Above all other urgencies facing the human condition, there is none so great today or at any other point in time as knowing God. This experience of knowing God is not a one-time encounter or intellectual knowledge only, but is at the very heart of our Christian message, that God has made himself available to engage with mankind in a deep intimate relationship with every individual in a way which is entirely personal and totally transforming.

The root of all our problems is not that God has forsaken us or is not interested in our situation, but rather we have not known God sufficient to allay our fears and abide in His Eternal Presence. In losing sight of God we in fact lose sight of who we are, for we are no less than made in the image of God, to not know the Lord, is to not know ourselves, or His purpose for our lives.

God is Eternal, unchanging in nature, He cannot be anything other than who He has always been, is now, and will always be. God is Spirit. God is beautifully perfect, ever creative, totally loving and consistently kind. What God does He does not do out of need, or ambition, or with anything to prove. He is supremely confident in who He is. God is Holy, and He is light. God is perfection personified, and God is love.

Whatever God does is more than work, it is the expression of Himself upon a world He created for His glory and for His pleasure. Rev 4:11 Unlike man, He is not work oriented, but chooses to reveal Himself because it is His Heart to lavish upon us the full measure of His own kindness and love, attracting us to Himself that we may enjoy together a relationship with Him without fear but in the perfection of love and oneness.

God does not relate to us on the basis of our own intellect or understanding, but rather on the basis of faith, that we choose to believe that He is who He says He is. This venture into the knowledge of God should be at the heart of all our endeavours and the reason for our motivation. God wants our hearts, because He wants us to know His.

In the world in which we live today, we do not need more programs or even more churches so much as we need more of God himself. For in our efforts to bring change to others, we ourselves must first be changed. But more than this to be continually changed from glory to glory, reaching a place of complete abandon of all self and importance, to a place at the Master’s feet listening to His Voice, and drinking from His Eternal Spring. We must become less that He can become more. No human effort will ever succeed on its own, only that which comes from the place of intimacy and abiding in Him can produce the fruit which is necessary and for which the Father as the Gardening seeks.

There is a radical rebuilding necessary to the infrastructure of our lives and our ministries, for in our busyness lies our peril. We need Time Out. To journey into our promised land is not possible any other way. We cannot arrive to where we need to be through human effort, planning, wisdom and strategy alone. Ultimately, it is only God who can take us there, and He will do so when we have abandoned ourselves into the unknowing ways of God, yet trusting in His consistent nature that He is able.

Without a deep and intimate knowledge of God, is like navigating the seas of life without a compass. For God is our true North. When we know God, we are filled with the life of God, and the joy that comes from being in His presence. When we know somebody really well, we come to know what they are thinking, what they would say or do in a given situation, and what their desires are. We would know what they like and what they don’t, and whether the person can be trusted or not.

This is extremely important in our approach to all that we do. For we must know the mind and heart of God as He reveals himself to us. For without revelation we are unable to move beyond our current perspective, situation or limitations, but it is into the unknown that we must go, for it is here that God is leading us, and so we must hear His voice, and know His ways. This knowledge is a privilege yet available through the ongoing abiding life in His presence.

And so as Time Out Mission International, where does our journey begin? We are a movement and believe we have a vital call to the world today, to seek God that we may know Him, and that in knowing Him, we may know ourselves, who we are, and our place within His Eternal Purpose. There is a song in Heaven that beats to a different rhythm to the one many are currently hearing. We must learn to see things from a different perspective, from a higher perspective, from Heaven’s perspective.

Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? John 14:9

What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Php 3:8-12

Jer 9:23,24 This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD.

Jer 31:34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Hos 6:3 Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”

2 Cor 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

Heb 8:11 No longer will they teach their neighbour, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.

Matt 7:23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Rom 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

Eph 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

Ps 27:8 When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

If we know God, then we will have learnt to hear His voice John10:4. His voice is like no other voice, it can be like thunder, or a still small voice like a whisper in the wind Ps 29

“Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. John 12:28,29

After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19:12

Like Elijah we may have witnessed mighty manifestations of the power of God, or indeed long for such manifestations to visit us again, but the Lord was not in the wind, or the earthquake or the fire. It was not the manifestation of His power that moved Elijah or what he needed, but the small still voice of God that touched his soul deeper than any other thing could. This is where we can find ourselves today, in a culture which can long for the manifest power of God more than the manifest presence of God. We must afford ourselves no comfort or self sufficiency hiding behind the external demonstrations of God’s power, for if we cannot hear the voice of God, we are not His sheep and do not know God the way that we should.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 We have said that God is continually expressive. Expression is communication, and the ultimate expression of the nature of God himself is through Jesus, described here in John’s Gospel as the Word. Jesus is the expression of God to the world that we may know Him. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. (Heb 1:3) The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (Col 1:15). And so in Christ and through Christ we see God, and are able to know God. It is through and only through an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ that we are truly able to see and to hear. It is by the inner pilgrimage of our soul it the pursuit of God, that the clutter and noise which pre-occupy our minds and hearts so much are stilled, and we discover the journey within leads us into the very presence of God. As the psalmist writes “Be still and know that I am God” Ps 46:10

As we take the journey into the nature and revelation of God, we are treading on Holy ground. And if we should find ourselves there in the holy of holies, then we have no further place to go, and would desire that we stay there forever, except that we would also hear the voice of God, like Isaiah who after seeing the Lord in His temple, heard His voice calling “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Isa 6:8

This is the always the process of God. We cannot come unless He first draw us John 6:44, but He will draw us to Himself first, that we may first be with Him, which is our qualification that we should be sent out from Him. For He cannot send anyone unless they first have His heart and know His voice. Time and again we see this process, not least in our Lord’s disciples. “Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach” Mark 3:13,14 First to be with Jesus, then to send out to preach. Preach what? To preach what they heard whilst in His presence. Similarly, in Acts, after the healing of the lame man, Peter and John had been arrested and questioned by the elders, rulers and teachers of the law, and astonished by what Peter and John replied to their questioning, they made the connection that Peter and John were unschooled ordinary men, but they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13)

And so as Time Out Mission, we are calling the church, His bride to rediscover the ancient pathways and rekindle a flame of passion for intimacy with God. The world needs men and women who know God deeply. Whose lives have been set on fire with a holy flame, who like Isaiah, like Peter and John and so many others like a cloud of witnesses who have come through the veil of unknowing, and found themselves in the conscious and tangible presence of Almighty God. This is our first call, to know God and make Him known.

From this place of abiding, we can hear the song of heaven, and harmonise to its rhythm. We can indeed hear the message flowing from the very heart of God. It is the most precious thing in all the world to be awakened by the whisper of God, to come into realisation, that in this generation today, God is looking for those who like heralds, will run with the message of His Eternal Purpose. The purpose which was set into motion, long before He ever spoke into the darkness “Let there be light”, and long before redemption ever became necessary, is there to be seen in plain view within His Word.

It is this Eternal Purpose that we have longingly searched the scriptures to find, and have been awakened to by God’s sovereign grace. We are not the first, and will not be the last to come into this revelation, for the Spirit has from eternity past been singing this song, and the revelation is there to be found by anyone who will enter into the mystery that is God. And so we make no claim or boast, only a fearful awareness that we are carrying the message of His heart, yet must proclaim it as loudly as we can, as often as we can, as far as we can.

The Importance of Hope

At the beginning of the last century, there was a great optimism in the future of mankind, particularly arising from the huge technological advances and scientific discoveries made over the previous century. It was a time when everything seemed to be moving in the right direction, it seemed all problems could be overcome, and that man was essentiality the master of his own destiny. Just over one hundred years ago in 1912, the infamous building of the cruise liner the Titanic epitomised man’s optimism and overconfidence in his own creation. Of course history tells the tragic story of Titanic hitting an iceberg and sinking in frozen waters on its maiden voyage. If there had been adequate lifeboats, then possibly there would have been no loss of life on that fateful night, but such precautions were not considered necessary on a ship that was impossible to sink. Shortly after in 1914 the First World War was to claim a staggering 35 million casualties, including over 15 million deaths. The war ended in 1918 which is when the pandemic Spanish Flu took an estimated 50 – 100 million lives and an estimated 27% of the world population had been infected. A few years later on 29 October 1929 beginning in 1929, known as Black Tuesday, came the Wall Street Crash, where the US stock market collapsed and caused the following 12 years of the Great Depression, by which time the world was at war again in the Second World War lasting until 1945. Needless to say, the optimistic outlook at the beginning of the century had been radically changed to pessimism, and the cold war years of 1946 to 1991 ensured that mankind remained under a blanket of doubt and uncertainty concerning the future.

Of course this is a simplistic view and there are many other events which can be included for our illustration, more recently the rise of terrorism seen so dramatically in to the Twin Towers attack. The latest threats of Global Warming, global economic failure, numerous wars in different nations around the world (10 with over 1000 deaths per year 27 with under 1000 deaths per year, Wikipedia), natural disasters, earthquakes, hurricanes, tidal waves, flooding.

Around the world over one million people commit suicide each year, a figure that has increased considerably over the last twenty years, and the main reason given for any explanation are summarised by the absence of hope.

The world is desperately looking for hope. Hope does not focus on the present but is looking for reasons to be optimistic about the future. Mankind needs hope. We need to know that everything works out okay in the end. When that is difficult to see in the way things appear, we are left with discouragement and hopelessness, hopelessness leads to despair, and despair to destruction. Behind this of course unknown to most is Satan our adversary attempting to divert our gaze away from God, who is the source of all hope, so he can lead us into deception by the illusion that we are masters of our own destiny. In our efforts man looks to the politician, or to the doctor, or the bank, or to his own plans into which he places hope that he is in a position to make improvements in his life or the lives of others. To some degree there is much good which is both right and necessary that we should make every effort for improvement, but we must also be mindful, that there is another clock ticking other than the one we wake up to.

As a generalisation there are four main philosophical views of history

Cyclic view of History – history goes around in cycles, history repeats itself. This is a Greek view of History. Things just go on round and round. No purpose or pattern

Epic view of History – history goes forward in ups and downs. Good times and bad times, boom and bust, there is an overall move forward

Optimistic view of History – history is getting better and better all the time. This was the most common view of history in the beginning of the 20th century, summed up in the word progress. The view with the scientific and technology advances gave an optimistic view of society. The Titanic represented man’s invincibility, and was said to be unsinkable. But it did sink, and challenged man’s optimistic view. The sinking of the Titanic was shortly followed by the First World War, and then the great depression, then the Second World War. And so the optimistic view was greatly affected.

Pessimistic view – things are getting worse. The word now is not “progress” as with the optimism of the early 20th century but “survival”. The “doom and gloom” experts believe we are on a downward slope, where it might be slowed down but not stopped. The world will eventually come to own demise, and life become impossible. For instance shortage of food reserves, global warming etc.

None of these four views are in alignment to the Biblical view. The Bible presents

The Apocalyptic View – the world will get steadily worse, then radically impacted with dramatic improvement.

God does not only exist outside of time (which was Greek philosophy), but time exists within God. He is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the Last. In God there is a linear fulfilment of time, with a definite beginning and a definite end. There is a very real purpose and meaning in what has happened historically, what is happening now and what will happen in the future. This is all leading somewhere.

It is to the future that Christian faith looks with the expectant understanding that what lies ahead is so glorious it gives us hope for the present. No matter what our present circumstances we have hope because we know God will in the end make everything better. He has declared a new Heaven and a new Earth, eternal life, resurrected bodies and much more. We have hope today, because of what will happen tomorrow.

Herein lays the importance of the Christian message, that there is a meaningful and very real alternative. Our God is a God of hope, and our message is a message of hope. That behind the scenes, God is very much on His throne, and working His ultimate plan which He purposed in Christ before the very beginning of Creation.

Rom 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit

1 Cor 15:9 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Heb 6:17-19 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

Notice here:

Unchanging nature of His purpose
God confirmed it with an oath
He did this so that we may be greatly encouraged.
This assurance in the consistency and reliability of God (that He does not lie, and is the same yesterday, today and forever Heb 13:8) gives us hope
This hope serves as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

What does an anchor do?
An anchor secures a vessel to a fixed point to prevent it from drifting in the movement or flow of currents.

This hope is therefore essential to keep us firm and secure in our own walk with God, but also as a beacon of light for others to find safe harbour in a world that offers no acceptable alternative.

Notice also the hope here is based upon a purpose and a promise

Understanding the purpose or plan of God is key to our hope
The fulfilment of the promise depends upon the reliability of the one making the promise, and the power of the person to carry it out.

Possibly there are not many things with greater importance than understanding the hope to which we have been called. Paul includes it in his prayer for the Ephesians

Eph 1:18,19 “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

This plan of God was formed before the creation of the world

He has saved us and called us to a holy life–not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time 2 Tim 1:9

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight Eph 1:4

This plan of God was previously hidden before Jesus first coming, even though the prophets had an understanding, “It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.” 1 Pet 1:12

This plan of God will be completed when the times will have reached their fulfilment.

“And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfilment-to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” Eph 1:9-10

To summarise at this point, we are saying that our God is a God of hope. This hope is not in the ranks of wishful thinking or wilful optimism, but is rooted in the promise and eternal purpose of God. God is at work to bring to pass that which He has purposed from before Creation. We are on His timeline. There is a very real direction that we are pointing in, and a very real destination that we are heading towards. As true believers our hope is not in this life, although there is much on offer for us in the present, but our true goal is not in what we have now, but in what lies ahead. For us to have hope, we must therefore also understand the basis for which this hope is anchored. To have hope we must know this eternal purpose of God. It is here, that we know turn our attention.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Pet 1:3-7

God’s Eternal Purpose Part 1 – The Bride

Creation greater than redemption

The desire of God’s heart is expressed in creation. God’s goal, God’s plan and God’s predetermined will are all revealed in His creation. Creation reveals God’s Eternal Purpose, it shows what is He truly after. But redemption is different to creation. Redemption doesn’t bring anything new to us, it restores to us what was lost through the fall. Our focus can be upon redemption without regard to creation. If you were to ask an educated Biblical scholar, what is the central message of the Bible, many would reply it is God’s redemptive plan for man. Or closer still, it is about the love of God for the world, or it is about how we can have a relationship with God. Others might say it is so that we can know God. Of course all of these answers would be correct, yet we propose there is much more. If we focussed on redemption, then the question remains, redeemed for what, or who? Redemption is related to us; it benefits us by bring forgiveness of sins and the inheritance of eternal life. We must look to creation to find our answers, because creation is related to God and His purpose.

At what point does redemption become necessary? We know that Genesis 3 records the fall of Adam and Eve through sin. The relationship and position man enjoyed in harmony with God was broken when Satan disguised as a serpent brought deception, and Adam and Eve sinned against God. It is from this point that redemption became necessary, so we must look to Genesis 1,2 to see what Adam and Eve had lost, and what it was that needed to be restored.

Genesis 1-2 reveals the initiation of God in bringing His Eternal Purpose forth. It is not the end but the beginning of it, yet there are details of the end interwoven from the beginning, the eternal seed already in place from the first day, and continues ever since shaping history to our current time and in the times to come. So let us explore the footprints of the Divine left in these pages to form an understanding of God’s Eternal Purpose that we may gain hope, but also that we may align our lives to His, our hearts to His, and our plans to His plans, because in aligning to His purpose, we find new measures of grace and anointing for the task before us.

There are two main areas for our attention.

First, that God made man in His own image that is in the image of Christ. The first man is also known as the first Adam. But also notice how God saw it was not good for man to be alone, and so He brought forth Eve from within Adam and the two were united as husband and wife.

Second, God gave to Adam and Eve dominion over all He had created. They were authorised by God to rule over the Earth as caretakers on His behalf. And so in Creation we have relationship and responsibility. We have marriage and kingdom. The Bible also says that on the seventh day, God rested. His work was completed on day six, and the responsibility for what He had made was given to Adam and to Eve. The fact that God rested signifies completion at that point, and whatever God has completed is also perfect and that everything was now in place.

Adam and Eve were created to reign upon the earth, but there is more to it than this. Both Adam and Eve foreshadow a greater mystery to be revealed. They both typify and example something more.

Adam

1 Cor 15:45-50 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being” the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Rom 5:14-15 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!

We read here, that Adam was a foreshadow or a pattern of the man to come which is Jesus Christ.

Equally the purpose given to Adam to rule is fulfilled and accomplished in Jesus.

Eve

Eph 5:23-27 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Saviour. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

If Adam typifies Jesus, then Eve must typify the church.

Creation records how it was not good for man to be alone, and that Adam should have a helpmeet. It was when Adam and Eve were working together that God’s plan was complete and he rested

God’s desire for Adam was that he should have a helpmeet, but more than a helpmeet Eve was also Adam’s wife. So also God’s desire for Jesus is that Jesus should have a bride, someone with whom he would become one with as in a marriage, and together they should rule. This is what Eph5 also teaches :

Eph 5:31-32 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery–but I am talking about Christ and the church.

What was Eve’s qualification to be Adam’s Helpmeet?

Gen 2: 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.

No suitable helper was found for Adam from all the creatures God had made, and so a new type of creature had to be made, one which was suitable for Adam.

The problem was compatibility. We read in 1 Cor 15:39 “Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another.” To be united with another, requires that they are of the same kind. It is a question of compatibility. And so Eve was made or brought forth out of Adam.

Gen 2:23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”

The Bride comes out of Christ

Just as it was necessary for Eve to be taken out of Adam as the only way to provide a suitable helper, so also the only suitable bride capable of being united with Jesus must also be of the same kind as Jesus himself. The Bride of Christ comes out of from Christ. There is no other way possible. That is the work of the cross, for redemption yes, but so much more, to bring forth His bride, and the dowry was His own blood. There are definite parallels between the Old and New Testament passages. Remember that the first Adam is a pattern of the second.

Eve came out of Adam – the Church/Bride comes out of Christ
Eve is another form of Adam – the Church/Bride is another form of Christ
Eve is one body – the Church/Bride also is one body
Adam was put into a deep sleep – Jesus was crucified upon the Cross

Adam’s side was opened and a rib taken – Jesus’ side was pierced and out flowed the blood and water. Note: this was after He had already died, signifying the spear was not part of redemption, but we suggest symbolic of the bride being withdrawn from Jesus’ side. The blood represents the purification from sin, and the water represents the life of God flowing out.

The Bridal Paradigm

From Genesis 1 to Revelation 22 and interwoven throughout scripture we find the bride. It has always been the intent of the Father to provide a bride for His Son Jesus. For us to have any understanding of what this means, God has provided the model of husband and wife, which Paul referred to in his letter to the Ephesians, that he used the picture of husband and wife to teach a higher truth and revelation.

Eph 5:31,32 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

Paul is relating this to the actions of Jesus, that Jesus left His father to go and be united with his wife, that the two will become one flesh. May this truth touch us at the core of our being, for if we understand this one truth, we understand at last the highest revelation of who we are, and our ultimate destiny that just like Eve should reign alongside Adam over creation, so also we shall reign with Christ. This is central to the Time Out Mission mandate, to awaken the church to her bridal identity. That we should have a bridal consciousness, and see and understand life through the bridal paradigm.

We are the passion of His heart, the object of His affection towards us. He loved us so much that He went to the cross to bring us forth into a new creation (2 Cor 5:17), reborn back into the image of Christ (Eph 4:24), partakers of His Divine nature (2 Pet 1:4), flesh gives birth to flesh, but spirit gives birth to spirit (John 3:6)

This should be no surprise, yet it is a strange and unfamiliar concept rarely taught from the pulpit. Some may even find it offensive, yet it is central to God’s Eternal Purpose in Christ.

John the Baptist knew Jesus as the Bridegroom “The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.” John 3:29

And Jesus used various parables to teach us about the Bridegroom and the Wedding Banquet, but also making a direct connection with the Kingdom of God. Matt 25:1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.”

There is a direct connection between the Kingdom and the Bridegroom, and both find their fulfilment in Jesus the Bridegroom King. If we are the Bride then there are profound implications for the way we view ourselves and the way we relate with one another. For we are all part of the same body, and each part needs the others, and no one part is more or less important than any other, for we are all one. And if we are not one, then we are not yet ready for the Bridegroom, for we cannot be finally united with Jesus until we are first united with one another. No wonder it was our Lord’s final and enduring prayer that he agonised to bring before His Father on the night He was betrayed.

“My prayer is not for them alone. 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. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:20-23

On that great and glorious day when Jesus returns we read

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) Rev 19:8

Notice here that the bride has made herself ready. There can be no wedding, and therefore no second return of Jesus to the Earth, until the bride has made herself ready. In Acts 3:21 we read of Jesus “Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.” Just think about that, Jesus must remain in Heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything promised.

Then in Rev 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” also Rev 22:20 “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” The last thing that will happen before the second coming of Jesus is there will be agreement between Heaven and Earth. Both will, more than at any other time in history be saying “Come”. The Spirit has always been saying come, but the bride cannot say come, first until she knows she’s a bride, and secondly until she has made herself ready. This is the point of agreement that Heaven and Earth need to agree upon, more so than on any other point. For Jesus is returning for His Bride, Hallelujah. Oh, how we must understand this beyond doctrine or logical reasoning. It must move us deeper into a place of overwhelming desire and longing for His return. Is that a picture of the church today? Where is the Bride? Who is the Bride? This is the song of Heaven, and it is recorded for us in the Song of Songs, or the Song of Solomon. How His heart must break for us, when we are pre-occupied with so many other things that fill our hearts and our minds with anything other than the Lord himself. Or when we are divided amongst ourselves and our denominations deny us of our true self. We are not Baptist, or Anglican, or Pentecostal or any other title, but we are His! Why should we be defined by anything of man, or see ourselves in any other way than how our Beloved sees us. Yes, this is the “Now Word”, this is the ancient and Holy pathway than must be walked upon again, that others can follow and know Him, Jesus the Bridegroom King!

Gods Eternal Purpose – Part 2 – The Kingdom

If you knew you had less than twenty four hours to live and only one evening left with those closest to you – how would you spend that time? What things would you want to say? How would you comfort those in their grief you were leaving behind? This is the situation we find from John 13 to 18. It is Jesus’ last evening with His disciples and time is running out quick. The atmosphere was filled with intensity and purpose. In chapter 13 Jesus begins the evening with a love feast and a purposeful demonstration of His sacrificial love and servant heart by washing His disciples’ feet. The evening is filled with words of impending distress and persecution for the disciples once Jesus had returned to the Father, but with repeated encouragement for His disciples to take heart that their future has been provided for in both their current life and the life which was to come. A thread that runs all through these chapters is that of love. The love that Jesus and the Father has for them, and the love that they must have for each other and for the Lord. The evidence of this love being their obedience to His Word.

A selection of key verses in Jesus’ final hours with the disciples.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” John 13: 34, 35

“Do not let you hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. I my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:1-3

“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:12-14

“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever – the Spirit of Truth.” John 14:15-17

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:18

“Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” John 14:23

“But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

“I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.” John 14:29

“All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.” John 16:1-4

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

These verses give a feel for what was taking place in the final hours that Jesus had with his disciples. After their meal together we read in the last words of chapter 14 “Come now; let us leave”. We might ask, leave for where? Jesus was heading for the Garden of Gethsemane where he would spend time in prayer to prepare for his betrayal, arrest, prosecution, torture and finally his crucifixion. To get to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus would need to head out of the city of Jerusalem towards the east, then go down into the Kidron Valley which ran north to south on the east side of the city. On the other side of the Kidron Valley began the slopes of the Mount of Olives, and half way up the Mount was Gethsemane. John 17 is well known as recording some of the prayers of Jesus whilst in Gethsemane, and so we understand that when Jesus was talking about being the True Vine this was a discourse given as Jesus and his disciples fled the city making their way to Gethsemane where Jesus was later to be betrayed that night.

Finally, in setting the context for our passage in John 15, let us remember that this was during the Passover (a week commencing on 14th day of first month Nisan when the moon was full), and so as Jesus and his disciples were leaving the city, they benefit from the light of the full moon which would have lit the temple and city walls behind them as they made their way down the Kidron Valley. So as they were leaving the upper room, making their way out of the city, they would see off in the distance the magnificence temple structure. There above the massive temple doors was a golden vine and grape clusters “hanging down from a great height”. The vine was symbolic of the nation Israel. Isa 5, Eze 19, Ps 80, Hosea 10 etc. Quite possibly as the disciples saw the vine reflecting the moonlight, Jesus gives this teaching.

The Declaration of Jesus – I Am the True Vine John 15:1

An encouragement to His disciples

When Jesus said that he was the “True Vine” Jesus knew that his disciples would soon be persecuted, excommunicated from the synagogue, and even martyred for their faith. This statement was an encouragement to them to know that the “True Vine” wasn’t in the temple, it wasn’t acceptance within Judaism and from their religious leaders, but the “True Vine” was readily available through a relationship directly with Him.

When Jesus used the word “true” He was implying the existence or possibility of other vines. There may indeed be other vines which appear to be right and acceptable, but this is not the case. There is only one True Vine. Only one way to the Father, only one life which is acceptable before God, and that is the vine which is based upon intimacy with Jesus.

Why is this important? Because we can easily deviate away from the essential truth of the Gospel message. Unless our existence and identity is based wholly on an intimate and personal relationship with Jesus then our fundamental foundation in life is misplaced, unacceptable and ineffective.

Example of the Leaning Tower of Pisa

800 years ago, the people of Pisa in Italy decided to build a tower. The tower was to have bells that would ring out to the surrounding countryside as witness to the glory of God.

Things began to go wrong almost at once. After three stories had been completed, the tower developed an ominous lean to the north. Construction stopped for about 100 years. Then four more stories were added, built at an angle to shift the weight away from the tilt. But this caused the tower to begin to lean the other way.

Countless architects persisted with the curious structure for another century, trying to compensate for the ever-increasing tilt. The result was that the tower not only continued to lean, but took on a slight curve, like a banana.

The last story was added in 1372. Since then, generations of engineers have tried in vain to save the tower from its slow demise. World War II dictator Benito Mussolini ordered it to be straightened by adding hundreds of tons of concrete to the base. It only made matters worse.

The problem is the foundation. The tower is built on weak, unstable subsoil that could not support its weight. Sooner or later the tower will topple, although modern engineers have added 800 tons of lead to the base, perhaps stabilizing it for another 300 years. (taken from http://www.gci.org/disciple/foundation)

The importance of having the right foundation

Jesus’ teaching in Matt 7 – the wise and foolish builders compared to those who would receive and obey the Word

Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthian church – no other foundation can be laid other than Jesus Christ. He is the foundation. He is the chief cornerstone.

The teaching of the True Vine is one not one of works but of relationship.

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4,5

The emphasis here is not on the works but on the remaining in Him. Indeed it is not what we can do for Him, but what He wants to do in and through us, that is only possible when we are in a place of abiding in Him. This should be the priority of our ministries, but how often do we rely upon our own efforts without sufficient time in the Eternal Presence of God. It is part of our human condition that given the choice we would rather do things for God, than spend time with God. But it is the opposite with the Lord, for He would rather that we spend time with Him, rather than doing things for Him. Of course both are possible, but our doing should come out of our being, and not our being come out of our doing! We find this beautifully portrayed in the story of Mary and Martha, and though the God of Peace was physically present in her home, Martha was found to be upset and worried about many things.

A declaration of His Divinity

Jesus statement of “I am the True Vine” was the eighth “I AM” statement found in the Gospel of John. So when Jesus made this statement he was reaffirming his position of deity as well as being human. “I am the True Vine” is a revelation of His divinity. This is further supported in several places.

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Heb 1:3

“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” John 14:9

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” John 1:1

The Eight I AM’s of Jesus

I AM the bread of life John 6:35
I AM the light of the world John 8:12
I AM the door John 10:9
I AM the good shepherd John 10:11-14
I AM the resurrection and the life John 11:25
I AM the way the truth and the life John 14:6
I AM Before Abraham was I AM John 8:5
I AM the True Vine John 15:1

The number eight is significant here, as in Biblical numerology it is the number of new beginnings. By making this eighth statement of His Divinity, Jesus was announcing it stark contrast to the lifeless temple doors behind Him, despite their gold and ornate carving, that relationship with God was not through religion with all its external trappings and self righteousness, but through the inner gaze of the soul towards Him. Through and only through intimate and abiding knowledge of Jesus that we may truly enter into the Kingdom of God.

A Prophetic Declaration

The vine was symbolic of the Israelite nation. Isaiah 5:1-7, Ezekiel 19:10-14 Ps 80:8-19

In the Old Testament, Israel was likened as a vine planted by the Lord. But the vine became wild “I had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine?” Jer 2:21

Because of Israel’s sin and unfaithfulness, we read how the Lord caused the demise of His people and consequently the vine was rejected, destroyed and trampled upon. And so we read the lament of the Psalmist as follows

Return to us, O God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself. Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish. Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. Restore us, O Lord Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. Ps 80:14-19

Jesus was the answer to the psalmist’s cry for restoration. Yes there is a new vine which is Jesus, but we are also included, for we are the branches which will bear the fruit. The analogy of the vine is concurrent in both the Old and New Testament.

What fruit does God look for in His vineyard?

“The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of His delight. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.” Isa 5:7

In this particular verse we learn that God looked for justice and righteousness. These are synonymous with His Kingdom. And so following the analogy through into the New Testament, there is a “True Vine” which is Jesus, we are the branches, associated with him through relationship and intimacy, and the fruit we shall produce will be the fruit of His Kingdom outworking itself through us.

This all ties in together very well. As we die to self and live for Christ by building our life upon Him as our foundation and True Vine, then the life flow of God passes through us so that we will bear the fruit of His Kingdom in whatever way that might be, but it will come as a result of the Holy Spirit manifesting the nature of Christ within us, so that we will do even greater things than our Lord, and we shall ask of Him anything and it shall be done.

“Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor (Achor means trouble, tribulation) a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. “In that day,” declares the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’; you will no longer call me ‘my master. I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked. In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety. I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord. “In that day I will respond,” declares the Lord– “I will respond to the skies, and they will respond to the earth; and the earth will respond to the grain, the new wine and oil, and they will respond to Jezreel.(Jezreel means God plants) I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one. I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’ ” Hosea 2:14-23

Summary

At first glance one could quickly surmise that the Bride is more important that the Kingdom. Jesus is more concerned for His Bride than He is for His Kingdom, He has already given everything for His Bride (Eph 5) and would again, such is His love and passion for Her. He forsook everything that He might bring forth His Bride.

But further study might question this initial conclusion or at least broaden our understanding of it. The unequivocal revelation in scripture is the emphasis upon the Kingdom of God. It was the message of John the Baptist as a forerunner to Jesus’ first coming, to preach the Kingdom of God, (John also had understanding of Jesus as the Bridegroom (John 3:29)) This was in the spirit of Elijah, and will be the hallmark as the spirit of Elijah rises again is preparation for the second coming of Jesus. It was the commission to the disciples to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom in all the Earth, and Jesus himself confirmed that when the Gospel of the Kingdom had been preached in the all the Earth only then the end would come. It was the Kingdom that Jesus preached, and it was the Kingdom that was the central thread through His final preparation of the disciples before His ascension (Acts 1)

In generalisation, there are two things which are necessary before the second coming of Jesus.

The Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world. This is the preparation for the full manifestation and restoration of the Kingdom which will occur during the Millennial reign
There is agreement between Heaven and Earth, – the Spirit and the Bride say come.
1. The Spirit has always been saying come, because it is the Eternal Purpose and desire of God.
2. The Bride is not yet saying come, because she is not yet ready and doesn’t know she’s a bride. No Bride will say come until she is ready, and no Bridegroom will come until the Bride is ready. The Bride is not yet prepared.

It was the preaching of the Kingdom through which Jesus came the first time. Not to establish the Kingdom without, (although this is included) but first the Kingdom within. And it is the command of Jesus to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, upon the fulfilment of which, He will come again the second time, to take His Bride and to establish the external manifestation of the Kingdom of God upon the Earth.

Proper realisation of the Bride cannot come without first understanding Jesus as the Bridegroom King. This naturally implies that there must also be revelation of the Kingdom. So in sequence is first the Kingdom (Matt 6:33 Seek first the Kingdom of God) and that Jesus is the King of this Kingdom, then the revelation that He is not only King but also the Bridegroom King. We have been restored first to the Father (the Father Heart of God movement), so that the Father might then give us to Jesus as His Bride to reign together with Him in His Kingdom forever.

And so, on further examination we realise that an emphasis on the Bride in isolation from the Kingdom is neither Biblical nor fully possible because the two co-exist together and to some degree are inseparable. Full understanding of the Bride requires understanding of Jesus as the Bridegroom King, and therefore the Kingdom. We are not equipped or prepared outside of the Kingdom. It is through the Kingdom that the Bride will be prepared, (Rev 19:7 righteous acts of the saints), and the Bridal paradigm is first dependent upon the Kingdom paradigm. The Lord is developmental in the revelation He releases to His church. But the starting place for it all is the Kingdom, both in the Lord’s first and in His second coming.

Therefore both paradigms co-exist together and are the most precious and glorious of all revelation and represent together the Eternal Purpose of God. Neither is complete without the other, but in both, Jesus must have the pre-eminence. To understand Bride we must understand Kingdom, and to understand Kingdom we must understand Jesus, that He is our Bridegroom King and we are His Bride.

This has direct implications for T.O.M. and is at the core of our teaching and message. If in one phrase the mandate of T.O.M. could be stated, we believe it is

“To prepare for Jesus coming as the Bridegroom King”

There are different facets to this preparation, including the cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word to make her holy (Eph 5:26) but also awakening the Bride to who she is, oneness within the Body, the righteous acts of the saints, the advancement and proclamation of the Kingdom. We believe our responsibility is a great and awesome privilege – to prepare the thing most precious to His heart, which is His Bride. We believe this requires Time Out Mission to have an holistic approach which covers the entirety of scripture. But the distinguishing feature that marks this movement is the perspective and paradigms of the Bride and the Kingdom through which the Word is taught.

If we are called to prepare the Bride then we must have an understanding of where we fit into the timeline of God’s Eternal Purpose. This relates not only to the past and understanding the times and seasons, but perhaps even more importantly in what lies ahead as revealed in Revelation and other eschatological books of the Bible.

In the following sessions we attempt to explore in more depth what the Bible teaches about the things to come.

The Restoration of All Things

There is a rhythm in scripture which beats to the heart of God and whether we realise it or not, we are in the middle of the greatest love story ever encountered on planet earth. Even though the final outcome was already determined before time began, the final analysis is far from over. The greatest challenge facing the church today is not from the outside but from the very heart of who she really is. Critical to the Master plan, is that the Church fulfil her true role in a partnership between heaven and earth. Jesus initiated this plan when he came preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, but passed the baton over to His Bride the Church.

Long before the Incarnation of Jesus lay a deep rooted anticipation spoken by the prophets over past centuries of the restoration of the Kingdom to Israel. When Jesus came, it was in direct fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy, and among a society that had been waiting for the Messiah, to herald the coming of the Kingdom of God. But their understanding of the Kingdom was incomplete, that so many failed to observe the King of Kings in their midst. How tragic that the only crown Jesus received from Israel, was when they crucified Him and placed a crown of thorns upon His head and mockingly declared “Behold the King of the Jews”

The error of the Jewish nation at that time was they were looking for Mashiach Ben David (Messiah the Son of David) who was to be a warrior king, and not Mashiach Ben Yosef (Messiah the son of Joseph) who was the suffering servant Isa 53. They had a physical and political viewpoint for a King and a Kingdom. When Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey they used palm branches which is used for a victorious ruler.

They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” John 12:13

Jesus contradicted their beliefs when He came riding on a donkey, not a usual symbol for a victorious king, and it wasn’t until later that the disciples understood from scripture the significance.

“Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.” John 12:15,16

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.” “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” John 18:36,37

Some Pharisees asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come. His answer was, “The Kingdom of God does not come in such a way as to be seen.” Luke 17:20

As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Luke 11:29

In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” John 3:3

It was not just difficult but actually impossible for the Jews (or Gentiles) to see the Kingdom, unless they had first been born again. But their religious pride refused to accept the message of John the Baptist who prepared the way for the coming King and His Kingdom with a message of repentance. Even after the resurrection, Acts records

“After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the Kingdom of God.” Acts 1:3, and then just before Jesus ascended into Heaven, the disciples ask “Lord are you at this time going to restore the Kingdom to Israel?” v6. To which He replied “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” v7,8

Looking at this passage alone, we would conclude that the Kingdom has not yet come, but if we look at what the Lord taught

But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” Luke 4:43

But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Luke 11:20

We are presented here with a paradox. Two statements which appear at first glance to contradict one another. Either the Kingdom is here now or it is not. But this would suppose that there is only one aspect of the Kingdom, and here lies the key to understanding.

The restoration of the Kingdom anticipated by the Jews was of God’s visible conquest over His enemies, and the restoration of the Davidic throne, raising Israel’s supremacy to rule with power and glory upon the earth. They expected prosperity and peace. And yet, if Pilate was still the governor of Judea, if the temple was not rebuilt, if foreigners were not coming to Zion for instruction, and many more prophecies concerning the restoration, then the Kingdom of God had not yet come.

Even John the Baptist struggled with his own convictions whilst in prison. “When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Matt 11:2,3

Making Sense of It All

We propose here that the Kingdom of God has both come and yet is still to be consummated in its full glory upon the earth. Jesus came to inaugurate the Kingdom but it was not yet time for the restoration of the Kingdom as Israel had expected. Before the Kingdom of God can be established upon the earth it must first be established within the heart. But also because salvation for the Gentiles had to come first, this is part of the mystery now revealed, that salvation is both for the Jew and the Gentile. Jesus said that there were other sheep of a different sheep pen that He had come for.

“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” John 10:16

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; “nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:20,21

Jesus taught that before the Kingdom comes in its consummation and fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy it has already come through His own person, and He demonstrated this in great power with signs and wonders. In His answer to John “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” Matt 11:4,5. So the kingdom is both the present spiritual reign of God and the future realm over which He will rule in power and glory.

This doesn’t mean that the Kingdom of God is not to be demonstrated now upon the earth. On the contrary we are called to be salt and light of the world Matt 5:13-16, and to live Kingdom life now. Even more, we are called to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom in all the world, Mark 16:15 and to make disciples of all nations teaching them to obey everything our Lord taught, Matt 28:19-20 and His teaching was all about the Kingdom.

The key to understanding all of this, is to remember God’s Eternal Purpose. We have learnt already that God is at work throughout history unto this present day and will continue to work until the completion of the plan which He has always had from before time and creation. To provide a bride for His Son, that He shall reign forever and ever Rev 11:15, and we shall reign with Him 2 Tim 2:12 as His Eternal Bride. And so before the coming of the Kingdom there is first the wedding. And before there can be a wedding there must first be a Bride.

There are preparations necessary therefore before the ultimate completion of God’s plan. This means there are preparations for the Bride, and also preparations for the Kingdom.

And so as we see there is more to be done, this is what the Bible calls the restoration of all things

“whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” Acts 3:21`

The restoration of all things speaks of the administration of God’s grace in bringing everything which has fallen, decayed or been destroyed through the effect of sin and the kingdom of darkness upon the earth to be restored. In short we could say this is the restoration of God’s creative purpose. This includes the new heaven and new earth, but we will focus for now our study on the Bride and the Kingdom.

Preparations for the Bride

I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband ……. “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” Rev 21:2,9-14

And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb: “Great and marvellous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations. Rev 15:2,3

In Revelation 21, John is shown a picture of the Bride. The vision is awesome and beyond anything he has ever seen before and he attempts to describe the vision with limited human words as best as he can. But one thing to note here is the inclusion of both Jew and Gentile believers. The city he describes has twelve gates upon which are written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. It is our blessed inheritance that we have been grafted into the olive tree like branches Rom 11:24, whose root is Christ. The gate through which we have entered into our faith and our destiny is through Israel and God’s covenant promise with Abraham, that through his seed all nations would be blessed. Gal 3:14,28,29

The gates of the New Jerusalem have written upon them the names of the tribes of Israel, but the Great City has twelve foundations, and on them are the names of the apostles. This represents the new age of the church. So in this beautiful depiction of the Bride, the Lord has brought together both Jew and Gentile and made them one. “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Gal 3:28,29.

