Before concluding this last chapter of this book, I am clearly led and constrained by the Spirit of the Lord to DECLARE TO THE CHURCH IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST the following truth.
THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FAILURE OF THE CHURCH in the 20th and 21st centuries, which the Lord keeps judging even in this book is the fact that THE CHURCH HAS NOT HEEDED THE LIGHT AND WARNINGS OF THE LORD THROUGH HIS TRUE SERVANTS, chiefly brother Watchman Nee from China, Austin-Sparks from Great Britain and others.
They started and also continued preaching, teaching, writing and thus showing to the Church that believers must do more than just believe, get baptized and then join “some church”! That by believing and being baptized, believers only opened the door to their Salvation, but much truth and reality of their Salvation was not yet true in their own souls! It is all true in Christ, but not in them!
Though brother Watchman Nee wrote only one book (The Spiritual Man), great efforts were made to transcribe his numerous excellent sermons and teachings and publish them world-wide. Great light and understanding was given to him by Our Lord and through him to all of us. I personally have been greatly blessed through his writings! The Lord, in fact, guided and enabled me to start my spiritual ministry by teaching from his book “The Spiritual Man” (see pp. 18,19,54 in this book, and p. 51[8]).
Yet, HIS BOOKS NEVER MADE IT TO ANY CHURCH OR DENOMINATION that I know of. In our Pentecostal church, the very existence of his books was never even mentioned, let alone their truth and light preached, taught and explained to the Lord’s people!
The same is applicable to the numerous and excellent books of brother Austin-Sparks though I came to know them myself much later on in time when I was already taken out of the religious systems of this world by the Lord.
THE DEEP TRUTH–LIGHT FROM THE LORD IS STILL BEING UNRIGHTEOUSLY NEGLECTED, NOT PREACHED AND EXPLAINED TO MULTITUDES OF BELIEVERS! THIS IS INEXCUSABLE.
Those multitudes of believers included me, a member of a Pentecostal church speaking and singing in tongues! This colossal failure has precipitated the present conditions within the Church, which are totally unacceptable to the Lord Jesus Christ – Her Builder! (Mt. 16:18// Ps. 127:1)
GOD REJECTS “THIS HOUSE” BUILT BY MEN AND NOT BY THE LORD, WITH THOSE THAT DWELL IN AND ARE UNWILLING TO CHANGE, TO OBEY HIS WHOLE WORD, WHICH HOUSE IS BABYLON… AND NOT THE DWELLING IN CHRIST JESUS.
I am also very strongly constrained by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ to DECLARE TO THE CHURCH LEADERSHIP the following important truth and light from Our Lord Jesus Christ.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE THAT WE ALL would diligently consider this Lord’s Truth and Light in our hearts and souls and would be guided thereby in the remaining time of our Christian life and ministry on this earth before His Coming.
WE ALL HAVE PROUD AND DECEITFUL HEARTS BEFORE THE LORD WHO SEES OUR NAKEDNESS, WHETHER WE CALL OURSELF A BISHOP OR PROPHET OR PASTOR OR TEACHER OR PREACHER OR MINISTER OR REVEREND OR THE RIGHT REVEREND OR BY ANY OTHER NAME OR TITLE!
IF WE CANNOT SEE IT, THEN WE HAVE NEVER MET AND SEEN THE LIVING CHRIST! WE ONLY READ ABOUT HIM OR HEARD ABOUT HIM BY OUR EAR. (Job 42:5,6)
THE LORD SEES PRIDE, SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS AND FOOLISHNESS IN US ALL WITHOUT EXCEPTION ESPECIALLY WHEN WE KEEP DISPLAYING OUR UNIVERSITY DEGREES AND OTHER ACADEMIC OR RELIGIOUS TITLES AS IF THEY WOULD MEAN ANYTHING VALUABLE TO THE LORD OR TO HIS CHURCH! IT IS NOTHING BUT A SHOW OF PRIDE OF OUR OLD MAN AND HIS ACHIEVEMENTS! (1Cor. 8:2) NO PART OF THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN BY A ‘TH.D’ OR A ‘PH.D’, YET, WE FEEL FREE AND COMPETENT TO EXPLAIN IT, COMMENT IT OR PREACH IT BY OUR INTELLECTUAL KNOWLEDGE AND PROWESS.
