Today’s Devotional – September 26th (The Ishmael Within, Part 2)

By admin On February 3rd, 2021

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Today’s Devotional – September 26th

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The Ishmael Within,

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Part 2

To read Part 1, click here…“September 25th (The Ishmael Within!)”

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So, just who are the true descendants of Ishmael?

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Are they those in Palestine?

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Or maybe they are in Egypt or Libya, or Iran?

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Or are they ALL of these nations?

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Well, the Bible is a spiritual book, and therefore, it must be understood spiritually!

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Question Mark – at a loss – Wikimedia – Share-alike license

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THE TWO COVENANTS

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Listen to Paul as he unravels this great mystery concerning Ishmael, and the twelve princes, which came out of him…

“For it is written, that Abraham had two sons,

the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh;

but he of the freewoman was by promise.

Which things are an allegory:

for these are the two covenants;

the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia,

and answereth to Jerusalem which now is,

and is in bondage with her children.

But Jerusalem which is above is free,

which is the mother of us all.”

Galatians 4:22-26

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So, Paul here reveals the truth about Ishmael and his mother, Hagar!

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Yes, God placed this story in the Bible to be an allegorical portrait of the Church, and the two factions within the Church: the apostate portion (Hagar & Ishmael), and the faithful Elect (Sarah & Isaac)!

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Sarah & Hagar – Foster Bible Pictures – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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TWO JERUSALEMS

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Now, if all this revelation is not enough, it is multiplied by this allegory intertwining with the Two Jerusalems:

1. The Jerusalem which is now, and is in bondage with her children.

2. And the Jerusalem above which is free and is the mother of us all!

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So, Paul here engages in some incredible, so-called, “Replacement Theology” (a non-biblical tag invented by today’s theologians), by assigning both portions of the Church to both portions of Jerusalem to both women, Hagar and Sarah!

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Paul the Apostle – Artist – Valentin de Boulogne or Nicolas Tournier – circa 1500s – Wikipedia – public domain

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TWELVE PRINCES = TWELVE TRIBES

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And so, the Bible makes clear that Hagar and her children are representatives of the apostate ones in the Church. And thus, Ishmael’s twelve princes are most likely speaking of the apostate people within the Church.

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For further confirmation of this idea, listen to James, in the New Testament…

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.”

James 1:1.

Here in this above verse, God is referring to the twelve tribes as the Elect and chosen ones. Yes, the twelve tribes can also be pointing to God’s elect, too!

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Yes, James addresses us as “The Twelve Tribes”! But why should we be surprised?

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**After all, Paul says this same thing a number of times: “The Commonwealth of Israel” in Ephesians, Chapter 2.**

And he calls us “The Israel of God” in the closing verse of Galatians.

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St Paul Preaching in Athens (Raphael, 1515) Wikipedia US public domain

Paul persecuted by Pharisees & Sadducees – www.thebiblerevival.com – US Public Domain

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WHO ARE THE 12 PRINCES?

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jacob_Blessing_his_Sons_MET_DP801460.jpg

http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/347665

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But the apostate portion of the Church are also symbolized by the twelve tribes.

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**This is evidenced by Paul’s assigning those in the Church to “the Jerusalem which is now and is in bondage with her children” in Galatians.**

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**And who are her children? Well, Hagar’s first child was Ishmael, by whom shall come forth “twelve princes”.**

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And so, by simple deduction and comparing scripture with scripture, we realize just who are the true “twelve princes”: the false brethren in the Church.

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Jacobe with his 12 sons – Wikipedia – Universal Public Domain

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BIBLE HAS MANY PARABLES!

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So, what is the bottom line to all that has been discussed in this article?

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**Listen… “*Why speakest Thou unto them in parables?***

*He (Jesus) answered, ‘Because it is given unto you (His Disciples) to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven,***

but to them (those without) it is not given.”

Matthew 3:10, 11, 13-15

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Yes, the Bible is full of types, and shadows, and symbols, and parables (allegories).

And for any of us to be locked out from understanding them, is truly a sad and tragic situation!

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Jesus Disciples – James Tissot – Brooklyn Museum – US Public Domain

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GOOD NEWS

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But the Good News is this: there is time to turn things around!

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And we need to cast away that non-biblical hermeneutic, and those non-biblical denunciatory names, which fallible humans try to hang around our necks!

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**So, let’s stop following the crowd and, “be our own man”, as the saying goes!**

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“But the Anointing which ye have received of Him abides in you,

and ye need not that any man teach you“

1st John 2:27

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This above verse should be committed to memory, so that nobody attempts to hang that “scarlet letter” around our neck (as this picture shows them doing to Paul)!

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May God give us great wisdom regarding these matters!

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US Navy – Chaplain Lt. Jason Gregory reads Bible on weather deck – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Give me spiritual eyes, that I may receive the hidden manna found in Thy Word. Let me not be bullied by those who want to compel Christians to believe their own dogma…

Pray for Our Nation sign – Wikimedia – Share-alike-lic.

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

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THE HOLY GHOST RIDER CONSTELLATION

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This newest Signs Of Heaven Constellation (Fall, 2013) is by far the faintest of constellations, but is a very incredible and awesome in a number of ways (which this article will explain).

Holy Ghost Rider (above western horizon)

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It is primarily comprised of the Camelopardalis Constellation (head and upper back), plus about 5 stars from the Cassiopeia Constellation (his leg), plus some random stars. It appears as an outline of a rider. Only the back of his head is detailed. And his back and the back of his legs are also detailed. Both sides of his arm are visible, and his hand is gripping the horses mane, and that is detailed by three stars (which are also part of the horse’s mane). The rider is in a position vaguely similar to a race-horse jockey. The two brightest stars in this constellation, are from the Cassiopeia Constellation, and are part of his leg. All the rest of the stars are very faint, and must be viewed on a very starry night.

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TOMORROW:

September 27th (The Chrysalis Christian, Part 4: “From Sinner Into Virgin!”)

Five Wise Virgins – Matt 25 – www.thebiblerevival.com – Public Domain

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20+ MINUTE AUDIO JEREMIAH STUDY

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ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN FOLLOWING THIS 650+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH EACH DAY ON THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.