“See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Mal 4:5,6

The angel spoke to Zechariah about his future son John the Baptist

“He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to restore the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:17

There is profound revelation in this description of John’s calling. There are two fulfilments of this prophecy from Malachi, related the first and second advent of Jesus. The final fulfilment is believed to be the restoration between Jew and Gentile. Prophetic meaning of “the hearts of the fathers to the children” refers to the Jew acceptance of the Gentile. It is the Hebraic root that we receive the fathers of our faith, and the gentiles the children who receive their inheritance. But also in Luke we read “the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous”. The word righteous here means of those who seem to themselves to be righteous, who pride themselves to be righteous, who pride themselves in their virtues, whether real or imagined. This refers to the Jews, so that the spirit of Elijah will cause the disobedient (Gentile) to turn to the wisdom of the Hebrew Fathers. Then the purpose for this reconciliation is to make a people prepared for the Lord. May the depth of this truth impact our hearts and thinking, that it has always been God’s heart for one new man to be prepared as the bride for His son.

Following on with this understanding before the final consummation of the Kingdom of God upon the earth, it is first necessary that the Bride is prepared. The Bride represents both Jew and Gentile, but also referring to our previous teaching on compatibility, the only suitable helper for Jesus, must be of the same kind of life. It was necessary therefore that Jesus should come the first time to bring redemption, and that through redemption we are restored to what we had lost through sin. In Christ we are reconciled not only to God, but also to one another. In Christ we are born again, we are children not born of human origin, but born of God, John1:12,13 Furthermore, we are not of this world anymore than Christ is of this world John 17:16

We have no doubt, the Bride must be prepared. In future sessions we will explore this in much more detail, but at this point the preparation of the Bride includes

Jew and Gentile together as one
Sanctification through the Word
Being dressed through righteous acts
Anticipation and desire of the Bridegroom

Preparation for the Kingdom

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matt 24:14

There is an implied responsibility here, and a direct connection between the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom, and when the end will come. Notice that it is not the gospel of salvation, but the gospel of the Kingdom which must be preached, the two are not the same. If the Kingdom is the manifestation of the reign of God whether upon hearts or the physical earth, it would be a safe assumption to say that that this message would include the deep desires of the King himself, that is to say, the message of the gospel of the Kingdom would include the message of Jesus as the Bridegroom King, for Christ is at the centre of it all, and in Him will be the consummation of all things.

The catalyst that heralds for the end to come is the preaching of this Kingdom message in the whole world. This message is compared to being like a seed. A seed contains within it the DNA to become the mature and complete expression of its kind. If we sow wheat the seed will produce wheat, if we sow maize the seed will produce maize and so on. Whatever we sow we will reap. The harvest depends upon the seed, and the conditions in which that seed is embedded. If we use the wrong seed, we will have the wrong harvest.

This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come. Mark 4:26-29

The farmer sows the word. Mark 4:14

There are three points here. First the seed must be sown, and not just any seed, but the seed containing Kingdom DNA. Second, the seed must be sown throughout the whole world, this is as a witness or testimony to all the nations. All the nations must witness the message of Kingdom of God. And third, the farmer will not harvest the seed but the fruit of that seed, when the grain is ripe is when he puts the sickle to it, and so there is seed, then time and then harvest. The seed must be given time to produce the full grain. Returning back to Revelation, we learn that the earth will be harvested. In this passage there are actually two harvests, and two harvesters. The next sessions will look at this in more detail, suffice to say at this point, that there is a preparation of the Kingdom to come, by the preaching of the Kingdom today.

I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. Rev 14:14:19

There are differences in what is taught today about the restoration of the Kingdom and how that relates to the timing Jesus’ Second Coming. Without getting too deep into this subject, (you are encouraged to research the scriptures for further study), there are two main beliefs. First that the church today will become ever more victorious upon the earth and establish the complete restoration of the Kingdom, and in some cases even overthrowing the anti-christ, all before Jesus returns. Second that the church will demonstrate to some degree of glory the Kingdom of God upon the earth, but will be not be totally victorious, for it will be upon the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, that the Kingdom will be fully restored. It is this second view that Time Out Mission believes the Bible teaches and aligns with what the Lord taught about the last days.

“If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened” Matt 24:22

The Spirit of Elijah

Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. Acts 3:21

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist. Matt 17:9-13

Before the first coming of Jesus the spirit of Elijah was at work through the person of John the Baptist, and similarly before the second coming of Jesus, the spirit of Elijah will manifest again preparing the way of the Lord. Elijah was an Old Testament prophet who was used powerfully by God to bring repentance and restoration back to Israel. He was radical and burned with a holy fire for the glory of God. Elijah is best known for his act of intercession upon Mount Carmel putting his life in danger by calling the nation together for a demonstration of power between the Baal gods they were serving and the One True God Almighty. He could be considered a reformer, a preacher, a prophet and an intercessor. These same traits we see in John the Baptist, who came preaching a message of repentance for the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. Jesus later confirmed that John the Baptist was the Elijah who was to come, yet this is only partial fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy.

Do we see the spirit of Elijah operating in the world today? If we do, we may not find him or her amongst the crowds, but in a secret place of aloneness with God. Just like Elijah in the Kerith Ravine, or John the Baptist in the wilderness, the Elijahs today will be those who have discovered God, not in the crowd but in the lonely places. Whose lives have been transformed by a holy fire that burns within them that they cannot conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but they find themselves often opposed to it, and possibly even the church, with a message that has been given by God. They are intercessors, and know the place and importance of prayer within their lives. They are prophets, who are not self seeking, or caught in a super spirituality which lurking beneath is pride and an unbroken spirit. This is the generation that God is raising up today, the Elijah generation with definite similarities and mandate to that of John the Baptist. It will be this generation who will preach the message of the Kingdom. At this time, there is a global movement of prayer and intercession as never seen before, could this be the stirrings of Elijah once more. If it is, then we are entering into the restoration of all things, which will release Jesus to return to earth to take His Bride and reign together with her for eternity.

When the Bridegroom Returns

Being Prepared for When the Bridegroom Comes

Then the kingdom of heaven shall be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise answered, saying, No lest there should not be enough for us and you: but go rather to those that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and those that were ready went in with him to the wedding: and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Assuredly I say to you, I do not know you. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of man is coming. Matt 25:1-13

There is much emphasis in both Jesus and the apostles teaching about future events and in particular that we should be ready for when Jesus returns. This well known parable about the Kingdom is directly connected to the concept of the Bridegroom and Bride. There are different terms used in scripture that describe the same event. As individuals we are referred to as guests of the bridegroom Matt 9:15 or in this parable like a virgin. We are not referred to individually as the Bride, that is because the Bride is not any one individual but the collective body of believers (both Jew and Gentile) who are His. And so in this passage where we are being taught about our individual responsibility to be ready we are likened to virgins. One of the key principles Jesus is teaching is that we must be ready for His coming because “those that were ready went in with him to the wedding and the door was shut”. In other words if we are not ready we will not be at the wedding, but more than this, we will also be shut out with the judgment “I do not know you”

How is it then that we can be prepared? Learning from this parable, the issue is one not only of whether we have oil in our lamps but whether we have extra oil. The reason the virgins needed extra oil was because the Bridegroom was a long time in coming, and didn’t arrive until midnight, so that the lamps original oil needed to be replaced. Could this be the Bridegrooms intention all along to ensure that only those who were diligent in their preparation would be able to enter the wedding? The foolish virgins had oil in their lamp at first, but did not have the means to refill them when the oil had run out. Because they had no oil when the Bridegroom came, their lamps could not be lit, and if the lamps were not lit they were not able to go out and meet Him.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Ps 119:105

A well accepted picture of the Holy Spirit amongst others is that of oil. It is the oil of the Holy Spirit which illuminates the Word of God so that we have a lamp to our feet and a light for our path. This raises the importance of both the Spirit and the Word. Both are necessary for our preparation. We may have the Word, but without the Spirit we have no revelation or illumination of what God is saying to us through His Word. The relevance for us is that without the revelation of the inspired Word of God or the continual indwelling of the Holy Spirit within us, we are not prepared to go out and meet the Lord when He comes as our Bridegroom. Satan knows this full well, and has set himself to do everything possible to distort and corrupt our understanding of the Word of God. In fact Satan has been doing this from the very beginning in the original sin, enticing Adam and Eve to doubt the Word of God spoken to them previously Gen 3.

One of things we are warned will happen in the last days is that there will be many false doctrines and false teachers. Without passing judgement it is not difficult to see evidence of this today. One observation is that they all tend to undermine our preparation for the future and what is foretold. Satan knows that when Jesus returns will mark the end of his time, and so will do whatever he can to hinder the return of Jesus, destroy or shipwreck the faith of as many as possible, or cause us to be unprepared.

He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. Dan 7:25

How can Satan undermine our preparation for the future? There are many ways could be explored here. For example we could be deceived into thinking that the Lord isn’t coming back for such a long time that we have nothing to concern ourselves with in the present. Or we could be deceived into thinking that just because we walked with the Lord once, it is no longer necessary to stay close to the Lord or to endure in the faith, because our eternal future is secure no matter what.

“Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.” 1 Tim 1:18,19

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” 1 Tim 4:1

“He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” Titus 1:9

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. Rom 16:17-18

The Bridegroom returns at Midnight

In stands to reason that if Time Out Mission is to prepare the church for the coming of Jesus the Bridegroom King then we must have a solid grasp of what the Bible teaches about the future, the nature of His return, when will He return, what will happen when Jesus comes, and how should we live today in the light of what will happen tomorrow. After all, so much of the underlying emphasis in Christian faith is about the future. The basis of our hope is that the best is yet to come, for we shall be changed to be like Him when we see Him as He is. 1 John 3:2 Satan and all the dominion of darkness will once and for all be removed from planet earth (apart for a short time after the Millennium), that the dead shall rise again, the judgement, the millennial reign, a new heaven and earth, and we could go on. How alarming therefore, that the church today is largely ignorant about the future, with a limited understanding about what will happen next. For example the classic assumption is when we die we will go to Heaven and live for eternity there with the Lord. But a closer look at scripture will we soon discover another final destination. For God has always desired to live with man upon the earth. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” Rev 21:2,3 One could ask if we are already present with the Lord in spirit when we die, then why is it necessary that our earthly bodies should also be redeemed? Rom8:2

In fact the church is not only unaware of much Biblical teaching about the last days, but also divided over the interpretation of key biblical passages, forming in some instances largely differing opinions about what will happen, or what has already happened or is happening now. Aware of the dangers here in presenting our own interpretation, it is not something that we can avoid, but believe we have a responsibility before God, to communicate as best we can what the Bible teaches about the future, or eschatology. And so, we present here our best understanding after many hours of study and prayer not as an absolute without room for others own opinion, but as our perspective. We realise that this will be different from what others may be teaching today or what you have already concluded, but we do believe it is also what the early church fathers believed and taught. This subject is not one which can be taught in any great depth in such a short time, and so our journey here will be brief, in the hope that it will inspire you to search the scriptures for yourself to form your own conclusions. And finally before we begin, it is important to realise that the Book of Revelation and other eschatological passages are not given primarily as a strict chronological blueprint for us to follow as we see world events unfold and prophecy fulfilled, but it’s underlying message is that we must be prepared now, and that we should be encouraged to know no matter how difficult things may become we have hope because the Lord is coming back.

In our previous sessions we have already linked the return of Jesus to two specific events. First that the Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world, Matt 24:14, and second that the Bride is prepared for the Bridegroom Rev 19:7 These are both true and necessary before Jesus second coming, but there are other issues here to explore.

“Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion (also falling away, apostasy) occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.” 2 Thess 2:1-3

Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica (who were Gentiles not Jews) to address concerns that some of the believers had heard reports that Jesus had already come. He instructs them to not let anyone deceive them in any way about the second coming of Christ, and the basis of his argument is that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed. This is reference to the antichrist appearing at the time of the great tribulation.

This reflects what Jesus himself taught in a key passage

For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equalled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time. So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. Immediately after the distress of those days ’the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Matt 24:21-27

This passage is very clear. Jesus returns after the great tribulation. Not many would argue with this point, but where confusion has come has been with a relatively new system of biblical interpretation known as Dispensationalism which came in the 1800’s through John Nelson Derby and the Brethren movement (this is a generalisation). The basis of Dispensationalism is that God relates to human beings in different ways under different biblical covenants in a series of dispensations or periods of time in history. The assumption here is that because we are not appointed unto wrath 1 Thess 5:9 then the church cannot be upon the earth during the great tribulation because this is seen as the outpouring of the wrath of God. So if the church is not upon the earth at that time, then they must have been removed before, which is known as pre-tribulation, that is to say the rapture is before the tribulation and not after.

It is important to accept that Jesus tells us we will have tribulation in this world. The point isn’t that we are spared by being removed from tribulation but there is strength through Christ to overcome. We have the opportunity to exercise love and demonstrate faithfulness in the face of hardship, so that we can be the light of the world when the darkness is the greatest, and be present for both Israel and those who will come into the Kingdom during this time. It is during the great tribulation that the Bride will be purified, and where she will make her final preparations in getting dressed.

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. John 17:15

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) Rev 19:7,8

The central text used by pre-tribulationists is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:14 – 5:2

“For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” 1 Thess 4:14-5:2

The expression “thief in the night” is thought to mean that Jesus comes in a way which no one will see or is unexpected. The phrase “caught up” in the Latin is “rapizo” meaning to snatch which is where we get the word rapture from. But if we read further Paul explains what he means

“But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.” 1 Thess 5:4

Yes, the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, but because we are not of the night, we should not be surprised. It will be those in darkness who will be surprised. Jesus himself said “see I have told you ahead of time” Matt 24:25 and also “when you see these happening you know that the day is near” Mark 13:29 To say again, the phrase “a thief in the night” isn’t referring to whether he is seen or not, but is in reference to the element of surprise.

This also goes to dispel the popular belief that the Lord could come again at any moment. Although Jesus does warns us “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” Matt24:42

There are no explicit passages to support that there is a secret coming of Jesus to rapture the church, it is a deduction made based upon the idea that we are not appointed to wrath. But there are many scriptures which demonstrate the presence of God’s people upon the earth during the tribulation.

“If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” Matt 24:22

The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ ’An enemy did this,’ he replied. The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ’No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ Matt 13:27-30

We suggest the simplest interpretation of these scriptures is the right one.

Two more thoughts.

The Last Trumpet

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 1 Cor 15:51,52

In both the 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 passages Paul refers to the trumpet call as happening when the dead in Christ are raised or at the resurrection. But Paul also uses the phrase the “last trumpet”. In Revelation we read “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever.” Rev 11:15 The question here is whether these two trumpets are the same, because if they are then there is little place for a pre-tribulation rapture.

The First Resurrection

Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. Rev 20:6

The question to ask here is, if the first resurrection is found here in Revelation 20 which is after the tribulation (see Millennium notes), how can there be another resurrection before this, because if there was another resurrection before, then surely the resurrection we find in Revelation 20 is not the first.

Why is this important?

A person’s perspective and belief about the rapture is very important because it will significantly affect the way they view the future, and whether they should be prepared or not. If someone believes that they will be raptured before the tribulation, they will not have the same sense of necessary preparation required for them to overcome. Repeatedly we are warned and encouraged to remain strong, to overcome, to watch and pray, so that we are prepared for His Coming.

A warning from a faithful saint

Corrie Ten Boom, who suffered through the terrible atrocities of the German concentration camps in WWII, had these sobering words to say about the tribulation– “I have been in countries where the saints are already suffering terrible persecution. In China the Christians were told: ‘Don’t worry, before the tribulation comes, you will be translated, raptured.’ Then came a terrible persecution. Millions of Christians were tortured to death. Later I heard a bishop from China say, sadly: ‘We have failed. We should have made the people strong for persecution rather than telling them Jesus would come first.’ Turning to me, he said: ‘Tell the people how to be strong in times of persecution, how to stand when the tribulation comes – to stand and not faint.’ I feel I have a divine mandate to go and tell the people of this world that it is possible to be strong in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are in training for the tribulation. Since I have gone already through prison for Jesus’ sake, and since I met that bishop from China, now every time I read a good Bible text I think: ‘Hey, I can use that in the time of tribulation’ Then I write it down and learn it by heart.

I Will Build My Church

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matt 16:13-19

This particular passage of scripture is one of the most quoted and well known teachings of Jesus in the church today, and yet I wonder how well we have really understood what the Lord meant, or how much we have heeded this lesson. If there is one principle or truth to take from this session it is that the church is His and not ours. Of course we may agree with this truth but in reality do we really understand the implications for us and our approach to ministry, and the hope contained within these words. There is some confusion over the issue of whose church it really is. With our church titles, denominations, mission statements and so on, one could get the impression that we have put our own stamp upon church and endangered ourselves to deviate away from what church really is. Please don’t misunderstand, we are not passing judgement or criticism in any way over denominations, or individualised expressions of church, where we draw the line is when we have interfered with God’s blueprint and definition of church and made it our own. Church is not ours it is His.

To unpack the entirety of this passage and the teaching on the church, would take far more than the time we are able to give in one study, and certain assumptions are made that many will know this teaching to some degree, as in the word ekklesia meaning a gathering of called out ones, or upon the revelation of Peter that Jesus was the Messiah the Son of the Living God. So on this basis let us look into further into this teaching.

Ever since the creation, God has purposed to dwell amongst man. In the Garden of Eden, the Lord and Adam and Eve enjoyed intimacy and fellowship together. Then after the Fall, man was banished from Eden, and exiled out into the rest of the world. This did not stop God’s desire to dwell among us, but now there was a barrier of sin which separated us from Him. Now there would require the fulfilment of righteousness and holiness in order for a place that could be fit for the dwelling place of God.

The Bible says that King David had a heart after God’s own heart Acts 13:32. He was a worshipper and someone who spent much time in the presence of the Lord. Here in this place of intimacy, David sensed the heart of God, the things which were important to God became important to David. In Ps 132:2-5 we read “He swore an oath to the Lord and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob: “I will not enter my house or go to my bed– I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, till I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Before the temple was built by David’s son Solomon, the Lord had already revealed to Moses generations earlier about a dwelling place in which He would dwell.

See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. Exo 25:40

They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” Heb 8:5

Notice here:

The sanctuary or tabernacle set up by man is a copy or shadow of what is in heaven.
Moses was instructed to make everything according to the pattern shown to him on the mountain. God is the architect, the designer, the one who holds the plans. These plans were “Shown him on the mountain”, this is the place of revelation. It emphasises the importance that we receive our building plans not from any other source, but from the Lord himself by revelation. Moses had spent 40 days and nights fasting on the top of Mount Sinai in the presence of Almighty God.
Revelation is the key to having the right foundation to build anything for God. Moses received the plans for the tabernacle by revelation. Peter’s confession of Christ, became the foundation upon which Jesus would build His church. Notice how this was by revelation, not flesh and blood, but revelation from our Father in Heaven. Also “Unless the Lord builds the house, it’s builders labour in vain” Ps 127:1 “But each one should be careful how he builds. For no-one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” 1 Cor 3:10,11

So we understand for the Old Testament that God desires to live among us. We see this in the Garden of Eden, the Tabernacle, and the Temple. This desire of God continues on into the New Testament, but now with fuller understanding that the former was a copy or shadow of the latter

However the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands Acts 7:48

We have become the dwelling place of God. We are a temple in which God lives by His Spirit 1 Cor 3:16, 1 Cor 6:19

We are living stones being built into a spiritual house 1 Pet 2:4,5

And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them Rev 21:2,3

Now let us turn to another familiar passage in Haggai

In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest: This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’ ” Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your panelled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honoured,” says the Lord. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Hag 1:1-9

We will often hear this passage used in the context of encouragement for church members to commit themselves to the local church program. Taking nothing away from this, there is a higher revelation we need to understand. This prophecy isn’t about commitment to the local church but about neglect of God’s dwelling place. The reason the Lord’s house remains uncompleted and remains a ruin, because the people became busy with their own houses. The question is how many houses does God require? How many houses does He occupy? If whatever we are building for the Lord is separate in some way from the wider body of Christ then we have to ask ourselves “are we building according to God’s design?” Because God’s design is oneness and unity, about one house, one body, one church. If that is true then there are profound consequences for us. Remember Church is His and not ours.

Let us settle this now, we do not build the Church, we cannot build the Church, He doesn’t want us to build His Church, only He can build His church. If that is true then what is it that we are building? When we try to build the Church we are attempting the impossible, and something that we have not been asked to do, and something that we have no authority to do. This is so important, our focus should not be on building the church. If our focus is on the church, and we are the church, then by definition our focus is upon ourselves. This should not be. Our focus should be upon the Lord, and upon the Kingdom. It is here that we must devote our time. For in Jesus’ teaching, we receive Divine insight, that He will build His Church, as we take the Keys of the Kingdom. Here is our domain, the Kingdom of God and the Keys with which to unlock the fullness of Heaven and God’s will upon the earth.

“Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven” Matt 6:10

Let us also make this clear, the Church does not require a building. It does not require finance. It does not require programs, mission statements, titles, hierarchy, vehicles, computers, websites, bank accounts or anything else. The Church is His. It is a spiritual entity, a dwelling place inhabited by the Lord Almighty. The church thrives best when we interfere with it the least. It belongs in society as the representation of the Kingdom of God upon the earth, not separate from it. The Holy Spirit blows where it will, you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. The church needs to be unpredictable if it is truly in the image of God and flowing in the Holy Spirit. So let us not be fooled, what we do isn’t church because we are the church, what we are involved with is the outworking of the Kingdom of God through the church. At this point we may feel defensive or even angry at such a thought. What no church services, no projects, no annual calendar, no staff, no salary, no building? We can even feel lost if we had no such things because we are so used to operating from a church paradigm and model, as though to ask if we don’t do or have those things then what? Do we find it difficult to imagine a church without walls or a set schedule in place? Allow me to bring some clarity here to what is being said. All of the above are not church in themselves but can be helpful in fulfilling the needs of the church in life and learning together. Where the problem arises is the subtle shift which can happen, where we become centred upon these things rather than on the Lord and the Kingdom. We like to have systems and structure, a measure of predictability and stability, we strive for such things as though they were essential to our future success. Again, stability and structure are not wrong in themselves and can be extremely beneficial, where the danger lies is upon our hearts, our focus and our values. If our confidence or understanding of ourselves is based in what we have and do, rather than who we are in Christ then we have fallen into dangerous ground. What we need then, is to separate what the church is from what the church does.

Separating Church and Mission

Mission comes out of church, not church out of mission

Mission can only be achieved through the church

Mission effectiveness is dependent upon the health of the church or body

CHURCH IS MISSION IS

1. Inclusive Exclusive

2. Relational Functional

3. Opt out Opt in

4. Leader served Leader led

5. Organic Organised

6. His Ours

7. Christ centred Goal oriented

And the Gates of Hell will not prevail against it

We like to quote this in our defiance against the enemy that we shall overcome. But what is a gate and in what way will the enemy not be able to prevail against the church? If we are honest we can see in many ways how it appears to be the opposite of this statement happening around the world today. Do we really see the Gates of Hell being driven back, and the church victorious over our adversary? This is a generalisation because we do see in many instances God breaking through and pouring out favour and victory. I would suggest this would largely be for the smaller body or local church rather than territorial or national transformation. There are higher levels of warfare that we have little knowledge of or ability to fight with any real or lasting effectiveness. We have witnessed to some degree victory over the enemy in our location wherever that may be, only to later surrender or retreat back to where we were before. There is a teaching that Jesus said when an unclean spirit comes out of a person it goes through arid places looking for rest, but when it doesn’t find it, it returns back to the house, finds it unoccupied and in order, so it returns with seven other spirits more wicked than itself. Matt 12:43-45 This I believe can be applied also to regions and territories, because if we are talking about Kingdom we are talking about territory.

A gate is a place of passage. Through a gate there is access to pass into something or somewhere, and access to pass from something or somewhere. Gates are openings that allow movement in and out. They are also places of authority, historically the elders would meet at the gates Prov 31:23, and in modern times there are gates we have to pass through with authority, as in the case at airports. When we enter into a country we enter in through the gate, with passport control where we are only allowed access if we have authority granted to do so with a valid passport and visa.

If we apply this understanding to this passage in Matt 16, Jesus tells us that there are gates which exist within the kingdom of darkness. They represent authority and movement. Our adversary can move where he has authority to move which is in darkness. Where there is the absence of light, become avenues through which the enemy can operate and go undetected. Taking this further, wherever there is no light by definition those places are dark. There are two kingdoms, the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness and everything is either in one or the other, there is no grey area, either God is present with Kingdom authority or He is not. We are not talking here of the omnipresence of God, but about the representation of the presence of God, and in particular the authority of God through the church. The church is given the keys of the Kingdom, and the mandate to represent the Kingdom of God upon the earth. So where we are not operating as we should then the gates of hell remain with influence because the authority required for them to be driven back has not been exercised by the church.

This is important, because we must come into greater understanding about authority if we are to truly impact the world we live in with the message and love of the Kingdom. If there is not unity between the churches so that they are in fact one church, then there is distance or better put, gaps which exists. These gaps become areas of weakness and exploitation by the enemy to hinder the flow of Kingdom authority necessary to possess regions. That’s one reason why the enemy will do whatever he can to bring divisions within the wider body of Christ, because so long as the church is divided the gates of hell will prevail. That’s a bold statement, but we must grasp this truth, regionally we don’t exercise church authority but Kingdom authority, we shouldn’t organise ourselves around local church without first understanding the context in which that local church exists, which is part of the Kingdom of God in that geographical region. It is about activating and exercising Kingdom authority. This happens when the church within a region are united together as one.

When Jesus said “I will build my church”, He didn’t say “I will build my churches” that’s because He only builds one church, because there is only one bride, and only one dwelling place for the Lord. That’s why the Gates of Hell will not prevail, because the church Jesus builds is one, and is exercising Kingdom authority. So we could ask the question, why then do the gates of Hell seem to prevail when Jesus said that they wouldn’t?

True spiritual leadership is not appointed by man but by God. They must understand these principles if they are to be effective in what the Lord has called them to. If we have His heart, we will not be satisfied for the church to be divided. Let me share another principle here, we should not work towards unity from our localised position, but we begin with unity then move into our place upon the wall. We must start with unity. Of course this seems to be impossible to start with unity if we are not united, how can that be? What I’m saying is that we must first know who we are as one church and be in agreement over the geographical location that has been assigned in the Kingdom of God, before we can function and exercise the authority needed to be victorious.

This goes back to our teaching of Adam and Eve as it parallels with Christ and the Church. We need to take this a little further to understand how authority works. The authority God invested in Adam and Eve is representative of the authority given to Jesus and to His church. The church is a corporate man, one body. And so it is through the Church that dominion authority is exercised, not through individual believers.

It is about territory. The Kingdom of Darkness is administered territorially, and has a hierarchal chain of command and authority, which is where we derive the term territorial spirits. Equally, the church though it is one body, is not administered denominationally but geographically. We see this principle in the book of Revelations where letters are written to the angels of the churches in seven provinces.

As individuals believers we have the same power and authority as Jesus himself. But we find no record of Jesus wrestling with demons or territorial spirits and no rebuking of Satan directly. In the wilderness, He counteracted Satan’s false use of the Word with correct application of Scripture, and He cast out demons from the possessed, but we find no record in His teaching or that of the apostles to support such practice. In addition, in the Lord’s Prayer there is no emphasis upon spiritual warfare of this kind, but says “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”

Note that Satan is the ultimate territorial spirit but he is not omnipresent, so how can one person “bind” him in one place in the world, and someone else “bind” him in another. Satan is defeated and has been conquered yes, but he is still very active and will remain unbound until Rev 20:2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. (see Millennium notes)

Note also in Eph 6:12 Paul writes “we wrestle not against flesh and blood…”. The word wrestle is the Greek word palē which is used nowhere else except here, and so first of all, we must be careful when forming a doctrine from one scripture, and secondly we must take the verse in its context. The emphasis in this passage is an encouragement towards the believer to put on the armour of God so that they can stand. The word “stand” is used four times in these verses. Paul isn’t saying that we should directly try to wrestle theses powers as a particular event, but that this “wrestling” is already taking place as part of our Christian experience and because of this, we should put on the armour of God, so that we can take our stand. In Eph 6:13 it says “you may be able to stand your ground”. This is a picture of defending a position, not enforcing new ground, but keeping what we already have.

On a territorial level, it is about authority. As the church we have dominion authority through our position in Christ. This authority is greater than that of the enemy, and so we can go forward and occupy new ground by exercising this authority corporately within that region. For a territory to be free requires that the church in that territory releases the corporate blessing through unity, and exercises Kingdom Dominion authority. Let’s return to our simple picture on light and dark to explain the point. Darkness is the absence of light, so long as there is no light darkness will remain. It is there by default but has no power of itself. It can only occupy areas where the light doesn’t shine. Against light darkness has no defence, it cannot resist light, it cannot wrestle light. As soon as light shines in the darkness, the darkness disappears. The church carries the glory of God. It is a light which reflects the glory of God himself, against this glory the enemy has no defence, no debate, no argument, the enemy must yield to the glory of God.

When we engage in any kind of territorial spiritual warfare as individuals we are not only in error but open up harmful avenues for the enemy to exploit. This is a classic ploy of our adversary, to draw us into a fight we can never win, like a boxing match where we keep fighting another round but there is no eventual winner. Success in warfare requires that we are operating in the right arena. The enemy will draw us into the wrong fight which will leave us exhausted and distracted from where we should really be focussed.

In conclusion we have explored some different concepts about the Lord’s declaration “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it”. In particular our underlying principle is that the Church is His and to us is given the Keys of the Kingdom. As we engage along Kingdom teaching, principles and emphasis the Lord builds His Church. We have taken time illustrate the importance of oneness and unity. The Lord only desires one house and one bride, but more than this how unity releases Kingdom authority in such a way that the gates of hell cannot prevail against the church, because the Church is geographical and represents the Kingdom regionally. The authority given to the church is Kingdom authority not church authority, so if the church is to be truly victorious then it demands that she is one.

The Millennium

Things to Come – The Millennium

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Rev 20:1-10

We turn our focus now to the Millennium being fully aware of the difficulties this teaching presents, and the various schools of thought which to some degree cause differences and divisions with the church. However the subject cannot be ignored, because if it was important enough for John to receive this revelation and write it down then it should be important enough for us to come without prejudice or preconceived mindset to examine with sound biblical exegesis the meaning and implications of this particular passage, and the other scriptures which fit into this category. In addition, as we have said previously, if Time Out Mission mandate is concerned about preparing now for what will happen in the future, and specifically for the return of Jesus the Bridegroom King, then the Millennium fits into the core of our teaching.

There are many facets to this and apologies are offered again for the brevity given here, but it sufficient at this foundation level to present the different views and our own particular view, whilst giving enough scripture reference for you to engage further biblical study in your own time. One could ask why is it necessary to explore this at all? Perhaps the shortest answer is that our view on the future and therefore the Millennium affects our attitude, perspective and priorities on how we live today.

For anyone studying the Millennium to form their own conclusion there are some primary questions to be answered.

Does the Rev 20 passage refer to a particular span of time in earth’s history or to a time in the future
Does Jesus return before or after the thousand years (or other length of time)?

The different answers to these questions have led to the different interpretations which as a generalisation fall into three categories: A-millenniumism, Post-millenniumism and Pre-millenniumism. Each view has difficulties associated with it and some more than others, which makes the task even more problematic, and so we must approach with great caution and also respect for others views, especially when such views have been formed through diligent study and prayer. So we do not teach here as an absolute, but only as our personal interpretation which we hold lightly. Neither is it our aim to force any scriptures to give us conclusive answers in the danger of losing the purpose and context for which the scripture is given, and in this case we uphold that the Book of Revelation and other eschatological scriptures are not given so much for chronological analysis but as encouragement and warning of what the future will bring when God so determines.

A-millenniumism (No millennium)

This view generally sees the Rev 20 passage as a retelling of church history up to and including Rev 19 and therefore it is not seen as a separate event. The use of A in A-millenniumism means “no”, i.e. no millennium, so is a rejection that Jesus will have a thousand year long reign upon the earth. The reference to a thousand years is not seen as literal but symbolic, and that the millennium is synonymous with the “church age” which began after the first coming of Jesus. It is held that Jesus is currently reigning upon the earth, but through the church, whilst he remains in Heaven seated at the right hand of God the Father. A-millenniumism also teaches that Satan has already been bound from deceiving the nations. The reign of Jesus is not seen as physical or external but a reigning on the heart or within.

Post-millenniumism (After millennium)

This view sees the return of Jesus after a victorious rule of the church upon the earth either for a literal or symbolic thousand years, and is similar therefore to the A-millennial view. The fundamental belief is on a triumphant church that will overthrow Satan (and the anti-christ) through social and religious advancement of the Kingdom of God leading up to the second coming of Jesus, that good will triumph over evil before Christ returns. The majority of postmillennialists do not therefore believe in the apostasy, with many falling away, but see these biblical texts as referencing Israel rather than the church. Post and A-millenniumism are similar but differ in that A-millenniumism does not recognise the millennium at all, only the symbolism, hence the use of “A” meaning “no”.

Pre-millenniumism (Before millennium)

This view interprets Rev 20 as separate from any other time and is therefore a unique event yet to happen. It sees the millennium as being initiated upon the second coming of Jesus after the Battle of Armageddon, when Jesus returns to reign in person together with His church for the final restoration of the Kingdom of God upon the earth. The final judgement does not take place until after the thousand years are ended. It is at this point that Satan is bound from deceiving the nations. This view means that the church will not be triumphant in the same way as the post-millennial view, but neither does it mean that it will be defeated, only that for the final triumph it will require the literal return of Jesus who will come as both Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

Presenting the Pre-Millennial View

Context

If reading Rev 20 on its own there is generally no problem. There is little use of symbols here except reference to “the dragon, that ancient serpent” and “They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.” Otherwise the passage is relatively straightforward, Satan is bound, there is a first resurrection when those who had not received the mark of the beast, reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The passage follows naturally on from chapter nineteen. After great distress and tribulation Jesus returns triumphant and defeats the enemy, at which point the beast and false prophet are thrown into the fiery lake of sulphur. Then in chapter twenty Satan himself is bound and those that were faithful and especially those martyred, not receiving the mark of the beast will reign. Except for the release of Satan at the end, the passage is very encouraging, unparalleled demonstration of victory, and dominance of good over evil.

This passage is about reigning. It is the restoration of the Kingdom of God upon the earth. Yet we know from our earlier sessions that this will take place upon the second coming of Jesus, not as the suffering servant but as the son of David as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus made it abundantly clear that there would be a restoration of the Kingdom but that time was only known by His Father in Heaven Acts 1:7

He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time. But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him. Dan 7:25-27

Even though this is the only passage that explicitly teaches on the millennium we are warned not to take or add anything away from this prophecy Rev 22:19.

Where is this taking place?

This is taking place upon the earth. Prior to this in chapter 19 we know that Jesus returns to defeat the kings of the earth and their armies who come to wage war on the rider on the horse and his army. It is shown elsewhere that the saints will reign upon the earth Rev 5:10. Satan’s later release is upon the earth those who overcome will be given authority over the nations Rev 2:26. The Kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of our God and His Christ Rev 11:15. None of these have been fulfilled until Chapter 20. To ascribe this passage to church history and not to the future seems highly inaccurate, given the recorded facts about the history of the church, its persecution, the dark ages and so on.

Reigning upon the earth – are we truly reigning upon the earth today?

The binding of Satan

Notice the action taken here against Satan. There is an angel who comes down out of heaven, and with a great chain, Satan is seized, bound, thrown down, locked and sealed.

Note also the location of where he is imprisoned. It is not upon the earth. It is in the Abyss. The word here is “abyssos” meaning bottomless, immeasurable depth, a very deep gulf or chasm in the lowest parts of the earth used as the common receptacle of the dead and especially as the abode of demons. It is used elsewhere

And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. Luke 8:31

“or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). Rom 10:7

This presents a problem for the A-millennial and post millennial viewpoints, who believe that we are now in the millennium, and that therefore Satan has already been bound. The explanation given that his binding is partial to not deceiving nations. But taking the plain sense meaning in the passage itself, there is great emphasis on the extent to which Satan is bound. It seems to me that the description of his binding here is complete and not partial. He is seized, bound by a great chain, thrown down, locked and sealed. This is a picture of total imprisonment not parole! In addition is it feasible to say that the nations today are really not deceived? On this particular point we suggest that this binding of Satan has not yet taken place and though he has been defeated upon the cross, he is still very active upon the earth today. To think otherwise makes very difficult reading of many other scriptures.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Pet 5:8

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. 2 Cor 2:4

Who are those that will reign?

I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Rev 20:4

Those given authority to judge. This is fulfilment of earlier promises to the saints. Matt 19:28, 1 Cor 6:2, but in each case the fulfilment is after the return of Christ

To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations. Rev 2:26

Special mention is given here to those who had been beheaded. This is not the entirety of those given authority to judge but a section of them.

What was the qualification to reign? From this passage we read specifically that they had not worshipped the beast or its image, neither had they received its mark on their foreheads or hands. We know that this is a specific reference to the great tribulation in the final three and a half years when the antichrist is revealed and the forced imposition of the mark of the beast. Again there are problems with the A-millennial and post millennial viewpoints, which state that we are already in the millennium, so the question arises how can we be reigning with Christ now upon the earth when we haven’t yet entered into the final great tribulation with the obvious revelation of the antichrist and mark of the beast? The approach taken by these positions is to allegorise the passage rather than a literal translation even though there is no justification to do so because the passage is simply stated. The interpretation held by the A-millennialist and Post-millennialist is a spiritual one rather than a physical one in that we have been raised from the dead and seated with Christ in heavenly places. In my opinion this is forced and doesn’t account for the qualification of those who have refused to receive the mark of the beast. In addition we read “they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years”. This coming to life is not a spiritual regeneration as many would believe, but a physical resurrection. We are told

(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. Rev 20:5,6

The word resurrection here is “anastasis” meaning rising from the dead or resurrection. It is used 42 times in the New Testament and always refers to a physical miracle, the raising of a body and is never used for regeneration or the new birth as believers.

And so I suggest that this passage is referring to people reigning upon the earth in a physical body after the first resurrection, to see it any other way is in my opinion to change the meaning of the very passage itself. It follows that if those who are reigning have received their resurrected bodies this is after the second advent of Christ, because it is not until then that the resurrection will take place

There are two different resurrections

But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14:13,14

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 1 Thess 4:16

The Main Difficulty

Perhaps the biggest problem in understanding what the Bible teaches when it comes to the Millennium is the presence of various scriptures which appear to place events simultaneously without a thousand year interval. Such passages appear to directly oppose accepting Rev 20 in its plain sense meaning, which has led to various hermeneutical juggling to get the passage to fit, inevitably this has taken the passage out of its sequence in chapter 20 and allegorised or spiritualised its meaning to something other than what the passage is teaching.

Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. John 5:28,29

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Matt 25:31,32

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 2 Pet 3:10-12

These are just a few examples which illustrate the challenge of reconciling the different passages to form a solid exegetical interpretation. But it should be noted that the Millennium is no way unique to “at first glance” contradictions. There are many such instances throughout scripture which are known as a paradox. A paradox may be defined as “A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement (or statements) or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.” Not least of course is our understanding of the Trinity, that God is both one and three persons. We accept this not on the basis of rational understanding but by faith. We cannot dismiss either that God is one, or that He is three persons, but we accept that both are true. Without going deeper into this, we should apply the same approach to our understanding of the millennium here. That even though there may appear to be contradiction, we should avoid the trap of trying to make one passage fit into another to make them easier to understand, especially when we change the actual context, essence and teaching that such a passage may contain, which is what I believe we do when trying to fit Rev 20 into other scriptures rather than letting the passage speak for itself.

