I pray these posts would help you and me discover more of the plan of God birthed in the account of creation – one of a number of accounts in Scripture portraying the bride’s journey.
I also pray these posts would spark greater interest in the Scriptures and connect us more, to not only our position in Christ, but to our place in the calendar of the Scriptures.
A better understanding of God’s calendar will help reveal and confirm the handiwork of God in the season of the church in which we live.
Hopefully, that understanding, will provide greater confidence and trust in the various ministries and resources the Lord has raised up to place us squarely in the comfort of his love and care in this unique and challenging hour.
If you are one who has not had much instruction in the depth and scope of God’s word, I hope these posts help you discover the vast library in the Scriptures and trigger an interest to search and find more of God.
I have been privileged to receive much from others and much from the Lord. I hope the same for you.
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In the last number of posts, I shared briefly how four attributes of Christ are revealed in the four Gospel accounts and how those four attributes are expressed in the faces of the four living creatures in Revelation (lion, ox, man, and eagle).
This is not by coincidence, but a revelation of the nature of Christ formed in his bride.
The four living creatures of Revelation depict the bride of Christ from all eras and dispensations, and notably, the bride in the last season of the church.
Their revealing (Revelation Chapter 4) follows on the heels of the Philadelphia church age in the scriptural account, but not in the occurrence of actual events.
Revelation Chapter 12 shows the “Philadelphian” bride to be in the womb of the church facing the dragon just before the Tribulation.
The last day bride is conceived, formed, birthed, and made into the likeness of Christ in the Philadelphia church age (Philadelphia and Laodicea overlap).
By all accounts, we are well within the Philadelphia church age.
(I plan to do a post on the Philadelphia church age and the noteworthy words of the Lord to write the name of his God, the name of the city of his God, and his new name on those in the bride.
This is a profound word by the Lord inviting you and me to be his bride.
This promise far exceeds those to other church ages, and is the heart of the gospel, the plan of God from the beginning, to “make” you and me into the likeness of Christ, partakers of the divine nature as Peter says.
This is a tremendous promise to you and me.)
The bride of Christ is depicted in many accounts and passages in the New Testament.
There is an almost limitless portrayal of her in the Old Testament in the lives of men and women of God.
To briefly mention again, there are some notable accounts of her journey in the New Testament.
Specifically, the first six of the seven parables of Matthew Chapter 13, the first six of the seven of Paul’s letters to the churches (Romans to Philippians), and the first six of the seven church ages (Ephesus to Philadelphia).
And there is also the completed picture of the bride captured in one people group.
This is the bride we see in the last hour birthed from the church, to be fathered and nurtured by the Lord; one last ministry to redeem the wayward and lost in the closing hours of the church (Revelation Chapter 12).
Some of the “brides” to be, are waiting to be conceived, or in the womb being formed, and some have been birthed into the hands of the Lord to be fathered by him and nurtured by the body of Christ.
There is an exertion of the Spirit in men and women’s lives today, “like” and “unlike” critical times in the past.
These are critical days for the church.
It will take an unprecedented work by the Lord to prepare his people to transit through the waves of darkness even now building in the distant horizon.
Creation, continued from Part 15
As I noted in my last post, the Old Testament feast of Passover, fulfilled in the New Testament born again experience, are symbolized and prophetic fulfillment of the first day of creation.
Likewise, the Old Testament feast of Pentecost, fulfilled in the New Testament Holy Spirit infilling, are symbolized and prophetic of the second day of creation.
The Old Testament is filled with types and shadows of the New Testament. And that includes the account of creation events occurring on each day.
Types and shadows give us a sense of what is to come, patterns, and unique perspectives pointing the way to Christ and those in Christ.
For example, Joseph (Jacob’s son) is a type of Christ in numerous ways.
Abraham is a type of Christ, receiving the promise by faith.
King David is a type of Christ in his journey, anointing, and kingship.
Samuel is a type of Christ in his origins and ministry.
And so, we find the activities of God in creation picture more than just the creation account, but the broad brush of the bride’s journey as well.
