The Greater Than Solomon Has Come

Lately I’ve been wondering about some of the ways we the New Testament Church use Old Testament Scriptures in what sounds like a good way, but in reality could be very misleading to immature believers. I believe that one of the greatest problems facing the Church is educating both new and old believers as to who we are in Christ and just what He has accomplished for us. But many of us seem to like to hang out in the Old Testament picture story book instead of moving on into the reality that is in Christ. (I’m not saying here we should not read the Old Testament, but that we should not live in the Old but in the New). A classic example that I can remember is having people pray that I would supernaturally receive the wisdom of Solomon, sounds good, huh? We all know the Old Testament speaks of Solomon as being the wisest man who ever lived, but if we read the New we also know that in Christ a “Greater than Solomon has come” (Matt. 12:42). Paul teaches us in very clear words that “of Him you are in Christ Jesus, Who became for us the wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor.1:30). The Greater than Solomon lives within me by the Holy Spirit why do I still need the wisdom of Solomon, I just have to by faith believe and accept what I have in Christ, and again by faith begin to believe that wisdom resides in me. Does that mean I reject the Book of Proverbs? No, there is still much to be gleaned from Solomon’s writings, but Solomon’s wisdom failed as he turned from God’s truth to follow the desires of his flesh, the wisdom that resides within me is eternal as I allow the Lordship of the Spirit’s working in my life.

Since I became a Bapticostal charismatic type person back in the 80′s I’ve heard over and over about the Elijah generation as well as the Spirit of Elijah coming upon believers for the ministry of reconciliation. But as sacred as that cow might be it must be questioned in light of New Testament revelation. First of all Jesus never promised me greater works than  Elijah, He promised me in John 14:12, “He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” Wow! The Greater than Elijah has come and promised me that I would do greater works, not greater than Elijah’s, but greater than the works Jesus did! If I ever stand in your prayer line please pray that I receive the greater works than Christ anointing, for the Greater One has come. We must remember that the verses that speak of God sending Elijah the prophet was written to the Old covenant back-sliding nation of Israel and were fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist who came to turn the hearts of the children back to the God of their fathers. This is shown clearly in Scripture, first in Luke’s Gospel as the angel of the Lord (Gabriel) as he spoke to Zacharias John’s father.

“He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the      fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17). Which was to become the fulfillment of what Mal. 4:5-6 spoke of.

Also in Matt. 11:14; Jesus in speaking of the ministry of John the Baptist told His disciples, “And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.” Out of the New Testament Scripture both Gabriel and Jesus spoke of John as the fulfillment of that Old Testament prophecy. But you might say, ” Elijah’s ministry is the ministry of reconciliation to turn the hearts of the fathers toward the children and the hearts of the children toward the fathers.” True, but in the New Testament the greatest reconciliation is in the person of Jesus and what He has accomplish for us in the Atonement. Our reconciliation is in Christ, and in Christ we are all ministers of reconciliation. “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” so the ministry of reconciliation is not reserved for some elite Elijah company of saints, but all believers are to minister in this capacity, or anointing. What do we really want, an Elijah generation,or a Jesus Generation, and Elijah, or even an Elisha double portion anointing, or a Peter or Paul anointing, or even better a greater works than Jesus anointing? True Elijah and Elisha both did mighty works in Old Covenant Israel, but the Early Church turned the known world of their day upside down in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Jesus anointing. (Have you ever wondered why no one ever wants a John the Baptist type ministry, even though Jesus spoke of him as the greatest prophet the Old Testament brought forth? Perhaps, just maybe, it’s because he lost his head. The same Jezebel spirit who tried to kill Elijah, killed the last of the Old Testament prophets and IN Christ a new day dawns).

Another popular teaching is on Joel’s Army. I don’t know why we can’t have a Jesus Army, or a Peter or Paul Army, but for some reason it has to be Joel’s Army. I remember in the 80′s and early 90′s almost every Sunday we sang “Blow the Trumpet in Zion, Sound and Alarm on My Holy Mountain,” it was great and we all danced and got happy, sometimes we even had a run away or two, but the reality of Joel’s Scripture was much different than what we imagined, or thought it to be. I don’t care how many times I read Joel chapters one and two they still say that the reason the trumpet was being blown in Zion was to call God’s people, apostate Israel to repentance before God sent His army of heathens to execute His wrath upon the nation. That’s not some great Christian army climbing on the walls like men of war, in chapter one it’s an invasion of locusts, and in chapter two it’s probably a picture of the mighty Roman army under Titus who fulfilled Jesus’ prophecy of Matt. 24 on the nation of Israel. The days of God’s vengeance spoken of in Luke 21:20-22. Yes, we are the army of God, we are His mighty army, but not the one spoken of in Joel’s prophecy, more like the one who follows the Lamb wherever He goes in Rev. 14:4, or the army in Rev. 19:11-16. We are an army that triumphs in the victory already won and attained for us in Christ, because He won we win. “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37). The Old Testament type makes for  good and exciting preaching, but the New Testament reality gives me faith to disciple nations.

Recently I read a prophetic word that God was going to raise up another Moses to lead His people out of the wilderness. But again we deal with the same issue as before. the Greater Than Moses has come. Moses was not able to lead the Old Testament congregation out of the wilderness, but Jesus the Prophet like Moses not only has come, and in Him we are already in the land, we just need to renew our thinking a little (a whole lot) to realize just who we are in Him and what He has already accomplished for us in His death, burial, resurrection, and the pouring out of His Holy Spirit. So I ask you what do you want the spirit of Elijah, or the Greater works of Christ, a Joel’s Army, or to follow the Lamb wherever He goes? I no longer want to live in the types and shadows I want to live and minister in the reality that is Christ.