The theme of this post: Christ’s prayer to know and be known:

‘“… I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”’ (NIV, John 17:20 – 21)

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I pray my posts strike a chord in your heart for more of Jesus.

That the reality of the kingdom of God would be more real than your daily bread.

That your heart would be stirred, inspired, and challenged to seek more of Jesus.

That desire and passion would awaken to the mystery of Christ; the call to be led deep into the grace and revelation of Christ, for which you were designed.  

That the press of this life, and the lack of teaching there is more of God, would not rob you of the deeper things of Christ yet to be apprehended by you.

That your latter days would be greater than your former days, bountiful, fruitful, and plentiful, overflowing the Spirit of Christ for others.

That the Spirit of this age, and the lingering wait for revival(s), will not hinder you from pursuing Christ for the “personal revival” he has for you right now in “fathering,” cleansed, healed, and restored from glory to glory.

That the love of God would be formed and birthed in you, for you, and for others.

I hope my posts help you recognize the awesome honor and privilege you and I have living in the most intimate church age (Philadelphia) with the most profound promises found in Scripture – apprehending Christ.

That there is a uniquely special deep work of grace, “a door,” opened in Philadelphia; to make a bride, fulfilling the longing in Christ’s heart for intimacy and relationship with those who have come to know him.

And I pray you would be reminded every major transition in eras is preceded by a distinctive deep and rich move of the Spirit of God.

And how much more as we approach the greatest, deepest, and most life changing event in human history – from the age of “grace through faith” to the age of the King, the millennial rule of Christ.

A great climactic battle looms on the horizon, and one is being fought now in the hearts of men and women, as the Lord heals and restores many for him in Philadelphia, advancing his kingdom as this age comes to a close.

Based on what God has done in the past – promises fulfilled, and what he’s doing today, and what we know is on the horizon, it is likely some of you, and maybe me, will live to see the transition into the end – times and beyond.

To those in Christ, who are looking for his coming (being prepared by him) it will be a time of unprecedented growth and maturity in him.

A time of great transformation, renewal, “made alive in spirit;” acquainted with sorrows and sufferings, but not in despair, but hopeful; partaking of Christ in intimacy and growing union.

Blessings!

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Please note: In one sense I want to apologize for my long posts, but, basic teaching beyond morning services is needed for many.

I hope you can endure some repetition in gaining inspiration not otherwise had through Bible studies or sermons.

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“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.” (NIV, 1 Timothy 4:1 – 6)

Paul warns Timothy in the later times some of God’s children will leave the faith – the faith ordained by grace in the revelation of Christ to heal and restore God’s children to Christ likeness (Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Peter 1:13).

They will abstain from “food” God created to be received – the creative works of God, pioneered by Christ, ordained to cleanse and heal our wounds and brokenness – a bride he can present to himself, “… without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish…” (NIV, Ephesians 5:27)

On the heels of talking about the pioneering journey of Christ, being “fathered” by God, made perfect, becoming the source of our eternal salvation, the author of Hebrews admonishes:

“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand…. Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity…” (NIV, Hebrews 5:11 – 14, 6:1)

And, David, one of the most celebrated “types,” of Christ, who, during his wilderness years, prefigured the personal journey of the Messiah, ate spiritual food, the Word of God as he fled the sword of Saul (Saul, a type of the flesh). (Psalm 23:5)

Introduction

We hear so much today in Christian media about last day prophecies, usually focusing on world events – what we can see with our natural eyes and hear with our natural ears.

But the Scripture points us in another direction, to the things of the Spirit the natural eye and ear cannot detect – the moving of God’s Holy Spirit.

In the body of Christ today, we see two prominent movements: some being led by the Lord into the deeper things of God, and, others, for whatever reasons, not moving forward into the new opportunities of God: to be “known and knowing.”

• There are conditions prevalent in Christendom keeping God’s children from seeking the deep truths of the faith – the “good food” God has ordained to be consumed by his body to be made new in him,
• the truths ordained in this uniquely special season of Church history through inner healing and other creative acts as God proclaimed through the prophets of old of the grace to come, (Romans 8:10-11; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 1 Peter 1:10-13, etc.,),
• healing and restoration rooted in repentance and forgiveness: secreted and hidden generational wounds and brokenness brought to the light of God’s cleansing grace and power, preparing a bride for the bridegroom.

 

Marriage to Christ is not a forgone conclusion so freely assumed in Christian teaching and preaching.

The Scripture warns us to be on guard to “what we want to hear,” things that keep us in our comfort zone, masked, away from the revelation of Christ to heal our deep wounds and brokenness.

It’s a journey, a process, requiring strong meat and drink from the Lord.

And it must be taught from the Word of God, and sought, after being taught.

And it comes through the journey of Tabernacles, the age of Philadelphia, which not many understand or are teaching in this hour of church history.

And that is how today, the prominence of creeds and traditions over Scripture, is keeping many from knowing and pursuing the most important choice and person they’ll ever have in their lives. 

Without a change of heart, seeking and finding healing and restoration, many will find themselves excluded from the marriage supper of the Lamb.

And for those alive at the time of the Great Tribulation, they’ll find themselves in the fight of their life under a resurgent Antichrist system.

It is important for you and me to heed the warnings of Paul and seek the Lord for the food he has for us: to be open for new pastures and springs of water for our hungry and thirsty souls and spirits.

And it cannot be emphasized enough how critical this warning is for us, today, living in the 21^st century, who find themselves in the midst of truly the later times, the final church ages, Philadelphia and Laodicea.

Important

It is critically important to understand, spiritually speaking, the verses quoted from 1 Timothy have nothing to do with food, and everything to do with warning the body of Christ, not to miss the creative work of the Holy Spirit, the revelation of Christ, God created to be received with thanksgiving by God’s sons and daughters.

It is the revelation of Christ, the deep work of grace, by which our lowly natures are changed into this glorious nature.

The revelation of Christ, spoken by Peter in his first letter, chapter 1 verse 13, and by Paul in his letters, is the conception, birthing, and maturing, of Christ in our lives, the feast of Tabernacles – to feast on Christ.

It is the heart, purpose and plan of God for you and me – to be made like Christ.

If we miss that, then we miss the “heart” of why Jesus died for our sins, not just for us to receive forgiveness, but to be made new in him.

In Hebrews it warns not to be like Israel of old, who did not enter the land flowing with milk and honey because of unbelief.

“…without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (NIV, Hebrews 11:6, italicized mine)

To be made like Christ is not optional, not to be dismissed, ignored, or thought impossible, it is the promise of God to change you and me, however he determines, in the time allowed, into the likeness of Christ.

To deny yourself the grace to be made like Christ, is to deny the Gospel.

The revelation of Christ by grace, the deep work of grace in the feast of Tabernacles, has:

• a starting date (conception),
• a time of formation (healing and restoring the most basic formative parts of our relationship with Christ, what some call the “womb” period),
• followed by a birthing into a place of deep grace, intensive healing and restoration; the wilderness journey of growth and maturity in the likeness of Christ.

Tabernacles, is just as tangible an event in the grace and love of God, as Passover (born again), and Pentecost (the baptism of the Holy Spirit), are tangible, specific spiritual events in the Christian journey.

And Tabernacles is even more so.

Please note:

A number of Christian organizations use the terms being “initiated” in the things of God, and, being “fathered by God.”

Being initiated by the Lord into “being fathered,” is a preliminary step, a needful step, before the Lord can come to his son or daughter and begin the actual transition from Pentecost to Tabernacles.

I hope you are not surprised by this.

God just doesn’t throw things together, and though experiences in these different stages may vary among Christians, just like different experiences of being born again, or spirit filled, there is an overall design and process for each feast.

If you’re a Christian, you’ve experienced being born again.

You know what that’s like and the doors it opened in your relationship with Christ.

If you’ve been baptized in the Holy Spirit, you know what that’s like and the doors it opened deepening your relationship with Christ.

Tabernacles is no different, it has tangible, specific events as well.

Of the three feasts, it’s the longest, deepest, has the most promises, involving deep healing and restoration, growth and maturity; newness of life in the Spirit.

It has a beginning and a journey that finishes our Christian pilgrimage.

You can read about the three feasts in Leviticus 23, and one, the feast of Pentecost, is clearly portrayed in the book of Acts, returning globally with the Azusa Street Revival of the early 1900s.

The fulfillment of Passover is obvious to most Christians, how the born – again experience fulfills what the Old Covenant saints experienced in type and was birthed again in the Sardis church age, what we call the Reformation.

Tabernacles is a deeper and richer experience the great body of the New Testament is devoted to, i.e., putting to death the deeds of the body, made alive to walk in newness of life – the deep healing and restoration journey of being made into the likeness of Christ.

Back to 1 Timothy 4

1 Timothy is not an idle warning by Paul.

It’s come to pass many times over the church ages during the last two millenniums, and it is coming to pass again in the age of Philadelphia and Laodicea.

We see this warning come to fruition in the accounts in Revelation.

A lot more on this to come, but suffice it to say, it comes to pass in the lives of the foolish virgins who are forbidden from marrying the Lord (being known and known by him),

• because they lacked the sustenance from the creative works of God to make the journey to meet the bridegroom, i.e., to transition from Pentecost to Tabernacles.

And we see it from another angle, in the account of the Laodiceans in Revelation 12:

• the age of Christians who miss the bride, found unprepared to face the Dragon, fleeing for their lives into the wilderness (they neglected, for poor teaching and other reasons, the wilderness of Christ to be changed, and end up in the enemy’s wilderness),
• because they lacked the rich banquet of foods prepared by God to transition them from Pentecost to Tabernacles.

And we see the story from another perspective of the Laodiceans in Revelation 3:

• who are said to be “‘…lukewarm – neither hot nor cold…” (NIV, Revelation 3:16) by the Lord, not unlike Paul’s charge about those “whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” (NIV, 1 Timothy 4:2)

 

Both are pictures from different perspectives of the condition of the inner man, unhealed wounds and brokenness not finding the grace of God in cleansing and healing; becoming insensitive, unresponsive, hardened to the things of God, “spiritual sensitivities” vanquished by sensualities.

Jesus warned about this in the latter times when he said, “‘Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.’” (NIV, Matthew 24:12)

And we even see this theme played out, the warning, not to miss the feast of Tabernacles, the promises of Philadelphia, in Paul’s letters to the Colossians and Thessalonians, who symbolize Christians deep in the last days, including those crossing the threshold into the Tribulation.

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Greetings,

I felt to mix things up and intersperse teachings on Revelation with the theme I’ve been on in the last couple of posts: “When Did the New Testament Begin?”

The understanding of the truth of when the New Testament began is critical to many different teachings in the New Testament, so much so, it’s hard to express its’ importance in words.

The understanding Christ is the New Testament, the source of our salvation, beginning with his perfection, before his ministry, is the key that unlocks the treasures and mystery of Christ we’ve been called into.

Understanding Christ’s personal journey, the beginning of the New Testament, is critical to understanding the book of Revelation.

You cannot go deeply in one without going deeply in the other.

That’s why there’s so much confusion in Christendom about the end – times, the bride, rapture, and other things.

Because, if you miss Christ’s journey, you miss the understanding of the call of Tabernacles, Philadelphia, and its’ promises.

And this understanding becomes ever so more important as we near the end of the Gospel age.

Again, because the teaching of the deep truths of the faith point us to the knowledge of the different feasts, and the one critically important at the end of time.

The Philadelphia church age is the fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles, outwardly celebrated by the Old Covenant saints, inwardly prefigured by those who were “types,” of Christ, and, fulfilled in fullness by Christ, and others following his death (Peter, Paul, etc.).

And among those who prefigured Tabernacles, is King David, a man who foretold Christ’s personal journey in the wilderness, authoring many Psalms, Christ, and Christians alike, would use to sustain their journey in the nighttime of their seasons.

I hope many are awakened to the deep things the Lord is offering today in the body of Christ; that opportunities and advantages would be taken while the door to Philadelphia remains open.

Much has been taught in Christendom about being born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit.

And much, in some circles, has been taught about Tabernacles, as much as can be ascertained without experiencing the full depth of it.

But not much has been taught about the journey of Tabernacles, its relationship to the Philadelphia church age, the pioneering journey Christ patterned for his sons and daughters.

There’s a stirring in the Church today, an awakening by many to the need for healing and restoration, for the simple reason they know they need it.

The Lord is preparing fertile ground, cultivating hearts, of those who want more of him for the coming “deep waters of the Holy Spirit.”

Make no mistake about it, regardless of the highs and lows of secular culture, the Gospel age will birth an “unprecedented” move of the Spirit of God in the days ahead.

The question for all us, what part, if any, will we play, and hopefully, move forward with the waves of God, landing on new shores, and not get caught in a rip tide.

It is more certain the prophetic word of Scripture will come to pass, no matter what is happening in our society, than it is for the sun to rise on the eastern horizon.

For, as we see in Revelation, the sun, moon, and stars, pay homage – bow down – to Christ when he moves on the world stage.

Please note:

Here’s some good food for your soul and spirit.

Something that unveils Revelation in a deep way, because it elevates Scripture above human wisdom and reasoning.

And Christians will need that in the last days, to be elevated in the things of God, seeing this creation and everything in it from heaven’s perspective.

And it will take the wilderness journey with Christ, to experience the power of the world to come, to not be consumed by the power of the world below.

Elevated into a place of intimacy and union with Christ, the things of this world will seem shabby, temporal, empty, compared to the riches and treasures of God.

