The story of the Day of Redemption was written in the
heavens over 6000 years ago, but rarely does anyone understand it today. As the
Laodicean church age in the United States, most people are unwilling to utilize
all the resources we have available to us to research and study the Bible, and
we miss this great story of hope. It was given to us so that we would not
misunderstand the times and we could be encouraged through hard times. It is a
story of heroes, a story of diversity, a story of redemption and a story of the
harpazo. There are many many aspects to the harpazo
and we have studied most of them over the last few years. We want to utilize all
that past knowledge and apply it to this story of Argo, the ship that takes the
redeemed home. Under the constellation of Cancer there are three decans. Among
these decans are included two sheep folds, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. The
entire picture tells us of the flocks secured and separated in the pen as the
shepherd keeps watch, knowing who his sheep are. Then the ship comes to take
His sheep home. After Argo leaves with the weary travelers, earth enters the
age or the time of the Lion of the tribe of Judah who comes to destroy the
enemy. The last four major constellations, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, and Leo, are
the stories of the redeemed in the last days before the Millennial Kingdom and
through the Millennial Kingdom. The story written in the heavens is one the
devil cannot erase.
In the days before Jesus came, the gospel story was written
in the heavens and many people looked forward to the coming Messiah. They told
stories and used the ideas in the constellations to help spread the news that a
Messiah was going to redeem mankind. When Jesus came, his fame was spread abroad
and those alive at the time who heard those stories from the constellations
knew that Jesus was the Messiah. However, the religious leaders did not embrace
Jesus and this led to their own destruction for not knowing the hour of His
visitation. But many peoples from many different nations heard about Jesus and
believed, they were redeemed. We sometimes narrow our thinking to Israel proper
and forget that the Eastern Magi were from Babylon/Assyria (the people were in
the nation of Babylon when they learned the stars from Daniel, but later Babylon
was taken over by Assyria). When the Magi began their journey with their households
and went to Judea, there were so many people in the Magi’s party that the Judeans
thought they were under siege. Those Magi and all their people went back east
after seeing the new born king. Incidentally, they found the child Jesus in
Nazareth, and that is where Joseph and Mary left from to go into Egypt. It is
quite possible that when the Magi returned to Assyria that the news of a
Messiah who was born in Bethlehem spread. Remember that these people knew how
to read the heavenly gospel. They also had the Septuagint and could put it all
together. How far could the news of the Messiah’s arrival have spread? Did it
reach what we know as the Slavic nations? Did the news reach the British Isles?
Did the people of India and China hear about the Messiah’s arrival?
We have to remember that many people other than the devout
Jews believed that Jesus was the Messiah. The Samarians believed and did not
want him to leave their area of Israel, this is exciting. We know that after
Jesus’ death and resurrection that Phillip shared the news with an Ethiopian
man who was specifically sent to find out about Jesus. I’m sure that when he
went back to Ethiopia he shared all about Jesus and the events of Pentecost. We
somehow think that no one else in the world knew a Messiah was coming and also
think no one else ever believed Jesus was the Messiah, but that was not true.
Jesus made a statement to his disciples that we have to look at as Jesus is
opening the sheepfold for the redeemed.
John 10:16 You need to know that I have other sheep in
addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They'll
also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary
Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
Jesus needs to gather His sheep, his other sheep, into His
pen. He will be the only shepherd. The prophecy of Ezekiel says the same thing,
Yahweh will set up the sheepfold.
Ezek 34:22-25 Therefore will I save my flock, and they
shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.23 And I
will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant
David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.24 And I the Lord
[Yahweh] will be their God [Elohim], and my servant David a prince among them;
I the Lord [Yahweh] have spoken it.25 And I will make with them a covenant of
peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall
dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. KJV
We have studied the sheepfold before. We are going to go a
bit further to understand the story of Argo and the redeemed. Jesus said he had
other sheep. Where were they? Obviously not in Israel. Who does the gathering?
