The Feast of Tabernacles is a collection of teachings by Richard Mikelson.

 

These teachings explore spiritual depths of influential texts of scripture,  and of the human condition.

Into Abraham's Bosom

“Now a certain man was rich and he dressed in purple and cambric, daily making merry splendidly. Now there was a certain poor man named Lazarus, who had been cast at his portal, having ulcers, and yearning to be satisfied from the scraps which are falling from the rich man's table. But the curs also, coming, licked his ulcers.

Now the poor man came to die and he is carried away by the messengers into Abraham's bosom. Now the rich man also died, and was entombed. And in the unseen, lifting up his eyes, existing in torments, he is seeing Abraham from afar, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he, shouting, said, ‘Father Abraham, be merciful to me, and send Lazarus that he should be dipping the tip of his finger in water and cooling my tongue for I am pained in this flame.’

Now Abraham said, ‘Child, be reminded that you got your good things in your life, and Lazarus likewise evil things. Yet now here he is being consoled, yet you are in pain. And in all this, between us and you a great chasm has been established, so that those wanting to cross hence to you may not be able, nor yet those thence may be ferrying to us.’ Yet he said, ‘I am asking you then, father, that you should be sending him into my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may be certifying to them, lest they also may be coming into this place of torment.’

Yet Abraham is saying to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them!’ Yet he said, ‘Not, father Abraham, but if someone should be going to them from the dead, they will be repenting.’ Yet he said to him, ‘If Moses and the prophets they are not hearing, neither will they be persuaded if someone should be rising from among the dead.’ " Luke 16 :19-31 concordant

The rich man fared sumptuously every day while Lazarus was lying at his gate a mass of sores, loathsome, and in want, not cared for and not pitied by him who enjoyed so many blessings. Who is like this poor, wretched, pathetic, despised man today? Who is like the rich man identified to be the son of Abraham and Israel, born of Leah, in the nation of Judah?

The nation led by Judah, called Israel, was taught as a nation to look upon the heathen nations about them as being barbarians and worse than dogs. In this parable, Lazarus represents all poor people lying at the gate of those who have worldly riches. The wealthy nations are recipients of the blessings of God so lavishly bestowed upon Abraham’s prodigy.

In our ancestry are rich men like the parable. We see it on all levels of life, even in the people of the Laodicean church of some “being rich and in need of nothing”. Christians have much clearer and better promises than patriarchs of old. Yet when God promises anything to a man, it is notable.

We Christians are being clothed in a Kingly nature when Christ is working within our inner man. We are clothed with a garment of understanding, a refined insight of scriptural understanding, covered in wisdom, and clothed in righteousness — clothed in the blessings found only at the right hand of God. We are blessed with heavenly riches that have blessing without curse, increased daily by feasting on hidden manna about scripture’s finest delicacies.

Thank God we are prepared and taught by His Spirit not to blind ourselves to the poor. Many people now lay at the gate of the wealthy in this world. Now there are multitudes layngi at the “rich man’s gate, full of sores”. They are clearly cast out, hopelessly deficient to survive present conditions. WE ARE NOT TO BE BLINDED TO THE LACK OF OTHERS. We are not deceived but are receiving from God the blessing of Abraham to bless all the families of the earth. We are given His mind to free all men from disease, torment, and lack of every kind. Christ within us brings us to the bosom of Abraham’s promise, a great comfort for us “poor in spirit” folk to now execute the promises of God, new and old.

In this parable, Lazarus is both a beggar in his own eyes and a dog in the eyes of the rich man. But Lazarus had qualified for a higher position with God’s family in the unseen. Begging is always done at the gateways of the cities where people passed by. God sets the boundary for rich and poor alike. Our experience and habitation is according to His plan for the nations set by the descendants of children of Israel. Spiritually raised Israelites and Gentiles are within the gates of New Jerusalem. The unseen has crossroads leading to the gates of the city. All the “poor of spirit” come to enter into the city of God’s perfect glory.

Even now ALL people of every NATION should seek after the Lord. Out of Israel came Jesus Christ and out of Christ Jesus has come a many membered body of firstfruits of His wonderworking. Most of His coming has been like a thief, forming a hidden administration within those of us who have come out of the candlestick church experiences shown in the book of Revelation chapters 2 & 3.

His body of overcoming believers is drawn upward to spiritual Mt. Zion wherein is now found the true church, the church of the firstborn. These believers are dealt with by God as sons, chastised and corrected. They are to become mature sons of God destined to bring deliverance to all other men, rich and poor—yet first to those subject to Christ. He will appear before all the people of every generation in all the nations to bless every family of creation with His best treasures. This was the promise given to the father of faith, Abraham:

“…and in thee and in your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 28:14

ALL the families of the earth shall yet be blessed in the fullest blessing found in the bosom of Abraham’s family! Human history is filled with the designs of Almighty God. Men are designed by God, yet every nation that inhabits this planet has history that has been brutally painful, with sorrowful sufferings of men groaning with death’s grip wherein no blessing could be perceived.

