The Parables of Christ no. 43

New Cloth the crown of Glory

Sunday, June 6, 2004

Rev. Brian Kocourek

 

This morning we will take one last parable which is not a parable of Christ, but it is more a symbol that has to do with the new garment we spoke of last night. And remember the garment the Bride s to wear is a wedding garment and is also the garment of His righteousness.

 

Now, last night we spoke from Matthew, Mark and Luke about this new patch upon an old garment. But this morning I want to address another piece of the wedding garment and that is the head piece. Now, you may recall the parable of the ten pieces of silver. This is worn by the woman that is married. We spoke of the ten pieces of silver and how the number ten is one of the perfect numbers and it is significant because it is the first decade and represents the entire numerical system. The entire numerical system coming to a completion. 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, and 10 starts is all over again, because the fist two numbers 0, and 1 are both used in this first decade showing there are no more numbers to be used. And the number ten signifies that the whole cycle is now complete. 

 

I PETER 5:1   The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight [thereof], not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over [God's] heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

 

Therefore this morning we want to look at this crown of Glory. Now, we know the word glory is the Greek word Doxa which means opinion, assessment, or judgment. This hen tells us that the Elect will have the very opinion of God, His assessment of Himself and His Judgment. In other words, what He says, she says. Br. Branham said,  The Bride will have Thus Saith the Lord or she will keep still.

 

Therefore with these thoughts in mind let’s look into this head piece that the Bride will have placed upon here head at that great marriage.

 

James 1:12  Blessed [is] the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

 

Revelations 2:10-11 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

 

Revelations 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

 

We are talking about the hedge that GOD has put around us;

 

Ps 1:6  For the LORD knoweth (YADA, to watch over with an active participation) the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

 

Ps 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

 

Ps 31:20  Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

 

Job 1:10 We came to realize that the hedge is GOD Himself.

 

JOB 1:6   Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. 7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

 

Now let’s compare PS 103:4 to PS 1:6 and PS 31:20, we see He encircles us and we are  caught up  into Him as a cyclotron of His presence or to be more scriptural; like a whirlwind all around us.

 

PSALMS 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

 

2nd COR 3:18 NIV "And we,who with unveiled faces all reflect the LORD'S Glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever increasing glory,which comes from the LORD, Who is The Spirit.

 

This crowning is one which fadeth not away as we see in 1 PET 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

 

but we see in ISA 40:5-9 that man fades and everything that is created will fade,so this crown which fades not must be the Word as ISAIAH says,"only the Word of GOD will not fade but endures forever."

 

ISAIAH 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see [it] together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it]. 6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh [is] grass, and all the goodliness thereof [is] as the flower of the field: 7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people [is] grass. 8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. 9   O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift [it] up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

 

Now ISA 28:5 says He is our Crown. In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people.

 

Wm Branham from a message entitled TESTIMONY OF A TRUE WITNESS says,"I got Isaiah 28:11, let's just read for a moment and find out here what He said about the coming of the HOLY SPIRIT.  Isaiah the 28th chapter, let's begin at the 5th verse"' In that day shall the Lord of Hosts be for a crown of Glory."' "He's speaking of this great day when the Witness would come. What is our crown? ( pounds on pulpit ) The Holy Spirit crowns us. A crown of Glory, "and for a diadem of beauty unto the residue of His people." 'The residue, the people that's left over. He'll be a Diadem, a Crown of Glory, a Diadem of beauty. Think, this is seven hundred years before it happened'." For a spirit of judgment to him that is setting in judgment," 'That's what He does to us at the altar. '"For strength to them that turn the battle to the gate." 'Let me see, "that turn the battle to the gate,"  'them who are standing for Him and with Him, this Great Spirit, Holy Spirit that  is prophesied , will be the strength of him that stands at the gate in the battle. He is our strength, we rely upon Him, not upon culture, not upon education, not upon things of the world. "Not by power, not by might but by My Spirit, Saith the Lord."    The church rest's solemnly in that. He will be the strength of him that stands in the gate, not his theological background, not his denomination, but the Holy Ghost will be his strength. He'll be the One that'll stand at the gate.  He'll rely upon the strength of the Holy Spirit to turn the alien away.'

 

Now Jesus received this same crown HEB 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

 

PS 8:5  For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor.

 

Now, When then does this crown come to the Elect? 2 TIM 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

 

1 PET 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

 

Notice it is at the time of THE appearing. This word for crown is the Greek word ( stephanos )'A BADGE OF ROYALTY.' Brother Branham said to Lee Vayle in his private audio letter, "For as He come then to the natural seed,Abraham, He comes now to the Royal seed Abraham, who is  ALSO  waiting for the promised Son, not the natural son Isaac, but the Royal promised Son." 1 Pet 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

 

Now as she receives this crown which is Himself, she gives back to Him this revelation which she received by Him and this then becomes her offering unto Him. She then becomes His crown as we see in ISA 62:3 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.

 

and in PROVERBS 12:4 we read.   A virtuous woman [is] a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed [is] as rottenness in his bones.

 

The difference between Him as her crown and her as His crown is that the word for Him as CROWN is TSePHIYRAH meaning a crown ( as encircling the head). The word for her as a crown is TSANIYPHAH a head dress (ie. a piece of cloth wrapped around ) a hood, diadem, mitre. MITRE=   the official headdress of the ancient Jewish Highpriest.

 

  So we see that she is not for His protection as He is for her, but rather she is for his beauty personified, in which she, by her beauty, is to attract attention to the head, giving the head the full preeminence. Thus we have a true picture of a bride and her groom and how each compliments the other.

 

MAL3:16-18 gives us a better understanding then of this protection he gives her and her giving back this revelation to Him which He has given to her. 16"Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored His name.

  17 "They will be mine, "says the LORD ALMIGHTY, "in the day when I make up My treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him.18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."

 

Now once again we have a perfect picture of Eden again where husband was to feed wife from the tree of life ,she then would feed him of the same tree ( a beautiful type of giving back to GOD the revelation He has given to HIS bride)but instead, before Adam gave to her, the serpent got to her with the wrong tree and thus perverted the original course GOD had intended for man. But at this time He has come back "to restore the kingdom to its rightly position that fell by sin by the first Adam, back to where He walked in the cool of the evening with His people, talked with them, fellowshipped with them."

 

CHRIST THE MYSTERY OF GOD REVEALED p.24-25 Now we see here a beautiful picture of Bride and Groom. As she dresses to meet her mate, she first puts on her shoes (which is the preparation of the Gospel). She is then dressed in the Word and the last piece of apparel she puts on before she is presented to her Groom is the crown or headpiece which consists of a headband, veil and train, representing God before her, GOD behind her, GOD over her and all around her. She is then ready to proceed down the isle to meet her Groom.  As she walks toward her Husband she is veiled to all who happen to look on. She then takes her place before Him and as she stands in His presence, He reaches forward, removes her veil once and for all. He then kisses her and for the first time she is purely face to face and mouth to mouth. (and the Bride will have "Thus Saith the LORD," or she will keep still.)

 

ZEPH 3:9-17 " Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve Him shoulder to shoulder.