Our Beginning, Christ Our Ending, Christ

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the frst and the last” (Revelation 22:13). Christ is our beginning. He is our end. He is our everything in between. From the inception of the church, Christ has been present.

In Mark 3, Christ called the disciples to come up with him on Mount Kurn Hattin: “And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would…” (v. 13). It was at this moment and this marked location that Christ ordained his disciples and sent them forth “to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils” (vv. 14, 15). Christ was the beginning.

As seen in this passage, the church, from its beginning, received its instructions from Christ, and from Christ alone. It was not the work of any man; Christ established his church. He is our beginning. He is our heritage. His mission should be the mission

JACOB PHARR | FAIRVIEW, MISSISSIPPI

of his body, and his body (the body of Christ) should also possess his heart: “… not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Even now, we have been given the same charge and impetus as the early church: “Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Indeed, the Church of God of Prophecy Vision Statement is a command from the Lord. We are to be reconciling the world to Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. This statement, taken from 2 Corinthians 5:18, does not say we have moments of reconciliation now and then. It says this is to be our ministry. We have one job, and it is to our beloved Christ that we reconcile the world.

Christ is the head, and we are his body. We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Wherever we go, he goes, as we are identifed by our head, Jesus Christ. We are known by our beginning—by our author and our creator, Jesus Christ. Just as Christ was our beginning, Christ will be our ending on this earth.

Paul writes in Colossians 1:18–20:

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the frstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

As Christ is the “head of his body, the church,” he will be the one and only one to reconcile “all things unto himself,” especially here on this earth among his people. He is the beginning, not only of the church, but of all things from the creation of the world. Jesus paid the price on the cross and purchased us with his own blood (Acts 20:28), and because of this, he is the only one worthy “to reconcile all things unto himself.”

His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (John 17) reveals that before Jesus shed his own blood for us, he prayed, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (v. 21). This prayer has yet to be answered because God’s people are not yet one. It is in the end that Jesus’ prayer will be answered because in the end, he will “reconcile all things unto himself.”

Christ reconciling all things in the end is refected in a symbol of our church—the Church of God of Prophecy fag. Everything that we see on the fag represents Jesus Christ. Each symbol—the scepter, star, and crown—speaks of what Christ will do when he shall “reconcile all things unto himself.” In particular, the scepter is mentioned by name in Genesis 49:10: “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet….” This verse speaks of the symbol of Jesus Christ, but it is the latter part of the verse that speaks of what Christ will do in the end times: “… until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” He will be the one to bring this beautiful spirit of the gathering of “one fold” unto himself. It will be by his power, his anointing, and his lordship that he will gather his sheep together and “reconcile all things unto himself” at the end of days.

The colors on the fag—the red, blue, purple, and white—all represent attributes of Jesus Christ. The fag has two sets of lines: horizontal white lines and angled blue lines that are open on the top and the bottom. Those open blue lines indicate that one day, “in him will all fulness dwell,” and his people who are seeking him will come unto him. They are open as a reminder that there are still others who will come to Christ. At the end of time, he will “reconcile all things,” and his people “shall fow together to the goodness of the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:12). Scripture will be fulflled.

Jesus began his church, and Jesus will be the one to bring it all together. He is the only one who can. Jesus Christ was our beginning, and Jesus Christ will be our ending on this earth. As for eternity in heaven, he will be ours forever.

It’s not just another day at the Jordan. If only this river could talk! On this particular day the waters stood in a heap to the left and to the right—not once, but twice. It wouldn’t take many fngers to count the number of times in history this has happened on waterways. This day, the frst time it happened, Elijah struck the waters, and he and Elisha walked across on dry ground from the Canaan side of the river to the wilderness side. A little while later, Elisha struck the waters and returned alone back to the Canaan side after witnessing a one-of-a-kind space launch that would make any modern-day astronaut’s story sound mundane. A chariot of fre and horses of fre appeared, and Elijah went up into heaven by a whirlwind. We need to pause for a moment and ponder this scene.

The account of this far-from-ordinary day is recorded in 2 Kings 2:1–14. If we think of verse one as the left side of a pair of bookends and verse 14 as the right side, the verses in between are packed full of lessons to live by. This section of Scripture records Elijah and Elisha’s historical journey; but more importantly, it reveals a series of decisions that Elisha made that determined his effectiveness for the next 55 years.

The Jordan was their fourth stop of the day. The other three stops were Gilgal, Bethel, and Jericho. All four of these places had signifcant spiritual meaning in Elisha’s life as his faith was being tested to the core. Let’s retrace their steps and study Elisha’s decisions carefully because every Christian who presses forward with a hunger to be formed into the image of Christ takes a very similar journey.

Gilgal

More than likely, Elijah refreshed Elisha’s memory about the history of their ancestors while here at Gilgal. After all, some 500 years earlier, this was the frst stop for the children of Israel after crossing from the wilderness into the Promised Land. This was a place of new beginnings. Joshua 5:2–9 records Joshua ordering the Israelites who had been born during the Exodus to be circumcised. In verse nine, God is telling his people that he rolled away the reproach of Egypt from them. There was a celebration. They observed Passover. They ate for the frst time the food of Canaan along with the manna that had been the staple item during their journey.

John E. Hunter describes Gilgal as a place for feeling happy and hearing promises. This was the place of celebration for what God had done—a place where blessings and strength were promised. What didn’t happen here? No battles or victories were won at Gilgal.

God was testing Elisha’s faith through Elijah. The elder prophet encouraged Elisha to settle down and tarry here while he (Elijah) went on to Bethel. If Elisha had stayed in Gilgal, he could have enjoyed blessings and promises—but no testing, no proving. He would have never experienced the fullness of God that only comes through the refner’s fre.

