09. God's Sovereingty Over Signs, Chance, and...

Chapter 9 God’s Sovereignty Over Signs, Chance, and Confirmations And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and trying him asked him to show them a sign from heaven. But he answered and said… Ye know how to discern the face of the heaven; but ye cannot [discern] the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of Jonah (Matthew 16:1-4).

There is a fairly large section of Christianity that believes asking God for signs is wrong. The reason is because they do not believe in the signs themselves. Matthew 16:1-4 is not Jesus’ answer to everyone, but to an “evil and adulterous generation.” They saw the signs and wonders that He did, yet they wanted another sign that He was who He said He was, so He gave them the sign of Jonah. What sign would benefit these people anyway? They rebuked Jesus and claimed that His signs were from Beelzebub. Their type says the same thing about signs today. The blind man, who had no seminary degree, but had been healed by Jesus, gave them a common sense answer. (John 9:30-33) …Why, herein is the marvel, that ye know not whence he is, and [yet] he opened mine eyes. (31) We know thatGod heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and do his will, him he heareth. (32) Since the world began it was never heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind. (33) If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. (34) They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. So it is with signs done by Jesus through disciples today! According to this description, obedient servants sent by God do signs.

Honest hearts everywhere recognize signs are from God for the purpose of confirming His true Word. (John 3:1-2) Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: (2) the same came unto him by night, and said to him, Rabbi,we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him. Nicodemus recognized the signs of healings, deliverances, provisions, and miracles that Jesus had been performing proved He was from God. When Jesus was leaving, He told the disciples how to identify those who believed the gospel. (Mark 16:15-18) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to the whole creation. (16) He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. (17) These signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; (18) they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Notice that Jesus was not speaking of the signs of the disciples but rather of the signs of those who would believe their testimony. Only later did He speak of the signs done through His first disciples. (Mark 16:20) And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen. Since it is not the experience of many to have their words confirmed by signs, they tend to change the doctrine of Jesus to a modern gospel that affirms their new methods. (Hebrews 13:8) Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday and to day, [yea] and forever. God still confirms His Word with signs through those who believe the true Gospel. If we change the Word we will not see signs because God confirms His Word, not ours. Jesus is the only one Who can give us the criteria of a believer. (John 14:12) …He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father. The only criterion to have signs is to truly believe on the Jesus of the Bible.

Some who reject the supernatural parts of discipleship today reject all signs. (Isaiah 7:10-14) And the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying, (11) Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above (In other words, ask for a sign anywhere.) (12) But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord. (13) And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to weary men, that ye will weary my God also? (14) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. The evil Ahaz’s excuse for disobeying the Lord concerning a sign was so that he would not tempt the Lord. Does that sound ludicrous? Never more than today! The people who say you should not ask the Lord for a sign “weary my God”. All through the Bible, God’s people ask for signs and get them. God wants us to know correct direction and to confirm His words to those that hear.

I will speak more on signs of healings, deliverances, miracles, and provisions in a later chapter. For now I would like to deal with signs for knowledge, wisdom, warning, and direction for our lives. In Acts 2:17, we are told that in the last days God’s Spirit would bring forth prophecy, dreams, and visions. Job 33:14-18 says that God speaks in dreams or visions to open men’s ears, seal their instructions, withdraw them from wrong purpose, deliver man from pride, keep his soul from the pit, and keep him from perishing by the sword, but man regards it not! To a large extent these signs and confirmations are being ignored today. Sometimes dreams and visions are literal. Sometimes they are parables and need interpreting in the light of Scriptures. Joseph, Daniel, and Jacob, to name a few, were great examples of men that God used to interpret these signs.

There are five signs given in dreams in Matthew 1 and 2 in which God spoke to give wisdom, direction, warning, and to fulfill prophecy. Joseph was told by an angel in a dream to not fear to take Mary for his wife. The sign of the star led the wise men to Jesus. They were then warned in a dream to not return to Herod who wanted the location of Jesus so that he could kill Him. Joseph was then warned by an angel in a dream to take Jesus and flee to Egypt. Later he was told by an angel in a dream to return for Herod was dead. He was then told in a dream where to settle in order to fulfill prophecy that called Jesus a Nazarene. The New Testament is replete with these kinds of signs and the disciples acted upon them as direction from God. (Acts 16:9-10) And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There was a man of Macedonia standing, beseeching him, and saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. (10) And when he had seen the vision, straightway we sought to go forth into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the Gospel to them. The disciples saw a vision of Jesus glorified on the mountain. Zacharias saw Gabriel in a vision. Angels appeared to women in a vision telling them that Jesus was alive. A vision brought Paul to the Lord (and many in our day). A vision brought Ananias to Paul to heal and fill him with the Holy Spirit. Ananias’ coming was confirmed to Paul in a vision. An angel appeared to Cornelius in a vision sending him to Peter for the knowledge of salvation. Meantime Peter was given a vision that was interpreted by him to mean that the Gentiles would be saved. The Lord comforted Paul in a vision telling him to not fear but preach boldly for the sake of many who would believe. John was given the vision of Revelation. When I was a very young disciple, I asked the Lord concerning opposing views of the rapture. I was in my living room, with the Scriptures before me, praying to God for understanding. I was having trouble fitting together what appeared to be opposing Scriptures. Suddenly understanding flooded my mind in what I knew later was the Word of Wisdom. The Scriptures suddenly all fit together. I jumped up very excited and ran into the kitchen to tell my wife what had happened. I had never received such an obviously supernatural revelation, and since it was not one that I had ever heard before, I asked the Lord to give me a sign. The sign that I asked of Him was that He would send someone to me who would tell me exactly what He had shown me. For about a week, I told my friends at the local assembly of my revelation. I was told more than once that I had missed God. Then a minister showed up at a school dedication that the assembly was having on a Friday night. Some of the more “mature” brethren drew the minister aside to convert him to their way of thinking. I left that evening not knowing what had happened but was later contacted by brethren who told me that this minister had told them the exact thing that I had been telling them.

