Tag Archives: kingdom of God

April 19, 2026 · 10:58 am

Entering the Celestial City

The Way into New Jerusalem

How deep is our conviction that there truly is a celestial city—a real New Jerusalem—that will descend out of heaven and settle upon the site of the present earthly Jerusalem?

Is New Jerusalem merely a myth, a poetic exaggeration born from John’s apocalyptic vision? After all, this is the same John who saw strange beasts and fantastic scenes throughout the book of Revelation. But reducing New Jerusalem to imagination ignores the long, unbroken testimony of Scripture.

The patriarchs and prophets contemplated this city long before John ever saw it. They understood that the celestial city was the wellspring of their hope. It was the anchor of their faith through seasons of abundance and seasons of famine. They knew that belief in New Jerusalem lay at the very heart of God’s covenant with them.

They trusted His promise of a transformed spiritual body—raised from the weakness of this “mortal coil” into an everlasting, Spirit‑empowered vessel. For the Spirit of God has much cosmic work yet to accomplish in us throughout the ages to come.

Knowing Christ and the Power of His Resurrection

But everything begins with knowing who God truly is. When that knowledge takes root, everything else follows. Paul prayed that “the Father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him” (Ephesians 1:17).

Paul himself counted every achievement of his former life as loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ: “For whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” (Philippians 3:8).

Why does God honor the losses we endure? Paul answers: “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death” (v. 10).

Christ’s death marks the end of our old life. His resurrection marks the beginning of our new one. And with Him, we have been raised—according to His promise—to sit with Him in the celestial city. This is the very promise Yahweh made to the patriarchs and prophets: that we would become resurrected citizens of New Jerusalem. That is eternal life—the life of the Son of God.

We derive our life from His life. By believing in His resurrection, we participate in it. And through that participation, we receive His promise of dwelling eternally with Him in His city.

This is the promise. Our movement toward the heavenly city is not a shallow “going to heaven because I go to church.” It requires a deeper, more profound faith—one that grows only after “the loss of all things.” Death produces loss, but through the loss of our old self, we gain eternal life in Him.

And eternal life is what fills New Jerusalem.

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April 15, 2026 · 10:30 pm

The Parables and the Hidden Architecture of the Coming City

When Jesus says His parables conceal rather than simplify, He is doing something profoundly consistent with His promise of New Jerusalem: He is revealing the mysteries of the Kingdom only to those who have ears to hear — the very ones who will inherit the God‑built city Abraham longed for.

When Christ began teaching in parables, He was not offering simple illustrations to make spiritual truths more accessible. He said the opposite. His disciples asked, “Why speakest Thou unto them in parables?” He answered, “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given” (Matt. 13:10–11). The parables were not meant to clarify but to separate — to reveal the Kingdom to the faithful while concealing it from the indifferent. They functioned as spiritual filters, sifting those who merely heard from those who truly sought.

This dynamic is essential to understanding how the parables relate to Christ’s promise of New Jerusalem. The parables unveil the inner workings of the Kingdom, the very Kingdom that will culminate in the descent of the God‑built city. Christ was not simply describing moral lessons; He was revealing the hidden architecture of the world to come.

The parable of the mustard seed shows a Kingdom that begins invisibly but grows into a vast, sheltering reality. The parable of the treasure hidden in a field speaks of a Kingdom so valuable that everything else is counted loss. These are not abstract spiritual ideas; they are descriptions of the process by which God prepares a people for the city He has prepared for them.

Psalm 48 sings of that city: “Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness.” The psalmist describes a city marked by divine stability, joy, and holiness — a city whose glory causes kings to tremble and whose beauty is to be “considered” and “told to the generation following.” This is not the fragile Jerusalem of history but the eternal Zion, the Kingdom‑mountain Daniel saw filling the whole earth. It is the same city Abraham sought, the same city Hebrews declares God has prepared, and the same city John sees descending from heaven.

Our Savior’s parables are the blueprints of that city. They reveal how the Kingdom grows, how it gathers, how it judges, and how it separates. The parable of the dragnet shows the final sorting of the righteous and the wicked — the very separation that precedes the unveiling of New Jerusalem. The parable of the wheat and tares describes the coexistence of good and evil until the harvest, when the righteous “shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” — language that anticipates the radiant glory of the Lamb’s wife, the holy city.

In this way, the parables are not detached teachings but prophetic disclosures of how Christ will fulfill His promise. They describe the Kingdom’s hidden growth now and its visible manifestation when the city of God descends. The mysteries He revealed to His disciples are the same mysteries consummated in Revelation: a Kingdom prepared, a people purified, and a city built by God, descending in glory to fill the earth with His presence.

Thus, the parables, Psalm 48, the patriarchal promises, and the vision of New Jerusalem all converge into a single narrative. Christ’s parables unveil the Kingdom’s inner life; Psalm 48 celebrates its eternal city; Abraham longed for its foundations; and Revelation shows its final descent. The God‑built city is the culmination of everything Christ taught — the full flowering of the Kingdom He hid in parables and revealed to those who follow Him. For the Son of God said this about the parables: “I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 13:35). They are the secrets and mysteries of the Kingdom of God. And the Kingdom is the very thing that we should seek first.