One final point which should be included in our discourse is what scholars term “prophetic foreshortening”. This may help to alleviate some of the difficulties discussed. A classic example of prophetic foreshortening is that Old Testament prophecy accounts for one coming of Christ and not two. It was this that caused so much confusion and disbelief in the Jews because they had not seen the coming of their Messiah at two different times but only once, which would be for the restoration of the Kingdom when the Messiah would re-establish the Davidic throne.

Isaiah 61 demonstrates this principle clearly. The first verse is well known and used by Jesus when commencing his earthly ministry in the synagogue.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners Isa 61:1

But He stopped reading at this point, rolled up the scroll and sat down. The next verse reads “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God …” and the feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast”. There is no pause in the text, no suggestion of any time interval between these promises, which would lead to the conclusion that they are simultaneous. Now with hindsight and two thousand years since Jesus first read verse one, we can see indeed that there is a great deal of time elapsed between the final completion of this entire prophecy.

If we adopt this approach to understanding scripture it can help greatly. In the 2 Pet 3:10-12 text, Peter talks about “the Day of the Lord”. This phrase or variations of it like “on that Day” is used many times in both the Old and New Testament. But what Peter also teaches right in the middle of his teaching is “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” 2 Pet 3:8 This leads to greater insight when talking about “the Day of the Lord”. There are two primary ways in which this “Day” can be seen. First as a single day comprised of twenty four hours, and second as a day referring to an extended period of time, for example “the day of steam is over” or “a modern day revolution” or as in the Biblical sense “a thousand years”. Some refer to the difference of days as the short day and the long day of the Lord. So what we cannot do is presume that just because there is no indication of a time interval between the verses that a passage is necessarily simultaneous. We must hold on to scripture firm but lightly ensuring that we give room for the text to breath and speak for itself before reframing it into a different context than the one given.

In conclusion we do hope this discussion has been helpful and not served to confuse further the subject of the millennium. There are many books written on the subject which go to great depths to present the various viewpoints. It is not possible or necessary for us here to repeat what others are saying, but hopefully have brought our own specific belief and why we believe in a pre-millennial return of Christ, and our means of how we have conducted our study. Let us be reminded that the book of Revelation is for encouragement. That we can have great hope and assurance that what lies ahead of us is something worth living for now no matter how difficult that may be and ultimately what cost we may pay.

This is our assurance that

“if we endure, we will also reign with Him” 2 Tim 2:12

Be Still and Know

The Call 2 Come

Rev 22

1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. 6 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.” 7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!” 10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. 11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.” 12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you[fn] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” 17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. 18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

We are familiar with the prayer 17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” But let us look at this verse in its context

erchomai meaning to come

Outline of Biblical Usage:

to come
of persons
to come from one place to another, and used both of persons arriving and of those returning
to appear, make one’s appearance, come before the public
metaph.
to come into being, arise, come forth, show itself, find place or influence
be established, become known, to come (fall) into or unto
to go, to follow one

This word appears seven times in the last chapter of revelation. In fact the very last prayer, is how the Bible ends saying

Revelation 22:20 (NKJV) He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

It is interesting to note the different voices that speak at various times throughout the book of revelation. We have God the Father and Jesus both speaking in the initial chapters up to chapter 4 which makes the transition from “that which is now” to that “which is yet to come”. Then from chapters 4 into 19 the narrative which is depicting the sequence of final events of the seven seals trumpets and bowls, has no explicit reference to the Lords voice, but rather it is the angels who are speaking to John in the telling of things to come.

But from chapters 19 to 22 we have the greatest, clearest, most glorious and highest revelation given to man unveiling the Mystery of God’s heart. That which had been kept hidden in Christ, and now in full display, the bride. But also, notice how also is the full unveiling the apocalypse of Christ himself in full view as the bridegroom, King.

It is here that God the Father breaks into the conversation

Rev 21

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.

7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. [bold mine]

After this John is carried away by the Spirit to a great and high mountain where he is shown the bride, the wife of the Lamb. It is a beautiful bride one which human language is not able to fully convey yet even so John gives many interesting and significant details about the bride, the New Jerusalem both externally and that which is within. These are covered in another teaching. The point I’m making is how the sequence of revelations and those speaking all lead to this final climax and summation in chapter 22 where it is now Jesus himself who takes centre stage in the closing sequence.

7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”

12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.

13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.

15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you[fn] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

Notice

Jesus repeats twice that he is coming soon.
He encourages people to keep the words of this prophecy, (the earlier references to overcome) saying that they will be blessed, but also that his reward is with him and will give to each according to what they have done.
His declaration of ultimate divinity.

I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and Last, the Beginning and the End v13

Significant that this is exactly the same declaration by the Father in the preceding chapter, signifying the absolute Oneness, nature and supremacy with the Father, but now the fulness of God and exact representation of his being expressed in the Son.

Heb 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

Col 2:9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form

Now he reveals not only that He is fully God, but also that He is the fulfilment of all prophecy and therefore the One that is expected to rightfully take his place to rule and to reign. Jesus makes this amazing final statement about himself

Rev 22:16 ” I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

Jesus is the root of David. Jesus was before David. He is the King who existed before David and through which David received his throne and Kingdom temporarily upon the earth. Jesus is the source of David’s anointing to be king. This is Jesus the pre-existent king, showing His deity.

Jesus is the offspring of David. This is Jesus as the messianic king, revealing his humanity. The prophecies detail that He will sit on David’s throne to rule the nations in an eternal Kingdom.

Jer 23:5 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Saviour.

Jer 33:15 ” ‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Saviour .’ 17 For this is what the LORD says: ‘David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel,

2 Sam 7 :12 When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’ “

Jesus is the “Bright Morning Star”

This is a remarkable statement that Jesus makes about himself. Within this declaration are both the promise of victory over the enemy and the promise of the new day or millennial age.

As the planet Venus

As a planet within the orbit of the earth around the sun it is never more than 47 degrees away from the sun.
Apart from the sun and the moon It is the brightest object in the sky by far, bright enough to be seen in midday
It overtakes earth every 584 days as it orbits the sun, as it does so, it changes from the ‘evening star’ visible after sunset, to the ‘morning star’ visible before sunrise in the East.
It was known in ancient times and often part of mythology

Notice particularly that the morning star represented

Brilliance, it was the greatest light, the most powerful object, able to overcome darkness.
A new day. Or a new era. Jesus first coming was attended by a star from the East, but apparently only witnesses by a very limited minority of star gazers. Jesus second coming also involves a star only this time He is that star, and it will be seen by everyone

The brilliance will overcome.

Numbers 24:17 “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a sceptre will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth.

2 Thes 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendour (or brightness) of his coming.

Isa 60: 1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip. 5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.

This well known passage in Isaiah is specifically referring to the last days and in particular the Day of the Lord.

The Spirit and the Bride say come

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

The true and only response to Jesus and the fullest revelation of his identity can only be made
1. In agreement with the Holy Spirit
2. By the bride
This verse is a response to the preceding verses and declaration of Jesus
It symbolises
1. absolute agreement between heaven and earth
2. That the bride is getting ready.
  1. No bride will call for the bridegroom unless she herself is getting ready. Note here, that we have come to believe, the Bride must call upon the Bridegroom, which positions her correctly to begin to get ready. This is an important point, for the Bride to get ready, she will take on her bridal identity, and the Bride knows that she needs the Bridegroom to help her to get dressed. He does this by sending the Holy Spirit. (See the teaching on Lessons from Isaac and Rebekah)
  2. The bride is prepared upon the earth
3. It is only the Spirit and the Bride who can pray this prayer.
4. This is the prayer of bridal love and longing
5. It is the prayer of immense importance that will literally change everything

Preparation of the bride

Upon the earth

Rev 19: 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)

Eph 4: 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Key elements

We all reach unity in
1. The faith
2. The knowledge of the Son of God

Not only amongst denomination but also Jew and Gentile
There is only one bride
We attain to become the fulness of Christ
Compatibility for union

So to a degree this prayer can only be prayed to its fullest extent by the bride in agreement with the Holy Spirit. Yet I am challenged and stirred because of the cry within my own heart and the Spirit within me, I am calling Jesus to come. I believe there is another side to this preparation, and am reminded by the prayer of salvation when we ask the Lord to come into our hearts. In this case, there is the typical human reluctance of shame and tendency to want to improve before we can become a Christian, yet this is impossible, and the Lord is accepting of us whilst we are still sinners, the work of redemption and recreation is one that occurs when we surrender and allow the Holy Spirit into our lives.

So the question remains : Can we pray this prayer today? And if we can then are we praying this prayer in a way that which actually release something in the spiritual realm that will accelerate the Lords coming and will make a difference in my personal life and that of those around me? To help answer this question, we can look at the rest of this call to come in verse 17 as there are other elements

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

Let the one who who hears say come

There is a change in the underlying tension within this statement. We move from a universal portrayal of the ultimate agreement between heaven and earth when the Spirit and the Bride say come, but there is no explicit instruction just a statement of what will happen. But now there is an instruction in these following words that can either be seen as a command or at the very least an invitation for those who have ears to hear to say “Come”.

This partly answers the question raised earlier: can we pray this prayer today? Clearly, we can not only pray this prayer, but we are also instructed to do so. With this then comes a new mandate, a new responsibility upon the individual who hears to respond back to the Lord with the plea of a longing heart “Come Lord Jesus”. We discover that the response He is looking for when we learn more of who He is, is to ask Him to come. Why would we pray anything else, when He has shown us that He is the One who will make everything new, who will destroy the enemy and overthrow the reign of evil and darkness and usher in a new Kingdom of pure love and triumph? All other human endeavour is simply swallowed up and diminished by the One who is Alpha and Omega, who invites us to Holy union in a marriage that is the ultimate love story in which we shall reign together with the Lord for all eternity.

By asking the Lord to come, we activate something within our own hearts. It is releasing that which is present already within the believer’s heart because it is embedded within every child of God by the Holy Spirit who has always been saying come. When we pray Come, we are aligning ourselves with the Holy Spirit and positioning ourselves before the bridegroom in a way that cannot happen any other way. By doing so we are allowing the Holy Spirit greater access to the inner most parts of our being, where He fashions our hearts as that of a bride in readiness for the bridegroom.

And so in answering our question, yes we must pray this prayer now, for it is not only evidence that we are becoming part of His bride, but also a necessary process in the bridal preparation.

But there is more to this verse : 17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

There is both an upward response from earth to heaven, from bride to bridegroom, from beloved to lover, but also now the invitation is to those who themselves are thirsty and have not yet taken the free gift of the water of life. So the call to come can also be applied in a missional context. In fact when the church is living out from her bridal identity, that is to say, adorned in the beauty that comes from pure devotion to her Lord and a unity between its members demonstrated by the love they have for one another, and clothed in pure garments of righteousness, then there is a powerful attraction to those who are thirsty, because they see in her that which is instinctively home, because it is the very place that God created them to belong, and one in which disarms the usual objections, because they know that she is not counterfeit, but a reality that can only be made possible because God himself is real.

And so we have a seven fold sequence about the Lords coming: Firstly, the Lord himself encourages us that He is coming soon, that he will bring his reward with him, and the final revelation of his identity as the root and offspring of David and the bright morning star. This is welcomed by the agreement prayer between the Holy Spirit and the Bride, but then also an instruction to those who have heard to say come, this is both an upward call to the Lord, but also a missional call to those who are thirsty.

Then finally in verse 20 the seventh use of this word erchomai

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

In conclusion then, there is a prayer that only the bride can make, which has both a future context as the signifying of the brides readiness, but also a present application that we who have heard and understood the unveiling of who Jesus really is, should be praying this prayer now, and that in doing so are actually participating in the bridal preparation both in terms of her own heart and spirituality, but also in those who are yet to be included. This is therefore both a prayer and a call, and as we understand it more fully is not an option but a necessity. O the wondrous mystery indeed, that which Paul knew as he pens the letter to the Ephesians, for this reason a man will leave his father’s house and go and be United with his wife as speaking of Christ and his church, that which John the Baptist knew as he witnessed to the coming of the bridegroom, and that which John the beloved knew in this totally overwhelming and beautiful revelation of Jesus Christ, that leaves him with the closing words in all scripture

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. Rev 22:20,21

Early Church Writers and the End Times

Whilst the division within the church on matters concerning the end times remains, I thought it would be useful to explore what the early church believed in the years that followed the Lord returning to Heaven. Fortunately, there are many historical documents, letters and papers written within the first couple of centuries, and in some cases only a few years after the ascension, which actually give great insight into eschatological viewpoints held at the earliest time of church history. Ultimately it is only the Bible that we uphold as scripture, even so, I think it is still relevant to at least have an awareness and understanding of what the early church believed. I won’t give my own interpretation here, but instead simply quote the text and allow the writing to speak for itself.

Didache (c 50 – c 120).

The Didache is also known as the “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles”. It is believed to be the earliest Christian document other than the Bible, and serves as a treatise over a number of belief and practices within the very earliest church history. More information about the Didache can be found online, but as a summary here, the document is broken down into three main sections. The first section expounds upon the two ways, that is the way of life (chapters 1 to 4), and the way of death (chapter 5) , and gives numerous instructions directly from Scripture and the words of Jesus. The second section (chapters 6 – 15) gives instruction of the ordinances within the church, that of baptism, the Lord’s supper, church organisation etc. Then the third section (chapter 16) is on the things to come. The following is chapter 16

[ms_promo_box style=”boxed” border_color=”#fdd200″ border_width=”2″ border_position=”left” background_color=”#f5f5f5″ button_color=”” button_link=”” button_icon=”” button_text=”” button_text_color=”#ffffff” class=”” id=””] 16:1 Be watchful for your life; 16:2 let your lamps not be quenched and your loins not ungirded, but be ready; 16:3 for you do not know the hour in which our Lord comes. 16:4 And you shall gather yourselves together frequently, seeking what is fitting for your souls; 16:5 for the whole time of your faith shall be of no use to you, if you are not perfected at the last. 16:6 For in the last days the false prophets and destroyers shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate. 16:7 For as lawlessness increases, they shall hate one another and shall persecute and betray. 16:8 And then the world-deceiver shall appear as a son of God; 16:9 and shall work signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands; 16:10 and he shall do unholy things, which have never been since the world began. 16:11 Then all created mankind shall come to the fire of testing, and many shall be offended and perish; 16:12 but those who endure in their faith shall be saved through the Curse itself. 16:13 And then the signs of the truth shall appear; 16:14 first a sign of a rift in the heaven, then a sign of a voice of a trumpet, and thirdly a resurrection of the dead; 16:15 yet not of all, but as it was said: 16:16 The Lord shall come and all His saints with Him. 16:17 Then the world will see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven.

Didache Chapter 16

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I said I wouldn’t give my own interpretation here, but only to point out in particular the sequence of events as stated above:

False prophets and destroyers multiplied v6
Lawlessness increases v7
The anti Christ appears v8
The great tribulation v9-11
Those who endure in the their faith shall be saved v12
The signs of truth, (a rift in Heaven, voice of a trumpet, resurrection of the dead) v 13-14
When the world will see the Lord coming upon the clouds with all His saints v16-17

The Epistle of Barnabas (c 70 – c 130)

[ms_promo_box style=”boxed” border_color=”#fdd200″ border_width=”2″ border_position=”left” background_color=”#f5f5f5″ button_color=”” button_link=”” button_icon=”” button_text=”” button_text_color=”#ffffff” class=”” id=””]”The final stumbling-block approaches, concerning which it is written, as Enoch says, ‘For this end the Lord has cut short the times and the days that His Beloved may hasten; and He will come to the inheritance. And the prophet also speaks thus: “Ten kingdoms shall reign upon the earth, and a little king shall rise up after them, who shall subdue under one three of the kings.” In the like manner Daniel says concerning the same, “And I beheld the fourth beast, wicked and powerful, and the more savage than all the beasts of the earth and how from it sprang up ten horns, and out of them a little budding horn, and how it subdued under one three of the ten horns. … We take earnest heed in these last days; for the whole time of your faith will profit you nothing, unless now in this wicked time we also withstand coming sources of danger, as becometh sons of God. That the Black One may find no means of entrance, let us flee from every vanity, let us utterly hate the works of the way of wickedness.”

Epistle of Barnabas 4[/ms_promo_box]

The Shepherd of Hermas (c 70 – c 100)

[ms_promo_box style=”boxed” border_color=”#fdd200″ border_width=”2″ border_position=”left” background_color=”#f5f5f5″ button_color=”” button_link=”” button_icon=”” button_text=”” button_text_color=”#ffffff” class=”” id=””] Stand steadfast, therefore, ye who work righteousness, and doubt not, that your passage may be with the holy angels. Happy ye who endure the great tribulation that is coming on, and happy they who shall not deny their own life. For the Lord hath sworn by His Son, that those who denied their Lord have abandoned their life in despair, for even now these are to deny Him in the days that are coming.

The Shepherd of Hermas Second Vision Chapter 2[/ms_promo_box]

Justin Martyr (c 100 – c 165)

[ms_promo_box style=”boxed” border_color=”#fdd200″ border_width=”2″ border_position=”left” background_color=”#f5f5f5″ button_color=”” button_link=”” button_icon=”” button_text=”” button_text_color=”#ffffff” class=”” id=””]O unreasoning men! understanding not what has been proved by all these passages, that two advents of Christ have been announced: the one, in which He is set forth as suffering, inglorious, dishonoured, and crucified; but the other, in which He shall come from heaven with glory, when the man of apostasy, who speaks strange things against the Most High, shall venture to do unlawful deeds on the earth against us the Christians, who, having learned the true worship of God from the law, and the word which went forth from Jerusalem by means of the apostles of Jesus, have fled for safety to the God of Jacob and God of Israel

Justin Martyr – Dialogue with Trypho Chapter CX

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Irenaeus (c 130 – c 202)

[ms_promo_box style=”boxed” border_color=”#fdd200″ border_width=”5″ border_position=”left” background_color=”#f5f5f5″ button_color=”” button_link=”” button_icon=”” button_text=”” button_text_color=”#ffffff” class=”” id=””] He teaches us what the ten horns shall be which were seen by Daniel, telling us that thus it had been said to him: “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet, but shall receive power as if kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and give their strength and power to the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, because He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings.” It is manifest, therefore, that of these [potentates], he who is to come shall slay three, and subject the remainder to his power, and that he shall be himself the eighth among them. And they shall lay Babylon waste, and burn her with fire, and shall give their kingdom to the beast, and put the Church to flight.

Against Heresies Book V Chapter XXVI

And therefore, when in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said, “There shall be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be.”(2) For this is the last contest of the righteous, in which, when they overcome they are crowned with incorruption.

Against Heresies Book V Chapter XXIX

3. It is therefore more certain, and less hazardous, to await the fulfilment of the prophecy, than to be making surmises, and casting about for any names that may present themselves, inasmuch as many names can be found possessing the number mentioned; and the same question will, after all, remain unsolved. For if there are many names found possessing this number, it will be asked which among them shall the coming man bear. It is not through a want of names containing the number of that name that I say this, but on account of the fear of God, and zeal for the truth….

Against Heresies Book V Chapter XXX 3

4. But he indicates the number of the name now, that when this man comes we may avoid him, being aware who he is: the name, however, is suppressed, because it is not worthy of being proclaimed by the Holy Spirit.

Against Heresies Book V Chapter XXX 4

For all these and other words were unquestionably spoken in reference to the resurrection of the just, which takes place after the coming of Antichrist, and the destruction of all nations under his rule; in [the times of] which [resurrection] the righteous shall reign in the earth, waxing stronger by the sight of the Lord: and through Him they shall become accustomed to partake in the glory of God the Father, and shall enjoy in the kingdom intercourse and communion with the holy angels, and union with spiritual beings; and [with respect to] those whom the Lord shall find in the flesh, awaiting Him from heaven, and who have suffered tribulation, as well as escaped the hands of the Wicked one.

Against Heresies Book V Chapter XXXV 1

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The Glorious Bride

Key Concepts

The hidden glory of Jesus
The revealed glory of Jesus
The glory of the man is the woman (the Bride is the glory of Jesus), and the glory of the woman is from the man
The hidden glory of the Bride
The revealed glory of Jerusalem

1. The Hidden Glory of Jesus

Jesus did not openly reveal His glory, instead He purposefully chose to avoid such opportunities that presented themselves. In fact here as some figures about what Jesus actually said about Himself

He called God His Father (117 times recorded in the New Testament)

He only referred to Himself directly, four times as the Son of God (all in John’s Gospel) though He never denied it what confronted. (Luke 22:67-70)

He did however refer Himself directly more than fifty times as “the Son of Man”.

Additionally, He forbid anyone who had received revelation about His true identity to not tell anyone else. For example,

His disciples. “‘But what about you? Who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!’ … Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.” (Matthew 16:15,16,20; see also Mark 8:29,30)

Demons. “… He also drove out many demons, but He would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.” (Mark 1:34; see also verses 24,25)

“Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him, and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’ But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.” (Mark 3:11,12)

“Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Christ.” (Luke 4:41)

Those He Healed. “… He also drove out many demons, but He would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.” (Mark 1:34; see also verses 24,25)

“Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him, and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’ But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.” (Mark 3:11,12)

“Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Christ.” (Luke 4:41)

The World Does Not Recognise the Glory of Jesus

“The disciples came to him and asked, ‘Why do you speak to the people in parables?’ He replied, ‘The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them … This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.” In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes …”’” (Matthew 13:10-11,13-15)

“He [Jesus] was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own (Israel), but his own did not receive him.” (John 1:10,11)

“The god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the good news of the glory of Christ …” (2 Corinthians 4:4)

“No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1 Corinthians 2:7,8)

2. The Revealed Glory of Jesus

Through the Holy Spirit “‘No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.’ … no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’ but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit … we have … received … the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” (1 Corinthians 2:7-13)

Through the Word “… these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31; see also John 5:39,40; Romans 16:25,26; Ephesians 3:4,5)

By the Father Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. Matt 16:17

The Mystery of God Revealed

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” (Deut. 29:29)

“… He brings hidden things to light.” (Job 28:11)

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter.” (Proverbs 25:2)

“Truly you are a God who hides himself.” (Isaiah 45:15)

“From now on, I will teach you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you.” (Isaiah 48:6)

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

“He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.” (Daniel 2:22)

“It is written in the prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’” (John 6:45)

“When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence of superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified … My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words … not the wisdom of this age … we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden …” (1 Corinthians 2:1-8)

“… that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge … the mystery of Christ …” (Colossians 2:2,3; 4:3; see also 1:26,27)

3. The Glory of the Man is the Woman

A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 1 Cor 11:7

All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold. 14 In embroidered garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions follow her— those brought to be with her. 15 Led in with joy and gladness, they enter the palace of the king. Ps 45:13-15

As we have already seen with Abraham and Sarah, the promise to Abraham could only be fulfilled through his wife Sarai (meaning princess, the royal bride). So also in the Divine Grace and Mystery of God, Father God has chosen to fulfil His promise to Jesus His Son, through the Royal Bride. Wow, what an incomprehensible thought! No wonder, the bride must be pure like a virgin, to not be tainted by the world, she must be perfect, absolutely pure and spotless without blemish. Eph 5. If the Royal Bride is the glory of Jesus the Bridegroom, then She is not inferior to Him in any way. He would never allow it, in that not because of our own worthiness or righteousness, but because of His great love, that we have been elevated to such a high position, to be considered a worthy suitor for the Son.

And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. Eph 1:22,23

Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. Eph 3:8-11

The glory of the woman is from the man. The woman comes out from the man, as with Adam and Eve, in the same way, the Bride comes out of Jesus. She is who she is because He is who He is! She has nothing of herself, but she has received everything in Him. This is the bond of love. She knows the lover’s gaze, and that His desire is for Her. She is completely in love with Him, because of all that He is. She knows that she is “dark but lovely” SS 1:5 and her desire is only for Him. She seeks nothing for herself, her desire is to be in Him, knowing complete fulfilment in the Holy Union. She takes nothing for herself, and is only interested in what delights and glorifies her Bridegroom. She is overwhelmed by grace and love, there is no place for pride or demonstration. She is consumed with resolute intentionality, to make sure that her lover receives all the glory. Though it is given to her, she does not take the glory for herself lightly, but chooses to remain in the posture of surrender. Laying at the feet of Jesus, covered by the hem of His garment over her.

4. The Hidden Glory of the Bride

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Col 3:1-4

This passage is very significant when it comes to understanding the Bridal relationship and the manifestation of Glory. Verse 1, begins with “Therefore”, which means it is connected to the previous instruction of Paul to the Colossians. In particular, Paul has been instructing them to not live according the rules or principles of this world. So here in verse 1, Paul is saying, because of the ability we have to be corrupted, or tempted or deceived into thinking there is some gain or benefit in the principles of this world, and therefore we can be focussed on the world’s ways more than on God’s, we must keep seeking the things above. The things above are glorious and mysterious, yet to those who seek Him diligently, they will be rewarded. There is a saying that says about another “They are so heavenly minded to be of no earthly good”. Or a reproach may be “They always have their head in the clouds”. But here, Paul says that we should have our head in the clouds. We should be focussed on the things above, the mysterious and glorious things of God, with our hopes set on things above, and things to come. And we may argue, that we must be heavenly minded to be of any earthly good. Then in verse 3, is the reason we should seek the things above and not things upon the earth, because we have died and our life is hidden with Christ in God. This word “hidden” also means “concealed”. That is to say, we together with Christ are hidden in God. We are not on display, we have not yet been revealed, not in the fullness of Glory that is to come. Verse 4 underlines that our life is of Christ, and that He has not yet been revealed. Paul is writing this after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, and yet he is saying that Jesus has not yet been revealed. We know that Jesus has been revealed to those whom the Father chooses, and so Paul isn’t referring to the revealing of Jesus in His first coming, but here is a reference to the unveiling of Jesus, the revealing of who He is when He returns again, in the fullness of Glory in His second coming.

“At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.” Mark 13:26 (see also Rev 1:7)

The Bride is kept hidden from the world. The world cannot recognise the Bride, anymore than it can recognise Jesus as the Son of God. How is it that it recognises the church, but not the Bride? She is not on display, but for His eyes only. Not until she is fully dressed, will the Bridegroom let anyone see her. I believe the Bride is the most Glorious of all mysteries in Heaven. As Paul teaches

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. Eph 5:31,32

John was taken to a great and high mountain where he was shown a vision of the Bride. You cannot see the Bride from the earth! You have to ascend the high mountain, to see what God sees.

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. Rev 21:9-11

5. The Revealed Glory of Jerusalem

In the last verse we read in Rev 21:9-11 we have the direct connection between the “Bride, the wife of the Lamb” and “the Holy City, Jerusalem”. This also ties in with Rev 21:2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. The phrase here in v2 is “the new Jerusalem” meaning there is now both Jerusalem as in the ancient and Holy City of God, but also Jerusalem the new and glorious Bride. These two are somehow connected if not the same. In verse v10 John says he saw, Jerusalem the Holy City, and in v2 he saw the new Jerusalem, but both describing the Bride, the wife of the lamb.

This is a deep and profound mystery, and I do not profess to understand it fully, but here is what I have come to believe and accept. That the Father had a wife called Israel, and through Israel, brought forth His Son as Incarnate Jesus. He was pre-existent with the Father before Creation, but would become flesh in order to redeem those who would believe in His glory. He came for His bride and paid for her by His own blood!

But more than this, just as Father had initially redeemed Jerusalem the Holy City for His bride, so also through Jerusalem, (it would be just outside Jerusalem City walls), that the blood of His Son paid for the sins of His Father’s wife after she had been adulterous. In so doing, provision was made for Jerusalem and Israel to be restored back into the blessing of marriage covenant. Through this sacrificial act, Jesus not only paid for the sins of Jerusalem, but for the whole world (both Jew and Gentile) to create a New Jerusalem, that would become His, the wife of the lamb!!

In Ezekiel 16:6-13 , speaking of Jerusalem, Ezekiel prophesies

6 “When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ 7 I made you numerous like plants of the field. Then you grew up, became tall and reached the age for fine ornaments; your breasts were formed and your hair had grown. Yet you were naked and bare.

8 “Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the time for love; so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine,” declares the Lord God. 9 “Then I bathed you with water, washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil. 10 I also clothed you with embroidered cloth and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk. 11 I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your hands and a necklace around your neck. 12 I also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your dress was of fine linen, silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey and oil; so you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty.

And in v32, Jerusalem is specifically mentioned as “You adulteress wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband!”

The reference to Jerusalem in Rev 21 represents both the Old and the New Jerusalem. There is a profound mystery here. Something that brings all these things together in one new glorious revelation. I dare not speak in error, so please seek the Lord and His Word for yourself, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. My understanding is that as the Son is eternally begotten from the Father, so also the Bride is eternally begotten from Jerusalem! Yes, the Bride comes from within the Bridegroom himself as Eve was from within Adam, but there is also a woman in Heaven and her name is Jerusalem, and she is the mother of us all.

But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. Gal 4:26

1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2 and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labour and in pain to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. 4 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. 5 And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. Rev 12:1-5

17 So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. Rev 12:17

The Bride is because Jerusalem is. Without Jerusalem, there could be no Bride. The Bride is Jerusalem in the same way that Jesus is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being”. Heb 1:3 The Father and the Son together with the Holy Spirit are One, so also the Jew and the Gentile shall be one, and that together shall become the New Jerusalem, the wife of the lamb. This abolishes any notion that Israel is replaced by the church. On the contrary, Israel and Jerusalem are not replaced any more than the Father is replaced by the Son! No, this is profound mystery but it is through the marriage of the Father and Israel (Jerusalem) that the marriage of the Son and the Royal Bride can happen. These things are all so wonderfully linked together.

As the reference to Jerusalem in Rev 21 represents the old and the new, I believe there is dual prophetic meaning and fulfilment with the prophecies of Isaiah that refer to Jerusalem. In other words, there is fulfilment for both the wife of the Father, and the wife of the Son!

Let’s take a look in Isa 62. A familiar passage, but instead of only seeing this as relating to only Old Jerusalem, let’s see this as relating to the New Jerusalem also, that is the Royal Bride.

1 For Zion’s (the One New Man’s) sake I will not keep silent,
And for Jerusalem’s (the Royal Bride of my Son’s) sake I will not keep quiet,
Until her righteousness goes forth like brightness,
And her salvation like a torch that is burning.

2 The nations will see your righteousness,
And all kings your glory;
And you will be called by a new name
Which the mouth of the Lord will designate.

3 You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
And a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

4 It will no longer be said to you, “Forsaken,”
Nor to your land will it any longer be said, “Desolate”;
But you will be called, “My delight is in her,”
And your land, “Married”;
For the Lord delights in you,
And to Him your land will be married.

5 For as a young man marries a virgin,
So your sons will marry you;
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So your God will rejoice over you.

6 On your walls, O Jerusalem (Royal Bride), I have appointed watchmen;
All day and all night they will never keep silent.
You who remind the Lord, take no rest for yourselves;

7 And give Him no rest until He establishes
And makes Jerusalem (the Royal Bride), a praise in the earth.

Isaiah 62:1-7 Additions (in brackets) mine

Conclusion

O that we would set our minds and hearts on things above, and not on earthly things. May we be caught up and consumed with a holy passion for the Bridegroom, longing for His return. Let us know, that He has hidden us away from the eyes of this world, we are His alone. Yet in the fullness of time we shall be revealed together with Him in the coming of His glory and reign. Let us heed the instruction of Isaiah 62:6,7 and never keep silent. To remind the Lord, and take no rest and give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem and the Royal Bride a praise in the earth.

The First Prophecy in Scripture is About the Bride

The Bride has the Attention of the King

The Bride is Not Distracted By the Kingdom

Hadassah, the Name Given by God

The Greatest Secret in the Bible

What a Star you are!

The Call to Come, Part 1

A big welcome to everyone watching this presentation today on the central message of Call2Come. I’m really excited to share what I’m about to share, and I pray that it will impact your life in the same way that it has impacted mine ever since the Lord allowed me to see beyond the veil to the mystery that is the Bride.

I’m so grateful that the Lord saved me at such a young age at only 8 years old. But then even at 10 years old the lord called me to be a missionary. Throughout my whole life despite all the things that I have done and the places that I have been, there has been a constant thread that identifies and connects it all. And that has been the hand of God upon my life. And so, despite the ups and downs (and there have been many) I have endeavoured to fulfil the missionary calling upon my life. In fact, when I reflect upon the generations of those that have gone before, if there was a time that I could be transported back to in time, I’d like to think I would go back to the missionary movement over the 1800s. Like Hudson Taylor or David Livingstone, who didn’t have the luxury of flights or mobile phones as we have them today, took the greatest of risks and made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their life for the mission field in reaching the lost.

And yet in the times in which we live now, and more now than any other time in history, we have a great opportunity to reach the world for Christ. And so not looking back, but embracing the day in which we live, with all of its turbulence and challenges, for the opportunity is great and the commission remains. So, let us not be fearful or disorientated but let us ensure that we understand who we are and why God has placed us here in the time in which we live. It’s for such a time as this that, that we are here. And we are able to embrace our commission and the future with confidence, because in God there is always hope. In God, there is certainty that he is always and always shall be upon the throne, and that somehow, above the storms, there is an underlying purpose of His that remains. What we might call the Eternal purpose of God. That even before creation, God has had a particular purpose and objective in his heart. And we find ourselves in the timeline of God. He knows the end from the beginning and He is taking us somewhere beautiful. Along this time line that we are on, we are so much closer to the end than we are to the beginning. Prophetically there are still things that will be fulfilled, but time is short and the end is near. As I contemplate my life and my contribution in this generation, there is one particular message that has captivated my heart and set my life on a course that I cannot ever divert from. It is the message that I will share with you now, and the central message of the Call2Come movement.

The message of utmost importance relevance and implication is the message of the bride. Who is the bride and why is she so important? Hopefully in sharing some of these thoughts with you today if nothing else you will at least understand my passion. But my hope is that you will also catch something of the passion for the bride and the bridegroom. So that we can understand our highest calling and truest identity in who we are in Christ, and that His created purpose was always that He should live with men in the context of a marriage relationship. There’s no other way in which I can understand what Paul wrote, when he said “husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself after her”. We quote this passage often in marriage counselling and in marriage seminars, but even Paul himself confesses that he’s not actually teaching about husband and wife, but he’s using the marriage relationship as a model to teach us something that’s different to understand. To give us something that we can grasp a hold of, to receive a higher truth, which is not of husband and wife, both of Jesus and his church or his bride. In fact, Paul describes it as a profound mystery. He says, I’m not talking about a husband and wife, I’m talking about Jesus and his church. Paul makes it very clear and there’s no other exegetical interpretation apart for the Bride. John the Baptist said when he sees the bridegroom coming that joy is mine.

Throughout scripture and we don’t have time here, but we will see from Genesis all the way through to the final prayer of Revelation 22, that the Bride is contained within the pages of scripture. We as the bride have access to the highest measures of grace that can be poured out, and the fulfilment and consummation of the Kingdom of God comes through the marriage relationship between the Bridegroom and the Bride. It comes through the Bride, it doesn’t come through the church, but it comes through the Bride. The Bride is the church, yes, but it’s a matter of identity, acceptance and conviction that we are the Bride. The Bible says that the glory of the man is the woman. The glory of Jesus is the Bride. He chooses for the fullness of all that he is, shall be fulfilled and shared with His Bride. That has always been the father’s intention. I desire that my son Jesus shall have a bride.

There must be a transformation before there can be an integration. Before we can be one with Him, we have to be changed to be like Him, for He cannot be united to anyone other than who is like Him, and more so, like Eve from within Adam, as bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. It is about compatibility. Only that which is from Him can cleave back to Him. And so there has to be a transformation process for us to become as Jesus is.

The Bride, her life and her identity, all that she is, comes out of Jesus Christ, so that he can unite himself with her forever. It says for this reason a man will leave his father’s house and go and be united to his wife. But again Paul’s teaching that Jesus will leave his father’s house and come and be united and married to us. I find this amazing this divine romance. It is the Bride who has access to the fullest of all that he is. It is the Bride who has access into the very throne room of God where she finds the Golden Sceptre extended with the invitation to ask me for anything and I will give it to you even up to half my kingdom.

In John 14 Jesus says I’m going to the Father to prepare a place for you. And then he follows that up saying “I am the way the truth and the life” and then he says “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You will do even greater things than these, you will do greater things than I have been doing.” I think we have seen a fulfilment of that prophetic word to a degree, but there is so much more. I believe that we have not yet fully seen the church do even greater things than Jesus did. Yes of course, we are blessed and so grateful for God in the way that he has moved within the people and the church through the ages but as a generalisation there is a greater fulfilment that is yet to take place. Let me put it like this: when the Bride is getting ready it will be very apparent that she is becoming exactly like the bridegroom. We will know when the Bride is getting ready because she will become more like the bridegroom, and thereby fulfilling this prophetic word of Jesus, that she will do even greater things than Jesus did. I believe there is an anointing that is yet to be poured out upon the Earth and a move of God that we have not yet entered into or experienced. Despite all the revivals and the moves of God that we have seen in the past there is one that is yet to come, and it is an anointing and an outpouring of the holy spirit that is reserved only for the Bride. The bride needs the bridegroom to help her to get ready. That’s a profound truth, but she cannot get ready on her own. She needs the bridegroom to help her.

In Acts 1 we learn how Jesus spent 40 days with his disciples teaching them many things about the Kingdom.

Acts 1:3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we knew what it was that Jesus shared with them. Just imagine a private audience with Jesus for 40 days hearing what he had to say, that he had not yet shared with them about the Kingdom of God. We may indeed long for the Kingdom of God and yet the reality is, what we learn from the disciples question, “Lord are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” indicates that despite all Jesus had done and taught them, the kingdom, the consummation of the kingdom had not yet come. This sets up a tension, a prophetic tension because the kingdom of God is here now and yet it is still to come. We are living in a time between the two realities. Let me put it like this: The Kingdom of God must first be established within before it can be established without, it must first be a reality inside the heart of the believer, before it can become a full reality upon the Earth.

On Jesus first coming, the gentiles were not yet included in the covenant of God because it was a covenant that he established with Abraham and through him and the Patriarchal Fathers, Israel. It was the Jews, it was Israel who were expecting a messiah and of course He will come, but before that moment of Israel receiving their Messiah, there was something else that needed to be accomplished. The gentiles had to be included or grafted into the vine, this was part of the master plan of God. The Eternal plan of God, was that together from Jew and Gentile there should be one new man made from the two. As Paul teaches in Ephesians 4 we know the passage well and it reads how Jesus gave some to be Apostles and Prophets and so on, but it continues on to say until. “Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the son of God”. We’re not there yet, we are not yet all united in the knowledge of the Son of God, and agree who Jesus is. And so, in the grace of God, in the patience of God, in the love of God, He has held Israel in His hands, until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, that they might become together, the One New Man.

So in those 40 days after Jesus Resurrection when he spent time talking about the kingdom with his disciples, isn’t it amazing that the disciples still had questions, and they asked him Lord are you at this time going to restore the Kingdom? We know the Lord’s reply and he said it is not for you to know the time set by my father in heaven but wait in Jerusalem until you receive the gift promised and you will receive power and you will be Witnesses in Jerusalem Judea Samaria and unto the world. But looking further down in that passage in Acts 1, it says in verse 9 that he was taken up before their very eyes and a cloud hit him from their site. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. Men of Galilee why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus. the same Jesus who has lived among you who has fed you and died for you this same Jesus who was crucified upon a cross this same Jesus who you saw and testified yourself when you saw the scars in his hand and upon his side this same Jesus the two men said, will come back in the same way that you have seen him go into heaven. There it is, the promise of the second coming of Jesus Christ. He is not yet finished. The plan is not yet fulfilled. If Jesus is coming again, it means there is still something in the Eternal purpose of God that is yet to unfold. The kingdom of God within, yes but ultimately there will be a consummation of the kingdom upon the Earth when the bridegroom king comes to reign. And the catalyst, the switch, the lever that will prophetically shift us into the dispensation of the coming of Jesus Christ is when the Bride has made herself ready.

