Jerusalem Above and Below
To the faithful saints, who are alive in Christ, that have been raised from the dead and now walk by faith. When Christ comes in Spirit [the second time without sin], imparting the faith of Christ to the faithful, one ceases to live according to the law of carnal reasoning [also known as the law of sin and death] and now we walk by faith and not by sight.
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
2Co 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
The true Jews and all men in due time will in their seasons, escape the bondage to the law, even Moses [the ten commandments] and the law of the Gentiles [Rom 2:15] and will be called up into heavenly Jerusalem above, being saved.
Isa 4:2 In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.
Isa 4:3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:
This is the ascension of Christ which His Christ also lives because as is the Lord, so are His people [1 John 4:17]. Our lives henceforth are being hidden with Christ [Col 3:3] as we dwell in our inheritance with the saints in heaven in down payment according to our measure of faith, an inheritance undefiled.
Act 1:9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
The Lord’s church is seated in heaven being one with Christ and worship God in Spirit and in Truth, one faith, one Lord, one baptism [Eph 4:5].
Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Ascending into heaven and the clouds of the Lord’s witnesses is manifested in earnest as the people of God separate from those in the world and those who do not believe the Gospel and the Lord’s promises.
2Co 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
When under the law we are joined to the bondwoman who in type is represented by Hagar and her offspring, Ishmael, who was born after the flesh and not of the Spirit. This is also known as Jerusalem below which is a great city, known by other names [in type and shadow] including Sodom and Egypt, which is where Christ is crucified by the professing Jews of every generation. The spirit of anti-Christ, reigns in these cities [2 John 1:7-11].
Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
It is only a faithful remnant that is given to escape the bondage to flesh and the law of sin and death [our reasoning carnal minds] who are brought into Jerusalem above and build the Temple of the Lord.
Ezr 9:8 And now for a little while grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage.
Ezr 9:9 For we were slaves. Yet our God did not forsake us in our bondage; but He extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to repair the house of our God, to rebuild its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.
The contrasts and differences of the two Jerusalem’s contrast those who walk by faith versus those still bound to the law for the lawless. There is a gathering in Jerusalem on the earth and there is one in heaven neither of which has anything to do with the physical city of Jerusalem in modern day Israel. That Jerusalem is just an outward shadow of the deception we live spiritually as first the natural and then the spiritual. The contrasts of the two Jerusalem’s spoken about in the Scriptures are both spiritual cities we experience in the process of being resurrected from the dead and raised to life in the Spirit.
Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
The story of Abraham and his two sons contains this mystery and God’s plan for the sons of faith [Abraham]. Only the one is the true heir who is exalted and given the promise.
Gal 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
Gal 4:23 But he who was of the bondwoman [Ishmael] was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman [Isaac] was by promise.
Gal 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
Gal 4:25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage [to the law of carnal reasoning, aka sin and death] with her children.
Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above [in heaven, the gathering of the saints] is free [released from the law and its bondage], which is the mother of us all.
Heavenly Jerusalem is not entered into unless faith is come, and we rest from our own carnal works. It is here in Jerusalem above that we rest and enter into the Kingdom of God, Christ being our Sabbath.
Heb 4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in [into the kingdom of God] because of unbelief:
Anyone trying to enter in outside the gate is a thief and robber which is all men first called and chosen who have not been given the faith of Christ.
Joh 10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
Joh 10:2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
By faith we walk, trusting, standing on the promises of Christ. Those in bondage to Agar, to Jerusalem below, have vastly more children today than those precious few in the faith who are initially barren having no children. Spiritually speaking it means the carnal mind at first has far more reasoning’s wresting the judgment of God away rather than receiving the implanted Word with meekness, doing what Christ says. The wisdom of God is foolishness to the natural man and this barren seemingly hopeless state changes through the maturing process. Rejoice ye faithful for you shall bear many children in the Lord.
Gal 4:27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Gal 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Gal 4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
The bondage of Hagar [Agar] is the law and all our carnal thinking before faith comes. This mindset must be cast out as there is no inheritance in the Kingdom of God for Hagar or any of her voluminous carnal offspring. Those walking by faith, are vigilant to guard their hearts and minds, being separated from the world and those bound in the world within ourselves and without.
Gal 4:30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
This is a hard truth that tries our faith as we learn just how narrow the Way is to the Tree of Life, which is Christ, our spiritual Sabbath. Our spiritual fathers and mothers left behind on the earth have the knowledge and strive to attain righteousness, but they continue to do so in unbelief as they have not the gift of faith and do not have the love of the Truth. Living by every Word of God [Luk 4:4] includes fulfilling the experiences of all the Lord’s disciples that come out of the bondwoman.
Rom 9:30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
Rom 9:31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
Rom 9:32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
The faithful remnant pulled out from the chosen few and the many called, are being saved by grace and not by their own works and self-righteousness. The Lord continues the winnowing and let a small remnant escape from the oppression of the law that blinds us at first to this day.
Rom 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Rom 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Rom 11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
Rom 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
Once we enter into the Holy City of Jerusalem above, we are going out no more. We are dead to death which is our carnal mind and it is in heaven we have overcome the wicked one, the devil, and dwell in the city of God and are given a new name that no man knows except to whom it has been given.
Rev 3:12 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.
When the old has passed away, all things are made new even the spiritual city of Jerusalem. There is one on the earth and there is one in heaven. Far better to be called up into the one above.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Our living and fulfilling the prophecy of the Scriptures comes to an end. The things concerning Christ spoken about in the law and the prophets have a defined end. The faithful saints are raised from the spiritually dead when faith comes, and we die daily to our carnal mind which is death. Thus we fulfill the Scriptures and on the third day, our time of knowing Christ after the flesh come to an end as we are called up hither into the Jerusalem above.
Luk 22:37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.
When things are fulfilled, Christ is risen. As He is so are we His Christ.
Luk 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
Luk 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
Luk 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
Those called out of Jerusalem below and brought up hither into the Holy City of Jerusalem above, do not look behind them. Anyone made fit for the Kingdom of God does not turn back to their worldly vomit and the bondage to the law of sin and death that the Lord has mercifully delivered them from. We are commanded to press forward by faith being thankful for all the experiences that have shaped and molded us into the children of the living God.
Heb 11:15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.
Heb 11:16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
Taking thoughts captive, reaching out for the prize of the high calling in Christ, is how Christ increases and we decrease as we strive to obey Him in all things, dying daily [Gal 2:20].
Luk 9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
Luk 9:61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
Luk 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Let us rejoice in our blessing and guard what has been entrusted to those made faithful. It is impossible for us to be renewed back to repentance if we fall away now in this age, but as Paul, we believe and we are being saved.
Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Heb 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
Peace to the Israel of God.