Greetings. I hope you are well and healthy.
“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (NIV, 2 Corinthians 3:18)
Personal Note About Current Events
If you’re struggling with current events, I found listening to some of John and Stasi Eldredge podcasts insightful. (re: Wild at Heart, formally, Ransomed Heart Ministries)
My friends, I pray your heart be comforted and confident in the healing and saving power of the Lord Jesus.
If Jesus can work miracles in my life, he certainly can do it in yours!
During a period of severe trials and persecution, much greater than we face today, at least in America, Paul said, “not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us – whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter – asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.” (NIV 2 Thessalonians 2:2)
Paul spoke to their fear they’ve missed the coming of the Lord, the work of God, and are in the throes of God’s judgment.
In his letter he assures them of God’s love and grace, and there is yet future events that must come to pass in the body of Christ, and the world, before it gets to that stage.
And here we are almost 2,000 years later, nearing the end of the New Testament period, needing to be reminded by Paul the plan of salvation is in full force and working just as God designed and in accord with his overall calendar.
My friends, contrary to some today, we are not facing impending judgment.
Certainly, the days are evil, and will wax worse and worse.
But there is still much yet to be accomplished by God!
We are living in one of the greatest seasons of “fruitfulness and fulfillment” of the New Testament era, the time of the feast of Tabernacles (the third and final feast of the Old Covenant), being re-revealed again in the Church age.
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God Is on the Move, Moving Forward with His Plan of Salvation
The Old Covenant feast of Passover pointed to, was a “type,” of the New Covenant experience of being “born again – salvation by grace through faith.”
The return of the new birth in the Reformation, marked the close of one church age, Thyatira (commonly called the dark ages), and the opening of another, Sardis, covering about 400 years of early Reformation history, the 1500s to the late 1800s.
The Old Covenant feast of Pentecost pointed to, was a “type,” of the New Covenant experience of being “baptized in the Holy Spirit.”
The return of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in a major event, i.e., the Azusa Street Revival, in the early 1900s, and the subsequent half century or so, completed the Reformation, and “bridged” the church age of Sardis to the present age, Philadelphia – the age of the bride (pointed to by the Old Covenant feast of Tabernacles).
The return of Tabernacles in the New Testament era, the heart of the Philadelphia church age, evidenced by the intense work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of individual believers, birthed in the latter part of the 20th century, continues to expand, deepen, and unfold today.
It is a deep work of the Holy Spirit to form Christ in you and me, into his likeness.
Symbolically, King David was another type Tabernacles, the preparation and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, through his sojourn in the wilderness and possession of the Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem.
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The Likeness of Christ, his Bride, Wilderness Preparation and Indwelling is Ahead, Coming Before Judgment
God does not drink from bitter roots, like all of us at one time or another, who, because of wounds and sins, have done things to hurt ourselves and others. He is not unstable.
The Lord has a designed plan – an assigned plan for you and me – and a calendar, and he will see it through the end to its fulfillment and fruition.
It is contrary to Scripture, the plan of God, and the nature of God, to believe, after almost two millenniums, working to “make” a last day “bride” for his son, the Lord would sabotage the plan he created from the foundation of the world with impending judgment.
Paul warned us of just such thinking.
As Isaiah said in reference to Israel compared to the Lord, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’” (NIV, Isaiah 55:8)
What’s up ahead in the future is not impending judgment, but global revival – the ministry of the bride to the lost, and those captured in the tentacles of the great apostasy.
It’s not impending judgment but a great apostasy that lies on our shores.
God is preparing a bride who will be revealed at an appointed time, in accord with his plan, design, and calendar, when the fullness of time has come again.
It will be a very dark time, the Antichrist system will be hovering over the Church like a bird of prey, or more pointed, like a dragon standing before an unarmed woman (Revelation Chapter 12).
The Antichrist system will have been fully formed, yet not fully revealed.
There is a difference.
It is only after global revival, the end time ministry of the bride, the gears will be set in motion and the stage set for what we call the Great Tribulation.
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What is facing the church today is Tabernacles, and not impending judgment.
Even during the first half of the Tribulation, after a profound global move of God bringing millions into the body of Christ, the remaining Christians who do not make the bride will have another opportunity to give their lives to Jesus by refusing the mark of the Beast.
