Waterdeep, Lawrence Kansas, 12-04-1998

A real fine recording of Waterdeep.  This one is rockin' worship at the start and then becomes calmer acoustic at the end.  Great music to celebrate the good news that Jesus is alive!  Happy Easter

Waterdeep

12-04-1998

University of Lawrence, KS

Soundboard

setlist:

disc 1:

The Razor Light

Razor Reprise

Everybody's Guilty

Come To Me

I Know The Plans

Cowards Never Win

He Will Come

All Along The Watchtower

Go Find John

disc2:

Sink Or Swim

Sweet River Roll

Banter(sermon)

You Can't Hide

Lonely Sometimes-> Improv

Long On Diagnosis, Short On Cure

Hush

I Could Sing Of Your Love

Mp3/320k

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OJ2XD81X

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=H4KBTRPG

Waterdeep, 4-14-2000

This band can play!  Listen to the guitar in Gospel Train.  If you are looking for a band that has spiritual content but is still cool and jams, this might be the ticket.  I love the thirteen minute Everybody's Guilty jam out, it rocks! 

Waterdeep

The Venue
Olathe, KS
4-14-2000

Soundboard
setlist:
Walls & Tall Shadows
Wicked Web
Gospel Train
Wayfaring Stranger -> (Soon & Very Soon outro)
Everybody's Guilty ->
Jericho jam ->
Everybody's Guilty
Sweet River Roll
(Don sermonette)
You Can't Hide1 -> (And it Stoned Me outro)
I Know The Plans
On a Night That Felt Outdated
Psalm 131
The Heart of Worship ->
Come Let Us Worship and Bow Down ->
Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel
(prayer)
I'm Gonna Walk The Streets of Glory

Mp3/320k
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VCW0S6QS
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4JXQIUFS

Want To See Intolerance?

People often claim Christianity is intolerant.   I always find that claim to be strange.  We just state what our belief is and the hang up alway comes with that their is "one way" to God.  So you don't believe it, and you tell me I'm wrong and you tell me what you believe.  Are you now intolerant of my belief?  No we just see it differently.  I'm not intollernt of you I'm just sharing a different opinion.  And I feel you should be free to express yours.  Intolerance come into play when we restrict people ability to live out their belief and express it.  When we won't allow another to have a view that is different. Or we attack the other with hateful words when we disagree.  I'll show you it.  It comes here all the time.  Many of you may not read the Christian stuff and that's called free choice.  But if you don't you are missing out on seeing what kind of intolerance for my belief is out there.  There is a deep hatred for Christians that I often encounter.  Look at the comments on this post and where it goes.  I get you don't aggree I just don't get taking it off subject to attack me and call me a theif and all the anger. 
http://arizjones.blogspot.com/2011/04/when-god-abandons-you-or-is-it-other.html#comments
I'm thinking of shutting down this blog because quite frankly I'm tired of being a place for others to bash my Lord.  It's my blog.  Someone telling me I don't play by the rules.  What rules are those?  Last I checked it was my blog.  I get accused of deleting a comment that I did not.   I have never deleted a comment on this blog.  But there are no rules.  If I want to I can.  Who are you to think otherwise?  We will see in the next few days what I decide.    AZ Jones.  Oh, yea and God Bless you all.  Hope that does not offend you. 

When God Abandons You, Or Is It The Other Way Around?

When God Abandons You, Or Is It The Other Way Around?

I feel some of the most profound moments captured in the bible to show us things about our relationship with God happen during the “Passion Week” leading up to and including the crucifixion of Jesus. At the start of the week we see Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey before an adoring crowd, and by the end of the week mostly detractors are the only ones left. I feel if we look at this relationship these people had with Jesus it can teach us something about our own relationship with God.

Let’s first look at the adoring crowds we find in John 12, Matthew 21, Mark 11, and Luke 19. In all four accounts we see them placing palm branches before Jesus and yelling out Hosanna, and calling Him the King of Israel. Palm branches were used to welcome royalty, so their intent is to make Him king and this shows at this time they are ready to follow Him as their leader. Hosanna means save us now. This show they are thinking he has come to save them and they think it is in this moment of time.

