Baptism

Before I get started in this topic we must address certain assumptions that we should hold while looking at the prophetic implications of scripture.

FIRST: All of Israel’s history, law, and prophecy testifies of Jesus Christ in some way (John 5:39).

SECOND: When God addresses the nation he looks at the nation as one man. He gave Jacob the name Israel, and when he addresses Israel he is addressing him as if the entire nation is one individual.

THIRD: The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). If Jesus’ life is the spirit of prophecy that means every person in Christ has the same prophetic resemblance as Jesus.

In summation if the scripture is talking about Jesus and if we are in him then the scripture is also talking about us. Now that I have stated that lets dive in to what the scripture says about baptism (water and Holy Spirit).

When God delivered His people from the bondage of slavery in Egypt He sent Moses. Yet we know that God’s complete purpose was not just a deliverance from slavery, but to bring Israel into the promised land (aka the Kingdom that was promised to his father Abraham). During Israel’s exodus He destroyed the house of their bondage in the Red Sea. Yet Paul says that this same Red Sea crossing was a form of baptism (1 Corinthians 10:2). More specifically, that they were baptized into Moses at the Red Sea crossing. The fact that they were baptized into Moses at the Red Sea crossing is very important. Because Moses is a representation of the Law. Any time a reference is made about Moses it is usually in correlation to the Law (You can see this correlation pretty clearly in Jesus’ parable about the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31, When Abraham tells the rich man, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.”).

After He delivered Israel from slavery He did not take him directly into the promised land. Israel was in the wilderness for 40 years. Why was he in the wilderness for 40 years? Because of unbelief, but more specifically the old generation (or the old man) had to die off. The man who was used to being a slave and had a slave mentality had to die. It took 40 years for the old man to die and 40 years for the new man to mature enough so that he could possess the kingdom.

Alright lets take a look into the life of Jesus. Jesus gets baptized by water and immediately the Spirit drives him into the wilderness for 40 days (Mat. 3:13-4:11). While Jesus is in the wilderness for 40 days he is dying to himself. Toward the end of his 40 days the devil comes and tempts him, but at the end of his temptation it says in Luke’s gospel, “Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14). And then in Matthew’s gospel that he began to proclaim the kingdom (Mat. 4:17).

Now back to Israel and the wilderness. At the end of the wilderness period after the old man was completely dead, Israel is about to enter into the Promised land (inherit the kingdom), but first Moses needs to die. Because God told him that he would not be able to enter into the kingdom, but only see it with his eyes (Deuteronomy 32:48-52). Now why, do you suppose, that God did this? To show that the Law was not meant to bring a person into the inheritance, but to get them ready for it. As it is written, “the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24). and it is also written, “for the [law] kills, but the spirit gives life” (From 2 Corinthians 3:6). The whole purpose of the law is to kill the old man, to make us ready to walk in faith so that we can inherit the kingdom.

We have only talked about the first baptism; but, we have yet to mention our second baptism. If our first baptism was a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins (Luke 3:3), then what is our second baptism for? It is for the inheritance of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is land controlled by His Spirit. That land is found in the believer. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (from Luke 17:20-21).

If we have two baptisms then it is necessary that Israel had two baptisms as well. Israel’s second baptism can be found in Joshua chapter 3. When he crossed the river Jordan to come into the inheritance. And who was Israel’s leader that they were baptized into this time when he inherited the kingdom? Joshua or Yehoshua which is the Hebrew equivalent of Jesus.

Lets recap, Our first baptism is water baptism which brings us out of slavery, and into the wilderness. While we are in the wilderness our old man dies, by the correct use of the law. Once our old man dies we are then ready to inherit the kingdom and step into the promise. Moses is left in the wilderness, and we follow Jesus into the kingdom. We are baptized in the Holy Spirit and now it is time to take the kingdom by the leadership of Jesus.

Notice that the battle for the promise land started once they were baptized by the Jordan. Just like when we are baptized into the Holy Spirit, Jesus leads us into battle to destroy the strongholds of the enemy. Which are: “imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). These strongholds are found in the believer. They are mindsets that are contrary to the kingdom of God.