So, for you struggling with the subject of Creation versus Evolution, here’s a few thoughts to consider.

Evolutionists try to make the argument a slam-dunk, that it’s ridiculous for you and I to believe God created this “creation.”

Tragically, some in Christendom have bought into evolution wholeheartedly, or halfheartedly (theistic evolution).

In Matthew Chapter 13 (verse 35), Jesus referred to hidden truths “‘…since the creation of the world.’” (NIV, italicized mine)

See an interlinear and you’ll get a better sense of where is Jesus is coming from and the spiritual truths he’s imparting.

These truths are brought to light in the New Testament because the “light of Christ” shines on the hidden truths revealed “in and from” creation forward.

The events in creation set in motion events that have unfolded over the last six millenniums, bearing witness back to creation itself.

Each creation day not only describes the creative acts of God on that day, but also symbolize the creative acts to come in the fullness of time “a pattern and sequence”, over the allotted seven millenniums of human history to follow.

It is quite telling, when Biblical history and creation are overlapped, the theme in each day of creation corresponds markedly and uniquely with certain epic events in the corresponding millennium.

It is uncanny.

But then, again, we’re talking about creator God; how he spoke into being that which was not, continuing to birth the plan of God through the ages and stages of God’s redemptive plan, eventually to culminate with the day of rest, the Millennial rule of Christ.

The themes and events are too “telling” to be coincidence – when you have design, you have a designer.

Creation is not an isolated series of events creating the foundation for our entrance, but the tree from which history flows, is contained, and ultimately prospers.

Creation set in motion the journey of mankind, in stages and allotted time, whether mankind sinned or not.

It would be a journey either way, coming into maturity and likeness of God, but with sin, there was the necessary “add – on” of a redemptive plan and process.

The Fourth Day, A Quick Glimpse

(Also, see supplement after references at end of post.)

Here’s one example to help bolster your faith and confidence in God, and the written record he’s given from the first man and woman until the time of the New Heaven and New Earth.

Scientists, those who are Christian and otherwise, struggle with the Scriptures recording the sun, moon, and stars as being made on the fourth day.

As noted, there is a symbolic correlation between the events described in each day of creation and the events of mankind during the corresponding millennium.

(Bible scholars place Adam and Eve about four millenniums before Christ, which would mean six millenniums before us in the 21^st century.)

Is it by coincidence Christ, the one the Old Covenant intimates is the “Sun,” came according to Bible chronology (which began to be recorded over a millennium before Christ), at the end of the fourth millennium from Adam?

His presence on the world scene divided the Old Covenant from the New, fulfilling the Old Covenant promises of a Messiah, the “light of God” coming to a darkened world, shining the light of God on the Old Covenant, giving it meaning in the reflection of his testimony and glory.

Without Christ, the Son of God (the “…sun of righteousness…” NIV, Malachi 4:2) the Old Covenant (symbolized by the moon, which has no light of itself) has no meaning, because without the Son/Sun, death prevails.

It is not coincidence the sun, moon, and stars were made on the fourth day, and, Christ came at the end of the fourth millennial day from Adam.

And David, the greatest revelation of Christ in the Old Covenant (in my opinion), with the exception of his deeds with Bathsheba and Uriah, began the fourth millennial day.

And it is not coincidence the fifth millennial day brought life in creation and life in the Gospel.

(There is much in the way of supporting symbolism and types of the birds of the air and the fish of the sea in creation (5^th day), and the opening of the spiritual realm and spreading of the Gospel following Christ (5^th millennium.)

We read in 2 Peter and elsewhere how a day to God is 1000 years to man.

No human being could devise such a beautiful picture of redemption and salvation in the story of creation and all the ensuing stories and parables birthed from it.

And the stars, symbolizing the testimony of the ancients and Old Covenant saints, give navigation (testimony) to stay on course in the nighttime of our journey just as they helped Christ in his personal journey.

No, it is not by coincidence the sequence of creation, nor the sequence of God’s plan in human history.

(Evolution is an attempt to rob God’s plan and the mystery of his plan spoken in creation from our hearts and minds.)

Each creation day has a theme that is specific and reflected in the ensuing corresponding millennium.

And out of that basic pattern, the creation pattern of six followed with a seventh, we find the same pattern repeated in the seven parables of Christ of Matthew 13, Paul’s letters to the churches (Thessalonians, the eighth, straddling both the end times and the Tribulation, symbolically), the seven churches of Revelation, the seven Antichrist kingdoms, the seven seals, trumpets, and plagues, etc.

Another interesting truth you can hide under your belt regarding the fourth day is the reign of King David.

Where do we find the greatest revelation of Christ (intimacy) outside of the New Testament?

It’s in the Psalms.

And who’s the greatest Psalmist, King David.

In Revelation it says of Christ that he is the root and the offspring of David.

And when was David prominent in Israel?

The beginning of the fourth millennium from Adam, 1000 years before Christ.

Symbolically, with the advent of David, the “Sun” began to dawn upon creation and mankind – God’s plan of redemption – that would take a millennium to unfold through the line of David to Christ.

Evolutionists tell us we are a product of matter ignoring the spirit within imprinted with questions, among others, is there a God, and what will we worship?

Creation was designed to showcase the magnificent glory of Christ, reflecting the radiance of his “coming” on the Old, while shining the glory of his presence with those in the New.

And it’s no coincidence Israel has come back as a nation after two millenniums, being about six millenniums out from Adam, with the promised day of rest, Christ’s millennial rule, just breaking the horizon.

No wonder over the last number of centuries there’s been an increasing assault, in ways too numerous to mention, against Christianity, the Bible, and the hearts of men and women who simply just want to walk with God like Enoch of old.

If evolution is the adaptation to the environment to make things better, more survivable, more connected to the environment, since the environment is the source of life, what happened to the evolution of the soul, spirit, and, an overall betterment elevating men and women to act in the best interest of all?

Instead of evolving out of sinful behavior, mankind is led into sin from birth, against themselves and others.

Christ being the only cure known to mankind.

Surely, if man had evolved for 10’s of thousands of years, his inner man would have evolved as well.

He would have evolved not to hurt himself and others, but to provide care and nurture to his own, just like we see in the animal kingdom for the most part.

Yet, sin is just as robust as ever.

Simply, evolution lacks personal heart felt testimony, and most importantly, it lacks the love and care of Creator God and his beloved Son (Sun!).

Christianity has a living testimony – one that can be seen and heard in living men and women.

Where is Evolution’s living testimony?

Evolution is veiled, it’s more about being opposed to the existence of God, birthed out of the lack of relationship, than it is finding another source of origin.

Finally, what would you rather rely upon for life choices and your eternal future,

• the testimony of millions – “living records” of God’s love walking around in flesh and blood, your testimony of God’s intervention in your life, biblical records scrupulously preserved and protected over 3 and a half millenniums, proven prophecies, etc., or,
• pieces of broken teeth and skulls, scattered here and there, numerous different dating techniques, and, too numerous to mention evolution “proofs?”

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There are six sections in this post, and a supplement at the very end:

SECTION I – Creeds and Traditions

SECTION II – Perspectives

SECTION III – The Mystery of Fathering – The Reality of Christ

SECTION IV – Revelation, Revealing the Word of God in Flesh and Blood

SECTION V – The Heart of Revelation

SECTION VI – Christ – The Outcome of True Fathering, Revelation’s Picture of Christ & the End – Time Bride

TRANSITION, CONCLUSION, AND SUPPLEMENT

*** SECTION I ***

Creeds and Traditions

The huge weight of creeds and traditions woven into teachings and doctrines keep Christendom at large camped at Pentecost and out of Tabernacles.

They forbid the body of Christ from being united with Christ in marriage – from eating the good spiritual food he created to be received with thanksgiving.

And in hindering Christians from moving forward in Christ – they provide the foundation for the great falling away in the latter times, as they were in the early centuries of the Gospel era.

Thankfully, the Lord is not going to allow another millennial reign of darkness, but will cut the apostasy short in the last days.

God ordained three feasts for the saints of “Old.”

They were designed as banquets demonstrating his care and love, “prefiguring” what the saints of “New” would experience in Christ.

Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles of “Old” are fulfilled in the “born again,” “spirit filled,” and “Philadelphia (Tabernacles)” of the “New.”

(See Leviticus 23 for the Old Covenant feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.

See John 3:3 for teaching on fulfillment of Passover; Acts 2:1-4 for first Christians to fulfill Pentecost, and, John 21:18 for teaching on being led into Tabernacles, Peter being the first chosen (John to follow later), and, Paul noting the beginning of his journey in Galatians 1:11-24.)

The enemy has thwarted the fulfillment of the “Old” in the “New” as long as possible in the body of Christ, making transitions as challenging, difficult, and forbidding as possible, from both “within” and “outside” the body of Christ.

Within the body, the enemy has cleverly woven together creeds and traditions hiding Christ’s personal journey “his glory” making him someone he is not, a “model” for example; diverting large portions of Scripture to Calvary, away from his personal story.

(Remember the tares, mustard seed, and “yeast” of Christ’s parables?)

Important

Creeds and traditions breed “like kind,” i.e., the demand to “see and hear in the natural” the working of grace in the revelation of Christ in the “spiritual,” dismissing testimonies – signs, wonders, and miracles. 

It’s the same “demand” that placed Christ on Calvary, instead of the glory of his person, through signs, wonders, and miracles, because, they did not pursue “knowing him.”

Darkness working through unhealed wounds and brokenness in the early centuries of Christianity eventually codified beliefs in creeds and traditions, elevating Calvary as the source of our salvation, instead of Christ, and Christ alone.

The enemy does everything he can to keep our focus off Christ and on events, and other things.

Evil now became good, and the wonder and goodness of Christ’s personal journey to perfection was all but forgotten.

The revelation of Christ – his journey of overcoming the enmity in his flesh, made perfect, “fathered by God,” partly revealed in the glory of his Transfiguration, was cleverly undermined with the passage of time over the first few centuries.

It wasn’t long after the first apostles before the deep truths of the faith began to fade; replaced by “outward” “designed,” statements of faith, doctrines, and traditions, taking the focus away from Christ, onto themselves.

Christ’s personal journey was buried in the sands of time, under layers of creeds and traditions, and with it, the journey he pioneered for men and women.

Creeds and traditions usurped relationship, making it all about what he did for us (Calvary), instead of who he became (the New Testament in flesh and blood).

And darkness has been able to hide the truth of Christ’s personal journey from all the church ages, except one, Philadelphia.

The Spirit of God threw off the enemy’s shroud of darkness over salvation by grace (the Reformation), and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, in the Sardis church age, spanning 500 years of revival from the 1500’s to the 20^th century.

Restoring the feasts of Passover and Pentecost in the Church again for those who were hungry for God.

Today the Spirit of God is removing the enemy’s shroud of darkness over Tabernacles by ushering many into the Philadelphia church age.

The Lord is making known his personal journey once again to his sons and daughters, that they would venture with him into the deep things of God.

In Tabernacles, Calvary is no longer the focus, but Jesus, and him alone (Hebrews 5:7-10).

Calvary did not perfect Christ, it was his journey of dying to sin, being made alive in spirit, fathered by God, that perfected Christ.

It’s all about Jesus.

Please note:

The “second, third, and fourth” of the seven church ages, Smyrna to Thyatira, were ages of decline, a downward spiral, false teaching becoming more prominent and eventually dominant in Thyatira.

The same pattern is repeated in the “second, third, and fourth” of the seven parables of Christ in Matthew 13.

The weeds are planted, Christendom becomes institutionalized (mustard tree), and false teaching, the yeast, is spread throughout the teaching of Christ, the bread of life, becoming so interwoven it cannot be separated except by an act of God.

And again, we see the same pattern: Paul wrestling with the principalities of darkness in his “second, third, and fourth” letters to the Churches – 1 Corinthians to Galatians; Galatians being the “darkest” of darkness before the dawn of light in Ephesians.

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul points to resurrection life (Tabernacles) as the treasure Christ apprehended, Christ the first fruit, as the way of escape from increasing darkness.

In 2 Corinthians he points to the need to cleanse our spirit and our temples, putting to death the deeds of the body, that Christ might be birthed (Tabernacles), again as the only way of escape from the lusts of this world.

And in Galatians, again, he speaks to Christ being birthed (Tabernacles) in the midst of waging war against the deep fall from grace into works.

It is not until the Sardis church age (the fifth age), the treasure hidden in a field (the fifth parable), and the morning light of salvation by grace (Paul’s fifth letter, Ephesians), restoration of the feasts begin in the Christendom at large.

(Paul wrote nine letters to the Churches, but two of them, Thessalonians, are on the cusp of the Tribulation and in it.)

His first seven letters to the Churches are comparable to the seven church ages and the seven parables of Christ.

Here’s the most important point from all of this.

The effects of the creeds and traditions that arose during these past periods of time in Christianity still significantly influence and dominate Christendom today.

Today, Pentecostal Christendom is significantly blocked from going deeper in God, many missing Tabernacles, the feast Christ fulfilled in his personal journey for the body of Christ.

It will take another major awakening by the Lord to shake off the Old, pointing the way to the finish line.

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The Scriptures clearly testify from beginning to end, it was Christ who purchased our lives, not by being murdered, but by sacrificing everything of his being to God.

And out of his journey to perfection, healing and restoration came to you and me.

The Scriptures clearly state Calvary was the sign of Jonah the Jews demanded, which Christ in great anguish agreed to, otherwise he would end up killing the very ones he was trying to save.

