THE PILLARS
by Tony Alamo
“And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. [Finally, after nine other plagues on Egypt, Pharaoh temporarily wised up!] And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also. And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men” (Exodus 12:29-33).
“And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: HE took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people [for forty years]” (Exodus 13:21-22). GOD was in the cloud by day and in the fire by night! What a comfort it was to be able to see the evidence of the LIVING GOD with you both by day and by night for forty years!
All of the Hebrew children knew that GOD was real and true because of the ten plagues on the Egyptians, because GOD dried up a path for them to cross through the Red Sea, then covered the Egyptians with its waters until the entire Egyptian army drowned with their horses and their chariots, and because of the pillar of cloud that led them by day and the pillar of fire which led them by night (Exodus 14:13-31). Even though they all saw these miracles, there were still evil disbelievers in the company such as Dathan and Abiram1 and all of the six hundred thousand men who were old enough to fight, not to mention their children and women. GOD killed all those defiant ones, those who were disbelievers, but GOD also filled the temple of GOD with HIMSELF in a cloud to show HIS power and might many years later.
The desire of David (the father of Solomon) was to build a house for the LORD. However, GOD gave that project to Solomon.2 Second Chronicles 5:1, 4-5 says, “Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold [etc., etc.]…And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark. And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up.”
Now the CLOUD AGAIN! “It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For HE is good; for HIS mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of GOD” (2 Chronicles 5:13-14).
Solomon made a long prayer. “Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from Heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’S house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For HE is good; for HIS mercy endureth for ever. Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD” (2 Chronicles 7:1-4).
All of these things in the Old Testament were symbolic of JESUS, their fulfillment in the books of the New Testament. GOD showed Israel that HE accepted their sacrifices by sending fire down from Heaven, which consumed them. These sacrifices in the Old Testament were symbolic of JESUS, GOD-MAN, who would come to earth to show us how to live here so that we would be able to enter the kingdom of Heaven and live there for eternity.
We, who also have become the Body of CHRIST, are sacrificed in order to become HIS body.3 HE is the head; we are HIS body, the fullness of GOD (Ephesians 1:22-23). This is plainly shown to us in chapter two of the book of Acts, verse one: “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they [the one hundred twenty, which included the disciples, of course, minus Judas who betrayed JESUS] were all with one accord in one place [as in the Old Testament when fire came down from Heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the meat offering—again, symbolic of CHRIST, the head, which also includes the other part of HIM, HIS Body, HIS tabernacle, which is we who have been called to be sacrifices for HIM in this present world in which to live and work HIS works in4].
“And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire [This fire from Heaven showed them that GOD has them as sacrifices for HIM, HIS SON, and the HOLY SPIRIT to LIVE IN and to DO HIS WORK IN (the fire consuming the sacrifice shows GOD accepts the offering5).], and it [the cloven tongues of fire showed them that GOD had accepted them] sat upon each of them. And they [the true temple or church of GOD, CHRIST’S BODY6] were all filled with the HOLY SPIRIT [the PILLAR of CLOUD and the PILLAR of FIRE. They could no longer minister with their own spirits and their own words because they had become SPIRITUAL BEINGS OF CHRIST, THE RISEN CHRIST, who, by the SPIRIT, all live forever, and CHRIST will now forever do the ministering both in and through them.], and [they all] began to speak [by the HOLY SPIRIT] with other tongues, as the SPIRIT gave them utterance” (Acts 2:2-4). From here on, the HOLY SPIRIT would be doing the talking, not like Peter and the others who, in the past, had put their feet in their mouths. They would from now on, as long as they walked in the SPIRIT, let GOD do the talking!7
The Old Testament clearly tells us of JESUS.8 All of the sacrifices point to HIM, from Abel to the book of Acts and till the present day. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel), the twelve patriarchs, and all of the prophets were Jews, and the elect today are all Jews. GOD will bless you if you bless the Jews, and will curse you if you curse them (Genesis 12:1-3, Numbers 24:3-9). Be careful, JESUS, the GOD-MAN, IS A JEW. GOD is the GOD of the Jews, the obedient Jews!
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the HOLY SPIRIT which is in you, which you have of GOD, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price [which is the death, blood, burial, resurrection, and ascension of CHRIST]: therefore glorify GOD in your body, and in your spirit, which are GOD’S” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). “Now ye are the body of CHRIST, and members in particular” (1 Corinthians 12:27).
