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KINGDOM
BIBLE STUDIES
"Teaching
the things concerning the
The
Heavens Declare
Book
Two
By J.
Table
of Contents
Chapter
Title
Page
29.
Capricornus
The Goat (cont.)
18
30.
Capricornus
The Goat (cont.)
34
31.
Capricornus
The Goat (cont.)
50
32.
Aquarius The Water Pourer
63
33.
Aquarius
The Water Pourer (cont.)
78
36.
Aries
The Lamb (cont.)
126
37.
Aries
The Lamb (cont.)
141
38.
Taurus The Wild Bull
155
39.
Taurus
The Wild Bull (cont.)
170
40.
Taurus
The Wild Bull (cont.)
184
42.
Gemini
The Twins (cont.)
212
43.
Gemini
The Twins (cont.)
225
45.
Cancer
The Crab (cont.)
254
47.
Leo
The Lion (cont.)
282
Chapter
28
CAPRICORNUS
-- THE GOAT
In our study of the
"Real Meaning of the Zodiac" it has been amazing to many to see that all the
major themes of scripture concerning God's great plan of creation and redemption are
clearly figured in the Signs of the heavens. Truly God has written the gospel in the
stars! Many of the Lord's people have shied away from any teaching concerning the Zodiac
out of fear of venturing into the swamplands of astrology -- a valid concern. But we must
not be prevented from treading the courts of Gods glorious revelation simply because
it has been perverted and counterfeited by the carnal mind. In Job 38:31-32 we read,
"Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst
thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his
sons?" Mazzaroth is a Hebrew word which means "the constellations of the
Zodiac." And then, hidden in plain sight in Job chapters 38 and 39, are given the
twelve Signs: Battles of heaven -- Job 38:37; Lions -- Job 38:39; Ravens -- Job 39:41;
Wild goats -- Job 39:1; Hinds -- Job 39:1; Wild ass -- Job 39:5; Unicorn 39:9; Peacocks
--Job 39.13; Ostrich -- Job 39:13; Horse -- Job 39:19; Hawk -- Job 39:26; Eagle -- Job
39:27. An accident? Hardly! But what is the purpose of all this! Does it merely concern
some mysterious physical influences of the sun, moon and stars over the earth and men's
lives -- or is it something far grander and greater?
In the book of Revelation the
Holy Spirit gives us the symbols of the lion, the calf, the man, and the eagle and also of
the twelve tribes in the heavens. Are these not the true powers in the heavens that
project their dominion upon the earth! Are these not the very ensigns and standards which
the enemy fears because he knows that the heavens do rule! These are powerful concepts.
The grand truth of it is portrayed for us in Moses' and Aaron's mighty acts before Pharaoh
in the
CAPRICORNUS -THE GOAT
In our study, we now come to
Capricornus -- the name is Latin for goat. The Hebrew names associated with the Sign are
GEDI and SAIR. Both terms are used in the Old Testament for kids of the goats of
sacrifice. There is no prototype of this strange creature, the front half of which is
pictured on the old star charts as a goat and the rear half as a fish! But that is
precisely what Capricornus is! It is a goat with a fishes' tail; it is half-goat and
half-fish. What does it mean? This Sign has a very strange appearance on the old star
charts because it shows a wounded goat, with its head bowed and its knee bent under,
fallen down in the posture of dying. On the other hand, the tail of the fish is wiggling,
vigorous and living! Unless there is some significance to this strange combination, we
might imagine that its inventor was having an hallucination. But when the true meaning is
understood we can see the wisdom of God in the prophetic revelation portrayed by this
wonderful Sign in God's Bible in the Sky.
First of all, we have the
figure of a goat. This is a sacrificial animal. The picture and the meaning become even
more clear as we consider some of the stars in this constellation. Some of the brightest
stars are AL GEDI, which means "the Kid"; DENEB AL GEDI meaning "the
Sacrifice cometh"; and MA'ASAD, "the Slaying." God commanded the children
of
LIFE OUT OF DEATH
Note that from the dying goat
comes a living fish -- the living fish thus takes its being out of the dying goat and
derives all its life and vigor from thence. The living fish emerging from the dying goat
therefore has an important meaning. In addition to the falling and dying of the goat,
Capricornus is the Sign of a mystical procreation and bringing forth. It speaks of life
that springs forth from the death of the sacrifice. That which is brought forth is a fish,
the familiar and well understood symbol of the spiritual body brought out of the dying of
the Lord Jesus. When Jesus called and appointed His first apostles, He said, "I will
make you fishers of men" (Mat. 4:19). When God promised that He would bring again the
children of
Do my readers know what an
acrostic is? It is a poem, of which, if the first letter of each line be taken in order,
these, when put together, will spell a word or a sentence. Now the Greek word for fish is ????? ; and this in its five
letters, acrostically represents the five Greek words which mean in English, "Jesus
Christ, Son of God, Saviour." The Greek words themselves are: ??s???, ???st??, Te??
???? , S?t??a. The early Christians chose '
??T?S, that is , "The
Fish," as a convenient secret sign of the truth about Jesus which they believed. The
"Sign of the Fish" is found on the walls of the Roman Catacombs, those
underground galleries and halls in which the ancient Church of Rome often hid and
congregated. Fishes made of bronze, and others made of glass, have also been found in the
catacombs. The heathen Romans who persecuted the believers did not understand what the
emblem meant; but to the members of the Church at Rome the Fish represented Christ the son
of God as Saviour; by extension it meant the members of His body; also, as many kinds of
fish are for eating, the symbol came to carry with it the thought of the Lord's people
feeding upon Christ, the heavenly, spiritual food. It is very important that we see the
great truth of the life that comes out of death. As J. A. Seiss wrote, "As men
naturally are but reproductions and perpetuations of Adam, and live his life, so Christ's
people are the reproduction and perpetuation of Christ, living His life. They are in Him
as the branch is in the vine. They are repeatedly called His body, one with Him, 'members
of His body and of His flesh and of His bones.' And so close and real is their
life-connection and incorporation with Him that they are called 'Christ.' What then could
better symbolize this than the Sign before us? The goat and fish are one -- one being, the
life of the dying reproduced and continued in a spiritual product which is part of one and
the same body. The goat of sacrifice is projected into a new creation, which is yet an
organic part of itself."
This principle of life out of
death is one of the most powerful laws of the
Life out of death is the same
as light out of darkness, for in the world of spiritual realities light and life are
synonyms and darkness and death are likewise synonyms. "In Him was Iife; and the life
was the light of men" (Jn. 1:4). Life and light and darkness and death are first set
forth in the opening scenes of the book of Genesis, the book of Beginnings. The life and
light are associated with God, whereas darkness and death are associated with creation.
Let me point out the significant fact that darkness was the first recorded condition or
state of creation, and all that was light and life and beauty and glory came into that
darkness, or was spoken into existence out of the darkness. "In the beginning God
created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness
was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
God said, Let there be light; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was
good.. ." (Gen. 1:1-4). Here you will notice that in relation to the creation
DARKNESS PRECEDED LIGHT. The spiritual application of this principle is given by the
apostle John, "In Him was life and the life was the light of men. And the light
shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it or put it out"
(Jn. 1:4-5). And again, "For God, who COMMANDED THE LIGHT TO SHINE OUT OF DARKNESS,
hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ" (II Cor. 4:6).
There is a great and wondrous
reason why the darkness precedes the light in the divine order of creation. Let us begin
with God. It has pleased the Lord to leave great truths obscure and well hidden from the
prying eyes of the curious and the unbelieving. He shrouds His precious truths in mystery
so that none but the earnest seekers who partake of the spirit of revelation are ever
permitted to see beyond the outer shell of the letter, and behold the unfolding glories
which lie concealed within the inner kernel. Perhaps the simplest yet most profound
statement about the nature of God is found in the beautiful writings of the beloved
apostle John. He says, "He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love. And we
have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in
love dwelleth in God, and God in him" (I Jn. 4:8,16). Would that my tongue were
eloquent enough to explain it, or that my mind were great enough to comprehend it. But
neither is sufficient. When we speak of God's attributes we may say that God is a spirit
infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice,
goodness and truth. This is a very beautiful definition; but it largely defines only God's
attributes, whereas the text, "God is love," tells us WHAT HE HIMSELF IS. This
text reveals His nature, His state of being. For instance, in speaking of justice, we know
that God has justice as one of His attributes, but He is not justice; God IS love. This
fact gives us a revelation of GOD'S VERY NATURE. Our poor, lisping, faltering tongues
cannot proclaim the gospel as we would like; but we have God's Word that is true for the
present time and for all the times of all the ages. God IS LOVE! IS unchangeably!
IS eternally! God is love in heaven, in earth, in hell! IS everywhere! And
the great practical consequence is for you and me to respond to that God and to that love,
to become filled with that love, one with that love, the embodiment and manifestation of
that love to all men in all realms. The best and most wonderful word in the universe is
Love. For God is Love. And the best and most wonderful word in the inner chamber of our
heart must be Love. For the God who meets us there is Love. What is Love? THE DEEP
DESIRE TO GIVE ITSELF FOR THE BELOVED. Love finds its joy in imparting all that it has,
and all that it is, to make the loved one happy and fulfilled. And the heavenly Father,
who offers to meet us in the inner chamber let there be no doubt about this in our
minds has no other object than to flood our hearts with His love.
Love has been described as AN
ETERNAL WILL TO ALL GOODNESS. This is THE ONE ETERNAL, IMMUTABLE GOD that, from eternity
to eternity, changeth not, that can be neither more nor less, but an ETERNAL WILL TO ALL
GOODNESS that is in Himself and come from Him, so that as certainly as He is Creator, so
certainly is He the blesser of every created thing, and can give nothing but blessings,
goodness, fulfillment, and holiness from Himself, because He has in Himself nothing else
to give. The judgments of God can never be rightly understood apart from His nature of
love. If God's judgments spring not from His love then they come not from God at all, for
He IS LOVE. He possesses the attributes of both justice and wrath -- but He IS LOVE! What
ought this to teach us about His judgments! The pen of inspiration wrote, "My son,
despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: for
whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth . . . for
our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness" (Heb. 12:5-10). God doesn't go
around purposelessly punishing or vindictively torturing any of His creatures. But He does
go about precise paths of bringing forth correction UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS, as the prophet
says, "When Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will LEARN
RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Isa. 26:9).
The words of the following
poem strike poignantly at the deep meaning and sublime purpose of God in creation and
redemption.
Why did God make the
universe, the earth and the sky above?
Scripture gives the answer when it says that "God is love.
Before God made the universe He worked a master plan,
He knew how everything would end before it all began.
He made mankind so He could have an object of His love,
But, man was blind and did not see -- it came from above.
So God created evil as He had created night,
So man could see the good in Him -- in darkness we see light.
He made the "blackboard" very black, with evil, sin, and woe.
He made an adversary to be His cunning foe.
He made the earth to be a "stage" to show the hosts above,
By all of our experiences, His wisdom and His love.
He locks up all in stubbornness to make His mercy clear;
Lets satan lure all men away, so He can draw all near.
He gives His only firstborn Son to die and save us all;
Yet each in his own class we read; we're blind until our call.
You ask me why God made the earth, the glittering stars above!
The scriptures give the answer when they say that GOD IS LOVE!
Author Unknown
It is very important that we
grasp the deep message in the words of this inspired poem, because, once we understand it,
we comprehend as never before the eternal mystery of creation and redemption. It will be a
wonderful day for you, dear one, when first your soul becomes enthralled with the
revelation that God, before ever the world began or ever the ages were formed, looked
forth from His temple of wisdom and omnipotence to chart with resolute care the course and
purpose of every age. Your heart will throb as you read the opening proclamation of
scripture, "In the beginning GOD!" In the beginning of what? Not in the
beginning of God, certainly, but in the beginning of His creation of all things, in the
beginning of time as we know it, in the beginning of the orderly procession of the
divinely destined ages. In the beginning stands God, omnipotent and omniscient, creating,
sustaining and guiding all things and all people and all the ages of time according to the
purpose of His own will. No purpose ordained by God from the beginning can possibly go
astray or be hindered by the efforts of devil or man. Oh, for the hour when all creation
will grasp the beautiful message, "From Him everything comes, by Him everything
exists, and in Him everything ends!" (Rom. 11:36).
If God be the Creator of ALL
THINGS, then it must of necessity follow that GOD IS THE SOURCE OF ALL THINGS. We read the
passage quoted above from the Emphatic Diaglott, "because out of Him, and through
Him, and for Him are ALL THINGS, to Him be the glory for the ages, Amen. All things
are out of God, all thing are through Him, all things are for Him, and all things are unto
Him, ending in Him. The clearest possible rendering is given by Goodspeed, "For from
Him everything comes; through Him everything exists; and in Him everything ends! Glory to
Him forever! Amen." The Bible opens with the simplest and yet most profound statement
ever recorded by human hand. "In the beginning -- GOD" The sweet singer of
Israel declared of Him, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst
formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, THOU ART GOD"
(Ps. 90:2). Our God was the great active force, the cause of all that began to happen
"in the beginning." How awesome the thought that there was a "time"
when there was nothing absolutely nothing but God! There was no blue-green
orb called earth, no silver-shimmering moon, no diamond-studded heaven of stars and
planets, no angels, no devils, no man nothing but GOD HIMSELF. There were not even
the 100 elements out of which everything in the universe is constructed there was
only God. Paul caught something of the sublimity of this eternal and Self-existent One and
wrote, "For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in
earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or
powers: all things were created by Him and for Him: and HE IS BEFORE ALL THINGS, and by
Him all things consist" (Col. 1:16-17).
Let me emphasize this
wonderful and important truth: "He is before all things." This can mean nothing
else but that God is not one of the "things." He is BEFORE all things. He is
before A-L-L THINGS! And just as majestic is the truth that "by Him ALL THINGS
CONSIST." Now let us soar down through the corridors of time to the consummation of
all things. "For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last
enemy that shall be destroyed is death. And when all things shall be subdued unto Him,
then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that
GOD MAY BE ALL IN ALL" (I Cor. 15:25-28). GOD ALL IN ALL this will be the
grand conclusion of the whole vast universe and of Christ's redemption. There will come a
day the glory is such we can form no conception of it, the mystery is so deep we
cannot realize it when the Son shall deliver up the Kingdom that God gave Him in
His rulership over ALL THINGS that God may be all-in- all. ALL IN ALL such
is the grand goal of our God! But I must point out that before that long-ago beginning God
was NOT all-in-all. He was simply A-L-L. There was nothing else. No "thing"
beside Him. There was not even space for God was ALL. Oh, the mystery of it! This
raises an interesting and important question. If God was "before all things,"
then OUT OF WHAT did He CREATE all things? If there was only God, and absolutely no thing
other than God who was all, what kind of material did God have at His disposal from which
to construct the all things? If you were standing completely alone, with nothing outside
your own being existent, what material would be available for making something other than
yourself? The answer is, of course, NOTHING! YOU WOULD HAVE TO MAKE THE "THINGS"
OUT OF YOURSELF! And friend, this is precisely what God did. Now we can understand the
full import of those words inspired by the blessed Spirit of Truth through the apostle
Paul: "Because BY HIM were the all things created. ..and Himself is before all, and
the all things I-N H-I-M HAVE CONSISTED" (Col. 1:16-17).
Now let us return to the
nature of this God who was ALL. We must clearly see that God is all-inclusive, and that He
lacks nothing whatsoever. And God is love -- all goodness. Having said that God is
complete and therefore good, we can now go on to describe the attribute through which we
are aware of His existence His desire to share. This is the consequence, the effect
of His goodness. Some have said, and I have said it too, that God created man because He
was alone and yearned for fellowship for creatures of like kind with which He could
commune. But this falls short of the absolute nature of God which is the nature of love.
Love does not give because of the desire to receive; rather, love gives purely out of the
desire to bless. The desire for fellowship is the desire to receive not give! Now
God possesses that attribute also, as we shall presently see, but God is first of all love
-- the pure and unmixed desire to impart. Here we have the first principle of creation
God's infinite desire to impart led to the creation of a vessel to receive His
blessings. The creation of this vessel (the cosmos) was the beginning and the end of
creation. He therefore created the universe with all the hosts thereof, and this world
with its inhabitants. Thus the Creator could now bestow upon the creation His infinite
love and inexhaustible abundance. God is the Lover, creation the beloved! "For God so
loved the world .
We have shown that the
Creator's nature is sharing or imparting; however, there can be no sharing unless there is
some agent that can receive. So God's infinite desire to impart implies a desire to
fulfill every possible dimension and quality of desires to receive. Can we not see by this
that God's infinite desire to give demands AN AGENT WITH THE DESIRE TO RECEIVE! The very
nature of God requires CREATION! To impart or share with others, on any level, can only by
considered noble or kind when the recipient desires and enjoys that which is offered to
him. When the recipient rejects the gift yet the donor continues to insist on its
acceptance and finally forces him to accept, one can hardly consider this an act of giving
much less of love. All who read these lines know by experience that the mere
mechanical act of giving is, in itself, unsatisfactory and unfulfilling. We do not give
advice to the mountains, nor do we offer money to animals. Clearly there must be a desire
to receive on the part of the recipient, a knowledge of what the gift entails and
signifies, before we can say we are truly giving. It follows that God could never give
anything to anyone without an active desire to receive on their part. So the first step in
creation was to bring forth the manifestation of the DESIRE TO RECEIVE! This desire is
inherent in creation, although some are so blinded by sin and benumbed by death that they
seek for the answer to their craving in all the wrong places, even rebelling against the
glorious Giver. But God has a plan for all these, to bring them to repentance (a change of
mind and desire), so that they can desire properly and discover the true source of life
and blessing. "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count
slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that
ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE.'' (II Pet. 3:9).
Armed with the knowledge that
there was only God and no "thing" apart from Him, God was ALL it
readily follows that because of His nature to give God must create an instrument with both
the capacity and desire to receive. The only way to accomplish this was for God to
withdraw Himself, to remove Himself, that there would be a place or condition where HE WAS
NOT. God is light, the scripture declares, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
Therefore, let it be clearly known that darkness is nought but the ABSENCE OF GOD!
"And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the
deep" (Gen. 1:2). You will understand a great mystery when you see how it is that the
creation was brought forth in the domain of darkness, the realm from which, though created
by God, God had withdrawn Himself! "For the creation was made subject to vanity, not
willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope. Because the creation
itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the
children of God" (Rom. 8:20-21). Not only was darkness (the absence of God) the first
state of creation, it remains the condition of the Adamic creation unto this day. The
command, "Let there be light," is not merely an historical event, but a prophecy
of the glorious reality that would be birthed out of the darkness of the first creation.
The work begins with darkness. God said, "Let there be light," and at once light
shone where all before was dark. It is only when the Word of God pierces the dense
darkness of our alienated, carnal mind with the divine fiat, "Let there be
light!" that our darkness displeases us and we are turned to the light. In that
blessed moment the shroud of ignorance and death is removed from our heart and the light
of life shines in to illuminate, quicken and transform that world which we are. "The
people which sat in darkness saw a great light; and to them which sat in the region and
shadow of death light is sprung up" (Mat. 4:16). "I am the light of the world:
he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the the light of
life" (Jn. 8:12). "Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power
of darkness, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son" (Col. 1:12-13).
God's method in His
going-forth cannot be better understood than by the use of a somewhat uncommon word
parsimony. We may say that God's method of realizing Himself in creation is by parsimony.
To use an illustration if we desire to understand the composition of the great
white rays of light, we break them up into their constituents and see them as crimson and
purple and gold. To break up the composition of the white light we hold a portion of it
back. This is what takes place when we pass it through a prism or through stained glass.
Part of it is held back and we see the remainder. This is parsimony. To change the figure,
those who love little children often act upon the same principle. We have to shed a
portion of our experience, dispense with a part of our resources, yield up a measure of
what we are, and become children ourselves if we are to understand and relate to children.
We isolate some of our persona, as it were. Your little boy or girl knows you as father,
but perhaps your fellow citizens know you as professor, banker, lawyer, doctor or
proprietor. You have a larger life than the little child knows anything about, and yet to
live your fatherhood properly you have to shed the other persona in the presence of your
child and live as a child. What is this but parsimony! Part of your nature is dismissed,
or withdrawn, or held back, that the other part lived in the home may become to you a
richer experience. Many know me as a man of God, a preacher and teacher of the
It is not difficult to see
how to apply this to God's great principle of creation. God withdrew Himself creating
darkness and void -- this is the self-limitation of Deity; or to state it in other words,
God retained, or held back, His full resources in order that there could be formed outside
of Himself and beyond Himself and yet within Himself the desire to receive. This is
righteous, purposeful, divine parsimony. The desire to receive is the basic mechanism by
which the world operates, the dynamic process at the base of all manifestation. The desire
to receive affects all creation because it is the basis of all creation. As we view the
animate creation we find a remarkable physical dependence upon the external world for
survival culminating in man, who has the greatest desire to receive of all creation -- not
only for physical things, but also for psychological things like peace, happiness and
satisfaction, and above all, the deep inner craving for spiritual life, the insatiable
hunger after reality. When God created man male and female in His image He revealed that
He is Himself male and female in His nature and attributes. God would never have known the
action of giving and receiving had He not known them as characteristics inherent within
Himself. The masculine nature is the nature of the Giver. Aggressiveness, boldness,
strength, valor, authority, power and dominion are among the traits of the masculine sex.
And it is the man who supplies the sperm for the creation of a new life. Thus, man is the
Giver. Modesty, gentleness, tenderness, sensitivity and dependence are attributes of the
feminine sex. And it is the woman who receives the sperm in the act of procreation. Woman
is therefore the Receiver. The realm of her reception is in darkness the new life,
the new creation, the product of her union is formed in the seclusion and darkness of the
womb space. In its beginning the new life is without human form and darkness is
upon the face of the deep. What marvelous things are wrought in darkness! Said the
Psalmist: "I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are
Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from Thee, when I
was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did
see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which
in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them" (Ps. 139:14-16).
I find myself too confined to
set forth this truth as I should do, but let us request of God's Spirit the ability to see
that it is in darkness that the embryo is created, and in that long ago beginning it was
in a great darkness that creation was formed. God the Giver withdrew Himself from Himself
creating space, and within that space He brought forth creation -- the Receiver. In
darkness the Receiver existed in a state of lack, made to lack a little from Elohim. It
was a region of rayless darkness. Deepest night rested over it. It was without from,
utterly shapeless in all its parts. It was void, that is, unfilled up. It knew nothing of
God who was to become its fullness. In none of its parts was there any reception or
filling up. Then the Spirit of God began to move upon the face of this deep. This activity
of the Holy Spirit is called that of "moving" over the face of the waters. The
word "move" is from the Hebrew RACHAPH and occurs only three times in the Old
Testament, the other two being translated "shake" (Jer. 23:9) and
"fluttereth" (Deut. 32:11), respectively. Some commentators relate the word
particularly to the hovering of a mother hen over her chicks. In any case, the idea seems
to be mainly that of a rapid back and forth motion. In modern scientific terminology, the
best translation would probably be "vibrated." If the universe is to be
energized, there must be an Energizer. If it is to be given life, there must be a
Life-giver. The vibrating of God over the creation in darkness is not unlike the movement
of the male at that precise moment when he inseminates the female with the seed of life.
It is most appropriate that the first impartation of energy into the universe is described
as the "vibrating" movement of the Spirit of God Himself the injection of
His life as divine seed into creation! This movement is immediately followed by the divine
fiat: "Let there be light!" and into the darkness the light shone. In that
blessed moment God and creation began their long journey into union, oneness. The Giver
began to give and the Receiver began to receive. The heart of the Father was pleased. Now
there was an object to Receive out of His infinite desire to Give! The law of creation was
begun.
Think it not strange, my
beloved, when your pathway leads you down, down, down into the experience of darkness and
despair. It is in the darkness that the desire to receive is first kindled within you. We
flounder a bit in our understanding of these things, but as time passes by and the Holy
Spirit takes the things of God and reveals them unto us, we begin to understand that in
all the universe a thing is a thing ONLY BECAUSE IT HAS ITS OPPOSITE. Good without the
knowledge of evil can scarcely be called good at all. Who could possibly speak of the day
if night had never been known? There was no first light except there was darkness before
it. What could we know of life if there were no death? What would we know of health if
there were no sickness? What would we know of wealth if poverty had not spread its spectre
upon the earth? No man can be trusted until he has been EXPOSED TO THE OPPOSITES, until he
has been moved to desire something beyond his darkness, frustration, limitation and lack.
Myriad have been the men who have inquired why God cast the noble and divine spirit of man
into the earthly, sublunar plane, into bodies built of clay, where they endure sorrow,
temptation, pain, sickness, and the constant trials and ruthlessness which this body of
death imposes upon the soul. He might, preferably, have maintained them in His heavenly
sphere where all spirits rejoice in His presence, where once the morning stars sang and
all the sons of God shouted for joy, where they could merit the ineffable goodness of the
divine splendor which is bestowed upon them. Ah! but first, He must create in us the
desire to receive; second, He must involve us in the grand purpose of the receiving
to mature us into His image until we have thoroughly learned the great law of His Being,
of His Kingdom it is MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE! God created this world
peopling it with earthly bodies through which the soul must labor and struggle. By
experience and travail, through faith and patience we attain His objective of
purification, wisdom, understanding and holiness; without the struggle this necessitates,
we would be nothing more than idle recipients of God's blessing. It has been demonstrated
time and again that that which costs a man nothing is generally unappreciated. The natural
consequence of eating unearned bread, of receiving something for nothing that is
not earned by labor and travail is folly and shame. Ah, beloved, there is purpose
in affliction. There is purpose in trial. There is purpose in temptation. There is purpose
in suffering. There is purpose in sorrow. There is purpose in pain. There is purpose in
sickness and infirmity. There is purpose in light and darkness. There is purpose in
limitation and abundance. There is divine purpose in all the inter-play between good and
evil in our lives. One who grows up in a sheltered environment, who is pampered all his
life, grows up a weak, spineless individual. ADVERSITY builds strength of character. If we
were never exposed to trials and tribulation, we would grow up weak indeed! The more we
are exposed to ADVERSE circumstances, the more we have to wrestle with our environment,
the more we are challenged by the world around us, the stronger we become. Saints, if we
would be the sons of the Most High (the ultimate Givers) we must be strong in the Lord and
in the power of His might! Our Father wants us to be strong, so He has wisely given us
strong currents of opposition so we will become strong. There is a great and magnificent
future ahead for the sons of God, and a great work our Father has for us to do in the age
and the ages to come, and He is preparing us and making us ready for the high and holy
place He has for us. Can we not see that all the opposing forces we now encounter are
working together for our good to develop the strength, character, wisdom, faith and
power we must acquire? Have you noticed how strangely Matthew and Mark speak of Christ's
temptation? "And immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness to be tempted
of the devil." (Mk. 1:12; Mat. 4:1). What a strange statement! The Holy Spirit of God
drives the sinless Son of God into the wilderness to be tempted by satan, the arch enemy
of all righteousness, a murderer from the beginning, the father of lies! Ah, but it was
necessary for this Son to be PROVEN, to be made STRONG, to OVERCOME in these realms before
proceeding on into His glorious sonship ministry and the death of the cross. Truly God
creates darkness and void and uses it, too, for His glory!
You see, God only makes us
Receivers in order that we may become Givers. The woman receives the seed of life from the
man, but in bringing that child into the world she is miraculously transformed into a
Giver! "For the man is not of the woman; but the woman (Eve) of the man.
Nevertheless. . .as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman" (I
Cor. 11:8-12). The Word of God bears immutable testimony to this wonderful truth. Father
Abraham heard the call of God and got him out of his own country, from his father's house
and his father's kindred, and sojourned to a land that God showed him. God gave to him the
promise of a seed and that in this seed all the families of the earth would be blessed.
After many years of experience in
The feminine Receiver in turn
acquires the masculine character of Giver. This principle is seen again in the order of
the life-cycle children are Receivers, everything provided for them out of the
bounty of the parents. In due process, however, the child grows up and becomes an adult
a Giver. In maturity, out of his nature to Give, the process of creation is
extended. The parent creates, just as God did! a receiver, a new life, to the end that his
desire to Give may find fulfillment in pouring lavishly upon the child of his love. So in
all of nature the law of creation is in wonder beheld one Receives to become a
Giver; he then himself creates a Receiver in order to Give and the process goes on
from generation to generation, from age to age. Certainly this sublime truth is alluded to
in the inspired words of the apostle wherein he says, "For the invisible things of
Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that
are made, even His eternal power and Godhead" (Rom. 1:20).
It might be thought that
Giving, the first aspect through which Creator God is known to us, implies diminishing or
loss. At times our experience in this world is that, after we have shared or given
something, we are left with less than we had before. Although we have perceived it thus,
if we are quickened by the Holy Spirit to have eyes to see and hearts to understand the
nature of all things, we will soon discern that this is not truly the case, since giving
is the prerequisite for receiving. "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good
measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your
bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you
again" (Lk. 6:38). This is the law of the Kingdom! When we give we create the correct
spiritual atmosphere for the drawing down of forces from above. Can we then say that God
became diminished by His sharing with creation? Not at all! In creation God receives the
increase of Himself into Himself again so that instead of diminishing there is eternal
expansion. So God is a Bestower, a Father. He imparts without being in any way diminished
by imparting. The miracle of the widow woman's unfailing cruise of oil, and the feeding of
the five thousand from five little loaves and two fishes, with twelve basketsful of
fragments left over, are parabolic illustrations of this great principle. God does not
give to receive again there can be nothing of that in the nature of God or in the
law of creation. It is simply the law of creation that what one sows produces a harvest.
Men sow to reap a harvest but God sows out of His pure and unmixed desire to give. In this
He is the measure of the perfect Donor. We could compare this to a rich man deciding to
get rid of all his money so that he can provide other people with the opportunity to make
money. While he is in possession of his money, he has all that he wants, and consequently
no desire to receive. It is only after he has made himself poor that he has enabled others
to share of their profits with him, thus making him even richer than he was before. Out of
his great love of sharing a boundless love comes the essence of the Creator
who ceaselessly bestows His blessing by withdrawing Himself, bringing forth a creation in
darkness with its lack and desire to receive, and then pouring into the creation of His
Life and Light and Love, bringing eternal increase out of Himself and into Himself. Oh,
the wonder of it!
Brethren, I deplore the vain
prattle that is being preached today concerning so-called "seed faith." From
coast to coast preachers are saying the very opposite of what I am saying here. They
unashamedly tell people that the way to get out of debt and unleash an abundance of
financial blessing is to plant "seed money," to give in order to get! They
persuade tens of thousands of Christians that if only they will send in their "seed
faith" offering to God's servant God will bless and prosper them, they will soon have
all their bills paid, they will have the finest and best of all the good things the world
has to offer, and an abundance of the amenities of life. My beloved, I do not hesitate to
tell you that the only ones being financially blessed and prospering and getting rich out
of this carnal teaching are the slick preachers who are hoodwinking God's precious people
into sending them their hard-earned money. It is wondrously true give and it shall
be given unto you! But it is a monstrous farce to teach people to give IN ORDER TO GET.
Giving to get is contrary to the nature of God, contradictory to the law of creation, and
runs counter to the principles of the
The spirit of love is not in
you till it is the spirit of your life, till you live freely, willingly, universally
according to it. It knows no difference of time, place, or person; but whether it gives or
forgives, bears or forbears, it is equally doing its own delightful work. The spirit of
love does not want to be rewarded or honored; its only desire is to become the blessing
and happiness of everything that needs it. The wrath of an enemy, the treachery of a
friend, only gives the spirit of love an opportunity to be more triumphant. The rebellion
of Adam but opened up avenues for mankind to experience and know the incredible depths of
the love of God! God IS LOVE! And His sons are of His own nature. The SONS OF LOVE! What a
blessed title! Little wonder, then, that the whole vast creation, sold under slavery and
bondage to sin, sorrow, and death groans and travails for the manifestation of the SONS OF
LOVE! To know this is a wonderful help to faith. It teaches us that to love God, or the
brethren, or our enemies, or the whole wretched race of men, is not a thing self-effort
can attain. We can do it only because the divine love is dwelling in us; only as far as we
yield ourselves to the divine love as a living power within, as a life that has been born
into us, and that the Holy Spirit strengthens into action. Our part is first of all to
rest, to cease from effort, to meditate deeply upon the depths of His love to us, to know
that He is in us, and to give way to the love that dwells and works in us a power that is
from above. The love of God reigns. The Spirit of God still waits to take possession of
the heart where He has hitherto had no room. Love is timeless, eternal, unbounded. God so
loved. He loves still. Though one hundred and sixty billions of men have lived and died
and gone to Christless graves, HE LOVES THEM STILL. He will deal and deal in mercy and
judgment until the desire to receive in them responds to Him as the one and only infinite
supply. Oh, my dear friend, can you believe that? His mercy endureth forever, throughout
all ages, and love will conquer, praise His name! Don't you believe for one moment the
hideous lie that there are vessels created with the desire to receive that somehow will
escape God's love and slip away into eternal death or everlasting torment. Such an idea is
repugnant to all who know the truth and flies in the face of both the nature and wisdom of
God the Creator-Giver.
Hence it is that God, wanting
to show us what love is, sent One who from the beginning was sinless; who was conceived
without the aid of lust (the desire to receive), who was conceived of the Holy Spirit of
Infinite Love, and into whose being there entered no evil passion, since the virgin was
sanctified in her spirit, her soul, and her body; so that the Holy thing that was born of
her was the incarnation of Love (the pure and unmixed desire to give) in every part of His
spirit, in every drop of His blood, and in every organ of His body. People have great
difficulty relating to an abstraction or an invisible force. It must be personalized and
that is why God has come in the person of Jesus Christ, so that we might see Him and see
what God is like. God has been personalized. Love has been personified. God so loved Him
that when He died the very heavens were darkened, and the earth trembled under the noonday
sun veiling all nature, while silence in earth and heaven lasted until Love had finished
His sacrifice upon the cross. Just as the first creation was born when God withdrew
Himself, creating darkness, and a vessel in the darkness with the desire to receive, so
the new creation came forth in the darkness when God withdrew Himself from Himself on
Calvary (My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me!) and in that Son who hung in darkness was
created a race of men with the desire to receive of HIS FULLNESS, EVEN THE SONS OF GOD.
That was Love so divine, so wonderful, so awful, that it could only have been possible for
God in Christ to have revealed it at all. This Love is the Love which God imparts to us.
This same Love that was in Him must be in us. The sons of God must be the sons of love. Go
and learn what that means and the hope of sonship will gleam brightly in your soul.
What a high, holy, heavenly
calling! And how reminiscent of Paul's statement in Eph. 2:4-7: "But God, who is rich
in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath
quickened us together with Christ, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might SHOW the
exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Jesus Christ." So
vast, so marvelous are the wonders of His grace, it will require the ages to come to
continue to unfold these wonders, and He has purposed that there should be a people
through whom He would give this demonstration that in the ages to come He might
show..." "Show" is from a Greek word meaning "to exhibit, to put on
display like a work of art, to demonstrate." The Amplified Bible reads, "He did
this that He might CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE through the ages to come the immeasurable
(limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace in Kindness and goodness of heart toward
us in Christ Jesus." Kenneth Wuest translates, "In order that He might EXHIBIT.
. . in the ages that pile themselves upon one another in continuous succession the
surpassing wealth of His grace in kindness to us in Christ Jesus." Show. .
.demonstrate. . . exhibit the riches of His grace unto whom? Not to those who
already know it that would be useless nonsense. But to those who do not know it! To
the whole vast creation of men and worlds who dwell in darkness with the insatiable desire
to receive, but to whom has never been revealed the true and eternal and unbounded source
of life and reality.
Ah, God is preparing a divine
show for all the earth, indeed for the entire universe. The mighty Barnum, in describing
his circus, said it was THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH. True, Mr. Barnum was a great showman
and, for its kind, he had a great show, but God is the Master Showman and is preparing to
give the world THE GREATEST SHOW IT HAS EVER SEEN. It is a theatrical of MERCY and GRACE
and LOVE in a world of wrath and violence. This will be God's master stroke as the curtain
rises on the world's greatest drama God's Great Show THE MANIFESTATION OF
THE SONS OF GOD! Praise His name, once the finishing touch is put on the last stone of His
living temple of Kings and Priests, the firstfruits of His redemption, in ages yet to come
He shall put His grace and kindness inwrought in us ON DISPLAY so that the entire creation
may walk across the stage of His cosmic theatre and behold and see and finally come to
understand and appreciate WHAT GOD HAS PROVIDED FOR ALL MEN IN CHRIST. All who have ears
to hear must hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches. Across the land and around
the world the Spirit is saying today that He is preparing a people, He is preparing a
body, He is preparing sons who shall be conformed to the image of His Son, who shall be
partakers of the divine nature, who shall have the mind of Christ, who shall be brought to
glory and who then shall become the very express image of the Father, the brightness of
the Father's glory and the outraying of the Father's person. These shall receive of His
fullness until they have within themselves conquered all sin, sickness and death. God is
now preparing sons, God is now preparing a body for that first Son, we are the body of the
first Son, the body of the Christ, the body of the King of glory, the body of the great
High Priest in the heavens after the order of Melchizedek. We are the body of the Giver
and in and through these sons, when all have been brought to His fullness, having received
of all His glorious and eternal reality, His salvation shall be manifested, exhibited, and
demonstrated unto the ends of the earth and unto worlds yet unknown. The Lord is saying to
His people in this day: "For this cause have I raised thee up and sent thee to be a
light unto the nations and thou shalt BE MY SALVATION to the ends of the earth" (Isa.
49:6; Acts. 13:47).
When those who treasure the
beautiful hope of sonship speak the words the Spirit is speaking to the Churches in this
hour, people demand, "Who do you think you are?" When we declare that we are
called to be the manifested sons of God, to grow up into the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ, to partake of a greater ministry than that of the Church-age, to set
all creation free and reconcile all things in heaven and in earth back into God, people
ask, "Just who do you think you are?" It really makes no difference who WE think
we are, but it makes a great deal of difference that we know WHO AND WHAT WE ARE
APPREHENDED TO BE IN HIM. Our ears have heard the sound of the trumpet, we cannot
dare not settle for anything less, we must follow on to know Him in all His
wonderful fullness, to desire to receive of all that He is and has so that we can in turn
become His Givers unto all. HE THAT HATH AN EAR LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH. Let us
not sell creation short in these days. The whole creation is groaning and travailing
together in pain to be delivered from the bondage of corruption. Mankind is sick and tired
of sin and fear and hatred and sorrow and pain and empty religious platitudes, rituals,
ceremonies and doctrines. The whole race is gripped by the most intense DESIRE TO RECEIVE
there is everywhere an unprecedented hunger for deliverance, life and reality. Let
us not deny the Lord who purchased us to be a
In the several pages of this
writing our theme has been LIFE OUT OF DEATH, or LIGHT OUT OF DARKNESS. This is the
divine, sublime message of the remarkable Sign of Capricornus the dying Goat from
whom springs the living fish! It is the pouring out of light into darkness, of life into
death that quickened creation may be raised up to the glory of the Creator and redound
unto His glory. May God make it real to your heart!
Chapter
29
CAPRICORNUSTHE
GOAT
(continued)
We continue in our study of
the Sign of CAPRICORNUS THE GOAT. The
goat in the scriptures is a sacrificial animal. And
while the Sign is known as the goat, it is a very strange creature indeed. On the old star charts the front half is pictured
as a goat and the rear half as a fish. It is a
goat with a fishes' tail; it is half-goat and half-fish.
This Sign has a strange appearance on the old star charts because it shows a
wounded goat, with its head bowed and its knee bent under, fallen down in the posture of
dying. On the other hand, the tail of the fish
is wiggling, vigorous and living! Note that
from the dying goat comes a living fish the living fish thus takes its being out of
the dying goat and derives all its life and vigor from thence. The living fish emerging from the dying goat
therefore has an important meaning. In
addition to the falling and dying of the goat, Capricornus is the Sign of a mystical
procreation and bringing forth. It speaks of
life that springs forth from the death of the sacrifice.
That which dies is a goat; that which is brought forth is a fish, the
familiar and well understood symbol of the spiritual body brought out of the dying of the
Lord Jesus Christ. What could better symbolize
this than the Sign before us? The goat and
fish are one one being, the life of the dying reproduced and continued in a
spiritual product which is part of the one and the same body. The goat of sacrifice is projected into a new
creation, which is yet an organic part of itself.
LIFE OUT OF DEATH
Some of the brightest stars
in the constellation of Capricornus are AL GEDI, which means "the Kid; DENEB AL
GEDI meaning "the Sacrifice cometh"; and MAASAD, "the Slaying." God commanded the children of
We will never grasp the enormity of Christ's
sacrifice until the Holy Spirit somehow gives us the ability to see the death of Christ in
all its lifetime scope and experience not as six hours on a cross but as
thirty-three and a half years, fully participating in the death realm in all its aspects,
man as we are man, flesh as we are flesh, weak as we are weak, limited as we are limited,
tempted in all points as we are, suffering in all ways as we do, grappling with all the
forces within and without that we struggle with, that through His suffering He might
become the very first man to overcome it all, the first perfect man, the first man to
break out of the dungeon of sin and the prison house of death righteous, victorious
and living! The Word of God, through His
incarnation, became the son of man that we who were born sons of men might through Him
become sons of God, yea, perfect sons of men and incorruptible
sons of God. What a sacrifice that was and
what a death He died! A brother shared the
following experience which graphically portrays to our understanding the magnitude of
Christ's sacrifice. "Years ago, when I
was still at home on the farm, we had a manure pile in the field, the former owners had
been cleaning out the barn and piling the manure there for years. There was a colony of snakes living in this manure
pile, and on a sunny day one could see several of them lying on the sunny south side,
sunning themselves. One day I was emptying a
load of manure on the north side, and I sneaked up over the pile to get a look at the
snakes. There were several lying there; and as
I stood looking at them, the Lord seemed to say to me, How would you like to become one of
those creatures and live among them in this manure pile!
I shuddered at the thought of it. I
just couldn't comprehend how terrible it would be. To
lower myself to that extent was unthinkable. Then
the Lord said to me, For my Son to leave His home in the glory above, to become a man in
the likeness of sinful flesh, for your sake and your salvation, was much worse than that. I have never forgotten that experience. It made me appreciate much more the sacrifice He
made for me."
George Hawtin ably wrote of
this death-realm: "Now it naturally
follows that, if our blessed Lord spent all the days of His earthly existence in death, we
also are doing the same, and I shall advance many infallible proofs to show that the very
thing men have called life is not life at all, but death.
Indeed we may claim that three score and ten years are the years of our life
and, of course, we all understand what is meant by that statement, but the real truth is
that the three score and ten years during which we dwell in this corruptible body are not
the years of our life, but the years of our death. When
we mortals put a man in a coffin and bury him in the dark, cold earth, we say the man is
dead, and indeed he is; but have you heard what Jesus answered when one or His disciples
said to Him, Suffer me first to go and bury my father? The strange reply He gave was this, 'Follow Me: and
let the dead bury their dead' (Mat. 8:21-22). How
strange that statement sounds to us who do not understand what death is, but the Lord was
really telling them that the able bodied men who were carrying the coffin to the cemetery
were just as dead as the man who was lying breathless within it. In other words, the very thing we insist is life
God says is death. The sooner we learn that
lesson the sooner we will release as useless all things that pertain to this realm of
death that we might be enabled to firmly lay hold on life, even the life which Jesus
gives, aionian life, or the life of the ages. When
the truth of this dawned upon my soul, I found many earthly things slipping away from me
in a manner I had nor known hitherto. Who
among us could ever desire to lay fast hold upon that which he discovers to be naught but
death? The things that are dead we bury out of
our sight, and I think I am right in saying that the lusts and temptations that belong to
this death lose their grip upon us when we know that they are naught but death and that
the flesh life to which these temptations cling is but a vapor that the wind driveth away. I cannot see myself slaving to lay up great wealth
in store for that which I know is dead. What
an abominable lie has gripped our hearts, deceiving us into endless labor and travail
until on every side men and women are dying of heart attacks in their worry to provide
worthless goods for this body of death. end quote.
In order that the Christ
could become a ransom (release) for our sins, He had to shed His blond and die on the
cross; and in order to die He had to become mortal subjected to this whole dreadful
realm of sin and death. He had to surrender
Himself to the condition, circumstances, powers and state of being of the death-realm. He became a man, a mortal like the rest of us. When He was still a babe in His mother's arms, when
King Herod discovered that the Magi, instead of coming to tell him where the baby could be
found, had tricked him and returned to their country by another route, the wicked Herod
was exceedingly wroth. He had found out that
this babe was to be the king of the Jews, and this endangered his position as king. So he wanted the baby destroyed, and sent soldiers
to kill every male child under two years old in that vicinity. Joseph was warned by God in a dream about this plot
to destroy the child and instructed to flee into
Sharing our humanity, being
made in the likeness of sinful flesh, He had the same sinful nature we have. Now do not mistake what I say! I do not say that Jesus had the same fallen
condition of Adam I say that He had the
same sinful nature Adam has and had from the beginning.
The question is just this when did Adam receive his sinful nature
before he sinned, or only after he sinned? A
sinful nature is simply a nature that sins or that is liable to sin. If Adam had not been created with a nature capable
of sinning, how, I ask, could he have ever been tempted.?
How could he have sinned? The
correct answer to these questions reveals to our spiritual understanding the amazing fact
that the sinful nature had to precede the first sin, not follow it. Can we not see the simple truth that it was not the
act of sinning that gave Adam the sinful nature rather, it was the sinful nature
that caused him to sin! It was therefore
necessary for Christ Jesus to come in exactly the same state as the first Adam was in
before he sinned and plunged the race into death. He
could not have been tempted otherwise, but He was subject to all the temptations man is
subject to. "He was tempted in all points
like as we are, yet without sin. The
suffering was not suffering surrounding the cross. In
order to be a perfect sacrifice He had to be perfected before He went to the cross. It was through the years that He lived as a man,
that He suffered through temptation. You and I
haven't suffered much this way, because when the temptation gets too severe we just yield
to it and sin! He couldn't sin, for if He had,
He could not have been our Capricornus, our goat, our perfect sin-offering required to
redeem the race. So he had to resist and
overcome all temptation, and this must have been excruciatingly difficult for Him to do
many times, for He had all the desires and inclinations of the human, sinful nature to
battle with.
I would draw your reverent
attention to these significant words of inspiration which we quoted earlier, but now I
will share them as they are beautifully translated in the Amplified Bible. "Let this same attitude and purpose and mind
be in you which was in Christ Jesus Who, although being. . . one with God and in
the form of God, possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God, did not
think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained; but stripped
Himself of all privileges and rightful dignity so as to assume the guise of a servant, in
that He became like men and was born a human being. And
after He had appeared in human form He abased and humbled Himself still further and
carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross! Therefore God has highly exalted Him . . ." In this wonderful passage we have the summary of
all the most precious truths that cluster about the person of the Son of God. There is first His wonderful divinity: "in the form of God," "equal with
God." Then comes the mystery of Him
laying aside that glory in that phrase of deep and inexhaustible meaning: "He
stripped Himself," "He emptied Himself."
The humiliation follows: "The form of a servant," "Made in
the likeness of men, "found in fashion as a man." Then comes the crushing and mortification of
suffering and death: He humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross." And all is crowned
by His glorious exaltation: "God hath
highly exalted Him! Christ as God. Christ becoming man, Christ as man in humiliation
revealing the glory of the Father in a body of flesh, and Christ in glory as Lord of all:
such are the treasures of wisdom and knowledge this passage contains.
The great truth we want to
grasp here is that Christ (the Word) dwelt from eternity in the form, the essence, the
nature and the being of God. In that divine
nature He was eternal, untemptable and incorruptible.
But when He laid aside that glory, emptying Himself of it, taking upon
Him the form and nature of man, He, the ETERNAL ONE, subjected Himself to the dread power
of death, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. When the Christ laid aside His eternal heavenly
glory, the UNTEMPTABLE ONE took upon Himself all the frailties and weaknesses of human
nature so that the One who cannot be tempted was found in a nature that could be tempted
and indeed He was in all points tempted like as we are.
The inspired apostle James says that "every man is tempted, when he is
drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then
when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin" (James 1:14-15). Was Jesus truly tempted in all points like as we
are, or did He have some mystical advantage over us, some inherent quality of divinity,
some unique spiritual power which enabled Him to be oblivious to the cravings and demands
of the flesh? Anything, to be a temptation for
us, must excite something within us that responds to the temptation. That for which we have no desire, can never tempt
us. I used to think, as many do, that Jesus
was so high and holy that He could not be affected by the base things that allure us. He was indeed high and holy, but not to the extent
that He could not be touched by the same infirmities, weaknesses, and feelings that touch
us. While some may still find it hard to
believe, because of our superstitious religious view of Christ, He knows exactly how the
person feels who is tempted to lie, cheat, curse, steal, murder, or commit adultery. There had to be the desire in His flesh, the
inclination in His nature to answer the temptation, but, blessed by God! HE OVERCAME IT ALL!
He was tempted in every point as we are, YET WITHOUT SIN. As we have the indwelling Holy Spirit, so He had
the indwelling Father and by that overcame all temptation and in the one instance of His
intense desire to go His own way, He resisted even unto blood. He was the first to do this and HE ENTERED INTO
IMMORTALITY AND INCORRUPTION.
There is something diabolical
about temptation, something satanically bewitching and bewildering. It stirs up our senses and excites our emotions and
passions. For the time being the forbidden
thing seems more important than anything else in the world.
It weakens our powers of judgment, both moral and spiritual. People who are otherwise very intelligent and
self-controlled will in a brief season of temptation commit wholly unthinkable follies
which they often live to regret a whole lifetime afterwards. It paralyzes our will. Our many good resolutions melt like wax in the hour
of temptation. All this temptation frequently
does simply by being permitted to press in upon us. It
is like chloroform. If it gets too close to
us, it will deprive us of the very possibility of offering resistance. But, praise God, "God is faithful, who will
not suffer you in be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make a
way of escape, that ye may be able to hear it" (I Cor. 10:13). May God in His great mercy give us a true insight
into the glory of what is offered us in this truth that our great HIGH PRIEST, whom
we have in the heavenlies, is One who is able to sympathize with us in each and every
circumstance, because He knows, from personal experience, exactly what we feel and face. Yes, that God might give us courage to draw nigh
unto Him, He has placed upon the throne of heaven One out of our midst, of whom we can be
certain that, because He Himself lived on earth as a man, He understands us perfectly, is
prepared to have patience with our weakness, and give us just the help we need to overcome
and enter into His glory. May God give us eyes
to see and hearts to understand the depth of the mystery of which I now write. Had the Logos, the Word of God remained in that
bright glory world above, in that spiritual dimension detached from this realm of flesh
and corruptibility, He might have been ever so desirous to help us and lift us up to
godhood: but, if He had never tasted death, how could He allay our fears as we tread the
verge of Jordan? If He had never been tempted,
how could He succor those who are tempted? If
He had never wept, how could He dry our tears? If
He had never suffered, hungered, wearied on the hill of difficulty, or threaded His way
through the quagmires of weakness and grief, how could He have been a merciful and
faithful High Priest, having compassion on the ignorant and wayward? But, thank God, our High Priest is a perfect one! He is perfectly adapted to His task, and is able to
lead each and every member of God's elect out of this valley of the shadow of death over
into the victory and glory of perfection and incorruptibility!
He who alone is life, having
never touched death, humbled Himself for our sakes and became obedient unto death. He stooped to die and lived thirty-three and one
half years in it. Then at the end He went to
the cross. Earth's voices must fall silent
here, for they will never be able to tell the story of how it is that life comes out of
death. I would have said that such a thing
would be impossible had He not said of His life, I have power to lay it down, and I
have power to take it up again (Jn 10:118). When
He expired on the cross, He passed into the totality of death, and on the resurrection
side of the tomb He proved that there is NO FINALITY TO DEATH, that even in death He was
wondrously alive, for, said He, "I have power to lay it down, and I have power to
take it up again." It was not simply that
He had faith that GOD would raise Him from the dead. NO! The power He possessed was the power to take His
own life up again and this power is a power He both had and executed WHILE HE WAS DEAD! There can be no other explanation. A child of five should be able to understand that
one cannot lay his life down and take it up again unless he has life even in death. In the power of that life which the Christ still
possessed, being dead, He passed back from the realm of death to the realm of life, and on
the resurrection side of the tomb He cried in triumph, "Behold, I am alive forever
more (Rev. 1:18). And now He is alive in
the flesh, praise God, triumphantly holding in His incorruptible hands the keys of both
death and hell, and is abundantly able to offer life eternal to dead men who believe in
Him. "The hour is coming, and now
is," He has proclaimed, "when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God:
and they that hear shall live" (Jn. 5:25). Our
blessed Lord Jesus Christ, by partaking of death during the days of His flesh and ending
all death by the power of His resurrection, has brought to light both life and
immortality. Notice, precious friend of mine,
it is not said that He has created life and immortality He has brought it to light,
turned His searchlight upon it, disclosed it, revealed it, opened it up, proclaimed it and
made it known. Christ is life. In Him is life.
In Him alone is life. And the
man or woman who has been quickened by Christ HAS LIFE, is passed from death unto life,
and shall never die. "I AM (not I will
be) the resurrection and the life," says Jesus, he that believeth in Me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this? (Jn. 11:25-26). Sad to say, even some who profess to be teachers of
God's elect and sons of God do not believe that simple truth which Martha embraced that
day when the Christ brought life and immortality to light in her awakened consciousness. Our Lord Jesus plainly told us, "My sheep hear
My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give into them eternal life, and they
shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father which gave them Me is greater than all;
and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hands. (Jn. 10:27-29). The moment any man hears the voice of the Son of
God and becomes a sheep following Him, at that moment, the gift of God, which is eternal
life, is given to that believing man and the life of God begins to live and dwell and
abide in that man as a well of water springing up unto eternal life. Christ is the Tree of Life, and all who partake of
Him receive life, not in some future age, not in some distant resurrection, but here and
now, for He gives them eternal life. Apart
from Him there is naught but darkness and death. "Whoso
drinketh of this water shall thirst again," were the words He spoke to the troubled
woman at the well of Samaria, "But whoso drinketh of the water that I shall give
shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give Him shall become a fountain within
him, springing up unto eternal life (Jn. 4:14) Christ
is the fountain of life. He alone is the
fountain of eternal youth, of eternal consciousness, of eternal being. This is the wonderful message of the NEW COVENANT,
the covenant of life.
Again I would quote briefly
from the inspired writings of George Hawtin. "Sweet
mystery of life, at last weve found Thee! And
we have found that Thou, O Christ, art life not that life which flourishes as grass
in the field today and tomorrow the wind passes over it and it is gone, nor life like
ours, which is as a mist which the wind driveth away, but life aionian, life everlasting,
life eternal, life evermore, the life of the ages. Well
spoke our beloved Lord when He said, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My
word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, HATH EVERLASTING LIFE, and shall not come into
condemnation, but IS PASSED FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE, or as Rotherham has translated it,
'hath passed over out of death into Iife' (Jn. 5:24).
It is a wonderful hour in the experience of any man when he passes from
death across to life,' and that is exactly what happens when we believe on Christ.
As the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself,
and to all who believe on Him life is given, even that eternal life which God Himself is
and which abounds like rivers of living water within us when Jesus Christ comes in to
abide. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is
good! Blessed is every man that trusteth in
Him! With this wonderful realization firmly
abiding in our hearts; we are better prepared to grasp the truth Christ clearly gave us
when He said, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the
dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and
they that hear shall live' (Jn 5:25). Think on that statement, child of God. Was not Jesus telling us that we are dead as dead
can be? And did He not make two remarkable
statements first, the hour is coming, and, second, the hour now is when the dead
shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live? Have not we who have believed proven the truth of
this in our very spirit and in our experience? The
greatest proof in the universe that Jesus Christ is alive forevermore is the fact that,
when we believed, He came to dwell within us. He
came to live His life in us. He came to
deliver us from our sin and our habits and make us to know that death would never more
hold our spirits in its vice-like grip. Do we
not know that He who lives and was dead, and, behold, He is alive forevermore, has come to
us that we might live also and has raised us up together with Himself to share with Him
the life of the ages end quote.
Yet some tell us that the
dead are dead that there is no life or consciousness or being for the child of God
apart from or beyond or above physical
existence should you lay this tabernacle aside
there is nothing you cease to exist you are gone! I do not hesitate to tell you that it is a
wicked lie, a monstrous deceit, and a dreadful denial of the life we have now been given
in Christ Jesus. Let's get right down to brass
tacks here. Do you want to hear the truth
beyond all the superstitions you've heard, beyond all the emptiness and hopelessness of
Old Testament economy? Eternal life is first
and foremost spiritual, not physical. To hear
some preachers teach it one would think that a man cannot possess eternal life except it
be manifest on the physical level in an immortal body. I think that no man understands the first thing
about life out of death who misses the clear and unmistakable understanding given by Paul
in his words to the Romans: And if
Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of
righteousness (Rom. 8:10). The body is
dead, just as God told Adam it would be. So
for the man who has received Christ his body is still dead because of sin but his spirit
is alive because of righteousness Christs righteousness, of course, for there
is none other, the righteousness that comes with Him when we believe into Him and He gives
us Himself and with and by Himself His life. This
life which even now is reality within us is that life and immortality which has been
BROUGHT TO LIGHT through the gospel. Hear and
believe the wonderful news, precious friend of mine, YOUR SPIRIT I-S A-L-I-V-E BECAUSE OF
THE INDWELLING CHRIST! Those who minister the
finality of death when your body dies youre dead and gone, non-existent
minister under the blindness of the OLD COVENANT, the ministration of death. They know not that the Christ has come and given us
life, they understand not that Christ IS NOW the resurrection and the life, they
comprehend not the glad truth that eternal life is even now a glorious and eternal reality
in "the inner man which is renewed day by day, they, like the
patriarchs and the prophets under the Old Testament, and like the Jews to this very day,
are still awaiting the Saviour and looking to some future day for the resurrection, totally oblivious to the
wonderful fact that If ye then BE RISEN with Christ, seek those things which are
above (in the higher realm of the spirit; where your eternal life is), where Christ
sitteth on the right hand of God (Col.
3:1). I am here to tell you that CHRIST IS
COME! I proclaim to you today the glad tidings
of the NEW TESTAMENT, the ministration of life. God
has anointed me to declare the RESURRECTION WHICH I-S, not one that shall be! Those who minister the finality of death minister
the Old Covenant and know nothing as they ought to know and have seen nothing the
heavens have never been opened to them. Their
ministry is not one of faith and hope and present reality,
but of fear of death and a sense of foreboding and depression. They know not the life that transcends the body,
the life that is first of all realized spiritually rather than soulishly or physcially. Death is emphasized, dramatized, its power
glorified by men who minister, not out of the power of life, but out of the fear of death. It is the fear of death that drives many in this
hour to seek the immortality of the body. And
make no mistake! If the Spirit of Him
that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead
SHALL ALSO QUICKEN (MAKE ALIVE) YOUR M-0-R-T-A-L B-O-D-I-E-S
by His Spirit that dwelleth in you (Rom.
8:11). That is the hope yet to be fulfilled in
and through the manifested sons of God. But I
say to all who have not the consciousness of that eternal life which is already yours,
that resurrection in which you are already raised, that eternal consciousness, existence
and being you already are, I say to those who are striving for physical immortality
because of the fear of the finality of death Christ has already come and Himself
partook of flesh and blood, that through death He might destroy death, and might DELIVER
THEM WHO THROUGH FEAR OF DEATH ARE ALL THEIR LIFETIME SUBJECT TO BONDAGE. Under the Old Testament life and immortality had
not yet been fully brought to light. No wonder
the old saints often lived and spoke as those subject to bondage. No wonder they emphasized the power of death, the
hopelessness of death, the finality of death! But
how sad that the redeemed of Jesus Christ, His brethren, so often prove that they know so
little of the deliverance and life He has given and the song of joy: "Death is
swallowed up in victory. Thanks be to God who
giveth us the victory, through Christ our Lord!
My brother! art thou living in the full experience of this blessed truth? He delivers from the fear of death and the bondage
it brings, changing it into the joy of knowing that we have passed from death unto
life!
Since then, we have been made
alive because of our spirit being quickened by His Spirit, Paul leads us on to another
marvelous truth which I fear multitudes of earnest believers are failing to see, including
some elect saints of God. "Who hath saved
us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His
own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is
now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who HATH ABOLISHED DEATH,
and HATH BROUGHT life and immortality to light through the gospel" (II Tim. 1:9-10). The Word of God is true. It is not a silly fairy tale or a superstitious
myth. It is not a lie. Men are liars.
God is true. And when God says,
Christ who hath abolished death, we
poor puny worms of the dust had better believe it, and cease calling God a liar by telling
Him He is wrong. For "he that believeth
not God hath made Him a liar" (I Jn. 5:10). Oh,
read it and re-read it and rejoice in it with joy unspeakable and full of glory! Through His thirty-three years of death Christ hath
abolished death and through the power of His glorious resurrection He has brought that
resurrection life into us so that it is wonderfully true that "when we were dead . .
. He hath quickened us together with Christ, and hath raised us up together, and made us
sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph 2:5-6). Christ on
The world was lost. All had sinned.
And the wages of sin is death. Oh,
let us grasp this one great spiritual truth!
But now someone is going to
question the foregoing statements and ask us why it is that, if death is abolished, men
continue to die. The answer is, of course, men
do not continue to die. Oh, we know their
bodies go to the grave. And we call this
death. It is not death. God does not call it death. Those who equate death with a body in a coffin know
absolutely nothing about death. Ye who were
dead hath He quickened! I was lying neither in
a coffin at the funeral parlor nor in a dark hole in the ground when I was quickened and
made alive in Christ. Death was not my body in
a coffin, and the life I have received is not an immortal flesh-body. Don't you see?
What men call death is not death, and what men call life is not Iife. Only when the Holy Spirit enables us to see the
true nature of all things can we understand a mystery so deep. One man came and by the grace of God tasted death
"FOR E-V-E-R-Y M-A-N." Mark carefully, He only tasted it. He remained in death for thirty-three and one half
years culminating in the death of the cross. He
merely sampled it. But He sampled it in the
place of every son of Adam. He actually tasted
death "FOR E-V-E-R-Y M-A-N. Do you believe it?
Dare you believe it? The mystery
is just this. Jesus died for the whole race of
men. When He arose He injected He injected
life into the stream of humanity, so that there is a spiritual quality in man that
transcends the body realm. It is a dimension
of being that even the grave cannot hold. It
is that "light" which lighteth every man that cometh into the world, and that
light is Christ (Jn. 1:4,9-10). No life beyond
the grave? Then Christ did not die and rise
again, He did not taste death for every man, He did not give His life for the life of the
world, He did not abolish death and bring life and immortality to light! That light which lighteth every man that cometh
into the world is the spiritual sense of being, that in man which is eternal and
deathless, which God will pursue until it is brought to the image and likeness of God that
He may become "All-in-all." This
free gift came (has already come) upon ALL MEN unto justification of Iife (Rom. 5:18). Can anything be plainer! Any other doctrine is OLD TESTAMENT doctrine, not
the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished death.
Hearken to the Word!
One day a poor man, a heartbroken father, came to the Master. His little daughter had passed on. He said, "My daughter is dead (Mat.
9:18). He thought she was dead. Little did he comprehend that the One who stood
before him is the resurrection and the life. But
what did the Master say? A strange word for
Old Testament saints, for sure. "And when
Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, He
said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed Him to scorn." What did He say on another occasion! "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I
may awaken him out of sleep" (Jn. 11:11). Oh
yes, a little farther on, because the disciples misunderstood Him, He also said that
Lazarus was dead. This which we call physical
death is the nearest thing to death that we know. But
the New Testament everywhere draws a clear and sharp distinction between death and sleep. What is the difference? you ask. There is a great difference, indeed! A dead man has no life, consciousness or being. But a sleeping man IS STILL ALIVE THOUGH
UNCONSCIOUS TO THE WORLD AROUND HIM. And he is
STILL CONSCIOUS ON ANOTHER PLANE. Thus, the
martyr Stephen "fell asleep" while beholding the heavens opened, and the Son of
man standing on the right hand of God, and crying with a loud voice into that bright world
beyond the mortal, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! (Acts 6:54-60).
As to the earth realm he was asleep; as to Christ in His glory at the right
hand of the Father he was wondrously alive in the spirit.
As Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, "But I would not have you to be
ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others
which have no hope. For if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with
Him" (I Thes. 4:13-14). This passage
contains a two-dimensional truth. From the
earthly aspect those who have gone by way of the grave sleep; from the heavenly aspect
they come with Jesus when He comes, out of the heavenly and spiritual dimension of
consciousness and being. Since Jesus came and
brought life to men this thing we call physical death is merely a sleep, merely a divine
provision on the way to the fullness of life whereby we lay aside this sin-cursed house of
clay, to live in the spirit unto God. Paul
understood this mystery and wrote of his own destiny: "For me, to live is ChristHis
life in me; and to die is gain. If, however,
it is to be life in the flesh and I am to live on here, that means fruitful service for
me; so I can say nothing as to my personal preferenceI cannot choose, but I am hard
pressed between the two. My yearning desire is
to depart be free of this world, to set forth and be with Christ, for that
is far, far better; but to remain in my body is more needful and essential for your
sake" (Phil 1:21-24, Amplified). Peter,
too, knew that he had apprehended a life that transcends this physical, for he wrote:
"Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting
you in remembrance; knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our
Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me. Moreover I
will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in
remembrance" (II Pet. 1:13-15). No morbid
tale here of the finality of death, of unconscious non-existence, of darkness and
nothingness! Ah, Peter knew that the body was
merely a tabernacle, a tent, a house, a covering for the incorruptible life of God in his
inner man, the new creation born of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God which liveth
and abideth forever. Hallelujah!
While it is gloriously true
that Christ has given His life to all men, to the whole world, yet it is evident that
there must be a progression in the development of that life in the experience of every man
until every vestige of the death realm has been swallowed up, spirit, soul and body. To those who walk with Christ there is an
ever-increasing consciousness, growth, increase, unfoldment, maturation and triumph of
that life. The mighty working of His power within is followed by this very
precious and understandable result: "If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from
the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ shall also quicken (make alive) your
mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Rom 8:11). I believe I now see more clearly than I have ever
done why it was that Paul, who, as you and I do, still dwelt in the hellish bondage of a
mortal body cried out, "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this
mortal must put on immortality. So when this
corruptible shall have put on incorruption,
and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying
that is written, Death is swallowed up in
victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin
is the law. But thanks be to God which giveth
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Cor. 15:53-57). We are, indeed, terribly and horribly in bondage to
the body of this death, and with us the whole creation is groaning, waiting for the day
when the sons of God will deliver them from the bondage of corruption. I do not need to argue with any man to prove our
present mortality in the flesh. If you
must sleep to live, you are mortal. If you must eat to live, you are obviously mortal. If you must breathe
to live, you are unquestionably mortal.
We are all aware of our constant and unremitting decay as the aging process
etches its marks upon us. Our present mortality is naught but death, although
we live in the spirit. Think of it! Meditate deeply upon it and cling to this
realm of death no more. Reach up, my beloved,
with the blessed arm of faith and embrace that bright realm above where that which is true
in our spirit reaches down and takes hold upon our outer man, where this mortal puts on
immortality, where death in all its aspects is swallowed up of life, where in that final
victory of His life within the sons of God will upon this earth shout in triumph over both
death and the grave.
Truly we yearn for this
change, for our desire is not to be unclothed, but to be clothed upon that mortality may
be swallowed up of life (II Cor. 5:1-5). Yea,
we groan inwardly for this transformation to take place.
I continually meet up with
brethren who confess that they have already put on physical immortality and incorruption,
that they have already passed over the grave and cannot and will not die. I must be very honest and frank with you, my
beloved brothers I have not one whit of a desire to live forever IN THIS BODY OF
HUMILIATION. There is no more frightening
thought, no more repugnant possibility, than the idea that I might live forever in this
body of humiliation! Thank God, there is to be
a change! "Who will transform and fashion anew the body of our humiliation to conform
and to be like the body of His glory and majesty, by exerting that power which enables Him
even to subject everything to Himself (Phil. 3:21, Amplified). The thought of merely adding immortality to
this body of humiliation, with no other change, the suggestion of such limitation, that I
might have to bathe, anoint my body with deodorant, brush my teeth, and use Scope
throughout eternity, the hint that I might retain this base form, that I might remain as I
am unendingly, falls as far short of what I conceive of a body transformed and fashioned
like unto the body of His glory and majesty as hell falls short of heaven! The body of incorruption shall resemble this vile
body no more than does the oak tree resemble the chemical elements of the earth which were
raised up into the substance of the tree by the mighty working of the subtle and
mysterious life force sown in the earth as a seed.
Sons of God! If we would be fashioned like unto Him, co-sharers
of His glory and power and wisdom as the God-man, we must not simply rest content with the
faith that trusts in the cross and its pardon; we must follow on to know the fullness of
the New Life, the life of glory and power in human nature, injected into man through the
resurrection of Christ from the dead, of which the spirit of the glorified Jesus is the
witness and the source. Now, practically
everything in relationship to our sonship depends upon the clearness with which this great
truth that I have stated is recognized. The
Holy Spirit of God inspired the message of these words in Rom 5:9-11, "Much more
then, being now justified by His blood, we
shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if,
when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being
now justified by His blood, we SHALL BE SAVED BY HIS LIFE... and... we joy.... in our Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the atonement."
The double provision of Christ is here
clearly set forth: reconciled by His death; saved by His life. Christs death is the atonement, reconciling
men to God, granting a full and free admittance back into
"We shall be saved by
His LIFE," says Paul. Paul meant no
disrespect to the atonement when he said, "We shall be saved by His life. He was bringing out one of the great facts of
salvation. If God gives atoning power with one
hand, and power to save the life from destruction with the other hand, there is no
conflict between these. Both are from God. If you call the one justification and the other
glorification, God is the author of them both. If
Paul seems to take something from the one work and add it to the other, he takes nothing
from God. Atonement is from God!
Reconciliation is from God! Power to conquer
sin and death is from God. Christ is all in all, the beginning and the end. When the thing we want is deliverance from the
guilt of sin, condemnation, let us appropriate the gift God has given us to remove our
guiltthe DEATH of Christ. "In whom
we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of our sins" (Col. 1:14). When the thing we want is power to redeem our life
from sin, corruption and death, then let us apply the gift which God has given us for our
life, the LIFE of the Son of God. "He
that hath the Son hath life.
When an Israelite was bitten
by flaming serpents in the wilderness, he never thought of applying manna to the wound. The manna was for his life. But he did think of applying the brazen serpent. The manna would
never have cured his snake bite; nor would the brazen serpent have kept him
from starving! Suppose he had said, now I am
healed by this serpent, I feel cured, and I need not eat this manna anymore. The serpent has done it all, and I am well." The result would have been, or course, that he
would have died. The man, to be sure, was
cured, delivered from the judgment of his rebellion against God, but he has to LIVE, and
if he eats no manna his life must languish, go
to destruction, die. Without going to any
trouble about it, simply by the inevitable process of nature, he would have died. The manna was God's provision to redeem his life
from destruction, after the serpent has redeemed it from judgment. And if he did nothing to stop the natural progress
of corruption, in the natural course of things, he must die.
Now there is no contradiction between these two thingsthe manna is
from God and the serpent is from God. But they
are different gifts for different things. The serpent removed the judgment, but could not
sustain life; the manna gave life, but could not deal with the sentence. To apply this to the case in hand. The death of Christ, on the one hand, is the brazen
serpent. "As Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up (on the cross) (Jn
3:14). Christ's life on the other hand, is the
mannathe bread of life. This is
the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven:
if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is My
flesh, which I will give for the life of the world (Jn 6:50-51). In the light of these remarkable words we can reach
only one of two conclusions. Either all who
have believed on Christ since that blessed day when these wonderful words poured from His
divine lips have partaken of Him, eaten of His living flesh and have not died but have
begun to live forever, or, else, NO ONE HAS EVER EATEN OF HIM FROM THAT DAY TO THIS, for
all have continued to go by way of the grave. Either
Jesus has given eternal life to all who eat of Him, and there is a life, consciousness and
being that transcends the grave, or He lied and did not give His flesh for the life of the
world, so that none has ever sat at His table and received the life of which He spake. Do you really believe that God is that wicked that
He would send forth redemption and then withhold it for another two thousand years? Let me ask you a question, my friend. If you had the power of immortality in your hand
right now, would you wait another two thousand years to use it while billions of mankind
continued to go out into endless nothingness? Wake
up! my beloved.
Let us get beyond the fantasy of a merely carnal and earthly and physical
understanding of truth! He that hath the
Son HATH LIFE, saith the Lord. And
we know that we HAVE PASSED FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE, add all who know and love the
truth.
Of all the wealth of
scripture truth nothing is more certain or clear than the fact that our sins are not
forgiven by bread, nor are our lives nourished and supported by death. Our life is not made incorruptible and eternal by
Christ's death, nor transformed from day to day from the power of sin and death by the
atonement. Our life is not redeemed from
destruction by the crucifixion of Christ, nor is it brought to perfection from day to day
by the death of Christ. But we are saved, as
the Holy Ghost saith, "by HIS LIFE. We cannot live upon death. And after, by the atonement, we are forgiven, and
have entered by faith through the gateway into
Beyond the fact of the
revelation of the wonderful law of life out of death as wrought out in Jesus Christ, there
is also the mighty operation of this principle in our own life and experience as sons of
God. A dear friend of many years penned some
precious and enlightening insights to the outworking of life from death in us which I am
moved to share with my readers at this point. She
wrote: "The carnal mind would have us to believe that the way Up is Up. Thus we have pressed our way into ministry, pressed
our way into the things we have desired, 'stood on the promises,' demanded of God our
'rights,' sought to have our own way in both spiritual and physical thingsforgetting
that which was spoken by the Lord through the prophets saying, My ways are NOT your
ways neither are My thoughts your thoughts. It
is true, children of God, that God wants to take us UP high into the realms of God
UP to Jerusalem but God would have us to know that the way UP is always
DOWN! If we would go up; we must first go
down, for God is operating by the principle of death and resurrection. He has plainly stated that nothing is quickened
(made alive) except it first die. In this
walk, you do not gain by keeping for you are able only to keep that which you are
first willing to lose. In this walk you do not
live by living you live by dying. The
laws of the
"We have all been soulish viewing the
things of God through the intellect of soul, through the emotionalism of soul, through the
beclouding of the appetites of the flesh and our concepts of heaven, of the Kingdom of God, of salvation, and of the purposes
of God have long been contaminated with selfs desire for comfort and blessing. God is changing all that, praise His name, and we
are beginning to learn to give up some of our childish things that we might grow to the
maturity of the Christ, the most outstanding characteristic of whom is utter SELFLESSNESS. We have hitherto been possessed of that old
'do-good-to-me' concept of the
Some will, no doubt, say,
I passed those ideas by a long time ago. I
have come to a knowledge of sonship!' Ah! But how soulish we have been in our understanding
of sonship. Sons of God! Glorious thought!
And in it we have seen great glorious ministry, miracle working power,
people falling at our feet in awe of the presence of God manifested in our lives. Can you not see that that, too, is a desire of the
flesh EGO panting for recognition SELF waiting to come into its own! If we have been thinking along those lines, we have
never yet heard the Word of God for he who hears knows that one does not come to
glory through glory: one comes to glory
through shame. Joseph became a mighty prince
of
"There was a time when
the apostle Peter was faced with this dilemma, even as we are. It all began with a simple question: Peter, lovest thou Me? Peter's reply was, Yes, Lord.' Then, Feed My lambs. Again the question came, 'Peter? Do you love Me?
Peter was cautious as he answered, 'Yes, Lord. I love you.' Another
command: Feed My sheep.' One last time, 'Peter? Do you love Me?
It was a frustrated Peter who replied this time, Lord, you know I love
you!' And a patient Jesus who answered, 'Feed
My sheep!' It was not insignificant that the
Lord addressed Peter three times. There is
something beneath the surface here. In the
first realm, the realm of the flesh, the realm of the outer court ministry or the first
heaven, the Lord asks, 'Do you love Me? And
the Christian answers, 'Yes, Lord.' Because
the Lord knows the immaturity of one at that level, He gives only the instruction to feed
the young ones, the lambs, the babies. That is
all that is required of the first level of Christian experience. It was, however, a higher level to which the Lord
referred in the second question, and with the question, He was bringing Peter's thoughts
higher: Peter, do you love Me in the
second heaven, in the holy place, in the Spirit filled level?' What else could Peter do but say, 'Yes, Lord. I love you here, too.' The lambs are beginning to mature in that realm,
and the Lord, therefore, says to Peter, 'Feed My sheep. There is yet a higher realm, and we dare not
stop before we reach it. This is the realm of
the holiest of all, the third heaven of which Paul spoke, and now the Lord is asking
Peter, 'Do you love Me here, Peter? Do you
love Me in the HOLIEST OF ALL? Can we
not feel Peter's emotions when he answers, 'Oh, yes, Lord I love you here, too!' Do we not also sense the cry of the Saviour's heart
in saying, Then, feed My sheep.' He
didn't stop there, however, for the Lord went on to say, 'When thou wast young, thou
girdest thyself and walkedst whither thou wouldst: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt
stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldst
not.' These were the Lord's instructions to
Peter as to HOW he would feed the sheep in the third realm, for the word continues in
saying, 'This spake He signifying by what death he should die!'
"Because these words
were spoken not only to Peter but unto us as well, there are some things that we must not
fail to grasp. First, this event transpired on
the THIRD occasion of Jesus appearing to His disciples after His resurrection (Jn.
21:14), offering the clue that Jesus was giving insight into the condition of the THIRD
REALM experience, the entry into, the Holiest of all, or Kingdom life manifestation. It must be remembered that that realm is seen in
the tabernacle of Moses as containing only one piece of furniture: the ark of the
covenant. The Hebrew tells us that the ark was
a COFFIN a wooden coffin overlaid with gold. To
enter into that realm, then, is to enter into such a state of bondage that it is a
condition of death. It was to this death that
Jesus was referring when He said, 'When you were young (immature), you went where you
wanted to go you did what you wanted to do you, in effect, did your own
thing. But when you are old (mature) you
will stretch forth your hands and another shall gird thee and carry you where you would
not want to go.' This was the description of
Peter's death not a physical death that would plant his human body six feet under
the ground but a death to his own will, to his own way, to his own opinions and
thoughts; and this, saint of God! is the only way that we shall ever, obey His command to
FEED HIS SHEEP who are seeking pasture in that third realm experience. Those who have come to the door of that holy place
will not hear a word that is contaminated with the will of men or the ways of the flesh. The sheep of that third realm pasture desire the
ESSENCE, the FRAGRANCE of His knowledge, and will settle for no less than the SWEETNESS of
the perfume of HIS NATURE and HIS LIVING PRESENCE upon us!
"It was pure LOVE who
was hanging on the cross two thousand years ago and it was as His own belly was
ripped open by a Roman spear that the New Wine of the Kingdom of God began to flow. He was bound not by nails but in the
spirit to a wooden cross, pouring out His life's blood that you and I might live through
Him. In the words, then, that Jesus spoke to
Peter was an invitation: an invitation to
share His cross, partake of His sufferings, to come out of the liberty of self and into
the bondage of love that bread might be taken from the inner man and dealt out,
broken and bruised, to the multitudes! Jesus
says, also, to us as to those who walked with Him so many centuries ago: Give ye them to eat' (Lk. 9:13).
Broken breada
love dealt out
To Adams hungry soul
Torn from the riven sides of those
Whom Jesus Christ makes whole.
A naturebinding deep
within
A man to other men
That pours out life to share with them
Its liberty from sin.
Wounded handsthat serve
een those
Who drive in them the nails
Living out the spirits truth
Of love that never fails.
A bondagebinding sons
of God
To the Tree of Life, you see,
The living out of Gods great love
Thus setting mankind free.
Connie Asbill
Chapter
30
CAPRICORNUSTHE
GOAT
(continued)
Capricornus, like all the
Signs of the Zodiac, has three decans, or minor constellations, which surround it. The Decans belong to the Sign and their message is
part of the Sign's message. The three Decans
of Capricornus are Sagitta, Aquila, and
Delphinus. Sagitta means "The
Arrow," but this is not the arrow of Sagittarius, for that is an arrow intended for
the enemies of God, to conquer and subdue them unto Him.
Here the arrow is pictured in mid-heaven as having been shot by an invisible
hand. It is seen in its flight through the
heavens. There is a majesty and a mystery
about it which startles and awes. The
wonderful work which the arrow accomplishes is seen in the dying goat and in the falling
eagle. It is a part of the great revelation of
the life that comes out of death, or the death that issues forth into life. It is the arrow of God which wounds in order to
release life. The Psalmist spoke of this in
relation to the entrance of Jesus into this world of sin and death, "Thine arrows
stick fast in me, and Thy hand presseth me sore (Ps. 38:2). Isaiah revealed the deep meaning in this when he
prophesied of Christ, Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and
afflicted. . . it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He
hath put Him to grief: when Thou shalt make
His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the
pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His Hand (Isa.
53:4). Job the patriarch spoke of a similar
thing when he lamented, The arrows of the Almighty are within me (Job 6:4). There is a spiritual piercing and slaying in the
case of those who come to new life in Christ, akin to the piercing and slaying of the
Christ Himself. Isaiah received a revelation
of this arrow in the Lords quiver, a wounding arrow which enters mens souls
and brings them down into death of the self-life, that Christ may be revealed in His
glory. The very arrow which poured out the
life of Jesus our Saviour passes through Him to pierce also those who are joined in union
with Him, also killing them to all that is contrary to Gods purpose, that the life
also of Jesus might be manifested in them.
THE PIERCED EAGLE
One of the most prominent of
the late summer constellations is
The eagle is the highest form
of bird, the only creature able to look as it were directly into the suns dazzling
radiance. Aspiring to heights far beyond the
physical or grossly material, this great bird symbolizes the upward flight of our journey
into God. The Lord Himself is referred to a
number of times in the scripture as an eagle. Ye
have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles wings and
brought you to Myself (Ex. 19:4), and
again, As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad
her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him
(Deut. 32:11). Christ is that royal eagle,
flying high, the One who is at the right hand of God; who thought it not robbery to be
equal with God; that glorious One, the Son of God from on high. Yet, that One humbled Himself and was pierced by
the arrow of Gods judgment, and is seen here plummeting to the ground, the One who
was so high becoming so low that we might be raised up into His heights, praise His
wonderful name!
THE SOARING EAGLE
In this message we shall
meditate upon both the heights and depths of Christ the eagleHead and body. It is one of the loftiest of scriptural emblems. The eagles courage and farsightedness is
stated in Job 39:28-30. Its swiftness is
alluded to in Deut. 28:49. The remarkable
phenomenon of the renewal of its youth is mentioned by David in Ps. 103:5. The likeness of one of the living creatures about
the Throne was the likeness of an eagle (Rev. 4:7). The
eagle was the standard of the camp of Dan, which included Asher, Dan and Naphtali. From the dawn of human history the challenge of
flight has captured the imagination of man. The
conquest of the air in the past century has embued men and women with a sense of awe and
romance unequaled in the annals of history. Somehow
the ability to fly has epitomized the longing of man to rise above the confines of the
earthy and the mortal and soar into the realm of the spiritual and the supernatural. God has made wonderful provision in His Kingdom for
man to have this spiritual need met, and yet few believers ever discover the laws by which
this escape is possible, few ever achieve the perspective of the eagle, an ability to rise
high enough to see things that those on the ground can never see. How can a man break into the high realm of the
spiritual and the eternalto soar in the heavenlies with Christ? In response let us look at a beautiful illustration
used by the prophet Isaiah. They that
wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk,
and not faint (Isa. 40:31).
Come with me now to a scene
set in the West. Black, ominous thunderheads
move swiftly across a summer sky. Jagged
streaks of lightening pierce the darkness, followed by long peals of thunder. Below, in the barnlot on the edge of the high
sierra, two members of the feathered kingdom react in different ways. Appearing similar in some aspects, the birds are
actually as different as day and night. The
chicken, with her head down, scratches frantically in the barnyard soil, her beak picking
up an assortment of grub worms, insects and scraps. Her
movements become more excited as the storm moves closer.
She knows that she must hastily finish her meal because soon she will have
to take refuge from the storm. Strange indeed
and very different are the actions of the other bird.
The eagle sits on the naked limb of a dead tree, his head turning this way
and that searching the scene, his sharp eyes piercing the clouds, scanning the heavens. Suddenly he spreads his great wings and waitstesting
the winds. A gust of wind blows across his
perch and he lifts into the air with a royal scream. He
soars into the sky, circling higher and higher above the storm. On the barnlot below the storm breaks in all its
fury. The chicken fearfully scurries about
hunting for shelter. She darts, with all the other chickens, into the safety of the barn
were they huddle together in their misery, fearing every lightning streak and thunder
bolt. As the storm rages below the eagle rides
calm and majestic in the bright world above.
True as this picture is in
the natural realm, it is even more true in the spiritual realm. Eagles are symbolic of a certain class of
Christians. The wise man said in the book of
Proverbs that among those mysteries in the universe that were too hard to understand, one
was the mystery of the eagle in the air (Prov. 30:18-19). The symbolism of this passage points to the
inexplicable potential of each and every son of God, which is like the eagles, which
can fly higher than any other bird without once flapping a wing. Did you notice that Isaiah said that eagles and
eagle saints mount up and not flap
up? Eagles were not made to go flapping
about in soulish exercises, unprofitable self-efforts, or wasted fleshly energythey
were created to soar high and free. Eagles learn to fly without struggling because they
instinctively understand the air currents. When
the right wind is blowing he lifts effortlessly into the air with a shrill scream of
triumph and freedom. But they that wait upon the Lord. . . shall mount up with wings as
eagles. Herein is one of the eagles
secrets in being able to mount upwaiting. Those
who wait upon the Lord, it is written, who
trust in His moving, who respond to His
promptings, who rest in His timing, who move
in His purpose, will be the ones to mount up. The mounting up process in important
and necessary to each son of God who would take his place in the heavenlies, filled with
the precious mind of Christ, conformed to His wonderful image, and caught up to the Throne
of God to rule and reign with Christ over all things.
But it only comes to those who will wait in His presence until the glory
that shines from His face changes them from the image of the earthly into the image of the
heavenly. Should the eagle fail to wait for
the current that lifts, he would never get off the ground.
And the saint of God who does not wait for the moving of the Holy Spirit in
the purposes of God will never get air borne or soar into the heavenlies. Not everyone who receives Christ as Saviour and
enjoys the blessings of His grace will forsake the idols of the earths lowlands that
stand in the temple of the heart, to pay the price to follow on to know the Lord in the
heavenly places. But God has predestined those
whom He hath foreknown, and has placed this instinctive and constant call within to rise to greater heights in the celestial realms
above.