It is not until after the first half of the Tribulation severe and irreversible judgment comes.
Now is the time to be filled to overflowing with Jesus and with his Word, and not to fear events in the world, or to embrace speculations about this or that, but to be anchored in his Word and in him.
It’s all about him, the advancement of his kingdom.
And his kingdom is still advancing and will continue to advance in apostasy, revival, and persecution.
In Christ
The advancement of his kingdom occurs first and foremost when we, Christians, you and me, allow the love of God, his care and justice, to penetrate our hungry and thirsty souls.
And to allow this to happen deeply, we must allow him to take us deep in him.
My passion is your heart would be excited and look for the appearing of Jesus in your life, for a deep work by the Holy Spirit of God.
If you haven’t found the pearl of great price, once you do, your heart will be ruined – ruined to the temporal pleasures of this world, but, restored to the richness of Jesus.
Though wonderful first steps – being born again and Spirit baptized – Jesus wants to go beyond the introductions to the Kingdom, but to the king himself, he might live and dwell in the fullness of our temples.
Those outside of Christ and even many in the Church are not aware of the rich and deep treasures Jesus desires to reveal in them.
The Old Covenant pointed to the progressive and deepening waters of God, in Christ, and the Apostles stepped into those waters and beckon us to do the same.
If you’ve ever experienced the profound presence of Christ you know what I’m talking about.
There is a beauty of Jesus yet to be released upon the earth. A beauty so rich and compelling, the starving will run into the arms of Christ and pay any price to gain him and his favor.
Of course, I’m not referring to money, but the price of repentance and forgiveness – “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” (NIV, Psalm 51:17, bold is mine) – the shift of love from the things of this life to Jesus, to gain Christ, and not just part of him, but all of him.
There will be many in the last hours of the Church who come into the kingdom others had given up on, apprehending the riches of Christ, leapfrogging those who’ve been in the faith for decades.
Cleansing and Healing
But before Jesus can lavish his presence and love upon you and me, the lost, and those long in the faith, our vessels must be cleansed and healed.
It takes a deep work of the Spirit to prepare men and women for the presence of God.
And the wilderness is key to that journey.
No greater honor can be bestowed upon men and women than to be chosen by the Lord for a deep work of his Spirit.
(There is nothing in us that justifies or qualifies us above others, other than the grace of Christ that cleanses and washes away our stains and sins.)
It’s a privilege to be alive in the time of Tabernacles.
The reformers thought the same when “salvation by grace” birthed upon the scene, and the Pentecostals, when the rain of the Spirit fell upon Azusa Street.
Now, in our midst we have an even more profound work of the Spirit, Tabernacles.
It is the crowning feast of the Old Covenant being fulfilled again in the New, the resurrection life of Christ in you and me, sonship, the bride.
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We’re not living in the “dark ages” (i.e., church of Thyatira), or the age of the Reformation and Pentecost’s return – 1500s to the mid-20th century” (i.e., church of Sardis), but, the age of Tabernacles “sonship, union with Christ as his bride” (i.e., church of Philadelphia) – revealed once again in the New Testament era.
Being born again, baptized in the Holy Spirit, and the deep work of the Spirit, was, for the most part, lost in the dark ages. (There are exceptions.)
It took Luther, among others, in the 1500s, to usher in the Reformation, restoring the foundation for salvation by grace through faith.
It took the Azusa Street revival, among others, in the early 1900s, to usher in Pentecost again, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Which birthed numerous moves of God in the 20th century.
And it’s taken a number of different ministries, men and women of God, to usher in the feast of Tabernacles – the deep cleansing and healing work of the Holy Spirit today.
The ministries and ministers are too numerous to mention, but collectively, Christ has put together teaching and resources for the deep work of the Spirit today in the nation of God.
Just like in times past, events accelerate when a new era is on the horizon.
Together, let’s respond to the call of God to go deeper.
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(Note, the Old Covenant feast of Tabernacles is comprised of three separate feasts, the feast of Trumpets, the feast of Atonement, and the feast of Booths.
Briefly, trumpets are characterized by the call for repentance and forgiveness.
Atonement is characterized by healing and restoration, the cross and blood of Christ applied as a poultice to our sins and wounds, and other creative works of the Spirit.
Breaking of agreements, inner healing, deliverance, etc., are, characteristics of atonement.