THE LORD CALLS US TO REPENTANCE AND HUMBLENESS BECAUSE WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT WE DO TO HIM AND TO HIS BODY – THE CHURCH. WHETHER WE PRESENT GREAT AND WISE SERMONS, HEAL MULTITUDES OF SICK OR BRING OUR CONGREGATIONS TO AN EMOTIONAL FRENZY, OR WHETHER WE OURSELVES STRIVE, SCREAM, YELL OR SWEAT LIKE FOOLS… IF WE ARE NOT WILLING TO DEPART FROM THE EVIL WITHIN US AND WITHIN THE CHURCH – WE SHALL BE JUDGED AND WILL NOT ESCAPE HIS SWORD!
LET US NOT THINK FOR EVEN ONE SECOND THAT WE ARE GREAT AND HAVE A GREAT MINISTRY, THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH US OR IN US OR NOTHING TO REPENT OF OR NOTHING TO CHANGE. DECEIVED AND BLIND LEADERS BRING MILLIONS OF BELIEVERS TO THEIR DESTRUCTION AND DITCH, (Mt. 15:14) AND THAT INCLUDES WHOLE MULTITUDES OF THOSE SINCERE BELIEVERS. THEIR BLOOD SHALL BE REQUIRED FROM THE HANDS OF THOSE LEADERS. (Ez. 3:17-21)
THIS IS THE WORD FROM THE LORD, WHO DESPITE OUR EVIL (Mt. 7:11) CONTINUES TO KEEP US THROUGH HIS GRACE.
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Let me now come back to the reality of the Church at large and declare how the Lord sees Her and keeps Her.
On one hand, it is true that an intellectual and emotional religion especially of these days is FAR BETTER THAN NONE AT ALL… because it keeps millions of believers from backsliding and perishing! Hence, the Lord is preserving His saints (or called to be saints) by His Grace in whatever spiritual state they may be foreknowing who will overcome what and when and how.
On the other hand, we are called to provide what is necessary to those desiring to truly know the Lord and be prepared for His Coming as the Bridegroom. We should help them to find the narrow way and start walking on it, to seek the Lord and keep coming to Him for His Life. Because (I must repeat)…
…ONLY THOSE THAT ARE FOUND ON THE NARROW WAY SHALL BE CONSIDERED WORTHY OF GOD AND OF THE KINGDOM (1Thess. 2:12// 2Thess. 1:5// Mt. 25:10-12) AND TAKEN TO THE MARRIAGE SUPPER AND TO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. ALL THE OTHERS WILL GO THROUGH THE TRIBULATION OF SEVEN YEARS AND THE RULE OF THE ANTICHRIST.
Here, the Lord brings us to yet another spiritual fact, which is to be considered in our heart and spirit. That spiritual fact is the following.
We should not be seeking the Lord and coming to Him just for our personal reasons and benefits. This is also a kind of selfishness and individualism that has nothing to do with the objectives and Will of Our Lord. He cares for the whole Church and so should we. We must see all those others for whom we live and fight, “for none of us lives to himself, and no man dies to himself.” (Rom. 14:7// Phil. 2:4) Therefore…
IF WE FAIL TO GAIN THE LIFE OF CHRIST AND BE ENGAGED IN THE WAR WITH THE POWERS OF DARKNESS, THEN IT IS NOT JUST OUR PERSONAL FAILURE. WE ALSO FAILED ALL THOSE FOR WHOM THE LORD APPOINTED US TO FIGHT AND LIVE (PHYSICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY) AND TO MINISTER TO. HOW WE FARE IN OUR SALVATION PROCESS AFFECTS THE WHOLE CHURCH AND ALSO THE LORD, WHO IN HIS LOVE FOR US KEEPS SUFFERING FOR US AND WITHIN US EVEN DURING THIS PROCESS. (1Cor. 13:4-8// Eph. 4:30// 1Jn. 4:8-11)
I hope that despite this deplorable state of the Church, there may be many believers who will heed this Word from the Lord and will desire to be ready for His Coming. I say, ready, but according to His spiritual requirements, not our imaginations or dreams or opinions. Hence, I want to give all such believers a more specific picture from the Word of God concerning their future and the way to it.
In the above paragraphs, I am mentioning names like Bride of Christ, Remnant, Firstfruits, Overcomers, Shulamite Maiden and Manchild. These all point to the same group of believers who have made the decision in their HEART to love the Lord, His Word, His Truth, to follow and satisfy Him and be prepared for His Coming as His Bride. They are a small part of the Church, a little flock (Lk. 12:32) who walk on the narrow way and, we may say that, they are…
…COMING OUT OF THE CHURCH-ISRAEL, THEIR MOTHER, AS IF BEING “BORN” OUT OF HER.