But not so with the chicken. If you were to search the Bible through and through
you would discover that nowhere in the Word of God does the Holy Spirit applaud or honor
the chicken. Sometime ago I read the following
story. The writer said, Five years ago
when I was negotiating to buy our home in
Some of you know what Im
talking about. You are stuck in a rut. Your life, naturally and spiritually, just isnt
going any place. Some of you are trapped and
stuck, mired down on your job, in your home, in your marital relationship, in family
situations, in circumstances, problems, pressures, and limitations. These have all become a restrictive fence around
you, which like the chickens, you think you
cant surmount. The cares of this world,
the deceitfulness of riches and the pleasures of life grow rampant in the lives of men and
women today, choking the spiritual life of the Kingdom.
The cares of this world have turned many peoples lives into a pressure
cooker. The strain of everyday living is
steadily growing worse because of financial problems, higher taxes, inflation, government
policies, the disturbing world situation, added responsibilities, sickness, hospital
bills, rebellion in the home, unemployment, etc. The
pressures and problems of this life are too numerous to mention, we are all
faced with them every day. There are those
seemingly needful involvements of daily living which we cannot shirk, but when they so
OVERWHELM us that we find ourselves so fragmented and frustrated that we are not able to
gather ourselves together to walk in the peace, joy and victory of the Kingdom then
we need to be loosed from these things, escape from them, soar high above them. Many of Gods precious saints are so
encumbered with the CARES OF THIS LIFE that prayer and waiting upon the Lord have been
shoved back into some remote corner of their lives. They
are utterly distracted by the responsibilities, pressures and problems of living until
they are unable to serve the Lord with all their heart, mind and strength. Praise God! We
find in Him a realm of freedom from all these things, so that whatever state
we are in we can rejoice and not be bound by them or to them. There is an
escaping from the cares of this lifeif we remember that we are eagles, not chickens!
There is another area of
limitation that is a restrictive fence around the spiritual chickens alsoand that is
the religious realm which can cause one to be so caught up in its programs and works that
it literally is a bondage. Well do I remember
former years of pastoring churches when every weekend was crowded with a whirlwind of
feverish activity, meetings, visitations, etc., that come Monday morning I was completely
exhausted mentally and physically, needing another sabbath to rest and recuperate from the
one I had just been through! I suppose I will
make some enemies, but I must tell you the truth nonetheless. How much eager-beaver religious work is done out of
a carnal desire to make good or appear successful! How
many hours of prayer are wasted beseeching God to bless and prosper projects that are
geared to the glorification of men! How much
hard-earned money is poured out upon men who, in spite of their tear-in-the-voice appeals,
nevertheless seek only to make a fair show in the flesh, building bigger and bigger
castles in the sand! I have no hesitation in
saying that a charismatic personality and a shrewd knowledge of human nature is ALL that
any man needs to be a success in the religious circles today, including the spirit-filled
ones. The church systems, for the most part,
have accepted the monstrous heresy that noise, size, activity and bluster signify that
something significant is being accomplished for God. The
simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found. In
its stead are programs, methods, organizations, committees, board meetings, basketball
tournaments, religious splash parties followed by devotions, Sunday School picnics, puppet
shows, building fund drives, business mens banquets, revival meetings and a world
more of feverish activities which occupy time, energy, and attention, but can never
satisfy the deepest longings of the heart. The
shallowness of the average Christians inner experience, the hollowness of his
worship, the immaturity of his walk, his incredible ignorance of Gods great plan and
purpose, the emptiness of his word, and the servile imitation of the world which marks the
religious systems promotional methods all testify that the whole program, instead of
being the divine out-raying of the Christ life, is naught but part and parcel of the
cares of this world.
So now man WORKS... and
WORKS... and WORKS... diligently pursuing multiplied religious observances, external
forms, activities of all sorts, and for all his effort he is able only to produce a
pitifully small harvest of reality, eeking out but a meager spiritual existence! How incredibly busy he is scratching and picking up
the grub worms, insects and scraps out of the dirt of his little chicken yard! Oh! to
escape religiosity that we might learn to walk with God in the Spirit. And we rejoice to see how God is causing His elect
to flee this realm. And let me assure you, my
brother, my sister, I have no intention of assuming the burden of paying for mens
programs, building mens kingdoms, or joining in their efforts to save the world,
when God already has a plan for the salvation of all nations which will work, while mens
efforts have failed. To hear some preachers
tell it you would think that they had almost completed the job of world evangelization,
and with only a few more millions of dollars, another TV network, an expanded relief
program and a few more crusades the Kingdom will be here.
The sad truth is, however, that the tidal wave of sin, sorrow, sickness,
pain, ignorance, and death is greater in the earth in this hour than at any time since
Noah entered the ark. But to remain
continually bombarded by the appeal of all this activity and not become caught in its
snare, is an escape that only God can work in us and maintain for us. And only the way of the eagle can
reveal it! Consider the birds of the air. You can be like themyou can soar like an
eagle! Nothing is impossible to those who
mount up with wings as the eagle. Whatever it
is that is weighing you down, whatever it is keeping you from soaring, it is possible to
break away. The ability to soar lies withinyou
dont have to go anywhere. You dont
have to tear down the chicken fence or kill the chickens, or sit on the fence and
frantically flap away. What I am saying is,
YOU DONT HAVE TO CHANGE ANY OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES ABOUT YOU. You can rise above them. The eagle is in you. You are the eagle.
You can soar high above it all! There
is a life within that transcends all the lowlands of the fleshit will carry you high
if you give yourself to it. It is the life of
sonship, the power and glory and mind of the Christ within.
Many years ago Bill Britton
wrote, Chickens are symbolic of people. The
only time chickens are referred to in the Bible, Jesus used them as a type of those people
in
The first man is of the
earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.
As is he earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly,
such are they also that are heavenly. And as
we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly (I Cor. 15:47-49).
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is liberty. But we all, with open
(unveiled) face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed (transformed,
transfigured) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord
(II Cor. 3:17-18). Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in
heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3). Which
He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand
in the heavenly places (Eph. 1:20). And
hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6). To
the extent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known
by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He
purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Eph.
3:10-11). Wherefore, holy brethren,
partakers of the heavenly calling. . . (Heb.
3:1) But now they desire a better
country, that is, an heavenly (spiritual): wherefore
God is not ashamed to be called their God (Heb.
11:16). But ye are come unto
From these pictures we can
readily see that our calling is a HEAVENLY CALLING. Let
others tend the things of the earth. Let the
dead bury the dead. Let the few who are called
to this High Calling be about their Fathers business.
WHEREFORE! WHEREFORE, holy
brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our
profession, Christ Jesus. As partakers
in this heavenly calling let us consider Jesus the Apostle and High Priest of our
profession. As our APOSTLE Jesus Christ
proclaims and opens up the way before us that we may walk in the calling ordained for us. And what is that calling? TO BE PARTAKERS WITH HIM IN HIS OWN H-E-A-V-E-N-L-Y
CALLING! Here are indeed great words! Calling here, as always in the
epistles, has reference not to an invitation to go to some far-off heaven somewhere, but
to a present heavenly state of being. For New
Creation men, according to Col. 1:12, have already been made meet to be partakers of
the inheritance of the saints in light, and
our citizenship is in heaven
(Phil. 3:20), and God hath raised us up
together, made us sit together IN THE HEAVENLIES in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6). Having therefore brethren, BOLDNESS TO ENTER
INTO THE HOLIEST by the blood of Jesus. . . We,
the Royal Priesthood, DO HAVE BOLDNESS TO ENTER IN. We
need not wait, and we do not have to go to some heaven far beyond the Milky Way. This thing is taking place within us right at this
time, blessed be His wonderful name! For us it
is a glorious privilege to enter into this heavenly realm, into this holiest place,
because Jesus Christ, our High Priest and Forerunner, has opened the way and bids us
enter. Multitudes know Jesus as their Savior,
Baptizer, Healer, Sanctifier and Blesser, but do you know Jesus as your Forerunner? Do you know Him as the Forerunner of the
MELCHIZEDEKIAN PRIESTHOOD, the eternal and heavenly Priesthood? Now we hear the word to us and it is that we are to
come in with boldness. Come right in to the
Holy of Holies. Come right in to that heavenly
place where Christ sits at the right hand of God. Come
right in to the presence of God. Come right in
to the glory of God. Come right in to the
authority and dominion of God. Come right in
to that high and holy realm where only HIGH PRIESTS enter!
We need not be afraid, for we have a High Priest who is now appearing in the
presence of God for us, not in our place, but for us, ON
OUR BEHALF, for that is the true sense of the words for us. This Apostle and High Priest of our profession abides in this high and exalted realm and we are to
come right in.
You may stand without. You may wait for Jesus to return. You may wait for the rapture. You may wait for your mansion over the hill-top or
your cabin in the corner of gloryland. Some
dwell in the
Eagles prefer the heights
when they soar, and when they rest. His is a
soaring spirit. The eagle is the jet plane of
the bird family. It soars the highest, goes
the fastest, and is superior to all other birds in this respect. You do not have to prompt the eagle to fly, once he
has learned how. No need to sing a chorus
twenty-five times, clap the hands, stomp the feet, in order to work up the spirit of
soaring. If he cannot fly, he is in miseryhe
was made for altitude. He is born for the
heights. And flying is just as natural as
breathing. EAGLE SAINTS have their citizenship
in heaven. They live in the world, but their
feelings, affections, desires, aspirations, conversation and actions are above it. Their greatest impulses are upward, ever upward. They build their nests in the heights of the
Mountains of God, and prefer and long to be where they are no more annoyed with the
noises, mundaneness and dangers of this world order. Actually,
we do not move in and out of heavenly realms at our whim.
Our citizenship is in heaven, we exist constantly in the heavenlies. This is a spiritual state of constant existence,
but because we are still in this flesh realm, we are not always conscious of the greater
privileges of our heavenly existence. In the
Carl Schwing has written,
Sonship is not a message. Those who
proclaim such know nothing as they ought. Sonship
is not something sought after, it does not
come by a decision, man did not design it, cannot offer it and cannot attain to it. Sonship is a birthright predetermined by the
Father, within His Holy Courts, before there was an age!
However, there is a path which leads those predestined souls to
sonship. It is a lonely path of rejection,
suffering, humiliation and complete abandonment. It
is the path of the eagle! It leads beyond the
natural realm, the religious realm, yea, even beyond the spiritual realm, to a place of
unity with Christ and His Father. In this
celestial realm of unity, we begin to learn and know Christ, beyond the scriptures. Too long, we, like the Jews of old, have sought the
scriptures for in them we thought we had life. But
now we are becoming one with Him whom the sacred page revealed. In the stillness of the Dawn our spirits possess a
freedom from all other influences... a freedom to soar into the high and holy places known
only to our Father. To enter into the
storehouse of the Lord and learn the secrets of His wonders, to see the mysteries of the
ages, far beyond the confusion of play-church, far above the strife of the land, and
higher than the yearnings of the flesh, yea, even into the light of the Most Holy Place .
. . the eagles soar!end quote.
In questioning Job the Lord
said of the eagle, Doth the eagle mount up at thy command to make her nest on high? She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag
of the rock, and the strong place. From hence
she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off (Job 39:27-29). The eagle saint has the advantage, born of
altitude. Her eyes behold afar off. She looks out to the regions beyond, to heights and
depths in God. The call of God is upon her. The life of God is in her heart. There is response.
There are commitments, born of heavenly life.
Heaven is in control.
The saint and the Savior
share the same life, fly the same heavens, have the same destiny. Heavenly bounty fills all. Earths splendors are fading. Earths treasures hold nothing for him any
more. Heavenly investments are sure. Eternal values are in view. "Her eyes behold afar off. Fear does not plague the eagle saint. "She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon
the crag of the rock." The rock is Christ.
Her security is in the rock. She
draws her life from above. Earth's hopes must
fade. They are made of poor stuff. The saints of all ages have known this. The Lord has taught them, in their hearts. The Lord cuts His elect saints off from the world,
and the systems of the flesh, but in the same
stroke, He grafts them on to heaven. They are
to live in their new found life. The saints
have found a new blood stream that will not be affected by death. This new life flows out of the very heart of God,
like a river forever. It courses through the
veins of the inner man, bringing life where ere it goes.
The heavenly life makes
heaven. The life of God is heavenly life. The believer who says that should his body die, he
will be dead like a dog, unconscious and non-existent, knows not that he has been born
from above. The born again one has life
from above. The impact of this new heavenly
life determines everything. This life governs
the universe, and nullifies the kingdom of darkness. Satan is never in his stride, in the
presence of heavenly life. This is raptured
life, the life from above. Webster defines
rapture as: Extreme pleasure or delight, ecstasy. The eagle saint has raptured life, the joyful life, the glorious life,
the satisfying lifehe is not waiting for a "rapture"
to come. Every step that the Lord Jesus took
on earth was a raptured step. Every word that
He used was a raptured word. Every work that
He did was a raptured work. The life of Jesus
Christ was a raptured life. He was caught up
all the time. That's what gave Him the
heavenly touch, enabled Him to hear the heavenly voice of His heavenly Father within. Thats what made Him what He wasthe
heavenly man. The eagle saint does not need death, or a miracle, or a meeting, to get him
on the wing. He is in the heavenlies all the
time. That's all the life he knows.
He shares with the raptured Christ, the heavenly life. The eagle saint knows extreme pleasure, ecstasy,
heavenly delight. Those that are born from
above move in the orbit of above life. The
problem is that there is a temporary outer life, a physical life that confuses manya
make believe, illusion, a mist that the wind bloweth away.
The earth bound life is very strong for expression. This fallen life wants an outlet. It is very aggressive and demanding. The heavenly life is meek and lowly and humble in
spirit. The earthly life will force its way
and scheme to gain its point. The heavenly
life is not so, but will take a back seat and wait the Lord's appointed time. "They that wait upon the Lord shall mount up
with wings as the eagle. Saints are
laboring with a double lifethe old life and the new in the same vessel. The low grade life must be given over to the cross
of the Lord Jesus Christ. The milk and honey
of
The heart of man is on a
quest for a place where his heart is at rest and where there is life, peace, and
contentmentthe place called heaven. The
best word to describe heaven is "glory," and glory has been defined by one as:
"Like it ought to be. Those that
know glory are in glory. They are in a
state, "Like it ought to be." They
are in Christ and fashioned in His likeness. They
have tasted of heaven, for they have tasted of the heavenly One, and their hearts, have
been ravished. Christ is heaven, and heaven is
Christ known and experienced in a living way. Our
measure of Christ is our measure of heaven. The
heart filled with God is full of heaven. The
more of Jesus Christ that is wrought in the saints by the Holy Ghost, the more heaven is
come to earth. Heaven is as large as the
universe and as small as the human heart. Heaven
is both macrocosm and microcosm. There is room
enough in man to contain the universe (black holes are proof of that), and it takes the
universe to contain manthe man Christ
Jesus and His body the church, the One
Once heaven seemed a far-off
place,
Till Jesus showed His smiling face;
Now it is here within my soul,
Twill be while endless ages roll!
O hallelujah, yes tis heaven,
Tis heaven to know the Son thats given;
Oer land or sea, what matter where,
Where Jesus is, tis heaven there!
Learn to breathe the ozone of
heaventhe rare, crisp, pure air of the heavenlies, that is sweet to the nostrils and
life to the lungs and body. Mountain air is
good. There is too much grime and smog in this
low altitude. There are so many respiratory
problems. There is so much low living and
difficult breathing. The environment is wrong. It is good medicine to meet a saint that is abovea
saint with eagle wings. They quicken and
refresh. Spend time with those that live
above. You, too, will learn how to stay above. Remember that the young eagles have to be taught to
fly. If they refuse to learn they are
destroyed. Learn to live the heavenly life if
you would save your life. You may not be able
to stand the strong winds of the upper altitude,but go as high as you can and stay as long
as you can. Get away from the depressing order
of the valleys. Learn to live in your habitatyour
elements. Refuse to be embroiled in confusion
and strife. There is nothing to gain. You may win the argument and lose the victory. Gossipno profit! Tidbits of cheap newsno profit! We should not be glorying in others shame. If the other fellow falls out of the heavenlies,
just do not follow him down to chew on his flesh. If
you stay in the heavenlies, you will help draw him back.
The wings of the spirit are eagle wings.
The Holy Spirit of God gives you these wings.
Learn how to use them. Walk
in the spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Abide in your true element. Choose to abide.
You need, rich, healthy blood if you are going to fly. Heavenly vitamins and mineralsthe Word of
God, spiritual conversation, prayer, praise, pure thoughts and holy living. From what table are you eating? From what well do you drink? Where do you get your food supplements? Jesus said, He that eateth not My flesh and
drinketh not My blood, hath no life in him. Feed
upon Him. He is food to thy hungry heart,
drink to thirsty spirit, and strength for flight in the heavens. This king of the air (the
eagle) eats only live meat. You and I can scan
the heights too, if we eat only live meat, the living word.
We are what the life in us makes us. When
the heavenly flesh of Christ becomes our life, life is no longer just an existence, or a
religious exercise, it is heaven in manifestation, God in operation. As the peace of God settles down within man, man
BECOMES THE MILLENNIUMthe day of the Lord!
A TIME TO SOLO
The sons of God must ascend
to their heavenly environment. Here is the
place for which they were made, the place that was made for them. They must be drawn aboveforced abovedriven
above. Drastic means must be used if
necessary. How can we get young saints out of
Egypt and into Canaanthe heavenlies? They
still long for the flesh pots of
Picture with me a little
eaglet snuggled cozily in a down-filled nest high in the mountain upon the crag of a rock. Everything is just beautiful; the parents sally
forth daily and bring back choice tidbits for that ravenous young appetite. During the cold mountain nights the mother eagle
settles over the nest and the eaglet snuggles securely under those warm, soft wings. In its spiritual application, this little fellow is
newly born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit. He
has learned about blessing, forgiveness, joy, gifts, healing, provision, and all the
benefits of being a child of God. Hallelujah! Here life is wonderful and being a Christian sure
makes life easyno more problems or lack! Should
any problem arise the pastor or the church will promptly take care of it. What provision!
What security! What a wonderful
arrangement! The problem is just thisthe
young eaglet grows too fond of its nest and everything being done for it. This must not be.
He must be roused up and trained to face the rough world. He must learn to fly.
He must grow up. He must become
strong and mature. He must learn to soar and
discover His identity and being in the heights. He
must fulfill his destiny.
How can we teach the young
eagle saints to take their position in the heavenlies?
How can we force them up if necessary? If
they will not ascend, then what? Will the Lord
use drastic means? He built that trait into
mother eagle. That is the way eagles meet the
situation. If the young will not fly, they are
destroyed. And yetthis rarely happens. One remarkable characteristic of the eagle is its
tenderness toward its young. No member of the
bird family is more gentle and attentive in watching over its young. It builds its nest high up on a mountain crag. Both parents bring food to the
little eaglets (the spirit and the word), and when they teach them to fly, both parents
are involved in the training program (the right and the left hand of God). Deuteronomy 32:11 tells us how the young eagle gets
his introduction to the practice of soaring in the heavens.
Let the eagle saints listen carefully. It
says that the mother eagle stirreth up
her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings,
and beareth them on her wings. The
time has come for the young eagle to learn to fly and strike out on his ownbut he
does not want to fly, he is having it too easy up there in that nest. He is given breakfast each morning in bed! He is nurtured and protected by others! All he has to do is warm the pew and watch the
show! Why should he want to leave? The mother eagle knows that it is time to start
flying. But looking down from the dizzy
heights of the mountain peak, he is not ready to begin such a new and dangerous
enterprise. He has not passed this way
before and is reluctant to make a move. So the mother eagle begins to stir up
the nest. She grabs a piece of the nest
and drops it over the side of the cliff. Then
she returns for another chunk, and another, and another.
Finally all the down that made Junior feel so secure is at the bottom of the
canyon. He is forced to sit on nothing but
rough sticks with jagged ends. This is rough
treatment, completely unexpected, and not understood by the eaglet. But there is a job to be done. It may seem blunt and cruel, but the lesson must be
learned. She then takes the little one in her
powerful beak and nudges him toward the edge of the ledge.
The little fellow wonders what is happening now. The actions of his mother completely mystify him. His little heart is beating faster and faster, and
as he is pushed closer to the edge he thinks, No, it cant be! Mother wouldnt do this to me! But she does. She
takes him to the edge of the cliff. It is a
long, long way down. Suddenly she pushes him
over!
Bill Britton eloquently wrote
about this amazing phenomenon in his book EAGLE SAINTS ARISE: Oh, saints of God, does it seem that God is
dealing harshly with you? Is he tearing up
your soft, comfortable nest? Does the place in
God that once met such need in your life now seem rough, tight, and uncomfortable? What is happening?
The Lord is getting ready to push you off into heights you never dreamed of. Do the jagged edges of that which once was such
comfort to you now stab you with grief and pain? Have
you been wondering what the trouble was, and perhaps doubt that you were ever in the will
of God? Doubt no longer, but expect in faith
for the next great work of God to come forth in your life.
It is not the wrath of God trying to destroy you. It is the love and wisdom of our God making you
willing to take another big step in the plan and purpose of God for His church. We, by nature, love security. So the Lord has to make us utterly sick of our
nest in order to make us willing to launch out into pioneer spiritual journeys
in the heavenliesend quote. The
mother does not push the young eagle over the cliff to destroy him. He screams with terror as he tumbles through the
airbut instinctively his wings stretch out in an effort to catch the air. Down, down, down he falls as untried wings fail to
function sufficiently to hold him up. But
mother watches that little fellow as he falls and clumsily flaps his wings. When it appears that all hope is lost and he is
about to be dashed on the canyon floor, she swoops underneath him and her mighty wings
bear him up to the safety of the ledge from which he fell.
Praise God, he shouts within, what a relief! Just as he is getting over his dizziness and
decides that all is well, the bottom drops out again.
The process starts all over and continues until eventually the little fellow
begins to fly as she has shown him. Each time
she flies a little farther and each experience brings a little more mastery of his wings. He becomes stronger and stronger, until one day he
spreads those wings and rather than flapping discovers how to catch the currents of air
and finds himself rising up and up, riding the mighty winds far above his ledge home and
the nest that confined him. No longer a
fledgling begging for tidbits, he is now one of the eagleshe is become a king!
Again I would share from the
keen insight of Bill Britton on this beautiful theme of the eagle. Those who rule with Christ must rule from the
heavens. For that is where the throne is. Many sing Ill fly away. . ., and
dream of a rapture by and by that will carry them from this sin cursed earth, past the
moon and into the wild blue heavens to some geographical spot in this physical universe to
a big supper all set and loaded with goodies for them to eat. And they know nothing of the purposes of God for
His eagle saints who will actually be caught up to the throne to rule and reign. But the time is at hand. And the Spirit is unveiling and revealing hidden
secrets from His Word to those who are called to the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus. So He is teaching us to move in heavenly places. And sometimes it is terrifying. But His glorious Presence is there, comforting,
directing and reassuring. Praise God!
The chicken yard is
very confining. You can go so far, and no
farther. The Plymouth Rocks stay in the
Plymouth Rocks pens, and the Rhode Island Reds remain in their alloted place. It would be scandalous if Farmer Browns hens
slipped over to Farmer Jones and ate his corn, or laid their eggs in the wrong place. It doesnt matter if you are in the Methodist
pen, or Baptist, or Pentecostal, or whatever. You
may cackle and crow about the advantages in your particular chicken yard over the others,
but just be sure and remain within your confines. Not
so the eagles! No chicken yard could hold him. He can only live and find happiness in the freedom
of the uncovered and uncharted heavens. There
is lots of room where the eagles gather. Unlimited
revelation. Truth flows like a mighty River. No creeds, bylaws, or static statement of beliefs
to separate the body of Christ. Sweet
fellowship with all who dwell in this place, and no divisive man-made boundaries exist. The dull monotonous routine of a chicken yard
religious system is forever a thing of the past for those who rise on wings of eagles into
this place in God. What a variety of glorious
treasures in the Holy Ghost there is for those who dare to believe and who are
called according to His purposesend quote.
Of the eagle the Lord said,
Her eyes behold afar off (Job
39:29). The eagle is noted for great vision. They are great watchers, with far-sighted vision. And so are eagle saints. The eye is the figure of light and illumination and
it is as we know the truth and walk in it that we are purified to see God; for only the
pure in heart see God. They see the plan and
purpose of God beyond the traditions and superstitions of religion. To them the treasure house of wisdom and knowledge
and spiritual understanding is opened. The
deep mysteries, the sacred secrets of divine wisdom are unlocked within as the Lord
reveals His will, teaches them His ways, and show unto them His glory. They can believe for things in God that others,
whose eyes are riveted to the things of earth, cannot see or even conceive of. There is keen visionknowledge and
understanding of the true nature of all thingswith the eagle saints. They are the pioneers of faith that break through
into new realms in God. And because of their
sharp vision, it is difficult to surprise or deceive them.
The enemy cannot penetrate their defenses.
Jesus is the perfect example and pattern.
No one ever deceived Him with smooth words or flattery. No pious hypocrite ever survived under the piercing
gaze of the Christ of God. Jesus knew what was
in man. Even one of His own apostles was
filled with the devil and moved to betray Him, but Jesus was not deceived or taken by
surprise. No matter that he was one of the
leaders, and cast out devils in Jesus name! His
innermost thoughts and the secret intents of his heart were laid bare in the sight of that
great Captain of the Eagle Saints. One of the
marks of true sonship is the ability to see the true nature of all things and to discern
the hidden spiritual source of all outward manifestations.
ASCENDING AND DESCENDING
There is still much that
could be said about the eagle saints, but I will close this message with one more word.
If we could only begin to
fathom what this meant! Being in the form of
God and existing in the glory of His Father, He could have stayed there, He was the Word
of God, He was Divine; but to leave the glory above to come down to this sin-cursed earth,
this death-ridden planet, with all its sin, suffering and evil, was taking a giant step
down. He was not spared the lowliest kind of
birth. Jesus was not born to wealth, comfort
or fame. Into the arms of a gentle peasant
girl He came, in a smelly stable with oxen and donkeys, yonder in a little land despised
by the world, whose people were the helpless subjects of a foreign power. If one has walked in
The first thirty years of His
life we know little about, but it was through these years that He suffered, being tempted
and tested. He had to learn obedience and be
perfect as a man before He could start His ministry, and go to the cross. The Bible tells us little of those thirty years;
only about His birth and when He talked with the leaders when He was twelve years old, in
the
Consider the deaths to which
He fell! At the last the deepest of all
sorrows crushed on Jesus. My God, My
God, why hast Thou forsaken Me! Jesus
then drank the cup He had asked to have removed. He
then sounded the depths of death. The Fathers
face was hidden from Him; He had gone as far as human suffering could go. Sin and death had veiled the Fathers love
from Him. Sin could go no farther in its
brutal demands than just that. Yet none of
this was unexpected. The Bible tells of One
who was to suffer. In the book of Psalms, you
see the cross casting its shadow down the ages. There
Jesus death in amazing outline is vividly pictured.
Read in the light of prophecy, who can ever forget the twenty-second Psalm? My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me? A worm and no man, a reproach of men and
despised of the people. All they that see Me
laugh Me to scorn; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head saying, He trusted on the
Lord that He would deliver Him; let Him deliver Him seeing that He delighted in Him. They gazed upon Me with their mouths. Thou hast brought Me into the dust of death. They pierced My hands and My feet. They part My garments among them and cast
lots for My vesture. The strangest thing
of all is that Christs death by crucifixion is pictured here and, yet, in Davids
time, death by the cross was an unknown way of sending a soul out of this world. It was left to the Romans, not the Jews, to invent
that horrid method of capital punishment. The
cross, the gambling, the cries, the insolence of the crowd, the physical and soul
suffering of Jesus, are all pictured in the twenty-second Psalm. With gentle hands and sympathetic heart, we turn to
the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah. If the
twenty-second Psalm tells us of the cross, Isaiah fifty-three gives the reason for it. Seven long centuries before Jesus was born, in this
fruitful chapter of Isaiah, we have Jesus suffering, death, burial, and resurrection
foretold and the why of it all. He hath
borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. He
was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His
stripes we are healed. He made His
grave with the wicked and with the rich in His death.
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; HE hath put Him to grief; when
Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His
days. What a description of what
actually happened, told in detail hundreds of years before it ever happened. Surely it bears divine evidence in the very
fulfillment of the validity and truth that the suffering One was the Son of God, the
mighty One dwelling here on earth to save and restore, to bear us up on eagles wings
into the glory of God.
The following words from the
pen of the late George Wylie graphically express the deep and precious meaning of
I dont know what
she was about to do, whether she was going to run to Him and throw her arms around Him, or
just kneel down and kiss His feet; but I imagine she was filled with joy and beside
herself. But Jesus said, Dont
touch Me; for I have not yet ascended to My Father, but go to My brethren, and say unto
them, I ascend unto My Father and your Father,
and to My God and your God (Jn. 20:11-17). How
my heart thrilled when I read these words. I
pray the Holy Spirit will make them as real to you as He did to me. He didnt say, Go to My disciples,
nor did He say, Go to My servants. Nor,
Go to My friends. No! This time it was something altogether different,
something far more intimate; a new relationship with Him.
He said, Go to My brothers. He was no longer their Teacher; He
was no longer their Master; no longer just a Friend; He was something more than that. Yes, He was still their Master and Lord, but He was
something moreHe was their brother. He
said, I ascend to My Father, and to YOUR FATHER, and to My God, and YOUR GOD. He was one of them.
He is one of us. He wasnt
going to ascend just to His Father, but to their Father, and to our Father, and to our God
as well as His God. I pray you can see this in
the true sense of its meaning, and that it will thrill your heart as it did mine. He wasnt going to ascend to God to present
Himself as merely our Lord and Saviour, which He is, but He ascended as our BROTHER, as human being; the firstfruits of the human race. He represents us there at the right hand of the
Majesty on High. He is one of us, one who has
gone all the way through to the throne of God, the first man to do so. It is wonderful to think of Him ascending to the
throne of God as our Lord and Saviour, one who is so far above and beyond us; but when we
realize that it is our brother who is up there, and He has gone before to open up the way,
how much greater is our assurance that we will get there also. There is a wonderful scripture found in Rom.
8:28-29. Now we know that for those that
love God He makes all things work together for good, for those who are called according to
the Divine purpose. Those He has foreknown He
has also predestined to share the likeness of His Son, that He might be the eldest in a
vast family of brothers (
Before the eternal
Logos left the glory above He was God. When He
became man He stripped Himself of His Deity, to become a human being. After His resurrection and He had returned to His
Father above, He did not put off His humanity that He had put on, He remained still a
human being, still a man. But I want you to
notice something that He prayed for before He left this earthly scene. In John 17, when He was praying to the Father, He
asked to have the glory restored to Him that He had with the Father before the kosmos was. I draw your attention to His words, and want you to
meditate on them. And now O Father,
glorify Thou Me, with Thine own self, with the glory I had with Thee before the kosmos
was. He was asking to be glorified with
the glory He had stripped Himself of, when He became a man.
I want you to notice these words, Glorify Thou Me WITH THINE OWN SELF. He was asking to be clothed with God, to be
enveloped with Deity again, to be completely swallowed up and filled with all fullness of
God. He didnt shed His humanity, but He
was going to put on the human being clothed with God, with the fullness of the glory of
DIVINE BEING. He is no longer Gods
Divine Son, nor is He still Gods human Son; He is now Gods DIVINE HUMAN SON,
truly a GOD-MAN. This is the New Creation, not
God and not man, but GOD-MAN. This is Gods
man. This is Gods kind of man. This is the kind of man God purposed from the
beginning when He said, Let us make man in our image, and after our likeness. And what our elder brother is now, we are destined
to become. We too are to become just like Him. WE too are to be filled with all the fullness of
God. That you may know the love of
Christ which passeth knowledge, that YE MIGHT BE FILLED WITH ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD
(Eph. 3:18). We are partakers of the divine
nature, the personality of the eternal, to be clothed and swallowed up into the divine, to
be glorified with the divine personality as Jesus, our brother, has beenend
quote.
Truly it is IN HIM, in His
ascension, that we have power to ascend into the Mountain of the Lord. The victorious life of sonship is a matter of
ascendancy. It has to do with getting above,
and staying above. It is a matter of altitude. The sons have eagle wings. Man was made for that. He was made for altitude. He was made for ascendancy. He was made to be above and not beneath. This is why humanity in the lowlands is continually
wretched and miserable, always searching and seeking for some reality beyond and above. If you want to stay out of trouble, rise up into
the holy heights of God and dont come down. If
you find yourself in trouble, then you know you have come down. You can be beset on every hand by problems and
pressures and still not be in trouble. No
problem is a problem unless it is a problems to you. No
pressure has any power until you allow it to press you.
Christ is above it all. The
saints are in Him. The saints are above. Stay where you are.
Stay with your life. Stay with
the real you. Stay with that inner man who is
risen with Christ at the right hand of God (Col. 3:1).
Stay above. Defeat is to come
down. You must not come down. Your position is in Christ far above all. Christ came down
so that you and I can go up. Hallelujah! He is the Eagle of eagles, and we are the body of
the Eagle. He descended to us that we might
ascend in Him.
Chapter
31
CAPRICORNUSTHE
GOAT
(continued)
The third, and final,
constellation in the house of Capricornus is a lovely little cluster of stars named
DELPHINUS, or THE DOLPHIN. It is always pictured as a great fish full of life, vigorously
leaping upward, out of the water. In contrast to the dying goat, it conveys the idea of
springing up again out of the bondage of death. This is the filling of the picture and the
completion of the whole truth as set forth in the Sign of Capricornus. First and foremost
our Lord Jesus Christ came as our sin-offering, taking upon Himself our humanity with all
its sin, weakness, sorrow, limitation and death. We see, however, that He was not to be
left there, but, rather, He overcame temptation, He overcame sin, He overcame the flesh,
He overcame the world, He overcame the devil, and He overcame death, rising up again
wondrously into the heights of glory from whence He came. The dolphin is notorious for
leaping forth out of the waves, breaking the surface and rising majestically into the air.
So Christsuddenly emerges from the waves of death as the almighty Conqueror of sin,
death, and the grave by rising again! But He is merely the principal Fish of a vast
multitude of fishes. Here again Jesus is identified with His peopleHis elect saints.
Unto these chosen ones He speaks the precious and powerful promise: "To him that
overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set
down with My Father in His Throne" (Rev. 3:21). He died to bring forth a living body,
a body represented by a great school of dolphins, all of whom break forth out of the sea
of humanity, leaping majestically into the airviewing that higher world of the
spirit to which they are apprehended.
THE OVERCOMER
The principle of the dolphin
is the principle of overcoming. The reason so many people fail to attain to great heights
in the Spirit is because they are unable to see Gods purpose, and therefore they
have no particular incentive to seek the great heights that are in Him. So many Christians
are far too taken up with carnal ideas and childish notions about mansions and harps and
sitting on clouds eating pork chops with nothing to do and all eternity to do it in, to be
able to grasp the true purposes of God! There are certain basic principles of the
We are called to reign with
Christ from the highest heaven. Such all-embracing majesty is far too vast for my feeble
understanding, yet I know by the Spirit that the body of Christ is in practical
preparation for the explicit purpose of UNIVERSAL DOMINION. But how can a man rule over
principalities and powers and universes if he is unable to rule his own spirit? "He
that ruleth his own spirit is better than he that taketh a city" (Prov. 16:32). The
awful betrayal, trial, mockery, beating, and crucifixion of Jesus is the most shining
example. It is difficult to imagine any humiliation more bitter than that. It is the worst
indignity that anyone can be called upon to endure. Few have ever had to bear it. Never
was dishonor less deserved, never was dishonor so bravely borne. Through that fierce and
heated hour our Lord bore Himself with quiet dignity. Others were convulsed with
uncontrolled passion, He alone was calm and self-possessed. His victory over Himself was
greater than His victory over His enemies. In such experiences of provocation, truly,
"He that ruleth his own spirit is better than he that taketh a city. " God is a
God of principle. He does not do anything by chance. It is my deep conviction that what
happens in your life and mine is a result of the use or abuse of the principles of the
You can never rule anything
until you first overcome it within yourself. To "overcome" means TO COME UP OVER
THAT WHICH IS OVER YOU. The term implies the existence of obstacles in the pathway of the
righteousness, peace, and joy of the
As sons of the Most High, we
have access to the same strength that enabled Jesus to live an overcoming lifeand to
conquer even death. He has given to us that same authority and power that gave Him victory
over sin, death, hell and the grave. Have you ever wondered what would happen if Jesus
would come and transfer places with you? If suddenly He would come to dwell in your body.
I have often wondered what He would do if He had my circumstances, my weaknesses, my
lusts, my pressures, my problems. If the Master came to me and said, "Move over, I am
coming to live in your house for a season," I do not doubt that in a short period He
would have all my problems straightened out and all of my weakness and turmoil under
control. He would overcome all of the things that I struggle with. But the wonderful truth
is, my beloved, HE HAS COME! HE DOES LIVE IN MY BODY! "I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. . ." (Gal. 2:20). "But
ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in
you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (
I do not believe that any man
can experience the victory of Christ except WHERE HE IS. I do not want to distress any
soul, but you must know Him where He is. I have union with Christ where He is, in the
higher than all heavens. You cannot live in the reality of overcoming if you have not
gotten into that region of calm. Why talk of coming up over that which is over me if I do
not do it in union with the resurrected and ascended Christ? Practically we have to learn
what the frigate bird does. When a storm comes on it gets above the region of storms,
above the clouds, where there is none, and there it stays even for days until the storm is
over. I am placed beyond the reach of storms; I am a frigate bird, for I am with Christ in
a scene where there is no storm and no clouds. I am united to an ascended Christ. The Lord
says, "The glory which Thou hast given Me I have given them." A person might
say, I cannot get this now. I answer, I belong to the glory now; I possess Him now in
glory, and I am changed into the same image by the Spirit. I belong to the glory. This is
where we fully come up over all that is over us. There is a beautiful promise to the elect
of God in Rom. 16:20. "And the God of peace will soon bruise satan under your
feet." Stronger words than these are not to be found! Greater words than these do not
exist! The greatest and best thing of all about these words is that they are true. If
satan is bruised under your feet, dear reader, it does not mean that he no longer exists.
It does not mean that the negative realm is destroyed and has no more power to mislead,
damage, or dominate. That satan is crushed under your feet signifies that you have risen
up above him, gained the mastery over him, assumed the authority of the Christ within.
When this becomes a personal life-giving light in the very depth of your being, then sin
and satan and darkness and death has lost its power over you. He still existsunder
your feet! Crushed under your feet! It is Christ in you who does the crushing. And He does
it as you yield fully to the victory HE IS within you.
A pastor by the name of
Barnhouse at one time met a member of his congregation and asked him how he was. The
member responded, "Well, pretty good under the circumstances." Barnhouse turned
sharply and said, "What do you mean under the circumstances? What are you doing under
the circumstances? Dont you know that you are seated with Christ in the heavenliesway
above the circumstances? What are you doing down there?" The man was obviously quite
startled. And yet, a great truth is there for us to consider. I am reminded of the story I
read once of Spurgeon, the great preacher of another day from
When God gets ready to assume
His rightful place in the universe again, He will say, "I have a people here who has
been tested." How can we rule in the
On the other hand, people who
work in companies owned and operated by "brethren" are expected to live above
all this. Working elbow-to-elbow with believers appears so clean and wholesome and
spiritual in comparison to working in an ungodly environment! Ah, we seek an
"environment" that is "conducive" to our "spirituality,"
little realizing that in that environment where all is so beautiful and harmonious we only
appear to be spiritual because there is nothing to cross us, nothing to tempt us, nothing
hostile, no adversities, no inconveniences, in short, NOTHING TO OVERCOME! You can run
from the problem, my friend; you can isolate and insulate yourself from evil; you can
position yourself in an environment where nothing is adverse to you; you can even have
faith where God will solve all your problems and pour down healings, prosperity and
blessings; yes, you can do all this and be a Christian, a good Spirit-baptized Christian,
and make it to heaven someday; but I would be remiss if I did not warn you that you cannot
do this and BECOME AN OVERCOMER, you cannot do this and BECOME A RULER! Yes, you can
achieve some peace by cutting yourself off from that part of your life which takes away
your peacebut this is a cutting off from THE THRONE.
As I have stated previously,
one can never become an overcomer while running from the battle. I never cease to be
amazed at the number of believers who want to go through life without ever coming up over
the things that are over them. Every time a hard place comes, the carnal mind drags them
further and further into spiritual, emotional and mental bondage. They look for a way out.
These folk will run to the next town, the next church, the next job, the next friendship.
. . whatever is convenient. They refuse to mature. Anything negative that crosses their
will is avoided with scheme after scheme energized by the fleshy mind that is hostile
toward God. Some of you are running. Do you know what you will find when you stop? The
thing which you have tried to escape is STILL THERE. You carried it with you. It is within
you. The moment you stop running and face the issue, the wisdom of God is going to catch
up with you and help you become an overcomer. Turn to God with sincerity, and let Him help
you and deal with you. The great tests or trials that we endure are not necessarily what
bring about our development as New Creatures. The little things, the everyday experiences,
the nitty-gritty where the rubber meets the road, are where the real trials, the true
testings, take place. By way of example, perhaps not many of us remember the era back in
the late 20s or early 30s, when the in thing was for men to do things
that were unusual or bizarre. Some of you may remember the name, Barney Oldfield. He was
considered an outstanding automobile racer of that time. He set a speed record from
Many people, if they do not
run from or evade the problem, seek "deliverance" from it! There is a vast
difference between what the present religious realms call deliverance, and the Kingdom
principle of overcoming. What most people call deliverance today is an effort to escape
out of their pressure and problem, not an overcoming. Overcoming means to GAIN THE VICTORY
OVER THE SITUATION. In deliverance God takes something away from you, as you would take a
knife from a child. But in overcoming Gods sons are being processed, so that they
will know the cause and deal with the root of the trouble within themselves. The knife is
not taken awayyou learn how to use the knife! The dealings and processings must be
thorough, until HIS IMAGE be formed in us. If your car has difficulty climbing a hill, you
can do one of two things: (1) make the hill less steep, or (2) increase the horsepower of
the car. God usually wants to change us, not the hill. How many of my readers have had a
battle with a bad temper? No need to raise your hand! Temper in balance is a godly
emotion, God Himself possesses the emotions of hatred, jealousy, vengeance, anger, etc.
Jesus was angry with a holy anger when He took a whip and overturned the tables of the
money changers and drove them from the temple. Anger and emotion was part of the original
equipment man was given to give him an aggressive drive so that he can accomplish
worthwhile things in this life. For example, controlled, temperate, balanced anger will
neither ignore a childs misbehavior nor abuse him. It will correct in the proper
spirit of firmness and sternnesstempered with love. "Whom the Lord loveth He
chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth" (Heb. 12:6) Eph. 4:26 says,
"Be ye angry, and sin not." In simple terms this means, "Be angrybut
let it be a controlled, balanced anger will will act effectively, not destructively."
For you see, anger out of control is vicious, destructive, and often deadly. Uncontrolled
or misdirected anger can devastate ones life. But let me make one thing very clearGod
has absolutely no desire to "deliver" you from your temper! Anger is not on Gods
agenda for deliverance. He intends for you to OVERCOME it. God does indeed deliver people
from things over which they have no control, or which they are ill-equipped to handle. God
does take knives from children! But for sons emotion is not to be "cast out"
like a demon; it is to be overcome and brought into its proper place in our lives in the
mind of Christ. How many things believers seek God to deliver them from that He has
ordained them to overcome! So many of us are like Helga in a story I heard. Helga and
Henry were a Swedish couple. They were married for sixty years. They fought like cats and
dogs every day of their lives. Finally, on their 60th wedding anniversary they began the
morning with a terrible spat. They argued all day long. At the end of the day, Helga said
to her husband, "Henry, tonight I think ven ve pray, ve better pray for peace. Ve
been fighting each other for sixty years, Henry. May the Lord give us peace. So tonight, I
think Ill pray that the Lord will take you home and Ill go live with my sister
Olga."
True men never seek escape
from the difficulties of the way, whatever the issue may be. Someone has said that
difficulties faced are half conquered. At any rate one who evades the pathway of the will
of God discovers greater difficulties, as the prophet Jonah soon realized. The worlds
greatest acclaimed men not only faced difficulties but conquered them; the pioneer fathers
not only hewed their way through the trackless forests, but laid the foundations of what
we today enjoy; Columbus not only sailed the stormy and uncharted seas, but he opened the
gateway to hitherto unknown continents where, later, men might come and find their homes;
Carey and Judson and Livingstone not only fought their way through the opposition of their
friends, but also laid the foundation stones of all modern missions; Luther not only
refused the advice of his friends to win a personal victory, but he set all Europe free in
a religious reformation; George Washington and Abraham Lincoln faced tremendous odds, but
steadfastly they went forward until a new nation was born and age-long wrongs were
righted. It is how we learn to handle our challenges that separates the boys from the menthe
children of God from the sons of God.
Do you feel overwhelmed with
problems? Then let me show you how to discover the CHALLENGE that lies in every obstacle.
I promise that if you look for the challenge, you will find it, and then you will be able
to turn the stumbling-stone in your pathway into a stepping-stone to the throne! The
divine principle of which I speak is found in the prophecy of Isaiah, "Out of the
desert shall come streams of water" (Isa. 35:6). Out of every obstacle comes a new
challengean opportunity to overcome. This is the point I want to make loud and
clear. For if you want to overcome as Jesus overcame, you will need to tap into the
dynamics of this principle. The only force that can cause weakness and failure is a
challenge that is mistaken for a problem. But there will be no failure when we discover
the challenge in the problem, grab hold of it, and use it as a stepping-stone to higher
ground. On the other hand, we can never overcome anything as long as we allow some
horrendous problem to blind us to the divine challenge that is inherent in every obstacle.
In our Fathers great school of sonship, in His effective training program for the
future rulers of the world and universe, He knows just exactly which obstacles to place in
our pathway for our development and processing. If we try to use our faith to "move
the mountain out of the way," such action will not bring us to the place where faith
can be perfected and OVERCOME the mountainscale its heights, climb over it, and
conquer it. On one occasion Jesus, after telling the people of dreadful events to come
upon the earth, brushed aside their anxiety as a mother wipes away the tears of her infant
and soothes the childish woes of the one she loves. "When ye see these things begin
to come to pass," He said, "then lift up your heads and rejoice, for your
redemption draweth nigh." Forget for the moment the eschatological interpretations
the church systems have attached to this passage, and look to the experimental and
practical. Jesus was not underestimating the awesomeness of the things that would come
upon us, but well He knew that there would be a people on the earth in the latter days who
would so discover the divine purpose in the trouble, the divine challenge in the
tribulations, the divine ability to rise up and overcome in it all, that in these very
difficulties they would be able to lift up their heads and rejoice because IN THEM THEY
FOUND THEIR REDEMPTIONtheir challenge to move into a realm of faith and victory
where they could truly be overcomers, the masters of all things! When the trials wax hot
upon the obedient child of God it signifies that redemption is nighthat the process
is set in motion for the manifestation of a GREAT VICTORY. This is according to Gods
great law of manifested sonshipFather lovingly arranges the obstacles before us,
then marvelously gives the wisdom and power to overcome them, making us strong and
victorious over all that appears so formidable and hopeless. Thus are born His warriors
and kings who shall bring the
Some of you who read these
lines and are facing severe problems today, are feeling frustrated, at this point, by my
apparently trivial treatment of circumstances that tower so ominously and menacingly
before you. You think I dont understand just how bad your situation really is, or
how many times you have failed. Listen! I would not make the solution so simple, if it
were not simple. These are principles I have proven in my own experience through years of
walking with God. The answer lies so nearright there within you. The difference lies
in whether you view your situation as a problem or a challenge. "What difference does
it make whether I call it a problem or a challenge," you say. The difference is all
important! Heres why: If you perceive an obstacle in your path as a problem, you
will nurture negative emotions in respect to itlike anger, frustration, despair,
hopelessness, and depression. These emotions are like grave diggersthey carve out
the pit of failure and death in which to bury you! On the other hand, if somehow the Holy
Spirit can give you the revelation of it, if you can see by the inspiration of the
Almighty that the obstacle is Gods challengeyou have received the spiritual
attitude in which spiritual emotions are releasedlike faith, hope, confidence,
peace, rest, joy, thanksgiving, encouragement, wisdom, knowledge, understanding and power.
These positive emotions, the fruit of the Spirit, will energize you and propel you through
and over and out of and above the obstacle, bringing strength and triumph! You see,
precious friend of mine, the only problems in the world are problems that are perceived as
problems. When the problem ceases (in your mind) to be a problem to you you have risen
above it, come up over it, OVER-COME IT! Who cares how high a mountain is when he is
flying high above it!
During World War II, a young
bride from
Two men looked out from
prison bars,
One saw mud, the other saw
stars.
The daughter read these lines
over and over again. She began to feel ashamed of her response to the situation she was
in. She really didnt want to leave her husband, and so she said to herself,
"All right, Ill look for the stars." In the days that followed she began
to make friends with the Indians. She began to take lessons in weaving and pottery from
them. She became fascinated by their culture and historyeverything about them.
Moreover, she began to study the desert. In the process, she saw it wonderfully
transformed from a desolate, forbidding place to a marvelous expanse of beauty. She
studied the various forms of cacti, the yuccas, and the Joshua trees. She collected sea
shells that had been deposited there perhaps millions of years before when the sands had
been an ocean floor. Later, she became such an expert on the area that she wrote a book
about it. A remarkable transformation had taken place. But what had changed, really, to
make that possible? Not the weather. Not the desert. Not the lack of modern conveniences.
Not the long days without her husband. Not the Indians. What had changed was her own
attitude. Simply by changing her own attitude"All right, Ill look for the
stars," she saidshe had transformed a miserable life situation into a highly
rewarding experience. THIS IS THE PRINCIPLE OF THE DOLPHINTHE BREAKING OUT OF A
LOWER WORLD TO VIEW THE HIGHER. This principle is redemptive, restorative, creative. It
works on the natural plane, as in the story just shared, but in that higher dimension of
the
A great number of people
assume that the spiritual life will give them a permanent resting place and a constant
peace. They become Christians with the idea of having all their problems solved for them
and their burdens eased. Their disillusionment begins when they discover that the walk
with God is no Disney World experience, no eternal bed of roses. In fact it often seems
just the opposite from gushing joy and undisturbed rest. It is the spur which demands that
they move on higher than they intended to go and strive for a perfection and glory beyond
the natural mans knowledge or expectation of attainment. The life of sonship to God
is more concerned with the expansion of our life and the enlargement of our vision and the
increase of our stature than it is to provide for us a resting place. This life is bent on
breaking the shell of the limitations and protections we are at such pains to create, and
opening us up to the dangers and pain of development. Any teaching which leaves this out
is a snare and a delusion. There is a rest in sonship, but it is not the rest of childish
ease, but it is experienced only when we have at last accepted it as a spur to urge us
onward and upward. Just this week we received a letter from precious friends in the
Northwest and even as I read it I felt constrained in the spirit to share it with those
who are reading this writing. Brother wrote, "Your opening the Word to us has changed
our lives and we are really excited about it. We could never go back to our old concept of
God. We feel that we have a new and greater love for Him than we ever had before. Almost
as soon as we heard the message of the sons of God we opened our hearts to it and began to
ask the Lord to consider us. We knew that we didnt have the ability in ourselves but
prayed that as we gave ourselves to Him He would give us what we had need of. Almost as
soon as we prayed this way the trials and testings began like you could never believe.
This was when Dorothy found that she had glaucoma and could be blind in three weeks. She
lost 90% vision in one eye, and while in for a check-up she slipped and fell and broke a
leg. While recovering from the broken bone she learned that she could have a cataract
surgery and recover some of her sight. After the operation her eye inflamed. After four
months of this we went to another clinic and they discovered that the first lens implant
had been put in wrong and the whole operation would have to be done over. While recovering
from this last operation she lost her balance and fell and broke her arm. Now she will
have to wear a cast for six weeks. All the medication that they have experimented with has
taken a terrible toll on her body. I am taking too much of your time, but wanted to tell
you how each Bible study month after month has seemed to be exactly right for the stage of
testing we have been in. And now this last one has been a balm for our souls. We are
encouraged and sense that the long night (nearly two years) is passing and we are
BEGINNING TO SEE THE DAWN"end quote.
The journey to the throne of
the universe begins in that small and undistinguished place where you are. The
LEAPING OVER WALLS
Faith is the only ship that
sails for the Kingdom. Faith is the door to the heavenlies. Faith is the key to the glory
of God. It is by faith that we are saved. It is by faith that we walk. It is by faith that
we enter into the
Running through a troop and
leaping a wall is a poetic way of simply stating the fact that we who are walking in the
Spirit have discovered there have been circumstances which have arisen where we faced what
appeared to be impossibilities, and by the living faith of the Christ within, we have been
able to overcome them by our God. We have been surrounded by hostile troops and have been
walled in by mighty walls. It seems that the adversary has taken the bricks of
circumstance and built a mighty fortress of fear. With one brick of discouragement after
another, the adversary has walled us in until it seems that there is no way out. There are
overwhelming temptations, physical disablements, financial disasters, family turmoils and
disappointmentsall bricks that the negative realm uses to build what appears to be
an evermore insurmountable wall that would close us in forever. If you, my friend, find
yourself behind such a wall today, let the words of David be impressed upon your soul:
"By my God have I leaped over a wall!" That is what God calls us to do! You will
notice that it is no vain boast, no carnal self-conceit. This is trust in the living God:
"By my God," David said, "I have done this," for David knew that
cursed was the man who trusts in the arm of flesh. It was David who boldly declared to
Goliath on that fateful day when he came against him that it was not in his own strength
but in the name of Yahweh of hosts, the God of the armies of
How about you, my beloved?
Will you who are experienced saints in the Lord and have known His deliverance many scores
or hundreds or thousands of times in the past, now lie down and die of despair because of
some new threatening onslaught that seems as if it would engulf and overthrow you? And
what about the most dreadful enemy of allthe last enemy, which is death? Who is this
troop that comes against you now? What is this wall the adversary would build against you?
Sound the trumpet of faith! Let the drums roll and the banners fly and watch that wall
crumble as at
How do we do that? We do it
by Him"by my God, through Christ," said David and Paul. We do it by faith.
"Yes, but how?" some will say. "How do we do this by faith?" Consider,
precious friend of mine, how it is that you have obtained your salvation; how it is that
you have obtained the gift of the Holy Spirit; how it is that you have obtained blessings
and answers to prayer. Is it not true that you came to the place where you rested your
hopes for eternal life and the blessings and benefits of salvation upon the work and the
promise of the Christ? In the trusting and in the believing it was done! As Jesus said,
". . . whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive it" (Mat.
21:22). And it is in the very believing that we can run through a troop, we are like David
who takes up his sword and attacks the host of the Amalekites with a very small band and
scatters them every which way. We are like David who with a mighty leap overleaps the wall
that seems to be impossible, because we believe that God will enable us to do it. In the
believing, it is done. But you will notice that David also says, "I have run through
the troop. I have leaped over a wall." David did not sit there and tremble at the
thought of that troop. He did not walk up to the wall, feel it, and examine its height in
despair. No! He took his sword in his hand, rushed into the midst of the fray, and his
enemies scattered before him. He gathered himself together, he rushed at that wall, and he
took a great leap which some might have thought would surely have killed him. To the
astonishment of all who watched, David sailed over the wall by faith. That is the secret.
If we will rise up to conquer our enemies of fear, limitation, bondage, sin, weakness,
frustration, failure and death we will find that the wall will tremble before us and we
shall find ourselves clearing it with ease. And in all that we shall give glory unto God
and shall cause the unbelieving world to wonder.
In another place the Psalmist
uses a similar metaphor, declaring, "It is God that girdeth me with strength, and
maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like Hinds feet, and setteth me upon my
high places" (Ps. 18:32-33). Do you grasp the significance of this allusion? Hinds
feet are of marvelous swiftness and made to carry their owner over difficult places
impassable to slower-footed creatures. The thought in the singers mind is that of a
divine enduement added to human weakness, an imparting of agility and confidence to the
soul, whereby it springs up, so to speak, out of the dangers which assail it on the lower
levels of life, and climbs lightly and surely to the uplands of the spirit. Some years ago
I read the story of an Englishman who visited the West of our
It is obvious that king David
had witnessed some scene of this kind long millenniums ago in the
The Shulamite in the Song of
Solomon received a revelation of this same sublime truth. The Shulamite symbolizes the
bride of Christ, whereas her Beloved represents Christ the bridegroom. There is, of
course, a corporate application of this truth, but on the personal level the Shulamite is
the soul and her Beloved is the spirit, for "He that is joined unto the Lord is one
spirit." Christ the bridegroom is therefore within our spirit, wooing the soul into
union with Him. The soul is that realm of our own mind, will, emotion and desire. The
sharp contrast between our own human strength and ability and His divine life and power is
described by the Shulamite in these graphic words: "The voice of my Beloved! behold
He cometh, leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills" (S. of S. 2:8).
Between the seven and eighth verses of chapter two, the Bridegroom has withdrawn. We are
not told whether He withdrew Himself, or whether His withdrawal was caused by the
carelessness and indifference of the bride. There are times when He withdraws or hides
Himself that He may prod us into deeper depths of earnestness and abandonment as expressed
in the old proverb, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." And there are times
when we do not keep in touch with Him and are not quiet enough before Him, so that He can
remain and unveil to us all His love and power. But now the bride hears the sound of His
approaching presence; and before she sees Him, she rejoices in His return. As yet she has
not seen Him, has not discerned His working within her, but she has heard His voice, and
knows that He is coming. Suddenly she sees Him leaping upon the mountains; those
impassable obstacles, which would prove insurmountable to any one else, are stepping
places for His feet. He leaps from one to the other with the sure, swift feet of the roe
or the young hart.
In the title of the 22nd
Psalm, a Messianic Psalm, the meaning of Aijeleth hash-Shahar is, "The hind of the
morning." Thus the title reads, "To the chief Musicianthe Hind of the
morning." And the word translated "hind," and the word that is rendered
"hart," in the Song of Solomon, is the same word in the Hebrew. Our Lord Jesus
Christ is the "Hind of the morning" and the "Chief Musician." As the
first rays of the sun in a clear morning glance here and there upon this mountain peak and
the crest of yonder hill, so Jesus Christ, the "Hind of the morning," came down
to earth, leaping upon the mountains and skipping upon the hills. How beautiful are the
first rays of the sun in the early morning, as its beams touch first this and then that
mountain peak. In the valleys, the shades of night seem to linger; and in contrast to
these dark shadows, the touches of the sunlight appear all the more beautiful as they
glance from hill to hill. So is the life of our Beloved in our spirit, as He arises within
our consciousness to bring victory from within. He leaps over every obstacle, He disperses
every shadow; He appears and disappears, now in sight and then not seen, but ever drawing
nearer and nearer in our experience. Sometimes we see the difficulties in our lives and
the hard things that seem impossible, we wonder if He can surmount them; for we know that
we cannot. But He who could surmount the mountains of mans sin and separation within
Himself, and the power of death and the grave, can surmount every mountain and hill that
is in your life and mine. At first, we only look for Him in the joy and blessings; but He
comes much oftener and more precisely as He leaps upon the mountains of difficulty. There
are things so hard that none could undertake them but the Lord; but He will make these
things stepping-places for His feet, and upon them He will reveal Himself to you in a
deeper way then He has ever done before. He will come to you upon the things that are so
hard you do not see how you are going to go through them; and you will wonder if even the
Lord can lift you over them. He will come to you in the hard things in your life, in your
disposition, in your weaknesses, in the testings in your body. He will come to you in the
hardest surroundings and circumstances. And He will come leaping and skipping! He will
leap over all the mountains of limitation and difficulty and skip along the hills of your
fears and distress; and if your eyes are anointed, you will see Him revealing Himself in
the power of a life that is irresistible and unconquerable, immortal and incorruptible.
The Shulamite speaks of Him
coming leaping upon the mountains and skipping upon the hills, and how our glad hearts
rejoice and our mouths pour forth their pearls of praise in the sacred knowledge of the
very first words uttered by the Beloved, wherein He cries to her, "Rise up my love,
My fair one, and COME AWAY!" (S. of S. 2:10). Ah, He will leap over the sin and
weakness in you, He will skip over the corruption and death in you, and speak urgently to
you and cause you to arise and come away with Him to leap and skip with Him in the
immortal heights of the eternal mountains of God. Methinks you have heard the sound of His
Voice, methinks you have been stirred in the deepeth depths of your beingarise, O
beloved one, and ascend up into the heights of His victory and glory!
Chapter
32
AQUARIUSTHE
WATER POURER
(continued)
Did you ever look up
at night time and just gaze at the stars? I
do; I am always enthralled by what I see. It
was the Psalmist and King of
The Zodiac (Signs of the heavens) is the earliest
revelation to mankind from his Creator. Each
of the twelve Signs pictorially represents an aspect of the progressive unfolding of the
dealings, plan and purpose of God in the grand
scheme of creation and redemption. Each Sign
portrays a dimension of SPIRITUAL REALTY wrought out, first of all, in the life of our
blessed Forerunner and Head, Jesus Christ; and secondly in the life of each individual
member of His body, the sons and daughters of God. The
stars are distant lights. They shine in other
spheres. There is no doubt that vast numbers
of these stars are suns like unto our own, the centers of great solar systems,
with heavenly bodies that revolve around them, perhaps populated by beings of which we
know nothing at this present time. Thus will
it be in the Kingdom of the Son, in the spiritual heavens of God's universal and eternal
dominion. Each son of God will be a star, a
sun, shining forth in living and everlasting luster. Each
member of the elect will faithfully radiate his beams of life and light and love, shining
in those spheres which the omniscient Father shall allot to them. Thus each shall become the central star of a
spiritual solar system composed of myriads of creatures in God's glorious creation which
revolve around them, unto whom they shine as the revelation of God's nature, glory, and
power. These are the emanations of God Himself
in whom the scripture is fulfilled: "Then
shall the righteous SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the Kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear" (Mat.
13:43). And again, They that be wise
shall SHINE AS THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE FIRMAMENT; and they that turn many to righteousness
AS THE STARS FOR EVER AND EVER" (Dan. 12:3). What
glorious and ineffable prospects lie before us!
From the time when the morning stars sang together
and the sons of God first shouted for joy, this universe, this eternal spiritual universe,
this higher-than-the-heavens universe, this
THE SIGN OF AQUARIUS
In our series of messages on the Zodiac we come now
to the subject of AQUARIUS THE WATER POURER. If
you have a sky chart you will notice that the Sign of Aquarius is the figure of a mighty
man holding a great urn upon his shoulder, from which comes a seemingly inexhaustible
stream of water flowing downwards until finally it flows directly into the mouth of a
great fish (Piscis Australisthe Southern Fish), which receives it and swallows it
all. In the right shoulder of the Waterman is
the star called SADELMELIK, which means The Record of the Pouring Out. The other shoulder bears the star SADALSUUD meaning
He Who Pours Out. You have no doubt heard the
song, "It is The Age Of Aquarius." What
does that mean? Just as the stars have moved
through the procession of the equinoxes, so we have moved in time and world history from
one mansion of the Zodiac to another. Interestingly,
about the time that Christ Jesus came into the world, we moved into the Sign of Pisces,
which is the Sign of the Fish and a symbol of the people of God. That Sign has lasted for approximately two thousand
years after which we are, even now, moving into the Sign of Aquarius, meaning a time of
FULLNESS. There is no doubt whatsoever that
the old age is ending and another more glorious age is dawning. The sacred knowledge of this fact burns brightly
within the hearts of all Christians on all levels of spiritual development. The prophets of our generation have proclaimed it,
and the constellations of the heavens declare it!
Aquarius means something far more than what the
astrologers and others today think it means. As
we have seen, Aquarius is the one who pours out the water upon Piscis Australis, the
Southern Fish. Water, of course, is a great
symbol of the Holy Spirit which God promised to pour out upon His people and the earth. It is a glorious symbol of life and one of the
happiest in all of the world. Next to light,
it is God's brightest element. Where waters
come they bring gladness and rejuvenation, luxuriousness and plenty. Where they pour forth, sinking strength recovers,
dying life rekindles, perishing nature revives, a thousand delights are awakened, and
everything rejoices and sings with new-begotten vitality.
In Aquarius that water is being poured out upon the figure of a fish. In the Sign Capricornus the dying goat is seen
giving life to a fish emerging from its latter half. As
Christ was the great sin-offering and through His death the Church or the fish was brought
into life, we now see that fish sustained in life by the risen Christ, again in Aquarius,
the Water-Bearer who is now pouring out the water of His Holy Spirit upon the living fish. This is a great picture of the outpouring of the
fullness of the Spirit upon the sons and the daughters of God. The Lord Jesus said, "Whosever drinketh of the
water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall
be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (Jn. 4:14). Again and again the scriptures testify of this
mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit into and out from the people of God. Through Isaiah He declares: "For I will POUR
WATER upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will POUR OUT MY SPIRIT upon thy seed, and My
blessing upon thy offspring: and they shall
spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses" (Isa. 44:3-4). David prophesied in spirit of the coming of the
Messiah and described His coming in these words: "HE shall come down like RAIN upon
the mown grass: as SHOWERS that water the
earth. In His days shall the righteous
flourish" (Ps. 72:6-7). Joel prophesied: "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I
will POUR OUT MY SPIRIT upon all flesh and also upon the servants and upon the handmaidens
in those days will I POUR OUT MY SPIRIT" (Joel 2:28-29). That our Lord is coming in a great spiritual
outpouring of Himself is made plain in Hos. 6:3: "Then
shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: His
going forth is prepared as the morning; and HE SHALL COME UNTO US AS THE RAIN, as the
former and latter rain unto the earth." Hallelujah!
There is a most remarkable incident which took place
in relation to the glory cloud when the children of
THE WATER-POURER
The above story has not been understood because
multitudes of the Lord's people equate "baptism" only with immersion, or one
being dipped into or put under water. They
claim that in every case of scriptural baptism the person or thing baptized is moved or
put into or under the baptizing element. The
truth is, however, that in the vast majority of cases in scripture, if not in every case,
the baptizing element or instrumentality is moved and put upon the person or thing
baptized. Contrary to the teaching of many,
and contrary even to certain scholars, "baptize" does not mean to
"dip." Ultimately it is usage that
determines the meaning of words in any language. In
classic Greek the word baptizo is never used in the modern evangelical sense of putting a
body into water and then immediately withdrawing it. It
cannot be denied by those who know and love the truth that the Sign of Aquarius tells us
far more about the true "baptism in the Spirit" than all the modern-day
preachers have ever learned from the Word of God!
Now, what saith the Lord as to the mode of this real
Spirit baptism, and this symbolical water baptism? Open
your Bible and look into this matter very carefully, with humility and reverence, and you
will find that never once is the person represented as being "dipped,"
"plunged" or "immersed" into the baptizing element or agency, but
uniformly the baptizing element or agency is "poured out," or in some way comes
upon the person baptized. The apostles were
baptized with the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:5; 2:1-4), and the Spirit was "poured out"
on them (Acts 2:16-33); they were baptized
with fire (Mt. 3:7), and a tongue of fire come down from heaven and "sat upon each of
them" (Acts 2:2-3). The children of
In Heb. 3:10, the inspired writer, speaking of the
Old Testament rituals, ceremonies and ordinances, says, "Which stood only in meals
and drinks, and divers washings imposed on them until the time of reformation." The word translated "washings" refers to
the ceremonial purifications under the law and is from the Greek word BAPTISMOIS, that is,
baptisms. Can we ascertain the mode of these
baptisms? Yes, with infallible certainty. In the very same chapter the apostle refers to the
mode of these ceremonial purifications no less than three times and declares that it was
by sprinkling. "For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of an heifer
sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh. How much more shall the blood of Christ purge your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Heb. 9:13). "For when Moses had spoken every precept to
all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water,
and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people.... moreover
he sprinkled.... both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry" (Heb.
9:19-21). In Num. 19:17-18 we read of a
ceremonial purification, or "baptism," and we read: "A clean person shall take hyssop and dip it
in the water and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels and upon the
persons." In Lev. 14:5-7 we read how a
leper was to be cleansed: "And he shall
sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from
the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean." A leprous house was to be cleansed in the same
manner, by sprinkling (Lev. 14:50-52). And so
in the case of other ceremonial baptisms there is no case on record in which an Israelite
administered any of the ceremonial baptisms by putting the person or thing under water. Not one! In
every case the baptism or cleansing was by sprinkling or pouring out water. When the whole Israelitish nation entered into
covenant with God at Sinai, Moses "sprinkled all the people" (Ex. 24:8; Heb
9:19). On the great day of atonement the High
Priest entered the Most Holy Place, and sprinkled the Ark of the Covenant (Lev. 4:17; Heb
9:25). When the destroying angel passed over
It is not my purpose in this writing to provoke a
debate concerning the mode of water baptism. What
you may or may not believe about external rituals, outward ceremonies, and natural
ordinances is, in my opinion, but a paltry side issue of no spiritual significance and no
eternal import. All natural things are but
types and shadows to our understanding of spiritual things.
Properly understood they open the door of understanding to the sacred
secrets of God. All natural things have their
spiritual counterparts, but I have absolutely no interest at all in seeking to establish
or promote any external ritual, outward ceremony or carnal ordinance, for I declare to you
that in this day, for those who have left the Outer Court and the Holy Place to find an
entrance into the glory of the Holiest of all, the shadows have all passed away and
reality has dawned within our hearts. Turn! oh sons and daughters of the Most High, from all
these religious vanities, for the true light now shineth and the physical ceremonies
having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never
with water, or formulas, or bread, or wine, or hands, or fleshly ministrations make the
recipients thereof perfect. Depart from the
carnal realm of empty and lifeless forms and flee away to the celestial heights in the
As Aquarius pours his water out from his urn, so the
heavens pour down water upon the earth. When a
cloud becomes so heavy with droplets that it can no longer hold them, it spills over, and
we have rain. O Lord my God, thou art very great. . . who layeth the
beams of His chambers in the waters: who
maketh the CLOUD HIS CHARIOT: HE WATERETH the
hills FROM HIS CHAMBERS" (Ps.104:3, 13). The
clouds are the chambers of God containing the water of life.
A cloud is full of water and water speaks to us of life. Water typifies the Word of God and the Spirit of
God (Eph 5:26; Jn. 7:37-38). A cloud speaks to
us of a vessel, as an urn, which contains water or contains life. Even so, God by His Spirit gives living water to
refresh and impart life unto His creation. It
is the nature of a cloud to empty itself. "If
the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth" (Eccl. ll:3). When the cloud gets filled up, it rains. That is
the nature of the clouds rain pours out. All
that God is was emptied into Jesus Christ. All
that God is was poured into Him, He became a receptacle, a vehicle for all the fullness of
God (Col. 1:19; 2:9). He was filled up with
the life-giving properties of God. Now, all
that Jesus Christ is, is being emptied into His body until we are filled with all the
fullness of Godhaving all the life-giving properties of God. HE IS FILLING THE CLOUDS! The nature of each son will be to pour out that
life just as God poured it into Jesus and Jesus poured it into us. If the saints be full of God they will pour Him out
upon the earthy-natured, unspiritual ones. A
true ministry has life to give, and is willing to empty himself in order to be a blessing
to a dry and thirsty people. Pour out His life
for othersthat's what Jesus did! We must
empty out that same life on a groaning creation and break the bondage. The whole creation is awaiting this son company of
people who will be the clouds of glory, the strong man of Aquarius with the water jar. Their life giving waters will be emptied upon
a dry and cursed earth just as the waters were first emptied upon themcreation
itself will be released into the liberty of the glory of the sons of God.
I mentioned that water is the symbol for both the
Word and the Spirit (Eph 5:26; Jn. 7:37-39). The
mystery of God is not far off in heaven somewhere. GOD
IS THE WORD AND THE WORD IS GOD. Furthermore,
THE WORD IS THE SPIRIT AND THE SPIRIT IS THE WORD. "The
words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life" (Jn 6.63). Words are the most powerful thing in creation. All visible things were created by God's Word.
"And God said, let there be. . . " (Gen.
1:3). In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All
things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made"
(Jn.1:1,3). Let all men know that creation was
not brought forth merely by the spoken word. The
power of God's Word lies not in the act of speaking, but in the fact that it is a LIVING
WORD. "For the Word of God is living and powerful"
(Heb. 4:12). The Word is living
because it is energized by the Spirit. "It is the spirit that quickeneth (makes
alive).. the words that I speak unto you, they
are spirit, and they are life." The
creation was not formed by the spoken word,
but by the Living Word. "And the Spirit
of God moved . . . and God said." The
Word spoken emanated out of the Spiritit
was the Living Word. The scriptures state that
we are born again by the Spirit and we are born again by the Word. Does that mean that we are born again twice, or on
two levels? Not at all! It indicates that the Spirit and the Word are SO ONE that the Word is a LIVING
WORD. The Spirit and the Word united are the
Living Word. We are not born again by the
spoken wordwe are born again by the Word which is energized by the Spirit, the
Spirit and the Word in unionthe LIVING WORD. "Being
born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which
liveth and abideth forever" (I Pet. 1:23). The
spoken word is not Christ, and the scriptures are not the Living Word. The people of
There are many wonderful truths to embrace, endless
revelations to inspire and thrill the heart of man, but you will never be gripped in your
spirit by any more inspiring and encouraging than that penned long centuries ago by the
prophet Isaiah. "For My thoughts are not
your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so
are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from
heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and
bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall My Word be that
goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto ME void, but it shall accomplish
that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it" (Isa.
55:8-11). Now, to what is God comparing His
Word! To the rain and snow that fall upon the
earth to water it, to give life and increase. God
is saying that is just exactly what HIS WORD is sent to do.
God's Word! God's Word coming
down from heaven! God's Word is not letters of
the alphabet. God's Word is the EMANATION OF
HIMSELF. God's Word will come down in power
from His high road, falling upon this lower road of the flesh realm. God's Word, or the Lord Jesus Christ, the Logos,
the Living Word of God, will come as the former and latter rain unto His earth, or His
people. He shall come upon those who are
walking this lower road of the flesh. He will
come upon our earth, and He will cause to spring up in our earth the seed of life that He
has planted there. We are in the way or road
of flesh, but down from that realm of SPIRIT, from God's way, God's state of being, He is
pouring forth HIS VERY SELF upon humanity. God
declared that His Word should not return unto Him void.
Just as the rain and snow accomplish their purpose in the earth with
unfailing certainty, so shall God's Word, His emanation, His anointing, His Christ not
return unto Him void, but it SHALL ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSE.
There is a people in the earth in this hour that is letting that LIVING WORD
rain down from above, and the New Creation is formed in them. And, sadly, there are those who are trusting in the
"magic" within the written word or the spoken word, but are not touching the
Living Word, and they shall die as men in spite of all their "deep sayings.
I hear a voice which we know well, speaking from the
well of Sychar, and saying, "The water that I shall give thee shall be in thee,
springing up unto everlasting life." It
is the life of God in the Living Word; it is Christ Himself; and He has come to be in us,
like a perennial spring, unstanched in drought, unfrozen in frost, leaping up, in fresh
and invigorating beauty, like the cold refreshing spring that flows deliciously out of the
earth into the desert heat. This is the
picture presented to us by Aquarius, the Water-Bearer.
It is the picture of a supply from a source so high, so abundant and
unceasing, that it denotes FULLNESS. Our
experience has been well expressed in the words of Paul, "for we know in part, and we
prophesy in part... " (I Cor. 13:9). Throughout
the past two thousand years of the age of Pisces, the age of the Fish, God has formed and
fashioned His body, but it has been a thirsty fish.
How we desire HIS FULLNESS! Yet
we also praise God for those "times of refreshing that come from the presence of the
Lord" (Acts 3:19). If it is a long time
between "showers," we get very dry. How
we need that water that becomes an eternal and unfailing fountain within that springs up
unto eternal life! That vital, essential work
of imperative need is WITHINconforming us into His image, imparting to us His mind,
developing His character, enriching us with the very nature of His peace, righteousness,
joy and strengththen the more we shall become " a spring whose waters fail
not."
I am saying all these things because I know that
millions of believers have contentedly settled for the showers of blessings, knowing not
that this state lies far beneath the provision of God for His people. Truly, "Ye were sealed with that Holy
Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance. . ." (Eph. 1:13-14). God's people are yet lacking in understanding. The Holy Spirit, Paul says, is the earnest of our
inheritance in Christ. The Greek word
translated "earnest" (ARRABON) means merely a pledge or first installment, a
down payment, money deposited by a purchaser to guarantee that he will pay for an item in
full when it is delivered. The balance must
follow. The fullness is guaranteed by the
earnest. In modern Greek the word is used for
an engagement ring, the idea being that he who gives a girl such a ring will complete his
agreement to marry her the wedding band will surely follow! When this word is used in scripture it speaks of
the gift of the Holy Spirit as God's "earnest" or "engagement ring." In other words, the seal of the indwelling Holy
Spirit is therefore an earnest or advance pledge from God Himself that those who are
apprehended and receive THE PROMISE will one day receive their inheritance IN FULL. The spirit-filled believer anticipates the fullness
of God on the basis of this humble beginning. The
"firstfruits" of the Spirit is at once a possession, a rich, blessed, and
unquestionable reality, an initial endowment. As
an initial gift, it stands in direct line to the expectation. The very fact of its reality is "the guarantee
of our full inheritance." Who hath
sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts" (II Cor. 1:22). This scripture tells us that a down payment has
been made to us by God. When we put something
in layaway at a store, we have to put down a certain percentage of money on the purchase. That money is the same thing as an earnest. Partial payment is given in anticipation of the
complete fulfillment of the transaction. We
have earnest expectations or foretastes of the Kingdom as we see it now within us on its
very smallest scale.
Let us illustrate another way. In eastern lands it ever has been, and is,
customary for there to be an intermediary in arranging a marriage. The Bible picture of this is in Genesis 24, where
Abraham's servant Eliezer, goes on a long journey to find a wife for Isaac. He takes with him a good report of his master's
son, and tells how that his father has made him heir of all his vast possessions, and he
then shows the damsel and her friends samples of this wealth in camels and jewelry, and
gives them some of the latter. Thus allured,
Rebecca left her known circle and took a long, desert journey to become Isaac's wife,
though she had never seen him. Thus did Paul
the apostle speak to the saints: "I have espoused you to one husband, that I might
present you as a pure virgin to Christ" (II Cor. 11:2).
Fulfilling the role of Abraham's servant, Eliezer, the apostle bestowed upon
those who heeded his words a FORETASTE of the vast and unmeasurable wealth of the Kingdom
of God, by imparting to them the gift and gifts of the Holy Spirit with its attending
love, joy, peace, righteousness and power in
the measure known by our present experience. How
bountifully the table has been spread before us with His presence and divers gifts of the
Holy Ghost! How rich and wonderful, beyond
explanation, has been the blessing and glory so lavishly bestowed! And yet, precious friend of mine, all that we have
received to this present time is but the "earnest" of the full inheritance which
will be received when we have sufficiently matured to be entrusted with the balance of our
inheritanceALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD! The
earnest pertains to the age of Piscesthe church age. The fullness belongs to the age
of Aquariusthe Kingdom age. And, bless
your hearts, dear onesTHIS IS THE DAWNING OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS!
Oh, what a grand and glorious realm lies before us
in this expectation of the FULL INHERITANCE! The
day of the full fruit of the Spirit! The day
of Perfection! The hour of full and complete
Redemption, spirit, soul, and body! The full and complete experiencing of HIMSELF! The fullness of Strength, Wisdom, Power and Glory! The Feast of Feasts!
The strange part of the whole thing is this, that the whole purpose and plan
of God for this day and hour is completely obscured and lost amidst the shout and euphoria
over the "earnest," the
"firstfruits," the "down payment," and most of the Lord's people have
no idea or conception of what the full inheritance is all about. If they have any thought at all it is the foolish
notion that the full inheritance is a mansion over the hilltop, or a cabin in the corner
of gloryland. They can see the healings,
deliverances, miracles, prophecies, worship, etc., and they understand not that it is God
in His great mercy inviting His people to
enter on in to their full inheritance. They do
not realize that all this is not the endit is merely the foretaste, the earnest of
their inheritance, and that God bids them after sampling of His glory to arise and come
away with Him to the Great Wedding Feast that lies before!
Completeness, perfection and fullness, however much
desired, are not obtainable through an "in part" possession. Once we understand this one important principle, it
becomes clear that we cannot reach the fullness in one grand leap. It would be like giving a farmer a pound of seed
and a bag of fertilizer and then expect him to raise enough food in one short season to
satisfy the starving millions of
I want to take you back to that scene which
transpired twenty centuries ago on the last great day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Let me briefly describe for you how that "last
great day" was conducted. Early, early on
the morning of that day a million people and more, who had been dwelling in tents and
booths all around
Just at that moment a young Man, humble, an untitled
Rabbi, unexpectedly stood forth before the multitude.
Stepping forward He took the place, doubtless, of the High Priest. Standing there beside the Sacred Altar, He lifted up His hands to the
multitudes on Mount Moriah, Mount Zion, and Mount Olivet, and cried with a Voice that
echoed and re-echoed down the Valley of Hinnom: "IF ANY MAN THIRST, LET HIM COME UNTO
ME AND DRINK. HE THAT BELIEVETH ON ME, AS THE SCRIPTURE HATH
SAID, OUT OF HIS BELLY SHALL FLOW RIVERS OF LIVING WATER! What a hush fell upon the people! What a wonder that any man should be so daring as
to step forward and take the High Priest's place and declare that He Himself was the
Sacred Fountain opened in Judah for sin and all uncleanness!
There is a thirst in the heart of every man for the Fountains of Living
Water. The
vast majority of mankind has mistaken the thirst they have for Living
Water to be a thirst for some temporal thing. Vainly
they imagine that their thirst can be quenched by partaking of the stagnant waters of
earth's cisterns. Like lost sheep they wander through the wilderness of
life seeking satisfaction and finding none. Place
after place they roam in their pitiful search
for the Fountain that satisfies, but find it they never can until at last they come to the
Living Christ. If any man thirst,
says Christ, let him come unto Me and drink!
He becomes all in all to every
searching heart. When
Jesus comes, the thirsty soul finds the Fountain of Living Waters. There his thirst is slaked forever. Henceforth the River is in him, a literal Niagara
of Living Water springing up unto eternal life. "The
With reverent heart and bowed head I now direct you
to the wonderful truth that it was on this Last Great Day of the Feast of Tabernacles, at
the ceremony known as "The Pouring Out of the Water," that Jesus stood and
cried, "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink. He that believeth on Me. . . out of his belly shall
now Rivers of Living Water." This He
spake of the Spirit which they should receive. The
time would come when men would no longer draw their experience from wells of Divine
provision, but an artesian fountain of Living Water would rise up in the soul, and flow
forth unto humanity in mighty
Let men now cast aside their pride of attainment. Pentecost is not the fullness. Pentecostal people love to call themselves "Full Gospel." There are people right here in
God gave Ezekiel a prophetic vision of the glory of
the Lord to be revealed at the end of the age. This
vision revealed what the body of Christ would become as the Church age ends and the
glorious age of the Kingdom comes in. It is so
mighty, so overwhelming in scope, that at the time Ezekiel could neither comprehend it nor
explain its meaning. In fact half way in to
this prophetic vision the Lord stops, turns to Ezekiel, and asks, "Have you seen
this? (Eze. 47:6). It is as though the
Lord is saying to him, "Do you comprehend the magnitude of what you see? Are you able to grasp the prophetic power of this
vision? Do you yet see what the rising of the
waters speaks ofhow it is going to end? Do
you see His glory coming, and the immensity of it? It
is so awesome, so mind-boggling that I don't want you to miss the true significance of
this revelation!" The Holy Spirit was
shown to him as a small stream which periodically increased and continued to rise until it
became a mighty river. In this vision the
prophet was conducted along the river by the angel of the Lordin the form of a man. Hear now the beautiful description of the
What is the meaning of Ezekiels vision? What is this rising river which flows from the
I would draw your reverent attention to the source
of this river and how it increases as it flows. It
begins at the altar in the Sanctuary of the
In like manner, the glorious
I have shown that the
As the River flows out under the threshold of the
door, it isn't a very great flow to begin with, just a little trickle, though it comes
from a mighty depth within. There was a man
there with a measuring rod to measure this outflow of life and he measured out a thousand
cubits and brought Ezekiel through the waters. They
had increased but it still was not a great River, just ankle deep. He measured another thousand cubits and the waters
were knee deep; they had increased more. Again
he measured a thousand cubits and the waters were to the loins, up to the waist. "Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was
a river that I could not pass over; for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river
that could not be passed over." Each
measure was a thousand cubits. ONE THOUSAND is
the number of the
Saints, Ezekiel was walking into the futureright
into our time! It is my deep conviction, and I
believe that I have the Spirit of God, that today we live in the last one thousand cubits
of this vision, the very last measurement of water! Ezekiel
stepped to the edge of it but it was too deep for him, too overwhelming! He said, "I could not pass over: for the
waters were risen, waters to swim in." In
essence he was saying, "This is over my head!"
Can't you imagine the prophet's wonder, as he said to the Lord, "What
is this sea that has risen? If this River is
all about life and resurrection, who are the ones who will be so blessed that they can
swim in such power and glory?" What
Ezekiel is being shown is that the body of Jesus Christ, the sons of God, in the very last
days will be more glorious, more victorious, than at any time in the history of the world. The church age will end in a blaze of power and
glory, birthing sons of the Kingdom in the fullest revelation of Jesus Christ man has ever
known! "The fish of the sea shall be
exceeding many" (Eze. 47:10). Coming
forth is a people who will be swimming in the rising waters of the Lord's power and life! Life and immortality shall be revealed in power
over sin and death, and it shall come to pass that "everything that liveth, which
moveth, withersoever the rivers shall come, shall live!"
As God has moved by His Spirit in these latter days
there has been a tendency to look back to the early church and apostles as if those
ancient believers had a better revelation and a superior manifestation of what the body of
Christ should be! Many have emphasized the
recapturing or imitating of their ministry and methods.
Men have sought to "restore" the order of the five-fold ministry
and to reestablish the so-called divine order of the early church. Let me remind all those who yet cling to the notion
that the five-fold ministry will somehow bring the saints to the measure of the stature of
the fullness of Christ and bring in the Kingdomthe early church had the five-fold
ministry and they BROUGHT IN BABYLON THE GREAT AND THE DARK AGES! Make no mistake about itthe Lord does not
want us to go back to the early church! He has
planned something much better for this generation! Why
go back to a trickle of water when you can have "waters to swim in? Are you grasping this yet? If this river of living water is the Spirit and the
Word, then the early church with all its glory and
manifestationwas just the beginning trickle of the flow out of the
house!
What glorious prospects lie before us! Very near the Temple is the desert and the Dead Sea
the rough, jagged hills on which nothing grows and over which men stumble, and the
sea in whose waters no fish swims, and on whose surface no ship floats. Round about the City of
One cannot begin to tell the blessings to be
revealed, the glory to be seen throughout the earth, the release to be ministered to
creation, as Aquarius, the Water-Pourer, pours forth the eternal stream of the River of
Life unto all the fish in the sea in this, God's NEW DAY.
