
And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: [12] But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; [13] From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
1 Peter 3:18 - For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit

As the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ is the omnipotent power, intelligence and soverign of the universe. Remember that the number seven in the Bible means completeness, fullness, and perfection. Jesus Christ is seen with seven horns which symbolizes complete and perfect strength and power. He stands in heaven as the supreme power and force of the universe.

Matthew 28:18
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Romans 1:4
And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

John 10:18
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

John 17:2
As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

The Lamb As it Had Been Slain- That Which The Holy Spirit Anoints

Rev. 5:6-7
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. [7] And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

John's statement, "And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the Throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the Elders, stood a Lamb," speaks to us of Jesus as the "Lamb of God" (Jn. 1:29), which we have discussed in great detail so far; this phrase, again, denotes the sacrifice of Himself as it regards the Atonement. As we have stated, Jesus has been introduced as a "Lion," but when John sees Him, He sees "a Lamb." It is not the Lion, but the Lamb that is presented as "standing" in the very midst of all the greatness of the Throne. He is the center of all attention. It doesn't say that He is sitting on the Throne, but rather that He is standing in the midst of it.

And yet it states in the last Chapter of Revelation that the Throne is "of God and of the Lamb" (Rev. 22:1, 3).

Rev. 22:1
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Rev. 22:3
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

The last Chapter of Revelation pictures the perfect age to come, when the New Jerusalem will have been brought down from God out of Heaven, with Earth now being His Headquarters. Consequently, at that time, there is no more sin, Satan, or rebellion. All of that has been put down by what Jesus did at the Cross. Even though the Cross is history at the time John sees this glorious vision, still, all the effects of the Cross have not yet been realized. So Jesus is pictured as standing instead of sitting, representing work yet to do, with the posture of sitting representing work that is finished and done.

The Spirit of God RESTS Upon The Slain Lamb

The phrase, "As it had been slain," represents the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. This Lamb had been slain, but this Lamb is now alive, even though it bears on its body the marks of the Crucifixion. Incidentally, Jesus being in the "midst of the Elders," portrays the Church raptured and Glorified. In Revelation 1:13 and 2:1, He is in the midst of the candlesticks, which represents the Church before the Rapture, and thereby, still on Earth; the representation of Christ as a Lamb, and above all, "as it had been slain," and especially considering that this is seen at the Throne of God, tells us many things.

First and foremost, it tells us of the vast significance of what Christ did at the Cross. This is the key on which the entirety of the Plan of God turns. This tells us unequivocally that everything revolves around the Cross. That's why Paul was so adamant in telling us to "preach the Cross" (I Cor. 1:17-18, 21, 23; 2:2, 5). If Jesus is pictured thusly at the Throne of God, He must as well be pictured accordingly in the Church. We must preach the Cross, sing the Cross, proclaim the Cross, witness the Cross, and above all, place our Faith totally and completely in the Cross. When we say this, we are not talking about some lecture about a historical event. We're talking about the SPIRITUAL results that came as a result of Christ's Finished Work upon the cruel tree at Golgotha's Hill 2,000 years ago.

Let the Reader understand what he is seeing and hearing. Do not allow this great truth to be lost upon you. The Cross is not merely a doctrine, but rather the foundation of all Doctrine. I'm certain that what Jesus suffered at the Cross would not be explained by Him as a mere doctrine. The Cross is the under girding factor of all the Plan of God upon which rests the entirety of the Promises of God. Yet the modern church world preaches everything BUT the Cross and claims that the Promises of God rests upon other things. It's not we deny the Cross outright, we just seek to add to what Christ has done, which is in effect denying what He did, no matter how one looks at it. This grieves the Holy Spirit! Paul says such in Hebrews 10:26-29 when he says that if we trample under foot the blood of the covenant, speaking of the blood shed on the Cross, we do this "despite," the Spirit of grace. The Greek inference to the term "hath done despite unto," means to "insult," the Spirit of God.

Hebrews 10:26-29 - For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, [27] But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. [28] He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: [29] Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

Let the reader be clear for the 10,000th time; the entirety of the Bible is the story of the Cross. In fact, unless one understands the Cross, one cannot understand the Bible. This means that the understanding of the Word is to be undertaken by first of all Faith being exhibited in the Finished Work of Christ. When Faith is thereby extended, and maintained we might quickly add, the understanding of the Word begins to be made clear. Unfortunately, far too many Believers attempt to understand the Word without first exhibiting Faith in the Cross, which brings the Holy Spirit upon the scene to help us rightly divide and discern God's Holy Word. It cannot be done this way!

If his Faith remains in Christ, and what Christ did at the Cross, the Word of God will be easily understood because the story of the Bible is the story of Redemption, which is the story of the Cross and the Resurrected Lamb of God!

Seven Horns....

Rev. 5:6-9
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. [7] And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

The phrase, "Having seven horns," is symbolism, as is the entirety of this Verse. The seven horns denote strength, power, and total dominion. "Seven" denotes the fact that His power and dominion are Almighty. What Christ did at the Cross gives Him the right of Rulership over all of creation.

Dominion had been originally forfeited to Satan, which was done at the Fall. It was gained back by Christ, but at great price. And now whatever dominion Satan has, it's actually his by default. In other words, the entirety of the billions on this Earth who are dominated by Satan, are held captive by him simply because they will not trust Christ. It is the same with Christians who do not know or understand God's path to victory. Many are saved but many live "miserable," battling every foe of darkness and failing in that fight. If we're fighting sin friend, we've already lost; our fight is the fight of faith! If we're fighting sin, we're fighting a battle already won!