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April 12, 2026 · 12:38 pm

Abraham’s Vision: The Promise of New Jerusalem

The writer of Hebrews gives us a rare window into the inner vision that sustained Abraham through his long pilgrimage. Scripture says he “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:10). This single statement lifts Abraham’s hope far above the realm of earthly geography, political nationhood, or human architecture.

His expectation was not tied to any manmade structure—not a temple, not an earthly Jerusalem, not even the land in its temporal form. Abraham’s eyes were fixed on something only God could build.

The text is explicit: the city has foundations, and its builder and maker is God. The Greek terms emphasize divine craftsmanship—God as both architect and artisan. Nothing constructed by human hands, however sacred or impressive, could satisfy the promise given to Abraham. His hope was anchored in a reality entirely of God’s making.

This promise did not end with Abraham. Hebrews tells us that Isaac and Jacob were “heirs with him of the same promise” (Heb. 11:9). Though they lived in the land, they confessed themselves to be strangers and pilgrims. Their inheritance was not exhausted by Canaan’s soil. They carried the same forward‑looking expectation of a divine city, a heavenly homeland prepared by God Himself. Hebrews 11:16 makes this unmistakable: “They desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He hath prepared for them a city.”

This heavenly city is not a New Testament innovation. The Psalms themselves anticipate it. Psalm 48 opens with the declaration, “Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness.” The psalmist is not describing the shifting political fortunes of earthly Jerusalem, which was repeatedly conquered, burned, and rebuilt. Instead, he speaks of a city marked by divine stability—“beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth”—a city whose security comes from God’s presence, not human walls. This “mountain of His holiness” is kingdom language, pointing beyond the earthly hill of Zion to the eternal kingdom‑mountain Daniel saw, which would fill the whole earth. Psalm 48 therefore stands as an Old Testament witness to the same God‑built city Abraham sought: a city defined by God’s presence, God’s holiness, and God’s unshakable foundations.

Revelation completes the picture. John sees “the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven” (Rev. 21:2). This is the city with foundations. This is the city prepared by God. This is the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham and inherited by Isaac and Jacob. Its foundations bear the names of the apostles (Rev. 21:14), linking the patriarchal hope with the apostolic witness. Its builder is God alone. No human temple can stand as its substitute, for John declares, “I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it” (Rev. 21:22).

Paul affirms the same truth when he identifies “Jerusalem which is above” as the mother of all believers (Gal. 4:26). This heavenly Jerusalem is not a metaphor but the very city Abraham sought. It is the eternal dwelling of God with His people, the consummation of the covenant promise, and the inheritance of all who walk in the faith of Abraham.

Thus the biblical narrative—from Genesis to Revelation—presents a single, unbroken line of expectation. Abraham’s promised city is not earthly but heavenly, not temporal but eternal, not manmade but God‑built. Psalm 48 sings of it. Hebrews explains it. Revelation unveils it. New Jerusalem is the fulfillment of the patriarchal promise, the hope of the saints, and the final expression of God’s desire to dwell with His people forever.

All roads lead to the heavenly city New Jerusalem. It is coming to earth. Everything in scripture leads us to that destination. The patriarchs, prophets and apostles all looked for its arrival. They believed Yahweh’s promise that it was coming to earth. But they “all died in faith”—in their belief of the heavenly city’s touchdown on earth. We can read more about her (Rev. 21).

All the spiritual truths about salvation, spiritual growth, and the election—all has to do with getting ready to be a citizen of New Jerusalem. This truth is secreted in parables. Christ repeatedly speaks of the Kingdom of God when He says, “The kingdom is like…” He is giving us another clue of how it comes to fill the whole earth.    

It is all there for us to overcome the doubts. For the King has said, “He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son” (Rev. 21:7). The King will be inside the heavenly city. His children will be with Him. Let us lay hold of this regal promise by faith like Abraham did.

[If this has helped you, please share, like, and subscribe, and make a comment about how you see the New Jerusalem, as through the eyes of the patriarchs and prophets. For more on this go here:Looking for Our Mother, New Jerusalem | Immortality Road]

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April 4, 2026 · 9:48 am

How Christ Abides in Us—Getting to His Sustained Presence

This knowledge is extremely important—if you want to walk with Him.

Seekers of God must believe He wants them to grow. Without that faith, they remain spiritually immature, blown about like leaves in the wind. Christ has given clear commands for growth: “Abide in Me” and “Add to your faith” the seven attributes of His divine nature (II Peter 1).

These commands—and the seven additions—are explored in my books The Eleventh Commandment and The Additions to the Faith. These attributes are attainable; if Peter, Paul, and John grew into them, so can we. [Get your free copy here: Ordering My Free Books in Paperback | Immortality Road]

Some may think, “Here he goes again about becoming like Christ.” But Scripture says teachers exist to mature the saints until we reach “the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:11–13). Growth into His fullness is our calling.

This abiding is the indwelling of His heart and Spirit. “Christ in you, the hope of glory” becomes reality as we learn and practice the seventh addition—agape love.

Recognizing a command is one thing; learning how to obey it is another. We abide in Christ by believing His words about His presence through the Spirit of truth. He is the vine; we are the branches. Remaining in Him produces “much fruit.”

This aligns with the seven additions. When they are added, we are never barren but full of fruit—“much fruit.” Abiding and adding work together to make our calling and election sure.

Abiding is the sustained presence of the Spirit within us, made possible by these seven qualities, culminating in divine love.

But how do we abide? How do we add? What is the actual way forward?

Christlike Prayer

We abide in Christ through prayer—but not self-centered prayer. True prayer aligns with Christ’s own prayers and with God’s interests. Worship must be “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

Our words to God should reflect what matters to Him. Christ taught this in the model prayer. Prayer shaped by His priorities gains His ear.

Dale Carnegie once wrote, “Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.” If this works with people, how much more with God? Self-focused prayers—“Bless me, help me get this job”—miss the mark. But if we speak with Him about His plan, His purpose, His Kingdom, He will listen.

Christ said the Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask. We ask—not command. When we pray according to His will and His plan, He abides in us.

God’s interests are revealed in the words of Christ, the prophets, and the apostles. He thinks about His Kingdom and His righteousness. Why not talk to Him about these things? Few do.

Thinking His thoughts is abiding in Him. Continuing in His teachings shapes our minds into His mind. Paul urges us, “Let this mind be in you.”

We gain His thoughts through knowledge taught by His servants, and we sustain His thoughts through prayer and study of His purpose.

Prayer becomes the rudder that keeps our minds on course toward the New Jerusalem and toward God Himself.

Abiding in Him

Love for Christ grows from gratitude for deliverance. “We love Him because He first loved us.” Because we love Him, we keep His words. Then He and the Father “make their abode” with us (John 14:23).

There is a progression: gratitude → love → obedience → abiding presence. He fulfills His promise: “I will never leave you.”

One of His commands is “pray.” Scripture emphasizes prayer repeatedly. It is essential. Praying according to His plan keeps us abiding in Him and bearing much fruit—fulfilling God’s purpose of reproducing His nature in us.

Christ promised that if we abide in Him and His words abide in us, our prayers will be answered (John 15:7). Abiding produces the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.

Spiritual Growth

Abiding in Him ensures spiritual growth. Look at Peter and Paul before and after the resurrection. If they grew into spiritual powerhouses, so can we. Their teachings—and Christ’s—center on abiding.

Conclusion

Abiding in Christ is not a mystical feeling but a deliberate walk of agreement with His mind, His words, and His purposes. As we pray according to His interests—His Kingdom, His righteousness, His plan for the nations—we open our hearts to the very thoughts of God. In that communion, His Spirit settles in us, shaping our desires and empowering our obedience. This is how Christ abides in us: through a steady exchange of His thoughts for ours, His will for ours, His love poured into our hearts. When we pray His way and think His thoughts, the vine’s life flows into the branches. Fruit appears. Growth becomes inevitable. And the Father’s purpose—to reproduce His own nature in His children—moves steadily toward fulfillment.

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March 27, 2026 · 9:51 am

Christ: From the Lamb to the Warrior-King

“Arm yourselves with the same mind”

Intro: To know Christ and the power of his resurrection, to know Him as He is, we must cease to look at him after the flesh. In other words, though we have known Him in his fleshly encounter with the cross, which is indeed important, we should not continue to look at Him from that perspective.  

Us dying with Him is the beginning of growing spiritually. But Christ has moved on, and He desires us to move on with Him. “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more” (II Cor. 5:16).

Christ’s duty some 2,000 years ago was to serve as the Lamb of God that “takes away the sins of the world.” But now, He is the Warrior-King in exile, and He is coming back with a vengeance. For He has said, “Vengeance is mine, sayeth the LORD.” We cannot truly grow to full maturity in being His manifested 100-fold fruit-bearing sons and daughters unless we see Him as He now is.  We must begin to see Him, not only as our King, but also the mighty Commander of all heavenly forces who will purge this earth of evil during the glorious days of His return.

The New Testament presents Jesus Christ/Yahshua, not only as the sacrificial Lamb who redeems humanity, but also as the Divine Warrior‑King who fulfills and intensifies the Old Testament portrait of Yahweh as the God of war, the Commander of heavenly armies, and the One who fights to reclaim His creation. The Lamb who was slain rises as the Warrior/King who conquers, waging holy war to take back the earth from the powers of darkness.

The Old Testament Foundation: Yahweh the Divine Warrior

The Old Testament consistently portrays Yahweh as a God who fights for His people and wages war against evil. After the Red Sea deliverance, Moses sings, “The LORD [Yahweh] is a man of war” (Exodus 15:3). This is not metaphor but identity. Yahweh marches before Israel (Judges 5:4), thunders from Sinai (Psalm 68:7–8), and rides with “chariots… twenty thousand, even thousands of angels” (Psalm 68:17). He trains His people for battle (Psalm 144:1) and personally dons armor: “He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head” (Isaiah 59:17).