I speak as a prophetic voice in the earth in this generation. The manifestation of glory and power and
righteousness which will be manifested within our generation will eclipse all former
moves. Who can carry on with the programs of
man anymore, who can wade in the shallows of the trickle of former visitations once they
have received the vision of what shall be realized as God's people launch out into the
deep. The last or most recent "shower of
blessing" came during the great Latter Rain outpouring during the years 1948-1953. The effect and blessing of that outpouring is with
us still. But the celestial deluge is yet to
fall in GREAT POWER AND GLORY. Glorious beyond
words to describe was that wonderful outpouring of God's glory at Pentecost, but no
language of men below nor of mighty angels above can begin to describe the SURPASSING
GLORY of the outpouring in these last days. The
"waters to swim in" are coming, the manifestation of the fullness of the spirit
and life of the almighty Christ of God, and compared to these waters the former
outpourings were flickering candles before the burning brilliance of the noonday sun, or
trickling streams compared to the vast ocean currents beyond the power of man to either
produce or control. Hear me now and believe me
later if you cannot believe me now soon, very soon, there will come the
manifestation of the sons of God, for which all creation has groaned for long millenniums
and ages. Then the glory of the Lord shall be
revealed from the living, completed temple of His body.
His glory shall flow out and fill the earth.
His power shall shake the nations and all nations shall come and worship
before Him. The harvest of this age shall be
gathered. Everything shall live, whithersoever
the River cometh. As on the Dead Sea, where
once reigned silence, are now boats and fish and nets and fishermen, when its waters are
touched by the Waters of the River, so the church and the world shall be transformed, and
this old earth of ours shall become the Paradise of God.
I tell you the truth. I lie not. The day is at hand!
Rejoice and arise, oh ye sons of the Most High! The glorious dawn is now painting the eastern sky,
and the
Chapter
33
AQUARIUS
THE WATER POURER
(continued)
The Sign of Aquarius is the
figure of a mighty man holding a great urn upon his shoulder, from which comes a seemingly
inexhaustible stream of water flowing downwards until finally it flows directly into the
mouth of a great fish, which receives it and swallows it all. Water, of course, is a great
symbol of the Holy Spirit which God promised to pour out upon His people and the earth. It
is also the symbol of the Word of God Divine Truth and Reality. Christ is both the
Spirit and the Word. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God" (Jn. 1:1). "Now the Lord is that Spirit" (II Cor. 3:17).
All that God is was emptied into Jesus Christ, He became a receptacle, a vehicle for all
the fullness of God. Now, all that Christ is, is being emptied into His body until we are
filled with all the fullness of God having all the life giving properties of God.
The nature of each son of God is to pour out the living water of the Spirit and the pure,
living Word of God just as God poured it into Jesus and Jesus poured it into us. Pour out
His life for others that's what Jesus did! We must empty out that same life on a
groaning creation and break the bondage. The whole creation is awaiting this son company
of people who will be the strong man of Aquarius with the water jar. Their life-giving
waters will be emptied upon a dry and cursed earth just as the waters were first emptied
upon them creation itself will be released into the liberty of the glory of the
sons of God.
THE SOUTHERN FISH
We come now to the three
Decans, or minor constellations, which surround Aquarius and which enhance or fill up the
message of the Sign. The first constellation is a fish with a wide-open mouth into which
flows the water from the huge urn which Aquarius holds. It's name is PISCIS AUSTRALIS,
meaning The Southern Fish. This constellation is marked by a single bright star,
FOMALHAUT, which means The Mouth of the Fish. The fish receives and drinks the water from
the unlimited and unceasing supply of the waterman. It is the picture of the believing
acceptance of the Living Spirit of Truth that Christ bestows upon all who come unto Him to
drink. "If any man thirst, let Him come unto Me, and drink!"
In a previous Study I shared
the great truth of the Law of Giving and Receiving which is the very law of creation and
redemption. I showed that God in His eternal and immutable nature is love all
goodness. When we understand that God is love, we can then go on to discover the attribute
through which we become aware of His existence HIS DESIRE TO SHARE. This desire to
share is the consequence, the effect of His goodness. A God of love without creation is
unthinkable impossible. Here we have the first principle of creation God's
infinite desire to impart led to the creation of a vessel to receive His blessings. The
Creator's nature is love sharing or imparting; however, there can be no sharing
unless there is some object that can receive. So God's infinite desire to impart implies a
desire to fulfill every possible dimension and quality of desires to receive. Can we not
see by this that God's infinite desire to give demands AN AGENT WITH THE DESIRE TO
RECEIVE! The very nature of God requires CREATION! So the first step in creation was to
bring forth the manifestation of the DESIRE TO RECEIVE! The creation of this vessel with
the desire to receive was the beginning and the end of creation. He therefore created the
universe with all the hosts thereof, and this world with its inhabitants. Thus the Creator
could now bestow upon the creation His infinite love and inexhaustible abundance. God is
the Lover, creation the beloved! "For God so loved the world..." That is the
first fundamental revelation of the law of God in creation God gives and we
receive.
There naturally follows the
second stage in which we learn the great truth that God only makes us Receivers in order
that we may become Givers! Ah, first He must create in us the desire to receive; second,
He must involve us in the grand purpose of the receiving to mature us into His
image until we have thoroughly learned the great law of His Being, of His Kingdom
it is MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE! This leads directly into the light of the
truth set forth in the Sign of Aquarius and the constellation of The Southern Fish
Aquarius is THE GIVER; The Southern Fish is THE RECEIVER. From time to time and stage to
stage the roles of Giver and Receiver change as the Receivers become Givers. But the Sign
points to one thing that God Himself has flowed out and is still flowing on this
earth into humanity AS LIFE. We may ask, in what form has God flowed out? He has flowed
out first in His Son, in Jesus Christ; and then He has flowed out as the Holy Spirit. Let
us see God's order: God Himself is the spring, the very source of the water of life; Jesus
Christ, the first-born Son, is the fountain, the reservoir of this divine water; and the
Holy Spirit, flowing through the body of Christ, the corporate son, is the living stream,
the river flowing all the time. On the one hand, the Lord Jesus Christ receives from God,
we receive from the Lord Jesus Christ, and creation receives from the sons of God. On the
other hand, God gives to Christ, Christ gives to us, and we give to creation. In each step
Aquarius depicts the Giver, while The Southern Fish portrays the Receiver. This is God's
divine order in the
PEGASUS
The second constellation in
the Sign of Aquarius is PEGASUS The Winged Horse. Here is the picture of a great
horse galloping forward with full speed, with great wings spreading from his shoulders.
The familiar figure of the flying horse moving swiftly has been made popular as the
trademark of a well-known brand of petroleum products. A winged horse, however, is unknown
to nature. It must therefore be understood as a figure. The meaning of this symbol is
declared by the names of the stars in the constellation. There are 89 altogether. The
brightest comes down to us with the ancient Hebrew name of MARKAB, which means returning
from afar. Another bright star is called SCHEAT meaning who goeth and returneth; ENIF, the
branch; AL GENIB, who carries; HOMAN, the water; MATAR, who causeth the plenteous
overflow. Putting these thoughts together, we see Pegasus as One who returns from afar; He
is the branch who carries the water, causing a plenteous overflow! In the first chapter of
Zechariah the appearance of such horses are the symbols of those whom "God hath sent
to walk to and fro through the earth," not merely to see and report the condition of
affairs, but to shake and disturb nations, in order to bring deliverance and establish
peace, righteousness and blessing upon all.
Pegasus was known to the
Greeks as "the horse of the gushing fountain." He was a celestial horse, ever
associated with glad song. Pegasus is winged; he moves with heavenly speed. On great wings
he rides the winds. He is master of the air, god-like in his power. Pegasus is a prophetic
revelation of the glorious coming of HIM who pours out the living water. In the religious
systems of
Notice, His "goings
forth." The plural is used. The goings forth of the Lord speak about the Lord Jesus
Christ! Now, the idea of "goings" has to do with the onward marching of God
the unfolding of the purpose of God, step by step. This is what is indicated here.
This is what history is all about, the progressive revelation of Jesus Christ, the
marching forward of God, the ever increasing unveiling of Himself to man. The unfolding of
end-time events and God's order for the ages to come, which are the main contents of the
last book of the Bible, are called THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.
The average Christian's
conception is of Jesus sitting upon the right hand of God for a couple thousand years, at
the end of which time He leaves His throne to "come in the clouds of heaven. "
NOT SO! "HEREAFTER you will see the Son man sitting on the right hand of power, and
coming in the clouds of heaven" (Mat. 26:64). So runs the King James version,
translating a Greek phrase which signifies unequivocally "from now on" --or
literally, HENCEFORTH. But it is safe to say that the average reader, reading from the
Authorized version, generally understands it to mean something very different - not
"HENCEFORTH shall you see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and
coming in the clouds of heaven," but "in the hereafter," "at some
point in the indefinite future," you will see the Son of man "sitting" and
then "coming." The correct thought is, "HENCEFORTH FROM N-O-W O-N
you will see the Son of man sitting...and coming." These two events, the sitting and
the coming, are simultaneous. They are co-extensive. They transpire at the same time. And
they both happen "from now on." From now on He sits and He comes. He sits upon
the throne of heavenly power and He comes in the clouds of heaven! He sits as our great
High Priest and He comes to us as our transforming Saviour. He doesn't sit and then come,
He comes while He sits. It is not two separate, independent actions, but a two-fold,
interdependent action.
Has He not came to you,
precious brother, sister, in mighty saving power and indwelling life even as He sits upon
the throne on High? Like a choir of many voices and as the sound of many waters, the
testimony of the Word of God resounds with abundant and stunning and inescapable evidence
that the coming of Christ is not a single event, but includes many different
manifestations. His coming to us is a many-sided experience. To multitudes He appears as
Saviour. They find Him at the crossroads of their lives. He becomes their salvation but
they never venture any deeper to know Him intimately. They have only a superficial
knowledge of Him. To others He appears as Chief Shepherd and Bridegroom. These hear His
voice and are moved by His love, and follow on to know Him in deeper measures of intimacy
and union. To others He appears as a Thief. He comes into their world uninvited and
unannounced, He overtakes them unexpectedly and breaks up their life style and smashes
their religious games. And unto others He appears as Fire, consuming their hay, wood, and
stubble, eliminating by the spirit of burning all that is of self and not of God. The
coming of the Lord is as many faceted as the most dazzling crystal of earth or the most
beautiful diamond known to man.
We dare not lose sight of the
fact that our Lord has already had many comings, many appearings. We have limited the
comings of Jesus strictly to two because of our unscriptural terms "first
coming" and "second coming," but the truth is that He came; He continued to
come; He comes; He continues to come; He will come; and He will continue to come! There
are numerous "comings" and "appearing" of the Lord in the New
Testament. BUT THEY DO NOT ALL REFER TO THE SAME EVENT. "And to you who are troubled
rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty
messengers, when He shall come to be GLORIFIED I-N HIS SAINTS, and to be admired IN all
them that believe in that day" (II Thes. 1:7,10). Jesus Christ is coming again, and
He is coming to be glorified IN His saints and to be admired IN the sons of God who by His
grace have come into His image throughout the ages. These sons are the body of the Son of
God. This is the fullness of the Christ. Not for the world nor all that is in it would I
for one moment miss the glory of the age and ages which are to come! To reign with Christ
and with Him usher all creation into the glory of God, which has been the vision of the
prophets, the dream of the sages, the cry of the sons, the purpose of God, and the longing
and expectation of all creation is a prize of far vaster worth than all the power and
glory and wealth of all the nations of earth combined. Though God's Christ is One, it will
take the ages to come to reveal His manifold beauties and graces. He is the one Christ,
yet His body is made up of many redeemed souls. He is the true Vine, yet there are many
branches. He is the only-begotten Son of God, yet He is leading many sons to glory. He is
the only Saviour, yet He is bringing a whole company of saviours up on
I bring you good news. YOU
ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST. Not the "mystical body" as the theologians of
In looking at a piece of
petrified wood we can see this. One time it was wood, NOW IT IS ROCK. For something has
happened to it. Certain minerals entered into every cell of that piece of wood and wrought
a complete change in it. The process continued until that piece of wood had become rock.
Same shape, same size and it has exactly the same cell structure. But what a great change
has taken place! THIS IS WHAT GOD IS DOING IN US. Something is happening to us. We do not
understand all about it, but we know that there is a change going on in our innermost
beings. It is God permeating us with Himself. God is impregnating us with Himself. God is
taking over, filling even our very cells with all He is and will be. This change is taking
place in our inner selves, in our minds, in our spirits, and even in our bodies. This
process shall continue until we arrive at the condition of being saturated with God. God's
life within us produces a metamorphosis. God shall so fill us, shall so overwhelm us that
we take on the very characteristics of God. The glory that fills our expectant souls today
is born of the knowledge that the hour of His manifestation is at hand the hour
when the Christ shall come in fullness to be revealed IN HIS SAINTS, and they shall reign
over the earth.
I am prophesying a new and
fresh revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. The night is falling on the present order.
Already we are seeing evidence of the dawning of a new day breaking forth upon us and many
thousands of the Lord's elect are even now arising to behold the first rays of the dawn
and to drink in the intoxicating freshness of the morn. There is a mighty cry in our
hearts for the Lord to move in a fresh and altogether new way in our lives and in the
earth. Many things are happening in the Pentecostal and Charismatic realms today, but I do
not hesitate to tell you that all of these things are but stale "left overs"
from previous visitations. We are due for a fresh move and a new work of God in the earth
today! So the night is coming, bringing an end to particular forms of the movings and
operations of the Spirit of God. Though all the manifestations of the past have been
precious and needful, yet our God in this hour is moving on. A new manifestation and
revelation of the Christ is coming in the midst of us, and I hear and see the signs that
He is beginning to come. We are living in the early dawn of another APPEARING OF OUR LORD
JESUS CHRIST. This appearing will be in and through the long awaited manifestation of the
sons of God. This truth is burning within my bones, pulsating within my bosom. I am being
quickened by these things. My one desire is to be available to be a part of this appearing
of the Lord that is preparing the sons of God for the wind-up of this age and the
inauguration of a far greater age of glory.
All the comings of the Lord
are set forth in the winged horse of the heavens riding triumphantly, the image of
aggressive action, of a prosperous conquest. He comes as Deliverer and Blesser with great
swiftness, power and joy. Pegasus typifies Christ as the horse of universal conquest. He
goes on from conquering to conquer. He accomplishes this victory both within and through
His people, His body, His many brethren, the enChristed. Experience His triumph in your
own life, my beloved, then you, in union with Him, will ride the heavens victoriously in
Him, and He in you. It is through us, precious saints, that the power of Christ's
redemption is manifested upon earth. It is through us that this salvation is put to the
test, and men see what it will do. It is in our lives, that its power to give speed,
strength and victory is manifested.
THE SWAN
The last Decan or part of
this story of Aquarius is CYGNUS THE SWAN, the lordly king-bird of the waters.
There is a cross in the northern sky, sometimes called the Northern Cross, in contrast to
the Southern Cross. This star group is called CYGNUS, and it reveals a beautiful swan
flying across the heavens. While it is called a cross, and appears as a cross, this
beautiful shape is formed by the principal stars which outline the wings and the length of
the body of the swan. Thus, it is in fact, a swan-cross. But this mighty bird is not
falling dead, like
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the
Prince of Peace. He came to bring peace. Peace is alien to earth. When sin entered, peace
fled. The moment that sin entered, peace fled, and Adam and Eve themselves were at strife
with God and each other, so that their firstborn son had the spirit of the devil and was a
murderer from the beginning. He slew his own brother. The second Man, the last Adam, was
the Lord from heaven. When He was once rejected, in the days of His flesh, His disciples,
with indignation, besought Him to command fire to come down from heaven and destroy these
evil people. His answer comes down to us through the ages: "Ye know not what manner
of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save
them" (Lk. 9:55-56). The firstborn son of Adam was a murderer, but the firstborn Son
of God was a Saviour. One was the peace-breaker shedding his brother's blood, the other
was the Peacemaker shedding His own blood that He might make peace with God and man. Yet
the Christ had power to destroy men's lives if He had the will. When He stood there with
the cross in full view, He said to His persecutors that it was in His power to call twelve
legions of angels. If that heavenly host which hovered about that Son could have once made
itself manifest, oh, how they would have swept that doomed city, that accursed conclave of
false priests, and those wretched, blind and filthy- minded heathen soldiers! How the
breath of those heavenly angels could have swept the life out of them and swept them down
into hell and the grave. But that is not God's way in redemption. That is not the mission
of the Son of God nor of the sons of God.
"For by Him were all
things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether
they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by
Him and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And, having
made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to RECONCILE ALL THINGS unto Himself, by
Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you that were
sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He
reconciled" (Col. 1:17,20-21). "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled
us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to
wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath
given unto US the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as
though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to
God" (II Cor. 5:18-20).
It is utterly impossible for
any man or any creature on earth or in heaven to exclude himself from the work of this
most precious ministry the ministry of reconciliation. Before the reader can shut
himself, or any other man or being out from the application of this grace, he must prove
that he does not belong to either the earth or heaven, or that he is not a part of the
"all things" that were created by and in the Christ in the beginning, and that
therefore he is excluded from being reconciled, since he has no identification with any of
the "all things" that were created and that are being reconciled unto God. This
he cannot do, and hence he must see that God is beseeching him and all to be reconciled!
Every foot of this earth and every man upon this earth belongs to Christ, for He made the
earth and He made every man. On that wonderful day when God created "all things"
in earth and in heaven He also said, "Let us make man in our image, and after our
likeness. Christ made every man and tasted death for every man, and therefore every
foot of the earth and every man on the earth belongs to Christ my Lord, first by right of
creation, and second by right of redemption.
I must emphasize that God is
the Creator of ALL THINGS. Notice the things that the inspired apostle includes in
creation. ALL things in the heavens, or all things that are in and constitute the RULING
ELEMENT "the heavens do rule" (Dan. 4:26). ALL the things on the earth,
or all things that are in or constitute those elements which are ruled, or under
authority. ALL things that are visible, or that are discernible to the physical senses
ALL that the eyes can see, ALL that the ears can hear, ALL that we can touch, feel,
taste, or smell has been created by God. ALL things that are invisible were created
by our God ALL the wisdom, ALL the knowledge, yea, even that which has not yet been
tapped or conceived of by the mind of man GOD CREATED. ALL of the myriad machines
and devices that shall yet come out of the mind of man, were created by God. ALL of the
vast forces and powers and universal laws that science has not yet discovered, were
created by God. ALL the thrones, and the glory and the power of those who occupy them,
were created by God. ALL the dominions or lordships, the mastery and the supremacy, were
created by God. ALL the principalities and powers, angels, intelligences, chief ones, in
heaven and in earth, invisible and visible, spiritual and natural, were created by God.
And it is not just the fact that all of these were created by God that startles us the
most, but it goes on to say that BY THE BLOOD OF HIS CROSS ALL THESE THINGS ARE RECONCILED
TO GOD IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH. This implies that the principalities and powers in the
heavenly realms needed reconciling and are reconciled by the blood of God's Son. This is
why the Redeemer was both a HEAVENLY BEING and an EARTHLY BEING. He was the Word from
heaven made flesh upon earth, heaven and earth blended into one, so that the Son could
say, "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the
Son of man which is in heaven" (Jn. 3:13). Praise God, even the principalities and
powers in the heavens are included in the glorious reconciliation and peace secured by the
blood of His cross, the Man who was from heaven, born on earth, reconciling both realms
into one IN HIMSELF. Glory! What more beautiful picture of this wonderful ministry of
reconciliation could we find than the graceful Swan flying through the heavens in the
configuration of the cross, following the life-giving stream of the
The most abusive and
vindictive letters I have received through the years have come from people who claim to be
in the sonship company through which God will set all creation free. One letter I well
remember was from one of these "creation-delivering-sons" bitterly denouncing me
and the teaching of the "reconciliation of all things." He said it is
"destructive" and "satanic" and that he was sick of it all. When
people call these precious and scriptural truths Satanic, they unwittingly blaspheme the
Holy Spirit, for it was He and none other who inspired Paul to write these words:
"And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to RECONCILE ALL
THINGS UNTO HIMSELF." It was the Holy Spirit who said that "God was in Christ,
RECONCILING THE WORLD unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and has
committed unto us the word of reconciliation." And in the face of such wonderful and
all inclusive statements as these, these have the brazen audacity to write to me and make
such Holy Spirit-defying statements as: "I don't believe in the reconciliation of all
things." The simple truth is, my beloved brethren, that until we are able to embrace
God's immutable intention of reconciling all things unto Himself, we will never be able to
clearly see God's plan for this present age nor for the other ages yet to come. And most
certainly God will not entrust into our hands the blessed ministry of reconciliation as
long as we remain hostile toward God's gracious purpose and vindictive toward men for whom
Christ died and the creation we are sent to rescue and redeem.
The fact that we see and
appreciate God's great and wonderful plan for all men leaves no room in us for a dilatory,
dont care spirit. The elect of God are always conscious of their unique calling. We
are given the high honor of being laborers together with God. Some day when the last devil
has been subjected, and the last sinner broken in humility and contrition at the lovely
feet of Jesus, we shall realize, as we may not now, just how great that honor really is,
and how much we have missed if we fail to share in this task to which the Almighty has set
His hand. I must confess that I am deeply grieved in my spirit when I meet these would-be
sons of God who look with contempt upon those who still have a passion for souls and
desire to see men delivered from the power of sin and satan. I am aware of the fact that
the hour has not yet arrived when God shall deal with all nations, and multitudes of past
generations, to bring forth His salvation in them, but it is my deepest conviction that
one of the sure marks of sonship is THE SPIRIT OF RECONCILIATION. Why speak of our great
hope of what God shall do in the ages to come if the spirit of that hope is not now alive
in our hearts? It is not the doctrine of reconciliation that shall change the world and
all things, but the ministry of reconciliation. The ministry of reconciliation springs
from the spirit of reconciliation. If you would not walk across the street to see some
poor soul delivered and converted by the redeeming power of Christ, don't waste your time
relating to me how you are chosen of God to help in the delivering of the whole creation
from the bondage of sin and death. The Spirit of Reconciliation must reign within our
hearts. The Ministry of Reconciliation must issue forth from our lives. Rivers of living
water must, even now, pour forth out of our innermost being, bringing hope and victory and
life to all who will come and drink! May we soar and fly o'er the land in the graceful and
gracious nature of the Swan!
This beautiful ministry of
reconciliation is the activity of the Holy Spirit in and through those who are chosen,
processed and equipped to bring life to the world. What a fitting symbol of the majesty,
grace and power of this ministry is the image of the Swan flying through the heavens,
displaying the cross, while moving with and by the flow of the
The light that you read or
work by, the heat in the house which makes you comfortable, the sound of the doorbell when
it rings, these are simply electricity realized. As you read and work in the light you
don't think very much about the bulb on the ceiling, or about the generator miles away.
You just utilize and enjoy the light in the room! And yet, without the bulb there is no
light, and without the generator the bulb can produce no light. Each stage is necessary.
Similarly, God as FATHER is the source of our divine life the generator. God as SON
is the manifestation of that divine life the bulb. And God as HOLY SPIRIT is our
realization of this divine life within the light (life) filling our room: our
hearts, minds, spirits and bodies. But these are not three different Persons! These are
just three stages of the very SAME THING! The thing proceeding from the generator is
energy, the thing flowing and manifesting through the bulb is energy, and the light
filling the room is energy! Not three different energies, but the same energy. Likewise,
the divine life in the Father is GOD, the divine life in the Son is GOD, and the divine
life transmitted to us as the Spirit is GOD. Not three different Gods, but the one God!
The Holy Spirit is in us as the very transmission of God, transmitting constantly all that
God is in Christ to us. As the body of Christ we are the expression of God by the Holy
Spirit to the creation. What a calling! What a potential!
The word "spirit,"
in the Old Testament, is the translation of the Hebrew word RUACH, the primary
significance or root-meaning of which is WIND. The word "spirit" in the New
Testament comes from the Greek word PNEUMA, whose primary significance or root-meaning is
likewise WIND. The English word "ghost" used in the King James Bible, though now
somewhat obsolete and not in general use, is derived from the Greek PNEUMA, its original
meaning being exactly the same as the word "spirit," meaning WIND. But let no
one hastily conclude that we are about to attempt to prove that the Holy Spirit is a holy
wind, for nothing could be farther from our thought.
There are two basic
characteristics of the wind which qualify it to so fittingly serve as the supreme symbol
of the Holy Spirit. The wind is first of all a POWERFUL FORCE, and secondly it is
INVISIBLE. "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof,
but canst not tell whence it cometh, or whither it goeth: so is everyone that is born of
the SPIRIT" (Jn. 3:8). You cannot see the wind, and yet you are aware of its reality
because of its power with the visible effects of that power manifested all around you. In
earlier times the wind was used broadly as a source of energy. Man has always known how to
use sails on a boat or ship. Later, he learned to use the same principle to construct a
windmill, using the force of the wind to turn grindstones, pump water, and do many other
kinds of work. In like manner, the invisible and powerful INWARD ENERGY AND FORCE which
motivates and transforms our lives into the image of God is the HOLY SPIRIT! And God's
ministry through us to creation is by the invisible but powerful energy and force of the
HOLY SPIRIT. It is interesting to note that the Swan in the Sign of Aquarius rides the
wind! The ministry of the sons of God, the ministry of reconciliation, is motivated,
propelled and executed by the Spirit!
Jesus spoke a great spiritual
truth when He said to Nicodemus, "Ye must be born again." Nicodemus was unable
to comprehend the idea of being "born again," even though Jesus used the wind as
an illustration to help make it plain. The wind, as we have pointed out, is both powerful
and invisible. It moves about, freely and powerfully, and while we may hear the sound and
see the effects, we cannot tell from whence it comes, or whither it goeth, we have no
control over either its coming or its going "So is everyone who is born of the
Spirit," Jesus said. Indeed, the way of the spiritual person, especially that of the
Lord's elect, is as the wind that "bloweth where it listeth." That person
becomes spiritual by encountering various growth experiences, passing through one stage of
development after another, often involving one "church" and
"fellowship" association after another, until ultimately they arrive at the
place of spiritual stature called "the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ" where there are no religious trappings, no denominational characteristics, no
sectarian attachments, and no adherence to the traditions of the elders, or to the
rituals, ceremonies, doctrines, programs, creeds, structure, or methods of the popular
church system. These blessed ones are now free to be LED BY THE SPIRIT for "as many
as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Rom. 8:14).
The way of the Spirit is
truly strange to the natural mind of man and the carnal precepts of religion, but to the
spiritual person, His ways are life and truth and reality. The way of the Spirit-born
person is as the wind that blows, and so also is the moving of the Spirit. The Spirit of
God blows, first upon one, and then another, and another, touching the lives of those who
are chosen for that hour in God. His Spirit is as the wind that "bloweth where it
listeth," so that the sound thereof is heard, yet no one can control it or make a
form or structure of it. That is certainly a different expression than one sees in the
systemized programs of man! The blessed realm of the Spirit is a wondrous realm that
cannot be intellectually learned or perceived, but we are experiencing the way of the
Spirit by walking in that realm. Wisdom has declared, "As thou knowest not what is
the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child:
even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all" (Eccl. 11:5). The flowing
of the precious Holy Spirit is spontaneous and unpredictable as the wind that blows where
He wills. Therefore, we cannot expect to know the works of God except by that same Spirit.
The mighty, omnipotent movings of the Spirit of God are truly a mystery. Not one among us,
of ourselves, could predict what He will do next. But if we are truly born of the Spirit
of God, and are flowing in union and harmony with Him, we will then be blessed with the
experiences necessary and vital to our new identity and ministry as SONS OF THE SPIRIT
C-H-I-L-D-R-E-N O-F T-H-E W-I-N-D!
In order for one to know and
properly understand the all-sufficiency of the Spirit of the Christ within, he must first
see what Christ is. I do not say who Christ is, but what Christ is. There are many
different titles and names ascribed to Christ in the scriptures; however, we will not here
consider the names of Christ, but the substance of Christ, His very essence. My
automobile, made of metal, is called an automobile, but its substance is metal. What is
the substance of Christ? "Now the Lord is THE SPIRIT" (II Cor. 3:17). What is
Christ? Why, He is the SPIRIT! He may be called by many titles and names, all descriptive
of His various attributes, characteristics, ministrations and offices. He may be known as
Saviour, as Redeemer, as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace, Comforter, Prophet, High Priest, King, Lord, I Am, and scores of other glorious
titles. But what is His substance? "The last Adam was made a QUICKENING SPIRIT"
(I Cor. 15:45). The message is clear the substance of Christ is SPIRIT. "And
because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of His Son into your hearts"
(Gal. 4:6).
Two things were essential
before Jesus could return as the Lord, the Spirit. He must GO AWAY. He must BE GLORIFIED.
"This spake Jesus of the Spirit, which they that believed on Him were to receive; for
the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified (Jn. 7:39). On our
behalf, as man and the Head of man, Jesus was resurrected, and then ascended, being
admitted into the full glory of the Divine, and His human nature received up into union
and participation with the eternal Spirit (transcendent God), of the same essence and
substance as the eternal Spirit, taking on the qualities of omnipotence, omniscience and
omnipresence. Is He omnipotent? "ALL POWER is given unto Me in heaven and in
earth" (Mat. 28:18). Is He omnipresent? In Eph. 4:10 we have this simple but
instructive statement: "He that descended is the same also that ASCENDED UP FAR ABOVE
ALL HEAVENS, THAT HE MIGHT F-I-L-L A-L-L T-H-I-N-G-S." Having ascended in Being into
the fullness of the SPIRIT the Lord Jesus could now come down as the Spirit of the GOD-MAN
most really the Spirit of God, and yet as truly the Spirit of Jesus the man. He
could come down as the Spirit of the GLORIFIED JESUS, to quicken our spirit by His Spirit,
making us one in Him. God be praised! Jesus has been glorified! He has ascended up far
above all celestial realms! He has emanated from that realm to fill all things! And now,
praise His name, He is being glorified IN US!
When Jesus comes into us, He
comes within as the all-sufficient Spirit to make us all that we must be as God-men. Soon,
now, there shall come that long awaited manifestation of the sons of God to this
sin-cursed world. Creation shall be set free from its bondage to corruption. We shall
behold the glory, wisdom, and power of the Son of God manifested in all fullness in a
many-membered body right here upon this earth. These sons are even now putting on the
fullness of His divine life in spirit, soul and body. They are being transformed into His
image, filled with His wisdom, quickened by His life. How the whole creation groans and
travails for this! The work of preparation is even now in full swing; Paul tells us that
this is when Christ shall come "to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in
all them that believe in that day" (II Thes.1:10). Let us believe it, beloved; for He
comes to be glorified in all them that believe (for it) in that day! Hallelujah!
Here I would share some
inspired and challenging words from a brother we labored with some years ago. He began
with the beautiful text from the Gospel of John, chapter six. "Jesus answered them
and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracles, but
because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which
perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man
shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed. I am the bread of life: he that
cometh to me shall never hunger; he that believeth on Me shall never thirst....it is the
spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they
are spirit, and they are life." In order to understand the great mystery that Jesus
is seeking to reveal to us in these verses, you need to understand the word,
"quickeneth," that is used in the King James translation. It is an old English
word that the King James translators used to describe the original wording in the Greek
scripture, which meant "to give life," or "that giveth life," or
"that is the source of life." So what Jesus was really saying here is, "It
is the Spirit that giveth life," or "It is the Spirit that is the source of your
life." The next thing we need to understand in order to comprehend this great mystery
is that when Jesus said, "It is the Spirit that giveth life," or "is the
source of your life," He was not talking about the Holy Spirit of God alone, but He
was talking about your own spirit, for, "He that is joined unto the Lord is one
spirit" (I Cor. 6:17). Your own quickened, regenerated, recreated, born-again spirit
which is the Son of God dwelling in you is the source of your life.
The next thing we need to
understand, to comprehend this mystery, is the meaning of the word "profit"
Jesus used here when He said, "The flesh profiteth nothing." Now the profit on
any investment is always the increase. It is that which was not, which is created out of
the investments creative powers of that which one starts with. If I invest a
thousand dollars, and it brings back two thousand dollars, then the second thousand
dollars is the increase, the profit, that is literally brought forth out of the creative
powers that were in the first thousand dollars to increase itself, to double itself, when
properly invested. Therefore, this word "profit" is a creative word. It implies
the power to create, to increase ones self, or to reproduce ones self.
Therefore, when Jesus said, "The flesh profiteth nothing," what He was trying to
get over to us is that there is no creative power in the flesh in anything that is
physical and material in this earth. It cannot increase itself, it cannot reproduce
itself; in fact, it cant even sustain the life that it has, for if our spirit was to
depart from our flesh body, it would immediately begin to deteriorate and go back to the
dust from whence it came. When Jesus said, "The flesh profiteth nothing," He was
revealing to us that every visible, carnal, natural, material, physical thing in this
world, including our own flesh body, is not creative. It has no power to increase itself;
it doesnt even have the power to sustain its own life. All it can ever be is the
visible manifestation or expression of the Life of Spirit, and of the creative power that
is in Spirit.
On the other hand, when Jesus
said, "It is the spirit that quickeneth," or "It is the spirit that giveth
life," or "is the source of your life," what he was seeking to reveal to us
is that the spirit is creative, that our regenerated spirit has creative power. Therefore,
the great mystery and the great truth that Jesus was seeking to reveal to those who can
receive and understand it is that it is our own spirit that is the source of our life,
that we carry the source of our life around in our own beings; and therefore, our own
spirit being the source of our life we are not dependent on anything outside of our own
being for our life. For you see, when you are a source, you are the beginning. A spring
from which a river comes out of the earth and flows into the earth is the beginning of
that river. It is the source from which the water of that river comes. And therefore thats
what Jesus was trying to get over to us that since we have been born of the seed of
God, and since Christ, who is the beginning and the end, is that regenerated, recreated,
born-again spirit that is within us, it is your spirit that giveth life, or that is the
source of your life, and being a source within itself, is therefore not dependent on
anything outside of itself for its life. For when you are a source, you are the beginning;
therefore you are not dependent on anything before you or anything after you, or anything
outside of you for your life. The truth that Jesus teaches us is that we carry the source
of our life within our own spirit and we are not dependent on any fleshly thing outside of
our own spirit for life. It is because Jesus came to the revelation of this truth and the
reality of it within Himself that He could step out into the world and say, "I am the
Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end." Knowing that He carried the source,
the beginning of His life within His own spirit, He could say, "I am the
beginning." Knowing that the creative power that was in His spirit to bring forth His
final destiny, and that that destiny was under the control of the creative powers that
were within His own spirit, He could say, "I am the end."
When Jesus said, "The
flesh profiteth nothing it is the spirit that quickeneth, that is the source of
your life," He was revealing to us the great truth that the source of our life is not
in the flesh, not in the visible, not in the carnal, physical, material things, or
anything that is of this natural world; but all those things are but outward
manifestations of the creative powers that are in the life of Spirit, and that the source
of our life is in our own spirit. Now the problem with all of Gods people, you see,
is that they have not known this great truth. They have thought that they are dependent
for their lives on the carnal, material, physical things of the flesh of this world
natural money, natural housing, natural clothing, natural food, natural body, natural
abilities, the laws of nature. All of us have thought that those things were the source
from which our life came. In fact, we have so been deceived that those visible, physical,
carnal, natural things were the source of our life that we were so completely dependent
upon them that if we were cut off from them if we lost our job, lost our money,
lost our housing, lost our food we thought that we would die! For you see, this is
the great lie that the devil deceived man with through the fall. When man lost the
consciousness of his spiritual nature, and degenerated down into the consciousness of the
carnal, natural nature, the devil convinced man that he was dependent upon the visible and
the physical and the natural for his life natural money, natural job, natural
business, natural body, natural housing, natural clothing, natural possessions, natural
food natural, natural, natural! We have been so convinced that that is the source
of our life that we have been scared to death that if we were cut off from that source of
life, we would die.
Jesus, in our text, when He
was out in the Wilderness with His people, and needed bread, by-passed the flour mill and
sat down on the ground, and through the operation of that spiritual law of faith, drew
right out from within His own spirit enough bread to feed five thousand people. For you
see, beloved, there is a source of life, and all that pertains to life, including bread
that sustains life, which is not dependent on the natural resources of this world. It is
the source of life SPIRIT. The Bible makes it very clear that all life, and every
manifestation of life that is in this universe, originally came right out of Spirit. Thus
the apostle Paul says in Heb. 11:3 that through faith we understand that the worlds were
framed, by the Word of God; so that things which are seen were not made of things which do
appear. Therefore, the Bible says that everything in this world which is visible and
physical in the beginning, originally, was not made of something visible or
tangible already existing which does appear but was made of the resources
that came originally right out of Spirit, by the spoken word of faith. Therefore, you see,
Jesus, as He sat on the ground that day and fed five thousand with five loaves of bread,
had become a manifest Son of God who was not subject to the laws of nature, neither
underneath them; and therefore not dependent on the natural resources for bread, but could
by-pass them. He was a spiritual Son of God who was sovereign over all physical laws, and
therefore could go right back to the original source of bread and draw it right out of His
own spirit.
Do you notice how easily
Jesus did this? The scripture says that Jesus instructed His disciples, "Make the men
sit down." You see, when you get bread from this source, you dont have to get
it standing up, with a plow or sickle in your hand, laboring and sweating, as men have for
six thousand years, since theyve been under the curse; but you sit quietly down and
bring forth all things sitting down. The men sat down, and Jesus sat quietly down with
them. The record states that Jesus just quietly took the loaves of bread, and when He had
given thanks, He distributed it to the disciples as much as they would. You see
there was no shortage here. Everyone got to eat as much as he wanted, as much as he would!
And Jesus did it so smoothly and so easily He simply sat down, gave thanks, and
began to hand it out. He didnt have to go through all the soulish and natural things
that we do today, in order to work up a little faith. He didnt have to go through a
thirty-minute praise service, dance around in the Spirit for ten or fifteen minutes, speak
in tongues, prophesy, and then say, "In the name of Jesus, let there be bread!"
This great truth that were seeking to share with you, that it is the spirit
the Spirit of Christ in your own Spirit that is the source of Life, had become so
real to Him that, moving in the spiritual law of faith, He could draw it, effortlessly,
right out of His own spirit.
Out of the experiential
knowledge of this great truth Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life." Simply
because He knew that through coming into the world and shedding His blood to cleanse us of
our sins, and make us clean vessels, so the Holy Spirit could recreate us, regenerate us,
birth us again, restore us to the consciousness of our true identity, grow us up in the
Spirit to that place of manifested sonship that He was at, whereby through Him in us, we
might go back to the original source of Life, and of Bread, and of Reality, for He is the
Bread of Life to us; not this natural world system, neither the natural resources of this
natural world system. It is the Spirit that createth Life, the flesh profiteth nothing.
Jesus said it this way: "That which is of the flesh is flesh, and that which is of
the Spirit is spirit." He set before us two ways of life. You call live your life in
the flesh, or you can live your life in the Spirit. You can walk in the flesh, or you can
walk in the Spirit. You can draw your experience out of the natural realm which passes
away, or you can draw your existence out of the spiritual realm which liveth and abideth
forever. You can live your life according to natural law, or you can prepare your mind and
heart to live your life according to Spiritual Law. To you today, as to men of old, Jesus
says, "Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but labour for the meat that endureth
unto everlasting life." You see, beloved, the problem with us is that we have spent
all of our life laboring for the meat that perishes; working in business and labor for the
natural meat, wearing ourselves out, growing old and weary, our hair turning gray,
sweating and toiling always for the meat that perishes, and often have not spent a balance
of time and effort laboring for the spiritual meat that will endure when all the natural
meat has perished. Yes, the bread that Jesus fed the five thousand was natural bread,
although He drew it out of the realm of Spirit. But by learning and knowing and moving in
that realm of the true source of Life He was able to go on and by the same law of faith
overcome all natural things and, finally, conquer even the last enemy death
and stride victoriously out of the tomb! Therefore it is time for all who have received
the call to sonship to begin to labor for the Spiritual Meat that shall endure into
everlasting life, when all the natural meat has passed away! (end quote).
The measure of life unto
which we have been called has been seen in Christ Jesus. "Far it pleased the Father
that in Him should ALL FULLNESS dwell" (Col. 1:19). "For in Him dwelleth ALL THE
FULLNESS of the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:9). Though we, the members of His body, have
received "of" that fullness, yet the concern of the Father in this hour is that
there come to pass a further enlargement of our capacities to contain Him, to live out of
Him, and to minister Him, for He seeks a body through which He can manifest all the
fullness of Himself to creation. Paul prayed for the Ephesian believers to this end:
"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in
love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints WHAT IS THE BREADTH, and LENGTH, and
DEPTH, and HEIGHT (of capacity); that ye might be FILLED WITH A-L-L THE FULLNESS OF
GOD" (Eph. 3:17-19). Only the spirit of wisdom and revelation from God can minister
to our yearning hearts the full comprehension of what is the breadth, and length, and
depth of the supply of God in the Spirit and of our capacity to express Him. But one thing
God would have us understand in all simplicity the increase of our capacity COMES
THROUGH OUR GROWTH AS MEMBERS OF CHRIST'S BODY. This point is made very plain in Eph.
4:15-16 where we read, "But speaking the truth in love, may GROW UP I-N-T-O H-I-M in
all things, which is the Head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together
and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in
the measure of every part, MAKETH INCREASE (ENLARGEMENT) OF THE BODY unto the edifying of
itself in love." Ah there is an increase, an enlargement of the body, not
numerically, but an increase of expanded capacity for manifesting Him!
It is right at this point
that the average Christian sells himself short. Especially the Pentecostal or Charismatic!
How many of the Lord's precious people who seek the Holy Spirit mistakenly seek a
"blessing," or an "experience." To "speak in tongues" is
often their highest aim, or to be "slain under the power," and if they can
attain to that phenomenon then they are happy and satisfied in their belief that they have
received all, or at least most, of what God has for them in this life. HOW PITIFUL IS SUCH
AN UNDERSTANDING! How desperately short we sell ourselves when we seek the Holy Spirit as
an "experience" that we are to attain instead of presenting ourselves as vessels
to be filled with all the incomprehensible inexhaustibleness of GOD! This Spirit, who is
God, and is sent forth by God, full of wisdom and truth, understanding, counsel, might,
knowledge, glory and power brings in His mighty fullness ever-increasing measures of His
own unlimited and unfathomable abundance. May all who read these lines clearly understand
that the fullness of which we speak is not quantitative it is qualitative. It is
not that we are filled with more and more of the same degree, but with higher dimensions,
unfolding development, expanding heights and depths, maturity of life, reality more
intense and perfect. Yes, God would fill us and then expand us that He might fill us the
more, until we attain even that "measure of the stature of the FULLNESS OF
CHRIST," which measure is nothing less that the full development within of HIM THAT
FILLETH ALL THINGS!
I have observed in the
ministry of Jesus that there was never a problem He faced that He could not solve, never a
need that He could not meet, no victory He could not win, no realm of revelation,
experience, or relationship to God that He could not possess. Some of us speak of the
exploits we have done in Jesus' name, but we seldom mention all the times we have failed!
Some of us fast and pray and wrest an answer from the Lord and then run squarely into
another problem that we can't solve at all. If Jesus, the firstborn Son, needed the Spirit
WITHOUT MEASURE, then we, His elect body, need it too!
It is interesting to note
that nowhere in the Gospels was the supernatural ministry of Jesus Christ ever associated
with the gifts of the Spirit. No place does it ever say that Jesus received or operated in
a gift of the Spirit. However, like most people, I assumed He did! And I could always make
it fit. Every time Jesus healed someone I assumed that He exercised the gift of healing,
although the scripture didnt say so. Every time He prophesied coming events I said
that He moved in the gift of prophecy, although the Holy Spirit never said so. When He
spoke to Nathaniel, revealing the secrets of his heart, I said that He spoke a "word
of knowledge" although the record says no such thing. How is it that Jesus did not
operate in the gift-realm? Because He moved in the fullness of the spirit of sonship.
There is a world of difference between receiving a "gift" from God and
possessing the SONSHIP ANOINTING. Jesus explained it this way: "He that cometh from
above is above all.... for He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth
not the Spirit by measure unto Him. The Father loveth THE SON, and hath given all things
into His hand" (Jn. 3:31-35). How much greater is the Sonship Ministry than the
gift-realm! "For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when that which is
perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away" (I Cor. 13:9-10). The
ministry of Jesus was not in the gift-realm, not in the in-part-realm, not by measure
and therefore not even in the realm of
For many years now there has
been a great moving of the Spirit of God across the land and around the world. It has
manifested itself through many movements on various levels. We have witnessed great
evangelistic ministries, the divine healing ministry, the restoration of the New Testament
Church order with its five-fold ministry, the nine gifts of the Spirit, the impartation
through prophecy with the laying on of hands. But I can testify to you that none of these
ministries has come within the range of the ministry of Jesus Christ the Son of God. No
matter which of the healing ministries you watched, no matter what prophet you heard,
matters not what miracle, sign, or wonder, it did not measure up to the ministry of THE
SON OF GOD. We kept saying, "We have the same anointing, the same Holy Ghost, the
same power, the same authority, and we can do all the works (or even greater) than Jesus
did!" And as hard as we tried, as strongly as we wanted to believe it, as much as we
rationalized it, it still just wasnt true! We had the same anointing, alright, and
the same Holy Spirit but we had it in the form of gifts not in the fullness
of the SPIRIT OF SONSHIP! Therefore creation continues to groan, and we ourselves do groan
within ourselves, waiting for the MANIFESTATION OF THE S-O-N-S OF GOD!
How much greater is the
sonship ministry than the gift-realm! The prophet Isaiah prophesied of the Son and the
sons: "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall
grow out of his roots: and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of
wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of
the fear of the Lord" (Isa. 11:1-2). This does not say that Jesus would receive a
"gift" or "the word of wisdom." It says that what He received was the
S-P-I-R-I-T OF WISDOM. It doesnt state that Jesus had a "gift of healing"
or a "gift of miracles." He received, instead, the S-P-I-R-I-T OF MIGHT. Jesus
didnt have merely a "gift" or "the word of knowledge." He
possessed the S-P-I-R-I-T OF KNOWLEDGE! Not a fragmentary word of wisdom here, or a
fragmentary word of knowledge there, or a gift of healing working tonight, and a gift of
prophecy operating tomorrow night. NO! Upon the firstborn Son rested all the fullness of
the sevenfold Spirit of Sonship, just as the prophet declared, saying,
"The Spirit of the Lord
shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding,
The Spirit of Counsel and Might,
The Spirit of Knowledge and Fear of the Lord."
This sevenfold Spirit of God
is the fullness of the wisdom, glory, nature and power of God. This is the Spirit WITHOUT
MEASURE. This is the SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD. This is the SEVENFOLD BRIGHTNESS OF GODS
GLORY! This is why our Lord Jesus Christ could heal every disease, could cast out every
kind of devil, could raise the dead even after they were deteriorated and stinking
could discern every thought and intent of mens hearts, could command every
element of nature, and even die and rise again! Some of us have been able to do a very
limited amount of this. Some of us have had a gift of healing and have healed some sick
people, but who has healed them ALL, even in one meeting? Some of us have been healed
ourselves, but who among us has been healed EVERY TIME? Some of us have prophesied, have
had a word of knowledge, but who has had every word that he has ever spoken come to pass?
The miracles we have witnessed and experienced have been glorious, indeed: gas put in our
tanks, batteries charged, finances supplied from unexpected sources, etc. But who among us
has walked on the sea or fed five thousand men with five small loaves and two fish? Some
have had their countenances lighted with the glow of the joy of the Lord, but who has
stood on the Mount of Transfiguration with even their raiment shining as the brightness of
the noon-day sun? Ah therefore creation continues to groan, and we ourselves do
groan within ourselves, waiting for the MANIFESTATION OF THE S-O-N-S OF GOD!
The Spirit of God has
witnessed to many thousands of saints around the world in this hour that a New Day dawns
upon the horizon. The next great move of God is even now at hand. There will not be
another revival. There shall not come another visitation. It is not the hour for the
restoration of the Church. A new day dawns. God is marching on. He shall do an entirely
new thing in the earth. A new age lies directly before us. The manifestation of Gods
sons is at hand. The
Chapter
34
PISCES
THE FISHES
As we move around the path of
the sun, we now come to the seventh major Sign of the heavens: PISCES THE FISHES.
In the House of Pisces there are two fishes, one moving upward toward the North Polar
Star; the other is swimming in the horizontal position along the path of the ecliptic, or
the path of the sun. The two fishes are bound together by a band which is securely tied
around the tail portion of the body of each fish. The band is also attached to the neck of
Cetus, the Sea Monster; and Aries, or the Ram (or Lamb) has his paw across the band that
connects the fishes. Directly above this scene is Andromeda The Chained Woman.
Andromeda is a line of bright stars picturing a woman with her arms and feet in chains, in
misery and trouble, helplessly bound in the sky. Beyond Andromeda is the final scene in
the House of Pisces, Cepheus The King. Here we have the picture of a bearded man
wearing a crown and a royal robe, seated upon a throne. In his uplifted hand he holds a
scepter. He is a glorious king enthroned in the highest heaven and his right foot is
placed firmly upon the North Polar Star the central point in all of the galaxies
and all of the heavens. In this strange picture set in the sky he is the Deliverer coming
to liberate the Chained Woman.
THE FISHES
In Pisces the two fishes are
a representation of the church, the called out, the people of God. At the beginning of His
ministry, seeing Peter and Andrew casting a net into the blue waters of the Sea of
Galilee, Jesus said unto them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men"
(Mat. 4:19). When God promised that He would bring again the children of
In His wonderful parable of
the Dragnet Jesus said that the
Our Lord has made the
spiritual meaning clear. The parable is meant to represent the realm of Heaven, that is,
the spiritual realm of God, or God's government on earth. What a fisherman does in
gathering all kinds of fish into his net, and then bringing a separation between those
that qualify for his purposes, and those who do not, is like what the almighty Father is
doing throughout this age in the formation, development and manifestation of the
The net is the Word of the
Kingdom that reaches out into the vast sea of humanity and draws men, by the power of the
Holy Spirit, into the sphere of the influence of the Kingdom realm of God. "A net
cast into the sea," let down from a higher world, out of a different sphere
such is the dynamic of the
That net floating amidst the
waves, and tossed about so easily, betokens another world; it is the only representative
of a mind acting from without. The natural man is incapable of thinking beyond the
impulses of the sea. But when God sends forth His ministry of reconciliation with the
authority of His Word and the power of His Spirit a higher will, a more intelligent
purpose than the battling waves know anything about, is lying there in the depths of the
sea, sometimes passive, sometimes active, and each delicate thread is the channel along
which that will and intelligence are borne. Whether the net lies slack and shifts with
every heaving of the sea, or whether it strains and pulls, it is equally the act of the
Mind of Him who holds it! In saving men the first thing God has to do is to get our
attention. And to do that He chooses to use events which are instruments of either His
goodness or His judgment, according to the need. Ah, yes, God has a great net and He knows
just how to GET OUR ATTENTION! He can get it here and now. If He doesn't get it here, He
will get it in hell. If He doesn't get it in hell, He will get it in the lake of fire. He
will get it by gracious words and tender mercies, if He can. He will get it by severe
judgments and awful wrath, if He must. But, blessed be His name, He will get our
attention! When we consider the wisdom, purpose and power of the One who makes and casts
and gathers the net, with what new and wonderful significance does the proclamation of
Jesus Christ echo through the corridors of our spirits as we hear the impelling words
sound from His lips, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, WILL DRAW A-L-L M-E-N
UNTO ME" (Jn. 12:32).
Beloved, when God chooses to
bring a people unto Himself, He is well able to do so, even to reach out to them without
the use of a human vessel, if need be. He is the greatest Fisherman with the most
marvelous Net! The Christ has been lifted up from the earth and now has all power in
heaven and in earth the omnipotent One. In due time He will bring His redemptive
process into glorious fulfillment and consummation. If God wants to save Russians, He is
well able to demolish the iron curtain and destroy the mighty bastions of communism, and
cast His net into the
But that is not the end of
the matter. Gathered out of the sea the fishes are brought to the shore the
God is now in the grand
process of bringing men out of the lowest realm of the sea of vanity, sin and death, up
into the highest realm of heaven, to the fullness of His life, nature, and wisdom, to His
throne, to the sphere of His omnipotent power and resplendent glory. In contrast to these
the "earth" is the symbol of yet a third realm, a realm higher than the sea, but
lower than heaven; an in-between realm which at its highest peak kisses heaven, and at its
lowest level embraces the sea; yet, in the true sense is not entirely heavenly or
spiritual, nor absolutely carnal and degenerate. In simple terms, it is a realm of
MIXTURE! And this, precious friend of mine, is the realm of Pisces The Fishes, the
church realm of the past two thousand years. Just as the net gathers all kinds of fishes,
so the visible church (including the one you may attend) gathers people of every kind
true believers and mere professors, mature saints and babes in Christ, spiritual
and carnal, heavenly minded and earthly minded, wise and foolish virgins, wheat and tares
all are gathered together.
A tremendous revelation was
given to John the beloved on
As soon as this point was
made abundantly plain John heard a voice saying, "COME UP HITHER and I will show thee
things that must be hereafter." After what? Why, bless your heart, after the
candlestick realm! The promises had already been given, not to the churches themselves,
but to "him that overcometh" a company out of the church. "Come up
hither," the voice commanded. John is now shown another realm HIGHER THAN THE
CANDLESTICK REALM! It is the realm of the overcomer, of the throne, of the four living
creatures and the twenty-four elders, and John is invited to leave the candlestick realm
to ASCEND IN THE SPIRIT TO THIS HIGHER REALM where the Lamb is in the throne. This is what
the brethren don't want to do! How they cling to the candlestick realm with its five-fold
ministry, New Testament order, rituals, ceremonies, and ordinances, with its limitation,
imperfection, weakness, mixture, duality, methods, structures, etc. This revelation was
given to John in the year A. D. 96. The churches of His generation refused to leave the
candlestick realm and rise to a higher place in God, and within only a few years the great
apostasy set in, by the third and fourth centuries the apostasy was complete, followed by
an awful night of great and terrible darkness. Even secular history refers to that time as
"The Dark Ages". It was the great "falling away" which Paul prophesied
in which the man of sin was revealed in the
If any brethren can show me
any church order, including the early church, or their own, that has ever carried God's
people on to perfection and fullness, I will be delighted to be a part of it. If any who
read these lines can acquaint me with a church on earth today that is not a body of
mixture that has no division, no carnality, no childishness, no sin, no error, no
fleshly methods or manifestations, no weakness, no sickness or limitation I tell
you before God that I will join myself to it tomorrow. If such cannot be produced, then
let the immutable Word of God stand firm, and know and understand that I have no
obligation to participate in that which is totally impotent to minister what I need in
this hour to apprehend the vision set before. I would be remiss if I did not tell you that
there is no single church, fellowship, group, or movement in the earth today which will
enter into the fullness of God as a unit. Seek not, dear ones, for the perfect church, for
truly I tell you that there is no such thing in existence upon earth. There never has
been. I have attended fellowships which seemed so lovely everyone and everything
appeared so spiritual. There was naught but love and beauty and hospitality and depth in
God all around. On the outside everything looked so perfect! But I discovered that if I
stayed around for only a number of days or weeks an undercurrent would begin to be felt,
the veneer would commence to peel and the hidden truth and dark reality begin to filter
through. I soon found that beneath the glossy exterior lurked a seething cauldron of
carnality and trouble.
Look not, my friend, to this
preacher, nor to that ministry, nor to the other gift, nor to any movement. Many today
will croon into your ear that if you will sit under their ministry, eat at their table,
join yourself to their church, drink from their fountain, flow in their stream, embrace
their revelation, you will make it into sonship. But I point you to the eternal and
uncontrovertible truth that ALL churches, fellowships, movements and groups upon the face
of the whole earth today are but mixtures, for the net STILL GATHERS ALL KINDS OF FISHES,
and the almighty Lord STILL has somewhat against the candlestick realm. Only the deep
dealings and relentless processings of the Lord can separate the fishes and gather into
the heavenly vessels those who shall reign in life in the
In the Sign of Pisces there
are two fishes, one moving upward toward the North Polar Star, the other swimming
horizontally along the path of the sun. These bespeak of the twofold operation of God in
and through His people the two-fold manifestation of the
Christ is now in the highest
heaven in this universe. I believe most of my readers understand now what it means to
experience the ascended Christ, to daily live out our lives in the triumph and victory of
the Son of God, far above the sorrows, strife, sin, problems, limitation, struggles,
fears, disappointments, and death of the carnal realm. THIS is sonship! Sometimes I hear
people say, "Oh, I am so worried," or, "My, I am quite depressed." Do
you know what that means? It means that they are under the power of death. But when you
stand in union with Christ you are high above the mountains, not in the valleys. You will
be in the heavenly places, far above the circumstances of earth. The problem is that far
too often we forget that we are ONE WITH such a Christ who is ascended far above all! We
do not appropriate Him. We do not come to Him. We do not contact Him in our spirit. We do
take our stand in union with Him. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, for they are
spiritually discerned" (I Cor. 2:14). The truth of who and what and where we are is
spiritually discerned. When the truth is quickened in my spiritual consciousness I can
shout, "Praise the Lord! Praise God! I am in Christ! I am raised up and made to sit
together with Him in the higher than all heavens! All my troubles, all my distractions,
all my problems, all my hardships, all my weaknesses, all my struggles and all my burdens
are under my feet. They have become my footstool. I can rest my problems: I can rest my
struggles. The more troubles I have, the more I appropriate the ascended Christ in my
spirit. This is the experience of Christ! This is the reality of living in heaven
N-O-W! This is the fish swimming ever upward into that center where reigns the King upon
the throne.
The second fish swimming
horizontally answers to the fact that the Kingdom of the Heavens is established upon the
earth lived out by men walking in the flesh (body). Heaven must cast its shadow
upon earth, heaven must come down to earth, heaven must seize hold upon earth, God's rule
must come and His will be done in earth as it is in heaven. We reign from the heavens, but
our reign is over the earth. Heaven and earth meet in us as they did in Jesus. Jesus the
Christ, when a man on earth, was at the same time in heaven. "And no man hath
ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man WHICH IS IN
HEAVEN" (Jn. 3:13). Our Lord was in heaven; He came down from heaven, and still was
in heaven. It is something a person can be in, can descend from, and still possess. His
outer man was conscious in the earthly realm and one with it, but the inner man was
conscious in the eternal realm and one with it. The heavens were open to Him, He dwelt and
lived and walked and manifested out of the divine sphere of life. But His rule was
horizontal upon the earth, through the earth, and over the earth. As the
perpendicular fish He lived and had His being in the heavens, far above all earthly cares.
As the horizontal fish He brought heaven's life to bear upon all things earthly. As the
horizontal fish He taught and healed and cast out devils, commanded the winds and waves,
fed the multitudes, raised the dead to life again, and revealed the glory of the Father
through His human life. Right now, as the perpendicular fish, you can think and know and
live within yourself in triumph as an overcomer; and right now, as the horizontal fish,
you can minister love, joy, peace, understanding and victory to those about you in the
home, in the neighborhood, on the job. The upward fish stands for what you are in Christ.
The horizontal fish speaks of how that Kingdom life is brought to bear upon all things,
people and circumstances in the natural world.
THE BAND
The first Decan, or minor
constellation, in the House of Pisces is THE BAND. This band binds the fishes, being
fastened around the tails of the two fishes so that these two are inseparably tied
together, so that one cannot go on without the other. The message is clear our
heavenly life and our earthly life are connected in such a way that it is no longer we
that live, but Christ that liveth in and through us. Now the band is also fastened to the
neck of Cetus, the Sea Monster, denoting a state of limitation, restriction, oppression
and persecution. However, Aries, or the Ram (or Lamb) has his paw across the band,
portraying the fact that the mighty Christ takes the bridle in His own hand; all that
happens to us in this realm is under His control and working together for our good.
Throughout this long age of the church the people of God have been buffeted, persecuted,
oppressed, tried and tested. We have been sustained and encouraged by the Word of the Lord
to us, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you,
as though some strange thing had happened unto you" (I Pet. 4:12). Our trials and
testings are associated in the Word of God with the ministry of satan. You never thought
of satan having a ministry? "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness
to be tempted (tested) of the devil. And when the Tempter came to Him, he said, if Thou be
the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread" (Mat. 4:13). "Fear none
of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into
prison, THAT YE MAY BE TRIED...be thou faithful...and I will give thee a crown of
life" (Rev. 2:10). "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, satan hath desired
to have you, THAT HE MAY SIFT YOU AS WHEAT: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith
fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren (Lk. 22:31-32). "Be
sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same
AFFLICTIONS are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world" (I Pet. 5:8-9).
If we can realize that behind
the acts of satan is the mighty hand of God working to bring forth gold from these earthen
vessels, we can rejoice, as David, in our afflictions and trials and exclaim with him,
"It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Thy statutes"
(Ps. 119:7). Praise God! When we begin to see the good that comes from the assaults of
satan on our lives, we are able to appreciate all the more the greatness of our God and
the depth of the wisdom of His great mind. Praise His wonderful name! He is truly a God of
power and might, and ALL things are in His hand even this adversary whom we call
the devil.
May the Spirit of God grant
understanding to all who read these lines to know of a certainly that there is purpose in
adversity and in the adversary who brings it. Yes, my brother, my sister, there is purpose
in the existence and work of satan! Without this understanding all the work of God in all
ages becomes a hit and miss, trial and error affair unworthy of our mighty God of whom it
is written: "The Most High...liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting
dominion, and His Kingdom is from generation to generation. And all the inhabitants of the
earth are reputed as nothing: and HE doeth ACCORDING TO HIS WILL in the army of heaven,
and among the inhabitants of the earth: and NONE CAN STAY HIS HAND, or say, What doest
Thou?" Dear saints of God, don't believe for one moment that anything in God's great
universe is out of control! God is GOD. He IS in control. The band of restriction in your
life may be tied to the neck (will) of the Sea Monster, but the Lamb's paw is upon that
band! HE is in control of every sphere of activity and all the interplay between good and
evil that touches your life. Truly, as the inspired apostle has taught us, "the trial
of your faith is more precious than gold that perisheth" (I Pet. 1-7). ADVERSITY
builds strength of character. If we were never exposed to trials and tribulation, we would
grow up weak indeed! The more we are exposed to adverse circumstances, the more we have to
wrestle with our environment, the more we are challenged by the world around us, the
stronger we become. Saints, if we would be the sons of the Most High we must be strong in
the Lord and in the power of His might! There is a great and magnificent future ahead for
the sons of God, and a great work our Father has for us to do in the ages to come, and He
is preparing us and making us ready for the high and holy place He has for us. Can we not
see that all the opposing forces we now encounter are working together for our good
to develop the strength, character, wisdom, and power we must acquire? This is God's plan
for us!
ANDROMEDA THE CHAINED WOMAN
Andromeda is a line of bright
stars in the House of Pisces picturing a woman with her arms and feet in chains, in misery
and trouble, helplessly bound in the sky. Here is another picture of the church, this time
not represented as a fish. It is interesting to note that in some of the ancient
planispheres these fishes are depicted as having the face of a woman because another
picture of the church frequently used in scripture is that of a woman, of a bride. The
true church is the bride of Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:21-33; II Cor. 11:2). Here again is
another picture representing the same great truth. Andromeda is the figure of a beautiful
woman in what appears to be a sitting position, bound with chains upon her hands and feet.
Her name in Greek (Andro-meda) means Man-Ruler. It is interesting that though she is bound
and seems to be helpless, yet this "helpless" woman is to be ruler of men.
It is impossible for me to
explain the glory of such a thing as this because we are blinded by the impenetrable
mystery of a realm that long ago passed away. Nevertheless, the moment that we understand
that man in the beginning was created male and female and that male and female IS the
image of God, then we can understand for the first time the awesome glory, power and
exaltation of the bride of Christ. When God formed the body of Adam from the dust of the
ground, He did not make man and woman, for Adam was both in one after the image and
likeness of God. The image of God is not a body with a torso, two legs with two feet and
ten toes, two arms with two hands and ten fingers, and a head with two eyes, two ears, a
nose and a mouth. The image of God is the emanation of the nature of God. You see, the
Bible states clearly that in the beginning there was only God omnipotent,
omniscient, immutable, holy, perfect, who is love. But because God had a Father Nature, He
had to birth a Son: because when one has a father nature, the deepest craving of his
nature is to beget and bring forth out of his own being an offspring in the likeness of
himself. Therefore, because God had a Father Nature, He had to birth a Son; but the
problem was He didn't have a wife. Now this would have been a problem for us, but it was
not a problem for God, because He had His wife in His own side, for in that beginning,
before human flesh was, God had both Male and Female within Himself. We know this is so
because everything in the whole vast universe came out of God, and if God had not been
Male and Female within Himself in the beginning we could not have male and female in the
earth today in His image.
When he that readeth can
grasp the truth that God bears within Himself both the characteristics of male and female,
of Father and Mother, then he can better understand the divine word spoken "in the
beginning" when God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:
so...in the image of God created He him; MALE AND FEMALE created He them!" (Gen.
1:26-27). When Eve had been built by the skillful hand of the Creator and presented to
Adam, he had an immediate name for what Eve obviously was. Not her given name, Eve, as we
term it in English, but what kind of creature she was. Hebrew is simpler than English, and
more plainly explains exactly what a woman is: ISH is the Hebrew word for man, and ISHA is
the feminine form of ISH or man. Adam said, "Now here is bone exactly like my bone,
and flesh exactly like my flesh, because she was built from what was taken from me, I will
call her "isha" a FEMALE MAN! Adam merely added a single letter to the
word which stood for himself, to define the quality of difference: sex. And God confirmed
Adam's understanding that they were both exactly alike despite the obvious outward
differences: "In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made He him;
male and female created He them; and blessed them, and called THEIR name ADAM, in the day
when they were created" (Gen. 5:13). To both God and Adam it was ONE CREATION
"in the image of God."
Ish. Isha. Male. Female. Both
Adam. Both man. Both in the image of God! Isha signifies, no matter how uncouth the sound
to our ears, MAN-NESS. So in the old Latin the word for man is VIR and the word for woman
is VIRA a FEMALE MAN! The English word "woman" also confirms this truth,
for it is a contraction of the old Anglo-Saxon term "womb-man" a MAN with
a womb! When Adam said that Eve must be called "isha," it was as though for
"wife" one would say "she-man." God blessed the union of ish and isha,
this ONE CREATION HE CALLED ADAM.
Those who read these lines
should meditate deeply upon the wonder of man's primordial glory male and female
set together in splendor over the works of God's hands. All creation being set in
order, one was needed to take the headship, to bring the authority and blessing of God's
Kingdom over all things. "And God said, Let us make man in our image and after our
likeness; and let THEM have dominion...so God created man in His own image...male and
female created He THEM. And God blessed THEM, and God said unto THEM, Be Fruitful and
multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and HAVE DOMINION over...every living
thing that moveth upon the earth" (Gen. 1:26-28). My reader will observe the change
from him to them. We are not presented with the actual fact of the formation of the woman
until the next chapter; though here we find God blessing them, and giving them JOINTLY THE
PLACE OF UNIVERSAL GOVERNMENT. All realms from the lowest of the bottomless to the highest
of the heavens were set under their joint dominion, as typified by the fish of the sea,
the beasts of the earth, and the fowl of the heavens. These three realms symbolically
encompass all spheres of existence from the lowest depths of darkness unto the highest
dimension of light and exaltation. Jesus confirmed the true scope of man's dominion when,
as the last Adam, He descended into the lowest parts of the earth and then ascended up far
above all heavens. He liberated the captives in the prison house of Hades and ascended up
above all heavens to reign over all things. ALL POWER is given unto Him, both in heaven
and in earth. THIS, precious friend of mine, is the magnificence of that dominion given to
Adam male and female in that long ago beginning.
Eve received all her
blessings in Adam; in him, too, she got her dignity and position and power. Not yet called
into separation out of Adam, she was, in the purpose of God, part of the man. Universal
dominion was not given to Adam alone, it was not said, let him have dominion, but let
them have dominion." There was no other creature so near to Adam as Eve, because no
other creature was part of himself. What affection did not Eve owe to Adam! What nearness
she enjoyed! What intimacy of communion! What full participation in all of his thoughts!
In all his dignity, and in all his glory, wisdom and power, she was entirely ONE. He did
not rule over her, but with her. He was lord of the whole creation, and she was ONE WITH
HIM! THEY were king and queen of the universe! All this will find its full antitype in the
ages to come. Then shall the True Man the Lord from heaven, the corporate man
composed of "many sons brought to glory" take His seat upon the throne,
and in companionship with His bride the New Eve, the cleansed and perfected Church
rule over a restored creation. This church is quickened out of the grave of Christ,
taken from His riven side, being thus "of His body, of His flesh, and of His
bones." He is the Head and she the body, making ONE NEW MAN, as we read in the fourth
chapter of Ephesians, "Till we all come, in the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13). And who is this "Perfect Man"? CHRIST AND
HIS BRIDE, CHRIST MALE AND FEMALE THE LAST MAN ADAM AND THE NEW EVE!
The sons of God are the
One of the deepest mysteries
of the ages is that this glorious bride of Christ, destined to rule over the nations and
all things, is also Andromeda, the Chained Woman of the heavens! The names of some of the
principle stars in this constellation mean "the weak; the afflicted; the
chained" an eloquent picture of the church throughout this church age which
has been in affliction, weakness, bondage, and in chains. Joseph Seiss wrote of the bride
of Christ in her chains: "And thus, again, we have a striking picture of the
unfavorable side of the church's condition in this world. Jealous rivals hate her and
clamor against her. The world-powers in their selfishness fail to protect her, and lend
themselves for her exposure and destruction. Innocently she is made to suffer. Though a
lovely and influential princess, she is hindered by personal disabilities and bonds. It
will not be so always. The time will come when those bonds shall be broken and that
exposure ended. But for the present affliction and hardship are appointed to her. She
cannot move as she would, or enjoy what pertains to her royal character, her innocence,
and her beauty. She is bound to the hard, cold, and ponderous rock of this earthly life.
Born to reign with her Lord, apostles and prophets can only wish that she did reign, that
they might reign with her. She is within the sacred territory, but it is as yet a place of
captivity and bonds. She never can be truly herself in this mortal life" end
quote.
This present time is a time
of trial, testing, proving, washing, cleansing, processing and preparation for the glory
that shall follow the marriage of the Lamb. Bride of the Iamb! do not repine when those
who should understand your love for your Beloved, smite and persecute you; the Lord holds
it all, and He hears all that is said. Do not grieve if your name is cast out as evil, and
you are rejected and defamed by those who should tenderly care for you and bind up your
wounds. Jesus knows it all; and if you look unto Him He will pour in oil that will heal
every wound and ease every pain. Do not fret if your separation to your Lord is called
fanaticism, and you are branded as strange and offensive; He knows it all. It was He who
marked out the path for your feet, and who first journeyed over it to the cross. It was He
who said that the gate is narrow and the way straightened that leadeth to life. As you
press onward, counting all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ
Jesus your Lord; as you bear about in your body the dying of the Lord, and His life
becomes manifested through partaking of His death, your hair will take on the purple of
suffering and of the overcomer, and the King will be held captive by one tress of your
purple hair!
There are, however, chains of
bondage far more subtle and sinister than the hatred and persecution of the world. These
chains are the Babylonian captivity into which the people of God have unwittingly sold
themselves. Let me unfold for you the mystery. Under Old Testament economy God alone was
King over His people until
Under New Testament economy
the Christ of God was to be the one and only Head of His church. But the spirit of the
world was for prostituting this church and causing her to commit fornication with the
kings and governments of the world, in that she began to be joined with them as she only
ought to have been joined to HIM. Under God's perfect order for the New Testament age,
both emperors and beggars must meet on common ground. Both are sinners; grace alone can
intervene. Both must acknowledge their guilt and plead for mercy. Both should then be
equal in dignity, in authority, in meekness, and in charity, deriving all their spiritual
stature from HIS WORK WITHIN, and possessing none by virtue of what they are naturally. In
the days of the early apostles, men were made christians by the operation of God alone,
and thereby they were taken out of the nations as a people for His name (Acts 15:14). The
ministries in the body of Christ were sovereignly raised up and anointed by the Holy
Spirit of God. With what power, signs, and wonders did they witness to the living presence
of the Christ! There was no manmade organization, no carnal church boards, no dominating
hierarchies, only the dynamic presence and power of Christ manifested in and through the
living members of His body.
Even before the apostles had
passed from this life, a spirit and system had set in among the saints of the Lord and
many people were wearing the Babylonish garment. They were instituting rules and
regulations, laying down laws, formulating creeds, observing days, establishing sacraments
and ordinances, elevating human government, becoming disciples of Paul, of Apollos, of
Cephas, and of many others. The captivity had begun and the mysterious chains of Andromeda
had begun to shackle the feet (walk) and wrists (service) of the little virgin bride of
Christ. Before too many years had passed men began to set themselves up as
"bishops" and "lords" over God's heritage in place of the Holy Spirit.
Instead of conquering by the power of the Spirit and Truth as in the early days
men began to substitute their ideas and their methods. Soon the glory and power,
the presence and word of God in the morning time church began to be eclipsed, and the
power of carnal minded men gradually took the place of the awesome presence of God.
Consequently, man's carnal understanding was put upon the scriptures, and as the Spirit of
Christ fled from their midst, men established a vast and elaborate system of substitutes
to take the place of reality. Dioceses and parishes were established. Ecclesiastical
centralization commenced. The weapons of excommunication were forged. The festivals of the
church were created, along the lines of pagan celebrations. Catechetical schools were
created to teach the faith systematically. The formulas of baptism and the sacraments
became of great importance. Costly and ornate edifices were constructed for worship. The
services became ceremonialized and elaborate. Sculpture and painting were enlisted in the
work of providing aids to devotion. Relics of saints and martyrs were cherished as sacred
possessions. Religous observances were multiplied. The church, with its array of gaudily
bedecked clergy and of imposing ceremonies, assumed much of the stateliness and visible
splendor that belonged to the HEATHEN SYSTEM which it had supplanted. The mission of the
church was lost sight of in a degrading alliance with the State. Christianity was now a
pageant, a ritualism, a vain philosophy, a superstition, a formula, an ARM OF THE STATE!
The little virgin bride of Christ had become a beautiful woman sitting in the heavens of
power, exaltation and authority CHAINED! She appeared to be ruling, but was in fact
a slave to the system of religious
The people of the Lord have
long been held captive by the spirit of the world. Thank God, there has been a little
light in
CEPHEUS THE KING
In this third and final
constellation surrounding Pisces we have the picture of a bearded man wearing a crown and
a royal robe, seated upon a throne. In his uplifted hand he holds a scepter. He is a
glorious king enthroned in the highest heaven. He is the Deliverer for whom the Chained
Woman waits. The Egyptians called him PEKUHOR, which means The Ruler That Comes. He is
known as Cepheus today, which is a Greek name that comes from a Hebrew word meaning The
Branch or Royal Branch. The Ethiopians called him HYK, The King. Star names add to the
imagery. The star ALPHIRK in his belt means The Redeemer, while the brightest star in his
body is called AL DERAMIN which means Coming Quickly. Do we need to ask with the Psalmist,
"Who is this King of Glory?" We can respond as in the Psalm, "The LORD of
hosts, He is the King of Glory!"
The hour of the final
deliverance of God's people and the manifestation of His glory, majesty, wisdom and power
upon them is at hand. The King is coming! Hallelujah! He is coming within to set His
people free, that they in turn may deliver creation. The chains of the beautiful Andromeda
shall now be broken. Her release from all bondage and captivity is even now under way.
Once the church is cleansed from her idols and defilement, she will be in a position to
bring deliverance to a sin-sick and judgment-weary world, when "the knowledge of the
Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea" (Isa. 11:9). Only when
Christ's church is cleansed from her idols can she ever hope to bring deliverance to the
world. And that deliverance has to come. It will come through those who have given up
their all, those who have lost everything to be married to their Lord, and who henceforth
live only unto Him. The water of life must now flow from the city to bring healing to the
nations. But before we may have any part or lot in the great work, we must forsake all and
follow the Lord alone. No one can deliver men from the lies of the antichrist while
continuing to preach those lies. No one can deliver the world from the bondages of sin,
fear, carnality, limitation and death while himself remaining a captive of those things.
And before God's true church can persuade men to give up their idols, and loose their
bands, she must first get rid of all her own golden calves and march in victory out of
George Hawtin has ably
written: "The hour has come far us to realize that only THE LORD knoweth them that
are His. Only THE LORD can gather the tares out of the wheat. Only THE LORD can separate
the sheep from the goats. Only THE LORD can call His sheep by name and lead them out. Only
THE LORD can look into the four corners of the earth and call forth His elect. Who, then,
am I to circumscribe anything? I must learn to know men not by what they say, what they
believe, where they are, or least of all because they are members of a certain group, but
by that strange witness that made Jesus say to Peter, Thou art Peter,' and by that
same spiritual revelation that made Peter say to Jesus, Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the living God. How often we have been shockingly disappointed in men! It was
because we knew them only after the flesh and we did not know them after the Spirit. We
accepted them because they were inside a certain circle and said they belonged to The
Move. Yes, indeed, they may have been inside the circle and they may have been in
the move, but where were they in Gods eyes? That is the important question"
end quote.
The truth of the things I now
write to the elect of God, which also has been inscribed in the Signs of the heavens from
the dawn of creation, cannot be more graphically confirmed than by the remarkable vision
given by the Lord to evangelist Tommy Hicks in 1961. He wrote: "I had hardly fallen
asleep when the vision and the revelation that God gave to me came before me. The vision
came three times, exactly in detail, the morning of July 25th, 1961. I was so stirred and
so moved by the revelation, that this has changed my complete outlook open the body of
Christ, and upon the last the end-time ministry. The greatest thing that the
"Suddenly I beheld what
looked like a great giant; and as I stared and looked at it, I was almost bewildered by
the sight. It was so gigantic and so great in stature; his feet seemed to reach to the
north pole and his head to the south; his arms were stretched from sea to sea. I could not
even begin to understand whether this were a mountain or whether this be a giant, but as I
watched it, I suddenly beheld this great giant. I could see it was struggling for life, to
even live. His body was covered with debris from head to foot. At times this great giant
would move its body and act as if it would even rise up. When it did, thousands of little
creatures seemed to run away hideous looking creatures would run away from this
giant. When he would become calm, they would came back. All of a sudden this great giant
lifted his hand toward the heavens, and then it lifted its other hand. When it did, these
creatures by the thousands seemed to flee away from this giant and go out into the
darkness.
"Slowly this great giant
began to rise, and as he did, his head and hands went into the clouds. As he arose to his
feet, he seemed to have cleansed himself from the debris and filth that was upon him, and
he began to raise his hands into the heavens as though praising the Lord. As he raised his
hands it was even unto the clouds. Suddenly every cloud became silver, the most beautiful
silver I have ever known. As I watched the phenomenon, it was so great, I could not even
begin to understand what it all meant. I was so stirred as I watched it, and I cried unto
the Lord, and said, "Oh, Lord, what is the meaning of this?" It felt as if I was
actually in the Spirit, and I could feel the presence of the Lord even as I was asleep.
From those clouds suddenly there came great drops of liquid light raining down upon this
mighty giant, and slowly, slowly, this giant began to melt began to sink, as it
were, into the very earth itself. As he melted, his whole form seemed to have melted upon
the face of the earth, and this great rain began to come down; liquid drops of light, as
it were, began to flood the very earth itself. As I watched this giant that seemed to
melt, suddenly it became millions of people over the face of the earth. As I beheld the
sight before me, people stood up over the world. They were lifting their hands and they
were praising the Lord.
"At that very moment
there came a great thunder that seemed to roar from the heavens. I turned my eyes toward
the heavens, and suddenly I saw a figure in white, in glistening white the most
glorious thing that I have ever seen in all my life. I did not see the face, but somehow I
knew that it was the Lord Jesus Christ. He stretched forth His hand upon the peoples and
the nations of the world, men and women. As He pointed toward them, this liquid light
seemed to flow from His hand into these persons, and a mighty anointing of God came upon
them, and those people began to go forth in the name of the Lord. And this is the miracle
of it this is the glorious miracle of it those people would stretch forth
their hands exactly as the Lord did, and it seemed that there was this same liquid fire in
their hands. As they stretched forth their hands, they said, "According to my word,
be thou made whole." As these people continued in this mighty ministry, I did not
fully realize what it was. And I looked to the Lord and said, 'What is the meaning of
this?' And He said, "This is that that I will do in the last days. I will restore all
that the cankerworm, the palmerworm, the caterpillar I will restore all that they
have destroyed. This, My people in the end-time, shall go forth. As a mighty army shall
they sweep over the face of the earth.
"One of the things that
seemed remarkable after I had reviewed the vision so many times in my mind I
never saw a church and I never saw or heard anything of a denomination, but these people
were going in the Name of the Lord of hosts. Hallelujah! As they marched forward,
everything they did was the ministry of Christ. These people were ministering to the
multitudes over the face of the earth. Tens of thousands, yea, millions came to the Lord
Jesus Christ as these people stood forth and gave the message of the Kingdom of the
coming of the Kingdom in this hour.
"Suddenly there was
another loud clap of thunder that seemed to resound around the world. I heard again the
voice, the voice that seemed to speak: "Now, this is My people. This is My beloved
bride." When the voice spoke, I looked upon the earth and I could see the lakes and
the mountains. The graves were opened and the people from all over the world, the saints
of all ages, seemed to be rising, and as they rose from the graves, suddenly all these
people came from every direction and they seemed to be forming again this gigantic body. I
could hardly comprehend it, it was so marvelous it was so far beyond anything I
could ever dream or think of. But, as this body suddenly began to form it took
shape again in the form of this mighty giant this time it was different. It was
arrayed in the most beautiful, gorgeous white its garments were without spot or
wrinkle as this body began to form. The people of all ages appeared to be gathering
into this body. Slowly, slowly, as it formed up into the very heavens, suddenly from the
heavens above the Lord Jesus came became the Head. I heard another clap of thunder
that said, "This is My beloved Bride for whom I have waited. She will come forth,
even tried by fire. This is she that I have loved from the beginning of time"
end quote.
Chapter
35
ARIES
THE LAMB
In our series of messages on
the Signs of the heavens, we come now to the Sign of ARIES THE RAM OR LAMB. Let us
look at some of the names by which the constellation of Aries has been known from ancient
times. Aries usually carries the symbol of the ram, but many of the oldest Zodiacs portray
a lamb (with no horns), and in some ancient Zodiacs the lamb has a circular crown on its
head. The presentation of a lamb instead of a full grown ram is confirmed by the meanings
of the names associated with Aries. The Hebrew name is TALEH, meaning The Lamb Sent Forth.
The Greek name is KRIOS, also meaning The Lamb. In Latin it is called ARIES (the name by
which we know it) which means The Lamb, The Chief, The Head. The Arabic name, HAMAL, means
Sheep, Gentle, Merciful. Furthermore, the Sign of Aries emphasizes that the lamb is also a
sacrifice. The brightest star, ELNATH, means The Wounded or Slain. The nearby star, called
SHERETAN, has a name meaning Bruised, and the other notable star is MESARTIM, whose name
means The Bound. The ancient Akkadians called Aries BARA-ZIGGAR; BAR meaning Altar, or
Sacrifice, while ZIGGAR means Making Right. The full meaning would be The Altar, or The
Sacrifice of Making Right. Another truth conveyed by the names in Aries is that of
kingship. The name Aries itself bears the meaning of Chief or Head. There are other names
also indicating the idea of a Reign. In putting all these ideas together, Aries presents
to us A LAMB SACRIFICED BUT REIGNING!
A Lamb is obviously a very
familiar figure in the Word of God. The first blood earth's startled soil ever drank was
shed in that primeval Paradise in
Redemption is not an
afterthought of God by which He hopes to salvage a few of the broken and shattered pieces
of His creation. Redemption is PART OF THE PLAN OF CREATION. If the fall of man is part of
the plan of God, then the redemption of the fallen creation must also be a part of the
same plan that issued forth from the fathomless depths of His omniscient mind. If Peter
was speaking the truth when he wrote of God's Lamb, "Who verily was FOREORDAINED
BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, but was manifest in these last times for you" (I
Pet. 1:20), then the fall of man must certainly be a part of the plan of the Creator. For
what possible purpose was the blessed redemptive Lamb foreordained before the world began
if redemption itself were not already in the mind and plan of God? All Christians love to
quote the Golden Text of the Bible, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His
only begotten Son..." (Jn. 3:16). Yet what is the real message of this beautiful
passage? Is it not that God SO LOVED that He GAVE His Son? Does not I Pet. 1:20 make it
very plain that the actual giving of that Son was before the world began and before man
was driven from the Garden planted eastward in Eden? Ah, the agonies of the cross were
endured only two thousand years ago on
It is clear that the plan of
redemption was prepared in its fullness before ever the voice of God commanded,'"Let
there be!" It was not completed just in case man should fall, but because the fall of
man and his redemption from sin and death was part of the process by which he would come
into God's image and live in the eternal realm as a creature of experience and knowledge,
completely redeemed, completely purified, completely perfected, completely matured,
completely instructed, and completely incapable of sin or death forevermore. Is it any
wonder that John on Patmos heard every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and
under the earth, and all that are in them exulting in such a plan as this and crying out
in ecstasy, "Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth
upon the throne, and unto THE LAMB for ever and ever!" (Rev. 5:13). Creation and
redemption walk hand in hand through all the pilgrim journey from
The glorious theme of the
holy scripture is the Person and Work of Him whose lovely title is "The Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world." This gracious title for our Lord Jesus Christ
is indeed one of the most charming symbols used in the Bible to describe Him who loved us
and has washed us from our sins in His own blood. Whenever the serious seeker after truth
explores the meaning of the various Semitic symbols used to depict the Person and Work of
the Saviour he becomes aware that each stands for a specific aspect of truth. In the case
of the "Lamb" it is with the truth of redemption that we deal, for redemption is
by the blood of the Lamb. "Ye were not redeemed by such corruptible things as silver
and gold...but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without
spot" (I Pet. 1:18-19). "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain" not the
child that was born, though He was indeed worthy. Not the miracle-worker of the sea, or by
the grave of Lazarus. Not the teacher whose words enthralled the multitudes on the
mountain, or across the waters of blue
We would have thought that in
calling our Lord "the Lamb" this name would have been used only in respect to
His humiliation in His earthly life. However in scripture it is most used in reference to
His eternal glory in the heavenlies. Peter saw Him as the Lamb foreordained before the
foundation of the world. John saw Him as a Lamb that had been slain from the foundation of
the world, highly exalted, standing in the midst of the Throne. This slain Lamb is IN THE
MIDST of everything: in the midst of the Throne, and of the four Living Creatures, and of
the Elders. This Lamb is peculiarly the One who is IN THE MIDST, just as the tree of life
was IN THE MIDST of the
The term "Lamb" is
used of Christ no less than twenty-eight times in Revelation, and has two vital
characteristics. Christ is the sacrificial Lamb and the conquering lamb. He is never
presented this way except in the majestic scenes around the Throne. We see the Lamb
marching to the ultimate throne of universal empire in complete triumph and as absolute
victor. Confronting the power of the beast and the kings of the earth, and the hordes of
hell, and the lewdness and deception of the harlot system, and the wars and battles and
bloodshed that fill the soul with dread, is THE POWER OF THE LAMB, whose victory has been
assured and whose glory is guaranteed. God has given the Lamb for a leader and a
counselor; so He is both our leader for we are they who follow the Lamb
whithersoever He goeth and He is our counselor and commander; a counselor to
counsel us concerning the things of God and His Kingdom, the Kingdom that hath no end. So
glory to God and to the Lamb! Glory be unto God and the Lamb forevermore! And the Lamb
shall have the victory! Of this we are assured, though all the wild beasts and the wolves,
and the dogs, and the goats and bulls of Bashan, the spotted leopards, and all the wild
heifers of Ephraim, the horses of Pharaoh, and the wild Ishmaels, profane Esaus, envious
Cains, which may gather in a brotherhood, and Gog and Magog, professor and profane, if all
these rise against the Lamb and His followers, without or within, yet I say the Lamb shall
have the victory over the beast, the whore, and the dragon, over the flesh, the world, and
the devil, for Christ is Lord over them all, for He was slain before they were, and will
be reigning when they are gone, blessed be His wonderful name! He has conquered and shall
conquer all who rise up against Him. For seventy years the ruthless, atheistic communist
regime in
But the Lamb in the book of
Revelation has another note. The word used for LAMB here is peculiar to this book. It is
the diminutive form of the Greek word for lamb, and is not found elsewhere in the New
Testament. It means a young lamb, or a lambkin, weak and small. Our Lord Jesus Christ
Himself is THE LAMB of God, and joined to Him are the members of His body, His brethren,
the younger sons of God, the lambkin company. To see this company as the body of the Lamb
is not to magnify man, but to exalt Christ, for it is HIS LAMB LIFE formed in them and
lived out through them, giving expression to the Lamb nature. We know that HE is the
preeminent One, and that it is HIS LIFE which is given, and by that life we are conformed
to HIS image, made partakers of HIS divine nature, becoming the revelation of HIMSELF in
the earth. All the qualifications of The Lamb must now be found in this people who make up
the body of The Lamb. As one has written: "THE LAMB beautifully took care of all the
work on God's side towards man, and the lambkin will have a beautiful ministry from man's
side, to bring things back to God. His kingdom shall come, His will shall be done, on
earth, as it is in heaven. There are many paths through the sunshine and the shadows, but
we learn to see His hand in it all, for He is preparing and fashioning those who shall
become part of the lambkin, who are ONE IN THE LAMB, to be given for the salvation of the
ends of the earth."