1 Tim. 6:10-12
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. [11] But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. [12] Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

1 John 5:4
For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.

Due to the fact that Jesus has horns, denotes the fact that dominion is His. Due to the fact that He has seven horns, tells us that His dominion is total. What does that mean to we as believers at this present time? It means that there should be nothing in one's life that brings a reproach to Christ. Christ has total dominion, which means that if Satan is usurping authority in your life, he is doing so by your consent. And what do we mean by that statement? Satan is a defeated foe. Paul plainly said that Jesus by what He did at the Cross, "spoiled principalities and powers, making a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it" (Col. 2:14-15). So, the number "seven" tells us that His dominion is total and complete, and the following is what we must remember:

Everything He did was totally and completely for us. So, the dominion that He has gained and done so at great price, was all done on our behalf, and if it was done for us, for certain we should have in totality that for which He has suffered. These "seven horns" tell us that there is no need for any Believer to be in bondage to any sin or iniquity. That's why Paul said: "Sin shall not have dominion over you" (Rom. 6:14).

Romans 6:14
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

The great mistake many make as it regards Christ is misunderstanding His Mission. He came down here totally and completely for Adam's fallen race, and not at all for Himself, as should be obvious. The second mistake many make is to separate Christ from the Cross, which is the great sin of the Church. The unbeliever tries to picture Christ as the great healer and miracle worker, but they give no credence at all to the Cross. But again, almost all of the unredeemed picture Christ as merely a man, and not at all as God. Many Christians greatly believe in the Cross as it regards the initial Salvation experience, but separate Christ from the Cross after that. That's the reason they cannot live an overcoming life. Christ must always be thought of in connection with His Cross. That's the reason that Paul said:

1 Cor. 1:17
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

To place the emphasis on anything other than the Cross i.e. humanistic psychology, 12-step programs, rehab centers, is to "make the Cross of Christ of none effect." Of what effect is Paul speaking? The Cross of Christ affects every single facet of our being and our living. So the emphasis must always be on the Cross, which refers to what Jesus did there. That being the case, which means that one's Faith is totally in the Finished Work of Christ, and nothing else, then total dominion over the powers of darkness will be ours - if we believe and keep our faith anchored in Christ. That is the powerful message of the "seven horns," which John saw upon the Lamb.

Seven Eyes....

Rev. 5:6-9
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. [7] And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

Secondly, John saw, "Seven Eyes," proclaiming the perfect knowledge, and understanding, and illumination of Christ. As it refers to the Child of God, continuing in the vein that He did all of this for us, the "Seven Eyes" refers to a proper understanding of the Word of God. Psalm 119 perfectly explains this "perfect illumination," i.e., "Seven Eyes." In that Psalm there are seven words used to define the Word of God. They are, "Law, Testimonies, Precepts, Statutes, Commandments, Judgments, and Word." The "illumination," of scripture rests upon the "seven eyes," upon a Slain Lamb! That speaks us once again that if one understands the Cross, the Word of God will then become so illumined that a child can see; on the contrasting side of that - if one does not understand the Cross properly, then one's illumination concerning God's Word will then be distorted, perverted at best and denied at its worst. That is why so many deny the things of the Spirit of God; they must be spiritually discerned and unless we have our eyes on the Cross, then the "seven eyes," of the Lamb will be of "no effect," to the believer!

The Seven Spirits of God - The Holy Spirit

Rev. 5:6-9 - And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. [7] And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

The phrase, "Which are the Seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the Earth," describes the attributes of the Holy Spirit. They are found in Isaiah 11:2. They are as follows:

1. The Spirit of the Lord.
2. The Spirit of Wisdom.
3. The Spirit of Understanding.
4. The Spirit of Counsel.
5. The Spirit of Might.
6. The Spirit of Knowledge.
7. The Spirit of Fear.

They are given to us in three doubles, with the Spirit of the Lord being at the head. Those three doubles are:

A. The Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding.
B. The Spirit of Counsel and Might.
C. The Spirit of Knowledge and of Fear of the Lord.

If it is to be noticed, the doubles complement each other. If one has "wisdom," one will have "understanding." If one has the right "counsel," he will then know how to use his "might." And then again, if we have the proper "knowledge" as it concerns the Lord, we will then have the proper "fear" of the Lord. If one looks closely at all seven of these attributes, one will quickly see that they cover the entirety of all things. Nothing is excluded.

The Holy Spirit And The Cross

If one is to notice, the Holy Spirit is so closely intertwined here with Christ, and more particularly with Christ as the slain Lamb, that it's impossible to separate the two; hence, we have the sevenfold anointing of the Spirit upon the Lord, as it refers to His Earthly Ministry. It is as follows:

1. The Spirit of the Lord Who anoints.
2. To preach the Gospel to the poor.
3. To heal the brokenhearted.
4. To preach deliverance to the captives.
5. The recovering of sight to the blind.
6. To set at liberty them who are bruised.
7. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord (Lk. 4:18-19).

While Christ did all of these things in His Earthly Ministry, what He did was limited to His Personal Presence. Since the Cross, there are no limitations, at least as far as Christ is concerned. If there is limitation, it is a lack of proper Faith on our part. When I use the term "proper Faith," I am referring to the fact that our Faith must be in Christ and what Christ did at the Cross on our behalf. This is the only Faith that God will honor. What I've just said is True Faith in the Word of God. And that my friend is the message of the Lamb. HE IS RISEN today and has come to set the captive free! Embrace Him this Easter season of the Christian faith and be saved today before it is eternally too late. God bless.