Greetings.
Wow, a lot has changed in our communities the last few weeks. Here in Washington State things continue to unfold as elsewhere.
I hope you and yours are doing well.
Over the next few posts I plan to bring together the various puzzle pieces in one final pass. I’m adding more descriptions and depth, making it more thorough.
I’ve been writing about how certain “accounts” in Scripture foretell and describe, from different perspectives, the Christian journey – being made into the likeness of Christ.
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Some of you may be wondering, “Is there any scriptural evidence these accounts foretell and describe our journey?”
The answer is yes.
Within the body of the seven parables of Matthew Chapter 13, the author refers to Psalm 78, “So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: ‘I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.’” (NIV, Matthew 13:35, italicized mine)
“No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.” (NIV, 1 Corinthians 2:7, italicized mine)
“The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.” (NIV, 1 Corinthians 15:46)
The great masterpiece of creation displays the nature and handiwork of the master artist, revealing an unfolding expression of his journey and plan for you and me.
Creation is a window, a real-life picture, to the calling and path he’s chosen for us.
When he completes his work in you and me, rest will await us, just as it awaited him.
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As I’ve noted before, we are deep in the Philadelphia church age, accompanied by Thyatira and Sardis, and a blossoming Laodicea.
Our journey is foretold and described in actual events and parables:
- the six-day account of creation,
- Bible history: from Adam and Eve to the end of the Old Testament (about 4,000 years), plus the last 2,000 years of church history, six “one thousand year” dispensations,
- the seven parables of Christ found in Matthew Chapter 13,
- the nine letters of Paul to the churches, Romans to 2 Thessalonians (letters eight and nine are a behind-the-scenes look at the Church in the closing hours of the New Testament era), and,
- the seven churches of Revelation.
There’s a central and consistent theme among these accounts as a whole, and each progression, whether it’s represented by days, dispensations, parables, letters, or churches.
There is only one journey to Christ.
And though it be displayed and described in different ways, there is only one destination – Jesus.
We have unprecedented light today on the Scriptures. We see more completely the patterns, intricacies, and designs the Lord weaved in the handiwork of his Word.
Christ’s apprehension of everything God desired for him, his pioneering work, set ablaze the deep truths in Scripture hidden since the beginning of time.
And you and I are invited to feast and partake of the revelation Jesus purchased for us.
Let’s make good use of it.
The Picture
God’s given real-life pictures of our “journey,” symbolized by his creative acts, and through 6,000 or so years of Bible history.
And he’s given another view, more detailed and pragmatic, in the parables, and Paul’s letters.
And finally, he’s given a broad picture through the lens of the seven churches of Revelation, each representing a specific stage, aspect, of our journey to Christ, “Philadelphia” the completion.
A different perspective is offered by different accounts but the overall theme, progression, and destiny is the same – Christ likeness, union with Jesus.
Because the creation account was the first, I’m going to conclude these writings primarily from the standpoint of creation.
How do we know the creation account speaks prophetically in types and symbols to our journey in Christ, establishing the pattern for the future?
Because the biblical record bears witness – testifies to it – over the last 6,000 years.
Many Christians are unfamiliar with the tapestry of the garment they walk in, i.e., their personal journey as foretold and described in progressions displayed in creation, history, parables, etc.
There is revelation and strength in the Lord to be had in understanding the story he foretold from the beginning.
We need every bit of Jesus we can receive.
The more pieces we have of the puzzle, the bigger the picture we have of the story, plan, and journey of Christ, and us.
Jesus is offering unprecedented depth in him today.
Much of what has been foretold and described in the various accounts has already come to pass.
I am hearing the word “unprecedented” a lot these days.
Well, there are yet unprecedented days coming ahead for the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Events in the Church since the Reformation – the progressive moves of God, including the current move of God of deep healing and restoration – in light of God’s calendar foretold from the beginning, leads to only one conclusion, we are deep in the Philadelphia church age.
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Before I jump into the creation account and do one final pass, I want to give one brief example of how one theme runs through all the accounts for the same progression, and then close with a subject seldom talked about in the church – the falling away.
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For example, here’s a look at the theme of “teaching, sowing and reaping,” in the third progression.
Creation Account
On the third day of creation, we are told of the planting of vegetation, “… seed bearing plants and trees…” (NIV, Genesis 1:11), and, “…plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds…” (NIV, Genesis 1:12)
It foretells and describes the season of “teaching,” inherently prominent in the third progression of our journey – “the planting of the word and bearing fruit.”
