Spiritual Separation

Hi Friends,  

These past several days, I had been praying for God's direction regarding a personal situation.  When the Lord responded with a vision, I decided to write about it and post it.  However as I was about to post it, I received a check in my spirit, so I stopped and decided not to post it.  Then I began to pray for The Lord to share something with me, that I could post.  He gave me this vision in five parts.

The Vision

First I saw the interior of a box truck lined in plywood and painted black.  Looking towards the front of the truck, from inside the box, I saw two French doors, as you might see in a dining room in a restaurant leading to the kitchen.  These were French doors with no handles, and no latches, so that you could just push the doors open. There was a single porthole or window centered between the two doors, so that each door had a half circle for a window.  

Next I saw while seated on the floor praying, the lower legs of someone who walked up to me, and stood next to me.  It was very much like an open vision, very real, except my eyes were closed.  It was so real, it seemed as though I could have reached out and touched him.  Of course when I opened my eyes, he wasn’t there.

Next I saw two words on a plain white background.  The words were “whole,” and “cleanse.”

Then I saw a man walk up to a white table, and pick up a bunch of green grapes.  He just looked at them, he didn’t eat them or take them anywhere.

Then I saw in the distance an old man with white hair and a white heavy mustache.  He wore a plain red vest, open in the front without buttons, a white shirt and a pair of khaki pants.  He hailed me from a distance, waving his right arm.

What I believe the vision means:

Whole and Cleanse

As I began looking at this vision, I started with the words “whole” and “cleanse.”  There appears to be only one passage of scripture where these two words are together.  It is Numbers 8:7 and in context Numbers 8:5-14. “The Lord said to Moses: ‘Take the Levites and make them ceremonially clean.  To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves…..Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they might be ready to do the work of the Lord.…... In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.” Numbers 8:5-7; 8:11; 8:14

As I looked at the other parts of the vision, I saw that the theme was spiritual separation.  Spiritual separation is not just an Old Testament idea.  Paul writes to the Corinthians of the need for separation for believers. "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.  For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?  Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?  What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?"  2 Corinthians 6:14-15

 "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.  Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.  I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."  2 Corinthians 6:17-18  If we are to be the Lord’s disciples, we must choose to separate ourselves from ungodly people and ungodly influences, which can undermine our devotion to God.  Without true dedication, and a sincere commitment to serve the Lord, we are merely fooling ourselves. “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”  Matthew 15:8

According to the Old Testament, the firstborn son of every Israelite family was to be devoted to God.  Samuel was an example of this.  His mother Hannah, brought her son to the temple, to fulfill her promise to the Lord. "After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. When they slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to him, 'As surely as you live my lord, I am the woman who stood beside you praying to the Lord.  I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted me what I asked of him.  So now I give him to the Lord.  For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.'"  1 Samuel 1:24-28   He was raised in the temple by Eli, the priest, continually in the presence of the Lord, and became a prophet.

However, the Lord made the family of Levy, the Levites, a people set apart for himself.  He took the Levites as a substitute for the firstborn of Israel.  “And I have taken the Levites in place of all the first born sons in Israel. Of all the Israelites, I have a given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons to do the work at the Tent of Meeting on behalf of the Israelites and to make atonement for them so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.”  Numbers 8:18-19

Just as there was a separation of the Levites, unto God, because they were to serve before the Lord in the temple, we as believers need to separate ourselves from the things in the world that would interfere with our devotion to God.  

The Man with the Grapes

The man in the vision walked over to a white table, and picked up a large bunch of green grapes, without eating them or taking them anywhere.  He simply looked at them, and considered.…

Following in the theme of separation unto God, I would like to speak of the Nazarites.  These were people who either made a vow of separation unto God or were divinely chosen to be separated unto the Lord.  Samson and John the Baptist were both Nazrites, divinely selected to fulfill God's purpose.  Samson’s mother and father, and John’s father were visited by angels and told that their sons were to be set apart for the work for which the Lord was calling them. They were to never eat anything coming from the grapevine, to not drink wine, or other fermented drink, and to not eat anything unclean.  Nazarites were also to refrain from doing anything that would defile them, (for example, to be in the presence of a dead body.)  And no razor was to ever touch their heads.  

