Wisdom In The Word Bible Studies

Elijah’s “rapture” was a strong fore type of the rapture of the church at the end of its commission (after which is scheduled the tribulation or “The Day of the Lord”). As we can see, Elijah’s ministry has “long legs”, What else about Elijah is important?

Appearing as one of the three in the transfiguration:  

MT 17:1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

MT 17:4 Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."

Join this lesson to learn more about Elijah and his assignment by God as a general type of the prophets, in conjunction with Moses, and his function as the general type of the law.  We'll take a closer look at these two men as teamed together by God to represent the Old Testament, also called "the law and the prophets". 

 The Scriptures state that the spirit of Elijah shall come just prior to the Tribulation, the Day of the Lord. The point of  “the spirit of Elijah" is to prepare the way for Messiah - Jesus' Second Coming.  He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers to make a people prepared for God before that great and terrible Day of the Lord commences.

Join the class as we analyze the Scriptures to understand this spirit and power of Elijah. We discover that this end-time function may be compared to the church's function; Elijah came to prepare a way before the Lord, as did his spiritual descendant, John the Baptist. The church is the final extension of this prime directive. The function of the church is to accomplish the SAME THING as Elijah and John the Baptist did.

In this lesson we continue with examining Elijah, and God's main purpose for sending this key prophet to his people.  

MAL 4:5 "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."

Continue with us as we allow God's Word to reveal how this prophecy was fulfilled. As we study, we'll tie together the concept and purposes of Elijah's ministry and the coming of Jesus Christ with the intent as stated in last book of the Old Testament, Malachi.

The once unified kingdom of Israel has been split into two, Israel to the north and Judah to the south. As the political intrigue continues, Ahab is made king over the northern kingdom. Being an extremely evil man, he takes an extremely evil woman named Jezebel as his queen. This debauched rulership was so impacting, that it's horrible repercussions still ring in the earth to this very day.

Let's continue our study where Ahab, Jezebel and also Elijah come on the scene for such a time as this, a key juncture in the history of God's people - and the world.

The main focal point is Elijah, and the great and powerful works God performed through him. His legacy is a key inflection point in history and rings through into the Millennium. 

The study of the life and times and impact of Elijah greatly reveals God's heart, mind and character and His plans for His people - and the world -  into the coming Millennial Kingdom, where Jesus Christ will take His place as the final King of kings on the throne of David.

 In the last lesson, we learned that Solomon, even after the was filled with the wisdom of God, became an utter failure. God rejected him now, and Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, succeeded him as ruler over the nation. 

What God promised would happen because of Solomon's failure started to take hold through circumstances He planned to work through Rehoboam. There was about to be civil war in Israel. 

Join us in this lesson and learn about how the ignominious end of Solomon's became the beginning of a civil war in the nation of Israel that would  split the the kingdom into two pieces. The northern kingdom fell into idolatry and called themselves “The House of Israel” (depending on the context, “Israel” now meant either the entire nation or just the northern kingdom). The capital of the northern kingdom was in Samaria.

The southern kingdom still maintained Jerusalem as its capital and called itself “The house of Judah”.

 The Temple is complete and ready. Now is the time for its dedication to the Great God as His dwelling place on earth among His chosen people, Israel.  Listen to this lesson and learn of the magnificent ceremony that Solomon and all of the elders officiated over among all Israel. 

I Kings describes with great depth the dedication ceremony and all that was done as king Solomon and the leaders of Israel prepare for God to take ownership of, and begin to dwell in His Temple among His people.

 Solomon accomplished all he had set his hand to do. He and the nation were at the peak of prosperity and peace – and the pinnacle of this was that they now had the sovereign God of creation dwelling in the midst of them.

Join us for the dedication ceremony and also as we start to learn about the rest of Solomon's history as king over Israel...

