JULY 7
THE CLOUD OF WITNESSES
OLUBI JOHNSON
Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
In the scripture above we are told that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.
Who then are these witnesses?
They include all saints that have died and gone to heaven, from both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
It is vital to understand that the saints in heaven are living and conscious of what and how well we are doing here on earth spiritually: God’s family is both in heaven and on earth (Lk. 20:37-38).
Ephesians 3:14-15 NKJV: For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
These witnesses are concerned about the spiritual condition of the Church and desire for us saints here on earth to do even better than they did in their Christian race when they were here on the earth.
Why are we told about these witnesses?
To comfort and encourage us to continue and finish well our Christian race (1 Cor. 10:11).
Rom 15:4 NIV:
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
So by copying the good examples of the cloud of witnesses and avoiding their errors and mistakes God expects every generation of Christians to do better than the previous generation until the Church is perfected in the last generation and is raptured out of the earth as a glorious Church, not having spot, blemish, wrinkle or any such thing (Prov. 4:18).
This generation of Christians, counting from the establishment of Israel as geopolitical entity again in 1948, is destined to be the last generation (Matt. 24:32-34).
The fig tree is symbolic of the nation of Israel in this context (Hos. 9:10; Joel 1:7).
So lift up your heads, learn from the cloud of witnesses through the scriptures by the Holy Spirit to fulfill your destiny!
For more on today’s study visit:
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Pastor Olubi Johnson on
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