Yet God’s blessings are openly upon the chosen and blessed sons who represent what is possible to Christians who follow Him as recipients of a divine adoption. These are taught within by a Spirit that reaches for wisdom and mature development. We are reaching a maturing work within our inner spiritual man that draws us to the light of perfection shining in spiritual Mt. Zion!

“And, coming out thence, Jesus retires into parts of Tyre and Sidon. And lo! a Canaanite woman, coming out from those boundaries, cried, saying, ‘Be merciful to me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is evilly demonized’, Yet He answered her not a word. And, approaching, His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Dismiss her, for she is crying behind us.’ Now He, answering, said, ‘I was not commissioned except for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’

Yet she, coming, worships Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’ Yet answering, said, ‘It is not ideal to be taking the children's bread and to be casting it to the puppies.’ ‘Yes’ she said, ‘Yes, Lord! For the puppies also are eating of the scraps that are falling from their master’s table.’ Then, answering, Jesus said to her, ‘Oh woman, great is your faith! Let it come to be with you as you are wanting.’ And healed was her daughter from that hour. And, proceeding thence, Jesus came beside the sea of Galilee. And ascending into the mountain, He sat there.” Matthew 15:22-29 concordant

The plaintive cry of a Canaanite woman, at the very border of the land of Israel, in poverty and of ethnic loathsomeness was crying out, “LORD, HELP ME!” That should be great commentary on the true meaning of Gentile dogs when applied to the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. These parables express remarkable insight when we are taught the story by the Spirit. The expressions, “the puppies or dogs,” and, “the scraps of crumbs which fall from the master’s table,” parallel precisely the expression found in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus:

“And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: the other dogs came and licked his sores.”

Lazarus’ association with other dogs at his lying at the rich man’s gate, to be fed crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table, places him quite convincingly in the “dog” class of the Gentiles in the pride of Jewish estimation. The word “Lazarus” means, “whom God helps.” In the encounter with the Canaanite woman, it was dogs that ate the master’s crumbs, while in the parable of the rich man it is Lazarus who eats crumbs. This definitely confirms Lazarus’ identity as a “dog” of the pagan nations, as was the Canaanite woman called a “Gentile dog,” despised along with the vilest of persons.

Just as Lazarus was laid at the rich man’s gate, this Canaanite woman encountered the Lord at the border of the land of Israel for just the “crumbs of truth” that fell from the blessed table of Abraham’s descendants. The heathen nations have no real understanding of God working to form a people by prophets and apostles as confirmed by scripture.

His people are to become a great spiritual temple, with divine service instituted by the God of heaven. Covenants have been made by the true and living God! Paul calls Christian believers to remember that they were in times past a people called out of gentile nations:

"Wherefore, remember that once you, the nations in flesh — who are termed Uncircumcision by those termed Circumcision in flesh, made by hands — that you were, in that era, apart from Christ, being ‘alienated’ from the citizenship of Israel, and guests of the promised covenants, having no expectation, and without God in the world. Yet now, in Christ Jesus, you, who once are far off, are become near by the blood of Christ." Ephesians 2:11-12 concordant

The people of the nations were a part of the alienation — without God, having no hope in God, aliens from Israel’s commonwealth covenant promises of God. Many today are having no expectation of help from God in this worldly life or the next:

“And it came to pass, that the beggar, Lazarus died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried. And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” Luke 16:22-23

This parable has highly symbolic language in looking closely at these deaths, for it teaches of the next state of existence in the unseen for both types of men throughout all time, the rich man (Judah) and the beggars (the dogs of uncircumcised nations). The poor in spirit like Lazarus are carried away to the bosom of Abraham while the rich men dying in pride and arrogance are BURIED.

Never again will sons be chosen by fleshly lineage. The nation of the Creator’s blessings is now the people with the spirit of Christ Jesus. It’s not of their own natural lineage in Israel or any other nation. He has redeemed us from all that! God decreed that ALL men of every age shall bow the knee to accept and be included in the Kingdom of Christ Jesus.

God will take ages to fulfill His will. God has gathered up sons and daughters from every race and nation out of all ages past, out of the present, and out of all ages yet to come to include them with the blessings only conferred upon the called, chosen, and faithful in Christ Jesus. God will be appearing in His Son, declaring that the divine nature has conquered the lowest grips of death’s devastations within us.