It is in keeping with this
that in Revelation chapter fourteen, we find the Lamb standing an
Even now, as Christ sits
enthroned at the right hand of the Father, He reigns in virtue of the fact that He is a
Lamb. He reigns as a Lamb-King, because God is raising up lamb-kings in the earth, and it
is the work of the Holy Spirit in the earth to establish in each member of the body of the
Lamb in the earth the nature, and the character, as well as the authority of Him who sits
on the Throne. "He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it
unto you" (Jn. 16:14). It is the work of the Holy Spirit not only to impart unto His
people the POWER of God, but ALL that pertains to the exalted Lamb, His very nature, and
character, and life, that He might be here in the earth, dwelling in His body, to be to
you and me, yea, to be through you and me EVERYTHING THAT JESUS IS UPON THE THRONE. The
"lambkin" as a figure of Christ is indeed complete and perfect; yet it is a type
of Christ in a limited measure and at the same time in the greatest measure. How strange
this sounds to our ears, how curious to our minds! As far as the Lord Himself is
concerned, He is not limited at all, but as far as our experience of Him is concerned,
there is such a limitation. When we come to the Lord and receive Him as our redemption,
the Christ we receive is whole, complete, and perfect; but as far as our experience of Him
is concerned, we experience Him in only a small measure, just as the little lamb of
salvation. From the time we experienced Christ as the Lamb, we have always been
progressing and advancing; we have continually made progress in our experience of Christ
and received of Him more and more. This does not mean that Christ has become greater and
greater. No, Christ is the same, He changes not! But as we grow in our appropriation of
Him He becomes greater and greater TO US AND IN US. Day by day in our experience Christ is
becoming greater and greater. At the stage of our experience in which the total triumph of
the Lamb is achieved within, Christ is unlimited to us, He becomes ALL IN ALL. It is His
almighty strength in the heavens revealed through the weakness of our humanity on earth
the TRIUMPHANT LAMBKIN! Hallelujah!
THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB
What is this stream of life
from the Lamb upon the Throne, and why is the Lamb so highly exalted until eternity
re-echoes the song of His praise: "The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive
power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory and blessing!" The
wonderful answer comes: "Thou art worthy...FOR Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us
to God by Thy Blood. It is the blood of the Lamb that bestows this glory upon Him.
By His own blood He has entered the Holiest of all, and is seated upon the Throne of the
Majesty in the heavens. His blood has accomplished this. The blood of Jesus is the
greatest mystery of the ages, the deepest mystery of divine wisdom. Let us not imagine
that we can easily grasp its meaning. God thought four thousand years necessary to prepare
men for it, and we must take time, yea, sacrificial time in His presence, if we are to
gain a knowledge of the awesome and marvelous power of the blood. I know of no word in the
Bible or in human speech that contains such glories! This great and eternal truth shines
with ever increasing brilliance from Eden's fragrant Garden of long ago to the jasper
walls of the New Jerusalem descending from God out of heaven; from Adam's covering of
skins and Abel's humble sacrifice of the firstfruits of his flock to the very Throne of
God Himself where, glorious in power and might, the Lamb reigns and the seven Spirits of
His divine Life are sent forth into all the earth.
The blood of Jesus Christ is
of such vast importance to God the Father that He has decreed that there shall be (1) no
remission, (2) no salvation, (3) no atonement, (4) no redemption, (5) no propitiation, (6)
no cleansing, (7) no justification, (8) no peace, (9) no new covenant, (10) no
sanctification, (11) no reconciliation, (12) no entrance into the Most Holy Place, (13) no
sonship, without the blood of Jesus Christ whose blood is called by Paul the BLOOD OF GOD
(Acts 20:28; Heb. 10:19-20).
Never forget, precious friend
of mine, that Jesus came as THE PRICE WHICH COVERS, the substance in the scale that
replenishes all deficiency. He shed His blood His divine life pouring it out
for us. Life and blood are synonymous. Spirit and blood are synonymous. Spirit, blood, and
life are all different names for the same element. Jesus performed His mighty works by the
shores of
There is a deep longing and
intense hunger in the hearts of vast numbers of the Lord's people in this significant
hour. They are earnestly searching for reality but the church systems and so-called
revival movements have failed to meet their need. But the profound hunger, the intense
need in their life cries loudly for satisfaction, their soul seeks ardently and resolutely
after truth, life and eternal substance. Their great need is not being met by the churches
nor by the television evangelists, nor by the crusades, nor by all the good meetings with
their tongues, prophecies, healings, manifestations, and preaching of faith and
prosperity. So these dear folk begin to look to other sources. Many of these "other
sources" are dangerously deceptive, especially to those who desire "more
knowledge," "deeper truth," or "the latest revelation." My
beloved, there is an invasion right into the camp of those whose hearts have been moved by
the call to sonship of "humanistic new age" philosophy that is deceiving
many precious people today. It was prophesied by the apostle Peter that this enemy of the
Lamb of God should appear right in the midst of the very elect. "But there were false
prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who
privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them and bring
upon themselves swift destruction (separation from the flow of divine life)" (II Pet.
2:1). The key word is "even denying the Lord that bought them." The
denial is against the atonement, the ransom, the redeeming blood. They are offended at the
Lord that bought them, though they may be devoted to the Lord that taught them. Ah, in
very fact, they do not deny the Lord - they call Jesus Lord and esteem Him as the Son of
God, the Christ, our Guiding Teacher, our Great Example, the Way-Shower, our Pattern. They
speak effusively of His goodness, His love, meekness, unselfishness, understanding,
compassion, mercy, power, and wisdom. They believe that His mission was to show us just
how great is the potential of the true spiritual identity within every man, and the
raising up of the Christ-consciousness within. They proclaim that Jesus became the Saviour
by blazing the trail and showing the way of salvation to all who would follow in His
steps. The only problem is that they are required to go in their own power, their own
inward identity, their own godhood, their own inherent divinity, to follow Jesus into the
fullness of the divine life. There is no reconciling, atoning, redeeming, cleansing,
sanctifying, justifying, transforming power of His precious blood involved, no quickening
of His life, no new birth, no washing of regeneration or renewing of the Holy Ghost. And
yet, to the natural mind it all sounds so good so very right! But we must truly
allow the Holy Spirit of Truth to give wisdom and understanding that we may discern the
difference between the precious and the vile. These satanic agents are described by the
inspired apostle as those who appear to be teachers of the deep mysteries of God, yet they
bring in damnable heresies, in all cunning craftiness and subtlety, consummating in the
repudiation of the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ. It is not strange that there is
resentment against the mystery of the blood which does not exist against any other thing
in the vast panorama of Truth. It is not strange that the ministers of satan, appearing as
the apostles of Christ and messengers of Light, should fortify their lies and hypocrisies
by contending for almost every phase of revealed truth, including the bright hope of
sonship; yet subtly omitting, or violently denying, the one and only point upon which the
interests of God and satan divide.
In the testimony of scripture
the order is ever: "Unto HIM that loved US, and WASHED US from OUR SINS in HIS OWN
BLOOD." And, "to as many as received HIM, to THEM gave HE power to BECOME the
sons of God." Break these links and the chain is gone. Let us never forget this! Some
trust so strongly in their own divinity, in the raising up of the Christ-consciousness
within every man, that they need no Saviour beyond themselves, no sun or wind or rain from
without to quicken the life within. The unwary are caught by it. All this time the blood
of Christ is omitted or ignored. Not one word is said about it. The silence is ominous. Do
let us understand truth clearly, for "there shall be false teachers among you, who
privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even DENYING THE LORD THAT B-O-U-G-H-T THEM and
bring upon themselves swift destruction. The destruction is the drying up of the
spiritual life, the aborting of the spirit of sonship, and ultimate separation from the
High Calling of God in Christ Jesus. Do away with the blood of atonement, the blood of
remission, the blood of salvation, the blood of propitiation, the blood of reconciliation,
the blood of justification, the blood of cleansing, the blood that gives eternal life, the
blood of the new covenant, the blood that speaketh better thing's than Abel's, the blood
by which entrance is made into the Most Holy destroy, I say, this wonderful stream
of the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot and every
room within the towering temple of reality comes crashing down to earth! The love of God
became a man, the love of God became human flesh, the love of God in Jesus Christ has
flowed into our souls as the precious blood of Christ to wash away the veil of carnal
consciousness and quicken us again to our true heritage in God. "Forasmuch as ye know
that ye were not redeemed by such corruptible things, as silver and gold from your vain
manner of life received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of
Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot." Hallelujah for the blood!
Multiplied millions of
Christians in all lands hold the blood of Christ to be precious. The word precious means
of great price or value, costly, of great desirability, honored, esteemed or beloved. But
there must be a reason why the blood is precious! Through many years of my Christian walk
I never learned of any reason why it is esteemed except that God counts it to be the most
valuable and precious of all blood to Him. I was never told whether it was intrinsically
valuable or if it was valuable because of what it could and did accomplish. To be
intrinsically valuable or precious means that it is of itself precious and does not
necessarily need to accomplish any work to get its value. For example, the value of
precious gems is determined not so much from their usefulness as from their intrinsic
value and the desire that people have to own them. My sincere prayer is that the spirit of
wisdom and revelation may enlighten the eyes of our understanding until we clearly see
that the blood of Jesus Christ was and is precious both in respect to its INTRINSIC VALUE
and because of WHAT IT COULD AND DID AND DOES NOW DO.
The mystery of the blood is
far too intricate for my little mind to fully grasp, but there is a most interesting
statement found in the very first command which God gave to man after the awful judgment
of the flood in the days of Noah. After the wickedness of man had reached its peak in
antediluvian days, God, in order to spare the human race from complete corruption sent a
great flood upon the earth and destroyed all men except one single family which by the
grace of God had still remained "perfect in his generations." With this new
family on a cleansed and renewed earth, the Lord begins a new chapter in the history of
humanity. No sooner had God, however, released Noah from the ark, than He gave him some
instructions concerning his conduct, lest another judgment fall upon them. Chief among
these instructions was the commandment, "Eat No blood." "Every moving thing
that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But
flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, ye shall not eat" (Gen.
9:3-4).
Because life is in the blood,
and not in the flesh of God's creatures, He permitted men to eat flesh but it must be
without blood. God is very insistent, even in the New Testament, on this point. In giving
the national dietary and ceremonial laws to Israel He repeats the prohibition of Gen. 9:4.
"And whatsoever man there be of the house of
God's commands are never
arbitrary but always logical, reasonable, and with divine purpose. Many reasons can be
found for abstaining from blood. We might mention the reasons of health and hygiene, but
there are two reasons which stand out most prominent. First, the life is in the blood
and life is sacred. It was God's special gift and the effect of His own breath.
Moses tells us in Genesis this wonderful and little understood fact: "God formed man
of the dust of the ground, and BREATHED into his nostrils the BREATH OF LIFE; and man
became a living soul" (Gen. 2:7). Truly do I declare unto you that a profound mystery
lies here! Since life is in the blood, all flesh is lifeless without blood. Here then is
Adam formed of the dust. Just a lump of matter without life. God breathes into his
nostrils and lo, he lives. Now mark well, God did not cause Adam to begin to breathe the
air in the atmosphere around him. It was not breathing air that made Adam a living soul.
GOD BREATHED into his nostrils. God is Spirit. It was the very breath of God that entered
into Adam, the very spirit of life from God. Since the life is in the blood, it is my deep
conviction that it was blood which God added to that body when He breathed into him the
breath of life! Not the mortal, corruptible, dead blood that flows in mankind's veins
today. Adam's body was of the earth but his blood was DIRECTLY FROM GOD. Since the life of
all flesh is in the blood, and in view of the fact that God typified the regeneration of
man's blood by the slain animals of
Jesus came as the Head of an
entirely new creation. In fact He Himself WAS A NEW CREATURE, different from any that had
ever been. I want to make it very plain that Jesus was in no way derived from the First
Adam, either by flesh or by blood. If He had even one ounce of the first Adam's blood
coursing through his veins, then He Himself NEEDED A SAVIOUR. Hear now what Paul says of
the Christ: "The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a
quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is
natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the
second man is THE LORD FROM HEAVEN" (I Cor. 15:45-47). Jesus was not fifty percent
the first Adam and fifty percent the last Adam. He was one hundred percent the last Adam!
He was not fifty percent the first man and fifty percent the last man. He was not fifty
percent the man of earth and fifty percent the Lord from heaven. The second man I-S (100%)
THE LORD FROM HEAVEN. To be the second man and the last Adam He could in no way contain
any part of the first Adam. To be the man from heaven He must not be a descendant of the
man of the earth. He must be an entirely NEW KIND OF MAN, separate from every other
creation of God, as was the first man Adam in the day when he was created. The first Adam
was truly without father, without mother, and without descent he was not derived
from the life of any other man who had ever lived. So the last Adam! Though He was
conceived IN the womb of Mary, He was not OF Mary. He was not formed from the union of the
sperm of God with the ovum of Mary. His genes were not half from Mary and half from His
heavenly Father. "That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called THE SON
OF GOD," declared the angel to Mary. Mary was merely a surrogate mother. That fact
should settle for all time the morality of surrogate motherhood! Jesus was as truly man,
as truly flesh, as was the first man, but He was also as truly a UNIQUE CREATION OF GOD as
was the first man in Eden.
Oh. the mystery of it! Oh,
the wonder of it! Jesus Christ was THE WORD MADE FLESH; He was not old Adam's flesh imbued
with God`s life. He was the second Man, the Man from Heaven, the God-man, Head of a new
species of Men, a new creation of God in the earth, each member of which is a SON OR
DAUGHTER OF THE MOST HIGH! The life is in the blood. As the value of this life, so the
value of the blood. In Christ there was the life of God; infinite as God is the worth and
the power of that blood! In Christ there was the life of man in its perfection; in His
humility, and obedience to the Father, and self-sacrifice, that which made Him unspeakably
well- pleasing to the Father. The blood of Jesus, God and man, poured out in death, that
was a perfect fulfillment of God's will, and a perfect victory over sin and self, effected
an everlasting atonement for sin, and put it forever out of the way, destroying both sin
and death and him that had the power of it. Therefore it was, that in the blood of the
everlasting covenant Jesus was raised from the dead: that in the power of that blood He
entered the highest heaven; and THAT PRECIOUS BLOOD IS NOW AND FOREVER AVAILABLE TO US
WITH ALL ITS INCORRUPTIBLE POWER. His blood is His divine spirit of life which has come
into us Christ in us, our hope of glory.
Beloved sons and daughters of
God! The blood of Jesus! The blood of the Lamb! Oh, think what it means! God gave it for
your redemption from Adam's race and your transformation into the image of God. God
accepted it when the firstborn of the new creation entered heaven and presented it on your
behalf. God points you to it and asks you to believe in its omnipotent energy, in its
everlasting sufficiency. Ah, this heavenly Man was injected into a whole world full of men
descended from the earth- man to impart something we had lacked from the day Adam was
driven from
When Adam transgressed, the
life of God, which had been breathed into His nostrils, departed from him and all that was
left was a residue, that mortal something which flowed as blood in the veins of his body.
This blood contains nothing of the life of God and in its composition and nature is
similar to the blood of the animal kingdom, for when the glorious power of divine life
departed from Adam, he entered into the kingdom of death. Adam was made a living soul.
From the Greek the statement reads, "The first man Adam was made a zoe psuche (living
soul)." ZOE is the word which throughout the whole of the New Testament is used of
the life of God, divine life, eternal life. PSUCHE, on the other hand, is used of the
natural life of animals and men. This life, ZOE, is the life Jesus promised to give to man
when He said, "I give unto them eternal life (zoe), and they shall never
perish," and this, beloved, is the LIFE THAT DEPARTED FROM ADAM when he transgressed,
leaving him ashamed, fearful and dead. The life is in the blood, but our blood, being
devoid of eternal life (zoe), is in reality dead blood capable of sustaining only
physical, animal life (psuche), and that only poorly until man returns to the dust from
whence he came. It is not without significance that, when the bodies of men are embalmed,
the first act is to remove the corruptible blood that the dead body may be better
preserved. To redeem this dead sinner, life must be again imparted. The only remedy for
death is LIFE. This life is in the blood, and so blood must be furnished which is sinless
and incorruptible. Now none of Adam's race could do this, for "in Adam all die."
There was only one, yes, ONLY ONE, who could furnish that blood the virgin-born Son
of God, the Man from heaven, with a human body, but sinless supernatural blood,
inseminated by the Holy Ghost.
Jesus came to bring life to
the world. Here is where His blood differed from the ordinary blood or life of men. His
blood was precious in that it was able to do something for all mankind which mankind's own
blood or life could not do. The natural blood or life of mankind was only for a few years
at most, but the blood of the Christ was the LIFE OF THE AGES. So there must somehow be a
discontinuance of the blood of a few years, that the blood or the LIFE OF THE AGES might
be injected into mankind.
"For it is not possible
that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins" (Heb. 10:4). It was
impossible for the blood of Old Testament sacrifices to take away sin because that blood
was dead blood. There was no power of life in it. Nevertheless, because of the faith of
the worshippers in that BETTER BLOOD which was to come, those animal sacrifices were
accepted by God for the time then present or for the time being, and by this faith the
worshippers were sanctified, and being thus accepted by God they patiently awaited the day
when the BETTER BLOOD OF THE LAMB OF GOD, in which was eternal life, would not only remove
their sin, but erase the sentence of death, quickening them in spirit and transfusing
their beings with the incorruptible blood of the Man from heaven. We say, and rightly so,
for the scripture says, that Christ died for us. There is marvelous significance in those
words, however, for when He died He GAVE HIS LIFE TO US. The precious blood that drained
from His body on the cross is now manifest as THE SPIRIT, the LIGHT OF LIFE. That eternal
life, which two thousand years ago was confined to the blood of His body, now, being
loosed by death, is SHED ABROAD to become available as life eternal to all who believe. By
the shedding of His blood life was given. By the receiving of His life DEATH IS CANCELED.
In the light of life darkness and death flee away. Hallelujah for the blood!
THE CLEANSING OF THE BLOOD
In the service of God as
ordained by the hand of Moses far
There are two kinds of
functions of the blood of the Lamb. One is to take away or kill, and the other is to add
or supply. On the one hand it takes away the negative elements we should not have in us,
and on the other hand it adds in the positive elements we should have in us. What is taken
away is the element of Adam in us, and what is added is the element of Christ the
new creation life. What is taken away is old. What is added is new. What is taken away is
earthly and carnal, and what is added is heavenly and spiritual. What is taken away is
dead, and what is added is living. When the blood of the Lamb works within us, it has
these two kinds of functions manifest within us: one is to progressively take away all of
our old creation man, and the other is to continually add all of God's new creation man.
In this way HIS LIFE within us gradually increases from glory to glory.
It is like the blood in our
physical body, which contains two kinds of elements: the white corpuscles and the red
corpuscles. White corpuscles have one function, to kill germs that invade the body; the
red corpuscles also have one function, to supply nourishment to the whole body. When the
blood circulates and flows within us, the white corpuscles kill and clean up the germs
which have invaded our body, while the red blood corpuscles supply every part of our body
with needed nourishment. Likewise, when the blood of the Lamb works within us, or when the
life of God in the Lamb works mightily within us, the two elements, life and death,
contained in the life of God have the function of killing and supplying within us
that is, killing the spiritual germs of the carnal mind and the fleshly nature, and
supplying us with spiritual nourishment, which consists of the life and nature and power
of God Himself.
Concerning the cleansing
power of the blood of the Lamb, no greater statement of truth was ever made than that
given by the beloved John on the rocky steeps of Patmos: "Unto Him that loved us, and
washed us from our sins in His own blood" (Rev. 1:5). Some modern translations
substitute the word "freed" for "washed", but a look at the Greek word
shows that they are in error. The word is LOUO meaning "to BATHE THE WHOLE PERSON in
the same way clothes are laundered in water." But praise be to God! this is not an
outward washing but an INWARD CLEANSING. One aspect of the power of the blood of Jesus
lies in its marvelous ability to ABSORB all that is in the blood or the life of the Adamic
man. The apostle Peter by inspiration penned these words of deep and wonderful truth:
"Who His own self BARE OUR SINS in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to
sins, should LIVE UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS" (I Pet. 2:24). This one who hung upon the cross
possessed a life or a blood that would course its way through the veins of our inner
nature and remove all our sins, infirmities and death. It is very wonderful and thrilling
to many Christians to stand up and testify that they have been washed in the blood of
Jesus. But if you would ask them to explain how they were washed in the blood, about the
only answer many could give is that it was by faith. The Christian who has testified
concerning being washed in the blood of Jesus has been unable to tell how because he has
not understood the significance of one word that he was using. That word is WASHED. We
have somehow in the past unconsciously given to that word "washed", as used in
connection with the blood of Jesus, some special meaning. It must be that we have not been
able to associate such a common and lowly procedure as washing clothes with the work done
by the blood of the Lamb. And that is just where we have missed the whole point!
I would point you to this
simple and self-evident fact: WHAT IS TO BE WASHED IS DIRTY. That is the reason for its
being washed. It is filthy and contaminated and it needs to be washed. And the result of
the washing is that the article becomes clean! Ah - what a good feeling it is after a day
of sweaty, dirty work, to come home, take a refreshing bath, and get into some clean
clothing. The dirt and grime and filth of the work has been washed away and we feel like a
new person. All the members of Adam's race need washing! Not physically, but mentally,
emotionally and spiritually. The mind, the heart and the nature of mankind are as full of
the filth of the flesh as it is possible to be. The life of the blood is as full of filth
and corruption as is the man, so it can do nothing to cleanse. Man's nature is literally
saturated with sin, evil, fear, pride, self-righteousness, hatred, bigotry, weakness,
anger, lust, sickness, sorrow, limitation and death. We know what it means to wash our
clothes in water, how they are plunged into it and saturated with it, for several minutes
agitated and moved about in it until the dirt is softened and loosened, it is then removed
from the garment and SUSPENDED IN THE WATER and carried away. The water has TAKEN UNTO
ITSELF all the defilement that was in the clothing. After some rinsings the clothes are
taken out of the washer, sparkling clean, and with none of the filth that was in them in
the beginning. How beautiful they look! How fresh they smell! Such is the process used
today by millions in the washing of clothing. Yet this has not generally been associated
with the wonderful washing process that mankind goes through in the blood of the Lamb.
Where does this washing take
place, and what is it that is washed? It is the heart. It is in the deep, hidden, inner
life of man that this effect of the blood, the life, the spirit of Christ is experienced.
Sin has penetrated into the heart, and the whole nature has become saturated with it. The
blood too must PENETRATE THE NATURE; as deeply as the power of sin has gone, so deeply
must the inner nature be cleansed by the blood. This is wrought by the daily experiencing
of HIS LIFE in the nitty-gritty of everyday experience. This is not some mushy,
sentimental, religious experience at the altar of some church, but the APPROPRIATING OF
HIS LIFE in the crucible of each problem, trial, temptation, weakness, testing, and
difficulty we encounter, until self and sin are completely dealt with, washed away, and
the mind and will of Christ reign supreme in our lives. Clothes are agitated when they are
being washed; in the old days and still in many areas of the world they are beaten with
rocks to loosen the dirt. Ah, we hope to kneel on a thick carpet before a plush altar and
experience the wonderful cleansing of the blood of the Lamb, but it can never be so, my
friend. It is in the midst of all the agitation of the pressures of life, in the
turbulence of crisis, trouble, pain and despair that we encounter HIS LIFE WITHIN as the
answer, and submitting, receive a mighty and eternal cleansing. Where sin ruled, His life
must rule. Where self reigned, His precious mind must reign. Where the flesh manifests its
lively activities, there the spirit of the Lamb must conquer, bringing righteousness,
peace and joy. It is in the minds and hearts of men that the cleansing of the blood must
take place. Out of the heart "are the issues of life" just in proportion
as the heart is cleansed, so the entire life is cleansed, the whole man outwardly and
inwardly is TRANSFORMED by the power of the blood!
THE LIGHT OF LIFE
There is a wonderful
statement in the Song of Solomon wherein the Shulamite maiden, beautiful type of God's
elect, says, "My Beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand"
(S. of S. 5:10). This was in answer to a question put forth by the "daughters of
The scene is set in the
Shulamite's search for her Beloved. As she pursues her Beloved the flame of her love burns
brighter; faster and faster she hastens through the streets of the city to find Him, all
the while He appears more wonderful to her soul. In her marvelous description of her
Beloved, she mentions, first of all, the combined, though contrasted colors of "white
and red." To a superficial reader, this might signify only health and beauty. Let us
bear in mind that the daughters of
These two colors make her
Beloved different from, and more than every other beloved. They, above all, make the
Christ of God different from, and more than all others. They, more than all else, make Him
the only fruitful Tree in all the forest of the sons of men. These two colors distinguish
Him and mark Him out before all eyes; and because of which, every knee shall bow, and
every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. She
knew, as some even who profess to be sons of God do not know, that all religions are not
"a way" into union with God! The meaning of the word "white" is
dazzling, bright, illuminated by the sun, sunny. Dazzling white, as the brightest
sunlight. The meaning of the word "ruddy" is red, to show blood, to dye or make
red. The one name above all other names, by which the Christ of God is known, is "the
Lamb." This is the name by which He is known as the sacrifice of God. John the
Baptist calls Him "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." It
is the pure, spotless Lamb of God to which the sacrifices of the Israelite worship
pointed, and whom they foreshadowed.
The characteristics of the
meaning of "white," namely, "dazzling, illuminated, and shining as the
sun," were literally manifested in the transfiguration of Christ on the Mount. We are
told in Mat. 17:2 that "He was transfigured before them; and His face did shine as
the sun, and His garments became white as the light." In the ninth chapter of Mark,
we are told that "His garments became glistering," which, in the Greek, means:
"To lighten forth, flash forth like lightening." Within that form that was
marred more than the sons of men, dwelt glory ineffable. As He prayed upon the Mount of
Transfiguration, He opened a little way the robe of humanity with which He had covered
Himself when He came down to earth, and His majesty and glory burst forth! None can
overlook the precious significance here, when the scripture is compared with the clause
that we are now considering in the Song of Solomon. The Shulamite declares that her
Beloved is "white", or that He is dazzling, white as the light, shining as
though illuminated by a mighty sun.
Ah was this not a
"breaking forth" of the glory of the incorruptible blood of God flowing through
the veins of His perfect humanity? With this wonderful thought in our minds let us with
humble reverence consider the words of the apostle John: "In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In Him was LIFE; and the LIFE was
the LIGHT OF MEN" (Jn. 1:1,4). Notice the words: IN HIM WAS L-I-F-E. Now: THE LIFE IS
I-N T-H-E B-L-O-O-D. Finally: THE LIFE WAS THE L-I-G-H-T OF MEN. In these statements we
discover three synonyms: life, light, and blood. In an article that has come across my
desk are found these words of truth: "You have heard of the light of a candle. You
have heard of the light of the stars. You have heard of the light of the moon. You have
heard of the light of the sun. But this is the light of life. When men speak of the light
of the sun, we understand. When they speak of the light of the moon, we understand. May we
not now understand the truth of Christs words: the light of life? I doubt not that
my next sentence will be a disturbing jolt to the understanding of many, but the truth as
I see it is simply this: Life and light and blood are one and the same thing, manifest on
three levels just as vapor and water and ice are one and the same thing on different
levels. I am well aware that what I am saying is entirely new and may come as a shock to
many who read.... a proper understanding of it will assist us to grasp the greatness of
that prominent Bible theme, the precious blood of Christ. Not only will we better grasp
its meaning, but we will know why that precious blood of Christ is THE LIFE OF THE WORLD.
I see no way that we can avoid the conclusion that His LIFE is in fact RESURRECTION
itself. It redeems from sin, because sin found man in life and brought him to death, but
the blood of Christ, which is eternal life, finding man in death, brought life, and that
is what redemption is."
The glory of the
transfiguration was the momentary unveiling of the glorious heavenly light of Christs
blood-life. It was in truth the manifestation of the light of life promised by our Lord
Jesus in Jn. 8:12: "He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have
the LIGHT OF LIFE." It shone from His face. It glistered from His garments. It
surrounded Him like a halo. It radiated from Him like the rays of the sun. His eyes were
like lamps of fire the light that swallows up all darkness and death of the carnal
realm. There in the Mount of Transfiguration His disciples beheld Him in the glory of the
light of life of His incorruptible blood. This was resurrection life, kingdom life,
heavenly life, incorruptible life. And, my beloved, this beautiful picture tells us what
OUR INCORRUPTIBLE BODIES WILL BE, the glistering light of life that Christ Himself
actually is. What a powerful metamorphosis when this light of life has matured and bursts
forth from within all the sons of God, vanquishing all that pertains to this mortal realm.
There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body, the inspired apostle tells us.
Those who imagine that the incorruptible body will be a body that sleeps, drives a car,
goes to work at a factory or office, and eats hamburgers have never seen by the spirit the
glory of the resurrection. When Jesus burst out of the tomb in resurrection He came forth
in the full brilliance of this divine light of life. In this glory Paul saw Him in his
OVERCOMING BY THE BLOOD
If your desire is to truly be
an overcomer in all things, a part of the firstfruits of God's redemption in this
important hour, a most wonderful key is found in I Jn. 1:7. "If we walk in the light
as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST
GOD'S SON CLEANSETH US FROM A-L-L S-I-N." There is a way for the Lord's people to be
freed from ALL SIN! "If we walk in the light." How? "AS HE IS in the
light." Do not forget for one moment, dear ones, that the life is the light and the
blood is the life. To walk in the light as He is in the light means to walk in the LIFE as
HE is in the LIFE. There is a great principle here!
Paul says in Rom. 8:1-2,
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk
not after the flesh but after the Spirit. For the LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE in Christ
Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." What makes me free from the
law (power) of sin and death? Why, the LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE makes me free! Do we not
understand that life swallows up death and light dispels darkness? His precious life
blood (spirit) flowing through our lives accomplishes this. But haven't we always
had it turned around in our thinking? How many of us have been struggling to
"die" so we can live! How often have we told ourselves, "If I can get rid
of my old man, if I can conquer this habit, overcome this temper, this unruly tongue, this
lust, this nature, this...this...this...then I will have the life of Christ manifested in
me!" We have tried to get rid of sin so we could have righteousness. We have made
valiant efforts at conquering the death in us so we would have life. We have worked at
eradicating the darkness from our lives so we could walk in the light. Dearly beloved
friends, we have had the cart before the horse! It is like saying, "I will stand here
in this dark room and rebuke the darkness, and when all the darkness has been chased away
I shall have light." The simple fact is you can rebuke the darkness until men carry
your dead body out to the mortuary, but THE DARKNESS WILL NEVER LEAVE UNTIL YOU TURN ON
THE LIGHT. There is no vacuum that can suck up darkness, no chemical that disintegrates
it, no force that can move it. The problem is not to get rid of the darkness, but to
produce the light!
The LAW OF LIGHT is that it
always dispels darkness. It never fails! So if you have been trying to get rid of the
darkness of the carnal mind and the fleshly nature in you, by rebuking it, resisting it,
struggling with it, fighting it, ignoring it, praying to be delivered from it, having
hands laid on you for it FORGET IT! These are one and all efforts at
self-reformation. None of those methods has one iota of power to remove the darkness from
a life. Only LIGHT is able to remove darkness! Brother, sister, TURN ON THE LIGHT in your
life, expose yourself to the mighty presence of the Holy Spirit in your life, open
yourself to the creative power of His Word within, thrust yourself into the living stream
of His precious blood, and the LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF HIS LIFE working powerfully within
will begin to make you free from the law of sin and death. You can't take death out of a
corpse to make it live, but put life in it and it will live! And there is no way that you
can remove the law of sin and death from heart and nature, but you take the law of the
Spirit of Life in Christ into you and I tell you the truth the death will be
swallowed up!
I have had the experience of
becoming so involved with the pressures of everyday living until the vital presence of God
was crowded out of my life. When we spend all our time working and visiting and fellow
shipping in carnal things, reading the newspaper, watching television, tinkering with
hobbies, and multiplied other natural activities the Spirit is crowded out of our lives,
the flow of His life-blood is hindered. How filled our lives are with EARTHLY THINGS!
Constantly going, going, going, and doing, doing, doing. Occasionally we spend a few
minutes in prayer, or in the Word, or in blessed fellowship with another saint, or time
and effort wasted in some dead meeting, and then wonder why there is no power in our lives
and we are not overcomers! There is a LAW OF LIFE that must be at work in us. But you
don't really need to be concerned about the law of life, you just need the LIFE! The law
will work naturally. When the life is there the law will work. When the law is working the
power of darkness and death is annulled, the negative realm is neutralized. Therefore,
seek LIFE! If the glorious presence of God, the light of life, can keep me in the
spiritual state of overcoming victory for ten minutes...or for two hours...or for three
days...then the same substance of HIS LIFE WITHIN can keep me in that condition of victory
and transformation for as long as the flow of His life is maintained this is the
absolute unfailing key to overcoming! Death always sets in in any body member where the
flow of blood is prevented. People have lost hands and arms and feet and legs when for
some reason the blood circulation was cut off. Maintain the flow of the precious blood of
Christ and you will have little trouble with the flesh.
"And they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb" (Rev. 12:11). All who would be sons of God must overcome
the dragon of the carnal mind and the beastly nature of old Adam. It comes not by
"pleading the blood," thinking positive, or confessing the promises. In
proportion as we live in close and abiding contact with the blood we shall experience
increasingly its powerful, omnipotent effects. He who gives himself up to continual
intercourse with THE LAMB, joined in one spirit with Him, will experience through His
blood a TRIUMPHANT LIFE beyond his conception. He will see the law of life at work. The
old carnality, the old weaknesses, the old desires, the old thoughts, the old emotions,
the old frustrations will begin to fade away, diminishing and diminishing in the cleansing
of His blood. Ah, precious saint of God, try no longer to "get rid of," or
"quit doing," or "kill," or "die," or "change,"
anything! Only expose your whole being to the light and you will begin to live by the life
of God's dear Son.
The blood of the Lamb is
described as a "fountain opened in the house of David for sin and uncleanness (Zech.
13:1). By the power of the Holy Spirit it streams through the heavenly
Chapter
36
ARIES
THE LAMB
(continued)
In this Study we come to the
first Decan, or minor constellation, in the house of Aries CASSIOPEIA THE
ENTHRONED WOMAN. Cassiopeia is the figure of a queenly woman, matchless in beauty, seated
in exalted dignity. She is seated on a throne, high and lifted up. With one hand she is
arranging her robe; in the other she holds the branch of victory and triumph, at the same
time arranging her hair. She seems to be making herself ready for some presentation or
great public manifestation. Near her sits King Cepheus on his throne. In Arabic this
constellation is called EL SEDU, which means the freed. Albumazer, an ancient authority,
says this woman was anciently called the daughter of splendor, hence, the glorified woman.
Her common name is CASSI- OPEIA, meaning the beautiful, the enthroned. This woman is
obviously the Bride of Christ, the Lamb's Wife, the New Jerusalem of whom John the apostle
said, "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him, for the marriage of the
Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready" (Rev. 19:7). This scene is in
stark contrast to what is seen in the constellation of Andromeda. In Andromeda the woman
is bound, in chains, cast down. For two thousand years the bride of the Lamb has been in
bonds and disabilities, in weakness and limitation, despised by the world, chained within
the harlot system of religious
One will never be able to
understand the deep mystery of Christ and His bride until first he understands the great
mystery of God Himself. I have previously pointed out in this series that man in the
beginning was created male and female in the image of God. The moment we understand that
male and female IS the image of God, then our hearts will throb with heavenly rapture at
the awesome glory, power and exaltation of Christ and His bride. When he that readeth can
grasp the wonderful truth that God bears within Himself both the characteristics of male
and female, of Father and Mother, then he can better understand the divine word spoken
"in the beginning" when God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness: so...in the image of God created He him; MALE AND FEMALE created He them"
(Gen. 1:26-27). Most people speak of God and His Son without even giving thought as to how
it is that God has a Son. All nature with unified voice reveals that one male, or two
males, or a thousand males, or a billion males can never produce an offspring. The
invisible things of God are clearly seen from the creation of the world, being understood
by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead (Rom. 1:20), and creation
immutably proclaims the mystery that it takes both a male and a female to produce life.
This simple law of life is a divine revelation of the GODHEAD! God is within Himself both
a Father and a Mother and it was within this unique reality of His Being that God brought
forth His Son and His sons. I would not for one minute nor in any way seek to dishonor or
diminish the glory, the honor, or the majesty of our Father the Lord God Almighty.
But He is completely pleased to have me declare to you the reality of Himself which is
male and female. Motherhood is a most profound revelation that is rooted in the deepest
essence of God Himself.
"This is the book of the
generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made He him;
male and female created He them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day
when they were created" (Gen. 5:1-2). Male and female. Both Adam. Both man. Both in
the image of God! God made His image exactly alike, yet opposite. From the very beginning
we can journey into the depth of God's Being in the revelation of His image and nature as
male and female. Adam is a figure we are pressing through to know God. With what divine
clarity does the inspired apostle teach us that Adam himself was but a type of the Christ.
"Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned
after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to
come" (Rom. 5:14). This presence on the earth of man male and female is
the glory of God emanating out of the sphere of His invisible substance and the figure,
the symbol, the picture, the prophecy of the last Adam and His wife Christ and His
bride! It is not important how man was created, nor even when he was created but to
see the mind of God radiate and descend and express itself into human form, He made His
invisible nature of male and female into a model creation could see and comprehend, though
the female at creation was still hidden within the man, just as the female nature of God
was hidden within Himself from eternity. As God separated Eve from Adam, giving her form
and raising her up into an identity, and exalting her and setting her together with Adam
over all the works of His hands, so God is separating out of Himself through Christ the
wife He has in His own side, giving her form and raising her up into an identity, and
setting her with Christ on the universal throne of authority, glory and dominion over all
things in all realms. This glorious God-Woman is Cassiopeia The Enthroned Woman
the Lamb's Wife, the Bride of Jesus Christ! God's agenda is to get this woman into
her own identity, to give her form and substance, to raise up the consciousness of this
woman, that she may find herself and fulfill herself in God's great Kingdom.
TWO WOMEN TWO CITIES
Why does God want to bring
forth in the earth a spiritual woman the bride of Christ? The answer is found in
the typology of the first woman, Eve. "And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because
she was the mother of all living" (Gen. 3:20). The mother of all living! The mother
of all living is the image of God the mother of all mankind in the image of God is
the revelation of the feminine reality in God. Let us find this woman, this mother of all
living in the revelation of God. "For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the
one by a bond maid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born
after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for
these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage,
which is Hagar. Far this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to
Just as Sarah was old and
barren and had no son, so there were no children by this covenant, there was no nation
birthed out of the first, the Abrahamic Covenant. When the Egyptian bondservant, Hagar,
was given to Abraham as a wife, she pictured the second covenant the covenant of
the Law given by Moses. Thus, Ishmael, the son of the bondwoman, typified the natural
Two women. Two cities. Two
covenants. Two seeds. The covenant of Hagar, the natural
Let us UNDERSTAND! The reason
there is this mysterious attraction between the masculine and the feminine is because the
feminine was taken out of the masculine. The woman was taken right out of the man, and
something you (women) are is uniquely what we (men) are, and therein lies the phenomenon
of why male and female seek union.
This heavenly
The church has been called
the mother. Why? Because the church is the dispenser of the life-giving seed of the Spirit
and the Word, and the church is the formation of God's divine nature within a people on
the earth. The first concept that calls us out of the world unto Himself is a woman. Long
millenniums ago the mighty Moses brought this word to the Lord's people: "Honour thy
father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God
giveth thee" (Ex. 20:12). What blessings accrue to those who honor their father and
their mother! Again and again we are told to honor our father and our mother, and this is
the first commandment with the promise of life. We have this as a natural law and I
am not seeking to diminish that natural law for verily I say to you that he who
truly values the heavenly Father and the heavenly Mother will ultimately value his earthly
father and his earthly mother as well. We have learned to honor God the Father, but it
should be obvious to all who read these lines that few have learned to honor God the
Mother that unique aspect of His own Being that births all spiritual life and
reality.
FROM THE OLD TO THE NEW JERUSALEM
"By faith Abraham, when
he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance,
obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of
promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs
with him of the same promise: for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose
builder and maker is God. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but
having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed
that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare
plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from
whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they
desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called
their God: for He hath prepared for them a city" (Heb. 11:8-16). The scriptural,
spiritual, heavenly symbolism of truth is illustrated in simple terms for our
understanding. In this magnificent passage we are told that Abraham looked for a city. He
did not want
All who follow in the steps
of faithful Abraham are strangers and pilgrims on this earth in this present
world-system. This outer fleshly realm is not their home, their realm of dwelling, their
state of being. They are looking for that city that is being built by God, for they are
citizens of the New Jerusalem which is of heavenly, spiritual quality. Those who are
looking for a heavenly, spiritual city know full well that they are only strangers and
pilgrims in this present carnal, mortal world. They endure their life, living as in a
temporary state. They have no desire for the things of this realm of dust, for they seek a
better country than this. No nation, civilization or system built by man can make claims
of permanency. Nations we know once existed, not a cobblestone of their existence can be
found. World empires, during my brief time on this planet, have folded up their tents,
pulled down their banners, and they are lost. Men whom we thought could never leave us
died, and we wept when they did. Others whose names we feared and who held life and death
in their hands for millions, like the withered grass are but dirt, a haunting memory in
the minds of their victims. The plastic film replays their pomp and threats with the
cavalcade of military might, which is but a story, like Grimms' fairy tales. Nothing
permanent, nothing lasting exists in this material realm.
Abraham looked for this
permanent order. I look for this permanent order. This was the city of
"And many people shall
go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God
of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion
shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isa. 2:3).
What a beautiful figure
Christ is using here to express His tender love for His own people according to the flesh!
"For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of
They have been rejected and
despised as they have gone from nation to nation, until the Jewish name became a byword in
almost the entire world. Just a few Jews continued to dwell in the city of Jerusalem
during the centuries, and from week to week they came and continue to come out to a spot
called the "Wailing Wall," and there they have wept, longing for the return of
those wonderful days of the long ago when Judah and Jerusalem were basking in the sunlight
of the favor of God and they were considered the joy of the whole earth. But although
twenty centuries have passed by, their tears and prayers have been of no avail, for their
house is still left unto them desolate. The city, in spite of its dazzling beauty, and in
spite of its sentimental memory; the land, in spite of its lush natural productiveness;
the religion, in spite of its outward ceremony and pageantry; all is completely empty and
void of spiritual life, there is no living reality, no quickening spirit, no
righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, and no way for them to pass over again to
the old days of glory. The halo of glory has faded off those ancient stones, and has
passed to rest on the true city of
There is a most instructive
proclamation in Rev. 11:19 wherein the beloved John describes a scene in the heavenlies
thus: "And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple
the ark of His testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an
earthquake, and great hail." These words point us to the passing of the old and the
inauguration of the new. At the very moment of the doom of old
In the book of Revelation
John is carried away to an exceeding high mountain and there he is shown that which is
called both a bride and a city. From the top of that high mountain John looks out and sees
a most wonderful city, coming down out of heaven from God, filled and flooded with the
glory of God. The description that follows sets forth to the uttermost bounds of human
understanding the grandeur and beauty of the glorified bride, represented by this great
city. Its dimensions are perfect in proportion and in their outer relations. Its
foundations are adorned with the costliest, most precious stones, the walls are built of
jasper, and each gate is one immense pearl; but the city itself is builded of a gold as
transparent as pure glass. The name of the city is New Jerusalem. Now why is this city
called New Jerusalem, instead of
That city for which Abraham
looked is a city formed of Christ people which has no need of the sun, nor of the moon,
nor the light of any candle, for the Lord God is the light thereof. These Christ people
have no need for the outward light of creeds, doctrines, laws, ceremonies, rituals,
ordinances, baptisms, organizations, programs, etc., for the very presence and life of God
Himself within is their illumination. The nations walk in the wondrous light of this
city's reality, and the kings of the earth bring glad tribute of their glory into it.
Through the open gates no evil thing will ever enter. Within its precincts stands no
temple made with hands, for the Lord God and the Lamb are the temple of it, those who
abide in Him are its priests and its sacrifices are those spiritual sacrifices offered up
from within by Christ Jesus. On each side of the river is the tree of life yielding
continual fruitage. And the leaves of the tree are the word which brings healing to the
nations. The heart never fails to respond with a quickened beat to the lines: "His
servants shall serve Him; and they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their
foreheads" that is, His nature and character shall radiate out of their lives.
Description is far beyond the utterance of my poor tongue! Its majesty and fame and power
and blessing escape me! Methinks that we can but tarnish its exalted glory by our frail
attempt to describe it. It will abide forever and through those wide gates that never
close will flow forth to all nations the illumination and quickening and dominion until
God has gathered together in one all things in heaven, in earth, and under the earth.
Rare indeed is the man or
woman in the religious systems of earth who has a true and spiritual understanding of the
Until our spiritual minds are
able to grasp the truth that the body of Christ is the temple of God and that every room
and mansion in that temple is a living son of God, a literal habitation for God through
the Spirit; and until we understand that the city of God is the bride of Christ, and that
the stones of that city are all living stones, as Christ Jesus Himself is a living stone
and the only foundation that can be laid, we have understood nothing at all. The book of
Revelation shows the development of this Bride-City from glory to glory. Each view is a
fresh and further comprehension of the grandeur of the purposes of God for all who are
called to the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus. The total victory for all the elect is
detailed in all its glorious and eternal reality. This is the beauty of the Church
Triumphant! This is that glorious church that is without spot or wrinkle. It is so great
and mighty! It stands in the age and the ages to come clothed in the awesome majesty of
the glory of the Almighty! It is seen in all of its splendor and heavenly beauty. It was
birthed into the earth at Pentecost and has been processed and matured during the 2,000
year church age. It comes into its final divine perfection and is viewed in the ultimate
eternal triumph and purpose of God. Thus we see that the New Jerusalem, contrary to the
driveling childishness that is taught, is not a fanciful monstrosity some fifteen hundred
miles high, which will one day come floating or crashing down out of the clouds to settle
and rest on the earth like a bump on a little boy's head, throwing it out of balance and
off its course. God made this earth complete and as it should be long, long ago. He
created it a perfectly functioning reality, and "nothing can be put to it, nor
anything taken from it" (Eccl. 3:14). Truly, unspiritual men, who walk after the
flesh and its imaginings, can invent many fairy tales. Thus saith the Lord: "And they
shall call THEM, the HOLY PEOPLE, the redeemed of the Lord; and THOU shalt be called,
Sought Out, a CITY not forsaken" (Isa. 62:12). It is evident that a PEOPLE are the
CITY. There can be no doubt that the city in Revelation is not a literal city, but rather
those who have adorned themselves with the very nature, the very qualities, that their
Husband requires. Those qualities are the very characteristics, the very nature of God.
"But ye are come unto
CASSIOPEIA THE ENTHRONED WOMAN
Jerusalem of old was the
capital city of the national Israel; and as that old order was but a type and shadow of
the new (Heb. 10:1; Col. 2:16-17), therefore the New Jerusalem must be the capital city,
or the ruling element, in Israel today, which is Christ's Kingdom and of which our Lord
said, it "is not of this world" (Jn. 18:36). In other words, the New Jerusalem
is the ruling class, the kings and priests unto God: those who have attained unto the
highest position of honor and might and true greatness in grace. It comprises those who
rule with Christ upon His throne. We, therefore, who have been accounted worthy to suffer
with Christ (II Tim. 2:12), are the New Jerusalem which shall rule over God's infinite
realm for evermore. We are the city four-square, which is the bride of the Lamb. This is
the
In the Bible a city pictures
a government. Abraham was seeking for a government the heavenly arrangement, a
divine rule by the Spirit upon earth. Cities of old were nations in themselves. They had
walls and were self-sufficient. Some of the great cities of ancient times were
Oh glorious city of
This is "The city of the
great King," and "God hath made Himself known in her palaces for a refuge.
How high is our calling when God has chosen us to be a part of "The city of the great
King," "Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus
Himself being the chief corner stone; in whom each several building fitly framed together,
groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for a
habitation of God in the Spirit" (Eph. 2:19-22). Truly in this city of the great King
God hath made Himself known in her palaces for a refuge a high tower. "The
name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and are safe"
(Prov. 18:10). Has He not made Himself known in every palace of this heavenly city, as the
We read that "
Yes,
Truly the glory of the latter
house shall exceed the glory of the former, as the New Jerusalem exceeds in glory the old
Jesus walked among the
people, calling twelve, and seventy, then multitudes of disciples, teaching, preaching,
healing, doing signs and wonders, demonstrating the
Sometime ago Sister Alma
McClure sent out this timely word of wisdom in her paper THE WINNOWER: "In one sense,
we are each an individual temple, for Christ dwells in us by His Spirit. But as a
corporate body, each one is a separate stone. Separate, but not to STAY separate! When we
are PREPARED IN THE QUARRY, fully ready for joining, we 'as lively stones, are built up a
spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God
by Jesus Christ' (I Pet. 2:5). Yes, we are to be JOINED TOGETHER! So why have we so often
found ourselves alone, on the backside of the desert, not fitting in with any group, even
when we tried to do so? George Warnock has said, You will recognize that you can't
make it alone, that you need the body. God WILL join you with the body. But don't get
under condemnation in the meantime, as God works PREPARATION within you! Because He is
joining PREPARED member to PREPARED member! Often it takes the isolation, the separation,
the ostracism, to prepare you to be a temple stone truly fitted and shaped by the Lord, to
be effectually joined to that stone that God has in mind to set you next to! Each
stone was 'made ready at the quarry, that there need be no hammer or any iron tool
needed when the stones are put together! Does that help you to understand the 'strange
path' that you have been required to travel? Yes, the hammer, ax and iron tools of the
Lord's choosing have struck us in our place of preparation, and we have cried out in pain,
not understanding why the trials have been so great, and seemingly without end! But, be of
good cheer! It has been a necessary PREPARATION to FIT IN OUR PLACE, in His glorious
temple, not made with hands! Ray Prinzing has written, "They who have ears to hear
what the Holy Spirit is saying to His called out ones, are coming out of
COMING DOWN OUT OF HEAVEN
One of the beautiful
symbolisms given us in the book of Revelation is the
"And I John saw the holy
city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for
her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God
is with men, and He will dwell with them and they shall be His people, and God Himself
shall be with them and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;
and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any
more pain: for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said,
Behold, I make all things new (Rev. 21:25). My beloved, John saw the city descending
down from God to earth. He did not see us going out into space somewhere. God is going to
perfect the church right here upon the earth and it is going to reign upon the earth. We
are not going off to some celestial city somewhere in space. Behold, the tabernacle of God
is with men! God is coming to dwell in and with mankind. Yet millions of Christians vainly
imagine that they are going to a city up in the sky to live there with Jesus forever and
ever. Multitudes believe that somehow they will escape "The Great Tribulation"
by being raptured and snatched up to heaven. The testimony of scripture is just the
opposite of man's childish superstitions. God has always come to man. In the sacred mists
of long ago
While writing this message an
article arrived in the mail from Terry and Tykie Crisp. How timely the thoughts they
share! "Why is it that this
This
According to the beloved John
everything on earth IS going to be transformed. He speaks of a new heaven and a new earth.
At present heaven and earth are quite separate states of existence, but in the new city of
God which John beheld in spirit they are no longer to be two but one. It is my conviction
that the veil between seen and unseen is a very flimsy one, and that this seemingly solid
matter which forms our prison- house is not so very solid after all. Probably it is
nothing more than our own thought exercised upon a very limited plane, a darkened
perception. It is quite conceivable that we might wake up, as it were, from a sleep, and
realize that there never has been a material and a spiritual, but that we have all the
time been living at the very center of reality, only we did not know it. If men were only
endowed sufficiently with the spirit of wisdom and revelation, and ready for the change,
the veil between heaven and earth would be taken away, the heavens would be opened, and
the two would be seen as one. This is what John means by the city coming down; it is
heaven taking possession of earth and absorbing it into itself.
The world is to be won for
God; there is to be a transformed society of men on earth; in the end earth will become
heaven. Death will be abolished, and sin and sorrow will flee away. When John used the
language of Isaiah about the city needing no light of the sun he meant it in even a
grander way. Henceforth God in Christ is to be the light of every man's life, all the
nations are to walk in that light, and love and brotherhood be all in all. But he makes a
bold stroke at this point by departing from the Old Testament dream of the
We are builders of that City,
All our joys and all our groans,
Help to rear its shining ramparts,
All our lives are building stones;
But the work that God has builded,
Through our bleeding hands and tears,
And in error and in anguish,
Will not perish with our years.
It will be at last made
perfect
In the universal plan;
It will help to crown the labors
Of the toiling hosts of man;
It will last and shine transfigured
in the final reign of right;
It will merge into the splendors
Of the Kingdom of the Light.
Chapter
37
ARIES
THE LAMB
(continued)
In our previous Study on the
Signs of the heavens we considered the first Decan, or minor constellation, in the house
of Aries CASSIOPEIA THE ENTHRONED WOMAN. Cassiopeia is the figure of a
queenly woman, matchless in beauty, seated in exalted dignity. She is seated on a throne,
high and lifted up. With one hand she is arranging her robe; in the other she holds the
branch of victory and triumph, at the same time arranging her hair. She seems to be making
herself ready for some presentation or great public manifestation. Near her sits King
Cepheus on his throne. In Arabic this constellation is called EL SEDU, which means the
freed. Albumazer, an ancient authority, says this woman was anciently called the daughter
of splendor, hence, the glorified woman. Her common name is CASSIOPEIA, meaning the
beautiful, the enthroned. This woman is obviously the Bride of Christ, the Lamb's Wife,
the New Jerusalem of whom John the apostle said, "Let us be glad and rejoice, and
give honour to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself
ready" (Rev. 19:7). In the book of Revelation John is carried away to an exceeding
high mountain and there he is shown that which is called both a bride and a city. From the
top of that high mountain John looks out and sees a most wonderful city, coming down out
of heaven from God, filled and flooded with the glory of God. The name of the City is New
Jerusalem.
THE GLORY OF THE NEW JERUSALEM
When John saw the
This City, John says, has THE
GLORY OF GOD. What is the glory of God? The literal meaning of the Hebrew word for glory
is weight or substance. In the eyes of men this literal meaning frequently lent itself to
the idea that a person possessing glory was laden (heavy) with the substances of this
world. Jacob's flock was his "glory" (Gen. 31:1). The Assyrians' power was their
"glory" (Isa. 8:7). Joseph's high position in the
When God reveals this New
Jerusalem people in all His fullness the world will know this wondrous fact, that
"the glory which Thou gavest Me, I have given them." The glory of God is the
LIGHT of this great City. Not only is it the light of the City, but also of the whole
world, for "the nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it"
(Rev. 21:24). This is that true light which "lighteth every man that cometh into the
world" (Jn. 1:9). "His life is the light of men" (Jn. 1:4). "YE are
the light of the world" (Mat. 5:14). The light of God is pure light, total white
light, for "in Him there is no darkness at all" (I Jn. 1:5). The light of God is
the light of the City. All through scripture we find that light has been a symbol for the
truth. When the Bible says of the Holy City that her light shall be like a jasper stone,
clear as crystal, it simply reveals the true church as having come to all light, perfect
light, all truth, purest truth, absolute understanding, and walking and living in absolute
light and truth the perfection of the mind of Christ within.
The revelation of the Christ
within brings illumination, understanding, perfect clarity about the true nature of all
things. This is that light that "shineth more and more unto the perfect day"
(Prov. 4:18). The light of this City is like unto a stone most precious, even like a
jasper stone, clear as crystal that is, transparent. To live in that City, and in
the light of it, is to walk in a state in which we "see right through" the
illusion of this world, the external form of it, and the denseness of the lower, outer
meanings of the letter of the Word of God to see right through into the mind and
heart of God by the spirit. It is the revelation that carries one beyond doctrine and the
external forms of religion right into the glorious and eternal reality of God Himself. It
penetrates beyond the denseness of carnal understanding and natural comprehension to
behold the substance of God's person and the glories of a realm not seen by the human eye.
This is the realm beyond the
The witness of the Holy
Spirit is that this City, New Jerusalem, corresponds in symbol to the Tabernacle of Moses
and the
"And there shall in no
wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or
maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life" (Rev. 21:27). No
one whose nature has not been transformed shall enter into this City. Since this City is
the true church in perfection and fullness, only those who have been born again of the
Spirit of God and are walking in the Spirit of God until He has changed completely their
nature, so that they have come to perfect purity, perfect wisdom, perfect knowledge and
perfect love, shall arrive at this STATE OF PERFECTION AND FULLNESS which IS the Holy
City. This is the wonderful plan that God has devised whereby nothing that defiles can
enter into this City. For all who come to this state will have arrived at perfection and
fullness and there will be no sin, lack, limitation, darkness or death left within them.
The Bride, the Lamb's Wife, the New Jerusalem, the Holy City with all its foundations,
wall, and gates are then in reality the total unveiling and manifestation of the mystical
revelation of the fullness of the Lord Jesus Christ in His church for the age and the ages
to come.
John measured the City and it
was twelve thousand furlongs or fifteen hundred miles: the length and height and breadth
were equal, as I have pointed out a cube. The measurements are in multiples of
twelve which are a symbol and signature of God's purposes in His elect. Twelve is the
number of divine government. One thousand is the number of the Day of the Lord (II Pet.
3:8). Twelve times one thousand is God's light and illumination multiplied by God's
authority and rule the perfect and full dominion of God by the revelation of His
glory without mixture, limitation or darkness. The Holy of holies of God's eternal Kingdom
is, therefore, in type, 528,000 TIMES MORE GLORIOUS than the Holy of holies in the Mosaic
Tabernacle that was a cube of only fifteen feet each way! The true measure of the City is
the Lord Jesus Christ: "...unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ" (Eph. 4:13). The people who come to this measure will be the glory of God and
the light of the world in the fullness of what that means, and will bring the total
restoration that God, who cannot lie, has promised to all creation. Hallelujah!
This, my beloved, is the hour
of preparation. "And I John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God
out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Rev. 21:2). The Greek
word for "adorned" is KOSMEO and is here used of the "adorning" of the
bride of Christ for her Husband. She is now fully processed and matured, qualified to be
the Queen of Heaven, glorified as His Wife upon His throne. By right of marriage she takes
His name (nature), is the complement of Himself, has joint-ownership of all His
possessions and co-dominion over all His realms. From this word KOSMEO, comes our English
word "cosmetics." The noun form is KOSMOS, which means "order,
arrangement," and is translated in our Bible as "world." The meaning is
just this: The world is to be MADE BEAUTIFUL! But it will be made beautiful by a beautiful
people! There is a vital connection between the adorning of the Bride and the restoration
of creation to the life of God. The latter shall spring from the former. The Bride is
clothed, as she chooses the Lord in the midst of earth's pressures. Therefore, she is
arrayed with all manner of precious jewels. In Isa. 61:10, we see the Bride adorned in
precious jewels, which speak of the process of refining in fire, and of anointing. The
wood, hay, and stubble are gone and her adornment is only that which is of the heavenly
nature of her Bridegroom lover. What we build in our lives is either gold, silver, and
precious jewels, or wood, hay, and stubble; and all shall pass through the fire! These
terms refer to our works, the outer expression of our inner being. These works are not
what we do for God, not the keeping of the law, rules, regulations, precepts, and
traditions. Our works are the expression of the fruit of the spirit (or the lack of it) in
our lives. Pressure will cause us to be either a precious jewel, or a heap of ashes. There
can be no restoration of creation, precious friend of mine, no demonstration of the
Kingdom, indeed, no manifestation of the sons of God apart from the Bride. By marriage she
is joint-heir with the King of kings. The throne (sons) of God is in the midst of her. The
fragrant tree of life nourishes in her street for the healing of the nations who hitherto
walked in darkness and the shadow of death. The river of life flows from her midst, the
foundations of God are laid in her, and the glory of God is revealed upon her. Out from
her we hear the sweet strains of a new message, never heard before in all the history of
the world. "The Spirit and the Bride say, Come." Hitherto the Spirit of Christ
has invited the chosen, the elect, to come. From henceforth the New Jerusalem bride will
be the vehicle of the Spirit's call, saying, "Come," to all the kindreds, and
nations, and tongues, and peoples of the world, and the restitution of all things will
begin. The twelve gates of the City will be opened by day and never closed, for there is
no night there. In response to the glad message, "Come," proclaimed by the
Spirit through the Bride, the nations in glad procession will bring their glory and honor
into the City, a procession which will never cease until every descendant of Adam who has
ever lived or died has entered through the gates of the City back to God from whence he
came. No words from human lips could ever fully describe the wonder of this thing. Only
the Holy Spirit can carry us away and reveal it to our hearts. Christ will not rule
without His bride, for His throne is in the midst of her. She rules and reigns and redeems
and restores in the authority of His wonderful name. She dwells with Him in the union of
eternal love, devotion, purpose and fellowship. The Bride alone can give to Him that which
His heart longs for. She has the capacity to satisfy the very heart of the Almighty! She
is His wife, His beloved, the completion of Himself! Oh, the wonder of it! Oh, the glory
of it!
THE WALLS
Another of the beautiful
symbols given us in the New Jerusalem is that of its majestic wall. "And had a wall
great and high. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the
gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as
large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs.
The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall
thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is,
of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper..." (Rev. 21:15-18).
According to this passage the City lies foursquare, 1,500 miles each way with a wall
around it that is one hundred and forty four cubits high. That makes the wall 264 feet
high. Now, if this is a literal city in heaven, who are the enemies this wall is designed
to keep out? What would be the purpose of a wall 264 feet high? Or, if we understand this
City carnally, will the new heavens and the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness be so
wicked that walls are needed to protect and defend it? Even in our time, what protection
would a wall 264 feet high provide? Would such a wall hinder jet planes loaded with bombs
or missiles carrying warheads?
The literal interpretation of
these beautiful symbols cannot explain any purpose for this wall. But understood
spiritually, the walls have deep meaning and wonderful significance. The walls of this
City are SALVATION. "In that day shall this song be sung in the
There is another aspect.
Walls are not for protection only, but for exclusion. Everything is excluded that defiles.
"And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever
worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of
life" (Rev. 21:27). Nothing can come into this City but that which is the life of
Christ. Anything that is not of His life must be excluded. Those who inhabit this glorious
realm are separate from the filth of
THE GATES
"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
The gates are the entrance
into the Kingdom realm of God. "There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the
vulture's eye hath not seen: the lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion
passed by it" (Job 28:7-8). "It shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean
shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall
not err and go therein" (Isa. 35:8-9). It is only by and through the wisdom, grace,
and Spirit of God that we can find an entrance in through the gates of the
The twelve gates of the City
bear the names of the twelve tribes of the children of
The names of the twelve
tribes of
There are twelve gates to the
I do not hesitate to tell you
that the Christ went and sold all that He had, He emptied Himself, made Himself of no
reputation, being made in the form of a servant, and in the likeness of sinful flesh,
laying aside the glory He had with the Father before the world was, and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross truly He paid ALL for the Church! The
inspired writer has borne divine witness: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves...to
feed the
The pearl was the most
precious substance known to the ancients. A large pearl is almost priceless. A single
ordinary pearl's worth may be as high as $200.000. And there is a reason for the pearl's
great value. Some one hundred years ago, a common mussel living in the
The value of a pearl more
than an inch in diameter is fabulous. The world's largest natural pearl found anywhere
(recorded by Guinness) turned up in a giant killer clam off the coast of the Philippine
Islands. It weighed a little more than 14 pounds. The pearl is baroque in shape, a little
bigger than a man's head, and was valued at $4,080,000 a few years ago. How staggering is
the statement that the portals of the New Jerusalem are each a single pearl! Each one
represents the wealth of a world. Twelve of them matched! It stuns the imagination.
The pearl is formed within a
living creature by a living process. Pearls do not grow in the open air, or exposed to the
outer elements. Most are formed within an oyster, hidden away within the depths of the
seas. The oyster is certainly not a beautiful creature on the outside, yet God has
ordained a spiritual lesson for us in that on the inside of the oyster, through processes
that He has ordained, something BEAUTIFUL and of GREAT VALUE can be formed. Thus a pure
heart, a divine mind, a heavenly nature is formed in the center of the ugliness of an
outwardly earthly creature. It is a living thing a living process and has
its seat at the very center of the life. The creation of the pearl is initiated by the
introduction of an irritant and in the life of the overcomer that irritant is THE
CROSS. It is produced out of suffering, and the crucifixion of a life. The "sea"
is a type of the soul, and the living process involved in making the pearl is the living,
dynamic work of GRACE that flows out from our spirit joined to His Spirit, in response to
the inworking of the cross, producing the beautiful character qualities that give us an
entrance into the higher dimension of God's Kingdom. Our hearts are made pure, the new
creation life is formed in soul and body, through the crucifixion of the natural life and
the outflowing of His grace. The cross enters our lives as something that hurts we
may see it as a trial, a difficulty, a hard place, a crisis experience but it
pierces the flesh-life, evoking streams of the pearly nacre of HIS LIFE AND GRACE, forming
the beauty of the Christ within.
Never forget, precious friend
of mine, that each gate, each means of entrance into that City, is a PEARL we
cannot be admitted to the Heavenly Jerusalem unless God has produced something in our
lives akin to the beauty and value of the pearl. As someone has pointed out, pearls can be
found anywhere in the world, even in waters that are somewhat shallow, but the best
quality pearls are found in the depths of the sea, speaking to us of a deep work of God in
our lives. "They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep" (Ps. 107:23-24).
Without a doubt a pearl is one of "His wonders in the deep." As God does a
deeper work in us, piercing to the very depths of our life, then truly "deep calleth
unto deep at the noise of the waterspouts" (Ps. 42:7).
Leland Earls wrote: "A
pearl cannot be produced without suffering in the oyster. Heb. 2:10 says that Jesus was
'made perfect through suffering. The Greek word used here is PATHEMA, meaning
'something undergone, i.e. hardship or pain. Another Greek word is used in Heb. 5:8
where we read that Jesus learned obedience by the things which He suffered.' The
word in this passage is PASCHO, which means to experience a sensation or
impression.' Thus it was ALL the experiences that Jesus went through which prepared or
perfected Him for His role or ministry as KING-PRIEST in the
In ancient times, pearls were
regarded as a symbol of perfection. This came about because of their pure color
predominantly white with some rose, pinks, lavenders, delicate purples, greens and tones
of gold. Their appearance was also regarded as softer, more feminine, than that of mineral
gems such as diamonds and emeralds. Because they are softer and vulnerable to scratches,
pearls need gentle treatment. A modern comparison of pearls and other precious gems, made
by a woman's magazine some time ago, stated in a mock-serious vein that, while diamonds
make a woman appear harsh and mysterious, pearls make her more sexy and sensuous. Is it
not remarkable, in the light of this worldly evaluation, that two millenniums ago the Holy
Spirit used the pearl as a symbol of entrance into the company of the prepared, adorned,
beautiful and glorious bride of the Lamb! She is prepared, perfected, matured, adorned
with goodly pearls as a bride for her Husband. Corporately, it is the feminine qualities
of God formed in a people and united to Himself. Individually, it is the soul cleansed,
sanctified and transformed, made one with the spirit. Oh glorious City of
THE FOUNDATIONS
"And the wall of the
city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And
the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones.
The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the
fourth, an emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the
eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth, the
twelfth, an amethyst" (Rev. 21:14.19-20). As we read these wonderful words it becomes
at once clear that the use of gems in the description is not by chance but instead by
divine purpose, because it specifies the kind to be used in relation to each foundation
and the gates. What wealth of joy and instruction for God's elect is contained in this
highly figurative language! Here we are told that the twelve apostles of the Lamb are the
foundations of the City. This alone should be ample evidence to us that God never intended
to present the idea that this New Jerusalem is a literal city. For it says that human
beings, the twelve apostles of the Lamb, are the foundations of the City! In Eph. 2:20 we
are told that we who are the temple of God are built upon the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone. So we see that the
apostles and prophets are the foundation and that we are to build upon this foundation.
We, the body of Christ, are God's building; we, the body of Christ, are God's
There are twelve foundations
not separate foundations apart from one another supporting different parts of the
City, but twelve foundations laid one upon another, giving perfect and full support to the
whole. Since these foundations are adorned with dazzling stones it is evident that they
are not beneath the ground, but underneath the City in a heavenly realm, clearly visible
for all to see. Jewels are brilliant. How often the clear sparkle of a gem set in a ring
or as an ornament of adornment catches our eye, and almost without thinking our gaze
follows its every movement. We are fascinated by the delightful way facets reflect in
varying hue the rays of light that fall upon them. Oftentimes the large, well-cut gem
seems to possess an inner light apart from that which strikes it. However, this we know is
only an optical illusion, because no jewel possesses light within itself. So with the
saint of God and the gifts and graces that are conferred upon us. Apart from God we are
nothing, even as the brilliance of the jewel darkens and dies when taken from the light.
Jewels are beautiful.
Precious stones have a beauty of form and color that delights the eye. Visualize spread
out before you on a cloth of midnight blue velvet, some jewels of beauty. The clear, icy
sparkle of the diamond, the warmth of glowing red of the ruby, the cool green of the
emerald beside the regal purple of an amethyst. See also a sapphire reflecting the blue of
heaven; a chalcedony, pale blue, translucent, and wax-like; and interspersed among them
all, lustrous pearls, warm glowing spheres so strikingly different from the sharp facets
of the other gems, all reflecting the same light in gloriously different hues, none
detracting from the other, but all enhancing the beauty of the whole. Those many-hued
stones bring out the varied qualities of God, made known through His people. There will be
different rays of His glory revealed through them, illustrated by these different precious
stones, which are the emblems employed, to set forth the luster of God's elect, in
heavenly glory, and the way in which He displays the beauty which He has formed in them.
Put a light through an emerald, and it is quite different from that of the ruby, and
although we are all partakers of the grace and glory of God, that grace and glory will
shine through each differently, and no two are alike. It would be an immense pity if all
the saints were like a truck load of bricks all the same shape, and color. What a
dull, drab City it would be! Just as there are not two leaves of the forest alike, so
there are not two saints of God alike. All are alike in being perfected in His image, but
all are different in the expression of that image, just as children are different
expressions of their parents.
My heart has been thrilled
and stirred beyond measure as I have mused upon the glories of the Holy City of God's
great and eternal Kingdom. It has stood out to me that the names of the twelve apostles of
the Lamb are inscribed upon the twelve foundations of the City. Time and space do not
permit us to explore the deep meaning within each of the names of these apostles, but each
bespeaks of a foundational principle in the governmental realm of God. In the various
symbols of this City we see different representations of truth and the purposes of God in
His people. The walls speak of the strength of the Christ within as our defense against
every enemy of the spiritual life. The gates portray those precious truths and experiences
in God by which we are given an abundant entrance into the High Calling of God. The
foundations figure for us those foundational truths, experiences, ministries, and
characteristics upon which the whole economy of God's Kingdom rests. The Church is built
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief
corner stone. This means that Christ is foundational in the life of the New Creation
there is that of Him which is laid in us as the basis, underlying principle,
substratum, and support of all that is raised up in our lives. Christ Himself is the
apostle of our profession, says the writer to the Hebrews. The apostles, that is, the
apostolic ministry, is one of the underpinings of God's house.
Our English word
"apostle" transliterates the Greek word APOSTOLOS which means one who is sent.
During the earthly ministry of Jesus twelve disciples were called "apostles". In
Rev. 21:14 these are called "the twelve apostles of the Lamb. This means that
the twelve were specifically those who followed Jesus and were sent forth by Him during
the days of His earthly walk as the Lamb of God come to live among men and be slain in
sacrifice for them. The scriptures clearly show that the twelve were uniquely the apostles
of Christ to the Jews (Acts 1:15-26; Acts 1:8; Gal. 2:8). Thus, the twelve were an
entirely different order of apostles than those set forth in Eph. 4:7-11 where we read:
"Therefore He saith, WHEN HE ASCENDED UP ON HIGH, He...gave gifts unto men...and He
gave some apostles..." These apostles were not given by the Christ during His three
and a half years of ministry while He walked the earth in a flesh and blood body as the
Lamb of God. This order of apostle was given by the RISEN and ASCENDED Lord, and given not
to the Jews, but to THE CHURCH which is His body. This order of apostle went beyond the
twelve and included Barnabas and Paul (Acts 14:4), Sylvanus and Timothy (I Thes. 2:6), as
well as Andronicus and Junia (a woman!) (Rom. 16:7) among others. These were all apostles
to the early Church, even as the twelve were apostles in
May the spirit of wisdom and
revelation from God grant us understanding in this unique and momentous hour at the end of
the age! It is my deepest conviction that God is raising up and sending forth an entirely
NEW APOSTOLIC MINISTRY in this present day. I do not hesitate to declare to you that the
apostle's ministry has always been essentially that of bringing in a NEW ORDER. A friend
has shared the following insights into this great truth: "Apostles build where NO
OTHER MAN HAS BUILT. So if a man is doing what others have done for years before him, or
what was done two thousand years ago, I do not see that as a true apostolic ministry
today. Moses, as an apostle, brought in an entirely new order. He went up into the
mountain and brought down the house-law for the new dispensation. Jesus, as
the apostle of our profession' ushered in a whole new age, and the Church Age
apostles established that new thing. Apostleship is associated with NEW THINGS, foundation
layers, those who CRACK THE FORM OF THE FORMER AGE and bring forth the essence of it and
build the essence. Jesus, as an apostle, cracked the form of the Old Covenant and brought
forth the essence of it in Himself.
"Many brethren have felt
an inward call to apostolic ministry in this hour, and not yet understanding the fullness
of what the Lord is doing have tried to apply that call in the wrong realm: moving under
Church Order in an attempt to fulfill it. The sun is now setting on the Church age and the
transcendent glory of that brighter and greater age when the body of Christ has been
brought to its fullness, the manifestation of the sons of God, and all nations brought
under the dominion of the
THE STREET
Can we not see that all
natural things have spiritual counterparts? John on the Isle of Patmos, beholding these
glories in the Spirit, wrote, "And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were
transparent glass" (Rev. 21:21). Here I would share the comments of another on this
passage which eloquently sum up the very truth the Spirit has quickened in my own heart.
"In the symbolism of scripture, gold is the symbol of the nature of God. As much as
gold is the perfect metal that cannot be tarnished, so God's nature is perfect and it
cannot be tarnished. From times immemorial men walked on streets. So the street of the
City speaks of our walk. The fact that the street of this City was pure gold reveals to us
the truth that in our walk, we will have come to the perfect walk in the nature of our
God, having attained to the perfect nature of our God, walking in perfect purity, perfect
holiness. We cannot overemphasize the truth that the idea that so many christians have in
their spiritual immaturity that some day they're going to go to a literal, physical
city, in space somewhere, with streets paved with literal gold and buildings made out of
jewels is merely a notion that is the product of spiritual childishness. There is no
physical city anywhere in God's vast universe having streets paved with gold and buildings
constructed of jewels. There never will be any physical city with streets paved with gold
and buildings made out of jewels as our 'heaven.' Our heaven is revealed to us in Eph.
2:1,5-7, where the scripture says, 'And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses
and sins...but God...when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,
and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST
JESUS: that in the ages to come He might show (display) the exceeding riches of His grace
in His kindness toward us through Jesus Christ.'
"To became exactly like
Christ this is our 'heaven', no matter where we happen to be in God's great
universe. 'Whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of
His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren' (Rom. 8:29). This is our
final dwelling place, our final state of being, when we have come to our glorified
spiritual state, come to perfection in Christ Jesus, and have become the
"When we have attained
to the resurrection power of Christ and we want to transport ourselves from one place to
another, we won't have to walk down any literal street paved with gold, or asphalt, or
anything else. We will simply think the thought in the will of the Father and we will be
there. So streets paved with gold would be of no value to us, or buildings of jewels,
because we won't live in physical buildings. Our dwelling place will be in God by the
Spirit! The only reason that gold and jewels are so attractive to us now is because we are
still physically in our carnal state and these things are beautiful on this plane and have
real monetary value. They have carnal value here on earth. When we have attained to our
spiritual state in spirit, soul, and body, such things will mean nothing to us because all
things will be ours. Not one physical thing will have more value than another to us. So we
see that there never was, and never will be, any literal city in heaven someplace with
streets paved with gold. These are simply symbols which God uses to present to us
spiritual realities. That spiritual reality is the
THE TREE OF LIFE
"In the midst of the
street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare
twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree
were for the healing of the nations" (Rev. 22:2). What would you expect to find in
the midst of the street of a great city? Without doubt, the din of endless traffic, and
the hurrying of eager feet. But was there ever half so beautiful a street as that seen by
the aged eyes of the Seer of Patmos? In a loving description of the New Jerusalem, he
noticed that in the midst of the street there was a river, and on either side of the river
there was a tree the tree of life. A tree in the street! And what a tree! Ever
young and fair, bearing fruit all the year round, and dressed in leaves which were able to
heal the sick and torn nations of the world as soon as they entered this street of the
City of God and plucked thereof.
Thank God, the work of God
upon the world is not yet done. The nations of earth are sick, even today; the mind and
the heart are not sound; they need healing. And they find it on the leaves of the tree in
the street of the City of
Notice that the leaves of the
tree are for the healing of the nations. There has never been anything given to mankind
for the healing of the nations, healing of the dread sickness of sin and death under which
all are cursed. There has been no medicine, no philosophy, no governmental arrangement, no
social order, no set of laws, no religious system nothing that has or can heal.
Healing comes only through the Word of God. So the leaves of the tree are the truths of
God's Word that are given to us by the Spirit of God, which is the river of life, by which
we partake of the tree of life, and of its leaves which are the eternal truths of God's
Word, truths which alone will bring the healing of the nations. Let me make it as plain as
possible. The river is the Spirit the tree is the Word. The Spirit and the Word! It
is out of the Spirit of God that the Word of God issues forth. The Spirit is life. The
Word is an incorruptible seed planted within the river. We are born again of the Spirit,
and we are born of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God which liveth and abideth
forever. We drink of the Spirit, whereas we eat of the Word. When the ministry of the
Spirit in the Lords body brings forth the Word of life in all its power and
authority the nations will be healed!
The tree of life bears twelve
manner of fruits. Twelve is the number of divine government, and the fruit is the fruit of
the spirit. Therefore the twelve manner of fruits that the tree of life bears simply
represents to us the fruit of the spirit borne in our lives in POWER AND DEMONSTRATION.
The Kingdom (rule, government) of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and
joy in the Holy Ghost. When the fruit of the spirit is produced out of our lives until the
nature of God is revealed powerfully and communicated effectually to men producing change
and transformation there is the blessed fruit of the wonderful tree of life!
THE RIVER
"And he showed me a pure
river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the
Lamb" (Rev. 22:1). This wonderful river is called the "water of life"
because of its life-giving properties. Earthly streams usually have their source in some
mountain spring, but this river of living water, has its source in the throne of God and
the Lamb. This stream originates unpolluted, incorruptible, and undefiled in all the
power, all the authority, and life of Christ. This is the river and the water that Jesus
spoke of to the woman at the well, "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall
give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of
water springing up into everlasting life" (Jn. 4:14). "In the last day, that
great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come
unto Me and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly
shall flow rivers of living water...this spake He of the Spirit" (Jn. 7:37-39).
This pure river of life of
the Holy Spirit brings unto every believer the divine life and nature of God that is made
available unto us by the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ has made us partakers of His divine
nature. He has given us His own divine life. This
Chapter
38
TAURUS
THE WILD BULL
As we continue our study on
the real meaning of the Zodiac, we come now to the Sign of TAURUS THE WILD BULL.
Taurus, The Bull, has the same meaning in virtually every language in which it is known.
It is a picture of a great beast, a bull or ox, with his head lowered and his horns
pointed forward. He is untameable and irresistible. He is charging forth rampaging,
raging, bringing destruction to all that is in his way. It is interesting to note that the
Sign of Taurus is only the forepart of the bull: actually, as it is seen in the heavens,
it appears to grow right out of Aires, the Lamb. The picture is of a lamb that changes
into a Bull. In a previous constellation we saw Capricornus, half goat and half fish,
giving birth to the Fish, the body of Christ; the slain lamb giving birth to the people of
God. Here we see the gentle and redeeming Lamb taking on a different form and character
now giving rise to the Christ coming in great glory and in swift and powerful
judgment. In salvation and deliverance we meet and know and experience Him as the Lamb,
but to all that is contrary to Him the world, the flesh and the devil He
becomes the irresistible Lord of Judgment.
The chief star in Taurus is
Al Debaran, located in the bull's eye, and means The Captain, The Leader, or The Governor.
Then there is the cluster of stars known as Pleiades which means The Congregation of The
Judge. Also the second Decan of TAURUS is Eridanus meaning The River of The Judge. So
there is no doubt as to the significance of TAURUS judgment! This character of the
bull, as denoting the Christ coming forth in judgment, is presented by the pen of
inspiration in these enlightening words: "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from
heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God,
and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (II Thes. 1:7-8). Long
millenniums ago the prophet Isaiah declared, "Come near, ye nations, to hear; and
hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things
that come forth of it. For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and His fury
upon all their armies: He hath utterly destroyed them, He hath delivered them to the
slaughter. For My sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea,
and upon the people of My curse, to judgment. For the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and
a great slaughter in the
What a picture of divine
judgment! The subject of judgment is a large one in the Bible, running through scripture
from Genesis to Revelation, and it is so manifold in meaning, purpose, and application
that it eludes simplification. The judgments of God run deep and are so vast and
multi-faceted that they lie completely beyond the comprehension of the carnal mind and
beyond the grasp of mortal man. As exclaimed by Paul, "O the depth of the riches both
of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how UNSEARCHABLE ARE HIS JUDGMENTS, and His ways past
finding out!" (Rom. 11:33). David prophesied, "...for He cometh, for He cometh
to judge the earth; He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His
truth" (Ps. 96:13). Paul urged the Athenians to repent "because He hath
appointed A DAY in which He will JUDGE THE WORLD in righteousness by that Man whom He hath
ordained, whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He has raised Him from the
dead" (Acts 17:31). Judgment is inseparably related to the coming of Christ and His
Kingdom. "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord, Jesus Christ, who shall
judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His Kingdom" (II Tim. 4:1).
We have met some brethren in
this word of sonship and the
There is going to be a unique
and different unfolding of this One we call Jesus Christ! We have known Him as the Saviour
of the world but He is about to go forth bringing His judgments to the whole earth,
to the entire bestial order that the carnal mind of man has erected. In the book of
Revelation we see the Christ riding forth on a white horse with the armies of the sons of
God following in His path, "judging and making war. In Revelation 6:16 it is
called "the WRATH of the LAMB. What an amazing divine paradox! The
"Lamb" of God who "takes away the sin of the W-O-R-L-D" on the one
hand, and the "wrath" of the Lamb on the other hand. The Lamb precious
embodiment of meekness, mildness, lowliness, gentleness, patience and sacrifice
coming upon the world for which He died in the hot fury of vengeance, until men are found
fleeing from the wrath of the Lamb! Ah, this is Aries, the Lamb, who becomes Taurus, the
Bull! Is it not written in the heavens?
This dual nature the
meekness of the Lamb and the vengeance of the Wild Bull makes Him what He is, both
the SAVIOUR and the JUDGE of the universe. In His redemptive activity His face is set
against sin and death. Nothing can ever alter that. He will go to all lengths to turn men
from evil, and restore them into harmony with the mind and heart of God. The sheer
simplicity and sincerity of His passion is enough to melt and win the most sophisticated
or the hardest of men. The wrath of the Lamb is beyond our understanding. But the Seer of
Patmos was shown the unveiling of the wrath of the Lamb. I want to declare that God is
going to come forth in these last days in a revelation of Jesus Christ with the judgments
and wrath of God. This shaking and purging will affect the very church of the living God.