I invited the minister, whose name was Bolivar, to my house along with some of the brethren. When Bolivar heard my name he was excited, and began to share with me recent happenings that brought him to our assembly. When he was in Opelousas, Louisiana, he was given a vision of Route 61. In the vision he saw a sign on Route 61 that said, “Three miles to three L’s.” He found Route 61 on a map and followed it to Baton Rouge where we lived, but he still did not understand the vision. He looked in the phone book for an assembly to visit. Even though our denomination was his last preference because of its narrow-minded sectarianism, he felt impressed to go. Our city had many churches, but he ended up at ours on this Friday night. After he had been to my house and had realized that my name was Eells (sometimes pronounced “L’s”) and that there were three of us, he decided to check the odometer. He found that it was exactly three miles from Route 61 to my driveway! A sovereign God can get you where He wants you. Bolivar shared the same revelation that the Lord had given me a week before. Notice that the confirmation was given through a literal sign.

There were three brethren at the Bible study that day who were looking for a confirmation to a revelation, myself included. Don Robertson, a close friend from my youth and the man who witnessed to me, was there. He had received a vision some years before in which he saw a brown-skinned man, dressed in a particular way, sitting before him telling him the truth about the rapture. When he came in that day, he recognized Bolivar to be that man, even dressed the same as in his vision. The Lord said, “There he is, sit down, and listen.” Another friend, Skip Chenevert, had a revelation on the sons of God, which Bolivar confirmed. He also told Mary and me that one day we would move to Florida, which happened. The lot is a very important sign in the Scriptures. It can be a very useful tool to ask God for a confirmation, a direction, or to give peace between people. Be advised, the lot is not a tool for fortune telling, nor can it be used for anything other than righteous endeavor. Suppose that you think you have the mind of the Lord in an instance and someone else thinks they too have the mind of the Lord, but you are contrary to one another. The lot is a way to decide. (Proverbs 18:18) The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty. My oldest daughter and another man’s daughter had gotten into some trouble when they were children. He and his daughter were blaming my daughter. My daughter was saying the opposite, and I wanted the truth. I cast a lot, and the Lord told me very plainly that he was wrong and his daughter was lying, which eventually proved to be true.

Some people say the lot is not spiritual in these days. What is spiritual about being contrary to one another? If you are in a group of people, who may not trust what you are saying but will trust in the Lord, and you need a decision, the lot can decide. But the lot can fail. We saw in Ezekiel 14 that He would deceive one who put an idol before their face and then asked direction of the Lord. If you have an ulterior motive, it doesn’t matter whether the answer comes from a prophet, the Word of God, your own thinking, or the lot, you are asking to be deceived. Repent and commit your way to the Lord and then ask. In Leviticus 16, we find the law for the annual atonement. The priest would take two goats and would cast a lot to see which goat would be sacrificed and which would be the scapegoat, which would be set free. In this case, two stones were used, a black stone and a white stone. The white stone was called “the lot of the Lord,” and the black stone was called “the lot of Azazel (scapegoat).” In this case, it is really talking about the Lord and us. He was the sin sacrifice for us to be set free. The high priest would reach in his bag and pull out a stone, which would be either black or white. That sign would indicate what would happen to the goat standing in front of the high priest.

Let me relate a little bit of history. According to the Talmud, 240 years before Jesus, there was a high priest who was called Simon the Righteous. Simon the Righteous was known to be a faithful and honorable high priest. He started his ministry 240 years before the birth of Jesus, and continued for forty years. When Simon reached into his bag, he came out with the lot of the Lord every time for forty straight years. This came to be known as a sign of God’s approval of their sacrifice. Simon also wore a crimson cord into the holy of holies for forty years. Every time Simon wore that cord into the holy of holies, it turned white. This probably symbolized the cleansing of the blood.

Simon also had a vision every time he was about to enter the holy of holies. He saw a man dressed in white enter in with him. Then when he came out, he saw a vision of the man coming out with him. On the last day of Simon’s ministry, a man dressed in black went in with him but did not come back out. Simon himself correctly interpreted this to mean he would die. On that day he died. For the next 200 years, there was no sign. The stone came up as would be commonly expected, fairly split between the lot of the Lord and the lot of Azazel. That led us up to the time of the crucifixion. Then there was another forty years from the crucifixion to the destruction of the temple. During that period, every time the high priest reached into his bag, he came out with the black stone. Of course, they considered that a sign of God’s disapproval of their sacrifice. When they rejected Jesus, God rejected their sacrifices. The chance against this happening for forty straight years was 1 trillion, 100 billion, to 1. This sign of the lot proved the sovereignty of God in the New Testament and Jesus as the Messiah.

Many today, because they do not believe in the sovereignty of God, believe in what they call luck, chance, gambling, or fate. There is no such thing as any of that. That is a fiction of their imagination. Sometimes it is a deception by a demon spirit. (Galatians 6:7)Be not deceived; God is not mocked: forwhatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (John 3:27) John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven. We are actually making our own future by believing or disbelieving the promises of God and by sowing our own seed and reaping a harvest, good or bad.

