The Second Greatest Revival of All Time
New Wine in Fresh Wineskins
Get ready, we are on the edge. Out of the mouths of the prophets like Bob Jones and others the time is now. Asbury is just the beginning.
What a breath of fresh air, mentally and spiritually after these past years of trials and unchecked evil.
Previously the greatest revival thus far was of course, the coming of Jesus in the flesh. It was the great transition from the Old Testament to the New. His arrival also long prophesied ushered in a move that continues today.
Some of the religious leaders both then and now struggle(d) with the idea of the “new” thing even quoting Jeremiah “Ask for the old paths where the good way is.” Well here is a stern warning and it comes in the form of a parable that Jesus gave to the religious elite of His day.
It can be seen in three of the gospels Matt 9:17, Luke 5:36 and Mark 2:18. The fact that it appears three times should be a clue to its importance. The religious crowd has asked Jesus a legitimate question for a change. “Why do John’s disciples fast and yours do not?” How very observant of them. As per usual, Jesus answers in His code, parables. One in particular, the wine skin has always piqued my curiosity, until now. It sparked the other day when I heard a preacher say that in the portion stating “new wine in new wineskins” the two uses of the word new are different words in the Greek. OK, that always caught my interest. I thought that is no mistake and there must be a reason. Once more, the weakness of the English language strikes again. Similar to the word love for which English has one word and Greek has several. I love my children and I love chili dogs, same word with no distinction.
Here is the verse I reference as recorded in Mark 2:22 KJV
And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new (neos)wine must be put into new (kainos) wineskins.”
Notice the use of new wine and new wine skins. While the same word is used in English these are actually two different Greek words. Here are the two Greek words used for new, Kainos and Neos.
Neos meaning new in relation to time and kainos meaning new in relation to quality. Some translations render the word fresh in the second use which is more accurate. So, properly read it looks like this. But neos wine must be put into kainos wineskins. The difference although small, is critically important. Why the difference?
Using both occurrences as “new” suggests the old wine skin is discarded because it cannot be used otherwise the wine will be lost. Our modern culture inhibits our ability to see the meaning here. Our current society is a use and discard society. Rarely do we reuse a liquid container twice. Water, soft drinks, juices are just drink and discard. Not so in the recent past as well as in Jesus day. When I was young, the milkman delivered the milk in reusable glass jugs, picked up the empties and they were reused. In Jesus' day, it would be impractical not to reuse a wineskin. So why does Jesus point out the dangers of reuse by saying new wine in old wineskins will burst. The explanation is full of spiritual revelation. Just look !
First, let’s look at both how an original wineskin is made and the metaphors contained in its construction.
Most wineskins were made from goat skins. What does the goat symbolize ? Two things, first stubbornness and second their eating habits. You don’t have to work on a farm to know the reputation of goats. They are stubborn, mean and difficult to handle. You can’t turn your back on them either. They are a symbol of mankind. They are like people who want their own way, and they don’t listen to good counsel. Goats are not much different than the Hebrew Nation of old. Stubborn, stiff necked and rebellious just as God says. For the goat skin to be useful, of course the first thing that has to happen is the goat has to die. Before we can be used by the Holy Spirit and fit Kingdom purposes, our fleshly stubborn rebellious nature has to die.
For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Even now, while I am still alive
and am here with you, you have rebelled against the LORD. How much more
rebellious will you be after my death! Deut 32:27
Next, our eating habits need to change. Goats will eat almost anything. Weeds, garbage and almost anything that comes their way becomes fodder. Just like people who devour with their eyes, lust of the flesh, take in false doctrines with itching ears. As the bible says, carried away by every wind of doctrine. We must become like the sheep that know their master’s voice and will not listen to another.
…..that we henceforth be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and their cunning and craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; Eph 4:14
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me John 10:27
3.Next comes the salt. It is a natural agent of preservation. The
entire inner skin (not the fur side) must be liberally covered in
salt as a preservative. This is to prevent rot and decay. In
Leviticus, there is an instruction called the covenant of salt. It
required every grain sacrifice to include salt.
