HORSES, POWER, THE MANGER
07-27-08
HORSES
(Rev 19:11) And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful
and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
1. Commentary: Horses are very interesting creatures. They are different than God's other creatures and
we subconsciously acknowledge that difference all the time. How so? Well, don't we frequently hear
and speak of a horse as having spirit or being spirited? How often do you say or hear a statement such
as: that pig has spirit, or, that dog has spirit, or that cat or cow or chicken, wolf, bear, lion, elephant,
alligator, etc., etc. has spirit? I would confidently guess, never. Horses are unique among God’s
animals; we say that horses have spirit, and so does man. God has repeatedly revealed to us that
there are horses in heaven. I ask you, are these horses wild or tame? What do you think? Let us draw
upon a common mental picture most have of a wild horse. He is the supreme and unquestioned leader
of a large herd of very nervous mares. He is a majestic black or white (your choice) stallion mounted
high atop the ridge of a rugged promontory in the badlands of the desert. His long mane snaps in the
wind as he rapidly surveys the distant horizons of his domain, eyes flashing, neighing defiantly as he
rears up to full height on his powerful back legs and paws at the air, while his enraptured harem
submissively mills about below. End of mental picture. This horse is truly untamed. He is self-willed
and unrestrained. He does whatever he wants, whenever he wants. He is proud. He is unbroken. He is
lawless. This horse is his own master. He is imperious, arrogant, vain, proud, disdainful, and he exalts
himself up upon the lofty crags. He is wild. Can this wild horse enter the Most Holy Place heaven?
What do you think?
(John 14:1-4) Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many
mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye
know, and the way ye know.
1. Commentary: How do you envision that the residents of heaven think and act? Heaven is God's home.
Let us suppose that you suddenly had access to unlimited wealth and decided to build a brand new
beautiful city of many mansions for yourself and your closest relatives, friends and neighbors with all
of whom you share mutual love. The city has every conceivable (and inconceivable) luxury and is
decorated with perfect carpets and perfect curtains, perfect furniture, buildings, streets, etc., etc. It is
perfect. The people you invite to live with you in this city are perfect, and deeply love and respect you
and each other. They are family. They are the joyful inhabitants of a glorious city without spot or
wrinkle.
(Rev 21:4) And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow,
nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
1. Commentary: There is only joy, delight, exultation and rapture. Oneness is harmony in perfect accord.
These are a blended perfectly balanced orchestra in timeless concert. Their song flows gently on and on
as the never-ending outpouring of a great clear river of living waters. Glory to God in the Highest. Is
there place here for the wild horse?
POWER
(Deut 17:16) But he [the king] shall not multiply horses [power] to himself, nor cause the people to return to
Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth
return no more that way.
1. Commentary: Interestingly, for hundreds of years the Israelites were prohibited by God from
multiplying (owning) horses. “Return no more that way,” what way? Natural power. Horses were a
symbol of power and strength in biblical times. The Lamb of God entered Jerusalem on an ass (Matt
21:7). The Lion of Judah will enter Jerusalem on a white horse (Rev 19:11). The children of Israel had
to grow up into the men of Israel before God would allow them access to spiritual power. This
extremely wise growth principal continues to apply to us today. This power which is the fullness of the
Holy Spirit was secured by the matured King David.
(2 Sam 8:1) And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them [as wild horses]:
and David took Methegammah out of the hands [power] of the Philistines.
1. Commentary: Methegammah in Hebrew means “the bridle of a cubit, the bridle reins of the mother
city, the bridle of bondage.” We speak now of power and horses and horsemen. Please recall that a
cubit is essentially undefinable. Methegammah was the mother city of the Philistines who at that time
reigned over Israel. David “took Methegammah,” the reins of the bridle, out of the hands of the
Philistines. David immediately began to wield the power of the reins as he smote the Moabites and then
took horses from the king of Zobah “for an hundred chariots.” (2 Sam 8:4). From that time, horses
began to proliferate in Israel. King Solomon had approximately 14,000 horses (1 Kings 10:26) and
thousands of stables built all over Israel. Of course, king Solomon is an example of the misuse of the
power of the Holy Spirit. King David is our Millennium king, not king Solomon.
THE MANGER
(Luke 2:7-16) And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a
manger [a type of the Ark of the Covenant]; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the
same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the
Lord came upon them, and the [Shekinah] glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy [Gr: cheerfulness,
delight] [Heb: Eden], which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David [now called
Bethlehem], a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped
in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to
pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even
unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they
came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
1. Commentary: The birth of our Lord Jesus was foursquare on the horse trail of power leading from
Old Testament through the New Testament and concluding insofar as we are presently given to know
with The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Where was Jesus born? In a stable, which is a type of the
Tabernacle. A stable is a house for horses. Jesus was laid in a manger which is a box or trough in a
stall from which horses eat. Jesus is indeed food, but why a horse manger? Power. Because He was
embedded in power, and is the power provider. Horse food that men who eat might become horse
men. Horsemen of horse-power. As we eat Jesus we receive and are empowered with the spiritual
power of horses, we become horsemen (Joel 2:1-11).
2. (Joel 2:1-11) Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the
inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of
darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness [for the unsaved], as the morning
spread upon the mountains [for the saved]: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the
like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before
them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them
a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. The appearance of them is as the appearance
of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall
they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle
array. Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. They shall run
like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his
ways, and they shall not break their ranks: Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in
his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. They shall run to and fro in the
city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the
windows like a thief. The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the
moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: And the LORD shall utter his voice
before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the
LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
Amen