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"The invisible things of (God) from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead" (Romans 1:18-20). And, in John 3:12, Jesus said to Nicodemus, as He was trying to get him to understand the concept of being born again, "If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?"
The Apostle Paul did the same thing in 1 Cor. 12:27. Just after having described the Church in considerable detail as parts of the human body: foot, hand, ear, eye, and smelling, he said, "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular."
"God created man in his own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." Hereby, we know that every characteristic of man's anatomy reveals something about God. That is especially important to consider when we think of "the Body of Christ."
The human body has two un-identical sides. For the most part each member of the body has a counterpart on the other side of the body, but it is reversed. It is such a normal condition that we might never wonder why. But there is a reason. Outside of the fact that we are made in the image of God, we are also made to reveal a spiritual reality in an earthly form. The kingdom of God on earth will also be formed according to that same pattern. Paul asserts this fact in Ephesians 2:14-16, saying, "(He made) in Himself of twain (Jew and Gentile) one new man . . . that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross." Is it possible that that is the reason Jews write from right to left, and we from left to right?
The Jewish Church was represented by one side of the human body, and the Gentile Church, which is very soon to be raised up, is represented by the other side. The twelve phalanges (the finger bones) in the fingers of one hand represent the 12 Apostles (Eph. 5:30). The two in each thumb represent the "two witnesses " in Jewish and Gentile eras, respectively. (Peter and Paul were the "two witnesses" of James, the anointed of God (see Acts 15 19-21) in the Jewish Church; each of whom pronounced infirmity or death upon the errant members of the Church, and sorcerers alike). Likewise are the Twelve seen in the bones in the lesser toes of one foot, and in twelve of the twenty four ribs which surround the heart, with its four compartments; each case showing a different function of the Twelve Apostles.
These "members," ribs etc., of our bodies have an opposite counterpart in the other half of the body; showing that the Church will ultimately reach its fulness among the Gentiles, before the resurrection, and come together with the resurrected Jewish church to be the Kingdom of God, with its "four beasts . . . in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, and four and twenty elders round about the throne." That is one of the reasons Jesus told us, "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." We should be earnestly praying that prayer!
In 1 Cor. 2:6,7, Paul said, "We speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to naught. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory." The depth of the wisdom of God is given to the Apostles and Prophets, so that the faithful will honor them, and follow them.
Of the Church, Paul said, in Eph. 3:1-11, that God had kept the knowledge of the mystery of Christ hidden until He brought forth gifted apostles and prophets in the Church. And Paul spoke of how he desired for his readers to "Understand my knowledge of the mystery of Christ." He went on to say that the fellowship of the mystery had been hid in God from the beginning of the world: "to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places (Apostles and Prophets in high offices in the Church), might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God" (Please refer to Eph. 1:3).
The bones and flesh: The pattern of the bones and flesh, in humans, is the same in both male and female. God did only enough alterations in the woman to facilitate the gender. After God made Adam, He said "It is not good for man to live alone," so He paraded all of the animals of His creation before Adam to show that there was no creature on Earth which could be for a mate unto him. So, as the sixth day of creation came to a close, God finished His work of creation, by making for the first Adam a mate, and brought her to him in the Garden. Whereupon, Adam exclaimed, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh" (Genesis 2:18-23). And, at this end of the sixth millennium of man's presence upon the earth, God will finish his "work" among men, and make, for the second Adam (1 Cor. 15:45), a bride "of His flesh and of His bones:" and present her to Jesus (Eph. 5:30).
The Ark of the Covenant (which is a type of the throne of God), with the cherubim overshadowing the mercy seat, is demonstrated at least three ways in the human body. One of them is in the face, with its two eye-witnesses and their eyebrow-wings overshadowing the nose, where the Spirit of God comes and goes through our nostrils (Job 27:3). Another is the arms and shoulder blades; the overshadowing shoulder blades being the wings. Those shoulder blades overshadow the heart, with its four compartments, through which the life-blood flows. The four compartments of the heart, and the four rings on the Ark, represent the same heavenly things.