(Proverbs 16:33) The lot is cast into the lap; But the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. The Lord decides which way the lot comes up. It does not matter how you do it, whether you are using stones or flipping a nickel or asking God for a sign, just so you are asking God for direction by faith. In faith, God will give you an answer. I have proved this in my own life, time after time. Is that the way we should lead our lives? No, I think we should learn to hear the Holy Spirit, but let us face the facts here; we are not sure of what we hear sometimes and would like a confirmation.

There were other signs according to the Talmud that happened in the forty years after Jesus’ crucifixion. The western lamp of the menorah in the holy place would go out every night. They went through a lot of pain to make sure that the menorah never went out, because it was a symbol of the life of Israel. They had vessels that emptied into the menorah to make sure that it never ran out of oil. The priest’s job was to make sure that it never ran out of oil. The light of God’s people was never supposed to go out, but it did every night for forty straight years. The chance, if you believe in such, against that happening is beyond reason. This was a clear sign that God was reprobating Israel. Also, the door to the holy of holies would open seemingly by itself every night, despite the efforts of the priests to stop it. This was a sign from God for us to enter into the holy of holies (presence of God) through faith in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:19-20). Another sign that proved this is that the veil in front of the holy of holies was rent in two from top to bottom when Jesus was crucified (Matthew 27:51). There was no reason for the priests to make a false report concerning this, because it certainly was not a good sign to them. God is sovereign in signs. Can you imagine that God would have such control that He could make the lot choose one offender out of a ship full of people? In Jonah 1, Jonah rebelled and ran from the Lord. While in a ship, a great storm came up and the men feared exceedingly that they would sink. (Jonah 1:7) And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. What are the chances, of casting lots on that ship and coming up with Jonah? They are phenomenal! God is sovereign, and those pagans knew it better than most Christians today. Maybe they did not know what God they were praying to, but they knew whoever He was, He was sovereign. They knew that someone in the boat was causing a curse to befall everyone and they believed the lot would reveal who it was. Their wisdom puts the Church to shame. God through Paul commanded the Corinthians to put the wicked people out of the Church for that reason (1 Corinthians 5). For several years, Mary and I had been receiving visions and dreams about moving from the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area to Pensacola, Florida. One time, as we were talking about it, I went to the Lord and asked, “When are these visions and dreams going to come to pass?” I went to my Bible and opened it. As I looked down, my eyes fell immediately on Habakkuk 2:3 which states: Forthe vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hasteth toward the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay. That was God’s sign to us. It was specific and to the point. At that time Mary and I were impatient and wondering when we were going to move. We watched almost no TV, but I walked over and turned it on and there was Charles Stanley speaking the words, “They that wait upon the Lord.” We knew that those words were a sign for us to be patient. Then I walked over to this little breadbox with the Scripture cards in it. I picked out a card and without looking at it showed it to Mary. It said, “They that wait upon the Lord.” That was three confirmations in a row. The Lord wanted us to rest and wait, for He was going to bring it to pass in His time. If we believe in God’s sovereignty to speak through signs and confirmations, He can give such peace in the midst of trials!

Mary had a dream while she was pregnant. In the dream she saw a big boy and a little girl. As she was waking up a voice said, “Justin Joseph and Jennifer Joy.” We both thought surely we are going to have twins. In the course of time, Mary gave birth in our home to a 7 lb. 15 oz. normal-size boy, but no girl. This surprised us because we were used to having our dreams come true. Mary’s thinking was that the dream would be fulfilled later with twins. I said to her, “No, Mary, this is Justin Joseph. He was bigger in your dream because he was to be born first, and Jennifer Joy was smaller because she will be born later.” She was not at all convinced and we needed to know what to name this boy. I pulled three quarters out of my pocket. I told her, “Let’s ask God to give us a sign. I am going to flip these and they are all going to come down heads, because this is Justin.” After we prayed, I flipped the quarters, and they all came down heads. She still was not convinced. I said, “I am going to do it again, and they are all going to come down heads.” I did, and they all came down heads again. She said, “Well, I don’t know, David.” I said, “OK, I am going to do this one more time, and then we are not going to tempt the Lord any more.” You guessed it! They all came down heads. What are the “chances” of nine heads in a row? Mary was convinced. (Proverbs 18:18)The lot causeth contentions to cease, And parteth between the mighty. Two years and three months later, our little girl Jennifer Joy was born. Justin Joseph means “just increaser,” and Jennifer Joy means “pure joy”. Their names, given by the Lord, fit their attributes. The birth of Jennifer was a sign of God’s timing to us that we were about to move to Pensacola. About five years before her birth, Mary had had a dream that we were walking through a house in Pensacola, and I had a baby girl on my hip. (This was perfectly fulfilled at the time we moved.) Also, in the dream, she knew that the Interstate was completed from Baton Rouge to Pensacola. This stretch of interstate had been notoriously under construction for many years but was completed by the time we moved. The value of these signs to know that you are in the perfect Will of God cannot be measured. Without respect for Scriptural signs Christians many times go their own way to their detriment. The Word does not tell us when or where to move, who to marry, or where to work, but it does demonstrate the signs that God uses to give such direction. When Jennifer was about sixteen months old, we knew we were about to move to Pensacola because she was now the size she was in the dream. At this time, I had asked some brethren to agree with me that God would give us a house and give us a car in Pensacola. We agreed according to the Word. (Matthew 18:19) Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. A week after this prayer of faith, my wife Mary and daughter Deborah were in a car wreck, driving down Florida Boulevard in Baton Rouge. I emphasize Florida Boulevard because this was a sign that this wreck played an important part in putting us on the interstate boulevard to Florida. They had come to a stop behind a Cadillac. A man in a Lincoln was looking at the sights and rear-ended our Toyota, driving it into the Cadillac, totaling our car and slightly injuring them. While they were using the “jaws of life” to open the car, a man came and told Mary, “Don’t worry, he has good insurance,” which she thought was strange. The man who drove the Lincoln was very remorseful. He told us he was the president of a large warehouse corporation and that his company was self-insured. He had 100/300/100 insurance on his car. He told us that he would speak to his insurance representatives on our behalf. What are the “chances” of being hit by someone like that? The insurance people were very generous with us, as you might expect. God chose this method to answer my prayer that God would give us a house and car. They replaced the wrecked car with a better one. With the settlement money, we were able to replace our larger family car with a new one and purchase our house, and all with non-taxable money. This settlement ties in with another story.

