Smite The Shepherd

Zechariah 13:6-7

And one shall say unto Him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends. Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn Mine hand upon the little ones.

When we open our hearts to those closest to us in the sincere love of God, we are wide open to the possibility of wounding. Inevitably the wounding comes. This is God presenting us with an opportunity to become like Christ. It is up to us what we do with this opportunity: either we can let it scatter us, or we can stand strong in intercessory prayer and be perfected in the image of Christ. When we purpose to follow Him, He will continue to present the tests until we pass, and greater challenges when we respond appropriately. That's right, prayer and fasting do not change Him: that is how He transforms us into His image. As it is written,

Romans 8:29

For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

See also Watch Ye Therefore; He Magnified His Word; Building Spiritual Houses

Related Scriptures: 1John 3:16-24; Isaiah 53:1-12; Hebrews 7:13-28; Romans 8:28-39

The Lord and Harpazo

Thirteen Aspects of the Rapture.

Take your inheritance in the kingdom of heaven by force.
Stand against the world system trying to force its mold upon your life.
Look to the Lord, and He will forcefully remove you from dissension and affliction.
These three things are the rapture.

Hang on to the Word in your heart lest the devil come to catch it away.
Hang on to your relationship with the Chief Shepherd,

lest the wolf come to catch you away from His fold.
Be baptized in the Holy Spirit and filled to the full with Him each day;
And the Lord will catch you away into the position He has for you on earth.
These three things are the rapture.
 
Rest in the hands of Jesus Christ the Lord, and no man can pluck you out of His hand.
Rest in the arms of your heavenly Father, the Ancient of Days:
He is well able to hold on to you in His hand, and no man can pluck you out of His hand.
The Spirit has sealed you unto the day of redemption.
These three Persons are the rapture.

Dwell in the Vine and wait for the vision, and be caught up with whatever He says to do.
Be so caught up with the love of Christ Jesus that you will meet Him in the air when He calls.
Rest assured in Him, knowing that He has prepared you a place on His throne with Him.
These three truths are the rapture.

Be occupied daily only with the fear of the LORD, and He will rescue you from the fire of His wrath.
This one thing I know,
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
On the other side of His blood is the rapture.
____________________________________________

As blood bought believers, we are engaged in the most important conflict ever: the battle between God and Satan, between good and evil, between the heavenly realm of light and the forces of spiritual darkness. Our commander, the Lord of hosts, has already determined the outcome, which He sealed through the death on the cross, the burial, and resurrection of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. In turn, we determine our position in this battle by faith in Jesus Christ, and this act guarantees the outcome in our own life by the seal of the Holy Spirit of promise. After this gift we must strive for the prize. There are crowns laid up for those who run the race with endurance while working the works of God. We must execute the battle plan of the Father of spirits.

See also A Vesture Dipped in Blood; The Blood of the Passover Lamb; Dark Speeches

Related Scriptures: Matthew 11:12; Matthew 13:19; John 6:15; John 10:12; John 10:28-29; Acts 8:39; Acts 23:10; 2 Corinthians 12:2-4; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Jude 1:23; Revelation 12:5

Catch Away (Harpazo, Part 2 of 5)

The rapture is not a term that is found anywhere in the Bible, it is a concept invented by man to conceive of the Greek word harpazo. (The word “rapture” is taken from the Latin Vulgate translation “rapio”.) This word has five meanings spread across thirteen different Scriptures, so it is my intent here to let the Spirit lead into a deeper understanding of this word, and thereby a greater understanding of the concept of the rapture.

Matthew 13:19

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

If you stand passively by the wayside to receive the Word of God, it will not penetrate your heart, and the devil will most certainly come to catch it away before it takes root. You must actively pursue a deeper understanding of the Word, feeding on it night and day, in order for the Holy Spirit to effectively change you into the image of Christ. This verse illuminates the work of Satan: he is urgently desperate to catch away (harpazo) the Word, for he knows its mighty transforming power once it takes hold in the heart of man.

John 10:12

But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

Jesus warned here of the hireling, who leads the sheep into danger because he does not care for them, and then runs away when the wolf appears to catch them (harpazo) and scatter them. This is the rapture of the antichrist, who lulls lukewarm believers to sleep as he slips the snare around their souls. Be sober, be vigilant: your enemy knows how to impersonate light. You have need of keen spiritual discernment, and you should always be trying the spirits.

Acts 8:39

And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

When the Holy Spirit moves upon the soul of a man whom God has called to a sovereign purpose, there is a mighty flow of revelatory outpouring. Here we see the Holy Spirit wooing an Ethiopian eunuch with Isaiah 53 while simultaneously positioning Philip for a divine appointment with him. The Ethiopian is so powerfully moved by the Spirit of God that he knows to ask for baptism, boldly proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Afterward Philip is caught away (harpazo) as soon as they come up out of the water, moved on to his next assignment by the Holy Spirit.

The instances of catching away (harpazo) described in these verses illustrate two opposites. First, the evil device used by Satan to catch away the word of God and then believers. Secondly, the instrument God uses to position believers for His purposes. As the rapture approaches, believers need to be firmly rooted and grounded in God's Word, to ensure that their shepherd is following the Good Shepherd, and to make themselves available when God moves to position them supernaturally. And remember, as it is written,

Matthew 24:4

And Jesus said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

See also Dividing (and Divided By)the Word; Smite the Shepherd; Receiving Our Inheritance

Related Scriptures: Matthew 13:10-23; John 10:1-18; Acts 8:26-40

The Lord and Harpazo

Thirteen Aspects of the Rapture.

Take your inheritance in the kingdom of heaven by force.
Stand against the world system trying to force its mold upon your life.
Look to the Lord, and He will forcefully remove you from dissension and affliction.
These three things are the rapture.

