Audio Download

Matthew 8:1–34 The Cleansing of the Leper and Other Acts of Jesus

[Study Aired April 28, 2025]

Introduction

Today’s study highlights Jesus’ miraculous acts in the lives of His people. This includes the cleansing of the leper, the curing of palsy and fever, the calming of the storm in the sea and the healing of the two men possessed with demons. The study also highlights the faith of the centurion and the cost of following Jesus.

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

Mat 8:1  When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 

Mat 8:2  And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 
Mat 8:3  And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 
Mat 8:4  And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

As indicated at the beginning of the review of the sermon on the mount, we came to the conclusion that the mountain signifies the house of the Lord or the assembly of the Lord’s elect. It is in the midst of our assembly that we hear the voice of the Lord speaking to us about the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. 

Isa 2:2  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
Isa 2:3  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

The great multitudes that followed Him represent those who are not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. They signify our brothers and sisters in the physical churches of this world who are not given to understand the spiritual reality of the word of the Lord.

Mat 13:1  The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 
Mat 13:2  And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 
Mat 13:3  And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 
Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

The “and” at the beginning of the sentence in verse 2 connects what is said about the great multitude following Jesus. In other words, the leper is a type of the condition of the great multitude following Jesus. At a stage in our walk with the Lord when we were in the churches of this world, we were part of this great multitude. 

A leper is a person who has leprosy, a chronic infectious disease that primarily affects the skin. The question is, “what does leprosy signify spiritually?” Leprosy primarily affects the skin or the flesh, and therefore it implies that spiritually, leprosy is a disease of the flesh. We know from the word of the Lord that spiritually, the disease of the flesh is that it does not submit to God. Therefore, a leper represents someone who is dominated by the flesh, such that he or she cannot please God. In other words, those with leprosy are spiritually dead.  

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 
Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

When one is infected with leprosy, it is a priest who has to examine the person and ascertain whether he or she has leprosy. This implies that it is the Lord’s elect who are able to determine whether we are of the flesh or not. For example, in the letter to Corinthians, Paul rebuked them as being carnal.

Lev 13:2  When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests: 
Lev 13:3 And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean. 

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 
1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 

If one is found to have leprosy, such a person is supposed to go outside the camp of Israel. This means that a person dominated by the flesh cannot be part of the elect because he is unclean. 

Lev 13:46  All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.  

We must remember that it is out of Babylon or the great multitude that the Lord calls His elect. The leper therefore represents the Lord’s elect when we were in the physical churches of this world dominated by the flesh. It is when Christ comes to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness that we say to him that we want to be made clean in verse 2. That is when He assures us of His willingness to make us clean in verse 3. This willingness to cleanse us is what gives us the confidence that He who has begun a good work in us shall see to its completion.

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 

In verse 3, it is stated that when Jesus asserted that He was willing to cleanse the leper, the leper was immediately made clean. What this means is that if we are called and chosen, then the Lord sees us as those who have overcome the flesh even though we are going through the process of overcoming the flesh which entails being judged in our lifetime. This is because He sees the end from the beginning.

Joh 15:3  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 

In verse 4, Jesus told the cleansed leper that he was to tell no man but to go show himself to a priest and offer the sacrifice Moses commanded. Telling no man signifies that we should not tell our brothers and sisters in Babylon what the Lord has started doing in our lives as they may turn and rend us. 

Mat 7:6  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.   

In this process of being cleansed of leprosy or being delivered of our flesh, the Lord wants us to show ourselves to a priest. The priest represents the Lord’s elect, and it is through what every joint supplies that we are encouraged to go through the cleansing process of the Lord’s judgment. Offering the sacrifice Moses commanded means offering our bodies as living sacrifice according to the word of the Lord, which serves as testimony of our cleansing.   

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

The Faith of a Centurion

Mat 8:5  When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 
Mat 8:6  “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.”
Mat 8:7  And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 
Mat 8:8  But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.
Mat 8:9  For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 

After Jesus’ rejection in His hometown, Nazareth, Jesus made Capernaum the center of His ministry in Galilee. It was in Capernaum that He performed many miracles, including this story of the centurion, the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, the paralytic carried by four friends and the noble man’s son. In the Bible, cities represent churches. For example, the city of Jerusalem signifies Babylon, and the Jerusalem above represents the church of the firstborn.

Rev 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. 

Isa 1:21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. 

Capernaum therefore represents the church of the elect or the New Jerusalem which is the center of the focus of the Lord’s ministry here on earth. It is significant to note that almost all the healings that took place had to do with paralysis, which signifies the inability of the flesh to do anything to please the Lord. 

Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 

The miracle of the Centurion’s servant has three actors – the Centurion, the servant and the Lord Jesus Christ. The Centurion was a military man who commanded a hundred soldiers. As we are aware, the Lord’s elect are soldiers of Christ. 

2Ti 2:3  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 

The fact that he commanded a hundred soldiers (100 =10×10) means that the Centurion serves as a witness (2 tens) to the fullness of the flesh.  In verse 6, the servant of the Centurion was suffering from paralysis which made him suffer severely. Paralysis is a disease which makes us unable to move part or all our body. The servant symbolizes the flesh of the Centurion, that is our flesh. It is in Capernaum, the assembly of the Lord’s elect, that we realize that we cannot do what we want to do. In other words, we are paralyzed and therefore are unworthy for the Lord to come to us (verse 8). Our recourse is therefore to believe in the Lord’s words that He hears us and has assured us through His words that He will come and heal us of all our diseases (verse 7).

Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 
Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 
Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 

Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.   

Mat 8:10  When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. 
Mat 8:11  I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 
Mat 8:12  while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Mat 8:13  And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment. 

A characteristic of the Lord’s elect is our faith in Christ that He will not leave us alone, but will surely show up in our circumstance. This is what happened to the men of old or elders, who demonstrated their faith against all odds. These men of old represent the Lord’s elect.

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 
Heb 11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.  

Rom 4:16  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
Rom 4:17  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 
Rom 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 

In verse 11, we are told that many shall come from the east and west and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. The patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) symbolize the Lord’s elect, and therefore the many to come to the table represents the Lord’s elect. The many indicated in verse 11 therefore does not mean a wholesale salvation as portrayed by the churches of this world. However, we know from the sum of the Lord’s words that it is the few who shall inherit the promise. 

Psa 119:160  The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth forever.  (ASV)

Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few chosen. 

The sons of the kingdom in verse 12 represent our brothers and sisters in Babylon who shall be thrown into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. At a certain stage of our walk, we were in outer darkness until Jesus came to us.

Our faith shall surely be rewarded as demonstrated by the healing of this Centurion’s servant and the elders of our faith.

Jesus Heals Many

Mat 8:14  And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother lying sick of a fever. 
Mat 8:15  And he touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she arose, and ministered unto him. 

Peter here signifies the Lord’s elect. We must remember that a woman in the Bible represents either the church of the elect or Babylon. All of us, His elect, collectively represent Peter’s wife’s mother. At a certain stage of our walk with Christ, we were all sick with fever. A fever is usually caused by an infection. What this implies is that when we are infected by the false doctrines of Babylon, we get sick spiritually with fever. The Lord coming into Peter’s house is the Lord coming to each of us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to destroy the false doctrines in our hearts and minds so that we can be cured of fever. That is when we, collectively as a church or Peter’s mother-in-law, can minister unto the Lord.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:  

The church ministering unto the Lord is speaking the truth to one another for the edifying of the body of Christ.

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 
Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 
Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Mat 8:16  And when even was come, they brought unto him many possessed with demons: and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all that were sick: 
Mat 8:17  that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our diseases.  

The evening represents the period in our lives when we were in the churches of this world. 

Rom 13:11  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 
Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 

In the Lord’s mercy, He came to us in the evening to cast out the spirit with a word. That means that the truth of the Lord’s words destroyed the false doctrines (significance of spirit) in our heavens or hearts and minds. 

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail (the truth of the Lord’s words) shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

All that were sick refers to us when we were dominated by the flesh such that we could not worship the Lord acceptably. The Lord healing the sick therefore means the Lord coming to us to destroy the flesh through His judgment. 

In verse 17, the Lord himself, taking our infirmities and baring our disease is to let us know that He has paid the price to redeem us from all from the shackles of the flesh to become His children. 

1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 
1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 

The Cost of Following Jesus

Mat 8:18  Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. 
Mat 8:19  And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 
Mat 8:20  And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 
Mat 8:21  And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 
Mat 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. 

As indicated, the great multitude refers to those who follow the Lord but are not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. On the other hand, it is the disciples who represent the elect, who are being admonished to go to the other side of the sea of Tiberias. The reason that Jesus left the multitude behind was that He wanted to show the elect that He is in control of all the situations that will arise in their lives so they can overcome all the challenges to become the Lord’s children. Being able to go the other side of the sea of Tiberias means we shall surely become the Lord’s overcomers.

A casual look at the scribe’s statement in verse 19 that he wanted to follow the Lord wherever He goes may sound like a good thing to do. However, Jesus focuses on the condition of the heart.

1Sa 16:7  But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.   

In verse 21 another man wanted to bury his father first before coming to follow Jesus. 

