Animals, Colors, Metals, Numbers and Signs in Scripture.

Four (Part X) Four Square

The term, "four square," implies precision. For something to be four square the four sides must all be the exact same length and the four corners must be exactly 90 degrees. The works and buildings of man are almost never that precise. The most precise instruments and machine measurements have some tolerances.

Seven times in the scriptures we read of things that were to be four square. The first time is in Ex. 27:1, "And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad; the altar shall be four square: and the height thereof shall be three cubits. This brazen altar was where the burnt offering was made. There was to be a continual fire burning in the brazen altar and the lamb or other sacrifice was to be burnt on this brazen altar. Of course this ceremony typifies the sufferings of Jesus on the cross for his elect people.

The second time four square appears is in Ex. 28:15, 16, "And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work Foursquare it shall be being doubled" This breastplate of judgment was worn next to the heart of the high priest when he went into the holy place. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel were inscribed on twelve stones that were arranged in rows on the breastplate of judgment. Thus the high priest bore the names of the children of Israel upon his heart in the breastplate of judgment when he went into the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually. This typifies the Lord Jesus Christ bearing the elect family of God in his heart when he entered heaven itself offering his own blood for their sins and this offering being accepted of the Father.

The third time four square is mentioned is in Ex. 30:1, 2, "And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon of shittim wood shalt thou make it. A cubit shall be the length thereof and a cubit the breath thereof; four square shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be the same." It was upon this golden incense altar that the high priest burned incense when he went into the holy place. According to Rev. 8:3, 4 this ceremony pointed to the intercessory work of Jesus Christ interceding on behalf of the elect family of God; "And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand." This harmonizes with Rom. 8:34, 35 where we are assured that Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God making intercessions for all the elect.

The fourth time foursquare is mentioned is in 1 Kings 7:31. We are told that in the buildings of the temple there were ten bases. Also upon the bases there were borders and engraved upon the borders were cherubims, lions, and palm trees. The borders were foursquare. The cherubims speak of heavenly messengers; the lions speak of kings; and the palm trees speak of victory and rest. Thus the scriptures given to us by God thru the heavenly messengers tell us of our King Jesus, who thru his redemptive work has gotten the victory over sin, death, hell and the grave for his elect and thus they have peace with God thru our Lord Jesus Christ and furthermore they are made kings and priests to God.

The fifth time foursquare is mentioned is in Ezek. 40:47: "So he measured the court, an hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits broad, four square; and the altar that was before the house." While various chambers and buildings and the inner court was restricted to the priests, high priest, and prince, the outer court was open to all the people. This outer court was foursquare. The scripture tells us God's elect are a great multitude that no man can number, yet the kingdom of God is said to be a little flock. Today, carrying out the true worship of God is a little flock, yet God's elect are an innumerable host which no man can number and will ultimately have a home in the glory world.

The sixth time foursquare is mentioned is in Ezek. 48:20, "All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand; ye shall offer the holy oblation foursquare, with the possession of the city." This holy oblation of land that was offered was for all Israel. Of course Jesus offered himself as a lamb without spot or blemish that all the elect family of God will have an holy possession as heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Thus we live in hope of an inheritance that is incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, but is reserved in heaven for you.

The seventh time foursquare is mentioned is in Rev. 21:16, "And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth" The city consists of God's elect family. Rom. 8:29, 30 describes this foursquare city: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the firstborn
among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." Thus God's elect people lie in the midst of God's predestination, calling justification, and glorification.

Notice the precision of this covenant. All that God chose without the gain or loss of one are predestinated, called, justified, and glorified. Truly only God could be this precise so that none are lost, but all he chose in Christ before the foundation of the world are justified by the blood of Christ, called into spiritual life and glorified in the resurrection of the body at the last trump. May God be glorified for his wonderful works toward the elect of God.

Four (Part XI) Four Sore Judgments

Ezek. 14:21 "For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?" Listed in this verse is God's four sore judgments: sword, famine, noisome beast, and pestilence. Perhaps the most prevalent theme in the entire bible is the judgment of God. God is the judge of all the earth. In addition, several times we read that God is just. In meeting out judgment upon nations, upon groups of people, and upon individuals we see God using these four sore judgments.

