All,

The number seven is used throughout scripture to speak of a finished work or completion. Seven days to finish the work of creation is the most commonly recognized example, but their are many others. Notice this verse below:

2Ki 5:10  And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

Like much of the Old Testament, this is an account that was recorded to instruct us in the ways of the Lord. Here was a gentile king that was eaten up with leprocy which is a type of sin and corruption. He came to the prophet of God and asked for the man of God to come out to him and pray that he be cleaned. This is the way of gentiles (those outside the covenant of God) and the way of earthly kings demanding that God do things his way. Many still sit and expect the pastor to give an alter call so their relatives can say the prayer and be saved completely.

But, Elisha was not swayed by the king, he basically told him that he could either do it God's way or remain leprous and die in his corruption. To me, this speaks of the processing of God. Most Christians want to just walk down an aisle and say a few "magic words" and be made ever whit whole, but it does not work like that. There are seven washings or submersions or seeings or baptisms that we must all go through to be perfected and the Holy Spirit, like the prophet of old, will lead us to each of them in God's time and not in our own.

I will briefly list these seven as I see them with a short explanation and a few scriptures. This is by no means meant to be an exhaustive study, but only a spring-board by which each man and woman can add the meat to these bones as the Lord leads them in their lives.

(1) Baptism into Repentance - Regardless of what has been taught in the past, no one can make a 'decision for Christ' unless the Spirit first draws them. The first part of this drawing is when the Spirit comes to convict us of sin and of righteousness. We see our sinfullness and His righteousness in a moment and are undone. No one will come to the Savior until they first see their need for One. John the Baptist came in this anointing to prepare the way for the Lord and many intercessors and psalmists and minstrels walk in this anointing in plowing up the fallow ground and preparing the hearts for the coming of the Word. This correlates to the Feast of Pentecost and the Brazen Alter in the Outer Court where we first see the Lamb of God as our Sacrifice and our Savior. (Mt. 3:11a, Lk. 1:17, Acts 19:3,4)

(2) Baptism in Water - This is what Christians usually relate to when we say the word Baptism, but it speaks of our dying to the world and beginning to live unto God. Israel not only escaped the judgment of Egypt through the Passover Lamb, but they also crossed the Red Sea to newness of life. Going down into the Red Sea and coming back up in the wilderness signified their identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This relates to the Laver in the Outer Court and the Feasts of Unleaven Bread (dying to sin) and Waving of the Sheave Offering (resurrection to new life). As repentance precedes salvation, water baptism follows it. This completes the first room in the tabernacle and is all that is known by most Outer Court believers. (Mt. 28:19, Acts 19:5, I Cor. 10:1,2)

(3) Baptism into the Holy Spirit - This is the first submersion or baptism in the second room and relates to the Feast of Pentecost. The type was when the Holy Spirit came down on Mt. Sinai and began to teach Israel about God's laws and His ways. This is where we begin to receive power to be His witnesses as He begins to deal with our soul realm. It is revealed by the Lampstand where the oil of the Holy Spirit begins to add some spiritual light to the natural light that we have had in the Outer Court. It is a mixed light and still not pure yet, but it is the next necessary step onto perfection. (Mt. 3:11, Lk. 24:49, Acts 1:4,5 , Acts 19:2,6)

(4) Baptism into His Body- This is one that many miss, but it speaks of the Table of Shewbread and our rightly discerning the Lord's Body. We are not just little Jesus' walking around. We are an eye or an ear or a finger and we must be willing to lose our independence and assemble with others. This does not mean that we have to "join a church". It means that the Holy Spirit has opened our eyes to see that we are the church and members in particular. Once you have cooperated with the Spirit in this baptism, you will never again be content without some Christian fellowship. You know that we receive nourishment from the head by joints and bands. The Shewbread is baked with leaven so there are wheat and tares dwelling together in this bread, but it is still of God and allowing ourselves to be "baked in" helps us to die to self and live for others. ( Rom. 12:5, I Cor. 10:17, I Cor. 12:13)

(5) Baptism into His Suffering - This is not a popular one, but it is scriptural none the less. It again is in the Holy Place realm and at the Table of Shewbread, but this is where the loaves are broken to feed one another. This deals more directly with denying ourselves and the breaking of the outer or soulical man. Many stop at this juncture as they want no part of this baptism. They fail in Gethsemane where our Lord succeeded as they refuse to "drink the cup". It is about our cross and not His and no one will proceed into the Holy of Holies without seeing and submitting to this baptism. (Mt. 16:24, Mt. 20:22,23)

(6) Baptism into Fire - Many have misunderstood John's proclamation in Matthew 3 thinking that he said that Jesus would come and baptise with the Holy Spirit [i][b]with[/b][/i] fire, but he actually spoke of two separate baptisms that the Lord administers, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit [b][i]and[/i][/b] the Baptism in Fire. This is when the Lord periodically consumes and burns up all of our works that are wood, hay, and stubble. He comes to test what manner of man we are, but does it by fire. We always suffer loss, but we are saved so as by fire. To me, this speaks of the last baptism in the Pentecostal realm of the dealings of the soul and relates to the Alter of Incense that stands before the Veil into the Holy of Holies. No flesh may enter beyond this veil, but the incense that represented what was left after the Baptism in Fire went behind the veil as a type of the works of the Spirit that are gold, silver, and precious stones and survive the fire of God. We naturally pray much during these seasons of Fire and our prayers go behind the veil for us. (Mt. 3:11, I Cor. 3:12-15, Lk. 12:49, Heb. 12:29)

(7) Baptism into the Cloud - This is one baptism that no one, but the Lord, has fully experienced though we may have had fleeting glimpses. This speaks of the Feast of Tabernacles and our entrance into the Holy of Holies. This is where we have received our new heavenly tabernacles and where corruption has finally taken on incorruption. It speaks of the Cloud of God or the Shekinah Glory and it is our destination that we groan within ourselves to enter. Our prayers and our spirits live in this realm, but no flesh can enter here. We have had glimpses of the mind of Christ when rhema revelation has come and we may even have visited this Room in prayer or worship. Some day, those who Overcome the other six realms, will partake of this High calling and be able to go in and out of this realm. We will put on the spirit body and go in to minister to the Lord and come out again to minsiter to the people and be able to eat and be touched. This is the last mystery and we do only see through a glass darkly here, but our hope does enter for us behind the veil. (I Cor. 10:2, Heb. 6:19, Heb. 10:20)

I reiterate that this is not a formula to be followed, but just one man's way of seeing his processing by the Spirit. Each of these Washings were prophesied by types and shadows in the Old Testament and experienced by our Forerunner. They are revealled individually to us as we follow on to know the Lord. They will also be fulfilled corporately in their proper time by the Lord. I hope this helps others to not quit short of the prize, but to run their race with patience. Salvation is not a one time experience when our spirit was reborn through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. It is a progressive unveiling of greater and greater light which has the power to transform us into the image that we see. Even so, Come Lord Jesus, until we know as we are knows and we are conformed into the image that we see.

John