I upon considering this, I noticed that the Levites were to shave off every hair on their bodies to begin their service to the Lord, and the Nazarites were to never use a razor on their bodies.  However, those who made a Nazarite vow of separation, and somehow become defiled, were to shave off the hair on their heads and offer sacrifices to atone for their sin.  Then their period of separation would begin once again. God gave them a way to start over, and he does that for us as well.  Praise the Lord, that we have second chances!

In the vision, the man was looking at the grapes.  He was contemplating whether it was worth separating himself to God, or was his love for wine, and alcohol, too great to give up.  Jesus tells us to count the cost. “If anyone comes to me does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, even their own life--such a person cannot be my disciple.  And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26-27

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower.  Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?”  Luke 14:28

“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king.  Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?”  Luke 14:31

“In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”  Luke 14:33

We must count the cost of being a disciple of the Lord, because he asks us to separate ourselves from many things, and even people we love.  Anything that captures our hearts and takes us away from God, is something from which we must separate. God is not interested in being second place in your life.  But he is asking us to be “all in” with him.  

The Truck Interior with Swinging Doors

I believe that the dark, black plywood interior of the truck represents the kingdom of darkness.  The double swinging doors represent the exit from “death” and the entrance to “life.” The porthole window represents the ability to see into the realm of heaven.  The porthole or window showed that there was light beyond the doors.  God gives us a small taste of what heaven might be like, when we worship him and feel his presence.  We experience the power of God  when we receive an answer to prayer, a healing, or a miraculous provision.  And if you have ever heard his voice, you will be forever spoiled to the things of the world.  It will create in you a longing to hear him more.  This is the little taste of heaven that we as believers get to experience.

God wants us to be instruments of his power, his love and his spirit. We need to be separated unto him to experience more of him.  I sometimes describe it this way: God is more than willing to give you as much of him as you desire: one scoop, two scoops or the whole bucket!  The more time we spend with him, the more he will reveal himself to us. The more separated we are to him, the more he can use us, to fulfill his plans and purposes.

The Two Legs

Obviously the legs belong to someone.  Because of two other visions the Lord has given me in the past, I believe that the legs are those of an angel.  God sends angels when we pray.  They carry out God’s directives; they bring messages; they rescue us when we are in trouble; and they carry the sword for battles in the heavenlies.  

In the vision, the man or angel walked up to me and stood next to me, as I was sitting on the floor.  I believe that he had come in answer to my prayers.  “Then the Lord said to me, ‘You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.’” Jeremiah 1:12

When we pray in the spirit, we pray the perfect will of the Father.  His Holy Spirit and our spirit pray together what is on the Father’s heart.  The Holy Spirit comes with fire to cleanse, and purify, and to set us apart for his purposes.  The evidence that we have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, is that we begin to speak in tongues.  “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.”  Romans 8:26

This is truly a wonderful gift, from the Lord.  If you have not yet received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, then you should seek God.  Jesus said, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”  Luke 11:13

The White Haired Man with the Mustache

I believe that the white hair and mustache represent age, and wisdom.  His clothing was simple.  He was an ordinary, older man calling to me for help.  What did he need?

Do you remember the man that Paul saw in a dream, that called to him to come and bring the message of the gospel to Macedonia?  Paul had been kept from of going to Asia, by the Holy Spirit.  "During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us.' After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them."  Acts 16:9-10

I believe that the man in my vision, was calling for much the same reason.  Everyone needs salvation, particularly the aged.  How many years are left for them?  Eternity is not far away.  They need to know Jesus as their Lord and savior. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?  And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?  As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” Romans 10:13-15

We are all called to share the gospel. It was the Lord’s final words to us: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized (water baptism) will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”  Mark 16:15-16

In an earlier post entitled, “Are you Coming?” , there was an invitation to follow a circuit riding preacher.  The preacher sat on a horse, and turned to look at me.  He asked me, “Are you coming?” I do not know exactly how this invitation will play out in my life, but we all must be ready when the Lord calls, to follow him and share the gospel.

We are also instructed to pray for the harvest.  "Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."  Matthew 9:38  

Conclusion

The Lord is asking us to be “all in,” to separate ourselves from the world and its values, to be devoted to him, in prayer and in sharing the gospel.  “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”  John 20:21

I hope you will be encouraged to separate yourself for the Lord's purposes.  God bless you!