[Zec 13:7 KJV] 7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man [that is] my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

[Mat 26:31 KJV] 31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.

[2Th 2:1-2 KJV] 1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

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In many accounts of the Lord performing healing and deliverance, the ones He healed wanted to follow Him, but were not permitted. Jesus certainly new what He was given of the Father to do. He knew that he would be slain, raised and glorified. He knew that His relationship henceforth would be with us by the Spirit. In John’s gospel, the truth that Jesus would come again in the Anointing is indisputable. Even common sense would have dispelled the notion of a man gathering a bigger and bigger following of human beings, culminating in Him sitting in some carnal seat of authority in the midst of an ever growing bevy of humanity. It was also said by the prophets, that they would murder the savior, divide His garments among themselves, and cast lot for His vesture. While this was physically done as a great sign that the scripture might be fulfilled, the prophetic implications are far reaching, touching on the above mentioned things concerning “how” we are now gathered to Him. The mantle He wore as a garment, the seamless coat, is indicative of His status as “The Anointed”, “The Christ”. And to use plain and direct speech, the murderers, who crave authority and status for themselves, when Jesus fulfilled what He spoke of, as expounded by John, of going away and coming again in a manner not perceivable to the world (see John 14), because they could not conceive of a world without their authority and guidance, and perceiving a vacuum, a void in authority when Jesus was no longer visibly gathering multitudes, these authoritarians decided to fill that void with themselves. But Jesus did not indicated He would leave us directionless. He said He Himself would give us His Spirit. This, He said, the world can not see. A mantle, or coat, is indicative of one’s office and authority. The casting of lots for just how that office would be filled, and by whom, is very telling. In the first place, it is filled in each and every one of us, by Christ Himself. But the blind authoritarians can not see this, nor conceive of it. So they clergy it among themselves. It takes very little research with a concordance, to know that the phrase “cast lot” is the word “kleros”, from which we have the word “cleric” and “clergy”. They “clergied” His vesture…his office. This is the very thing Jesus identifies in the assemblies of Revelation, as a thing He hates. He hates the phony division of His body into clergy and laity. It does not exist in Him. It only deceptively lurks in the minds of the conquerors and their conquered. A lot of trouble is born of the lack of understanding of what Jesus said, that wherever two or three are gathered in His name, He is in the midst. The Spirit of truth is not to validate an assembly, a system, or any individuals. He glorifies The Father. The Lord is able to work wondrously, in spite of man’s concoctions. The lives and relationship of Elijah and Elisha are a declaration of these things. When the mantle of Elijah, as he was ascending to heaven, fell upon Elijah, a figure of the body of Christ. It needs to be understood that Elijah did not surrender, or divest himself of anything. What he walked in, because Elisha saw Elijah in resurrection, and knew Elijah was alive, was extended to Elisha, and their relationship became a picture of the “whole family in heaven and in earth”, living and walking as one, by the One Spirit of God. Jesus, when He was raised, and sent to us the Spirit and Promise of The Father, did not divest Himself of it, He did not cease to be the King of kings, the Firstborn, and the Preeminent in all things. He did not become diminished in any way or thing. He shares all that He is, with us. If religious hierarchy saw this, they would cease and desist their power grabbing and pontificating. Before Jesus was murdered, it said all the fullness of the godhead dwelt in Him bodily. In resurrection it says all the fullness of the godhead dwells (present tense) in Him bodily, and ye are complete in Him. We are added to Him. We are not without a leader, a teacher, and a city. We just by the grace of God, have the good sense not to look any more, for one here.

[Col 2:12-19 KJV] 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with [him] through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 [And] having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days]: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [is] of Christ. 18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.