The first day of creation, the creation of light and separation from darkness, symbolizes the beginning of the new creation process in you and me – a newly begotten spirit separated from darkness, the initial receipt of the Word of God.
The second day of creation, the separation of waters, symbolizes the infilling of the Holy Spirit in our spirit and the awareness of the vast expanse from the heavens above, and beginning growth in the Word and spirit, rightly and wrongly.
The third day of creation, the separation of land (earth in some scriptural passages is a type of the church) and water (seas), and creation of seed bearing plants and trees, symbolizes the new Christian’s beginning journey of consecration (separation from the world – seas are a “type” of the nations), and instruction and learning of the Word, the seed of God.
Day three is likened to the planting of the Word in the earthly tables of our hearts and minds.
Day three may be likened to the virgin stage, the school years, the stage of instruction, study, and learning the Word and the things of God – the beginning stages of “buying and selling” to gain Christ.
This begins the multiplication of the word of God in our lives, and in the lives of those who eat our good fruit – seed bearing fruit.
This may be symbolized by the church at large – the resources God makes available to nurture and mature the body of Christ.
This is the most broad and active part of the church at large. It encompasses most of its activities to rear sons and daughters into the kingdom of God.
This may also be likened in its later stages to the wise virgins who make use of the marketplace of God and gain overflow.
This day is the first solid stage of personal growth and development in the adventure and journey to Christ likeness.
This is the season of fundamental and foundation instruction in the Word and things of God.
The third stage of the journey, the planting stage, is a time of favor and blessing for those who use this time wisely in their life, providing sufficient resources to endure and persevere through wilderness experiences.
It may also be likened to a time more focused on corporate life, the ebbs and flows of church life in a group setting, and less on personal wilderness experiences.
It’s a time of deepening relationships in the body of Christ, becoming more selective, and learning how to “fast,” on the things of the world.
And with corporateness comes testing and trials uniquely personal and yet closely tied to the group dynamics of a church.
The latter part of the third day is symbolized more by the five wise virgins, those Christians who are experiencing more of a measure of God’s word and Spirit.
They know they’re on a journey and are taking steps to ensure an overflow for what lies ahead.
In summary, day one is a fresh start, day two, spiritual rain and infilling, the beginning birth of spirituals, good and bad, and day three, the great day of planting, instruction, and learning in the church at large.
On day three we also begin to see the institutionalization of bad fruit in the body of Christ.
Good and bad doctrines begin to sprout up and become institutionalized in the church, and consequently, in the hearts and minds of some of its members.
God’s design for the third day, providing Adam and Eve had passed their test with Satan on day one, would have been an abundance of “bearing” good fruit.
But because of the “fall,” some of the plants “planted” in the hearts of men and women were corrupted by bitterness and all manner of sin, yielding bad fruit, individually and corporately.
Day three brings the fruit of the spirit, whether good or bad, to the limelight.
You also see this in the third parable of Matthew 13, the parable of the mustard seed. The mustard seed produces “… the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree…” (NIV, Matthew 13:32), and what do we find?
It harbors the birds. This tree is likened to institutionalized Christianity, a process and method to God instead of the living Christ, the tree of life.
The birds symbolize the powers of darkness finding a home in institutionalized Christianity.
The third day is a time of learning and testing in the things of God, and yet, in the latter season of this stage, we see an increasing waywardness away from the original intent and design of God for the third day (excepting those looking for more of God – the wise).
An increasing current and drift away from God.
On a positive side, it’s a time of learning how things work, how the kingdom works, warfare, truths, some exposure to spiritual principalities, and moves of God, corporately and individually.
It’s a time of victories and defeats – the rudimentary principles of Christ.
And it is more noted by its exertion of oneself rather than the exertion of God.
Fully pursued, day three brings awareness to the insufficiency of the marketplace to “conceive,” Christ in you and me.
Something is missing – the deep waters of God’s Spirit and Christ himself.
On day three, Jesus is walking among his sons and daughters looking for those among the many who will respond to his call to go deeper in him.
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.™
