As time continues to march forward, with each turning page becoming history, we can look back and reflect on those who have been moved by a vision that played a key role in bringing about major turning points in their generation. Mankind has heard the great voices of history and felt the impact of past generations. In this day and age we are experiencing the outworking of those who have let the flame of godly convictions flicker away in the opposing winds of compromise under a dark sky of indifference. The testimony of this tragic state of affairs is obvious to those who can discern the mood of this age. Today we are seeing the outworking of compromise within the Christian faith. Instability is too often the norm in Christendom. This influence knows no bounds. This rampant instability and lack of conviction has made its way into the self-proclaimed "deeper" circles and has produced the same atmosphere of indifference. As a result of this, we are seeing the once treasured truths that were opened up to sincere and devout followers of Jesus Christ become modified so as not to conflict with ideas that come from the spirit of the age. In some circles, even the exclusive claim of Jesus Christ as the only way to the Father is being cast aside for the sake of what some call unity.
Can we not see the predictable tendency in man to pit one
extremity
against another and never quite find the proper balance? We hear of the
extremity of legalism in many circles of Christendom, and rather than
seeking
an end to the imbalance, we see the dawning of a more welcomed
extremity.
The outworking of this welcomed move has been considered by some as a
fresh
awakening to the grace of God, but we are persuaded that, due to Christ
not being the central focus, we are seeing a manifestation of what Jude
described when he wrote, For there are certain men crept in
unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly
men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the
only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ
(Jude 4). If ever
there was a time that men are turning the grace of our God into
lasciviousness, that time is now!
All the while, in this seemingly hopeless situation, God is preparing a people who will be qualified to stand up and throw a wrench into the cogs of carnality that produce a system based on perversions of the truth. We have touched on the fact that through the eye of the Spirit, in the vision Ezekiel received, we can see the final product of the people God will use (see Eze. 1:3-28). Now we wish to take this thought a bit further into our subject and consider its relation to this generation.
Let us acknowledge that we are on the verge of yet another man
with
a vision rising to the occasion to be instrumental in changing an
entire
generation. But before we get our eyes fixed on some man or movement,
let
us realize that the man God has intended to use is a many membered body
that makes up a corporate man. When this man is brought to full
stature,
all the room for contradicting and doubting the exclusive claims of
Jesus
will no longer cloud the Gospel, for He shall at last have a place to
lay
His head (Luke 9:58). His Lordship will be the most obvious thing in
this
corporate man, which is His holy habitation of living stones that cry
out, The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the
nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our
God... Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall
be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough
ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God
(Isa. 52:10 and Luke 3:5,6).
Before this corporate man rises to full stature, those who have been drawn out of the waters of humanity as God's building material must first be purified through their own personal experience of the Lord's indwelling cross. So, let us take serious note of the words of John the Baptist, "every mountain and hill shall be brought low." The haughty, proud soul that has been ravished by revelation knowledge and yet never come to know the revelation experientially has indeed been set up for a great fall and a very rude awakening.
Ezekiel saw the very thing that shall bring down the high and lofty mountains of man's kingdom - a kingdom which is governed by the sensationalism that springs forth from a disposition that selfishly seeks its own comfort and desires. This description cannot be limited to kingdoms outside of the body of Christ. You see, while it is true that the systems of fallen man are wicked and waxing worse, the visions Ezekiel saw spoke of judgment coming to the city of Jerusalem, which began at the house of the Lord! Although it may be very comforting to place the issue of judgment elsewhere, God's pattern has not changed (1 Pet. 4:17). Judgment still starts at the House of the Lord, but the House is no longer located in old Jerusalem. Selah!
What Ezekiel saw speaks to us today on a higher plane. At the river Chebar the heavens peeled back with the unleashing of a vision of the corporate man headed up by none other than He who is preeminent over all the body, for He is the Lord Jesus. He is the Head and He is the Christ! (1 John 2:22). This corporate man is the instrument that shall be used to execute righteous judgment, which must first start, not out in the world, not in some distant land, but in the very near and heavenly realm of the Spirit. The high and lofty kingdoms are made manifest within the circles that see themselves as head and shoulders above the ranks of all Christendom. Idols and gods have been made out of what some call "kingdom truth." The focus is no longer on the King of the Kingdom in these circles, and as a result, the doors are open to every influence the spirit of the age has to offer.