Rick Knight was a young friend of ours when we lived in the Baton Rouge area. About five years before the wreck, Rick had a dream. He had been gone from our neighborhood for a while and had come for a visit to our neighbor Bruce’s home. In the dream, Bruce told him to look towards our home. When he did, he saw a moving van backed up to our place. We were moving to Pensacola. When he came over to help us load up the van, I showed him some papers that had the word “pension” written on them. I told him, “I am never going to work for man again.” The Spirit convinced me of Rick’s dream when I heard it. I told people where I worked that I was about to retire and move to Pensacola. Of course, they all told me that at 37 there is no way they would offer me retirement. They were all proven wrong. The Exxon refinery decided they wanted to replace some of their employees that had expensive benefits with contract labor. They offered retirement to anyone who had worked over fifteen years. When this was offered, I did not have to think about it because I had my signs. Several people came to me and recounted that I had told them that this was going to happen. It was a witness to them that God can tell us of the future.

We had not seen Rick for a few years, but the weekend that we were moving, he showed up at Bruce’s house. Bruce pointed him toward our home. What he saw was what he had seen in the dream; we had a moving van backed up to our place. As Rick excitedly helped us to load the van, I shared with him about my pension. I had received a one-year severance pay with a small retirement when I reach retirement age, should Exxon still be solvent and the Lord tarry that long. The year’s pay came in at the same time as the first of two installments of insurance money from the wreck. This was enough for our house in Pensacola and enough to live on for a year. The second installment was settled and came after we gave our car to a mission in Pensacola. Then we were able to buy a new car. The sign of the dream was perfectly fulfilled.

You might think, “How could he never work for man again with that kind of pension?” A few months before leaving Baton Rouge, the Lord gave me another sign. In a vision, I suddenly appeared before an immense palace that I believe represented the New Jerusalem. A large door opened and the Lord was standing there dressed as a King. He ushered me inside and showed me a tower that was built of logs like a log cabin but narrowing toward the top, where there was a place to stand. He revealed to me that this represented my ministry. He also showed me a payment book with a certain amount per month in it. He said, “I want you to have this,” meaning the tower and the payment. We have lived on an average of that amount per month, coming miraculously from many directions, since 1986. Although we had lean months and fat months to try us, over the year it averaged what the Lord said per month. We have had to walk by faith to receive it. This sign gave me faith that God would supply my needs without some visible means of support.

After this, in another vision, I was caught up high above the Baton Rouge area, where I lived. As I looked toward Florida, I saw that tower in Pensacola. A few months later, God had miraculously bought us a house and car in Pensacola, Florida, where we now live. The Lord gave me some insight to the meaning of the tower. The individual logs are the saints who are likened to trees in many Scriptures. At the corners where they united, crosses were formed. God’s people coming together in unity bearing their own cross would create a tower of safety from their enemies. The Israelites built towers like this in their cities and sometimes among their flocks to protect them from invading enemies (Judges 9:46, Judges 9:51). (Proverbs 18:10) The name (Hebrew: “character and authority”) of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. Truth builds of us a tower of the character and authority of Jesus to defend us from enemies. Very hard times and many enemies are coming. Get behind the high walls of spiritual Zion, the “tower of the flock”(Micah 4:8).

Many times in my experience, the Lord has used the lot as a sign to prove God’s sovereignty and direction to others. I was asking the Lord what to do with our mobile home when we knew we were about to move to Pensacola. Mary was asking me if we should sell it. As I prayed about it, the Lord impressed me to give it to a Christian couple named Mike and Karen Burley whom we knew in Houston, Texas. So I contacted them only to find out that they had just lost their job and their company house. When I told Mary what the Lord told me, she was not sure. I wanted the Lord to confirm to Mary that giving away our home was indeed God’s direction. So to give her peace of mind, I suggested that we ask of the Lord a sign. I asked God to confirm this decision with six heads in a row, and that is exactly what we got. What is the “chance” of six heads in a row coming up? It convinced Mary. Without telling them what the Lord had said, I invited them to move in with us temporarily. Mary reminded me that Karen had a dream some years before that we had left our area and returned some time later to find someone else was living in our home. We did not think to ask her at the time if she knew who it was. When they moved in, I reminded them of the dream. Then I said to Karen, “I think I know who it was that was living in our home. It was you, wasn’t it?” Karen said, “Yes, it was.” (She wisely did not tell us when she first told us the dream because she did not want it to be a self-fulfilled prophecy.) I said, “Well then it’s your home.” Of course, they were exited to see how God had provided for them even before their need. A couple of months later, God provided us a house and car in Pensacola. The occurrences after the lot certainly proved the sign and the sovereignty of God. You try it sometime. I am not telling you to lead your life by the lot, but I am talking about confirmations and directions. As a sign agrees with your spirit, it teaches you to be more confident that it is the Lord who is speaking to you. We do not need six heads for proof. The more confident we become, the less proof we need that it is God who is speaking. The children of Israel by the lot decided who got what part of the Promised Land. By the lot, they decided who was going to war first. The lot left no room for argument. There are times when it is needed because even spiritual people do not always agree, nor can you get them to always believe you. In 1 Samuel 10:1, Samuel secretly anointed Saul to be king. Later, he had to prove this direction of the Lord to the people. (1 Samuel 10:19-21) But ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saveth you out of all your calamities and your distresses; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes, and by your thousands. (20) So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken. “Was taken” means that when they cast the lot, out of the twelve tribes, the tribe of Benjamin was taken. (21) And he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families; and the family of the Matrites was taken: and Saul the son of Kish was taken. The lot narrowed it down to the one who was already anointed to be king. Of all Israel, it came down to Saul. We have the same sovereign God in the New Testament. There is no such thing as chance. Why did not Samuel say, “The Lord told me the king is Saul, and I have already anointed him”? Why did not Samuel anoint Saul in front of others, so that they would know it? God did not want there to be an argument, or a division in Israel over picking a king. After all was said and done, and Saul fell away and made foolish mistakes, God did not want the people to come back and blame Samuel for having picked the wrong king. The only ones that did not respect the lot were called “worthless fellows”. (1 Samuel 10:27) But certain worthless fellows said, how shall this man save us?

