Shadows…..

Shadows. What led me to this? I was actually thinking of Psalm 23: 4, the shadow there and Heb 8: 5 being heaven and Heb 10: 1 of what is to come. So, we have shadows of two things going on. The shadow we are in, in relation to Ps 23: 4 and that shadow of what will be Heb 10: 1. Both shadows, both totally opposite in meaning. Death, Sheol, Hades, is a real place. And it spreads it dark shadow over us, over the world. We cannot escape it. The only issue is, are people aware that death looms over us? Most do not see or understand it. But when we see sickness, disease, death, pain, crying, etc. in this world, that is because we are walking in its shadow. There is a point, when this is no longer a shadow, but a reality. Death and pain and sickness, MUST come. And then, the shadow, and the reality, are one; we die. We are consumed by death. Then this death, will at the Parousia be consumed by the Lake of Fire Rev 20: 14. On the other hand, if our names are written in the book of life Rev 20: 15, we look forward to Heb 8: 5 and 10: 1. This depends on what your focus is of this life. This is the meaning of Heb 11: 16. We walk in the valley of the shadow of death, and all the pain, yet we are focused on heaven. One day, that shadow, is the reality. So, two shadows, of two different spiritual realities. I used to go out - pre covid, back in the freedom days. I would sit at a restaurant. They would ask me “table for two”? I would say “yes”. After a while I would order, and I would say that just one will eat - me. My shadow, "anino", will not eat, but stay with me. The waiters think I am a bit “lost”. But the fact is real. In one sense our shadow does go with us. The real question is, what other spiritual shadow accompanies us? LoF or Heaven? In Col 2: 17 all that was done, under the Old Covenant, served as a shadow of the reality - Christ. The new covenant points to Christ. Christ is the reality. It is when we see and do things, in Christ, (1 Cor 2: 16b) that we live in the reality, Christ. We are never meant, or made, to understand all Deut 29:29 but we can make an effort, to understand why things happen. Good we easily understand; but the bad - we struggle with. But we must be forever grateful, that as saved people, we will only ever be in the shadow of death, but never in its powerful grasp to hold us forever. Because we look forward to a city, not made by man.

Paul said fight the good fight. Which fight? The fight of the reality where we are, and the reality of where we will go. Soldier on.

MCC Admin

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