The hour is come when judgment must begin at the house of God, but the whole earth will
reel violently under the overflow. And do not think, precious friend of mine, that this
judgment that begins at the house of God pertains to Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggert. The
judgment of these brethren is the judgment of God revealed against that great city,
There is a two-fold working
of God in the lives of the Lord's apprehended ones. First, SELF must be dethroned, and in
the accomplishment of this Christ is the Wild Bull, clothed with strength and majesty and
terribleness. As the Wild Bull He will crush every bone in the body of your self life and
tear away and destroy every vestige of your flesh. But as the Lamb He wondrously imparts
of HIS LIFE that you may live by the spirit. The Wild Bull is Christ warring, destroying,
conquering all that pertains to the nature of old Adam. The Lamb is Christ AS OUR LIFE,
that we may appear with Him in glory. But further these same qualities and
characteristics must be fulfilled in the elect as we are conformed into His image, made
ONE IN HIM. The company of the sons of God shall bear both the image of the Lamb and the
Wild Bull. The strength and ferocity of the Wild Bull nature shall function through the
sons in perfect unity with the gentle and ministerial character of the Lamb. These two
streams of the divine nature, working together as one, in judgment and in mercy, shall
flow mightily and great, and will cause the very earth to shake, will move heaven and stir
hell, and bring the triumph of God's Kingdom among men. Hallelujah to the Lamb! Hallelujah
to the Bull!
I pointed out previously that
the chief star in TAURUS is Al Debara, located in the bull's eye, and means The Captain or
The Leader. Then in the constellation of TAURUS there is a cluster of stars known as
PLEIADES which means The Congregation of the Judge. Ah God is revealing not only
the righteous judgments of our Lord and Leader, Jesus Christ, but He is preparing and
forming His WILD BULL COMPANY, those blessed ones made one with the heavenly Taurus and
the Lamb on Mount Zion. This glorious ministry shall prevail in the earth and restore all
back into God again. The scriptures reveal that the church is the body of Christ, and
God's blessed Christ must include both the Head and the body. All true saints must be
aware of this sacred secret that the body is the body of ALL THAT THE HEAD IS. If
Christ the Head is Saviour, then the body of Christ the Head is the body of the Saviour
a body of SAVIOURS. If Christ the Head is King, it follows that the body of the
Head is the body of the King a body of KINGS. And armed with the knowledge that
Christ the Head is the great and universal Judge, it should be perfectly clear that the
body of the Head is the body of the Judge a body of JUDGES! The purpose of the
firstfruits being judged is that they in turn may be qualified to judge. The judgments of
God shall be executed upon the human family and the ages to come by this glorious
CORPORATE CHRIST, Jesus Christ the Head and all the sons and daughters of God, His body,
the completeness of HIS THRONE which shall smite the dark kingdoms of this world, and the
saints shall take the kingdom and reign with Christ in power, authority and glory.
God is preparing a mighty
COMPANY OF JUDGES whose responsibility it shall be to JUDGE THE WORLD in righteousness!
Daniel 7:21-22 sheds much light upon this subject. "I beheld, and the same horn made
war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of days came, and
JUDGMENT WAS GIVEN TO THE SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH; and the time came that the saints
possessed the kingdom." Again, "And he that overcometh...to him will I give
POWER OVER THE NATIONS: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron" (Rev. 2:26-27).
"And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and JUDGMENT WAS GIVEN UNTO THEM"
(Rev. 20:4,6). The apostle Paul adds, "Do ye not know that the SAINTS shall JUDGE THE
WORLD? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest
matters? Know ye not that WE shall JUDGE ANGELS? how much more things that pertain to this
life" (I Cor. 6:2-3). Jesus spoke of this same beautiful truth when He said to His
disciples, "Ye are they which have continued with Me in My temptations. And I appoint
unto you a kingdom, as My Father has appointed unto Me; that ye may eat and drink at My
table in the kingdom, and SIT ON THRONES JUDGING THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL" (Lk.
22:28-30). Most of the Christian world is waiting for Jesus to come at "any
minute" and bring judgment upon the earth. In the greater light of present truth we
now understand that the judgment which HE IS, and which is now wrought out in His saints,
the firstfruits of His redemption, will ultimately be manifested to creation in and
through the sons of God. The judges for this day are now in preparation for their awesome
task. Yes, YOU shall judge the world, saints...but you will do it in humility and with a
broken heart full of compassion and love. Taurus, the Bull, emerges out of Aries, the
Lamb. The first aspect of the ministry of the judges in the coming age is JUDGMENT. This
work, however, shall be swiftly followed by the second ministry of MERCY and RESTORATION,
for God's judgments are ever by correction unto redemption.
THE SWEET INFLUENCES OF PLEIADES
In the neck of Taurus is a
cluster of stars called PLEIADES, also known as the Seven Sisters or the Seven Stars.
Pleiades, as I have pointed out, means The Congregation of The Judge. In the thirty-eighth
chapter of the book of Job God asked Job some very pointed questions. One of the most
suggestive of all these questions, and one that may well cause the reader to ponder
deeply, is found in the thirty-first verse. Here the query is raised, "Canst thou
bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orian?" A gentleman who
spent the first forty years of his life in ancient Mesopotamia, the land where Job lived,
brought some light upon this rather fascinating query. He said that though they are, of
course, close together in the sky in that far-away eastern land, the Pleiades and Orion
are the constellations which introduce the spring and winter seasons. So this is a
pertinent question that God asks of Job, nor can it be answered by any man since Job,
including the present generation. When the Pleiades shone in the sky at night, the men of
that land knew that spring had come. Note, then, this question carefully, "Canst thou
bind the sweet influences of Pleiades?" That is to say, when sap has begun to flow,
when the leaf has appeared on the bough, and the tree has put forth her blossoms, when the
grass springs forth from the sod, and the brooks begin to sing, is there any human
influence which can lock them again in the still bands of winter? In a word, when God
begins to make a spring, no man can hinder or retard. In the same sense of finality, when
Orion flamed in the sky of that land, winter had come. How utterly fantastic for man to
seek to reply in the affirmative to this question of the Almighty, "Canst thou loose
the bands of Orion?" No man can loose the bands of winter. When the blossom and the
leaf disappear and all the singing waters are locked in the icy manacles of winter, who
can hinder God in the progress of the season?
Spiritually, no one can
hinder or stop the ongoing seasons of God as He brings forth His purposes in the earth.
Historically, the purposes of God have marched forward triumphantly from age to age, from
dispensation to dispensation, from dealing to dealing, unfolding God's Kingdom in the
earth from realm to realm. The New Testament record begins at the period just before and
at the time of the coming of Jesus into the world. Just like the seasons, "When the
fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son" (Gal. 4:4). He came into the world
to do away with the old dispensation and covenant of law, which had no power to bring life
to dead souls and is symbolized by winter, and to usher in the new dispensation of grace,
which is symbolized by spring. The law of God has never been fulfilled excepting in Jesus
Christ. That which man could not do, Christ came and did as He walked upon earth and when
He died upon
As we think of the faint
light that the people of God had under the old dispensation, we see that it truly was
winter. It was like the warmth of the sun in midwinter, when its rays can scarcely
penetrate and disperse the frost in the air. There was no more power in the law to give
life to one soul, than there is power and warmth in the midwinter sun and atmosphere, to
bring out the flowers of spring and the fruits of summer and autumn. Not through works of
the law or religion, nor of himself, is man saved; but it is the gift and work of God. He
has given unto us eternal life, and the life is in His Son. He that hath the Son, hath the
life; and he that hath not the San hath not the life. In the individual, this is a picture
of the soul who is dead in trespasses and unbelief; full of deadness and darkness, full of
fruitlessness; whose life is bleak, cold, dead, like midwinter. When the breaking up
comes, and the rays of the sun begin to fall upon the winter of death and unbelief, the
clouds of doubts and fears and ignorance begin to roll away; and the warmth of the
"Sun of righteousness" brings life and warmth to the soul. It is the rain that
comes when winter begins to break up that prepares the ground for the seed and
fruitfulness. It is the breaking up that comes in deep conviction and dealing, with godly
sorrow and repentance, that prepares the heart of man for the seed of Christ and
fruit-bearing. The rain cannot bring fruit any more than can the snow and winter; but it
prepares the ground for the germination of the seed, which has life in it, and has life
more abundant.
As the summer comes on the
flowers appear upon the trees and upon the vines of the heritage of the Lord. As yet there
is no fruit, but the blossoms give promise of a rich harvest from every shrub and plant,
from every vine that the Father has planted in His vineyard. This is the beginning of the
setting up of the
The wonderful truth is: NO
ONE CAN HINDER OR STOP THE PROCESSES OF GOD! God has a plan! At the beginning of the
church age the world was visited by events so momentous in their power and glory that all
things were changed from that time onward. In the eternal realm before the ages were
formed, and ages before man first saw the light of earth's day, the almighty Lord set in
motion His omniscient and immutable purpose for the ages which were to follow. As a year
is filled with weeks and a week is filled with days and a day is filled with hours, so
time is filled with ages and ages with dispensations. Let it be thoroughly known that our
all-wise heavenly Father planned the events of each successive age from the very first age
unto the ages of ages far beyond the comprehension of mortal man. It is not by accident
nor by natural evolution that the world has progressed from the darkness of paganism to
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. It is by
divine design. The plan of the ages conceived in the heart of Him who purposed all things
after the counsel of His own will is being worked out one step at a time in each
succeeding age in like manner as people who read these lines have often planned in advance
the work for each successive day of a week or each week of a year. Is it not true that
many of the wives and business men now reading this paper have plans in mind for today and
tomorrow and perhaps even months and years in the future? Whether consciously or
unconsciously we all plan ahead, daily and hourly working toward some human goal. There is
nothing that opens the wellspring of love, of faith and understanding, in the human heart
like the knowledge of God's purpose. What infinite joy, what satisfaction and assurance
flood our souls when for the first time in our lives our great and wonderful Father is
seen to be a God of purpose, knowing the end from the beginning because He planned the
beginning and planned the end! He created all things by His omnipotent power that His
glorious purpose might be fulfilled. And the power that made all things and brought forth
all things into being is the same power that upholds all things and controls all things
and shall almightily bring to a successful conclusion the divine purpose in all things.
My dear brother in Christ,
Stacy Wood, recently shared with us the following word which masterfully sums up the point
I am making. "Two millenniums ago God began a work in His people, and in the book of
Revelation He recorded it through His servant John. These things,' He says, must
shortly come to pass (Rev. 1:1). The Greek word here translated shortly'
doesn't mean that these things would come to pass within a few days; it means that when
they begin they will continue until they have been fulfilled or brought to completion. I
am persuaded that we are in the fulfillment we are in the days when things are
'shortly' coming to pass when the purposes of God are marching forward to their
fulfillment and completion. We are in the days when events are suddenly happening about
us, God has set into motion events which have been progressively unfolding in His body
from age to age, each age becoming brighter and brighter and better and better until
finally God pulls the veil off from who we really are and causes us to BE. God started
something that HE is completing, and that is where our confidence has to be.
"'Being confident of
this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day
of Jesus Christ' (Phil. 1:6). It is GOD who began the work in you, beloved. I did not
begin it, it was not a preacher that began it, it wasn't our ability to grasp hold of some
light that began it. It was the Light Himself, who is the Light of our being, who dawned
upon our consciousness and began a good work in us. Since He began it, we must trust Him
to finish it. We may think we know what He has in mind for us, but the One who drew up the
plan and began the work is the One who really knows what the finished product is all
about. So we must rest upon, confide in and trust that the One who began the good work in
us will bring it to completion.
"I do want to define
this term 'good work.' In the English language when we think of good we relate
it to that which feels good, tastes good what we like. If we don't like it, it's
not good. If it pleases us, it's good. But that would be an inaccurate understanding of
this word good. A better English rendition of the word would be WORTHWHILE.
God has begun a WORTHWHILE work in you! And He will complete it! The word worthwhile bears
wonderful significance for me because I realize that with the good there is also the
bitter and difficult, but it all works together for good. I do not look at everything that
comes my way as being 'good.' In fact, the vast majority of things that come my way, if I
were to judge it as being good or bad, I would say is bad, not good! But you see, now I've
learned that it's not a matter of good and bad it's a matter of worthwhile or
worthless. I'm learning that everything that comes my way by the hand of the Father is
certainly WORTHWHILE! Sometimes it's very bitter, but it's worthwhile. So God has begun a
worthwhile work, a worthwhile endeavor in us. And He is capable of bringing it to
its fullness, its completion, unto the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" end
quote. Thank God! He shall complete the work in us. To us, as to Job of old, the question
comes, Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of
Orion?" No way! God's truth, God's will, God's purpose, God's seasons, God's new
creation march relentlessly and inexorably onward.
The prophet Amos spoke the
word of the Lord concerning the heavens and their relationship to the elect when he said,
"Seek Him that maketh the seven stars (Pleiades) and Orion, and turneth the shadow of
death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of
the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: the Lord is His name" (Amos
5:8). Paul Mueller has written concerning this beautiful and significant prophecy:
"Not only do the heavens 'declare the glory of God, but also the
firmament showeth His handiwork. God's present work involves making or creating
the seven stars. Seek Him that maketh the seven stars and Orion.
These 'seven stars' represent the remnant gathered out of the seven periods of the church
age who shall come forth in the fullness of their brilliance to begin the kingdom age. Not
only is the Lord making the 'seven stars,' but He is also making or creating Orion,
as the prophet Amos has declared. The prophet mentioned both the seven stars and the
constellation Orion as having special prophetic significance. This is not the word of a
man, it is the word of the Lord. Therefore, Orion, as well as the seven stars, must have
particular importance for the elect in this hour. As we read the Bible, we will find that
the Lord has veiled His truth in parables, allegories, types and shadows. Such is the case
with the truth of Orion, which is a constellation in the heavens associated with Taurus,
the bull.
"When doubts assail and
fears dismay, we should look to the heavenly example, and see Christ Jesus, our faithful
High Priest. He is completing the circuit in the heavens, thus giving us a clear picture
of the victory that is ours in the fullness of time. He is running His course as a strong,
happy youth, starting from the distant skies and whirling through the full extent of it,
just as we are doing in this world. We are seen as stars in that heavenly realm. We are
the seven stars that are in the Lord's right hand, thus indicating that we
shall complete this course in the strength, power and authority of His right hand. Let the
blessed words of truth be a constant encouragement, for as He is in His heavenly
sanctuary, so are we in this present world of carnality and corruption. This is the truth
of the mystery of the seven stars that are in His right hand. The mystery of
the seven stars and of the gloriously adorned Orion in the heavens presents a picture of
great hope for all the apprehended ones, and for the whole creation. As the seven stars
are a part of the great Orion Prince in the heavens, so are we essential parts or members
of the Princely Christ Company who is destined to rule the world.
"This Christ company of
today is far greater than the resurrected and glorified Jesus. All during this age, a vast
company of sons has been joined to Him by the Spirit. Therefore, John saw Him as being
like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about
the paps with a golden girdle. His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as
snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they
burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters. And He had in His right
hand seven stars; and out of His mouth went a sharp two edged sword: and His countenance
was as the sun shineth in his strength' (Rev. 1:13-16). Seven stars are seen in His right
hand which He holds with honor, dignity and hope. We are the seven stars that He proudly
holds in His right hand, for He has purchased our salvation, and is also leading us to the
fullness of sonship. He who is the great First Cause of the universe is guiding
His many children (sons) to His glorious salvation (Heb. 2:10, Smith-Goodspeed). And
again, These things saith He that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars
(Rev. 3:1). He who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks holds the seven
stars representing His holy remnant. This Christ company is anointed with the seven
spirits of God, illustrating their divine power and authority. They are made up of the
remnant gathered throughout this age. The union of these seven stars into the one body of
Christ is depicted in the heavens as Great Orion. In the fullness of time, the Lord will
loose the bands of Orion, and the manifestation of the sons of God will take
place.
In His discussions with
Job, the Lord asked him where he was when He laid the foundations of the world, and also,
'when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy' (Job
38:4-7). The implication given here is that the morning stars sang together and all the
sons of God shouted for joy, when the Lord was laying the foundations of the earth. Why
did they/we sing on that blessed, primeval occasion? Because the Father taught us the
wonderful truth of the deliverance of the creation, and of our part in that magnificent
work of restoration, as stars in union with Christ, who is the primary Star. This is the
mystery of the seven stars in His right hand. The 'mystery' of this great truth is
becoming less of a mystery as the Spirit reveals the truth of it. When we come into the
knowledge of the fullness of all truth, the mysteries will no longer be mysteries, but
will be fully revealed and known by all the wise. The truths found in this portion of the
book of Job are deep mysteries that can only be understood by the revelation of the Holy
Spirit. But when the Spirit reveals them to us, we feast on its glories and rejoice in the
magnificence of the Father's great plan of redemption and restoration" end
quote.
Brother Mueller has touched
on a most precious and significant point in his writing quoted above. God is
"making" both the seven stars (Pleiades) and Orion. Let all who read these lines
know that the seven stars of which the prophet Amos spake and the seven stars in the right
hand of the One like unto the Son of man in John's vision on Patmos are the same seven
stars. "The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in My right hand, and the
seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels (messengers) of the seven
churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches" (Rev.
1:20). It is significant to note that the word "angel" in both Hebrew and Greek
simply means messenger, which in no way limits it to celestial beings of a different order
than men. "Angel" means messenger: one sent with a message, who is both the
message itself and the personal representative of the Sender. The Hebrew word MALACK
equals messenger. The Greek word AGGELOS means messenger. Anyone sent with a message is a
messenger an angel. If there had been
The very same word is used of
those sent by men, those sent by satan, and those sent by God. Any messenger sent by a
king, or any other person, is in both the Hebrew and Greek languages, an angel of that
person, viz: a messenger. If sent by a human being, the messenger-angel was the personal
representative of that one, in the message he was commissioned to bear. Luke 7:18-28
speaks of the messengers of John the Baptist as angels and in verse 24 we read, "And
when the messengers (angels) of John were departed..." These same messengers are
called disciples in verse 18. If sent by God, the messenger-angel was the personal
representative of God, in the message he was given to bear. In Luke 7:27, John the Baptist
is denominated as an angel, "Behold, I send My messenger (Greek: "aggelos"
angel) before thy face..." It could just as well have been translated,
"Behold, I send My angel before thy face..." The context always decides whose
angel the messenger is. John was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb, to
bear a message from God, and accomplish a mission for God and His Anointed One the
Christ. In the anointing, the word, and mission, John was a man-angel of God, the greatest
prophet born of women!
The mystery of the seven
candlesticks is that they "are the seven churches." The seven churches represent
THE WHOLE CHURCH REALM THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CHURCH AGE. Some say they are seven church
periods or ages, and I do not doubt there is truth there. But the seven churches also
represent the entire church within any given period of time. All the states and conditions
within those seven churches are with us in each and every generation. If you want to know
what the church has been like during the past two thousand years look at the seven
candlesticks! There you have the divinely inspired portrait of the church realm during
this age painted by the brushstrokes of the Holy Spirit of revelation. The Lord commends
and praises them on the one hand, while warning and rebuking them on the other hand. These
churches reveal the true nature of the whole church throughout the age, and history and
personal experience both testify conclusively that John was shown aright. And from that
day to this, make no mistake about it ALL CHURCHES HAVE BEEN THE SAME! They are
today! And should the church age continue on for another thousand years the church would
not have changed. The word of God immutably declares it! The seven candlesticks are the
seven churches, and the seven churches are the church throughout the entire church age.
The "New Testament Church" realm can never be different from what John saw in
spirit, for that I-S THE CHURCH IN THIS AGE.
In the vision there is One
who stands in the midst of the candlesticks and in His right hand are the seven stars. Not
only are the seven stars in the right hand they are the right hand. This meaning is
often expressed in common speech: "He is my right hand man," meaning the one who
carries out my instructions, accomplishes my will, and does things in my place. The seven
angels are a messenger company in the realm of the spirit, a revelatory people, having the
seven spirits of God, the seven-fold intensified spirit of the Lord formed within as the
Knowledge, the Wisdom, and the Power of God. Each of these seven stars are a SPIRIT, a
HOLY SPIRIT, personified as the WORD OF GOD. Altogether they are the arm of the Lord, the
hand-ministry of God in the midst of His people and in the earth. The seven churches are
one church or body of the Christ. The seven spirits are the Power and Knowledge and Wisdom
of God flowing through a spiritual ministry to that body. The seven messengers are the
spiritual instrument through which the deep things of God are communicated to the
churches. They are not so much persons as the anointing, the spirit of wisdom and
revelation, the spirit of prophecy, the dispensation of God out of the realm of the
Spirit. The seven messages are seven dimensions of the revelation of Jesus Christ to those
who are called to sonship the overcomers. The seven messages are the complete and
perfect revelation of Jesus Christ. Each of the seven messages is given BY Jesus Christ
THROUGH the angels, the messengers, the anointings. Each message concludes with the
combination warning- call, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what THE SPIRIT saith
unto the churches." Each individual message has a word to all the seven churches as
well as to the individual church which is named. Those seven churches are still in the
world today. Every believer who dwells in the candlestick realm is part of at least one of
them, and a part of them all. And God has a special and challenging message for the
churches in this hour, for we have come to the end of the church age when ALL MUST BE
FULFILLED. That message is embodied in a hand ministry the seven stars in the right
hand of the One standing in the midst.
When he that readeth can
grasp the mystery of the seven stars, which are the messengers of the seven churches, and
the seven spirits of God, he will better understand why the word of the Kingdom is
commited to an elect company of saints in this significant hour, and not to the run- of-
the- mill believers in the popular church systems. Not all have the spirit of prophecy or
the spirit of wisdom and revelation from God. Now I would draw your reverent attention to
a most significant point. The King James Version of the Bible prefaces each message to the
churches with these words, "Unto the angel of the church at
Let us UNDERSTAND! The term
"unto" in the command of the Spirit to John is, in the Greek, in the dative
case. Greek is different than English, and in the Greek language of the New Testament the
dative case is used to signify not only "to" and "for," but also
"in," "with," and by." Let me give you a couple examples of
such usage. Indeed, there are many! "Of His own will begat He us WITH the word of
truth" (James 1:18). The construction here of "the word" is in the dative
case and is translated by the preposition "with," as the means of begetting us.
He does not say "to" the word of truth, rather, He begat us WITH the word of
truth, or BY the word of truth. Again, "Blessed are the poor IN spirit..." (Mat.
5:3). The Greek here is in the dative case, and is translated "in," rather than
"to." It would make no sense at all to say, "Blessed are the poor unto
spirit." This is the identical form of the definite article "the," which is
used in each of the messages to the seven churches and is translated "to"
"Unto the angel...write." But the meaning is "in" or "by" or
"through" the angel, and not "to" the messenger. The Emphatic Diaglott
correctly renders this phrase: "By the messenger of the congregation in
The message of the book must
come to us, not merely from the pen of the beloved Seer, not by carnal comprehension of
the words written on paper, but from the seven spirits the seven-fold intensified
spirit of the Lord! The book apart from the illuminating messengers, the seven stars, is
empty, dead, unintelligible and unprofitable. You see, precious friend of mine, John was
"in the Spirit" in the day of the Lord when he received the Revelation. "I
was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, what thou seest, write in a
book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia" (Rev. 1:10-11). So many
are looking today in the natural for the events unfolded in the Revelation to come to
pass, but John was in the Spirit when he wrote the book he wasn't in the natural!
He was in a realm beyond the natural, and beholding events in a realm beyond the natural.
These things are written in a language that only the spiritual mind (the seven angels) can
understand. A natural mind produces a natural concept. It should be obvious that only a
person who knows French is able to read a book from
ORION
The first Decan, or minor
constellation, in the house of TAURUS is Orion. It is one of the most magnificent of all
the constellations of the heavens. Of Orion Kenneth Fleming has written in his book, GOD'S
VOICE IN THE STARS, "Orion, is, without doubt, one of the most spectacular and
wonderful sights in all the heavens. The brilliance of Orion is seen both in its starry
wonder and in its prophetic significance. It is magnificent. Two of its stars are of the
first magnitude: Rigel, a pure white star, and Betelgeuse, an orange-red color. All the
other leading stars are white. Orion is a mighty hunter with a tremendous club raised high
in his right hand. In his left hand he holds the skin of a lion which he has killed. The
lion skin is marked by a curved line of small stars. His belt and sword are well known and
his head is marked by a small triangle. His left foot is raised to crush the head of his
enemy, Lepus. The scriptures mention Orion as a constellation, twice in Job and once in
the prophecy of Amos (Job 9:9; 38:31; Amos 5:8). The Hebrew name means A Strong One, A
Hero. The Egyptian name means This is He Who Triumphs. The hilt of Orion's sword is the
figure of a Lamb, and He is thus identified with the Lamb that was seen in Aries. Orion
means Coming Forth as Light. Historians and scribes have sought to flatter earthly heroes
by comparing them to Orion, from Nimrod to Napoleon. However, all these heroes pale into
insignificance before HIM of whom Orion truly speaks the Prince of Glory. Orion
pictures His glorious coming: 'Who may abide the day of His coming?' (Mal. 3:2)"
end quote.
The aspect of Orion that
portrays the Lord coming forth as light confirms the prophet Ezekiel's vision of the
presence of the One whose voice John described, in the book of Revelation, "as the
sound of many waters" (Rev. 1:15). Ezekiel associates that appearing with the Glory
of the Lord, stating, Behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of
the east: and His voice was like the noise of many waters: and the earth shined with His
glory" (Eze. 43:2). The result is that the earth is bathed in the Glory of the Light,
of which Glory the prophet said that it "was the appearance of the brightness round
about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord" (Eze. 1:28).
Of the Glory of God revealed
in type by the constellation Orion one has written: "One of the most inspiring and
thrilling of the secret disclosures of astronomers is that there is a great empty space in
the north in the Nebula of the Constellation Orion a cavern so gigantic that the
mind of man cannot comprehend it, and so brilliantly beautiful that words cannot
adequately describe it. But, surpassing the immensity of its size, its exquisite beauty
and luminous colors are unlike any on earth. Professor Learkin, at Mt. Lowe Conservatory,
gives us the following descriptions: 'These photographs reveal the opening and interior of
a cavern so stupendous that our entire solar system would be lost therein. I have watched
it since the days of youth in many telescopes of many powers, but never dreamed that the
center is the mouth of a colossal cave. Pen of writers and brush of artists alike are
lifeless and inert in any attempt to describe this interior. The depths of the Orion
Nebula appear like torn and twisted objects, and rivers of shining glass, irregular
pillars, columns of stalactites in glittering splendor and stalagmites from the mighty
floor. The appearance is like that of light shining and glowing behind the clear walls of
ivory and pearl, studded with millions of stars.' There must be some reason why all this
grandeur is lavished on this one spot in the heavens. The colors are a hue peculiar to the
Orion Nebula and studded around the opening so that they appear as a pavement of starry
sand. No wonder the astronomers say that they feel some Almighty 'Presence' while scanning
this part of the heavens, and become speechless before this great outburst of grandeur
extending for trillions of miles through space" Howard B. Rand.
Paul Mueller has shared the
following beautiful observations concerning the glory of Orion. "The astronomers'
knowledge of Orion's glory is nothing compared to the reality of the anointed company that
is represented by Orion. This company is still in preparation, but the hour of their
manifestation is near. The astronomers have little or no understanding of the plan and
purpose of God displayed in the heavens, yet they are thrilled and excited by what they
see. They use the most expressive terms possible to describe what they see. We believe the
constellation Orion specifically illustrates the coming manifestation of the sons of God.
Orion therefore represents the body of Christ coming forth out of the wilderness of this
world in the very light and glory of God. This manchild company is the Glorious Prince who
comes forth triumphant. In Orion, he is seen as coming forth in great light, prepared and
anointed to judge and to rule. Every one among this anointed company has overcome the
mystery of iniquity. This 'man' is gloriously adorned like unto the Son of man
just as John saw him in vision. He is 'girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head
and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of
fire; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as
the sound of many waters (Rev. 1:13-15).
"Our triumphant,
omnipotent Lord of all is making the seven stars and Orion. He is
preparing each one who makes up the 'seven stars' so that He may join them in the holy
bond of divine love into one body, thus making one corporate company with Christ their
Head. Orion depicts the body of Christ coming forth in the image and likeness of Christ,
for Orion means, the coming of a mighty, triumphant, glorious prince, he who triumphs, who
comes forth as light. This complete Christ body is represented in the heavens as Great
Orion, the mighty, majestic prince who shall both judge and rule. He is made up of the
saints who are in union with Christ their glorious Head. And we who have joined Him
'outside the camp' are privileged to be partners with Him in His great redemptive work.
Nothing is lacking of armor, power, wisdom, authority and strength, for he is anointed
with the seven spirits of sonship. His sword is the word of God. His breastplate is the
breastplate of righteousness. He is girt about with truth. He has the shield of faith, not
a mans faith, but the very faith of the Son of God who is represented as a lion
lifted high in his left hand. He is wearing the helmet of salvation, for this company has
partaken of the fullness of salvation, which is the transformation of their bodies. And
whether we realize it or not, this anointed prince company IS NOW warring in the Spirit
(Eph. 6:12-17). We are now wrestling in the Spirit against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, for the kingdoms of man are coming down with lightning like speed.
"Here is another vital
truth displayed in the heavens. Every time Orion comes to the meridian, or to his highest
point, he is accompanied by several adjacent constellations of great splendor. The
manifestation of the sons of God will be much greater than Orion's display in the heavens
now, greater than the glory of God at Sinai, greater than the transfiguration of Jesus and
His appearance with Moses and Elijah, and greater than the tongue of mortal man can tell.
The hour of manifestation is approaching. This Christ body shall soon come to his
meridian. The hour of culmination is at hand. We shall soon reach the point of high noon,
the highest point in the heavens. Then the whole Christ body will be at its meridian,
which is the highest point of spiritual attainment. When the sons of God are manifest, the
angelic hosts and all creation will then explode in praise and worship of Him who has
wrought such a grand deliverance. As Orion is accompanied by several adjacent
constellations of great splendor when he comes to his meridian, so the sons of God shall
be accompanied by the hosts of heaven in a glorious display of the light and power of God
that will overshadow all other previous events. Christ, the mighty Stone, soon will appear
to complete our salvation, and launch our glorious unveiling" end quote.
If you can receive it, it was
from such a realm of glory and eminence and blessing that Adam fell! Since the
transgression in
We have passed through a time
of great darkness. It has been a long night of travail yearning, waiting, longing.
Darkness has blinded the minds of men, a deep sleep has been upon the Adamic race, the
death of the carnal mind has kept earth's inhabitants in the regions of the shadow of
death. But let it be shouted from the housetops THE LIGHT IS COMING! It is time to
cast off all works of darkness, now to be clothed with the armor of light. CHILDREN OF
LIGHT, STARS AND SUNS, THE DAZZLING BRILLIANCE AND LUMINOUS BEAUTY OF ORION, WE ARE TO
BECOME. Birthed into the new age, to bring forth the glory and triumph of His Kingdom.
Thank God, the first rays of light of the new day are painting the eastern sky! Thank God,
a few of His chosen ones have arisen to behold the glories of the dawn and to drink in the
intoxicating freshness of the morn!
We are appointed to shine
with the exquisite beauty and glittering splendor of Orion. The glory of Orion is
unequaled by any other sight in the heavens. We have now come to
ERIDANUS
The second Decan, or minor
constellation, in the house of TAURUS is Eridanus, meaning The River of the Judge. It is
pictured as an immense, fiery, molten river that flows out from before the glorious Orion,
running past Cetus, the Sea-monster, and disappearing finally into the extremities of
outer darkness. This Sign speaks again of judgment, associated with fire. This same
picture is presented in the Psalms. "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence:
a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him"
(Ps. 50:3). "The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be
glad thereof. A fire goeth before Him, and burneth up His enemies round about. His
lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. The hills melted like wax
at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens
declare His righteousness, and all the people see His glory" (Ps. 97:1-6). Also, we
read in Isaiah: "Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far, burning with His
anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: His lips are full of indignation, and His tongue
as a devouring fire. And the Lord shall cause His glorious voice to be heard, and shall
show the lighting down of His arm, with the indignation of His anger, and with the flame
of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones" (Isa. 30:27,30).
Again the scripture testifies
of this fiery River of the Judge, "HE is like a refiner's fire...and He shall sit as
a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as
gold and silver" (Mal. 3:22-23). Nothing is more certain than the fact that Jesus
Christ has already come, or shall yet come into the world of each of us in FLAMING FIRE!
Because of the gross misunderstanding of almost all people concerning the fire of God, I
would draw your reverent attention to the natural process of fire. In the book of
Revelation the Holy Spirit describes the manifestation of God as fire under a remarkable
symbol. "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the
LAKE WHICH BURNETH WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE..." (Rev. 21:8). The word "burn"
means combustion, or to consume. To consume does not mean to annihilate, for the law of
the conservation of energy precludes any such thing as annihilation. You can annihilate a
form, but not a substance. When fire consumes the charcoal in your grill it does not
destroy any of the elements within the charcoal, it merely changes their form. Combustion
is the process by which chemicals combine to form new chemicals. For example, a tree might
be cut down, sawed into fire wood, and burned. In the first place, the tree was formed by
drawing chemicals out of the earth and air and rearranging them into the form of a tree.
Now, when the wood burns, the heat causes those same chemicals to vaporize, mixing with
the oxygen in the air to form new chemicals, including water and the gas carbon dioxide.
So what was formerly a tree can no longer be identified as a tree, but it still exists in
its entirety the substance thereof is now simply changed, transformed into a
DIFFERENT FORM! Thus, to burn means to CHANGE. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that
fire does not burn down; it always burns up; it seeks the highest level. And all that it
consumes (changes) "goes up in smoke," to exist in a new form in a higher
dimension. Even if you take a pan of water and place it over a fire, before long the water
will take on the property of the fire and will begin to go up in steam. To burn means to
change, and the change is always upward in motion.
FIRE is the heat and light
you feel when something burns (changed by heat). It takes heat to start a fire, but once
the fire is started it produces heat that keeps the process going. Thus, fire is really
heat and light. In my study of the lake which burns with fire and brimstone (which lake is
formed by the fiery River of the Judge) I was very much helped and impressed by the
understanding given by Charles Pridgeon, and I would like to quote from his scholarly work
on the subject of BRIMSTONE. He says: "The
I realize that the above
thoughts define the subject very briefly, but let us summarize the meaning thus: BURN
means combustion, to change the form of. FIRE means heat and light. BRIMSTONE means
divine. Putting these three together can we not see that the lake burning with fire and
brimstone is, actually, DIVINE HEAT AND LIGHT PRODUCING AN UPWARD CHANGE! If you think the
There is no better way to
deal with filth than to deal with it by fire. The human heart, according to the testimony
of scripture, is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. The heart is the
filthiest of all things in God's great universe. The punishment by penal fire leads back
to the beginning of things. The final work of God in this world will be the destruction of
the world (order) by penal fire. That will change all things. That will melt all the
elements, so that no man can tell you where his original grab was. It will burn up all the
governments, institutions, systems, and fruitage of the carnal mind. It will melt all the
customs, cultures, traditions, and practices of society and make of this earth a new earth
wherein dwelleth righteousness. Every man's work will eventually be tested in this fire.
The fire will try every man's work of what sort it is. If you and I build into our walls
wood, hay, and stubble, that fire will find it out, and the wall will come tumbling down.
We will be saved though as by fire, saith the Lord. When God turns on the HEAT, the
BLAZING LIGHT OF HIS SPIRIT AND WORD some things begin to change! The fire is never
sent to destroy the person, but to purge out all that hinders and separates him from his
God, to consume the pride, arrogance, hostility, defiance, and rebellion of the flesh and
the carnal mind, that he might then be wooed and drawn by the Holy Spirit of Love unto the
Father of Spirits and live.
Chapter
39
TAURUS
THE WILD BULL
(continued)
In the previous Study on the
Signs of the heavens we considered the Sign of TAURUS THE BULL. It is a picture of
a great beast, a bull or ox, with his head lowered and his horns pointed forward. He is
untameable and irresistible. HE is charging forth rampaging, raging, bringing
destruction to all that is in his way. It is interesting to note that the Sign of Taurus
is only the forepart of the bull; actually, as it is seen in the heavens, it appears to
grow right out of Aires, the Lamb. The picture is of a Lamb that changes into a Bull. Here
we see the gentle and redeeming Lamb taking on a different form and character now
giving rise to the Christ coming in great glory and in swift and powerful judgment. In
salvation and deliverance we meet and experience and know Him as the Lamb, but to all that
is contrary to Him the world, the flesh, and the devil He becomes the
irresistible Lord of Judgment.
This dual nature the
meekness of the Lamb and the vengence of the Wild Bull makes Him what He is, both
the SAVIOUR and the JUDGE of the universe. In His redemptive activity His face is set
against sin and death. Nothing can ever alter that. He will go to all lengths to turn men
from evil, and restore them into harmony with the mind and heart of God. The sheer
simplicity and sincerity of His passion is enough to melt and win the most sophisticated
or the hardest of men. The wrath of the Lamb (as the Wild Bull) is beyond our
understanding. But the Seer of Patmos was shown the unveiling of the wrath of the Lamb. I
want to declare that God is going to come forth in these last days in a revelation of
Jesus Christ with the judgments and wrath of God. This shaking and purging will affect the
very church of the living God. The hour is come when judgment must begin at the house of
God, but the whole earth will reel violently under the overflow. The judgment that begins
at the house of God comes first to those who have received the call of sonship, to those
apprehended to the High Calling of God, to those predestined to be conformed into the
image of the Son of God that they may rule and reign with Him in His Kingdom. The Lord
comes suddenly to His temple as a refiner's fire and as fullers' soap. He shall thoroughly
purge His floor, and purify the sons of Levi.
We come now to the third
Decan, or minor constellation, in the house of Taurus AURIGA. We have seen the
picture of a mighty Bull rushing forth in judgment, followed by Eridanus, the fiery River
of the Judge; and now we see AURIGA THE GREAT SHEPHERD. He is seated upon the Milky
Way, holding up on his left shoulder a she-goat, who has her paws around the neck of
Auriga. The goat is looking down in fear and apprehension at the terrible, raging,
rampaging Bull. On his lap, and held by his left hand, Auriga supports two little kids,
apparently new-born, and bleating, affrightened and trembling, but obviously safe and
secure in the strong embrace of the Shepherd. The name Auriga is derived from a Hebrew
root which means "A shepherd." Is not this the celestial portrayal of the Good
and Great and Chief Shepherd gathering the lambs in His arms, and carrying them through
all the judgments, disciplines, purgings and processings of God in His bosom? Is He
not saying, "Behold, the Lord God will come with a strong hand, and His arm shall
rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He shall feed His
flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His
bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young" (Isa. 40:10-11). Furthermore
the exceptionally bright star in the foot of Auriga is called El Nath which means
"wounded" or "slain." Is not this indeed He who was once bruised or
wounded in the heel (Gen. 3:15)? He is the "GOOD Shepherd," who gives His life
for the sheep (Jn. 10:11), and He is "the GREAT Shepherd," brought again from
the dead (Heb. 13:20), and is now "the CHIEF Shepherd," seen in the day of His
glory among the sheep of His fold who hear His voice and follow Him all the way to Mount
Zion (I Pet. 5:4).
It should not be surprising
to find Auriga, The Shepherd, connected with Taurus, The Bull the constellation
denoting judgment. Judgment begins at the house of God and the Great Judge of all is also
the Great Shepherd of all. "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it
is not in man that walketh to direct his steps; O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not
in Thine anger, lest Thou bring me to nothing" (Jer. 10:23-24). What security, what
safety and what peace fills the heart of the trusting child of God who understands
the great truth that it is not in man to try and direct his own way, the responsibility is
not cast upon him, but upon GOD. It is true "all we like sheep have gone
astray; we have turned every one to his own way..." as the prophet declares in Isa.
53:6, the Lord has allowed us to wander off this way, knowing that we shall have awesome
experiences by which we shall learn vital lessons which later shall be used in our
instruction and correction. A story is told of one who talked with a shepherd in the high
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Among the many emblems of our
Lord in the Scriptures and in the Signs of the heavens, I think there is none more
beautiful than the one in which He said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd
giveth his life for the sheep. The writer to the Hebrews says, "Now the God of
peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep,
through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do
His will..." (Heb. 13:20-21). "The God of peace who brought again from the dead
the GREAT SHEPHERD..." It means that He already was the Great Shepherd before He
entered the tomb, for it was the Great Shepherd that was brought back from the dead. In
the Hebrew Old Testament the God of Israel is designated as "The Shepherd of
Israel," or Pastor and Leader of the nation. When our Lord Jesus Christ declared
Himself to be "The Good Shepherd" the Jewish leaders knew that He was claiming
to be Yahweh in- the- flesh. Although the hierarchy rejected His claim, the elect gladly
accepted it. Those who followed Him, who heard His voice, and were fed and guided and
taught by Him knew Him experientially as the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd and the
Chief Shepherd.
Just how great is the Great
Shepherd? Great through His creative power? Yes. Great through His miracle-working power?
Yes. Great through His preaching and teaching power? Yes. Great through His nature, His
personality, and His attributes, human and divine, that were combined in Him? Yes, He was
in the days of His flesh the greatest in that respect that ever walked this planet. But in
Heb. 13:20 there is the unfolding of actual greatness. The Greek text reads, "Now may
the God of peace, who brought up from the dead that Shepherd of the sheep, Great by the
blood of an aionian Covenant, even our Lord Jesus Christ." He is Great through
sacrificial love, He is Great through sacrificial power, He is Great through the
out-pouring of HIS LIFE on behalf of, and unto, His sheep. To have given us a Shepherd was
much; but to have given us such a Great Shepherd is marvelous! More is meant than the mere
quickening of the dead body of Christ Jesus. There is included, also, His exaltation by
the right hand of God, to be a Prince and a Saviour, a King and a Redeemer, a Forerunner
into the
George Wylie shared some
precious insights into the Shepherd ministry of the Lord Jesus, of which I would share a
portion. "What a Shepherd He is! What I have been impressed about is His care for the
individual sheep. He is not just a shepherd of a vast flock of sheep, He knows each
individual sheep and calls them by name and His care for the individual is just as great
as for the flock. This is illustrated in the parable of the one lost sheep. When He
brought His flock into the fold for the night one sheep was missing. What would that
matter! What was the value of one sheep among the multitudes that He had. Who would miss
one little sheep HE did He left the rest of the flock in the shelter of the
fold and went out to find the one lost one. It meant just as much to Him as did the rest
of the flock.
"'He that entereth in by
the door is the shepherd of the sheep. And he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth
them out' (Jn. 10:2-3). To know them by name means that each has a separate identity and
possesses characteristics peculiar to the individual. In the natural sphere this is true
also. It is remarkable, but has often been verified, that however large the flock, the
animals are individually known to the shepherd who recognizes each one by its face. This
almost incredible fact has been proved again and again in courts of law, where the
testimony of the shepherd that a stolen animal is his, because recognizable to him by
face, has been accepted as proof of ownership. The humble child of God must never suppose
that he is only one among many. Though untalented and undistinguished he is of equal
consequence to Christ as those distinguished for gift and activity. All are equally
precious to the Shepherd, and His most particular care is reserved for those who need Him
the most.
"The 23rd Psalm has
become very precious to me in the last few months. It starts out by saying, "Yahweh
is my shepherd." Now I know this is referring to God, the Father, but the Son is the
manifestation of the Father to us. He takes the Father's place in all things. So what is
said here of Yahweh also applies to His Son YeHoshua. David wrote this Psalm, and what
impressed me was the individual tone he used in writing the Psalm. Yahweh was known as the
Great Shepherd of Israel. David could have said, Yahweh is our shepherd; we shall
not want. He maketh us to lie down in green pastures... but he didn't. He said,
'Yahweh is MY shepherd, and all the way through the Psalm he emphasized the
individual care he received from God. Just notice: 'He maketh ME to lie down in green
pastures; He ]eadeth ME beside the still waters. He restoreth MY soul; He leadeth ME in
the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with ME; thy rod and thy staff they
comfort ME. Thou preparest a table before ME in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest
MY head with oil; MY cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow ME all the
days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of Yahweh forever. All the way
through the emphasis is on the individual care he received from the great Shepherd.
"'Yahweh is my shepherd;
I shall not want.' When I went to Sunday School as a child one little boy in the class was
quoting this Psalm. We had to learn it by heart. He said, The Lord is my shepherd,
that's all I want. With a shepherd as He is what else do we need or want. He is the
supply of every need. He doesn't just supply our needs, He isn't just the supplier of our
needs; HE is our need, our only need. He doesn't supply our needs out of His storehouse or
pantry; He gives of Himself to us. What He gives is not something He has an abundance of
in His great storehouse; it is Himself He gives to us, of His own person and being,
something of what He is. This is our need, our only need more of HIM. We will never
be in need while He is our Shepherd.
"Let us look at some of
the things mentioned in this Psalm that we will not have any want or lack of. 'He maketh
me to lie down in green pastures.' This is a picture of a sheep lying down contentedly in
a field of luscious verdant grass. It has partaken abundantly of the luscious green grass
and is full and satisfied. I can picture it lying down in this lovely pasture, resting and
contentedly chewing its cud with not a care or worry in the world. This tells us that we
shall never want for rest, provision, contentment and satisfaction. 'He leadeth me beside
the still waters.' I can imagine this beautiful setting, a beautiful green meadow with a
lovely little lake at the end of it, the waters reflecting the clouds drifting by and the
trees growing along side casting their cool shade. I used to like to find a place like
this for myself an a nice summer day and stretch out on the grass and watch the clouds as
they slowly made their way across the sky, constantly changing shape; looking at times
like animals, ships, people and faces. There is a place in the Spirit with the Good
Shepherd just like this, a place of rest and calm in ones' soul where nothing disturbs the
tranquility of the spirit, where all is peace and rest and confidence. Though the world
around may be falling apart, millions starving and thirsting for lack of the necessities
of life, the Good Shepherd makes His sheep to lie down contentedly, at peace in the green
pastures of His abundance, and beside the still waters. The waters of life may be
turbulent, they usually are; but in the spirit we are beside the still waters.
"I should say something
here that may be helpful to some. We have here a picture of a sheep that will never know
what it is to feel the pangs of hunger or thirst; there is always an abundant supply at
hand. The Lord said, 'He that drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never
thirst,' yet we also have the scripture that says, "They that hunger and thirst after
righteousness shall be filled. There are times we will be hungry and thirsty for the
things of God; in fact I always am. I eat and eat and yet I hunger for more, I drink and
drink and yet am still thirsty. Why should this be? Jesus said we would never thirst
again, and yet I do, all the time. One thing good for us to know is that most things in
the spirit are diametrically opposed or opposite to the natural. Natural laws and
spiritual laws are different. For instance, in the spirit realm, up is down and down is
up. By that I mean if you want to make something of yourself in the natural, you aspire to
great things. You climb the ladder of human ambition, striving for the top and caring not
how many people you trample under foot to get there. In the Spirit realm it is different;
if you want to be great in the
"In the natural when we
eat and drink until we are full we are no longer hungry or thirsty, but in a few hours we
will be we always get hungry and thirsty again. This is hard to explain, but in the
Spirit, like the sheep that is lying down in green pastures and beside still waters, we
can be satisfied and contented, yet there remains a strong desire for more. This is a
different kind of hunger and thirst than we have in the natural. We can be full,
satisfied, and contented, and yet at the same time hungering and thirsting for more. My
experience is, the more I partake of the things of the Shepherd, the greater becomes my
hunger and thirst for more. So I am full, satisfied, contented, and at the same time
hungering and thirsting for more of the deep and glorious things of God. This is a paradox
and hard for the natural mind to comprehend but so it is in the realm of the
Spirit. We will never hunger and thirst again as we do in the natural because we
lack and yet, we will never cease to hunger and thirst after righteousness until we
come into the fullness of Him. In the natural, when we eat and drink we lose our hunger
and thirst for a time; if we don't eat and drink for a season we will soon get hungry and
thirsty again. It is just the opposite in the realm of the Spirit. I find that the more I
eat and drink of the bread of Life and the water of the Spirit the greater my desire for
more. If I neglect to eat and drink regularly of the things of the Spirit of God, I do not
get more hungry and thirsty; rather, I begin to lose my appetite for God and my thirst for
the things of the Spirit diminishes. This is just opposite to how it works in the natural!
I have never been more satisfied, full and contented in my spirit than I am today, and yet
I have never been more hungry and thirsty for more of His life and reality. Try to explain
that in human terms! There are many paradoxes in the spirit 'As deceivers, and yet
true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; chastened, and not
killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having
nothing, yet possessing all things (II Cor. 6:8-10).
"'He restoreth my soul.
What has really blessed me is the knowledge, brought out by this Psalm, that He is not
just the Shepherd of a great flock of sheep, but that He is my personal Shepherd; totally
involved with me in all my affairs, taking care of me as though I was the only sheep He
had. Have you ever been in the place where you needed your soul restored? Because of the
trials, tribulations, adversities, pressures, reverses, battles against the powers of
darkness; when things seem to have gone all wrong and nothing seems to be right; when the
thick darkness has settled all around you, and there seemingly is no light at all; when
you are hemmed in by the multitude of trials and troubles and there appears no way of
escape, all hope is vanished, even the Lord seems to have forsaken you; you are
disillusioned, despondent, and in despair you cry out in your distress, Lord, where
are you? Why is all this happening to me? I don't understand it!' He's there, beloved. He
is never far away. He is the Tender and Good and faithful Shepherd. He is at hand to
restore your soul, to lift you up out of your distress and despair and to restore you
again to that joy and peace and confidence and power that you once have known.
"He leadeth me in
the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. There is much said about
righteousness in the scriptures. What does righteousness mean? God is righteous; He is
righteous because He does all things right and is never wrong. This is what God is
righteous, right. We are exhorted in the Word to seek and receive this same attribute.
This is part of our inheritance as sons of the Most High. 'Seek ye first the
"God doesn't want to
leave us in this unrighteous state; He wants to make as righteous. He wants to impart His
righteousness to us, not just impute it. 'For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew
no sin; that we might be MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD in Him' (II Cor. 5:21). We are to
possess and become the righteousness of God. To be righteous as He is righteous, to be
holy as He is holy. Who wouldn't want to become this righteousness? To always be right in
all we think, in all we say and in all we do. To never again think anything wrong; to have
no wrong thoughts or ideas. To never again say anything wrong, and to never do anything
wrong; but to be always right in everything. What a blessed state! Impossible? No! It is
what He has planned for us and is working on in us. Of this very truth the Psalmist wrote
when he said, 'He leadeth me in paths of righteousness for His name's (nature's) sake.
He leads me in the paths that will bring me to this glorious state. HalleluYah!'
end quote.
THE SHEPHERD LEADS
Recently the revelation of
Jesus Christ as a Shepherd with His flock caught my attention in a special way. One
particular aspect that struck me as I read the parable in John's Gospel is where Jesus
says that the rightful Shepherd "entereth in by the door" to where the sheep
are, and "leadeth them out." He leads them out! These days the idea seems to be
to get behind the flock, see which way they're heading (via opinion polls), and then hurry
in that direction! Real leadership, of course, isn't a matter of finding out what the
conventional thought is, or what the sheep imagine is right, then going along with it. The
What Christ says about God, man, and our own lives
never simply follows human convention, worldly philosophy or popular religious theology.
What Christ says comes from the perfection of God's Being and tells us in ways just
right for us at that moment of God's real nature, His true ways. God can't be seen
or understood by the physical senses or the human intellect. Because the man God creates
is spiritual, that new creation which we are depends on God alone. God gives His man
everything. So we should be looking to the Spirit for everything that's necessary in our
lives. And this is especially true when it comes to the spiritual principles and realities
we need to learn and know. If it is truly the mind of Christ within that is leading us,
we'll have the courage and strength we need to go forward even though the way may be
challenging. It's not necessarily easy where Christ leads, but the rewards are sure. And
when Christ leads we need not be concerned over whether others are doing the same thing.
"And when He putteth
forth His own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know His
voice" (Jn. 10:4). These words of our Lord Jesus Christ are a great blessing and
comfort in these days of uncertainty and rapid change. Our blessed Lord does not push His
sheep ahead of Him into uncharted wilderness He goes before them. The sheep do not
know the way. How could they? They have never come this way before! But HE knows the way!
As the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night went before the children of Israel as
they crossed over to the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land, so our Lord Jesus
Christ has gone before us as our forerunner who has not only entered into heaven itself
and the Most Holy Place within the veil, but He has walked out every step of that great
and terrible wilderness that lies between. There are no uncertainties or uncharted
wildernesses with Him. And "He goeth before them." So, a worried sheep is a
foolish sheep. A worried sheep must be listening to other voices than that of the Good
Shepherd. A worried sheep must have forgotten that he is not leading, but following. No
enemy can touch the sheep unless He can first overcome the Shepherd. What confidence this
evokes in our hearts!
Shepherding isnt an
easy job. Sheep don't just take care of themselves. They require a considerable amount of
guidance and attention. The flock needs fresh pasture, clean water, and protection from
extreme exposure to the elements. And the sheep must be provided with a safe place far the
night. In Bible times, this sometimes meant piling stones in a circular arrangement as a
protective wall of sorts. The shepherd would lie across the opening, guarding the entrance
so that wild animals or thieves couldn't get at the sheep. A reliable shepherd would not
allow himself to become drowsy or fall asleep if there was danger. The welfare of the
flock would always be uppermost in his thought.
Jesus said, "Verily,
verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth
up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door
is the shepherd of the sheep" (Jn. 10:1-2). The sheepfold is for defense and has but
one door, none is to enter by any other way. And none is to enter but the shepherd and the
sheep. As someone has written, "If any one 'climbs up, showing by so doing that
he is superior to the sheep if he goes by another nearer or higher way, in which
the sheep, being only sheep, cannot follow him he may prove that he can do what
they cannot, but he proves also that he has not a shepherd's heart, and would never lead
the sheep whither he goeth. Such an act shows that he is a thief. For in meddling with
sheep a man will either be a shepherd or a thief. Men do not meddle with them without
intending either to serve themselves or serve the sheep. The true shepherd serves the
sheep. Therefore he goes by the way they can go. If they are in the field, he with them is
in the field, consumed by day with drought, by night with cold. If they need a door, he
stoops to enter by the door; a ceaseless toiler for lower natures, who knows not what he
gives up and bears in such a service. In a word, this is Christ's service; that wondrous
coming down by which the Son of God stooped to the place of brutal erring men; not helping
us afar off, but coming to us right where we are; sharing our sleeping and waiting, our
weakness and our lacks; that by His humiliation He might meet our folly and our need, and
in due time bring us safely home to God and His Kingdom. He leads from where we are to
where He is, praise His wonderful name!
HEARING THE SHEPHERD'S VOICE
The following words by Ray
Prinzing are a pertinent and powerful admonition to all those apprehended to sonship.
"My sheep hear My voice... MY sheep hear the Greek word for hear
used here is AKOUO and while there is included in its meaning the thought of 'to give ear'
because you discern a sound, it also includes the meaning of TO HEARKEN, a responsive
action to one's hearing. This goes beyond the outward hearing of the natural ear, when
Jesus said, 'My sheep hear My voice! There is a LISTENING to hear the sound thereof,
a receptivity within, and a responsiveness to follow in obedience. 'He goes before His
sheep, and they follow Him, for they KNOW His voice.' Now we have another Greek word for
know,' this one being OIDA, absolute knowledge. Praise God, we are to have absolute
knowledge of His voice without doubts or questionings. The sheep the mature
ones, shall come to a place where they unmistakably know His voice. And they know that
they know that they know! But as for STRANGERS they will not follow, but they will
flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers.
"And now we have an
allegory, with the shepherd, and the stranger, and there is a sense in which we have them
both within us. The Shepherd is the VOICE OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD, the stranger is the voice
of the carnal mind. I dare say, our spiritual maturity is evidenced by the 'voice' which
we hearken to, and follow. God is SPIRIT, and He contacts us through our spirit. There
is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding
(Job 32:8). It is interesting to watch a gathering of various levels of spiritual growth.
When the Spirit of God is moving deep into the hearts of those who HEAR HIS VOICE, others
seem to withdraw and almost appear bored with the service. Then if another voice begins to
speak appealing to the soulish realm, they suddenly come alive and respond
accordingly with their manifestations. And finally, as another voice simply speaks that it
is time for the 'pot-luck lunch to be served' there are those who endured all the service
thus far, now they begin to respond. Each has heard a 'voice,' whether of the Shepherd,
the stranger, or just the flesh. As for the physical, earth realm, obviously there is a
time and place for its voice and message, HE placed us in this realm for a purpose, to be
exercised and trained thereby. The natural is not 'sinful' until it becomes perverted and
out-of- place. But there are those, as Paul wrote, 'many walk...whose God is their belly,
and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things' (Phil. 3:18-19). When we hear
the physical voice for a drink of water, some food, some sleep and the needs are
met, the voice remains silent. But when the voice keeps on, LUSTING AFTER MORE, then it
has certainly entered into the realm of the unholy stranger; may God help us to flee from
it, and not know it.
"There is something
upsetting about the voice of the stranger, once you have determined before God to follow
only the VOICE OF THE SPIRIT. Yet, uniquely enough, often times you cannot tell others
that the voice being heard IS TO YOU the voice of a stranger for in their response
to that voice they are blessed in some degree and manner. And we would make it clear, we
praise God for ALL that HE is doing on any level, and through whomever, and whatever means
He has purposed to work. However, our personal experience is such that we find more and
more the voice of the 'charismatic move' has become to us the voice of a stranger. The
projection of human personality, even though clothed with its charisma and religiosity,
rings shallow and strange when one has heard the call of God into the depths and heights
of the vision that leads to the realm beyond.
'"The inspiration
(in-breathing) of the Almighty giveth understanding. How we yearn for more and more
of that DIVINE IN-BREATHING. For far too long we have relied on the proper atmospheres for
our breath. The singing had to be just right, the praise service, the favorite preacher or
teacher, and when conditions were just right to form that particular atmosphere, we
breathed deeply and enjoyed it. But there is a dimension wherein one does not rely on the
outward atmosphere, for they live by the CHRIST WITHIN, and they hear HIS VOICE, and
become, as Paul so aptly stated it, I have come to learn, in the circumstances in
which I am placed, to be independent of these and self-sufficient' (Phil. 4:11, Wuest
Expanded). ...with my spirit within me will I seek Thee early (Isa. 26:9). I
commune with mine own heart, and my spirit made diligent search (Ps. 77:6)"
end quote.
A. B. Simpson was a man of
deep spiritual experience. I quote the following from his article LISTENING. "A score
of years ago a friend placed in my hand a book called TRUE PEACE. It was an old medieval
message and it had but one thought THAT GOD WAS WAITING IN THE DEPTHS OF MY BEING
TO TALK TO ME IF I WOULD ONLY GET STILL ENOUGH TO HEAR HIS VOICE. I thought this would be
a very easy matter and so began to get still. I had no sooner commenced than a perfect
pandemonium of voices reached my ears, a thousand clamoring notes from without and within,
until I could hear nothing but their noise and din. Some were my own voices, my own
questions; some were my very prayers. Others were suggestions of the tempter and the
voices from the world of turmoil. In every direction I was pulled and pushed and greeted
with noisy acclamations and unspeakable unrest. It seemed necessary for me to listen to
some of them and to answer some of them; but God said, 'BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.
"Then came the conflict
of thoughts for tomorrow and its duties and cares; but God said, BE STILL. And as I
listened and slowly learned to obey and shut my ears to every sound, I found after a while
that, when other voices ceased, (or I ceased to hear them), there was a still small voice
in the depths of my being that began to speak with an inexpressible tenderness and power
and comfort. As I listened, it became to me the voice of prayer, the voice of wisdom, the
voice of duty, and I did not need to think so hard or pray so hard or trust so hard. That
still, small voice of the Holy Spirit in my heart was God speaking in my secret soul; was
God's answer to all knowledge and all prayer and all blessings, for it was the living God
Himself as my life, my all. It is thus that our spirits drink of the life of the risen
Lord and we go forth to life's conflicts and duties like a flower that has drunk in
through the shades of night the cool and crystal drops of dew. But, as dew never falls on
a stormy night, so the dew of His grace never comes to a restless soul. Oh, the calm! The
rest! The peace which comes as we wait in His presence until we HEAR FROM HIM!"
end quote.
It is all-important in this
crucial hour that the sons of God truly hear and follow the Shepherd, for those who hear
the voice of the Shepherd, the Son of God, will LIVE! I cannot do better than share from
the anointed pen of Paul Mueller in this regard. "As Jesus continued to teach the
people, He emphasized the need to HEAR HIS WORD. He said, 'But he that entereth in by the
door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and THE SHEEP HEAR HIS
VOICE: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth
forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: FOR THEY KNOW HIS
VOICE" (Jn. 10:2-4). I trust you are as blessed by this passage as I am. It is
thrilling to realize that the Lord of all the universe knows my name, and that HE LEADS ME
OUT to His green pastures. He takes me out of the confinement of the
"The life of Christ
to possess His image and likeness, is the promise before us. Christ came that we
might have LIFE, and that more abundantly. And it is by hearing His voice that we shall
attain unto His fullness. Jesus said as much, when He said, 'Verily, verily, I say unto
you, HE THAT HEARETH MY WORD, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life,
and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death onto life. Verily, verily,
I say onto you. The hour is coming, and now is, when THE DEAD SHALL HEAR THE VOICE OF THE
SON OF GOD; AND THEY THAT HEAR SHALL LIVE. For as the Father hath LIFE in himself; so hath
he given to the Son to have LIFE in himself (Jn. 5:24-26).
"Throughout all the
clamor and clutter of these times, there rings forth the glorious truth of God which is as
a clear trumpet sound to all who trust in Him. The prevailing message and truth of this
hour is found in this passage: 'THE DEAD SHALL HEAR THE VOICE OF THE SON OF GOD; AND THEY
THAT HEAR SHALL LIVE. Repeat it often and believe its inspiring words of divine
truth, for there is a people now abiding in the death of this life who shall HEAR the
voice of the Son of God, AND IN HEARING THEY SHALL LIVE. Now, in the end of this age, we
have come to the set time when the Lord has set a definite day, a new Today
(Heb. 4:7), when He shall speak to His elect, and those who HEAR shall LIVE.
"When Jesus spoke this
truth, He made reference only to those who would be able to HEAR, when He said, 'AND THEY
THAT HEAR SHALL LIVE.' And those who will hear the voice of the Son of God are the elect
who will be raised to His life. Let us now see the clear distinction Jesus made between
the elect who will be raised to His life by hearing His voice, and the dead who are to be
resurrected later. In John 5:24-26, Jesus spoke of the elect, while in verses 28-29, He
referred to those who are in the graves: 'Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming
(which is not now, but future), in the which ALL THAT ARE IN THE GRAVES SHALL HEAR HIS
VOICE, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and
they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation' (from the Greek krisis',
not damnation, but more properly judgment as in vs. 22 & 30).
"SOME MUST ENTER the
rest of God and partake of the life of Christ IN ADVANCE of others, thus establishing that
PATH for those who are to follow. The Lord's elect of this hour will HEAR HIS VOICE and
will come up out of this death to be among those alive' ones who are 'alive and
remain unto the coming of the Lord (I Thes. 4:15, 17). The goal is before us and the
challenge great, but the Lord is able and by those 'two immutable things,' that is, by the
infallibility of HIS OATH and the life of HIS PERSON, we shall attain unto that
foreordained purpose in Him. This is the message of that Prophet, even the Lord Jesus
Christ, to whom Moses referred when he prophesied of One to come who would be a true
Prophet. Peter quoted the prophecy of Moses, who said of Christ, the anointed Prophet of
the restitution of all things, 'Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say
unto you' (Acts 3:22). Let us then HEAR HIM. He is our Shepherd, our Apostle, and our
Prophet. And if we are the sheep of His pasture, we will surely hear Him and will follow
Him unto LIFE ABUNDANT, thus beginning the times of the restitution of all things"
end quote.
THE SHEPHERD SEEKS THE SHEEP
In a most precious and unique
sense the Lord's believing people are the sheep of His pasture and fold. But in a broader
and just as scriptural sense all mankind are His sheep, for "the earth is the Lord's,
and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein" (Ps. 24:1). Truly,
"ALL WE like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the
Lord hath laid on HIM the iniquity of us ALL..." (Isa. 53:6). If the Christ indeed
died and bore the iniquity of every man, then every man is part of His great flock that
has gone astray, and for whom the Good Shepherd gave His life. Yes, the Good Shepherd is
going about on earth still calling His sheep, seeking His sheep, rescuing His sheep,
leading His flock, feeding His flock and protecting His flock. And who are His flock? They
are the poor, the weary, the downcast, the sick, the sad, and the sinful who have strayed
far from Him and His love. Long ago He was moved with compassion upon them as He saw them
scattered abroad, fainting, tired and wandering as sheep without a shepherd. Humanity is
His flock...sin-cursed and disease smitten and death-bound humanity is the great flock for
whom Christ died.
Lost sheep! Can you not see
them? They fill the world today. They have wandered away to browse on some sweet grass
that looked greener and enticed them forth; they have been separated from the care of the
Shepherd and scared and driven by dogs, till at last they bleat hopelessly alone, or fall
into pits, weakened by exposure and fatigue, the easy prey of lion or wolf. Far from the
fold, torn, wounded, bleeding, covered with filth, frightened and certain to perish,
unless rescued by the Shepherd. Such were all of us. "We were as sheep going
astray." How shall we sufficiently thank and praise the Good, Great, and Chief
Shepherd of our souls, that He did not leave us to our hapless fate, but came after us
down mountain slope, through thorny bush, over jagged rocks, seeking until He found
us, and pressing us to His bosom, brought us back. We "are now returned unto the
Shepherd and Bishop of our souls" (I Pet. 2:25). Safe sheltered in His fold we bear
His name branded on us and He calls us affectionately by our name, and we are now
confident in the certain knowledge that "when He putteth forth His own sheep, He
goeth before them; and His sheep follow Him."
In Luke 15:4 we read,
"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the
ninety and nine in the wilderness and go after that which is lost UNTIL HE FIND IT!"
In this passage we find that at the end of the day, the shepherd finds that he is just one
little sheep short of completeness. There is only one outside so why bother to go
after that one, for perhaps that one is one of the rebellious ones anyway and will not
choose to come back! But the Shepherd we are dealing with in this story is not an ordinary
shepherd. This is the Great and Good Shepherd of the sheep and nothing will stop Him or
prevent Him from finding that last sheep. This Shepherd will not be content with even an
extraordinary effort to find the sheep and then give up, feeling that He has done His
duty. Neither does He "call" the sheep, and then wait to see if the sheep
"decides" to come, and if not, just leave him there in his lost condition to
die. This Shepherd searches UNTIL HE FINDS. And the FINDING of this Shepherd is not only
the locating of the sheep, but it also includes the bringing back into the fold of that
sheep.
If you know anything at all
about sheep, you know that a sheep is helpless to find its way back to the rest of the
flock. Not only that, but it becomes subject to every danger that is near to it, yet it
never recognizes that danger. This is exactly the condition of mankind today. Mankind,
being dead in trespasses and sins and in rebellion against God, does not know how to get
to God. In fact much of humanity does not even think of getting to God. They have come to
the point where they are quite satisfied with their condition just as the sheep is
satisfied with its condition as it feeds, knowing not that it is lost. Mankind does not
know their way back to God. Mankind must wait until it is found. He does not even know he
is lost. He accepts his sad state as the norm. How will the lost ever come to God of
himself, of his own "free will"? If he were able to come HE WOULD NOT BE LOST.
Men do not even know they are lost, or where they are going. Ah, the Shepherd must find
the sheep, not the sheep find the Shepherd! And Jesus said the Shepherd would seek until.
Jesus said He came to seek and to save those lost ones. Not the lost ones seek God, but
God seek the lost!
Most of the religious
teaching today would have us believe that Christ has done all He can for the sinner, so He
has now gone back to His heaven and is seated upon His golden throne waiting for all who
will to be saved. According to this thinking, God through Jesus has done all He can
possibly do and has now left the work of saving souls to the church, hoping that some, at
least, will be persuaded to accept the Saviour. The church must go out and contact all the
sinners they can and see if they cannot get them to "accept Christ." But, of
course, if the sinner does not want to be saved, then even God in all His omnipotence
cannot intervene and nothing is left but eternal hell fire and damnation for that sinner.
But just what does this line of reasoning reveal? The tragedy of it is that it shows us
nothing but the SOVEREIGNTY OF MAN'S WILL and the IMPOTENCE OF GOD'S WILL. The will of the
sheep to remain lost exceeds the will of the Shepherd to rescue him and carry him back to
the fold.
Another thing this line of
teaching suggests is that God, having finished the work of redemption, then turns it all
over to a rather carnal church that does not walk in the Spirit, does not even understand
God's great plan of the ages, and cares far more about making proselytes to a denomination
or sect than in bringing people into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. The average
church today cares more about its programs, its doctrines, its rituals and ceremonies, its
buildings, its committee meetings and its budget than it does about making known to the
world the glad news that God has reconciled the whole world to Himself and He shall not
rest until every heart has surrendered and the very last sheep has been carried back to
the fold. Nothing stops or hinders this Shepherd, for if He did fail in this effort, He
could never rest knowing that one of His sheep was eternally lost and doomed. He does not
send anyone else or leave it to the sheep to find its way back. HE HIMSELF GOES UNTIL HE
FINDS.
Let us have these things
right and straight in our minds. Let us see these things correctly. Let us believe the
word of the Lord Jesus, the Shepherd-Saviour. Nothing is left in any way to chance. The
Shepherd sends no one out to look far the sheep, but goes Himself. Granted, HE GOES
THROUGH HIS BODY, but He is not sitting idly by to see what will happen. His mission goes
on until it is one hundred percent successful and the last one is found. Nothing will stop
the work of the Shepherd until that last sheep is made to correctly know the Shepherd, who
He is, and His great love For him. The Shepherd does seek until He finds the last one, no
matter how long it takes or to what depths He must search! He will search through this age
or through the ages to come. He will search through earth or He will search through hell.
Time or place mean nothing to this Great and Good Shepherd only the lost sheep
means much to him.
Someone will ask, "But
doesnt God command sinners to choose this day whom they will serve and to seek the
Lord while He may be found?" ABSOLUTELY NOT! Oh yes, the scripture does say,
"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL
SERVE; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the
flood, or the god of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell. but as for me and my house, we
will serve the Lord" (Jos. 24:15). But those words were never spoken to the unsaved
man, without God and without hope in the world; these were the words of God's prophet to
And yes, the scripture does
say, "Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: let
the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto
the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, and He will abundantly
pardon" (Isa. 55:6-7). But again, these words were never addressed to the
unregenerated man who has no relationship with the Lord. They were thundered by the
prophet Isaiah to GOD'S BACKSLIDING PEOPLE in a time of spiritual declension and apostasy.
It is God's own people who must "choose" between God and idols, who must
"seek" the Lord, and "return" unto the Lord; not the man who is lost
and cannot find his way. Saints must return unto the Lord, but lost sheep must be found by
the Shepherd. Thus it is that Jesus said, "For the Son of man is come to SEEK AND TO
SAVE THAT WHICH WAS LOST" (Lk. 19:10).
In the true and eloquent
words of another, "Christians blindly strive under the mistaken idea that, if they
will only meet certain conditions, God will reply by bringing every man into the fold of
Christ in this present age. My friend, this is a very great error. It is about as far from
the truth as anything could possibly be. God does not intend to bring all men into the
fold now. If that were His intention, He could do it with but one word of His omnipotence.
When God's eternal voice speaks, saying, Let there be light,' then light immediately
floods the universe as it did in the beginning. There is no need for a candle nor the
light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light. That light could not be matched by
ten thousand suns, for the light that shone out of darkness in the beginning is the same
light that lightens every man that comes into the world (Jn. 1:1-10). It is the light that
shines into the benighted souls, bringing the life of the ages to men who are sleeping in
death. 'Lazarus, come forth! called the Lord, and a dead man sprang from his tomb to
reply. Saul! Saul! Jesus called to a disconsolate and determined persecutor,
and he quickly replied, Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do! And so will it be
when He calls you, your child, your husband, or your wife with His still small voice,
speaking to the inner ear. Whether it be John, George, Henry, Joan, Phyllis, or Louise,
all will fall at His feet in penitence and brokenness the moment He speaks, crying, 'Here
am I, Lord! What wilt Thou have me to do?" George Hawtin.
To tell me, as I find in the
Westminster Confession of Faith, that God had, by a predestined plan, so constructed man
that he was born, and from all eternity designed to be wicked, and a vessel of wrath, that
God Almighty might show His power by sending him to everlasting hell that is the
most infernal lie that man's tongue could utter, or type could print. That my God, the
infinitely good and holy God, was the predestinator, and creator of multitudes of harlots,
whoremongers, thieves, murderers, liars, to let them grow up, and to live and lust and
die, and then glorify Himself by torturing them in eternal hell fire. Horrible!
Blasphemous! I tell you that all the divines that ever hatched a cocatrice egg could never
make me swallow that.
Write it between your eyes
and never forget it. The Good Shepherd who came from heaven, and gave His life, will seek,
and seek, and seek, and save, and save, and save, until He has brought all men back to
God. This is the work of the Redeemer and the redeemed. I desire to make this perfectly
clear, because it is necessary to do so. When Jesus came He sought for sinners, wherever
satan had gone. He sent His disciples into the world to seek even farther for them. He
seeks for sinners still. And He shall seek for them throughout ages yet unborn. The Good
Shepherd shall seek them until He finds them. If He didn't, He wouldn't be the Good
Shepherd! He will seek them on earth and in hell. "Whither shall I go from Thy
presence?" the Psalmist asks. That question is unanswered and unanswerable. It has
stood upon the page of scripture for three thousand years, and no one yet of all the
myriads that have read it has been able to devise a reply. Heaven says, Not here. Hell
says, Not here. It is not among angels, or demons, or the lost, or in the vast silent
spaces of eternity. There is no creature anywhere not manifest to His sight. He who made
vultures, able from immense heights to discern the least morsel on the desert floor, has
eyes better than they. Then David says, If I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art
there! Someone once said, "I did, and He was!" Thanks be to God that He
will seek His lost ones through all the Universe through all the Earths and all the
Hells until He has found and saved them all. He must seek until He finds.
"Where are you going,
Shepherd?
To find My sheep.
How far will you go?
As far as My sheep.
How far may that be?
To the Worlds end
How long will you seek it?
Until I find it.
When you find it, will it come to you?
No, it will flee from Me.
Where will it go then?
To the rocks and the sand.
When will it stop?
When it can run no more.
What will you do then?
Carry it home.
Friends, you will never get
away from Jesus. Jesus will follow you everywhere and demand your heart's surrender. I am
so glad for a Gospel that is coextensive with, and greater than, the devil's work in
spirit, soul, and body. I am so glad for a Gospel that is not limited to this age, but
reaches out to all ages. I am so glad that this is not the last age, there are yet ages to
come, and then that glorious age of ages, the dispensation of the fullness of times. In
the dispensation of the fullness of times, the immutable Word of God has declared, God
will gather all things into Christ, both which are in heaven and in earth, even in Him
(Eph. 1:10). In that wonderful age of all ages every missing sheep will be accounted for
as God gathers together in one the all things into Christ. I am so glad for a Gospel which
tells me that God has made a way by which even His banished may return. I am so glad for a
Gospel that is not limited to earth, but reaches into the depths of death and hell. I am
so glad for a Gospel of Everlasting Hope, of Everlasting Expectation, and for the
conviction and divine revelation that the miserable and the wicked shall at last be
brought to repent of their sin, and to find their God and Father. I should not want to be
an elder, or pastor, or leader, or teacher, of a people that would wish me to preach
eternal damnation. I could not preach it, for it contradicts the plainest statements of
scripture. It contradicts what I know of my Father's heart through personal relationship
with Him. And beyond this, I could not preach it, for high in the heavens sitting upon the
Milky Way is the blazing Sign of AURIGA, THE GREAT AND TENDER SHEPHERD, who throughout all
ages of time and the vast endlessnesses of infinity will seek and save until the storm of
judgment is ended and all men and all creatures in all realms are safe in His loving arms.
Hallelujah! What a Shepherd!
Chapter
40
TAURUS
THE WILD BULL
(continued)
The third of the Decans
(minor constellations) in the house of Taurus is AURIGA THE GREAT SHEPHERD. He is
seated upon the Milky Way, holding upon his left shoulder a she-goat, who has her paws
around the neck of Auriga, The Great Shepherd. The goat is looking down in fear and
apprehension at the terrible, raging, rampaging Bull. On his lap, and held by his left
hand, Auriga supports two little kids, apparently new-born, and bleating, affrightened and
trembling, but obviously safe and secure in the strong embrace of The Shepherd. The name
Auriga is derived from a Hebrew root which means "a shepherd." Is not this the
celestial portrayal of the Good and Great and Chief Shepherd gathering the Lambs in His
arm, and carrying them through all the judgments, disciplines, purgings and processings of
God in His bosom? Is He not saying, "Behold, the Lord God will come with a
strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work
before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd: He will gather the lambs with His arm,
and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young" (Isa.
40:10-11).
THE SHEPHERD
In the Old Testament the God
of Israel is designated as "The Shepherd of Israel," or Pastor and Leader of the
nation. When our Lord Jesus Christ declared Himself to be "The Good Shepherd"
the Jewish leaders knew that He was claiming to be Yahweh in-the-flesh. Although the
hierarchy rejected His claim, the elect gladly accepted it. Those who followed Him, who
heard His voice, and were fed and guided and taught by Him knew Him experientially as the
Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd and the Chief Shepherd.
Because God has a Shepherd's
heart, He is greatly concerned about the "sheep of His pasture" and in this hour
He is sending forth the Voice of the True Shepherd to lead His sheep back into the
pastures of truth and righteousness. "My sheep wandered through all the mountains,
and upon every high hill: yea, My flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and
none did search or seek after them. Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord; As
I live, saith the Lord God, surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became
meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did My shepherds
search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not My flock; therefore, O
ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord; thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the
shepherds; and. I will require My flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from
feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will
deliver My flock from their mouth...for thus saith the Lord God; BEHOLD, I, EVEN I WILL
BOTH SEARCH MY SHEEP, AND SEEK THEM OUT. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day
that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out My sheep, and will
deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
I WILL FEED MY FLOCK, AND I WILL, CAUSE THEM TO LIE DOWN, saith the Lord God. I WILL SEEK
THAT WHICH WAS LOST, AND BRING AGAIN THAT WHICH WAS DRIVEN AWAY, AND WILL BIND UP THAT
WHICH WAS BROKEN, AND WILL STRENGTHEN THAT WHICH WAS SICK...I will feed them with
judgment." (Eze. 34:6-16).
George Warnock has commented
on this passage: "Notice with what emphasis of truth the Lord declares that HE ALONE
is the True Shepherd, and that HE ALONE will take the responsibility for shepherding the
Flock of God in His ways. I will, I will, I will....' is constantly repeated in this
passage, and He has even confirmed His intention with an oath: As I live, saith the
Lord... True, He will use men to fulfill His purposes, as He has always done...but
when we understand that GOD ALONE is the True Shepherd of the sheep, then we will come to
understand that true shepherds here in the earth are only true shepherds in as far as they
walk in the ways of the True Shepherd, and speak the words of the True Shepherd, and do
the works of the True Shepherd. They are not true shepherds in their own right, in virtue
of some office that has been conferred upon them by God or by man.
"When Jesus came forth
from the heart of God He was God's answer to the needs of the scattered sheep of God...the
One that the prophets spoke about, who would come to gather together the scattered flocks
of God's pasture, and cause them to lie down in quiet resting-places. He had the heart of
the Shepherd- God, and therefore as He looked upon the multitudes who thronged about Him
to hear His Word and to be healed of their infirmities, He had compassion upon them, for
they were 'as sheep not having a shepherd.' They were nevertheless God's sheep...and Jesus
knew that all whom the Father had given Him would come to Him and hear His voice. They
would not follow the stranger. The "stranger" tried many times to get a
following, and for a while there may have been a certain amount of perplexity, but the
voice didn't sound quite right. Jesus said, 'A stranger they will not follow.' For Jesus
came forth from the heart of God to gather unto Himself the sheep whom God had given Him,
and to take them back into the very heart of God, where there would be ONE fold, and ONE
Shepherd. It seemed almost impossible...for even in that day there were sects and
divisions amongst God's people. There were scribes and Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians,
and Zealots. All wanted to be heard, and all called for a following, but the true sheep
did not hear them. Jesus also told the sheep whom He had gathered that He had many other
sheep that did not belong to their fold...but that He would bring them also, so that there
would be ONE fold, and ONE Shepherd" end quote.
Originally the New Testament
Church was filled with truth and reality and spiritual power. The book of Acts gives an
account of those glorious days. Unnumbered multitudes of men and women have experienced a
supernatural encounter with God since that wonderful day more than 1900 years ago when the
first one hundred and twenty disciples were assembled in
But, alas! the Church had
progressed only a few years into the dispensation of the Spirit when the flesh began to
rear its ugly head and men began to add carnal means and methods to the pure flow of HIS
LIFE. I do not believe there is any way to explain, imagine, or understand the many ways
the carnal mind works. Even before the apostles had passed from this life, a spirit and
system had set in among the saints of the Lord and many people were wearing the Babylonish
garment. They were instituting rules and regulations, formulating creeds, observing days,
establishing sacraments and ordinances, elevating human government, becoming disciples of
Paul, of Apollos, of Cephas, and of many others. The babble had begun and a whole
multitude of fleshly administrations was making its appearance upon the body of Christ.
Before too many years had passed men began to set themselves up as "lords"
(today it is called "pastor," "shepherd," etc.) over God's people in
place of the Holy Spirit. Instead of conquering by the power of the Spirit and by Truth,
men began to add their ideas and their methods. Soon the glory and power and the presence
of God in the morning time Church began to be eclipsed, degraded and debased by the
idolatrous inventions of carnal minded men. The saints no longer moved by the power and
glory of the indwelling Spirit, but became subservient to the rulership, dominion and
lordship of their leaders who claimed that they alone knew the mind of the Lord,
understood the word of God and possessed the wisdom of God. That which had once been
beautiful and glorious became unsightly, illshapen, deformed, uncomely, disfigured,
hideous, monstrous, and loathsome. As these false shepherds ministered among the people of
God the Spirit of Christ fled from their midst and the pure vision and experience of
CHRIST LIVING AND SHEPHERDING IN HIS BODY was lost to them.
In both the Old and New
Testament the word for "shepherd" and "pastor" is the same word in
Hebrew and Greek. A pastor is simply a shepherd, and a shepherd is a pastor, both
naturally and spiritually. The Spirit of God has dealt with me severely and consistently
through many years that the Lord's people should purge their conversation, purify their
terminology, and remove from their consciousness the multitude of un- scriptural and
extra-biblical expressions carried over from Mystery Babylon. We have both parroted and
coined a great many unscriptural terms that have been so misleading and have led us astray
in our understanding of the scriptures and the wonderful plan of God.
How often we, like the babes
in the harlot's house, refer to a minister of the gospel as "the pastor" of our
church or some other congregation of saints. To hear all the Christians today constantly
talking about "our pastor," "their pastor," "your pastor,"
"my pastor," and "the pastor," one would certainly be led to believe
that this position of "the pastor" must indeed be one of the cardinal doctrines
and most highly acclaimed offices in the New Testament! The fact is, precious friend of
mine, the phrase "the pastor" is entirely foreign to the Word of God and
non-existent in the early church. It is an un-scriptural and extra-biblical term. There
was no one single man in the whole New Testament church who ever occupied a position
called "the pastor." Not one church raised up by the twelve apostles or by Paul
had any such ministry as "the pastor." Oh, yes, there were "pastors"
plural (Eph. 4:11), but no single minister of God in the New Testament record was ever
elevated to the position of "the pastor" of an assembly.
The truth is that in every
case in the Greek New Testament where the word for pastor (POIMEN) appears in the singular
accompanied by the definite article, it is used in reference solely to our Lord Jesus
Christ. He alone is THE PASTOR of the flock, THE SHEPHERD of the sheep! The sweet singer
of
An article which has
anonymously come to my desk elaborates most beautifully upon this significant point.
"It will require a considerable perversion of scripture to justify any concept of
the pastor'. Have you ever observed how the writers of the Epistles greet the
various churches to whom they address themselves? For example, 'Paul, a servant of Jesus
Christ, called to be an apostle...to all that be in
"It will come as a
surprise to many of our readers that the word pastor occurs but once in the
entire New Testament. The word pastor' does not occur once in the entire book of
Acts, that record of the founding of the first Christian churches. Only in Eph. 4:11 does
it appear (and then in the plural). 'And He gave some apostles; and some, prophets; and
some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.' Does not this one single mention of
this word in the entire New Testament seem all out of proportion to the position of the
pastor' as known in our times? The word pastor means 'shepherd or feeder.'
This same Greek word which in Eph. 4:11 is translated pastor is elsewhere in
the New Testament translated shepherd seventeen times. Now, that this word
which is but once translated pastor' should be used only eighteen times in the
entire New Testament is indeed significant, in view of the popular usage it is given
today. I have heard pastors refer to themselves as the pastor almost as many
times in just one sermon! It is quite a big word in our churches and in our thinking, but
not so in the scripture. And it is time we did some serious thinking about this. It is
just possible that on this point we have demonstrated again that that which is highly
esteemed among men is an abomination to God.
"It is difficult to make
a study of the pastor without taking into account also the present false, carnal,
unscriptural structure of our present-day 'churches.' The church and the pastor of our day
go hand in hand, and if someone asks 'how can you run a modern church without a pastor?'
the answer is simple you can't! You cannot run a modern church without a pastor any
more than you can have a church (in the New Testament sense) with a pastor. Let us here
observe something basic. 'Christ is the head of the church' (Eph. 5:23). This does not
mean that Christ is only nominal head of the church, but that He is the actual and
functioning head of the church. 'For the husband is head of the wife, even as Christ is
the head of the church' (Eph. 5:23). Christ is resident with the church. Where two or
three meet, there He is in very fact. He is there to feed, to comfort, to admonish, to
manage. This thing is real, it is not just imagination, not just fancy. Christ's people
are given to understand that they are to have the presence of the Lord Himself among them.
That the average church does not even begin to understand this is obvious by the position
that they accord the pastor and also by the resulting ignorance that prevails
among the laity' concerning spiritual things in general. In order for Christ to be
head of the church, the usual democratic machinery would have to be abandoned in favor of
a direct spiritual control by the Lord Himself, a thing which our pastors, boards,
committees, synods, hierarchies, cannot understand. It is amazing that we continue to try
and make the old lifeless machinery produce life among us!" end quote.