What a tragedy! The very life of the message is gone when the Lord is no longer seen as the embodiment of truth, and pet doctrines have taken His rightful place in our hearts. If anyone has ever become the personal embodiment of true revelation, it was Jesus. We fail to see the horrible mistake we make when we no longer herald the truth as a person, and instead we simply proclaim the truth as a message. When all the shouting is done and the meeting is over, lives go unchanged, because all that has been delivered is just another message. Nothing more than another religion has been instituted since the focus is not on He who is the truth. As we have said in past writings, the central focus in many circles is not on the Lord, but rather on who we are or what we are becoming. Yes, we are a part of His body, but there are some things that we cannot say and only He can say because He is the truth! Unlike us, He is not a just a member of the body with a measure of truth!
We would like to lay a little bit more emphasis on the uniqueness of the Lord before we get back to Ezekiel's vision. "At the heart of every major religion is a leading exponent. As the exposition is studied something very significant emerges. There comes a bifurcation, or a distinction, between the person and the teaching. Mohammed to the Koran. Buddha to the Noble Path. Krishna to the object lessons. Zoroaster to his ethics.
Whatever we may make of their claims, one reality is inescapable. They are teachers who point to their teaching or show some particular way. In all of these, there emerges an instruction, a way of living. It is not Zoroaster to whom you turn. It is Zoroaster to whom you listen. It is not Buddha who delivers you, it is his "Noble Truths" that instruct you. It is not Mohammed who transforms you, it is the beauty of the Koran that woos you.
By contrast, Jesus did not only teach or point or expound on His message. He was identical with His message. 'In Him,' say the Scriptures, 'dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily.' He did not just proclaim the truth. He said, 'I am the Truth.' He did not just show a way. He said, 'I am the Way.' He did not just open up vistas. He said, 'I am the door.' 'I am the Good Shepherd.' 'I am the resurrection and the life.' 'I am the I Am.'" - end quote (Ravi Zacharias, "Just Thinking" Winter 2000, p.6).
As we stated in Part 6, the symbolic language found in Ezekiel's vision points us to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the obedient members which are connected to Him. When we begin to even consider the full meaning of Sonship, we need to stay on the firm foundation of the absolute need for His Lordship. Furthermore, why should we expect to reign with Him in the ages to come, when He does not fully reign in our hearts in this present age? Those who go on to experience His Lordship in every area of their life will not entertain anything that distracts and obstructs the vision that the Lord has imparted to them. They will not waste their time trying to shout the house down with declarations that lift up themselves and others. If Christ is exalted, and the praise goes strictly to Him, then their hearts will be satisfied.
You see dear friends, the living creatures that we read about in
the
first chapter of Ezekiel are also found in the book of the Revelation
of
Jesus Christ. What is the cry that we find on their lips? What are they
trumpeting loud and clear through the heavens? What is it that they are
saying? What are they doing? ...they rest not day and night,
saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is
to come
(Rev. 4:8). They are giving glory, honor, and thanks to the
Lord (Rev. 4:9). THEY ARE NOT GIVING GLORY TO THEMSELVES OR TO A
MESSAGE! THEY ARE GIVING GLORY TO THE LORD! WHO IS WORTHY OF OUR GLORY,
HONOR, THANKS, AND PRAISE? IS IT THE LORD OR A MESSAGE THAT MAY INCLUDE
HIM BUT EMPHASIZES US?
Beloved, let us not take lightly the significance of the
Headship of
Jesus. Before we can move any further in this divine process of
becoming
a mature son, we may as well take a sober look at the Lord's position,
and realize that the motives of our heart must be brought under
subjection
to the mind of Christ. Failure to know the Lord in the most specific
and
literal sense of the word "Lord" (which means to know Him as
our
Head, our Ruler, our Leader, and our Master) will always result in
spiritual
malnourishment (Col. 2:19). While others wax eloquent as they spew out
their great swelling words, the Lord has a people in reserve with an
attitude
to be as sensitive to the Holy Spirit as possible. They will have no
desire
to be seen, heard, or known as anything more than a purely dependent
member
of the Lord's body. This can only result in finding no real pleasure in
anything outside of the Lord's will. These shall be the ones who can
truly
say, I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my
judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the
Father which hath sent me
(John 5:30).
Those under the leadership of the Spirit know the Lord as "their
Lord." They have been removed from one place and reserved in
another
place to undergo the necessary training for God's use. We can see this
in the early stages of God's creative work if we would just keep in
mind
that the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made
(Rom.
1:20). Everything in the visible creation tell us something about the
invisible realm of the Spirit. We would also like to note that the
symbolic language in the scriptures must be taken into consideration
when we try to grasp and understand what God is doing in this invisible
realm of the Spirit. Keep in mind that in Revelation 17:15 "waters"
are used to symbolize "people, multitudes, nations, and tongues."
In the book of Genesis, we see what God did in the visible
realm. This
has much to say about what He is doing in the invisible realm. And
God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let
it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and
divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which
were above the firmament: and it was so
(Gen. 1:6,7).