To confirm who he said he was, as one final “outward” sign and opportunity for forgiveness.

I hope you hear the trumpet of God through the Scriptures calling his sons and daughters into the deep waters of his Spirit while it is still day.

We can’t go out there alone, Jesus has to take us.

But it has to begin in our hearts, and our hearts need the great banquet of good food in God’s Word.

****

For well over a millennium Christendom was forbidden from entering the tabernacle of God.

(Note, “the Tabernacle of God” refers in aggregate to the three feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, symbolized by the Tabernacle in the wilderness during the time of Israel’s sojourn, before the Temple was built, which also had three sections, which symbolized the three feasts as well.)

The Reformation ushered God’s children into the outer court, the court of sacrifice “Passover,” being “born from above,” the Sardis church age.

The advent of the Azusa Street Revival (Pentecost, baptism of the Holy Spirit), ushered God’s children into the inner court, for almost a century, completing the age of Sardis.

And more recently, over the last couple of decades, the Lord has taken some into the beginning stage of the Holy of Holies, “Tabernacles,” the age of Philadelphia.

As noted, men and women for well over a millennium did not have access to the Tabernacle of God (the three feasts of salvation), keeping untold millions out of the basic truths of the faith, and, the deep truths.

It wasn’t until the Reformation access to Christ began to be restored, by grace through faith, through the outer and inner courts.

And in our lifetimes, believe it or not, entrance into the Holy of Holies, which Christ pioneered two thousand years ago, has been opened once again to the body of Christ like never before.

Philadelphia is the only “open door” to the Holy of Holies, fulfilling the third and final feast of the Old Covenant. (Revelation 3:8)

This is really mind boggling when you think about it.

The grace of God has labored for centuries to grow and mature men and women where he can begin to bring them into deep fellowship with him.

And we are living in that age.

Oh my, the patience and longsuffering of God!

So, you may want to think about that when the enemy accuses and condemns you, because God is not like man, but is longsuffering, gentle, and kindly toward us, working day and night to move us closer to him.

Christendom began transitioning from Pentecost into the beginning stages of the feast of Tabernacles when the inner healing movement started in earnest in the latter part of the 20^th century.

The great work of Christ today is focused on the deep truths of the faith, and how to move as many as possible from Passover and Pentecost into Tabernacles.

The Lord is intent on preparing a bride in the last days, laboring in the churches to inspire and attract as many as possible to desire the deeper things of God.

When a new feast opens, and Philadelphia is an “opening” into the deeper things of God, the shift begins, the boundaries expand, new territories open up, and God begins to provide resources to make the journey into the new land.

****

All three feasts were created by God as “meat” for us to eat, as Jesus said in John Chapter 6, “‘Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains and me, and I in them.’” (NIV, verses 53 through 56)

We understand Jesus was not talking about his literal flesh and blood, but to eat the things he ate, and to drink the things he drank, i.e., “the food and drink that brought him life – the Word and Spirit of God.”

His food and drink enabled him to put to death the deeds of the body, made alive in spirit; the Word written on the tables of his heart and mind (Romans 6 to 8).

If we want to be brought into the bridal chambers with Christ, his bride, sonship, then we must partake of the “meats and drinks” God has created to be received with thanksgiving, the deep work of grace, healing and restoration, Tabernacles.

Which means going beyond Passover and Pentecost, partaking of the deep truths of the faith, having our body, soul, and spirit, washed by the water of the Word by the power of the Holy Spirit.

It’s a journey, and a process, one the Lord invites and initiates.

By not being taught there is more of God beyond Pentecost, sons and daughters are being forbidden from marrying Christ, denied foods which God has ordained to be eaten.

We are warned in Scripture of a coming apostasy, no wonder.

Those who are outside the womb of the woman (Revelation 12) the Church, will be greatly tempted to fall away in the latter times, especially in the fullness of time, under the seventh headed beast.

If we refuse the meat of Tabernacles, the deep work of the Holy Spirit in the last days in inner healing, deliverance, counseling, and other creative works, then we’ll be unprepared to weather the journey when the seventh headed beast comes to its fullness.

People will either fall away, or be fighting for their lives when the wave of Tribulation evil comes ashore.

But God.

God is making known today, and has been for a number of decades, his plan to cleanse and heal his sons and daughters – as many as will come – through the many resources in the Church to transform and sanctify the “most holy place” of our heart and mind.

There is only one path to Christ.

And to know that path we must look to Jesus.

He is the only one who can take us on the path he pioneered: “fathered by God.”

Once Jesus makes known the path, the three feasts, and in particular the deep work of Tabernacles, we can have confidence and trust he will complete the journey in our lives he’s revealed by his Spirit.

When Jesus makes something known to you, he’s letting you know he will perform it in you, as you seek and submit to his leading.

If you have not begun your journey in Tabernacles, are camped at Passover or Pentecost, or, maybe, in the early stages of being “fathered,” then I invite you to seek the Lord for the deep work of grace in your life.

This is why we were created, to be made like Christ.

A grand journey is waiting for you in Christ.

One only Christ can take you on.

Life, or a Dead End

Lacking the knowledge of Christ’s personal journey leads to a dead end.

Passover and Pentecost are not resurrection life, but journeys toward it.

They are steps to the fullness God intended, Tabernacles.

That’s why there’s the age of Philadelphia, to complete the fullness of the Christian experience; the greatest fulfillment of God’s promises for intimacy and union with Christ.

Lacking the knowledge of Tabernacles, settling at Pentecost or Passover, leads one with no options, other than just trying to live a good Christian life, and somehow make it to the end.

No wonder there’s an apostasy in the last days, because the press of life will increase, being weakened by unhealed wounds and brokenness, lacking a “way of escape” having failed to receive healing and restoration Christ provisioned in Philadelphia.

But God.

There is still time.

God is beckoning many today into the deep things of his Spirit.

The Lord is walking in the midst of his Church calling many into the deeper things of God.

And hopefully, my posts will teach and inspire some to look beyond the shores of their present surroundings at the opportunities God has provisioned in this season of Church history.

Compare and Contrast

The contrast between Tabernacles (the Philadelphia church age) and those camped at Passover and Pentecost (languishing in Laodicea) could not be more stark and vivid.

The contrast is expressed as the baby in the womb (those beginning to partake of the feast of Tabernacles, conceived and formed in the body of Christ, protected in the shelter of the “womb”), versus those outside the womb,

• the woman, unmarried, standing on Old Covenant truths (the moon),
• losing her “testimony” in the midst of the great apostasy (the stars being dragged down by the serpent’s tail),
• unarmed and unprepared in the presence of the Dragon, who will eventually seek and take her life in the years ahead (Revelation Chapters 12 and 13).

 

How striking the comparison and contrast of the baby and the woman, one being birthed and matured into the likeness of Christ, his bride, the Philadelphia church age, Tabernacles, and the other, missing the promises of the Father, eventually fleeing for her life in the wilderness.

We see the life altering differences between the “foolish and wise virgins;” “ones taken and others left;” “Philadelphia versus Laodicea;” and, “the child versus the mother,” the latter being too late in the season of her life to partake of the deep things of God, spiritually speaking.

One is fathered to fullness, the others, camped in Passover and Pentecost, deceived by either poor teaching or no teaching, or, possibly refusing the journey they knew Christ had for them.

We are all in a high-stakes journey in Christ.

Thankfully, God’s grace is here to do whatever is necessary to move us along in him, to keep pace with the “work of grace” in our season, to bring what we need to us, so we can move forward in him.

He is merciful, suffers long with our intransigence, setbacks, refusals, and the like, holding his hand out time, and time again, to be taken in his.

Of all times to shake sleep, it is now.

The promises and rewards of Philadelphia are profound, unprecedented, unlike any other church age.

And for those at the end of the age of Philadelphia, the failure to receive the grace offered in Philadelphia will be profound as well, having to give their physical lives for their faith.

Balcony of Heaven

This is the season to seek Christ for healing and restoration; to be able to discern what is, and what is not, of God; a heart cultivated and restored to gently restore others, as you have been gently restored.

If your perspective is from the balcony of heaven, you’ll see what the Lord sees, deep wounds and brokenness within, sores, injuries, and bruises, crying out for God’s touch.

Like never before, we need the heart and mind of Christ to walk in the midst of what we have to face each and every day.

It is only through “journey with Jesus,” the one he pioneered, we can hope for renewal and restoration, walking “in” but not “of” this world.

If you haven’t, you may want to inquire of the Lord:

“Lord, what are the next steps you have for me, what is it you would like me to pray about and to seek you for?”

“Lord, I want everything you have for me – I don’t want to leave this realm until I apprehend everything you have, because I know, it’s your grace in me, and your strength in me, that will make my journey fruitful and lasting.”

“Lord, I’m asking you to redeem the lost years of my life, that I would be a fruitful vine, ‘overflowing’ with the fruit of the Spirit.”

“Lord, redeem the empty, wounded, and broken places of my body, soul, and spirit; set me on your path of cleansing and healing for your glory.”

Cautions

The enemy is intent on wearing out Christians in the last days (Daniel 7:25).

An antidote for the world’s poison is Psalm 131, “…I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.” (NIV, verses one – two)

In other words, don’t let your heart and mind become consumed with the cares of this life, diverting needed energy and resources from the things of God to the things of this life.

Don’t let the news become your substitute for relationship with Christ, peace of mind, and heart.

Don’t let it defile your heart and spirit with its daily reports of darkness.

Don’t let it draw you into judging others.

Remember Isaiah Chapter one, and how we all appear before the eyes of God, having sores and injuries in need of healing and restoration.

A prominent minister, I’m paraphrasing, said it so well, “The world tempts you to sin, and then, when it has you in its’ grasp, condemns you for it.”

Lord, I pray for myself, and those who read my posts, to keep us protected under the shadow of your wing, our eyes focused on you, within your borders, rested and secure in your love and care. Amen.

*** SECTION II ***

Perspectives

Unlike any other book of the Bible, Revelation lifts its reader into the heavenly realm, viewing events and activities of this world, and within Christendom, with spiritual eyes from the balcony of heaven.

It ushers you above the mountain tops of time, taking you back to creation, the beginning of the world empires (Egypt, the first head of the seven headed beast), the beginning of the Old Covenant (symbolized by the moon), the beginning of the New Covenant (Christ himself!), to the moving of God’s Spirit through seven church ages and beyond.

It reminds you that your present situation, the cares of this life, and all mankind is attempting to build, will one day be laid aside for the coming millennial reign of Christ: man’s efforts to escape the need for God will end in futility.

In contrast, the dark gospel of the Spirit of this age is doing everything it can to make men and women into its’ likeness: consumed with the cares of this life and all the complexities sinful man “creates” for validation in the absence of God.

And the impact of all this on Christians can be overwhelming if they’re not hidden in the grace and care of God.

So much so, the Scripture makes special note of an apostasy in the last days.

It is the result of a long, concerted effort by darkness through human vessels to “humanize” and “water-down” the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, both “in and out” of Christendom.

To push Christians in one ditch or the other, or better yet, to so fill their heart with the whirlwind of this age, they hide their desires and passions and settle for mediocrity, becoming what the Bible describes as “lukewarm.”

Revelation breaks the spell of this world – its’ image of invincibility and master of its’ own destiny.

It breaks the spell of a weak God, a weak Bible, and a weak grace.

A grace that leaves us in wounds and brokenness unhealed and unrestored.

It breaks the spell the kingdom of this world is too strong to be uprooted, dismantled, overturned, and replaced by the kingdom of God.

It breaks the notion God’s way is optional.

And it gives special heed and notice to Christians in the closing seasons of the Gospel era.

And in particular, it makes it clear there will be those, like in the days of Noah, Moses, Elijah, Christ, etc., there is an allotted and appointed time for transition to a new era.

My friend, I hope my posts give you a sense of clarity, position, and timing of the grand redemptive plan of God.

Because, today, you are unquestionably living in the age of Philadelphia, the last opportunity to receive the fullness of Christ in this life.

The Church has traveled through five church ages, and is in the sixth and seventh – there is no eighth.

****

Today, most of Christendom appears to be in one of four church ages, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, or, Laodicea.

The prominence of Thyatira and Sardis have passed, though still existing.

Philadelphia and Laodicea are today front and center in the calendar of God.

And the Spirit of this age is building another world kingdom, the seventh head of the beast, it hopes, this time, unlike the last six, will last forever, enslaving men and women into eternal darkness in this life and the one to come.

(Of note, the bride from the sixth church age, Philadelphia, will bring a “death wound” to the seventh headed beast – through a short and dramatic global revival (Rev. 12) – and the resurgent beast, an eighth head, which reigns in the Tribulation, will bring martyrdom to those Christians who miss the bride (Rev. 13).)

The world strives to convince you and me of its permanence and perpetuity, while history is littered with uprooted and defeated kingdoms just like the Bible teaches.

It has many convinced mankind will continue to evolve, innovate, and figure out everything it needs to continue uninterrupted.

But unknown to those rooted in the world, the God of heaven has his heart set on redeeming as many as will come to him in the final days of his work of grace.

Many lost in sin will find a loving Christ waiting for them when the foundations of this kingdom begin to be uprooted.

We only have so much time. Otherwise, men and women would continue to live in sin forever.

When the Lord completes his bride, events will unfold and set in motion the end – times, rescuing many for Christ, before the events of the “seals” begin to unfold.

Important

The flood came after the Ark was ready and righteousness had been offered to the lost.