This is often how we act toward Jesus. We are in some type of problem or bondage caused by our circumstance and we decide to run to him call Him our King and follow Him and expect Him to immediately save us from our problem. And placing Jesus as the King of our life does just that, but the problem is we are saved upon our declaring Him as King and following, but it is often not in the way we have in mind.

Well I think they had in mind Jesus saving them from the Roman occupation of their land. I think they were looking for a leader that would lead a revolt and uprising against the Romans but that’s not what Jesus was there for. I think we often do the same thing. We have ideas about what God should do for us to make our lives better, and to save us from the bondage of our circumstances. What the Israelites of the time of Jesus and we tend to miss is that the Kingdome that Jesus was talking about is a different kind than what we usually think of, and the problems and bondage that He wants to free us from are different too. In fact God in the form of Jesus is about a spiritual kingdom, and is about spiritual freedom, the effects of this may spill over into the physical but not always. The effects may impact the present but I think God is more concerned about the impact on our eternal future.

So what happened latter in the week with these same people and how did they treat Jesus as a result? Well during this week Jesus went into the Temple and he overturned the money changer’s tables and drove out those who bought and sold in the temple. He spoke a parable about a Vineyard Owner (Mark 12:1-12, Matthew 21:33-46, Luke 20:9-19) and He answered a question about paying taxes (Mark 12:13-17, Matthew 22:15-22). He answered questions about resurrection (Mark 12:18-27, Matthew 22:23-33, Luke 20:27-40), and He Condemned the Jewish leaders (Mark 12:38-44, Matthew 23:1-14, Luke 20:45-21:4). So when he drove out the ones who bought and sold in the temple, He challenged the Jewish status quo. He was against them as much as the Romans. When he told the parable of the Vineyard it was about how the Jewish people had been poor stewards of what God had given them. And it was about how they had killed God’s prophets in the past and how they would kill God’s only begotten Son and how God would give their blessings to others (the gentiles). They knew it was against them and “sought to lay hands on Him”. When asked about taxes he said “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s”, in other words pay taxes to the Romans. Not what the masses wanted to hear from the one they thought would free them from such taxes. When asked about the resurrection by the Sadducees who taught there was no such thing, He taught that they did not know Scripture, and that the resurrection of the dead into a spiritual eternal life is real. This alienated all who were living for the things of the present. And then He finally condemned the Jewish leaders by telling all who were present to “Beware of the scribes, who are friendly to others in the market, and seek the best seats in the synagogues, yet devour widow’s houses, and for a pretense make long prayers”. He called them hypocrites and said they did not enter in to God’s presence and blocked others from the same.

So in this week they found out Jesus was not about freedom from Rome. He was not about keeping Jewish tradition intact. He was not about their welfare in the present, but believed in a life of eternity and a payoff there instead of now. He was as much an enemy to the Jewish establishment as he was an enemy of Rome. So here is how they responded. One of His closest followers sold him out to the authorities for some silver. He was falsely accused of crimes he did not do. When Pilate offered the people a chance to set Him free by giving them a choice between Jesus, an innocent man, and Barabbas a known thief and murderer, they chose to free the criminal. Most of the Apostles ran and hid and even denied they knew Him. And then they watched Him be put to death and even mocked Him as it was taking place.

Well that is pretty much what we do today. When we turn to Jesus to save us but do it with expectations of how that should look and take place, we are often let down. He does not always heal our sick friends or loved ones, He does not always answer our prayers for provision with that new job, he does not always stop the great sorrows of natural disasters, or the man made ones. He does not always defeat the enemies that we perceive to be a threat. And he often wants us to clean out our own temple, and convicts us of our own hypocrisies. So we become the Judge of God and put Him on trial for things He did not do. We could condemn the real criminals who caused sin to enter the world, but we let ourselves off the hook and crucify Jesus instead and then even mock those who believe along the way. And then when the heat is put on and we might be scorned for saying we follow Christ we cover it up and keep our faith a secret for fear of persecution.