And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither
shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat
offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt. Lev 2;13
It can be concluded that this and other occurrences to the Salt
Covenant convey a meaning to the long term nature of the
covenant in question, that it should continue from generation to
generation.
4. Once the salt has been applied and a period of time passed, it’s
time for the scraping. Every piece of fat must be removed. In
Leviticus, it is written that the priests must burn all the fat.
Burning the fat reminds us that selfish excess and indulgence
are not suitable for service in God’s Kingdom. In the natural fat
will become rancid and stink. In the spiritual, a self indulgent
person who is forever seeking to their own pleasure
has a spiritual stench and is not very pleasant to be around.
The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his
Sons. Lev 7:31
5. Now it’s time for the cutting and trimming. The craftsman has a
pattern or template of what the finished wine shin shape should
be. It this template that guides the knife to create the
shape that will become the wineskin. The cutting away removes
all the skin that will not be part of the final product. Much in the
same way, Holy Spirit cuts all those things in our lives that are
not consistent with the pattern of Jesus that the Father desires
for us.
But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we
all are the work of thy hand. Isaiah 64:8
6. Once the pattern is cut, it’s time for the stitching. The two
halves need to be stitched together to finish the shape of the
wineskin. Included in this step, is to insert the spout so the wine
can be poured out.
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
Psalm 139:13
Then the LORD asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides
whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see?
Is it not I, the LORD? Exodus 4:11
7. The wineskin now has its shape. The craftsman gently blows
into the wineskin to expand it much like blowing into a balloon.
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7
8. Now for the final step. To prevent leakage, the inside of the
wineskin needs a coating. It is a sap/tar solution that is poured
into the wineskin, coating the inside to make sure none of the
wine leaks out.
There is one occurrence in the bible where a vessel was
coated on the inside, Noah’s ark. This is unusual, ancient
ships are normally coated only on the outside. The ark was
coated both on the outside and the inside. Why the inside ?
If we are the wineskins and the Holy Spirit is the wine we need
to be filled at all times. Yes, we pour out to others we minister
but that is what the spout is for. The spirit of God in us is our
treasure of the most high value.
Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it
inside and out with pitch. Genesis 6:14
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power
may be of God, and not of us. 2 Cor 4:7
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my
departure is near. 2 Tim 4:6
What About Those Old Wine Skins ?
As previously mentioned. Old wineskins were meant to be used over and over again. So how was that to happen given the comment made by Jesus about old wineskins ?
The secret is in the kainos, fresh wineskin.
Here was the process to turn an old wineskin into a fresh wineskin.
First, a used wineskin was filled with water. The water would rinse out the old wine and debris. It would also start to reverse the dryness of the skin. The water was then poured out and replaced by oil. This would further soften the skin and make it flexible so the new wine would have room to expand. It would then become what the definition of kainos calls for, “fresh” wineskin. New wine could be poured in without the risk of bursting.
Since wine was held in a variety of containers (jars, pots as well as wineskins) why did Jesus select wineskins? The wineskins are portable. This treasure will be held in earthen vessels not just for our consumption. We are to dispense this treasure to a lost and dying world. Wineskins are easy to carry as we go into all the world.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Matt 28:19
Conclusion:
Jesus ushered in the New Covenant. Some received it, some did not. Those that did not were made of wineskins that they did not want renewed. Old mindsets, traditions of men, lack of faith and more played a big part in them being left behind.
John’s disciples fasted because they longed for the promise. Jesus Disciples were not fasting because they received the promise.
Behold, He is doing a new thing in this hour. The time is now, God is moving in the earth. Don’t miss your day of visitation. You may not get another chance.
Let those that have an ear to hear, hear what the spirit is saying to the churches.
Peter D. Blackshaw
RANT Life Church
2/16/23