Pentecost - Part 1
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
In our previous message we shared some thoughts about the significance of water baptism, which for a Christian should occur as soon as possible after being born again. By water baptism we do not refer to the baptism of John the Baptist who baptized in water unto repentance. Those two baptisms are two distinctly different things. John the Baptist's baptism was an immersion based upon the law. Water baptism for the Christian believer is an immersion based upon grace. Law and grace cannot co-exist. The law speaks of what I must "do." Grace speaks of what Jesus has already done. There can be no mixture of the two.
Now we need to understand the great significance of Pentecost ... not simply what happened historically some 1985 years ago, but what it means for Christian believers today. The subject of Pentecost is so important that we will no doubt need at least four sessions to adequately cover this topic. If you like titles then the title of this message is Cloven Tongues Like As Of Fire. Just a few days ago the Holy Spirit quickened to me to start the messages on Pentecost with this word.
Reading from Acts 2, verse 1.
Read Verse 1 again. When the day of Pentecost was fully come ... the day of Pentecost was coming, was coming, and then was fully come. Of course that day came in the mind of God before the foundation of the world.
Seven times in the Book of Acts we find the phrase that the early disciples were "in one accord" (Acts 1:14, 2:1, 2:46, 4:24, 5:12, 8:6, and 15:25). That was true both before and after Pentecost, at least for a season. But none of those verses say what they were in one accord about. We could all be in one accord about many things ... for example, we could all like ice cream or pizza. So with what or whom were the early disciples in one accord? The answer is found in Romans 15:6.
The phrase "with one mind" may be translated as "in one accord" or "unanimously." So the early disciples were in one accord to glorify God. They were unanimous and walked in that unity of spirit. "In one place" in Acts 2:1 does not necessarily refer to a natural, physical location; it refers to a spiritual state of mind. The word "place" actually means "self." However, we know from Acts 2:2 that it also refers to a physical house. That must have been a rather large house to hold 120 disciples.
The Book of 1 Corinthians is largely a letter of correction that Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. In that epistle, Paul addresses at least six or seven different errors or faults that had crept into the church. The very first error that Paul addresses is their lack of unity ... their lack of being in one accord. Paul in the first chapter exhorts them to be in one accord. Reading from 1 Corinthians 1, starting at verse 10,
We know from Acts 18 that Paul had spent 18 months in Corinth, teaching the word of God and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. But in less than five years that church had degenerated into a state of carnality ..."self" had reared its ugly head and they had lost the unity of being in one accord. When any church loses the vision of being in one accord, that opens the door for every other error to creep in.
Now consider the visible Church today. The Bible makes it very clear that Jesus has only one body and that body is the Church. About 48 years ago I heard a minister say that at that time there were more than 500 different denominations, sects, non denominational churches, house churches, etc. in the United States. A few years ago another brother said there are now 10,000 different types of Christian churches. And probably every church will tell you they believe the Bible is the true word of God. What they are really saying is they believe their interpretation of the Bible is true. I doubt that there is any local church today when all of the members agree on every Christian doctrine. This is the time when every man does that which is right in his own eyes. Two times in the book of Judges (17:6 and 21:25) we read the identical word,
Today, every church will declare that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. But in reality that is mostly lip service. There still is no king in spiritual Israel. Self is king. Have you ever wondered why there is so much turmoil, legal suits, divisions, etc. in the United States? The answer is obvious ... it is because of the spiritual state of the visible church. The earth has always been a reflection of the spiritual state of its inhabitants. For the past 10-12 years an increasing number of saints have spoken about what is "wrong" with the church. Few have spoken about what we must "do" to correct the wrong and even fewer walk in the solution. But the answer has been written in the Bible 1500 years ago. That is a topic I hope to share with you in depth sometime later.
One little part of the answer to what we must "do" is to look at the early church as recorded in the book of Acts 2:42-47. The very first thing the early church "did" after the day of Pentecost was they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine. Ephesians 2:20 says that we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. Today most churches continue steadfastly either in the pastors' doctrine or their own doctrine.
Now some churches don't know what an apostle is. Others believe that Paul was the last apostle and that ministry no longer exists. Others may say, "Yes I believe what the Bible says about apostles but I do not know anyone called to that ministry. Well, how about the ministry of Jesus Christ who is our great Apostle and the great Prophet? Do you know Him? And how about the living word of God as spoken through Paul, Peter, John, and James? Have you read what they have to say?