Many Christians today have decided to settle at Gilgal, the happy place, where they rejoice in the blessings and talk about the promises but never move forward to prove God. Jesus encountered those who followed him as long as there were miracles and rejoicing, but when his teaching required more, many disciples turned their backs on him (John 6:66).

Elisha wasn’t willing to settle. His response was, “As the Lord lives and you live, I will not leave you” (2 Kings 2:2). Elisha wanted a double portion of the spirit of Elijah, and he was willing to overcome any obstacles to experience it.

So they went down to Bethel.

Bethel

Bethel was known as the “place of dreams.” This is where ancestor Jacob dreamed of the stairway to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it and the Lord standing above it (Genesis 28:10–22). This is also a place of knowledge. In Elijah and Elisha’s day, there was a school of prophets here—a training center, a place to dream about the future.

Elijah and Elisha were received with warmth and highly regarded by those in the school of prophets (2 Kings 4:38–41). Their infuence led to an awakening among some of the Israelites during a dismal stage of Israel’s history. Human approval and favor can be a magnetic feld that draws us to being absorbed in self, holding us back from reaching the destination God has planned.

Bethel is also a place where we can be tempted to follow our own dreams and develop our own plans. First Kings 12:29–33 records that Jeroboam built up a new order of worship centered at Bethel—an order which he had “devised of his own heart.” This is a common temptation among God’s people. God spoke through the prophet Isaiah that his children were carrying out plans that were not his plans, and they were forming alliances that were not directed by his Spirit (Isaiah 30:1).

Elisha was invited to tarry here, but the hope of knowing God was stronger than the pull of Bethel.

So they went to Jericho.

Janice Miller blends 35+ years as a student of the Word and human nature with 35+ years as a business professional to offer a unique perspective of biblically inspired lessons. The goal is to be a catalyst in developing a critical mindset and a fertile heart that enables a believer to love God’s Word, submit to God’s Spirit, and answer the call to serve. Janice has published two books to date: While Men Sleep in 2016, and Critical Thinkers in 2018.

JANICE MILLER | GALLATIN, TENNESSEE

Jericho

Jericho was a beautiful and desirable place. This was the place where ancestor Joshua led the people of God to their frst great victory in the Promised Land. Donald J. Campbell writes in The Bible Knowledge Commentary:

The pattern of divine strategy for the conquest of Canaan was based on geographic factors. From their camp at Gilgal … the Israelites could see steep hills to the west. Jericho controlled the way of ascent into these mountains, and Ai, another fortress, stood at the head of the ascent. If the Israelites were to capture the hill country they must certainly take Jericho and Ai. This would put them on top of the hill country and in control of the central ridge, having driven a wedge between the northern and southern sections of Canaan. Israel could then engage the armies of the south in battle followed by the more remote enemy in the north. But frst, Jericho must fall—and it would if Joshua and the people followed the Lord’s plan of action.1

Joshua 6:1–27 records the account involving the priests, the Ark of the Covenant, and the people marching around the city once a day for six days, then seven times on the seventh day. When the trumpets blew and the people shouted, the walls fell fat. The Lord told them that the city and all that was in it was to be destroyed, except for Rahab and all that were in her house. What a way to start the conquest of Canaan!

Elisha was invited to tarry here. He could have settled at Jericho and dedicated himself to a lifetime of replaying this great victory. But he was hungry for something more. He had a burning desire to use the victories of the past as a springboard to launch into the victories that lay ahead.

So the two [Elijah and Elisha] went on to Jordan.

Jordan

Every individual, every group, and every generation pursuing more of God face a Jordan decision. Now it’s our turn.

The Jordan is the dividing line between the fesh and Spirit. It’s where we lay down our plans and pick up God’s plans. It’s where we leave behind the things that are preventing us from fully committing to God. It’s where we leave self-will and submit fully to God’s will. It’s where we lay down our control and experience the perfect freedom of God’s control. It’s here we tear down the idols in our lives where we have built an altar with God’s name on it—a representation of him rather than a replacement of him.

Elisha insisted on knowing God; so Elijah led him out of the Promised Land, out of Canaan, and into the wilderness where he left him. Elijah was taken up, but his mantle—the symbol of God’s power on him—remained. Now Elisha found himself on the wilderness side of the river. What was his response? He chose to do what every person does who is consumed with hunger for God. He went in on the wilderness side and came out on the Canaan side. He died to self in the Jordan and came out alive for God. Elisha had refused to tarry at Gilgal, Bethel, or Jericho. He wanted God’s best, and he was prepared to pay the price by dying to his own life, hopes, and ambitions. He entered into Sabbath rest and experienced the unspeakable power of God that only comes from total surrender.

Sabbath Rest

The writer of Hebrews speaks of the Sabbath rest in chapters three and four. In Hebrews 3:11, God said they [the generation of the children of Israel in the wilderness] shall not enter his rest (a quote from Psalm 95:11). These are people who had hardened their hearts and rebelled against God in their day of testing in the wilderness.

God rested from his creating on the Sabbath. Hebrews 4:9–10 states, “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” We humans love to create. God creates out of nothing. We create from things that already exist. We create our own plans—our own way—and when we create something, we feel like we own it. It’s ours. We can do with it whatever we want.

When we enter God’s Sabbath rest, it symbolizes ceasing from our own creative works. We stop trying to make something that is our own—something that we can use for ourselves and do with it what we want. Instead, we lose ourselves in God as we become consumed with his Spirit.

Elisha made the sacrifces necessary to follow God and enter his rest. What about you and me? Are we willing to take the path outlined in Matthew 16:24: “Then Jesus said unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”