You might say, but you don’t know what I have had to go through. Perhaps you had to face something that was unbearable in spite of your prayers. Maybe you lost a loved one and it did not seem like God cared. Maybe you feel like you were passed over when life gave out its blessings. Maybe your friend and family have turned their backs on you in your greatest time of need. Perhaps in your greatest time of need you feel God was not there for you when you needed Him the most? Well I’m here to tell you Jesus knows how you feel, and He has been there.

Jesus asked God to not make Him go through with the crucifixion if there was any other way, but God allowed it anyway. Jesus had His closest friends turn on Him and leave Him in His greatest time of need. After all, where were all the ones He healed, and ministered to, while He was being tried, convicted, and killed? And in the very end at His dying moment even His Father, God looked away, and Jesus cried out “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Well let me tell you it is not wrong to question God, Jesus did.  And in those times you may have cried out, but what did you say?  What Jesus said is profound because He still placed God in authority, because He said “My God”. He still knew God to be His God in spite of the problem and what He had gone through. When He knew what He was about to face and prayed in the garden, He still walked in faith even when he did not want to face what God had placed before Him. And in His most dire moment he quoted scripture. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1) He went to the word in His darkest moment. The living word Jesus fell back on the word of God in His time of need. Do you think you can get through the trials, the storms, and the tests of life without the word? Jesus couldn’t so how can you? Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). Only then after Jesus walked it out in faith relying on the word did the veil rip from top to bottom, only then was real access to God and His grace available. Only when we walk through our trials and tests with true unshakeable faith depending on God’s word and the living word that is Jesus will we have true access to God’s grace. Sure, Jesus died, but God turned this worst of moments into the best of ones. Jesus was abandoned so you would be accepted by God. Jesus became sin so you could be holy, Jesus died so you could have eternal life. Sure God will allow us to have times of sorrow, but God can and will turn them to good if we allow Him in. The veil was ripped so now all can have access but do you walk through? Or in your time of trouble do you run to a counselor when you should run to The Counselor. Do you remain faithful even when your prayers are not anawered in the way you desire?  So when you feel abandoned by God are you going to put Him on trial? Are you going to turn on Him? Are you going to rest in your understanding of the problem, or walk it out in faith and keep Him on the thrown of your life, knowing that He has a better perspective of the event?

Lord I pray that anyone who reads this and does not know you will seek you and the grace and forgiveness of our faults that only you can provide. And for those who have walked away, Lord let them see that you still are there for them just like you were there for Peter who denied you three times in your greatest moment of need. And just like Peter may God lift you up and use you in a profound way to impact others, and turn your darkest moment into your brightest. And for those who are in a difficult time, I pray you may stay anchored in God's word and in Jesus, during this storm. 

Waterdeep, 9-15-2001

Someone said that music is the inarticulate speech of the heart that cannot be comprised of words because it is infinite. I think it's true. Music can speak to your spirit or heart in ways that words alone cannot. This band gets that and they speak about spiritual things in a deep and profound way.

Waterdeep

University Church at Purdue

West Lafayette, IN

9-15-2001

Soundboard

Disk 1: 57:26

01. Scared

02. Two Gunslingers

03. Rest In You

04. Special Delivery

05. Wayfaring Stranger

06. Soon And Very Soon

07. Take Jericho

08. All Along The Watchtower

09. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child

10. Whether Or Not

Disk 2: 61:20

01. Don's Sermonette

02. 18 Bullet Holes

03. You

04. I Could Run Away

05. I Will Not Forget You

06. When The Cold Wind Blows

07. You Are So Good To Me

Mp3/320k

http://www.mediafire.com/?bsdstb2k1oai0lb

http://www.mediafire.com/?cncup8am2qczmcl

Camp Springs Bluegrass Festival, September 1971, Part Two

Here is part two of the seven part Camp Springs Bluegrass Festival.  This part has three acts, including Bluegrass 45, a bluegrass band from Kobe Japan, that I found very interesting.  They play traditional bluegrass and then play traditional Japanese songs in a bluegrass style.  Againg pretty good sound quality. 

