As God’s people, we are currently in an important phase that is accompanied by the true relationship of the saints in the Body of Christ in the age of the kingdom. This phase involves a period of relational transition, which means that the intensity of the relationship of the saints in the Body of Christ with each other is increasing.
This involves the Body of Christ (Note: not just individuals) moving from the structure of the fellowship of church life into the structure of agents of Kingdom power in the world that brings change.
Believers who are in relationship with saints in the ‘church structure’ see more of a priority in the task of the ‘church’ rather than the Kingdom structure.
However, if we prioritize the assembly within the church over the Kingdom, the result is that we prefer an assembly structure instead of the presence of the Lord, and in this way we are not primarily moved by His presence, but rather focused on programs to meet the needs of people.
The Phase of Transition and the Erected Tent of Abraham
This phase of transition is equivalent to the separation between Abraham and Lot, who both had a large possession of flocks. Their flocks were led by shepherds, who were assigned by Abraham and Lot to their respective flocks and over whom they had responsibility. This means that Abraham as well as Lot held an apostolic function that came with an apostolic shepherding overview of their shepherds as well as the flocks (cf. Genesis 13:1-6).
Genesis 13:1-6:
1 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him.
2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.
3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.
5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.
6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together.
It is said that Abraham, or Abram, came to Bethel, where he had previously pitched his tent, the site of which was between Bethel and Ai, and there he built an altar to the LORD (Note: YAHWEH) and called upon his name (cf. Genesis 12:8).
Genesis 12:8:
8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
Here Bethel (Note: house of God) was on the west and Ai (Note: heap of stones, ruin) was on the east, which is an indication of the importance of the fellowship of the saints with God as well as the readiness of the rebuilding of things where there is a need to restore them (cf. Isaiah 58:12).
Isaiah 58:12:
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
With our present knowledge and view from the realm of eternity, Abraham passed from south to north through the territories of the tribes of Simeon, Judah and Benjamin so that he could pitch his tent in the territory of Ephraim, indicating the anointing of the double. This is the meaning of the name Ephraim – double fruitfulness (cf. Genesis 13:1-4).
Genesis 13:1-4:
1 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him.
2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.
3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.
The anointing of the double includes, among other things, the strength to successfully conclude an old time and to enter into the new time, in order to prepare with fresh strength the people for the new.
In relation to Abraham’s journey and the erection of his tent, it is clear that he was sensitive to the voice of God and his response (Simeon), to move forward in praise (Judah), which is an expression of trust in God, to understand and act on the authority of the Son of God (Benjamin), and to live in the twofold measure of God’s blessing (Ephraim).
Also related to this is the knowledge that we have no permanent place on this earth for which the erected tent is the symbol, but possess an inner thrust to understand more deeply our place of eternity, which is the messianic heavenly Jerusalem, that is also the bride and wife of the Lamb (cf. Hebrews 13:14 i.c.w. Revelation 21:2.9-10).
Hebrews 13:14:
14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
Revelation 21:2.9-10:
2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. …
9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.
The Renewing of the Mind
In order to go through this transition of relationship in the structure of the kingdom of God, it is necessary that we allow the Holy Spirit to renew our mind (cf. Romans 12:2 i.c.w. Ephesians 4:23).
Romans 12:2:
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Ephesians 4:23:
… 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; …
This renewing of the mind results in recognizing the need to walk in new ways that the LORD wants to lead, so that it even means to say goodbye to certain people who have a different mindset as well as prioritize other things in their lives, much like Lot did.
Lot’s perspective was more focused on temporary prosperity than on the will of God, which is evident from the decisions he made regarding his subordinate shepherds who quarreled with the shepherds of Abraham as well as his choice of the watery and fertile area near the Jordan River (cf. Genesis 13:7-11).
Genesis 13:7-11:
7 And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.
8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives.
9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”
10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: …
Abraham, on the other hand, was not primarily concerned with the fertility of the land, but with maintaining peace and walking in faith, which is why he gave Lot the opportunity to decide according to his proposed offer, namely to go to the left or to the right. From this it is clear that Abraham acted selflessly and in trust toward God, which revealed his righteous attitude and generosity.
Abraham was not concerned with acting according to his own preferences and ideas in order to see possession grow and to guard or defend it on his own authority because of the fear of lacking or even losing it. Abraham completely trusted in the promise given to him by God to provide for him. Because he fully believed and trusted God, he was not greedy and covetous for his own benefit.