They are the “Shulamite Maiden”… “My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her (the Woman)…” (S.Sol. 6:9) They are the “Manchild” also “born out of the Woman”. (Rev. 12:5, see more below)
Now, the mystery of the Woman and the Manchild (Rev. 12:1-6) has been a point of controversy for a very long time and it may possibly remain a mystery at least in some of its aspects. I do not pretend to resolve this mystery with an “infallible conclusion”, rather, I want to present what the eye of my spirit sees as fitting into the overall picture of the Scripture. I believe the following:
The “Woman” represents the CHURCH & ISRAEL MADE ONE (Eph. 2:15-19) from the foundations of the world since the Lord was already slain from that time. (Rev. 13:8)
She is clothed with the Sun (the righteousness of the Messiah, the Christ – Job 29:14// Ps. 132:9// Rom. 3:22; 10:4// 1Cor. 1:30// Gal. 5:5// Phil. 1:11; 3:8,9, etc.);
The “Moon” under her feet (Her base are those believers from Israel and the Church, who from time to time reflect the Light of Christ-Messiah as the Moon reflects the light of the Sun, but inside they are yet dead as the Moon is, though we should all be like the Sun [bright stars], living and bearing the Image of Christ- Messiah);
And a “crown of twelve stars upon her head” (12 is a symbol of Heavenly Government and Eternal Perfection; it also represents the 12 Tribes of Israel, 12 Apostles, 12 gates, 12 foundations, 12,000 furlongs and 12×12=144 cubits of New Jerusalem, Rev. 21:12,14,16,17).
The Manchild is within the “Church-Israel” and He causes Her pain. At the time of the vision, She is still on the Earth because, after the birth of the Manchild, She flees to the wilderness, which is not in Heaven but on the Earth. (Rev. 12:6,13-17) This furthermore shows and proves that the Church-Israel in general will go through the Tribulation of seven years until the last trumpet and before the seven vials of the wrath of God.
The Manchild represents the Lord Jesus Christ AND ALSO His Overcomers, the called and chosen and faithful ones (Rev. 17:14), His brethren. (Mt. 12:47-50) They are caught up to God’s Throne and will after the Tribulation and together with the Lord rule the nations with a rod of iron. (Rev. 2:26,27; 3:21; 12:5; 19:15; 20:4) This Manchild is also the Bride and Wife of Christ – the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:9,10) because only the Wife of Christ will carry the Name of God and of God’s City and the New Name of Her Husband, Christ Jesus. (Rev. 3:12)
The Manchild thus represents not only Jesus Christ, Who was also born out of the Woman (Gen. 3:15) but also His Bride and Wife, His Overcomers! Jesus Christ was raptured to Heaven in the sight of His Disciples including John! (Acts 1:9) When John saw the vision of the Woman, Christ was in Heaven already for many years. Similarly, His Wife will be raptured in the sight of the “Woman”. (Rev. 12:5)
But the time factor and our human logic must never derail us from the right interpretation because the “great red Dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads” also existed from before the foundation of the world. He will only be manifested as such in these last days. One proof is that “his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven (angels) and did cast them to the earth”. (Rev. 12:3,4) This was his rebellion against God before the time of the Garden of Eden.
In the Book of Revelation, chapter 12, we thus witness events from before the Garden of Eden to almost the beginning of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, the span of over 6,000 years. Also, the same Dragon that John saw in Heaven (Rev. 12:3), he saw again 2,000 years ahead of time on earth as coming out of the nations. (Rev. 13:1)
It seems desirable at this point to repeat the spiritual fact that Apostle John, whom the Lord loved (Jn. 20:2; 21:7), represents the Bride of Christ, Manchild, the Shulamite Maiden. On the other hand, Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed the Lord, represents all those believers including disciples who will lose their Salvation and whose names will be blotted out of the Book of Life. (Rev. 3:5; 22:19) After being “disappointed with the ways and judgments of Jesus”, Satan will enter (or re-enter) these believers and they will stop cleaving to their own Saviour and will leave Him and will be destroyed! (Lk. 22:3// Jn. 13:27// Deut. 4:2-4) I assume that none of such believers are reading this book or getting this far in the book. The other ten Apostles represent the rest of the Church according to their own ways, characters, calling and ministry.