The Bluegrass Buddies

09/??/1971 (Labor Day Weekend)

Camp Springs Bluegrass Festival

Reidsville, NC

Soundboard

Set 1:

1. Intro

2. Train 45

3. Walk a Mile in My Shoes

4. Make Me a Palette on the Floor

5. White House Blues

6. Take the Ribbon From Your Hair

7. Fox on the Run

8. Fightin' Side of Me

9. Katie Dear

Mp3/320k

http://www.mediafire.com/?z6vszvocf6gxzaw

Curtis Blackwell, Randall Collins, and the Dixie Bluegrass Boys

09/??/1971 (Labor Day Weekend)

Camp Springs Bluegrass Festival

Reidsville, NC

Randall Collins - fiddle

Curtis Blackwell - guitar

Eddie Hoyle - banjo

Larry Jefferson - mandolin

Sam Cobb - bass

Set 1

1. Intro

2. Long Black Veil

3. Think of What You've Done

4. The Dixie Breakdown

5. Cryin' for You Darlin'

6. Shackles and Chains

7. The Fiddler's Dream

8. How Many Hearts Have You Broken?

9. The Life of a Poor Boy

Set 2

10. Intro

11. Sittin' On Top of the World

12. Living a Lie

13. The Georgia Cotton

14. I Wonder Where You Are Tonight

15. East Virginia Blues

16. The Drunk Indian

17. Long Black Veil

18. The Dixie Breakdown

19. Train 45

20. The Heaven Light is Shining on Thee

Mp3/320k

http://www.mediafire.com/?333x2s11ry9r2n9

The Bluegrass 45

09/??/1971 (Labor Day Weekend)

Camp Springs Bluegrass Festival

Reidsville, NC

Tsuyoshi 'Josh' Otsuka - guitar

Akira 'John' Otsuka - mandolin

Toshio Watanabe - bass

Saburo 'Sab' Watanabe Inoue - banjo

Hsueh-Cheng 'Ryo' Liao - fiddle

Disc One

Set 1

1. Introduction By Fred Bartenstein

2. Raise A Ruckus

3. That’s The Time

4. Place In The Sun

5. Yes Sir, She’s My Baby

6. Song Of The Sea Shore

7. Long Lonesome Road

8. Sakura

9. Aunt Dinah’s Quilting Party

10. Bridge Over Troubled Water

11. Listen To The Mocking Bird

Set 2

12. Introduction By Bill Vernon

13. Raise A Ruckus

14. Wild And Reckless Hobo

15. Bluegrass Breakdown

16. Come Home My Dear One

17. The Mountain Song Of Kissan

18. Dixie Breakdown

19. Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms

20. Little Cabin Home On The Hill

21. Sitting On Top Of The World

22. Orange Blossom Special

23. Talk

24. Mocking Banjo

Set 3

25. Raise A Ruckus

26. Blue Ridge Mountain Home

27. Someday Soon (Beginning of Song Missing)

28. Salty Dog Blues

29. Modern Jazz

30. Run Mountain

31. Bring Me Back To My Home

32. Foggy Mountain Breakdown

Disc Two

Set 4

1. Introduction By Fred Bartenstein

2. Raise A Ruckus

3. That’s The Time

4. Bridge Over Troubled Water

5. Black Mountain Rag

6. How Far To Camp Springs

7. Place In The Sun

8. Fuji Mountain Breakdown

9. Song Of The Sea Shore

10. Orange Blossom Special

11. Mocking Banjo

Set 5

12. Introduction By Bill Vernon

13. Raise A Ruckus

14. That’s The Time

15. Sakura

16. Come Home My Dear One

17. Wild And Reckless Hobo

18. Earl’s Breakdown

19. Long Lonesome Road

20. Take Me Home Country Roads

21. Listen To The Mocking Bird

22. Bridge Over Troubled Water

In the spring of 1967, the Bluegrass 45 was formed in a little coffeehouse called "Lost City" in Kobe, Japan.  In 1971 the Bluegrass 45 toured the States performing at numerous Bluegrass festivals, on the stage of Grand Ole Opry and many Country music shows as an opening act for such luminaries as Merle Haggard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn and Roy Acuff.