A year ago last June, I was in a small town in Indiana; visiting an acquaintance of long standing, who has been the pastor of a church there for many years now. As we talked, he began to tell me something about "the Seven Spirits of the Lord" in Isaiah 11:2.
I began to try to explain to him that those were not the seven spirits of the Lord which are frequently mentioned in The Revelation of Jesus Christ, but they are rather "The Four Spirits of the Heavens" which are named in Zech. 6:5. To which he replied, "What are you talking about!!?"
When he proceeded to defend his explanation, I asked, "Okay, then, am I to understand that you are saying that the Holy Spirit is one of the Seven Spirits of God?" He suddenly realized what he had been promoting, and his immediate response was to assault my sincerity in Christ, and to insist that I had back-slidden.
The great prophet, Grady R. Kent, revealed what the Seven Spirits of God are, in the1950s, by using what John had said about them, in Rev. chapters 1-5, as the basis of his explanation. If we are to understand The Four Spirits of the Heavens, we need only to go to the scriptures which talk about them.
A shadow of the manifestation of these four spirits, and seven spirits is given to us, in 1 Kings 4:1-21, so we would partly understand some function of these spirits in "the Church which is His body." We are told of the four chief princes of Solomon, and are given their names, then we are also given the names of his seven other rulers, and their specific appointments are given. Now these men are not "the Twelve," for they are named immediately following the naming of the four and the seven. (Do not forget that all of God's builders, of buildings, tents or nations, were under the same injunction which Moses was under: "for, see, saith He, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount.")
There are, indeed, four spirits of the heavens which will be found working with, and in, the Body of Christ when Jesus shall return for His bride. This fact is surely part of the mystery of Christ and the Church, but "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deut 29:29).
God used the number four throughout the Bible to reveal the work of the Four Spirits of the Heavens in the kingdom of heaven on earth. He did it, in Genesis 2:1, with one river which divided into four heads; in Isaiah 6, with four Seraphim; in Ezekiel chapters 1 and 10, with four Cherubim; in Zechariah 6:1-5, with four chariots and horses; and He did it in Revelation 4:6-8, with four living creatures in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne.
All of the references mentioned above deserve much more comment, but for now, let us consider the Word of the Lord, by Zechariah and Isaiah. As the angel was telling Zechariah about the four chariots, Zechariah asked Him, "What are these, my lord?" To which the angel replied, "These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth."
Most of God's children have read of "the Seven Spirits of God," but now we know that there are also "the Four Spirits of the Heavens." And more, Isaiah even told us, in chapter 11:1,2, what their names are. Concerning Jesus, Isaiah prophesied, saying, "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and of the Fear of the Lord."
"The Spirit of the Lord:" This spirit - The Holy Spirit - has been God's life-giver, on earth, ever since He caused green to sprout on the third day of the creation. The Holy Spirit is one of the four winds to whom Ezekiel prophesied in chapter 37, saying, "Then said the Lord unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." This prophecy will be fulfilled by the Gentile anointed, and four men who are working with him, with the impetus of one of the Four Spirits upon each of them, to get Christianity awake, and full of vibrant life in Christ through the Word of God; just prior to the return of our Lord.
"The Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding:" Paul mentioned this spirit in Eph. 1:15-18, saying, "After I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, . . . I cease not . . . to make mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints."
The people of the Church at Ephesus had already received the Holy Spirit, with the laying on of Paul's hands, so Paul was not speaking of the Holy Ghost here. The Holy Ghost will indeed "Guide us into all truth," but the Apostle to the Gentiles was aware that there was more than one spirit which we needed, if we were to come to an understanding of the "revelation of the mystery." (The Body of Christ must have the operation of all four of these spirits, in order to accomplish all of the things of which God has commanded us by the prophets.)
"The Spirit of Counsel and Might:" This spirit is of particular importance at this time, for we have come to the time for the fulfillment of the commandment in Joel 3:9-11. He said, "Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles (Gentile Christians); Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord."
