Ancient Landmarks

Proverbs 22 :28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

“Inscribed stone that denoted a boundary of fields, districts, or nations (Gn 31:51, 52). In most Near Eastern countries the removal of a landmark was a serious crime; in Israel it was a violation of the Law of Moses (Dt 19:14; 27:17). Removing landmarks could be represented as changing ancient customs and laws (Prv 22:28; 23:10; cf. Jb 24:2).[1] »

Deuteronomy 27 :17 Cursed be he that removeth his neighbor’s landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Landmarks are not walls, but rather specific points that demarcate a limit or edge of a border.

Landmarks, by their very nature, are not singular, but multiple in nature.

A nation’s borders cannot exist with only one landmark but consists of multiple landmarks.

When you find a single landmark, you may not be able to identify the who, the what, the when, the where, the why, but you will know that if there is one, there must surely be another.

We read of the division of Palestine in Joshua, a geographical event that was supported by the presence of certain landmarks.

Joshua 13 :1-2 The Unconquered Territory

Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.

This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,

7 Division of the Land East of the Jordan

Now therefore divide -- this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh,

15-23 And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance according to their families.

And their coast was from Aroer, that is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba;

Heshbon, and all her cities that are in the plain; Dibon, and Bamoth-baal, and Beth-baal-meon,

And Jahazah, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath,

And Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zareth-shahar in the mount of the valley,

And Beth-peor, and Ashdoth-pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth,

And all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with -- the princes of Midian, -- Evi, and -- Rekem, and -- Zur, and -- Hur, and -- Reba, which were dukes of Sihon, dwelling in the country.

-- Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.

And the border of the children of Reuben was Jordan, and the border thereof. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben after their families, the cities and the villages thereof.

Here we read an important truth about landmarks, which is that each landmark is intricately and irrevocably connected to a subsequent landmark.

Rarely do we read of a “singular” landmark, and when we do it is to separate enemies:

Genesis 31:51-53 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast between me and -- thee;

This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over -- this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over -- this heap and -- this pillar unto me, for harm.

The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us. And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.

The pillar / landmark carried with it the idea of a line stretching in opposite directions to keep the adversaries apart.

But in the context of our opening verse, as well as in Deut. 19:14, 27:17, Proverbs 23:10; Hosea 5:10, the landmarks that were not to be moved were part of an intricate and essential system of property management.

The landmarks indicated territory and possession.

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Ephesians 2:19-20 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Just as a landmark was part of a system of demarcation, the church is built upon “the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone”.

Revelation 21:10-14 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Each stone is linked to the other, and all are linked back together to Jesus-Christ the Chief cornerstone.

We are the builders, the architects of 21st century revival, but we carry within us the responsibility to maintain the ancient landmarks.

1 Corinthians 3:9-11 For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

While our materials may differ, we dare not change the foundation, the landmarks.

It is not only the chief cornerstone that cannot be moved, but they are in synchronicity one with another and therefore to move even an inferior stone is to damage the whole, and the house that does not sit upon a firm foundation shall surely fall when the rains and the winds pummel her.

Job 24:2-4 Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof.

They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.

Job 24:2–5 (HCSB)

2 The wicked displace boundary markers.

They steal a flock and provide pasture for it.

3 They drive away the donkeys owned by the fatherless

and take the widow’s ox as collateral.

4 They push the needy off the road;

the poor of the land are forced into hiding.

It is for dishonest gain that men remove and move the landmarks.

Philippians 3:17-19 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example.

(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

These are supposed ministers of the Gospel who freely move about the landmarks, in order to achieve worldly fame and worldly treasure!

We must identify our Apostolic Landmarks: “IT IS WRITTEN”.

We must reaffirm our allegiance to and our preaching and teaching of our Apostolic Landmarks!

WHY?

The Landmarks identify the foundations of the Church.

The Landmarks are linked one to another – finding one leads inevitably to the discovery of another!

Hebrews 6:1-3 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

And this will we do, if God permit.

The infallibility of the WORD

LEADS TO

The Oneness of God

LEADS TO

The Fullness of the Godhead manifested in Jesus Christ

LEADS TO

Believing that the Gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

LEADS TO

Repentance, water baptism in Jesus’ name for the remission of sins and the infilling of the Holy Ghost

LEADS TO

The knowledge that you are now the Temple of the Holy Ghost, that you are not your own, that you are bought with a price.

LEADS TO

We are a glorious CHURCH, without spot or wrinkle

LEADS TO

Sanctification – be ye holy for I am holy

LEADS TO

The return of our great God and Saviour for his ever-ready and anticipating bride.

LEADS TO

Revelation 19:11-13 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

-- His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

AND THUS WE COME FULL CIRCLE AND END WHERE WE BEGAN

John 1:1 The Word Became Flesh

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

WARNING – when you move one, you destroy it all.

You cannot find a minister who was once with us who only compromised a single foundation…

When you move one, of necessity you must move its adjoining landmark.

From each landmark of revelation, one gets a glimpse of the next landmark of revelation.

Moving from landmark to landmark we discover and identify the territory and domain of the church.

Each point is intricately and eternally connected to the preceding and the following so that as a whole, they create a sure foundation:

“AND THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT.”

[1]Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Landmark. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 2, p. 1307). Baker Book House.