John, Chapter 7

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

John, Chapter 7

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

All of John, Chapter 7 describes what Jesus said and did during the Feast of Tabernacles in the last year of His earthly ministry. We also know that six months later, Jesus was crucified during the Feast of the Passover.

1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for He would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill Him.

This was the turning point in the ministry of Jesus on earth. "After these things." After what things? The phrase "after these things," occurs 24 times in Scripture. It is worthwhile to read all 24 references and their contexts.

John 6:4 speaks of the Feast of Passover, so six months had elapsed between the end of Chapter 6 and the start of Chapter 7. Our logical-thinking minds tend to think it was the very next day.

Jesus said some things in John, Chapter 6, that no man understood. He said, 

"Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you" (John 6:53). 

That sounded like heresy to the Jews because the law of Moses forbad the drinking of blood. In John 6:60-64,

60 Many therefore of His disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples murmured at it, He said unto them, Doth this offend you?

62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before?

63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray Him.

Even some of Jesus' disciples were offended by what He said. Therefore, no wonder that the Pharisees and Sadducees were offended, so much more that they eventually crucified Jesus.

Jesus asked His disciples, in John 6:61, "Does this offend you?" Today, perhaps only one-tenth of one percent of ministers would dare to say anything that would offend disciples of Christ. Of course, Jesus never had any attitude or motivation simply to offend anyone. His motivation was always to say those things that He heard His Father say. Jesus came to afflict the comfortable and to comfort the afflicted. Jesus was never influenced by public opinion. He was always sure of His relationship with His Father. He only did the works of the Father. He did not care what people said about Him. He only cared about what His heavenly Father said about Him. He was not afraid of any man. He knew why He had come to the earth and no man or beast would deter Him from fulfilling that purpose. He certainly had no fear of Herod, because He called Herod a fox.

Luke 13:31-35, "The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.

And He said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord." 

There is a good lesson here that we need to learn and put into practice. Today, most professing Christians tend to go along with the crowd. We don't like to be different. We like to hide in the congregation, particularly in mega-churches. We must get out of the bondage to the opinions of other people and we dare not disappoint God.

Throughout the centuries there have always been a few ministers who were never self-seeking. They were never interested in a popularity contest. Martin Luther was such a man; so was Paul. In the 20th century A.W. Tozer and Leonard Ravenhill were also such men of God. I would encourage you to listen to as many messages as possible by Leonard Ravenhill.

Galatians 1:10, "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."

In John 6:66 even many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him. "666" is the number of the beast, which is the number of man (Revelation 13:18). Carnal man, even carnal Christian man, with his logical reasoning will eventually depart from the Lord and His ways. That is what happened in the church at Corinth. That is what always happens even in our day because human nature has never changed.

2 Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.

3 His brethren therefore said unto Him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that Thy disciples also may see the works that Thou doest.

All males were required to appear in Jerusalem on the three major feast days. Verse 3 is the height of audacity. The natural men born to Jesus' earthly mother and therefore his natural brothers told Jesus to "depart and go to Jerusalem." Can you imagine any man telling Jesus what to do? In effect His brethren were saying, "Jesus go on up to Jerusalem. For every man you can preach to here in Galilee, you can preach to 20 in Jerusalem. Go make a name for yourself."

4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If Thou do these things, shew Thyself to the world.

True statement, but Jesus was not seeking to be known openly. Several different times in the gospels, Jesus said to different folks, "tell no man what I have said or done." Revelation knowledge, not carnal knowledge, is the Lord's way.

5 For neither did His brethren believe in Him.

The fact that His own brothers did not believe in Him must have been a great disappointment to Jesus. Jesus had at least four brothers and two sisters. Our own family and our close friends may be the last to believe in or accept us.

Matthew 13:54-58,

"And when He was come into His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? is not His mother called Mary? and His brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in Him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief."

6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.

The "time" of Jesus was in accordance to the will of the Father, not according to what man thinks. "Your time" is the time of man and his natural thinking.

7 The world cannot hate you; but Me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

8 Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for My time is not yet full come.

9 When He had said these words unto them, He abode still in Galilee.

10 But when His brethren were gone up, then went He also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

The Lord intentionally visited the Feast "in secret," which illustrates a great truth to us.

Matthew 6:3-6, 

3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

11 Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, Where is He?

That might make a good "sermon" in itself ... Where is Jesus?

12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning Him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but He deceiveth the people.

Some said that Jesus was a good man but others said that He deceived the people. Both sides were wrong. Most religions say that Jesus was a good man. Not every good man is good in God's sight. God commanded Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In reality, a good man is a God man. 

Matthew 19:16-17, "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And He said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."