(BTW, from 1 Peter 3, it appears some who died in the flood were saved, repenting, calling out to God at some point, just like the thief on the cross.)

The Red Sea opened up when the Hebrews were ready to cross over to the other side, with the enemy intent on following them.

The Jordan River rolled back when Joshua and the tribes were ready to cross over.

And so on through the history of Israel, Christ coming at the appointed time, giving Israel one last “chance” to open their hearts to their God and Savior.

And the end – times will come, when Philadelphia comes to the fullness of time, a bride ready to usher in revival in one last season of hope and outreach.

When sin and righteousness come to the full, there’s a collision, transition, and change in kingdoms.

It’s a spiritual law of harvest that cannot be broken by mankind.

It’s happened in the past and will again – and some of you who are reading this post may see this come to pass.

Important

In contrast to common teaching (which looks at the book of Revelation through the lens of certain specific countries and world events – particularly those in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Israel), Revelation is:

• first and foremost, about the revealing of Christ (the grace and truth of God) “in the man Christ Jesus,” and,
• secondly, the revelation of Christ, in his sons and daughters.

 

It’s tragic, but, in critical and decisive areas, what happened at the time of Christ, and in moves of God since, is happening again today.

Instead of discerning the deep work of God’s grace in his children, whether it be in physical or inner healing, deliverance, prayer and body ministry, etc., many are focused on the world, interpreting Scripture by what they see in the natural.

And this may keep many from apprehending the deep work of grace God ordained in the Philadelphia church age to prepare a bride for his son.

Instead of Christendom embracing the grace and truth of inner healing, deliverance, “fathering,” prayer and body ministry, it has been relegated to the periphery, and in some circles, shunned.

Instead of Christendom nourishing, cultivating, and inspiring sons and daughters to seek the deep things of God – to be “fathered,” cleansed and healed, Christ’s intimate care and love, being made like him, many prefer to stay camped in what they perceive as “safety.”

They’re not aware of the dangers of being left, as the glory of the Lord moves forward (Revelation 12).

It’s so easy to focus one’s eyes on the natural realm, and miss the moving of God’s Spirit.

It’s part of the fallen nature.

But God.

Today, God has positioned sons and daughters in the body of Christ, calling, urging, others out into the deep water of God’s Spirit while it is yet day.

Forerunners

While the Father was “fathering” Christ into the man we would come to know as the Lord Jesus Christ, King, Prophet, High Priest, and Savior, (Hebrews 5:7-10), he was also preparing John in the wilderness into the man we would call the Baptist.

And out of John’s deep intimacy with the Father, receiving God’s love and care in his wounded and broken places, he would help prepare others for Christ.

In the wilderness, John received the care and love of God unlike any of those who dwelt in the safety of religion.

He must have received deep healing and restoration, prefiguring what we have today in “type,” to weather the storm clouds of religion’s assault as he pioneered new territory, transitioning from the Old to the New.

John was positioned by God at the right time, in the right place, to help awakened and prepare others for the coming of the Lord.

Important

The day is coming when God’s 21^st century John the Baptist’s, – those who’ve been in the desert, “fathered,” who’ve experienced deep measures of healing, will begin calling and preparing many for the coming of God’s Spirit.

And the Lord will be walking in the midst of all this, picking and choosing those he wants to lead others into the deeper things of God – to not only advance the kingdom in their life, but in the lives of others.

Two thousand years of church history has been devoted to maturing sons and daughters into “sonship,” “brides,” and God is not about to let it falter now.

Large sections of Revelation are devoted to the long journey of preparing an end – time bride, the living creatures.

It is not world events that set in – motion the return of Christ, but, the completion of the bride, her ministry, and her out – translation.

There was a work of the Spirit of God, upon John, upon Christ, and upon the hearts of Israel, to bring everything together for the presentation of John and Christ at the right time, for the best possible outcome for John, Jesus, and Israel.

And this work of the Spirit was unknown to the world, the religious community at large, except for a few, who knew, like Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, and Elizabeth, that God was up to something very profound.

And that their lives would never be the same.

An intense work of the Spirit of God was in the midst of Israel and only a few realized it.

And so it is with the preparatory work for every new move of God.

Philadelphia, Tabernacles, is the culmination of two thousand years of church history ordained to usher sons and daughters into the fullness of Christ, at the fullness of the Gospel age.

And it will culminate at just the right time for the bride, for the woman, and for the lost, for the best possible outcome for the hearts and souls of individual men and women God is passionate about reaching, before he brings the Gospel age to a close.

****

Revelation puts everything in its proper perspective, bringing everything into focus – six millenniums of human history, set in motion from creation, culminating with a bride, and Christ’s millennial rule.

No wonder the book has a warning not to be altered!

Revelation “reveals” in the closing era of the age of the Gospel, the most important matter on the heart of the Lord is the preparation of his bride, making her complete in him, first, and, secondly, making her ready to minister.

An entire church age, Philadelphia, is devoted to preparing sons and daughters for betrothal to Christ.

And out of that relationship will come the fragrance of Christ, his grace and love, to a lost and dying world.

Entire sections in Revelation are devoted to the bride, her preparation, her ministry, her impact on the seventh headed beast, and, her ministry from heaven in the opening of the seals.

It is the completion of God’s deep work of grace – the revelation of Christ in the bride (1 Peter 1:13, etc.,) that ushers in the end – times.

Revelation confirms the pattern of time segments established in Genesis: observed over four millenniums preceding Christ, and, observed over two millenniums following Christ.

Teaching History

As many know, Revelation covers church history from the time of Christ through the Gospel era, into the end – times, through the Millennium, and on into the New Heaven and New Earth.

The Old Covenant writings covered over a millennium of Old Covenant history, and almost another millennium (roughly speaking) if you include the calling of Abraham.

Whereas Revelation, covers primarily over three millenniums of past, present, and future history.

And we’re living in the bottleneck of transition.

And, if you include the history of the seven headed beast it reaches back beyond the Old Covenant into the time of the first head, Egypt.

Without exception, Revelation is an amazing window into history, prophecy, and, an intense look at the deep work of grace in the last days.

God uses everything he can to draw our hearts and focus toward him, and Revelation is prominent in his plan to awaken our hearts to the reality of Christ.

We are a privileged people, living in the age of Philadelphia, the feast of Tabernacles, and yet, apostasy is growing in the hearts of some of God sons and daughters.

If one has not been blessed with the understanding of the church ages – how the moves of God over the last 500 years place us squarely in Philadelphia – then how can one receive the Lord’s heart and instructions for today?

Only the Spirit of God can search out those truly wanting him, in hopes of stirring their hearts.

No wonder, there’s such a wide spectrum of teaching regarding the book of Revelation, and all the speculations, while missing the heart of the most important church age at one of the most critical times in history.

But God.

God’s Call and Instructions

Noah received a calling and instructions to prepare an ark for him and his family in preparation for the “wave” of God’s Spirit to come.

Joseph received a calling and instructions to save his father, his brothers, and their families in a distant land from starvation.

Moses received a calling and instructions time and time again to save himself, his family, and Israel.

Joshua received a calling and instructions to lead the tribes of Israel into the land of milk and honey, and evict the Canaanites.

Samuel received a calling and instructions on how to hear the Lord, and judge Israel in righteousness.

David received a calling and instructions time and time again spanning decades preparing him to rule and reign over Israel, setting in motion an unprecedented time in Israel’s history when his son, Solomon, would rule an Empire, and his descendant, Christ, would rule heaven and earth.

And Christ, from birth, received a calling and instructions over decades that made him into the man we would come to know as our Savior and bridegroom.

And just as all of those who have preceded us received a calling and instructions, so it is with God’s sons and daughters today.

The Lord has been speaking for decades through many about our need for deep healing and restoration.  

He’s raised up ministries specifically for healing his sons and daughters.

Volumes and volumes have been written on the subject, and tens of thousands of hours have been spent in prayer ministry and other ministries for healing and restoration.

The Scriptures speak clearly and succinctly about our need to be cleansed body, soul, and spirit, by the Lord.

Something Passover and Pentecost was not designed to do.

It rests in Tabernacles, Philadelphia, where we find ourselves, today, in this momentous time of Church history.

I believe another move of intensive inner healing and the creative works of God, are coming in the days of ahead, to circle back and give those lagging behind another chance to catch up while the light of day is still present.

If you’re into Revelation just for knowledge, because the end – times is a hot topic, at least that’s a start, but that’s not the heart of what the Book is about nor what Christ is about.

There are moves of God coming to usher many into deep inner healing and restoration, but it will take some prepared in advance to help move others into the place Christ is calling them.

The more prepared someone is now, the more they can receive when the wave comes.

And if we don’t receive it, we can’t help prepare those coming after us.

There will be a generation (people from a number of generations) that transit through “the end – times,” i.e., the bride, the apostasy, the seventh Antichrist world system, and the last day revival(s), however many there may be.

The heart of Revelation is not the wrath of God, or the condemnation of the unjust, but to save the lost, and to grow, deepen, and mature the saved from glory to glory into the likeness of Christ.

The heart of Revelation is to heal and restore, to redeem and make new, to provide ever-increasing measures of grace in the face of unrelenting sin.

Our heavenly father started with Christ first, revealing (“making,” Romans Chapter 6, Hebrews 5:7 – 10, etc.), by grace through faith the man Christ Jesus into whom he came to be – the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, the source of our salvation.

And it comes to completion in the Gospel era with the preparation of his bride.

And to those today, who have spiritual eyes to see, they’ll have all the insight they need to be led by Christ into being “made ready” for their coming bridegroom.

The age of Philadelphia offers the greatest and richest promises of God yet to be offered.

Let’s take advantage of God’s generosity and do everything we can to seek the interests of Christ while the light is still day.

*** SECTION III ***

The Mystery of Fathering – The Reality of Christ

Now, it’s good and well to be taught about the last days:

• the fulfillment of the three feasts, Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles,
• the bride, the Philadelphia church age, the child in the womb, birthed in Revelation 12,
• the living creatures, the raptured bride, ruling and reigning with Christ,
• the warning of the coming apostasy, the age of Laodicea, the woman of Revelation 12, and the saints who give their lives in the Tribulation,
• the seventh headed Antichrist beast, who suffers a “death wound” in revival, rising to form an eighth head with Satan as its helm during the Tribulation (Revelation 12 and 13),
• the various aspects of the bride’s journey during the age of Philadelphia – fathered by God – preparation, inner healing, growth and maturity in the things of God, etc., and,
• the unprecedented promises of the Philadelphia church age; the glory of Christ to be revealed “in his bride,” and, to the lost who come to him.

 

And it’s revealing to look at the signs of the times from heaven’s viewpoint and see the mountain tops of two kingdoms once again headed for collision.

But, it’s relationship with Christ, and Christ alone, experiencing the cleansing and healing power of the Lord Jesus, “fathered by God,” that is the true sign of the times, the formation of the temple of the Lord in his bride.

Important

When Jesus becomes just as real to you as your spouse, coworker, son or daughter, becoming the most important relationship in your life, leading you in “healing, relationships, and living,” then you know you’ve begun the transition into Tabernacles, intimacy and union with Christ.

This is something Jesus has to invite one into, because only he knows the path and how to lead one through it.

He invited Peter, he invited John, he invited Paul, and he will invite you, given your interest and desire to be one with him.

The foolish virgins were invited but could not make the journey “to” begin their adventure with him because they were unprepared.

It’s a paradigm shift that does not happen in Passover and Pentecost, but, reserved for the deep things of God in Tabernacles.

It’s an actual, tangible, spiritual change, even more so, than being born again and spirit filled.

When your relationship with Christ becomes more real than the world, you’ll feel what the Apostle John felt when he voiced in 1 John (paraphrasing):

Those who love the world are empty, without hope, missing the love and care of the Father, ruled by lusts and enticements, and in time, will fade from history, losing the opportunity for eternal life.

But those who love the Father will be led into the will of God and eternal life with their Lord and Savior, Christ.

This is the call of this hour: to be known and know your Savior, fleeing the things of this life for the riches and treasures of Christ.

Creeds, traditions, obligations, duties, performance, etc., will not get you into intimacy and union with Christ.

Actually, they will steer you in the opposite, instilling hardness instead of softness for the things of Christ, and his desire to richly and deeply know you, and you him.

The weight on the human spirit of creeds and traditions, and the performance gospel they secretly empower, coupled with the unrelenting assault of the Spirit of this age, will become too much for many Christians when things get really dark.

The enemy uses whatever means he can to create distance in our relationship with Christ, and the last thing he wants to see is you and me feasting richly in Tabernacles.

Creeds and traditions keep us from knowing the truth about Christ, his personal journey – the journey he wants us to seek and be invited into.

In the absence of journeying with Christ, performance – based Christianity keeps us working harder and harder to gain favor with Jesus.

While the Spirit of this age grows stronger and stronger, making this world look invincible, the promises of Christ weak, and the promises unattainable.

But God.

The Lord has been preparing for this day.

Jesus is doing an unprecedented work in the hinterlands of Christianity, preparing many for the deep truths of the faith, and the deep work of grace he reserved for the last days.

Jesus is moving many beyond the outer and inner courts (the outer court – knowing “about” Jesus, i.e., Passover, being born again, and, the inner court – knowing “his presence,” Pentecost), to knowing Christ in the Most Holy Place, “Tabernacle,” the revelation of Christ by grace (1 Peter 1:13).

There are no other options for deep intimacy and relationship with Christ.

There are no shortcuts.

If there were, the Church would have fulfilled the third and final feast of Tabernacles centuries ago.

