Greetings.

In my last two posts I spoke about the bride’s journey pictured in the account of creation, days one to three. In this post I will begin to cover day four.

In previous posts I’ve spoken briefly about her journey as depicted in the first six parables of Matthew Chapter 13, the first six church ages (Ephesus to Philadelphia), and the first six of Paul’s letters to the churches (Romans to Philippians). These three accounts picture the bride’s journey from redemption to Christ likeness.

The creation account, on the other hand, pictures the bride’s journey from God’s original design, his prophetic word before the fall, of the adventure and journey to union with him, spanning six stages.

All four accounts are consistent at critical junctures.

The account of creation is not just an account of creative events, but a prophetic word to Adam and Eve, and is still a prophetic word for you and me.

It spoke to them of the journey ahead, and framed God’s calendar and stages for perfection and union with him – on the sixth day.

Veiled within the creation account, are six stages of growing and maturing unto God likeness typified by his creative acts.

The journey of Adam and Eve, and their descendants, if they had not sinned, would have come in stages, over time, a process, to godliness and union with their creator.

(Jesus Christ never sinned, though he wrestled with the hostility of his flesh (Ephesians 2:14 – 16), and was made perfect according to the Scriptures – a process, and not a creative act.)

The creation account foretold of God’s wonderful creative acts and what was waiting for Adam and Eve in the years and millenniums to follow.

It gave a picture of what God did, and what he would do for them in their life as they looked to the future in their walk with him.

Surely, Adam and Eve understood the events of creation as transcending beyond them and pointing to the future works of God in their life.

The journey of the bride found in Matthew Chapter 13, the church ages of Revelation, and Paul’s letters to the churches, is “covered” under God’s overall plan he designed from the beginning through his creative acts.

It’s been said Adam and Eve were created perfect.

The Scriptures do not support this.

The human heart was not designed to be “created” perfect.

It was designed to choose, learn and be instructed unto righteousness, love, and holiness. From the beginning it was designed to learn obedience by faith.

Adam and Eve were just beginning their journey when they fell.

Their body, soul, and spirit, were just beginning the journey of being made into the likeness of God. They fell in all three areas, body, soul, and spirit.

God’s prophetic word through creation foretold their journey and, thankfully, included his provision for the fall and the alternate long journey to “likeness” and union with him.

Instruction in righteousness, the stewardship of the heart, is a long journey (whether sinner or sinless), and requires different stages of growing and maturation, the bearing of fruit, and partaking of the divine nature – the Word made flesh, the fullness of truth and grace from the tree of life.

Thankfully, there is one who completed the journey, Jesus Christ. He is the only door and the only way. He stands at the door of your heart and mine, knocking, seeking to be invited into the deep places of our hearts.

Let’s choose to be like the Philadelphians and open the door of our heart to him.

God’s prophetic word in creation hoped for the best but provided for the worse.

The Creation Account, the Fourth Day

The fourth day in God’s original design, had Adam and Eve not sinned, would’ve been a major milestone and transition to greater adventure and kingdom building.

The stars and the moon would have represented testimonies, milestones, and accomplishments of their journey thus far. The deep work God had accomplished in their lives through days one through three.

And the sun would have represented intimacy and imparting of the divine nature, the creative act of a new nature and the process of going deep in God, being changed into his likeness, the beginning of the final stages to eternal union on the sixth day.

These would have been glorious days for Adam and Eve, and their descendants had they held firm and not sinned. They would be entering the final stages of their journey to perfection in God.

But, alas, as we all know, the birth of sin by Adam and Eve brought “types and shadows pointing to righteousness to come,” instead of “increasing levels of righteousness and holiness at each stage of the journey.”

Because of sin, the stars, moon, and sun, creative events on the fourth day,  now represent “types and shadows,” instead of milestones, accomplishments, and deeper intimacy with God.

(Briefly, the stars are the testimony of the saints of ages past. The moon is a type of the Old Testament having no life of itself, only reflecting light and life as it bears the reflection of the sun.

The sun of course, represents the New Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ, life-giving and restorative. It is the light that leads us out of darkness, out of works – the Old Testament – back into the garden of grace, the life of Jesus Christ.)

So, instead of ushering you and me deeper into intimacy into the knowledge and love of God, had Adam and Eve not sinned, the moon and stars point us to the journey of those in the Old Covenant who “pointed” to Christ; and the sun picks us up out of sin into the arms of grace.