13 Howbeit no man spake openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

A few months after the Lord dramatically and sovereignly apprehended me in 1967, the Lord made it clear to me that I was to be one of His ministers. At that point in time all I knew was that to be a minister, I had to go to a seminary. I did not know there was any other way. So I applied to one of the very best conservative seminaries in the country, was accepted, and could have gone. This is a very long story. But to make a long story short, after I was accepted the Lord made it very clear that I was not to go to any seminary. I did not understand that. I remember that in the fall of 1968 I was in our back yard raking leaves, but I was crying so much that it was hard to see what I was doing. I wanted to go so badly. In less than six months the Lord made it very clear to me why I should not go to even the best of the best seminaries. If I had gone, I would have had to unlearn almost everything they taught me. Basically, what seminaries teach is hermeneutics, homiletics, apologetics, and all the other "icks" which are part of a worldly system. Paul's number one priority was to preach Christ and Him crucified. Actually, I have had for 20 years an official document, approved by the state of North Carolina, that recognizes me as a Christian minister, but I have never used it for any occasion. I could have had such a document 50 years ago but I was never interested in going that route. Now I ask you, what seminary or Bible college did Peter, James, and John go to? I am grateful that I have never been interested in pleasing any man or seeking the approval of any man. But woe unto me if I do not fulfill the purpose for which I was created. 

16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me.

17 If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself.

18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh His glory that sent Him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. 

. . .

25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this He, whom they seek to kill?

26 But, lo, He speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence He is.

28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as He taught, saying, Ye both know Me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of Myself, but He that sent Me is true, whom ye know not.

29 But I know Him: for I am from Him, and He hath sent Me.

30 Then they sought to take Him: but no man laid hands on Him, because His hour was not yet come.

That speaks of the absolute sovereignty of God.

31 And many of the people believed on Him, and said, When Christ cometh, will He do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

Many professing Christians and pastors focus on the supernatural ... healing, deliverance, miracles. We do much better if we focus on the Giver Himself, the Healer Himself, the Deliverer Himself, not the gifts. 

32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning Him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.

33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto Him that sent Me.

34 Ye shall seek Me, and shall not find Me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.

35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?

36 What manner of saying is this that He said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?

Following His entry into Jerusalem, Jesus attended the Feast of Tabernacles, went to the Temple, and proclaimed these amazing words on the last and greatest day of the Feast:

37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.

Jesus said in the clearest possible way that He alone was the source of life and blessing; that He could meet every need of the human heart. The words, "in the last day," mean that this event occurred on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles, strictly speaking, is seven days long, and reflects the entire Millennium. Seven is the number that speaks of completeness. There were seven feasts. This eighth day, technically a separate feast, is called "the last day, that great day of the feast." It is sometimes referred to as "The Last Great Day."

38 He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39 (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

. . . 

53 And every man went unto his own house.

It is very interesting that a number of modern translations of the Bible, which are based on the so-called "original texts," completely omit John 7, Verse 53 and also omit the first 11 verses of John, Chapter 8. The New American Standard Bible includes those verses, but has the following footnote: "John 7:53 through John 8:1-11 is not found in most of the old manuscripts." The NASB does not explain why that anomaly exists, because those translators do not know why. The reason is because there are two different sets of so-called "original" manuscripts. That should be no surprise because the devil always tries to copy the work of God.

The older manuscripts were not inspired by God. I will be happy to postal mail to you a book written by a solid man of God who goes into great detail about this fact.

But there is a great significance associated with the last verse in John 7 and the first verse in Chapter 8. The last day of that great feast will be the time when every man will go to his own place.

Acts 1:25 says, "That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place."

Then we read in Revelation 22:10-12, 

"And He saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."

What is your place today? What is my place today? If anyone says that his place is to go to heaven one day, that is not a sufficient answer. What is our place in eternity?

"But Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives" (John 8:1). 

When Jesus walked the face of the earth, His place was the Mount of Olives. That is where Jesus often went, alone, to pray and to listen to His Father. That is where Jesus went just before He was crucified.

John 7 and John 8:1 describe a natural event that has already taken place. But they speak prophetically of equivalent spiritual events. Today, in the church world, John 7:53 has already been fulfilled ... every man has already gone into his own house. John 8:1 is soon to be fulfilled ... namely, when Christ returns to the spiritual Mount of Olives.

The Mount of Olives was originally named for the many olive groves that once covered the slopes of the hill, just outside Jerusalem on the east side. It is also the site of perhaps the largest cemetery in all of Israel and holds about 150,000 graves.

In the Old Testament, the Mount of Olives (or Olivet) is mentioned first in relation to King David. When David's son Absalom wrested control of Jerusalem, David and his loyal followers fled the city via an eastern route. 

"And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up." (2 Samuel 15:30). 

David did not weep for himself! He wept, knowing what must befall his son Absalom.

Later, King Solomon used the Mount of Olives for idol worship: 

"Then did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon" (1 Kings 11:7). 

In one of Ezekiel's visions, the prophet sees the glory of the Lord depart from Jerusalem and come to rest "upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city" (Ezekiel 11:23).

Jesus made many visits to the Mount of Olives. In fact, it was "usual" for Him to go there when in the vicinity of Jerusalem. The Bible records that Jesus visited the Mount of Olives three times in the last week of His earthly life, and each time something of significance happened.

