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The Cloud of Witnesses
00:03:42
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| In that great cloud of witnesses. | |
| This is the title of this video that you get with it, the cloud of witnesses. | |
| Tell us about the cloud of witnesses. | |
| Can you do that? | |
| Who they are, where they are? | |
| Because the witnesses, I mean, that's a judicial term. | |
| It means those who bring judicial testimony. | |
| Wow. | |
| And so they are functioning. | |
| The Bible calls them that. | |
| Yes. | |
| Yes. | |
| And it says in Hebrews 12 that we are surrounded by that great cloud of witnesses. | |
| So that would mean they're not some distant place off. | |
| We're actually in the very same spiritual dimension that they are in. | |
| That's why Hebrews 12 says, You have come to the spirit of just men made perfect. | |
| That we as New Testament believers have been translated into the same arena, into the same place where they are. | |
| Wow. | |
| Where they are with the Lord. | |
| And so even though I just want to be clear, we don't pray to them. | |
| We don't necessarily communicate with them, but I believe from everything I can see in Scripture, they are in operation. | |
| How come on our behalf? | |
| How come I knew when grandma left? | |
| How come I knew she was there? | |
| I knew, I mean, I mean, I just knew that I knew. | |
| I imagine in my head at least, grandma going to the throne and saying, Help Jim and Lori, God. | |
| Take care of them. | |
| And I believe my grandma has been going to the throne every day since she died. | |
| For me. | |
| Yes. | |
| Whether you like it or not, that's my belief. | |
| And I believe it. | |
| I believe it. | |
| And what you reinforced in the green room today, I should have taped it and just played it on the air. | |
| Because what I believe is that cloud of witnesses, we think sometimes, oh my God, so-and-so died. | |
| This one died. | |
| Billy Graham died. | |
| All these people died. | |
| They're just in heaven. | |
| And they're part of the cloud of witnesses. | |
| So we're not alone. | |
| That's right. | |
| Amen. | |
| I'm going to shout if nobody else does. | |
| See, Ephesians 3:14. | |
| I got this. | |
| Yeah. | |
| Ephesians 3:14 and 15 says that the church that's in heaven and in earth is named by the same name of the Father. | |
| So that means there's still a connection. | |
| The Bible says we're still one church. | |
| It doesn't matter that they're in heaven and we're in earth. | |
| We're still one church. | |
| There's still a connection that's there. | |
| And so literally, I understand that they are a part of the intercessory ministry of Jesus. | |
| See, I always want to be careful. | |
| We never elevate anybody above Jesus. | |
| Jesus is the intercessor. | |
| But as the intercessor, there are others that are made perfect. | |
| They are in perfect union with him. | |
| And we could talk about Revelation 19 and all sorts of things where John falls down before a heavenly being because he's so glorious he wants to worship him. | |
| That's in Revelation 19:10. | |
| But watch this. | |
| The Bible says that he said, Don't do it. | |
| Worship God. | |
| He said, For I am of your brethren. | |
| Well, guess what? | |
| Angels are not our brothers. | |
| Only people in the cloud of witnesses in heaven are our brothers and sisters. | |
| He said, I am of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. | |
| Angels don't have the testimony of Jesus. | |
| They desire to look into it. | |
| Wow. | |
| See, so everything he's saying there is saying that who John is encountering is someone from the cloud of witnesses who is now so filled with glory because they are in perfect union with Jesus. | |
| Wow. | |
| And they are carrying the same level of glory that Jesus himself is carrying. | |
| Therefore, they have a right to be a part of his intercessory ministry in our behalf. | |
| Wow. | |