In these two examples of those who want to follow Jesus, He did not immediately embrace them to follow Him but indicated that the narrow road of the elect involves sacrifices. In other words, if we are to follow the Lord, then we must be prepared take up our cross and follow Him.

Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 
Mat 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.  

Jesus Calms a Storm

Mat 8:23  And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 
Mat 8:24  And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
Mat 8:25  And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 
Mat 8:26  And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 
Mat 8:27  But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! 

These verses show how the Lord comes to us with His judgment or raises the storm in our lives, bringing us to our wits’ end. We then cry to Him in our desperation, and He delivers us and brings us to our safe haven. 

Psa 107:23  They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; 
Psa 107:24  These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. 
Psa 107:25  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. 
Psa 107:26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. 
Psa 107:27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. 
Psa 107:28  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:29  He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 
Psa 107:30  Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. 
Psa 107:31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 

These verses also prove to us that in every temptation or trial we face, the Lord will not suffer us to be tempted beyond what we can bear, and that as His beloved sons, He will always provide a way of escape so that we can bear it.  

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 

This episode is to give us the confidence that our Lord Jesus is in absolute control of everything that happens to us and that we should put the faith that He has given to us to work. 

Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons

Mat 8:28  And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
Mat 8:29  And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? 

There were two men who were possessed with demons who met Jesus when He and His disciples went to the country of the Gergesenes. The number two signifies witness. What this implies is that it is we, His elect, who were possessed with devils. To be possessed with devils spiritually means that our hearts and minds are overwhelmed with false doctrines emanating from the devil. Here in verse 28, we are told one of the key characteristic of our hearts and minds being overwhelmed with false doctrines – we become violent and can easily kill in the name of God. Being violent does not necessarily mean we can kill physically, but as we are aware, if we hate our brothers and sisters in our hearts and minds, then we are murderers. The Pharisees wanting to kill Jesus demonstrate our violent nature when we are possessed by false doctrines.

Mat 12:14  The Pharisees left and plotted to kill Jesus. 
Mat 12:15 He knew about this, so he left that place. Many people followed him, and he cured all of them. 

The current war between Israel and Palestine attest to the belief in the doctrine of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Compare this nature of violence with the doctrine of Christ which says the following:

Mat 26:51  And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear. 
Mat 26:52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. 

As indicated in verse 28, being violent means that no man can pass by the way of these possessed men. This signifies that no man can be of help to them in convincing them of turning to Christ because of their false doctrines, except the Lord Jesus.  That was the situation we were in during our time in Babylon – we were violent and no man could teach us the way of truth, except our Lord Jesus.

1Ti 1:12  I give thanks to the one who strengthens me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me faithful, placing me into ministry, 
1Ti 1:13  although I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, but I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, 
1Ti 1:14 and the grace of our Lord abounded with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 

When our hearts and minds are filled with false doctrines, we do not want to hear the voice of the true shepherd. That is why these two men possessed with devils asked Jesus, “What have we to do with you Jesus?” They were wondering whether Jesus had come to torment them before their time. When we were in Babylon, any time we heard the truth of the word of the Lord from the Lord’s elect, we thought we were being tormented before the day of judgment. 

Mat 8:30  And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. 
Mat 8:31  So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. 
Mat 8:32  And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. 
Mat 8:33  And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told everything, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. 

The herd of swine symbolizes our brothers and sisters in Babylon who are possessed by false doctrines. We were also part of the herd of swine during our time in Babylon. Have you ever wondered why in the churches of this world or Babylon, they are always casting out devils? It is simply because the devil and his cohorts find the churches of this world a safe place to operate because it is where Satan’s seat is. That is why the two men possessed by devils asked Jesus to cast them into the herd of swine, that is, the churches of this world, in verse 31. 

Rev 2:9  I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. 

Rev 2:13  I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. 

Jesus therefore cast the devils into the herd of swine where they perished in the sea. In other words, when we are possessed by false doctrines, we get choked by own flesh (sea). Jesus casting the devils into the herd of swine is another way of saying that the false doctrines in the hearts and minds of the Lord’s elect shall be taken away from them and given to our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world, while at the same time, the truth of the word of the Lord is taken away from them and given to us. 

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 
Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.  

Mat 8:34  And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.  

The whole city asking Jesus to depart out of their coasts signifies the whole of the church system of this world refusing Jesus to be the Lord of their lives. That is why the Lord has taken away from churches of this world, the truth of His word as shown in the following verses:

Isa 3:1  For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,
Isa 3:2  The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
Isa 3:3  The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. 
Isa 3:4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

May the Lord continue to show mercy to us as He unveils the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven to us. Amen!!