This is the season designed and ordained by God to be fathered by the Lord into the deep things of God.

And the deep things begin in us – cleansing and healing the secret and hidden things of our heart.

Many are experiencing this today.

It will accelerate in the years ahead as the journey intensifies and time becomes more critical.

And God’s work will take less time in the future than it does today, because of the shortened opportunity.

Many will find themselves suddenly in the deep waters of Christ because others went before them and made the way straight.

An Example, a Prefiguring

Look at it this way.

John the Baptist was prepared by God for years, fathered, for what he was called into – to prepare and announce the coming Christ.

He spent “years” (decades) being fathered by God; learning to hear God’s voice, the moving of the Spirit, sensitivity; God imparting deep grace and truth in John’s inner man.

Can you imagine what he thought when Jesus begins healing people right and left?

It’s like wow, he probably thought, “I’ve spent my entire life being prepared by God, and Jesus shows up, and does for others what took years in my heart.”

“I’ve been eating locusts and sweating in the desert for decades preparing to prepare the way of my Savior, and yet, deep down inside, I feel some sense of angst and maybe a little jealousy because others receive in minutes what I prepared for decades.”

It’s the same with healing ministers today who’ve been trained by God for years and brand-new “newbies” receive things from God quickly.

It’s the parable of the workers who come to work at different times and all received the same blessing of God.

The collision of righteousness and darkness (Revelation Chapter 12) will be so profound, unparalleled – darkness having such a hold in people’s lives – the Lord will do an “unprecedented” deep and profound work quickly.

As it says in Romans, “‘For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality.’” (NIV, 9:28)

Mystery of Righteousness – It’s More than Decision Making

The ancients and generations of old lived lives filled with hand-me-down stories, mysteries, and discoveries of far-off lands, people, and cultures.

And then Jesus, shows up, out of the blue, a man of deep mystery.

People and the rulers could not figure him out.

Often, he talked in parables with eyes fixed intently on his listeners.

Other times he talked directly to the heart, like a surgeon, dividing the tares from the wheat, looking for some good soil to plant his words.

Yes, Christ was a man of deep mystery.

And if he was mysterious, something, someone, to be sought out, discovered, unveiled, then the Word and working of the Spirit of grace is mysterious.

Christendom today is besieged with facts, figures, data, information, analysis, unlike any time in history.

Christian life has in many ways become a data center, information processing, so much so, we call it “making decisions for Christ.”

And yet, we find, over time, many of those decisions erode and become lifeless because the deep wounds and brokenness giving rise to the decisions in the first place have not been healed.

We’ve bundled life into a process of “decision making,” whether it be in the natural, or spiritual realm.

Important

We’ve forgotten transformation comes by the work of the Holy Spirit, through a long process of repentance and forgiveness, deep cleansing and healing of the secret and hidden things of the heart.

Yes, decisions are involved, but deep cleansing and healing, becoming intimate and one with Christ, is much more than what is available in Pentecost.

God did not design you and me to be walking statements of faith, filled with the knowledge of doctrines, creeds, and traditions.

But people who relish the thought of searching something out – the treasure and riches of inspiration and discovery – knowing Christ better, and he us.

Our hearts are designed to dig deep within and without to find the hidden treasures of God.

We’re designed to be people who relish discovery:

• who find delight, excitement, joy, wonder, in having the Lord open up the Word – here a little, and there a little,
• who delight in being “fathered,” into discovery just far enough that they feel joined with Christ in discovering more of him, inspiring even greater pursuit of Jesus,
• it’s like being on an adventure with someone where your relationship grows as your adventure grows.

 

God has a mysterious way of leading us into discovery, old truths re-revealed – “life-giving, interesting, and visionary” – filling our hearts with anticipation and expectancy, not data and information.

Facts, data, information do not birth life, nor do they feed the spirit, or nourish the soul.

We’ve been trained, even in Christian circles, in a measure, to cleave to the things of this life because of the absence of deep intimacy with Christ.

Christ wants us to cleave to him and him alone.

That’s what the age of Philadelphia is all about, deep intimacy and union with the Father and the Son through God’s Holy Spirit.

The cultivation of God’s son’s and daughter’s hearts for the deep mysteries of the revelation of Christ, righteousness, have been long lost in the Church.

****

In a lot of respects, Christianity has become a process, a procedure, having “lighted paved roads,” when Christ, the Scriptures, call us into a journey of intimacy, discovery, and inspiration, fathered by God in the wilderness.

Not many today know of Christ’s personal journey, ascribing the great body of Scripture’s about his journey to Calvary, missing the greatest story ever told.

The wonder of the Word, the mysteriousness of the Gospel, the deep panting for more of Christ, has been replaced with programs and methods, and an endless series of instructions on how to make decisions for Christ – instead of pointing God’s children to the wonder and mysteriousness of Christ, his Word, and Spirit.

Christendom has created a maze of obstacles Christians have to figure out in order to find Christ and seemingly gain favor with God.

All the while Jesus is standing at the door of our hearts, knocking, asking to be let in, so he can lead us out of the maze into the wilderness with him.

To a large extent, Christendom has substituted what can be seen and conveyed in the natural, for the mysteriousness of Christ – the unfolding revelation of grace, in the revelation of Christ, as he leads us into the things of God.

The joy of discovery, the joy of anticipation and expectancy, the mystery of God, has been taken from the body of Christ.

There are many today who have grown up physically without “fathers,” and certainly, “spiritually.”

The mystery of being invited – initiated into life by “fathers” – has been vanquished from the land, not only in the natural (in many cases), but in the spiritual for most.

Much of Christendom is un-fathered, wounded and broken, Passover and Pentecost Christians, trying to father others, while they remain un-fathered in the deep things of God.

A Father

A true father of grace and truth is one who has journeyed long in Christ, submitting to the deep things of the Spirit of God, having deeply rooted transgressions and inequities “wounded and pierced” (cleansed and healed).

They opened the door when Jesus knocked, and let him begin cleansing the temple he and his Father desire to make their home.

Yes, our wounds need to be “wounded” and our deeply rooted transgressions and inequities need to be “pierced,” by our great high priest, bringing cleansing and healing to our wounds and brokenness.

A father allows deeply rooted transgressions and iniquities to be revealed by the light of God’s Spirit – to have agreements, beliefs, thoughts, etc., exposed for cleansing and healing through repentance, forgiveness, and the creative acts of God.

A father has been in the wilderness with Christ, the path he pioneered, a journey of growing intimacy with the Lord.

And in that journey, some discomfort is to be expected, as the “Old” makes way for the “New” as the deep areas of pain and trauma from our fallen nature cry out to God for cleansing and healing.

Yes, some suffering is to be expected. But it’s the suffering of being made whole from the clutch of death.

Christian societies have massed produced leaders for pastoring and evangelism for Passover and Pentecost.

But today, were living in the age of Philadelphia, Tabernacles, the deep revelation of Christ beyond the shores of Passover and Pentecost.

Christendom is in new land and new things are required.

The new wine of this season requires new wineskins.

The newborn need fathers, and God is raising fathers in this season of Tabernacles, to “father” the newborn – to keep them safe from the Dragon that seeks to devour the newborn as soon as they are born (Revelation 12).

Make no mistake about it, the Spirit of this age is seeking to devour every new thing God desires to do.

But God, is not going to let that happen.

He’s preparing some in advance to help raise the newborn when revival comes, and it will come.

Most of us would not be here today without those who bore the cross of Passover and Pentecost in bringing us the Gospel.

But if we stay put in Passover and Pentecost, we’ll miss the deep truths of the faith and “fathering” the Lord has reserved for the feast of Tabernacles.

The Lord has prepared an assortment of ministries introducing sons and daughters to “fathering,” preparing them for the coming move of God.

A move, or moves, that will be unprecedented.

Important

The “Appearing” of Christ to Father

The greatest act of fathering, is not instructions, but the cleansing and healing of our wounds and brokenness, making us whole, and in that being known and knowing, receiving the “Father’s” care and love in gentleness.

And to be fathered by God is the greatest honor and privilege one can receive this side of heaven.

To be the recipient of intimacy from God is not to be taken lightly, nor to be compared and entertained in relationship to the things of this life, which will, quickly pass away.

A uniquely rich and individual move of God is coming to “father” many young sons and daughters into the deep things of God, fulfilling the promises of Philadelphia, Tabernacles, for the wise virgins.

The “…deep truths of the faith…” (1 Timothy 3:9), “…the mystery of Christ,” (Ephesians 3:4), “…this mystery, which is Christ in you…” (Colossians 1:27), “…the mystery of his will…” (Ephesians 1:9), the mystery of “the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming” (1 Peter 1:13), etc., can be summed up as the mysteries of fathering, forming Christ in you and me. (NIV, italicized mine)

And that begins in intensity by being led by the Lord into the wilderness with him, invited into the Most Holy Place, Tabernacles “the cleansing and healing atoning work of Christ,” the open door of Philadelphia, led by the Lord into the deep things of God (John 21:18).

The plan of God for the Gospel era is coming to completion in Philadelphia and I hope none of us want to miss it.

It is the “coming” “appearing” “revealing” “taking” of the Lord to his sons and daughters to be made new, to know and be known, putting to death the deeds of the body, made alive in spirit – healing and restoration for you and me.

(See Matthew 24:40 – 41; John 21:18; Romans 8:10 – 11; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Galatians 4:19; Philippians 1:6; Colossians 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Timothy 6:14, 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Peter 1:13, etc.

These are different expressions of the “coming,” etc., of the Lord to “father” his children into newness of life.)

*** SECTION IV ***

Revelation, Revealing the Word of God in Flesh and Blood

“and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father – to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.” (NIV, Revelation 1:6)

“that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ…” (NIV, 2 Corinthians 5:19)

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus…” (NIV, 1 Timothy 2:5)

“he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,” (NIV, Ephesians 1:9)

“Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation…” (NIV, Ephesians 3:2 – 3)

“This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” (NIV, Ephesians 3:6)

Please Note

The verse just quoted (3:6) makes it appear as though the mystery of the gospel is the Gentiles are joint heirs with Israel in the redemptive plan of salvation.

The word “mystery” is not present in the Greek.

It appears translators added “mystery” in 3:6 because of the “belief” held by commentators, articulated in creeds and traditions, Christ was unscathed from sin at birth, nearly perfect, only needing to grow and mature.

That he had no need for healing and restoration from wounds and brokenness passed to him from his human ancestral line.

And that “belief” contradicts numerous Scriptures, e.g., Ephesians 2:14 – 15 (see an interlinear) which says Christ had enmity, or hostility, in his flesh, and, it was in overcoming that enmity before “sin” could be conceived in him (Romans 6:10; Hebrews 5:7-10; James 1:15), he made the law and his flesh one, by grace through faith – that’s the mystery.

Christ’s baptism, which he pioneered and calls us into – putting to death the deeds of the body, made alive in spirit – was fulfilled by Christ perfectly, by grace through faith (Christ operated out “of” faith, Romans 3:22 and Galatians 3:22, see an interlinear).

He made one new man by making the law and his flesh one, the subject of Ephesians, which Christ, fathered by God, pioneered.

He removed the enmity in his flesh for the law, the law being spiritual, good, and holy, fulfilling the law perfectly in his flesh through overcoming wounds and brokenness, learning obedience through suffering.

Out of his healing and restoration, being made perfect, he destroyed the wall of separation between the law, which is spiritual, and the flesh, making one new man, “him,” reconciling all things unto himself, unto God.

And out of Christ, the NT in his blood, both Jew and Gentile are made one having access to God’s redemptive plan.

The two being made one in the Greek, is the law and the flesh, by putting to death sin, and out of that, comes the gospel, the mystery of Christ, to all men and women.

The mystery is not Jew and Gentile being made one, but Christ: the healing and restoration work of grace by the Father in him – the man Christ Jesus fulfilling the law perfectly in his flesh, never sinning.

Frankly, commentators, and some say so, don’t know what to do with Ephesians 2:14 – 15.

Creeds and traditions forbid them from considering Christ was truly human in every way, having to deal with deep wounds and brokenness in his flesh from his human ancestral line, just like you and me, yet, overcoming them without sin.

That’s the mystery of the Gospel, the deep work of grace and faith in Christ first, and out of that, salvation flowed to you and me.

The Scripture says he is the last Adam, firstborn, first fruit, pioneer, forerunner of the faith, fully human in every way, does it not?

And the Scripture does not say he was perfect, not needing to be fathered.

I don’t know how it can get much clearer when Jesus opens the door and shines the light of his Spirit on his Word.

Those in the past did the best they could with what they had.

But today, we have two millenniums of history God is shining his light on and saying, let me lead you deeper in me, than those who preceded you.

And James teaches you can have lust and yet not sin.

Christ wrestled with lust, yet, he did not sin like you and me, he put it death before it could conceive sin, being fathered by God into healing and restoration.

Bottom line, the meaning of verse six quoted above is the Gentiles have the opportunity of being grafted into the tree of life, as Paul teaches in Romans, and therefore, the opportunity of Christ being formed in them.

****

“This is a profound mystery – but I’m talking about Christ and the church.” (NIV, Ephesians 5:32)

And the following verses make it as clear as possible what the “mystery of Christ” is all about: the father’s work of grace in Christ, followed by the work of grace in those in Christ.

“the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people.

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (NIV, Colossians 1:26 – 27)

“…that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,” (NIV, Colossians 2:2)

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,” (NIV, Colossians 2:9)

Like Jesus said in John Chapter 14, if you see me, you see the Father.