Jonathan asked a sign from the Lord. (1 Samuel 14:6-10) And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised (Philistines): it may be that the Lord will work for us; for there is no restraint of the Lord to save by many or by few. (7) And his armor bearer said unto him, Do all that is in thy heart: turn thee, behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. (8) Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto the men, andwe will disclose ourselves unto them. (9) If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. (10) But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up; for the Lord hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be the sign unto us. He had faith that the Lord would honor his sign and put these thoughts and words in the Philistines. He also did not believe the devil could give him a wrong answer. God is faithful and wants us to ask of Him a sign so that He can prove Himself to us and give us victory over our enemies. Jonathan got the sign that he asked and knew that God had given the Philistines into his hand. As soon as Jonathan wiped out about an acre’s worth of Philistines, there was an earthquake to cause the rest to flee. While the Philistines were fleeing, Saul took advantage of the situation to kill as many on the run as possible. (1 Samuel 14:24) …Saul had adjured the people, saying,Cursed be the man that eateth any food until it be evening, and I be avenged on mine enemies. Jonathan, unaware of the oath, used his cane to take honey and ate. Then the others told him of the oath.

(1 Samuel 14:36-37) And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God. (37) And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day. I have found that the Lord does not always want to answer us. Job had to endure a tremendous trial without an answer from the Lord until the end. He had to trust the Lord. Sometimes the Lord wants us to leave Him a way out. A simple yes or no could be wrong on both counts. The true answer could be a “yes, but not now,” or a “no, but yes later.” I felt the Lord showed me when casting lots, to use two coins. I feel the reason is so that I could get two heads for a “yes” and two tails for a “no” or a head and a tail meaning, “I do not want to answer you in this way or at this time.” I always felt in my heart that God wanted this way out. The time I cast a lot for our home, I used two coins and each time they came up double heads. When I was young in the Lord, I got many answers this way, and they were confirmed. The older I got in the Lord, the less He wanted me to rely on the lot. The lot and other signs helped me to be sure I was hearing the voice and direction of the Lord. He wants to wean us away from the necessity of having signs as we become surer of His voice. There are still times that I use the lot. God does not want us to ask for signs of what He clearly tells us in His Word. What the Word says is final. God does not have to confirm to you that what He said is true. A few years ago my oldest son had been asked by a local motorcycle dealer to come and apply for a job. I asked the Lord by lot if he was going to get the job and the answer was “yes”. Later, I asked the Lord to show me a verse concerning the job. I opened the Bible, and the verse I saw implied that they were going to be less than truthful with him. So I thought, “Does this mean ‘yes, he will get the job, but they won’t tell the truth’?” As it turned out they told him he could have the job in December but it was January when he actually got it. Exactly the way the Lord showed me.

(1 Samuel 14:24) Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until it be evening, and I be avenged on mine enemies. His son Jonathan did not hear when this curse was pronounced and ate some honey. Saul wanted an answer from the Lord, whether to go down against the Philistines. But the Lord was not answering Saul, and he suspected sin in the camp was hindering. (1 Samuel 14:38-46) And Saul said, Draw nigh hither, all ye chiefs of the people; and know andsee wherein this sin hath been this day. (39) For, as the Lord liveth, who saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him. (40) Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee. (41) Therefore Saul said unto the Lord, the God of Israel, Show the right. And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot; but the people escaped. (42) And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken. (43) Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou has done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did certainly taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and, lo, I must die. (44) And Saul said, God do so and more also; for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan. (45) And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel?… So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not. (46) Then Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place. Out of all Israel, Jonathan was revealed by the lot to be the cause of God’s silence. We have the same sovereign God! Saul did not continue to go after the Philistines when they spared Jonathan. God did not give Saul direction because the curse that he had spoken was not fulfilled. Without an answer from the Lord, he would not go even though they could have destroyed the Philistines. Many are moved by opportunity and reason today, but those led by the Spirit are the sons of God. The Apostles were giving thought to replacing Judas. (Acts 1:20-26) For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be made desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and, his office let another take. (21) Of the men therefore that have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us, (22) beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day that he was received up from us, of these must one become a witness with us of his resurrection, (23) And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. (24) And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show of these two the one whom thou hast chosen, (25) to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place. (26) Andthey gave lots for them; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. We are told by most of the church that a mistake was made in this situation, because the twelfth apostle should have been Paul. The reason for this being the accepted doctrine is that there were only to be twelve apostles. Because of this doctrine, the Greek word “apostolos” in the New Testament is not translated apostle in most cases. However, we have no right to believe it should be translated any other way than apostle. Using the same exact Greek word apostolos, there are at least twenty-five apostles listed in the New Testament. We still have apostles today. God chose Matthias, by the lot, to take Judas’ place as the twelfth apostle. They also say that Matthias is not mentioned later in the Scriptures, but most of the other apostles are not mentioned later either. Isaiah 53 tells of the sacrificial life and death of Jesus. In this chapter, there has been discovered in the Bible code skip sequence the names of Jesus and twelve apostles including Matthias and excluding Judas and Paul. It was written since the time of Isaiah that Matthias would take Judas’ place. The Jewish apostles, who used the lot all their life, trusted it for important decisions because they believed in a sovereign God Who answers prayer.

