Walking After Flesh Or Spirit

[mfblume]

Recently the Lord blessed me with a thought about how walking after the flesh and walking after the Spirit are both foreshadowed, for purpose of greater clarity in our hearts, by two rivers in the Old Testament. By understanidng this, we can learn to walk in the Spirit and actually live the life Christ died for us to live.

He did more for us on the cross than to just save us from sin and hell.

The Jordan river was flowing towards the Dead Sea.

Ezekiel's visionary river in chapter 47 was also flowing towards the Dead Sea.

The Dea Sea is a common denominator in both accounts. So there is a message.

When Joshua led Israel to Cross Jordan, we read the waters backed up upon a heap as far back as the city Adam which was near Zaretan. And the waters were cut off from flowing to the Dea Sea. Note the picture: Waters that normally flowed to the Dea Sea were cut off from doing so when Israel crossed Jordan.

In Ezekiel 47, the river flowed from the Temple (House) to the east direction, and went to the Dea Sea where it healed the waters and many fish were there found to be fished. This is significant because the Dead Sea is presently DEAD. No life exists in it due to the high mineral content, and some believe this is where Sodom and Gomorrah used to exist.

The Jordan waters cut off and backed up to the city ADAM represent the walk after the flesh. Since ADAM's sin, man began walking after the flesh. And Zaretan, the city near which the city Adam stood, means literally THEIR DISTRESS. We certainly were in distress due to the walk after the flesh. For, just as the Jordan flowed to the Dead Sea, they who walk after the flesh SHALL DIE.

Rom 8:13 KJV For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Ther Dead Sea represents the destination of DEATH.

And in order to progress beyond just being Christians saved out of Egypt, we need to enter the promised land realm of mature spirituality. Canaan represents the spiritual mature state of believers. We take out enemies and pull down strongholds in that realm. But although we are saved from "Egypt" of the world, we still walk after the flesh until we grow spiritually. And until this walk stops, we cannot enjoy all the promises (represented by the PROMISED LAND) of God.

Ezekiel's river represents walking IN THE SPIRIT. Ezekiel walked in to the depth of his ankles, then knees and then loins. He followed a man with a measuring line, depicting LEARNING TO WALK IN THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE.

What is cool, is that Jordan was PASSED OVER, but Ezekiel's river became waters that COULD NOT BE PASSED OVER.

Holding up the ark of the covenant and stepping into the Jordan was the action that stopped the Jordan's flow to the Dead Sea. The ark speaks of atonement and remission of sins in Jesus Christ, our true atonement. It represents all the truths of Romans 6, where we are instructed that we are dead to sin and sin shyould no longer rule over us, nor should we live in sin. That truth needs to be UPHELD so we can stop walking after the flesh.

If we understand the Ark as encapsulating all the truth of Romans 6, we can see how the way to stop walking after the flesh is to UNDERSTAND and act upon the fact that we are dead to sin. Until we understand that, and act upon it by presenting ourselves to God to use us, rather than try OUR best to serve Him in the flesh, we will walk after the flesh no matter how long we have been saved.


The river of Ezekiel continued to the Dead Sea and HEALED THE WATERS. They who live after the Spirit shall LIVE a RESURRECTION LIFE!

[mfblume]

The wwonderful thing about this correlation of pictures from the Old Testament, in light of foreshadowing truths of the cross, is that the Jordan River flow STOPPED at the Ark of the covenant. The river flowing in Ezekiel 47 STARTED at the temple.

I noticed that the river in Ezekiel had trees on both sides of her banks that perfectly correspond to the River of Life in Revelation 22.

Eze 47:12 KJV And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

Rev 22:1-2 KJV And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. (2) In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

But the problem is that the river in Ezekiel started at the TEMPLE and the river in Rev 22 started at the THRONE OF GOD AND THE LAMB.

Then I noticed something:

Rev 21:22 KJV And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

They are the same vision! It's just that the account in Ezekiel simply said temple, while the account in Revelation said God and the Lamb are the temple. Ezekiel saw the same thing John saw, only John realized the details of the cross, which were not revealed in the Old Testament, when he saw that THE LAMB WHO REDEEMS US FROM SINS in Rev 5:9 is with God on the throne as the source of the river.

Tie all this together with the thought that the Ark of the covenant is a symbol OF THE THRONE OF GOD, with cherubims over atop the mercyseat as the serpahims were over and above the throne in Isaiah 6, and we realize a powerful truth. THE ARK THAT STOPPED THE RIVER JORDAN WHICH REPRESENTS THE WALK IN THE FLESH BEING STOPPED, STARTS THE LIVING WATERS OF LIFE IN EZEKIEL WHICH REPRESENTS THE WALK IN THE SPIRIT.

Since the throne of God and the lamb is foreshadowed by the ARK and its mercyseat, we can say the ark that stopped the Jordan started the Living flow in Ezek 47 and Rev 22!

So the truth that the ark depicts is what stops us from walking in the flesh and starts us to walk in the Spirit!