He was the temple of the Spirit of God, the Word of God written on the tablets of his heart and mind, having overcome the enmity of his flesh, walking in resurrection life, eternal life restored, had he not been killed.

And if he went one step further, he may have said, in John 14, “The Father redeemed every area of my life completely and fully, having been made perfect.” (Hebrews 5:7 – 10).

“I completed the race without sin (Romans 6:10, Hebrews 4:15), I am the temple of God, the Word made flesh (John Chapter 1) here for you to handle, touch, and feel the tangible presence of God (1 John 1).”

Important

The mystery of Christ – the perfection of Christ, becoming the source of our salvation:

• the intense work of the Father to prepare a vessel from mankind without the marring of sin, for the habitation of the fullness of God,
• overcoming the enmity in his flesh by dying to sin, made alive in spirit (Romans 6:10, 1 Peter 3:18(b)) – is the glorious mystery of Christ unveiled in signs, wonders, and miracles to Israel, and in revelation from the Father in the case of Peter (Matthew 16:17),
• confirmed “testified” in being raised from the dead after Calvary,
• and, continually confirmed in the testimonies of millions who have eaten from Christ’s banquet table.

 

And that is the mystery offered to you and me in the 21^st century:

• to be made like unto him, though sinners saved by grace, marred by sin, nonetheless we have been ransomed, purchased,
• entitled to the throne of heaven – the intensely deep and intimate work of grace promised to heal and restore the vessels of God in as many as will come (1 Peter 1:10-13).

The Bible

To a large extent, in many circles, the Bible has been made into a manual, almost like a textbook.

It’s main selling point has been to learn life from the example of others: to be transformed by learning what others did rightly, or wrongly.

(But deep transformation requires much, much more, than that. It requires fathering in the deep wounds and brokenness of our lives.)

In sharp contrast, the Bible was designed by God as a book of wonder, a “mine” for discovering spiritual gold, silver, and precious gems – the deep things of God hidden for discovery for those who love him.

It’s a treasure map to Christ – not a treasure map “about” Christ, or, how to make “decisions” for Christ, or, how Christ made decisions, but a map to Jesus.

And we all love treasure hunts, and he’s the greatest treasure to be sought.

If you and me are wonderfully made, which we are, how is it possible for the created (you and me) to define in creeds and traditions the creator?

If we are so complicated, which we are, we have whole fields of study devoted to parts of our being, body, soul, spirit, how can we, who continue to find and explore new facts about ourselves, hope to define our creator?

Our Creator does not want us to try and figure him out, but to seek him for relationship, through his Word and Spirit in connection and pursuit with the body of Christ.

The Word is a launching pad to Christ, toward Christ, and is not the end of the journey, nor is it the measure of how we make decisions for Christ.

The Word of God is designed to cultivate and create desires of passion, inspiration, hope, encouragement, toward Christ and the things of God.

If we’re a bundle of mysteries, still being discovered, how much more our Creator?

The Bible gives us just enough about the Lord to whet our appetite for more of him and the things of God.

In and of itself it’s a mystery, pointing you and me to the greater mystery, Christ.

The Door into Tabernacles in Philadelphia

We only make ourselves vulnerable, known, to those we trust, those who will look after our interests, and their own interests, in honor.

We don’t make ourselves known to those we cannot trust, who will rend us for what they know, who cannot be trusted to seek peace and pursue goodness.

The wise virgins gained wisdom, apprehending Christ at rudimentary levels, having appetites and desires cultivated for more of God.

Though our journey is a free will journey, the foolish virgins were not able to make the journey into Tabernacles because at some level, they were not faithful to apprehend what Christ apprehended them for.

Christ does not impose himself upon our lives as should be obvious.

He is a jealous lover but does not force himself on anyone.

He woos and draws the heart time and time again as he creates a pathway and access in gentleness and kindness.

It is the Lord who supplies the oil of confidence and trust for our journey.

And the wise virgins had the sense to take hold of that knowledge, pursuing Christ to fill their lamps with oil; “graced” in confidence and trust in the Word and Spirit of God of their need to prepare, even though they were unsure about the future and its timing.

The journey of the wise virgins just begins when the bridegroom comes for them.

Unbeknown to them, they have a long journey ahead in being made into brides.

And in that journey, he establishes deeper relationships with us, just like a good friend, embarking us on a journey of revelation, revealing intimacies about himself, his journey, his relationships, his desires, as he draws us closer into the care and love of his heart.

It’s a continual growing process of being cared and loved by God, building greater and greater relationship with us, so we will have greater and greater relationship with him, entrusted with the treasures and riches of Christ.

The Word and Spirit of God are living food and drink, to be “made” a part of us – planted, watered, indistinguishable, the essence of who we become in Christ through our unique and individual identities and destiny.

This is part of the deep journey of Christ, being made conformable to his image, receiving love and care in the deeply rooted wounds and brokenness that would otherwise destroy us.

You can memorize the Word of God all you want, make millions of decisions, but until the Spirit of Christ plants the Word in your soul and spirit, waters it, and cultivates it, you will not be changed “transformed” into the glory of Christ.

Memorizing the Word is great, but, we need Jesus to make it come alive and bear fruit!

It is the creative power of God, the Holy Spirit, that writes the nature of Christ – the Word of God – in our inner man, in the deeply rooted places, as we yield ourselves to Christ in the journey the Scripture calls Tabernacles.

We must be fathered to be transformed.

And that requires Christ coming to you and me and taking us with him on a journey through the feast of Tabernacles.

Tabernacles is the only plan for being made like Christ and being a part of the bride.

It’s the Philadelphia church age, the greatest promises of God in the gospel era.

This is what we were designed and ordained in Christ to apprehend.

Defining Christ, A Mystery

Man’s attempts to define Christ only work against his efforts to know Christ.

We only end up confusing ourselves, others, and the generations to come.

Definitions create distance rather than intimacy and serve no useful purpose other than an outward effort “works – based effort,” to institutionalize some type of identity.

The mystery of Christ is a mystery, and will always be a mystery to those outside the Most Holy Place.

It cannot be apprehended without encountering and being known, and then, its without definition, like the love between a husband and wife.

Or the oneness of men and women joined together on the battlefield, like David and Jonathan, and millions of others, who have faced and fought death together.

To those in the outer court and inner court (Passover and Pentecost), Tabernacles will always be a mystery.

To those who venture only into the outer court and do not partake of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost will always be a mystery.

The unexplored regions of the Spirit of God will always be a mystery to those, who, for whatever reason, do not explore or are forbidden from exploring the deeper things of God.

But, the mystery of Christ is not a mystery to those on the journey, the wilderness journey, with Christ.

It’s life experience, tangible, more real than life itself.

To those in Tabernacles, called and chosen for the deep work of grace in the Philadelphia church age, the mystery of Christ will be unveiled over the long journey of their sojourn as Christ reveals more and more of his nature in their healing and restoration journey.

The mystery of Christ can be described, as Paul does in the Scriptures in Romans and the author of Hebrews does in Hebrews, but to know it, you must experience it, just like the other feasts.

It is only through journey the mystery of Christ is unfolded and revealed to his sons and daughters.

Peter described it succinctly in 1 Peter 1:13, from his own journey, which began many years earlier as described in John 21:18.

The mystery of Christ is being fathered by God, healed and restored into intimacy and growing union with Christ.

And in that journey, discovering the Word of God and the Spirit of grace, you’re eating and partaking of the banquet of Tabernacles.

And in that fulfillment, receiving the “promises of Philadelphia.”

And out of all of this, being “known and knowing” fully and completely in Christ.

And to those who may be wondering what “fathering” is about, they need look no further than the Gospel of John: which is filled with the revelation of the Father in Christ, and revelation of Christ to his disciples, and to us who follow.

It is not a coincidence the Gospel of John ends with Peter being told, in so many words, his time of being “fathered,” is coming, and John’s is not far behind.

I wrote an extensive post a year or two ago explaining how John 21:18 describes Peter’s upcoming wilderness time with Jesus, post 5 in the “A Peculiar People” series if you want to check it out.

It’s about Peter being personally led by the Lord into the deep things of the Spirit – the wilderness journey of being “fathered,” prefigured by David in the wilderness, and pioneered in fullness by Christ.

Before one can do great things for God, the great things of God must be done in them.

The fleeing of the apostles at Christ’s crucifixion was evidence they were not ready for the great things the Lord wanted to accomplish in them.

Though they had Passover, they needed Pentecost, and most importantly, Tabernacles to complete their journey.

Paul had his wilderness time as well before he began his ministry.

One final thought about John 21:18.

And I discuss this in my post I referred you to.

Can you even imagine Christ bringing up the subject of martyrdom to Peter on the heels of his own horrendous murderous crucifying experience, lightly talking about Peter’s upcoming own murder, after so shortly suffering his own violent murder?

I don’t think so, and the Scriptures do not intimate that in the slightest.

It’s only because the journey of Christ was forgotten and buried that centuries later commentators had to do something with these Scriptures, not knowing what it means to be fathered by God.

Even a number of commentators say John 21:18 is about Peter’s “future in Christ,” and not his martyrdom.

Important

Is it not compelling the Scriptures do not point to Calvary as one of the mysteries of God?

If Calvary was the revelation of the Father in Christ, and, the revelation of the plan of God coming to fullness in Christ for mankind, then would it not be called a mystery, drawing our hearts to discover the deep truths of the faith in Calvary?

No, Calvary is not one of the mysteries of God, it is Christ, and us in Christ, that are the greatest mysteries to be discovered and revealed by grace through faith.

Again, the greatest mystery of the Gospel is the Father’s work of grace in Christ, making him the man we would come to know as our Lord, King, Savior, High Priest, and Prophet.

To deny this is to deny hundreds of Scriptures of the Father’s work in Christ, and, to make Calvary the pinnacle of redemption.

When the Scriptures point to Christ, and Christ alone, as our redeemer, not events, circumstances, or the actions of others in connection with Christ.

See my posts on “When the New Testament Began” for more on this subject.

Calvary is a revelation of Christ, the work of the Father in Christ, in a sense, to those who demanded a visible, tangible sign.

And yet, only a few saw his resurrection, others still had to repent to receive his forgiveness and Spirit.

No, history did not pivot off Calvary, but, the perfection of Christ (Hebrews 5:7-10).

Israel demanded a sign they could see and the only thing left was either Christ going to war against them, or submitting himself to their demand for the sign of Jonah.

Calvary was a confirmation “testimony” against those who killed him that he was who he said he was, the Messiah, the NT in flesh and blood, the NT flowing in his veins.

Instead of seeing the beauty of the work of grace of the Father in Christ, and the outflow of signs, wonders, and miracles testifying of the love of God in him, they demanded to see a sign.

Tragically, the Laodiceans will be caught in a similar web of darkness, missing the great preparation and outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the later days because their natural eyes could not see the spiritual work of grace in the lives of others.

*** SECTION V ***

The Heart of Revelation – More Detail on the Journey of Christ

The heart of revelation is the grace of God to love us so much, he will shake heaven and earth to lift us out of sin, out of the agreements and lies that continually bring ruin to our lives into the glorious “health” of being with him (Hebrews 12:26).

The Grace of God is more than forgiveness.

And Jesus is greater than forgiveness.

His heart is to bring divine peace to our wounds and brokenness, so we can live life from a place of wholeness, peace, and rest.

Christ brought peace between the law, which is spiritual and holy (Romans 7:12-14), and the enmity in his flesh, and he did it by being fathered by God.

And that’s what he wants to accomplish in you and me, in the remaining time he has to work in our lives.

The revelation of Christ, his victory over the enmity in his flesh, the glorification of the man Christ Jesus, pictured in the opening chapter of Revelation, are attributes, in a measure, reserved for the bride as well.

(Some attributes of Christ are more prominent in some, while other attributes are more prominent in others – that’s why we see the faces of the lion, ox, man, and eagle on different living creatures, showing a difference in prominence.)

That’s the mystery of the New Testament God has for the bride, showcased in Philadelphia, the living creatures, the baby in the womb who becomes a male child (which includes women as well) (Revelation 12), and the bride in the closing Chapters of Revelation.

That’s the primary focus of Revelation for Christians living on the threshold of the end – times, the opportunity to be part of the bride of Christ – intimate with Christ, and, the opportunity to minister in the closing hours of the Gospel and help rescue many from the clutches of the evil one.

Adam and Eve lost their relationship and growing union with the Lord in the Garden.

The last Adam, Christ (1 Cor. 15:45), will have a bride from men and women across this globe in the last days not only restoring what the first couple lost, but completing the journey they failed to apprehend.

There’s a lot of moving parts in Revelation, but the heart of what John saw and experienced was the journey of Christ with his bride, fulfilling Christ’s prayer to his Father before his crucifixion.

Another way of saying it, “The mystery of Christ, first and foremost, is the revelation of the Father in Christ, making him into the image and likeness of the Father, fulfilling Genesis 1:26.

And second, making the bride into the image of Christ, from glory to glory – a journey and a process only Christ can accomplish in you and me.”

It involved the healing and restoration of Christ from the enmity in his flesh, found in every human being, overcoming the enmity before it had a chance to conceive sin.

(Romans Chapters 1 to 8, 1 Corinthians Chapter 15, Ephesians Chapters 1 to 4, Philippians Chapters 1 to 2, Colossians Chapters 1 to 2, Hebrews Chapters 1 to 10, James 1, 1 Peter Chapters 1 to 3, etc.)