God chose Gideon to lead Israel against the Midianites, Amalekites, and the children of the East. Gideon was worried because he knew he did not have much of an army, and he had no self-confidence. He wanted the confidence of the Lord. (Judges 6:36-40) And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast spoken, (37) behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing-floor; if there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the ground, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou has spoken. (38) And it was so; for he rose up early on the morrow, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water. (39) And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once: let me make trial, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. (40) And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. That is being pretty specific with the Lord. Gideon wanted a sign that could not naturally occur. Naturally speaking, a fleece would soak up any moisture around. In this case, the fleece was dry and the ground was wet. God has no problem doing these signs for us if we need an answer.

Once, years ago, I was preaching to a man on the verge of conversion. He had many questions, but also a problem believing that God loved him individually. I suggested that he ask God for a sign. I said, “Ask God to let it rain while the sun is shining if you love me.” That man was totally joyous the next day, for that is exactly what happened. He knelt down by his bed, and after praying that prayer, looked out the window; the sun was shining and it was raining. He needed this. It convinced him of a personal God and Savior.

Another time when I was teaching a class, I suggested to everyone that they put God first in the morning and seek the Lord in the Word for an hour before coming to work. When we got to this point, I put a sign before them. I said, “If you don’t believe God wants you to meet with Him first in the morning before work, set your alarm for the time that you normally get up. Then ask God to wake you up an hour before your alarm goes off. When you wake up, turn your head and look at your clock.” Almost everyone in the class came back lit up like a light bulb. They said things such as, “I woke up, turned to my clock, and it was exactly an hour before the alarm was to go off.” They saw and were impressed with God’s sovereignty and to know that it was His Will for them to meet with Him early in the morning. These things impress people with God’s personal love and interest in them. The children of Israel had gone to war against the Philistines, and the Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant. They carried their prize to Philistia, then from city to city. The curse of God would fall upon every city that received the Ark, for the people would get tumors and die. Soon they would demand the lords of the Philistines to move the Ark out of their city. When they placed the Ark next to Dagon, their god, he fell over on his face and broke off his head and hands. The Philistine lords began to fear the God of the Hebrews. They were being reminded of what this God did to Egypt and Pharaoh to set Israel free. The priests and diviners gave them advice to ask a sign of God to see if this was indeed His judgment upon them. (1 Samuel 6:7-9) Now therefore take and prepare you a new cart, and two milch kine (milk cows), on which there hath come no yoke; and tie the cows to the cart, and bring their calves home from them; (8) and take the ark of the Lord and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass-offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go. (9) And see;if it goeth up by the way of its own border to Beth-shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us. The flesh can believe in chance against all odds. Cows that had never drawn a cart before because they had never been yoked would naturally go home the way their calves went. They would not go away from their calves into a country they have never been to. It was totally impossible that the cows would go the way they did without God having total sovereignty over those cows’ minds. (1 Samuel 6:10-12) And the men did so, and took two milch kine (milk cows), and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home; (11) and they put the ark of the Lord upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their tumors. (12) And the kine took the straight way by the way to Beth-shemesh; they went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left…. It did not appear that those cows even liked bringing the Ark back to Israel, the way they moaned about it. The Philistines knew this was God and even sacrificed to Him. They made it impossible for this sign to naturally occur. They asked God to do something that is not normal. You can do that, too, and you will never forget it or the Philistines around you.

I was reminding the Lord some years back about my two oldest boys, who were raised in the Lord but were doing their own thing. I had prayed and put them into God’s hand by faith, but since it seemed to be taking a long time, I asked the Lord to give me a word concerning them. I flipped my Bible open and stuck my finger down, and it said, “Thy prayers and thy alms are gone up for a memorial before God” (Acts 10:2). A memorial is that which keeps alive the memory of someone. So God was continually remembering my request. I did it again, and my finger came down on “It is finished” (John 19:30). In other words, God was saying, “You prayed about it. I heard the prayer. Now it is done; just believe it.” Jesus said, (Mark 11:24) “Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