God used the sword of the nation of Assyria to destroy and scatter the 10 tribes of Israel as well as to destroy several other nations. Likewise, God used the sword of Babylon to destroy and bring into captivity the nation of Judah as well as many other nations. Likewise, God put away evil from among the children of Israel by use of the sword in Ex. 32:27 "And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. 28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men." Today, we are sometimes slain from our evil ways by the sword of truth: Rev. 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength."
God has used famine to judge his people at various times:

    1. 2 Sam. 24:13 "So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me."
    2. 1 Kings 18:2 "And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria."
    3. 2 Kings 6:25 "And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver."
    4. 2 Kings 8:1 "Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years."
    5. 2 Kings 25:3 "And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. 4 And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain."
    6. Lk. 15:13 "And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want."
    7. Amos 8:11 "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:"
 

God sometimes uses the noisome beast to judge his disobedient people:

    1. Ex. 8:16 "And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 17 And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt."

    2. 1 Kings 13:23 "And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24 And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase. 25 And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. 26 And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him."

    3. 1 Kings 20:36 "Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him."

    4. 2 Kings 2:23 "And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. 24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them."

    5. 1 Pet. 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"

Finally, God uses plagues to judge his people:

    1. Num. 11:33 "And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague."

2. Num. 16:46 "And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun. 47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. 48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. 49 Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah."

    3. 2 Sam. 24:21 "And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people."

    4. 1 Kings 8:38 "What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:"

Thus, God showed forth his four sore judgments upon the children of Israel and of individuals who had sinned against him. Likewise, we are judged spiritually by the Lord through the sword of truth, the famine of hearing the word of God, the noisome beast of secular government and false religious systems, and the plague of our own heart. Thus, the Holy Spirit works in us to bring us to repentance and to be obedient to the word of God.
 

Four (Part XII) Four Carpenters 

Zec. 1:20 "And the LORD showed me four carpenters. 21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it."

The Children of Israel had been scattered by the four horns set forth in Daniel's vision.  These four horns were the Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, and the Roman Empire.  The four carpenters were come to fray the effects of the horns and to build up the Kingdom of God. 

The purpose of carpenters is to build.  Sometimes it is necessary to tear down poorly constructed or badly constructed structures in order to build a proper structure.  This is also true with the gospel.  Sometimes it is necessary to show the errors of false teaching in order to build up the truth in the minds of God's people.

The four carpenters would seem to be typical of the four gifts of gospel ministers set forth in Eph. 4:8-13: "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."

The apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers were given to edify or build up the body of Christ.  Eph. 2:19 "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."  1 Pet. 2:5 "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."  Acts 20:32 "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified."  The gospel ministers must have the indwelling and leadership of the Spirit of God in order to build up the church of the Lord Jesus Christ and her members.

Four (Part XIII) Gifts of the Gospel Ministry

Eph. 4:8 "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." In the above scripture we see the four gifts of the gospel ministry.

These four gifts are:
    1. Apostles
    2. Prophets
    3. Evangelists
    4. Pastors and Teachers.

It is the Lord who gave these gifts and it is the work of the Holy Spirit to call men to the work of those gifts.

There are similarities and differences in all four of these gifts.

The similarities in these four gifts include the fact that they are all called of God and send of God and preach the same gospel in power and demonstration of Spirit and all are laboring in the Kingdom of God and are working to the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ. They all are attempting to feed God's people with the spiritual food of God's word. There truly are more similarities than differences between the four gifts.

The main difference between the four gifts of the gospel ministry is the extent of their work. First the apostles had to be eye witnesses of the resurrected Christ. They were given authority that the other gifts weren't given in the establishment of church government and ordinances that were given them from the Lord. They like the apostles had a direct revelation of God's word to deliver unto the people. There were also signs which were associated with the apostles that the other gifts of the gospel ministry did not have. They, like the prophets, and the evangelists went forth to various locations doing the work of evangelists in carrying forth the gospel.

The prophets did not have to be eye witnesses of the resurrected Christ, but they were given a revelation from God of His word to deliver to the people. They like, the evangelists went forth to various locations doing the work of evangelists in carrying forth the gospel.

The evangelists did not have to be eye witnesses of the resurrected Christ, nor were they given a revelation of God word to deliver to the people. They did go forth to various locations doing the work of the evangelists in carrying forth the gospel.

The pastors and teachers did most of the work in the church of which they were made overseers by the Holy Spirit. Their work is primarily in that location until or if the Holy Spirit directs them to another location. They have the responsibility in that location to teach and preach to God's people to edify and build them up in the most holy faith that was once delivered to the saints. In this location, they also do the work of the evangelists, but don't generally go to various locations as the evangelists, prophets, and apostles did.

When the cannon of scripture was completed, then there ceased to be the need for apostles and prophets and thus today we have the two gifts that remain of evangelist and pastor and teacher.