Jesus. This is important because while we humans evangelize the unsaved, Jesus
is the one who gathers the sheep. Today we hear of stories of Jesus meeting with
people in closed countries places where Bibles are not allowed and Christians
are not allowed to preach. Surely, it is miraculous that people are becoming
redeemed by meeting with Jesus and then sharing their stories with others. Also,
we need to keep in mind that it is not our job to force salvation on anyone
because the sheep hear Jesus’ voice. While we may have great programs for
winning the lost, we also have to allow Jesus to call the sheep. When the
people come into the fold or pen, the people become one flock. There is no
longer Jew and non-Jew, male or female, bond or free, we are all one in Christ.
One flock. One group who will, during the kingdom of God, live in safety.
EW Bullinger notes the significance of Argo citing Aratus’
poem Phaenomena. Aratus lived
around 300 BC, about the same time the Septuagint was commissioned and scribed.
Bullinger adds scripture reference to
Aratus’ poem. Note, Jason is another name for Jesus. Later Bullinger mentions
the misunderstanding of the largeness of this constellation. Modern day
astronomers have split Argo into three constellations but Ptolemy lists it as
one (300 BC era). It is and should be one constellation, hence Bullingers
frustration.
ARATUS
sings of Argo:
"Stern-foremost hauled ;
no mark of onward-speeding- ship. Sternward she comes, as vessels do When
sailors turn the helm On entering harbour: all the oars back-water, And
gliding- backward, to an anchor comes. "
It
tells of that blessed home-coming, when---
"The ransomed of the LORD shall return
And come to Zion with songs, And everlasting joy upon their heads; They shall
obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away." (Isa. xxxv.
10.)
It
tells of the glorious Jason,* (The Greco-Judean equivalent of Joshua or Jesus) of
whom it is asked:
"Art thou not it which hath cut Rahab,
And wounded the dragon ? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters
of the great deep; That hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed
to pass over ? Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, And come with
singing unto Zion," etc. (Isa. li. 9-11.)
"For the LORD hath
redeemed Jacob, And ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than
he. Therefore they shall come and sing- in the height of Zion, And shall flow
tog-ether to the goodness of the LORD." (Jer. xxxi. u, 12.)
This is the return of the
great emigrant-ship (Argo) and all its company of travellers (for this is the
meaning of the word Argo}.
In Kircher’s Egyptian
Planisphere Argo is represented by two galleys (as we have two sheepfolds),
whose prows are surmounted by rams heads ; and the stern of one of them ends in
a fish s tail. One of the two occupies four segments of the sphere (from Taurus
to Virgo), while the other occupies the four from Leo to Capricorn. One half of
the southern meridians is occupied with these galleys and their construction
and decorations. Astronomers tell us that they carry us back, the one to the
period when the Bull opened the year (to which time VIRGIL refers); and the
other to the same epoch, when the summer solstice was in Leo " an era
greatly antecedent to the Argonautic expedition. How else, they ask, do we
account for the one ship having her prow in the first Decan of Taurus, and her
poop in the last Decan of Leo ? or for one galley being freighted with the
installed Bull, and the other with the sol stitial Lion? 1 * (Jainieson’s
Scientific Display, &c. . p. 58. )
These are the words of an
astronomer who knows nothing whatever of our interpretation of the heavens
which is set forth in this work.
It will indeed be a large
vessel, the true Argo, with its company of travellers, "a great multitude
which no man can number." All this is indicated by the immense size of the
Constellation, as well as by the large number of its stars. There are 64 stars
in Argo (reckoning by the Britannic catalogue) ; one of the 1st magnitude, six
of the 2nd, nine of the 3rd, nine of the 4th, etc. Only a small part of the
ship’s poop is visible in Britain.
Its brightest star, a (near
the keel), is called Canopus or Canobus, which means the possession of Him who
cometh. Other star-names, not identified, are Sephina, the multitude or
abundance; Tureis, the possession; Asmidiska, the released who travel; Soheil
(Arabic), the desired; and Subilon, the Branch.
Is not all this exactly in
harmony with the rest of this sign? And is not this what is written in the
Book?
" Therefore, fear thou
not, O My servant Jacob, saith the LORD; Neither be dismayed, O Israel : For,
lo, I will save thee from afar, And thy seed from the land of their -captivity;
And Jacob shall return and be in rest, And be quiet, and none shall make him
afraid, For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee." (Jer. xxx. 10,
H.)