Once I was having much pain and passing a lot of blood. I had peace concerning this, probably because Christ had consistently healed us for many years. The thought had come to me that I had cancer, but I told no one except a friend, Mike Burley, who agreed with me in faith. Shortly after this, I saw two sisters who said they had been praying for ministers they knew, including me. They said the Lord had spoken to them that I was going to have a battle with cancer, but I was going to win. I thanked them and told them I had suspected as much. I went home and asked the Lord to give me a word concerning this. I flipped open my Bible and without looking stuck my finger right on “Thou shalt die, and not live” (2 Kings 20:1). I said, “I don’t accept that Lord. That is not what your Word promises me. You told me, “By whose stripes ye were healed” and “When you pray believe you have received.” I asked God to give me another word. I opened my Bible and stuck my finger down right on, “I shall not die, but live” (Psalms 118:17). The exact opposite! The only two verses like that in the Scriptures. Think about the sovereignty of God to cause the page to stop at the exact spot and then control my finger to fall on the exact portion of the exact verse. Awesome God that He is! God was trying me to see if I was going to believe the Scripture. If you do not ever receive what is contrary to the Word, you will be blessed. The symptoms gradually decreased until they were gone. A sister we knew, who lived a few hours from us, had a tumor so big that it looked as though she were several months pregnant. She called me, and I cursed it in Jesus’ name. She called right back and said that it had gone down like a balloon that had let its air out. Later, it started growing again. I asked the Lord to give me a word concerning this sister. Five times in a row, I flipped my Bible open, stuck my finger down, and read a verse concerning the resurrection of the dead. I wrote them all down. I asked the Lord, “What are you saying to me? Are you going to raise her from the dead, or are you speaking of raising her at the resurrection of the dead?” The sign God gave me was prophetic and came to pass even though it was not God’s best that she died. Doctors were afraid to operate on her. She looked nine months pregnant. Her family pressured her to go to Mexico for treatments. I knew she wavered a lot in her faith toward the end of her trial because she said so. I am not condemning her for that. She was a good faithful woman of the Lord who had been healed by the Lord most of her Christian life. Her husband decided that they were not necessarily seeking the Will of God so much as their own desire when they believed for her to be healed. Of course, Jesus and the disciples prayed for people who had their own desires to be healed and God healed them all (Matthew 4:24; Matthew 8:16; Matthew 9:35; Matthew 12:15; Acts 5:16) through their faith. (Psalms 103:3) Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases. The minute they gave up their faith to heal her, and prayed, “Lord, if it be Thy Will,” that sister fell dead. Her husband and the doctors were shocked because she showed no signs of dying. He told me that the moment those words came out of their mouths in prayer, she fell dead. He told me, “David, we were holding her here by faith.” I thought, “Yeah, that is what we are supposed to do.” We told Pauline Warner, a sister in our assembly, the sad news. She said it really upset her because she thought they were holding to their faith. She said it scared her to think that faith could fail. As she was thinking on this in her car, a verse was spoken to her, “Acts 5:1.” Pauline called me on her cell phone and told me the verse. Since she did not know what it said, she wanted me to read it to her. (Acts 5:1) But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife,sold a possession. At first I told her that I did not see how it fit because they were faithful with their finances. Suddenly it came to me that a man and his wife had “sold a possession”. Healing is our possession by blood covenant. It is the “children’s bread” according to Jesus. “If it be Thy Will” should never be prayed when the Scripture clearly reveals the Will of God (1 Peter 2:24; Psalms 103:3). Jesus and the apostles never prayed that prayer for healing, deliverance, or provision. From this we see that we can accept a lie in exchange for a promised possession. This verse that was spoken to Pauline and the “if it be Thy Will” prayer helped many to understand that we should “hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not; for he is faithful that promised” (Hebrews 10:23).

Here is a sign that is still impressing people with God’s sovereignty. (2 Kings 20:1-5) In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thy house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. (2) Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, (3) Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. (4) And it came to pass, before Isaiah was gone out into the middle part of the city, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, (5) Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the prince of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee; on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. (2 Kings 20:8) And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up unto the house of the Lord the third day? We may ask, “Why did he not believe the Lord?” For one thing, Hezekiah was talking to Isaiah the prophet. The Bible tells you to try the prophet (1 John 4:1). Many times in personal prophecy, something will be shared that only you knew. This is a sign that this prophecy is not merely from the mind of the prophet. Other times, key events leading to the fulfillment of a prophecy will be shared so that as they come to pass, you will know that this is the Lord. (Lamentations 3:37) Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? This gives you a way to prove if the one in question is really a prophet.

There are a lot of prophets with spirits of divination. These spirits do not control the future, therefore, these prophets have a low percentage of fulfillments. Those who go to these false prophets do not realize that these spirits are telling them what they themselves plan to bring to pass, but God does not always permit them. (2 Kings 20:9-11) And Isaiah said, This shall be the sign unto thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps? (10) And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to decline ten steps: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten steps. (11) And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord; and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz. Hezekiah did not know it, but “it is a light thing” for God to back the sun up ten degrees. He thought he was making this sign hard on God. When Elijah did not know what to answer Elisha, he left the answer up to the Lord by a sign. (2 Kings 2:9-12) And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I am taken from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. (10) And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. (11) And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. (12) And Elisha saw it…. In this case, Elijah did not know if God was going to give a double portion of the Spirit to Elisha or not. He thought that Elisha had possibly asked for too much. After all, Elijah was the greatest miracle worker since Moses. Elijah left it up to the Lord to confirm by a sign, and He honored that. Elisha received a double portion, and went on to do twice as many miracles.

God is sovereign over history in order to use people and events for signs to us. (1 Corinthians 10:11) Now these things happened unto them by way of example (Greek: “figure, type, or shadow”); and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. According to Deuteronomy 21:17, the double portion was the portion of inheritance for the firstborn son. Elisha, the second-born son, got a double portion of the Spirit that Elijah, the firstborn son, should have had. He got a double portion of what the Father God gave as an inheritance. The second-born son of the Father received the firstborn’s inheritance, just like Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob and Esau, Isaac and Ishmael, or Abel and Cain. Each of these pairs is a type of the two sons of Father God. God said, “Israel is my son, my firstborn” (Exodus 4:22). The Church is His born again or second-born son. As Jesus said, “So the last shall be first and the first last” (Matthew 20:16). The Church was last born but is first with God in anointing, inheritance, and position.