Let us look at Ephesians 4:1-6,
Acts 2:46 says the early disciples continued daily with one accord. Back to Acts 2 ...
If we compare that to when Jesus was baptized, "The heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him. And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:16-17). The Holy Spirit came to the disciples at Pentecost like a fire (no subsequent or additional baptism in fire) but came to the Man Jesus like a dove (not like fire). A dove, of course, is a gentle bird which symbolizes peace. The Holy Spirit did not come to Jesus like a fire, because He who knew no sin became sin for us and died on the cross; i.e, sin was crucified on the cross. Jesus never needed the fire of God because there was never any chaff in Him that needed to be purged.
At Pentecost, the fact that the Holy Spirit came as cloven tongues to men also has great significance. "Cloven" means to divide or part, as in the hoof of sheep or cattle. "Cloven tongues" means "tongues distributing, or parting upon." The word, cloven, is mentioned only two other times in Scripture, in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, where it is wonderfully prophetic, as we will see shortly. Cloven describes one thing, but partly divided into two. There is only one Holy Spirit, but distributed to each man who asks for Him.
Two are better than one. The Lord sent His disciples out two by two. This also partly explains WHY it is not good for man to dwell alone, so the Lord made two (Adam and Eve) out of one (Adam). Two provide for checks and balances that one does not have. We also know that the tongue no man can tame (except the Man Jesus.) Jesus never "spoke in tongues," because Jesus always had pure communication with the Father. After our Pentecost experience, we mortals can speak in tongues because that becomes pure communication with the Father.
Let us look at the appropriate verses in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. Under the Old Covenant, the animals the children of Israel could eat or not eat were in the natural realm.
Under the New Covenant, there is no restriction on what believers in Christ may or may not eat. But the prophetic, spiritual principles associated with chewing the cud and clover-footed animals are still true.
Cud is a portion of food that returns from a ruminant's stomach into the mouth to be chewed for the second time. Cud is produced during a physical digestive process called rumination. The idiomatic expression chewing one's cud means meditating or pondering; similar expressions such as "he chewed that over for a bit" or "chew on that!" have the same derivation.
The alimentary canal of ruminants, such as cattle, goats, and sheep, is not able to produce the enzymes required to break down the cellulose of plant matter. But the Lord gave these animals another digestive system, and for a reason. The process of rumination (or chewing the cud) is stimulated by the presence of roughage in the upper part of the first chamber in the alimentary canal. When the stomach content, or the cud, arrives back in the mouth of the ruminant, the solid material is chewed thoroughly.
Chewing the cud for us as believers means to read and meditate on the Word of God.
Further, we must always read the Word and digest it more than once. The Word of God has many levels and we can never exhaust the complete significance for us. Several times Paul tells the churches something that they already know ... but he tells them again anyway.
Consumption by ruminants of an insufficient amount of fiber leads to a lowered appetite which eventually can lead to death of the animal, and will occur if the animal is allowed to eat a diet with no roughage but high levels of highly digestible plant life.
We believers do not care too much for the scriptural "roughage." But when we feed on milk too long, including high levels of highly digestible words (such as all of the good things we receive from God) and neglect the "roughage," then, from 1 Corinthians 11:30,
That Verse says, "For this cause ..." For what cause? That comes from the previous verse ... not discerning the Lord's body. What is the Lord's body? the Church. Not only do I need to know what part of the body I am, I also need to know what part of the body you are. The very first message that I shared publicly in a Christian assembly was "Appropriating the Christ in Others."
We may like the use of scripture for doctrine and instruction in righteousness, but the reproof (rebuke, admonition) and correction part is not very popular.
Further, still thinking about "scriptural roughage",
Who did you exhort today? and who exhorted you today? Likewise, probably every believer is aware of Colossians 1:27, " ... Christ in you, the hope of glory ..." But who remembers Colossians 1:28?
Please note that in Verse 28, "warning every man" comes before "teaching every man." That which is mentioned first in Scripture takes priority over that which follows. We charismatics put much emphasis on "more good teaching;" but how much "warning" do we hear? (And warning about what or whom? Warning should be about the result of allowing king Self to take over.) Also note from Verse 28 the difference between preaching and teaching ... we preach Christ but teach doctrine.