I don’t believe that we are raptured in some obscure fashion, or in some secret mysterious way. Let me put it like this, I believe scripture teaches that the Bride is prepared upon the Earth. I believe she is prepared upon the Earth and that there is only one bride. Not a Jewish bride and a Gentile bride, so how can the Gentile Bride be raptured before the Jewish Bride? No, the two will become one upon the Earth, and when they are ready, because they have become the fullness of Christ, then he will come again and take her to himself. There is much controversy about what is called replacement theology. And I don’t believe in replacement theology in the way that others might, and yet I do believe in replacement theology in that there will be no more Jew, but neither will there be gentle either! So it’s not only Israel that will be replaced but also the gentile. What is Israel and the Gentiles to be replaced by? They are replaced by the Bride. Hallelujah.

It is the Bride that He is coming back for, it is the Bride who gets herself ready to a point where heaven will say now the Bride is ready. There’s something prophetically that shifts at that time. So what I’m saying is that we are not on some automated timeline where we can just do our own thing, separate from what God is doing as though it was ok, it’s not ok. We have to know and understand God’s heart and what he’s after, and he’s after a bride for his Son! We cannot say “Oh everything is ok because God has set the time and all I have to do is hang in there because it is predestined for the Lord to come again“. No, there’s something that we need to do. Something that we cannot be passive about. Something that we should be proactive in. And which we need to be doing here and now and there is a measure of the Holy Spirit and a measure of his Kingdom and His grace that is available to us when we align ourselves to who we are, as his beloved bride.

In Revelation 22 we will find in verse 17 that the Spirit and the Bride say “come“. I’ve always understood this in the past in a different way to the way that I understand it now. The change in my understanding happened when I recognised that there was something in me that was already calling come. In the past I saw this call of the Spirit and the Bride, would be something that would happen in the future but not now. I saw it as something that would happen only when the bride has made herself ready, because as I wrongly believed, what bride would call for her husband to come until she is ready? But I recognised a deep longer and desire in me, that I wanted to call come now, and indeed I was already crying come, and I am still crying come. In fact, I believe that call to come, is within the heart of every child of God, because the Spirit within every believer, has awakened them to know that they belong to Him and that they are only complete when they are with him, and they are not complete until He has come for them. And so it changes our understanding of this Scripture, that to cry come isn’t something that we can put off until some time in the future, but it’s something that we need to do now. Why? Because the bride needs the bridegroom to help her to get dressed, and when she calls Come, she is positioning herself in a way she can receive the Bridal outpouring of the Holy Spirit to help her to get dressed.

The Bride understands that her completion will only come through the bridegroom. She isn’t looking therefore, for any other kind of fulfilment. For there is no other satisfaction that she looks or craves for, other than her wedding day and consummation with the groom. The Bride is not set upon her own course, or working towards her own ambitions, instead she knows that her fulfilment will come when she sits beside her husband upon his throne to reign with him. The Bride knows that she needs the bridegroom. This is the key that made a difference in my interpretation of how this scripture fitted into the timeline of God. Because I no longer saw this as happening sometime in the future, but the timing of this was reversed when I recognised the call within my own heart for him to come and the realisation that the Bride cannot get ready until she begins to cry come. When the Bride cries come she is positioning herself in a way spiritually before him, and she is opening her heart and embracing her identity of who she is and agreeing with the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is already saying Come. She is aligning herself with the Holy Spirit and the Eternal purpose of God when she cries “Come”. Hallelujah.

That’s when I believe this outpouring of the holy spirit that is reserved only for the Bride will be released. Because we’re not even asking for another revival. We’re not asking for another outpouring of the holy spirit, we’re asking for the Bridegroom. The Holy Spirit’s commission is to lead us and to prepare us and to bring us to the bridegroom. So when Jesus is seeing his church praying for the holy spirit and not for Him to come, how do you think that makes him feel? I wonder what father and son and holy spirit say to one another when we are asking for the Holy Spirit and not for the bridegroom himself. Let us not be those who call for the Holy Spirit without understanding the Holy Spirit’s role is to prepare us and take us to be with the Bridegroom. I believe the cry of his heart, the prayer that Jesus longs to hear more than any other prayer is the prayer of his Bride calling upon him to come. Because he is the bridegroom, and the cry of his heart more than anything else, is not that we should do this or do that, but that we should ask him to come. Because when we ask him to come, it means the time is near for His return. And maybe the Son will turn to the Father with longing in His eyes and say Is it time Father, can I go and get my wife. And maybe the Father will say looking lovingly and knowingly to His Son, Not just yet Son, but soon, let us send the Holy Spirit once more, that He will bring her the garments she needs to help her to get dressed! O the joy that he must experience when his Bride is asking for him to come. Wow, could you imagine how his heart leaps when he sees his bride calling Him. It is a clear message from Earth to Heaven that the Bride is getting herself ready.

So let’s conclude the first part of this message here and we will come back to this in part 2. So please make sure you continue in this lesson with part 2 because we’re only half way and the best is yet to come.

Lord we thank you for all that you are and all that you have done. And we call upon you now for you to come. Come Lord in your glory. Come as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. O Lord we call upon you to come as your bride. May our hearts be connected with yours, as we eagerly await for your return. In Jesus name amen.

The Call to Come, Part 2

Welcome back to the continuation of the Call to Come message. In this session part 2 we will conclude this core teaching which serves as a central foundation stone to the Call2Come movement. And so it’s my hope that I am able to impart something of the understanding and passion that fuels everything we do at Call2Come, and pray that this message will impact your life in a way that brings blessing and hope for the future that awaits us, as we draw near to the time of our Lord’s return.

In part 1 of this message, I shared about the bridal paradigm, and taking a fresh look at Scripture with a different lens or viewpoint to see how the Bride of Christ is so central to the Word of God. The fundamental principle that we discussed, was centred around Rev 22:17 which reads, “The Spirit and the Bride say “Come!” I had always seen this as something that would happen at some time in the future and just before the Lord’s return, but as I described in our last session, that I now see this as the complete opposite, and that we need to be calling upon Him to Come today. In fact, for the Bride to become ready she must love like the Bride, worship like the Bride, and pray like the Bride, and the necessary prayer of the Bride is the call to come. When she prays Come, she aligns herself with the Holy Spirit who is always saying Come, and into her bridal into. She re positions herself in a way that enables her to get dressed. Well that was Part 1 and so now we will conclude this message with Part 2.

Before I begin, I just want to quickly point out our contact details which you can see on the screen. This teaching plus all our other teaching is available on the website at www.call2come.org or you can follow us on Twitter or Facebook with the username @Call2Come. My name is Mike, and I am the co-founder and director of Call2Come, together with my dear friend and co-director Dr Howard Barnes.

Ok, let’s get started.

Acts 3:21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.

Acts 3:21 the Bible says that He is received in heaven until the restoration of all things. Jesus is in heaven longing to return, but cannot yet return because the Bride has not yet been restored. For she must get herself ready, and yet the preparation of the bride is about us and what we do and what we believe whilst we are here upon the Earth. The Bride is about us. It’s not something that’s automated in the predestination of God. It’s not something that would just happen naturally, but it’s something that we have to be proactive about. And to do that we have to get rid of our old mind-set and systems of theology. There’s nothing wrong with theology, we need theology to have correct doctrine, but there’s a way in which theology can be put together. Each doctrine is like a building block and we can put those building blocks together in different ways, so that they create a paradigm or perspective of looking at scripture. The doctrines remain unchanged, but the perspective can be very different depending on how they are put together. What I’m saying is that we need to have a fresh look at what the Bible teaches and look at it from a position of being the Bride. When you see the bride, you cannot un-see. But to see the Bride requires that we allow the Holy Spirit to change our mind-set and position us somewhere we haven’t been before, so that we can see the Bride and then embrace our bridal identity. We will call this the Bridal Paradigm. There’s a way in which we can put theology together, but unless it presents a picture of the bride and the bridegroom, then we are not seeing the fulfilment of God’s eternal purpose when Jesus Christ comes again in great glory on the clouds, because He’s not only coming to reign but He’s coming to marry His bride. May the building blocks of our theology and doctrine portray a picture that describes both the fullness of who he is but also describes the undenying reality of His Bride.

Rev 4:1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

In a moment we’ll take a look in Revelation 21 and glean a few more things in our journey to understanding the Bride. But just a quick introduction into what has taken place up to that point. Remember, John has received the revelation given to Jesus and sent to John by an angel. Then in Revelation 4 it says that John heard a voice calling him to come up here and I will show you what must take place after this. Then from Revelation 4 to Revelation 21 we haven’t heard Jesus or the Father, but those chapters contain the events which are described to us with the seven seals, seven trumpets and seven bowls. Then we get to the final chapters of Revelation, and both Father and then Son come back into full view. Here they make the final summation of all scripture like a closing argument or appeal. In a moment we’ll read the final declaration and revelation of what Jesus says about himself, but before the Son Jesus comes on into view, we see the Father.In verse 5-7 of chapter 21, it says He that is seated on the throne says “See I am making everything new. Write this down for these words are trustworthy and true. He said to me. And he said to me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to him that is thirsty of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Who is it who is speaking here? The passage says I will be his God and he shall be my son. So this is Father God who is speaking and He says I am the alpha and Omega I am the first and the last the beginning and the end.

But then in Revelation 21:9-11 it reads “ Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.”

John describes that he was then transported or carried away in the spirit to a mountain that was great and high. John was being shown the Bride but in order to see the Bride, the wife of the Lamb, he had to be taken somewhere very specifically. And I believe that to see the Bride we have to change our point of view. John was taken to a place that he wouldn’t be able to get to by his own mind or rational or argument, but he was taken there by the Spirit of God to a place that was high, to an elevation in which he could see things from God’s perspective, from heaven’s perspective and not from the position of standing upon the Earth. For us to see the Bride, we have to see things from God’s perspective from a high and lofty place and then we can behold and see what God sees, and what he sees is his bride. Hallelujah. Oh, let the Holy Spirit take us to that place. May the Holy Spirit take us to a place that we haven’t been before. To that holy Mountain so that we can understand and see who we truly are. You are the Bride and I pray that your eyes may be opened that you may behold the glory of all that he is and all that you are when you are in him. Be the Bride. Be part of the Bride. He’s coming back for his bride it’s the Bride who will reign with him. Be ready. Get dressed and ready, for Jesus is coming back for his bride.

So, in revelation 21 as we have read, we find the declaration of the Father when he says I am the alpha and Omega. and John describes in these chapters as best he can what he sees. He describes that he saw the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven dressed like a bride. Beautifully dressed for her husband. He describes gates and walls and foundations. He sees that the walls are made of Jasper and the gates are made of pearls and on the gates, he saw the names of the tribes of Israel, because you can’t get in to the New Jerusalem other than through the gate of Israel. But then the foundation was on the names of the Apostles who represent the church. We are given this beautiful picture and vision of the One New Man, both Jew and Gentile now coming together as The New Jerusalem beautifully dressed for her husband. And now, finally, in Revelation 22, Jesus comes to take centre stage, and we are given the final revelation and declaration that Jesus makes about himself.

Within this final chapter, there is a particular word that in Greek is the word “Erchomai”. and this word means to “come”. We find the word “erchomai” used seven times in this final passage of scripture. Let me show you where we find this word. Jesus says in verse 7, I am coming soon and this word coming is the word “erchmomai”. and then in verse 12 he said behold I am coming soon and the word is used a second time the word “erchmomai”. Then continuing in verse 17 we read the Spirit and the Bride say come and this word “come” is again, the word “erchmomai”. Let him who hear say “come”, and let him who is thirsty “come”, now five times we have read the word “erchmomai”.

And then finally in the last verses of scripture Jesus closes with this statement and encouragement to us when he says “He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”. And then John finishes with his closing summation and prayer “Amen, even so come Lord Jesus!”. Now we have the 6th and 7th use of this word “erchomai”. So if you want a biblical reason or instruction why you should pray “Come” then we need look no further than in John’s closing prayer because he himself closes the very pages of our Bible when he says “Even so come Lord Jesus!” and there we find the 7th use of the word “erchomai”. In John’s prayer, he is agreeing to all that Jesus has done and all that he has said. When he said amen, he’s saying “yes Lord I agree”. “Yes lord come“. Lord you said you’re coming my response is come!

Revelation 22:12,13 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”

Remember we just read in chapter 21 these same words “I am the alpha and Omega” but on that occasion, it was the Father who said I am the Alpha and Omega. Now here we see that it is Jesus making the same declaration. That’s because the Father is in Jesus and Jesus is in the Father, and together with the Holy Spirit they are completely one. The Holy Trinity of three in one. Jesus is the fullness of God, He is God. He says “I am the Alpha and Omega” I have always been and always will be the first and the last. I am the beginning and I am the end. I stand before you it is me Jesus who speaks to you and my name the name that was given to me at my conception within the Virgin Mary was the name Jesus. Jesus the man. Jesus God. You need look nowhere else, but it is me. Jesus is saying I am Alpha, Omega and I stand before you and invite you to come “He that is thirsty let him come.”

Then we read the final revelation that Jesus makes about himself in verse 16. “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, I am the Bright and Morning Star.” The final summation of all that Jesus is, here contained within the statement. He said, “I am the root and the Offspring of David I am the bright and Morning Star”. He is the root of David which means that Jesus didn’t come from David, but David came from Jesus. Before David was Jesus was. Jesus is the root of David he is the pre-existing King. He is the king, has always been the King, and that because Jesus was King, David received from Jesus his lineage as king. Jesus was the root of David. It was a picture of his deity, it was a picture of Jesus as the God King. Because He is the root of David.

But then Jesus said I am the Offspring of David. And we know that there were many prophecies given to David that he would always have someone who will sit on the throne in Jerusalem. All the fulfilment and coming of the kingdom will be through the lineage of David as was prophesied. And now Jesus is standing here and He’s saying that I am the Offspring of David. Jesus was saying I am the fulfilment of all prophecy that you have been waiting for. Of everything that you had believed would happen on my first coming it will take place on my second coming. The messianic promise, the waiting for the Messiah and the King to return to Jerusalem will be fulfilled when Jesus Comes again. On his first coming the Jews were waiting for the Messiah to come and to triumph over Israel’s enemies. For him to come in glory, because that’s what they read when they read the prophets, that he would come again in great glory. And yet if Pontius Pilot was still on the throne, then the promised one who was to come had not yet come, or at least not in the manner which they expected, which is why the disciples asked Jesus before he ascended to Heaven Lord are you at this time going to restore the Kingdom?

And since that time the Bible says that the cloud took him out of sight and he hasn’t been seen since for 2000 years because he’s still in heaven, received in heaven and is still there. And now in this revelation Jesus is making his final statement that I am the Offspring of David I am the one who will fulfil every longing, desire and the fulfilment of the promise that was made to you more than two thousand years ago. I am that one. Jesus said I am the root of David, showing him as the God King, but also I am the Offspring of David, showing Jesus as the man King the human King that Jesus is fully God and fully man and is King.

And now concluding the final revelation of Jesus. I am the bright Morning Star. The bright morning star you can still see today. The morning star is known as the planet Venus. And Venus other than the sun and the moon is the brightest object in the sky. You can see it very clearly as a bright object in the night sky. Without getting too scientific, just to say that Venus orbits the sun inside the orbit of the Earth around the sun. That means from our perspective upon the Earth, Venus is always close to the sun, the furthest it can ever be when looking at it from the Earth is 47 degrees. And so, depending on where it is within its orbit, Venus will either be seen as the morning star or the evening star. But when Venus is the morning star it is because it is going before the sunrise. In other words, Venus appears before the sun or a new day. Before a new day dawns, the Morning Star rises. Jesus uses this picture and understanding when he says I am the bright Morning Star. I will come again and it will herald in a new day and a new age. When Jesus Comes he will bring with him a new day, a millennial age, a new dispensation. Jesus says make no mistake I am coming again.

And because of this very fact that Jesus Christ is coming again, it is because of this that we can have solid unshakeable hope today. We know that there is a glory that awaits us. We know that whatever we have to go through, whatever is required of us, through the ups and the downs we have a hope that is eternal, in which the writer of Hebrews 6:17-19 describes as an anchor to the soul.

Heb 6:17-19 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

God’s purpose is unchanging throughout all history. What he has intended, even from before creation, no matter what you may see being played out across the face of the Earth, God is still very much in control and bringing His purpose to pass. That Jesus Christ is coming again. And because he is coming we have hope today. It is worth it. Let us exchange everything for this one truth that My Redeemer Lives. To know that he is coming again. To know that this same Jesus Christ, the one who bled and died upon the cross for me, that his love has never waned. His passion and his love that took him to the cross, to suffer the agony of the nails that would be driven through his hands and his feet, has never diminished for 2000 years. The same intensity of desire, the same passion of his heart, the same unconditional love that allowed him to sweat drops of blood and to declare not my will but thine be done, that same love of our Lord Jesus and longing for His Bride has not wavered for 2000 years. Surely Jesus deserves his bride and he deserves all the glory. Every tongue that was supposed to confess and every knee that should have bowed on His first coming, will not be denied him again on his second coming. His first coming was heralded by a star from the East and only a few wise men saw and followed it to find the King, but on his second coming He needs no star to go before him, because He himself is the Bright Morning Star. And this time every eye shall see him because as lightning in the east is visible in the west so will be His Glory when He comes again on the clouds.

It was to this revelation, that Jesus made about himself that he was the Bright Morning Star, that we find the one response that there can ever be to this unveiling of who Jesus is, and we read it in revelation 22:17. There is no longer the time or the inclination for our cleverness or own ideas or political manoeuvring or wrangling or anything else except the one prayer that we are left with. The prayer that the Spirit and the Bride agree together in saying. When we know who we are and who Jesus really is, there is only one thing left that we can say and that is to “Come!”

Rev 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”

This is the passion of my heart and it led to the movement that is now known as Call2Come. It is my life’s message. That as a church, as a people, as the Bride, that we should be calling upon the bridegroom to come. Because when we pray come I believe we position ourselves into unfamiliar and yet strangely warming territory. Because it is as the Bride that we can lay everything else aside. It is as the Bride that we shall find oneness and unity not only with him but also with one another. There is no longer room for denomination or anything else that separates us because there is one bride and one bridegroom. This is a paradigmatic shift that changes everything. It changes the way that we should see ourselves and in the way that we should see the church.

The Wedding at Cana

The Bride in the Wilderness

The Fragrance of Love

The Second Coming – Part 1

The Second Coming Part 1

Welcome to this Call2Come training session which forms part of our foundation course. The aim of the foundation course is to provide a solid biblical foundation covering the core elements of the Call 2 Come movement. You can find out more about Call2Come on our website, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter username call2come.

It is worthy of note, that there appears to be an imbalance in the importance and implications of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to the amount that the subject is taught within the local church, or understood by the believer. Indeed, in my own experience the subject features rarely as the subject for discussion or sermon from the pulpit. Far more prevalent is the emphasis upon outworking the Christian Faith in the context of everyday life, and yet even the smallest look into eschatology (the study of the end times) reveals how the certainty of things to come in the future should have a direct bearing on how we should live our lives in the present. But much more than that, in the overall plan and purpose of God, the hope of what is to come provides the very motivation and justification of our Christian experience. We talk of salvation, one might ask, salvation from what? Or the understanding that we will live for ever, raises the question where will we live, and on what basis will God determine my eternal destiny. Is it enough to simply confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour at a time of repentance to secure my place in Heaven or will the dividing line between Heaven and Hell be influenced by other criteria. It can be all too easy to diminish the importance or place of the Second Coming, or to disregard it all together, opting instead for a more immediate theology and quick answers to life’s challenges. But one of the primary focuses of Jesus’ teaching was on the “end times” and He repeatedly warned us of being ready for it. And so that’s what this course on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is all about. I want us to take a couple of lessons, breaking the subject down so that we have a full biblical grasp and understanding exactly what the Bible teaches about the Second Coming and just as importantly, what it doesn’t say about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

But before we begin our study just a quick introduction to Call2Come and about myself. The passion that fuels everything we do at Call2Come is really the urgency of the hour in which we live for the Bride of Jesus to get herself ready, because we believe that Jesus is returning very soon. And yet as we will see from our study, we don’t believe it will happen until certain events have been fulfilled. But I’ll leave that for another time and just say that you can find out more about us on our website or on Twitter or Facebook and the details are there on the screen. The website is www.call2come.org and you can find us on Twitter or Facebook with the username Call2Come. My name is Mike and I’m the co-founder and director of Call2Come together with my friend Dr Howard Barnes. And together we believe the Lord has commissioned us with the mandate to help prepare the Bride. And so, without using any further time let’s move into our study on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

To begin with we’ll take a look at some of the many scriptures in which the Coming of Jesus Christ has been foretold, and then I want to spend the rest of our time delving deeper into the Word of God to look especially at three aspects of this world wide and climactic event. These are

The nature of His return – discussing who, where, and how will Jesus return.
The necessity of His return – and answering why it is so essential that Jesus does return, and then
The nearness of His return – to see what Jesus told us concerning when He would return

There’s quite a lot to cover, and so we’ll break these sections up into separate lessons so that’s there will plenty of time to soak in what’s being taught, and allow time for personal study and questions.

So, let’s take a look at a few scriptures to get started.

The Second Coming is one of the most frequently mentioned doctrines in the Bible. In the New Testament, one out of twenty-five verses refers to the Second Coming or to the rapture, and in both the old and new testaments, His Second Coming is referenced eight times more than His first coming. In the New Testament alone, the Lord’s Second Coming is mentioned over 300 times. And the only doctrine that is mentioned more than the Second Coming, is the doctrine of Salvation.

The advent of Jesus Second Coming is something that was foretold many times and by many people over the course of history. Let’s take a look at what the prophet’s wrote about the Second Coming. in the book of Jude 14 and 15 it reads:

Now Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied about these men also saying “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints to execute judgement on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him” Jude 14,15

I was watching in the night visions and behold one like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. Then to him was given dominion and glory and a Kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and His Kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed. Dan 7:13,14

Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west making a very large valley: half of the mountain shown move toward the north and half of it toward the south. Zech 14:3,4

In the New Testament, we find reference to the Second Coming in 23 out of the total 27 books contained. And all of the New Testament writers spoke about it. The advent of Jesus Second Coming is something that was foretold many times and by many people over the course of history. We’ve seen what the prophets had to say now let’s look at what the apostles taught us.

Apostle James writes: Therefore be patient brethren until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the Earth waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. James 5:7

Apostle John writes: And now little children abide in him that when He appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.1 John 2:28

Apostle Peter writes: But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the Earth and the works that are in it will be burnt up. 2 Pet 3:10

Apostle Paul writes: Now Brethren concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him, we ask you not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ has come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first and the man of sin is revealed. 2 Thess 2:1-3

The Angels

One of the key scriptures that’s used to teach about the Second Coming we find in the first chapter of the Book of Acts. This was a time when Jesus had died and resurrected and He was spending some time in His resurrected body with His disciples, and we read that Jesus taught them many things concerning the kingdom of God. His disciples asked him “Lord are you at this time going to restore the Kingdom?” and we know Jesus replied saying “it’s not for you to know the times set by my Father, but instead wait for the gift promise to you and you will receive power to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the world.” After that we see that there was a time when Jesus ascended into heaven and specifically it says in Acts 1:10 and 11 that while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up behold two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said “men of Galilee why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven.””

Jesus

And so we have seen what the prophets have said. And what the apostles taught us, and also that the angels themselves gave instruction that Jesus would return. But now let’s look at what Jesus himself taught us.

” I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you…… You have heard me say to you ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice because I said I am going to the Father for my Father is greater than I” John 14:18.28″

“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds from one end of Heaven to the other.” Matt 24:30.41

Ok now that we’ve seen just how much the Second Coming is taught in scripture, let’s go a little deeper into the word and look for answers to the following three questions

Who is it who is returning?
Where will this dramatic event take place?
How will the Second Coming actually happen?

It might seem odd but when talking about the return of Jesus Christ, there’s a very important question that we must ask: Who is it that’s actually returning? Of course, we know that it’s Jesus, but since Jesus returned to Heaven He hasn’t been seen for 2000 years since the clouds hid him from sight when He ascended from the Mount of Olives. Can we be sure of who it is who’s actually coming? So the question we ask is: Will Jesus return as the incarnate Son of Man or as the pre-existent Son of God? Well let’s have a look again at the verse we’ve just read in Acts 1 verse 11. Here it says (and this is the angels talking to the disciples as you remember when Jesus was going up into the clouds that hid him from sight), the angels told the disciples that this same Jesus will come back. The point here is that the angels used His human name. This was the name that Jesus received when conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary that His name shall be Jesus. And so, the angels are telling us that this same Jesus, in other words the human Jesus, as the incarnate Son of God as the Son of Man. The angels emphasised that He will return as the same form as the Jesus that ascended.

Hebrews 13:8 the writer say this “He is the same yesterday today and forever.” In other words this same Jesus will not change. He is the same. He is the same 2000 years ago as He is today. He will return in the flesh. That is, the Jesus which ascended from the Mount of Olives is the same Jesus in all His glory in all His humanity and in all His deity. The person that He was when He ascended is the person that shall come when He returns. Jesus retains His humanity. So our question will Jesus return as the incarnate Son of Man or as they pre-existent Son of God, as we have seen it is the same Jesus i.e. the incarnate Jesus, Jesus the Son of Man as He is also the Son of God.

In 1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God and one mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus.” There is a man in heaven. He is the first fruits. There is a man Jesus Christ who lives in heaven at the Father’s side. He is a man as He is also fully God, but also fully man. This is important for it is because Jesus is fully human as He is fully God, that He is able to serve as the high priest who can sympathize with us and represent us before God. If you want to read further than look at Hebrews 4:15 or Hebrews 6:20. So the answer to our question is: Jesus will return as the same person He was at His ascension into heaven. He will return as the Son of Man fully human but fully God.

We know that Jesus has kept His human name even after His ascension into heaven. Even in the revelation given to John Jesus calls himself by the name given to him at His birth. As we find in Revelation 20:16 “I Jesus have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David and the Bright and Morning Star.” But just as He received the name Jesus on His first coming, so it is that He will be known by a new name on His Second Coming. In Revelation 19:12-13 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood and His name is called the Word of God.

Interesting here is the description of Jesus, that upon His head were many crowns. And that He had a name that only He knew, it was a name given to himself. So, we’ve looked at who is returning now let’s take a look at where Jesus is coming back to. Since Jesus is returning as the Son of Man, He is returning in the physical realm with a physical body, so He must return also to a physical or geographical location. In other words, Jesus has to come back somewhere geographical, a specific place upon the Earth. Before He ascended, Jesus could not be in two places at the same time. His Spirit can be everywhere but His body must be located somewhere specifically. This leads to the question. Where will Jesus return?

The prophet Zechariah 4:14 says this: on that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward.

Zechariah 8:3 this is what the Lord says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City and the mountain of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain”.

In Acts 1:11 if you remember, when the angels gave encouragement to the disciples saying “that this same Jesus would return”, He’s not only returning as the same Jesus, we now read in Zechariah that He’s actually returning to the very place in which He left. As though for two thousand years something has been on pause and Jesus is coming back as the same Jesus to the same place. So, the answer to our question is: Jesus will return at first to the Mount of Olives and then proceed into Jerusalem. Jerusalem is at the centre of the world’s land mass. Jerusalem is at the meeting point of the three continents of Africa, Asia and Europe. Jerusalem is called the City of the Great King Matthew 5:35

Ok, so we’ve looked at who is coming and where He’s coming back to, but now let’s take a moment to look at how will Jesus actually return. The first thing is that it will be a very visible coming. On Jesus first coming hardly anyone knew that He had come at all. Only a handful of people ever noticed. Even the star in the sky was only observed by those who were looking. But His Second Coming would be very different and one that everyone will see.

Matthew 24:27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Revelation 1:7 Behold He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

Two thousand years ago Jesus was born as a baby and placed in a manger. That’s not how He’s coming again. When He comes again He will be visible and the Bible says that every eye will see him. As clearly as you can see lightning, will be as clearly as you can see Jesus coming. Everyone will see Jesus coming. Every eye will see the coming of Jesus Christ.

There are three Greek words that describe the nature of Jesus return. The first word that we find in scripture and these are Greek words is the word “parousia”. And “parousia” means to be beside, and was used generally when someone arrived to join others who expected them. But there were two particular applications which are of significance. One use is to describe the arrival of a foreign king with his army at the border of a land He intended to invade. The other use of “parousia” was used to describe the arrival of a king and his court to visit one of his cities. In this case the citizens would go out to meet him outside the city so that they might honour him by processing through the gates with him.

2 Thessalonians 2:8 and then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming (parousia)

Matthew 24:3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives the disciples came to him privately saying “Tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming (parousia) and of the end of the age. So “parousia”, remember is the description of a king either a foreign king coming to the border of a land that He intends to invade, or as a king coming back, after being away, to come and visit one of his cities. And so in both of these verses when it’s talking about coming, it’s talking about the king returning either to invade or to come to take over the nation, to take over and occupy the land. Or the king returning back to that which is His own. I think both of the uses of this word is applicable when we are talking about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Because He is the King and He’s coming to occupy, He’s coming to invade, if you like, and to take over the nations, when the kingdoms of this world will become the Kingdoms of our God and His Christ. But He’s also coming back to that which is His own. He’s coming to Jerusalem, the city of the Great King. He’s coming back to the world in which He made. This is the word “parousia”.

The 2nd of our Greek words is the word “Epiphaneia”. Epiphaneia is a noun meaning literally, “a shining forth; it was used of the appearance of a god to men”, Vine’s Expository Dictionary. It was used in Greek to identify a spectacular event. Thayer’s Lexicon says Epiphaneia “often used by the Greeks of a glorious manifestation of the gods and especially of their advent to help …in 2 Macc. Of signal deeds and events betokening the presence and power of god as helper”

2 Timothy 4:1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing (Epiphaneia) and His kingdom.

Titus 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing (Epiphaneia) of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

So the idea of this word “Epiphaneia” is that it is the intervention of God for the benefit of man. It is accompanied by great light, or a shining forth, a suddenly. A sudden appearance of God in the help or the rescue of men.

Our third Greek word is the word “Apokalypsis”, which means to appear uncovered, to appear as you really are, to be unveiled. He will appear as He really is: the Son of God crowned in all His glory. Like the coronation of a monarch in all their splendour. Jesus will return not in obscurity with His glory hidden, but in full display of His majesty and who He really is. This is the meaning of the word “Apokalypsis” and unveiling. The stripping away, so that something can be seen for what it really is. That’s the word described for Jesus Second Coming is the word “Apokalypsis”.

1 Corinthians 1:7 therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for the coming (revealing/”Apokalypsis”) of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:13 therefore with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed (“Apokalypsis”) at His coming.

2 Thessalonians 1:7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us when the Lord Jesus is revealed (“Apokalypsis”) from heaven with His mighty angels.

When He is no longer hidden away, in this we have hope. Let us be encouraged that Jesus Christ is coming back on full display, a full revelation, nothing hidden. All that He is as the Son of God and the Son of Man together in the one person Jesus Christ, shall be fully revealed when He comes – this is the word “Apokalypsis”.

Well let’s take a break here, as we’ve already covered a lot, but we have a lot more to go through. So I pray that you’ve already been encouraged to know the certainty of these things and that has Paul writes to the church in Corinth: “if in this life only we have hope in Christ then we are of all men the most miserable.” In other words, our hope isn’t in the now. It isn’t in what’s happening today or next week. our hope is in what’s to come. It’s in what lies ahead. The glory that awaits. The blessed hope of His appearing. That’s why we have hope. That’s why we can endure whatever we have to face in today’s challenges in life, because we know that Jesus is coming back. And our hope is in the certainty of His coming. So be blessed and get dressed. For Jesus is coming back. When ready please go to part 2 of the study, and we will look at the question: Why is Jesus coming? And we will explore the different things that His Second Coming will accomplish. So may God bless you and thank you. Maranatha.

The Second Coming – Part 2A

Hi and welcome to part two of our study on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This series forms part of the Call2Come foundation course and the aim of the foundation course is to provide a solid biblical foundation covering the core elements of the Call2Come movement.

In part 1 I shared how apart from the doctrine of salvation there’s more scripture on the Second Coming than any other doctrine. In the Bible there are eight times more references to the Lord’s Second Coming than his first. And in the New Testament there are over 300 references to this event and we find reference to the Second Coming in 23 out of the total 27 books contained. In fact, all of the New Testament writers spoke about it. And so, it is not something that is easily ignored and yet possibly because of the nature of the subject and the challenges involved with interpretation, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ does not feature well from the pulpit or as a topic of discussion. Part of the problem is the diversity of opinion over many aspects of what is to come, and we call the study of future things eschatology.

Even a brief survey of what is being taught today around the world about the Second Coming, and other future events could quickly lead to the conclusion that the Bible is not clear on these things. And yet, the truth is that so much of what is being taught simply has no biblical rationale. Or scripture is used to support a theory or has been taken out of context or is used to argue a point that it was never intended for. This is called eisegesis or putting into scripture what isn’t there. Rather than exegesis which is taking out of scripture what is there. I don’t want to take time here on what is called hermeneutics, only to say that my approach is to take the literal meaning of the text unless there is a clear reason not to. In other words, let the text speak for itself. An example of this, is the millennium. Revelation 20 teaches there will be a period of 1000 years in which Christ will reign upon the Earth after the great tribulation. There’s no reason to change the meaning of this text and so when the Bible says Christ will reign upon the earth for a thousand years, then that’s what it means, and therefore that’s what I believe. The alternative to the literal approach is the allegorical approach, which changes the literal meaning and allegorises it into something else and often with a completely different meaning and implication. In this particular case, with the millennium it actually says there’s no millennium at all which is where the word a-millennialism comes from.

So that being said we’ll continue on our study of the Second Coming in a moment, but just a quick introduction first of all about Call2Come.

The passion which fuels everything that we do and the urgency of the hour in which we live is for the Bride of Jesus to get ready. Because we believe Jesus is returning very soon. Our hope is to communicate our passion for the bride and the longing to see Jesus return as the bridegroom king. There is an urgency upon the times in which we are now living yet, an eternal purpose remains true and unaffected. It is our belief that this eternal purpose is found within the Bride who the father always intended to give to his Son. The Lord is in control and leading us somewhere beautiful. For those who have ears to hear may we hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. My name is Mike I’m the co-founder and director of Call2Come. You can find out more about Call2Come either on our website and you can see the details on the screen www.Call2Come.org or you can follow us on Twitter or Facebook with the username Call2Come.

Ok let’s get started. In part one we looked at the Who and the How of Jesus coming. In this session, part two we will be answering the question Why. Why is it necessary that Jesus should return at all? Why not simply rapture us and we live forever in heaven? What is it that he will accomplish that requires his coming back to Earth in order to complete? I’m really excited to get into a number of different topics all centred around this question. We’ll take our time but in fairness some of these subjects will require much more time then we have here, and so we’ll cover these in later lessons. But here my aim is to at least give an introduction in the reasons and necessity of Jesus return in the hope of answering the question why. I want to give seven reasons why Jesus will return. These are: To bring salvation. To gather us and to himself. Jesus is coming to save Israel. He’s coming to conquer his enemies. Jesus is coming to bring judgement. He’s coming to reign. And the final point and reason for his return is that Jesus is coming to marry his bride.

The first thing that Jesus will do when he comes to Earth in his Second Coming, is to bring salvation with him. Hebrews 9:28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many: and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring Salvation to those who are waiting for him.

He will appear a second time to bring Salvation to those that are waiting for him. This raises an important understanding over the process of Salvation. This scripture suggests that the process of Salvation is not yet fully complete, or that we have not yet received our salvation since Jesus is bringing salvation with him when he comes. We are not yet fully saved but we are in the process of being saved. Salvation is a process. There is a part which is not yet saved – our body, still under the law of sin and death. Our forgiveness is complete, and certainly Jesus doesn’t need to die again for our sins.

Philippians 3 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him even to subject all things unto himself.

Romans 8:23 and not only the creation but we are ourselves who have the first fruits of the Spirit grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons the redemption of our bodies.

So in answer to why Jesus is returning he’s coming back to bring salvation with him. Our salvation will only be fully complete when he comes. Romans 8:23 says we grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons. The redemption of our bodies. I don’t want to go into the once saved always saved subject here only to say that we have not yet fully received our salvation. We have tasted the first fruits but there is so much more. Until we are changed to be like him when we see him like he is, then we have not yet fully entered into the Salvation transformation or experience as Jesus taught us or as portrayed in scripture.

The second reason why it is that Jesus will return back to planet Earth is to gather us unto himself that we might be with him. John 14:3 and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also.

Jesus is returning to earth, so if we are to be with him then we also will be returning to earth, since we shall always be with him. If Jesus is here then we will be here. It is because we shall live upon the earth that we will require a new body. It will be a glorious body like his body this is known as the first resurrection and will take place upon his Second Coming.

Let’s look at 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 “for this we say to you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

Oh the blessed gathering of the Saints. What a time it will be. As Jesus told Thomas in John 20:29 “blessed are they that believe and have not seen him.” That’s you and I. We haven’t seen him, yet we believe and there will come a day when Jesus will gather us to himself and we shall see him as he is. Our faith will be rewarded when we are gathered together to be with him. It is the longing of the human heart that has been awakened to the Eternal Divine that is God. That we should be with him. It is the longing of our hearts to be home. He is home. We know that we are no longer citizens of this world but more so, citizens of Heaven. If that is true, then we are aliens here in a foreign land. As Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:11 he says “brothers I urge you as foreigners and exiles to abstain from sinful desires.” He’s saying I urge you, that since we are foreigners and exiles here to abstain from sin. Paul says the same thing in Philippians 3:20 “for our citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly await for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ.” When Jesus returns he is coming to take us home. We will be gathered to be with him forever. But more than this we will also be gathered to each other. Those who have gone before and now sleeping in Christ and all those who are his across the face of the Earth, we shall all be caught up to meet him in the air when he comes in power and great glory. This is our hope and the reason for his coming. To fulfil his promise that he would return and take us to be with him forever. This is the second reason Jesus is coming. To gather all those that are his to be with him.

The third reason Jesus will return is to save Israel or the Jews. This isn’t to say that salvation is not already available for the Jews until he comes. On the contrary many Jews believed on him at his first coming and have done ever since for 2000 years. But as a nation Israel has many prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled and are not replaced by the church as in replacement theology. Let’s look at some scripture.

Romans 11:26 “and so all Israel will be saved as it is written: “the Deliverer will come out of Zion and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob””

Zechariah 12:10 “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and supplication so that they will look on me whom they have pierced and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only son and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a first born”

God’s covenant with Israel was an everlasting covenant. And He has a plan that includes both Jew and Gentile. In Jesus’ first coming the Jewish prophetic timeline was on pause for the sake of the Gentiles. But the time will come when both Jew and Gentile shall become one.

Ephesians 2 14-16 “for he himself is our peace who has made both one and has broken down the middle wall of separation having abolished in his flesh the enmity that is the law of commandments contained in ordinances so as to create in Himself one new man from the two thus making peace and that he might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross thereby putting to death the enmity”

The key word here is “one new man”. That Jesus has abolished the dividing wall that separated Jew and Gentile in his own body and that through his death has abolished those laws and commandments to bring Jew and Gentile together to make one new man.