THE UNDERSHEPHERDS
My beloved, if ever you hope
to reign with Christ YOU MUST BECOME SUBMITTED TO THE AUTHORITY OF GOD, THE SHEPHERD OF
ISRAEL. And I'm not talking about coming to
There are multitudes across
the land who loudly profess to have received the call to sonship who, rather than
submitting themselves UNDER THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD, submit their walk with God into the
hands of others who persuade them that they are more capable than themselves to watch for
their souls. The land is filled with men calling themselves apostles, elders, teachers,
shepherds, etc., who desire to lord it over a flock or other men's lives, telling others
what they can or cannot do, esteeming themselves spiritual enough to discern for everyone
else what the will of the Lord is, though they bear no credentials other than their own
word that they possess such authority. Some claim that they alone have the words of life,
they among all God's prophets have the true, deeper, spiritual, mystical revelation that
will lead the sons to perfection and immortality. Not discerning the Lord's body, and
elevating their word and their ministry above all the Lord's brethren, they draw disciples
after themselves. But I tell you the truth and I lie not when I say that no man can
minister to you that which he himself does not possess. If a man tells you that he
possesses the secret and the truth by which you can save your life and enter into physical
immortality, yet he himself has neither stopped nor reversed the aging process, only a
fool would commit their lives into his hands. Ah there is ONE, precious friend of
mine, who HAS STOPPED THE AGING PROCESS, WHO HAS CONQUERED DEATH, WHO IS ALIVE
FOREVERMORE, and this One holds the Key, He knows the Secret, He Himself IS the Truth, and
I must tell you today that HE, AND HE ALONE, HAS THE WORDS OF LIFE! Yes, those words are
ministered through His many brethren. Certainly there are many precious under-shepherds,
true ministries HE has set in the body, humble examples to the flock, with a flow of HIS
LIFE, bearing the true Word of the Lord for this hour, a source of encouragement,
confirmation, and strength unto all to whom they are sent, and we praise God for them. All
such true ministries bear one signal mark of distinction: they do not draw followers after
themselves, they POINT ALL MEN TO THE LORD; they do not ask you to blindly submit to them,
or follow them to the exclusion of the other ministries in this present truth, but they
present you unto HIM WHO IS THE HEAD OVER ALL THINGS TO THE CHURCH.
I speak the truth when I say
that the greatest need in this hour is for the people of God to begin to KNOW THE LORD FOR
THEMSELVES. Let all who treasure the beautiful hope of sonship begin to seek God, and walk
with God, and know God, and hear from God, and submit to Him in all His ways, and to His
will and to His word, and GOD HIMSELF will be YOUR FATHER and you will sup with HIM and He
with you. Ask the guidance of the Holy Spirit, thrust yourself in utter abandonment upon
His love and care, and before you realize it you will find yourself digging deep in the
storehouse of God's treasures of wisdom and knowledge and sitting with Him at His
banqueting table. He will spread a table before you in the presence of your enemies, He
will lead you through green pastures; He will reveal to you fountains of living water
flowing from within; He will cause you to rest beside cool, still streams; and HE, the
Great Shepherd of the sheep will abide with you and your cup will overflow with the
unspeakable riches of His grace and the wonder of His glorious and eternal reality.
How many are submitted to men
but not to God! How many will travel or move thousands of miles across the land to receive
from man, but have never discovered the well within which springs up into eternal life!
Their obsession with "a man" reveals their own inner desolation. If you would
keep the position of order in God's house of sons you must remember that "Christ is a
Son OVER HIS OWN HOUSE; whose house we are" (Heb. 3:6). He is the Head, He is the
Good Shepherd, and the Great Shepherd, and the Chief Shepherd, He is the Lord, He is the
forerunner, He is the firstborn who has entered in for us and opened up the way. I can
assure you, dear ones, that to the degree that you KNOW HIM in intimacy of fellowship and
vital union, and submit to Him in all His will, ways, and dealings, you will know His
authority in your life and be strengthened to reign with Him and He will be able to reign
through you in all things! It is not enough to know how God would have us think, act, and
be as sons of God. There must be submission to Him, with daily inworkings of His nature,
mind and power. When we obey men our authority comes from men. When we obey God the
authority comes from God. And when we obey God we REIGN!
Our Lord Jesus Christ is THE
SHEPHERD and THE PASTOR. It is also true that He has under-shepherds who assist in the
care of the flock. An under-shepherd of the Chief Shepherd is merely a slave of God going
about the business assigned him by the Master. There is a wonderful lesson Jesus taught in
Luke 17:7-10 wherein He says, "But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding
cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to
meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself,
and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth
he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So
likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are
unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do."
When Jesus speaks of the role
of a servant in this passage He uses the Greek word POIMAINO which means "to act as a
shepherd." God does not approve of pastors who conceive of their role as giving them
the right to push the sheep around! And even more importantly, it is not the business of
the under-shepherds to lead the flock! Only one shepherd can lead. Only one shepherd is
The Shepherd. The Shepherd leads the flock. The under-shepherds merely flank the sides and
bring up the rear in order to make sure that all the flock FOLLOWS THE SHEPHERD. It is not
God's will for any one person, pastor or pope, to rule or lead a group of people: but
neither is it His will for any number of persons to rule or lead a group! In other words
what is worse than a one-man ministry, is a many- man ministry. We have made this mistake
so often. We say we believe in plural ministry, but in so doing we create a monster by
making the ministry many-headed, instead of Christ being the one Head over all. A true
spiritual ministry will never seek to draw people to himself, but rather to Christ. There
are many movements in the earth today stressing "divine order" and
"authority" and "submission," and one of the tests of what they teach
is whether the people are being released to draw their life and substance from the Christ
within or not. Many leaders and movements seek to bind people to their group and lead
their followers to believe that they are the choice, select group God has chosen to
complete His work in the earth, manifest sonship, and bring the sons into immortality and
incorruption. Unless you are joined to them and submit to their ministry you just can't
make it in! When someone leaves the group or that leader, they are made to feel as if they
are missing the purpose of God, have left the body of Christ, and have repudiated the High
Calling of God. You must be spiritually wise to discern the spirit of any group or
individual that usurps the headship of Jesus Christ by the in-dwelling Spirit over His
people.
Truly, the most faithful
under-shepherd is not the Great Shepherd of the sheep. The brightest reflection of His
beauty that is seen upon a servant, is not the revelation of Himself. Those who are
closest to the Lord, who know Him best, and are more deeply conformed to His image, can
only direct the searching soul to the Lord. They can never satisfy the hunger of the heart
that is going out after Him. How we praise God for all the help we have received through
every chosen vessel that He has used to draw us on toward Him, and into a deeper relation
to Himself. With what gratitude to God, do we remember those whom He has used to point out
to us a nearer approach to our glorious Lord. How tenderly do we look back upon every
faithful servant and child of His, who brought us new light, who stirred within us a
deeper hunger for God, who opened to us an understanding of His great plan and purpose in
us, who provoked us to holy jealousy and emulation through their godly lives. How we
praise God for those who warned and instructed us through the exhortation and admonition
that they gave in the hour of need, or in times of weakness and immaturity. How our hunger
for Reality, and abandonment to God's will and desire to follow Him all the way to Mount
Zion, have been increased as we have seen that mysterious light which shines upon the
faces of those who have soared with Him into the heavenly heights. While we thank God for
every instrument He uses in our lives, how little one or all of these precious ones can
be, compared with our Beloved, if in any way they take His place and draw us to themselves
rather than to Himself. We must esteem every servant and instrument of God "exceeding
highly in love for their work's sake," but we must never permit them to usurp the
place of the Good and Great and Chief Shepherd in our lives and affections. Therefore the
elect of God in this hour have no desire for an under-shepherd to lead them; and when they
do not yield to them, they appear as though they were a stranger. But that is not it at
all it is that the Lord Himself is becoming ALL to us!
Oh, let us once for all grasp
this one great fundamental truth. Christ's church is not an organization, but an organism,
a body, a living reality. He, and He alone, is the Head. But when man builds an
organization, or a movement, or an assembly of which he himself is the head, and when he
begins to legislate and pass church laws, and formulate creeds, and institute rituals, he
is merely manifesting that both the system and he himself are spurious. Of course there
are Christians in these organizations: let us not lose sight of that fact. And let us not
lose sight of the fact that many of the founders of these organizations were honest and
sincere Christians. Yet they were ignorantly sincere. The whole trend of organization is
to lead away from Christ the Head of the organism, away from the Christ within each member
as the way, the truth, the life, the wisdom, the knowledge, and the righteousness of God,
and it induces men to look to man, the head of the organization or movement.
THE HIRELING
It is time for the elect of
God to sit up and take notice. The true sheep or the true fold are those sons of God who
love to be led by God's Spirit. The Great and Good Shepherd, Jesus, tells us, "I am
the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an
hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and
leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The
hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good
shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine" (Jn. 10:11-14). A
"hireling" is simply one who has been "hired." Someone has well
written: "We say that the pastor' is trained and authorized' in view of
the fact that in just about all churches the pastor' must be a seminary graduate and
must be ordained by a body of men acceptable to the local church. An untrained and
unauthorized man would not be acceptable in the average church. We say that the pastor
is employed in view of the fact that he came to the local group after the
offer of and acceptance of a certain consideration of monies, or, somewhere along the line
it was determined that he would receive for his services a certain amount of money called
a salary.' We therefore consider him employed. We say he is an outsider'
with the express purpose of implying that for all practical purposes that is just what he
is. The group is at any time free to replace the pastor or apply for his
replacement, depending upon the type of political structure of the group. And the pastor
is free at any time, upon reasonable notice, to pack up and leave. We say that the
pastor' is hired to perform the function of management over the
group, and to do the feeding (preaching and teaching), and this function of management is
very piously called service. A pastor says, I served such and such a
church, when the fact may more correctly be that he made them serve him"
end quote.
When and where was there a
Catholic Priest or a Protestant Minister who was not "a hired servant"? The only
exceptions have been the occasional simple and devout saint, taking it upon himself to
obey the call of the Spirit and go forth by faith to do the work of the
Let all the saints of God
thoroughly understand! There is but one Shepherd, and one fold, and the sheep know the
Shepherd's voice, and follow Him, and He gives them eternal life. They are all led by the
Spirit of God, and are the sons of God; and they have the Spirit of Christ, and they are
His. And whether they live or die, or eat or drink, they are Christ's, for He died for
them, and has purchased them with His blood: and therefore, they are not their own, but
Christ's and so they are to glorify Him with their bodies, and souls, and spirits, which
are His.
But in the world there is a
multitude of shepherds, and they have their several flocks and folds; and the shepherds
fall out with themselves, and with their flocks about victuals, clothes, days, times,
laws, creeds and doctrines; and for a while one shepherd gets the flock, and for another
while another shepherd gets the flock; and by these doings the flocks are almost plucked
to pieces by the hireling shepherds, which leave the sheep in time of trouble, when they
have gotten all the wool they can get off their backs, because the sheep were not their
own. And thus the sheep are tossed up and down, and starved; and every shepherd shears the
sheep, and plucks the wool off their backs. But Christ lays down His life for His sheep,
He pours out His life to them, and abides with them, and dwells within them, in all their
troubles, and persecutions, and sufferings, and wanderings, He suffers and is persecuted
in His flock of sheep, when the hireling fleeth because he is an hireling, and careth not
for the sheep, for they are none of his own. And you may see as many flocks as there are
in the world, there are so many hirelings knowing them, and keeping them in the world,
which the devil has made a wilderness, and a desolation, among whom it is always winter to
the elect: we that are taught of Christ, and know His voice, and follow Him, Christ is to
us the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd and the Chief Shepherd. Ah, my beloved, cease in
God's name from searching for shepherds and pastors to lead you; cease, I say from looking
for a man to lead you, and learn the reality of truth in these words, "I am the good
Shepherd; the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep" (Jn. 10:39). Learn that He
is not only the Shepherd, but also the door to the sheepfold (Jn. 10:2), by which the
Shepherd enters that He might call all His sheep by name and go before them that they
should know no other voice but His (Jn. 10:3-6).
FALSE SHEPHERDS
We have heard much over the
past two decades about having a "local group for a covering," whatever that is
supposed to mean. This so-called "truth" usually refers to a psuedo-spiritual
submission to men calling themselves elders, or shepherds, who desire to lord it over a
flock or other men's lives, and tell others what they can and cannot do. They esteem
themselves spiritual enough to discern for everybody else what the will of the Lord is,
though they themselves are missing the point entirely. My brother, my sister, hearken to
the words of the prophet Isaiah: "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord,
that take counsel, BUT NOT OF ME; and that cover with a covering, BUT NOT OF MY SPIRIT,
that they may add sin to sin" (Isa. 30:1).
COVERING! By many this term
is used to mean that each believer, being a "dumb sheep," needs the
"covering" or protection of a group, or fold, presided over by men who are
"shepherds". Every one is in "submission" to someone higher in the
pyramid, until the whole structure becomes one vast hierarchy with just a few men or one
man at the top. Each "shepherd" of a local group is "in submission" to
some other higher "shepherd" and all these are ultimately submitted to an
"apostle" somewhere in the world. Some rule more strictly than others over their
"dumb sheep," but in general the individual believer is taught that he cannot
trust his own ability to hear from the Lord, or understand the Word of God, or order his
own life, but must look to his earthly shepherd to hear from the Lord for him. In many
cases one dare not change jobs, move from one place to another, marry, go on vacation, or
make any other decision without checking it out with his "shepherd" or the
"elders." The counsel of the "shepherd" in many cases MUST be
followed! Women have often been told that they must always obey their husband's wishes,
even if he requires something illegal or immoral! Some are instructed as to how much of
their means to "give" to the "body."
In some assemblies if a
prophecy is to be given, the one who has heard from the Spirit Himself is required to gain
permission from the pastor' or elder' or 'shepherd' in order to prophesy. If
permission is granted, that one is then required to leave his seat, march down front, take
the microphone, and then prophesy. By then I think that the Spirit's message would be,
"Quench not My Spirit and touch not My prophets." Such false shepherds instruct
God's people, "Submit to church government NO MATTER WHAT!" "Obey
your leaders even if they are wrong!" "Don't judge the ministry!"
"God placed the ministry over you. You don't second-guess their decisions. They are
God inspired!" Are YOU victim to this kind of "inspired teaching"? If so,
danger is stalking your eternal life. Isn't it time you asked yourself, "What is
behind such totalitarian rhetoric?" The tactic is simple. You are being intimidated.
Through raw and robust fear tactics, you are SCARED INTO OBEDIENCE TO MEN not to
God. Your mind is being conditioned to accept without thinking and without proof
everything such preachers say. You are being brainwashed to behave like spiritual
zombies. The mind of Christ in you is being raped!
Now, not all who teach
"the covering" are that extreme, but for many of them the half has not been
told. There is a great emphasis on the term "covering" as being necessary for
each member, for protection from harm and deception. If we do not have this
"covering" of the local fellowship, or elders, or shepherds, then, we are told,
we cannot discern the will of the Lord, cannot understand the Word of the Lord, will be
overcome by our adversary, will fall into sin or delusion, or the present world system
will destroy us. I am frankly appalled at the shallowness, gullibility, and lack of
spiritual discernment and maturity among the people of God, for they give heed continually
to the voice of such strangers, but the voice of the Good Shepherd they do not know. Why
are the children of God so ready to blindly accept every subtle and plausible teaching
that is thrust at them, without earnestly seeking the help of the blessed Spirit WHO ALONE
HAS BEEN SENT TO GUIDE US INTO ALL TRUTH. Any preacher today who can come up with some
fantastic notion can corral God's people under his authority, and the more fantastic the
notion the more people run after it. I do not hesitate to tell you that I know of no
greater deception that has entered in among the Lord's sheep during the past twenty years
than the error of the "covering" teaching.
Where, I ask, WHERE DOES THE
SCRIPTURE GIVE EVIDENCE THIS APPLICATION OF THE WORD "COVERING" IS LEGITIMATE? I
know of no place! Where in the whole Bible, I ask, is the husband called a
"covering" for his wife? Where in the entire Bible are elders called a
"covering" for the church? In what place is the church spoken of as a
"covering" for believers? Where is the chapter and verse to be found that refers
to an apostle as a "covering" for other ministers? Where is the scripture that
teaches that unless a traveling ministry is under the "covering" of some local
assembly he is not to be received? WHERE DOES IT SAY IT! Ah, my friend, you may search
long and hard, you may burn the midnight oil, you may read and study until your eyes are
red and vision blurred, until you lapse into fitful sleep with Bible and reference books
scattered on the desk before you; and I can assure you without fear of contradiction that
your most diligent and persistent efforts shall prove fruitless and in vain! We are blind
readers indeed if we do not readily see that the fact of the matter is that the
"covering" doctrine in all of its ramifications is foreign to the Word of God!
You will have to tear the Bible all to pieces if you teach such doctrine.
The time has come when people
no longer endure sound doctrine but are turned to fables. Many false Christs and false
prophets and spurious forms of religion are going forth into all the world. Some time ago
a dear sister stopped to visit with us for a few hours, and during the course of our
conversation she asked a most momentous question. She wanted to know what, in my opinion,
is the greatest danger present among God's people in this hour. I could only reply that
the greatest danger I perceive today is that of God's saints being BROUGHT INTO BONDAGE TO
MEN. And I will tell you frankly that there are a thousand and one different schemes and
distortions of truth and departures from living reality being concocted by subtle, clever,
conniving and power-hungry preachers to bring the saints into bondage to men.
"For at one time you
were darkness itself, but now IN UNION with the Lord you are light itself. You must live
like children of light" (Eph. 5:8, Williams translation). A dear brother has aptly
written: "The word of emphasis right now surely must be upon the word '
I feel to share further from
another precious brother to whom the Lord has given great wisdom for this hour: "God
is always faithful to send forth true ministries to bring His people into new ways in God,
when the time comes for His people to enter in. And God is faithfully doing this today.
That is why it is so important that the ministry, as well as the people, hear what
the Spirit is saying to the churches...' lest the ministry on the one hand assume a place
of carnal authority and leadership that has no relation to what God is doing today... and
lest the people on the other hand submit to such authority under the false notion that it
is the highway to the Kingdom of God. The ministry has amply fulfilled its purpose on
earth if it succeeds in declaring HIM, speaking about HIM, and leading others INTO DIRECT
UNION WITH HIM. And having fulfilled this divine objective they should be willing to just
fade away', as it were, as Moses and Elijah faded away on the Mount of Transfiguration...
that the people of God might 'HEAR HIM' and see 'JESUS ONLY'. Moses and Elijah have an
important part to play... and the ministry that is sent forth from the throne as God's
gift to the body of Christ has an important role to fulfill. But they are important for
one purpose only, and that is TO BRING MEN INTO CLOSER UNION WITH CHRIST, WHERE THEY CAN
HEAR HIS VOICE, AND SEE HIS FACE, AND HAVE PERSONAL AND INTIMATE COMMUNION WITH HIM WHO IS
THE HEAD.
"As the government of
Christ increases in the hearts of His elect, then the messengers of Christ must decrease.
As the heart of a true son begins to develop and mature, then the servant (under-shepherd)
must be quick and anxious to loosen the ties of allegiance that somehow may have come into
being as he sought to lead God's sons into maturity, and encourage them to walk ALONE WITH
GOD. Alone, I say, because no matter how many thousands there are who are walking with you
and with God... your walk with God is intended to be very individual and unique. Ministry
in the Holy Place must give way to sonship in the HOLIEST OF ALL, as Faith gives way to
Hope, as Hope gives way to Love, as the Blade gives way to the Ear, as the Ear gives way
to the Full Corn in the Ear, as bondage in Egypt gives way to a walk of discipline in the
Wilderness, as the Wilderness gives way to Fruitfulness in the Land of Canaan. In other
words, the ministry has fulfilled its purpose if it has been successful in bringing the
people of God into direct, intimate union with the Lord!
"The purpose of all
ministry that proceeds from the exalted Christ is to so minister the Truth that the sheep
of God's pasture might come into direct, unhindered personal union with the Lord. They
make disciples FOR CHRIST, BUT NONE FOR THEMSELVES. In still another analogy, God's
ministers are gardeners: those who plant the seed, or those who water the growing plant,
or those who reap the harvest. They must not meddle with the seed, or with the growing
plant. GOD IS THE HUSBANDMAN, and He it is that giveth the increase.' So then
neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; BUT GOD THAT GIVETH THE
INCREASE! (I Cor. 3:7)" end quote.
Ah, yes, we do need a
"covering"! The Spirit has revealed this over and over again in numerous ways,
through types, and shadows, and forms, and inspired utterances through all His holy
prophets since the day that Adam and Eve were clothed by the Lord God in
Why, oh why, is it not
possible for the Lord's people to see that any "covering" except THE LIFE OF THE
LAMB is naught but withering fig- leaves which in due time fall away and fail to cover
sufficiently, leaving the flesh exposed. To say that we need men, or pastors, or elders,
or shepherds, or anyone at all other than the Lord Jesus Christ to "cover" us or
"lead" us will surely bring spiritual stagnation, or worse, spiritual death.
Nothing will avail but the ANOINTING OF LIFE which comes alone from the Holy Spirit within
as we seek the Lord with all our hearts. After more than sixty years of ministry among
Spirit-filled saints I testify to you that never, in all these years, have I witnessed a
quickening flow of HIS LIFE, never have I seen saints being truly conformed to the image
of Christ, never have I observed a people approaching spiritual maturity, never have I
seen saints coming to KNOW GOD FOR THEMSELVES, and never have I beheld sons coming to
glory in any group where MEN OR ELDERS RULE OVER GOD'S PEOPLE, OR BECOME A COVERING FOR
THEM, OR SET THEMSELVES UP AS 'THE SHEPHERD' OR 'THE APOSTLE' OR THE ANOINTED
MINISTRY' ORDAINED TO BRING GOD'S SONS INTO LIFE AND INTO THE KINGDOM. In every case they
are only successful at bringing horrible bondage, delusion, and spiritual stagnation to
the people of the Lord. These words may be difficult to receive, my friend, but they are
the plain, simple, powerful truth.
Invariably, in the history of
God's dealings, the Lord's people have grown weary in pursuing the full inheritance of God
for themselves, and as the vision grows dim before their drowsy eyes they become impatient
in spirit and are willing to turn their walk with God into the hands of others whom they
deem more capable than themselves to possess the land. This is what happened in the early
days of
God will let them have it! If
you want a covering other than the Christ within, if you want a shepherd other than the
spirit of the Good and Great Shepherd within, God will let you have it. If you want men to
rule over you, rather than learning to know God for yourself and walk with God in the
Spirit, you will get it! There are many around who would just love to RULE YOU! There are
many waiting in the wings to become your
"Stand fast therefore in
the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of
bondage... for, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an
occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another" (Gal. 5:1,13). "These
things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye
have received of Him abideth IN YOU, and ye need not that any man teach you; but as the
same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it
hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him" (I Jn. 2:26-27). Oh, yes! The adversary loves
it if he can make us afraid to hear from God ourselves! Afraid to trust the CHRIST WITHIN!
But, "My sheep hear My voice (not the voice of strangers or hirelings) and I know
them, and they follow ME. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand" (Jn. 10:27-30). I rejoice with
exceeding great joy and my soul shouts unending hallelujahs, for I have found THE
SHEPHERD! His name is Jesus Christ. He lives in me, speaks in me, leads in me. I tell you
today that He alone is MY SHEPHERD. I shall never seek another.
I will close this message by
sharing an anointed word from the pen of Sister Alma McClure. "Don't be deceived or
intimidated by those who say you must have a 'spiritual covering' of MEN or WOMEN! Or an
organzation! We have the best covering there can be in our Lord. The arm of flesh will
fail, whether it is called apostle, prophet, pastor, bishop, elder, ...or pope! Was
everyone in the scriptures under the spiritual oversight of some man or group? Consider!
Abraham heard God and obeyed Him. He had no other spiritual covering. Moses forsook
"In the New Testament,
the outstanding example is the apostle Paul. Hear his testimony: 'The gospel which was
preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught
it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. But when it pleased God who separated me from
my mother's womb, and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach
Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood; neither went I up
to Jerusalem (to the church leaders) to them who were apostles before me; but I went into
Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus' (Gal. 1:11-17).
"Beloved, God has a
company now, called out of man's religious systems, who are separated UNTO HIMSELF, that
He alone may lead them, and teach them, and process them, and use them for His glory, as
Firstfruits, to minister love, mercy and deliverance to creation!" end quote.
To which I add a hearty "Amen!"
Chapter
41
GEMINI
THE TWINS
On leaving the
Gemini is a perfect
illustration of the pagan perversion of the Gospel God originally set in the stars. Dr.
Kennedy has written, "Here is a picture of those who have been mighty hunters or
warriors, who now are seated in joyful repose. Their names in Latin were Castor and
Pollux. The Greek names for them were Apollo and Hercules. Castor and Pollux are also the
names of the two bright stars found in the heads of each of these two figures. In Grecian
mythology, Apollo and Hercules, the twin sons of Jupiter, were great heroes and had
accomplished great exploits. They had supposedly cleared the seas of pirates. That is no
doubt one of the reasons the name of the ship Paul referred to in the book of Acts was
Castor and Pollux, the Latin equivalent of Apollo and Hercules. These two were very
important to seamen. In fact, their names gave rise to the then vulgar form of cursing or
swearing, a practice carried over today in the exclamation, By Gemini,' or the more
modern By Jimminy.' That epithet came from this particular sign and from these two
heroes who had supposedly cleared the seas of pirates.
The twins of Gemini introduce
us to the great law of duality that exists first of all in God Himself, and also in all of
His ways and dealings in creation. All nature is a revealing of the Creator as Paul
explains in Rom. 1:20, "For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature
and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity have been seen and made
intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made
His handiworks" (Amplified Bible). The universe unmistakably reveals the awesome fact
that there is polarity in God. What exactly, is polarity? Webster defines it as "the
condition of having magnetic poles, one positive and attracting, the other negative and
repelling; the having of two contrary qualities, powers, etc., as both wrath and
mercy." Polarity is something much more than simple duality or opposition. For to say
that opposites are "polar" is to say much more than that they are far apart: it
is to say that they are RELATED AND JOINED that they are the terms, ends, or
extremities of a SINGLE WHOLE. Polar opposites are therefore INSEPARABLE opposites, like
the poles of the earth or of a magnet, or the ends of a stick or the faces of a coin.
Though what lies between the poles is more substantial than the poles themselves
nevertheless the three are undivided, constituting a single whole.
One fundamental law of the
universe is that all things have their opposites. There can be no consciousness without
opposites, and no means by which anything can be manifested except by the interaction of
opposites the one "swallowing" the other in "rhythmic balanced
interchange." Each positive has its negative as its necessary reverse. Light and
dark, sweet and bitter, hard and soft, good and evil, right through to the ultimate
negative of the material realm in the positive and negative of electricity, and the
electron and proton of the atom. This law of opposites takes its conscious form in us as
persons. Sooner or later it must occur to each of us that we are in fact polarizations of
the same forces we have detected throughout the universe. This positive and negative
magnetic polarization is an intimate property of electrical phenomena. All matter, organic
and inorganic, participates in and depends upon the flow of these energies which, as
Einstein pointed out, are actually matter in motion. A battery, in order to be effective,
must have a negative and a positive pole. Both poles of the battery must be operative in
order for the battery to function. The negative, in itself, can do nothing. The positive,
in itself, can do nothing. Both must be interrelated in order for the power and purpose of
that battery to come into fulfillment. Let us remember that pleasure and pain are polar
forces. When we demand a world without pain, we may be asking for the removal of pleasure
as we know it. The same faculties that are capable of pain are capable of pleasure, and
the Bible speaks of both as being functions in the nature of God. God was
"pained" in His heart because of the wickedness of man, and Paul speaks of
"godly sorrow." Pleasure, in fact, can never be truly known or appreciated apart
from pain. In the natural world many pains are automatic danger-signals, without which we
would mutilate or kill ourselves without knowing it. The burnt child suffers, indeed, but
for the pain it would probably burn its fingers off. Reason itself would be a poor
substitute for this sharp reminder.
Thus, the twins of Gemini
speak to us of a duality in God that carries the sense of "fullness" and
"unity" rather than that of "division. The accomplishment of both
twins is needed to bring completion and perfection; they do not represent partition,
incompletion, or opposition. The ancient names associated with Gemini reveal this
principle. The old Coptic name for this Sign was Pi-Mahi, which means THE UNITED, as
unified in fellowship or brotherhood. The Hebrew name for this constellation is Thaumim,
meaning THE UNITED or JOINED TOGETHER. A derivative of this Hebrew word is used in
connection with the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, where boards were "coupled
together" (Ex. 26:24). It is also connected with the Thummim stone which the high
priest wore, meaning "perfections," and by which, with the Urim stone, the will
of Yahweh was ascertained by the high priest.
In the light of this
principle of duality in unity let us consider a grand statement of infinite truth which
fell from the lips of God's spokesman, Moses, more than thirty-five centuries ago:
"Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is ONE LORD" (Deut. 6:4). For long centuries
men have read this amazing declaration about God and have supposed it to be nothing more
than a doctrinal statement of the fact that in all the universe there is only one Lord or
one true and living God. That this passage may become clearer to our minds, scintillating
in heaven's light like the ray which is broken into many prismatic hues, consider now the
glorious things concealed in this mighty word of the Lord. The Lord our God is ONE. One,
in the numerology of scripture, means UNITY, UNITED, UNDIVIDED, UNFRAGMENTED. One is the
primary number, denoting beginning or source. Unity being indivisible, and not made up of
other numbers, is therefore independent of all others, and is the source of all others.
One means unity and unity comes from the word "unit," meaning a whole.
In reference to His
substance, God is SPIRIT. In reference to His state of being, God is ONE. That which is
ONE is that which is UNITED, UNDIVIDED, UNFRAGMENTED. Oneness speaks of unity, harmony,
singleness, concord, solidarity. God is ONE! The fact that there is ONE GOD must not be
confused with the truth that GOD IS ONE. There is a great difference. God is truly one,
undivided in Himself, or in His will and purpose. And surely HE alone is God! But this One
God IS ONE. It is a great and blessed fact that God is ONE. He who is united, undivided
and unfragmented in every aspect of His nature and state of being cannot be influenced,
affected, moved, upset, frustrated, changed, altered, damaged, destroyed, made discordant,
confused or set at variance in any way. The character of God is eternal, changeless,
unaffected. The love, joy, peace, righteousness, wisdom, justice, power and will of God do
not rise and fall, rise and fall, rise and fall. Matters not what happens nor what men or
devils say or do, the love of God, the purpose of God, the power of God are steadfast,
unmoved, unquenched, unaffected, without fluctuation. He is Yahweh the
SELF-EXISTENT ONE. He is ONE. No power in the universe can cause any deviation whatsoever
in God's nature, will or action.
There can be no doubt that
each aspect of God's being moves in perfect harmony and accord with every other part of
His being. Here in the physical world there are contradictions in our value system because
there are contradictions in moral philosophy, limited by finite and faltering human nature
and reason. What is the ultimate contradiction in moral philosophy? In moral philosophy
the ultimate contradiction is between justice and mercy. The judge, if he is a good judge,
will be just. He will not let somebody get off, without paying their dues. Moral justice
demands that evil be punished. Because if evil goes unpunished, then the judge is a
participant in the crime, by letting it go unchecked. Justice is one side of the coin. The
other side, the other value is mercy. Mercy says, "I want to forgive you, when you
don't deserve it. And the more undeserving you are, the deeper my mercy runs. This
is a contradiction. How can you possibly combine these two creatively? We speak of law and
love, of truth and grace, of justice and mercy, and so long as sin does not exist there is
no controversy between any of these. If there be no sin, law and love are never out of
harmony with grace or each other; truth and grace go ever hand in hand; justice and mercy
sing a common anthem. If the law be broken, what is love to do? If truth be violated, how
can grace operate? In the presence of crime, how can justice and mercy meet? This is the
problem of problems. It is not a problem as between God and man. It is not a problem as
between God and angels. It is a problem between GOD AND HIMSELF.
Justice and mercy can only be
harmonized by making them ONE. And this can be done only in the realm of the God who IS
ONE. Every facet of God's nature is unified, so that His justice is not warring against
His mercy, neither is His judgment set against His grace. Herein lies the mystery and the
wonder of it all there is no conflict in God, no contradiction! In God, and in God
alone, we see the contradictions combined, and justice and mercy kiss each other.
Christendom has spoken of God's justice being satisfied, as if He were an incorrigible
tyrant that must somehow be appeased. They speak of eternal punishment as a self- evident
result of God's eternal, unchanging nature of infinite justice. Apparently, according to
this crude theory, one is to think of two parallel lines, divine mercy and divine justice,
two divine properties, running close beside each other but diametrically opposed to one
another, each in its own right, continuing on into infinity. Not only love, but also
justice must run its full course, and thus justice and mercy are isolated from each other
endlessly. In this view God is both INFINITELY JUST and INFINITELY MERCIFUL at the same
time but never the twain shall meet! This crude theory is responsible for the
ridiculous doctrine of eternal life for some and eternal torture for others.
I am constrained by the Holy
Spirit of God to cry out against such a blasphemous absurdity! Our God is not
schizophrenic. He does not have a split personality. He is not both INFINITELY MERCIFUL
and INFINITELY VINDICTIVE! The Lord our God is ONE, all attributes and powers of His Being
are working together in perfect accord, each harmoniously synchronized in the same purpose
and toward the same end, without any contradiction. In the scriptural view, HIS JUSTICE is
linked inherently to HIS SALVATION. "There is no God else beside Me; a JUST God and a
SAVIOUR; there is none beside Me" (Isa. 45:21). He is a SAVIOUR because He is also
JUST. His righteous nature requires that He be our Saviour. He "knoweth our frame; He
remembereth that we are dust," and He knows right well that "the creature was
made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in
hope" (Rom. 8:20).
Yes, HE WILL CORRECT US, and
by this very correction make the necessary changes in us, and then He will bring us into
the fullness of salvation. IN HIM "mercy and truth are met together; righteousness
(justice) and peace have kissed each other" (Ps. 85:10). These are never to be viewed
as OPPONENTS to each other, they are gloriously WORKING TOGETHER to fulfill God's
redemption in us. Where mercy alone cannot produce the needed change, God applies His
judgment. And when judgment has accomplished its full work, "in wrath He remembers
mercy" (Hab. 3:2). His wrath and His mercy COOPERATE one with the other, both
designed to play their role in bringing man to one expected end: reconciliation to God and
deliverance from sin and death. There is no conflict between the two the objective
of each is redemptive, not vindictive or destructive. If we have a concept where the
judgment of God is pitted against His mercy, or where the justice of God becomes greater
than His love, or where wrath triumphs over grace, then we have a distorted and wicked
concept of God. We have not yet learned this one simple but sublime truth: The Lord our
God is O- N- E!
I have never believed that by
teaching the ultimate salvation of all men we were pitting one group of scriptures against
another, or one aspect of God's nature against another, for it is my conviction that the
solution can only be found in the HARMONIZATION of all the scriptures and all the
characteristics within God Himself, not ignoring one while advancing the other. God's
justice and His mercy, God's judgment and His salvation, must MEET TOGETHER AS CO-AGENTS
IN GOD'S REDEMPTIVE PURPOSES, else there is eternal warfare and irreconcilable conflict
between the two. I find all the judgments of God to be disciplinary and correctional
rather than vindictive and final. Therein lies the harmonization of which I speak.
According to the Word of God, God is at the same time the JUDGE OF ALL and the SAVIOUR OF
ALL. He is not the Judge of some and the Saviour of some, but both Judge and Saviour of
ALL! "Judge of all" must mean that He judges all; none escape. "Saviour of
all" must mean that He saves all; none are left out. Within that one wonderful fact
can be see the beautiful HARMONIZATION of the justice and the love of God His
judgment leading to repentance and a knowledge of His mercy. Praise His wonderful name!
The judgments of God can never be rightly understood apart from His nature of love. If
God's judgments spring not from His love then they come not from God at all, for God IS
LOVE. What ought this to teach us about His judgments! The pen of inspiration wrote,
"My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked
of Him: for whom the Lord LOVETH He chasteneth, and scourageth every son whom He
receiveth...for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness" (Heb. 12:5-10).
God doesn't go ground purposely punishing or vindictively torturing any of His creatures.
But He does go about precise paths of bringing forth correction UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS, as the
prophet says, "When Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will
LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Isa. 26:9). Thus God's judgments, whether upon saints, nations,
or the wicked in general are all corrective in nature, accomplished by the motivation of
His nature which is LOVE. Truly, the Lord our God is ONE!
Do you recall the story about
the wind and the sun arguing over who was the stronger? They decided that whoever could
take the coat off a man walking down the street was stronger. The wind tried first. It
blew and howled furiously. Twice it knocked the man off his feet, but the coat did not
come off. In fact, the harder the wind blew, the more the man buttoned up. Finally the
wind gave up. Next was the sun's turn. It started to shine, and the man, glad with the
change in weather, unbuttoned his coat. But the sun grew warmer still, till finally the
man took off his coat. The sun won. One of the hidden morals of this story is that both
the wind and the sun had the same objective to take the coat off the man! While, in
this case, warmth won out over violence, there was no conflict between the two. And so it
is with God's judgments and His mercy. He will send what is needful to work the necessary
changes in our lives and in all creation but ALL THINGS are of God, and all things
WORK TOGETHER for our good. The Lord our God is ONE!
The understanding of this
great principle gives the answer to the all-important question, "Is God this, or is
He that? Is God a God of wrath, or is He a God of mercy? Is He absolute love, or is He
absolutely just?" The answer to such questions is simply that He is BOTH! God is not
one OR the other. He is the perfect harmonization and balance of POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE.
God has TWO HANDS! "The works of HIS HANDS are truth AND judgment" (Ps. 111:7).
We will never understand God or His dealings aright until we grasp the truth that many
experiences, values, qualities and powers which we have believed to be contrary and
distinct are, after all, TWO ASPECTS OF THE SAME THING. God does not pit His judgment
against His mercy, neither does He show ONLY MERCY to some and ONLY JUDGMENT to others.
The sweet singer of
The two hands of God are not
the only example of the unified duality in God and His dealings. The same principle is
clearly seen in Christ's divinity and humanity, in Christ the Head and Christ the body, in
the image of God as male and female, in the sons of God and the bride of Christ, in the
Spirit and the Word, in the sons and daughters of God, etc. Beside these, there are many
others! The Bible is full of these unified opposites. And all are represented in the
heavens by Gemini, The Twins who in unity and confidence secure the victory.
THE SPIRIT AND THE WORD
There is not a man on earth
who is qualified to teach or speak God's Word until that Word has been quickened to him by
the Spirit. And no word uttered by man will ever be effectual in the lives of the hearers
until that word is energized to go forth as a Living Word. There is a tremendous value in
words even in the natural realm. All words are either creative or destructive. All that
happens everyday in the world is accomplished through the power invested in words. All the
business and transactions of men and nations are carried on by the power of words. All the
political and economic ideologies that have shaped movements and determined the course of
history and the destiny of billions of people and races and empires have first issued as
words which form their consciousness within the minds and wills of men, who then actively
create out of them the external form and substance of them. The whole Communist empire,
for instance, with all its legislative, judicial and military institutions and powers was
inspired and produced by the power and out of the energy of words spoken or penned by a
man by the name of Karl Marx. Words printed or written on paper are powerful enough to
imprison or put to death a man or to release him. Words on paper are powerful enough to
join a man and woman in marriage, or separate them by divorce. Mere words on paper are
sufficient to make one exceedingly wealthy or to make one penniless, to start a war or to
bring peace, to establish a kingdom or dissolve an empire. Everything works and moves by
and through the power of words. All words spoken form some level of consciousness within
man which in turn forms the world you live in. But none of these words produces life
unless they are energized by the spirit of life from God. Many words gender death.
In scripture water is a
symbol for both the Word and the Spirit (Eph. 5:26; Jn. 7:37-39). The mystery of God is
not far-off in heaven somewhere. GOD IS THE WORD AND THE WORD IS GOD. Furthermore, THE
WORD IS THE SPIRIT AND THE SPIRIT IS THE WORD. "The words that I speak unto you, they
are spirit, and they are life" (Jn. 6:63). Words are the most powerful things in
creation. All things, visible and invisible, were created by God's Word. "And God
said, Let there be..." (Gen. 1:3). "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not
anything made that was made" (Jn. 1:1.3). Let all men know that creation was not
brought forth merely by the spoken word. The power of God's Word lies not in the act of
speaking, but in the fact that it is a LIVING WORD. "For the Word of God is living
and powerful" (Heb. 4:12). The Word is living because it is energized by the Spirit.
"It is the spirit that quickeneth (makes alive), the words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit, and they are life." The Spirit was not created by the Word, rather,
the Spirit quickens or gives life to the Word causing it to be a Living Word. Not all
words are living words. The Spirit and the Word united are the Living Word. We are not
born again by the spoken word we are born again by the Word which is energized by
the Spirit, the Spirit and the Word in union - the LIVING WORD. "Being born again,
not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and
abideth forever" (I Pet. 1:23). The spoken word is not Christ, and the scriptures are
not the Living Word. The people of
Christ is the perfect speech
of God. When the invisible and unknowable God desired to reveal Himself and communicate
Himself to mankind, He placed the substance of Himself in His Word, and made that Word
flesh, and caused that Word made flesh to dwell among men and speak as God to men. Christ
the Word contains the pure essence and power of Life. The words of Christ will form the
consciousness and sense of HIS BEING WITHIN and His world so that you may live in it
forever. The presence of Christ places us in a position to hear the voice of God. This is
the voice we want to hear, not just any voice, but the voice of the Living Spirit. I have
witnessed many men speak and preach the word with great persuasion and nothing happened.
There is no magic" or "mystical power" in the words of the scriptures. The
only power they have is that they testify of CHRIST THE LIVING WORD, they point to HIM WHO
IS THE LIFE. One can preach great sermons and die! But when men are ministered the DYNAMIC
REALITY OF THE LIVING WORD transformation takes place. The same Living Word that by its
almighty power brought creation into existence was made flesh and dwelt among us. The Word
was not made an alphabet. The Word was not made a book. The Word was not made a teaching
or a doctrine. The Word was made flesh, divine substance in human form, the Son of God.
And that same Word is being made flesh divine substance in human form within
us today! The same Word that conquered sin and death in the person of Jesus Christ is
being raised up in you and me in these days. Hallelujah!
He in whom the Word is made
flesh becomes the Word. He who becomes the Word speaks the words of God. He speaks both by
what he is and by what he says. Words are not mere sounds or symbols, but are the sheaths
or cases of spiritual life, and on this ground we at once see the force of the Lord's
declaration, "the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are
life" (Jn. 3:63). "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin: for HIS SEED
(the Word) remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" (I Jn.
3:9). The inherent nature of the life expressed is that which is contained in the SEED.
While we know that THE WORD is the seed, the word "seed" here is the Greek word
SPERMA, that LIFE-GERM that is sown into us by His Spirit. HIS "WORD" is that
life-force that brings forth after His own kind. "For My thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but
watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower,
and bread to the eater: so shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not
return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in
the thing whereto I sent it" (Isa. 55:8-1). Now, to what is God comparing His Word?
To the rain and snow that fall upon the earth to water it, to give life and increase. God
is saying that is just exactly what HIS WORD is sent to do. God's Word will come down in
power from the high realm of His Spirit, falling upon this lower realm of the flesh. God's
Word, or the Lord Jesus Christ, the Logos, the Living Word of God, will come as the former
and the latter rain unto His earth, or His people. He will come upon our earth, and He
will cause to spring up in our earth the seed of life that He has planted there. Just as
the rain and snow accomplish their purpose in the earth with unfailing certainty, so shall
God's Word, His emanation, His anointing, His Christ not return unto Him void, but it
SHALL ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSE. There is a people in the earth in this hour that is letting
that LIVING WORD rain down from above, and the seed of the New Creation is being raised up
in them.
In a message recently
received from Bro. Carl Armstrong he shares the following penetrating insight into the
mystery of this truth of which I now write. "There is a story about a sea port that
had very treacherous, rocky reefs at various places in the entrance to the harbor. It
seemed that just when commerce would begin to flourish, there would be a terrible
shipwreck and the harbor trade would drastically fall. The seamen and merchants of the
harbor knew that something had to be done. So, they erected two lighthouses, one at the
very mouth of the harbor, and the other further back on the land. These lighthouses were
very strategically placed, so that when a ship at sea saw one light, rather than two
lights, they knew that they were lined up to come into the harbor in the channel of safe
passage. If they saw two lights, they were not lined up correctly. In like manner
if we are weighing a decision in the balance and the word (our understanding) seems to be
saying one thing and the spirit (the still small voice) another, then we know to continue
to look until our perceptions of the Spirit and the Word agree. Because the Spirit and the
Word agree and are given to us by the Father that we might have guidance in our decisions.
It was through the interaction of the Word and Spirit that the worlds were created. The
worlds were framed by that alphabet of the spoken word...filled in by the Spirit. 'And
thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye
turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left' (Isa. 30:21). Thus, our seeing and
hearing shall be increased and we shall be balanced to walk in that perfect balance of
word and spirit. If we turn too much to the right or toward the left, we will be corrected
by our just balance which becomes a delight to the Lord" end quote. The Spirit
and the Word are not antagonists they work together in perfect harmony as the twins
of Gemini to secure the victory in our lives!
THE TWO SIDES OF LOVE
There is a theme about which
every son must have a clear understanding if he is to walk in the Father's dealings with
full assurance. It is the fact of the dual aspect of God's nature and His workings
the two sides of love God's love. And in order to make this clear, perhaps we
should share an illustration we heard some years ago from the lips of another, in which he
described a most terrifying scene. "It was late at night in a suburban area of one of
our great cities in
"Your reaction at this
point may be, I certainly hope they will catch the criminal who abducted the little
girl and is responsible for such a hideous crime. However, I have not described to
you the depraved and degraded action of a sick mind. I have not taken a chapter out of the
life of a man in cell 2455, death row. I have not related to you the sordid and sadistic
crime of a psychopathic criminal. On the contrary, I have described to you a tender act of
love. In fact, I can think of no more sincere demonstration of love! You see, that little
girl had awakened in the night with severe abdominal pain. She had been subject to such
attacks. It was her father who rushed into the room. He had talked to the specialist about
it, and when he saw the suffering of his little daughter, he went to the telephone, called
the family physician, and arranged to meet him at the hospital. He had rushed his little
girl down to the hospital and had handed her over to the family physician. The doctor had
taken her to the operating room and performed emergency surgery. Through it all, every
move and every act of that father was of tender love, anxious care, and wise deliberation.
I have described to you the dark side of love but love, nevertheless.
"The father loved the
child just as much on that dark night when he took her to the hospital and delivered her
to the surgeon's knife as he did the next week when he brought her flowers and candy. It
was just as much a demonstration of deep affection when he delivered her into the hands of
the surgeon as it was the next week when he brought her home and delivered her into the
arms of her mother. My friend, love places the eternal security and permanent welfare of
the object of love above any transitory or temporary comfort, or present pleasure. Love
seeks the best interests of the beloved at any cost!" end quote.
We have met some brethren in
this message of sonship who have exaggerated the bright side of the love of God out of all
proportion to its other aspects. They have conceived of the idea that the God of this
universe is a Person of all love and mercy. They do not want to think of Him as One who
would punish individuals or nations. They do not want to think of Him as a God of
judgment. They do not want to think of Him as One who is capable of administering a fiery
retribution on those who trample under foot His holy laws and abuse His spirit of grace.
To these people God is a one-sided Being a God of pure love and goodness, and not a
God of wrath. Now, just think of this for a moment: If He were such a Person, He would be
a God without character. Our God is a God of holiness who hates sin. He is a God of
justice, whose very nature demands that He must punish (correct) sin. It must be quite
convenient, and soothing to one's conscience, to have a God who will always overlook sin,
and who will never punish the sinner. But such a God could only exist in the figment of
the imagination of a deluded soul. Such a God could never be a reality, because we all
know that sin is a reality; and a God who is righteous and just would never eternally
condone that which is so totally antagonistic to His nature. In order for God's love and
God's Kingdom to be fully manifest there must be corrective judgment and remedial
retribution against all that is evil in God's universe.
The kind of God we have
revealed in the holy scriptures is a God of both mercy and judgment the two sides
of love. He is not a nebulous nonentity of sentimentalism. He is a God of character. We
thank God today that He is a God of love and mercy and there would not be one of us
alive today to breathe His fresh air, if it were not for His amazing love toward us. But
there is a purpose in judgment, and it is always a purpose of love. There is a deep, clear
purpose in everything God does. And His love for us, deep and tender, is the fire burning
under that purpose. The character of God must be kept ever in mind. The leading trait of
His character is expressed, not by the word "purity," nor
"righteousness," nor "justice," but by the word "love.
Though if we knew the real meaning of "love" we would find it includes these
others, and more. The purpose in judgment is two-fold. It is a purpose toward sin, to get
rid of it. And God's attitude here is uncompromising. No exceptions are ever noted. And
there is a purpose toward men. Now regarding the purpose toward men it is
disciplinary. The whole thought is to change the man. It is love working, love for the
man. As we have already pointed out, the purpose is the same as the surgeon's. He thrusts
in his keen-edged blade, not to destroy life, but to save it. He is driving hard against
the disease. The knife that cuts and hurts is held steady by the kindly purpose in the
heart.
Let each and every man and
woman who treasures the beautiful hope of sonship to God know that there is the DARK SIDE
OF GOD'S LOVE! Ah, the Great Physician will put His child on the operating table. He will
use the surgeon's knife when He sees a tumor of self-will or a deadly virus of carnality
sapping our spiritual lives, or when He sees the cancerous growth of sin. He does not
hesitate to deal with us severely. We must learn this fact early: He loves us just as much
when He is subjecting us to surgery, as when He sends His blessings and gifts and brings
us into the sunshine of His glory. Precious friend of mine, He loves us most when He is
dealing severely with us, "for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth
every son whom He receiveth" (Heb. 12:6). "I am the true vine, and My Father is
the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away; and every
branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth (prunes) it, that it may bring forth more
fruit" (Jn. 15:1-2). We must remember that the Father reaches into your life and mine
and prunes out that which is not fruitbearing and it hurts! But, as some Puritan
divine said years ago, "The husbandman is never so close to the branch as when he is
trimming it." The Father is never more close to you, beloved, than when He is
reaching in and taking out of your heart and life those things that hinder the development
of HIS LIFE and the manifestation of HIS NATURE.
Consider now these profound
words from the pen of one who has expressed some illuminating thoughts concerning love:
"Know you not that hate sprang out of love? If there is no love, then neither can
there be hatred, for hatred is the balance of power in a scheme where sin and death are
manifest. It is said of God that He hates but it is also said that He is love. How can
these two opposing statements be true? It is because HE IS LOVE that He can hate! It is
not said that God IS HATRED. Nay! For if that be true, then hatred would be His nature, in
which case He would not be Yahweh Elohim, but a fiendish despot. Nevertheless, because God
is love He can manifest this love in a righteous hatred against all evil, that it might
result again in pure love. And, let me add, this righteous hatred IS the DARK SIDE OF
LOVE! Another has said, "In one sense, love is the highest vibration, hatred is
the lowest vibration. God, being all righteous, can move on the lower vibration without
perversion, using His righteous hatred to turn evil once again into good. But man, being
unrighteous, receives love, and by absorbing it into self, in turn manifests a
perverted love. How we need to be partakers of His holiness, being made ALL
RIGHTEOUS, then we will not pervert that which is pure, but we will be able to take that
which has been perverted and restore it to purity once again." Love and hatred are
but the two sides of love the Gemini twins that unified duality within God
that works to bring redemption, restoration, completion and perfection. Oh, the wonder of
it! Oh, the mystery of it!
THE TWO HANDS OF GOD
Almost all churches and most
Christians are not aware of it, but for the most part we have made God to be a one-armed
or one-handed Being. Of course we realize that God is spirit and has no body of material
substance and consequently no arms or hands such as we have. But spirit is real, God is
real, and the eyes of God are omnipresent spirit eyes, His universal ability to see by the
Spirit, and the arms and hands of God are omnipresent spirit arms and hands, His universal
ability to act, touch, and perform by the power of His Spirit. The thought of God having a
right hand and a left hand should not be strange to us, although the preachers have so
often presented God as a one-handed Being. In the scriptures we find the right hand of God
mentioned a great many times, and the left hand of God is mentioned on a number of
occasions. A great deal has been said as to the meaning of the right hand, but few have
seemed to have any understanding or revelation of the significance of the left hand.
First, let us look at the
meaning of these two words, right and left. The word "right" as used with
"hand" is generally the Hebrew word yamiym meaning STRONGER, MORE DEXTEROUS. The
word for "left" is smowl meaning DARK. From the meaning of these two words it is
very easy to understand that God's right hand is His strength and dexterity, or His
wonderful ability to do all things. The implication is that the right hand of God is the
GOOD HAND of God, doing GOOD things. The Psalmist confirms this when he says, "In Thy
presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand are pleasures for evermore" (Ps.
16:11). Again, "The voice of rejoicing and salvation in the tabernacles of the
righteous: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is
exalted" (Ps. 118:15-8). To which the prophet Isaiah adds his inspired testimony,
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will
strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My
righteousness" (Isa. 41:10). In the Old Testament, whenever God is pictured as
manifesting His power, it is done so with His right hand or arm. "Thy right hand, O
Lord, is become glorious in power" (Ex. 15:6). "O sing unto the Lord a new song;
for He hath done marvelous things: His right hand, and His holy arm, hath gotten Him the
victory" (Ps. 98:1). "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive
me; Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right
hand shall save me" (Ps. 138:7). Numerous other Psalms express the same thought. In
the New Testament, after His resurrection, Jesus was by the right hand of God exalted, and
made to sit at His right hand (Acts 2:33-34; Heb. 1:3,13).
But, as we have noted, the
left hand in the Old Testament means DARK and from this we can readily understand that it
signifies the opposite what we call bad or evil. The left hand of God represents
the DARK SIDE OF GOD. This is the hand of God so little understood. The distinctive work
of these two hands is graphically portrayed in the wonderful parable Jesus told of the
sheep and the goats. "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy
angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be
gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth
his sheep from the goats: and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on
the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was
an hungered, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger,
and ye took Me in: naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in
prison, and ye came unto Me. Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, When saw we Thee
an hungered, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger,
and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee? Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and
came unto Thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.
Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungered, and ye gave
Me no meat...then shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered,
or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto
Thee? Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not
to one of the least of these, ye did it not unto Me. And these shall go away into
everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal" (Mat. 25:31-46).
There are many precious and
important truths contained in this parable, but we must restrain ourselves from pursuing
them at this time in order to deal briefy with two points. First, it is important to note
that this separation of the sheep from the goats was brought about, not on the basis of
whether one had accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour, but solely on the basis of
WORKS. Everything depended entirely upon what the sheep or goats had DONE or NOT DONE.
There was nothing of faith or a spiritual experience connected with this separation. The
sheep were set on God's RIGHT HAND because of the fact that they had done something
given meat and drink to the Lord's brethren, clothed them, visited them, and comforted
them. And note in the whole parable there are only three companies: the sheep, the
goats, and the Lord 's brethren. The Lord's brethren are the body of Christ. This has
nothing to do with winning souls, or visiting the people in the wards at the hospital, or
giving food and clothing to the poor or to the derelicts on Skid Row. It is not a ministry
to the lost or to humanity but a ministry unto the body of Christ, the Lord's brethren. It
is not about what the saints do for others, but what the nations do in regard to the
people of God. It is not individuals that are gathered at the right hand and the left hand
of God, but all the nations. All these things the Lord said they had DONE TO HIM. But the
sheep (good nations) confessed that they had never seen Him, so how could they have done
these things to the Lord? He answered, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of
one of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me. All of this is a kind of ministry
unto the Lord Himself, and it brought these nations of people into a separation unto the
RIGHT HAND of God!
This meant an entrance into a
kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. This kingdom was not some
far-off land of ivory palaces, golden streets, white night gowns, wings and harps, where
there is nothing to do and all eternity to do it in. THIS IS A KINGDOM. And because it is
a kingdom it denotes rulership and advancement of all kinds. It indicates the bringing of
a great many people into a higher realm in the Spirit than they have ever known. It means
the salvation of nations with a most favored status in relation to the
But the people of the nations
who had never done all these things mentioned by the Lord were separated unto the LEFT
HAND of God! They received no kingdom, no status in the order of God for the age to come.
There were no rewards for work done or attainments reached. Rather, they were set on the
dark side of God, they were put under a kingdom and under authority and they were placed
in a process of fiery judgment to receive correction. There is much subtle truth in these
words of Jesus: "These shall go away into everlasting punishment." The word
"punishment" is from the Greek KOLASIS which means simply that
punishment. But it comes from the root KOLAZO which sheds precious light upon the nature
of the punishment. KOLAZO, according to Strong's Concordance, bears only two shades of
meaning, namely, "to curtail" or "to chastise." To "curtail"
means to restrain as a person is restrained in jail or a child is restrained when he is
"grounded" for a week because of some disobedience. "Chastise" has one
simple meaning according to Webster's New World Dictionary: "to punish in order to
correct, usually by beating." It should be clear to any thoughtful mind that the
subject here is not meaningless, sadistic, unending torture, but PURPOSEFUL CORRECTION.
The Diaglott says, "Depart from Me, you cursed ones, into that aionian fire...and
these shall go away into a cutting-off age lasting." The Bible in Modern English by
Farrar Fenton reads, "And these He will dismiss into a long correction."
How sobering these meaningful
words of truth: "And He shall set the sheep on the RIGHT HAND, but the goats on the
LEFT. Then shall the King say unto them on His RIGHT HAND, Come, ye blessed of My
Father...then shall He say also unto them on the LEFT HAND, Depart from Me, ye
cursed!" But just what or who are these TWO HANDS OF GOD? The two hands of God
represent two aspects of God's dealings, two ways in which He moves and acts to accomplish
His purposes. We can readily see from the parable of the sheep and the goats that God
deals through both POSITIVE and NEGATIVE forces. Beautiful truths come lighting like a
covey of doves in my heart, begging to be expressed, but there is not room for them all in
any message, so much truth will have to abide its time. In closing this article, however,
I wish to point out that the right hand of God bespeaks of God moving and acting through
POSITIVE FORCES, while the left hand of God denotes God moving and acting through NEGATIVE
FORCES.
A key to this vital truth is
found in the words of David in Ps. 111:7 wherein he states, "The works of HIS HANDS
are verity and judgment." We have already mentioned that God is not a man, He
possesses not body such as we have, for He is omnipresent spirit; but God has ordained the
visible realm to serve as an allegory to convey the realities which pertain to the higher
realm of the invisible. So for just a moment, consider God with two hands, one of verity,
and one of judgment. The word "verity" is actually the Hebrew word for TRUTH.
Thus we see with one hand He is bringing forth truth (living reality), and with the other
hand of His judgment He is moving to bring us into harmony with truth. What beautiful
co-ordination in all the works of His hands! Every time God initiates a new phase of His
purpose, He then brings forth the measures needed to bring us into alignment with that
purpose. If He can do this through POSITIVE forces He will, in the dealing of His right
hand, but if corrective measures are needed He will stretch forth even His left hand and
bring NEGATIVE forces into action to teach us the necessary lesson. How often we pray for
God to stretch forth His right hand of VERITY, we are hungry for blessing and truth and
reality, and He graciously imparts, but it has been my experience that He does not make it
a one-sided working, always piling up blessing upon blessing and revelation upon
revelation until we are out of balance. In His love, yea, the dark side of love, He takes
His other hand and graciously disciplines, corrects, forms, molds and shapes, until we
become one with that truth, to His glory and praise. We will never understand God
correctly until we see that His two hands are ONE LOVE. Our language betrays the
fact that the average person sees God as an antagonist. When high tides and strong winds
shatter beach front homes, what do we call it? An act of GOD! True enough, but why don't
we call a bumper crop or a surplus an act of God? The tendency to see (and fear) God in
adversity as some kind of ogre is a symptom of the reasoning of the carnal mind and is as
old as civilization. But the actual message of the Bible is just the opposite. Its main
claim is that God utterly cherishes you. He is for you. God loves you. And if you look
beyond your circumstances to God revealed in Christ, you will see solid evidence of just
how deep and strong and true His love is and even now "We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His
purpose" (Rom. 8:28).
In speaking of the corrective
judgment brought upon
THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD
Those elect saints who press
forward toward the mark for the prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus are
becoming related to God in His right hand. "Therefore being by the RIGHT HAND of God
exalted..." (Acts 2:33). This speaks of Jesus Christ, the firstborn Son, our
Forerunner. He is exalted to the RIGHT HAND of God. He is the POSITIVE FORCE of God in the
universe "who is gone into heaven (spiritual realm of government) and is on the RIGHT
HAND of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him" (I Pet.
3:22). Contrary to popular theology, the right hand of God is
The Queen of England is on
the throne of
There is no greater prize
than oneness with Christ. The inspired apostle exhorted the saints in Colosse, "If ye
then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the
RIGHT HAND of God" (Col. 3:1). The message is clear the elect of God are to
SEEK THE THINGS OF CHRIST AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. Seek the things of the right hand!
What a word is that! Some of the greatest truths of the Word of God are the ones that lie
hidden like pearls of great price, unnoticed by the careless but available to all who will
search beneath the uninviting surface of the ground. What wonder and glory are to be
discovered in these magnificent words of our Lord spoken so long ago in the hearing of
John on Patmos' lonely isle: "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in
My throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with My Father in His throne"
(Rev. 3:21). Those who share His throne are God's RIGHT HAND MINISTRY. Paul Mueller has
written of this company: "This company of the sons of God are called to be priests
after the order of Melchizedek and they are to offer the sacrifice of their lives, to
intercede for all mankind, so that they may eventually join the Lord in that grand
benediction, the final blessing of creation's deliverance. The Psalmist pictures the
corporate Christ as a COMPANY OF MEDIATORS, standing between mankind and the divine
resources, when he says, I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in
the rivers' (Ps. 89:25). In other words, the hands of the body of Christ are placed with
the left hand in the great sea of mankind, and the right hand in the rich and abundant
rivers of divine life (Eze. 47:1-9), ready to channel the abundant life of God from His
river of life into the great sea of mankind, thereby bringing healing and restoration to
all mankind. And when we realize that the corporate hands of the body of Christ link us to
the multitudes of earth's needy as well as to the mighty and abundant RIVER OF DIVINE
LIFE, we will then intercede for all mankind so that we might one day bless all creation
in a glorious manifestation of the life of God" end quote. What harmony, what
glorious unity shall fill the universe as this company of kings and priests, a royal
priesthood (the Gemini Twins!) flows together, to gather together into Christ all things,
until God is indeed ALL- IN- ALL, everything in everyone everywhere!
How truly the whole creation
waits and groans for the manifestation of the sons of God! How we ourselves do groan
within ourselves! Does it seem that months turn into years and years pile up into decades
and all things continue as they have been? Ah, my friends, I can tell you that our God
shall move again! It is not another "revival" we seek, and it is not another
revival that God shall give. He shall come, He shall move in and through His body, the
enChristed ones, in the fullness of the power and glory and authority of which His coming
at Pentecost was but the firstfruits! And then "the kingdom, the dominion, and the
greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heavens SHALL BE GIVEN TO THE PEOPLE OF THE
SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom and ALL DOMINIONS
SHALL SERVE AND OBEY THEM. This was the end of the matter" (Dan. 7:27-28, Goodspeed).
This company IS the manifestation of GOD'S RIGHT HAND OF BLESSING in the earth today, and
this right hand shall do even much more valiantly as the sons of God press on in to the
measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Those who dwell in this exalted realm of
the right hand shall not only REIGN upon the earth, but they shall RAIN upon the dry,
parched earth and all peoples and nations shall be watered and given life through the
gracious and bountiful outpouring of the RIGHT HAND OF GOD! Praise His wonderful name
forever!
Chapter
42
GEMINI
THE TWINS
(continued)
We continue in our study of
the Sign of GEMINI THE TWINS. Gemini is the picture of two youthful twins seated
side by side and at rest, with their feet placed upon the Milky Way. Their heads lean
against each other. The one on the left has a club in his hand, but even the club is at
repose, leaning against his shoulder. The other twin, on the right, has a harp in one hand
and a bow and arrow in the other. Both the bow and arrow are in repose, the same as the
figure who holds them. The picture portrays a readiness for warlike action, but at the
same time a peaceful repose in the certain knowledge of a great victory either already
gained or ready to be gained. It speaks of absolute confidence of victory, certainty of
triumph, the assurance of the successful conclusion of a purpose or warfare.
The twins of Gemini introduce
us to the great law of duality that exists first of all in God Himself, as well as in all
of His ways and dealings in creation. Both the Word of God and nature unmistakably reveal
the awesome fact that there is polarity in God. What exactly, is polarity? Webster defines
it as "the condition of having magnetic poles, one positive and attracting, the other
negative and repelling; the having of two contrary qualities, powers, etc., as both wrath
and mercy." Polarity is something much more than simple duality or opposition. For to
say that opposites are "polar" is to say much more than that they are far apart:
it is to say that they are RELATED AND JOINED that they are the terms, ends or
extremities of a SINGLE WHOLE. Polar opposites are therefore INSEPARABLE opposites, like
the poles of the earth or of a magnet, or the ends of a stick or the face of a coin.
Though what lies between the poles is more substantial than the poles themselves
nevertheless the three are undivided, constituting a single whole. A battery, in order to
be effective, must have a negative and a positive pole. Both poles of the battery must be
operative in order for the battery to function. The negative, in itself, can do nothing.
The positive, in itself, can do nothing. Both must be interrelated in order for the power
and purpose of that battery to come into fulfillment. Thus, the twins of Gemini speak to
us of a duality in God that carries the sense of "fullness" and
"unity" rather than that of "division." The unified accomplishment of
both twins is needed to bring completion and perfection; they do not represent partition,
incompletion, or opposition. There are manifold doubles throughout the scriptures which
set forth this great principle of duality in unity. For example, there is Joshua and
Caleb, two men strong in faith to inherit the promised land, two men representing the ONE
MAN the CORPORATE SON OF GOD.
Then there is the Decan
called CANIS MINOR, meaning The Lesser Dog. But again, this is a modern picture. In the
ancient Denderah Zodiac, it was depicted as a human figure with a hawk's head and was
called Sebak. The brightest star is Procyon, meaning "the Redeemer." So here we
have in these two hawk figures confirmation of the same thing which we had in the Sign of
Gemini pictures of the two aspects of the work of God's Christ: the Prince, the One
who comes to destroy the serpent, and the One who comes bringing redemption.
One of the Decans, or minor
constellations, in the house of Gemini is CANIS MAJOR and another is CANIS MINOR. CANIS
MAJOR means The Greater Dog. This constellation tells of the glorious Prince who will
subdue the serpent and reign. Dr. Kennedy tells us, "In the Denderah Zodiac, the
oldest planisphere, which was found on the roof of a temple in
Then there is the Decan
called CANIS MINOR, meaning The Lesser Dog. But again, this is a modern picture. In the
ancient Denderah Zodiac, it was depicted as a human figure with a hawks head and was
called Sebak. The brightest star is Procyon, meaning "The Redeemer." So here we
have in these two hawk figures confirmation of the same thing which we had in the Sign of
Gemini pictures of the two aspects of the work of Gods Christ: the Prince,
the One who comes to destroy the serpent, and the One who comes bringing redemption.
THE TWO HANDS OF GOD
This brings us to a most
awesome and significant point. Ancient astronomical records also speak of the names of
other stars in Canis Major which are no longer identifiable. One of these is an Arabic
name, Alshira Alijemeniya, meaning PRINCE OF THE RIGHT HAND, and refers to its identity
with the right-hand twin in Gemini, with which it is associated. There is a clear
connection between the Sign of Gemini and these two attending constellations, CANIS MAJOR
and CANIS MINOR. In Canis Minor there is also a star whose Arabic name is Ashira
Alshemeliya and means THE PRINCE OF THE LEFT HAND, and refers to its identity with the
left-hand twin in Gemini, with which it is associated. The right hand and the left hand
are thus the two twins of Gemini. This, my beloved, can be nothing else but a picture of
THE TWO HANDS OF GOD!
In the previous Study of this
subject we have noted that in the scriptures we find the right hand of God mentioned a
great many times, and the left hand of God is mentioned on a number of occasions. The word
"right" as used with "hand" is generally the Hebrew word
"yamiym" meaning STRONGER, MORE DEXTEROUS. The word for "left" is
"smowl" meaning DARK. From the meaning of these two words it is very easy to
understand that God's right hand is His strength and dexterity, or His wonderful ability
to do all things. The implication is that the right hand of God is the GOOD HAND of God,
doing GOOD things. But the left hand in the Old Testament means DARK and from this we can
readily understand that it signifies the opposite what we call bad or evil. The
left hand represents the DARK SIDE OF GOD. This is the hand of God so little understood.
That there is both the bright side of God and the dark side of God, manifested through the
works of His two hands, in blessing on the one hand and in judgment on the other, is
strikingly illustrated in the extraordinary story found in I Kings chapter twenty-two. The
wicked king Ahab is persuading the good king, Jehoshaphat to go to battle with him, and
all the false prophets of Ahab have prophesied that they should go to battle, that the
Lord will give them victory. But Jehoshaphat asks for a prophet of the Lord and Micaiah is
brought with instructions to prophesy like the rest, but he refuses. Micaiah at first
mocks Ahab, by prophesying in just that way, but Ahab knows that it is not right, and
commands him to prophesy in the Word of the Lord.
So in verse nineteen Micaiah
begins thus: "Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His
throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him ON HIS RIGHT HAND AND ON HIS LEFT. And
the Lord said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And
one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. There came forth a spirit, and
stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him,
Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth AND I WILL BE A LYING SPIRIT IN THE MOUTH OF ALL
HIS PROPHETS. And He said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also; GO FORTH AND DO
SO." Now this is Gods Word as He sought a way to cause Ahab to be defeated. Out
of the heavenly realm came such a spirit, who made himself to be a lying spirit in the
mouth of all the prophets with the consent and authority of God! He caused the prophets to
prophesy falsely and bring about the fall of Ahab, even as he was given commandment of
God. We do not always understand some of God's workings, but they are in the scriptures,
and we cannot build a pathway around them, for ALL scripture is given by inspiration of
God and is profitable for doctrine.
But does it not seem
incredible that the Holy Spirit should take such care to record that all the spirits
making up "the host of heaven" were standing at God's RIGHT HAND and His LEFT
HAND, if this fact is not extremely pregnant with meaning? Beloved reader, ponder, if you
will, this weighty consideration: From which of the two hands of God came the lying spirit
which brought judgment to king Ahab? After years of reverent meditation upon this
challenging question my heart is satisfied with this answer: The lying spirit came from
the LEFT HAND of God of course!
Many of the Lord's precious
people have great difficulty in reconciling a God of LOVE with the atrocious accounts of
His actions in the Old Testament which included various plagues, famines, earthquakes,
floods, massacres of women and children, genocide and indeed all the sordid and bloody
episodes of violence and destruction that He imposed. This may come as a shock to some who
read these lines, but GOD DID NOT CHANGE AT CALVARY. God has always had two hands, and in
the Old Testament times, especially under the law, He revealed more prominently His left
hand of judgment, whereas in the New Testament times, under the covenant of grace, He has
revealed more strikingly His right hand of goodness and mercy. In Jesus Himself, however,
there was not always the sweet, gentle, kindly attitude that most of us have come to
appreciate and expect; for in His confrontations with the Pharisees, the Chief Priests,
Elders, and teachers of the law, and when in anger He made a whip of small cords and drove
the money changers out of the temple, overturning their tables, and pouring out their
money...the LEFT HAND OF GOD becomes manifest!
You might get the impression,
upon reading the multiplied judgments of God sent upon
There were times when Jesus
seemed to be completely unyielding in His attitude toward men. Yet there are other times
when we can hardly understand His willingness to show mercy. On the occasions when it
would seem beyond our ability to forgive, Jesus shows a kindness that seems unlimited and
beyond human comprehension. Perhaps the crowning example is His word from the cross,
"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." How could a man in the
painful agony of death forgive the fickle crowd which one day had hailed Him as Messiah
and then turned on Him like a beast? It is because Jesus knew how to keep the balance
between judgment and mercy. We need to be taught by His spirit how to believe in judgment
and at the same time practice mercy.
It is during the discipline
process that we are so likely to forget the love of God and misunderstand His judgments
toward us. We will be inclined to think that, because God allows many failures, pressures,
and misfortunes to befall us, He has forgotten us or turned against us. Christian friends
will be at pains to tell us that our suffering is a sure sign of God's displeasure with
our life. Nothing could be further from the truth! He has forgotten nothing, but while we
in our childishness want nothing but His blessings, at the same time trying to build up
and establish our own desires, plans, and programs, which are fleshly, God's purpose is to
LAY IT ALL WASTE, bring it to nought, and teach us HIS WAYS. The childish Christian wants
to build up the natural, the visible, the audible, and just enjoy all the wonderful
blessings of God forever. But God has purposed that we become PRINCES WITH GOD, heirs of
God and joint heirs with Christ. This requires the development of divine wisdom,
character, and power. Therefore in love He lays waste the immature and undisciplined
ambitions within us.
The right kind of parents do
not allow their children the privilege of doing whatever they want to do. They are not
permitted to be "free moral agents", to make their own decisions and have their
own way, until they have reached an age of maturity. Until they can make their own way,
the parents must do it for them. The children may complain and cry and rebel a long time,
but the proper parent holds them to their decision that is for their betterment. The
parents know what is best for the children, although the children are unable to understand
or appreciate it. Ah, we hear a lot about our being "free moral agents", but if
you treasure the beautiful hope of sonship you will forget all about that for our heavenly
Father makes the decisions for us, and although many of His children do a lot of fussing
and crying, HE HOLDS US TO IT, and how thankful we should be that He does! WHEN WE HAVE
BEEN TRIED WE SHALL COME FORTH AS GOLD.
"It is a fearful thing
to fall into the hands of the living God," said the writer to the Hebrews. May I
reverently add Yea, but it is a more fearful thing not to fall into His hands! King
David understood this quite well. At a time when David ruled in peace, when his kingdom
stretched from the river Euphrates to the border of
But the numbering was never
finished. It was left unfinished because God was angry with David and with the people on
account of this sin. David saw that he had done wickedly, in ordering the count of the
people. He prayed to the Lord, and said, "O Lord, I have sinned greatly in doing
this. Now, O Lord, forgive this sin, for I have done foolishly." Then the Lord sent
to David a prophet by the name of Gad. Gad came to David, and said to him, "Thus
saith the Lord, You have sinned in this thing, and now you and your land must suffer for
your sin. I will give you the choice of three troubles to come upon the land. Shall I send
seven years of famine, in which there shall be no harvest? Or shall your enemies overcome
you and win victories over you for three months? Or shall there be three days when
pestilence shall fall upon the land, and the people shall die everywhere?" And David
said to the prophet Gad, "This is a hard choice of judgments to come upon the land;
but LET ME FALL INTO THE HAND OF THE LORD AND NOT INTO THE HANDS OF MEN; FOR GOD'S MERCIES
ARE GREAT AND MANY." Then the Lord's angel of death passed through the land, and in
three days seventy thousand men died. And when the angel of the Lord stretched out His
hand over the city of Jerusalem, the Lord had pity upon the people, and said, "It is
enough; now hold back your hand, and cause no more of the people to die." Then the
Lord opened David's eyes and he saw the angel standing on Mount Moriah, with a drawn sword
in his hand, held out toward the city. Then David prayed and the Lord heard David's
prayer, and took away the plague from the land.
A mystic from another century
penned these inspiring words: "O God, Thou living God, let me fall into Thy hands; it
is only in Thy hands that I can be perfectly safe. I know that to fall into Thy hands is
indeed a fearful thing; I know that is the beginning of all my fears, for it is the
beginning of all my responsibilities. In Thy hands I shall learn the awfulness of my
spiritual being, in Thy hands I shall learn how little it has fulfilled its destiny.
Nevertheless, it is in Thy hands alone that I would be; the fear that comes from contact
with Thee is indeed the beginning of wisdom. There would be no penalty to me so great as
to fall out of Thy hands; to be out of Thy hands is to be dead. There is a pain with Thee,
which is not found without Thee, but it is the pain of love which is the pain of the life
Divine. Translate me into that life. Lift me into union with Thine own Divine being. Raise
me into fellowship with that power of Thy love which is the power of Thy suffering. Take
me into Thy hands and hold me in Thy fear. Let me learn in Thy life how solemn is my own,
let me see in Thy glory how poor is my own."
It should not seem strange
that God, who made man in His image, should have both a bright side and a dark side,
manifested through the works of His two hands, in blessing and glory on the one hand, and
in discipline and judgment on the other. The right hand of God, as we have seen, bespeaks
of God moving and acting through POSITIVE FORCES, while the left hand of God signifies God
moving and acting through NEGATIVE FORCES. This reveals the beautiful balance in God's
nature, as in all His works, and the whole creation is a revelation of this balance that
exists first in the Creator Himself. There must be a balance. There must be the negative
as well as the positive. That is but a natural law and we see it all around us.
In Prov. 25:16 we read,
"Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled
therewith and vomit it." In other words, for us to eat nothing but honey will make us
sick. Too much of anything can become a curse, like flood when the blessed rain keeps on
falling. There must be balance in all things. And as in the natural, so in the spiritual.
And so it is with the TWO HANDS of God! Have we found the pleasures at the RIGHT HAND of
God? Have we received His blessings, so lavishly bestowed? If so, eat just enough and let
it be balanced with something from the LEFT HAND of God. Even if you think it is not good
for you, accept it as from God, for we must not become sick from too much goodness from
God. How can too much goodness sicken us? If God gave us only good things, we would never
become strong. If Job had never known anything but God's blessing unto him, he would have
continued to be so weak that God would always have had to enclose him in a hedge. But
after God's LEFT HAND was through dealing with Job he was an entirely different man, a man
who not only was perfect, but tried, tested, and proven; a man who had been in a great
deal of adversity, sorrow, and loss, but now he knew the strength that comes with
overcoming as well as the satisfaction that comes from God's blessing. Now God could bless
him with twice as much as before and with NO HEDGE!
There is a wonderful lesson
in nature observable by the biophysical scientist. When one adjusts the lenses of his
microscope to watch the individual cells of an organism, he sees tremendous struggles
going on within those cells with only particular successes and failures, victories and
defeats, in what appears to be a ruthless "dog- eat- dog" battle. But when he
changes the level of magnification to observe the organism as a whole, he sees that what
was conflict at the lower level is harmony at the higher: that the very health and well
being, the ongoing life of the organism is precisely the OUTCOME of this microscopic
turmoil. Ah, my brother, my sister, when our consciousness is raised high enough in the
spirit to see the WHOLE PICTURE, to SEE AS GOD SEES about all the circumstances and events
that touch our lives, rather than dwelling upon the particular events themselves with
their apparent negativeness, becoming irritated, worried, and upset by what is happening,
we will see and know by the understanding HE GIVES that indeed, all these things ARE
WORKING TOGETHER FOR OUR GOOD, and the ongoing development of our spiritual life is
precisely the OUTCOME of all the conflict. Praise His name!
THE HIDDEN HAND
In the New Testament the
Greek word for "right" as used with "hand" means THAT WHICH USUALLY
TAKES. That is, it is the one that reaches out to take and we can also know that it is the
one that usually reaches out to give. It is the far more active hand of the two in the
vast majority of people. There is a wonderful and meaningful statement made by Jesus in
Mat. 6:3, often passed over unnoticed. Jesus said, "But when thou doest alms, let not
thy LEFT hand know what thy RIGHT hand doeth." In other words, keep your LEFT HAND in
the dark as to what your RIGHT HAND is doing! And remember, the right hand is the one that
reaches out either to take or to give. Jesus said that the Pharisees and hypocrites gave
their alms openly to BE SEEN OF MEN, and the joy of being seen WAS THEIR REWARD. Such
people had their reward already and no further reward would be given them. Their left
hand, as it were, had full knowledge as to what their right hand had done and their ego
and self-righteousness were fully rewarded in the praise of men received.
But Jesus cautioned His
disciples to not let their left hand have knowledge of what the right hand was doing.
Their reward would come from God and not from men. Therefore their left hand, or their
ego, self- nature with all its self-interests and self-love, would be kept in the dark,
left unsatisfied and unfulfilled in the good that was being done. Thus the left hand could
in no way deprive them of the far greater reward THE FATHER HAD FOR THEM for their deeds
of compassion and love. In applying this principle to the actions of God's two hands, we
find that satan, wicked men, and all the forces of the negative realm have absolutely NO
UNDERSTANDING of what the right hand of God is doing. Those of the left hand cannot
perceive or know the purposes or intentions of the right hand in doing what it does. With
this in mind, what a world of truth opens to our understanding from these inspired words
of the apostle Paul, "Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not
the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: but we
speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before
the world unto our glory: which NONE OF THE PRINCES OF THIS WORLD KNEW: FOR HAD THEY KNOWN
IT, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE CRUCIFIED THE LORD OF GLORY" (I Cor. 2:6-8). None of the
princes of this world knew! They were the negative force in God's left hand moving against
the Christ, that the purpose of God in giving His beloved Son for the redemption of the
world might be fulfilled.
"Him being delivered BY
THE DETERMINATE COUNSEL AND FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD, YE have taken, and by wicked hands have
crucified and slain" (Acts 2:23). Pilate said to Jesus, "Speakest Thou not unto
me? knowest Thou not that I have power to release Thee?" Hear the answer of Jesus!
"Thou couldest have no power at all against Me except it were GIVEN THEE FROM
ABOVE" (Jn. 19:10-11). For God to bring His redemptive and reconstructive plan into
effect, there must be a balance, there must be a negative force opposing the positive
power and force of God in Christ Jesus. There must be a Judas, chosen to bring all things
to a head in the fullness of time when Jesus must be crucified. There must be a Pilate,
given power from above, to take care of the legal side of all that happened on that
dreadful night. There must be the soldiers selected to nail Jesus to the cross. There must
be those who ridiculed Jesus, who scorned and mocked and cursed Him. Without a satan,
without a Judas, without self- righteous and vindictive religious leaders, without a
rebellious, hateful nation of
Yes, GOD was doing this
thing, GOD was in control of each and every action, it was all the work of HIS HAND! But
those He moved upon at His left hand moved in darkness and did not know anything of what
the right hand was doing, they knew not who the Christ was, why He was here, or what He
was doing or would do. Never did they dream, in their wildest imaginations, that He really
was the Son of God, that He truly was the Lamb they were slaying for the sins of the
world, that He actually would rise from the dead, that He would pour out the Holy Spirit
in mighty wonder-working power and spread His Kingdom from pole to pole! They were doing
what God had raised them up to do but they walked in darkness, they didn't KNOW! The left
hand was at a great disadvantage. Today, as then, these evil forces do not even realize
that it is the hand of God that is directing all of their actions. The forces of evil and
the people under their control, have the false idea that they are directing their own
steps and doing all things of themselves, and God allows them to think so! So we see them
going their way boasting of all they are doing and believing themselves to be the masters
of their own destiny, marking out their own pathway!
The right hand of God is the
ANOINTED HAND of God, for Christ (The Anointed) sits AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. It is this
hand of God, the Christ, Head and body, that reaches forth to all mankind bringing
redemption, restoration, and blessing. How we praise God for HIS RIGHT HAND, HIS POSITIVE
FORCE, and that it is the more active and the stronger of the two! While the left hand is
kept in ignorance of what the right hand is doing, the right hand is not always ignorant
of what the left hand is doing "lest satan should get an advantage of us: for we are
not ignorant of his devices" (II Cor. 2:11). "But ye, brethren, are not in
darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children (sons) of
light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness" (I
Thes. 5:4-5). When we realize we are in the light of God and know at least a little
something of what is going on, then it is amusing, at times, to be able to watch the
foolish moves being made by those on the left hand of God. Foolish, perhaps, but so
necessary to God's plan! How we rejoice to be able to stand by in assurance and
confidence, watching GOD at work, knowing that God is the one who is the author and
finisher of all that happens in between. It is wonderful to be able to walk in at least a
measure of light during all those times of testing, trial, proving and judgment.
There is a further and
enlightening application of this truth which we would share briefly. In the Song of
Solomon 2:6 the Shulamite maiden says of her Beloved, "His LEFT HAND is under my
head, and His RIGHT HAND doth embrace me." The meaning is clear the left hand
of God is under our head, it is hidden, unseen, the less visible working of God upon our
lives, upholding and undertaking for us in all the ways and circumstances in which we do
not see the hand of God. God has manifested Himself in history in the figure of the
"left hand" unseen and invisible, when men did not recognize Him.
Elisha's servant (II Kings 6:13-17), as well as the prophet Habakkuh (Hab. 1:14), and many
others, did not see the hidden hand of God, behind the head, away from the front of the
eyes, working His plan and will. However, there are other times when the "right
hand" of God works in an obvious fashion, before the eyes, in front of the face,
performing the supernatural and the miracle right there for all to see. But keep in mind
that if we had eyes in the back of our heads, so to speak, we could see both the right and
left hand manifestations. We would see that God is there working all the time. And all
those blessed ones who have the "eyes of their understanding enlightened "do see
HIM IN ALL THINGS!
How often, in the midst of
testing and trouble, we, like Peter, look at the billowing waves and behold not the Lord!
When the blessings come pouring in and the glory waves sweep through our souls, we know it
is the Lord and we acknowledge and bless Him. But when trouble surrounds us, when
adversity comes, calamity strikes, and all hell breaks loose, we fail to see where God's
hand can be in that! But, without that, we could not receive all He would give and do for
us with His right hand. The right hand is the hand of His manifest grace and power, His
inward love and joy, the smile of His approval with which He encourages and equips us. The
left hand, under our head, holds us fast and secretly deals and works upon the clay of the
earthen vessel in ways we understand not. The embracing of His right hand is so precious,
as He lets His love fall upon us like dew, as He leads us into deeper revelations of
Himself and of that which He has prepared for us. And we behold the King in His beauty as
He perfects that which concerneth us and gets us ready to shine forth in His image.
While we rejoice in the
embrace of God's right hand of love, let us not despise His left hand; let us yield to Him
though He would use the knife upon us and pour the wine into the wound; for He will then
pour in the oil and soothe us; He may wound, but He will heal us. Let us not forget,
however, that He not only holds us fast and comforts us in trial, but He holds us fast in
the fiery furnace, and on the swiftly moving wheel of His purifying and molding processes.
How many times we would get out of His hands if He did not hold us fast when He puts us
into the purifying furnace, out of which we would take ourselves if it were possible. It
is His precious unseen left hand that holds us still as the dross is being consumed.
REIGNING AT THE RIGHT HAND
The scripture tells us that
"there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the MAN Christ Jesus" (I
Tim. 2:5). Seated at the right hand of God today is a MAN. God came down from heaven and
invaded humanity, He took upon Himself the nature and the body of a man, so that when He
went back to the throne, He would take humanity back to the throne. There is no mystery to
it that God sits on the throne, He belongs there; but to think now that MAN is sitting on
the throne of almighty and universal power! "Jesus of Nazareth, a MAN approved of God
among you by miracles and wonders and signs...this Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we
all are witnesses. Therefore BEING BY THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD EXALTED..." (Acts 2:22,
32-33).
Some people have the
impression that the New Testament Church was in a constant expectation to meet Jesus
around every corner or to see Him appear during their gatherings, but that is not true.