It was this very time for which Solomon wrote in Proverbs 20:18, saying, "Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war." The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but, as Jesus, we shall fight this war with the Sword of the Spirit, when the enemy shall come in like a flood after the woman, and to make war with the remnant of her seed (Rev. 12:13-17). God's message to the world is already changing, and those who have the light of God will soon wisely withdraw their shining of the light of the gospel, as he said in Amos 5:13, "The prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time."
"The Spirit of Knowledge and of the Fear of the Lord:" Solomon admonished us, saying, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Prov. 1:7). And again, "The knowledge of the holy is understanding" (Prov. 9:10). And in Hosea 6:6, the Lord told us, "I desired the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."
Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." He let us know that the very next thing, in importance, to repentance and forgiveness of sins, is the ardent pursuit of "the knowledge of the Son of God." Perhaps He was considering His Father's words in Isaiah 33:6, saying, "Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is His treasure."
The beard of a man: A man's beard is another part of his anatomy which reveals the Four Spirits of the Heavens. With an occasional exception, hair covering the face is a characteristic of the male gender. This fact has caused various reactions from both men and women down through the annals of history. Various societies, from time to time, have made wearing of beards customary. In other times, and places, beards have fallen completely out of favor. You will frequently see a full beard, or, perhaps, only a mustache. Sometimes it is a matter of religion, or secular custom, but men generally grow hair on their faces, because they can.
Why do men decide to grow a mustache only, or sideburns only, or a mustache and chin whiskers together? Furthermore, why does the mustache seem to flow from the nostrils, side burns seem to flow from the temples, the chin whiskers from the lower lip, and the cheek whiskers from the eyes? It is because the beard shows the Four Spirits of the Heavens, the four winds, which will be prominently manifested with the Body of Christ, when it is functional on the Earth. These four "sources" of a man's facial hair, if allowed to grow without impediment, will flow together into a single unit: a beard; even as the four winds, together, are "the wind."
The truth about beards can be understood, but only by first understanding that the "man" was made in the image of God. God has a beard; men have beards, and the Body of Christ will also have a beard. But what is it? What does it symbolize?
The first part of the beard, the mustache, seems to flow from the nostrils, and around the mouth to join the rest of the beard. It represents The Spirit of the Lord: the Holy Ghost. For He is "the Breath of our Nostrils" (Prov. 27:3).
The second part of the beard, which seems to flow onto the cheeks from the eyes, represents "The Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding." It usually appears later than other parts of the beard, fully developing later in life, just as a man's wisdom does; it is the work of a lifetime. We should be as zealous to have the influence of this spirit in our lives as was the great Apostle to the Gentiles: Paul.
The third part of the beard is the tuft of hair which seems to flow from the mouth toward the chin. It represents "The Spirit of Counsel and Might." In Acts 15, we see a great example of this spirit working. When that council was coming to a close, those noble elders of the Body of Christ, who had begun in great opposition to each other, were able to say of the outcome, "It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us. … So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle: Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation."
The fourth part of the beard seems to flow from the temples, and represents "The Spirit of Knowledge and of the Fear of the Lord." This spirit is of particular importance at this time of instability in the world; especially with the "Terror," which has been unleashed upon us; setting up the fulfillment of the prophecy in Deut. 4:34: the Christian exodus from America. Terror will be one of the prominent conditions existing in America, when we leave.
Isaiah well advised us, saying, "Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is His treasure" (Isaiah 33:6). It is high time that we all "shake ourselves, awake from our sleep, and arise from the dead", and Christ shall shine His light upon our pathway, that we might know what to do in this evil day.
God never changes, and I hear the words of Jesus ringing down through the centuries. The people sought Jesus out, so He began to teach them. "Then said they unto Him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom He hath sent." That advice was good in the time of John the Baptist, and it was good in the days of Jesus, and it was good in the days of James, the Lord's brother, and it is good today.
Hear the words of Jesus, and know that God has already sent forth a man to prepare us for the coming of the Bridegroom. And that man will have, with him, men who are moving under the influence of "the Four Spirits of the Heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth," who will have a life-bringing message to the dry bones of Christianity in these last days.