It is amazing, the number of treasures buried within the story of God.

And truly remarkable, the sharing of his story with you and me.

Shall we ever understand the depth, breath, and scope, of its treasures?

God is doing a new work in the body of Christ, revealing old truths in new ways, preparing sons and daughters for union and commission.

If you follow this series, I hope you’ll see certain accounts in new light, and the richness and extent of God’s investment in capturing the beauty and journey of Christ, and those in Christ.

Jesus desires access to the secret and hidden things of our life.

This is the call of God in this hour – to access, heal, and restore the foundations of who we are, what we believe, and how we practice life.

This is the call of the Philadelphia church age, to be gathered unto the Lord, in sonship, fathered by him in the deep areas of our inner being.

God’s grace is present to change the “foolish virgin” areas of your heart and mine to “wise,” and, to take the “wise virgins,” and make them brides.

You do not want to miss what God is doing in the church today, a profound work of grace in the revelation of Christ.

The Philadelphia church age is here. The preparation of the global bride is underway.

Will you and I be a part of the great plan and story of God of the ages?

Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart and mine, to take us deeper in him, to be hidden away in the shadow of his wings, dripping with the grace and love of God.

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There are four attributes revealed of Christ in the Gospels which are depicted in the four living creatures of Revelation Chapter 4, the bride.

Commentators recognize Christ’s kingship, service, humanity, and “God,” in the four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, in that order.

I’ve taken the faces of the four living creatures, lion, ox, man, and eagle, in the same order, and attributed them to Christ as well.

(Just as Eve was taken from Adam, so to the bride is taken, comes from, Christ, and bears his attributes.)

Matthew, (Lion), Christ “kingship,” fulfilled the journey his descendant King David prefigured. The promise of ruling and reigning with Christ is held out to those who overcome in him. There will be those of like mind and heart from all ages and dispensations partaking in the promise of ruling with him, his bride.

Mark, (Ox), Christ the servant – the work of faith and obedience (in grace), in word and action. Those who follow Christ will partake of this attribute as well, as Jesus called to Peter and said he would take him on a path he would not naturally choose.

Luke, (Man), the humanity of Christ, his “priestly” office, the second Adam, reconciling men and women to God, descended from Adam and Eve according to the flesh. We are called to be mediators between God and man as well, in Christ.

John, (Eagle), the resurrected life in the Spirit openly and publicly displayed, an open heaven, fulfilling the “prophetic” office, passing through the heavens, bringing heaven to earth in flesh, prophesying (seeing) the transforming work of the Spirit in men and women in ages to come.

And we, like Christ, are to bring the vision of God, his prophetic word, transforming work, and life in the Spirit, to those called by his name.

These are mountaintop views of Christ and those in Christ. A theme of Scripture designed to illuminate more of Jesus and us.

A wonderful handiwork of God.

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(Another example, the “…Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” in Isaiah 9:6 (NIV) may be likened to the man (our advocate and mediator); the king (creator and final authority in all matters); the eagle (a father’s wisdom, speaking the future into his sons and daughters; training them to soar in the heavens with him); and, the ox (bringing peace to the lost through the toil and labor of love and care).

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(There are also four themes or faces of the Antichrist, a leopard, bear, lion, and man, bearing the likeness of Satan (2 Thessalonians 2:3, Revelation 13:2)).

The leopard is likened to an eagle, swift, cunning, and calculating; the bear to an ox, weighty and crushing; lion, kingship; and of course, man, who’s been forged into the likeness of Satan, both created beings.

And the Antichrist has his comparable to the Lord’s bride, his false prophet.

Some of the Lord’s bride will have profound miracle ministries in the last season of the church, bringing a fatal wound to the Antichrist system for a short season, Revelation Chapters 12 & 13. 

And the false prophet will have his (or their) short season of miraculous signs during the Tribulation.)

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The Old Testament gives the promise of the coming Messiah, “types,” depicting him and his journey, and sufficient other details, the discerning would recognize him from his ministry.

Likewise, the Old Testament gives the promise of the bride, “types,” depicting her and her journey, and sufficient other details, the discerning would recognize and respond to the outstretched arms of love and care offered by the Messiah.

For whatever reasons, the Jews at the time of Christ, excepting those who embraced him, did not see Christ as their Messiah, nor his invitation to be his bride.

Similarly, the New Testament writings describe and illuminate the bride’s personal journey in Christ, culminating in the picture of the four living creatures of Revelation (who represent bride Saints from all eras).

As the Gospels give the four faces of Christ and the Scriptures his journey, there are at least four unique accounts of the bride’s journey.