We pick-up in this lesson with the Temple construction being completed:

1KI 6:14 So Solomon built the temple and completed it. 15 He lined its interior walls with cedar boards, paneling them from the floor of the temple to the ceiling, and covered the floor of the temple with planks of pine. 16 He partitioned off twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 17 The main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long. 18 The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was to be seen.

 The physical Solomon's Temple was designed and furnished to God's EXACT specifications for the particular purpose of describing the path of Salvation that Jesus would traverse to purchase a people to be God's own possession. 

Amazingly, It also is designed in its layout to map into the real temple God desires to dwell in - the human beings, HE made in His very image for this purpose! These are only of the group that are chosen and called into full fellowship with God for eternity, These people - the church - are to rule and reign as the bride of The Savior who became flesh among us - the 'Eve' to Jesus' 'Adam' - through the Gospel of salvation in Him alone. THESE people EACH become the Temple of God as God dwells in them permanently.

Enjoy this key lesson with us as we endeavor to properly understand the architecture chosen by God for His dwelling place, at first among, and then in the last days, in His chosen people on the earth. 

 With his position as the wise and prudent king over the nation of Israel firmly in place, Solomon begins the great work of building God's permanent dwelling place among His people, the Temple.  

  1KI 5:3 "You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the LORD his God until the LORD put his enemies under his feet. 4 But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster. 5 I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God, as the LORD told my father David, when he said, `Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.'

Listen-in as we allow the Bible to reveal to us the truth and history about the preparations for, and the building of the first permanent dwelling place of God among His chosen people.

This is Part 2 of the teaching about the importance of Godly wisdom. 

God wants us to fully understand the unfathomable value of attaining and consistently growing in Godly wisdom. He offers much about this in His Word, especially through documenting Solomon's experience. 

Mastering ANYTHING, including ruling our own selves, even up to an entire a nation as its king well, requires nothing short than attaining a high level of Godly wisdom directly from the Hand of God. Proof of this is given in many, many places in the Scriptures, but particularly here, it is given is in Solomon’s reign over Israel. 

Solomon's time as king was the absolute zenith of the still fully unified kingdom of Israel.  During his tenure, the kingdom stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River and from the Red Sea and Arabia to Lebanon and all of the states within these borders where held in subjection.  Even the Canaanites were subdued during this time. 

However, we are also shown the dire results of the contrast, where wisdom is "traded in" in favor of foolishness and the pride that desires its own ways over Godly wisdom. Pride surely does come before a fall! It happens every time, and Solomon is our "poster boy" example for this

Learn with us as we delve further into the life and times of Solomon, from his peak to his ultimate low. We must each strive to deeply learn the contrast between a life based on Godly wisdom and that based on worldly "wisdom", centered in pride - the foolishness of this world. Which do you and I prefer? Which type of wisdom are we consistently yielding to as the captain of our own lives?

God wants us to fully understand the unfathomable value of attaining and consistently growing in Godly wisdom. He offers much about this in His Word, especially through documenting Solomon's experience. 

Mastering ANYTHING, including ruling our own selves, even up to an entire a nation as its king well, requires nothing short than attaining a high level of Godly wisdom directly from the Hand of God. Proof of this is given in many, many places in the Scriptures, but particularly here, it is given is in Solomon’s reign over Israel. 

Solomon's time as king was the absolute zenith of the still fully unified kingdom of Israel.  During his tenure, the kingdom stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River and from the Red Sea and Arabia to Lebanon and all of the states within these borders where held in subjection.  Even the Canaanites were subdued during this time. 

However, we are also shown the dire results of the contrast, where wisdom is "traded in" in favor of foolishness and the pride that desires its own ways over Godly wisdom. Pride surely does come before a fall! It happens every time, and Solomon is our "poster boy" example for this

Learn with us as we delve further into the life and times of Solomon, from his peak to his ultimate low. We must each strive to deeply learn the contrast between a life based on Godly wisdom and that based on worldly "wisdom", centered in pride - the foolishness of this world. Which do you and I prefer? Which type of wisdom are we consistently yielding to as the captain of our own lives?