That happened only for forty days after His resurrection. Then one day He wanted them to
know that they must not look for Him around corners or the next time they went fishing, so
He took them up on a mountain, blessed them, and allowed them to see Him in that body one
last time, not disappearing as He had done on many occasions, but ascending slowly up into
heaven, surrounded by the Shekinah cloud of glory, caught up into life on a higher plane,
raised up into transcendent glory, so that they knew, as Paul later wrote, that we have
one mediator between God and man, the MAN Christ Jesus, yet a man ASCENDED and EXALTED,
SITTING ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. So we do not look for Him in any physical appearance for
"henceforth (from now on) know we no man after the flesh; yea, though we have known
Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more "(II Cor. 5:16). But
it is still a MAN at the right hand of God!
There is beautiful
confirmation of this in Acts 7:55-56 where we read concerning Stephen, "But he being
full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God and
JESUS STANDING ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. And said, Behold I see the heavens opened and the
SON OF MAN standing on the right hand of God." The right hand of God, as we have
previously pointed out, is the realm of ALL AUTHORITY, POWER, DOMINION, WISDOM, AND
KNOWLEDGE. It is the realm of God's OMNIPOTENCE. It was rankest blasphemy in the minds of
Stephen's persecutors for him to say that he saw JESUS, the SON OF MAN, standing at the
RIGHT HAND of God. Such words were for him to seal his doom at the hands of the high
priest and all the council. If Stephen had said he saw the SON OF GOD there, it would not
have been so grievous, perhaps, but when we realize that it is the SON OF MAN seated in
such a place, then it assumes proportions beyond the comprehension of mortal mind.
The right hand of God is not
a geographical or astral PLACE. The throne of the God who is omniscient, omnipotent, and
omnipresent Spirit is not a material one, but bespeaks of the REALM OF HIS SUPREME AND
UNIVERSAL AUTHORITY AND RULERSHIP; and our Lord Jesus Christ has been exalted to the glory
of that rulership. The RIGHT HAND of God is a realm of power and authority, a position of
eminence, a condition and a state of being. It is the assumption of the almighty power and
universal dominion of the Father. It is the dispensing of HIS POSITIVE ENERGY FORCE into
His creation. Exalted to that high realm Jesus no longer walks in a limited physical body,
for He now indwells the church, which is His body, the FULLNESS OF HIM THAT FILLETH ALL IN ALL (Eph.
1:22-23).
And, blessed be God! we now
have a share in the REALM OF THE RIGHT HAND. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek
those things which are above, WHERE CHRIST SITTETH AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. Set your
affection on things above, and not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life
is hid with Christ in God" (Col. 3:13). Paul tells us in Eph. 2:5-6 that "when
we were dead through our trespasses, God made us alive together with Christ...and raised
us up with Him, and made us SIT TOGETHER WITH HIM IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES." This shows
that as we come to know the resurrection life of Christ, we are also made to experience
the ascension of Christ. We are chosen of God not only to be made alive from the dead and
have God's life, but also to sit in the heavenlies as ascended men. He causes us to ascend
with Him and sit with Him in the heavens NOW! A truth so high and holy as this is
absolutely meaningless to those who contend that we have no life except that which is in
the body that when a saint dies he is dead like a dog without either being or
consciousness. Such know not that they were dead but are now alive, that they have been
raised into the heavenlies and given joint seating with Christ. Such should sorrow as the
world sorrows, for they have no hope beyond physical existence. But ascension truly is the
position of those who live in Christ Jesus the Lord! The position of ascension rests not
only on the fact of Christ's ascension, but on the LIFE OF ASCENSION WE HAVE OBTAINED
WITHIN US. The Christ who dwells in our hearts, and who has quickened our spirit by His
Spirit, is THE ASCENDED CHRIST, and His life is ascended and heavenly, and is given from
heaven, and is now our life. It is a life which reaches heaven. Therefore, once we obtain
this life, we have fellowship with heaven and are joined to heaven and dwell in heaven.
Although according to the conditions of the outer man we still live on earth, yet
according to the INNER MAN we are already living in heaven. The situation is just like our
Lord's during His time on earth. He said then that though He "descended from
heaven" He was still in heaven" (Jn. 3:13). This was due to the fact that
His life was heavenly and one with heaven.
Man in God's image, man in
Christ at the right hand of God, is God's government in the
You won't quite grasp that at
first. It's too overwhelming! To be crowned means to be given KINGLY RULE. To be crowned
with glory and honour is to be given such rule as Jesus Christ has NOW, and of that rule
we read, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is
above every name: that at the name of Jesus Christ every knee should bow, of things in
heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:9-11). We
have already shown that MAN in God's image, MAN IN CHRIST AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD is
God's government in the
Our English Bible states that
man was made "a little lower than the angels." The Greek and Hebrew texts,
however, read a little differently "Thou madest him for a little while lower
than Elohim (God)." It denotes not our original state as being a little lower than
Elohim, but a lowering into this gross and limited material realm, with the hope of return
to that glory we had with the Father before the world was. This beautiful picture of an
ancient departure from the Father's glory, followed ultimately by a blessed return, is
nowhere set forth more graphically than in Jesus' beautiful Parable of the Prodigal Son.
Norene Nicholls shared a precious word in this connection: "Now we come to Ps. 77:10,
'...but I will remember the YEARS of the RIGHT HAND of the MOST HIGH. This statement
was prefaced by the psalmist telling about the overwhelming experiences, troubles,
afflictions and castings off, but always there is the thought that he recalls the Fathers
mercies, and though the above statement is partly in italics showing it was supplied by
the translators, the thought remains that he is remembering something from the past to
encourage him in the present. In this case it is the YEARS OF THE RIGHT HAND OF THE MOST
HIGH that is being recalled in the midst of the afflictions. The Hebrew word for years
literally means a FOLD, a DOUBLING, a CYCLE, a REVOLUTION. It does not necessarily mean a
year of 365 days, but also it refers to greater periods of time, to cycles of His
unfoldings, to revolutions of His power. This then could not simply mean the psalmist was
recalling past days or years of his mere lifespan, but rather a calling to mind of
something of greater proportion than that. This takes us back into the cycles of God's
purposes prior to the earth or even prior to this little time we call the lifespan. This
goes into antiquity when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted
for joy at the laying of the foundation of the earth. It is away back there when we
consented to this lowering into a body of flesh, into this grueling experience under the
powers of this present world system. Even then we said 'yes' to the Father's plan and came
here with a volume inscribed within us telling us all that was past, present, and future.
Back in the rolling cycles before the world was we foresaw all that was to be both in
misery and then in consequential glory. Therefore, in the midst of our perplexities we
remind ourselves of this and are encouraged. It is the YEARS (cycles) of the RIGHT HAND
(the place of blessing and power of the MOST HIGH) that we remember. You may state that
you do not remember it yet, but we have the assurance that we shall know all things, and
this includes all past, present, and future. Revelation is but a remembering. It has been
well said that KNOWING IS REMEMBERING, and the fullness of knowledge is the fullness of
remembrance. Take courage, for the sons and the priests of the MOST HIGH shall fully know
and remember all things!" end quote.
All who in Christ come to
God's image are destined to share that awesome dominion, seated together with Him, far
above all principality and power. The reason so many people fail to attain to great
heights in the Spirit is because they are unable to see God's purposes, and therefore they
have no particular incentive to seek the great heights that are IN HIM. So many Christians
are far too taken up with carnal ideas and childish notions about mansions in the skies
and harps and white nightgowns and sitting on clouds eating pork chops with nothing to do
and all eternity to do it in, to be able to see the true purposes of God at HIS RIGHT
HAND. Simply speaking, the purpose of God is that we might reign with Him, and to reign is
to exercise authority for God to rule all things. Paul tells us that we are to seek
those things which are ABOVE WHERE CHRIST SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. This means
that we are to SEEK THE THINGS OF THE RIGHT HAND! Reigning with Christ must become one of
the great goals in the life of every man or woman who has received the call to sonship.
THE TRIUMPH OF THE RIGHT HAND
Thy right hand, O Lord,
is become glorious in power" (Ps. 15:6). While it is difficult for us to conceive of
God becoming something more than He already is, and as to His nature there can never be
any change, yet the Spirit reveals that the RIGHT HAND of God had not previously been all
that it was when the children of Israel triumphantly marched dryshod through the Red Sea,
for the prophet speaks of a day wherein the right hand of the Lord "is become
glorious in power", denoting a process in the UNFOLDING of the power of His right
hand in the midst of men. And, while the right hand of God is first and foremost the realm
of God's almighty power and authority, His right hand became glorious in power when it was
revealed in mighty signs and wonders through the person of the man Moses. Now there has
been a wonderful enlargement in the revelation of God's right hand, for Jesus Christ has
been exalted to the realm of the right hand, and there shall be a further enlargement, for
the promise is sure, "To him that overcometh will I grant to SIT WITH ME IN MY
THRONE, as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne" (Rev.
3:21). Thus Jesus was able to say, "ALL POWER is given unto Me in heaven and in
earth" (Mat. 28:18), and again, "But YE shall receive power after that the Holy
Ghost is come upon you" (Acts 1:8). God's right hand is BECOMING A PEOPLE, the
Christ, Head and body, a many-membered SON OF THE RIGHT HAND, and the manifestation of God
in this RIGHT HAND COMPANY shall BECOME even more glorious in power as the appointed hour
for the unveiling of the sons of God arrives. These shall not only declare His Word, but
have authority and ability to see it established in the earth and in all realms. When the
power of God arises in all fullness in His body of sons, and He is exalted in the people
He has prepared, how unspeakably glorious and honorable He will be in the eyes of His
creation!
"O sing unto the Lord a
new song; for He hath done marvelous things: His RIGHT HAND and His holy arm, hath gotten
Him the victory. The Lord hath made known His salvation: His righteousness hath He openly
showed in the sight of the heathen. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of
our God. Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell
therein. Let the floods clap their hand: let the hills be joyful together before the Lord;
for He cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall He judge the world, and the
people with equity" (Ps. 98:1-3, 7-9). Think of it His enemies submit, the
nations are ready to worship Him, and sing to His name, the ends of the earth all shall
turn to Him, because His right hand shall do marvelous things, and He shall make known His
salvation to all!
Truly, beloved, this RIGHT
HAND COMPANY will get Him the victory! There is no doubt about it no devil, no
wicked men, no hostile nations, no massive armies can stop this company from doing the
things God has declared they will do, and because of their ministry, the nations will be
joined to the Lord and sing His praise. As the work of restoration progresses, what
harmony, what glorious unity shall fill the universe, as this order of KING-PRIESTS flows
together, to gather together into Christ all things in one, till all has been set in
array, and God is indeed ALL IN ALL.
How sweet shall be the
influence of this RIGHT HAND COMPANY, the POSITIVE FORCE of God's energy, ministering His
life, His love, His joy, His peace unto creation. How thankful we are not to be numbered
among those called to the LEFT HAND, to walk in darkness, and be vessels of wrath. There
is no harshness in the ministry of the right hand oh yes, even the right hand
"dashes the enemy in pieces" but it is the destruction of the negative
qualities that there might be LIFE. These bring correction MINISTERED IN LOVE leading all
mankind to the Fountain of Living Water, feeding them in green pastures, causing them to
lie down and rest, and not be afraid. Ah, we would SEEK THE THINGS OF THE RIGHT HAND!
Chapter
43
GEMINI
THE TWINS
(continued)
Gemini, like all the Signs of
the Zodiac, has three Decans, or minor constellations, which surround it. The Decans
belong to the Sign and their message is the Sign's message. The three Decans of Gemini are
Lepus, Canis Major, and Canis Minor. The first Decan, Lepus, is the figure of a hare or
rabbit, which is under the foot of Orion, whose foot is about to trample him. This,
however, is a relatively modern picture. Going back to the picture of the ancient Zodiacs
one sees that it is not a picture of a rabbit but, rather, a picture of a serpent. Here
again we have a picture of the serpent being trodden under foot of Orion another
representation of God's Christ. Orion was the slayer of that lion that goes about
"seeking whom he may devour. In his left hand he holds up the skin and head of
a slain lion, and holds a mighty club in his right hand. But now we have another picture
representing the Christ who slays the evil one. And so with His right foot, He is about to
step upon not the hare but the serpent.
In previous messages on the
Sign of Gemini we have shown how the Gemini Twins represent a united duality that exists
in God and in all His ways and dealings with both creation and His people. The second
Decan in the house of Gemini is CANIS MAJOR. CANIS MAJOR means The Greater Dog. This
constellation tells of the glorious Prince who will subdue the serpent and reign. In the
oldest Zodiacs Canis Major is not a dog but a hawk, swooping down upon the serpent, to
destroy him. It has on its head a pestle or mortar, signifying that Christ thoroughly
crushes the head of the serpent. So here we see a picture of Christ as the Prince who
comes to bring destruction to the serpent nature within us. Then there is the Decan called
CANIS MINOR, meaning The Lesser Dog. But again, this is a modern picture. In the ancient
Zodiacs it was depicted as a human figure with a hawk's head. The brightest star in the
man's body is Procyon, meaning The Redeemer or Redemption. So here we have in these two
hawk figures the very same thing we have in the Sign of GEMINI pictures of the two
aspects of the work of Christ: the Prince who comes to destroy the serpent, and the One
who comes bringing redemption to the people. These are clear representations of THE TWO
HANDS OF GOD!
THE TWO HANDS OF GOD
That "all things are of
God" is declared over and over again in the Bible. Did not the Lord say to Pharaoh,
that wicked man of rebellion against all that was of God, "Even for this same purpose
have I RAISED THEE UP, that I might show MY POWER in thee, and that My name might be
declared throughout all the earth?" (Rom. 9:17). The infinite wisdom of God's mind
cannot be ascertained by these carnal little heads of ours. We must banish our childish
theology and our superstitious concepts of God and bring our minds into harmony with the
mind of Christ. We must begin to peer through the mighty telescope of divine wisdom as it
looks through the vast universe of good and evil until heavenly light bursts with blazing
brilliance upon our inquiring spirits and we see with crystal clear vision that God is in
all things, and is responsible for all things, including all the so-called evil things as
well as the good things. Is it not a fearful thing to say that evil is of God? There is
nothing fearful about this view unless the TRUTH be fearful! I would not be surprised if
some of the compatriots of the prophet Amos may have thought he was speaking blasphemy
when by the Holy Spirit he said, "Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the
people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a city, and THE LORD HATH NOT DONE IT?"
(Am. 3:6). There are untold tens of millions of Christians who do not like to believe that
A-L-L T-H-I-N-G-S A-R-E O-F G-O-D including evil. They much prefer to believe, as
the harlot system has taught them, that God created good, and the devil created evil!
There is a great and
magnificent future ahead for the sons of God, and a great work our Father has for us to do
in the ages to come, and He is preparing us and making us ready for the high and holy
place He has for us. Can we not see that ALL THE NEGATIVE OPPOSING FORCES WE NOW ENCOUNTER
are working together for our good to develop the strength, character, wisdom, and
power we must have? The chastening and judgments of God, too, are negative, though they do
bring forth a positive result. The positive work of God from His right hand lies in the
inner anointing, guidance, enlightening, etc., and in the precious outward ministries,
those the Lord sets in the body for our exhortation, edification, and comfort. The
scriptures speak much of these positive ministries, which are all wonderful, sweet, and of
great importance in the eyes of God. However, there is the work of purging, pruning,
discipline, dealing, and training which must be accomplished in each and every one of
God's sons; therefore in the work of God there is an additional part, the negative,
opposing forces, from the LEFT HAND OF GOD!
The positive work of God's
RIGHT HAND is wrought directly by the Holy Spirit within or by the Spirit through His
anointed agencies. The negative work of God's LEFT HAND is brought about by satan (the
adversary) and his instruments, the whole negative realm of evil. All the people, things,
and happenings used in the chastenings and judgments of God are of satan's manipulation.
For example, if someone is opposing us for righteousness' sake and causing us trouble,
this opposition or trouble is directly the work of satan or the adversary. Again,
the thief who steals our money, or the fire which burns down our house, is the work of the
adversary. The word "satan" simply means ADVERSARY. Adversary means "one
who opposes or fights against another; opponent; enemy." Satan is not a monster out
of control, as multitudes of Christians imagine. Nor is he the adversary of God. God is
OMNIPOTENT and has no adversary! But God has ordained an adversary in our experience for
our development. If someone is obstinate, rebellious, and sins against God, and as a
result becomes seriously ill, or suffers some loss or complication, this trouble is a work
of satan the adversary. Therefore, all the people, things, and happenings involved
in the discipline and judgment of God are measured to us by God according to our need. But
the one who is manipulating or acting upon us in order to harm us is satan. BUT
that which is acting BEHIND all the people, powers, things, circumstances, and events is
the HAND OF GOD, CONTROLLING all the play and interplay till HIS PURPOSE IS ACCOMPLISHED
and HIS NAME IS PRAISED! The purpose of our experiencing the disciplines of the Father is
that we know the fullness of HIS LIFE. If there was only the discipline, but not the
manifestation of His life, it would be meaningless. Thus, the two hands of God bring
beautiful balance in the lives of all God's elect!
We see the left hand of God
revealed in the life of Job. God had blessed this man with great wealth and a large
family. He had seven sons and three daughters. He owned seven thousand sheep, three
thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses. His household was
very great with many hired servants so that this man was the greatest of all the men of
the east. The only reliable testimony we have of Job's true state of being is that spoken
by the Lord Himself, for the testimony of satan, the testimony of Job's friends, and at
times even the testimony of Job himself as he reasons in the crucible of testing, are not
to be trusted. The all-wise God Himself declared that Job was a PERFECT AND UPRIGHT MAN,
one that feared God and eschewed evil. And may I add perfect yes, but UNTRIED,
UNTESTED, and UNPROVEN, as Job himself admitted in the midst of his ordeal, declaring,
"HE knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as
gold" (Job 23:10). His perfection remained to be fully proven, tested, and
demonstrated.
Now, what does God do but
deliberately hand over this perfect man into the hand of satan to do his worst upon him.
It was because God desired to test Job that He brought forth "the smith to blow the
coals upon the fire." Please note that it was not satan's idea to persecute poor old
Job! Oh, no! It was God Himself who brought up the subject. There satan was, presenting
himself before the Lord, appearing for duty, and God asked, "Where have you
been," Satan replied, "Walking up and down in the earth" (no mention of Job
at all). "Well, Satan," the Lord asked, "have you considered My servant
Job? Have you noticed that he eschews evil, and fears God? Have you noticed that,
Satan?" You can be assured, dear ones, that satan had noticed Job, but he wasn't
doing anything to him. Satan responds, saying, "Hast Thou not made an hedge about
him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the
work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth THINE HAND
now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse Thee to Thy face!" And the Lord
said unto satan, "Behold, all that he hath is in THY POWER; only upon himself put not
forth THINE HAND." Having received these orders, satan departed from the presence of
the Lord. Hear it! "But put forth THINE HAND now." What was that that satan
said? Did he ask permission to put forth his OWN HAND and touch Job? Not at all! He said,
"THY hand, or "God, you put forth YOUR HAND and touch him. He is not
even asking to be allowed to touch Job. Satan is initiating nothing in this exchange. But
in response to God's question put to him, satan challenged God to stretch out HIS HAND,
and that if HE touched Job and took away his blessing, Job would curse Him to His face.
Then the Lord said to satan, "All that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put
not forth THINE HAND. Can we not see by this that satan was the NEGATIVE FORCE
THROUGH WHICH God was moving upon Job, and is it not clear that this was the LEFT HAND of
God as He was working with Job to bring him into yet a higher place than he had occupied
hitherto? Furthermore, is it not true that the hand of satan stretched out against Job was
also the hand of God? Though satan moved swiftly against Job, GOD WAS DOING THIS and His
intention was to do Job good. This was not satan acting out his own little plan of
intrigue and rebellion against God, but this was satan as the LEFT HAND OF GOD doing it!
In the second chapter of Job
we find all this repeated. Again the sons of God have come before God to report on their
activities, and again satan comes among them. Again Job is presented to satan by God as a
perfect and upright man. And again satan suggests, "Skin for skin, yea, all that a
man hath will he give for his life. But put forth THINE HAND now and touch his bone and
his flesh and he will curse Thee to Thy face. And the Lord said unto satan,
"Behold, he is in THINE HAND; but save his life. Job has already suffered the
sudden and catastrophic loss of his sons and daughters, his houses and lands, his cattle,
sheep, camels and oxen. Now Job's body will be wracked with disease and tortured with
pain, and he will lose his reputation before all men. His good works will be forgotten and
he will become the object of ridicule from those who were formerly his friends.
I would now draw your
reverent attention to the magnificent words which reveal Job's reaction to all this.
"Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God and
die! But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall
we receive good at the HAND OF GOD and shall we not receive evil? IN ALL THIS DID NOT JOB
SIN WITH HIS LIPS" (Job 2:9-10). Notice! Job never did recognize any such person as
satan in all his trouble. He recognized ONLY GOD in this and said that even as he had
received good from the HAND OF GOD was it not logical that he should receive evil also
FROM GOD? What faith! What marvelous understanding! Job actually attributes all this evil
to the work of God. He doesn't even recognize satan as doing anything, no sitting on the
ash heap moaning, "The old devil has been after me all week!" It will be an
appalling shock to many precious people to learn that in ALL this Job did NOT SIN (miss
the mark) with his lips! We have every right to conclude from this that Job was speaking
the absolute truth when he attributed all this evil to God. He was, in fact, "right
on!" What he had said was right in the sight of God. No place did the Lord rebuke Job
for his words in any way. In fact, in the end of the experience God said that Job had
spoken rightly of Him and ALL OTHERS HAD NOT.
Job has yet a further word on
this to which we do well to take note. "Have pity upon me, O ye my friends: for THE
HAND OF GOD HAS TOUCHED ME" (Job 19:21). The hand of whom? The hand of God! WHICH
hand of God? Why, beloved, it was the LEFT HAND of God! Job knew that the hand of God had
not been laid upon him for good, but for evil. Yet he recognized it as THE HAND OF GOD.
Prior to this experience, Job had known nothing but the RIGHT HAND of God in goodness and
blessing, in the anointing of God. There had been no adversity. There had been no
adversary. There had been no testing. No severity. Now God has begun using His left hand
in His dealing with Job, yet Job still recognizes it as God's hand. What wisdom and
understanding! Would God that the Christians of our day possessed such understanding! The
nominal church and its preachers and teachers try to make us believe that satan conspired
to do all this to poor old Job by his own design. But it was God, my friend, and satan was
merely the LEFT HAND of God, or the negative means God used. These people have no
knowledge at all of what they are talking about. They know nothing of the ways and the
workings of God. They are blind leaders of the blind. They have exalted satan to godhood,
giving HIM the glory for all he does, and, indeed, in most things, they attribute more
power to him and praise him more than they do God! Ignorantly these foolish ones talk
about poor little God "trying" to do this and that, while the shrewder and
smarter devil slips up on God's blind side and demolishes His whole work.
"Rubbish!" saith the Lord.
The left hand of God is
manifested through a people, those in the kingdom of darkness. The right hand of God is
likewise revealed through a people, the sons of the Kingdom. Thank God! we are not called
to be a part of the left hand company. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those
things which are above, WHERE CHRIST SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. Set your affection
on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3:1-2). "Him that overcometh
will I grant to sit WITH ME IN MY THRONE, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My
Father in His throne" (Rev. 3:21). "The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in
the tabernacles of the righteous: the RIGHT HAND of the Lord doeth valiantly, the RIGHT
HAND of the Lord is exalted" (Ps. 118:15-16)
Although at this time there
is humiliation and suffering, there is coming a time of exaltation, already experienced
within. Although today it may seem as though not much is happening outwardly, yet there is
a time approaching when GOD'S RIGHT HAND COMPANY shall step forth in the fullness of the
power of His throne and there shall be a manifestation of the "greater works"
Jesus spoke of. When on earth, the firstborn Son suffered reproach and finally death
but where is He now? Exalted to the RIGHT HAND of the Father, far above all
principalities and powers, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but in that
which is to come. He passed through a season of shame and reproach, but dwells now in a
glory that can never fade. And there is a place with Him and for all who overcome, a place
of glory and eminence and power at the right hand of God!
Yes, my beloved, God has TWO
HANDS the RIGHT and the LEFT. The only way we can ever know what is
"right" and what is "left" is by becoming properly related to God,
positioned in Him, to SEE AS HE SEES! Right and left is never determined in relation to
us, from where we sit or how things appear to the natural mind, but only in relation to
God, from where HE sits and how things are to HIM! "I saw the Lord sitting on His
throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on HIS RIGHT HAND and on HIS LEFT"
(I Kings 22:19). "Therefore being by the RIGHT HAND OF GOD exalted...He hath shed
forth this which ye now see and hear" (Acts 2:33). "GOD...set HIM at His OWN
RIGHT HAND in the heavenly places...and hath raised US UP TOGETHER, and made US SIT
TOGETHER in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 1:20; 2:6). Ah, it is there IN
CHRIST JESUS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD that we are positioned with God, to see as He sees,
the things at His right hand becoming the things at our right hand and the things at His
left hand are at our left hand. How can we know, in any circumstance or situation, just
what is needed? Should God deal with His right hand of blessing, or His left hand of
judgment? Should we rebuke the devil that the captive be set free, or remain silent in the
knowledge that this one is, for a season, delivered unto satan for the destruction of the
flesh? If we render a decision based on some stock set of "promises" in the
Word, or on how things appear to us outwardly, apart from the mind of the Spirit, we will
invariably take the wrong action! Then we will wonder why our commands in Jesus' name
produce no results and our prayers go unanswered. The natural mind always has things
reversed. You see, precious friend of mine, if you stand looking at God (as a spectator)
His right hand will be at your left hand, and His left hand will be at your right hand.
Right and left will become confused. Only in proper relationship to God, in union with
Him, receiving the mind of Christ, and the illumination of the Holy Spirit, can we
comprehend God's purposes, our spirit saying Amen, and our actions flowing in harmony with
what the Father is doing. It is only as we are SEATED WITH HIM AND IN HIM AT GOD'S RIGHT
HAND that His right hand becomes our right hand and His left hand becomes our left hand.
Only there can we discern and know as God knows what is left and what is right, and when
and how to move therein. We must reign AT HIS RIGHT HAND!
Once we thoroughly understand
the dual ministry of God's two hands we will thank Him for ALL THINGS He sends into our
lives. We will thank Him for adversity not just for blessing. And we will thank Him
for every problem, every disappointment, every faithless friend, every heartache, every
false accusation that has ever been made against us. "Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto
you..." (I Pet. 4:12). When God by revelation has made this very real to our hearts
we will say, "Oh, God, I thank Thee for putting me on the operating table, for
cutting out that which was hindering me." You and I are being trained and disciplined
in order that in wisdom and righteousness and power and love we may reign with Christ at
God's right hand.
What is your response to the
dealings of God in your life? Are you angry and bitter at your circumstances, filled with
resentment and rage? Are you inwardly shaking your fist at God, demanding, "Why does
this happen to me?" Or are you broken and humble? What is your spirit? What is your
attitude? What is your deepest sentiment? There is a verse in the Old Testament that
beautifully clarifies these truths. "I will mention the loving kindnesses of the
Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and
the great goodness toward the house of
Everything that happened to
The carnal mind says, "I
see no value or purpose to all this trouble and tribulation." The carnal mind is
shrewd as a lawyer looking for a loophole. The carnal mind doesn't like it or want it. The
mind of Christ, the spiritual mind of Rom. 8:1-6, knows that the servant is not above his
Lord. The disciple is not above his Master who learned obedience by the things He
suffered. God is preparing a people who cannot be moved or upset or frustrated by
anything. The cry of His heart is for a people who can share His throne and shepherd the
nations with a rod of iron (Rev. 2:26-27). We cannot afford the luxury of our personal
feelings. WE HAVE NO "RIGHTS". If we do, we'll lose them under the dealings of
God's left hand! Your testings will last as long as it takes to change your mind,
attitude, and actions. Can we walk around in the furnace without complaining? Can we sing
and dance in the fire? Can we shout praises in jail at midnight? The key to God's whole
program operating in your life is your spirit and attitude of response to HIS WILL in your
life. When your attitude and conduct become right, then the dealings of God's left hand
will cease.
How beautiful the knowledge
that both of God's hands are WORKING TOGETHER to produce in us the life and righteousness
and glory of God. "Thy people also shall be all righteous...the branch of My
planting, the WORK OF MY H-A-N-D-S, that I may be glorified" (Isa. 60:21). And how
wonderful, too, the knowledge that God shall in due time so deal with all mankind. How
important that we enter into such intimate relationship and vital union with God that we
see all things AS HE SEES THEM. Some years ago I read a sermon by a brother who gave this
precious experience which, to me, wonderfully reflects the purpose in the dealing of the
two hands of God. The brother said, "On Mother's Day I sat and listened to a fellow
minister preach. It was a wonderful word, and while listening I sat there and looked at
the folk in a very relaxed sort of way. I saw a mother wearing a lovely corsage sent to
her by her son in the East. He is a prominent business man, high up in government circles,
but he is not a Christian. She is praying for him. She has asked others to pray for him.
She said to me one day with tears streaming down her cheeks, Oh, Bro. ___ , I pray that
God will save my boy. I pray that He will save him even if He has to put him on a sick
bed; EVEN IF HE HAS TO KILL HIM I pray that He will save him!' If the FBI heard her
plotting like that, would they arrest her? No, sir! She loves her boy! She loves him with
all her heart, and if giving her own life would save that boy, she would give it
immediately" end quote.
Even in judgment, dear ones,
God is love! May all who are called to be KINGS AND PRIESTS of God be possessed of such a
divine love for the whole world! "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son" (Jn. 3:16). God so loved that He was willing to pay the very highest
price to redeem all unto Himself. God gave His blessed Son to be slain for us, and now He
says to us, "I will save you and I will conform you to My image and share with you My
glory even if I have to KILL you to do it!" "See now that I, even I, am
He, and there is no god with Me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; neither is
there any that can deliver out of My hand" (Deut. 32:39). Praise God! this is how His
righteous hands work, He kills only to make alive and wounds only to heal. He kills only
those things that should die and makes alive the things that should live. What beautiful
co-ordination in all the works of HIS HANDS!
THE SON OF THE RIGHT HAND
Just as there are twelve
Signs of the heavens, so in scripture are there twelve sons of
Norene Nicholls has written:
"It is not the whole interpretation of this dream in which we are interested at this
time, but for the purpose of this study let it be pointed out that Joseph saw his eleven
brothers as eleven stars or constellations. If each of them was a star and eleven stars
represented the eleven brothers, then Joseph as a brother must have been the twelfth star
or constellation. This immediately brings us face to face with the twelve signs of the
Zodiac, each son of
"BENJAMIN'S individual
tribal sign is GEMINI, the sign of their particular ensign. The name GEMINI in Hebrew
means doubled, for Gemini is known as THE TWINS, whom the Greeks called Apollo and
Hercules but the Romans called Castor and Pollux. Thus it is we see Paul even sailed in a
ship whose sign was Castor and Pollux. In considering that Gemini means the twins or
doubled, it is easy to see how Benjamites do things not by ones but by twos. In other
words, if a thing is good, Benjamin has a tendency to repeat it. Benjamin means SON OF MY
RIGHT HAND which is a position of honor and power, as the right hand speaks of the strong
hand. Christ Himself is seated at the right hand of God, showing His position of power and
authority. The three associate constellations of Gemini bear out the picture of Benjamin
even further. The first one is Lepus meaning the ENEMY TRODDEN DOWN. Benjamin will never
cease until both feet (another double) are on the enemy and the enemy conquered. True
spiritual Benjamites are warriors indeed, warriors in the spiritual battle against wicked
spirits in the heavenlies. The second constellation associated with Gemini is Canis Major,
and the third one is Canis Minor. As can be seen by the names, they are closely allied.
Canis Major means a big dog or wolf whereas Canis Minor means a little dog or wolf. Again
the doubling of Benjamin is recognized, discerned in this, for he has to deal with two
wolves a big one and a small one. This fits so beautifully with Jacob's dying
prophecy to Benjamin: 'Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf...' (Gen. 49:27). If you look
carefully, you will see that the word as is in italics in the King James
Bible, showing it was supplied by the translators who figured it made more sense that way.
But leave out that little preposition and see what the real meaning is BENJAMIN
SHALL RAVIN A WOLF! It means just the opposite of what most of us think, for Benjamin
doesn't ravin as a wolf, but rather he ravins the wolf itself. In Eze. 22:27 the false
PRINCES or RULERS are referred to as wolves. In Hab. 1:8 the BABYLONIANS are called
wolves. And Zeph. 3:3 states that the backslidden PRIESTS are as evening wolves.
Furthermore, in Mat. 7:15 Jesus refers to ravening wolves' which literally means
'wolves of extortion'. Taking these scriptures together, it is easy to see that spiritual
The book of Judges is the
account of
And so it came to pass that
the people began to neglect their own worship of the Lord their God and then to begin the
worship of the idols around them. And from idol worship they sank lower still into wicked
deeds. For this the Lord caused them to suffer. Their enemies came upon them from the
lands around and became their masters; for when God left them, they were helpless. They
were made poor, for these rulers who had conquered them robbed them of all their grain and
grapes and olive oil. After a season of suffering the Israelites would remember what the
Lord had done for them in other times. Then they would turn away from the idols and call
upon God. And God would hear them and raise up some great man to lead them to freedom and
to break the power of those who were ruling over them. This deliverer they would call
"a judge", and under him they would serve the Lord and be successful once more.
As long as the judge lived and ruled, the people followed the Lord. But when the judge
died, they forgot God again and worshipped idols and fell under the power of their enemies
as before, until God raised up another judge to deliver them. And this happened over and
over again for two hundred years after Joshua died. Seven nations in turn ruled over
One of the powers that ruled
over
Eglon, the king of
There are so many deep and
powerful mysteries hidden within these words of the Lord strengthening the hand of King
Eglon. But they all point to the awesome power of the carnal mind and the flesh which
captivate and imprison the true value of our inheritance in Christ, bringing the high
things of the Spirit down to the carnal, natural, humanistic plane of consciousness.
Instead of living out of the high realm of spiritual life and reality as new creation men
who were dead but are now made alive and raised up and made to sit with Christ in the
higher-than-all-heavens, King Eglon binds saints to the crude, unspiritual notion that
immortality, incorruption and eternal life are experienced and known only in the body
realm thus, there is no spiritual consciousness of life apart from the flesh body;
so, though the scriptures and the Holy Spirit bear witness with our spirit that we have
been born from above and are the children of God possessing eternal life, King Eglon tells
you that the new creation man, the inner man, the resurrected man, the quickened man, has
no enduring substance or eternal reality and should your body die you have no life at all,
you are just as dead and unconscious and non-existent as a dog lying on the highway!
Rather than being caught up now to the throne of God in the power and glory of the spirit,
King Eglon bids you wait for a future "rapture" when your body will go soaring
through the air to some beautiful Isle of Somewhere to strum harps and wave palm branches
on golden streets forevermore. In place of now supping with Christ in spirit and in truth,
feeding from the divine substance of His Word and drinking from the living fountain of His
eternal Spirit, King Eglon would have you eat wafers and drink wine or grape juice,
imagining that in some mystical way that natural, perishable substance ministers spiritual
reality into your life. I do not hesitate to tell you that such a practice is not one whit
less superstitious and pagan than the customs of the heathen who bring offerings of food
and drink to offer to their gods of wood and stone, supposing that in some magical way the
gods are able to partake of it! The applications are endless but I trust you get
the message. King Eglon always takes the high and holy and spiritually real things of God
and drags them down to a carnal, natural, physical, limited, earthly and mortal level of
consciousness and experience.
Ehud, the Benjamite
deliverer, was a left-handed man. In Judges 20:15-16 we find that there were 700 chosen
men, Benjamites, who were left- handed men that could sling stones at a hair breadth and
not miss. Why was Benjamin's left hand so anointed? When he was born, his father called
him Benjamin, which means "son of my right hand." But since this son of
Let us now consider how Ehud
gained the victory for
Ehud's two-edged sword with
which he slew the king of the carnal mind represents the continuing development of Christ
by His Word which is sharper than any two-edged sword. This is the Christ within who is
THE WORD OF GOD. He is the LOGOS. "By the Word of the Lord were the heavens
made" (Ps. 33:6). This is He who was in the beginning. "In the beginning was the
Word" (Jn. 1:1). This is the Word that was God. In Him was life and the life was the
light of men. This is He of whom it is written, "He sent His Word, and healed
them." This is the Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the
dividing asunder of soul and spirit. In the book of Revelation He is represented as being
armed with a sword, two-edged and sharp, passing out of His mouth, representing that His
chief force lies in the action of His lips uttering words. His force is truth truth
expressed by His mouth in words. He goes forth to battle wielding only the weapons of
truth. Christ comes not to avenge blood or slay in battle as other conquerors have done.
His Words smite all who hear them. As someone has said, it will smite them with
conviction, and bless them with conversion. The spirit which animates Him is the warrior
spirit. His object is the conquest of the world. He has formed the resolution never to
cease from His campaign until the whole world, a conquered realm, bows devotedly before
Him as its rightful Lord and Master, and only true King.
As the Christ of God is a
many-membered body, so is the sword that goes out of His mouth. The Word of God is spoken
in the world today by the body of Christ on earth, and that Word flows forth as the sound
of many waters. There are not to be two swords one out of the mouth of the Lord,
and the other out of the mouths of His ministers. There is one sword, and it is HIS. And
this sword does not come out of the mouths of only one or two of God's ministers, special
ones who claim a higher revelation than all of God's prophets! Our quotation of scripture,
our knowledge of the Bible, our study of ancient mysteries and teachings, and even our
understanding of truth is not the sword of the Lord. The sword of the Lord is that Word
which proceedeth only out of His mouth, and out of ours as we are MADE ONE IN HIM. The
sword of the Lord bespeaks a purified people, holding forth the Word of Life in the power
of the Holy Spirit, and how we praise God for this company!
This is not some carnal
battle fought with carnal means, but the utterance of the Living Word of Truth which no
man shall be able to disannul. Ah, how fleshly have been the swords by which the religious
systems have conquered! In contradistinction, the Spirit of God is forming and fashioning
a people, a glorious company, from whose lips flash forth that CLEAR WORD OF THE LORD
which shall cause the traditions and unrighteousness of man to utterly come to nought. It
was said of our Lord and elder brother, "Never man spake like this man" (Jn.
7:46). "What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? FOR WITH AUTHORITY commandeth
HE even the unclean spirits, and they do obey Him" (Mk. 1:27). "What manner of
man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!" (Mat. 8:27). That which was
manifest in Jesus Christ shall also be seen in His many- membered- brethren- company.
There are preview glimpses of this even in God's servants in the Old Testament. With what
boldness did Elijah the prophet pronounce unto Ahab, "As the Lord God of
Fear not, my beloved. Have
hope. Believe in hope! It is God's good pleasure to yet renew the face of the earth.
Surely all these things shall come to an end. Sin shall end. Strife shall end. Pride shall
end. Lust shall end. War shall end. Misery shall end. Sickness shall end. Sorrow and
suffering shall end. Crime and violence shall end. Ignorance shall end. Tyranny and
oppression shall end. Evil shall end. Death shall end. All the inhabitants of the world
shall learn righteousness. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall
they learn war any more. The mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the
tops of the mountains. All the kingdoms of this world shall become the Kingdom of our God
and His Christ. Then they shall not hurt nor destroy in all His holy place. The rivers
shall flow with His Life and the heavens shall drop down with the distilled dew of His
Word. All the inhabitants of the world shall be without spot and blemish, loving one
another, even as Jesus has loved us, for the lion nature shall lie down with the lamb
nature. You, precious friend of mine, are called to be a part of the firstfruits of this
victory, even if the total harvest has not yet come. You are to love your neighbor as
yourself. You are to love your enemies and bless them that curse you and do good to them
that hate you and stand as a priest on behalf of all creation. You are to wield the mighty
sword of the Spirit. You are to eat abundantly and drink deeply of HIS incorruptible life
and ride forth in majesty as the expression of God's Kingdom on earth. You are to utter
His burning Word of authority, smiting the earth with the rod of His mouth. You are to
speak judgment to all evil and life to all men everywhere. ARISE, EHUD, AND DELIVER THE
PEOPLE!
Ehud hid his sword on his
right side, the side of the spiritual mind or positive revelation of the Spirit. It was
hidden in the mind of Christ. It was concealed within the spirit of hope and faith and
understanding. After King Eglon had been slain, the servants of the king (flesh) did not
know that their king was dead. While they waited around, Ehud (union) escaped and passed
beyond their power. This tells me that while the world is waiting to see if Jesus really
did conquer sin and death and hell, and while the church is waiting for a
"rapture" to take them out of this world, there is a company of Left-Handed Sons
of the Right Hand that is escaping the corruption that is in the world and moving
spiritually beyond the limitations of the boundaries we have known, into the measure of
the fullness of the stature of Christ. It is one thing to make a sword and it is another
to use it to slay King Eglon. Another way of saying this is, it is one thing to hear the
word and revelation of God, and quite another dimension of experience to personally
appropriate it and use its authority to make an end of the king of carnality and death in
our lives. Everything begins to change when the Christ of God reveals Himself from within
your very being, leading you into the truth and vision that will deliver you from the
bondage of old Adam and all the corruption he is subjected to. Christ will grow up IN us
and AS us into His full stature and triumph. This is sonship, this is salvation, this is
our hope and the hope of the groaning creation, praise His wonderful name!
THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD
The right hand of God is the
ANOINTED HAND of God for CHRIST sits at the RIGHT HAND OF GOD, and CHRIST means THE
ANOINTED. Paul tells us that we are to seek those things which are above WHERE
CHRIST SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. This means that we are to SEEK THE THINGS OF THE
RIGHT HAND! Reigning with Christ must become one of the great goals in the life of every
man or woman apprehended to sonship to God. What is the power of the right hand? Paul
tells us something about it in Eph. 1:16-23. "...that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of Him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what
is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the
saints, and what is the EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER to usward who believe, according
to the working of His mighty power, WHICH HE WROUGHT IN CHRIST, WHEN HE RAISED HIM FROM
THE DEAD, AND SET HIM AT HIS OWN RIGHT HAND IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES, far above all
principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only
in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET,
and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is HIS BODY, THE FULLNESS
OF HIM THAT FILLETH ALL IN ALL."
We find in this passage that
there is an exceeding greatness of power that is toward us. This is God's inheritance in
the saints and it is rich in glory! We do not naturally know or realize just what this
power is or just what it can do, so in these words Paul by the Spirit gives us a measure
by which we can have a little idea of just what this power is and what it is able to do
for us, in us, and through us. Let us see! The power that is directed to us is according
to a power that God wrought in the Christ. It is that power by which God raised up the
Christ from the dead and SET HIM AT HIS OWN RIGHT HAND. By this power God set the Christ
far above all principality, all power, all might, all dominion, and every name that is
named not only in this world but in the ages to come. This power that God used for the
raising up of the Christ has put all things under His feet and made Him to be the Head
over all to the church. And the church, His many-membered body, is the FULL DEVELOPMENT OF
GOD, as we read in the translation of the Diaglott.
The power of God that Paul
describes is the rule by which is measured the power God has for all who will follow on to
be filled with all the fullness of God. The power that God has for us is just the same in
quality and character and quantity as is the power of God used far the raising up of the
Christ and the placing of Him at the right hand. Therefore, be assured, beloved, that the
power that God has toward us and for us will do for us JUST EXACTLY WHAT THAT POWER THAT
GOD HAD FOR JESUS CHRIST DID FOR HIM. In other words, the power God has toward us will
also RAISE US FROM THE DEAD AND SET US AT HIS OWN RIGHT HAND. It will set us far above all
principality, all power, all might, all dominion, and above every name that is named, not
only in this world or age but in the world and ages to come. It will put all things under
our feet and give us dominion over all the works of God's hands, both earthly and
heavenly, visible and invisible. This in no way detracts from the glory, authority, or
preeminence of Jesus Christ. Rather, it is the FULFILLMENT OF HIS MINISTRY as HE moves in
and through His many-membered body, the "many brethren" brought to His very own
glory.
There are certain basic
principles of the
Once the believer embraces
the truth that he is now seated with Christ at the right hand of God in the higher than
all heavens, his heart will find rest and joy and confidence in the face of all situations
and circumstances. The right hand of God is the place of omnipotent universal power and
dominion FAR ABOVE ALL THINGS! Such all-embracing majesty is far too vast for my
feeble understanding, yet I know by the Spirit that the body of Christ is being formed and
prepared for the explicit purpose of UNIVERSAL DOMINION. But how can a man rule over
principalities and powers and empires and universes if he cannot rule his own spirit?
"He that ruleth his own spirit is better than he that taketh a city" (Prov.
16:32). God is a God of principle. He does not do anything by chance. It is my deep
conviction that what happens in your life and mine is a result of the use or abuse of the
principles of the
Our first great battle is
within ourselves. For if our dominion over our own spirit is to be perfect, then every
thought, desire, and impulse must be brought into subjection to Christ. This discipline
will be an attribute of the mind of Christ within, and when this is in effect, then we
will be able to expel every mutineer, or every thought, attitude, and emotion which rises
up against the knowledge of God. Our great training in throneship authority takes place in
the bringing of our own selves into conformity to the Christ. We have got to look at and
deal with ourselves first. Then as we are victorious overcomers in the different phases of
our own lives, there comes a very real sense of victory and authority over other powers,
whatever they may be and wherever they may be found. It is a great fact deliver
yourself of it first and then you will have complete AUTHORITY over the same problem or
spirit or power anywhere else! You will never have power over spiritual wickedness in the
high places of this world order and the cosmos, you will never be able to deliver your
brethren, or cities, or nations into the
Simply speaking, the purpose
of God is that we might reign for Him and as Him, and to reign is to exercise the
authority of God to rule all things. All who in Christ appropriate the fullness of
His life and glory and exaltation are destined to administer that awesome dominion, seated
together with Him at the right hand of God. This is the blueprint and strategy for the
triumph of His Kingdom in all realms, from the lowest hell to the highest heaven. Ah, dear
ones, we shall reign throughout the ages of the ages over all the vastnesses of infinity
until every enemy everywhere is conquered and Christ is all in all. But we must begin to
reign with Him here and N-O-W! You may be at the right hand of God and yet not have walked
out all the reality and potential and power and authority of that realm. You must begin to
walk out that reality right in that small and undistinguished place where you are. The
thing that limits and frustrates and troubles you most right where you are, in the
nitty- gritty of everyday experience is the place to start! Reign with Him there!
It may be an attitude, a habit, a weakness, an emotion, a lust, or the sin which so easily
besets but it was not placed there by God to destroy you it was designed to
be your STEPPING STONE TO THE THRONE!
Thank God! there is a RIGHT
HAND COMPANY, those indwelt by THE SON OF THE RIGHT HAND, daily growing and increasing in
the nature, wisdom, and power of HIS LORDSHIP. This company is the manifestation of GOD'S
RIGHT HAND OF BLESSING AND DOMINION in the earth today, and this right hand shall do even
much more valiantly as the sons of God press on in to the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ. This present time is but a proving ground for those who through grace
will reign with their Lord over all the endless vastnesses of infinity. He is raising us
up and teaching us to sit with Him in the higher than heavenlies, gaining victory upon
victory as we learn what it is to reign. And the place which He has prepared for each one
is not only a world to come, and a Kingdom of light and love, but a place IN HIM, bone of
His bone, flesh of His flesh, spirit of His spirit, nature of His nature, mind of His
mind, wisdom of His wisdom, power of His power LIFE OF HIS LIFE! Glory to His
wonderful name!
Chapter
44
CANCER
THE CRAB
The eleventh of the twelve
Signs to appear on the starry stage is that of CANCER THE CRAB. In the midst of the
Sign of Cancer is one of the brightest nebulous clusters in all of the heavens. This
cluster of stars is called Praesepe, meaning The Multitude, The Offspring, The Innumerable
Seed. The church is this vast heavenly multitude which has sprung from the faith of
Abraham.
Long millenniums ago God told
Abraham to look unto the heavens and if he could count the stars, so would be the number
of his seed. It is important to understand that the divine plan of God in redemption
begins with Abraham. Before Abraham, God dealt with several important individuals. But God
did not deal with them in the light of His ultimate and eternal purpose, only in relation
to the time in which they themselves lived. Abel was a righteous man and offered
sacrifices in accord with the will of God, but he offered for himself alone. He was not
specially chosen in relation to the ultimate and eternal purpose of God. Enoch, too,
walked with God, but only in an individual walk. In Noah's day all mankind was living in
the depths of corruption, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and survived the
deluge, but yet we do not find that he was chosen or called in relation to the ultimate
and eternal purpose of God, but only in relation to the situation and need of his own day.
But it is when we come to
Abraham that we encounter the first example of a man specially chosen of God with the
future in mind the eternal purpose of God in consideration. This is why we say that
the divine plan of redemption begins to be worked out with Abraham. When Jesus came to
confirm or ratify with His own blood the promises to the Fathers, it is not said that
these were the promises to Able or Enoch or Noah, but the promises to Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob. And when Jesus came to confirm and ratify with His own blood the promises to the
Fathers, it is not said that He took upon Him the seed of Adam but "He took on
Him the seed of ABRAHAM" (Heb. 2:16). He came not as Adam's "seed," but as
Abraham's "seed." All the promises of God which embody the redemptive and
eternal plan and purpose of God were made to two specially called and chosen people
Abraham and his "seed" (Gal. 3:16). So everything begins with Abraham; he is the
starting point of everything in the redemptive and eternal purposes of God.
There is neither time nor
space to examine the many facets and ramifications of God's promises to Abraham, but you
can read of them in the book of Genesis and ask God for wisdom and understanding. He was
to become "a great nation." He was to become "a multitude of nations.
God said, "Kings shall come of thee." Abraham's posterity was to "spread
abroad to the west, the east, the north, and the south." Abraham was not only to have
a multiplicity of seed or offspring, but one particular "seed" through whom ALL
THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH WOULD BE BLESSED. This singular seed "is Christ" and
yet it is a corporate seed composed of many members the sons of God (Gal. 3:16; I
Cor. 12:12). When Abraham received these staggering promises, what did he do? He believed
them! "...to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only
which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father
of us all; (as it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before whom he
believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as
though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of
many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak
in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old,
neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: he staggered not at the promise of God through
unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that,
what He had promised, He was able also to perform" (Rom. 4:16-21).
When Jesus Christ came to
this world of the seed of Abraham, He came as a seed. Abraham was the seed from which
sprang the millions of the house of Judah and the hundreds of millions of the house of
It is a thing of magnificent
wonder that our Lord is called the seed of Abraham! It seems a most singular thing that in
that long ago
I am certain that our Lord's
reply was a mystery to those men to whom He spoke. They made their earnest request,
"Sirs, we would see Jesus," and He responded with His mysterious dissertation.
We are not told whether Jesus ever consented to have these Greeks interview Him, but in
answer to their request He gave the strange reply, "Except a corn of wheat fall into
the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."
His message to them was simply this: If they saw Jesus at that time they would see only
one seed, one grain in the image of God the man Christ Jesus. But there would be
more, much more to Christ than appeared to them that day! A whole universal field of
ripened grain was to follow in His likeness, born of that original seed, imbued with the
very same life, raised in the same resurrection, who would be the SONS OF GOD and THE
CHRIST even as He is a Son of God and the Christ of God. The many sons would form ONE
CHRIST, Head and body, each having the seed of life in himself. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the
seed of Abraham, appeared as the firstborn among many brethren (Rom. 8:29). And you, my
beloved, will understand a great mystery when you understand that ALL who are products of
and partakers of the life of Him who is the seed of Abraham themselves become T-H-E
S-E-E-D OF ABRAHAM.
Those in these last days whom
God is giving, by His Spirit, understanding of the whole mystery of God in Christ that is
in the scriptures, know that the whole mystery and purpose and plan of God in Christ is
revealed in the family of Abraham, and in God's dealings with the family of Abraham, from
Genesis through Revelation. This mystery begins in Genesis 12, where God called Abram from
Ur of the Chaldees, and gave Abram a promise saying, "Leave your home, your country,
and your father's house, and go into a new land that I will show you, and I will bless
you, and make your name great, and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the
earth be blessed." Few of God's people today and not very many of God's ministry
fully understand this promise that was given by God to Abraham. What God was really saying
was that some day, yea, in these last days He would ultimately bring forth a perfect seed,
a many-membered perfect seed, a descendant from the line of Abraham who would rule and
reign and govern this earth, solve all the world's problems, and bring perfect blessing to
all the families of the earth.
Now the apostle Paul, in the
book of Galatians, tells us that when God gave this promise to Abraham, if He had said
seeds, instead of seed, singular, then the promises of God to Abraham would be fulfilled
to the Jews in the State of Israel, or in the great Israel nations of Europe and America,
the natural descendants of Abraham according to the flesh. But the apostle tells us by the
Spirit, that since God said seed, singular, and not seeds plural, then the seed that God
was referring to which would bless all the families of the earth is THAT SEED WHICH IS
CHRIST, and since we are the body of Christ, then we the body of Christ are that ultimate
seed of Abraham that God promised in the long ago would come forth in the earth, and
ultimately govern the earth, solve all the world's problems, and bring blessing to all the
families of the earth. Therefore, the whole Bible from Genesis 12 through Revelation 12,
is just the divine record of God progressively working in every generation through the
family of Abraham to purify and perfect the line of Abraham, until ultimately in these
last days He would bring forth from the line of Abraham a perfect seed, a many-membered
perfect seed, who would govern this world, rule and reign in the earth, solve all the
world's problems, and bring perfect blessing to all the families of the earth.
When once one's eyes are
opened to this mystery in the scripture it is very easy to follow the lineage of Abraham,
generation after generation, down through the ages, and see how God has been working in
each generation to progressively purify the line of Abraham more and more, to ultimately
bring forth that perfect seed. Therefore, when we follow the line of Abraham down through
the scriptures we find that out of Abraham came Isaac; and Isaac was the seed in his
generation. Then out of Isaac came Jacob; and Jacob was the seed in his generation. Then
out of Jacob came twelve sons, a many-membered seed; and they were the seed of Abraham
that God worked through in their generation. Then out of twelve sons came twelve tribes of
Finally, two thousand years
ago, out of the twelve tribes came Jesus, and HE WAS THE SEED while He was here. Then
Jesus, while He was here, purchased a bride with His own blood, the woman the Church (Eph.
2:22-32), and on the day of Pentecost His Spirit roared back into this Church which is His
body (feminine), and this people were born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word
(Christ) of God, which liveth and abideth forever. The first generation of spiritual
All the wonderful promises of
God made to Abraham were given to only two people Abraham and his seed. That seed,
according to Paul, is Christ. Then follows the enlightening proclamation: "For as
many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:21). No
wonder Paul cries out in the very next verse: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there
is neither bond nor free, there is neither male or female: for YE ARE ALL ONE in Christ
Jesus. And IF YE BE CHRIST'S, THEN ARE YE ABRAHAM'S SEED, AND HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE
PROMISE" (Gal. 3:28-29).
We are still talking about
the Sign of Cancer, The Crab The Multitude, The Offspring, The Innumerable Seed. It
is interesting to note that crabs are hard- shelled animals with roundish, flattened
bodies and five pairs of legs, the front pair of which end in large claws. Most crabs live
in the sea, some of them swimming with paddle- shaped legs. A few are found in fresh
water, and some spend most of their lives on dry land. The land crabs of the
Like the crab which lives in
two elements water and land so the elect of God lives in two elements: the
earth and also the heavens. This is a great mystery which only the spirit of wisdom and
revelation from God can unfold to our hearts in this hour. In that long ago beginning, at
the dawn of our Creator's omniscient plan of the ages, "The Lord God planted a garden
eastward in
When we come to the Garden of
Eden it is evident that it is more than merely a piece of real estate somewhere over in
Some years ago Gene Edwards
shared a word of revelation with which I heartily concur. In the following paragraphs I
will share as faithfully as I can the concepts he set forth. In that wonderful day when
the Lord God planted a Garden in
Man, formed of the dust of
the ground, lay just outside this realm of the interface. God came to man there
just beyond the shining
Consider with me, precious
friend of mine, What is the natural habitat of man? He is spirit his natural
habitat is the heavens! He is dust his natural habitat is the earth! Both? No!
Neither? Yes! Neither. And yet, in some strange, mystical way both. This glorious
creature God created where is his "home? Ah God prepared the place for
man as soon as He created man. He created a place that corresponds to man's true state for
man to inhabit. The earth, dear one, contrary to all that you may have been taught, is not
the natural habitat of man. And neither are the heavens the natural habitat of man! The
Garden and only the Garden and no place but the Garden is your natural
habitat. That's where you belong that is your true world, your homeland, your
motherland that unique realm where heaven and earth meet and mingle the
This great truth of man's
STATE OF
How do you suppose the tree
of life was transferred from the
Dr. Seiss wrote: "In the
progress of the crab's development and growth it undergoes important changes. The most
marked of these is the periodic throwing off of its old shells and the taking on of new
ones. It has to shed its hard shell every so often, for the shell stops it from growing.
In its earlier life these changes involve alterations of the whole form and shape of the
animal." And so the body of Christ, in the process of its growth and development into
the image of God again, passes from processing to processing, from change to change, and
from glory to glory! God's purpose in redemption is not to just deliver us from the
penalty of our sins, but to re- create us, to make a new creature of us, a new kind of man
in the image of Him who created us. This marvelous change involves the whole man, spirit,
soul, and body. Many seem to think that a spiritual body is not a LITERAL body. In other
words, that it is not a REAL body, or not actually a body at all, but a consciousness or a
spirit. "Literal," says Webster, means real; not figurative or metaphorical.
"There is a NATURAL BODY, and there is a SPIRITUAL BODY," saith the Lord. Does
any one suppose the apostle here teaches that there is a "real" body, and there
is a "figurative" or "metaphorical" body; and as we have borne the
image of the "real," we shall also bear the image of the figurative? One would
suppose they so read, from their exceeding blindness in not recognizing any but the animal
body as the "true" body. These seem fearful lest, if the idea be entertained
that Christ was resurrected in any other than an animal body, it will lead to the
rejection of a LITERAL resurrection. We do reject the idea of saints being raised "a
NATURAL body;" and if that is rejecting a LITERAL resurrection of the saints, we must
plead guilty, and beg to be excused simply on the ground that the Almighty has said,
"It is raised a SPIRITUAL BODY" (I Cor. 15:44).
Now will someone inform me
why it is unscriptural, or fanatical to maintain that Jesus Christ has a SPIRITUAL body;
and, as the saints are to be like Him, that they are raised spiritual bodies. I hear some
talking about coming into immortality in their present body, living for a thousand years
or forever in a body that eats, drinks, sleeps, drives, and goes to the bathroom. It will
never happen. Because some seem to think that a spiritual body is not real, but is only a
metaphorical body; and that nothing is real except it be "of the earth, earthy,"
is no reason why those who can discern spiritual things, which the natural man cannot,
should remain in darkness. The realm of the spiritual is a realm which, to those who touch
it, is ten thousand times more real than the natural world. Man has been excluded from
this heavenly realm ever since that calamitous hour when he stretched forth his
inquisitive hand to discover by his natural senses that which is good and that which is
evil. On that unhappy day his eyes were closed to the celestial world to discover the
physical and the natural and to be instructed in this barren realm of death. And yet that
heavenly realm is as close to us today as it was then, the only difference being that our
darkened vision cannot see it!
By His resurrection from the
dead Jesus opened up to man again the spiritual- physical realm the Land of the
Interface. "The same day, at evening, when the doors were shut, where the disciples
were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in their midst" (Jn.
20:19). "And after eight days, again His disciples were within, then came Jesus, the
doors being shut, and stood in their midst, and said, Peace be unto you" (Jn. 20:20).
"And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him, and He vanished out of their
sight" (Lk.24:31). Such language was never applied to the movements of Jesus before
His crucifixion, and is used only in speaking of spiritual beings. The spiritual body of
Jesus, and its clothing, which appeared suddenly while the doors were shut, did not go out
the door, but simply disappeared or de-materialized into the same elements from which He
had fashioned them but a few moments before. He vanished out of their sight, and was no
longer seen of them on the physical plane, though doubtless He was still with them
invisibly present; and so also much of the time during those forty days. Jesus only
demonstrated TWO BODIES WHILE HE WAS ON EARTH: the natural body and the spiritual body.
There were no others. The first was a body of limitation that grew hungry, thirsty, weary,
and died. The second was the body of the resurrection, a body of glory, unlimited,
spiritual, supernatural. He never demonstrated a physical body that put on immortality but
remained the same. Many brethren today are expecting PHYSICAL IMMORTALITY; they look in
the mirror to see if the aging process has slowed or stopped; they count the wrinkles to
determine whether there may be fewer today than before; they are expecting LIFE in an
UNSPIRITUAL BODY! Again I say, It will never happen! No man can be physically immortal who
has to either eat, drink, or sleep in order to sustain his life. No man is immortal as
long as he can drown in water, burn in fire, be crushed under the wheels of an
eighteen-wheeler, have his head severed by sword, choke on a piece of meat, bleed from a
cut, or be buried in the earth. Hear it! There is a natural body and there is a spiritual
body. Those are the only two choices you have, my friend.
It follows of necessity that
man's being, under the curse of sin and death, because it is unsuited to the spiritual
world, must be changed by the power of God. A bird would need a mighty change to be able
to live under the water, or a fish to live in the air; but the Lord promises a much more
striking change to those who are predestined to be manifested as the sons of God with
power. Unknown millenniums ago Job uttered an inspired statement as he sat among the dust
and ashes of his desolation and affliction. "If a man die, shall he live again? All
the days of my appointed time will I wait UNTIL MY CHANGE COME. Thou shalt call and I will
answer Thee; Thou wilt have a desire to the work of Thy hands" (Job 14:14-15). Never
did Job utter a statement which bears out the absolute faithfulness of God to His
creatures than in this passage. He says, So what? If a man comes to the point where he
goes by way of the grave shall he live again? Is that the end? And then he answers
his own question. He made reference to an APPOINTED TIME OF WAITING, through which we must
pass until OUR CHANGE COME. We will not be left in this "unfinished state." We
will not be forgotten in this low realm of the earthy, this side of the Land of the
Interface. There is much more work to be wrought in us before we are fully changed. But
even physical death will not deny us that fulfillment, because sooner or later, HE WILL
CALL, and we will answer, because it is not dependent upon our state or condition, but
upon HIS CALLING AND PURPOSE, and He has a desire to the work of His hands, the end is
secure in the FAITHFUL CREATOR'S DESIRE to finish the work of His hands; His desire is
towards us and that is the guarantee of our full redemption.
Paul sets forth the majesty
of that supernal glory that now appears like a beckoning beacon before the anointed vision
of the sons of God: "As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the
image of the heavenly" (I Cor. 15:49). We are to bear both made one. He also
explains exactly how this ineffable change is to take place within the elect. "But we
all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are CHANGED into the
same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (II Cor. 3:18).
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your
mind" (Rom. 12:2). "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look
for the Saviour ...who shall CHANGE our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His
glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto
Himself" (Phil. 3:20-21).
Literally Paul says that we
are being METAMORPHOSED into the image of the heavenly, and that God will METAMORPHOSE
even our vile bodies. The Greek word METAMORPHOO means simply "to change into another
form." It comes from two words:
Metamorphosis is that change
which takes place from within. We are not transformed by external forces acting upon us,
but by the breaking forth of a new inner life from within, the very life of Jesus! Let us
carefully consider the wonder of this thing, because it is certain that METAMORPHOSIS has
already begun in us and will continue until the complete transformation has taken place.
Too many of the Lord's people sit with folded hands, waiting for a change in some sweet
bye and bye, when God's Word clearly shows that this process of change has already begun.
This is what must take place in us: we must be changed from what we started out to be,
into a creature vastly different in form and nature. But do not look first for the change
in the outward. Look not at the skin tone, the wrinkles, physical strength, healing of the
body, as signs of metamorphosis. The change begins within, in spirit and soul, in nature
and character, in mind and understanding, in consciousness and manifestation.
There are certain times and
seasons when God brings to life truths that have been allowed to lie in grave clothes for
ages and dispensations. As a seed lies dormant in the winter months and then bursts into
life in the warmth and rain of spring, so also has the truth of God been allowed to lie in
death throughout the wintry night of our walk in Babylon's religious systems now at last
to burst into a fruitful harvest in the spring of God's purpose to bring many sons to
glory. There came a wonderful day when Christ came into our lives. "What a wonderful
change in my life has been wrought, Since Jesus came into my heart," we sweetly sing.
But did you ever wait in holy reverence for the Spirit to reveal the eternal truth of
those words to your deepest heart? Oh yes, we received Him as a saviour, as a
thought, as an idea or an ideal, as a truth, as a presence, as an experience, as an
ethereal kind of spirit, something vague and intangible dwelling by faith in our hearts.
The Spirit of the Lord is quickening, however, that there is SUBSTANCE to that MAN within
us. When the incorruptible life of the Christ conceived within us, we must realize that He
was conceived within as the EMBRYO of a SPIRIT- BODY. Not just a spirit, but a SPIRIT-
BODY! This is the Man who belongs to the Land of the Interface where heaven and
earth are merged and fused.
When Paul speaks, then, of
being strengthened with might in the INNER MAN, he is speaking of SUBSTANCE within us.
When Peter speaks of the HIDDEN MAN of the heart, he is speaking of GLORIFIED FLESH that
has been born into the believer but is hidden beneath the veil of Adamic flesh. A MAN is
not a spirit. A MAN is spirit, soul, and body. The first MAN was of the earth, earthy. The
second MAN is the Lord from heaven. The first MAN was of the earth, embued with the wind
of heaven. The second MAN was from the heavenly realm, and took upon Him a body. It is
this second MAN who has come into us in His life. Jesus never said, "Except you
receive My Spirit, you have no life in you." Rather, He said, "Except ye eat the
FLESH of the Son of man, and drink His BLOOD (spirit), ye have no life in you" (Jn.
6:53). As we feed that man within with the FLESH SUBSTANCE and the SPIRIT LIFE of the
resurrected and glorified MAN, this infant spirit- man begins to grow and when he is fully
formed he will burst forth from the cocoon of Adamic flesh and stand in splendor and
majesty as a NEW CREATION MAN body, soul, and spirit! This man will then live fully
in the Land of the Interface.
All our lifetime we have been
subject to the bondage of corruption and death which is rooted in the CARNAL MIND. Ah,
"to be carnally minded IS DEATH" (Rom. 8:6). That is God's own definition of
death, and according to inspiration death is IN THE M- I- N- D! "It's all in your
mind," they say, and though it may be spoken in jest, it is a wondrous and divine
truth, nonetheless. In the same chapter a truth is introduced showing that the
transformation of the body begins with the renewing of the mind, for, says the apostle,
"to be spiritually minded IS LIFE..." (Rom. 8:6). Ah life, also, is in
the MIND! And he continues, "If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead
dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also QUICKEN YOUR MORTAL BODIES
BY HIS SPIRIT THAT DWELLETH IN YOU" (Rom. 8:11).
If ever a reason was given
for a change of mind, a change of thinking, a raising of consciousness, this must be it:
"Be ye metamorphosed BY the renewing of your mind." It is the termination of our
old way of thinking of the carnal consciousness of sin and death and the
activation of a new way of thinking the spiritual consciousness of LIFE IN CHRIST
that brings the change, works the change, and completes the change until our
transformation into the heavenly is consummated in spirit, soul, and body. Make no mistake
about it! Paul declares forthrightly in Rom. 12:2 that this transformation, this change,
this metamorphosis begins with the casting off of the corrupt and carnal mind which
carries the mentality of sin, limitation, and death, and replacing it with the mind of
Christ which is the mind of life and glory and virtue. We have heard a great deal about
the corruptible putting on incorruption and the mortal putting on immortality. We have
embraced many theories about how this would be accomplished, but in one majestic sweep of
inspiration the apostle brushes aside all theories to tell us that we shall be transformed
BY THE RENEWING OF THE MIND.
Mind means thought,
intellect, reason, understanding, sense, thinking principle. Thought is thinking. The
renewing of the mind means renovation, reconstitution, re-programing of our thought
patterns and processes. It means a new mind- set. A new consciousness, awareness, reality.
The old mind, carnal and human as it is, is always thinking thoughts of sin and death. It
leaves us mortal, corruptible, and unchanged. The new mind is the mind of Christ. The mind
of Christ is the intellect, the thought patterns, the thinking principles of Him who has
conquered both sin and death and abides forever in the life and immortality of the Land of
the Interface. The mind of Christ is a transforming mind! It renews not only the mind, but
the body as well. Our minds, our THINKING must be raised from the level of the natural,
carnal minds we were born with, and it must be spiritualized. This is not an instant
change, it is not attained with one grand leap, but a continuous renewal as the voice of
the Spirit unfolds within us the mind, thoughts, and outlook of God. These are thoughts of
love, of righteousness, of life and light and power and incorruption and glory which
transform into the image of God. If we wait in holy reverence in God's divine presence He
will teach us how to think out of our divinity instead of our humanity.
Every life has a certain
nature and consciousness. The higher the life, the loftier its nature and its
consciousness. The law of a life belongs to the realm of its consciousness. For example,
our youngest son, in his teen years, was a lover of hamsters. He had a hamster which from
the time of its birth had never eaten anything but hamster food. One day he gave it an
insect. Immediately, the hamster bit off the insect's head and then proceeded to eat it.
Now this unique action of biting off the insect's head before eating it is a feature of
the "instinct" of the animal. It is in his nature, a part of his consciousness.
Though you breed countless generations of hamsters, and not one of them ever sees an
insect, the moment you present one of those distant descendants with an insect he will
promptly bite off its head and then eat it. He requires no training whatever. This is the
LAW of its life its innate nature and consciousness. It is programmed in its mind
to think and act a certain way. Nature abounds with tens of thousands of examples of this
law of life- consciousness in the marvelous life- forms God has created on this planet.
The law of the physical life pertains to the order of consciousness. Everything is what it
is and acts as it acts out of CONSCIOUSNESS. Old Adam thinks and acts out of the
consciousness of sin and death. "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times
past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and
were by nature the children of wrath, even as others" (Eph. 2:3).
The law of the spirit of life
is the life of God Himself, which is the highest life; therefore it is the richest in
consciousness. This life within us causes us to be full of divine consciousness, and this
consciousness is the consciousness of DIVINE LIFE. The law of life within us is this
consciousness. So as we put off the carnal mind which is filled with the
consciousness of limitation and death, and are renewed in our mind into the mind of Christ
which is the consciousness of life, our spirit, soul, and body will become infused with
not only the life of God, but also with the law of God's life divine nature
and we will walk in righteousness rather than sin, and we will think thoughts of life
instead of death.
As soon as we are
regenerated, awakened to the life of God within, this law of life definitely causes us to
have a certain consciousness. Our responsibility is to obey the sense of the law of life,
thus thinking and acting out of the consciousness of life rather than death. In the
beginning, the consciousness of this law of life may be comparatively weak and infrequent.
Yet if we are willing to obey the first sense, though it be weak, the consciousness
following will be stronger and stronger. We have to begin by submitting to this first weak
consciousness and continue to submit. In this way the law of life can work within us
unceasingly until it reaches every part of our whole being. Thus the life within us will
be enabled to expand outward and increase in depth and height until corruption is
swallowed up into life in every fiber of our being. The cry is ever, Thou mighty Christ,
come forth in me! Few believe that the spiritual body can be put on here and now even as
we stand upon our feet. Do you? Do you believe it is possible for you to be changed,
transformed, metamorphosed in your whole man here in this life? "We shall not all
sleep, but we SHALL ALL BE CHANGED, " saith the Lord. Since you cannot by any natural
process perform this for yourself, are you willing and ready to come under the deep secret
law of letting the mind of Christ cancel out the carnal mind, of letting the law of life
nullify the law of sin and death in the secret chambers of your consciousness?
Just as the crab is altered
in its whole form and shape, and sheds its old shells and takes on new ones, so we, in the
process of our growth and spiritual development, pass from dealing to dealing, revelation
to revelation, consciousness to consciousness, experience to experience, victory to
victory, putting off the old man with his deeds, putting on the new man which is renewed
after the image of Him that created him, laying off this "body (consciousness) of
death" in order to be "clothed upon with our house which is from heaven, that
mortality might be swallowed up of life." In like manner we put off the hard shells
of former religious dogmas, forms, exercises, etc. The old religious outlook, the immature
spiritual mentality, the limited understanding of yesterday is a shell which restricts our
growth and prevents us from "going on to perfection." For this very reason the
apostle exhorted the saints, "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of
Christ, let us go on to 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" (Heb. 6:13). How we resist crawling out of those old shells! But these
very changes are being mightily wrought out in us in this significant hour under the
spiritual Sign of CANCER THE CRAB!
URSA MINOR
The first Decan, or minor
constellation, in the house of Cancer is URSA MINOR THE LESSER BEAR. However, The
Lesser Bear is not the ancient meaning of the constellation of URSA MINOR. No bear ever
existed with such a long uplifted tail as is shown in modern atlases of the
constellations! No traces of a bear are to be found in any of the ancient Zodiacs of
Chaldea, Egypt,
The most important star in
the whole heavens is also the major star in the constellation URSA MINOR, the company of
the sons of God. It is called Al- Ruccaba which means "the turned" or
"ridden on." It is known today as "Polaris" or the "Polar"
or "North Star" and is the star upon which the entire heavens now seem to turn.
This central star does not appear to revolve in a circle as does every other star. The
North Star draws the attention of navigators and surveyors all over the northern
hemisphere as a fixed point outside earth to establish direction and angle. This lustrous
star can be none other than our Lord Jesus Christ who is Himself the brightest star in all
the glorious constellation of God's sons, and the fixed point outside our earthiness from
whence we derive our sense of direction and destiny in God. "And He is the head of
the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all HE
MIGHT HAVE THE PREEMINENCE" (Col. 1:18). "Till we all come in the unity of the
faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ: that we ...speaking the truth in love, may grow up INTO
HIM IN ALL THINGS, WHICH IS THE HEAD, EVEN CHRIST" (Eph. 4:13-15). "For whom He
did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that HE
MIGHT BE THE FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN" (Rom. 8:29). "But we see Jesus, who
was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and
honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became Him,
for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to
make THE CAPTAIN OF THEIR SALVATION perfect through sufferings" (Heb. 2:9-10).
It is interesting to note
that Polaris has not always been the North Star. In ancient times (approx. 6,000 years
ago) when the constellations were first mapped, the Pole Star was not Polaris, but,
rather, it was the star Draconis, the main star in Draco, the constellation of the Dragon.
This is a fact fraught with deep meaning. At that time the Dragon, that ancient Serpent,
which is the Devil and Satan, deceived mankind and brought them into the fall,
precipitated their banishment from the Land of the Interface, from whence they were driven
into the lowlands of the earth, and from that time the Dragon became the Pole Star which
marked the central gate, or hinge, or governing point of earth's motion. So it seemed that
even as they looked up into the heavens, all of the heavens rotated around the Dragon. And
yet the Dragon was in for a surprise! With the gradual procession of the equinoxes, that
has changed the Dragon Star is now far away from the Pole, while the Lesser
Sheepfold, with its super- star, Polaris, has come into its place and the whole heavens
now revolve around, and the earth receives its direction from, the mighty Christ of God!
Oh, the mystery of it! Oh, the wonder of it!
The Pole Star, our Lord Jesus
Christ, has been revealed from heaven. We are coming ever nearer to the long- awaited
reign of URSA MINOR the manifested sons of God. The whole creation for six thousand
years has ceaselessly groaned for the manifestation of the sons of God. That blessed
manifestation has been long in coming, but it will surely come. The heavens declare it!
God's immutable word proclaims it! And the prophets of God across the land and around the
world in this significant hour bear blessed witness to the imminence of this wonderful
event. Once in the fullness of time God sent forth His Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and
die for the world, and when the fullness of time comes once more, nothing will hinder the
manifestation of the sons of God. The Lord Himself will bring them forth in the manner so
vividly described in Revelation, chapter twelve. "And there appeared a great wonder
in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a
crown of twelve stars: and she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to
be delivered. And she brought forth a manchild, who was to rule all nations with a rod of
iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne" (Rev. 12:1-2,5).
It is my conviction that the
key to this symbol of the birth of the manchild is to be found in the sixty- sixth chapter
of Isaiah, which is the original source from which the figures are derived.
Nothing is dearer to the
heart of God than sonship. Father has on hand a work greater than His original creation
He is bringing many sons to glory. The way may be rugged and tedious; but its end
is glory. And it is the way along which our Father is bringing us; for, since we believe
on the Son, we have the right to call ourselves sons (Jn. 1:12). And there are many of us.
Many sons, though only one Son. We do not go solitarily along the narrow way. We are but
part of a multitude, a vast company. The glory of which we now speak, and into which Jesus
has entered, is not for Him alone, but for us also. "Many sons" are to be His
joint- heirs; reigning with Him on His throne, sharing His unsearchable riches and His
everlasting reign.
The great Italian sculptor,
Benvenuto Cellini, told of receiving a block of marble with one flaw. Because of this
flaw, no artist would submit a design except one. In the public
No truer words have been
penned by the hand of scribe or prophet than the following words from Douglas Wilson.
"We do not know the full potential and power of what we have within us. Someone says,
'But I do know, and it is the Christ in me. Yet again I say that we do not know. We
do not know the Christ. We know that the seed of His life is planted within us, BUT WE DO
NOT KNOW WHAT IS COMING FORTH. Some of us know a bit of sensation within us now and then,
but we have yet to come to a full revelation of the Christ in us, THE HOPE OF GLORY. This
is the birth that will yet take place and it will happen as surely as there is a God who
is in all authority. When this birth takes place, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HlDE IT. For many
days Mary could hide the fact that she was pregnant or with child, but there came a day
WHEN IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO HIDE IT. It was possible for
"Do not wonder at the
struggle the world is passing through. Do not wonder about the struggle that is going on
within your own self. God is preparing now to bring this great manchild to the birth. And
we shall see it. Mary could have gone on for seven or eight months saying, 'I do not
believe I am with child. I do not believe I am pregnant.' She could have declared herself
with such words right up to the last minute, BUT THE BIRTH TOOK PLACE AS GOD HAD PLANNED.
God's people all over the world can cry, 'We do not believe it. We do not believe it. It
cannot be true.' BUT IT WILL COME TO PASS. We still have a sovereign God.
"When this is brought
forth, we will then see that God was keeping the world busy as He was preparing to bring
to pass this birth that would bring forth a royal priesthood to administer God's Kingdom
to creation. This is the man in God's image presented in the very first chapter of
Genesis. This is the great corporate man possessing the life of God Himself. It will be
the consternation of the orthodox preachers and teachers of the Bible. This is the thing
to be seeking God about in this hour. This is no day in which to be promulgating doctrines
and creeds and religious activities, or to carry on business as usual, for the time is
upon us in which God will bring onto the stage of history HIS SONS" end quote.
The realm of sonship is the
realm of the interface the shimmering Garden of Eden, the glorious City of
Chapter
45
CANCER
THE CRAB
(continued)
The first Decan, or minor
constellation, in the house of Cancer is URSA MINOR THE LESSER BEAR. However, The
Lesser Bear is not the ancient meaning of the constellation URSA MINOR. No bear ever
existed with such a long uplifted tail as is shown in modern atlases of the
constellations! No traces of a bear are to be found in the ancient Zodiacs of Chaldea,
Egypt,
All who have ears to hear
must hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. The Spirit is saying today that He is
preparing a people, He is preparing a body, He is preparing sons who shall be conformed to
the image of His Son, who shall be partakers of the divine nature, who shall have the mind
of Christ, who shall be brought to glory and who then shall become the very express image
of the Father. These shall become the very brightness of the Father's glory and the very
express image of the Father's person. Even as the first Son, who went into the ground and
died as a grain of wheat to produce other sons in His likeness, bearing His image
He was the brightness of the Father's glory and the very express image of the Father's
person and God sent Him to be the Saviour of the world. God is now preparing sons,
God is now preparing a body for that first Son, we are the body of the first son, the body
of Christ. We are the body of the Christ and in and through these sons, when all have
grown up into His fullness, His salvation shall be manifested unto the ends of the earth.
The Lord is saying unto His people in this day: "For this cause have I raised thee up
and sent thee to be a light unto the nations, and thou shalt be My salvation to the ends
of the earth" (Isa. 49:6; Acts 13:47).
God is not talking to babies
today. God is not talking to spiritual children today. Spiritual children have a little
knowledge that puffs them up. Spiritual children fight among each other. "I am of
Paul, I am of Apollos, I am of Cephas. Spiritual children pride themselves
who shall be the greatest. Spiritual children want to know which side of the throne they
will be sitting on, "What am I going to get out of all this. Spiritual children
like to play adult, imagining that they possess much more than they actually have and that
they have attained a stature far beyond their experience. God is not sending children
today, He is sending sons, whose only desire is that the Father may be glorified, that the
pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand, that the will of the Father may be done.
What happens to us has no bearing on the situation. Christ says, "As My Father has
sent Me, in this total commitment to His will, so that I desire only to reveal the Father,
so I am sending you, in a total commitment to the Father's will, that the Father may be
revealed in the multitude of sons." And let me assure you, precious friend of mine,
if through one son in the Garden of Eden who disobeyed, the whole creation came into
bondage and death because of disobedience, and if through one Son in the Garden of
Gethsemane and the Mount of Calvary, God was able to provide a salvation through the
shedding of His blood for all humanity, if God could bring such a revelation of Himself
through one Son, a Son who was crucified and rejected, whom God raised again and set at
His right hand what will happen in these days, when through a multitude of sons who
have been identified with Him, buried with Him in His death, raised again in the likeness
of His resurrection, ascended with Him, seated with Him in the heavenly places, glorified
with His glory, anointed with His Spirit, invested with His wisdom, nature and power
what is going to happen in all creation when many sons are revealed in the glory of
God?
The future the Father has
planned for His sons is away beyond our ability to comprehend or even imagine. I am
overwhelmed with awe when I think of what is ahead for us. Rom. 8:18 reads, "For I
reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory that shall be revealed in us." Phillip's rendering of this is beautiful:
"In my opinion whatever we may have to go through now is less than nothing compared
with the magnificent future God has planned for us." Oh! the glory of it. Who can
express it! Who can articulate the wonder of it! Paul said, "Eye hath not seen, nor
ear heard, neither hath entered the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for
them that love Him" (I Cor. 2:9). I have heard preachers attempting to describe the
future glories with the most eloquent language; but it didn't come anywhere near the
truth. The human mind is incapable of conjuring up a picture of what the omniscient Father
has prepared for His own. We can let our imagination run as wild as the wind and it will
not come anywhere near comprehending the grandeur of what the Father has in mind.
Paul prayed for this
understanding for us when he wrote, "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of
Him; the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope
of His calling..." (Eph. 1:17-18). Can we know what this glorious hope is? Is there
any way we can begin to comprehend it? Yes, but I doubt that we can begin to grasp the
glory of it in its fulness; but the scripture says, "God reveals it to us by His
Spirit." As we are able to receive some small measure of the wonder of our calling
the Spirit will reveal it to us in a measure. As the Spirit begins to open the eyes of our
understanding how different it is from what the preachers have been telling the people for
centuries, of a glory land where all is eternal day with nothing to do but sit on a cloud,
strum a harp, flit about in a white night gown, and own a mansion over the hilltop or a
cabin in the corner of gloryland.
The manifestation of the sons
of God has not yet taken place. There are the "normal" workings of God as
if anything God does could be considered "normal"! But there are the on- going,
day to day activities of the Holy Spirit all of them supernatural happenings, but
all of them that which we are accustomed to experiencing. The ongoing salvation of souls,
the continual manifestation of gifts and ministries in the church, the healing of sick,
answers to prayer, meeting of needs, changing of lives, the progressive revelation of
truth, the processings of God to conform us into the image of the Son. Then there are the
"interventions" of God. The interventions of God are sudden happenings of God in
which the course of human history is literally changed because God comes on the scene in
an unexpected and accelerated fashion. The scriptures usually announce an intervention of
God by using the word "suddenly."
In Lk. 2:13, of the birth of
Jesus, we read, "...and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly
host.." The annunciation of the Incarnation was a divine intervention. Here's a great
one: "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in
one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it
filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues
like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance"
(Acts 2:14). There in that upper room, united in their faith in Christ and in their holy
mood of expectancy, these humble disciples received their marching orders and were
empowered to carry them out. They had had a long period of teaching and preparation; they
had spent many hours in prayer and holy waiting. The great day came for them on Pentecost,
and they were ready to march. March they did, straight into the heart of the pagan world.
The Holy Spirit guided them step by step. He told them where to go, what to say, what to
do. He walked in them and worked with them, confirming their word with mighty signs,
wonders, and miracles. Armed with the word of God, the love of God, and the power of God,
they were unconquerable and turned the world upside down and changed the course of
history!
Then there was poor Saul of
Tarsus, who ran headlong into a blinding suddenly: "It came to pass, that, as I made
my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a
great light round about me" (Acts 22:6). In Mal. 3:1 we read of another intervention
of God - one reserved for our day: "And the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come
to His temple..." This is a divine intervention when God suddenly comes to His
elect in a manner different from, and infinitely more powerful and glorious than His
normal workings throughout the past age. We stand today in an hour not unlike the days
preceding the day of Pentecost. The next great Feast, the Feast of Tabernacles, is about
to "fully come." The Christ is among us in a fresh manifestation, there is a new
message going forth, a declaration concerning the next step and phase of the
THE GROANING CREATION
The jubilation, gladness and
joy that will take place at this ultimate Feast of Tabernacles is beyond our wildest
expectation. The Christ body, the sons of God, will experience great joy at their change
from mortal to immortal. And the creation will also express the ecstasy that will be
theirs when they are released from 6,000 years of bondage and servitude. The songs of
victory and glad tidings will be greater far than on that first glad occasion when the
morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy (Job 38:7). "For
the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath
subjected the same in hope. Because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the
bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that
the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now" (Rom.
8:20-22).
"The whole creation
groaneth..." The word "groaneth" signifies to sigh, to pray, to be moved
with inward feeling. Creation is depicted as a slave in bondage, groaning in its
captivity, crying out to be free. Today the world is full of broken hearts, the hospitals
are crowded, the cemeteries are being filled, and all nature is groaning under its bondage
to corruption and death. You go down to the seaside and you can hear the sob of the waves,
you go to the mountains and you can hear the low sigh of the wind in the tree tops. Can we
not hear the sigh and groan of nature in the meow of the cat, in the yelp of the dog, in
the shriek of the captive, in the bleat of the sheep, in the lowing of the cattle, in the
roar of the lion, in the hiss of the serpent, in the cry of the vulture, in the hoot of
the owl, in the wash of the sea, in the rush of the storm, in the tremor of the
earthquake, and in the exclamation of pain?
"The bondage of
corruption." The word "bondage" means more than being bound, it means
servitude, slavery; and "corruption" signifies ruin, decay, death, to perish.
The servitude of decay resulting in death conveys the meaning. The latter word is rendered
"perish" in Col. 2:22; and the former comes from a word which means to serve as
a slave and is rendered "serving" in Tit. 3:3. Creation is said to be longing
with "earnest expectation." Those longings which are implanted by God will
surely be met by Him. It is a fact in nature that God never puts an intuition within,
without meeting it without. Therefore while creation is in bondage it is not in despair,
for an earnest expectation throbs through it and makes it to be like one who is looking
out with intense longing for someone who is expected. The Greek word rendered
"expectation" is made up from apo- kara- dokia.