Another scripture Romans 11:25 says “for I do not desire brethren that you should be ignorant of this mystery lest you should be wise in your own opinion that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”

As a nation Israel rejected Jesus as their messiah on his first coming. That will not happen again on his second coming. But as Paul writes in Romans that we should not be arrogant or proud concerning our opinion of Israel indeed we should be humbled. Because the blindness that Paul speaks of here that has happened to Israel, has allowed Salvation to come to the Gentiles.

It was always necessary for both Jew and Gentile to be saved this is part of the mystery of the ages. But the Lord has promised a messiah for Israel. And whilst they rejected him once, the next time they will see him as he truly is and yes they will look upon the one they pierced and mourn for him but it will not end in bitterness or mourning or rejecting their messiah, but with rejoicing and a new Song. And both Jew and Gentile shall come together. No longer with the wall of hostility between them or division by ethnicity, but instead they shall be formed into a new being. Where there is no more Jew or Gentile. A new identity. Or as the Bible teaches one new man. This can only happen when Jesus returns to save Israel. So that’s the third reason for Jesus returning. He is coming again to save Israel so that together with the Gentiles they shall become the one new man.

The fourth reason that Jesus is returning to Earth is to conquer his enemies.

Revelation 19 11-16 “And I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon it was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he does judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself. And he was clothed with a robe dipped in blood and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen white and clean. And out of his mouth goes forth a sharp sword that with it he should smite the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron.”

Exodus 15:3 the Lord is a warrior the Lord is his name.

Isaiah 42:13 the Lord will go forth like a warrior he will arouse his zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, he will raise a war cry, he will prevail against his enemies.

When Jesus comes he isn’t coming as timid or weak. But he’s coming as a man of war. He’s coming as a warrior. He will raise a battle cry, the war cry. He’s coming to make war and to prevail against his enemies.

Leading up to the Lord’s Second Coming we know that wars and rumours of wars will increase but more specifically there will be an increase of hostility towards Jerusalem and Israel.

Zechariah 12:3 and it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.

The nations of the Earth shall gather to come against Jerusalem.

Revelation 16 13-16 and I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons performing signs which go out to the kings of the Earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. “Behold I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew Armageddon.

The Battle of Armageddon, the scripture teaches will happen just before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and we find more about that in Revelation 19.

In addition to Armageddon there are two other particular conflicts against Israel which are mentioned in the Bible that precede the Lord Second Coming. These are:

The Middle East War Psalm 83:2-5 For behold your enemies make a tumult. And those who hate you have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against your people and consulted together against your sheltered ones. They have said “Come and let us cut them off from being a nation that the name of Israel may be remembered no more”. For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy against you.

If you have a look at Psalm 83, you will find in that Psalm there are 10 different people groups and Nations which are all Israel’s neighbours. They all border Israel. They have a history with Israel. They are the people groups or nations in the closest vicinity to Israel. This particular Psalm was by Asaph who was known to be a prophet or seer. And though this psalm is a lament, it doesn’t refer to the political or national situation at that time, but Asaph was seeing something that would happen in Israel’s future, and even until our time today, has not yet happened in the way described. And we call this the Middle East war, which is comprised of the Nations or people groups which border Israel’s territory. As the Psalm here says those nations will form a confederacy against you, which is Israel. That the name of Israel may be remembered no more. So that’s the first conflict that will take place as the time of Jesus Second Coming approaches.

The third conflict in addition to Armageddon and the war in the Middle East we find in Ezekiel 38 and 39 and is commonly known as the Gog and Magog war. Just to mention at this point that this is not the same Gog and Magog that we find in Revelation 20. In that particular case that happens after the millennium. The Bible teaches that after the millennium Satan will be let loose to deceive the whole world or all the nations of the world. To gather them together to come against God’s people. To come against Israel and Jerusalem. But in that particular occasion right at the end of time after the millennium it says that fire will come down from Heaven and consume them and they will be thrown into the Lake of Fire. That’s a different outcome and a different victory than the one described in Ezekiel 38 and 39. So that’s Gog and Magog after the millennium, and there are differences to the conflict described here in Ezekiel 38 and 39. I’ll cover Gog and Magog more in a separate teaching, but just to look at a couple of verses here in chapter 38 of Ezekiel.

But before we read these verses just to understand that this was a prophecy given by God to Ezekiel and he spoke to Gog of the Land of Magog. So as we read these verses just bear in mind that this prophecy is speaking about Gog.

“After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the Nations and now all of them dwell safely. You will ascend coming like a storm covering the land like a cloud and all your troops and many peoples with you. Thus says the Lord God “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind and you will make an evil plan. You will say “I will go up against a land of unwalled villages. I will go to a peaceful people who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates …”

So this prophecy is speaking to Gog of Magog and it’s not talking about Satan being let loose to rally the nations of the world after the millennium. But is talking about a leader or a prince or a king called Gog from the land of Magog. And if we had time we would look at the rest of that chapter, where it doesn’t talk about the whole world but actually about a select number of nations all within the Middle East, but not the nations that we find in the Middle East war of Psalm 83, yet nevertheless nations within that geographical region of the world. And the prophecy says that in the mind of Gog and evil plan will be conceived. And Gog will rally the nations together to come against Israel. This is the Gog and Magog conflict that will happen very close to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

So, when looking at this reason for Jesus coming again which is to conquer his enemies the conflicts which will take place around that time or leading up to that time will be the Middle East war, the Gog and Magog war but also of course the Battle of Armageddon which will occur immediately before Jesus return which we find in Revelation 19. This is a vast subject that I’ll cover in a separate teaching but for this lesson it is suffice to say that there will be many enemies who will gather against Israel and Jerusalem at various times leading up to the Second Coming. But the Lord will defeat all his enemies.

Zechariah 12:9 and on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem

The Second Coming – Part 2B

Hi welcome back to the continuation of our series on the second coming of Jesus Christ. in our lesson today we are continuing with part 2, looking at the reasons why Jesus is coming back to Earth. In the first part of this lesson we discussed four out of the seven reasons why Jesus is coming, and now we will conclude part 2 and discuss the remaining three reasons.

If you missed part 1 or the first part of this lesson part 2, then you can find these by going to our website at www.call2come.org, You can also follow us on Twitter or Facebook with the user name @call2come. But let’s continue now with our teaching, looking at the reasons why Jesus is returning.

Last time we looked at the first four reasons, and said these were: To Bring Salvation; To Gather us to Himself; To save Israel; and the fourth reason we looked as was Jesus is coming back to Conquer His enemies. And so in continuing we will look at Judgement, Jesus is Coming to Judge, He’s also coming to reign, and the last and most glorious reason for His return, is that Jesus is coming to marry His Bride.

So, let’s now look at fifth thing that Jesus will accomplish when he comes again. I refer here to the judgement. That when Jesus Comes he’s coming to judge.

A key characteristic of the nature of God is that he is just. And because he’s just there must be justice and for justice there must be judgement.

Psalm 9:7,8 but the Lord abides forever; He has established his throne of judgement. And he will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgement for the peoples with equity.

Isaiah 61:8 I the Lord love justice I hate robbery and wrong doing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them.

God the Father is not going to judge the human race but has delegated this role to his Son Jesus who is the Son of Man. Jesus fully human knows what it is like to live the life we have lived, and so we are without excuse and we will stand before the One who fully understands us.

John 5:20,27 for the Father judges no one but has committed all judgement to the Son …. and has given him authority to execute judgement also because he is the Son of Man.

When Jesus returns he will be coming to judge. But this is not the same as the Great White throne judgement which happens after the millennium, instead, this judgement is known as the judgement seat of Christ and applies only to those who are saved and it takes place after the first resurrection, which is the resurrection of the righteous. The second resurrection doesn’t take place until after the millennium and we see that in revelation Chapter 20.

So this judgement is a different kind of judgement to the one we find at the Great White throne. This judgement is not about sin for Christ himself has borne the punishment for our sin. The punishment that brought us peace as we read in Isaiah 53. Instead it is a judgement over works that we have done whilst we waited for his return.

2 Corinthians 5:10 “for we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done whether good or bad.”

Revelation 22:12 Jesus is speaking and he says “Look I am coming soon my reward is with me and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” This is a judgement of reward based upon what was done in the body whilst waiting for his Second Coming.

So, as we have seen when Jesus Comes again he is coming to judge the works done by believers whilst in the body this is also known as the “Bema Seat” judgement of Christ. But it is important to add that there will be another judgement that will take place on the Second Coming and this is known as the Sheep and Goats judgement.

Ok what am I saying? I’m saying that on the second coming of Jesus we find in scripture two judgements described for us. These are the Bema Seat judgement of Christ which is the reward to those saved whilst in the body. But also, there is another judgement that happens when Jesus returns and this we find in Matthew 25 31-46 which is the Sheep and Goats judgement. let’s see what it says and will look at Matthew 25:31-33

“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the holy angels with him then he will sit on the throne of his glory.” (So here is describing the Second Coming of Jesus). “Before him all the nations will be gathered and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”

There are two judgements that happen when Jesus Christ Returns. Let’s take a few moments to compare these two judgements to see whether they are referring to the same event or actually they are indeed different, and two separate judgements. Well they both happen when Jesus Returns but in Revelation 22:12 it says “look I am coming soon my reward is with me and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” This is referring to the Bema Seat judgement because it’s a judgement of reward when Jesus Comes rewarding those who are his.

And now with a look in Matthew 25:31-33 but when the Son of man comes in his glory and all the holy angels with him then he will sit on the throne of his glory. Before him all the nations will be gathered and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

And so a judgement not of reward not separation.

And so, it seems to me that these are talking about two different judgements. They both happen when Jesus Returns but the Bema Seat is about reward whilst the Sheep and Goats judgement is not about reward it’s about separation. The Bema Seat is for the saved whilst the Sheep and Goats judgement in our reading of Matthew 25 speaks about the nations.

The word nations in Greek is the word “ethnos” and means a people group. It’s the same word used in Matthew 28:19 which if we remember says “go ye therefore into all the world and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit.” But the word here “ethnos” is the word used for nations. Well, obviously we’re not baptising a nation but rather, we’re baptizing the people of the nation.

So when it says in the Sheep and Goats judgement that He will bring the nations before him, he’s saying that the people of those nations, will be brought before him, or another way of saying this is that the people of the world will come before him. This is a different description to those who are saved and the judgement is a different judgement because in the Sheep and Goats judgement it’s not a matter of reward but a matter of separation. For those who are deemed to be good they are all invited into the kingdom of God. But for those who are deemed to be unrighteous or evil they are shut outside.

The Sheep and Goats judgement will be for everyone (the people from all Nations) who are alive when Jesus returns again in glory which will be at his Second Coming. The basis of this judgement is on how those living treated the “brethren” of Christ.in Matthew 25 verse 40 “and the King will answer and say to them assuredly I say to you in as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren you did it to me.”

We’ll come back to this another time but for now what I’m saying is that the Sheep and Goats judgement will be for everyone the Greek word “ethnos” or nations is the word used here.

I should also mention again that this is not the Great White throne judgement because we know that happens after the millennium. This judgement as we’ve already seen happens after Jesus returns in glory with his angels which is before the millennium at his Second Coming. This judgement differs from the Bema Seat judgement because it also includes the wicked. And the result of this judgement is not about reward but whether the person being judged will be separated from the Lord into eternal punishment. Remember that the second Resurrection doesn’t take place until after the millennium as revelation 20 teaches. We know this judgement takes place at the Lord Second Coming and so therefore cannot include those who have already died because they haven’t yet been resurrected. Instead I therefore see this as applicable to those who are alive when Jesus Returns and not those who have died previously. Because the rest of the dead, those who are not his and therefore not raptured, will not rise until after the millennium. So this judgement that happens when Jesus comes is for those who are alive at that time. This would be after the great tribulation but before the millennium.

We know that during the great tribulation untold millions of people will die. Both saved and unsaved but not everyone. There will be some who will have survived both saved and unsaved. Those that are saved will have been raptured in the clouds when he comes, but what about those left upon the Earth? Some of these will be destroyed because they will be amongst those who come against Jerusalem as in the Battle of Armageddon, but what about those who are neither yet saved but neither have they bloodied themselves with the blood of the Saints. What if they instead have shown kindness to those who belong to the Lord. By visiting them in prison, by feeding them, by clothing them when they were naked. As we know during the tribulation there will be tremendous persecution against those who refuse the mark of the beast, they will be put to death, they will be persecuted and there will be tremendous suffering of the people of God. Is it that this passage refers to such people who will show kindness during this time? I believe it’s possible that yes, it is possible this passage is speaking about judgement for those who were alive when he comes but specifically referencing how these people have treated those who belong to the Lord or as Jesus himself called them my brothers. Those that are his, those that are saved, surely they know that when they show love to their fellow man that they are loving and serving God. Why is it then, that in this teaching they should seem so surprised? If you remember in the passage it says Lord when did we do these things? Interesting isn’t it. Why is it in this teaching that those who are classed as the sheep did not know this fundamental truth of the Christian Faith? Well there’s a thought, but we’ll leave it there and come back to this another time.

in our discussion of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ the next reason why Jesus will be coming back is that Jesus is coming back to reign.

Acts 1:6 Therefore when they had come together they asked him saying Lord will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?

It’s an interesting question isn’t it? Jesus had been with them for three and a half years, he had performed all of those miracles, he’d raised the dead, cleansed the leper, gave sight to the blind and walked on the water. And yet here we find the disciples asking “Lord are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” There was so much more that was yet to be fulfilled with the messianic promise. So they were asking this question knowing that the kingdom had not yet come to Israel. That there was not yet a king on the Davidic throne. The messianic promise has not yet been fulfilled until the throne of David has been restored and the branch of Jesse sits upon the throne in Jerusalem. Until that point in time there is still an expectancy, a longing, there is still unfulfilled prophecy relating to Israel. So the disciples are asking Lord are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?

He is not yet reigning physically upon the Earth and scripture teaches that his throne shall be established in Jerusalem. Also, every knee has not yet about before him. Isaiah 45:23 by myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return ” to me every knee shall bow every tongue shall swear allegiance” that hasn’t happened yet.

When Jesus Returns he is coming as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That means he is coming to reign upon the Earth. There is a sense in which he is already reigning now but there is yet to be a consummation of his Kingdom.

Revelation 11:15 then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven saying “The Kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and He shall reign forever and ever!”

Rev 19:12 His eyes were like a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns

Rev19:16 and He has on his robe and on his thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords

Make no mistake, Jesus Christ has always been the king. That was his final revelation to John in revelation 22 when he said I am the root and the Offspring of David I am the bright morning Star. I am the Eternal King I was King before David I will be king after David. David was King because I am King. Jesus is always King. He is the King. He is the King of Kings. He wasn’t received as the king not by the majority at his first coming. The Crown that was placed upon his head at his first coming was the crown of thorns, but when Jesus Comes again it will not be a crown of thorns that graces His royal brow, it will be a crown like no other crown and a name like no other name. The name of Jesus Christ, He is coming in the fullness and glory of all that he is as the king coming to reign as the king of kings and Lord of Lords.

And the final reason the reason that Jesus is coming back in what we call His Second Coming is to marry his bride. This is what Call2Come is all about the message that has captivated our hearts. The one that we carry with us if we speak or preach nothing else it is to understand and to proclaim that Jesus is the bridegroom King. He is King. But he is the Bridegroom King. And he’s coming back for his bride. He’s coming back for those that are his. Those that long for his return for him to marry his bride. He’s coming back for his bride. This is the mystery of the ages that we are restored into a relationship with the Father through the Son but it doesn’t end there. That the Father might give away the bride to his Son. Who is it that gives away the bride at a wedding? It is the father who gives the bride away!

We know this passage in Ephesians 5 well, where it speaks of husband and wife. “Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church” but Paul is using the relationship between husband and wife to teach us a higher truth about the relationship that Jesus has with his church. For his church is none other than his bride. And for this reason a man the man Jesus will leave his father’s house and go and be united to his wife. The man Jesus will leave his father’s house and shall become one with us his bride. That is our destiny to be one, married to Jesus Christ. The great mystery that Paul spoke of and captivated his life and his message was to let people know, to let the church know, that they were the Bride.

Paul knew that the church was more than a body of believers and understood that she was destined for absolute oneness with the Lord the kind of oneness that is only possible and best described through the marriage relationship.

2 Corinthians 11:4 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband that I might a present you as a chaste or pure virgin to Christ.

It is necessary for Jesus to come again because his Bride is prepared upon the Earth. Wow, let’s take a look at something Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians.

Ephesians 4:13 until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

For the bride to be made one with the bridegroom she must be just as he is. For he cannot unite with anyone other than that which is of his own flesh. That was what Adam and Eve taught us in Genesis 1 and 2. If you remember in the creation story it says that God made man male and female he created them both and yet in Genesis 2 when we see Adam who names all the animals that pass by him and it says that Adam was alone and there was no suitable helper for him. This raises the question where was Eve? Eve was within Adam, that’s why the Lord put Adam to deep sleep and opened his side and from his rib he brought forth the Bride. The Bride of Adam came from Adam when Adam awoke he said, “this is flesh of my flesh bone of my bone”. And the two shall become one. And we find here in the Creation the first prophetic declaration of Jesus Second Coming, for in that very chapter it says for this reason a man shall leave his father’s house. Well Adam had no father’s house that he could leave. He was the first man. It was a prophetic foretelling of Jesus and his bride. What I am saying is that Jesus cannot wed or be united to anything other than that which comes from him. That which is of the same kind of flesh as his flesh the same Spirit as his Spirit.

And so when Paul teaches in that verse we’ve just read in Ephesians 4:13 (and we know this passage well because it talks about the five-fold ministry having been given to the church for the equipping of the Saints,) but if we carry on the reading in verse 13 we find the word “until“. In other words, the five-fold ministry and the equipping of the saints will continue until as the Bible says, until what? Until we all come into unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. To become a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

For Jesus to be united, to marry his bride, for the bride to be ready, is this accomplishment in Ephesians 4:13. That she has become the perfect man. That she has attained to the full measure of who Christ is. That’s when the Bride is ready, when she’s like Him. That is only possible when Jew and Gentile have come together. As this verse tells us there is to be unity of the faith and of knowledge of the Son of God. There isn’t unity of the knowledge of the Son of God until both Jew and Gentile recognise who is Jesus Christ really is as the Messiah and the Son of God.

That preparation for the Bride therefore is not something that happens in obscurity in heaven but is something that takes place, and can only take place upon the Earth. And therefore, when the Bride is getting ready she is getting ready upon the Earth, and therefore the Bride, the Gentile bride isn’t raptured before the Jewish. There is no Gentile and Jewish bride there is only one bride and she was both Jew and Gentile, but now will come together as One New Man. It is necessary for Jesus to return to wed and marry and rapture his bride. When she has reached unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

And so, in summary this final and most glorious reason for the return of Jesus Christ we see that just before the Lord’s return in

Revelation 19 7 “let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory for the marriage of the lamb has come and his wife has made herself ready.”

Oh Lord how we long for that day. We give ourselves for that day oh Lord. And we call upon you to come now that we in this time shall become ready for your return. The bride is central to all scripture. She is all glorious. As the Word says the woman is the glory of the man. The bride is the glory of the bridegroom and the church is the glory of Jesus Christ.

In Psalm 45:13 a beautiful Psalm, it says All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold., and yet she is at this time hidden in Christ. Why is it that today we can see the church, but who is it that can see the Bride? Well she is hidden of course in Christ. As Eve was hidden in Adam so also the Bride is hidden in Christ. Colossians 3 4 for we are hidden in Christ we are not yet revealed. Until he is revealed. And Jesus will not be revealed until his Second Coming. In the same way the Bride is not yet on full display but she is for his eyes only. But the day will come and will not be long when together with him, when he shall appear in Glory, she shall be with Him. Hallelujah.

We thank you Lord for these truths. I pray this word has touched your heart. I pray your heart may be quickened to understand the eternal truths of the reasons that Jesus Christ is coming back. He’s coming back to bring Salvation to us. To gather us together to meet the Lord together in the air. To save Israel. To fulfil the messianic promise that Israel still longs and waits for. There may be those who gather against us and against Israel, and they may say and think to themselves that they will annihilate Israel but they will come against the King of Kings and suffer defeat. When Jesus comes, he is bringing his reward with him, hallelujah. That we shall receive the rewards of things that we have done, even those that no one else sees, he sees, and Jesus is coming back to reward the faithful. But this time he is not coming and returning back to Heaven, but this time he is coming to reign upon the Earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And this King is no ordinary king he is the Bridegroom King. And we together with him shall reign forever and ever and we shall be his bride when he comes.

So, I pray you have been blessed by the continuation of this second part of this series on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. I know we’ve covered a lot of things, so please don’t forget you can get a hold of the notes, the video or the PowerPoint presentation. Make sure you do and take time to study these things. Please keep in contact with us at Call2come and you will see our details there on the screen. There will be a third part, a concluding part to this series so I won’t take any more time now but I just want to thank you for your patience and I pray that you will be blessed. We will see you again next time. Maranatha.

What are your craving for?

His Lips are Dripping with Myrrh

The test of spiritual ascendancy, can you handle it at the top? Part 1

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” Matt 4:5,6

To the beloved bride of our Lord Jesus Christ, spread across the nations but United in faith and love everywhere, we have been exploring the preparation of the bride by looking at the preparation of the bridegroom in the wilderness. Just like Esther the bride is to be beautified with the oil of myrrh, which as we have learnt, myrrh is obtained through bleeding the tree from which it comes. And though it is bitter to taste, it releases the most fragrant resin, the aroma of love and romance. This fragrance comes through wounding and self-denial, and ultimately through sacrifice. There is no other way beloved by which we can prepare, as Paul writes, “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship.” Rom 12:1 And as our Lord demonstrated himself “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Eph 5:1,2

In continuing our series, let us now return to our passage of the Lords temptation as we read it in Matt 4. Matthew records this as the second temptation after His time in the wilderness where He was led by the Spirit and fasted for forty days. This time the devil takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem. This location is significant. The temple was a symbol of national pride. It is the second temple originally built under Zerubbabel leadership, but then significantly extended and re-modelled by King Herod the Great. It was a political and religious centre, and this is the scene for Satan’s next assault. But it was not just at the temple, it was at the top of a pinnacle, that some historians say was 600 feet in height, so much so that if stood on the top, one could hardly see the Kidron Valley below. I will call this here the place of spiritual ascendancy, the dizzy heights of religious power. A very different place than the solitude of the wilderness from where our bridegroom had just come. This is the hustle and bustle of religious ceremony, and if you were to look in the temple courtyard beneath, you would see the money changers and market stalls. Our scene is almost set, but there is one more detail to add. Rabbinic writings foretell that when the Messiah comes, He will be seen standing on the heights of the temple roof. So now let’s see how the battle between Satan and our Bridegroom unfolds.

First of all, Satan misquoted Ps 91. He doesn’t quote all of it but takes out a select passage and thereby changed the context and therefore the meaning of the verses. Remember this principle: Truth out of context is no longer truth. Jesus demonstrated correctly how to respond to such an assault, he interpreted scripture with scripture, and responded saying, “again” (meaning, on the other hand) it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” Matt 4:7.

This assault like the first in the wilderness was an appeal to His identity. “If you are the Son of God”. Note that this wasn’t the case on the third temptation which was yet to come, by then Jesus had proven who He was by not turning the stones into bread, and His complete trust in His Father, that He had no need to jump from the temple heights in order to prove who He was or to test His belief and confidence in sovereign protection. To do so would prove the opposite, that He wasn’t the Son of God. Let me paraphrase what Satan was saying, “If you are the Son of God, this is your opportunity to prove who you are. I have brought you to the highest point of the temple, where everyone knows the Messiah will stand when he comes, throw yourself down, and show yourself to the world”. And now here’s the wicked motive behind this assault: To enforce the same outcome that Satan himself faced, when he tested God, and the Bible describes how Jesus saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning Luke 10:18. This was an attack against the Son of God, for Satan to bring Jesus down, to fall from a great height in the way that he himself had done.

Now let’s see how the decisive victory was won. Soon after this trial in John 2 just after the wedding in Cana, Jesus returned to this temple, and this time drove out the money changers and merchants. When asked by the Jews on what authority he drove them out, His reply was “destroy this temple and I will raise it up again in three days”. John 2:19 And the disciples later realised that Jesus was referring to His own body. So here in this second temptation, we have the One who is the temple, standing on man’s construction of a temple, and Satan appeals to Jesus to throw himself down from man’s temple heights. Do you see the parallel? It wasn’t Jesus time to die, not this way and not on Satan’s terms, oh no, but the time would come, when this true temple would die. But he wasn’t going to throw his life down in some reckless abandon, instead he chose to lay it down. A decisive act of total love, a demonstration of his life and willingness to pay whatever price was necessary to redeem His bride. In addition, His sacrifice wasn’t going to be in the public arena, for He was crucified outside the city walls of Jerusalem, and where he made his final preparation was not before men, but alone with His Father in the garden of Gethsemane, and drops of blood, like tears of fragrant myrrh sweat from His brow. And unlike the second temple of Herod, which was destroyed in AD70 and has yet to be rebuilt, Jesus rose again on the third day, and through this demonstrated that He was indeed the Son of God. Powerful, brilliant and undeniable. How Satan was no match for our Bridegroom.

Tomorrow, we will look at how this second temptation of Jesus provide invaluable lessons for the Bride in her preparation and overcoming her adversary. Maranatha.

Mike @Call2Come

The Test of Spiritual Ascendancy, Can You Handle it at the Top? Part 2

Who Are You Listening To?

The Kingdoms of This World – Part 1

We now come to the third temptation of Jesus as described in Matthew’s Gospel, but first I need to lay a foundation from which to present the Bridal lesson that we will find there. As there’s quite a lot to cover, this will be part one, and I’ll share part two next time, which will also be the final message on our series “The Bride in the Wilderness”. Throughout this series, we’ve been looking at the parallel of the preparation of the Bride with the preparation of Jesus as the Bridegroom through the temptations He faced having been led by the Spirit into the wilderness. But there was one preparation that took place immediately before the temptations, and this was His baptism in the river Jordan by John the Baptist. When John initially tried to deter Jesus’ approach to be baptised, our Lord’s response was “let it be so now, for it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness in this way” Matt 3:15 There is much that can be said about His reply, but without taking time here, one thing I believe it demonstrates is the relationship between the Father and the Son, in fulfilling all righteousness.

“Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Php 2:6-8

When Jesus presented himself to John to be baptised, he was positioning himself to fulfil all righteousness. He positioned Himself with man and became a man, this was Jesus as the Son of Man. He identified with sinful man, and came alongside, and ultimately gave himself up for His Church the Bride Eph 5:25. But also, Jesus surrendered Himself to the will of His Father, for it was the Father who gave the Son John 3:16, and it was the Son who willingly “emptied himself by taking the form of a servant”. Php 2:7. His baptism was a picture of this truth, a visible demonstration that Jesus was presenting himself to do His Father’s will, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” John 6:38. But I should add here to avoid and combat heresy, that in no way and at any time, did Jesus lose His deity or equality within the Trinity. It was about role and relationship within the Trinity and not hierarchy. This is Jesus the Son of God.

The point I am highlighting here is the relationship between the Father and the Son. The two have equality, together with the Holy Spirit, but they have a unique personality and roles within their relationship with each other. In 1 Cor 11:3 it reads, “But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” This is the foundation that I want to lay: that the head of Christ is God the Father, let’s remember that as we now look at the third temptation of Jesus as recorded for us in Matthew’s Gospel.

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Matt 4:8-10

The nature of this temptation was the offer of the Kingdoms of the world ahead of time. On this occasion the challenge wasn’t “If you are the Son of God”, but “if you fall down and worship me”. The word “fall down” is the word “piptō” and has numerous meanings, like “to be thrust down from a higher to lower place”, “to prostrate oneself as in worship” or “to lose authority, no longer have force”. These can all be applied to the meaning of the word “piptō”. And this was Satan’s challenge to Jesus, he wants to be worshiped and will give anything he can in exchange. This was Satan’s original downfall as detailed in Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:14-18. He wants to ascend to the highest place that only God himself can occupy and be worshipped. He couldn’t achieve that in Heaven and was cast down. But now Satan tries again to be above God, and this time the battle takes place upon the earth. If he can’t rise above God, then his attack is to have God the Son fall down before him, which would of course position Satan above Jesus. If this happened, then effectively, the head of Christ would no longer be God the Father but would be Satan himself. In the same way, the church or the bride, is the body of Christ, whose head is Christ, but as we know Satan wants the Bride for himself, and will offer all at his disposal to get her. But more on that next time.

On being taken to the very high mountain, Jesus was elevated to a position where he had a vision of the world and its splendour. We know that Satan offered the Kingdoms of this world to the Lord, on the condition that he would bow down and worship him. And we also know that Jesus neither refuted Satan’s claim upon his authority over the kingdoms of this world, but rather the key issue here wasn’t about the kingdom, but was about righteousness, e.g. right standing, right relationship, right priorities and right timing. Jesus knew that above the power and authority of Satan, was the Sovereignty of His Father, and as John 13:3 says “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;”, also in Rev 11:15 we know “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.”

The temptation here was to take the Kingdom ahead of time. The kingdoms of the world could become Jesus’ at that time, if He would bow the knee to Satan. Of course, this would never be, and Jesus honoured and exalted His Father, or put another way, Jesus honoured His Head who is God, by saying ““Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Matt 4:10 Jesus had no need of what was on offer, for He already knew that all things were His through His relationship with His Father, or His relationship with His Head, and only through His Father (or His Head) would the Kingdoms of this world be given to Him. Once the time was complete, and only the Father would know when this would be, then the Kingdom would be His. In other words, it was because of who Jesus was and the relationship that He had with His Father as His Head, that He had no need to take anything for Himself, and that His destiny would be fulfilled through the Father. Therefore, Jesus reaffirmed the commandment: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’

In the same way, the Bride knows that her destiny will only be fulfilled through her relationship and intimacy with the Bridegroom who is her Head. She will be tempted by the Kingdom, that she can have the kingdom now, but she must wait, for she knows that when the Bridegroom comes, He will share all things with her. She has no need to ask for the Kingdom, her concern and assurance is that she has the heart of the King!

Maranatha

Mike @Call2Come

The Kingdoms of the World – Part 2

Dear Sanctified and Glorious Bride of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today we end our series on the Bride in the Wilderness, and in case you’ve missed any on the series you can find them all on the Call2Come website. Last time we saw how Jesus was offered the Kingdoms of the World if He would bow down and worship Satan. Today we will conclude with Part 2.

The consummation of the Kingdom, is about relationship and authority. This is the concept of the head and is critical. The head of Christ is God, and through this relationship, the Father would give the Kingdoms of this World, but at the end of this current dispensation, and not before. But why not now? Why wasn’t the Kingdom of God consummated on Jesus’ first coming? Because the relationships and lines of authority are not yet fully in place. For in God’s eternal plan, He has chosen that we should be included in Him, to be made one with Him, and that through this relationship of oneness which the Bible describes as marriage, that we shall also reign with Him. Yes, the Father Son relationship has always existed in complete harmony and oneness. But the relationship between Jesus and His Bride is not yet complete, the marriage is yet to take place and be consummated, we are at this time betrothed to Him and await His blessed appearing. I will explain this further: There is a direct parallel between the Father Son relationship and the Bridegroom Bride relationship.

God is the head of Christ, as Christ is the head of His Church.

“But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” 1 Cor 11:3

“And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the pre-eminence.” Col 1:18

Jesus displays the Glory of the Father, the Bride displays the Glory of the Groom

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” Heb 1:3

“to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Eph 3:21

“For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.” 1 Cor 11:7

The Consummation of the Kingdom comes through the Father Son relationship

“Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.” Dan 7:14

The Consummation of the Kingdom comes through the Bridegroom Bride relationship

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” Rev 19:7

Here is the point: That the consummation of the Kingdom is not only dependent upon the Son’s head being God, but also dependent upon the Bride’s head being Christ. The Bride must get herself dressed and be prepared, for the manifestation of the Kingdom will come through the church, but the consummation of the Kingdom will come through the Bride. Let me say that from a different angle, there is a difference between the manifestation of the Kingdom and the consummation of the Kingdom, and it is through the Bride that the Kingdom will be consummated. To be clear, I am not saying that the church is not the Bride, or the Bride is not the church, but it is about identity, heart and positioning. Jesus manifested the Kingdom of God because of His relationship with the Father, but the full manifestation of the Kingdom (which is the consummation of the Kingdom) upon the earth will also require that the Bride comes into her Bridal position, submits to her head who is Christ her Bridegroom, and prepares for her union with Him. At that point is the restoration of all things because the lines of relationship and authority are restored.

This then is the temptation of the Kingdom, and we see it widespread today. Jesus was taken to a very high and great mountain. In this place, He could see the kingdom of the world and all its splendour. So also, we are at times lifted to be a place where we can see far, a vision of great distance. And the opportunity is presented to us, that we can have that which we see. It is being offered to us by one whose it is to give. So why not? Let me take this further. Today there is much teaching and emphasis about the Kingdom. We must take the Kingdom, expand the Kingdom, preach the Kingdom, work for the Kingdom etc. We have books, and courses, lectures and conferences all focused on the Kingdom. Herein lies a subtle danger. A gossamer divide between right and wrong. The danger is this: that we can elevate the importance of the Kingdom above the place of the King in our lives. Yes, we must seek first the Kingdom of God, but let us understand that without the King there is no Kingdom. The church is called to manifest the Kingdom and we must be busy about the Master’s business, but let us understand that the consummation of the Kingdom will not happen until the Bride has made herself ready, and Jesus returns again to rule on planet earth.

So dearly beloved, do not fret or worry about many things. Remain in Him, abide in Him, rest in Him, listen to Him, enjoy Him, and let nothing move you away from your intimacy with Him. Lay at His feet, and let the corner of His garment cover you as your Kinsman Redeemer.

Let us pray: “Our Father, we love and adore you. We long to know you more each day. We are so grateful for all that you are and all that you have done for us. We are your children, because you have poured out you love upon us, and through the gift of your Son Jesus we are brought near to you. Our Beloved Jesus, words cannot express your majesty or beauty, but from deep unto deep we know that we are yours. We long for your appearing, and as your Bride we call upon you to Come. Come as the Root and Offspring of David, Come as the Bright Morning Star. Holy Spirit, you fill our lives with your presence and have become to us, our closest friend and companion. Without you, we couldn’t see or hear, but you have quickened us, and brought us life. Fill us afresh today, sanctify us and help us to get dressed for our Bridegroom Jesus. And so Lord, when all is said and done, there is but one word, that we have left to say, and we call upon you know to “Come”. Amen.

Mike @Call2Come

Come Away With Me

Dear radiant Bride, today is a very special day for me because it was exactly 10 years ago on Valentine’s Day 2008 when the Lord touched my heart and gave me a new purpose, vision and recommissioning. It followed a time in my life, that many who have experienced it call “The Dark Night of the Soul”, which for me was a season of 8 years of wilderness experience, feelings of being alone, despair, darkness and yes depression. Yet despite all the turbulence of those years there remained a singular light, like a candle that had not yet gone out but still burnt within me, which was a love for God and the desire to please him with my life. And so, leading up to Valentine’s Day 2008 I felt a new stirring, a sense of growing expectancy and anticipation that the Lord wanted to speak to me. And I knew that in order to hear from God I needed to position myself before him in a way that would allow an uninterrupted and extended time of being still and quiet. So that I could simply kneel and listen.

I didn’t know where my journey would take me back then, but I said to my wife Jo how I felt the Lord wanted to speak to me and that I should go away for a few days in solitude and prayer so that I can hear from God. I thank the Lord for my beautiful wife Jo who is been my best friend and partner in life, and today this Valentine’s day we will celebrate our love and marriage again, but 10 years ago she was willing to let me go so that I could be alone with the Lord. I travelled 400 kilometres to an isolated location, and I booked a hotel room for 3 days. I had a small case with my clothes and things that I would need, together with some worship music I intended to listen to and help me enter into the Lord’s presence. Then with a feeling of excitement and expectancy, after I had closed the hotel room door behind me and settled into the room, I put on the worship music, knelt down beside the hotel bed and without words decided that I would just try to listen to the Lord.

I don’t know about you but for me this was a very difficult thing to do. The moment we try to become still we become very conscious of so much noise and thoughts which are like traffic that pass through our minds, pleading for our attention, creating noise, disturbance and disruption, they become a direct barrier and opposition to the sacred discipline of meditation. This is how it was for me. As I knelt beside my bed but I could hardly hear God because of all the other thoughts and distractions that entered my mind. Yet I had come far and was intent not to move until I knew that God has spoken to me. After an hour I turned down the music so that it was now just playing very quietly and continued to wait upon the Lord, and as the hours passed by and the music faded until it was silent, and the thoughts in my head were now also silenced. In this place of stillness, I became aware that I had entered into a very holy place before God. It was a place like no other place. A place beyond description yet incredibly real. For I could sense the tangible presence of God and I knew he was with me in that hotel room. For three days I was alone with him learning to listen and in that time, he spoke and showed me visions. But the things that I saw were things that disturbed me greatly. They troubled my spirit and I was broken because God allowed me within his graciousness, to see and to feel something of what he sees and what he feels. I won’t share all of that now but only to say that those three days changed my life and set me on a new course, to “Romance the Bride”. To call her back to a place of intimacy with him her head and her bridegroom. She was distracted with many things and had been seduced by the pleasures of this world and the Lord was not amongst her but was outside. This vision has been the guiding light and motivation for the years that followed.

When I returned home I was so pleased to see Jo my wife and to share with her the things that God has spoken to me about. We knew that this was the beginning of something new, and that it was important to continue to remain in a place of stillness and listening before the Lord. So within our home, we prepared a room and dedicated it for prayer, worship and intimacy with God. And for the rest of the year I spent as much time as I could in the presence of God learning to be still and to listen. This was not spoken prayer but the listening of a heart Intent on a deeper reality, truth and experience. For there is a place that is deeper than words can take us to, where our words and our thoughts are insufficient to bring us into such a holy place, and yet our spirit knows the way for his Spirit guides us there. It was at the end of that year of being alone in the prayer room, during which the Lord spoke so many things, that it was time to take this message around the world. And do you know what happened? The first person that I met at the end of that year 2008, was Dr Howard. When the Lord brought us together there was instant recognition in our spirit that we knew that the Lord had joined us and commissioned us to go to awaken and to prepare his bride for his return.

Today as I am even now in the presence of God in my prayer room, I am reminded of the commitment I made 10 years ago and the journey of intimacy and listening which led to the Call2Come movement as it is today. But we are now transitioning into a new day, a new season. Yes we should and do call upon Him to Come, but also the Lord is calling us to come! He’s calling us to come away with him, because he wants to lead us to a place that is reserved only for him and his bride. There is a place that we must go. There are things which need to be done in our preparation. It is time for us to step into and embrace our identity and destiny as His Bride. It is time for us to go into a deeper place than we have ever been before. A relationship that is not about surface feeling, limited understanding or agenda, but the reality of who we are in Christ, and to attend the well that is for the Bride. There is food for the Bride and there is wine for the Bride – a marriage cup that represents the Covenant of Blood and of love between the Bridegroom and the Bride. And he passes to us this cup, as he did on the night he was betrayed, he extends the cup to you today and he says will you drink with me?

This is my prayer today: that we may align our hearts with his, that our minds be transformed by the renewing of the word which washes like water, our mikveh (purification), and that we may abandon all things which have no value or significance in the Eternal purpose of God, but like the one who finds the pearl and gives up everything that he may acquire it, Matt 13:45-46, that we may also give up all things now that we have being awakened by the love of the bridegroom.