Is temptation moving your heart to sin? Morality seems to have ceased to exist in this world. Abortion, which is murder, is anti-GOD.9 The pillar of cloud, the pillar of fire, is not doing HIS work in all human bodies today. GOD knows if HE is living in you, leading and guiding you into HIS work and all of HIS ways. On Judgment Day, you will never be able to fool the Creator and Eternal Judge of our souls.10 Repent of your sins now before it’s too late. Repent now by saying this prayer:
Prayer
My LORD and my GOD, have mercy upon my soul, a sinner. 1 I believe that JESUS CHRIST is the SON of the living GOD. 2 I believe that HE died on the cross and shed HIS precious blood for the forgiveness of all my former sins. 3 I believe that GOD raised JESUS from the dead by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT 4 and that HE sits on the right hand of GOD at this moment, hearing my confession of sin and this prayer. 5 I open up the door of my heart, and I invite YOU into my heart, LORD JESUS. 6 Wash all of my filthy sins away in the precious blood that YOU shed in my place on the cross at Calvary. 7 YOU will not turn me away, LORD JESUS; YOU will forgive my sins and save my soul. I know because YOUR WORD, the Bible, says so. 8 YOUR WORD says that YOU will turn no one away, and that includes me. 9 Therefore, I know that YOU have heard me, and I know that YOU have answered me, and I know that I am saved. 10 And I thank YOU, LORD JESUS, for saving my soul, and I will show my thankfulness by doing as YOU command and sin no more.11
You've just completed the first step in a series of five steps which are necessary to receive salvation. Your second step is to deny yourself and take up your cross daily and follow JESUS for the purpose of mortifying your flesh, that is, for putting to death your own will, your soulful self, and the world with all of its lusts. All these must be baptized into the death of CHRIST.
Step three is your resurrection from the satanic life of Adam unto the sinless life of CHRIST. Step four is your ascension into a position of authority to reign for God with Christ on earth, and the fifth step is to reign for GOD in CHRIST on earth to the end for the purpose of bringing about the kingdom of Heaven on earth. You must learn the WORD of GOD, submit yourselves one to another, and do what the WORD says so that the church and the world may see evidence of your submission to GOD’S WORD, HIS order, and HIS authority in and by you.
Praise the LORD. May GOD bless and reward you abundantly.
Yours in the wonderful name of JESUS,
Pastor Tony Alamo
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The Pillars footnotes:
2. 2 Sam. 7:1-13, 1 Kings 5:5 return
3. Rom. 12:1-2, Eph. 5:25-32 return
4. Rom. 12:1-2, 1 Cor. 6:19-20, Eph. 2:10, 4:11-16 return
5. Lev. 9:23-24, Judg. 6:12-23, 1 Kings 18:36-39, 2 Chron. 7:1-3 return
6. Rom. 7:4, 12:4-5, 1 Cor. 3:16-17, 12:12-13, 2 Cor. 6:14-18, Eph. 5:30 return
7. John 14:7-12, Rom. 8:1-16, Gal. 5:16-18, Phlp. 2:13 return
8.Gen. 3:15, 14:18, 22:18, 49:10, Num. 24:17, Deut. 18:15, 18-19, Psa. 2:7, 16:10, 22:7-8, 12-18, 34:20, 41:9, 45:6-7, 68:18, 69:20-21, 78:2, 110:4, 118:22, 26, 132:11, Prov. 8:22-36, Isa. 7:13-16, 8:14, 9:1-2, 6-7, 11:1-5, 10, 35:5-6, 40:3, 42:1-4, 6-7, 49:2, 5-11, 50:6-7, 9, 52:13-15, chap. 53, 59:20, 60:3, 61:1-3, 62:11, Jer. 23:5-6, 31:15, Dan. 7:13-14, 9:24-26, Mic. 5:1-2, Hag. 2:7, 9, Zech. 9:9, 11:12-13, 12:10, 13:7, Mal. 3:1-2 return
9. Gen. 9:6, Ex. 20:13, 21:12, Lev. 24:17, Num. 35:16-21, 30-34, Deut. 5:17, Judg. 13:5, Job 31:15, Isa. 49:5, Jer. 1:5, Matt. 19:18, Mark 10:19, Luke 1:15, Rom. 13:9, Gal. 5:19-21, James 2:11, Rev. 22:14-15 return
10. Psa. 44:21, Amos 9:1-4, Matt. 12:36, 25:31-46, Mark 4:22, Rom. 2:3-6, 14:11-12, 2 Cor. 5:10, 2 Tim. 2:19, Heb. 4:11-13 return
Prayer footnotes:
1. Psa. 51:5, Rom. 3:10-12, 23 return
2. Matt. 26:63-64, 27:54, Luke 1:30-33, John 9:35-37, Rom. 1:3-4 return
3. Acts 4:12, 20:28, Rom. 3:25, I John 1:7, Rev. 5:9 return
4. Psa. 16:9-10, Matt. 28:5-7, Mark 16:9, 12, 14, John 2:19, 21, 10:17-18, 11:25, Acts 2:24, 3:15, Rom. 8:11, I Cor. 15:3-7 return
5. Luke 22:69, Acts 2:25-36, Heb. 10:12-13 return
6. I Cor. 3:16, Rev. 3:20 return
7. Eph. 2:13-22, Heb. 9:22, 13:12, 20-21, I John 1:7, Rev. 1:5, 7:14 return
8. Matt. 26:28, Acts 2:21, 4:12, Eph. 1:7, Col. 1:14 return
9. Matt. 21:22, John 6:35, 37-40, Rom. 10:13 return
10. Heb. 11:6 return
11. John 5:14, 8:11, Rom. 6:4, I Cor. 15:10, Rev. 7:14, 22:14 return