God’s will is to yet bring the fullest blessing promised to Abraham, to be a blessing uponEVERY family of mankind. God Almighty, the Omnipotent, has gathered up some from every tribe, and tongue, and people, every race and nation, with their knowledge and consent to include them as sons and daughters who are joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

God’s plans include help for all because HE IS THE SAVIOR OF ALL MEN. He has made a ministry that helps others get to God’s promise. Our minds are focused to comprehend the wisdom God is putting out to oppose the fleshly pride of man. He is taking it out of the way, nailing it to His cross, so God may redeem all men of every age into the Kingdom of His firstborn Son.

When our Lord Jesus Christ was murdered by crucifixion at Calvary, a great change came about for the sons of Judah who had lived so sumptuously before that day. They found themselves subject to a continual process of frustration. Namely, divine judgment was now bringing correction to their house. They were cast out, despised, given over to and buried in torments of hellish persecution.

The Jews, now despised, were stripped of the notable blessings of the Son of Abraham. Judah was the rich man who was crying out for his five brethren born of Leah, as they were rich with the blessings of God in this world. Some Christians are now raised up into the bosom of Abraham, like Lazarus and the old beggars at the gates of Jerusalem, “Gentile dogs” according to the laws of Israel. Now they are Christ followers, arisen to positions of favor found in the promised blessings of God, starting with Abraham.

That promise came in the lineage of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the son of Abraham. Now mature Christian people are drawn straight into the bosom of the Father. We are knowing the new covenant and being filled in our hearts with the spirit of King David in a true order of God’s unfolding plans. God is fulfilling His promises:

“Now to Abraham the promises were declared, and to his Seed. He is not saying ‘And to seeds’ as of many, but as of One: And to your Seed which is Christ.” Galatians 3:16 concordant

What is the bosom of Abraham? The people of the East reclined at meals. By this arrangement, the head of the lower seated person was brought almost into the bosom of the person who set above him, and the guests were arranged so as to bring the most honored guest nearest to the host at the highest place. At the last supper, John was:

"…one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved, was lying back in the bosom of Jesus." John 13:23

John was reclining next to Jesus, who was in the most honored position, indicative of the close, personal relationship that existed between Jesus and John, for John is that disciple whom Jesus loved. Because of this association and arrangement of eating at a meal, we have the idea of Lazarus, an ulcerated and crippled beggar, who had lain at the rich man’s gate, contending for the scraps thrown out to him. Lazarus was translated into a sumptuous feast, now to have the closest, most intimate place among all the guests, to recline on Abraham’s bosom.

We now are drawn close to God’s relationship WITH ABRAHAM. Judah had for centuries the great honor and benefits bestowed upon them as the chosen people of God, yet are now not in a place of honor and blessing. God has declared that our Lord Jesus Christ should be both Lord and Christ. I cannot explain how divine power can accomplish such wonders, but now some are representing Jesus as His seed of promise.

God made a promise to Abraham and to all the saints that are heir to God’s greatest promises. Abraham was to become a “great nation” (Israel) and “a multitude of nations” (descendants of the scattered tribes). God said, “Kings shall come from Abraham.” Abraham’s posterity is still being made kings and priests of a heavenly order. They are drawn to his bosom, in His Kingdom where promises are perfected.

The scattered tribes emigrated to colonize and spread abroad to the west, the east, the north, and the south. Included in this gracious plan, presented first to the father of faith, Abraham, God had chosen a people, the sons of Israel, as the lineage to bring the promise of God on Abraham’s seed that would bless all nations (all the families of the earth).

The apostle Paul writes:

“…that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Galatians 3:14

Paul beseeches God to open the eyes of our understanding that we might comprehend spiritual realities. Our eyes are to be open in order to see spiritual realities as we are reading through the scriptural promises of God to Abraham. Apparently, the promise of the Spirit was given to father Abraham for he was looking for a city built without man’s hands whose builder and maker was God. God promised Land, yes! Posterity, yes! Blessing, yes! Greatness, yes! AND He also promised the correct vision of a lasting heavenly home, a city that is yet HIDDEN in SPIRIT and only revealed to those laying their head upon the bosom of our Lord!

“And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: ‘Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are -- northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.’ ” Genesis 13:14-17

It is something beyond a piece of real estate that God promised to Abraham. We must see the promise is given both to Abraham and to his seed to bless all the families of the earth. This is clearly one of the first direct promises made by God to a man in which He promises lasting blessings to man. The only way that Abraham himself, or his seed, could possess the land forever, an eon, or age, is for him to first of all possess age-lasting life!

So the promises of Abraham were not merely a promise of natural land for Abraham’s immediate descendants, but the promise to Abraham’s posterity who would become legions of spiritual and natural nations. Abraham personally saw into a spiritual homeland, the celestial city, a city “not built with hands,” clearly and comfortably standing with descendants who received LASTING INHERITANCE as PROMISED BY CHRIST!

