It is inevitable that there will be phases of loss in life that are forever in the context of the temporary realm which is also a fact for us as the people of God. Here we can choose to be wise that we take Jesus Christ and His behaviour and reaction in connection with loss as a role model.
It says in Matthew 14:13a that Jesus, after hearing of the murder of John the Baptist who was beheaded, and who was His cousin, decided to withdraw from the public eye for a time alone by boat to a lonely place.
Matthew 14:13a:
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. …
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. …
Jesus’ decision shows that we, as God’s people, should definitely not dwell in pain in awful circumstances, such as loss, or try to deal with it in our souls alone.
Looking at the Circumstances from the Spirit
We can choose to separate ourselves from the environment of pain in order to enter into the realm of the spirit, namely into the presence of the Heavenly Father, who is the Eternal One and reigns on His throne for eternity.
As a result, we see the pain from the spirit and can react correctly. It is said that there is a crystal sea before the throne of God, which, among other things, reflects His reverence, His power and His love and carries His powerful voice (cf. Revelation 4:2-11; Revelation 5:6 i.c.w. Ezekiel 1:24).
Revelation 4:2-11:
2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.
3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.
4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.
5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.
6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the centre, round the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and behind.
7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.
8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all round, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: ‘ “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,” who was, and is, and is to come.’
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honour and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 11 ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.’
2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.
3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.
4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.
5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.
6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the centre, round the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and behind.
7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.
8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all round, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: ‘ “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,” who was, and is, and is to come.’
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honour and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 11 ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.’
Revelation 5:6:
6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the centre of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the centre of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
Ezekiel 1:24:
24 When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
24 When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
When we decide, like Jesus, to get into the boat and go out on to the water, it implies setting aside the pain in the presence of God, because it is the ‘wood’, so literally His grace, that carries us through the circumstance (cf. Isaiah 53:4a).
Isaiah 53:4a:
4a Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, …
4a Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, …
While we are in the presence of God, it is the presence of the Heavenly Father that strengthens us and encourages us to go into worship. It is our worship that is an expression of trust in God and enables us to look away from ourselves and look to the Lord who reigns sovereignly for eternity.
As a result, we are strengthened in our spiritual man and receive confidence for the future without being trapped in the pain of loss and defeat.
Dealing with Sorrow and Acting on the Father’s Behalf
While Jesus was dealing with the loss of John in the presence of His Heavenly Father, many people from the cities followed Him on foot along the shore of the sea (cf. Matthew 14:13b).
Matthew 14:13b:
… 13b Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.
… 13b Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.
Here it can be assumed that the people watched Jesus closely as He dealt with the loss of John the Baptist, so that they themselves learned from Him how to deal with loss or pain in the presence of God. Since these were people who came from the cities, this reveals to us that the people became potential witnesses of God’s way of dealing with pain and could have borne witness to it within their society (Note: city).
Based on Jesus’ reaction to the large crowd of people following Him from the shore, it is clear that He chose not to mourn the loss of His cousin John, but to continue actively building the Kingdom of God in this case by healing the sick (cf. Matthew 14:14).
Matthew 14:14:
14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed those who were ill.
14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed those who were ill.
After Jesus healed the sick, amid increasing darkness and in a desolate region, He instructed His disciples to make use of the food available in the form of five loaves of bread and two fish. These two foods are a reference to the power of the Word and the mystery of God, which are the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ (cf. Matthew 14:15-18 i.c.w. Colossians 2:3).
Matthew 14:15-18:
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so that they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.’
16 Jesus replied, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.’
17 ‘We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,’ they answered.
18 ‘Bring them here to me,’ he said.
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so that they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.’
16 Jesus replied, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.’
17 ‘We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,’ they answered.
18 ‘Bring them here to me,’ he said.
Colossians 2:3:
… 3 in whom (Note: Christ) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
… 3 in whom (Note: Christ) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
As we can see from the biblical passage in Matthew 14, it was in the Heavenly Father’s plan for His Son Jesus to deal with the loss of John in His presence and then continue to carry out His will (cf. John 5:19-20).
John 5:19-20:
19 Jesus gave them this answer: ‘Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. …’
19 Jesus gave them this answer: ‘Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. …’
This clearly reveals that it was in the Heavenly Father’s will and interest that the people should encamp in the green grass to experience His presence of ‘YAHWEH-ROI’. This was God’s dimension, which ensured the provision of His people with His watchful eye (cf. Genesis 16:13 i.c.w. Psalm 23:1-3).
Genesis 16:13:
13 She (Note: Hagra) gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me [Note: EL RO’I],’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’
13 She (Note: Hagra) gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me [Note: EL RO’I],’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’
Psalm 23:1-3:
1 The Lord is my shepherd [Note: YAHWEH RA’AH], I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
1 The Lord is my shepherd [Note: YAHWEH RA’AH], I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
The Dominion Rest of God
In a prophetic context, Jesus led the people into the presence and dominion rest of God as He told them to lie down on the grass. Since grass is green and the throne of God is covered by a green rainbow, a reference to the presence of God can be made at this point (cf. Matthew 14:19 i.c.w. Revelation 4:3b).
Matthew 14:19:
19 And he told the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
19 And he told the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
Revelation 4:3b:
… 3b A rainbow that shone like an emerald (Note: green) encircled the throne.
… 3b A rainbow that shone like an emerald (Note: green) encircled the throne.
Dominion rest means living in a state of a higher level of faith and the triumph of Christ.
The continuous ‘dwelling’ in this place of rest presupposes that you have previously gone through various levels of personal breakthroughs (Note: from the soulish to the spiritual realm) and let go of your own ideas.
The continuous ‘dwelling’ in this place of rest presupposes that you have previously gone through various levels of personal breakthroughs (Note: from the soulish to the spiritual realm) and let go of your own ideas.
This enables you as a believer to govern in Christ in challenging circumstances.
Furthermore, the dominion rest is a level of resting in the Father in the sonship of Christ with the understanding that He is the ruler governing overall and has granted or transferred to you the freedom to reign together with Him, so that you live in the dimension of deep trust and peace – shalom in the Holy Spirit.
The Structure of the Five Loaves and Two Fish
After the loss of John the Baptist, Jesus not only brought healing to the people, but also supernatural multiplication. This multiplication of the five loaves and two fish was visible to the public in the form of the leftover pieces of bread in the twelve baskets (cf. Matthew 14:20).
Matthew 14:20:
20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
This abundance of bread reveals the Word of God (Note: Jesus Christ; cf. John 6:35) in an apostolic measure of depth, which, among other things, is about the mystery of the gospel (cf. Ephesians 6:18-20 i.c.w. Colossians 4:3).
Ephesians 6:18-19:
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, …
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, …
Colossians 4:3:
3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
Briefly explained, the mystery of the gospel may refer to a hidden knowledge or procedure that equips a mature believer for a private ministry that grants him permission to do the things he is commanded by God to do.
In this context, the secret reveals the skills and methods by which the spiritually mature believer works and operates.
Furthermore, a mystery of God is wrapped by His wisdom and knowledge, much like a gift wrapped in wrapping paper. It is divine knowledge and wisdom brought forth through a continual relationship with the Lord to be empowered to unlock the mystery.
In the Word of God, we find numerous examples of people who, in times of particular loss and challenge, have made inner decisions to see the will of God established - and not the end in justified pain.
Let God, the eternal Father, use us to show other people a way that is hidden with the spirit and trusting plan of God, but is to be recognized because in it lies an abundance of grace and truth.
It is not yet the end if it is a new beginning!
Amen and Amen.
In His Wisdom,
Daniel Glimm