Hang on to the Word in your heart lest the devil come to catch it away.
Hang on to your relationship with the Chief Shepherd,

lest the wolf come to catch you away from His fold.
Be baptized in the Holy Spirit and filled to the full with Him each day;
And the Lord will catch you away into the position He has for you on earth.
These three things are the rapture.

Rest in the hands of Jesus Christ the Lord, and no man can pluck you out of His hand.
Rest in the arms of your heavenly Father, the Ancient of Days:
He is well able to hold on to you in His hand, and no man can pluck you out of His hand.

The Spirit has sealed you unto the day of redemption.

These three Persons are the rapture.

Dwell in the Vine and wait for the vision, and be caught up with whatever He says to do.
Be so caught up with the love of Christ Jesus that you will meet Him in the air when He calls.
Rest assured in Him, knowing that He has prepared you a place on His throne with Him.
These three truths are the rapture.

Be occupied daily only with the fear of the LORD, and He will rescue you from the fire of His wrath.
This one thing I know,
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
On the other side of His blood is the rapture.
____________________________________________

As blood bought believers, we are engaged in the most important conflict ever: the battle between God and Satan, between good and evil, between the heavenly realm of light and the forces of spiritual darkness. Our commander, the Lord of hosts, has already determined the outcome, which He sealed through the death on the cross, the burial, and resurrection of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. In turn, we determine our position in this battle by faith in Jesus Christ, and this act guarantees the outcome in our own life by the seal of the Holy Spirit of promise. After this gift we must strive for the prize. There are crowns laid up for those who run the race with endurance while working the works of God. We must execute the battle plan of the Father of spirits.

See also A Vesture Dipped in Blood; The Blood of the Passover Lamb; Dark Speeches

Related Scriptures: Matthew 11:12; Matthew 13:19; John 6:15; John 10:12; John 10:28-29; Acts 8:39; Acts 23:10; 2 Corinthians 12:2-4; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Jude 1:23; Revelation 12:5

Catch Away (Harpazo, Part 2 of 5)

The rapture is not a term that is found anywhere in the Bible, it is a concept invented by man to conceive of the Greek word harpazo. This word has five meanings spread across thirteen different Scriptures, so it is my intent here to let the Spirit lead into a deeper understanding of this word, and thereby a greater understanding of the concept of the rapture.

Matthew 13:19

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

If you stand passively by the wayside to receive the Word of God, it will not penetrate your heart, and the devil will most certainly come to catch it away before it takes root. You must actively pursue a deeper understanding of the Word, feeding on it night and day, in order for the Holy Spirit to effectively change you into the image of Christ. This verse illuminates the work of Satan: he is urgently desperate to catch away (harpazo) the Word, for he knows its mighty transforming power once it takes hold in the heart of man.

John 10:12

But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

Jesus warned here of the hireling, who leads the sheep into danger because he does not care for them, and then runs away when the wolf appears to catch them (harpazo) and scatter them. This is the rapture of the antichrist, who lulls lukewarm believers to sleep as he slips the snare around their souls. Be sober, be vigilant: your enemy knows how to impersonate light. You have need of keen spiritual discernment, and you should always be trying the spirits.

Acts 8:39

And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

When the Holy Spirit moves upon the soul of a man whom God has called to a sovereign purpose, there is a mighty flow of revelatory outpouring. Here we see the Holy Spirit wooing an Ethiopian eunuch with Isaiah 53 while simultaneously positioning Philip for a divine appointment with him. The Ethiopian is so powerfully moved by the Spirit of God that he knows to ask for baptism, boldly proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Afterward Philip is caught away (harpazo) as soon as they come up out of the water, moved on to his next assignment by the Holy Spirit.

The instances of catching away (harpazo) described in these verses illustrate two opposites. First, the evil device used by Satan to catch away the word of God and then believers. Secondly, the instrument God uses to position believers for His purposes. As the rapture approaches, believers need to be firmly rooted and grounded in God's Word, to ensure that their shepherd is following the Good Shepherd, and to make themselves available when God moves to position them supernaturally. And remember, as it is written,

Take heed that no man deceive you.

 

See also Dividing (and Divided By)the Word; Smite the Shepherd; Receiving Our Inheritance

Related Scriptures: Matthew 13:10-23; John 10:1-18; Acts 8:26-40

Smite The Shepherd

Zechariah 13:6-7

And one shall say unto Him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends. Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn Mine hand upon the little ones.

When we open our hearts to those closest to us in the sincere love of God, we are wide open to the possibility of wounding. Inevitably the wounding comes. This is God presenting us with an opportunity to become like Christ. It is up to us what we do with this opportunity: either we can let it scatter us, or we can stand strong in intercessory prayer and be perfected in the image of Christ. When we purpose to follow Him, He will continue to present the tests until we pass, and greater challenges when we respond appropriately. That's right, prayer and fasting do not change Him: that is how He transforms us into His image.

See also He Magnified His Word

Related Scriptures: 1John 3:16-24; Isaiah 53:1-12; Hebrews 7:13-28; Romans 8:28-39

Smite The Shepherd

Zechariah 13:6-7

And one shall say unto Him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends. Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn Mine hand upon the little ones.

When we open our hearts to those closest to us in the sincere love of God, we are wide open to the possibility of wounding. Inevitably the wounding comes. This is God presenting us with an opportunity to become like Christ. It is up to us what we do with this opportunity: either we can let it scatter us, or we can stand strong in intercessory prayer and be perfected in the image of Christ. When we purpose to follow Him, He will continue to present the tests until we pass, striking down every last bit of iniquity in our hearts.

See also He Magnified His Word

Related Scriptures: 1John 3:16-24; Isaiah 53:1-12; Hebrews 7:13-28; Romans 8:28-39