Yahweh is also the “LORD of hosts”—YHWH Sabaoth—the Commander of angelic armies (1 Samuel 17:45). Several translations render “LORD of hosts” as “LORD of armies.” His heavenly forces appear as “horses and chariots of fire” surrounding Elisha (2 Kings 6:17). The prophets envision Him going forth to battle: “Then shall the LORD/Yahweh go forth, and fight against those nations” (Zechariah 14:3).

This Divine Warrior theme is not peripheral; it is central to God’s identity as King. The question is: How does the New Testament apply this imagery to Christ?

The Lamb Who Conquers: Christ as the Fulfillment of the Warrior‑King

The New Testament does not diminish the Divine Warrior motif—it heightens it. The same God who fought for Israel now fights in and through His Messiah. The Lamb is not passive; He is slain and standing (Revelation 5:6), and His sacrifice becomes the very weapon by which He conquers.

1. Christ as the Captain of the Lord’s Armies

The mysterious “Captain of the host of the LORD” who appears to Joshua (Joshua 5:13–15) receives worship and speaks with divine authority. The New Testament reveals that Christ is the One who commands the angels: “the Son of Man shall come… with his angels” (Matthew 16:27). He will “send his angels” to gather His elect (Matthew 24:31). He is “revealed from heaven with his mighty angels” (2 Thessalonians 1:7). The Commander of the heavenly host in the Old Testament is the same One who leads the armies of heaven in Revelation.

2. Christ Wearing Yahweh’s Own Armor

Isaiah 59:17 describes Yahweh putting on a breastplate and helmet. Paul explicitly identifies this armor as belonging to Christ and shared with His people: “Put on the whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11). The “helmet of salvation” and “breastplate of righteousness” are not Roman metaphors—they are Yahweh’s own battle gear, now given to the saints because they fight under Christ’s command. Christ is the Divine Warrior who equips His soldiers with His own armor.

3. Christ Making War to Reclaim the Earth

Revelation 19 is the New Testament’s clearest Divine Warrior scene. John sees heaven opened and Christ riding forth:

  • “In righteousness he judges and makes war” (19:11).
  • “His eyes were as a flame of fire” (19:12).
  • “Out of his mouth goes a sharp sword” (19:15).
  • “The armies which were in heaven followed him” (19:14).
  • His title: “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (19:16).

This is Yahweh the Warrior of Exodus 15 and Isaiah 59 revealed in the person of Jesus/Yahshua. The Lamb who was slain now rides as the Warrior‑King to reclaim the earth from the dragon, the beast, and the kings of the nations.

4. Christ’s War in the Heavenly Realm

Revelation 12 describes a cosmic conflict: “There was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon” (12:7). Though Michael leads the battle, the victory is explicitly attributed to Christ: “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb” (12:11). The Lamb’s blood is a weapon. The cross is not defeat—it is the decisive strike in the war to reclaim creation.

5. Christ as the Stronger Man Who Overthrows the Enemy

Christ describes His mission in warrior terms: “If I cast out devils… then the kingdom of God is come” (Matthew 12:28). He speaks of binding “the strong man” (12:29) to plunder his house. This is conquest language. Christ invades Satan’s territory and liberates captives.

6. Christ’s People as Soldiers in His War

Believers are not spectators. They are enlisted. “Endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3). They fight “principalities… powers… rulers of the darkness” (Ephesians 6:12). They overcome “by the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 12:11). His shed blood that has put our feet on the glory road is now being used in the full spiritual war that He is waging. The church participates in Christ’s ongoing campaign to reclaim the earth.

Conclusion: The Warrior‑King Reclaims His World

The New Testament does not present two Christs—a gentle Lamb and a fierce Warrior. It presents one Christ whose sacrificial death is the opening act of His cosmic war. The Lamb conquers by dying, rises to lead the armies of heaven, and returns to overthrow every rival power. The Divine Warrior of the Old Testament is revealed in the New as Christ, who fights not with earthly weapons but with truth, righteousness, judgment, and the power of His indestructible life. The war is not metaphorical. It is the real conflict for the dominion of the earth, and you and I are in the big middle of it—if we make our calling and election sure by forsaking childlike desires. Knowing this: It is now Christ the Warrior‑King in us, “the hope of glory.”

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March 22, 2026 · 10:49 am

Who Is the King? Yahweh the King of Glory Revealed in the Son

Psalm 24 opens with a majestic question: “Who is this King of glory?” (Psalm 24:8). The answer is unmistakable: “Yahweh strong and mighty… Yahweh of hosts, He is the King of glory” (Psalm 24:8,10). The Old Testament leaves no ambiguity—Yahweh alone is the King. Psalm 47:2 declares, “Yahweh most high… is a great King over all the earth,” and verse 7 adds, “God is the King of all the earth.” Isaiah 43:15 reinforces this truth: “I am Yahweh… your King.” Zechariah 14:9 summarizes the entire testimony: “Yahweh shall be King over all the earth… His name one.” There is one King, one throne, one divine ruler.

Yet the New Testament repeatedly identifies Christ as the King. The wise men ask, “Where is He that is born King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2). The crowds shout, “Blessed is the King of Israel” (John 12:13). Jesus Himself affirms, “Thou sayest that I am a King. To this end was I born” (John 18:37). Paul calls Him “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings” (1 Timothy 6:15). Revelation 19:16 seals the identity: “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

This raises a profound question: If Yahweh is the King, and Christ is the King, do we have two Kings? Scripture forbids such a division. Zechariah 14:9 insists there is one Yahweh and one King. The only biblical conclusion is that Christ is Yahweh the King of glory revealed in human form.

The Old Testament prepares us for this revelation by showing Yahweh appearing visibly as a Man. In Genesis 18, “Yahweh appeared unto him” and Abraham saw “three men” (Genesis 18:1–2). Yahweh eats, speaks, and walks with Abraham. In Genesis 32:24–30, Jacob wrestles with a Man yet declares, “I have seen God face to face.” Hosea 12:3–5 confirms the One he wrestled with was “Yahweh, the God of hosts.” In Joshua 5:13–15, the Commander of Yahweh’s army receives worship and speaks as Yahweh Himself. These appearances reveal a visible Yahweh, distinct from the invisible Father whom no man has seen (John 1:18).

The New Testament identifies this visible Yahweh with Christ. John 12:41 states that Isaiah saw Christ’s glory when he saw Yahweh on the throne in Isaiah 6. Jesus declares, “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58), claiming the divine name revealed in Exodus 3:14. Paul writes, “In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). Hebrews 1:8 records the Father addressing the Son: “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.” Christ is not a second deity or a lesser King—He is Yahweh’s own visible manifestation.

Thus the Old Testament King—Yahweh—is the same King revealed in the New Testament as Yahshua the Messiah. The Father, who is invisible, dwells fully in the Son, who is His visible Image (Colossians 1:15; John 14:9–10). There are not two Kings, but one divine King revealed in two modes: the invisible Father and the visible Yahweh who became flesh.

Therefore, when David asks, “Who is this King of glory?” The Old and New Testament answer: It is the Father Yahweh, clothed in human form, who is called Christ, the Anointed One. He is “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings” (I Tim. 6:15).

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March 18, 2026 · 5:16 pm

The Father Yahweh Revealed in Human Form

The Bible tells a big story about a God who is not far away, but One who steps into human history in ways people can see, hear, and even touch. The heart of this study is simple: the God we call the Father—Yahweh—has revealed Himself in human form throughout Scripture, and the New Testament shows that this visible Yahweh is the One we meet in Jesus Christ. The Bible doesn’t present two different gods, one invisible and one visible. Instead, it shows one God who makes Himself known through His own visible presence.

The Old Testament gives us several moments where Yahweh shows up looking and acting like a man. Abraham’s story in Genesis 18 is one of the clearest. The text doesn’t say an angel appeared—it says Yahweh appeared, and when Abraham looks up, he sees three men standing there. One of them speaks as Yahweh, receives Abraham’s hospitality, and even eats a meal. Later, Genesis 19:24 says, “Yahweh rained fire… from Yahweh out of heaven,” showing Yahweh on earth and Yahweh in heaven acting together. This is not a vision. It’s a real, embodied appearance of God.

Jacob has a similar encounter in Genesis 32:24-30. He wrestles all night with “a Man,” but afterward he says, “I have seen God face to face.” The prophet Hosea later confirms that Jacob wrestled with Yahweh Himself. Again, this is not a dream or a symbol. Jacob physically wrestles with a visible manifestation of God.

Moses meets this same divine figure in the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-15). The passage begins with “the Angel of Yahweh,” but within a few lines the voice from the bush is simply called “God,” and He identifies Himself as “I AM THAT I AM.” Joshua meets Him again as the Commander of Yahweh’s army, a figure who accepts worship and speaks with divine authority.

These stories all point in the same direction: Yahweh has no problem showing up in human form when He chooses to.

The New Testament picks up this thread and ties it directly to Jesus/Yahshua. When He says, “Before Abraham was, I AM,” He is claiming to be the same “I AM” who spoke to Moses. John tells us that when Isaiah saw Yahweh on the throne, he was seeing Christ’s glory (John 12:41). Paul says the Rock that followed Israel in the wilderness was Christ (I Cor. 10:4). And the New Testament repeatedly calls Jesus the visible “image of the invisible God,” the One in whom “all the fullness of the Godhead” lives in bodily form (Col. 1:9,15).