We start to truly begin to experience “at – one – ment” with the Lord in the areas of our life formerly bound in prison to wounds, brokenness, and sins.
And booths are characterized by sonship and union with Christ.
In a few posts I’ll have much in the way of Scriptures for your reference.
The bridegroom coming for the virgins in Matthew 25 is an example of Christ coming to those who are ready to be taken and prepared for his bride.)
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Evidence of Tabernacles in New Testament Writings
The New Testament has more about Tabernacles, much more, than the other feasts of the Old Covenant.
It is the heart of the gospel, the fulfillment of Scripture, the plan of God.
Simply, Tabernacles is the journey of being made into the likeness of Christ. It’s the gospel!
It describes the journey, and the destination.
Everything up to Tabernacles is designed to get us prepared for Tabernacles.
If you’re going to apprehend what Jesus has for you, then Christ’s path will lead you into Tabernacles.
There’s no other plan than to be made into the likeness of Christ.
It is the baptism of repentance by grace through faith; i.e., putting to death the deeds of the body, being made alive in spirit, the resurrection life pioneered by Christ, lived by him, and purchased for you and me.
Romans Chapter 6 provides the process of Tabernacles for Christ, and you and me, and, Hebrews, the testimony of Tabernacles for Christ, and hopefully, you and me.
Christ had to put to death the deeds of his own flesh, the agreements with wounds and brokenness passed down to him through his mother’s ancestral line, “resurrected,” to walk in newness of life before his ministry to Israel.
He pioneered the journey and established the path for you and me, fulfilling David’s “type” of him in Psalms 16 and 23.
Christ, in his wilderness sojourn under the care of his heavenly Father, put to death the deeds and hostility of his own flesh, dying to sin once and for all, made alive in the spirit, experiencing the “resurrection,” walking in newness of life this side of Calvary.
He experienced the fullness of the new creation, glorified man, the temple of the Holy Spirit, in all its majesty, before he offered eternal life to Israel.
He had to drink the cup first before he could offer it to others.
There are a number of Scriptures some commentators and translators have wrestled with regarding Christ and these matters, basically, throwing up their hands and deferring to centuries old creeds and traditions, ignoring and passing over the most important human journey in history, i.e., Christ’s journey to perfection.
You might ask, “Why isn’t this simply laid out in Scripture?”
It really is if you’re not hindered by centuries of traditions and creeds.
Men and women of God did the best in their day, but God, moves on, unfolding and revealing greater light to future generations as his Spirit moves them closer to the day of Christ.
Since the dark ages we’ve had 500 years of revivals each taking the Church to the next step in God, uprooting traditions, preparing those looking for him for the next wave of the Spirit.
I think Paul and other early Christians would be shocked at some of the interpretations of Scripture formed by the Church in the dark ages and held to this day.
I think they would scratch their head, and say, “How in the world did you come up with that?”
And I think, speculating, they may say something like, “We didn’t know what it meant.
We tried our best to define Scripture by Scripture, but not having experienced the depths of Christ, the power of his resurrection, and the revelation of the Lord, we assumed certain matters.
And we were possibly influenced by other religions as well, seeing the fingerprint of God in them, or so we thought.”
Even if everything in Scripture was spelled out in black and white, God removing the wonder of discovery for future generations, our wounds and sins would still cloud our understanding of the Scriptures.
It is not until the Lord begins a deep work in us, cleansing and healing, the understanding of certain Scriptures comes to light.
We do not have full and complete revelation today, because were not at our destination yet. But we certainly have greater light than the dark ages, and even a couple decades ago.
The wilderness journey is critical to going deeper in God and with that comes greater light of the Scriptures and the plan and purposes of God.
Jesus
Jesus pioneered our faith.
He pioneered Tabernacles.
Jesus chose Peter for the journey in the Gospel of John Chapter 21.
And John was to follow later.
In Matthew Chapter 25, the bridegroom comes for the virgins.
The foolish are unprepared to be chosen by Christ and are left behind.
The wise are chosen, and begin a deeper journey with Christ.
For me, it took a crisis to awaken me from deadness to a deeper life in Christ.
He can do that in you too.
No matter where you’re at, Jesus can rescue you from the snare of the Fowler, and the den of the lions.
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.™