The whole creation is joining
with us in unutterable groans and birth pangs, earnestly looking forward to its release
with ours, out into full and free and eternal inheritance. EVERY CREATED THING is waiting,
looking anxiously and with a kind of universal travail waiting for what? A great
manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit? More missionaries? More Bibles and gospel
tracts? Greater evangelistic crusades? Another televangelist? Or are they waiting for the
combined efforts of all churches to get together in an all- out assault against sin,
sickness, and evil? Are they travailing for another preacher, another ministry, another
revival, or, even another sonship" convention? NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES NO!
Creation is not waiting for any of these things to take place. The whole of creation,
without exception, is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God which is that FULL
SONSHIP, THE TRANSFORMATION OF OUR BODIES. It is full and complete and eternal victory
over sin, sorrow, limitation, sickness and death. It is the life and glory of the Father
fully revealed in a people.
Paul Mueller has written:
"The principal purpose which is uppermost in the mind of the Father at this time is
the growth and coming to maturity of His chosen remnant. Every other purpose under heaven
is secondary to this greater purpose during this exceptional time. Therefore, it is
essential that all who are members of this Christ body, the sons of God, should
concentrate on their own spiritual maturity. Strive not to do the religious works of man,
but seek rather for the fullness of Christ in your own heart and life. There is no other
purpose under heaven that can equal this grand and holy purpose of the Father. Put away
all the desires and appetites of the world and of the flesh, and seek only to please the
Lord. And if you really care for the masses of the world who know not God and His
wonderful grace and mercy, then you will seek for His fullness in your life. If you have
really heard the groans of a creation that is suffering under the burden of sin and shame,
you will cease all your religious activity, which is really only the works of the flesh,
and will follow hard after the Lord. Let us seek to please God as Enoch did, and we will
witness a glorious manifestation of His life that will set every captive free. God, in His
great wisdom, has linked all of creation's needs and travails with the glorious
transformation of the bodies of the sons of God into bodies like unto Christ's body. And
it is quite possible that when this glorious transformation does occur, the stones, the
trees, shrubs, and grass of the field, as well as all animal life, will lift their voices
in praise to Him who has fulfilled His word and satisfied the inherent hope within every
created thing" end quote.
The story is told of a little
boy who couldn't play outside because it was raining. His father, who was trying to take
an afternoon nap on the sofa, became annoyed. "Go to the other room, son; Daddy wants
to sleep. Find something in there to play with." "Like what?"
"Anything," snapped the father. "There isn't anything, replied the
lad. Grabbing the newspaper, the man tore out a page with a large map of the world printed
on it. With the scissors he cut it into dozens of odd- shaped pieces like a puzzle.
"There, see if you can put it together, and don't bother me till you're done."
The father settled down on the sofa thinking his problem was solved, but ten minutes later
there was a tug on his shirt. "You can't be done yet" But there on the floor was
the neatly constructed world. "How did you do it?" he asked. "Easy,"
said his son. "A man's picture was on the back, and when I got the man together
right, the world was right." Ah, yes when God gets HIS MAN put together in the
fullness of Christ all the problems of the world will simply fall into place! Let us not
expend our energies trying to get the world straightened out and ordered aright in this
hour. Let us give ourselves to apprehending that for which Jesus Christ has apprehended us
to grow up unto a PERFECT MAN, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ. Then the whole creation will fall into place. Let us not sell creation short!
If Alexander the Great could
march his armies across the earth and conquer the whole civilized world before he was
thirty-three years old; if Hitler could change the world for evil; if the Communists could
march forth to enslave one-third of the world's population, weaving a hundred million into
the vortex of communism each year it is not presumptuous to believe that the sons
of God, armed with the immortal life and glory of Christ, can turn all nations to God,
deliver the whole creation from the tyranny of sin and death, and bring the Kingdom of God
to pass under the whole heaven, from pole to pole and sea to sea in power and glory. As
Ray Prinzing has written: "What glory, what wonder awaits the revelation of that true
character and quality which HE is producing in His new creation species. Resurrection life
shall burst forth,
THE MINISTRY OF THE SONS OF
GOD
We have not yet witnessed the
magnitude of ministry that shall be revealed through the manifested sons of God. God is
preparing His perfected and matured body, anointed with the seven-fold Spirit of God, and
this enChristed company shall appear on the cosmic stage of history in these last days
with ten thousand times more power than a Luther, a St. Patrick, a Wesley, a Whitefield, a
Finney, a Moody, a Billy Sunday, or any of the revival showers of this century. God has
moved deeply upon my heart in these days to prophesy to God's elect that there is coming a
great and glorious MANIFESTATION OF CHRIST before the face of all nations and the whole
earth. There will be a fresh revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's going to come in
the midst of a people who truly love His appearing, and I see and hear signs that already
He is beginning to come. We are standing on the threshold of a new and fresh and
transcendental manifestation of our Lord. These things are burning like a furnace inside
of me. I am being quickened by these things. I know God is on the move, and my deepest
desire is to be a part of this manifestation that will usher in a new day for this
sin-cursed planet. The Lord wants to reveal Himself in our midst in a new way, and through
us to creation.
The church order has been an
order ordained of God for this age when the Lord's purpose was to bring men to Christ by
"the foolishness of preaching" (I Cor. 1:21). We rejoiced to see many gathered
together to hear the anointed messages of preaching and to be saved and blessed by that
means. That has been God's method for this age of the formation of His body. But to
deliver creation from the bondage of corruption GOD HAS
When the sons of God are
manifested, instead of announcing a meeting, rather than inviting people to a building, in
place of opening the service with prayer and the singing of hymns and choruses, the
transformed saints will appear amidst many on the streets, in the business establishments,
in the restaurants, on speeding trains and flying airplanes, on the highways and in the
byways, or in a shopping mall. The appearing will be supernatural, the spoken word will be
with power and demonstration of the Spirit, the secrets of men's hearts will be revealed,
and all needs met then and there. Imagine the wonders of the mighty moving of the Spirit
of God as He is outpoured upon ALL FLESH! Instead of a church meeting or organized
crusade, or a revival campaign, the Spirit of the Lord will move upon an entire body of
people wherever they may be and the whole group will be converted without a
"building," without a "song service," or any of the trappings of
church-age "meetings." It may be difficult for some to understand, but that new
manifestation of God in His sons will transcend a million times any glory we have
witnessed in the past. God will do more in one minute by His Spirit than a man has been
able to do in an entire lifetime of ministry. In times past the Lord worked and moved in
the thirty and sixty-fold degree, but in the days before us He will move in a hundred-fold
manifestation of power and glory. And all of this will be the result of our growth into
sonship! It will be the manifestation of the fullness of His life within us. Multitudes
will then find the peace, joy, deliverance and salvation of Christ, and will embrace the
fullness of His Kingdom and dominion. When the sons are manifested, I believe the Spirit
will then echo the words of Winston Churchill, "Never have so MANY owed so MUCH to so
FEW!"
When God roars out of His
Zion Company in the fullness of His life and glory and presence, the old drunk will rise
up out of his drunken stupor and know that there is a God upon the throne. All will know,
kings and presidents and prime ministers and members of congress and parliament and rich
men and mighty men everywhere will be made to know that there is ONE to whom they all owe
their allegiance. The church has not yet started on world evangelization. This has been
the age of "calling out a people for His name, not saving the world. Now God is
laying a ground work and processing, preparing, equipping and empowering His people for
the coming invasion of all the world. He must do something unprecedented for us first so
that we will be ready. We don't have all we need for this work, but God is quickening us
for it. We still put too much dependence in money, methods, and materials, but God wants
us to move out of that old order into His new realm of fullness. It is my deep conviction
that the sonship ministry will be something like this. The word came to Phillip in
Do not doubt for one moment,
precious friend of mine, that when God wants any of His sons in any place, He will put
them there. God need pay no attention to iron or bamboo curtains, or boundaries between
nations. He need not take into consideration immigration, consulates or custom houses. I
am talking about the miracle working power of God to be manifested when the sons of God
arise as King-Priests after the order of Melchizedek. We really know little of the
Melchizedek order. We are not yet equipped, but God is working! We have yet to see a pure,
unadulterated moving of the Spirit with everyone moving on the plane of incorruption,
doing just what the Father wants them to do, but we are going to. It must come in this
hour. Today, before a great evangelist gets to town, his advance agent comes and takes
care of the advertising and makes all the preparations so that everyone knows that
"Rev. So and So" is coming. The auditorium is rented, the crusade organized,
they get all the altar workers lined up and teach them a few scriptures and train them for
the BIG MEETING. But even Billy Graham has been quoted as saying that with all these vast
crowds and all that goes with it, "We haven't yet had revival." Ah, this is one
work the Holy Spirit desires to do to be the ADVANCE AGENT for God's ministries! HE
will prepare the way for us. No better means of advertising can be found than that of the
Spirit. When God begins to spread everywhere what He is doing, whole cities and entire
nations will know, and His fame will spread far and near and men will flock to receive
from God. Not one dime of money will need be spent on buildings, stadiums, staff or
advertising.
I emphasize again that the
scripture declares that the Spirit shall be poured out upon ALL FLESH. In the cities, on
the plains, in the jungle paths, in the deserts, in all the dwelling places of men the
Spirit shall flow. In the time of which I speak God will not leave one place on the earth
where the adversary can rally his forces. If God did not cover the seas with His Spirit,
and move upon all flesh upon the seas, the adversary would have a place to rally his
forces. If God did not pour His Spirit out and flood the desert, the adversary would have
a place for recruiting his followers. But, thank God! the glory of the Lord shall cover
the the earth as the waters cover the sea. God will have this time, this day to do His
mysterious work in all the earth and all the kindreds of the earth shall turn unto the
Lord. All nations and all peoples will come and bow down before Him. The saints of the
Most High shall take the Kingdom (government) and possess the Kingdom and reign forever
and ever. Hallelujah!
Again I would share blessed
words of insight and revelation from the anointed pen of Paul Mueller. "Imagine
ourselves freed from the need to scrounge for money to buy food, clothing, housing, and
all our earthly needs. Imagine a people who are transported from one place to another by
the Spirit without using any of man's inventions. Imagine a people whose minds receive and
whose lives express fully the mind of Christ, unhindered and unfettered by earthly, carnal
desires, ambitions and needs. Imagine a people who speak with one mind, the mind of
Christ, and who minister only the things of the Spirit, and that which is of the
There was a little boy who
came home from Sunday School. His Mom said, "What did you learn in Sunday School
today?" The little boy answered, "Oh, we learned about Moses." "Oh?
And what did you learn about Moses?" He answered, "Mom, if I told you, you
wouldn't believe me." "Well, try me," she responded. So the little boy
began. "Well, Moses was in a terrible situation. He had all of these soldiers coming
at him on chariots and he was pinned at the
Many years ago an aged
prophet of God shared the vision God gave him of this ministry. "In that vision which
lasted all night, the most wonderful vision I ever had, in which I saw the sons of God in
action all over the world, ministering to the multitudes in every tongue and nation, to
all people, I saw both men and women ministering. I saw them standing in mid air, in the
midst of a busy intersection of a large city, with all traffic stopped, and thousands of
people seeing them with their eyes, and hearing them with their ears, regardless of
distance, and without the aid of mechanical devices. I saw them speaking to a people of
one language, and in a moment's time I saw them transported to another people of another
language, speaking to them in their own language, having power over all mechanical
devices, so that they could cause everything to cease, and every eye to be fixed upon
them, until their message had been delivered. I saw them walk upon the water; I saw the
terror in the faces of the wicked, at the sound of their voices. I saw the professing
Christians fall down in true repentance, calling out for mercy, and I saw them being
genuinely converted. I saw the skeptics being convinced, and the blasphemy of the wicked,
as they would rail and mock, only to be struck dumb or blind at just a word from the
manifested sons and daughters of God.
"The vision lasted all
night, as in my spirit I was living in that time when God will be manifested in His sons
and daughters, while my body was back there in a bed alongside my wife. Sometimes the
scenes would make me weep, I would sob, my body shaking with pain and agony; then another
scene would cause me to laugh with holy laughter. I'll never forget the vision of the
young girl (the daughters of God) who spoke with the voice of many waters. Human language
could never describe the quality of her voice. All I can say is, it was so filled with
love and compassion, it would break the hardest stone, and at her command every infirmity,
every sickness was healed. Every one was made perfectly whole, the blind, the lame, and
even those who had been lunatic from birth. Sister Britain (this was a cousin of brother
Bill Britton) got no sleep that night, and finally, when it was near daylight, she asked
me why I didn't get up and write it. I did try, but could not hold my hands on the
key-board of the typewriter. Some unseen force held them aloft over my head. I walked the
floor and wept, and begged the Lord to let me write some of the visions I had seen.
Finally He did, and I wrote just a very few of the visions I had seen, for a large book
could not contain them all.
"What did it do for me?
That vision set my soul aflame! Should I publish what I had written? What would people
think of me if I did? Surely they would think me mad! I was just getting started in the
writing and publishing ministry, and surely that one message would cause all men to lose
confidence in me! Those were my thoughts. At last, with tears streaming, I said, I'm
going to publish it, regardless of the cost. I know it's true! I know it is going to come
to pass, and if all men turn against me for it, I'm going to publish it anyway! And
so we did. We waited anxiously to hear the reaction of the people. To our surprise, it
thrilled their hearts. THEY BELIEVED IT! They still believe it! Immediately we were
besieged with orders for many copies of it to pass out to others. Our limited production
facilities could not handle it, so God gave us new, bigger equipment" end
quote.
I am deeply impressed to
share here the testimony of Sis. Lura Grubb, a friend of ours from many years ago
one of the most remarkable testimonies I have known in my lifetime. The following is
transcribed from a message she delivered to a Convention some years ago, along with other
materials. "I believe that my restoration to life in 1932, was a sign of a sort of
LIFE into which God plans to bring His sons for manifestation in the end time. I was a
Baptist girl when God healed me and raised me from the dead. After three years of serious
health crises I was seized with horrible convulsions which continued for six days. Again
my family doctor consulted with the surgeon from Marks,
"The family physician
returned early the following morning. He was not sure that he would find me alive. He
found me in the continuous convulsions and unconscious, just as I had been for the past
six days. Again he examined my uncontrollable body. With a note of hesitancy in his voice,
he said to mother, 'Mrs. White, I hate to have to tell you this, but Lura is dying now. We
have done all we know to do. I will call in any specialist you suggest, but it will do no
good. We have done all that medical science has to offer in a case like this. Lura is
dying, and if you have any messages to send to relatives, you should send them
immediately. These convulsions will continue until she passes away. She may die in the
next one, but she might last until midnight. But she is dying and cannot pull through the
night. With your consent, I can inject a fatal sedative into her vein which will stop the
convulsions, and she will die a peaceful death. If not, she will continue to have
convulsions, and die in just as pathetic a condition as she is in at present.'
"Mother consented for
the injection to be given. Her compassion could not endure the thoughts of my dying in
such a pitiful state. The doctor prepared the medicine and administered it to my body. It
was too late. I was too far gone already. My circulation was so poor by that time, that it
circulated no further around the injection than a spot the size of a quarter. The doctor
shook his head, and told mother to make me as comfortable as possible. Mother looked up to
that tall man of medical skill, and with a spark of faith still flickering in her soul,
said, But doctor, can't God?' That fearful tone called forth all the sympathy within
the kindly soul of that good man. He looked her straight in the eye, and encouraged,
If anything is done now, it will be from a Higher Power than medical science.'
"That evening, the
godly, white-haired, Holiness Baptist evangelist came to the house. He had been coming to
see me and to encourage mother every day. This was the last day of the revival at the
church, but not in mother's heart. That last visit was a lighthouse in a storm for my
mother who had prayed and fasted without sleep nor rest for six days and nights. She
remained close beside my bed those six days and nights of convulsions. That day he told
mother that he had had a revelation while in prayer that morning, and that God showed him
that her daughter would live and be a shining light for Jesus. The veil of
sorrow enshrouding her despairing soul was parted by that message of hope. Her faith
revived, and she took another tenacious hold upon God and fortified herself against the
doubting taunts of Satan. The convulsions continued until midnight the crisis hour,
beyond which the doctor predicted that I could not live. Everyone was tense as thirteen
strong men and women held my convulsive form on the bed and waited for the final hour to
strike and the curtain to fall.
"The fatal hour struck
it was midnight. I became conscious for the first time in six days and nights. But
the consciousness was not earthly. I was yet unaware of the things transpiring about my
bed in the darkened room. I had become fully conscious of the heavenly. I beheld a great
shaft of light, more brilliant than the noonday sun, stream to me directly from heaven. A
blinding radiance, very large in diameter, circumscribed the beam of glittering glory
which terminated at my bed. The bed seemed afire with its brightness. I will not recount
all my experiences during the time I was dead, in which I saw the Lord Jesus and was
commissioned to come back to earth because the Lord had a work for me to do. Down
down down I drifted until I reached the small frame farmhouse in which lay my
lifeless physical form. Then, suddenly, the corpse sat up the miracle took place!
The miracle was not the result of any personal knowledge I had of healing, to say nothing
of being raised from the dead. My humble, farm- woman, mother was a Methodist, that fasted
six days and nights and prayed for my healing, and finally my resurrection from the dead.
I was pronounced dead, and preparations for my funeral were already underway. My mother
would not submit to death, even as she stared it in the face of her dead daughter.
"Sometimes I think that
we Kingdom people do an injustice to our testimony by so readily submitting to death. We
do not contend for the faith of the Son of God. I believe that there is a vast area that
we are failing to march into and possess, of the Kingdom provisions. We proclaim Kingdom,
but God expects us to have more than revelation. We are called upon to go beyond
revelation to manifestation. We are tempted to dwell on a platform of revelation.
Revelation is wonderful, but it will never amount to much until it is translated into
manifestation. The manifestation of the sons of God is what groaning creation is waiting
for, and not just revelation of some mystic character. Some have thought it to be some
special revelation for which groaning creation is waiting, but this is not the case. They
wait for a manifestation. They want deliverance from their bondage to corruption. We also
groan within ourselves, waiting for the redemption of our bodies.
"Now this redemption of
the body is interesting. Before we ever heard that there be a Holy Ghost, my mother prayed
for my restoration to life in 1932 in
"The same power which
raised Jesus from the dead raised me from the dead. I was also miraculously healed of
multiple afflictions instantly and restored to life after the spirit departed my body. We
really do not need long, drawn out healing services. We just need God to come on the
scene. As I looked into the face of Jesus, I was instantly healed. I never became hungry,
sleepy nor tired for twelve days and nights after I was healed and restored to life. When
my feet touched the floor, a supernatural phenomenon occurred. I felt myself being raised
to my tiptoes, and my arms being raised heavenward. The power of God enveloped my body,
and I felt so light I hardly had my feet on the floor. Many times during the twelve days
and nights that followed, I would unconsciously grab the furniture to hold myself down to
the floor. I can describe it as none other than the resurrection power of God the
power that restored my spirit to the body the power that raised the Lord Jesus
Christ from the dead. When my hands were down, it was by force. My feet would rest flat on
the floor only by force. My natural position those days was on tiptoes and hands upraised.
When I forced myself to an arms-down, flat-footed position, I was unable to take a step.
This supernatural sign convinced the newspaper photographers and reporters. This was at
the conclusion of three years of illness and six days of convulsions and lockjaw. After
the miracle, I ministered to thousands of people who came from all over the country,
having seen the news story in all the major press service papers in August of 1932. It
reached as far as the
"The thing that is so
wonderful to me is the fact that God performed this miracle. We must point the groaning
creation to God. He is the miracle worker. In all these years I have enjoyed life and
strength from God to preach the Gospel of Divine Life to forty-nine nations. During those
twelve days and nights I saw all types of healing and miracles. I did not know how to pray
for the sick. As the Spirit led me to touch sick ones who were brought, God performed the
miracles,
"During those twelve
days and nights, I would sense my spirit leaving my body, and being present in other
locations. For example, I found myself in one car of skeptics coming to the farm house
where I was ministering to the sick. I heard their conversations. When the auto drove up
some time later, I informed them of what they discussed on the way. They recognized that
it was a phenomenon of God. They were made believers by the supernatural manifestation of
God in the event. Many times I was transferred out of my body while I stood praying for
the sick and was conscious of that which was transpiring many miles away. Many were made
believers by this miracle manifestation.
"God is going to have a
manifestation of Himself in this endtime. I can take no credit for having been raised from
the dead. But I do expect to be 'alive and remaining' and see it all through to the climax
of this church age. The Bible says that it is appointed unto man once to die I have
met my appointment and do not expect to set another appointment with death. Some may mark
me as heretic, fanatic, or off-brand doctrinally. But it is still true. From the day I was
raised from the dead, I started declaring the generation that would never have to die to
be the one in which we are now living. I believe that my generation is being offered this
victory over death. And I believe I happen to be one of the living and remaining
ones unto the coming of the Lord. Death holds no fear for me. But God is ordaining this
thing for this generation. We will never be able to convince mankind just by preaching. We
will have to begin demonstrating the presence of the supernatural God in manifestation. It
must take the Spirit of God to draw men unto Him. The scripture declares that 'it is unto
"I believe the full
manifestation of God into earth is closer than we can believe. We know that God is going
to have a company in which to make this revelation of Himself. He did so with me, one who
knew nothing about miracles. He is going to show that the power is of God and not of man.
It is unto Christ that the Father purposes to draw mankind. Although I knew nothing about
the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit, God manifested each one of
them through me at that time. It was not my doing. Our heavenly Father is bringing a
company of believers to the place of commitment to Himself that He can manifest Himself in
a way in which no man will receive the glory. It must be a company of sons who are dead to
self, filled with Christ, manifesting God life and God power only. It must be a
manifestation of God in His many-membered body of sons. God is going to begin to speak
through his sons. And when the dead hear the voice of the Son through the sons they shall
live! That is the thing that will bring the dead out of their graves. That is the thing
that will loose the captives. The son company will not consist of just one select group of
believers. No preacher or church has a corner on God! It will be the qualified ones from
all of God's groups of believers. The dead shall hear the voice of God through His sons,
and they shall live. This must be the company who will submit to God, step out in faith
and believe what God has promised. We have preached this for many years. But unless we
start manifesting it, we shall not participate in it. We have to believe that God is ready
to do it, and it does not depend upon our abilities. It depends on Him. It is time for His
sons to rise up and possess their possessions" end quote.
ARGO - THE SHIP
The third and final Decan, or
minor constellation, in the house of Cancer is ARGO. Argo presents the figure of a large
ship. Argo means The Ship. Here we have a picture of pilgrims safe at last in harbor. In
this ship, the sails are rolled up. It is not a ship in the midst of a journey, but it is
a ship which has completed its journey and is now at rest in a safe harbor. Ah
Christ is our ship! And the Father is our safe harbor at home! We are brought at the end
into that peaceful harbor and haven of rest, by the glory and power of our great Redeemer
and Captain, Jesus Christ. "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father but by Me" (Jn. 14:6). All we are mariners, spiritual voyagers. Each and
every son of God is a navigator on the sea of life. And the voyage upon which we all
embarked had its origin in God. When we came into this world of sin and death we were
thrust out upon a tempestuous sea, there to maneuver our tiny bark to another shore.
Winds, tides, and currents swept us out to sea, and carried us on. We were lost and
hopeless until we discovered the Captain of our bark. We eventually must land on that
other shore. There is no alternative. Day by day we are being swept on, ever nearer to
journey's end. There is one safe and commodious harbor. How happy is the man who knows
that Christ is his ship, and the bosom of the Father is the harbor! Jesus came into the
world that through death and resurrection He might bring us to God (I Pet. 3:18). It is in
Him that we have access to the Father.
Paul's favorite expression
for man's union with Christ is surely the phrase "in Christ." One hundred and
sixty-four times it appears in Paul's writings. He creates a symphony of language out of
it. The Lord Jesus in the last night with His disciples used this word more than once.
"In that day" when the Spirit had been poured out "ye shall
know that I am in the Father, and ye in Me." And then follows "Abide in Me; he
that abideth in Me beareth much fruit." "If ye abide in Me, ye shall ask what ye
will, and it shall be done unto you." But the child of God cannot appropriate these
promises unless he first prayerfully accepts the word: in Christ. Paul expresses the same
thought in Romans. "We are buried with Christ." "There is no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus." And in Ephesians: "God has blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in Christ; hath chosen us in Him; hath made us accepted in the
Beloved; in Him we have redemption." And in Colossians: "In Him dwelleth all the
fullness; we are perfect in Christ Jesus; Walk ye in Him; Ye are complete in Him."
Precious phrase! sweeter than
honey to our soul, we would adore the Holy Spirit for revealing such a wonder to those
elect ones called to sonship. The word translated "complete" is used by
Demosthenes in describing a ship fully manned and truly our ship is well manned by
her Captain who Himself steers the vessel, and brings all safe to their desired haven. His
glorious life is the dwelling place of all sufficiency for in Him dwelleth all the
fullness.
While Christ is our ship
bringing us to God, Argo pictures a ship in which the sails are rolled up. It is not a
ship in the midst of a journey, but it is a ship which has completed its journey and is
now at rest in a safe harbor. The pilgrims are safe at last in the harbor. At home in the
bosom of the Father! Returned from whence we came! But returned with what wisdom and
riches and glory accrued by experience along the way! As Carl Schwing has written:
"So lovely is the place of our dwelling. It is high and holy... it is beyond compare.
It far exceeds the dreamings of heaven. It is unknown, unseen and untouched by all that is
less than spirit. Spirit has no depths, nor heights... no time or limitations. The
universe is but a path that leads to it... even infinity is but its threshold. This is the
place where all things were planned. It is the substance of all matter, the source of fire
and light... it is the birthplace of love and wisdom... it is the heart of the Eternal
One. Here, in the secret chamber of His Being, is our dwelling place... it is
here that He shares the secrets, the mysteries and the purposes of the ages. It is here
that we partake of His mind, His abilities and His attributes: and it is here we become
the dwelling place of all the creations and all the ages yet to come. Should it seem
strange that like Father, like sons? Can religion forbid God to give us the mind that was
in Christ Jesus? Can the clutter and chatter of a dead order keep us from a life in the
Spirit? The Spirit is showing us things to come... do not cling to things that are past.
God is not going to revive a lifeless Christianity. 'Come out of her My
people' is a call of the past... the message of
"I do not write of a
vision or a dream, I write of that which our spirits have moaned for, have longed for,
sensed, and now reach out for. I do not write of someday, rather of our place in Him
today. I do not write of somewhere... it is not a place far off... it is all around us,
brothers. Seek it and you will find it... knock and it will open to you... enter and you
will possess it! In this holy place all of Adam's race and all of God's creation will hear
these purifying words of love and grace: Be ye reconciled to God. It is in
this holy place that death and hell shall be cast into the lake of fire which burns
forever, ages without end, within the depths of our Father's glory. It is in this holy
place that the sons shall return all things to their Rightful Owner; and it is in this
holy place that the Age of Fullness shall begin. Praise the Lord!
"This is truly the
glorious Sonrise of a New Day. All that dwell in the heavenlies behold the glory of the
Morning Son as He shines from the faces of His younger brothers. Even now His transforming
rays burn deep within us, awakening the new creature and calling him forth to
'Resurrection Life'. One by one He calls us, each in his order, each in his time. If we be
in a grave, in the flesh or in a steeple-house, means little... when the voice of the
Living God is heard, our spirits rise and 'go out to meet Him.' Things visible mean less
than nothing. Death shall not hold its prey... and the stronghold of
Chapter
46
LEO
THE LION
We come now to the twelfth
and final Sign in our study of the Zodiac God's Bible in the sky. The last Sign is
LEO THE LION. Kenneth Fleming has well said in his book GOD'S VOICE IN THE STARS:
"The great drama of the universe started with the sign of Virgo, and in Leo we reach
the last scene of the last act. In the Zodiac we have come full circle, for the tail of
the Lion touches the head of Virgo, the correct place to start and end in the
interpretation of the twelve signs. This fact was, we believe, the chief purpose of the
great Sphinx of Egypt, which was the head of a woman and the tail of a lion. We have
pointed out previously that the beginning point of prophecy in the first book of the Bible
concerns the woman and her Seed, which would destroy the seed of the serpent. The sign of
Virgo clearly showed this. The ending point in Biblical prophecy, in the last book of
Scripture, describes the Seed of the woman as 'the Lion of the tribe of
How glorious it is to see
that in the night sky this picture is portrayed for all the world to see the old,
old story which is ever new; that story which is wondrously portrayed, not only in the
Zodiacal figures and in their names, but even in the intricacies of the detailed names of
all the ancient stars in these constellations. These are pictures that go back beyond the
recorded history of men to the very God who flung the stars from His fingertips... who
sprinkled them across the sky... who numbered and named them all... and who painted for us
in the galleries of the dome of the heavens, the glorious plan of God for the ages. How
wondrous He is! I am well aware that when we embarked on this unknown journey through the
Zodiac almost four years ago, many were skeptical of any involvement with the Signs of the
heavens for all they had heard of them were the perversions of the carnal mind and
pagan religion, namely, astrology. I do not hesitate to tell you that the vast majority of
astrologers and those who adhere to astrology have changed the truth of God into a lie and
worship and serve the creation more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (
As you examine the drawings
of the ancient star charts, and observe how each and every scene corresponds precisely
with all the major themes of scripture and God's great plan of the ages, can you doubt
that the original purpose was to proclaim the ultimate triumph of the Son of God in the
conflict of the ages? As you read the ancient names of the stars, beginning with Virgo,
the Virgin, and learn of "the Seed" and "the Branch" revealed in these
names, and compare scripture with scripture where these names are found, are you not
convinced that the very names of the stars in the Signs of the Zodiac preach the Gospel?
As you behold the strong man restraining the serpent while crushing the perverse scorpion,
are you not transported right into the heart of God's wonderful plan of redemption? Either
these remarkable Signs from antiquity were designed by the wisdom and purpose of our great
Creator and Redeemer or they are the most colossal and astounding coincidence in
the universe! Surely the child of God must stand in awe before the sovereign and almighty
Father who has declared the history of creation and redemption in the stars along the path
of the sun before He ever placed man upon this planet! Ours is not a Creator who has had
to solve His problems with man or satan moment by moment, as though He were caught by
surprise. No! Ours is a God who is omniscient and omnipotent and who reigneth, despite
worldly evidences to the contrary. He planned it all, ordained it all, and has declared
the end from the beginning, and ordered it so, and nowhere in all the reaches of infinity
is this more beautifully illustrated than in the SIGNS OF THE HEAVENS!
LEO - THE LION
The name of this
constellation, Leo, The Lion, means virtually the same, whether you look at it in Arabic,
Hebrew, Coptic, or Syriac. It means He that rends, that tears asunder. The lion is a
noble, majestic and kingly creature, strong and courageous, fearing nothing, and so fierce
and powerful that no other animal can stand before him. Mankind from the dawn of history
was impressed by what he saw and knew of this awesome and terrible beast and so awarded it
the title of "king of beasts." Dr. Seiss has described the lion: "It
scarcely has an equal in physical strength, which is further combined with extraordinary
quickness and agility. Ordained to feed on flesh, it is fitted for the work of capture and
destruction, and is supplied with the most powerful physical machinery conceivable for the
purpose. It can easily kill and drag away a buffalo, and it can crush the skull of a horse
or break the backbone of an ox with one stroke of its paw. Its claws can cut four inches
in depth at a single grasp. It has great ivory teeth capable of crunching a bullock's
bones. The fall of its fore paw in striking is estimated to be equal to twenty-five pounds
in weight, whilst it is able to handle itself with all the nimbleness of a cat, to whose
family the lion belongs. The possession of such powers, with its instincts for blood,
renders this animal wonderfully daring, bold, and self-confident, and the great terror of
men and beasts in the vicinity of its haunts. When the lion is assailed and thoroughly
aroused, and lifts himself up in proud contemplation of his foes, though banded in troops
around him, his composed, majestic, and defiant mien is described as noble and magnificent
beyond conception; whilst the terribleness of his growl and the thunder of his roar
contribute to make the picture almost superhumanly impressive" end quote.
And this is the image we are
called to contemplate in John's vision describing the character and majesty of Christ in
connection with the loosing of the seals of the scroll and the clearing of our earth from
all enemies and usurpers: "And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the
Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to
loose the seven seals thereof" (Rev. 5:5). It is the king of beasts in the jungle who
typically represents the King of kings in His triumph over all things. The book of
Revelation contains the revelation of the majestic inheritance of God, which seemed to
have been forfeited by the sin of man forever and which is sealed up and withheld from man
throughout the ages. Stacy Wood has said of this: "The word sealed in
this passage is from a Greek word that in one of its meanings corresponds to our English
word 'foreclosure.' Thus, the phrase 'sealed with seven seals' may be rendered 'foreclosed
with seven insignias.' This book was bought, then sealed up or foreclosed upon, and set up
on a shelf. It is my conviction that this book is us mankind. We were foreclosed on
by our forefather Adam. Adam sold humanity for nothing. He brought us to naught. We
were 'sealed up,' living without the knowledge of, or relationship to, the God who visits
us in the Garden. Being sealed, John looks and wonders that there is no one in heaven or
earth that can break the foreclosure no one who can break the seals and look into
the book. The prophet begins to weep. He is sad that no one can get into the reality of
what life is. The next scene reveals an angel, a messenger, a word out of the heavens that
addresses the prophet John, proclaiming that there is One. Weep no more! There is a Lamb
in the midst of the throne, and this Lamb is a Lion, and HE is worthy to break the seals,
HE is worthy to reverse the foreclosure, HE is worthy to redeem or buy back that which was
foreclosed upon, HE is worthy to open the book, HE is worthy to pierce into and reveal the
true value of man's life! The seven seals represent the fullness of the foreclosure upon
us, and God is breaking every area of this foreclosure upon our lives. He is dealing
either with that which is negative in our life that has prevented us from seeing the
Christ, or the Christ being seen in us Or He is dealing and accentuating the
positive of the Christ-life within that we may become free to follow, express and reveal
HIM" end quote.
The One who is able to
accomplish so mighty a work within us is the LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH. And the Lion of
the tribe of
THE KING
We first meet Jesus the
Saviour as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. But at length He takes on
the character of the Lion within us to tear away the flesh of our carnal nature and crush
every bone of our resistance to the rule of His Kingdom of righteousness. The Lamb is our
Saviour the Lion is our King! Kingship is the highest, and most respected and
powerful position in a kingdom. In ancient times the king was supreme and his word was
law. Life and death were in the words of a king. Kings are not in great demand these days.
In most of our western countries, kings no longer rule. We've fought for democracy
government of the people, by the people, and for the people, as Abraham Lincoln said. Yet
we're not really free or truly happy. Now we talk of creeping socialism. The nasty kings
of the past have turned into the nasty "big governments" of today. Thus it is
almost surprising when we hear the Bible say that true joy and blessing is found, not in
democracy, but with a King in charge!
The kings have had their day,
it is said, but there is one King whose day is shining brighter and brighter unto the
perfect day. "Behold, thy King cometh," the Old Testament declares (Zech. 9:9).
Time and again in the Word of God we find prophecies of a glorious and universal Kingdom
ruled by a great and eternal King. So well was this understood in the time of Christ that
even John the Baptist, after introducing our Lord to His public ministry, asked, "Art
Thou He that should come? or look we for another?" (Lk. 7:19). The promised King did
appear, but His own people wouldn't receive Him. One of the most profound and
awe-inspiring statements of all scripture was penned by the apostle John: "He came
unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He
power to become the sons of God" (Jn. 1:11-12). Isaiah paints a picture of people
from all over the world coming together like tidal waves of water. And where are they
flowing? Right up to heaven and the throne of the Lord God. "Teach us your ways! Give
us your laws! Reign over us!" they cry. These people have learned that when they rule
their own lives, they end up with a world full of hatred, violence, sin, perversion,
strife and death. Only when they get off their little thrones and let the great King of
the universe reign is there peace and joy and righteousness.
As we now move out of the
"church age" on into the "kingdom age" God must purge, purify, and
update our conversation. Vocabulary is perhaps the most odious garbage we bring with us
from the old order into the new. We have all obtained along the way of our walk in God a
religious vocabulary. As God moves us from glory to glory and realm to realm we find again
and again in our speech antiquated words and terms that were never godly, spiritual, or
biblical in the first place. Ever since we have awakened to come out of religious
Today we hear much about the
need for "revival." Preachers sometimes say that they went to a certain church
and "preached a revival." Multitudes of believers are praying and interceding
for revival. Some teach that there is yet to be a great world-wide revival in the last
days. But I do not hesitate to tell you that when I hear someone say, "Lord, send a
revival," my spirit cringes within me. Hearing that is like eating little green
apples. "Lord, send a revival!" we plead. Indeed revive what? If God
energized what we have now we would merely have the biggest and most powerful
The following words from the
pen of George Warnock are truly words of wisdom and revelation. "A kingdom divided
against itself cannot stand. All kingdoms recognize this, and any division that appears in
a kingdom is certainly cause for immediate alarm; and I think this has much to do with the
fear that seems to be mounting higher and higher in the ecclesiastical realms... that some
of God's people are getting to be just a little to free. The fact is that God has been
bringing division into the midst of the kingdoms since the day kingdoms began... for the
simple reason that God has an everlasting kingdom in mind, and any kingdom
that does not give way to the everlasting kingdom is doomed to failure. It is not
difficult to recognize this when it concerns the kingdoms of this world, but as Christians
we find it difficult at times to recognize that God often brings divisions into the ranks
of the ecclesiastical kingdoms. They are not called kingdoms, of course... we use
different names, more religious names... like Pentecostal, Baptist, Presbyterian,
Lutheran, Episcopalian... and we just stop here for lack of space and time. But God has
one Kingdom in mind, even The Kingdom of His dear Son.' The heirs of this Kingdom
have for the most part been scattered throughout the other kingdoms... but God's plan is
for one fold, and one Shepherd.' This is what the ministries are for... to gather
together the scattered sheep of God" end quote.
In praying for revival we
develop a revivalistic mentality which contradicts the purposes of God for this Day. When
one examines revivals historically, he finds that when you live in the revival mentality
you are like a person who gets "high" on a drug you soon need another
"fix". Revivals throughout history are recurrent activity activity that
returns from time to time. Revivals are those kinds of divine intervention which bring
about awakening, followed by spiritual declension and apostasy. It is a vicious,
never-ending cycle. Awake, asleep. Awake, asleep. Alive, dead. Alive, dead. Delivered,
bound. Delivered, bound. Refreshed, sluggish. Refreshed, sluggish. Filled, empty. Filled,
empty. Revivals are oscillating in nature, swinging back and forth between two extremes.
Furthermore, revivals are occasional and variable. They occur now and then. In and out, up
and down, here and there, now and then, back and forth, awake and asleep do you
feel yourself getting motion sickness? In the 1800's there was a revival called "The
Great Awakening. As someone has pointed out, unfortunately it was followed by
"The Great Asleepening." We don't need another Great Awakening so that we can
have another Great Asleepening so that we can have another Great Awakening... What the
world needs in this hour is not another revival. No revival has brought the ultimate
triumph of God's Kingdom. No revival has brought the universal defeat of sin, sorrow,
sickness, limitation and death. No revival has brought an end to war, strife, hatred,
corruption, fear, tyranny, pain, hunger, or any of the other problems and curses that
blight mankind. Our prayer should be, "Lord, don 't send another revival!" Our
prayer should be as our Lord taught us to pray, "Thy Kingdom come!" I am not a
revivalist. I am a Kingdomite! I am a son of the Kingdom, an announcer of the Kingdom, a
proclaimer of the Kingdom, an ambassador of the
The focus of the New
Testament is upon Christ and His Kingdom not revivals. You don't read about
revivals in any of the writings of the apostles. The word revival does not appear in the
dictionary of Kingdom terminology. So far as New Testament economy is concerned, revival
is an unscriptural and extra-biblical concept. You won't find the idea anywhere! Jesus
didn't promise revivals. The apostles never taught or exhorted or gave any instructions
about revivals. Amazing, isn't it, how much of the language of
The corruption of the human
heart is incredible beyond words to express and it would have been completely useless had
the Lord sent His Son to be the deliverer of His people from enemies without while leaving
the enemies within unchallenged and undestroyed. The men of
The same crowd is all about
us today. They want deliverance from the government, from persecution, from communism,
from the antichrist, from the tribulation, from problems and troubles, from taxation, from
crime and violence, from vast political conspiracies they imagine are steadily pushing the
world into a nightmare of godlessness and tyranny. But I do not hesitate to tell you that
none of these are the problem. The most powerful kings that rule in the world today are
those that rule between your ears and between your rib-cage and it is only as the
When Jesus rode into
Most people are Christians
because they want to go to heaven and escape hell. If all the preachers one day called a
press conference and announced to the church world, "We have discovered that there is
no heaven or hell," how many would stay in the church after that? How many would any
longer abstain from worldliness and fleshly lusts? Most of the people would ask, "Why
are we coming then?" They were coming for heaven, not because JESUS IS LORD AND
EVERYBODY MUST SUBMIT TO HIM. And why is He Lord? Because all His ways are righteous
(right) altogether. In the hour in which we live the vast majority of Christians are more
miserable than most other people in the world. They are only enduring this life in order
to eventually get to heaven where they imagine they will spend the next billion trillion
years or so singing, strumming harps, and dancing. I am quite sure that if such people
would admit the truth, they would admit that even a thousand years of singing, shouting,
playing harp music while dancing about in white robes would become very boring, to say the
least. The fact is most of these people can't endure five hours in a meeting even
if the glory is falling all around! Most of them start examining their watches about noon
on Sunday morning and their minds have already escaped to the upcoming dinner or the
Sunday afternoon ball game on T.V! The problem is that their theology leaves them with
nothing constructive to do and all eternity to do it in! They know nothing about the
Christ is the great King of
kings and Lord of lords. The Lord our God is the King, and His Kingdom rules over ALL. And
praise His name, He is even now bringing forth in the earth a KINGDOM PEOPLE the
firstfruits of His redemption who are discovering His Lordship over all of their
lives. When all hell assails us, when the power of death all around crowds in upon us,
when the pressures of this world would frustrate and vex and suffocate us, when our own
passions and emotions and self-will would drown us in a sea of carnality and ungodliness,
then HE STANDS UP WITHIN AS KING in Kingly authority. When the world, and our own
flesh, would tear us apart and smash our lives and our hope of sonship upon the rocks, HE
IS THERE, the still small Voice, the deep inner Consciousness that all is well; that He,
the Lord of glory is with us still, and all is secure in His loving hands, for He ordained
our path and made provision for the hour. He is Himself the provision, the indwelling
Christ, the anointing, the authority inherent in the spirit moving in our lives. Thank
God, in every situation and circumstance of life HE IS PRESENT TO SUBDUE ALL THINGS unto
Himself, thus reigning as King over our domain. As surely as we are God's Israel, so
certain is it that He is enthroned within our hearts upon the throne of His father David,
and upon His Kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and justice from
henceforth even forever. Blessed be the KING! It is HE that is revealed in the Sign of
LEO, THE LION!
On August 10, 1945, the
surrender of
The story is told of a king
who was famous for His abhorrence of waste so it was quite surprising when he came
into the room where his aides were assembled carrying a breathtakingly beautiful pearl in
his hand. Showing it to the first of his aides, he asked, "What do you think this
pearl is worth?" "Oh, many trunks full of gold, your majesty," he replied.
The king said, "Smash it." "It would be an insult to the king to destroy
such a beautiful pearl," replied the aide. The king turned to a second man and showed
him the pearl. "How much do you think this pearl is worth?" he asked. "One
cannot put a price tag on such a beautiful pearl as this," replied the second man.
"Smash it," said the king. "Such senseless destruction is
unthinkable," replied the aide. The king turned to a third man. He was a humble
laborer who, in return for a kindness he had shown the king, had been invited to live in
the palace. "What do you think this pearl is worth?" he asked the man.
"More than all the gold I have ever seen in my entire life," he replied.
"Smash it," said the king. Without a moment's hesitation, this man took the
pearl to where there were two large rocks and in an instant, reduced the pearl to a
thimbleful of useless dust. "The man is mad," cried the others in the room.
Holding up his hand to quiet the murmurs, the laborer said: "Which is of greater
value; a beautiful pearl or obedience to the king's command?" The king responded by
elevating the aide to be his right-hand minister with authority over all his treasuries,
possessions and estates subservient to no one but the king himself. This, my
beloved, is the obedience of sonship! Such obedience is the stepping-stone to the throne!
Jesus Christ our Lord is the
great King of kings and Lord of lords. There are some whom I have heard from time to time
speak of Christ as Prophet, Priest, and soon- coming King as if to deny by this
that the Christ has any Kingdom at all at the present time. Such ignorant statements
always leave me cold. What could be farther from the teachings of God's Word, which
teaches that Christ already rules and reigns over His Kingdom and that we are already
citizens of that Kingdom? We are told in Colossians that He "hath translated us into
the Kingdom of His dear Son." Already it has taken place, already we are in that
Kingdom, already Christ has a Kingdom and is its King. The word "kingdom" comes
from the two terms "king" and "dominion" king's dominion. It
exists wherever the dominion of the Christ rules and holds sway over the hearts of men.
Christ is the great King right now, ruling all things for the well-being of His subjects
and bringing absolute perfection and completion to His plans which He ordained before the
foundation of the world. He is the King of the ages and invincible. He shall yet arise in
power and glory and majesty in His completed and perfected body the manifested sons
of God and reveal Himself as the great conquering King, bringing deliverance to the
whole creation, reconciling all unto Himself, and then shall all know the glory of His
Kingdom as every tongue confesses and every knee bows and all in that day declare that
JESUS CHRIST IS LORD Yahweh of hosts, the Lord of glory, the King of the universe!
When the Pharisees asked
Jesus when the
KINGS AND PRIESTS
Do not for one moment suppose
that because we sometimes speak of the Kingdom age that we mean by that that there is no
In that day there shall be no
more godless, atheistic nations; no more pagan nations whose people bow before false gods;
no more radical, Christ-hating Islamic nations; no more affluent, pleasure-mad,
crime-ridden, self-seeking nations who have forgotten God; for the word is sure:
"Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him: all nations shall serve Him" (Ps.
72:11). Again, "Let the people praise Thee, O God; let ALL the people praise Thee. O
let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for Thou shalt judge the people righteously, and
govern the nations upon earth. Let the people praise Thee, O God; let ALL the people
praise Thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall
bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him" (Ps.
67:3-7). "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all
the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee. For the kingdom is the Lord's: and
He is the governor among the nations" (Ps. 22:27-28). "And he that overcometh,
and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall
rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers:
even as I received of My Father" (Rev. 2:26-27).
It is a great mystery, but it
is a grand fact of truth nevertheless that Christ first reigns IN us that He may
consequently reign THROUGH us. "Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand,
Come, ye blessed of My Father, INHERIT THE KINGDOM prepared for you from the foundation of
the world" (Mat. 25:34). "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not INHERIT THE
KINGDOM OF GOD? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD" (I Cor.
6:9-10). "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot INHERIT THE KINGDOM
OF GOD..." (I Cor. 15:50).
The word "kingdom"
indicates the richness of the heritage of the saints. It is no petty estate, no happy
corner in obscurity. I heard a good man say he should be content with a cabin in the
corner of gloryland or a spot just inside the gate. I shall not be! The Lord says we shall
inherit a KINGDOM. We could not be satisfied to inherit less, because less than that would
not suit our character. "He hath made us kings and priests unto God" (Rev. 5:10)
and we must reign for ever and ever, or be as wretched as deposed monarchs. A king without
a kingdom is an unhappy and unfulfilled man. If I were a poor servant, a servant's
quarters would be a boon, for it would correspond with my condition and degree; but if I
am made a son of God, and heir of God and joint-heir with Jesus; if I am made a priest and
a king, I must have a kingdom, or I shall not have attained to a position equal to my
nature. He who makes us kings gives unto us a Kingdom to fit the nature which He hath
bestowed upon us.
Beloved, do strive after,
more and more, that which the Spirit of God will give you, a KINGLY HEART; do not be among
those who are satisfied with the miserable nature of ordinary humanity or the childish
hopes of the babes in Christ who throng to the churches which are merely nurseries for the
birthing, care and educating of babes and which then stifle and threaten to suffocate the
life out of these little ones with their own static creeds, lifeless traditions, and
infantile programs. They eagerly look for mansions and harps and golden streets and wings
and white nightgowns in that glory world above, unable to comprehend that such glittering
diadems are only nursery toys to God's true kings; the true riches are ETERNAL SPIRITUAL
REALITIES; the true treasury wealth looks down upon the stars. Do not sell yourself short,
ye sons of the Most High! Get a kingly heart ask the King of kings to give it to
you, and beg of Him a royal spirit. Act royally on earth towards your Lord, and for His
sake towards all men. Go about the world not as mean men in spirit and action, nor yet in
false humility as paupers and beggars, but as kings and priests of a race superior to the
dirt-scrappers who are on their knees, crawling in the mud after fleeting earthly riches
and transitory worldly fame. What incredible loss shall be suffered by those who imagine
that financial prosperity in this life is the sign of great faith, blessing, and
spirituality!
What Christendom in general
cannot comprehend is that the Christ does not rule alone but through a many-membered body.
Man in God's image, man in Christ at the right hand of God, is God's government in the
As one has written, "God
is exceedingly rich. He is like a successful business man who has an enormous amount of
capital. God has a business in this universe, and His vast wealth is His capital. We do
not realize how many billions, countless billions, He has. All of this capital is simply
HIMSELF, and with it He intends to 'manufacture HIMSELF in mass production. God
HIMSELF is the Businessman, the Capital, and the Product. His intention is to dispense
Himself to many people in mass production. Therefore, God requires such a divine
arrangement, a divine management, a divine dispensation in order to bring Himself into
humanity." Praise His name! As His kings and priests upon His throne the elect sons
of God are the governmental arrangement by which and through which God dispenses Himself
into His creation. What an opportunity to change things! What an occasion to bless and
heal and lift and transform the world! It would be a crime against humanity, my beloved
brethren, to carelessly neglect and thus despise, as Esau despised his birthright, the
position of responsibility and opportunity to bless and restore creation proffered to us
by the illustrious King of kings and Lord of lords! It would be a mean and despicable
crime against humanity to settle for a cabin in the corner of gloryland!
"Ask of Me, and I shall
give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for THY
POSSESSION," says the Messianic Psalm. Christ conquered, and He is conquering, and He
is to conquer. I claim this earth for God, for He made it. I claim this earth for God, for
the earth is the Lord's. The sea is his, and He made it. His hands formed the dry land.
His power pushed up every mountain, and His fingers scooped out every valley. By His
wisdom all things were established. I claim everything that comes out of the bowels of the
earth for God, for "the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof" and
"all the gold and the silver is His." I claim every man in El Paso, and in
Miami, and in New York and in Hong Kong, and in Beijing, and in Moscow, and in Baghdad and
in the whole wide world for God, for "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness
thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein" and "it is He that hath made
us, and not we ourselves." I am not willing to wickedly cede even one thing or one
person to the devil, as do some, for the Christ came to reconcile all things and He is the
Saviour of all men.
I proclaim to you, as the
minister of God, that the body of Christ is here in this world for the establishment of
the
Because all the earth is His
God is raising up a Kingly Priesthood to reign in mighty spirit power and authority over
the earth, not to be little human dictators, or an external kingdom of laws and systems
headquartered in Jerusalem or Washington, but with an outflow of life and light and love,
touching God with one hand, and humanity with the other, bringing the two together, that
God may indwell men by His Spirit and live and rule in them in power and glory. The kingly
nature in us is not to dominate over men's lives, but to deal with and break the power of
selfhood and rebellion and sin and the devil that men may be reconciled to God. Kings have
power and authority, priests reconcile in mercy and love. But once the reconciliation has
taken place, and Christ is enthroned, we deliver men up to God, even the Father, that GOD
MAY BE ALL IN ALL. That is the principle of the Kingdom. We rule only to subdue men to God
then GOD RULES IN THEM. He rules first THROUGH US, that He may rule finally IN
THEM. The manifestation of the sons of God for which all creation is in travail is nothing
more nor less than the full manifestation of God's fully developed and empowered body of
KING-PRIESTS AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK. In this age the Holy Spirit is forming and
equipping that body. In the next age that body shall be given power and authority over all
nations and all things. In the ages yet to come the Kingdom shall be expanded from realm
to realm, from the lowest of the low to the highest of the high, for of the increase of
His government and peace there shall be no end.
God is not setting up His
throne in us, just to make us kings. But He is establishing His throne in us
"Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made
us kings and priests unto God" He is making us kings in order that He shall
now be able to appear and manifest Himself in the midst of the kings as THE KING OF ALL
THE KINGS. The world will never know Him as the King of kings until there are kings among
whom He can stand and reveal Himself as King of kings. The world will never know Him as
Lord of lords, until there are lords among whom He can stand and reveal Himself as THE
LORD OF ALL THE LORDS. Why is God bringing many sons to glory? That in the midst of all
Jesus Christ might appear as the pre-eminent One, THE SON among the sons. As long as we
remain children, He cannot appear as the Son in the midst of children. How are you going
to have a Son that is preeminent among a group of babies? That is no preeminence at all,
that gives Him no eminence whatsoever, it gives Him no honor. You cannot say, "He is
the first-begotten, the first-born among many babies!" He must be first among equals.
That is what "King of kings" and "Lord of lords" means. As God brings
us into maturity, and brings many sons to glory, He appears as the pre-eminent One, as the
first-born among MANY BRETHREN. Why does God want us to grow up into the fullness of
sonship? So that the Son of God can be revealed in all His glory, wisdom, virtue, and
power in and through the sons. Do not think you will be puffed up in pride or use the
power for your self-interest when you become a king. That is what the childish ministries
in the gift-realm do today. We need to know that we can never conquer with Christ until we
have been conquered by Him. We will never reign with Christ until we are REIGNED OVER BY
HIM! I want to tell you that that is a life-changing concept, yet, some who read these
lines have never even begun to touch the hem of its garment. Our Captain, our King, has
WON the victory! He has conquered sin! He has conquered death! He has conquered hell! And,
praise God, He is conquering US! And now, we partake of His victory.
"Well," you say,
"why does He not appear as King of kings?" Because most of us are beggars.
"Oh, God, please bless us; Lord, do this, do that; give us this, give us that."
And if He appeared as King of beggars, we would be ashamed before Him. In all our poverty,
in all our need, in all our self-pity, in all our limitation, foolishness and carnality,
should suddenly the Majesty of the heaven, the blessed and only Potentate appear, why
right away we would fall with our faces in the dust in shame before Him. But if we are
standing as kings in the presence of God, reigning in life, undefeated and victorious,
overcomers and conquerors in all things, rejoicing in His throne in our hearts, then we
welcome the King of kings in the midst of the kings.
"Who shall stand when He
appeareth?" I tell you in truth that it is those who have been MADE ONE IN HIM in
that in which He is appearing. Those are able to stand tall with Him when HE appears. God
is teaching us the way of overcoming, the reality of His authority and Lordship. Why is He
establishing that authority and that Lordship in the hearts of His people? Because He is
the Lord and the Head of the body, the church. Of course you will never know His Lordship,
except by the Holy Spirit: "No man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy
Ghost." The Lordship of Jesus Christ must be set up in our hearts, where His will
becomes our delight. Why does He want us to come into lordship and authority? So He can
appear in the midst as THE LORD OF THE LORDS! If we are not lords, He cannot come as Lord
of lords. He is not Lord of slaves. He is Lord of lords. As long as we remain down on some
spiritual plane below this calling, even though He is greater than we, He has to
condescend and limit His manifestation in and through us to the level we are on. What
condescension! To what a level He condescends every Sunday as He appears in the churches,
to confirm His Word in the spiritual baby food fed the people, and to appear in the midst
of candles and altars and choirs and robes and man-made orders and there He meets
and touches and blesses men on that level. Don't say He is not there! for He is. He
appears in the midst of WHAT WE ARE IN HIM. He comes as El Shaddai, the breasted One,
bearing the milk of the Word in the midst of all the babes in Christ. And that is the only
form He can appear to those on that level. They never behold the King in all of His
beauty. But as the Church of the Firstborn rises into the heavenlies to occupy the place
God has ordained for it, in the place of glory, then Christ can be revealed in greater
glory, in greater majesty, and in greater might.
Do we love His appearing? Do
we want God to make us a people for Himself, so that in whatever form He desires to
appear, He can appear in the midst? The inspired apostle John has taught us that when HE
APPEARS, WE MUST BE LIKE HIM. It says, "We shall be like Him," but it also
means, "We must be like Him." Can we not see that if we are not like Him in the
way He wishes to appear, He cannot appear in that form? We are the body, the vehicle, the
expression and manifestation of the Christ. Because we are His body, whenever He manifests
Himself, He will manifest Himself in the form of that body, in whatever form the body is.
Among the saved He appears as Saviour. Have you not noticed that the only manifestation of
the Christ through saved people is salvation? Go to any church on any corner where all the
people have experienced of Christ is the gift of salvation, forgiveness of sins, and what
will they be preaching and ministering? Why, salvation, of course! And how does the Christ
appear there in the midst? As Saviour! And as nothing more. But go among people who have
found Him as Healer, and in what form does He appear in the midst? Why, as the Healer!
Among those baptized in the Spirit, He appears as the Anointed and the Anointer, the
baptizer in the Holy Ghost, and His anointings are manifest in power and glory.
If He must appear as Saviour,
He must appear among saviours. If He must appear as Deliverer, He must appear among
deliverers. If He appears as the Chief Cornerstone, He must appear among living stones. If
He appears as the Son of God, He must appear among many brethren conformed to His image.
If He comes as Lord, He must be Lord among other lords. If He comes as King, He must be
King among other kings. If He is going to be revealed as God, He must be revealed among
the gods (Ps. 82:2,6). And if ever creation is to see and know Him as the great High
Priest of the heavens, He must be revealed among the priests.
"Who shall stand when He
appeareth?" When He appears as King, only the kings can stand with Him, everybody
else has to fall before Him. When He appears as Lord, only the lords are able to stand
with Him, the rest will bow before His appearing. When He appears as Judge, only the
judges (I Cor. 6:2; Dan. 7:22) can stand with Him, all the rest will cringe before Him.
And when He appears as High Priest, only the priests, those elect saints born of a
priestly heart, possessed of a priestly nature, are able to stand with Him. HE is the Head
of the body the body of the Priest, the Judge, the Lord and the King. Hallelujah to
LEO, THE LION THE KING OF GLORY!
Chapter
47
LEO
--THE LION
(continued)
In the previous chapter we
plumbed the depths and scaled the heights of revelation in the glorious Sign of LEO, THE
LION the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who is none other than our blessed Lord Jesus
the Christ. In this Study we reach the last
scene of the final act in GOD'S BIBLE IN THE SKY. We
now draw to a conclusion these meditations on the great drama of the ages which started
with Virgo, the Virgin, and comes full circle in Leo, the Lion to pass on to other
vital truths the Spirit is speaking to the elect of God in this significant hour.
No doubt whatever exists
about the meaning of Leo. In this Sign we see
for the fourth time the symbolism of the Christ in triumph crushing the head of the
serpent. It was seen in the Sign of Scorpio,
where Ophiuchus the mighty man holds his foot over the head of the Scorpion, the deadly
enemy, about to crush him. Again the
triumphant victor, Hercules, was seen, crushing with his foot, the head of the terrible
dragon, Draco. Further, in the Sign of Taurus,
we noted Orion the great hunter with his foot on the head of Lepus, the enemy. Now, finally, the truth is repeated in this last
Sign, Leo. Leo brings the whole story to
completion by showing the final end of the adversary.
The almighty Christ of God has come within us as life and wisdom and
strength and victory to tear away the flesh of our carnal mind and nature and crush every
bone of our resistance to His Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Christ is Leo the Lion! Christ is the mighty King! Christ shall triumph within! And Christ shall triumph everywhere in all realms
unto the endless vastnesses of infinity forevermore! Praise
His wonderful name!
It is another mystery, but it
is a grand fact of truth nevertheless, that Christ first reigns IN us that He may
consequently reign THROUGH us. "Then
shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, INHERIT THE
KINGDOM prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Mat. 25:34). "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not
INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD? Be not deceived:
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of
themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners, shall INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD" (I Cor. 6:9-10). "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and
blood cannot INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.... (I Cor. 15:50).
I have met men who professed
that they had no desire, no ambition whatever, to rule and reign with Christ. It is enough, say they, to know that we are saved
by grace and shall make heaven at last. In
fact, I have been greatly criticized by some for my hope of inheriting the
It is a wonderful truth that
Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and you will understand a great mystery when the
Spirit makes it real to you that we are the body of Christ therefore, we are the
body of Leo the Lion, we are the body of the all-victorious King of glory! For those who are growing up into the image,
stature, and fullness of Christ, the Sign of Leo is the classroom in which we have special
opportunity to learn to live as kings and priests in the government of God. Every child of God called to sonship is now in
school. We may feel that we graduated from
school long ago, but that is a mistake; we hadn't even started to school at that time. When you received the call to sonship and went out
in the world on your own, you really, then, started to school. When God drew you out of the Babylonian religious
system and separated you unto Himself you may have felt you "graduated" into a
new realm and you certainly did. You
graduated from kindergarten! And immediately
you were enrolled in the first grade of God's
The reason so many people
fail to attain to great heights in the Spirit is because they are unable to see God's
purpose, and therefore they have no particular incentive to seek the great heights that
are in Him. So many Christians are far too
taken up with carnal ideas and childish notions about mansions and harps and sitting on
clouds eating pork chops with nothing to do and all eternity to do it in, to be able to
grasp the great realities of the Kingdom of God! There
are certain basic principles of the Kingdom that must be a part of the mind-set and
experience of all who press forward into sonship to God.
We must learn to think like God. We
must begin to RULE WITH CHRIST IN THIS LIFE. Too
many saints are weak, frustrated and defeated. May
the dynamite of God's Spirit blow us all out of the low places of lethargy,
discouragement, oppression and defeat into a vibrant walk with Christ in the high places
of peace, joy, and triumph of His Kingdom. Strengthen yourselves in the Lord and in the power which His supreme
might imparts. Put on the complete armour of
God, so as to be able to stand firm against all the stratagems of the devil. For ours is not a conflict with mere flesh and
blood, but with despotisms, the empires, the
forces that control and govern this dark world the spiritual hosts of evil arrayed against us in the heavenly warfare. Wherefore put on the complete armour of God, so
that you may be able to stand your ground in
the evil day, and having fought to the end, TO REMAIN VICTORS ON THE FIELD" (Eph.
6:10 -14,
We are called to reign with
Christ from the highest heaven. Such
all-embracing majesty is far too vast far my feeble understanding, yet I know by the
Spirit that the body of Christ is in practical preparation for the explicit purpose of
UNIVERSAL DOMINION. But how can a man rule
over principalities and powers and worlds and universes if he is unable to rule his own
spirit? "He that ruleth his own spirit is
better than he that taketh a city" (Prov. 16:32).
The awful betrayal, trial, mockery, beating, and crucifixion of Jesus is the
most shining example. It is difficult to
imagine any humiliation more bitter than that. It
is the worst indignity that anyone can be called upon to endure. Few have ever had to bear it. Never was dishonor less deserved, never was
dishonor more bravely borne. Through that
fierce and heated hour our Lord bore Himself with quiet dignity. Others were convulsed with uncontrolled passion, He
alone was calm and self- possessed. His
victory over Himself was greater than His victory over His enemies. In such experiences of provocation, truly, "He
that ruleth his own spirit is better than he that taketh a city." God is a God of principle. He does not do anything by chance. It is my deep conviction that what happens in your
life and mine is a result of the use or abuse of the principles of the
As I have pointed out many
times before, the journey to the throne of the universe begins in that small and
undistinguished place where you are. The
Years ago an IBM junior
executive made a mistake that cost the company several million dollars. IBM's founder, Thomas J. Watson Sr., summoned him
into his office. Assuming the worst, the
sullied young executive said, "I guess you want my resignation? Mr. Watson replied, "You can't be serious. We've just spent millions of dollars educating
you!" God is the founder of the most
important enterprise of all the
In a very real sense, God
owns us. The apostle Paul reminds us, For
ye were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which
are God's" (I Cor. 6:20). The great King of this Kingdom expects to see a
profit for all His time, effort and sacrifice. God,
of course, is not interested in making money. He
already owns everything. God is in the
business of developing His family sons with character. If those of us who are called now succeed in
qualifying for positions of rulership, we will in turn be able to help millions of others
become citizens of the Kingdom. To put it in
business terms, our future profit to the Kingdom of God will more than make up for any of
our present losses if we stay with the organization and apply the new lessons! Saints, like the junior executive at IBM, are
capable of making costly mistakes. Have you
ever felt that God has given up on you? Do you
feel like you are wasting His time? Sometimes
our mistakes are very costly to us, too! Have
you ever felt that the cost is too high, and that you are wasting your time? Let's see what God says: "Being confident of
this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day
of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).
God will never give up on us. He is investing in us with every intention of
making a profit and expanding His Kingdom. Our
all-wise Father sees our potential. He knows
our capacity to grow and develop. He is keener
at discerning it than we are. He is also well
aware of our weaknesses, and is ready to help. "I
can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," said Paul (Phil. 4:13). The children of God make a lot of mistakes, for
children are children. Our ability to learn
from our mistakes is part of what God uses to build character in us. In the book of Revelation, we read that it is the
overcomers - those who don't leave God's school or resign from His purposes who
ultimately are given power in His Kingdom. "And
behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give every one according to his
work" (Rev. 22:12). "For everyone to
whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed,
of him they will ask the more" (Lk. 12:48). Have
you made costly mistakes? Have you been
stumbling and seemingly wasting God's time? Don't
resign! Don't drop out of God's school! His investment in you is too great! He will see you through! Graduation day is coming! The positions in His authority and glory are
waiting! Learn the lessons that will help you
to better serve in the
Let us learn our lessons well
and let us never presume that we have attained to something in God that we have not
yet qualified for. And let us never grasp
after a place or position the Father has not conferred upon us. There is no need to DECLARE OUR SONSHIP - the
Father Himself declares His sons: "This is My beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. This is My son, hear ye Him." Some today have grown weary of waiting for the
manifestation God has promised, so they have "watered-down" the hope and settled
for a lesser reality, and are declaring themselves sons of the Kingdom on a lower plane
than God has called us to. Some have settled
for a revival" realm and now speak disparagingly of what they term
"classic sonship". These anxious
souls just can't wait for the Father's appointed time.
The place that God has called us to will be in His time, not ours. "The heir, as long as he is a child, differeth
nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and governors until
the time appointed of the father" (Gal. 4:1-2). The
story is told of a fifteen year old boy who stole his father's car keys. The father's plan was to give the keys to his son a
year later. The boy, however, thought that he
had all the attributes necessary to drive the car. The
father knew better; he understood the law, insurance liability, driving skills, and such
like. As a result, the court will not let the
boy drive a car until he is twenty-one. Let us
earnestly seek wisdom from above to avoid such a costly error of SELF-MANIFESTATION!
It is my deep conviction that
the time appointed of the Father for the manifestation of the sons of God is nigh at hand. The King is coming.
Hallelujah! Sons of God shout it
loud and clear! Let the earth know her
redemption draweth nigh. The Deliverer is
coming, the whole Christ-body is being prepared, and the time is at hand. In ancient times when a great monarch was entering
a city, a herald always went before him, blowing a trumpet and shouting, "The king is
coming!" This was to prepare the people
for the entrance of the king so they would give him the proper welcome, and pay him
homage. Two millenniums ago John the Baptist
prepared the way of the Lord by bringing the people to repentance so they would be ready
to receive the Lord. The voice of one crying
in the wilderness was the trumpet call announcing the arrival of
HYDRA THE SERPENT DESTROYED
In the beginning of our study
of the Zodiac we noted that all the Signs of the heavens portray a progressive unfolding
of truth that was hidden, like the bud of a flower, in the ancient promise God gave in
Eden: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her
seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Gen. 3:15). We have seen the different stages of this conflict
presented to us under the various Signs. For
example, in the beginning of the story, Virgo, the Virgin, is seen bringing forth the
Seed, who is going to be engaged in the redemption of mankind, represented in Libra, the
Scales. Then immediately we see the conflict
beginning and the price to be paid as Scorpio the first picture of that ancient
serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan stings the mighty man Orphiuchus in the
heel, but is crushed beneath the right heel of this mighty man. Again, we see the Devil portrayed as a serpent,
struggling and wriggling in the hands of Orphiuchus, reaching up to try and take the crown
away from God and those who inherit the Kingdom. We
then see satan represented as Cetus, the Sea Monster, who was seeking after Pisces, the
Fishes, representing the people of God, as he attempts to destroy them. This scene is symbolically described in chapter
twelve of Revelation: "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, which is
called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the
earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And
when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought
forth the manchild. And the serpent cast out
of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away
of the flood. And the earth helped the woman,
and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of
his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the
woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of
God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Rev. 12:9, 12-17)
Again we have seen Satan in
the head and skin of the lion that was destroyed by Orion, who holds in his hand the dead
carcass of the lion, who goes about seeking whom he may devour. Finally, he is represented here by Hydra the
Great Serpent, who covers so much of the sky. But
now in the final scene of the last act, the Serpent is triply destroyed (1) by the feet of
Leo, the Lion (2) by the outpouring of the Cup of wrath (3) and by the devouring fowls of
the air, depicted by Corvus, the Raven.
The first Decan, or minor
constellation, in the house of Leo is HYDRA THE GREAT SERPENT. Hydra is the largest separate constellation in the
sky, stretching more than 100 degrees across the sky below the constellations of Cancer,
Leo, and Virgo, and outside the ecliptic (path of the sun).
Hydra is the figure of a snake, a massive snake. The name Hydra symbolically means The Abhorred. Hydra is the symbol of the evil one who has at last
reached his end for his head is beneath the feet of Leo, the Lion. The conquering Lion pounces on him, and this marks
the end of the reign of sin and death. As one
has written: "The great Serpent was first seen at the center of the ecliptic. One of the stars in Draco, the dragon, was
originally the Pole Star located at the very center. And that is where Satan was after he
had insinuated his way into the Garden of Eden and had cast his slime across the path of
the history of man, deceiving and destroying mankind, and bringing all of the world into
subjection to his vile will. He was at the
center of all things; the Prince of this earth, the Prince and Power of the air. But now we see that Satan is cast out. He is outside the great circle of the ecliptic. He is about to be finally destroyed by the Christ
and cast out into utter and final darkness."
Now it was in the midst of
the Garden that man first encountered the ancient Serpent.
It's not news to any of us that we are in the midst of a war between two
kingdoms: the
This brings us to the curse
laid upon the Serpent in that long ago beginning: "Upon thy belly shalt thou go, and
dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life" (Gen. 3:14). These terms are symbolic and spiritual. This is not speaking of a literal snake dangling
from a tree limb in some historic
The very fact that the
Serpent is now to crawl upon his belly reveals that there was a descending from one realm
to another, and man, with the Serpent in him, now grovels in the dust, trapped in the
humiliating quagmire of trouble, pain, sorrow, sin, sickness, limitation, fear, and death. Moving upon his belly limits the sphere of the
Serpent's activity, now he can only creep along the ground, lowered into the dust realm,
confined to the lowlands of the earthy and material, restricted to expression through the
man of dust. Truly he is "the S- P- I- R-
I- T that now worketh in the children of disobedience" (Eph. 2:2). Because of this remarkable curse you will find
Satan operative in NO OTHER REALM in God's vast universe!
Satan is one with man, the energy force of human nature, the spirit of the
carnal mind, slithering about in the lowest realms of man's earthiness, in the crooked
thoughts, perverted desires, depraved emotions, in the illusions and delusions of the
outer world of appearances, and in all the corrupt motions of the flesh.
I want to tell you where
everything is everything is right there where you are WITHIN YOU. Everything! On
the positive side God is in you, Christ is in you your hope of glory, the word of
Christ dwells in your heart by faith, your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is
in you, the glory of God has come upon you and is arising upon you from within, the
wonderful mind of Christ is in your mind and the Kingdom of God is within you. On the negative side the spirit of
antichrist is in you, the man of sin sits in the temple of God which is your body, the
beast rages in the ravenous emotions of your soul, the image of the beast is seen in you
by your outer actions, the nature of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters
(peoples) is in you, and that ancient Serpent, the Devil, and Satan, is within you, the
spirit that now worketh IN the sons of disobedience (Eph. 2:2).
Men dream of a devil a
hideous and obscene monster in human form; a short, skinny elf in a red body suit, with
impish face, horns, pointed ears, a spade beard, thin mustache, having a long forked tail
and a pitchfork in his hand. If you ask one
thousand church-going professing Christians to describe for you, the Devil, would not all
of them describe him in the fashion portrayed above? Or
would they describe him to you as a snake? Millions
of professing Christians suppose they would recognize the Devil instantly. But would they, really? I do not hesitate to tell you that the Devil of
Christianity is a myth.
Jesus, on many occasions,
drew the analogy of men as serpents devils. In
my mind when Jesus uttered the following parabolic phrase, He was revealing one of the
most important and foundational truths of all times. "Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Ye
serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? (Mat.
23:25,33). John the Baptist used the same
terminology. "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducces come to his
baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee the wrath
to come? (Mat. 3:7). Various
translations render this passage: Ye generation of vipers," "Ye off-spring
of vipers," "Ye brood of snakes," "Ye serpent's brood," etc. You see, Christ and John were well aware of who and
what and where the Enemy was and ever shall be.
As in Christ's day, so today,
the churches are, indeed, full of devils! And
they have no more desire to go to the cross than Peter did.
Well does this enemy of God, enthroned in the human heart, this adversary of
redemption and of all mankind, know that, in the blessed hour when the "I" is
crucified, all his power and all his authority and sway in that life is broken forever. His appetite is denied, his desires are rejected,
his base of operation is destroyed, and his work is abolished in every life that has
become identified with Christ in the cross. Once
a man has embraced fully the cross of Christ and Self has became forever dead with Him,
then it is with him even as the firstborn Son in triumph declared: "I will not talk
with you much more, for the prince (evil genius, ruler) of the world is coming. And he has no claim on Me, there is nothing in Me
that belongs to him, he has no power over Me" (Jn. 14:30, Amplified). Satan has no
power at all when SELF is gone. Then he has no
more power in your life or mine than he had in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. How unspeakably wonderful the hour for any man when
Satan shall find nothing in him upon which he can feed or lay hold, nothing upon which he
can satisfy his evil desires or his corrupt nature, nothing that responds to him or
corresponds to him. When Self is crucified
with Christ the lust of the flesh is mortified, the lust of the eyes is dead, and the
pride of life is nailed to the cross. The man
of dust exists no more and from then on it is NOT I, BUT CHRIST!
The natural mind is the mind
channeling the condition of the human heart. It
is not the same mind that understands how to drive your car, prepare a meal, or lusts
after someone of the opposite sex, that also understands the mysteries of the
There is still a fierce
battle raging between these two hearts, these two spirits, these two minds, these two
conditions, these two natures. This is the
conflict so graphically portrayed by the Signs in GOD'S BIBLE IN THE SKY! Praise
God, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Head and body, that blessed company of the sons of
God, is disabling the Serpent, crushing the head of the Scorpion, and placing his foot
determinedly upon the Dragon's head. Today,
although the Kingdom of God has not yet outwardly triumphed upon this earth in all realms,
although God has not yet gained a sphere wherein He can express the authority of His life
in a full way, nevertheless there is a place, a small sphere, thank the Lord, where there
exists the condition of God's reign, which thereby manifests God's glory, wisdom, love and
power. That is the body of Christ! Today the Spirit-filled and Spirit-led
members of Christ's body are the expression of God's reigning here on earth. What God desires today is to perfect and expand and
intensify His reigning sphere within His people and through His people. It is through the body of Christ, the sons of God,
that God binds Satan and destroys his power of sin and death in men. It is through the sons of God that life, yea,
incorruptible life, and blessing shall be ministered so that all the families of the earth
shall be blessed and made to live unto God. Thus
His name will be honored in the whole earth, His Kingdom come, and His glorious will done.
This is the commission of God's sons God's MIGHTY LION! This is the grand conclusion of the ages-long
conflict consummated in the triumph of Leo!
In his book THE GOSPEL IN THE
STARS Dr. Seiss sums it up in these descriptive words: "During these six thousand
years...this subtle and snaky spirit has managed to worm himself into everything that goes
to make up human life, corrupting and debasing it to his own base ends, seating himself in
all the centers of influence and power, making himself the very king and god of this
world. From all these places he must be
dislodged, his dominion broken, his works destroyed, and he and all his effectually rooted
out and put down, before the heavenly Kingdom can come in its consummation. In other words, the whole empire and influence of
the Serpent must be rent to atoms, worked clean out of the realm of humanity, and so
crushed as never to be able to lift up its head again.
Toward this end all the dispensations and gifts of God, from the first
promise of Adam until now, have been directed. Toward
this end all the works and administrations of Christ to this present are framed. To this end He comes in power and great glory as
the Lion of the tribe of
CRATER THE JUDGMENT OF
The second Decan in this
final Sign is CRATER THE CUP. Of this
Decan Kenneth Flemming wrote: "As a
constellation, Crater is small and faint, so much so that the popular modern astronomer,
Patrick Moore, writes that it is surprising to find that it is one of the original groups. The answer to this is that the forty-eight original
constellations were not selected for their brilliance or size, nor were they chosen to
divide up the sky, but rather they were chosen for what they depicted as signs. That is an important part of the story of the
prophetic signs in the sky. Crater lies below
the hind feet of Leo and seems to be resting on the body of the snake, Hydra. Indeed, the two stars at the bottom of the cup are
also part of the body of the snake, making the two inseparable. In classical times the Greeks supposed that Crater
was the cup of the wine-god, Bacchus; it was therefore associated with joy and gladness
(revelry). In truth the very opposite is the
case. Instead of Crater being a cup of joy, it
is the cup of God's indignation (Rev. 14:10). It
is the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath (Rev. 16:19). It is the final and dreadful cup of wrath, reserved
for the devil and his angels" end quote.
The Psalmist Asaph wrote by
inspiration: "For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is
full of mixture; and He poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of
the earth shall wring them out, and drink them" (Ps. 75:8). David, the sweet singer of
Of this "Cup of
Indignation" against Mystery Babylon Dr. Seiss wrote, "And lo! here, as the
second Decan of Leo, we have the very picture of that Cup, broad, deep, full to the brim,
and placed directly on the body of this writhing Serpent!
Nay, the same is sunk into his very substance, for the same stars which mark
the bottom of the Cup are part of the body of the accursed monster, so that the curse is
fastened down on him and in him as an element of his being!
Dreadful beyond all thought is the picture John gives of this Cup of
unmingled wrath, but not a whit more dreadful than the picture of it in which the primeval
prophets have thus inscribed upon the stars" --end quote.
The Cup of God's indignation
and wrath is poured out without measure upon the RELIGIOUS SERPENT KINGDOM OF
MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, the great whore that sits upon many waters, with whom the kings
of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made
drunk with her defiled wine. Women in prophecy
are churches. In Rev. 12:1 we find the true
Under Old Testament economy
God alone was King of the church and nation until
But
Under New Testament economy
the Christ of God was to be the one and only Head of His church. But the Emperor of Rome and the bishops of the
church were for prostituting this church and causing her to commit fornication with the
kings and governments of the earth, in that she began to be joined with them as she ought
only to have been joined with Him. God has
only one church, not one thousand and one. We
nowhere in the Word read of "Christ and His churches." No, no! It
is always Christ and His "church." Of
course this one church is of necessity divided up into many separate assemblies for the
purpose of meeting together for worship, fellowship, and ministry, and these separate
assemblies are called in the Word the "churches of God" and the "churches
of Christ" (I Cor. 11:16; I Thes. 2:14); but the Holy Spirit gave the world but one
body, one faith, one creed (Eph. 4:45), with the Christ of God the sole legislator. The many bodies, and many faiths, and many creeds,
and many legislators, and many names, and many headquarters, and many structures of the
present day, constitute nothing more than spiritual prostitution, they are harlots one and
all, who are living apart from their one and only lawful Husband and in love with and
joined out of wedlock to another.
The Roman church is the
mother of all, because all are modeled after her false system. And not only are these Protestant daughters modeled
after their mother as to elementary form and nature, but all, from the church of England
right on down to the youngest Charismatic organization, are propagating, in varying
degrees, the doctrines of their mother while, like their mother, they profess to dispense
the Word of God, pure and unadulterated. They
baptize like their mother, they take Communion as the members of the Roman church receive
the Eucharist, they proclaim eternal damnation in hell-fire far the vast billions who have
lived and died on earth without Christ, they celebrate the pagan holidays, Easter and
Christmas, and keep other religious days just as does their mother. Time and space forbid a detailed discourse on all
the harlot ways in which the harlot daughters follow their harlot mother. We are not unmindful that a merciful and
compassionate God has used all these, even the mother, in the salvation of souls and in
bringing blessings to humanity. But there is a
higher walk, an undefiled way, to which all must submit who would know the full blessings
and favor and glory of their sovereign Lord, and who would walk before Him acceptably and
know the joy of the ultimate in accomplishment in His Kingdom. He still commands, "Come out of her, My
people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues"
(Rev. 18:4).
Well did George Hawtin write:
"In these dread days it is of ever increasing importance that the elect should
separate themselves from the
"Beware of what men say
in these evil days. Remember that Jesus warned
us that there would be false prophets. False
prophets are always saying, saying, but beware of what they say. Do men ask, 'Where are these false prophets' Don't look for them on the street or in the desert. The church system is full of them. You will find them standing in the pulpits Sunday
and week day. They are highly thought of and
highly paid. They are as sure they are right
as were the prophets of Baal. They are also
positive that the solitary Elijahs are wrong. As
evil men and seducers wax worse and worse, these prophets with their false gospel add to
all manner of delinquency. Consequently the
world sinks deeper and deeper into sin and, while it sinks, these men imagine that we are
in the midst of a world-wide revival. We are,
but it is not a revival of faith in Christ; it is rather a revival of the very sins that
caused
The above word, however, is
incomplete without this wise counsel from Ray Prinzing: "There is more than just
being called out' however, and that is a going on to be built into HIS HOUSE,
gathered unto Him. Called out bespeaks of a
process of leaving realms behind, to go on. Yet
once this temple is built, it says 'they go no more out', so it speaks of an arrival,
entering into a state of being in permanent victory and age-abiding life. The
Crater the Cup, is the
Cup of God's righteous judgment against the serpent system of Mystery Babylon the Great. Every word of prophecy will come true just as it
has been written. What dreadful thoughts and
feelings are awakened in the soul by the very sound of the words Mystery Babylon! They are terrible words. They bring before us at once, that vast mass of
professed Christians who call themselves "the Church," but are not. Mystery
Hear the Word of the Lord, ye
that dwell in
In the symbology of scripture
How precious is the truth
expressed by George Warnock: "There are a lot of songs and a lot of teaching today
about the new thing that God is doing and the new wine that God is bringing forth to His
people. But what about the new wine-skins for
the new wine? 'And no man putteth new wine
into old bottles (wine-skins); else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled,
and the bottles shall perish' (Lk. 5:37). However,
it is not too difficult to discern in the midst of the joy and rejoicing of the new thing
that God is doing a desperate attempt to keep the old wine-skins from bursting at the
seams. Wine...Renewal...Restoration...Revival...
all of this in old wine-skins. No wonder there
is an attempt to strengthen the seams, and to patch the cracks in the old structures, and
a warning to the sheep to follow their shepherds...because if something is not done about
it, it would appear that the whole thing might crack wide open, and the new wine may be
lost. Jesus has already warned us what would
happen if we try to renew the old forms with the new Life of the Spirit. It can only be for a short season...the old forms
will just disintegrate, and the wine is lost...
"What, then, are we
going to do about it? The same thing, I would
suggest, that we did before God began bringing forth the new wine. Recognize that the old forms are no longer
adequate, and seek God earnestly for the new provision and the new way that He has in mind
for His people. When God does a new
thing' in the earth it is really a progressive unveiling of what He had in mind from the
beginning, but it is something NEW in manifestation in the earth. We always have those that resist anything new'.
They say God never does anything new that He hasn't done before. True, we have the seed of everything that God would
ever bring forth away back in time...even as far back as the Genesis. But in the outworking of His purposes there are
constantly new horizons, new workings, new temples, new forms and structures, new workings
of His Spirit as He leads His people out of bondage and into the fullness of New Creation
Life. 'Behold the former things are come to
pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and His praise from
the end of the earth' (Isa. 42:9-10)" -- end quote.
CORVUS THE RAVEN
Finally, we came to the third
and last Decan in the house of Leo, the final figure in the great gallery and portraiture
of the heavens, known as CORVUS THE RAVEN. The
raven is a scavenger bird of prey. Ravens are
powerful birds, often up to two feet in length, with a massive, three-inch beak that tears
flesh from dead and dying animals on which they feed.
The raven that Noah released from the ark did not return because there was
much dead flesh on which to feed. What a
picture! Here, in the pictorial Sign of the
heavens, we have the same thing. Here is
Corvus, the Raven, the bird of punishment and final destruction. He doesn't kill his prey he consumes and
forever removes from the earth that which has been slain.
He is God's "mop up" crew. His
is the final act. And in this constellation we
see Corvus grasping the body of Hydra, the Serpent, with its feet and tearing him with his
beak. Not only is the head of the adversary
crushed, but he is finally defeated in all realms, torn to pieces and devoured. This is already a glorious and eternal reality
within all those blessed ones who have experienced the triumph of the Christ within. For these THERE IS NO DEVIL ANYMORE. But there shall yet be a fulfillment in all realms,
and thus shall the inspired words of the apostle be fulfilled, "Behold, I make all
things new. Write: for these wards are true
and faithful. And God shall wipe away all
tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away (Rev.
21:4-5).
Here, now, these Studies on
the Signs of the heavens must break off abruptly.
There is so much more that might have been said, and so much more still
which I do not know enough to say. I cannot do
better in closing this series than to quote the true and eloquent wards of Dr. Seiss
regarding Corvus the final act in the grand drama of God's great redemptive and
reconstructive program. "Blessed
consummation! How should we look and pray for
it, as Jesus has directed where He tells us to say, Thy Kingdom come - Thy will be done in
earth as it is in heaven! Well
might one of
"Yet such is our hope,
given us as an anchor for our souls, both sure and steadfast, entering into that within
the veil, and linking us even now to those solid shores of the world to come. We have it in the written word of prophets and
apostles, and the same is certified to us by these everlasting stars in their ceaseless
journeyings around the pathway of the circling year. God
be thanked for such a hope! God be thanked for
the full and wide-sounding testimony to its certainty!
God be thanked that it has come to us, and that ours is the privilege of
taking it to our souls in the confidence and comfort that it shall be fulfilled!"
~ J. Preston Eby
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