The writer of the book of Hebrews states:

“And all these, [including Abraham] having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.” Hebrews 11:39-40

God’s takeover began when He gave Abraham an inheritance in real estate — prime land in the world. God revealed His cherished promise of a lasting celestial city, while Abraham never stopped receiving the promises of the celestial city. This is the city that lasts for all time, enthroned in the SPIRIT of love, peace and joy. The nature of Christ endows us to be the promised seed of Abraham:

By faith Abraham, being called, obeys, coming out into the place which he was about to obtain to enjoy as an allotment, and came out, not versed in where he is coming. By faith he sojourns in the land of promise as in an alien land, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the joint enjoyers of the allotment of the same promise. For he waited for the city having foundations, whose Artificer and Architect is God.” Hebrews 11:8-10 concordant

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:13-16

The promise of the book of Revelation is of a lasting homeland, a spiritual city made of God’s saints for a lasting inheritance. This is the promise of being divinely incorporated with an everlasting power. This is the first of some important promises made to Abraham AND HIS SEED. The promise of Christ establishes a lasting kingdom within us.

The facts of wisdom are presented in scripture that one can only inherit something for an age if he is able to live for an age. In pleading his case before king Agrippa, the apostle Paul eloquently elaborated on this truth, declaring:

“And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: unto which our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue ... saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: that Christ should suffer, and that He should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people [of Israel], and to the Gentiles.” Acts 26:6-8, 22-23

Jesus uttered these extraordinarily audacious words:

"Verily, verily, I am saying to you that I am the Door of the sheep. All whoever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep do not hear them. I am the Door. Through Me if anyone should be entering, he shall be saved, and shall be entering and coming out and will be finding pasture. The thief is not coming except that he should be stealing and sacrificing and destroying. I came that they may have life eonian, and have it superabundantly.” John 10:7-10 concordant

Jesus knew about the patriarchs and prophets, the men of faith. He knew their words, and their exploits! Yes He did! He included patriarchs and prophets with the spirits of all the existing Eastern religions when He called some of those very good men THIEVES and ROBBERS, because they did not understand how to bring LASTING BLESSING, LASTING LIFE for man.

The Jewish leaders were greatly offended when Jesus said that. HE stated He was the door to a lasting life? Ha!! ALL those thieves and robbers laughed in Jesus's face. Preachers and self appointed leaders can be thieves, stealing Christians’ attention and leading them into a spiritual ditch. They did not understand the words He spoke unto them, but the vital messages which came from anointed lips were saying: “ANY man who administers ANY MESSAGE THAT DOES NOT BRING MEN INTO GOD’S LIFE FOREVER IS A THIEF AND A ROBBER!”

Jesus Christ is the door into God’s heavenly homeland. All who came before Jesus were not empowered to deliver men from death COMPLETELY. Jesus became a LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT. Mankind has had great teachers, inspiring philosophies, good laws and valuable precepts, but only one MAN was first to possess the power of God’s incorruptible life by being raised from every bit of death.

He will not rest till we are raised from death also. This man can deliver those seeing a need, and, in faith, crying for HELP as was Lazarus and the Canaanite woman.

The apostle Paul penned an inspired assertion to the believers at Corinth:

“For He must reign, until He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” I Corinthians 15:25-26

Many Christian men and women are in very fact being deprived of the most important of promises: INNER SPIRITUAL GROWTH! God’s Spirit quickens our spirit and is teaching us, leading us perfectly from within our spirit! Our inner man is not under the law of Moses. Moses’ law turned out to be too religious, a ministry of death. And every other holy man has fallen short of lasting glory.

Only Christ Jesus promises to bring us to life, a life incorruptible, God life. Only Jesus is commissioned the true reality of delivering power. No one else possessed it before Him. He is raised in enthroned fullness of GOD”S LIFE, the age lasting, incorruptible, superabundant life God has promised us for the ages, for all time.

God is making our spirit alive, transforming our mind to come forth from the tombs of our former fleshly thinking to find new spiritual concepts aligned with a new spiritual experience being granted to men drawn to know of Mt. Zion.

“And I perceived, and 'lo'! the Lambkin standing on mount Zion, and with It a hundred forty-four thousand, having Its name and lts Father's name written on their foreheads, And I hear a sound out of heaven as the sound of many waters and as the sound of loud thunder, and the sound which I hear is as lyre singers, playing on their lyres.

And they are singing a new song, before the throne and before the four animals and before the elders. And not one was able to learn the song except the hundred forty-four thousand, who have been bought from the earth. These are they who were not polluted with women, for they are celibates. These are those who are following the Lambkin wherever It should be going. These are bought from mankind, a firstfruit to God and the Lambkin. And in their mouth falsehood was not found, for they are flawless.” Revelation 14:1-5 concordant

I am the resurrection and the life: he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

Abraham and Melchizedek

Mercy and Peace