Reserving The Seven Thousand

In His omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and love, God is a God of order, purpose, design, and clarity. This order, purpose, and design is true first in the physical or natural, and then also in the spiritual. Consider the contrast that is made in I Corinthians between Adam and Jesus;

I Corinthians 15:45 – 47 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

I Corinthians 15:22, 23 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

So we see that in the order and purpose of Almighty God the natural came first, and then the spiritual parallel. Just as by Adam came sin, and from that sin death, so by Jesus came reconciliation, resurrection, and life. The natural occurrence was overcome by the spiritual occurrence. We have looked first at the order, purpose, and design of one, let us look at some other examples of this order in scripture.

We know that God blessed and multiplied Jacob in the physical, and promised him the land (Genesis 28:12 – 15). Jacob had twelve sons, and then God renamed Jacob Israel (Genesis 32:28), and the sons became the twelve tribes of Israel. The natural lineage and descent of Israel became the chosen people of God in the physical. In the Spirit, Jesus prayed all night, and then chose twelve whom He named apostles (Luke 6:12 – 16). Again, first the natural or physical, and then the spiritual occurred. Jesus gave them power and authority and sent them (Luke 9:1 – 6), and the apostles began changing their world. The spiritual was so overcoming of the natural that we as Gentiles could be chosen, grafted in, and become joint heirs with Jesus!

God ordered Moses in the natural to choose seventy elders who God would put of the spirit of Moses upon (Numbers 11:16, 17). It would be easy for us to expect a multiple of twelve, to have an even number from each of the twelve tribes, such as seventy-two, but in His order and purpose God did not do so. While they received of the spirit of Moses, in the natural example spiritual power was not fully evident in these men. In the spiritual, Jesus appointed seventy, gave unto them commandments and power for ministry, and sent them forth (Luke 10:1 – 20). Again, first the natural occurred, then the spiritual. The seventy returned rejoicing over their spiritual authority.

In speaking to Elijah, God told Elijah that He had left Himself seven thousand in Israel who had not bowed the knee unto Baal and kissed Baal (I Kings 19:18). A remnant is part of the original, and God reserved them, unmixed with the wickedness of the then current Israelites. In the very next chapter we are then also given the possibilities of what a natural army of seven thousand can do with God working for and behind them (I Kings 20:13 – 30). Later the apostle Paul was lead to say that God had “reserved” the seven thousand who had not bowed unto Baal, and that at that present time there also remained a remnant according to the election of grace;

Romans 11:2 – 5 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

We know that all scripture is given by God, so Paul was lead to write of God’s answer; I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, and to speak of a present remnant. Realize that the Word of God is a continuing word, and receive from verse two that God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. God is a God of order, purpose, design, and clarity, and Even so at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. God had still, to and through that time, reserved a part of the original who had not forsaken Him. To this point, we have seen the natural with the seven thousand, but the spiritual occurrence has not been given in scripture. There is a phrase men use when they want to say something is a slim chance, it is “one in a million”. Again knowing that God is a God of order, purpose, design, and clarity, understand that there must soon be a divine, spiritual calling and purpose to the seven thousand reserved of God. It is for this reason that it was not questioned when God recently lead to divide the seven billion living persons on earth by the reserved seven thousand, to find that they are each “one in a million”. In this wicked, spiritually adulterous generation God’s grace will allow men chosen by the election of grace to be one in a million for Him. These will be called to hear and obey God. Daniel was given a vision of the last days, and we see this call being fulfilled;

Daniel 11:32, 33 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.

These scriptures and those that follow speak of the spiritual warfare that will occur in these last days. Do you truly know God? That is what will be required to … be strong, and do (the word exploits was not in the Hebrew text, but was added for clarity in the English; the work is not of you, but will only be accomplished because of what God has designed, commanded, and purposed!). In God’s order, purpose, and design there will be a reserved remnant (in righteousness and spiritual warfare) according to the election of grace! Paul had spoken before Romans 11 of the remnant;

Romans 9:27, 28 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

God lead Paul to declare, and remind of what Isaiah had said, that there would be a remnant saved, and that the Lord would finish the work in righteousness. Let us look at Isaiah’s prophecy;

Isaiah 10:22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

Isaiah is lead to write that there is a consumption decreed of God. Everything will be consumed, would you prefer to be consumed into the kingdom of God, or consumed by the fire? The God of order, purpose, design, and clarity tells us there will be a remnant saved, a diligent remaining few of the original purposed call: seek the kingdom in God’s righteousness that you might be part of the remnant! God also tells us that what He has decreed will overflow with righteousness. The word overflowing speaks of a flood; God literally speaks of a Flood of Righteousness! Paul is lead to remind us of what Isaiah prophesied, let us continue to look at what Paul was lead to declare;

Romans 9:29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

The Lord of Sabaoth is the Lord of hosts, or the Lord of the armies; will you be a soldier for God? The scripture says Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed: it is only the seed, or remnant, that have been left (reserved and kept) by God that prevents judgment of this present world to the extremes of what God did to Sodom and Gomorrha. These are the army of His righteous, if you will. Let us find Isaiah’s prophecy;

Isaiah 1:9 Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

God had told Abraham that he would spare Sodom and Gomorrah if there were but ten righteous there: four people were lead by the hand out of Sodom before it was totally destroyed. Lot’s wife looked back and was also destroyed. It is a very small remnant that is preventing that same destruction today. As with the son-in-laws of Lot, many will scoff at this promise of God, and prepare themselves unto the burning: fear God and let Him open your heart to the truth and deliver you from the judgment to come.

Read past the above verse through Isaiah 1:10 – 31: God is still speaking in these verses to the remnant, the hosts, the reserved army of God! Verse 10 cannot and does not speak to the rulers and people of the two destroyed cities, but unto the remnant to hear! God is calling them back (return) as in Isaiah 10:22 above! These scriptures have always been taken generically as a call for repentance, but it is also a specific prophecy for a specific time! God again speaks of the consuming of the unrighteous, and verses 29 and 30 speak of trees and gardens dried up, as though for the fire! Verse 31 then speaks of the burning similar to Malachi 4, where it says they will be ashes under our feet! Seek to be trees of righteousness that you might abide the fire! The deliverance of the three Hebrew children from the fire in Daniel is a great story for our youth. But it is also a physical example of deliverance from the fire with the Son of God, that you might believe for the spiritual deliverance He will give from the judgment of fire that is to come!

God told Isaiah to prophesy of the remnant, and later confirmed it through Paul, so that the mystery could one day be revealed to you to find Him, The Lord of Hosts, as a soldier in righteousness. He will cut the work of this war short (only through Him) in His righteousness! Have you been prepared, have you been purposed, have you been reserved, and will you diligently seek, to be one in a million, the reserved of God, part of the army of seven thousand? Even if that is not your specific calling, the grace of God can keep you, and lead you through and out of the burning if you will fully serve Him! But how often our servitude is limited, or lacking; what causes that lack?