Dispensations
In dispensation history, the second millennium before Christ, the third progression, the law and judges are given to Israel – the planting, sowing, and reaping – bearing of fruit – of the Word of God in the people of God.
We also see the establishment of the covenant with Abraham near the beginning of the second millennium before Christ.
Among other things, the covenant separated what would later become the nation of Israel – it’s land – from the nations.
This was symbolized, foretold, in creation, the third day, by the separation of water (seas are a biblical “type” of the nations), and land (a “type” of the Old Testament church – Israel).
Parables
The third parable of Matthew Chapters 13, the mustard seed planted in a field, “… when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” (NIV, Matthew 13:32)
This parable symbolizes the planting and growth of institutionalized Christianity in the Church, a habitation for the birds of the air, carrying the seed of the fruit of doctrines contrary to Christ into Christendom.
Letters
The third of Paul’s letters to the churches, is the second letter to the Corinthians.
Whereas the first letter to the Corinthians established spiritual principles, boundaries, perspectives, and introduces the Corinthians to the workings of the Holy Spirit, the second letter brings the deeper work of God – the sowing and reaping of the word and Spirit of God – in the heart, mind, body, and spirit of the believer.
The first letter to the Corinthians can be likened to an introduction of broad principles and understandings; the second letter to the planting and record of the deep works of God in their members and the outflow (fruit) to cleanse oneself from all filthiness of body and spirit.
Churches
Finally, we see the same example in the third church age of Revelation, the church of Pergamum, who Jesus chastises for holding to the teaching of Balaam, which bred sin in the camp of Israel.
You’ll notice the teaching Jesus refers to precedes and culminates in the fourth church age, Thyatira, the dark ages.
Here Jesus promises to strike her children with death, to end the exponential growth of “increasing” sin from generation to generation.
In all of these accounts, there is a progression of intensity from stage to stage.
With the exception of the creation account, the intensity from progression to progression is downward, climaxing in the fourth.
The fifth progression is renewal, and the sixth, completion and fullness.
The creation account is the exception because it was the pattern before the fall – anticipating mankind would not fall and need “redemption” as well as all the “normal” growth and maturity in the journey toward God.
Thankfully, God’s creative design and plan was deep and broad enough to embrace mankind’s downward spiral, and place him back on the path he originally designed, keeping to his original calendar.
Jesus halted and reversed the downward spiral before we all went over the cliff and into the abyss, and placed us back on the path destined for God.
Amazingly, all will be accomplished according to God’s original design in-spite of our wounds, sins, and brokenness.
He will accomplish everything he set out to do in this creation in the time he originally allotted before sin.
Image of the Beast, Falling Away
Friends, I want to share something you can tuck away and hide in your hearts and pray about.
This is not something I like to write or talk about.
I pray God would keep you and me through thick and thin as things unfold in our lives in the years ahead.
There’s coming a falling away in Christendom.
I hear a lot from Christian circles about a “great revival” coming, but not about the falling away.
The last great revival, if it comes in our lifetime, will come on the other side of famine, and not before.
I’ve been presenting a broad view of the Word of God in journey, progression, and calendar.
And included in the Scriptures is the warning of the dark times in the last seasons of the church.
This is not something I enjoy talking about. But…
And in those times a fair number of Christians will fall away.
The coming great apostasy will happen before the last great and final revival.
And hopefully, if the Old Testament is a precedent, and recent moves of God, many of those who fall away will be recaptured by the Lord and strengthened to endure and persevere the end time persecution.
The falling away is revealed in the seventh church age, the casting down of the stars in Revelation Chapter 12, the teaching of Paul in 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2, and the seventh parable of Christ of Matthew Chapter 13.
The book of Colossians, which parallels in theme Laodicea, the seventh church age, reminds the last day Christians of the “image” of Christ, as they are about to face the “image” of the beast of Revelation Chapter 13.
The Colossian church age will be presented with either of two images to bear – Christ or the antichrist.
Finally, as a reminder, we are cautioned not to look at world events to see how close the Millennium is, or how far we think the church has come.
World events do not determine the calendar of God. The calendar of God is centered on the redemption, growth, and maturation of the sons and daughters of God into Christ likeness.
When the last bride is birthed from the womb of the church in the closing days of the New Testament era, know the end times is imminent. (Revelation Chapter 12)
If you and I look at world events for signs of the times, we’ll be confused. The kingdom of the world cannot and will never reveal the beauty of Christ.
That is reserved for the body of Christ.
The world can never give us the life and light of God, wisdom and insight into his handiwork, nor his calendar.
That is reserved for Jesus.
Together, let’s respond to the call of God to go deeper.
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.™