" Lift up thine eyes
round about, and see ; All they gather themselves together, they come to thee;
Thy sons shall come from far, And thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side,
Then thou shalt see, and flow together, And thine heart shall fear and be
enlarged ; Because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee. . . .
Who are these that fly as a
cloud? And as doves to their windows ? Surely the isles shall wait for me, And
the SHIPS of Tarshish first, to bring- thy sons from far." (Isa. Ix. 4, 5,
8, 9.)
The whole chapter (Isa. Ix.)
should be read if we wish to understand the great teaching of this Sign, which
tells of Messiah’s secured possessions, the safe folding of His blood-bought
flock, the blessed return of His pilgrims, and their abundant entrance into
everlasting rest.
Argo, the ship that carries the weary travelers’ home is
the harpazo, the day Jesus calls from
the clouds for the redeemed. The reason Argo spans such a large area is that
travelers from all over the world are gathered. We have to understand the
enormity of this idea. It is not simply about one little piece of land, Israel,
it is about the entire world. The living and dead are called and gathered, the
dead rising first and the living joining the party on the way to heaven. This
huge constellation has been ignored and the devil has attempted to hide its
meaning. This is not new knowledge, it is knowledge that has been hidden. The
ancients looked into the sky believing the Messiah would come and then one day
bring the redeemed home.
Joseph Seiss gives a more prophetic understanding of the
Greek myth of Jason/Jesus, he also mentions Homer. Remember that Homer lived
about 850 BCE or possibly as far back as 1102 BCE, so we must understand time
and a timeline here. These stories were told long before Jesus came to earth.
The story of Jason and the Argonauts may date back to the time of Solomon. Solomon
wrote of the coming Savior, so we have to understand that the ancient world was
looking for a savior because it was written in the heavens. As we have studied,
these are the redeemed of the Old Testament, one of the two branches of Pisces.
The redeemed of the New Testament are still increasing until the day the dead
in Christ rise first, and the living join them in the air. The travelers are
gathered together and taken home.
Argo.
And to make this the clearer,
the third Decan of Cancer was framed. This is Argo the mysterious ship of the
mysterious Argonauts returned from their successful expedition to recover the
Golden Fleece. Since the time of Homer, and long before Homer lived, the world
has been full of noise about this ship and these gods and demigods of the
Argonautic Expedition. But that same world till now has been floundering about
to find a key to unlock the mystery in which the story is enveloped. Many are the
suggestions to explain it, but all as empty of satisfactoriness as they are
beneath the importance and significance always and everywhere attached to it.
The trouble is, that men have ever persisted in trying to interpret it with
reference to the affairs of ordinary human history or of some wild conceits of
dreaming poets; whereas it belongs to the mystic, spiritual, and prophetic
ideas frescoed on the stars, and to nothing else under heaven.
Taken in these relations, and
construed with the rest of these signs as we found their true application to
be, we can have no difficulty. That Golden Fleece was the lost treasure of
human innocence and righteousness, of which the subtlety of the Serpent had
bereft man- kind in the Garden of Eden, and so held and guarded it that no mere
men could ever find or recover it. In the grove of Mars, the fierce god of justice,
at Colchis, the citadel of atonement, it lay, the Serpent watching it with
jealous and ever- wakeful eyes. Nor was there a mortal to be found able to approach
it until the true Jason, the Recoverer, the Atoner, the Healer, even Jesus,
came, organized His Argo, His company of traveller's, made up of heroes under
His command and leadership, and went forth through various trials, conflicts,
and sufferings, helped by the holy oracles that went along, and sustained by
the heavenly ointments and powers to heal the wounds and hurts that had to be
encountered, and took the precious prize, and then through varied fortunes
brings the heroes back victorious to his own home-shores.