Mp3/320k

http://www.mediafire.com/?uqpt5etd8ja9225

http://www.mediafire.com/?m4249ycm682hd4w 

Kartchner Caverns State Park, AZ

    Last weekend I traveled down to southern Arizona with my family to visit Kartchner Caverns State Park.  My child was given a school assignment to do a report on the State Park so we thought first hand experience would be better than anything else for her.  We found out they have a campground and made reservations.  We also found that all tours of the caverns are guided and should be reserved in advance. 

     When we arrived at the campgrounds we found a dry desert landscape.  Even though the elevation is close to 4600 feet it was not much different than what you would see at my house at 3000.  I guess the winter storms tend to track north of there.  Up in Central and Northern AZ at 4600 feet you would see some juniper and occasional pinion pine but not down south.  It was all mesquite trees, prickley pear and barrel cactus, some yuccas, with some ocotillo thrown in for variety. 

    At the camp ground the scenery is dominated by views of the Whetstone Mountains a ridge of mountains that rises up to close to 8000 feet in elevation.  There are two hiking trails that leave the campgrounds and go up into the hills and mountains.  One is a loop trail that climbs the foot hills and returns, the other is an out and back that goes well up into the forest service land of the mountain range. 

     The main draw of Kartchner Caverns State Park is of course the caverns themselves.  The caverns were discovered by two college students back in 1974 and they kept it a secret for 14 years until they could get it protected by the owners of the land and the State Park Service.  The caverns are named after the owners of the land that the caves were found on. 

    The State Park Service has gone to great lengths to keep the cave as well preserved as possible.  This includes keeping the moist environment stable and free of outside air and dirt.  They control the amount of light and no cameras are allowed in the caverns.  So all the photos of the interior of the cave I had to find online.  You go through a series of sealed doors as you descend down tunnels to the cave entrance.  Once inside you find an amazing display of formations that are still being formed. 

The paths are controlled to keep dirt from contaminating the cave and more than 85 percent of the cave has never been walked on.  When you compare the glistening wet formations of this cave to ones you see at other places that are all dried out, there is no comparison.  Not only is it well preserved but it is world class. containing some rare and in some cases best formations (speleothems) of calcite in the world.  They say it has the 2nd longest recorded example of a soda straw formation.  Soda straws are very thin formations that hang down from the ceiling.  Along with that it has one of the largest columns (Kubla Kahn) in North America.  And amazing flowstones, shields (including parachute, welt, and turnip types),  and draperies to go along with all the stalactites, and stalagmites (including totems and fried eggs), cave popcorn, helectites, and boxwork.

One of my favorite formations was called cave bacon.  I guess it is formed when water comes through a crack in the cave ceiling and with time makes a thin sheet of minerals the length of the crack.  It really does look like bacon. 

  There are two different tours of the caverns that you can take that take you to two different parts of the caves.  Both of them are outstanding and I would advise you to do take both tours if you can.

The visitors center is called the Discovery Center because along with being the place you pick up your reserved tickets or purchase the "walk-up" tickets, and catch the tram up to the cave entrance,  there are many informative displays and exhibits about the history, formation, and discovery of the caverns.  The campgrounds have nice showers and bathrooms, and each site has water and electric.  Most of the campers were in large recreational vehicles, basically houses on wheels.  I'm more of the tent kind of guy myself. 

Here is Holly our fierce guard dog on duty keeping watch over the camp making sure everything is in order.

And of course we were treated with a great Arizona sunset over the Whetstone Mountains to end our last night there.  A fine grand finale to a nice little family adventure.

If you are planing a trip there I recommend reserving tour tickets in advance, because only five per tour are saved for walk-up purchase.  For more information about prices and reservations here is the State Park website.  http://www.mediafire.com/?m4249ycm682hd4w

Jesus In The Old Testament?

Jesus In The Old Testament? You might say how is that possible he was not alive yet. So, what does Jesus Himself have to say about it?