A cloven hoof is a hoof split into two toes. Mammals that possess this type of hoof are cattle, deer, and sheep. The two digits of cloven hoofed animals are called claws and are named for their relative location on the foot: the outer claw and the inner claw. The almost finger-like dexterity available to cloven hoofed mammals like the deer, mountain goat, and mountain sheep combined with a hard outer shell and soft and flexible inner pads provide excellent traction in their precarious habitats. All believers are exhorted to
The cloven hoof corresponds to the cloven torgues like as of fire, which was poured out on the day of Pentecost (and on every day since then for those who desire Him). The cloven hoof represents the Holy Spirit. The hard outer shell represents the shield of faith (His faith). The flexible inner pads represent our heart, which must be tender toward God. We must identify with the heart of God. We believers live in a world full of precarious habitats, but the Holy Spirit enables us to walk with excellent traction wherever He leads us.
It is simply amazing how the Lord has built into the ruminating animals which have cloven hoofs such a detailed, prophetic word concerning His chosen people, His remnant. Partaking of the Tree of Life was never intended to be a one-and-done event. What an amazing, mighty God we serve!
The Lord desires to bring each one of His people to the place that He alone is our heart's desire. But we must cooperate. It is not automatic. In the message to the angel of the church at Philadelphia, we read,
Note in Verse 10 that the hour of temptation shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. There is no escaping that fact. The Lord has always and will always test His people. How can we be kept from that hour of temptation? Not simply be being born again, not simply by being baptized with the Holy Ghost, but by keeping the word of His patience (or endurance). How can we keep the word of His patience? only by being filled with the Holy Ghost on our day of Pentecost and remaining filled every day with the Holy Ghost. Jesus said,
Change my heart Oh God, make it ever true,
Now we need to understand the great significance of Pentecost ... not simply what happened historically some 1985 years ago, but what it means for Christian believers today. The subject of Pentecost is so important that we will no doubt need at least four sessions to adequately cover this topic. If you like titles then the title of this message is Cloven Tongues Like As Of Fire. Just a few days ago the Holy Spirit quickened to me to start the messages on Pentecost with this word.
Reading from Acts 2, verse 1.
1 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.
Read Verse 1 again. When the day of Pentecost was fully come ... the day of Pentecost was coming, was coming, and then was fully come. Of course that day came in the mind of God before the foundation of the world.
Seven times in the Book of Acts we find the phrase that the early disciples were "in one accord" (Acts 1:14, 2:1, 2:46, 4:24, 5:12, 8:6, and 15:25). That was true both before and after Pentecost, at least for a season. But none of those verses say what they were in one accord about. We could all be in one accord about many things ... for example, we could all like ice cream or pizza. So with what or whom were the early disciples in one accord? The answer is found in Romans 15:6.
5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6
The phrase "with one mind" may be translated as "in one accord" or "unanimously." So the early disciples were in one accord to glorify God. They were unanimous and walked in that unity of spirit. "In one place" in Acts 2:1 does not necessarily refer to a natural, physical location; it refers to a spiritual state of mind. The word "place" actually means "self." However, we know from Acts 2:2 that it also refers to a physical house. That must have been a rather large house to hold 120 disciples.
The Book of 1 Corinthians is largely a letter of correction that Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. In that epistle, Paul addresses at least six or seven different errors or faults that had crept into the church. The very first error that Paul addresses is their lack of unity ... their lack of being in one accord. Paul in the first chapter exhorts them to be in one accord. Reading from 1 Corinthians 1, starting at verse 10,
10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.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.
We know from Acts 18 that Paul had spent 18 months in Corinth, teaching the word of God and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. But in less than five years that church had degenerated into a state of carnality ..."self" had reared its ugly head and they had lost the unity of being in one accord. When any church loses the vision of being in one accord, that opens the door for every other error to creep in.