And here, in the constellation
of Argo, we have the picture of that return — the ship and the brave travellers
come home, with the lost treasure regained, their toils and hazards and battles
over, and blessed rest their lasting inheritance. Here the story fits in every
part. It is the old ship of Zion landed in the heavenly port. Understand it so,
and every feature takes on an evangelic light and a meaning commensurate with
its fame. Nor is it possible to contemplate the vivid correspondence without wonderment
at the prophetic knowledge and spiritual understanding and anticipations of
those primeval sages who framed these signs and gave out their meaning.
The Names.
And what we thus read in the
story of the Argonauts is confirmed by the names in the constellation itself.
The brightest star in the group is Canopies or Canobns. And this is the name of
the great hero and helmsman, who died from the serpent's bite, but whom the
Egyptians worshipped as a divine being. The name itself means the possession of
Him who cometh, and thus explains why the Egyptians represented Canobus by a
great treasure-jar. Other names are also here which tell us what we are to
understand. Sephina means multitudinous good, the very abundance of the seas
and of treasures referred to by Moses under the sien of Issachar. Tureis means
the firm possession in hand, the treasure secured. Asmidiska means the travellers
released. And Soheil means what was desired.
In the Dendera Zodiac we have
here the figure of a great ox enclosed, with the cross suspended from his neck,
the symbol of the great possession marked with the ancient token of immortality
and eternal life. And the name of this figure is Shes-en-Fent, rejoicing over
the Serpent. All this expresses exactly what I have said is the great subject
of Cancer.
In the Persian Zodiac we have
here three young women walking at leisure, the same with the daughters of Aish,
signifying the Church in its final inheritance.
Thus the whole presentation
binds up and links together from all sides to fix upon the sien of Cancer and
its Decans the intention to make it the recorded symbol, prophecy, and hope of
the heavenly rest for the redeemed which shines so conspicuously in all the
scriptural promises. It is the star-picture of the multitudinous seed of faith
at length possessing the gate of the enemy, rejoicing over him in life eternal,
and going forth in abundant peace and blessedness, with the Serpent's head
effectually trodden beneath their feet.
A Sweet Consolation.
It is a blessed consolation to
the oft-weary toilers and travellers in this world to know that there does
remain a rest for the people of God. With all the trials and hardships to which
they are subjected here, there is to come a blessed recompense. Jesus says :
"Let not your heart be troubled; in my Father's house are many mansions. 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 ye may be
also" (John 1 4 : 1-3). Isaiah sings: "The ransomed of the Lord shall
return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads : they
shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (25
: 10). John in prophetic vision looked over into that other world, and writes:
" I beheld, and lo, a great multitude which no man could number, of all
nations, and kindreds, and peoples, and tongues stood before the throne, and
before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. These are
they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of
God, and serve Him day and night in His temple : and He that sitteth upon the
throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any
more ; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is
in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and lead them unto living fountains
of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" (Rev.
7:9-17); "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" (21 : 4). And even from His throne in glory the Saviour sends word
to His struggling people: "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with
Me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His
throne" (Rev. 3:21). Such are the great and precious promises given to us,
and such the possession to which we aspire, They are promises also that shall
surely be fulfilled. God has pledged himself by His oath to make them good.
They are the same that glowed in the hearts of the primeval patriarchs, who saw
them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed
that they were pilgrims and strangers on the earth. On these imperishable stars
they hung and pictured their confident belief and anticipations, whereby they,
being dead, yet speak — speak across these many thousands of years — speak for
our comfort on whom the ends of the world have come. Let us, then, be encouraged
to believe as they believed, to hope as they hoped, laboring and looking for
entrance into that same holy rest, even the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ.
The stories of the ancient world looked to the Day of
Redemption as a ship coming to take the heroes home after many hardships and
trials. The redeemed heroes go to a place of rest and to receive their
inheritance. But we haven’t quite understood who these redeemed heroes are.
These are people who come from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. These
are the people, the sheep, Jesus is going to call and bring to the pen.
When we look at the gathered in heaven, we notice something
important. They are all there at the same time watching and waiting for the
lamb to open the first seal. We have studied the mistranslation regarding
Revelation 5 previously and noted that depending on the translators beliefs
this particular section was translated differently in many versions including
the TR, the NA27, the Eastern and Western Aramaic, as well as the Northern
Aramaic. It is important for us to know this study as it will explain the
“strike trough’s” I included in the verse below.