In the fallen world in which we live, the fourth day or stage is critical and hopefully transitional into Christ.

Let me explain.

The fourth church age, Thyatira (what we know as the dark ages), Paul’s fourth letter to the churches, Galatians (works exalted over grace), and the fourth parable of Matthew Chapter 13, the yeast hidden in the dough (yeast, a type of sin, spread throughout the doctrine and practices of the church in the dark ages), display the fall from grace to the heights of darkness in those called to follow Christ.

These are the wounds and sins that grow and mature in the third and fourth generations. We see this at the corporate level, the history of the church, the journey of the bride, and of course, at the individual level, over the course of one’s life.

Some may be as subtle as failing to heed and perceive the work of God outside the normal resources of Christianity, missing the move of God to new adventures and journey – which sadly, by and large, is the history of the church, to settle instead of pilgrim.

It takes a new wind from God, the birthing of something new, to move some to advance the kingdom of God.

In the second parable of Matthew Chapter 13, Jesus noted, “But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.” (NIV, Matthew 13:25 – 26)

The sewing of seeds of sin, when we camp instead of journey, occurs when we’re asleep, spiritually speaking, at different stages, and embrace knowingly and unknowingly agreements with the enemy through his wounding, assaults and temptations.

Scripture warns us about falling asleep. It is a time of falling prey to the enemy and his devices, and growing weary in well doing.

The ancient prophet Daniel spoke of such a time and warned, “He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws.” (NIV, Daniel 7:25)

Daniel is talking about someone in the latter times who oppress the people of God. This is what he has done from day one beginning with Adam and Eve.

The oppression Daniel refers to is tantamount to being worn out, to wear something out.

The embracing of wounds and sins, and failure, for whatever reason, to embrace the resources God has made available to rescue you and me, is a field ripe for cultivating the crop of the enemy.

In Matthew Chapter 25 we find all the virgins falling asleep. When the five wise virgins are stirred to meet the bridegroom, they are unprepared to meet him in intimacy.

While they’ve been asleep, at different times in their journey, which begins right from childhood, the enemy has sown seeds of weeds in their life.

When they are awakened to journey farther with the bridegroom, they will need all the love, care, and attention they can receive from the Lord to be cleaned up and prepared for the wedding.

I was taught as a young man in Bible college that the wise virgins miss the out-translation of the saints and are refined in the fires of the Tribulation.

But I have since come to an understanding the wise virgins are taken by the Lord under his stewardship and care, purified and made holy and righteous.

I’ve written much about this in my other series, A Peculiar People.

In 2 Thessalonians Chapter 1, there is a promise of God to give rest to those who are troubled and to bring trouble to those who trouble you and me.

Like Daniel’s reference to oppression and being worn out, Paul says Jesus will bring rest to you who are troubled.

In an interlinear, 2 Thessalonians 1:8 reads, “IN FLAMING FIRE GIVING PUNISHMENT TO THE ONES NOT KNOWING GOD AND TO THE ONES NOT OBEYING THE GOOD NEWS OF THE LORD OF US, JESUS,”. (A)

Though the setting of the Thessalonian letters – in terms of church ages – is in the latter times, the closing hours of the Church, they do reveal the ministry of Christ in all ages to those under persecution and harassment, whether it be from wounds and sins from within or attack from without.

The flaming fire Jesus is referring to through Paul may be likened in many situations to the deliverance and healing of the saints of God from demonic powers and their hold on wounds and sins.

Jesus is doing a profound and unimaginable work in the body of Christ today.

He is healing secret and hidden wounds in his body unlike any time we know of in recent past.

The Jesus we knew of Nazareth, who walked among the common folk and sinners, healing all manner of sickness, disease, and demonic oppression, is walking among the church today – and those outside the church – bringing healing and restoration in unprecedented ways.

In the closing hours of the fourth day, the depth and height of wounds, sins, and darkness are unveiled and brought to the forefront by the dawning light of Christ – the return of grace and faith.

If you’re experiencing the height of wounds and sin and darkness in your life, your fourth day, your “Church of Thyatira,” – the sun, moon, and stars, hidden in darkness – or, if you know of someone who is in the throes of it, Jesus delights in bringing forth those in darkness into his wonderful light. He did it for me, and is continuing to do it, and he will do it for you and others.

More on the fourth day in my next post.

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.