Jesus also makes it clear that the Father is not separate from this revelation. He says, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father,” and “the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” In other words, when Yahweh appears in human form—whether in the Old Testament or in the incarnation—the Father is being revealed through His visible Image. In the end, the Bible’s testimony is consistent. Yahweh has always been willing to step into human form, and the New Testament identifies that visible Yahweh as Yahshua, the Son of God, known as Jesus Christ. Through Him, the Father makes Himself known. The God who walked with Abraham, wrestled with Jacob, and spoke to Moses is the same God who walked the dusty roads of Galilee. The Father has always revealed Himself through His own visible presence, and that presence is Christ.

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March 7, 2026 · 2:43 pm

The Open Door and the Name We Dare Not Deny

The Open Door and the Name We Dare Not Deny

Some doors in life swing open easily, while others remain stubbornly shut no matter how hard we push. But Scripture speaks of a door unlike any other—a door opened by Christ Himself, a door no human hand can close. That promise is not given to the casual believer, nor to those content with mere salvation. It is given to a specific kind of follower: one who grows, matures, and refuses to deny the holy Name by which we are saved.

Thesis: Christ promises His faithful followers an open door that no man can shut (Revelation 3:8) because they walk on with a little strength, keep His word, and refuse to deny His true name—Yahshua, the Hebrew name meaning “Yahweh is Savior.” Their spiritual growth, measured through the seven church ages, hinges on this unwavering acknowledgment of His Name.

The Seven Church Ages as a Gauge of Spiritual Growth

The seven churches of Revelation 2–3 are not merely ancient congregations; they are a spiritual growth chart for every believer who desires maturity in Christ. They reveal the progressive strengthening of the Holy Spirit within us—the “love from above, down, and through”—as it deepens and expands in the heart.

Each church age highlights a stage of development after salvation. They show what must be added, corrected, or overcome if we are to grow into the fullness of Christ. And among these seven, one stands out as the model of spiritual maturity: Philadelphia, the church of the open door.

Philadelphia: The Church of the Open Door

Christ introduces Himself to Philadelphia with a title that demands attention: “He that is holy, He that is true, He that has the key of David; He that opens and no man shuts, and shuts and no man opens.” (Revelation 3:7)

Then He explains why He has set an open door before them:

1. They have a little strength. They are not mighty in themselves, but they walk on faithfully with what they have.

2. They have kept His word. They cling to His teachings with patient endurance.

3. They have not denied His name. They refuse to renounce, disown, or repudiate the true Hebrew name of the Savior.

This third point is the hinge upon which the entire passage turns. The Greek word for “deny” (Strong’s #720) means to refuse, to disown, to reject as untrue. Many today deny His name; they refuse to acknowledge the true name of God and His Son.

But Philadelphia does not refuse. They do not deny. They do not shrink back. And because of this, Christ sets before them an open door.

Why the Name Matters for Spiritual Growth

Scripture is not vague about God’s name. He declares it plainly: Every Bible student knows that “LORD” in all caps is the English stand‑in for the Hebrew name Yahweh. Therefore, the verse reads: “I am the LORD [Yahweh]; that is my name” (Isa.42:8 Strong’s #H3068).

Likewise, the name of Christ—Yahshua—means “Yahweh is Savior.” To deny His name is to deny the very meaning of His mission.

And here lies the warning: To deny His name is to stunt your spiritual growth.

Those who refuse to acknowledge the power and identity embedded in His name will not advance into the deeper things of God. They will not walk through the open door. They will not be kept from the hour of trial that is coming upon the whole world.

But those who honor His name—who refuse to deny it—receive astonishing promises.

The Promises to Those Who Do Not Deny His Name

Christ gives Philadelphia a cascade of blessings:

•           Their enemies will bow before them and know that God has loved them (Revelation 3:9).

•           They will be kept from the hour of temptation coming upon the whole earth (3:10).

•           They will receive a crown, if they hold fast (3:11).

•           They will become pillars in the temple of God—immovable, established, honored (3:12).

•           They will receive three names written upon them:

•           the name of God (Yahweh),

•           the name of the New Jerusalem,

•           and Christ’s new name.

These promises are not given to the lukewarm. They are not given to those who deny His name. They are given to those who grow—those who move through the seven stages of spiritual maturity until they reach the Philadelphia level of steadfast devotion.

The Open Door Leads to the Visitation of Christ

The next church age, Laodicea, reveals what happens after the open door is set. Christ stands at the door and knocks. Those who hear His voice and open will experience a personal visitation:

This is the culmination of spiritual growth—the intimate fellowship of the overcomer with Christ Himself.

But this visitation is reserved for those who have passed through the Philadelphia stage. Those who have not denied His name. Those who have kept His word. Those who have walked on with a little strength.

Conclusion: Proving the Thesis

We set out to show that Christ promises an open door to those who refuse to deny His name. The evidence is clear:

•           Philadelphia receives the open door because they have not denied His name.

•           They receive protection, honor, and divine visitation because they have kept His word and walked faithfully.

•           Their spiritual growth is measured through the seven church ages, culminating in maturity.

•           And Scripture affirms that God’s name—Yahweh—and Christ’s name—Yahshua—carry divine identity and power. Therefore, the open door Christ sets before His faithful ones is granted to those who grow spiritually, keep His word, and refuse to deny His true name.