[mfblume]

Ezekiel swam in DEEP WATERS (talk about deep waters!) in Ezekiel 47 when he could not PASS OVER the river of life.

Eze 47:5 KJV Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.

Jos 3:17 KJV And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.

[mfblume]

The ark of the covenant was covered by cherubims on the mercyseat. The mercyseat was where the blood of atonement was sprinkled. The eyes of the cherubims were looking towards the place on the mercyseat where the blood was sprinkled. Eyes in the bible represent UNDERSTANDING.

Eph 1:18 KJV The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

The ark depicts UNDERSTANDING the truths of the power towards us that is equal to the power with which God raised Christ from the dead and set Him at the right hand throne of power. The mercyseat stands for this right hand throne of power. We are seated there with Him. So the eyes of the cherubims gazing at the mercyseat speak of the understanding that we must gain in order to stop walking after the flesh and start walking after the Spirit.

[Dedicated Mind]

How does this vision of 2 rivers help you live in the spirit?

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Dedicated Mind

How does this vision of 2 rivers help you live in the spirit?

The ark represents the truths of Romans 6 through 8. Since the ark was used in atonement sacrifice, and Chirst is our atonement, we see that there is a truth regarding atonement in Christ that we need to understand in order to caease walking in the flesh and begin walking in the Spirit. Romans 5 says Christ is our atonement. Then Romans 6 says that if we could only understand we died with Christ and are therefore dead to sin, then this understanding would allow us to stop expecting to sin. Romans 8 teaches that we must MIND the things of the Spirit, and stop minding the things of the flesh. The things of the Spirit are the truths of Romans 6. Knowledge of our deaths to sin with Christ will allow us to realize we do not have to commit sins and that we can receive power from God to overcome sin when tempted with it.

The eyes of the cherubims on the ark were gazing to the mercyseat where the blood of atonement was sprinkled. Eyes represent understanding. We need to UNDERSTAND what the atonement of Christ means for us. It means WE DIED WITH HIM. And since we died with Him unto death, we are free from sin and committing sins. Until we understand this, we will continue to commit sins since we EXPECT to do so. Romans 6's truths teach us we do nto have to expect to commit sins, so that we stop doing so. And by faith in our deaths with Christ and their effects upon us, God catches sight of our faith and empowers us by our faith to live victoriously. God cannot get by most people's unbelief, so they remain defeated. He needs our faith. And Faith arises due to our knowledge of the truth of our deaths with Christ.

The rivers stopped by the ark teaches me that the understanding of atonement with Christ can stop the walk after the flesh.

[mfblume]

When Ezekiel walked in the river to his ankles, we see a correspondence with Psalm 1:1 where the people blessed are the ones who do not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Ankles are used for walking. Romans 8 again is applied to the vision and Psalm 1. Through the Spirit we MORTIFY the deeds of the body. When we walk in the Spirit, by believing for God to strengthen us, rather than trust in self's power, the Spirit mortifies the walking in the counsel of the ungodly.

Ezekiel went to his knees next in the river. Psalm 1:1 says we must not stand in the way of sinners. Knees are used for standing. Again, the Spirit mortifies the deeds of staning in the way of sinners.

Ezekiel then went to his loins in the river. Psalm 1:1 says we must not sit in the seat of the scornful. The Spirit mortifies the deeds of sitting in the seat of the scornfiul.

The Spirit is soemthing that has a LAW to it. Ro 8:2 says there is a law of the Spirit of life. This means we must LEARN HOW TO WALK IN THE SPIRIT. teachings will help us learn this. The man with the measuring line in Ezek 47 speaks of a teacher who helps one understand the law of the Spirit of Life. Once we learn the truths of Romans 6 through 8 we will know how to walk in the Spirit, and this walk will mortify the deeds of the body.

[mfblume]

The teachings of Paul explaining how he walked in the flesh are found in Romans 7. He overcame that problem when he cried out for deliverance and provided the solution by saying "I thank God through Jesus Christ." The problem he had was by trying to do everything in his fleshly power.

"When I would do good, evil is present with me."


He learned that he could only do good through the strength of the Spirit, by relying upon it in conscious reliance through invitation by prayer for the Spirit to help (Romans 6:13).

Therefore, the things of the flesh we are not suposed to "mind" are the thoughts of improving upon ourselves through fleshly effort. And the things of the Spirit that we "mind", to help us succeed in serving God, are the thoughts of reliance on the Spirit.

This is where we are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). It all starts with ceasing this faulty thinking of self improving self. And we CHANGE our minds by instead learning what Causes the Spirit to empower usconsidering, and keep those things in mind. THIS IS WALKING AFTER THE SPIRIT.

The context from chapter 7 through 8 helps us realize that "minding the things of the flesh" is simply thinking that self effort is our answer. If we fail, we reason we did not try hard enough. WRONG! "Minding the things of the Spirit" are thinking about the correct manner that God's word teaches us to successfully serve God and cease sinning.

[mfblume]

BUMP for tree of life thread and 12 fruit.