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Hello Mike and the Is Was and Will Be Team,

I would like first of all to thank you for all your hard work to convey the truth of scriptures to the rest of Christ’s Body. Your work (through Christ) has played a key role in setting my foundation in the truth of God’s Word. I have been listening and watching your messages for about two years now and have recently began the series on Numbers in Scripture.

2Cr 5:17 Therefore if any man [ be] in Christ, [ he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

It is this hope in Christ that should keep this body moving as old things are passing away and ALL things are becoming NEW. I read a lot of the e- mails that you post on the site, and the pain of the different members is felt in all the body, as says also the scripture.
Just to add one more thing Mike, you pointed out a place that I believe is oft- read and oft- missed by the body of Christ:

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [ places].

That is in, our hearts! This is a true doctrine of the scripture and worthy of all acceptation.

Mar 7:14-16 … Hearken unto me every one [ of you], and understand: There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

And last of all I’d like to add a few verses for a close.

Ecc 11:2  Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.
Mic 5:5 AND THIS [ man] SHALL BE THE PEACE, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.
Rev 17:10-11 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, [ and] the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

God Bless You and the Is Was and Will Be Team!
L____

Hi L____,

Thank you for your uplifting and encouraging words.
Like all the other words of scripture, numbers have a meaning which has nothing in common with their primary, outward meaning.
For example the number seven in the verses you quote, means complete, and the number eight means the new man, or new beginnings. So the “seven shepherds” denotes the completed Christ within us, and the “eight principle men” denote the new man within us. They have nothing at all to do with seven literal shepherds or eight literal “principle men.” The message supersedes the words used to convey the message. God’s Word is a parable which means what it means, not what it says. If this is not true, then Christ would be a literal lamb, and His entire church would be a literal woman.
The seven kings of Rev 17 are the principalities and powers within us who are subdued by the eighth man, Christ, within us. The “five are fallen” is the point in our walk at which grace and faith, the spiritual meaning of the number five begins to do its work on that seven- headed beast that we are. Christ comes out of that beast who is also called “the first Adam.” So Christ is that “eighth man who is of the seven and goes into perdition”. That is right. It is only after Christ enters into our flesh that He begins to destroy our flesh. Our salvation is in our perdition of this flesh. That is why we are told this of Christ:

2Co 5:16  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.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike