“Awake sleeper” A Dream to share

Contemplating a second term election Obama made a statement in a speech where he prophesied in his second term he "would win the war on Christmas." He linked the significance of this event with that of ending the war in Iraq, so you can see how highly he rated this ambition.

In a Christmas story strangely evocative of 'Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens, I was led to ponder the following dream. As it was a dream, I leave it to you the reader to decide upon its spiritual worth.

This is a heavy and sombre word yet it magnifies God's actions and glory.

The following Bible verses state emphatically that humanity, apart from Jesus salvation is dead. In every sense we are either dead or dying and there is nothing we can do of ourselves to change that condition.

Ephesians 2:1

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience

Matthew 8:22

22 But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead."

Ephesians 5 13-14

13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you."

Contemplating the following verse seemed the catalyst that started this exploration.

Genesis 2:17

17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

I think the emphasis God places on the outcome of this disobedience is enforced by the emphatic use of the word 'surely.' God is making it doubly sure that we understand the immediate consequence of this lawbreaking.

I think we can do likewise and suggest that if this is true, (not wanting to doubt God's word as did Adam), that indeed that day Adam and Eve died as a consequence of their actions. We might say, 'oh a day for the lord might be as a thousand years', (2^nd Peter 3:8), but then I hear the words

Genesis 3:4

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. And you will be like God knowing good and evil. To counter the emphatic use of the word 'surely' the serpent uses word 'certainly'. Will you join the serpent in saying they did not die or twist it to mean something else ? That's a dangerous knowledge to commit to.

Let me offer a possibility that God's words were true and that very day Adam and Eve in some significant and spiritual sense did die. Now what do you do with dead people, ? Well probably best to bury them or put them in their tombs. Now this forms part of a dream I had one night which seemed to me prophetic.

In the dream I was in what I perceived to be my home and it was quite a beautiful abode. I had spent all my life making it pretty, lovely décor and sumptuous furnishings. Jesus appeared and spoke to me saying to lift up the carpet. I was upset because I wanted him to be pleased with the beautiful home I had made. Why did he want me to look under the carpet ? To my horror when I lifted the carpet there were strewn the bones of dead creatures both human and animal. I quickly relayed the carpet surprised by the fact I never noticed them before. How could I have not seen such a ghastly thing under my very feet ? I questioned Jesus as to why and he answered. He said that under my feet are the remains of everything that had ever had life. The entire surface of the earth is covered with them. The world is in fact a colossal graveyard. You don't want to see this reality so you cover your surroundings with pretty décor to hide the truth. And the truth said Jesus is that this world is a tomb. We have our existence inside a tomb. We are born inside a tomb and we die inside it. But we don't see it. I questioned Jesus as to why were we here and he said we were cast out into this tomb from the Garden of Eden. All generations since Adam and Eve were born inside this tomb, the universe in which we live. We are the walking dead, the children of Adam, who reside in his family crypt. Jesus has entered our tomb to free us.

He chose to enter our tomb as a baby to effect our escape. The story is often interpreted as suggesting he was born in a cave or opening in the earth. Then placed in a stone coffin (manger) and dressed in a swaddling burial shroud. This is powerful symbolism expressing Jesus temporary residence. Yet unlike all, this man is without sin and the tomb could not contain or keep him. Let me repeat, Jesus entered into this tomb at his conception, (celebrated at Christmas) by the will of God, not man. Jesus showed me there was no doorway in or out of the family crypt of Adam, we were born into it and would never leave unassisted.

When Jesus died on the cross he was effecting his release from the tomb not entering it. The cross was the doorway out !!

Not everyone will embrace the exodus from the tomb with Jesus alas. Some have made it a kingdom too pleasant to vacate. Notice the cross is the only way out of the tomb, there are no other exits. If you want to be free of the tomb then you must leave via the cross too.

Matthew 16 24-25

Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.…

Behind all the beautiful décor of my home, the lavish curtains and drapes, was the cold hard remnants of every temple to false Gods ever worshipped by the children of Adam. Every disgusting ritual performed by Adam's descendent was done in my home by my human ancestors in Adam. Jesus said my Adam spirit carried all those generational sins which were performed within this temple/tomb. But the good news was that Jesus was going to break us out. He would effect an escape for any who would follow him. Sadly many liked the home they had built inside the tomb and would not follow Jesus out. They said you can easily cover the dead remains with pretty carpets and if the temple gods were good enough for our ancestors in Adam its good enough for us.

When the stone rolled away from the tomb it was the first time that anyone had stepped outside since Adam had walked in.. The stone didn't just roll away from a cave in Jerusalem, that in a sense was just a symbol. In fact a stone was rolled away from, this physical universe releasing us from a leprous, corrupted human existence. As the living dead we have been bound here since ejection from the garden.

He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places," (Eph. 1:19,20, NKJV).

This statement is as much to do with Ascension as with the Resurrection

At the Ascension Jesus was lifted out of the graveyard of this world as will will we at the rapture. Thank you Jesus.

Not everyone will embrace the exodus from the tomb with Jesus alas. Some have made it a kingdom too pleasant to vacate

Matthew 23:27

27"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness

Ephesians 5 13-14

Matthew 8:22 But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead."

We must follow Jesus out. This involves two stages. The cross is the only doorway out made by Jesus. There is no other exit. No man gets to the father except by his actions. First is the resurrection from the dead then is the ascension from the tomb of this world to be where Jesus now is, with the father in heaven. At the time of the coming rapture only those who have followed Jesus in his death and resurrection can share in his ascension.

With kind regards

Ozzie