My beloved spoke, and said to me: “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away! “O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the secret places of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.” SOS 2:10-14

Mike @Call2Come

The Glorious Bride – Dual Realities

Glorious Bride Part 1

Dear Glorious and wondrous Bride of our Living God, today we will begin a new series called “The Glorious Bride”. The things that I will share will be deep and profound and will be difficult to comprehend in our natural mind, so let us pray for the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit to help us in our understanding. For the things of God and the revelation of God cannot be contained within the crucible and limitation of our human thinking, and more specifically a Greek, Hellenistic and linear mindset. We cannot go beyond understanding unless we have revelation, for revelation takes us somewhere than human thought and reasoning alone cannot. And revelation is not limited by human wisdom, philosophy or our own earthly wisdom, but is something that is given by God and transcends our thoughts like a window into the mind of God. You may remember in Matt 16 when Jesus asked who do people say that I the Son of Man am, and there were different answers that were given: some say John the Baptist, Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Then turning to his disciples. he asked but who do you say that I am. And it was Peter who responded you are the Christ the Son of the Living God. Jesus said blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood but by my Father in heaven.

We are in need today of revelation. The revelation of which I speak does not contradict scripture or replace scripture or is superior to scripture. We discussed this in our last series “The Bride in the Wilderness.” But it illuminates scripture. For scripture is the inspired Word of God and His Word is multidimensional. It has power, it is not linear or restricted by time and space but is eternal. What I am saying and sharing with you is that I believe the Lord wants to bring us into a deeper place of intimacy, understanding and revelation about the things of His bride. But these things are not easy to come by. Indeed, they have great cost like the pearl. And these things will not be scattered like pearls amongst the swine. For the Bride is the most precious and glorious of all creation she will not be found by the casual, lukewarm and half-hearted Christian, but will require diligent study of the scriptures and seeking the Lord for understanding. Like Daniel who prayed for 21 days, though the revelation was sent immediately, it required persistence and spiritual breakthrough in the Heavens, because the messenger angel had been opposed by the Prince of Persia. So don’t give up today, but keep on praying and seeking the Lord, His Word to you is on its way! To see the bride is to enter the most-holiest place. To comprehend the Bride requires absolute consecration and purity, respect and humility before the Lord. These things are deep and require that we have an openness of mind and not to think about things as linear, or singular, or with the limitation of time and space. Because God is eternal, and He transcends His creation. So we have to see things from God’s perspective, and that means allowing Him, whether by angels, as it was for John, or the Holy Spirit as it was for Paul, to go to the heights in order to see, but never departing from Scripture! Okay, so let us now with humility, openness and scriptural integrity, begin our journey into the Glorious Bride.

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ Isa 46:10

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and at that time there was no external manifestation or representation of the bride, yet God has always known and always seen the end from the beginning, The Bible says about us in Eph 1:4 that He chose us in Him before the creation of the world. If God chose us in him before the world was Created, then in some form we existed in the heart and the mind and the plan of God. If that is so, then we must also accept that the Bride has also existed and been in the heart and mind of God. For He knows and therefore sees the end from the beginning. Indeed, as we are discovering on this glorious journey into the reality of all that the Bride is, we discover that she, like Him is eternal. But in Isa 46:10 it says much more. It actually says that He has made known the end from the beginning. From ancient times, the Bride has been visible, yet not revealed! To be visible is to be able to be seen, but to be revealed is more, it also means its purpose unveiled! So from Creation itself, the Bride has been visible, though not yet revealed.

The Bride is central to creation. She is the means through which God manifests his glory. She is a means through which He interacts with His creation. I want to present a principle that will help us as we unpack this profound mystery. I will call this the principle of dual realities. There is a primary reality and there is secondary reality. Let me give you an example of this. In Hebrews 8:5 it talks about the tabernacle being a copy or shadow of that which is in heaven. There is a temple in heaven and God gave the blueprints for a copy or shadow of it to be built upon the Earth. Jesus himself told us to pray “let Thy Kingdom come let Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven”. There is a dual reality. That which is on Earth is an outworking of that which is in Heaven, but note that which is in heaven is superior or primary to that which is upon the Earth. Even Jerusalem which we will look at in this series has a dual reality, for there is a Jerusalem in heaven that Paul tells us is the mother of us all Gal 4:26. And there is of course a Jerusalem upon the Earth the city of the Great King. It is with this principle on dual reality I want to present an understanding of the glorious bride. And we will begin by looking at the end and the beginning of the Bible.

“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars” Rev 12:1

In Revelation 12 John sees a great wonder in heaven, and he goes on to describe what he sees as a woman clothed with the sun, a crown of twelve stars on her head and her feet upon the moon. Who was this woman? We will take time to answer that question in this series on the glorious bride. Note that John doesn’t see this woman being created, but she is already there and what he sees is a picture of a woman that is not upon the Earth, but a vision of a reality that is in the heavens or the stars or the cosmos. The woman that he sees has not just been created, on the contrary this woman in heaven gives birth to a man child who we will see later represents Jesus Christ. This woman has great significance and importance. And she has also been a reality for as long as the stars which depict her. Her age is as old as the stars and the universe. In other words, this woman can be traced back to creation itself. So that is the picture of the woman that John receives in revelation 12. Now let us go back to the creation story in Genesis and remember our principle of dual realities. That that which is upon the Earth is a representation or secondary reality of something which is in heaven. So I propose that when the Lord had finished His Creation, there was both Adam and Even upon the Earth, but they represented a higher or primary reality of the Lord and His Bride. As Adam and Eve enjoyed the Garden of Eden, the Bride was visible and a wondrous sign of her was in the heavens, but she was not yet revealed. Well, let’s leave it there, and follow on from this next time.

Maranatha

Mike @Call2Come

The Glorious Woman has Two Names

Glorious Bride Part 2

To the Virtuous Woman of God, scattered throughout the world, yet united in faith and love for the Lord, and who eagerly await the blessed appearing at His Coming, may you continue to grow in faith, hope and love, as His Spirit works in you, to sanctify you in preparation for His glorious return.

We continue today with part two of the Glorious Bride series. In these first few lessons, I want to lay a foundation of some important principles, that will help us to understand the second part of the series where I hope to present clearly the Glorious Bride, as revealed in Scripture. My reason for sharing these things are twofold. First that we may come into a greater understanding of the Bride, and therefore our own identity of who we are in Christ, and secondly that in knowing the Bride, we may understand more fully the eternal purpose of God and how future events will unfold. For I believe understanding the Bride is the key to understanding eschatology (or the doctrine of the future).

Last time, I shared the principle of dual realities, and explained how there are both primary and secondary realties. We could also say Heavenly and Earthly, or Spiritual and Natural. There are many examples of this, like the temple in Heaven, and the shadow or copy of the tabernacle upon the Earth as given to Moses. Heb 8:5, Another example is Jerusalem: for there is a Jerusalem in Heaven which Paul mentions in Gal 4:26 and a natural Jerusalem upon the earth which is the City of the Great King Ps 48:2. In each case one is primary and the other secondary, one is in Heaven the other on the Earth. But in our study of the Glorious Bride, we also identified and made comparison between the woman in Heaven, a sign of which was seen by John in Rev 12, and the woman upon the earth as in the Creation. Here’s our texts again:

“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars” Rev 12:1

“And Adam said, ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’” Gen 2:23

The point I made last time, was that before there was a woman upon the earth, there was a woman in Heaven! She was depicted by the stars, the sun and the moon. She represents a key for us to unlock our understanding of the bride. When Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden, the Woman in Heaven was above them, and though she was visible, she was not yet revealed.

Today, I want to continue laying a foundation for the Glorious Bride and share another key principle, which is this: When we talk about the Bride, we are actually only talking about half of the reality of the woman. When we talk about the Bride, we are, in particular, referring to the relational aspect of the woman. Of how the Bride and Bridegroom relate to each other, two persons in union becoming one, or as the Bible says, “The two shall become one flesh” Gen 2:24. This is the relationship as expressed between Husband and Wife, and this union or “becoming one flesh” is what Paul describes for us in Eph 5:31, Jesus will leave His Father’s house and be united to His Bride. But I want to point out that in Creation, Adam gave two names to the person which came from his rib. Look again at our verse in Gen 2:23. The Bible tells us that Adam said, “she shall be called Woman”. The word used here is “Ishshah”, meaning “wife, or woman”. This is the Bride. The one who comes from the man and is joined back to him. The reason Adam called her “Ishshah” was “because she was taken out of man”. Ishshah came from out of Adam, so her name was relating her back to him. Her name connected her with him. She is his, so she has his name. This was the first name that Adam gave to his wife, he called her “Ishshah”, meaning woman or wife. But look at what happened next, for we know the story doesn’t end there, as we read in Gen 3:20

“And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.” Gen 3:20

Why did Adam call his wife Eve? That’s a good question, because he had already named her previously as Ishshah meaning woman. Here’s my answer: She was given her name Eve, not because she was Adam’s wife, but because she was a mother. Eve’s identity was not yet revealed at the point of marriage or of union, but her identity as Eve was revealed because she was a mother. The woman was fully revealed when she was seen as a wife and a mother, and the name given to her by her husband was the name Eve or “Chavvah” which means “life”, “to breathe”, “to give life”. The name Eve was not given because she was the bride of Adam, but because she was the mother of all living.

Eve is fertile. She is a fruitful vine. Together with her husband, they are blessed by God to “be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth and subdue it” Gen 1:28 But more specifically there is a prophetic word given by God about the seed of the woman.

“And I will put enmity, between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” Gen 3:15

Just like Eve, the Bride is also a fertile Bride. She is a fruitful vine. She has a womb, and Satan fears the seed of the Bride, as he does the Seed of Eve.

Who is the Seed of Eve that will bruise the serpent’s head? Well, we can look at the woman in Heaven, or the primary reality, for our answer, this time in Rev 12:2,5

“And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered……. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.” Rev 12:2,5

This is Jesus. The man child. Who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron.

“Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” Rev 19:15

So in closing, the foundation principle for us here, is that the woman is both a bride and a mother, and like Eve, she is only revealed or nameable, in her role as a mother. Next time we will see how the Bride is a fertile vine, and she shall manifest the glory of God upon the earth.

Until next time

Maranatha

Mike@Call2Come

The Story Begins – A Tale of Three Marriages and the Vine

Glorious Bride Part 3

To the Glorious Woman of God, clothed in righteousness like the sun, and shining like stars in the Universe, may you know Him more and more as you are led by the Holy Spirit into fullness and intimacy as His dearly beloved.

In laying a foundation for our series The Glorious Bride, last time I shared how the Bride is only half of the reality of the Glorious Woman. For in truth, she is not only the Bride, but she is also a Fruitful Vine. This dual nature of the Glorious Woman is important for us to understand. We have seen how the one who came from the side of Adam was given two names by him. The first name she was given “Ishshah” was because she had come out of Adam and this name described her relationship to Adam. In the same way the Bride is called by the name of the one from whom she comes. The Bride’s name is taken from the Bridegroom and her Bridal name connects her back into him. Yet this was only half of who she was. Genesis 3:20 describes that “Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living”. Furthermore, we know in Genesis 1:28 the Lord blessed them and said, “be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it”. This sets a precedent not only in marriage but how through the marriage relationship, a fruitful vine is created.

Today I will tell you how the story of the Glorious Bride really begins to unfold. It is a story as ancient as time itself and we feature in this book whose pages are still turning as human history moves towards a climactic ending. Yes, the final chapter is still to take place upon the earth, but the script has already been written in Heaven. Let’s look at this story like a play, or a drama on a stage. Which has characters and a developing plot. The play is divided into three acts, and at the end of each act the curtain falls. So today I’ll begin Act 1 of our story. And I’ll call it “The Tale of Three Marriages and the Vine”. Remember that throughout our story will be the Great Wonder in Heaven, the Woman clothed with the sun Rev 12:1. Because this is her story; how she develops and forms upon the earth in the way that she is depicted in Heaven. Until at the end of the story in the last Act, her glory will no longer be hidden but on full display.

The first marriage between Adam and Eve really sets everything in place. Everything can be traced back to them. They are the only ones who knew what it was to be without sin, and to walk with God in the Garden. And as we have already seen, Eve was complete not only because she was Adam’s wife but because she was the mother of all living. Through this first marriage, we see the image of the vine appearing. For they were blessed to be fruitful and to fill the earth. The last thing I want to add relating to the first marriage seen in Adam and Eve, are that we are given two prophecies of what will take place later in the story. The first records how a man will leave His Father’s house to be united to His wife, and the second how the Seed of the Woman will bruise the serpent’s head.

Now, the second marriage develops the story and takes us one step closer to the formation of the Glorious Woman upon the Earth. Through Adam and Eve, the world population was growing, and mankind was expanding across the earth. We know of course about Noah and the flood, but afterwards, after the Tower of Babel the people increased again and were scattered, then nations developed. But Father was looking for a nation of His own, and this would be no ordinary nation or people, but an elect and chosen race through whom 1) His Redemption Plan and 2) His Creation Plan would be outworked. That’s deep, so I’ll phrase this again, Father has two plans: a plan for redemption, and a plan for creation. Redemption only became necessary from Genesis 3, so the redemption plan is temporary and is to restore that which was lost, so that the creation plan initiated in Genesis 1 and 2 can be fulfilled which is eternal. But to form a nation, Father looked for a unique and special couple who would foreshadow things still yet to unfold in Act 2 and Act 3 of our story. There were two people in particular which had the perfect DNA. I refer to the marriage of Abram (meaning “Exalted Father”) and Sarai (meaning “princess”). We could take a whole series to discuss them, but for now I will simply share some key elements of this DNA.

God Enabled Fertility. Sarai was barren, and she was in the latter years of her life. For the promise of inheritance to Abram to be fulfilled through Sarai would require “God enabled fertility”. We will see this several times in scripture, but more especially, the child promised here is Isaac, who is the only begotten son of Abraham the “Exalted Father”, does that sound familiar? Almost 2000 years later the angel Gabriel visited Mary and said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35
Faith. Abram was pregnant before Sarai! When the Lord showed Abram the stars in the night sky to help Abram understand the promise, the Bible says Abram believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Abram conceived in his spirit. He believed what the Lord was telling him. Above reason and possibility, faith took him to the realm of miracles and God ordained destiny.
The Glory of the Man is the Woman. We see this principle so clearly demonstrated through Abram and Sarai. The promise was not only given to Abram, but it was also given to Sarai, let’s read Gen 15:16 I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” Sarai didn’t conceive for many years, and in the meantime, Abram and Sarai tried to obtain the promises of God but neither through “God enabled fertility” or faith, instead through Hagar the servant. After Isaac was born, there were now two sons. The son of the slave woman and the son of the free. Gal 4:23. And the Lord said to Abraham, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. Gen 21:12 It is through the Bride that the promise to the Bridegroom is fulfilled.
Covenant established through circumcision. In Gen 17, we read how the Lord established his covenant with Abraham and Sarah. Promising again the nations and kings that will come through them. But this time for the covenant to be ratified, would require that every male be circumcised. That seems an odd way to establish a covenant doesn’t it. Well, what is circumcision? It is cutting off the male foreskin or put another way the consecration of the reproductive organ! Abram had already slept with Hagar in an attempt to fulfil the covenant given to him, but this was in error, for the covenant of God can never be fulfilled through the flesh alone. The flesh must be crucified, and the place of our own fertility set apart for God alone. So the Lord continued to remind Abraham that it would be through Sarah the blessing of the Covenant would be fulfilled. Similarly, it is through the Bride that the promise to Jesus will be fulfilled.

The roots of the Fruitful Vine are now established in our story. The Vine is still young and barely visible above the soil. It has not been corrupted or polluted, for it has been planted by God, in righteousness through faith, and most importantly through the Bride.

Maranatha

Mike @Call2Come

The Story Begins – A Tale of Three Marriages and the Vine (continued)

Glorious Bride 4.

Dear people of God, who are united as one body through one Spirit, and called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. May the grace of God be with you always.

Today, we continue our “Tale of Three Marriages and the Vine”, which if you remember is Act 1 of our story on the Glorious Woman, and how she becomes increasingly apparent through the course of human history. The first marriage we looked at was of Adam and Eve, and here we see the Creation Plan of God initiated which we can also call the Eternal Purpose of God. Before sin entered the world, Adam and Eve, who foreshadow the Second Adam and His Bride, were blessed to be fruitful and multiply to fill the earth and have dominion over it, here we introduced the picture of the Fruitful Vine, the result of the marriage union. But then came the Fall in Genesis 3, and from this point came the need for redemption, which would bring restoration, and so Father has a Redemption Plan, but this is temporal and remains in place in our current epoch or dispensation.

Then the second marriage in our story was of Abraham and Sarah, because through them, the Lord desired a nation through which He would fulfil His plans for Creation and Redemption. Though the Lord had promised to Abraham and Sarah that nations and kings would come from them, it took some time for the Vine to be planted. The principle of “God Enabled Fertility” had to be established, and that meant, the promise can only come through the Bride, and to ratify a new covenant between God and Abraham, came circumcision, which represents the cutting off the flesh from our fertility, that it’s God’s way or no way: absolute consecration and holiness. But the Vine was planted, and Isaac was born. This was the period of the Patriarchal Fathers and their wives, all of whom represent a picture of the Bride and “God Enabled Fertility” and all of which represent a picture of the Vine.

Like Rebekah. She enters the story when Abraham the father, sent his chief servant to find a wife for his only begotten son Isaac. (A picture of the Trinity). On seeing her at the well, the servant (a type of the Holy Spirit) gives gifts of gold, but doesn’t yet disclose the reason for his journey. This was an encounter at the well, and it’s where much of the church is today. Enjoying the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but not knowing the ultimate reason why He has come. But then later when Rebekah and Laban are told that Abraham has sent his servant to find a wife for his son, and they accept this message as “from the Lord” Gen 24:50, and upon acceptance of the Bridal message, the servant brings out more jewellery, but importantly he also brings out clothes for Rebekah to wear. Gen 24:53 What a revelation for us here. O that we might embrace the Bridal message, for there is more that the Holy Spirit has to give. There are clothes He has for us to wear upon our acceptance of who we are as the Bride.

Then from Isaac to Jacob and Leah and Rachel. Again we are without time, but they foreshadow the One New Man, and a key lesson here is that the older is not second to the younger. But for Jacob to be married to Rachel, he must first be married to Leah. The Jew is not second to the Gentile, and for the Gentile to be married, she must first accept the Jewish Bride. And it’s not one or the other, but together as One New Man.

Let’s keep moving. Next is Joseph, a picture of Christ, who was also betrayed by his brothers into slavery and taken to Egypt. But the Lord was with Joseph, and he prospered and Pharaoh give him Asenath, as his wife. Gen 41:45. Asenath was not Jewish, she was the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. So it is today, that the gentile church enjoy a relationship with Jesus, but Jesus has brothers who don’t yet know who he is. But the day will come as it did for Joseph, that He will reveal Himself to Israel, and assure them “But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.” Gen 45:5

It was Joseph who caught a glimpse of the Glorious Woman in Heaven. But it was not yet the time for the wondrous sign of the Glorious Woman in Heaven Rev 12:1 to be fully revealed, for the story is only just beginning. But he did see eleven stars, the sun and the moon, and they all bowed down to him. Gen 37:9 This is a clear picture of Israel generally accepted today. But remember it is the Glorious Woman in Heaven who is the primary reality, that which is on earth is being fashioned in her likeness. And where is the Vine now in our story? Well, in Gen 49:22 it reads: “Joseph is a fruitful bough (or vine), a fruitful bough (vine) near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall.” The word for bough or vine here is “ben” meaning male child or son. Another picture and foreshadow of Jesus who features later in our story.

So many things to say, but let’s keep to our story, and see that in Egypt, the nation Israel grew for 400 years whilst held in slavery, until the time had come for her deliverance, and God wrought mighty and dreadful works against Pharaoh and Egypt, and brought His people out and led them to Mt Sinai, and here is where the third marriage in our tale takes place. But this is a marriage like no other. Until now, the relationship has been entirely human on both parts, as with Adam and Eve, and Abraham and Sarah, and every other marriage. But now the Eternal Purpose introduces a new development necessary for the final eventuality. A marriage not between a man and a woman, but a marriage between God and His Bride: a collective, corporate body of those who are His.

In Ancient Israelite custom, there were two separate stages of marriage with a length of time in between. The first stage is called “kiddushin” which means “betrothal”, and this is binding and renders the bride and groom as husband and wife. Once betrothed a man and woman would require a divorce or “get” if they later wanted to separate. The second stage is called “nisu’in” and takes place under the “chupah” which is a canopy under which the marriage is solemnized. At the betrothal a marriage contract or “ketubah” is written out and witnessed. This “ketubah” or wedding covenant was written out and entered into on Mount Sinai between the Lord and Israel, so betrothal took place here and established the first part of the marriage process.

Next time, we’ll see how the second stage of the marriage took place. I’m sorry to move quickly through these things, but I pray you will catch a glimpse of God’s Eternal Purpose and like John to see the Glorious Woman in Heaven. Let’s close with a prayer.

“Our Father in Heaven, we fall at your feet to worship, honour and adore you. We are in awe of your majesty and your love. What is man that you are mindful of him, yet you have chosen us before the foundation of this world for your glory. Our Saviour and Redeemer, our hearts continue to flame with growing desire for your return. We love you Jesus, and we call upon you to come. Come as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, as the Bright Morning Star. Holy Spirit, we thank you for all that you have done in us and for us. We are who we are because of you. Fill us afresh today, may we grow in our love, appreciation and awareness of your presence in our lives. Amen”

Maranatha

Mike @Call2Come

The Unfaithful Wife

Glorious Bride Part 5

Dear beloved and sanctified Bride of our Lord Jesus Christ, may you know His peace, mercy and joy increasingly more and more, as we see His glorious day approaching.

Today we continue our series on the Glorious Bride, with part five, which I’ve titled “The Unfaithful Wife”. As a quick reminder, we began this series by looking at the Glorious Woman in heaven as seen by John in Rev 12:1. One principle that we established was that of dual realities: or to say that in some cases there is an outworking upon the earth of a primary reality of something which is Heaven, the examples we looked at were the tabernacle plans as given to Moses Heb 8:5 being a copy or shadow of the temple in heaven. Or that of Jerusalem, in which Paul describes as above in Heaven, and the mother of us all Gal 4:26, and of course the geographical physical Jerusalem in Israel which is also called the city of the Great King. Ps 48:2. So, in the same manner I suggested that the Glorious Woman in Rev 12:1 is also a primary reality in Heaven, a sign of which is depicted by the stars and celestial bodies, of which the secondary reality is being formed, developed and fashioned upon the earth. Though she is visible, she is not yet fully revealed, for that time has yet to come, although she has been seen by those who knew how to look. And this is what we have been doing in this series: looking for the Glorious Woman in the Biblical account of human history and in particular as seen in the formation and development of the people Israel.

Last time, we arrived in our story at Mount Sinai, where a marriage contract or “Ketubah” had been written out between Father God and Israel and the Covenant entered into. This was the first stage of the marriage, known as the betrothal (or “kiddushin”), and is binding, requiring a divorce (or “get”) to separate, it also renders the betrothed as Husband and Wife. Part of the responsibility of the Husband was to provide a place for the wife to live, where together they could have a home, and enjoy their marriage relationship. And where was that home? It was in the land occupied by the Canaanites which the Lord had promised Abraham centuries earlier Gen 12:7. But more specifically the marriage home was represented by the city Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the place chosen by God where He and Israel would live together. As a city, Jerusalem (or Zion), was the place that God had chosen for His dwelling place upon the earth, forever.

For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: “This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it…” Ps 132:13,14

And Jerusalem is also the place the Lord has promised He will return back to:

“Thus says the LORD, ‘I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.’ Zechariah 8:3

Now here is a difficult but important point for us to understand: that Jerusalem is not only a city, but Jerusalem also represents the Bride herself. She is both a City and a Bride. Rev 21:2 There is a “dual reality” about Jerusalem, in which both are true, and neither invalidate the other. Look at what Ezekiel writes in chapter 16 describing the Lord’s heart with Jerusalem:

“When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 16:8

Ezekiel writes powerfully about the marriage, and the relationship between the Lord and Jerusalem. Ezekiel sees how the Lord knew Jerusalem from birth to maturity, and though she was despised and neglected, how He loved and waited for her. She was to be His Bride, and He was willing to give Himself completely to her in a marriage covenant. There was nothing Father God would not do for her and longed for her heart to be as full of love for Him as His was for her. This wasn’t about need, for our Father needs nothing, He is all sufficient and complete in perfect existence within the God-Head, yet His love is inclusive and full of expression. He was zealous over Jerusalem, and bestowed riches and prosperity upon her. He adorned her with gold, silver and fine linen, silk and embroidered cloth. He provided for her every need. She was like a choice vine, planted on a fruitful hill Isa 5:1,2.

But tragically, the marriage was not a happy one. And despite repeated appeals from the many prophets, whom the Lord sent to warn them, Jerusalem and Israel persisted in her idolatry of other gods and harlotry with other nations.

“You are an adulterous wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband.” Ezekiel 16:32

And what of the Vine, where is the Vine now in our story?

And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. Isaiah 5:5,6

The Bible records the tragedy that unfolded. How the Israelite nation divided into two Kingdoms, and despite many warnings from the prophets, the Northern Kingdom did not repent and were eventually taken by the Assyrians into captivity where they largely disappeared out of human view, then even the Southern Kingdom of Judah was finally taken captive by the Babylonians and Jerusalem destroyed. But upon the return of the exiles 70 years later and the rebuilding of the temple and the city that followed, it was clear that things were not the same as they were before, and expected that one day a Messiah would come, the “Consolation of Israel” in whom all her hopes were placed for the restoration of the Kingdom and freedom from her oppressors.

Four hundred years would pass, then far far away not in Jerusalem but many miles to the east, a band of magi caught the next glimpse of the Glorious Woman in Rev 12, depicted by the stars in the night sky. For they had knowledge of the stars and how to interpret the signs written by God in the heavens. And what they saw was the “star” of one born “king of the Jews” or as John sees in Rev 12:2 “She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.”

Our foundation for the Glorious Bride is now set. The question that we are left with is, how is it possible for God and Man to be made one as in a marriage relationship? What is it that must take place to turn tragedy into joy, and sorrow into dancing? We will answer these questions beginning next time.

Maranatha

Mike @Call2Come

For Unto Us A Child Is Born

Glorious Bride Part 6. To the glorious Woman of God who are called by His name and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, may your light shine continuously like stars as you sojourn in this world, knowing with confidence, the power of God will transform you completely to be conformed into His image.

In our study of the Glorious Bride, we arrived at the question: how is it possible for God and Man to become one as in a marriage relationship? What is it that must take place to turn tragedy into joy, and sorrow into dancing? The reason we asked this question, was because we saw how tragic the first marriage between God the Father and His people Israel became. The betrothal took place on Mt Sinai, and Israel entered into a marriage covenant with the Lord, but in the ancient Jewish Wedding tradition there are two parts to the marriage, the first is betrothal, after which the man and woman are known as husband and wife, but the groom still has the responsibility to provide for the wife, which included the marriage home. Once the home was ready, the second part of the marriage took place under a canopy, or “chuppah”. This home was Jerusalem, the city of God, chosen as His eternal dwelling place upon the earth. But Jerusalem is more than a city; she has a dual nature. For Jerusalem is also the personification of the Bride. It was in Jerusalem that the Kingdom prospered, and the Vine grew. But after Solomon’s reign, the Kingdom was split in two, a Northern Kingdom Israel (led by Ephraim) and a Southern Kingdom Judah. I won’t revise further, as all the words for the day on the Glorious Bride, together with audio podcasts are available on the website, instead, I want to take some time over the next few days, to explore what Jesus accomplished in His First Coming that made wedding preparations for His Second Coming. I will begin by quoting from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.

“All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.” I Cor 15:39-40

Paul explains how there are different kinds of flesh, and different kinds of glory. As an example, birds have one kind of flesh and fish another. But then he also describes how celestial bodies or that which is heavenly has a different form and glory from that which is terrestrial or of the earth. Now when we talk of marriage, we are in particular, referring to the God enabled process whereby “the two shall become one flesh” Gen 2:24. And for two to become one, they must be of the same form or kind as each other. That’s why when after Adam had finished naming all the animals, there was still no helper found that was “comparable” to him, because out of all the different life forms that he named, there was no one else who was the same as he was. Gen 2:20. It is not possible for two different kinds of life or forms or schemes to be able to come together to such as a degree as they can be united as one. Indeed, out of all the animals, there was no one else who was exactly like Adam. The one which Adam would unite with as his wife, had no physical form yet, she was not yet visible. Yes, she had been created, for God made man male and female he created them both, Gen 1:27 but there was a time when Eve was without form. For Eve to become Adam’s wife she needed to be brought forth from out of Adam and given the same form as he had. That’s why the Lord put Adam in a deep sleep then opened his side. From there He took one of Adam’s ribs with which He created Adam’s bride. When Adam awoke he said, “this is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called ‘Woman’ because she was taken out of man” Gen 2:23

The point I am making is that for two to “become one flesh” require that they be transformed so that they are not just like each other but they are of the same form or scheme as each other. This is significant. It’s not enough for one life to be like another. Let me explain further. In Gen 1:27 God said “let us make man in our image”. The word image is “tselem” meaning “the illusion of, like a phantom, something that resembles.” Man resembled God, he looked like God, but though he was made in the image of God, we are not told that he was in the same form as God. The Bible says “the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Gen 2:7. God created man from the natural, the terrestrial, from dust, and then breathed into man His Spirit. Let’s look some more at Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.

There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. 1 Cor 15:44-49

There is much that could be learnt from Paul’s writing, but in essence we have identified that there is a difference between the earthly and the heavenly form of man. The first and second Adam are not the same form. How then can they be compatible? How can God and man become one as in a marriage relationship? This question has always been at the heart and key issue of the Eternal Purpose of God. Is it possible for both the spiritual form and the natural form to co-exist? Is it possible for God and Man to co-exist together so that the two become one flesh”? Surely this would require a new species, a new God Man hybrid of which both forms come together in harmony. Has there ever been anyone who matches that description?

Well, two thousand years ago, the Angel Gabriel appeared to the virgin Mary to tell her that she had found favor with God and that she would conceive a Son whose name shall be Jesus. He would be called the Son of God. When asked how this could be possible since she had never been with a man, Gabriel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35

Do you see the profound implications of what took place? It was necessary for Father and Israel to be married in order for Jesus to be born legitimately. The vessel chosen was the Virgin Mary who had found favor with God, and she would conceive of the Holy Spirit. A miraculous conception and virgin birth in which is found union between the nature and form of God and the nature and form of Man. This is Jesus Son of God and Son of Man in what is called Hypostatic Union.

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. Isa 9:6,7

Until next time

Maranatha

Mike @Call2Come

Now You See Me Now You Don’t

Glorious Bride Part 7

To the beloved of God, who are hidden in Christ in God. Be patient as you prepare for His appearing, and joyful as you serve one another in love, showing kindness to each other as the Lord himself taught us.

In telling the story of the Woman in Heaven as seen by John in Rev 12:1, we followed the story of three marriages and the vine in the Old Testament. As in a play or stage production, this was Act 1 of our story, and the curtain closed with the question: how is it possible for God and Man to become one as in a marriage relationship? Then last time, we opened the curtain to begin Act 2 of the story of the Woman. In Heaven, (our primary or celestial reality) John saw the woman “Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.” Rev 12:2, and upon the Earth (the secondary or natural reality) the Virgin Mary highly favored of God conceived of the Holy Spirit and gave birth to a son, whose name is Jesus, the Son of God. Our eyes are now firmly on centre stage, for Jesus has come into view, and the question that was asked two thousand years ago is the same question that is still being asked today – who is this man that claims to be the Son of God? That’s what we began to look at last time, answering the question who is Jesus, and what did He accomplish in His First Coming that made wedding preparations for His Second Coming?

In talking of marriage, we have seen how there must be compatibility between the Husband and the Wife for union to be possible, and for the two to become one flesh, they must not only be like one another, but they must also be of the same form or kind as each other. That’s why it was always necessary for Father to have a wife Israel, so that a legitimate Son could be born who would exist fully in both forms, fully God and fully Man in one person, Jesus Christ. This was unsurpassable, radical and a blatant demonstration of God’s love and commitment to the marriage covenant. Since “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday and forever” Heb 13:8 God has forever united himself with mankind, Jesus has become a man (whilst keeping His deity and equality within the Godhead), and will always be a man, since He will never change. He holds a unique position that no one else could fill. He has become the Mediator between God and Man. He is “the Mediator of the New Covenant by means of His death” Heb 9:15, “For there is One God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” 1 Tim 2:5

Now let’s look a bit deeper into what actually took place when Jesus came on His First Coming. Philippians records that Jesus was in the same form (or morphē) as God “who, being in the form (morphē) of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God” Php 2:6, but then “emptied himself (kenoō, meaning to make void), by taking the form (morphē) of a bondservant, being born in the likeness of men.” Php 2:7 This world morphē is connected with the word metamorphosis, which means the changing of one form into another, and it’s the word used by Matthew and Mark when describing the transfiguration of Jesus, that He changed form. We also see morphē used when after His resurrection Jesus appeared again. “After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.” Mark 16:12

There is another word that is also used when describing the nature or form in which Jesus came, and this word is “schēma” and means shape or “plan”. When we think about schemes this is normally in the context of an architectural drawing known as a schematic as in a design for a house. The “schēma” is the blueprint of the architect’s design, featuring dimensions and materials in which to be used in the construction of the house. Paul used this word “schēma” as he pens the letter to the Philippians “And being found in human form (“schēma”), he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Php 2:8

This is an important point, and is a source of heresy today, in which the Bride must be aware. That some will say Jesus was not fully man, this strikes at the very foundation of our faith, for it is not only because Jesus was fully man that He is able to be the atonement sacrifice and propitiation for all sin, but He is also able as both fully man and fully God, to be the only Bridegroom to open the way for the two to become “one flesh”.

“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Heb 2:17

Let’s look at another important aspect of the Creative process of God. Paul writes “However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.” 1 Cor 15:46. He writes to show that there is a sequence, an order of bringing something to completion, and states that the natural order of things precedes the spiritual order of things. When God creates, He begins by giving natural form to something. This is what happened in the Creation account in Genesis 1. “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Gen 1:2 Did you notice that the earth already existed? But not in the way that we know it now, for scripture says that the earth was without form and void and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. God gave the earth form in the natural scheme, and He also gave Adam form in the natural scheme, for He made Adam from the dust. But this was not the end but the beginning. Yes, in Genesis 1, Creation was complete in the form God made it which was the natural form, but God foreknew and destined that the natural would be overshadowed by the spiritual, that the spiritual form would one day be manifest in the natural form.

Adam was God’s finest Creation, but the best was yet to come! For there would be a Second Adam who would bring many “many sons to glory” Heb 2:8. That we shall be changed to be like Him, and in being changed, we shall be compatible to be made one with Him forever. When Jesus died so did the Adamic form, the natural form of man. This was necessary for glorification to take place. When the body is sown in weakness, it is raised in power, it is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory. 1 Cor 15:43. The body which is sown is not the same as the body which is raised 1 Cor 15:37. The body is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body 1 Cor 15:44. When Jesus rose again, He did not arise with the same body, the Second Adam did not rise again not in the same form, but was the seed that was sown to bring forth much fruit John 12:24. Jesus is now glorified with a glorified body, a spiritual body, that looks like the natural body, but it is not the same, it is fundamentally different. This is our hope and our faith, that our lowly bodies will be transformed to be like His glorious body Php 3:21.

We began by asking what preparations Jesus made for His wedding, and the answer I have tried to give as the first preparation, was how both the Bridegroom and the Bride are capable by the power of God, to be transformed into a new and glorious body. The body began in the natural form but ends in the spiritual form, and therefore makes compatibility between God and Man for union and oneness possible.

Until next time, I will finish with one final scripture.

“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling.” 2 Cor 5:1,2

Maranatha

Mike @Call2Come

How Many Bride’s Does God Have?

Glorious Bride – Part 8

To the Glorious Wife of the Lamb, though now kept hidden in Christ in God, be fervent in love for one another, accepting one another, and encouraging one another in the hope of things to come, for we know that He who has begun a good a work in you will complete it, so that together we shall all arise on that Day and be united forever in our Eternal home.

So far in our series on the Glorious Bride, we have taken a whistle stop tour through the scriptures, starting right back in Genesis 1, with the Creation narrative and have seen the Wondrous Sign of the Heavenly Woman Rev 12:1 becoming increasingly apparent or manifest upon the earth. All of the teaching is available on the website, (look for the Glorious Bride series), but as a quick summary, we reached the point of asking the question: How is it possible for God and Man to be united in one flesh as in a marriage relationship? It’s a deep question, but one that must be asked, and answered if we are to truly understand our identity and destiny of who we are in Christ. So we then looked at Jesus, and asked the next question, what did Jesus do on His first coming, that were preparations for His marriage on His Second Coming. The first thing that we saw was how through Jesus Christ, marriage is possible between God and man, because Jesus is both fully God and fully Man. He came as the Second Adam in the same form (flesh) as ourselves, but then through the resurrection and glorification process He has become forever the Mediator of the New Covenant, the God Man in Heaven. Through faith in Him, we also shall be changed to be just like Him, so that we are the same form as Him and therefore compatible to be made one with Him.

In this part 8 of the series, I want to look at the second thing Jesus accomplished for the wedding preparations of His Bride. Our title is: How many Brides does God have? Let’s begin with a look at what happened to Israel and then apply those principles to the Bride that Jesus is coming back for. There is a large debate over whether God divorced Israel, often quoting from Jeremiah 3 or Hosea 1, but great care is needed in our exegesis, and understanding what actually took place. At this point in history, Israel is now divided into two houses, or kingdoms: there is the Northern Kingdom (known as Israel), and the Southern Kingdom (known as Judah). The Lord, through the Prophet Jeremiah is appealing to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Here’s our text:

“Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also.” Jer 3:8

It would appear at first glance with the simple conclusion that the Lord divorced Israel. Yet if you were to carry on reading the passage to verse 14 you would find, that the Lord considers Himself still married to her, “Return, O backsliding children,” says the LORD; “for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.” Jer 3:14

What are we to make of this? Is God still married or not to Israel at this point in time? When Israel divided into two houses, did He then have two wives? Was the northern Kingdom a wife and the southern Kingdom another wife? How many betrothals took place on Sinai? There was one wedding for the Nation of Israel. Even though Israel divided into two, God’s covenant remained with Israel as a whole, and that covenant was an everlasting covenant. Though the natural form of Israel was divided into two, God didn’t then have two wives. He doesn’t accommodate our divisions and have a separate covenant for each. So I believe the answer is no, God only has one wife, and therefore only one wedding covenant and wedding contract.

The fact is that when the northern tribes had torn themselves away from the south, they were not only divorcing (separating) themselves from Judah, but were also divorcing (separating) themselves from the Lord and from His covenant, and interestingly they then erected statues of Baal (Ba ‘al meaning husband or master) in Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom. In Jewish Marital Law, there are circumstances in which the wife, can demand or obtain a divorce certificate (or a “get”) from the husband. But we read the text in Jeremiah 3, or indeed many other passages, it is clear that God did not want to estrange his wife or be divorced from her. Even though He had grounds to divorce Israel, this was never His heart to do so. Instead He continually called upon her to repent, to come back to Him and not go with other “lovers”. When answering the question, did God divorce Israel? You can see that it’s not quite as simple as it might first appear, but upon further study, we can see the eternal love of the heart of God for His people. It was Israel who distanced herself from God, and the Lord gave her a certificate of divorce or a “get”, but in reality, this didn’t void or nullify His marriage contract with Israel. For the same contract was still in place for the Southern Kingdom of Judah, even though her acts were even more detestable. (Jer 3:11)

We are able to understand this easier when we remember and apply the principle I shared in the beginning of this series about dual realities. For there is a primary and secondary reality, a spiritual and natural truth. And this applies also to Israel. Israel is more than the geo-political nation, more than a physical race of people. Can we say that God’s marriage contract was purely with the natural Israel and not the Spiritual? Like the glorious woman in Heaven, visible not but yet fully revealed. There is a development or formation of one form into the other. But as we looked at last time, the Lord begins His Eternal Purpose with the natural then the spiritual. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. There is a natural Israel and there is also a spiritual Israel. The natural comes first, then the Spiritual, and the Spiritual comes out of that which is the natural. The two are connected, one comes from the other, and one does not replace the other, but both exist together in a union that is only possible and hold together because of Christ.