We’ve all had temptations from deeply rooted things in our lives we did not yield, and of course, we’ve all had temptations from deeply rooted things in our lives where we did yield.

Christ had temptations from deep within him, just like you and me, as the Scripture points out.

The difference between you and me and Christ: he was conceived in holiness, having the Spirit of grace at his conception, placing him in the position of Adam before the fall, but with one exception, having to overcome generations of sin passed to him from his human ancestral line.

And those generations went all the way back from where the entrance of sin started – in Adam and Eve – as Luke in his Gospel makes note of it.

And being fathered by God in grace at a very early age he learned how to overcome temptation from deep within, through faith in obedience, pioneering the path you and I are walking in today.

And, in the process of being fathered, areas of wounds and brokenness in Christ (deeply rooted inherited generational transgressions and iniquities) were brought to his personal cross – opened and cleansed (wounded and pierced), healed and restored – making peace between the law and his flesh, made perfect – the fullness and image of God.

Important

Else, how could Christ be made like us in every way, be tempted in every way we’re tempted, know what it’s like to battle sin, become a champion and the pioneer and finisher of the faith, be made perfect, die to sin, having the NT in his blood?

Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit brought to death the deeds of his flesh and was made alive by the Spirit of God, being raised from the dead (the mortality of his body), walking in resurrection life and power, our Lord and Savior.

This is why it is said of Christ in the Scriptures he is the last Adam, first fruit, firstborn, pioneer, perfecter, one new man, dying to sin, one act of obedience, sacrificing once for all, etc.

This is the revelation of Christ seen in the Spirit by John – the last Adam perfected, the veil of flesh removed completely from the Transfiguration, the Lord Jesus in all his glory.

This is the mystery the Father revealed in Christ first, perfectly, the first among many brethren (Romans 8:29).

And in his perfection, never sinning, he became our substitute, the High Priest of the New Covenant (Hebrews 5:7 – 10).

And it is this mystery, hid from ages, that is made known to the Church, re-revealed in the age of Philadelphia, Tabernacles.

This is the mystery creeds and traditions have forbidden the saints to eat, to be received with thanksgiving.

Learning obedience through suffering means there are areas that need to be brought into wholeness “peace,” requiring some measure of discomfort to undo the old man’s way of living, in order to bring care to places needing rest.

Christ was the first to pioneer that journey.

The mystery of Christ is his perfection, to be made whole by God, establishing a New Covenant in the fullness of time: redeeming mankind from the inside out, now that the Old Covenant had run its course.

The Father demonstrated through Christ the futility of fallen man attempts to live righteously outside of grace.

And that mystery of bringing men and women into wholeness (1 Thessalonians 5:23) is the promise of the mystery of the Father to you in me.

Spirit of Christ

“Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.” (NIV, 1 Peter 1:10 – 11)

The “Spirit of Christ” in Christ Jesus was the revelation of the Father in him.

It is the Word and Spirit of God, in grace and truth, made flesh in the man we know as the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior.

That’s why Jesus could say, “‘Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.’” (NIV, John 14:9)

In being fathered unto perfection, he not only regained when Adam lost at the fall, but became the one and only person to overcome transgressions and iniquities passed through the generations.

That’s why he’s the eternal source of our salvation, having the New Testament in his blood – his blood line was cleansed through him, and all those who accept his “blood” sacrifice, are brought into his line, spiritually speaking, being grafted into the tree of life, whether Jew or Gentile.

This is the Christ who stepped into Israel to minister healing and salvation- the perfected Son of God, the living breathing NT in his blood.

And that’s how he could offer salvation and healing – because he is the New Testament!

Christ is the only one to complete the “fathering” journey without the stain of sin, becoming the exact representation of the revelation of his Father – a perfect representation – God in flesh and blood, the only begotten of the Father. (John Chapter 1, John 10:34-38, Hebrews Chapter 1, etc.)

Important

Being the exact representation of the Father, Christ:

• glorified humanity, walking in resurrection life, having all authority given to him by the Father,
• having overcome the enmity in his flesh, mortality taking on immortality, walking in eternal life,
• having all power to heal and save, exalted to the right hand of the Father,
• God in flesh and blood,
• could rightly answer and quote these Scriptures in relationship to the equality of “God” question:

 

“Jesus answered them, “‘“‘Is it not written in your Law, ‘“‘I have said you are “‘god’s’”?’”’”

‘“‘If he called them “‘gods,’” to whom the word of God came – and Scripture cannot be set aside – what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world?’”’ (NIV, 10:34 – 36)

Revelation is the revelation of the Father perfectly revealed in Christ drawing us, who live in the Philadelphia church age, into the promises and provision of God to make his children after the likeness of their Savior.

For you and me and all those chosen to be brides, being made into the likeness of Christ, of course, has qualifiers.

Qualifiers in the sense we have sinned, and though Jesus is working with us to overcome sin in our lives through healing and restoration, there will never be another perfect Christ, as he is the only begotten of the Father, conceived in the womb, who was tempted in all points yet without sin.

No other human will ever be able to say that.

Living Creatures

That’s why we see the raptured bride in Revelation Chapters 4 and 5 represented by “four” living creatures, a lion, ox, man, and, an eagle.

Each one of these represent an attribute of Christ formed in his bride, a body of sons and daughters, with Christ as the head.

Briefly, the lion represents kingly authority, rulership, those in the bride who are rulers, leaders, commanders having a “lion” heart.

The “ox” represents those in the bride who are more inclined as servant Christians, those who plow the field in the Word, prayer, cultivating and inspiring others to move toward and accept Christ.

The “man” represents those in the bride who minister in healing and restoration, evangelism, and other outreaches to the lost whether it is the lost within us, or the lost in the world, redeeming areas of our lives, the priestly ministry of man reconciling one another to God.

And the “eagle” represents those in the bride who have vision for the deep things of God, seeing the future now, calling the body of Christ – revelation of the Word and Spirit – to the next journey in Christ; spearheading new insight and discovery in God, advancing the kingdom of God forward.

We are a body of sons and daughters having different gifts, talents, callings, ministries, etc., and together the bride, living creatures made of sons and daughters from all walks of life and generations.

The bride fulfills Christ’s heart for intimacy and connection with those who have walked with him, being known and knowing.

The one common feature found in all those who will be brides are those who know and are known by the Lord, having been led by him into the deep things of the Spirit, receiving deep care and love in the wounds and brokenness of their lives.

And the only way we can be known and knowing is the wilderness journey with Christ he has for each and every one uniquely and specifically.

And that journey involves deep cleansing and healing (Romans Chapters 6 through 8; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 5:25 – 26; 1 Thessalonians 5:23, etc.).

The wounding of our wounds (transgressions) and the piercing of our deeply rooted sinful beliefs and practices (iniquities) is part of the journey of being conformed to the image of Christ, sharing his wounds and piercings.

To better understand what I mean you may want to see my post previous post, the last two sections.

Way of Escape

The way of escape from sin is to be cleansed and healed by the Lord.

There is no other way.

And that means opening up wounds (wounding the wounds as some describe it) and piercing deeply rooted iniquities for the Lord’s care, love, and to fill those areas formerly held by darkness with the grace and truth of God.

If you have an infection, disease, wound, brokenness, in your soul and spirit or in your body, it requires treatment.

There are specialists in the kingdom of God, such as those in prayer ministry, deliverance warriors, spiritual fathers, counselors, and those who are spiritual neurosurgeons, Christ taking them into the wounded and broken areas of the heart and spirit.

The Lord has provisioned a wide assortment of talented, gifted sons and daughters in the body of Christ to cleanse, grow, mature his sons and daughters into his likeness.

There is a hidden and secret work of God going on today in the “womb” of the Church, forming sons and daughters in the likeness and the beauty of Christ.

You do not want to miss it!

*** SECTION VI ***

Christ – The Outcome of True Fathering

Revelation’s Picture of Christ & the End – Time Bride

The notion that Christ entered life unscathed from the effects of sin upon his human ancestry is clearly not in accord with Scripture.

And this becomes clearer, by bringing alongside the Scriptures a picture of the glorified Christ – what Revelation does in its opening chapter.

The Scriptures clearly say Christ had much to redeem from his human ancestral line, and it began with him, overcoming temptations not only from without, but also from within.

Having enmity in your flesh is a mark of wounds and brokenness requiring healing and restoration (Ephesians 2:14 – 15, see an interlinear).

Being born from above, conceived by the Holy Spirit, birthed him into the Spirit of grace, but it did not remove all the “stuff” passed to him from his mother’s ancestral line.

That’s what his personal pioneering journey is all about.

Having to learn obedience through suffering is a mark of wounds and brokenness, taking away the Old, to make way for the New (Hebrews 5:7 – 10).

And having to die to sin, is a mark of wounds and brokenness, taking away the Old, to make way for the New (Romans chapter 6).

Creeds and traditions are like another individual who stands between you and the Lord.

They usurp our God-given right and responsibility to study the Scriptures ourselves, and, to have no idols before him – things that block relationship with Christ.

Being tempted in all points like us goes beyond just being tempted externally, like Adam and Eve, who were in the early stages of development and immature.

And Christ was tempted in the same ways we are tempted the Scripture says, not just out of immaturity needing to grow, but, from deep within.

I’m giving a refresh on the subject in this section because I’m heading somewhere with the picture of Christ John saw and recorded in Revelation Chapter 1.

Because of the overwhelming influence of creeds and traditions, many of our predecessors most certainly felt the heavy weight of staying in line with church doctrine, or risk accusation.

We are once again at a pivotal time in church history.

Because, it is only in the last hundred years, beginning shortly after the return of Pentecost, the Lord has been revealing the details of “his” journey here and there.

We can only take so much change, the Reformation (salvation by grace, being born again, the feast of Passover in the New Testament), took about 400 years to go through its “maturation” journey before the return of Pentecost, the Azusa Street Revival (the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the feast of Pentecost in the New Testament).

And though Pentecost spread globally within a few years, it took about three quarters of a century to run its course within Christendom.

And it’s within the last part of the 20^th century the transition began from Pentecost to the feast of Tabernacles through a number of movements, particularly being fathered, and inner healing.

I give a lot of history in my posts because I’ve discovered over the years most Christians do not have an understanding of church history, and therefore, lack some of the basics in understanding what God is doing today beyond just going to church.

“Dead Ones” ((a) Romans 4:17 & 4:24, bold and italicized mine.)

This next little section on “dead ones” is not difficult to understand.

It’s the subject of much of Paul’s writing in Romans “putting to death the deeds of the body, being made alive in spirit,” the process of transformation and sanctification – theme of Romans Chapter 6, for Christ first, then you and me.

Christ’s miracle conception, conceived by the Holy Spirit with an egg from Mary’s womb, did not spare Christ from her generational wounds and brokenness being passed to him.

Being born into grace by the Spirit of his father placed him back in the position of Adam before the fall, freedom from the clutches of having tasted sin personally.

Having the ability to choose right from wrong without the driven – ness that comes from having tasted sin.

His virgin birth nullified the “automatic nature” of sin being “conceived and birthed” as it passes from parents to children.

As it says in James Chapter 1, in so many words, you can have wounds and brokenness – internal lusts (transgressions and iniquities in seed form, waiting to bring forth their fruit in your life) – but until you give way to those lusts, the Scripture says sin has not been conceived.

As Paul describes in Ephesians, Christ found himself having enmity in his flesh, and a journey to overcome that enmity before it could give birth to sin.

And as we see in Chapter 5 in both Romans and Hebrews, Christ’s obedience produced the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

Bottom line, Christ needed healing and restoration!

It wasn’t just a matter of being born and growing up and maturing, but a life-and-death struggle against sin making him the man who would become King, Lord, High Priest, Prophet, and eternal Savior.

That’s why Romans Chapter 6 expands, speaking about him dying to sin to walk in newness of life, resurrection life, having overcome the deeds of the flesh, suffering the wounding and piercing of generational transgressions and iniquities passed to him before they could produce their fruit in his life.

That’s what the journey is all about, being baptized with the baptism that Christ was baptized with.

And, looking at it another way, the Scriptures make it clear in Romans Christ was not immune to the curse of “death” “mortality” passed from generation to generation, one of the effects of the enmity in his flesh.

So, with Christ we have the restoration of the right to choose good from evil, having been birthed into grace, but still facing unhealed wounds and brokenness, that if left unhealed, would eventually mature and capture him in sin.

Which brings me to the subject matter of death mentioned in the last half of Romans Chapter 4.

Christ had a race to run, and being fathered by God – having the Spirit of his father, and the truth of God’s Word being written on the tables of his heart and mind – it was a race Christ would win.

Romans Chapter 4 beginning with verse 17 through the end of the Chapter speaks to the subject matter of Abraham and Sarah, and how Abraham, believed God, and through his faith life came forth from the union of him and Sarah.

Paul goes on to say in Chapter 4 (infers) we shall be raised from the dead in like manner, for those who believe on the one who raised Jesus from the dead.

The death Jesus was raised from has nothing to do with Calvary, and everything to do with being raised from mortality to immortality (the first fruit, 1 Corinthians 15) – the healing of inherited wounds and brokenness.

He was made alive in spirit, resurrection life, the work of grace by faith of the Father to restore Christ, and not only restore him, but to perfect him –literally raising him from the “dead” to eternal life, body, soul, and spirit.

These passages have as the subject matter the operation of faith to bring life out of death, to heal and restore, to bring fruitfulness where there is no fruit.

