“he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers”
(Mal.4:6, NKJV)
The last few teachings have seen us walk long-forgotten paths. Within the larger framework of these teachings we are still discussing Jesus’ statement about how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, and the analogy He employs of the camel going through the eye of the needle. This brought us to John the Baptist who wore Elijah’s mantle of camel hair. A variety of instances where the Bible speaks of “the spirit of …” was discussed, and then we explained that this sentence construction does not imply that the Holy Spirit is replaced, but indicates the presence of a spiritual mantle.
In the teachings of Day 1010-1012 we started discussing the fundamental nature of mantles, and surprisingly ended up discussing the cloud of witnesses. It is in this cloud, the anointed fire of the corporate Christ, that the invisible God (1 Tim. 1:17) is “seen face to face” (Num. 14:14)! This mystery fits into the third dimension, and will only be discussed in detail at a later stage.
The most beautiful typological example of mantles and the accompanying spiritual authority is found in the story of Elijah and Elisha. This story has been equated with calling and the authority that accompanies it in order to make execution possible. In spiritual language we thus refer to it as mantles. Mantles are carried over in a relationship between spiritual fathers and spiritual sons. (Remember – because there is “neither male nor female” (Gal. 3:28) in the new covenant, fathers and sons are generic terms of authority, and not of gender. Women can thus also be fathers and sons.)
Spiritual fatherhood and the transferal of mantles has to do with the notion that on the shoulders of Jesus (“the government will be upon His shoulder” – Isa. 9:6) things multiply (verse 7). This corresponds with the promise Jesus makes in John 14:12: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do …”
In the following two teachings we will look at the immense prominence Scripture grants to spiritual fatherhood. The Old Testament is concluded with this thought (Mal. 4:5-6), and the New Testament starts with it when John the Baptist enters (Matt. 3:1-2) as the representative of the old era, but also the one who needs to usher in the new era (Matt. 11:11). We will firstly look at the typological pattern, as grounded in the relationship between Elijah and Elisha, but before that we first need to look at an eternal mystery.
- Selah: Are you a spiritual father?
- Read: 10-13.
- Memorise: 11:16 (Try to see the typology of Israel and Christ.)