If we are able to say therefore, that God has only one Bride, and therefore only one marriage covenant or contract (Ketubah) then this has profound implications for our relationship with each other, and more specifically between Jew and Gentile. For there is not a Jewish Bride and a Gentile Bride, God relates to the two as a whole, as One New Man, that is made possible through the blood of Jesus, who abolished in His flesh, the dividing wall of hostility (Eph 2:14). Let me take this a bit further. If God and Israel were still married, as just discussed then how is it then He can marry another? And if Jew and Gentile are to become One New Man as the Wife of God, then doesn’t it also require that the old marriage contract be transformed into a new one, a new covenant? There is so much that we could say, and the things I’m sharing could be written into a book, but the point I want to make here is that Jesus made it possible for Jew and Gentile to become One New Man through His death and resurrection. How? Well, in Jewish Marriage Law, when the husband dies, the marriage contract is ended, and the wife is free to marry another. “For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband.” Rom 7:2 also “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.” Rom 7:4

There is a beautiful and profound mystery here. In Jesus death, the Bride is released from the law of her husband, in His resurrection, the New Covenant is ratified, and the Bride is free to choose her husband again, not because of Law, but because of Grace.

Until Next time

Maranatha

Mike @Call2Come

The True Vine

Glorious Bride 9

To the fruitful woman of God, blessed to increase and multiply, to show forth the glory of God in righteousness and justice throughout the earth: abide in our Lord Jesus Christ, rest in the shadow of the Almighty, take the narrow path of intimacy that leads to eternal life.

Our journey through the scriptures in search of the Woman, I have shared like a play on a stage with different acts, each one developing the story until the final act. And in our story, there are three acts. The first act began with Adam and Eve to Abraham and Sarah and then to God and Israel. The story unfolded in the pages of the Old Testament, which is not really old because God’s Word never ages rather we should see it as the First Testament similarly the New Testament as the Second Testament. but in act 1 our story ended with the failed marriage between God and Israel leaving us with the question as the curtain closed: how is it possible for God and man to be made “one flesh” as in a marriage relationship? Then act 2 begins, and Jesus opened the curtain, just like the curtain in the temple was torn open, Jesus came onto centre stage, and answered the question. Marriage between God and man is possible through the person of Jesus Christ because He is both fully God and fully man. We are nearly at the end of act 2 and the curtain will close again, this time not with a curtain in a temple, but by clouds that hid Him from sight as He ascended from the Mount of Olives. But before the curtain closes again, there is one more thread in our story that we have yet to explore. Do you remember the vine? The vine together with the Bride are synonymous of one truth, one reality in God.

Adam and Eve were blessed by God to be fruitful. It is the seed of the man, but the womb is of the woman, and through the womb of the woman therefore, that the offspring comes. Then with Abraham and Sarah the promise of fruitfulness was given to them both. It was not only a promise to Abraham but also to Sarah that from her Nations and Kings would be born. But because Sarah was barren, they attempted in their own efforts to facilitate the promise of God. In the flesh through Hagar, and not by “God enabled fertility”. That’s why it had to be Sarah, to demonstrate this point, that the promise of God comes through faith, and not by the slave woman but by the free woman. The Lord reminded them it was through Sarah that their offspring would be reckoned. In other words, it is through the Bride that the promise to the bridegroom shall be fulfilled. Indeed, the glory of the man is the woman. And so, Sarah together with Abraham were very fruitful, from her Isaac was born, from Isaac to Jacob who became Israel and from Jacob to Joseph, a foreshadow of Christ who Jacob prophesied was a fruitful vine.

“I had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine?” Jer 2:21 and also in Isaiah we read:

The fruit that God looks for is righteousness and justice. These are characteristics or hallmarks of His Kingdom. Israel was to represent the Kingdom of God upon the Earth. And yet the vine became wild and corrupt, so the Lord broke down its walls and it was ravaged by wild beasts. Ps 80:12,13 That is how the curtain closed on act 1, we are left with the tragedy of the wild vine the uprooted and destroyed vine, yet we are not without hope. Because as the psalmist Asaph was writing Ps 80, he was inspired by the Holy Spirit that flowed through him to write these words:

“Return to us, O God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself. Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish. Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. Restore us, O Lord Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.” Ps 80:14-19

What a powerful prophecy. There is a man at the right hand of God, or as the psalmist writes, “the son you have raised up for yourself”. Who is this man at the right hand of God? There is none who fits that description except one – the man Jesus Christ. The psalmist is revealing that there would come one who would restore the vineyard of God, a Messianic promise.

Then on a moonlit night many hundreds of years later, Jesus and his disciples gathered in an upper room within the city walls prepared for them to celebrate the Passover Mk 14:12-17. This was the very night that He was betrayed. With only a few hours remaining before His crucifixion, the wedding betrothal took place that night in the most intimate experience, with words of love and promise of return. Then after the meal was over, we read the final words of John 14 “Come now let us leave”. The question that we might ask is: where was Jesus going? For Jesus did have somewhere to go that night. He was heading out of the city, down the Kidron Valley, and up to the Garden of Gethsemane. This, the last walk Jesus would have with His disciples before the walk with His captors. Being the Passover, there would have been a full moon that night, illuminating the temple and city walls behind. And then He declares “I am the true Vine” John 15:1.

Historians describe that above the massive temple doors was a golden vine and grape clusters that were hanging down from a great height. And here Jesus declares that He is the fulfilment of the psalmist’s prophecy. Jesus made the eighth and last declaration of His divinity, saying “I Am the True Vine”, not the symbolism on the temple doors behind Him, but here, now stood in the flesh, and appealing to His Bride, to abide in Him. For She is to be fruitful through her connection to the Vine. The branches can bear no fruit of themselves except they be in the vine, the lasting fruit comes because the branch is in the vine. Jesus knew the troubles that awaited His disciples, how they would be persecuted, outcast, beaten and martyred and He gave this word of encouragement to prepare them for what was to come. Do not worry, He was saying, it is not about being connected with a building or religious establishment, but about your relationship in me.

This message of intimacy is as urgent today as it has been at any other time. For it is not about our buildings, dogma, national religion or pride. Jesus today is calling His Bride today to abide in Him, forsaking all others, be assured that He alone is able to sustain us. There is a flow of life and sustenance that comes through intimacy with Him, not vicariously through anyone or anything else, but directly through Him. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Meditate and feed upon the Word. For even our pulpits and temples will not ultimately supply the sustenance the Bride needs. Like the first disciples, she must come out of the visible into the invisible, from the natural to the spiritual, from men and to her Groom, knowing that no-one can pluck her from his hand.

I pray today you may be drawn deeper in your relationship with Him, for the time is short and the great harlot rides the beast of this world system. Do not drink her wine, do not fall to her seduction, though she might offer much, it will lead only to death, for branches not in the vine shall be cut and thrown into the fire. The cost is real, and the price is great, for I believe we move towards the end, the climax of history. Grasp onto the vine and never let go. He has made provision for you and I. May our lamps not run dry, and let us sing the song of the bride through the night as we call upon Him to come. Maranatha

Mike @Call2Come

The New Jerusalem Dressed Like A Bride

Glorious Bride Part 10

To the elect of God, who like living stones are being fashioned and joined together to become One New Man; be joyful always, for the Lord is near. Cast off the old nature, and put on the new with garments washed in the blood of the lamb, as you serve one another in love, praying fervently for each other, as we see His glorious day approaching.

Well, what an amazing journey we have been on. The woman in heaven, as seen by John Rev 12:1 and depicted in the heavens above by the sun, moon and stars, has been seen at each stage as the Eternal Purpose of God unfolds and develops here upon the earth. Last time, we came to the end of act 2, in which Jesus had taken centre stage, for it was all about Him, and what He had accomplished on His First Coming in preparation for His Bride at His Second Coming. But then the curtain closed as the clouds hid Him from sight, when He ascended from the Mount of Olives returning back to the Father’s side, where He is received until the restoration of all things. Acts 3:21. John saw this return to Heaven in his vision of the woman, as we read in our central passage for this series:

“And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.” Rev 12:3-5

This passage brings a new development in our story, for we have now introduced “the dragon”, and John describes him later in verse 9 “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Rev 12:9 Throughout all history, there has been an adversary, Satan, who opposes God and seeks to frustrate, hinder and prevent the Eternal Purpose of God being fulfilled. There is now a major shift in the story, a repositioning of the main characters. Jesus has returned to Heaven, Satan is cast down to the earth, and where is woman now? Reading further in Rev 12, we will notice that she is now upon the earth, but I will cover these things in another series where we will look at the Great Tribulation and the final preparations of the Bride. But I do want to take a glimpse into the future, for it is indeed glorious. John caught a glimpse, a peek behind the curtain, and saw the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.” Rev 21:9-11

In this passage we are given a connection between the “Bride, the Lamb’s wife” and “the great city, the holy Jerusalem”. Previously we have seen how the great city Jerusalem is the personification of the wife of God the Father. (see Part 5 of this series), and now John sees the great city of Jerusalem descending out of heaven. Something has happened, the primary reality of things in heaven, the Jerusalem above coming down towards the earth. Deep I know, but let’s continue because there’s more. In with Rev 21:2 John writes “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” Notice that the two descriptions of Jerusalem are not quite the same. The phrase here in v2 is “the new Jerusalem”. Almost as if there are two Jerusalems, one is the “Holy Jerusalem, the great city” the other is the “New Jerusalem, prepared as a bride”. There is represented here both Jerusalem as in the ancient and Holy City of God, but also the new Jerusalem the glorious Bride. What are we to make of this? I believe John sees one city, but dual natures combined in one reality coming down out of Heaven but both describing the Bride, the wife of the lamb.

When Jesus was sentenced in Jerusalem and crucified outside her city walls, He had come to the Wife of His Father, through whom He was made incarnate. And when He died upon the cross, His shed blood paid for the sins of His Father’s wife after she had been adulterous. In so doing, provision was made for Jerusalem and Israel to be restored back into the blessing of a new marriage covenant. But there is more, that through His sacrifice, Jesus not only paid for the sins of Jerusalem, His Father’s wife, but also for the sins of the whole world (both Jew and Gentile) to create a New Jerusalem, that would become His, the wife of the lamb!!

There is a profound mystery here. Something that brings all these things together in one new glorious revelation. My understanding is that as the Son is begotten from the Father, so also the Bride is begotten from Jerusalem! As Paul writes to the Galatians “But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all” Gal 4:26 But in the same way that Jesus is also God, so the Bride is also Jerusalem. The Bride is because Jerusalem is. Without Jerusalem, there could be no Bride. The Bride is Jerusalem in the same way that Jesus is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being”. Heb 1:3 The Father and the Son together with the Holy Spirit are One, so also the Jew and the Gentile shall be one, and that together shall become the New Jerusalem, the wife of the lamb. This abolishes any notion that Israel is replaced. On the contrary, Israel and Jerusalem are not replaced any more than the Father is replaced by the Son! No, it is through the marriage of the Father and Israel (Jerusalem) that the marriage of the Son and the New Jerusalem can happen. These things are all so wonderfully linked together.

In closing, I want to read from Isaiah 62. A familiar passage, but instead of seeing this as relating only to Jerusalem, let’s see it also as a prophecy about the Bride, the New Jerusalem

For Zion’s (Bride) sake I will not keep silent, And for Jerusalem’s (Bride’s) sake I will not keep quiet,
Until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, and her salvation like a torch that is burning. The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; And you will be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord will designate. You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. It will no longer be said to you, “Forsaken,” nor to your land will it any longer be said, “Desolate”; But you will be called, “My delight is in her,” and your land, “Married”; For the Lord delights in you, and to Him your land will be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons will marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so your God will rejoice over you. On your walls, O Jerusalem (Bride), I have appointed watchmen; All day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the Lord, take no rest for yourselves; And give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem (His Bride), a praise in the earth. Isaiah 62:1-7 (brackets mine)

This concludes our series on the Glorious Bride. I pray you have been quickened in your Spirit, and awakened in Bridal love. May the Lord keep you always, as His Day draws near.

Maranatha

Mike @Call2Come

The Gospel According to the Bride – Part 1

The Gospel According to the Bride – Part 2

Dear beloved of our Glorious Father who lives in Eternity, together in Oneness with our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, let us rejoice that our hope is steadfast and our salvation secure. For though we have not yet seen Him who is to come, we believe now and are saved, we shall see then and be changed.

We are beginning a new series in what we shall call “The Gospel According to the Bride”. There are two underlying foundational principles in our study. The first principle is that: As Christ is, so also we must be. And the second principle is that the Bride has a corporate mind and thinks about everything from a corporate mindset, not an individual one. This being so, she will therefore, by the very nature of who she is, think differently to the way that we think as individuals. We are so conditioned to read and interpret the Bible from a singular mindset, and how the Gospel applies to us individually, but if we are to understand that the eternal purpose of God is for us to be included into Him, and this by being the Royal Bride for His Son the Bridegroom King, then it is of paramount importance that we change the way we think. That we think like the Bride!

We are transformed by the renewing of our minds, yes, but to be transformed into the Bride requires that our minds be renewed or even reprogrammed with a bridal mindset or put another way we need to develop a bridal consciousness. To migrate away from having only a singular mindset, and to adopt the higher nature of our corporate bridal identity and begin to think like the Bride that we are. That means not thinking in the singular but thinking in the plural. Not seeing the interpretation and application of scripture to us only as individuals, but how it applies to us corporately. For it is written to us corporately. It is with this understanding of the corporate mind, that we shall look again at the essential Gospel message, this time not as individuals, but through the lens of the Bridal paradigm, and therefore this is the Gospel According to the Bride.

Last time, I shared that for the Bride to get ready and prepare for her marriage with Jesus the Bridegroom King, she must participate in the same stages as He did whilst upon the earth. As His, so also we must be. I suggested last time, that the Bride must be baptised, and how strange a concept that is to our normal way of thinking. But over the next few sessions I’ll unpack that idea a lot more and see how baptism for the Bride is an absolute requirement for her. She must be baptised before she can do anything else. Indeed, we shall see that without baptism there is no Bride, for when the Bride is baptised, she is immersed into Christ, and unless she is fully in Him, she cannot come from Him, and therefore has no form of which to cleave back to Him as in a marriage relationship. Wow, that was deep but don’t worry we’ll come back to that thought later on.

On discussing baptism, here is a key passage that we shall refer back to a few times.

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:3-11

The word baptism is a transliteration from the Greek word “baptizō” and means to immerse, or to be submerged, to cleanse by being immersed. Though the root word “baptô” means to dip, the word “baptizō” is more than just being dipped as a one off momentary event, but is a continual dipping or immersion until the state of that which has been dipped has been changed. As is the case when Naaman was instructed by Elisha to “wash in the Jordan seven times” the Bible says in 2 Kings 5:14 “So he (Naaman) went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.“ The word dipped in this verse, in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) is the word “baptizō”.

When Paul says we have been baptised into Christ, he is saying that we have been dipped or immersed into Christ, so that we have fully entered into Christ, submerged, covered over even hidden in Christ. But then Paul develops the thought and says that by being baptised into Christ we are in the same way baptised or immersed into His death. By the process of baptism we are buried with Christ into death, so that just as Jesus was raised from the dead, so also we shall experience resurrection life. Notice here, that before life there is death, before the new man the old man must die. Paul writes that our old man was crucified with Him, and testifies this about himself in Gal 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live but Christ who lives in me”.

This fundamental truth is at the heart of the Gospel message. That Jesus Christ our Saviour died because of our sins, was buried and then rose again on the third day, in order that by faith in Him and the redemptive work of the Cross, we might be forgiven of our sins and receive eternal life. But notice a subtle and profound truth here: the unregenerate mind will miss the true depths of the work of the Cross. The unregenerate mind (that which belongs to our old man) will fail to comprehend the New Creation, and instead only consider how grateful they should be since they no longer stand condemned and how Jesus died in their place so that they may live. They may understand that their sins have been taken away, but here is the point that I make, that though sins are taken away, guilt is not transferable! Even though Jesus bore my sin, that didn’t make Him guilty. The guilt remains with me, that is the unregenerate me, and therefore the old man can never be free of a guilty conscience. The old man still stands condemned. No wonder Paul writes “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Rom 7:24

What then of justification? That of acquittal from judgement and the accrediting of righteousness to our account? It is not the old man who is set free but the new man who has been given life. The old man and unregenerate mind will struggle with sin and guilt all their life, (although we could say that they are already dead), but the new man, the regenerate mind will not see Jesus crucified on the cross alone, but will see themselves there with Him being crucified also, by the Eternal Spirit we are able to identify ourselves with Christ in the act of His crucifixion, death and burial, I will explain this more next time, but here let us understand that Jesus didn’t just die for us, He died with us, so that in His death and in His burial the old man may be crucified and therefore the body of sin put away once and for all, because he who has died has been freed from sin, and guilt has been destroyed through death forever, hallelujah!. Upon Jesus’ resurrection, we too are raised into a new life, born again as a new Creation, where the old has gone and behold all things have become new. What a wonderful Saviour indeed, and a glorious salvation, not salvation of the old man, but the birthing of the new.

The Gospel According to the Bride – Part 3

To the elect of God throughout the world, the glorious Bride, hidden now in Christ but soon to appear with Him when He comes again in great glory, bringing salvation to those who have been waiting and preparing for His return. May you be strengthened and continue to grow in your inner man, as you abide in Him, knowing the infallibility of His purpose and plan for us, and that from now until that Day, nothing can separate us from Him.

There is much that I am eager to share from the Gospel according to the Bride, looking at scripture and the Gospel message through the lens of the bridal paradigm. Indeed, if we are to no longer be conformed to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed, then our minds must be renewed. They must be renewed by the Spirit of God, but if we believe that a primary role of the Holy Spirit is to enable to bride to get ready, then the mind to be renewed will develop a corporate mindset, because the Bride is corporate, and therefore we need a bridal consciousness.

The writer of Hebrews writes “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.” Heb 6:1,2 The suggestion here is to go beyond the basic foundational doctrines so that we can mature. And that is what I want to do. To go beyond the elementary doctrine, not forsaking them or changing them in any way, for the foundation stones our faith must be upheld, guarded and understood at all costs. Remove the foundation and you remove the very tenets of our faith, let us not be among those who distort the Word of God. But instead I am saying to build upon them, as the writer says “to go on to maturity”. But before we leave the elementary it will serve us well to remind ourselves the foundations upon which we build. In this section of the Gospel according to the Bride, I am focussed particularly on Baptism. As Christ is so also we must be. As Jesus was baptised, so also the Bride must be baptised. But before we go deeper into this area of bridal baptism, let us be encouraged to revisit the very core of our salvation experience.

Following on from last time, I made a distinction between the unregenerate and regenerate mind, or between the old mind and the renewed mind. The unregenerate mind will fail to comprehend the deeper more profound mysteries of the Cross, that of the New Creation, and consider only how Jesus died alone upon the Cross, bearing their sin so that they might be forgiven, escape judgement and receive eternal life. One problem with this, as we saw, is that guilt is not transferable, and the old man remains condemned, because in reality Jesus didn’t die so that the adamic man could continue to live, but that the new man might be brought forth as a New Creation. Since guilt then is not transferrable the life of the old man and unregenerate mind is one of a continual guilty conscious and endless endeavour to find justification through works. But guilt is a merciless task master and relentless accuser that gives no rest. That is why we must come to the place in our spiritual journey and realisation that this is exactly why Jesus did die, so that we may put to death our old man because he who has died has been freed from sin. And by this process of dying there is “therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”. Rom 8:1

Our old man, our adamic man, will die whether we are in Christ or not, the question is not whether we shall die but whether we shall live, for in Adam all died, and all shall die because of sin, but all those in Christ shall live because He lives. So how can we face death alone, separate from Christ and not die? Herein is the majestic beauty and unfathomable mercies of God’s grace and eternal wisdom. That before Creation (Rev 13:8 1 Pet 1:19,20), God had provided the means for which we might pass through the veil, from judgement to justification, and from condemnation to new life. Like the ark of Noah which saved all eight of his family and required that they be within the ark for their salvation, in the same way, the body of Christ has become to us the ark of God for our salvation. It is necessary therefore that we enter fully into Christ, and this is through the act of baptism. To be plunged into Christ, immersed into His glorious state. And if we have been baptised into Christ, then we have been baptised into His death. We were in Him therefore when He was crucified.

The regenerate mind, the renewed mind, understands it was not just Christ who died for them but that they died with him because they were in Him. His crucifixion was our crucifixion, his death was our death. Does that mean then that I was still punished for my sin? Absolutely not, his punishment was our punishment. Isaiah writes “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Isa 53:5. The scriptures clearly point out that upon Him was the punishment that brought us peace. Let us understand with certainty, that it was Christ alone who bore our sins, As Peter writes “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Pet 2:24, also in Hebrews it reads “so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” Heb 9:28. Let us also be clear that when we died with Christ, it was in answer to, and the passing of judgement in response to the written code, law and regulations in which we stood condemned and sentenced guilty. In that sense the law was carried out, judgement was passed, and the penalty of sin paid for. But is was Jesus our Bridegroom King, come to redeem His bride, who demonstrated His complete and immeasurable love for us, that whilst we were still sinners, He died for us. Rom 5:8 And one final scripture from Colossians. “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” Col 2:12-15

This is what it means to be born again. That through baptism, the spiritual act of being immersed, fully covered over by Christ, we enter into His death and burial so that the old man of sin is crucified, fulfilling the righteous requirements of the law. But had we not been in Christ, then we would surely not be raised again into new life. But because we are in Christ, we are also raised with him, leaving the adamic nature and body of sin buried, and rising into new life we are now freed from sin, and walk in newness of life as born again children of God, as a New Creation.

Hopefully all that I have shared here is not new but a reminder and encouragement to us of our salvation experience and all that we are in Christ. Hopefully we have been enlightened over the elementary foundations of salvation and baptism as it applies to us individually. Herein lies our challenge, to go beyond a singular mindset, and not see the New Creation as singular, but as corporate, because the Bride is corporate, she is the New Creation, the One New Man. We must be renewed utterly and throughout, to be rid of all notions of independence and separatism. Individualism yes, but only as part of the greater corporate reality of the Bride. Salvation is not complete without the Bride, salvation is about the Bride, and for the Bride. Salvation may begin with us as individuals, but salvation ultimately is corporate and Bridal. So we must be saved corporately, and therefore be baptised corporately. Here’s an example of corporate salvation in the book of Acts. As the crowd responded to the Pentecost sermon: “What must we do to? And Peter said to them “Repent and be baptized every one of you” Acts 2:37,38. Notice the we in “what must we do?” This was corporate repentance, corporate salvation and corporate baptism.

We shall continue next time, until then, Maranatha

Part 4 – The Gospel According to the Bride

Dear God and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways. Help us to understand and apprehend all that you have created us to be by the working of your Spirit within us. May we truly be crucified with our Bridegroom Jesus, so that we no longer live but that He lives in us by the Holy Spirit. As we present our bodies as a living sacrifice, may we be transformed into a new body by the renewing of our mind, into the body of the Bride which is the body of Christ.

The reason I’m teaching this series “The Gospel According to the Bride”, is the same as with all things that we teach in Call2Come. Our mandate is to help prepare the Bride, and our vision is for the Bride to get ready and that she will call upon her Bridegroom to Come in agreement with the Spirit as in Rev 22:17. Indeed, it is important to note that a key part of our teaching is how calling upon Jesus to come isn’t the end of our preparation journey, but the beginning of it, because for the Bride to get ready, she must position herself into her Bridal identity and that means agreeing with the Holy Spirit who has always been saying “Come”.

So far, we have been looking at what it means to be in Christ. Being in Christ is the result of baptism. And when I talk of baptism I am talking of the spiritual immersion and inclusion into Christ, for which we do have the outward physical act of water baptism, but it is the spiritual dynamic that is our focus here. Through the Eternal Spirit we are able to be incorporated into Christ, and the necessity is that we are included in Him before His crucifixion, death and burial, so that we can, in some way, participate in His crucifixion, death and burial, and actually make it our own. For the reality is that we do need to die. I need to die. My old adamic nature, and this body of sin, in which I still dwell whilst I wait to clothed with my heavenly form, needs to be continually crucified with Christ, so that I, like Paul, can confess “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live but Christ who lives in me”. Gal 2:20 Notice how Paul declares with a tone of triumph, “I no longer live, but Christ who lives in me”. O how we need to enter into this reality, that we should no longer live, but the life we live to be an outworking of Christ’s life in us, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Because in this exchange, our selfishness is crucified, our pride put to death, our ideas, thoughts, plans and ambitions are all surrendered at the Cross, and instead the resurrection power of His life now living and working through every member of His Body, His Bride. If it is truly Christ who lives in me, then the life that I am now living is the life of the Bride. For the Bride is the life which is in Christ and in which you and I are to participate. I will say that again, the life which is in Christ, and in which you and I are to participate is the life of the Bride. We are not saved as individuals to become members of a church on some street, we are saved corporately as a spiritual body which is His Bride. Where then is the place for strife and division, fracture and denominationalism? Is Christ divided? Does His life in us lead us to independence and separatism? Or to oneness and the expression of a corporate body who in love are preferring one another? Resurrection life is Bridal life, because it’s His life, and the life He gives is for His Bride.

When the bride sees her bridegroom upon the Cross, she must see herself there also with him crucified together. The bride upon the Cross! The corporate mind, the bridal thought is that she must be in Christ totally and existentially. She must identify herself with the Cross, to be crucified with her bridegroom. For she is not a bride until she has been crucified with Christ, for until she has been crucified with him, she cannot be raised with Him. This raises a fundamental question: How is it that we can be crucified with Christ? Paul gives us the answer here, as we read in our key text from Rom 6, this time looking at verse 11 “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” Notice Paul’s instruction, that we should reckon ourselves. What does it mean to reckon? One use of the word reckoning is as an accounting term, in which a calculation is made, and the sum credit or debit is applied to an account. In this sense it can be used to “settle accounts”. It is in the reckoning that we apply what is true to our account. Reckoning is a process of calculation or reasoning and deduction. To come to a conclusion or judgement about something once the facts of the case have been presented and considered. In this sense we are in gross debt because of sin, and we acknowledge this debt and apply the debt and sentencing to ourselves. I should point out of course, that this ability to reckon sin, is only because of the grace of God, and not initiated by us. It is by His sovereign grace, through the inner working of the Holy Spirit in which we are able to comprehend our condition, for “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God, it does not submit to God’s laws, nor can it do so” Rom 8:7 So in reckoning we must apply what is true to our account, and that we agree with the Holy Spirit’s conviction and revelation of truth, and consciously apply this truth, declaring to our old adamic nature that it is dead to sin, and therefore will not be given the freedom to rule us any longer, for he who has died has been freed from sin, and instead through belief in the heart and confession of the mouth, we declare that we are made alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord, amen!

To be clear, this reckoning is not a mental persuasion or mystic feat of the mind in some sort or mental transcendence, but it is the application and appropriation of truth into the inner man. Such a reckoning requires that the vehicle by which meaningful transformation can take place remains present, available and retains its power. This is the nature of the Cross. The enduring and eternal work of God. At that time, Jesus completely triumphed over sin, death and all the power of the enemy, and never needs to be repeated. I am not suggesting that we travel back in time to the time and place of Jesus crucifixion, that would be foolish to suggest and impossible in the natural realm. How is it then, that the Cross remains present and available today? For as I have mentioned, this consideration of being crucified with Christ is not a mental persuasion or thought process only, but in a very real sense a literal participation in what Jesus accomplished upon the Cross 2000 years ago. In answer to that question, the natural or visible realm exists within the framework of linear time and three-dimensional space. When Jesus was crucified it was located and visible in the natural realm at a particular time and place, 2000 years ago at Golgotha, and in the natural realm we cannot go back. But that would be looking at the Cross as something that only took place in the natural or visible realm, but the Cross was much more! The Cross was an enduring work of God. Though Jesus crucifixion was visible or manifest in the natural realm and therefore can be located in time and space, the Cross is an eternal reality, because God is eternal. What was visible was only that which occurred in the physical realm, and it needed to happen in the physical realm because that’s where we were held captive by sin, in the fallen state, physical yes, but spiritually dead in trespasses and sin. But the Cross did not only happen in the physical visible realm but also in the spiritual realm, and in the Eternal dimension of God. God’s Word is eternal Isa 40:8, 1 Pet 1:23, Ps 119:89 and his works are eternal. As the writer in Ecclesiastes 3:14 says, “everything that God does endures for ever, nothing can be added to it nor anything taken from it.” And Peter writes “A day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” 2 Pet 3:8. There is no direct and linear correlation between eternity time and our time or between the natural visible realm and the spiritual realm. What God does endures forever, and nothing can be taken or added to it. The Cross remains today, hallelujah! Yes, Jesus died on the Cross and rose again, but in the eternal realm the Cross has just happened, and will remain in the eternal present until the new dispensation.

Therefore, the Cross remains as powerful and existent today as it did back then. It is by faith that we may access and appropriate the realities of the unseen realm. By faith given as a gift from God that we may indeed consider ourselves crucified with Christ. But not for punishment but for the One New Man, for the Bride to rise up with resurrection life and power.

Until next time, may you know His resurrection life in you, the life of the Bride

Living in prophetic consciousness 1

Living in Prophetic Consciousness 2

Living in Prophetic Consciousness 3

Living in Prophetic Consciousness 4

Living in Prophetic Consciousness 5

Living in Prophetic Consciousness 6

Dearly beloved of God, may you know the fullness of your salvation in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit that works so powerfully within your whole man. For you have been made alive in the Spirit to be a holy temple, a fit habitation of the Spirit of God to dwell.

Last time I shared the importance of knowing who we are according to what the Bible says about us, and not according a limited philosophy of separate spirit, soul and body, because the reality of the Biblical paradigm is far greater than we realise. If we may understand the workings of God upon the human frame, then we can live accordingly to His will and His way. Understanding (through revelation) releases faith, because we have greater certainty and awareness of who we are and what God has done for us by the outworking of His Spirit. The opposite is also true, that when understanding is clouded in a shroud of mystery and there is no revelation of spiritual truth, it hinders our capacity to rise up with authority, because of uncertainty, fear and doubt. This I believe is very true when it comes to matters of our spirit, soul and body. These have often become very confused and muddled, so that we don’t have clarity on the roles they play, and therefore can’t co-operate fully with the Holy Spirit to bring us to maturity. So let me share with you some thoughts from the Word of God: we’ll begin in a passage familiar to every child of God.

1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3:1-6 NKJV

The context here is the necessity to be born again to see and enter the Kingdom of God, but the question we must ask is “what does it mean to be born again?” In giving an answer, we might quote from 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Or maybe Ephesians 2:5-6 “even when we were dead in our trespasses, (God) made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” These answers of course would both be true, but do we see our salvation and being born again purely as an act of grace upon our spirit, and not also our body or our soul? Looking closer at the encounter Nicodemus had, we see the emphasis is upon being born of the flesh and also born of the spirit. The flesh gives birth to flesh, the Spirit gives birth to spirit. It is the body which is being discussed here. That’s how Nicodemus understood it when he wondered how he could enter his mother’s womb a second time. But Nicodemus was still thinking in natural terms, and considering the impossibility of two separate births, but Jesus was saying your body has already been birthed in the natural, but it also needs to be birthed in the spiritual. So when we talk about being born again is it more than a transformation of our inner man? Is it not also a supernatural change that takes place in our body? I realise that may sound very different to how you think about being born again, so let’s look a couple more scriptures to make the point.

16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body [with her]? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit [with Him]. 18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit [who is] in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1Co 6:16-20 NKJV

10 And if Christ [is] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin, but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life (quicken) to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Rom 8:10-11 NKJV

The Bible says that your body is dead because of sin, and yet also your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. How can this be? Can the Holy Spirit inhabit something which is dead because of sin? I do not think so! Rather the body must be brought to life. Since your body has natural life (or breath), the life we refer to here is spiritual life, the breath (Ruach) of God. Your body has been “quickened”, brought to life by the One who raised Christ from the dead. Notice it is the “mortal” body we are talking about here, it is not the “immortal/spiritual” body that you will receive at the resurrection, when your body will be transformed to be like His glorious body, but it is the body that you have now. This temporal body has been made alive in the spirit. Your “mortal” body has been redeemed by God to be a holy habitation for His Spirit. Now your body is not only born of the flesh but also of the Spirit. It has been given spiritual life, it is still a physical mortal body, but now it has spirit, it is not the same, it has been changed by the Spirit. It may look the same, it may feel the same, but it is not the same, it is temple of the Holy Spirit!

Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 1 Cor 6:13

Let us honour God therefore with our body, knowing that our bodies belong to Him. Let us realise that the physical body can contain spirit because it has been quickened. We can subject our physical bodies to be obedient to the Spirit, whether in sickness, deliverance, or any other area our bodies are to blessed by the redemptive power of the Cross, that works in all areas of our whole man.

Maranatha

Mike @call2come

Living in Prophetic Consciousness – 7

Living in Prophetic Consciousness – Part 7

To the glorious Bride of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that you will stand strong and not be moved away in your devotion to the Lord, but fervently abide in His love, soaking in His presence and being renewed daily in your spirit, so that you are continuously ready for His glorious appearing, when He comes again.

This series is called Living in Prophetic Consciousness because for the Bride to fulfil her mandate upon the earth before the return of her Bridegroom, requires that she is fully aware of both the visible and invisible realms. There is a maturity coming to the Bride to enable her to operate as a warrior with a prophetic mantle. But spiritual growth does not take place in a vacuum away from our body and soul, but is integral with all parts of who we are, because that’s how God made us. We’ve been taking some time to unpack a Biblical framework so we can understand how we are made and put together, otherwise we will not grow healthy but unbalanced. We cannot neglect our bodies and think it will not impair our spiritual growth, neither can we neglect our soul and think it will make no difference – it will make a big difference. If we neglect our bodies, we are neglecting our spirit and the Holy Spirit, since it is our body which has become a Holy Habitation. Rather we should “glorify (honour) God in our bodies” 1 Cor 6:20. We cannot dishonour God in our body and expect to be honoured by Him in our spirit. Similarly, if we neglect our souls, we harm our spirit, since the relationship between our spirit and soul are very closely related as we shall see.

“And you He made alive (quickened), who were dead in trespasses and sins” Eph 2:1

“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;” Col 2:13

In the way that our bodies were dead because of sin, the same is true also of our soul. Being “dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh”, is a reference to your soul. Your soul was dead because of sin (it did not have spirit life). Before salvation it was only born of the flesh and not yet of the Spirit. But now, like my body, it too is quickened by the Holy Spirit to have spirit life. Once I was dead, but now I am alive because of the change that has taken place in my body and soul.

When we think of our souls being separate from our spirit the natural conclusion is that we are two separate persons. But I want to suggest we are the same person but with two very different personalities! Just as with Nicodemus, it was still the same person, still Nicodemus, but he needed to be born again. This didn’t mean Nicodemus would have two bodies, but that the body he already had (the one which had been born of the flesh) needed to undergo a further process of being born of the Spirit. In the same way, he didn’t require another soul, but the soul needed to be saved and spirit life quickened in his inner man. When you are born again you are still you in the sense that you have the body and the soul you were born with, but you are not you in the same way anymore because you have been changed by the power of God! Both your body and soul have been quickened by the Spirit of life. The facets of your body and soul have been increased, there are added dimensions that weren’t there before, not in the natural realm but in the spiritual realm. Your body has spiritual capacity (though it is still mortal until the resurrection) and your soul has spiritual capacity. You don’t have two separate minds, it is the same mind, but it can operate in two different ways. It can be occupied and focussed on the things of the flesh, or it can be occupied and focussed on the things of the Spirit. But either way it is the same mind, the emphasis is upon the believer and how they choose to use their mind, whether to fulfil the lusts of the flesh, or desires of the spirit.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. Rom 8:5

When the apostle Paul says “be renewed in the spirit of your mind” Eph 4:23 he indicates the spirit as part of our mind, which is what we have been discussing, the part of our mind (soul we understand as mind, emotions and will) which was dead through sin but quickened to have spirit. Before salvation my mind could not discern the Spirit, it was enslaved because of the sinful nature and was “enmity against God” Rom 8:7, but when I was born again there was a radical shift that took place in my inner man. My soul (mind, emotions and will) no longer had to be dominated by the carnal nature, but through the Spirit, was transferred, migrated and moved into an entirely different place, like coming out from darkness into glorious new light. Now my mind is free because the spirit of my mind has been renewed by the Holy Spirit, “and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.” 2 Cor 3:17 My mind has been given spiritual capacity and is free to encounter the unseen spiritual realm, with a redeemed imagination and thought life, not limited by human reasoning and rationale but inspired and intuitive where creative thought abounds. So you see how closely integrated our spirit, soul and body are. As we leant previously – we need to see ourselves as a diversified whole.

I have explained how the body and soul now have spirit, what then of our spirit? Does that mean that our spirit only exists as an extension to our body and soul? Or that my spirit is subservient in some way? Certainly not! We could equally say that when our spirit was quickened and brought into life, it was given a prepared body and soul to occupy. From the perspective of our spirit, the body and soul belongs to it, and the body and soul are given to serve the purposes of our spirit, because it is our spirit that is the new creation, our spirit which is one with the Holy Spirit and therefore it is our spirit which should have dominion and authority over our body and soul. The apostle Paul not only wrote we should “be renewed in the spirit of our mind” Eph 4:23, but he also wrote that since we are one in Spirit with the Lord 1 Cor 6:17 we also have the mind of Christ 1 Cor 2:16. By being renewed in the spirit of our minds, gives us union with “the mind of Christ”. Our mind has spirit life, and now we see our spirit has a mind! Not just our renewed mind, but ascension into the mind of Christ, the mind of the Spirit, so that we can know the things freely given to us by God. 1 Cor 2:12. With the mind of my spirit I am able to peer through the veil of the unknown to the known, and see into the unseen spiritual realm. To gaze upon mysteries, not in words taught with human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit.

We are moving closer to understanding “Living in Prophetic Consciousness”.

Until next time, shalom.

Mike @Call2Come

The Bridal Perspective on Spiritual Warfare (Introduction)

Today I want to develop some deeper truths about the Bride, which I believe will help us to better understand the days in which we are living and the great peril the Bride faces. In these times with continual bombardment from media reports about this crisis or that disaster, whether at home or abroad, we are painfully aware of being in the middle of a great, possibly unprecedented battle that is raging, not just in the natural realm but in the spiritual realm too. Many will see this from a Kingdom perspective, but very few will see this battle in a bridal context, but it is here I believe we must go, into the bridal paradigm, to discern the ultimate intention and masterly cunning of the deceiver.

In Ps 128:3 the Bible describes a wife as a fruitful vine, this reveals a beautiful truth about her – she is blessed to be very fertile. The Bride has a womb, and she is able to conceive and be a mother. The Bible gives many examples of this principle, even the first Bride Eve, received her name because she was “the mother of all the living”. Although, actually, we discover upon further study that Eve was not her first name but her second. If you recall the account in Genesis 2, God placed Adam in the garden of Eden to take of it and said, “It is not good for man to be alone, but I will make a comparable helper for him”. But then after Adam had named all the animals “no such comparable helper was found”. This is interesting because in Genesis 1:27 we read, “God made man in his own image, male and female he created them both” but in Genesis 2 Adam was alone, so the question naturally arises where was Eve? Well of course we know the comparable helper for Adam could only come from within Adam, so the Lord put him into a deep sleep, opened up his side and took out a rib from which he made Adam’s helper. We would naturally conclude this was Eve, but actually that’s not quite how it was. When Adam awoke from his deep sleep, he opened his eyes and beheld the most beautiful gift from God right before him. She was like none of the animals he knew, and like nothing else he had seen in all creation, there was nothing else with which she could be compared to, except of course for Adam himself, who said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; Gen 2:23 then Adam called her “Woman, because she was taken out of man.”