In Luke 24:27 Jesus tells the men “In all the scriptures the things concerning Himself”. The truth is that all through the Old Testament there are things that refer to the coming of Jesus, and in many cases there are stories that picture Jesus for us in unique and profound ways. You see the New Testament is Jesus revealed and the Old Testament is Jesus concealed. But really, the entire bible is about Jesus. I will show you a few examples of well known Old Testament stories that never mention Jesus but all through them if you look you can see Him, and they foretell of His coming.

The First story I will use is Genesis 22. This is where God tells Abraham to take his son Isaac and sacrifice him. This is a well known story to be sure. So the obvious parallel to Jesus is that a father sacrifices his son. Just as God the father gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for me. But that is just the start of the parallels.

The first parallel is that Isaac was a miracle baby just as Jesus was. Sara was over 90 years old and unable to have children when along came Isaac, and we know that Jesus too was a miracle in that Mary was a virgin and unable to give birth without an act of God. Both Isaac and Jesus were promised well in advance and named in advance by God. Abraham and Sara were told more than 20 years before Isaac was born that he would come. There was a long period of time between the promise and the event, just as with Jesus the Messiah was promised thousands of years before his arrival. Abraham and Sara were told to name their son Isaac just as Mary and Joseph are told in advance what to name Jesus. In both cases the women who would give birth in effect questioned “how can this be?”

The next parallel is that both sons were obedient to their fathers to the point of death. You see Isaac willingly went to the sacrifice just as Jesus did. And they both went up a mountain to the place of sacrifice. In fact Abraham was told to take his son to a place called Moriah (Foreseen of God). So Abraham was to go to a place that is called foreseen of God to show us a picture of the future of Gods plan. What is interesting is that God sent Abraham to a place that latter was the site of Jerusalem and the future site of the crucifixion that was being foretold. We know this because it says in 2 Chronicles 3:1 that Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah. So they both went to the very same mountain to be sacrificed.

Two men walked with Isaac on the way to Moriah, just as two men go to the same place of sacrifice (the thieves on the crosses). We also see they prepare wood and Isaac carries the wood, just as Jesus caries the “wood” or the cross for His own sacrifice.

For three days Abraham and Isaac walk to the place of the sacrifice, just like Jesus walked with God for three years in His ministry that lead to the place of His sacrifice.

After the sacrifice moment with Isaac, we no longer see him but now we have an event in which an un-named helper goes in search of a bride for Isaac. In the New Testament after the sacrifice of Jesus, He goes up to heaven and we no longer see Him. But he tells us he will send a “helper” and the Helper the “Holy Spirit” is the one who brings us the “Bride of Christ” to Jesus. I could go on and on with these in this story but I will let you find some of your own. Hint: 10 camels at the well also represent something also with the number 10. Abraham’s wife dies and this represents something. The helper brings “gifts”.

Another famous story of the Old Testament that also has pictures of Jesus woven all through it is the story of Joseph seen in Genesis 37 through 48. The birth of Joseph seen in Genesis 29:22-23, being a miracle birth in that his mother Rebecca was barren and God intervened is similar to Jesus with His miracle circumstances of birth. Joseph being the shepherd of his father’s flock parallels Jesus role as the “good shepherd”. Joseph is despised and turned on by his brothers, sons of Israel, foretelling of how Jesus will be despised and turned against by his own the Israelites. Joseph is sold for the price of a slave (pieces of silver) as is Jesus. Joseph is placed in an empty pit and left for dead, and one of his brothers Ruben returns to the pit and finds it empty. Jesus was placed in an empty tomb and when people come looking for Him they find the tomb empty.

Now at this point in the story Joseph is taken to Egypt and placed into slavery. His being a servant pictures Jesus as a servant, in this time he is tempted by Potifer’s wife and resists the temptation to sin just as Jesus was tempted by Satan and resists. Joseph is then falsely accused and punished just as Jesus was falsely accused and punished. Then while Joseph is in prison there are two men that are there with him, a cupbearer to the pharaoh and a baker, one will be set free and the other will die. While Jesus is punished for the crime He did not commit (crucifixion) there are two men with Him as well, one will go to heaven with Jesus, (Spiritual freedom) and the other faces spiritual death.