Now consider the visible Church today. The Bible makes it very clear that Jesus has only one body and that body is the Church. About 48 years ago I heard a minister say that at that time there were more than 500 different denominations, sects, non denominational churches, house churches, etc. in the United States. A few years ago another brother said there are now 10,000 different types of Christian churches. And probably every church will tell you they believe the Bible is the true word of God. What they are really saying is they believe their interpretation of the Bible is true. I doubt that there is any local church today when all of the members agree on every Christian doctrine. This is the time when every man does that which is right in his own eyes. Two times in the book of Judges (17:6 and 21:25) we read the identical word,
In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
Today, every church will declare that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. But in reality that is mostly lip service. There still is no king in spiritual Israel. Self is king. Have you ever wondered why there is so much turmoil, legal suits, divisions, etc. in the United States? The answer is obvious ... it is because of the spiritual state of the visible church. The earth has always been a reflection of the spiritual state of its inhabitants. For the past 10-12 years an increasing number of saints have spoken about what is "wrong" with the church. Few have spoken about what we must "do" to correct the wrong and even fewer walk in the solution. But the answer has been written in the Bible 1500 years ago. That is a topic I hope to share with you in depth sometime later.
One little part of the answer to what we must "do" is to look at the early church as recorded in the book of Acts 2:42-47. The very first thing the early church "did" after the day of Pentecost was they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine. Ephesians 2:20 says that we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. Today most churches continue steadfastly either in the pastors' doctrine or their own doctrine.
Now some churches don't know what an apostle is. Others believe that Paul was the last apostle and that ministry no longer exists. Others may say, "Yes I believe what the Bible says about apostles but I do not know anyone called to that ministry. Well, how about the ministry of Jesus Christ who is our great Apostle and the great Prophet? Do you know Him? And how about the living word of God as spoken through Paul, Peter, John, and James? Have you read what they have to say?
Let us look at Ephesians 4:1-6,
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.11 And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: Ephesians 4:11-15
Acts 2:46 says the early disciples continued daily with one accord. Back to Acts 2 ...
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. Acts 2:2-4
If we compare that to when Jesus was baptized, "The heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him. And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:16-17). The Holy Spirit came to the disciples at Pentecost like a fire (no subsequent or additional baptism in fire) but came to the Man Jesus like a dove (not like fire). A dove, of course, is a gentle bird which symbolizes peace. The Holy Spirit did not come to Jesus like a fire, because He who knew no sin became sin for us and died on the cross; i.e, sin was crucified on the cross. Jesus never needed the fire of God because there was never any chaff in Him that needed to be purged.
At Pentecost, the fact that the Holy Spirit came as cloven tongues to men also has great significance. "Cloven" means to divide or part, as in the hoof of sheep or cattle. "Cloven tongues" means "tongues distributing, or parting upon." The word, cloven, is mentioned only two other times in Scripture, in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, where it is wonderfully prophetic, as we will see shortly. Cloven describes one thing, but partly divided into two. There is only one Holy Spirit, but distributed to each man who asks for Him.
Two are better than one. The Lord sent His disciples out two by two. This also partly explains WHY it is not good for man to dwell alone, so the Lord made two (Adam and Eve) out of one (Adam). Two provide for checks and balances that one does not have. We also know that the tongue no man can tame (except the Man Jesus.) Jesus never "spoke in tongues," because Jesus always had pure communication with the Father. After our Pentecost experience, we mortals can speak in tongues because that becomes pure communication with the Father.
Let us look at the appropriate verses in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. Under the Old Covenant, the animals the children of Israel could eat or not eat were in the natural realm.
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you. Leviticus 11:2-3, 7-8
2 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto Himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.3 Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.
4 These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,5 The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.6 And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat. Deuteronomy 14:2-6
Under the New Covenant, there is no restriction on what believers in Christ may or may not eat. But the prophetic, spiritual principles associated with chewing the cud and clover-footed animals are still true.
7 And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat.8 But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. Acts 11:5-9
Cud is a portion of food that returns from a ruminant's stomach into the mouth to be chewed for the second time. Cud is produced during a physical digestive process called rumination. The idiomatic expression chewing one's cud means meditating or pondering; similar expressions such as "he chewed that over for a bit" or "chew on that!" have the same derivation.
The alimentary canal of ruminants, such as cattle, goats, and sheep, is not able to produce the enzymes required to break down the cellulose of plant matter. But the Lord gave these animals another digestive system, and for a reason. The process of rumination (or chewing the cud) is stimulated by the presence of roughage in the upper part of the first chamber in the alimentary canal. When the stomach content, or the cud, arrives back in the mouth of the ruminant, the solid material is chewed thoroughly.