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February 7, 2026 · 12:15 pm

Connecting Dots–“In the Beginning”

Introduction

Occasionally, the mind drifts back to the big questions—the ones that tug at the edges of our spirit. This morning, mine drifted back to the word “beginning.” Moses used it. John used it. And both seemed to sense that “beginning” is far bigger than our small minds can grasp. Yet Scripture invites us to trace the lines, to connect the dots, and to see the picture that emerges.

Thesis: It is to connect the biblical “beginning” to the heart of God, showing how Spirit, Love, and Yahweh converge in His purpose to share His very nature with humanity through Christ. (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1; 1 John 1:1)

1. Back to the Beginning: Spirit, Love, God

When Moses wrote, “In the beginning,” and when John echoed the same phrase, they were not merely marking time—they were pointing us toward the heart of God. Scripture gives us three dots to connect: God is Spirit, God is love, and God is invisible. Put them together and the picture becomes clearer: the Supreme Being is the Invisible Spirit of Agape Love. And Scripture gives this Being a name—Yahweh. So the first dot is drawn: Yahweh = Invisible Spirit of Agape Love. (John 4:24; 1 John 4:8; Colossians 1:15; Exodus 3:14–15)

2. Love Alone—Yet Not Content to Be Alone

But love, by its very nature, longs to give itself. In the beginning, Yahweh existed with spiritual beings in the heavenly realm, yet He was still alone in one essential sense: there was no one who shared His nature, no one who could receive the fullness of His heart. Love needs an object. Love needs someone to bless, someone to lift, someone to pour itself into. And so, Yahweh formed a plan—a purpose rooted in His very essence. He would create human beings in His image so that He could share Himself with them. (Genesis 1:26–27; Ephesians 1:4–5)

3. How Love Reveals Itself

But how would Yahweh show these new creatures what love truly is? Humanity is wired to recognize sacrificial love. We honor the firefighter who gives his life for a child, the soldier who throws himself on a grenade to save his brothers. Something in us knows: that is the greatest love. Jesus Himself said it: “Greater love has no man than this, than to lay down his life for a friend.” And so, Yahweh determined to reveal His heart in the clearest way possible. He would form a prototype body, pour His Spirit into a chosen mortal, walk among us, heal us, teach us—and then lay down that mortal body as an offering for the sins of the world. (John 15:13; Philippians 2:6–8; John 1:14; 1 John 2:2)

4. The Path of Growth and the Purpose of Love

Yet humanity must first walk the dark path long enough to feel the need for a Savior. Only then can they offer their bodies as living sacrifices and receive His Spirit into their minds. As His Spirit grows in them, the old selfish ways fall away. They begin to love as He loves. Some will grow and grow until Christ is fully formed in them—until they reflect the very nature of the One who made them. And the picture that emerges is breathtaking: a people who share their Father’s purpose, who carry His love into the world, who become living expressions of the Invisible Spirit of Agape. (Romans 12:1; Ezekiel 36:26–27; Galatians 4:19; Romans 8:18–29)

Conclusion

So, yes—I’ve been connecting dots. And the more I connect them, the more I see a God whose plan is far more beautiful than we imagined. A God who began with love, acted in love, revealed Himself in love, and is forming a people who will live out that same love. (Ephesians 3:17–19)

The greatest dot of love is that Christ chose us in Him before He laid “the foundation of the world.” He chose us “in the beginning,” before this world was ever laid. That is the greatest dot—to see His love in already predestinating us, that we could be “accepted in the beloved” (Eph. 1:4-6). Belief of all this is connecting the dots of truth. We are with Him—Before, Now, and throughout Eternity. That is the biggest of dots! Kenneth Wayne Hancock [Request my books. Christ has already paid for them; they are free with free shipping. Be sure to “Like” this post. Subscribe and make a comment about the dots of truth that you are connecting. Request a free book here:  Ordering My Free Books in Paperback | Immortality Road

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January 28, 2026 · 11:57 am

Who is Christ? The Invisible God Revealed

[God has brought you to this page. Don’t fly off to another flower of knowledge. Read the short “Introduction.” Then hit the “like” button, so that others can visit. Then immerse yourself in one of the greatest secrets of His divine plan, which includes you! You are here, aren’t you? It is yours; go after it!]

Introduction

Blindness is one of Scripture’s most persistent metaphors—not merely the inability to see with physical eyes, but the deeper inability to perceive who God truly is. Throughout the Gospels, Christ heals the blind, yet each miracle points beyond itself. These healings are signs, shadows, and living parables of a greater work: the opening of humanity’s spiritual eyes to recognize the identity of the Son (John 9:39; Matthew 13:13). For the greatest blindness is not physical; it is the inability to see Christ as He truly is. And the greatest healing is the revelation of His identity.

Many pursue spiritual truth with zeal, sincerity, and even sacrifice, yet remain unaware of the central mystery: Christ is Yahweh made visible—the Father dwelling in human form, the Seed and the Word made flesh (Colossians 1:15; John 1:14; 1 Timothy 3:16). Until this truth dawns upon the heart, the eyes remain dim. But when this revelation breaks through, the blindness lifts, and the believer begins to walk in the light of who God is.