The first visit was to speak of end time events as recorded in Matthew 24 and 25. This was Jesus' response to His disciples' question "When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?" That teaching includes parables about those who wait for the Master's coming: the faithful and unfaithful servants (Matthew 24:43-51), the five wise and five foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), and the good servant who uses his resources wisely (Matthew 25:14-30). Matthew 25:31-46 ends with Jesus' warning about the final judgment of God.

Jesus' second visit is what we call the triumphal entry. The donkey Jesus rode that day was found on the east side of the Mount of Olives (Luke 19:29-31). Then, 

"And when He was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;" (Luke 19:37). 

While still on the Mount of Olives, Jesus looked at the scene in front of Him, wept over the city, and pronounced a judgment against it (Verses 41-44).

Jesus' third visit during the week of His passion was on the night He was betrayed. That evening began with the Last Supper in Jerusalem and ended in the Garden of Gethsemane (Gethsemane means "Oil-press"), at the foot of the Mount of Olives. Paul was quite familiar with God's oil-press. 

2 Corinthians 1:8-9, "For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:"

During that last supper, Jesus washed His disciples' feet and then revealed Judas as the betrayer (John 13). At the conclusion of the meal, Jesus took His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane located on the western slope of the Mount of Olives.

Let us look at the example of Jesus, as given in Luke 22:39-46. 

39 And He came out, and went, as He was wont, to the mount of Olives; and His disciples also followed Him.

40 And when He was at the place, He said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.

41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

43 And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him.

44 And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

45 And when He rose up from prayer, and was come to His disciples, He found them sleeping for sorrow,

46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

There are at least two very significant principles in those verses. First, note the difference between Verse 41 and 44. In Verse 41, Jesus prayed that if it were possible for the Father to remove this cup from Him. What cup? the cup of suffering and death on the cross. However, Jesus' overriding motivation and will was always to do the will of the Father. Jesus, as a Man, needed the strength and power of the Holy Ghost to drink His cup (Verse 43). We also note that Jesus never asked for that strength. But God knows our need before we ask for His help. He will always provide for our need as long as we are motivated only by His will. 

Isaiah 65:24, "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." 

Further, whatever the Father did for Jesus, He will do for us, PROVIDED that we walk as Jesus walked.

But note the difference in the level or intensity of prayer from Verse 41 to Verse 44. In Verse 44, Jesus was in "agony and prayed more earnestly and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." Verse 44 illustrates the level of intercession that the Lord is looking for from the priests, the ministers of the Lord (Joel 2:17). For what did Jesus pray in Verse 44? not for Himself but for His disciples over all of time. 

Hebrews 7:25, "Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." 

"Save to the uttermost" means much more than being born again!

The second, very important principle in those verses is that both in Luke 22:40 and Luke 22:46, Jesus exhorted His disciples to pray that they enter not into temptation. Every Sunday hundreds of thousands of professing Christians recite in unison "The Lord's Prayer," part of which is "deliver us not into temptation" (Matthew 6:13), and have no idea what they are saying. To what temptation did Jesus refer in Luke 22? the temptation to rob a bank? the temptation to have an affair? I doubt He referred to something at that level. I believe the temptation He referred to was the temptation to fall away from Christ when persecution gets intense. We know that persecution became very intense during the lifetime of all of the original apostles and with Paul. Then that persecution became even more widespread and has continued until this day. It will get worse. Therefore "watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation" (Matthew 26:4). Very few professing Christians understand how serious that exhortation is. 

After Jesus prayed, Judas Iscariot arrived with a multitude of soldiers, high priests, Pharisees, and servants to arrest Jesus. Judas identified Jesus by the prearranged signal of a kiss, which he gave to Jesus. The mob arrested Jesus and took Him to face trial, while the disciples scattered in fear for their lives.

After the trials, crucifixion, and resurrection, Jesus once again stood on the Mount of Olives. During His final post-resurrection appearance, Jesus led His disciples out to the vicinity of Bethany, and He lifted up his hands and blessed them. Then He left them and was taken up into heaven. Immediately following Jesus' ascension, two angels told the disciples on the Mount of Olives that 

"... this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).

From Zechariah 14:4, "And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south." 

In other words, there will be a great separation of the tares from the wheat. "His feet" speaks of the overcomers, those who have gone through the oil-press of God ... those priests, the ministers of the Lord, who will weep between the porch and the altar on behalf of the body of Christ.

The very location where David wept when his kingdom was usurped by Absalom and where Jesus was betrayed and rejected will be the place where Jesus returns in a cloud of witnesses or with ten thousands of His saints, in triumph over all of His enemies. But it will not be a physical location! It is in the hearts and souls of men! 

1 Corinthians 15:46, "Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual." 

The very great valley is the valley of decision in the minds of men. Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision. This is the contrast between the 150,000 graves and those overcomers who have allowed the oil press of God to form Christ within them. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.