Each of these pairs of sons gives us a revelation of the difference between the natural firstborn and the spiritual second-born sons. Ephraim was the second son of Joseph, who was the clearest type of Jesus in the Bible. Ephraim received the double-portion inheritance that should have been given to firstborn Manasseh (Genesis 48:17-19). Ephraim was called a “multitude (Hebrew: fullness) of nations,” because he represented the Church of all nations. The Church is the Father’s second-born (born again) son who received the double-portion that Israel, the firstborn, should have received but rejected.

Esau, in like manner, sold his double-portion birthright “for one mess of meat”. In other words, he walked after the flesh. We are Jacob, the second-born, only if we accept the New Testament double-portion anointing sold by natural Israel. What they rejected from Jesus we must accept and not a modern powerless gospel. Many of the Church are proving themselves to be like Esau, not accepting their double-portion. Receive your double-portion anointing and be filled with the Spirit and New Testament gifts.

Paul warns the Church not to be Ishmaels (firstborn), children of the handmaid who were in bondage to the Law and religion (Galatians 4:21-31). He exhorts us to be Isaacs (second-born), children of the freewoman and of promise. We must have new life through believing and acting on the promises. “The righteous shall live by faith” in these promises. Being born of the promises is to be a partaker in the life, benefits, and work of Christ through faith. The great promise that empowers us to come into all that God has promised is “the promise of the Father.” (Acts 1:4-5) …he (Jesus) charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, [said he], ye heard from me: (5) For John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence. (Acts 1:8)But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses…. The Holy Spirit is that double-portion inheritance given by Jesus after His death and resurrection.

Corporately, firstborn natural Israel preceded the second-born spiritual Israel or the Church. Individually, we are all like those two sons, we are born of the flesh before being born of the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45-49) So also it is written, The first man (firstborn) Adam became a living soul. The last (second-born) Adam [became] a life-giving spirit. (46) Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual. (47) The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven. (48) As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. (49) And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall (Greek: “let us”) also bear the image of the heavenly. We have all been born of the firstborn Adam, we also must be born again of the second-born Adam, Jesus. The finished creation of God was the second-born Son Jesus and all those in the Church who abide in Him. Most of natural Israel had an opportunity to be a part of this but sold their birthright. They get one more chance in the coming days. The Church, which is made up of Jews and Gentiles who believe, is first with God, not an afterthought. Jesus spiritually fathered the twelve patriarchs of the Church just as Jacob naturally fathered the twelve patriarchs of Israel. The Church took Jesus’ name as the body of Christ, or Christians. Israel took Jacob’s name “Israel,” which was given to him by God (Genesis 32:28). Jacob was clearly a type of Jesus. He married two wives, daughters of one father who was a type of “the” Father. These two wives represented natural Israel and the Church, or spiritual Israel. Jacob, as Jesus, loved the second-born daughter Rachel, who represents the Church, with all his heart. However, he was forced to marry the firstborn daughter Leah, who represents natural Israel, first (Genesis 29:26). Jesus loved the Church first because she is like Him, born from above, not from the earth. Except for the faithful elect, natural Israel loved the world and God divorced her (Jeremiah 3:8; Isaiah 50:1; Hosea 2:2-4).

Another interesting fact is that when Jacob crossed the Jordan with his two families to return to the Promised Land, a type of heaven, he declared himself to be two companies. (Genesis 32:10) …I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two companies. Israel had become two companies, firstborn natural Israel and born again spiritual Israel, the Church. Crossing Jordan represents death and resurrection. Then, as you might expect, in heaven they saw the face of God. (Genesis 32:30) And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for, [said he], I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved (Hebrew: “to snatch away”).

Both Leah and Rachel had handmaids who bore more children to Jacob (as Jesus) than they did. Paul, speaking of the handmaid, said, “More are the children of the desolate than of her that hath the husband” (Galatians 4:27). This is clear that there are more of the seed of the Lord in both Israel and the Church who are in bondage than are free to have a full bride relationship with Him. Much of the Church is in bondage to sin, religion, or legalism and are not free to follow the Spirit as every son must do (Romans 8:14). Bondage makes us servants while freedom makes us sons. (John 8:31-32) Jesus therefore said to those Jews that had believed him, If ye abide in my word, [then] are ye truly my disciples; (32) and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:34-35) …Every one that committeth sin is the bondservant of sin. (35) And the bondservant abideth not in the house forever: the son abideth forever. Paul confirms this, saying, “Cast out the handmaid and her son: for the son of the handmaid shall not inherit with the son of the freewoman” (Galatians 4:30). In the following chapters, there is good news that we do not have to live in bondage.

All must be born from above to enter the kingdom. (John 3:3) Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew (Greek: “from above”), he cannot see the kingdom of God. They “cannot enter into the kingdom of God”(John 3:5). According to Jesus, the righteous from the Old Testament went to Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16:22). At death when Jesus descended into the lower parts of the earth, He preached to the spirits in that prison who believed the Gospel and were born from above. He then led those captives to heaven (Ephesians 4:8-9; 1 Peter 4:19). Therefore, the righteous from among Israel of the Old Testament are now in the Church. A remnant of natural Israel will be born from above in the future and join spiritual Israel, the Church (called-out ones). This shows the sovereignty of God to give signs to the Church in all the types and shadows of Scriptures, and the error of believing that the Church was an afterthought to God when Israel failed. The Church is the crowning creation of God though not all will attain status of Bride. Later chapters explain the double-portion inheritance.