This essay explores that revelation. It traces the mystery of the Son, the Seed, and the Word; the nature of spiritual blindness; and the eye‑salve Christ offers to those who desire to overcome. For those “going for all the marbles”—those who long to feed lambs and sheep (John 21:15–17), to bear one‑hundred‑fold fruit (Matthew 13:23), and to sit with Christ on His throne (Revelation 3:21)—seeing Him rightly is not optional. It is essential.

I. Who Is Christ? The Visible Manifestation of the Invisible Yahweh

The question “Who is Christ?” is not academic; it is the axis upon which spiritual sight turns. Christ is not merely a teacher, prophet, or moral example. He is the visible manifestation of the invisible Yahweh (Colossians 1:15), the Creator God who spoke the worlds into existence. His Hebrew name, Yahshua, declares His identity openly: “Yahweh is the Savior” (Matthew 1:21).

The Son of God is not a second divine being standing beside the Father. Rather, the Son is Yahweh Himself come in human form. The Father, who is Spirit, took on flesh and walked among His creation (John 4:24; John 1:14). The Son is the human vessel with the Spirit within; the Father is the indwelling Spirit. Together, they form the one Christ—the Anointed One who reveals the Father perfectly because the Father dwells within Him (John 10:30; John 14:10–11; 1 Timothy 3:16).

II. The Seed, the Word, and the Mystery of the Son

Christ often spoke in parables—mysteries designed to conceal truth from the unready and reveal it to the hungry (Luke 8:10; Matthew 13:35). He declared, “The seed is the Word of God” (Luke 8:11). This is not a botanical lesson but a revelation of identity. The Seed is the Word; the Word is the Son; and the Son is the Father dwelling in flesh.

Thus, when Scripture says, “The Word was made flesh,” it unveils the mystery: Yahweh, the eternal Word, took on human form as the Son (John 1:14). The Seed planted in the earth is the Father’s own life embodied in the man Yahshua. To see the Son is to see the Father (John 14:9); to receive the Seed is to receive the very life of God (Galatians 3:16).

III. The Human Condition: Blindness to the Identity of Christ

Yet humanity remains blind to this truth. People may admire Jesus, respect Him, or even worship Him, yet still fail to perceive who He truly is. This blindness is not intellectual; it is spiritual. It is the inability to recognize that the Son is not a second divine person but the Father revealed in flesh (2 Corinthians 3:14; John 1:5).

This blindness is the same condition Christ addressed when He healed the physically blind. Each miracle was a sign pointing to the deeper healing He came to give: the opening of spiritual eyes to behold the Father in the Son (John 9:1–7; John 14:10–11).

IV. The Healing: Eye‑Salve of Truth

Christ diagnoses the condition plainly: “You are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17). But He does not leave His people in that state. He offers gold refined in the fire, white raiment, and—most crucially—eye‑salve to restore sight (Revelation 3:18).

This eye‑salve is the revelation of who the Son truly is. When the believer meditates on the Son—not as a figure within a three‑person framework, but as the human form containing the fullness of the Father—something shifts. The eyes begin to open. The heart begins to see. The blindness lifts (Ephesians 1:18; 1 John 5:20).

The believer beholds Christ not as a partial revelation but as the complete manifestation of Yahweh (Colossians 2:9). This is the healing Christ offers. This is the anointing that restores sight (John 14:9).

V. The Purpose: Preparing Overcomers for the Throne

This revelation is not merely doctrinal; it is transformational. Christ extends a breathtaking promise: “To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne” (Revelation 3:21), just as He overcame and sat down with His Father in His throne.

Those who receive the eye‑salve—those who see Christ as Yahweh in human form—are being prepared to rule with Him. They are the one‑hundred‑fold fruit bearers (Matthew 13:23), the kings and priests who will reign with Christ during His thousand‑year Kingdom (Revelation 20:4–6).

To see Christ rightly is to be equipped for this calling. To remain blind is to fall short of it (John 8:24). To see Christ rightly is to be equipped for this calling. To remain blind is to fall short of it (John 8:24).

Conclusion

Spiritual blindness is not cured by effort, intellect, or tradition. It is healed by revelation—specifically, the revelation of who Christ is. When the eyes are anointed with this truth, the believer sees the Son not as a distant figure or a partial expression of God, but as Yahweh Himself made visible, the Father dwelling in human form, the Seed and the Word made flesh (John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 5:19).

This is the eye‑salve Christ offers. This is the gold refined in the fire. This is the white raiment of the overcomer (Revelation 3:18). And this is the revelation that prepares the sons and daughters of God to sit with Christ on His throne (Revelation 3:21).

For those who are “going for all the marbles,” nothing matters more than this: to see Christ as He truly is. For in seeing Him, the blindness lifts, and the believer steps into the fullness of God’s purpose (John 17:3). Kenneth Wayne Hancock

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