The big picture we want to explore is who are these people
from every kindred, tongue, people, and nation? Why are they all in heaven
singing about being kings and priests? Why are they singing about being
redeemed by Jesus’ blood? We have to answer the question; who can be redeemed?
Can angels be redeemed? No. Can Cherubim, Seraphim, or Ophanim be redeemed? No.
Can beasts and elders be redeemed? No. Can demons be redeemed? No. Jesus came
and shed his blood to redeem humanity,that is it. Humans are the only ones who
can be redeemed. Humans are the redeemed in heaven.
Rev 5:8-10 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts
and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them
harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.9 And
they that sung sing a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take
the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed
us to God by thy blood out of every kindred
[5443], and tongue
[1100], and people [2992],
and nation [1484];10 And hast
made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. KJV
NT:5443 phule
(foo-lay'); from NT:5453 (compare NT:5444); an offshoot, i.e. race or clan: KJV
- kindred, tribe.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance
with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft,
Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:1100 glossa (gloce-sah'); of uncertain affinity; the
tongue; by implication, a language (specially, one naturally unacquired): KJV -
tongue.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:2992 laos (lah-os'); apparently a primary word; a people
(in general; thus differing from NT:1218, which denotes one's own populace):
KJV - people.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:1484 ethnos (eth'-nos); probably from NT:1486; a race
(as of the same habit), i.e. a tribe; specially, a foreign (non-Jewish) one
(usually by implication, pagan):KJV - Gentile, heathen, nation,
people.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
The only one worthy to take the book and open the seals is
Jesus, the Lamb of God. He redeems humans out of every race or clan. There were
clans from the time of Adam up to now that are redeemed. He redeems humans from
every language group. Think about how many different languages have been lost,
but there are people who believe on Jesus from every one of them. He redeems
people, not just one group like the Jews, human beings from everywhere. He
redeems humans from every non-Jewish ethnic group. When we see a listing of
words that are all similar such as these we get the understanding that he is
not leaving any redeemed humans out of the picture. As long as one believes on
Jesus as Messiah, Christ, Lord, that one is redeemed. By covering all the bases
here, Jesus is saying (as John is scribing) it does not matter who your mother
or father were, where you lived, or where you were born, nor what language you
spoke. Jesus has a sheepfold filled with diverse humans. This was the
contention of the Jews since before Jesus came to earth. The Jews thought
themselves to be special, set apart simply by birth. That is not the case. As
Jesus explains in John 10, he is making a sheepfold, not just from Israel, but
from humans from other parts of the world also. The Israelites didn’t know the
other sheep, they thought they would be the only ones, but they are not.
Jesus did a new thing here. He changed the dynamics of the
administration they were living under. People were not subject to the Temple
for worship or ritual practice, they were all included into a personal
relationship with Jesus. Think about this, we do not have to go to men or a man
to become acceptable to Jesus, His blood was the price he paid for us and it
makes us acceptable. Jesus changed the dynamics of spiritual practice, aka the
administration/dispensation/age. Jesus had the power to change how humans would
worship and come to him. Humans do not have that power or authority, but all
through history, we humans make up rules and practices and then say “Here God
this is how I will worship you”. Rather, we should ask the question, “Jesus,
how shall I worship you?” The answer is as unique as human fingerprints. Jesus
changed the way we were to do things on earth. It doesn’t matter if you believe
it or disagree with it, he made the changes and we can either accept them or
not. His sheep hear his voice.
The interesting thing about the constellation of Argo is
that it is the biggest, and broadest witness of Jesus’ goodness to humanity. No
one needs a huge ship if the cargo is small and light. The reason the ship has
to be so big is to accommodate the redeemed from every kindred, tongue, people,
and nation. Surely the ancients understood that there would be more than just
Jews on board, especially those who were not from one of the twelve tribes but
knew the star gospel. Abraham had eight sons. That in itself makes for a lot of
people on board. The great news is that Jesus never asks people to deny their
ethnicity. Jesus does not ask people to change who they are and where they are
from. Jesus doesn’t ask us to adopt old rituals and religious practices. Jesus
doesn’t ask us to change our names, our hair, our clothing style, or our locations
to become redeemed.
