THE PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE

THE PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE
(Exodus 13: 1-22)
Taught by:  Carolyn Sissom, Sunday, February 3, 2008

www.eastgateministries.com


 
When I preach and teach about the Cloud and Fire, I am not speaking of that which I have heard about and studied only, but that which I have seen with my own eyes through an open eye vision.  I have passed out a written version of the  vision I had in 1991 of the visible Presence of the Cloud of Glory. 
 
A redeemed people become the property of the Redeemer. (Ex. 15:13) "Thou in your mercy have led forth the people which you have redeemed:  you have guided them in your strength unto your holy habitation.”
 
(1 Cor. 6:19-20) “What?  Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own?  For you are bought with a price:  therefore glorify God in your body, and in your Spirit, which are God’s.”

 
14: 13-14;19;  “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today; for the Egyptians (Pharaoh) whom ye have seen today, you shall see them again no more forever.  The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.  (vs. 19)  And the Angel of  God which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them."
 
 
Verses 13: 1-2:  The firstborn reveals that God had delivered the firstfuits.
 
3-7:  We see again the principle of the unleavened bread.  Israel is to have a sanctified walk in the presence of the heathen who are listed in verse 5.  (Note the Perizzites and Girgashites are not included in the list.)  This feast lasts seven days, showing that we are to walk holy and completely.  We are to abstain from the:
 
Leaven of the Pharisees – Matt. 16:6 – Tradition, Formalism, Legalism
Leaven of the Sadducees – Matt. 16:6 – Materialism, Humanism.
Leaven of Herod – Mark 8:15 – Worldliness
 
8-11:  Passover is a sign and a memorial from year to year.
 
12-16:  (Verse 13):  “And every firstling of an ass you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among your children shall you redeem.”
 
This is the principle of the ass nature, which is the nature of the first man Adam.  The broken neck shows us that the natural man apart from God’s redemption is useless.  The ass was unclean, stupid, stubborn and untamed. (Ishmael was a wild ass). 
 
17-18:  (verse 17)  “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.”
 
If you note the map, the “land of the Philistines” is approximately the same area as Palestine is today.  The nature of the Philistines is a warring and quarreling people.  Whether we are dealing with the spirit of the Philistine, or the nation, this is still a spirit sent to block the going forward of the work of the Kingdom of God.
 
 
 
We see the mercy of God and the orderliness of Israel.  They came out by their armies (12:51).  God led them through the wilderness of the red sea (weedy or reedy sea).  They went up harnessed (“armed five in a rank, marshaled by fives.”  (Grace)
 
13:19:  “And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him:  for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you: and you shall carry up my bones away hence with you
.”
 
THE CLOUD AND THE FIRE
 
13:21:  “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:
 
The cloud is a type of the Presence  and Glory of God;  The Lord Jesus Christ; the Holy Spirit; and the Ministries of the Offices of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.
 
The nation was delivered by the Blood, Water, and Spirit. (1 John. 5:8)
 
A pillar speaks of strength (not easily moved by storms). (Neh. 9:12)
 
The Cloud was guide who went before Israel  (14:19) “And the angel of God which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them.”
 
There is a story in Numbers 10:29-36 where Hobab argued with Moses as to whether he would use his own eyes or follow the leading of the Cloud of Glory.
 
The Cloud was a revelation of a person God who spoke (Numbers 11:25) “And the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke unto him.”
 
The Cloud was a protection and covering from the enemy (Ex. 14:24) “And it came to pass, that in the morning watch “the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians.”
 
The Cloud was a shelter and refuge (shade by day.) (Ps. 78:14).  It was a light and warmth by night ( Ex. 13:21)  .  It was a provider of fellowship and communion (13:22)
 
The Cloud was the visible representation of God. (Ex. 19:9) “And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.  And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord.”  God was in the Cloud and God spoke from the Cloud.
 
Jesus Christ and the Cloud:
 
Mark 9: 2-8  “And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, this is my beloved Son: hear him.”
 
Acts 1:9:  “And when he had spoken these things while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
 
Rev. 10:1:  “And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud; and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire.”
 
Rev. 14: 14:  “And I looked and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of Man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

 
The Cloud covered the O.T. Tabernacle and the Cloud overshadowed Mary (Lk. 1: 34-35).  Jesus was the beginning of the true tabernacle and was conceived in the same Cloud of Glory.  Jesus is the pattern for every son.
 
Jesus is the Word (Jn. 1:1) and the Light (Jn. 8:12; I Jn. 1:5; Isa. 10:17).  To follow Jesus is to follow a moving light (like the fiery, bright cloud of the Old Testament)
 
The transfiguration (Mt. 17: 1-13) parallels Mt. Sinai:  In both accounts, there is a Mount, a Cloud, and a Voice that speaks in and from the Cloud.  Moses appeared on both mountains.
 