The four accounts in Scripture that give a mountaintop view of the “journey” of the bride, are:

• the first six days of creation,
• the first six parables of the seven parables found in Matthew Chapter 13,
• the first six church ages of the seven church ages found in Revelation Chapters 2 and 3, and,
• the first six letters of Paul’s letters to the churches, Romans to Philippians.

Many recognize the seven churches of Revelation as also being distinct ages, as well as the seven parables of Matthew Chapter 13 (in addition to other teachings).

And many recognize the creation sequences as foretelling the journey of men and women into Christ likeness – days 1 through 6 the journey, day 7, the Millennium.

What others depict as church ages, I also see as the growing and maturing journey stages of the bride – a story within a story.

The same with Paul’s letters to the churches. Not only are they specific letters to churches but there is a design and pattern to them that depict growth, maturity, and comparable seasons to the church ages.

Church Ages

Today, many believe we are in the last seasons of the church.

Aspects of the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh ages are in our midst. The fourth and fifth include pre and post Reformation and all its branches.

The sixth church age, Philadelphia, represents the bride of Christ in the making; growing and maturing into the fullness and the stature of Christ.

The seventh church age, Laodicea, the last one, is likened to the foolish virgins, who, if they keep their door closed to Christ’s knock, will not have enough oil to meet the bridegroom, exposing themselves to the final chapter of the church, Revelation Chapters 12 and 13.

You can overlay the first six parables of Matthew 13, the first six church ages, the six days of creation, and Paul’s first six letters on top of each other and observe common perspectives at certain key stages.

And why not? We should not be surprised to see similar designs and patterns since the Scriptures in their entirety are designed from the outset of God’s handiwork to make man and woman into his likeness.

And so, hopefully, we should not think it peculiar or unusual to see certain patterns in accounts, because the overall story-line and goal is the same, Christ likeness.

Paul’s remaining three letters to the churches, Colossians through 2 Thessalonians, complement some of Laodicea and the final hours of the church in persecution.

Parables

Briefly, parables one through six of Matthew Chapter 13, as noted, depict the journey to the bride.

I left out the seventh parable because it is the bride being used in the last hour to gather a final harvest for the kingdom of God – the last great revival.

The six parables represent the journey from cultivating a heart for Christ to a downward spiral culminating in the fourth parable, the fourth being the culmination of waywardness from the Lord, similar to the church of Thyatira and Galatians.

The fifth parable is likened unto the Reformation, the finding of Christ again, the hidden treasure, salvation by grace, found in Ephesians and the Sardis church age.

The sixth parable is likened unto the church of Philadelphia, the letter to the Philippians, the finding and selling of all for the pearl of great price, the final maturation of the bride by Christ.

Paul’s Letters

Epistles one through six depict the man and woman of God growing in Christ, the various stages of Christian transformation with the bride maturing in the book of Philippians, the day of Christ.

Colossians, the seventh letter, like Laodicea, the seventh church age, and like the seventh parable – the net being used by the Lord to gather all kinds of fishes – begins the transition from the church age into the Tribulation and depicts, in the closing days, the brides ministry to the Colossians and Thessalonians, her ministry of gathering a great net of fishes, and her, in Christ, knocking on the door of the heart of the Laodiceans.

Christ uses us to minister one to another and how much more will he use the finished bride in the final closing hours of the church to minister to the church.

Remember, Jesus was cut off in the midst of the week, after about 3 ½ years of ministry, leaving about 3 ½ years of ministry yet to be fulfilled – completing the 70 weeks of Daniel.

The Lord has surprises yet ahead for the church.

Paul’s letters, the parables, and the church ages, are from the “perspective of the church.”

The creation sequence, which I haven’t discussed yet, covers, among other things, the Christian New Testament journey as well, from “God’s perspective.”

Besides foretelling the journey of mankind, which I briefly mentioned earlier, the creation sequence foretells the Christian experience as well.

It’s like looking at jewels and seeing its beauty at different angles, each one giving a little different perspective, but the same jewel.

I will start my next post with the creation account and why this understanding has importance today.

How can we know where we’re going and where we’ve been as a church, if we don’t have a map?

Thankfully, the Lord has given us types and shadows in the old, and clearer signs for the church in the new, particularly in the last days.

Keep your eyes on Jesus and not world events.

It’s the bride in the making – when she comes out of the womb of the church, and you can see her growing among you, know the season of God’s finishing touches are upon you and me.

Blessings, Drake

(NIV) Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblical, Inc.™