The prophet Ezekiel reveals to us that the children are referred to as Israel in Egypt and as Judah in the wilderness. The event that took place between Egypt and the wilderness, that caused their name to be changed, was their baptism in the Red Sea. Baptism is synonymous with the wedding ceremony, the bride clothed in white raiment, symbolizing her new name. Israel the bride and Moses the bridegroom, the Old Testament a type and shadow of the New Testament, Jesus the bridegroom and spiritual Israel the bride…

Transition from Levi to Judah and from Israel to Judah: Moses gave way to Joshua, and Aaron (of the tribe of Levi) gave way to Caleb (of the tribe of Judah), the type and shadow of what was to occur fifteen hundred years later, when the letter of the law was to give way to the spirit of the law, carnal giving way to spiritual. [Israel represents the Mind and Judah represents the Heart].

If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law… For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning  priesthood.  Hebrews 7:11-14

With a change in the priesthood, from Levi to Judah, came a change in the law. The passing of Moses was to be the passing of the Mosaic Law. They would eat no more of the manna, symbolizing the carnal law, but of the old corn, symbolizing the ancient spiritual truth... Moses and Joshua, symbolizing the Spirit of God, placed their feet on holy ground, as it is through the power of our holy spirit that we get in touch with what the holy ground symbolizes, which is the heart. As the dry land called earth brought salvation to the children of Israel, our salvation will come through our heart… Beyond the wilderness is the mount. Beyond the wall of Jericho is the Promised Land. Beyond the sanctuary is the holiest place of all. Beyond the mind is the heart, in which dwell seven unholy inhabitants.

When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.  Proverbs 26:25

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:   Matthew 15:19

The mind is a trickster, able to conceal what is in the heart. It serves as a façade, putting on a good front, speaking its goodly words, lies. But the heart cannot be shod with such an unholy gospel without a vitriol response. It is holy ground, the holiest place of all, its unholy inhabitants designedly exposed through our mind and body; through our negative thoughts and destructive behaviors, giving us an opportunity to seek out their source, our false beliefs, the enemies of our heart, which will be cast out by way of truth as we are taken through God’s healing process… If we only purify our mind through prayers, affirmations, meditations, positive thinking, and the like, neglecting to also purify our heart, we will be worse off than before because our mind will have entered a deluded state, hiding our true condition— a secret held by the heart… Prayers and affirmations will not change the condition of man, or the world he lives in, because they do not change the heart. To manifest change that is permanent or everlasting, we must purify our heart… The heart, unlike the mind, has the power to manifest change that is permanent rather than temporary, eternal rather than temporal. We have become quite proficient at cleaning up the thoughts of our mind, replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts. But these mind-words are just thoughts generated through mental energy, not containing the power needed for a complete transformation, which requires emotional energy. We must enter into our heart, into the seat of the emotions, where we will do the deeper spiritual works that removes the root of the problem, instead of just whacking the weed off at the surface; at the mind level. Purifying the mind may bring peace to our mind. It may make us feel good, and make us think we have done the works. A deception that will keep us from seeing what is still buried deep in our heart. 

To reiterate, Israel symbolizes the Mind, which could not excel because of fear and lies. Israel was unable to perceive of the spiritual word or law of God, having eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, uncircumcised in the spiritual sense of the word. After Israel, came Judah, who upon entering the land promised them, were circumcised for the second time, illustrating their ability to perceive, and conceive of the spiritual word of God. They went on to bring down the wall that separated them from the Promised Land, allowing them to see the enemies inhabiting the land. Judah symbolizes the Heart, the seven nations symbolizing the spiritual impurities dwelling in our heart, which keep us from taking possession of the joyful life promised us. In the beginning, Judah was obedient, fighting against these nations they were to drive out. But in time, they would disobey God’s word by making marriages with these nations, illustrating their failure to drive these impurities out of the heart, not turning to God with her whole heart.

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