Jesus ascended in the same Cloud of Glory. (Acts 1:9) and two men said to them, ‘you men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven?  This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heave, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.”
 
Rev. 1:7:  Behold, he comes with clouds;
 
Matthew 26:64:  Jesus said unto him, you have said; nevertheless I say unto you, ‘Hereafter shall you see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”
 
1 Thess. 4:17:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
 
The Bible speaks of only one Cloud until Jesus’ Ascension.
 
Christ’s Second Coming is spoken of as a plurality of Clouds (many clouds, a great company of clouds).
 
 
You will note in my vision that I see many clouds of Glory coming in the sky in the formation of the Body of Christ.  When they landed around me, these were the saints who had gone on before me.  They were in glorified bodies of Clouds of Glory.
 
His Glory, Presence, Nature, and Ministry are to be multiplied!  God’s eternal purpose in Christ Jesus is to have a vast family of sons in the image of the Firstborn.  (Exodus 13:2)  “Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever opens the womb among the children of Israel.”  The crux of this is found in John 17 where the anointed prayer of Jesus is to share His Glory!
 
Each son becomes a Cloud, a manifestation of God’s Glory.  God will dwell forever in His temple (sons) and upon his holy mountain, which is Zion.  (Heb. 12: 22-24)
 
The Cloud is also a fire, making each son a flame.  (Heb. 1:7)
 
God wants a many-membered true ministry, a multiple glory.  The many clouds speak of God’s Presence in His people and the sons of God in Glory. (Glorified)


God has a people who will reign (as kings) upon the earth, and rain (as they empty his life) upon the earth!
 
CROSSING THE RED SEA
 
(Ex. 14: 1-31)
 
1 Cor. 10: 1-11)  “Moreover brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;  And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;  And did al eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ, and many of them God was not well pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness.  Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.  Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people say down to eat and drink and rose up to play.  Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.  Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted Him  and were destroyed of serpents.  Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for examples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
 
The crossing of the Red Sea is one of the most remarkable miracles of the Old Testament.  This is a type of the water baptism in the Name of the Lord.  We see again the nation was delivered by the Blood, the Water and the Spirit.  The Word of God says, “The O.T. nations were baptized into Moses (Christ) at the Red Sea.”
 
14: 1-3 – We see the nation was hopelessly surrounded and entangled  (involved, perplexed) in the wilderness, because  the leading of the Cloud, had shut them into a situation demanding a miracle.   Although the nation was trapped, God brought judgment from the north upon Pharaoh.
 
14: 4-9:  God hardened Pharaoh’s heart that He might destroy the ARMY of Egypt, and once and for all, deliver Israel from the Power and Dominion of slavish fear.  There were 600 chariots (6 =number of man).
 
14: 10-18:  God dealt with the Pride and unbelief of His people.  Israel had left Egypt proudly and defiantly (14:8- Amplified).  Their memory was short as they were swallowed up in the greatness of the present emergency.  Their eyes were on Pharaoh and not God or His servant. (14:10)  they had been brought into this trial of Faith by God Himself.  The rage of Pharaoh tells us of satan’s enmity against those who have just left his domain.  “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.”.  (14:13)  After being delivered by the blood (Ex. 12), Israel is now delivered by the water, and shall see the enemy no more forever.  After Moses’ declaration of Faith in verse 13-14, God tells Moses to work the miracle.  “You tell, them, take your rod, and you divide the sea, Moses.” (1Ki. 17:1).  Israel was to go forward in Faith.  (Rom 10:17)  They had to trust God’s servant.
 
Fear Not
Stand Still
And See
 
“Today” (14:13) speaks of the Day of the Lord. (Heb. 3: 7-13)  The waters did not divide until their feet came to the brink.  The sea was not divided all at once.  The sea opened as Israel moved forward, so that every fresh step must be cast upon the Lord. (Heb. 11:29)  They crossed in orderly fashion.
 
Ex. 14: 19-31 – God became their rear guard.  The Cloud came between Israel and Pharaoh.  It was darkness to Pharaoh but light to Israel. (14:20)  The East wind parted the Sea.  Again “today” God is removing the chariot wheels of Pharaoh.  That which the nation had feared now became their deliverance.  It is interesting that this deliverance took place in the morning. (14:27)  The walls of God’s salvation prevailed in the waters.  The people then believed the Lord and His servant,  Moses. (14:31)
 
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Quotes from KJV with text from Princples of Present Truth by: Kelly Varner 
Comments are my own and the vision of the clouds of glory  was given to me in 1991
 
Next Week THE SONG OF MOSES

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