After the Manchild is raptured, the “Woman” is fed in the place prepared for Her by God for 1,260 days (~3.5 years – Rev. 12:6) This brings us to the middle of the “week” spoken of by Daniel, the prophet, which is the Tribulation period of seven years. In the midst of the week, Satan will break his covenant (with Israel) and will cause the sacrifices (by Israel’s priests) to cease and will make it desolate. (Dan. 9:27) Why?
The most important event at that time will take place in Heaven and it will be WAR! Michael and his angels will fight against Satan and his angels and will prevail. Satan and all his wicked host will be cast OUT OF HEAVEN DOWN INTO THE EARTH. (Rev. 12:7-9) Satan will have a great wrath knowing that he has but a short time. (Rev. 12:12) That is why he will cause the antichrist to brake his covenant with Israel, and the Great Tribulation of 3.5 years will start.
Let us see and perhaps be shocked again that God allowed Satan and his wicked angels to resist Him and accuse us not only here on Earth and in our own minds and souls, but to do their evil work of accusation also in Heaven!
SATAN AND MANY OF HIS EVIL ANGELS HAVE BEEN IN HEAVEN, NOT IN HELL! IS THIS ALSO A SHOCKING FACT? GOD PATIENTLY WAITS FOR THE CHURCH – THE FULLNESS OF HIS SON – BECAUSE THE KING OF ALL KINGS WILL NOT RULE AS A BACHELOR BUT WITH HIS QUEEN AT HIS SIDE!
WHEN SATAN AND HIS EVIL ANGELS ARE FINALLY CAST OUT OF HEAVEN (Rev. 12:9// Lk. 10:18), THEN THE TRUE SALVATION AND STRENGTH AND THE KINGDOM OF OUR GOD AND THE POWER OF HIS CHRIST WILL FINALLY COME NEVER TO BE HINDERED OR OPPOSED AGAIN – IN HEAVEN! (Rev. 12:10)
THIS IS THE “MIDDLE” OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD OF SEVEN YEARS. SATAN HAS BUT A SHORT “TIME, TIMES AND HALF A TIME” (3.5 years). (Rev. 12:12-17) AND JUST BEFORE THE SEVEN VIALS OF THE WRATH OF GOD, AT THE LAST, SEVENTH TRUMP, ALL TRUE BELIEVERS, NON-OVERCOMERS, ARE RAPTURED OR “REAPED”! (Rev. 11:15; 14:14-16)
What is extremely important for ALL OF US who are willing to receive the discipline and training from the Lord thus maturing into the sons of God (Gal. 4:19) is that Satan and his wicked host of angels will be overcome not only by Michael and his angels but also by US – THE MANCHILD who were caught up to Heaven just in time for the war! Why us? Because we will have the word of testimony FROM OUR OWN CROSSES and we did not love our (old) life even unto the death. (Rev. 12:11) Do we also see this Light and believe this Truth of the Word of God?
Let me bring to you the Word, which the Spirit of the Living God is giving to us RIGHT NOW before this book is concluded. It should give comfort and hope to all those that have been living in an uncertainty and fears. It says this:
“Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near (soon the Lord will not be near and will not be found). Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him RETURN unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for HE WILL ABUNDANTLY PARDON. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the LORD.” (Is. 55:6-9)
The way of the LORD for us is to come to Him so that we may obtain His Life, to open our heart to Him so that He may come in and establish His Kingdom in our heart, mind and the whole soul. Shall we come to Him with hope and trust that He will do it? Will you join me in expressing your heart and soul to the Almighty Lord? And if you can’t find adequate words in your own soul, you may say with me my own words. If your heart agrees with them, the Lord will hear and understand… because He has been waiting for you, maybe, a very, very, very long time. It shows His tremendous Patience and Grace. But the door, which has been open to us all will soon be shut and when the Lord shuts it, no man will open it! (Rev. 3:7) And when the foolish virgins (foolish born-again believers) start knocking at the closed door thereafter, the Lord will tell them: “Verily I say unto you, I KNOW YOU NOT.” (Mt. 25:10-12) Don’t tell me that it will not be a shock to believers.
Similarly, Noah and his family (which was also a kind of Remnant) were shut in the ark when the LORD closed the door just before the Flood so that no one else could enter in and save himself from death! (Gen. 7:16// Mt. 24:37-42) Yet, that “door” was opened to every one for about 120 years during which time Noah preached about the coming Flood and the need of repentance!
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To be continued next week in chapter 5 – part 5
brother Hanola
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