And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy-everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, then the LORD will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain. Isaiah 4:3-6
The Holy Spirit has been portrayed as a gentle dove who will not harm anyone just like Jesus who has been portrayed as the good shepherd who carries a lamb in His arms. But these are half truths for both Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are men of war and can be and are many times quite adversarial. As a matter of fact God’s word records:
In that day the LORD of hosts will be For a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty To the remnant of His people, For a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, And for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. Isaiah 28:5-6
Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding? Isaiah 40:13-14
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. "For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; "and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'
"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 10:34-39
The sword, the spirit of justice and the spirit of judgment are not something that men associate with the Holy Spirit or Jesus Christ. But one thing for sure the Holy Spirit is quite divisive and adversarial and does not put up with certain things. He does deal very harshly with His adversaries, even to the point of taking their life.
We have a few good examples of this in the bible in the life of Moses, Elijah, Stephen and Paul. The bible records:
So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses' anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. Then he took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it.
And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?"
So Aaron said, "Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. "For they said to me, 'Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' "And I said to them, 'Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.' So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out."
Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies), then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, "Whoever is on the LORD'S side-come to me." And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. And he said to them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.' "
So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.
Then Moses said, "Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother." Exodus 32:19-21
Moses when He saw that the people made a gold calf and worshipped it and that the people were unrestrained (said, "Whoever is on the LORD'S side-come to me." Then he instructed the sons of Levi 'Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.' So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses.
Now killing the false rebellious people of God and being blessed by God for it is something that few Christian leaders ever talk about even though Elijah, Jesus and Peter have done it. For the bible records:
And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. "Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again."
Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!"
And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!" So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.
Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain." 1 Kings 18:36-41
As a result of the anointing that was on him, Elijah ordered the prophets of Baal to be executed. Few religious leaders ever talk about the fact that Elijah’s anointing of the Holy Spirit was one to kill the enemies of God. Even though God’s word records:
Then the LORD said to him: "Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. "Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.
It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. "Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him. 1 Kings 19:15-18
The sword of the Spirit is the word of God and is an offensive weapon and Jesus used it very effectively on the lawyers, scribes and Pharisees of His day. He truthful told them that they were liars, thieves, rapists, murderers, bind guides, hypocrites, brood of vipers, sons of hell, among other things who would not escape the condemnation of hell. Jesus did not bless them but cursed them and said to them:
"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. Matthew 23:13-15
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
"Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. "Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. "Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:23-28
Jesus told them their converts were twice as much as son of hell as themselves and that they had neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. They appeared beautiful outwardly, but inside were full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. They outwardly appeared righteous to men, but inside were full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. They never escaped the judgment at the hands of God’s other ministers, the Roman soldiers in 70 AD, and paid with their lives and possession for ignoring the words of Jesus.
Stephen the first martyr of the New testament church expressed the same sentiments in his words about the Pharisaical ones who have always fought with the Holy Spirit:
"You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. "Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, "who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it."
When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"
Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. Acts 7:51-58
Of course Pharisaical ones cannot stand to hear the truth and be convicted by the Holy Spirit as a result so they murder the messengers and later pay for their foolishness in the judgments of God that follow. For judgments of God always follow. God’s word records:
Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter. So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.
Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him That there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it sustained Him. For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, And was clad with zeal as a cloak.
According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay, Fury to His adversaries, Recompense to His enemies; The coastlands He will fully repay. So shall they fear The name of the LORD from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. Isaiah 59:14-19
According to their deeds, the Lord by the Spirit of the Lord fully repays fury to His adversaries, and recompense to His enemies. He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, so shall they fear the name of the Lord.
Yes God fights even with His own people. The bible records:
For He said, "Surely they are My people, Children who will not lie." So He became their Savior. In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; And He bore them and carried them All the days of old.
But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them. Isaiah 63:8-10
Now some foolish ones do not believe that God judges harshly His people under the New Testament dispensation of Grace. But nothing is further from the truth. For God’s word records for our profit and instruction:
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet.
But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? "While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."
Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. Acts 5:1-6
What God has done once before He can and will do again. For He is the God who kills and makes alive. He brings down to the grave and brings up. He makes poor and makes rich. He brings low and lifts up. He guards the feet of His saints, and breaks into pieces His adversaries. From heaven He thunders against them when He judges the ends of the earth. He give strength to His king, and exalts the horn of His anointed. His word is unchanging:
For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LORD will judge His people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:26-31
http://billyburke.org/PrayerMinistryRoom/JourneyofYourPrayerRequest/tabid/142/Default.aspx
EXTRACT FROM By My Spirit
http://walthope.tripod.com/spirit.htm
http://walthope.wordpress.com
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100302133262254344211/posts
https://www.scribd.com/doc/122879429/
https://books.google.com/books/about/THE_BEST_OF_THE_KAMBULOW.html?id=YS3cAgAAQBAJ
https://books.google.ca/books/about/The_All_Sufficient_Christ.html?id=IzHZ0LtVaDsC
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