Chewing the cud for us as believers means to read and meditate on the Word of God.
20 My son, attend to My words; incline thine ear unto My sayings.21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.Proverbs 4:20-22
Further, we must always read the Word and digest it more than once. The Word of God has many levels and we can never exhaust the complete significance for us. Several times Paul tells the churches something that they already know ... but he tells them again anyway.
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 1 Thessalonians 5:2
Consumption by ruminants of an insufficient amount of fiber leads to a lowered appetite which eventually can lead to death of the animal, and will occur if the animal is allowed to eat a diet with no roughage but high levels of highly digestible plant life.
We believers do not care too much for the scriptural "roughage." But when we feed on milk too long, including high levels of highly digestible words (such as all of the good things we receive from God) and neglect the "roughage," then, from 1 Corinthians 11:30,
For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
That Verse says, "For this cause ..." For what cause? That comes from the previous verse ... not discerning the Lord's body. What is the Lord's body? the Church. Not only do I need to know what part of the body I am, I also need to know what part of the body you are. The very first message that I shared publicly in a Christian assembly was "Appropriating the Christ in Others."
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2 Timothy 3:16
We may like the use of scripture for doctrine and instruction in righteousness, but the reproof (rebuke, admonition) and correction part is not very popular.
It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4
Further, still thinking about "scriptural roughage",
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him:6 For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Hebrews 12:5-812 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:12-13
Who did you exhort today? and who exhorted you today? Likewise, probably every believer is aware of Colossians 1:27, " ... Christ in you, the hope of glory ..." But who remembers Colossians 1:28?
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Colossians 1:27-28
Please note that in Verse 28, "warning every man" comes before "teaching every man." That which is mentioned first in Scripture takes priority over that which follows. We charismatics put much emphasis on "more good teaching;" but how much "warning" do we hear? (And warning about what or whom? Warning should be about the result of allowing king Self to take over.) Also note from Verse 28 the difference between preaching and teaching ... we preach Christ but teach doctrine.
A cloven hoof is a hoof split into two toes. Mammals that possess this type of hoof are cattle, deer, and sheep. The two digits of cloven hoofed animals are called claws and are named for their relative location on the foot: the outer claw and the inner claw. The almost finger-like dexterity available to cloven hoofed mammals like the deer, mountain goat, and mountain sheep combined with a hard outer shell and soft and flexible inner pads provide excellent traction in their precarious habitats. All believers are exhorted to
Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks. Jeremiah 50:8
The cloven hoof corresponds to the cloven torgues like as of fire, which was poured out on the day of Pentecost (and on every day since then for those who desire Him). The cloven hoof represents the Holy Spirit. The hard outer shell represents the shield of faith (His faith). The flexible inner pads represent our heart, which must be tender toward God. We must identify with the heart of God. We believers live in a world full of precarious habitats, but the Holy Spirit enables us to walk with excellent traction wherever He leads us.
It is simply amazing how the Lord has built into the ruminating animals which have cloven hoofs such a detailed, prophetic word concerning His chosen people, His remnant. Partaking of the Tree of Life was never intended to be a one-and-done event. What an amazing, mighty God we serve!
The Lord desires to bring each one of His people to the place that He alone is our heart's desire. But we must cooperate. It is not automatic. In the message to the angel of the church at Philadelphia, we read,
10 Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God: and I will write upon him My new name.13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.Revelation 3:10-13
Note in Verse 10 that the hour of temptation shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. There is no escaping that fact. The Lord has always and will always test His people. How can we be kept from that hour of temptation? Not simply be being born again, not simply by being baptized with the Holy Ghost, but by keeping the word of His patience (or endurance). How can we keep the word of His patience? only by being filled with the Holy Ghost on our day of Pentecost and remaining filled every day with the Holy Ghost. Jesus said,
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Matthew 24:9-13
May our hearts be open as the Lord prepares His people during these trying times. For we know that,
2 Corinthians 3:18 - "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord".
Change my heart Oh God, make it ever true,
Change my heart Oh God, may I be like You.
You are the Potter, I am the clay;
You are the Potter, I am the clay;
Mold me and make me, this is what I pray.
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