In I Corinthians 7 we miss the point when we read King
James English. This section is about us being OK just as we are. We are not
talking about circumcision as the technical act of circumcision, but
circumcision as the comparison between Jews and non-Jews. Let’s read this in
the Message as it flows better.
1 Cor 7:18-22 Were you Jewish at the time God called you?
Don't try to remove the evidence. Were you non-Jewish at the time of your call?
Don't become a Jew. 19 Being Jewish isn't the point. The really important thing
is obeying God's call, following his commands.
20 Stay where you were when God called your name. 21 Were
you a slave? Slavery is no roadblock to obeying and believing. I don't mean
you're stuck and can't leave. If you have a chance at freedom, go ahead and
take it. 22 I'm simply trying to point out that under your new Master you're
going to experience a marvelous freedom you would never have dreamed of. On the
other hand, if you were free when Christ called you, you'll experience a
delightful "enslavement to God" you would never have dreamed of.
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language ©
2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
Don’t become Jewish. Don’t become a Jew. Don’t change your
name or wear silly clothes just to make others think you are something you are
not. Being Jewish isn’t the point. Being Jewish isn’t necessary to get on board
Argo. Being Jewish isn’t anything you need to do to be redeemed. Under Jesus’
Lordship, you do not need to change anything about yourself. However, you are
free from the devil’s grip and you do not have to be subject to him or under
his control. Let’s go on.
1 Cor 7:23-24 All of you, slave and free both, were once
held hostage in a sinful society. Then a huge sum was paid out for your ransom.
So please don't, out of old habit, slip back into being or doing what everyone
else tells you. 24 Friends, stay where you were called to be. God is there.
Hold the high ground with him at your side.
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language ©
2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
Those are some very powerful ideas. We don’t have to do
what others tell us, we don’t have to leave unless Jesus tells us to. We don’t
have to change unless Jesus tells us to. We don’t have to listen to anyone else
unless Jesus tells us to. How liberating is that? A huge sum was paid for our
ransom. We are to hold the high ground with Jesus at our side. That is why
Jesus used the constellation of Argo to communicate the hugeness of what he was
going to do. This is why the devil has attempted to hide the meaning of Argo
and attempted to dissect it.
Joseph Seiss’ prophetic message relating to Jason and the
Argonauts is a message we should be telling today. The heroes who have gone
through various trials are gathered onto Argo and brought home. Jesus telling
us he has other sheep to bring into the pen is that same story. Jesus is the
master of diversity. When we attempt to become more diverse as a culture or a church
we usually fall short, but not Jesus. He wants us to stay where we were called
and be the diverse population we were called to be. I hear the words of Billy
Joel in the background “Don’t go changin’ to try and please me, ……I love you
just the way you are”. If Argo isn’t a sweet message to the followers of Christ
I don’t know what is. If you live on a farm in India, or in a city in China, or
on the beach of Vanuatu, or an encampment in the desert, stay there unless
Jesus tells you something different. Do not become like someone else, stay as
you were when you were called. Jesus is about diversity, other sheep. We are not
to become carbon copies of stereotypical religious people, we are unique
individuals and we are called to worship him in our own unique way.
One more very important point is that no human has the
power or authority to allow or deny passage on Argo. Not your Pastor, Minister,
or Priest. No human has the ability or capability to control the ramp onto the
ship. No one has the exclusive rights to the dock either. Humans have a
tendency to want to make followers of themselves, but Jesus wants a diverse
population. The only one who can allow or deny passage is Jesus. The only one
you are exclusively accountable to is Jesus. The only one who can ransom you is
Jesus. He told the Israelis’ he had other sheep, when we read that do we think
they all must look like Israeli’s? The Magi didn’t look like Israeli’s. No, we
do not have to look like or act like any other people group. Jesus expects a
diverse group for the kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of God. We cannot let
ourselves be deceived by men or by demons or by the devil. Jesus’ other sheep
are seen worshiping him in heaven as he is ready to open the seals, from every kindred, tongue, people, and nation. Diversity.