The name Adam gave his wife was one that connected her as coming out from him, there was no other identity needed! Her name was “Woman” because she was from her husband, and her name gave her the identity as being his, you could say she was called by his name. So, on what basis was Adam’s wife called Eve? It was not until after the Fall, after the eating of forbidden fruit in Gen 3:20 that we read, “Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.” Her first name was about who she was, her identity, her bridal position as coming out from her husband, and therefore she had her husband’s name. But her second name wasn’t about her identity as a wife but about her fertility as a mother. Eve had a womb, she was fertile, she was able to bring forth life. The point I’m making is that like Eve, the Bride has a womb, she is able to conceive, she is fertile. Furthermore, Adam’s offspring could only come through Eve, it was through her the mandate “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it” Gen 1:28 could be fulfilled. So here is our first principle:

1. It is only through the Bride that the promise to the Bridegroom is fulfilled.

Now why is this important, and what has it to do with spiritual warfare? Well, we’ll come to that in a moment, but first let’s look at another example of this principle in action with the story of Abram and Sarai. In Genesis 12, God promised Abram that he would become a great nation and in Genesis 15 that his offspring would be as numerable as the stars in the night sky. But there was a problem, both Abram and Sarai were getting on in years and Sarai was barren (Gen 11:30). So they tried to fulfil the promise given to Abram through Hagar, but Hagar was not the Bride which caused so much trouble, then later the Lord reaffirms His promise to Abraham but this time underlines the principle: it is only through the Bride that the promise to the Bridegroom is fulfilled. Gen 17:15,16 reads “Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai (Princess), but Sarah (Noble Woman) shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.“

Now if the promise to the man is to be fulfilled through the woman, then it requires that she is fertile, and so Sarah conceived in her old age and gave birth to Isaac, with whom the covenant was also made (Gen 26:1-5). Now here’s the second principle I want to point out:

2. The Bridegroom speaks prophetically over his Bride to be fruitful.

Did you notice God’s instruction to Abraham? He said, “you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah”. Abraham was to call his wife with a name that bestowed upon her the blessing of a fruitful womb. She was to be a mother, and therefore she would have a new name. The promise made to Abraham for many descendants, enabled him to speak prophetically over Sarah to be fruitful, because of the first principle: it is only through the Bride that the promise to the Bridegroom is fulfilled. We also see this principle at work with Adam and Eve. I mentioned earlier Adam calls his wife Eve as the mother of all living which is found in Genesis 3:20, but what you may not have realised is that it’s not until the next chapter, in Genesis 4, that Eve actually became a mother when Cain and Abel were born. When Adam called his wife Eve it was prophetic. He spoke words over her with the power to activate and release her to be the fruitful woman that God had created her to be. So putting these two principles together, we can say:

It is only through the Bride that the promise to the Bridegroom is fulfilled, therefore the Bridegroom speaks prophetically over his Bride to be fruitful.

In the same way that Adam called his wife’s name Eve, and Abraham called his wife’s name Sarah, the Lord has called his wife by a new name. Wow, what an amazing thought that is: the wife of the Lamb has a new name. Her husband has spoken prophetically over her to be fruitful, because it is through her that His glory will be made manifest (John 17:22, Eph 3:21). It is through her that His Kingdom will be consummated upon the earth (Rev 19:6-9). That’s why I suggest the underlying target of Satan’s assault is the Bride, and why we need to understand Spiritual Warfare from a Bridal perspective. Everything rests with her. She is the one prophesied over by the Lord to be fruitful, she is the one betrothed, she is the one who will reign forever alongside her Bridegroom and therefore she is the target of Satan’s cunning. He isn’t satisfied with being the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2), or the ruler of this world (John 14:30), not until he’s defiled the Bride, corrupted her and led her astray through deception. Here is the third principle:

3. If Satan can deceive the Bride, he can detain her preparation, and if he can detain her preparation, he can prolong his reign.

Satan’s demise comes after the wedding of the Lamb, not before. Rev 19 and 20 is quite clear on this. Rev 19:7 reads “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” It is after this in Rev 19:11-21 we see the triumphant return of Jesus with the armies of heaven during which the beast and the false prophet are cast alive into the lake of fire. Then Satan’s demise finally comes in Rev 20:1-3, just before the millennial reign, when he will be bound by a great chain and thrown into the bottomless pit for a thousand years where he will no longer be able to deceive the nations, which implies he will continue to deceive until this time. This then leads to our fourth principle:

4. The target of Satan’s assault is the Bride, he will come against her with deception.

From the very beginning Satan has sought to deceive the Bride, she is his target and obsession.

Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. Paul writes similarly to the church in 2 Cor 11:2,3 I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

When Paul writes “deceived by the serpent’s cunning”, he uses the word eks-ä-pä-tä’-o (G1537) meaning to beguile, or to seduce wholly. Listen carefully: Satan can seduce and beguile the bride. The dictionary defines beguile as “to charm or enchant someone often in a deceptive way”. How is the bride able to be beguiled? Paul writes “by the serpent’s cunning”. This word cunning pä-nür-ge’-ä (G3834), means craftiness or cunning, but it also means a false wisdom, a wisdom that is “superficially plausible but wrong, seemingly correct but not, misleading in appearance”. Wow, that’s a lot to take in, but in short, what I’m saying is that Satan’s assault is to deceive the Bride through his craftiness and cunning. He will try to seduce her, to charm her and beguile her, to deceive her with thoughts that seem plausible but are wrong, to seduce her with alternative wisdom that is not correct, so that he can “lead her astray from her sincere and pure devotion to Christ”. (2 Cor 11:3)

Being aware of deception is nothing new. We are familiar with various warnings in the Bible about deceptions in the last days. We know “many false prophets shall arise and deceive many” Matt 24:11 and “a time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. – 2Ti 4:3,4. But what I’ve realised during these last twelve months is another element at work to increase the difficulty of discerning those deceptions.

Recently I was reading Luke’s account of the end times when the word “commotions” leapt off the page at me. Luke 21:9 “But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.” Matthew puts it: “wars and rumours of wars”, but Luke writes: “wars and commotions”. Other translations might say uprising, disturbances, rebellion or tumult. The original Greek meaning is instability, disorder, commotion, confusion, disarray and tumult. To me that’s a really good description of how the world is right now. Commotions, uprisings, disturbances and so on. Whether that’s the current coronavirus pandemic, recent American elections, or any other escalation of commotion, like a tumult of voices, it can spread confusion, instability, disarray and disorder. This is a master tactic of Satan to obfuscate the truth and muddle perceptions. This onslaught of commotion provides the perfect opportunity to deceive the Bride with a barrage of spurious wisdom and seduction. How do you know if the Bride has been seduced? Anything that takes her gaze away from her Groom is a tell-tale sign she has been enticed, as Paul writes “led astray from her sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” We need to “be wise as serpents” yes, but also “be innocent as doves” (Matt 10:16)

Okay, I want to develop this teaching a bit further, and add how Satan not only wants to deceive the Bride but will stop at nothing to make her his own for he has set his unlawful desire upon her. Let’s turn to Genesis 34 where we will find the story of Shechem and Dinah.

1 Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. 2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, “the prince of the land” (ESV), saw her, he took her and raped her. 3 His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her.

Like many of the women in the Bible, they can provide insights into the Bridal paradigm. In this case our example is Jacob’s daughter Dinah. And when Shechem saw her he took her unlawfully. Who might the prince of the land represent in this passage? Let’s continue:

4 And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.” 5 When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home. 6 Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob. 7 Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious, because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter–a thing that should not be done. 8 But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.

Shechem had his heart set on Dinah, which led to some very insightful negotiations and propositions. Listen carefully to the attractive offer now made to Dinah’s brothers and father, (in our story these represent the guardians of the Bride):

9 Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves. 10 You can settle among us; the land is open to you. Live in it, trade in it, and acquire property in it.” So much that could be said here, but let’s keep moving on and move to the real punchline, the price that Shechem was willing to pay:

11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask. 12 Make the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife.”

There you have it, there is no limit on the price the prince on the land is willing to pay for the bride. Name your price, as great as you like, and I’ll pay it. This is our fifth principle:

5. Satan will pay any price for the Bride.

But do you know something – hallelujah – the Bride is not for sale! She has already been purchased by the blood of her Kinsman Redeemer, washed, and made holy, she is getting dressed in garments of white and gold, adorned in holiness and humility, and fragrant with myrrh. But until her glorification and consummation she is still vulnerable, she needs the protection of her guardians, those entrusted by God to care of her, those gifted by the Bridegroom into the fivefold offices of the church (Eph 4:11), never to be traded, or negotiated for, but to be nurtured and loved until the day of her wedding. But O how the deceiver, the prince of the land, has come knocking, give me the Bride, just name your price!

That reminds me of the time Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. On that occasion, the prince of the land was also willing to pay a very great price and he offered Jesus all the Kingdoms of the world in exchange for His worship. Did you know that the Bride will face the same temptations as her Bridegroom? Jesus was taken to a very high and great mountain. In this place, He could see all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour (Matt 4:8). So also, we are at times lifted to be a place where we can see far, a vision of great distance. And the opportunity is presented to us, that we can have that which we see. It is being offered to us by one whose it is to give. But beware! When the Bride is offered the kingdoms of this world, it will be a test of her devotion and loyalty to her beloved. O how beguiling it is, such lofty grandeur, behold the kingdoms of this world on offer. This is a primary battlefront right now, as our enemy contends for the Bride. Yes, of course we should be Kingdom minded and committed, but it is the Kingdom of God that we are told to seek first and His righteousness (Matt 6:33), not the Kingdoms of this world. We must be very clear on this point.

Let’s see what Daniel can teach us Dan 4:30-32 The king spoke saying, “Is this not great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honour of my majesty? While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.” Nebuchadnezzar was proud and made great boasts of his accomplishments, so it was decreed he would be humbled until …. Until he recognised it was the Most High who rules over the kingdom of men. Despite all our forms of government, whether democracy or monarchy, dictatorship or republic, theocracy, or oligarchy, Daniel teaches us that it is the “Most High who rules in the kingdom of men, but He gives it to whomever He chooses.” At this time, Father has given the kingdoms to man, but concerning that glorious day to come, here is what Rev 11:15 says Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” On that day, the Father’s choice will be to give His Son the Kingdoms of the world. Daniel prophesies, “I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.” Dan 7:13,14

Yes, the Lord Most High is Sovereign, but during this time of mortal church history, the kingdoms and nations have not yet been given to His Son, which brings me to my final principle:

6. The Bride will be prepared by going through the wilderness and facing the same temptations as her Bridegroom.

If this is true it means Satan will test her knowledge and appetite for the Word of God, it means he will try to take her to the heights of religious and political power to prove herself, and it means she too will be offered the kingdoms of this world ahead of time. In all these things it is a test of the heart and identity. That is the nature of the spiritual battle from a bridal perspective. Just like Satan tempted Jesus “If you are the Son of God, then do this”, do we also hear those words today “If you are the Bride then do this”. The Bride need not concern herself with such notions of prominence, ascendancy or power, her delight is the Lord, she longs for intimacy with her Groom, she feeds upon every Word that comes from His mouth. She knows she is hidden in Christ, and there she must stay, never straying from His cover or beyond His footsteps. She loves the wilderness, for there she sees the stars the brightest, there she hears His voice the clearest, there she is alone with Jesus the One who has ravished her heart, as she his. There she sings her Bridal song “I am my Beloved’s and His desire is towards me”. (SOS 7:10)

Why the Bride was in Jesus upon the Cross

I want to share with you today a very deep and profound belief. One which, though we hold lightly, we do so preciously because it reveals such a glorious revelation of our Fathers intentionality towards us as His children, and our Saviours deep love for us as His Bride. Over the years, Call2Come has taught on these things, and it often leads to further enquiry and prayerful discussion. So as this precious movement continues to grow, it is good to revisit some of these things in the hope that they may also encourage you, help to answer any questions you may have, and also to continue to quicken a bridal consciousness within all of us.

Eph 1:3-6 NKJV – 3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

In Ephesians 1:4, Paul writes that we were chosen in Him before the very foundation of the world. Not exclusively, but this profound statement indicates two very important points

That we were chosen in Him. The matter of how God chooses is deep and disputed, but that’s not the point I’m making here, which is not what that choice may be by where that choice is made. We uphold our being chosen is made in Him. It is in this sense that we existed in God, as Paul writes:
Before the foundation of the world. The supposition is that we existed in Him before creation. Not with form, or soul, but within God’s foreknowledge and heart.

Now, to be clear, this foreknowledge is not generic in the sense that God knew us all collectively without distinction, but that He knew us individually and intimately. David marvelled at this when he wrote Ps 139. In verse 16 he pens “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.”. Jeremiah also had the same revelation when being called, the Lord told Jeremiah Jer 1:5 NKJV – 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” This foreknowledge was very unique and specific to Jeremiah. Before Jeremiah was ever conceived the Lord knew him, sanctified him and appointed him.

This profound and beautiful thought makes me sing and quickens me deeply that I existed in the heart and mind of God. He knew me intimately even before the Creation of the this world. He saw me though not yet formed and He chose me, sanctified me and ordained me. Every day of my life was written in His book before one of them every came to be. No wonder David writes Psa 139:6, 17 NKJV – 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it. … 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

Since this pre-existence in Him was in thought and heart only, at what point is it that I am brought forth to have form, a body, soul and spirit. In the physical natural realm my journey began at conception when I was formed in my mother’s womb and had a body and soul though my spirit was dead at my birth. This was my adamic state, born as a sinner in need of being born again, no longer born of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but born of God (John 1:13). This miracle of rebirth is upon our belief and acceptance of Jesus Christ as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. John 1:12 NKJV – 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. This is familiar and fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith, but how is this new life appropriated by the believer? By what means is the adamic nature ended and the new creation quickened into life? Paul answers powerfully in Romans 6, let’s pick out a couple of those verses.

Rom 6:3-4 NKJV – 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Our confession is not only that Christ died for us, but that we also died with Him. There is participation possible through the Eternal Spirit in the work of the Cross, that we too are able to be crucified with Him, die with Him, be buried with Him, and as verse 5 reads, since we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. How is this identification with Christ possible? Well, Paul gives us the answer. It is by being baptised into Him. This spiritual baptism is, as the water baptism represents, an immersion into Christ, not an extension from or connection to, but an immersion into Him. This immersion is complete and total.

When Jesus died upon the cross, He was very much alone, and cried out to His Father, “Why have your forsaken me?”. Yet it was there, upon the cross that we have been invited. It was there, whilst alone on the cross, that Jesus held onto the joy set before Him, knowing that through this selfless act of sacrificial love, His body would provide the means through which His Bride would be brought forth. When we talk of being baptised into Christ, it is here at the Cross, at the point of His death that we are spiritually immersed into Christ. It has to be so, lest we fail to be crucified with Him, lest we fail to die and be buried with Him, we cannot attain to resurrected life. Now do we speak symbolically here? Since I am not literally (or physically) crucified, and I have not literally (or physically) been buried, we would say that these are symbolic. Yet I should not make everything symbolic. I cannot allegorise the entirety of what Paul teaches here, otherwise what am I to make of my resurrected life? Is that symbolic also? If so, symbolic of what? Clearly, that would not be correct either! For surely I am in Christ as He is in me is not symbolic but actual, a spiritual reality, a profound mystery yes, but nonetheless true.

We may ask, how can I be crucified with Christ, since He died 2000 years ago? That is a good question, and the answer is by understanding the work of the cross in the spirit. Yes it was physical, located and fixed in time and space, but it was also spiritual in its work, where time has no place. Therefore, as the first Adam was placed into a deep sleep, the second Adam was crucified, as the first Adam brought death, the second Adam brought life, as the side of the first Adam was opened and his wife brought out, so also the wife of the second Adam who was in Him (because she was baptised into Him on the cross) has been brought out from Him. To me the spear in Jesus’ side is symbolic of this point. For the crucifixion account records that Jesus was already dead when the spear was thrust in this side, signifying Jesus work of atonement as the Lamb of God had already been completed when He cried out “It is Finished!”. So what of the spear? This was after His death. The record describes how blood and water flowed out, these two elements present at birth.

So to conclude, our understanding of the scriptures as Call2Come is that;

We existed in the mind and foreknowledge of God before the Creation of the world. Not as a being or a soul, but in His heart where He saw us, knew us, choose us and wrote all the days of our life in His book. Eph 1:4 Ps 139:6
This foreknowledge is not generic but intimate and individual for each and every one of us Jer 1:5
Our adamic nature began at our physical conception, but our re-birth as a child of God upon our faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ upon the cross. John 1:12 Rom 6:3-4
That miracle of being born again took place “within Christ” at the point of His crucifixion. Because it is by being baptised into Christ, by being baptised into His death, and burial. Rom 6:3-4 that we identify with Him at the cross, so that we might also share in the likeness of His resurrection Rom 6:5 As Paul writes “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer but Christ who lives in me”. Gal 2:20
Therefore, as in the first Adam when Eve was taken from His side, so also the Bride was within Christ when He was crucified. Not in bodily, physical or soulish form, but in spirit.

Answering the Question: Since God created both male and female in Genesis 1:27 and blessed them, how is it that Adam is alone in Genesis 2:18?

Philippines Conference Part 1

Philippines Conference Part 2

The Radiant Bride

Hello everyone, it is indeed an honour to be with you today. I express my sincere gratitude to Phoebe and the entire I4K team for extending the invitation to participate in your Prayer Training Programme, specifically focusing on The Nature of the Bride. In the current times, I believe there is no more crucial assignment for Five-Fold ministers than to champion the cause of the Bride. Our collective effort should ensure the Church can fully embrace its highest identity as the beloved Bride of the Lord. For the past 16 years, my personal commission has revolved around this assignment, and despite the numerous challenges faced along this journey, it has been the greatest privilege of my life. Indeed, on numerous occasions I have loved partnering with the Kenyan Bride, and hope to return again this year. In this session, we will explore some profound scriptures to construct a more comprehensive understanding of the Radiant Bride.

When we speak of the Radiant Bride, we envision a Bride shining brightly, radiating the glory of her Bridegroom. In this teaching, we will unpack this concept, whilst emphasizing the importance of anchoring our beliefs in the teachings of scripture. I’ve organised this presentation into three primary parts.

Firstly, I aim to establish a biblical foundation for the idea of how we are created for God’s glory. Secondly, we will embark on a journey through the Bride’s participation in the glory of Oneness, a theme fervently prayed for by our Saviour in John 17. Finally, in the concluding part of this teaching, we will explore the concept of what it means when the Bride comes of age. This exploration will include an examination of how this positioning equips her for glory, and her unique role in restoring the birthright of a nation, so that the glory of the nations can come into the New Jerusalem. That sounds like a lot to get through, and so let’s begin with Isaiah 43:7

1a. Created for God’s Glory – Isaiah 43:7

“(7) Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”” – Isaiah 43:7 NKJV

This is such a profound revelation, where we catch a glimpse of our created purpose. The Hebrew word for “glory” in Isaiah 43:7 is (Hebrew: כָּבוֹד – “kavod.”) It originates from a root meaning “heavy” or “weighty.” In ancient cultures, importance and honour were often associated with weight, and this understanding sheds light on the weightiness of being created for God’s glory. When Isaiah declares we were created for God’s “kavod,” it emphasizes the glorious nature of our purpose—not just flesh and blood, but intentionally crafted to carry the weight of God’s glory.

The apostle Paul picks up on this same principle in his letter to the Romans.

“(21) Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honour and another for dishonour? (22) [What] if God, wanting to show [His] wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, (23) and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, (24) even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” – Romans 9:21-24 NKJV

In this passage, Paul employs the metaphor of the potter and the clay to convey a profound truth. He eloquently illustrates we are like the clay, skilfully shaped by the hands of the Lord into vessels of mercy, designed in advance for His glory. As bearers of God’s glory, our lives serve as a testament to His character and nature. This responsibility extends across all areas of our life, from relationships to work, from recreation to mission, compelling us to represent God’s glory with profound gravity. Recognising this truth evokes in us a sense of awe and reverence as we navigate the challenges of the world and it motivates us to pursue excellence, integrity, and righteousness. When we align with God’s glory, we transform into conduits through which His glory radiates into the world. Created for God’s glory extends an invitation to live a life infused with purpose, significance, and a deep sense of awe. David beautifully captures this sentiment in Psalms 137 when he expresses his wonder at the Creator’s hand upon his own frame. He says:

“(13) For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. (14) I will praise You, for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And [that] my soul knows very well. (15) My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, [And] skilfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. (16) Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When [as yet there were] none of them.” – Psalm 139:13-16 NKJV

When the Lord created us in the secret place, and knit us together, He was intentional in His desire towards us. He created a place in which He know His glory would dwell. We are glory carriers, not because of anything inherently glorious in ourselves, indeed we are earthen vessels, but because His glory resides in us. This is true for every believer, when we are born again, we become a new creation, something within has been quickened into life by the Holy Spirit. And yet this is only our induction into the glory of God, for salvation is not our end but our beginning into a marvellous journey of encounter in which we are changed from glory to glory.

1b. The Reflected Glory Through Contemplation

“(18) But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” – 2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV

This well-known scripture has much to teach us about the transformative process of God’s glory. We normally focus on the phrase “being changed from glory to glory”, but we need to understand the fulness of what this verse is actually saying, because it is describing a posture of gazing upon the glory of the Lord. It is this interface between the Lord and us in which a transformation takes place. The phrase “beholding as in a mirror” comes from the Greek verb (κατοπτρίζω) “katoptrizó.” This term is derived from “katoptron,” and means a mirror or reflective surface. The imagery is powerful; it conveys the idea that as we contemplate the glory of the Lord, we are like mirrors reflecting that glory. This process is not passive observation but an intentional, focused gaze that transforms us.

However, the act of gazing upon the glory of the Lord goes beyond observation; it is about becoming because in this Divine place of encounter we are transformed into the same image. The Greek word for “transformed” is “metamorphoo,” suggesting a radical, inward change, much like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly. Our lives, through contemplation of God’s glory, undergo a metamorphic process that not only reflects His Divine image, but changes us to become like Him in His glory.

This verse is part of a broader discussion found in 2 Corinthians 3:7-18, where the Apostle Paul draws a comparison between the glory of the Old Covenant and the glory of the New. He leads the reader back to the narrative of Moses meeting Yahweh in the tent of meeting. The specific passage Paul references is in Exodus 34:29-35, detailing Moses’ descent from Mount Sinai with a radiant face. The Hebrew term used to depict the brilliance on Moses’ face is “qaran,” signifying the emission of rays or beams of light. This luminous transformation occurred as a result of Moses being in the presence of God, reflecting the Divine glory.

However, the radiance on Moses’ face at that time was transitory, and he veiled himself to shield the children of Israel from the diminishing glory. Paul asserts that a veil still shrouds hearts when the Old Testament is read, and it is only through Christ that this veil is removed. While Moses’ face was uncovered during his encounter with the Lord, it required a veil afterward. Similarly, we, too, can experience the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces. The distinction lies in the enduring nature of this glory for us—unlike Moses, the glory of Christ takes residence in every repentant heart, ensuring a lasting radiance.

1c. The Indwelling Glory of Christ – Colossians 1:27

“(27) To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” – Colossians 1:27 NKJV

The verse refers to this indwelling of Christ as a “mystery.” The Greek word ” μυστήριον – musterion ” expresses a divine secret, a truth hidden in the past but now revealed. Numerous Old Testament scriptures foreshadow the Lord abiding within the hearts of His people, but nothing is explicitly stated because it was kept a mystery until Christ was revealed. The word often used for this indwelling is the word (Greek: ἐνοικέω – enoikeó). For example, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Colossians 3:16, Romans 8:11. In Colossians 1:27, the term “Christ in you” is a profound expression of the indwelling presence of Christ. The root word “enoikeó” goes beyond mere presence; it signifies a dwelling, a permanent residence within. It’s not a fleeting visitation but a continuous abiding.

The distinction between reflected glory and the indwelling glory of Christ is profound. In the Old Testament, individuals experienced the glory of God through encounters, visions, and contemplation. Moses’ radiant face after being in God’s presence (Exodus 34:29-35) is an example of reflected glory. However, Colossians 1:27 introduces a revolutionary concept – Christ’s glory not merely being reflected upon believers but residing within them. It’s a personal, intimate connection where the believer becomes a dwelling place for the glory of Christ.

While reflected glory transforms the observer, the indwelling glory of Christ transforms the very essence of the believer. It’s an ongoing process where Christ’s character, love, and divine nature permeate and shape the believer from the inside out. This transformative work is not dependent on external circumstances but on the abiding presence of Christ.

1d. The Inglorious Nature of Our Current Frame – 1 Corinthians 15:42-49

At this stage, I need to make mention whilst we certainly experience the wonderful indwelling of Christ’s glory and we are able to change from glory to glory as we gaze upon the splendour of the Lord with unveiled hearts, we are not yet able to fully transform into the glory that awaits us upon Christ’s return. Specifically, I am highlighting there is a degree of glory we cannot yet enter into whilst we remain in our current mortal bodies. This statement counters various scriptural errors and arising heresies such as “The manifest sons of God” or “manifest sons of glory.” Proponents of this teaching claim a special group of believers will attain a higher level of spiritual maturity, often referred to as “sonship” or “glorification,” before the return of Christ. According to this teaching, these believers will manifest supernatural powers, immortality, and a sinless existence on earth. This deviation away from what the Bible teaches, naturally leads into another category of heresy called “Dominionism”. This can take different forms, like “Kingdom Now” but in summary it is a theological perspective that generally asserts Christians are called to take dominion or control over various aspects of society, including politics, culture, and the economy. It often emphasizes the idea of establishing a “kingdom” on earth before the return of Christ.

That’s why we must always adhere to what the Bible actually teaches and let scripture interpret scripture. Otherwise, it’s all too easy to take scripture out of context or apply our own preconceptions into what we think the Bible should say. Earlier, I shared there’s a degree of glory we will not attain to before Christ’s return, so let’s see what the Bible teaches about this and turn to 1 Corinthians 15:42-44,49 KJV

“(42) So also [is] the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: (43) It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: (44) It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body….. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. ” –

Paul explains that a glorious transformation of our bodies will not occur until the resurrection of the dead. Now, listen to what he says a few verses later:

“(52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality.” – 1 Corinthians 52-53 KJV

While believers experience transformation from glory to glory in their spiritual journey, ultimate glorification awaits the Lord’s return. The tension between the already transformed and the not-yet glorified state is a distinctive aspect of Christian eschatology. Despite the transformative work of Christ within believers, our bodies remain subject to the effects of sin and mortality until the resurrection. The Apostle Paul acknowledges this tension in Romans 8:23, expressing that while we have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we eagerly await the redemption of our bodies.

2. The Radiant Bride

In the unfolding tapestry of God’s design, so far we have touched upon the deep concept of being created for God’s glory and the transformative progression of that glory—from reflected radiance to a glory permanently dwelling within our hearts. Paul described it in Romans 9—that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory. It is a narrative woven with threads of divine love, purposeful creation, and as we shall now see, the ultimate manifestation of radiant beauty in the New Jerusalem.It’s time to consider the relationship between the glory of God and the radiant Bride. So let’s turn to our Lord’s priestly prayer in John 17

“(20) “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; (21) “that they all may be one, as You, Father, [are] in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. (22) “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: (23) “I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” – John 17:20-23 NKJV

Whilst the glory of God remains unfathomable and beyond human comprehension, we are aided by a study of our Lord’s petition in these verses because the prayer reveals another facet of God’s amazing glory that goes beyond the glory of any individual believer. In this prayer, when Jesus intercedes for a perfect oneness among us, He draws an extraordinary parallel between the oneness experienced within the Triune Godhead and the oneness He desires for us. This “oneness” is identified by Jesus as His glory—the ability shared by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to co-exist together in perfect harmony as One. Jesus reveals He has given us this same glory—the glory of oneness. This shared glory is not a mere display of splendour but a tangible empowerment able to fuse believers together into one corporate identity, the Bride. In essence, the glory bestowed upon believers is not a solitary possession but a shared inheritance. It is a divine oneness that transcends individuality and unites believers in a profound bond of love, echoing the perfect oneness within the Triune Godhead. We must understand and embrace this wonderful gift of glory we have received because it empowers us to connect and to repair broken relationships and denominational divides. If in Christ we are one, what are we to make of our divisions? Let us lift our eyes once more to behold His glory, that it might yet be reflected to us corporately, and heal our brokenness.

When two become one it is a witness to the intrinsic nature of God. When I talk of being “one” I do not mean unity whereby there is shared commonality, solidarity, or an ability to co-relate to each other. Oneness goes beyond unity, to an entirely different level, for we have not been called to get along, but identify with a shared corporate identity that makes us one. When we talk of the radiant Bride, this is a central component to grasp, for when we exhibit our true corporate identity, it manifests the glory of God and will serve as a powerful witness to the world of God’s love.

This concept of two becoming one, is most profoundly exemplified in the marriage relationship between husband and wife, the first example of which of course, is that of Adam and Eve.

“(24) Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” – Genesis 2:24 NKJV

I love this particular scripture, because I see it as the first prophecy in scripture, and it’s all about the Jesus and His Bride. The bookends of our Bibles are framed in bridal prophecy, first here in Genesis 2:24, then finally in Revelation 22:20 NKJV “He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” In case you’re wondering why I say this is the first prophecy in scripture, it’s because Adam and Eve were foreshadowing the marriage relationship between Jesus and His Bride, just as all marriages do. This is what the apostle Paul wrote:

“(31) “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (32) This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” – Ephesians 5:31-32 NKJV

It’s a profound mystery, but in a marriage relationship, two are able to become one flesh. Yes, they maintain their individual bodies, but their flesh has become one. It’s because they share the same glory. Once again Paul teaches on this, in 1 Corinthians 15 when he writes

“(39) All flesh [is] not the same flesh, but [there is] one [kind of] flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, [and] another of birds. (40) [There are] also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial [is] one, and the [glory] of the terrestrial [is] another. (41) [There is] one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for [one] star differs from [another] star in glory.” – 1 Corinthians 15:39-41 NKJV

For two to become one flesh, it requires they be of the same kind. It’s an important point, because for Jesus to become one flesh with us as in a marriage relationship, requires our mortal bodies are changed to be like his glorious body. This is the blessed hope of the believer.

“(20) For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (21) who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” – Philippians 3:20-21 NKJV (see also Titus 2:13)

There is a tension here. Yes we are one in Spirit with the Lord now, as 1 Corinthians 6:17 teaches us, but our mortal bodies are not yet one with His glorious body. There is a degree of radiance we experience now, but how much more there shall be when we are changed to be like Him at the resurrection.

This teaching is about radiance, which we might describe as the manifestation of God’s glory. We have explored this individually, and now also corporately as His Bride, but before I move to our final part of this message, there’s one other scripture I want to turn to which talks a lot about radiance.

“(3) The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” – Hebrews 1:3a NIV

Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory. Wow, what an incredible statement that is! Didn’t Jesus teach, if you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father? That’s because, Jesus was the exact representation of the Father. God was pleased for His fulness to be displayed in His Son, and for Son to reveal His glory upon the earth. Yet, even then, only a few recognised that glory as Divine. As John opens his gospel, he writes “(9) The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. (10) He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.” – John 1:9-10 ESV

Now let’s see how this relates to the radiant Bride. Because just as Jesus was the radiance of God’s glory upon the earth, so also the Bride is the radiance of the Bridegroom upon the earth. 1 Corinthians 11:7 teaches the woman is the glory of the man, this is true also for the Bride. She reflects her Beloved’s glory, just as the moon reflects the sun. She is His body upon the earth, a corporate being who embodies His glory and radiance. However, just as the world did not recognise the Light, that had come to it, so also to a degree the glory of the Bride remains hidden from view. Colossians 3:3,4.

3. The glory of the Mature Bride

I know we’ve covered a lot of scriptures and packed much within this session, but there’s one final area I’d to share with you concerning the radiant Bride. So far we’ve explored the radiance that comes to us either individually or corporately as the Bride, and how this glory is imputed to us by virtue of our relationship with the Lord and His indwelling within our hearts—yet there is another radiance with which the Bride will be bestowed, and another glory she will receive. So what do I mean by this? Well let’s turn to Revelation 19:7-8 NKJV

“(7) “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” (8) And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”

The word “bright” here is G2986 “lampros” which means radiant, shining, brilliant. Note this is not the same radiance that comes by gazing upon the Lord, or His indwelling Presence, it is a radiance that is worn like a garment. We are familiar with this scripture and typically associate the righteous acts of the saints, in the context of faithful service or good deeds. But I believe it carries with it, a more profound implication. The word “righteous acts” here, is the word G1345 dikaiōma (di ki oh ma) which conveys a legal connotation as in that which has been deemed right so as to have force of law, for example what has been established and ordained by law, or a judicial decision or sentence. I hope you can catch this—the Bride is able to partner with the Lord in the Courts of Heaven, in a way that establishes legal precedent for favour to be granted upon her royal assignment leading up to the Day of the Lord, and the Wedding of the Lamb. When we talk of “righteous acts”, I believe we need to see these acts as governmental rulings which prepare a Highway of Holiness that will prepare the way of the Lord. It’s like these garments are her raiment to attend Heaven’s council. Wow, can you imagine that? Not turning up to court without the proper attire but clothed in garments clean and bright.

I’m touching on a whole other subject here, one I’ve been commissioned to run with, which is about the Bride coming of age. I can’t take more time to go into that revelation here, only to say this: until the Bride comes of age, she has guardians who watch over her. In a court, it is the guardians who have legal jurisdiction over her welfare. But when the Bride comes of age, one of the many things that takes place, is that her voice can be heard and directly responded to in the courts in a way it wasn’t before. This is true in the natural world, and it’s also true in the spirit realm. For centuries the Bride has been growing up in the home of her denominational guardians until she reaches an age, when everything would change, an age when she is no longer considered a minor in the eyes of the Lord, but ready for Bridal love to be awakened. I believe the Bride has reached that threshold. There has come a profound shift in the spirit realm, in which the Bride is being invited into the courts of Heaven, where her voice will carry weight and be responded to. Her guardians were never able to do that and never able to access her inheritance or glory, because it was held on trust until the day arrived for her to attend Heaven’s courts directly. Beloved, I believe that day has come. There are garments for the Bride to wear which are radiant, with which she will attend her place in Heaven.

Finally when talking of the radiant, glorious Bride, there is another glory she will receive. Not a reflected glory, or one emanating from the Indwelling of Christ, but a glory that comes to her as an inheritance. Again, I can only touch upon this wonderful topic, and share as personal conviction rather that doctrine, but I believe when the Bride comes of age, she is able to bring about the bridal restoration of a nation and receive the nation’s birthright and glory as her inheritance. That’s quite a statement, so I’ll say it again, then share some scripture to support that belief. When the Bride comes of age, she is able to usher the restoration of a nation and receive the nation’s birthright and glory as her inheritance. Okay, so let’s look at what the Bible might have to say about this.

“(23) The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb [is] its light. (24) And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honour into it.” – Rev 21:23-24 NKJV

When John saw in a vision the New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared like a Bride, beautifully dressed for her Husband, he provides a fantastical description of the Bride as the City of God. Though mysterious, the depiction of the Bride as a city is incredibly important for many reasons. Not least because it incorporates the destiny and glory of nations. Every nation was created by God, with the New Jerusalem in mind, knowing that there would come a day, in which the kings of the earth would bring the glory and honour of the nations into the New Jerusalem. We might naturally wonder who these kings might be, but John possibly suggest this earlier in Revelation when he recorded:

“(5) To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, (6) and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him [be] glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” – Revelation 1:5b-6 NKJV

“(2) [It is] the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings [is] to search out a matter.” – Proverbs 25:2 NKJV

We have been made kings and priests to the Father. In our kingly and priestly anointing, we are able to bring the glory and honour of the nations into the New Jerusalem. When God founded a nation, setting its times and boundaries, He placed a glory within the nation that would ultimately be brought by the Bride (as kings and priests) as a love gift to His Son. This is what I mean by Bridal restoration of a nation. There’s a glory concealed by God when He founded a nation, and it’s the glory of kings to find it and bring it back to Him. When I think of the Radiant Bride this is what I see. Not only radiant because she reflects the glory of Jesus, but radiant because of the garments provided her for righteous governmental acts in which she is able to restore the birthright of a nation, in preparation for her Bridegroom when He comes to bring her home.

What an incredible destiny we have been called into. In this message, we’ve seen how we were created for God’s glory, reflecting His radiance in the world. But so much more, because this glory of God enables us to become One as the Bride. And it’s through our Bridal identity that we are able to wear the radiance of righteous acts, attending Heaven’s courts to partner with the Lord in the restoration of a nation’s birthright, ready to bring the glory of the nation with us into the New Jerusalem.

So thank you everyone for allowing me to share these thoughts with you. I pray you have been blessed and inspired, lifted a little higher, as John was elevated to catch a glimpse of the radiant Bride. Amen

Three Prayers That Only the Bride Can Pray

Knowing God

The Importance of Hope

God’s Eternal Purpose Part 1 – The Bride

Gods Eternal Purpose – Part 2 – The Kingdom

The Restoration of All Things

When the Bridegroom Returns

I Will Build My Church

The Millennium

Be Still and Know

The Call 2 Come

Early Church Writers and the End Times

The Glorious Bride

1. The Hidden Glory of Jesus

2. The Revealed Glory of Jesus

3. The Glory of the Man is the Woman

4. The Hidden Glory of the Bride

5. The Revealed Glory of Jerusalem

The First Prophecy in Scripture is About the Bride

The Bride has the Attention of the King

The Bride is Not Distracted By the Kingdom

Hadassah, the Name Given by God

The Greatest Secret in the Bible

What a Star you are!

The Call to Come, Part 1

The Call to Come, Part 2

The Wedding at Cana

The Bride in the Wilderness

The Fragrance of Love

The Second Coming – Part 1

The Second Coming – Part 2A

The Second Coming – Part 2B

What are your craving for?

His Lips are Dripping with Myrrh

The test of spiritual ascendancy, can you handle it at the top? Part 1

The Test of Spiritual Ascendancy, Can You Handle it at the Top? Part 2

Who Are You Listening To?

The Kingdoms of This World – Part 1

The Kingdoms of the World – Part 2

Come Away With Me

The Glorious Bride – Dual Realities

The Glorious Woman has Two Names

The Story Begins – A Tale of Three Marriages and the Vine

The Story Begins – A Tale of Three Marriages and the Vine (continued)

The Unfaithful Wife

For Unto Us A Child Is Born

Now You See Me Now You Don’t

How Many Bride’s Does God Have?

The True Vine

The New Jerusalem Dressed Like A Bride

The Gospel According to the Bride – Part 1

The Gospel According to the Bride – Part 2

The Gospel According to the Bride – Part 3

Part 4 – The Gospel According to the Bride

Living in prophetic consciousness 1

Living in Prophetic Consciousness 2

Living in Prophetic Consciousness 3

Living in Prophetic Consciousness 4

Living in Prophetic Consciousness 5

Living in Prophetic Consciousness 6

Living in Prophetic Consciousness – 7

The Bridal Perspective on Spiritual Warfare (Introduction)

Why the Bride was in Jesus upon the Cross

Answering the Question: Since God created both male and female in Genesis 1:27 and blessed them, how is it that Adam is alone in Genesis 2:18?

Philippines Conference Part 1

Philippines Conference Part 2

The Radiant Bride