These passages are not about Calvary, because Christ was walking in resurrection life when he faced Calvary, having authority to lay down his life and to take it back up again.

No, Romans Chapter 4 has nothing to do with Calvary and everything to do with the Father preparing Christ to be our Lord and Savior before his appearing to Israel.

The subject matter of Calvary is not about Christ being raised from the dead per se, though he gave that as the sign of Jonah, but about being restored to the glory he had before he was killed (John 12:28).

Christ was not wrestling with whether he would be made alive again after being killed at Calvary, but whether to submit to the injustice of killing him, an innocent man.

Romans 6 clearly says Jesus died “to sin” that he could walk in newness of life.

Calvary had nothing to do with dying “to sin,” but, being killed because of others sin so that forgiveness might flow to them through their repentance.

And newness of life, resurrection life, the perfected one, required being raised from the dead (1 Corinthians Chapter 15), corruptible putting on incorruptible, and in Christ’s case, being made perfect, becoming our Savior.

Creeds and traditions have robbed us of the glory of Christ, focusing the many references to death in the New Testament forcefully to Calvary, instead of his personal journey of being made perfect.

The example of Abraham and Sarah in Romans Chapter 4 is about going from lifeless to fruitfulness, and for Christ, from mortality and wounds and brokenness, to immortality – resurrection life.

And that is the picture of Christ we see in the opening chapter of Revelation, the glorified Son of Man, Son of God, glorified “again,” as it says in John Chapter 12.

And that’s why in Isaiah 53:9, in the Hebrew, it talks about his “deaths,” plural (prophesying of the grace to come which would perfect the Messiah, dying to sin, and then because of his rejection, a second death, Calvary.)

If Romans Chapters 4 through 8 were speaking about Calvary, Paul would simply say something like, “As everybody knows, Jesus was killed on Golgotha, and God raised him from the dead,” end of story.

But that’s not the story of the book of Romans, because it’s not our story, and Christ pioneered a story we could follow, he did not pioneer Calvary!

If Romans (and the other NT books outside the Gospels) was about Calvary, there would not need to be the numerous parallels and historic accounts, and explanations of putting the deeds of the body to death to walk in newness of life.

If your basis for understanding Scripture is to start with creeds and traditions, you’ll end up on a dead-end trail, missing the heart of Scripture to be made new in the inner man, healed and restored, walking in resurrection life.

No wonder today most of Christendom is not pursuing inner healing, nor being fathered by God in the wilderness.

Romans Chapter 4 is about relationship with the Father, the growing and maturing by grace through faith intimacy with the Father, it is not about the events of Calvary.

Christ’s perfection journey purified “him” of trespasses and iniquities passed through the generations, justifying you and me before God as our substitute.

Having overcome the enmity in his flesh, and in so doing, ransoming you and me from the clutches of the enemy into the hands of God.

If you miss this understanding, then you miss the journey of Christ before his ministry, and you miss the story the Scriptures invite us into, to be transformed into his likeness from glory to glory.

Again, no wonder, the Scripture says in the last days there’ll be a great apostasy.

Because creeds and traditions are forbidding vast multitudes of Christians from being married to Christ, receiving the food God has prepared for those looking for his appearing.

The understanding I’m sharing with you in this section about Christ being “raised” from the dead (i.e., from mortality, caused by wounds and brokenness, to immortality, from healing and restoration) is important, because without this understanding one will not grasp the meaning of the picture of Christ John recorded in the opening account of Revelation.

Please note: I wanted to include in this Section brief comments about John’s description of Christ, re: Revelation Chapter 1, and attributes of the bride, seen in the living creatures, but I waxed too long, and hope to do so in Part 15.

TRANSITION

Because the transition to the Millennium will be so severe and life-changing, unprecedented, the last day ministry of the bride will be beyond any revival to date.

It will be one last opportunity for men and women to come to Christ before irreversible events are set in motion.

So much focus is on the Tribulation and the Antichrist, seals, trumpets, plagues, martyrdom and second coming, etc., many are not aware of the preparation being done by the Lord now, today, in this generation, to prepare a bride.

Many are not aware of the unprecedented move of God coming of such magnitude the Scripture says the Antichrist world system will be wounded – a death wound – for a season.

The end – time ministry of the bride will be global, surpassing all revivals to date, as well as the ministry of the two witnesses in the Tribulation.

Relatively speaking, it’s only been a short time since Pentecost returned, the Azusa Street revival, which swept many nations into revival in a matter of a few years.

That revival will be dwarfed by the one to come.

Wherever the Lord is preparing a bride, revival will come, and that is globally.

The Tribulation will be global, and the second coming will obviously usher in a global Millennium.

When you see storm clouds, you know a storm is coming.

When you see the erosion of Christendom at the same time as the rise of a culture increasingly antagonistic to God, where “doing what is right in your own eyes” becomes a way of life, then you know the storm clouds of heaven are taking notice of the events on Earth.

There is much precedent for what is coming, maybe not in intensity, but nonetheless, when the alignment of all the various moving parts come together at the right time, with the right people, events will unfold rapidly, as they have in the past.

CONCLUSION

If you approach the Scriptures with layers upon layers of creeds and traditions from the last 1600 years, plus all the commentaries and translation adjustments, and try to incorporate new insight into the mix, it’s like trying to put new wine in old wineskins.

Creeds and traditions elevate “beliefs” and “teachings” at the expense of deep and intimate personal relationship.

Scriptural teachings should be to point and lead us into the deeper things of God.

Creeds and traditions do just the opposite, they substitute, replace, deep intimacy for commonality.

Another way of looking at it, the mind has been elevated above the heart.

Sadly, Christianity in a lot of ways has become a “head knowledge” lacking the revelation of the Spirit for discovery, as well as the power of God in signs, wonders, and miracles.

And all of us are suffering today because of this.

To move into the deeper things of God, first of all you must be invited by the Lord, and willing to lay aside everyone else’s theology about Christ, God, salvation, etc., seeking the Lord to take you down to the bedrock of the faith, starting fresh, as if it’s the first time you’re reading the Scriptures.

And as the Lord begins to reveal to you what the Scriptures say about matters closest to his heart and yours, and what he wants to prepare you for, he’ll lead you into the path prepared for the purposes he has for you.

As it says in the Psalms he goes before us preparing a way and he’s behind us protecting us from harm we don’t even know is there.

And after you grow some on your own then you can start to read what others say about this and that and ask the Lord to separate the chaff from the wheat, and he will in due season as you journey in the Word.

Now more than ever is the time to throw off every weight of hindrance, and seek Jesus, for the next steps he would like to see in your journey.

What does he have on his heart for you in this hour of your story?

Maybe for some, who are performance oriented, maybe it’s time to slow down, take a break, and see what Jesus has for you.

Maybe it’s time for some rest, and in rest, he can begin to wash and cleanse your feet, bringing you back to what he wants to do in you, instead of what you want to do in others.

It’s not the anointing in ministry we’re to seek, but the “one” who anoints.

Ministry is an “outflow” of who we become, not an inflow of who we become – it’s not designed to be our identity.

Ministry is about the grace and favor of God flowing out from the overflow in our lives, not flowing in from the praise of mankind.

If ministry is driving you, the focus of your mission, and the passion of your heart, then wisdom from God is needed.

This is the season to receive care and love from the Lord in the deep and intimate areas of our heart needing a touch from God, that he might birth Christ in ways we never thought imaginable.

This generation has yet to see what the Lord can accomplish in those who are broken and contrite, seeking the grace and favor of God above others, wanting nothing but Jesus, and Christ glorified in their life and in the lives of others.

There is something coming that is going to shake the kingdom of Christendom and bring many who are wise to their knees.

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.™

(a) The New Greek – English Interlinear New Testament by Translators Robert K. Brown and Philip W. Comfort, Editor: J. D. Douglas. Copyright © 1990. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

*** Supplement ***

Here’s some interesting evidence of “common” design and pattern in the plan and purposes of God:

1. In Genesis, written a millennia before Christ, it records the sun, moon, and stars as being made on the fourth day.
2. Scholars have determined, according to the generations described in the Bible, Adam and Eve were roughly about four millenniums before Christ.

 

(There are zillions of writings about the conflict between the Bible and archaeology and the origin and timing of the universe. There are some very big holes in archaeology, evolution, and circular reasoning.

The Scripture is clear God makes things from what we cannot see with the natural eye, that the things which appear are made from things that do not appear. (Romans 1:20, Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 11:3)

Mankind has tremendous challenges in just recounting accurately things that happened just a few moments ago in front of witnesses.

So much so we have a huge court system trying to figure out what happened and when, when there’s live witnesses.

And there is geologic evidence of a sudden appearance of life in the archaeological record.

All that to say, when you have deep intimacy with Christ and are being led by the Holy Spirit all the arguments about creation versus Evolution and the like seem foolish, to say the least.)

3. In Scripture, the sun represents righteousness, and Christ is the one, first and foremost, who is symbolized by the sun.

 

It’s not a coincidence (and could not possibly have been contrived by numerous authors spanning over a millennium), that the sun, moon, and stars were made on the fourth day, and Christ came at the end of the fourth millennium, King David being the start of the fourth millennium, Christ being the root of David.

David is linked with Christ in lineage and in the beginning of the transition to the Messiah through Kings (Matthew 22:41-45, Revelation 3:7, 5:5, 22:16).

See the following scriptures as pertaining to the sun and righteousness.

Psalm 37:6; Daniel 12:3; Malachi 4:2; Matthew 13:43; Matthew 17:2; and Revelation 1:16.

4. In Scripture, stars symbolize saints, and it was not until Christ the Old Testament saints received their heavenly position (with the exception of those who had been translated, Enoch, Moses, and Elijah that we know of) confirming their testimony of faith.

 

Genesis 15:5; Exodus 32:13; Daniel 12:3; Hebrews 11:12; Revelation 12:4 (the great apostasy of the last day saints before the Tribulation).

5. And there are a lot of Scriptures regarding the moon symbolizing the nighttime of our journey, Jeremiah 31:35, Psalm 104:19; Psalm 121:6; Psalm 136:9; Joel 2:31, etc.

 

The moon is a dead celestial body, having no life or light of itself, though it does have impact outside of the light it reflects.

The Old Covenant has no life in itself, it speaks of life to come in Christ, and only in the reflection of Christ does it have meaning.

The moon was given to help us navigate our wilderness journey in the night hours of our sojourn and challenges, until the rising of the sun, naturally, and spiritually.

6. And there’s an interesting prefiguring of Christ by Joseph in Genesis 37:9, where Joseph recounts his dream and the sun, moon, and stars bow down to him.

 

We actually do see the fulfillment of this prefiguring in a number of ways and one that’s very dramatic, recorded in Revelation 6:12-13, at the opening of the sixth seal.

The opening of the sixth seal is nearing the end of the seals, the saints who did not make the bride have been martyred, and the severity of the trumpets and the plagues are about to be unleashed on the earth in preparation for Christ’s literal second coming.

The gospel age is coming to a final close in the sixth seal. How do we know this?

Because, symbolically, the sun, moon, and stars marked the beginning of the New and the passing of the Old, and, mark the end of the New, giving way to another change in dispensations, the Millennium:

• as lights marking a change in covenants, the sun pointing to the coming of Christ (Malachi 4:2 and Matthew 17:2),
• the Old Covenant, moon, now able to be “seen” spiritually for what it is in the light of the glory of Christ,
• and now the saints of the Old have meaning, spiritually, because his glory allows their glory to be seen in the night time sky,
• and then, at the end of the Gospel era, with the glory of Christ coming to the entire world, their time of marking seasons and times is diminished, Revelation 6:12-13, points to the end of their Majesty, as Christ takes center stage in a new era, the Millennium.

 

7. As already noted, it is not a coincidence Christ came at the end of the fourth millennium, David at the beginning, and the celestial bodies were created on the fourth day.

 

It says in 1 Corinthians, “The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.” (NIV, 15:46)

Now granted this passage is referring to Adam and Christ, but Christ is the embodiment of Scripture and what applies to him applies to other things in the spiritual realm.

Jesus brings all these things together, pointing to the spiritual hidden in the creative acts of God by quoting a portion of Psalm 78, found in Matthew 13,

“‘…I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.’” (NIV, 13:35)

And we know from a couple of verses both in the Old and in the New, that, a millennium to mankind is like a day to the Lord.

What does all of this tell us?

There’s a plan, purpose, and vision of God – a calendar and storyline – spoken into existence with the creation being played out today in the lives of men and women all across this globe.

And the pattern God established is corroborated in a number of other accounts, or maybe it’s better to say perspectives, that span millenniums.

When Christ was perfected, as described in Hebrews, it says of him he passed through the heavens, having an eternal priesthood, immortality.

It says in the New Testament, when Christ ascended, and I’m talking about the ascension at his perfection (before his ministry) – when he passed through the heavens (Hebrews 4:14), having been made perfect, an eternal priesthood – the saints of old ascended with him, now experientially redeemed having the light of Christ in them eternally.

At Christ’s perfection, Christ appeared to the saints who died in the flood (who repented in the flood, like the thief on the cross) to give them the good news of his victory, and their salvation, see 1 Peter 3:19.

The preceding verse, 3:18, is about his perfection, not Calvary.

Commentators wrestle with verse 3:18 because it does not fit a person being killed and raised again, but it does fit a person dying to sin, made alive in spirit – see Romans 6:10, 8:10 – 11; Ephesians 4:20-24; Hebrews 5:7-10.

I’ve covered this a number of times in earlier posts.