It can be assumed that the entrance of Abraham’s tent was facing north and Lot had already turned his focus to the east (cf. Genesis 12:8 i.c.w. Genesis 13:3-4), as he had a different focus than Abraham. Abraham had the eternal seat of God’s government in mind, since the seat of God is in the farthest north (cf. Psalm 48:2 i.c.w. Isaiah 14:13).
Psalm 48:2:
2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
Isaiah 14:13:
13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon (Note: of the north).
Lot’s Waywardness and Its Result
Lot, however, decided to go in a different direction, namely to the east (Note: to the front). Based on his decision, we can see that Lot decided against the offer of Abraham, which ultimately brought fatal consequences for Lot. Namely it resulted in imprisonment and the subsequent destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, due to the wickedness of the inhabitants living there.
It was the ruling kings of these cities at that time who failed to put a stop to the wickedness present there, which is revealed by the location of their captivity in earth pitch pits which are a symbol for apostasy and sin (cf. Genesis 14:10-12 i.c.w. 2 Peter 2:6-8).
Genesis 14:10-12:
10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills.
11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away.
12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.
2 Peter 2:6-8:
… 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard) – …
Even though Lot was a righteous man in the eyes of God (cf. 2 Peter 2:7), he went after what looked good in his own eyes and chose the land that pleased him. His choice was selfish and self-indulgent. Lot didn’t stop from wanting to consciously live in an environment where tremendous wickedness was present.
This wickedness had an impact in the life of Lot’s generational line, which later became evident in his decision to go to Zoar, where his daughters got him drunk and slept with him. They were giving rise to the nation of Moab and Ammon as a result, who later became the enemies of Israel (cf. Genesis 19:30-32).
Genesis 19:30-32:
30 Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave.
31 One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to give us children – as is the custom all over the earth.
32 Let’s get our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line through our father.”
It was in God’s interest to give Lot a second chance through Abraham, who delivered him from the hands of the attacking kings with his team trained for battle, to give him the opportunity to choose the way of the kingdom represented by Abraham (cf. Genesis 14:14-16).
Genesis 14:14-16:
14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.
16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.
Representation of the Kingdom Age and the Church Age
The representation of the Kingdom by Abraham is based on the fact that after the liberating action for Lot, Melchizedek, the king of Peace and priest of the Most High God appeared to Abraham, gave him bread and wine and blessed him (cf. Genesis 14:17-20a).
Genesis 14:17-20a:
17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,
19 and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.
20a And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” …
Lot in this case represents believers in the ‘church age’ who have accepted Jesus Christ and are saved but are comfortable with their present status and whereabouts and accept the wickedness within their society and the system.
In doing so, they do not care or do not prioritize if people of their environment choose the values of the Word of God or go against it. This heart attitude and lifestyle ultimately results in captivity and judgment, which can manifest on personal, regional and national levels.
Therefore, the renewing of the mind according to God’s will is essential in order to walk in the center of His will, which results in believers realizing the importance of divine appointments and alignments and, because of this, letting go of ‘old worn-out’ relationships. These are relationships with people who were previously in the present, but because of the advance of time, are now living in the past and are not ready to leave that place.
We are confident that the Holy Spirit will give the relevant believers in the ‘Lot structure’ a second chance, but it is up to them to seize the moment and take the chance to enter into the new thing that the Lord has prepared for them.
But if this doesn’t happen and we want to intentionally lead people who are not ready to undergo God’s process of change for this time into it, then we will face resistance or challenges that we would normally have been spared. These problems will come up because we are in a different dimension of time.
Let us continue to move forward with the saints who are willing to progressively enter with Jesus Christ into the new that the Heavenly Father has prepared for this time and the time to come.
When this happens, even a new portal of time opens, bringing the power of remembrance into the earth realm, so that believers remember the benefits of God in their lives and refocus or realign themselves from its power, as well as walk the path that the Father has prepared (cf. Genesis 13:3-4 i.c.w. Psalm 103:2).
Genesis 13:3-4:
3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.
Psalm 103:2:
2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits – …
Let us follow Abraham’s example as a forefather of faith who represents the Kingdom perspective, going forward with complete trust in God’s guidance in order to carry the promises to the place of their destiny.
Amen and Amen.
In His Wisdom,
Daniel Glimm