When Joseph talks to the two men he tells the one who will be set free that when he is free to remember him. This is a picture of communion. The baker represents the bread and the cupbearer the wine, Jesus said of communion take this in remembrance of Me. Now Joseph two years later is freed and placed at the right hand of the Pharaoh. Jesus is raised up and placed at the right hand of God. A seven year famine hits the land and Joseph sees it coming and provides grain for people to make it through. In this time period Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt looking for food to save themselves from the famine. They do not recognize their brother. They purchase grain and on their return find the money in the sacks of grain. This first represents salvation provided by Jesus and that it is free and cannot be bought. The famine represents the seven year tribulation that is to come. The Israelites or the brethren of Jesus do not recognize Him for who he is just like Joseph’s brothers. Latter on their return to Egypt half way through the famine Joseph reveals to his brothers who he is.  It says in the bible halfway through the seven year tribulation it will be revealed to the Israelites who Jesus is. Joseph forgives them for all wrong doing when they don't deserve it a picture of the grace shown by Jesus.  In fact the whole relationship between believers and Christ is pictured, revelation, confession, repentance, pardon, provision, praise, purpose (salvation).  In fact Joseph says that God sent him for the deliverance of others.  Sound familiar?  Because Jesus said it was for this purpose, deliverance of others, that He was sent by God.  There are so many more parallels in this story but I will let you find the rest.

Another great picture of Jesus in the Old Testament is in Genesis 14. There is a king called Melchizedek the king of Salem. It says Melchizedek is the priest of the God most High. He brought out bread and wine and blessed Abraham. And Abraham gave Melchizedek a tithe. So Melchizedek means king of righteousness and Salem means peace. This Melchizedek is the king of righteousness and peace. And it says in Hebrews 7 that Melchizedek has no father. So the picture of Jesus the king of righteousness and peace, who gives us communion the bread and the wine to bless us, and like Melchizedek Jesus had no earthly father.

A simple picture of Jesus is the rock that water flows out of in the desert in Numbers 20 and we see in 1 Corinthians 10:4 Apostle Paul speaking of the people who followed Moses. He said “All drank the same spiritual drink. For they all drank of that spiritual rock that followed them. And that rock is Jesus.” So just like the rock in the desert gives water to those who thirst, Jesus offers those who have spiritual thirst a drink as He said In John 7:38-39 “If any Man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believe on Me, as the scriptures have said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water”. Another rock in the Old Testament that is a picture of Jesus is When Moses wanted to see God’s glory in Exodus 33, he was placed in a cleft in the rock for protection. We cannot come close to God and see even a glimpse of God without the protection and covering of Jesus our cleft or damaged “rock”.

One last little picture. In Numbers 2 we see the Israelites camping under flags or standards. When they move they follow these standards. The standards are, Judah (lion), Ruben (ox), Ephraim (man), and Dan (eagle). These four standards represent the nature of Jesus as depicted in the four gospels. The Lion represents the king nature of Jesus as shown by Matthew, the ox shows the servant nature as focused on by Mark, the man represents that Jesus though being God was also all man as expressed in Luke, and the eagle represents the deity nature of Christ as seen in the gospel of John.  And I could say that we too should camp and move under these standards.

What is amazing is all through the Old Testament are these incredible pictures of Jesus and what would happen considering Him in the future, I have only showed just a few. The Old Testament was written in some cases thousands of years before Christ and with no knowledge of Him, and it was written by many different authors, but placed together it shows incredible vision of the coming Jesus, and by doing so shows the bibles divine nature that should not be ignored. For more prophetic vision in the Old Testament see the extra page at the left called Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled In One Person. http://arizjones.blogspot.com/p/messianic-prophecies-fulfilled-in-one.html  It is quite a list but still is just a few of the many, but hard to ignore in my opinion.  And it gives reason to take the bible seriously as something more than a book written by mere men.  The bible is what the bible itself claims to be the inspired word of God.