Beloved, God has a firmament that has divided the waters for the purpose of bringing forth a new creation! The Concordant Version calls it a "separation between water and water" (Gen. 1:7). In the marginal notes the word firmament means expansion. In Strong's Exhaustive Concordance we find that it also comes from another Hebrew word that means "to expand by hammering." This word is translated as beat in Exodus 39:3. This is in the context of the gold that was beaten into thin plates to be a part of the garments that the priest would wear. Interestingly enough, we find that these thin plates of beaten gold were used along with things that are symbolic to God's creation of the heavens and the earth.
We find a worthy consideration in a quote by the Jewish historian Josephus. "Now the vestment of the high priest made of linen, signified the earth; the blue denoted the sky, being like lightning in its pomegranates, and in the noise of the bells resembling thunder. And for the ephod, it showed God had made the universe of four [elements]; and as for the gold interwoven, I suppose it related to the splendor by which all things are enlightened" (Josephus, Antiquities 3.184).
The Master craftsman has taken a people out of a people. He has sovereignly purposed to bring about this division without the aid of man. Because of the influence and digression that has impacted this generation, division and separation are only viewed as harmful and negative threats to mankind. We see this influence of the world having its affect in Christendom. Man made efforts to unite everyone under one roof is very popular. Today, the Catholic Church continues to make such efforts. Unitarian organizations also thrive on getting everyone under one roof. The problem is that as nice as unity may sound, the unity the scriptures speak of is not being in one big camp and putting our beliefs aside. The unity which satisfies the heart of God is that of being under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I remember the caption Larry Hodges used to put on his letterhead. It read: "In essentials--- Unity, In non-essentials--- Liberty, In all things--- Charity." Today, we are looked upon by many as unloving and legalistic if we don't compromise some essentials, especially the foundational essential of Jesus Christ being the only way to the spiritual fulfillment of which creation is in need. As one dear sister said, "Being born again is not an option."
After our heavenly birth, the Lord begins His divine hammering
on our
nature until it is unlike the nature we had before we were drawn out of
the waters beneath the firmament. This divine expansion does
not
begin and end in an instant, although once our spirit is quickened we
know
that we have been drafted into the heavenly army of our Lord (See Eph.
2:3-6). The scriptures pick up the same theme of division and expansion
in Exodus 2:10 And she called his name Moses: and she said,
Because
I drew him out of the water.
In chapter 3 of Exodus, we find Moses
on the backside of the desert with a flock of sheep. This may not be
the
most appealing event that took place in his life, but this was a
needful
requirement for Moses. Today, this should speak volumes to us in
relation
to our walk with the Lord.
This divine hammering, which creates an expansion between
people, continues
in the wilderness journey of an entire nation. Those who minded the
things
of the earth are typified by the Israelites, who craved the things
behind
them that they once enjoyed in Egypt. They lost sight of the God that
had
separated and delivered them from Egypt. And there shall be a great
cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it,
nor shall be like it anymore. But against any of the children of Israel
shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know
how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel
(Exo. 11:6,7).
This expansion continued to divide and separate Israel. We read
in Numbers
14 that only two men out of the entire generation that came out of
Egypt
would go in and possess the land of Canaan (See v. 38). This
illustrates
something all too obvious in the realm of the Spirit. Those who are
content
for a season with the initial deliverance of the blood, yet turn back
in
hunger for the things of the lower realm in which they were drawn out,
are great in number. Nevertheless, the Lord has left each generation a
witness. The two spies should bring to mind that two is the number of
witness.
No matter how small in quantity, in each generation there are those who
have been drawn out of the waters below, who will always have the
shining
testimony of lives that set their affection on things above, not
on
things on the earth
(Col. 3:2). They are the ones who yielded
themselves
to the divine hammering that brought forth the expanse that God
desired.They
are also the ones who are typified in the four living creatures that
followed
the Head! When they went, they went upon their four sides; they
turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they
followed it; they turned not as they went
(Eze. 10:11).
The divine expansion that was put between the waters in Genesis,
which foreshadowed that which would take place in humanity in order to
bring forth a divine nature, was given a name. And God called the
firmament Heaven
(Gen. 1:8). The Amplified and the Concordant
Version translate this in the plural as "heavens". In the
natural, we can have a gentle rain or a strong shower to save the land
and bless us. The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the
heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season
(Deut. 28:12).
However, the scriptures do not always paint such a calm picture of
heaven, in which we find nothing but blessings coming from it. Please
take note that in the above verse the heavens have been referred to as
the Lord's good treasure.
Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? Or hast thou
seen the treasures of the hail, Which I have reserved against the time
of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
(Job 38:22, 23).In
the process of the expansion in which God's handiwork takes place, a
people are being formed for a specific purpose. In the heavens, the
realm of the Spirit, God's creative work continues to mold and shape
those who shall be instrumental in carrying a hard word. It is a word
that is not unlike the word Ezekiel and the prophets of God carried. It
is a word that is not unlike the word that the apostles carried. It is
a word that is relative to this generation, because it is the response
that comes from the throne to answer the perversions of the Gospel and
the misrepresentation of God's kingdom in the earth! "Hast thou
seen the treasures of hail?" the Lord asked Job. The Lord goes on
to tell Job the very reason they are stored in the heavens. These
treasures are reserved against the time of trouble, against the day
of battle and war
(Job 38:23).
Once again lets consider the visible realm and learn from the visible heavens above us to understand what is taking place in the Spirit. According to Funk and Wagnalls Encyclopedia, we find that hail is described as "a form of precipitation consisting of roughly spherical pellets of ice and snow usually combined in alternating layers. True hailstones occur only at the beginning of thunderstorms and never when the ground temperature is below freezing. Rain drops or snow pellets formed in cumulonimbus clouds are swept vertically in the turbulent air currents characteristic of thunderstorms. The hailstone grows by repeated collisions of these particles with super cooled water, that is, water that is colder than its freezing point yet remains in liquid form. This water is suspended in the cloud through which the particle is traveling. When the particles of hail become too heavy to be supported by the air currents, they fall to the earth... larger ones are sometimes very desctructive. Often several hailstones freeze together into a large, shapeless, heavy mass of ice and snow."
The words of men like Ezekiel did not come to the rebellious
house of
Israel in the tone of a gentle rain, nor were they counted as a
blessing.
This should make us stop and wonder sometimes when we hear the surplus
of flowery prophecies going on in today's so-called deeper circles that
proclaim to be the perfected priesthood. We hear about how great we
are, and how we are going to be blessed for having a deep word,
and so on. In light of the way that hail is formed in the natural,
there is a great parallel that can be seen in the lives of those with
whom God has been dealing and preparing to carry His word. We get a
picture of this by considering the way God prepared Ezekiel. Behold,
I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead
strong against their foreheads. As an adamant harder than flint have I
made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks,
though they be a rebellious house
(Eze. 3:8, 9).
After the Lord speaks the words of the above verses to Ezekiel,
we find
that Ezekiel is lifted up in the Spirit. Then the spirit took me
up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed
be the glory of the Lord from his place
(Eze. 3:12). Once more, in
the same passage, we find him lifted up and taken away in the Spirit.
This time we get an idea of what Ezekiel was feeling. So the spirit
lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat
of my spirit; but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me
(Eze.
3:14). Most people have made being caught up in the Spirit to be
nothing more than a wonderful bliss. Nevertheless, the fact remains
that the encounters of the Spirit are not strictly for blessing our
socks off. There comes a time when God rips the covers off of what is
going on in the confines of darkness and imparts a very hard word to
those who experience such an unveiling! That kind of word, that
impartation which strictly carries the tone of righteous judgment, was
the type of word that was described as a burning fire shut up in the
bones of Jeremiah (See Jer. 20:1-10).
We must also keep in mind that Ezekiel was not taking the matter
into
his own hands. Even in his anger and bitterness we find that "the
hand
of the Lord" was strong upon him. We are never to be so driven in our
anger that the hand of the Lord is no longer upon us. We doubt not that
the Lord is making some foreheads adamant in this hour. He is forming
His
hailstones. However, if we are driven in pure rage, thriving on
confrontation
at the cost of the leading of the Spirit, then we are only fooling
ourselves
to think that we could be counted among those who are reserved
against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war
(Job
38:23).
We cannot help but consider the hailstone in the natural which grows by "repeated collisions with super cooled water." These repeated collisions and the growth they bring give us an idea of what kind of training takes place in the Spirit. We read about the false prophets and the prophets of God colliding in the sense that their words contradicted each other. Then the heavens turned to brass for Israel and the word of the Lord came to pass through the agency of Babylon. Should this not tell us that anyone carried away by these contradicting winds shall at some point be absorbed into Mystery Babylon?
Today, these contradicting winds are often heard and attended to, while the word of the Lord goes rejected for the most part. The word of the Lord is rejected because it is not based on human emotion that can be bridled by the spirit of the age and redefined to meet the demands of political correctness, all the while failing to bring any real impact on the heart of man for the better! More importantly, it is hard to stomach a word that demands your whole being, even though you so desperately need it. That is an imposition on the Adamic nature! That is an imposition on the comfortable Church! That is an imposition on those circles within the body of Christ that excel in deeper terminology and yet shrug off responsibility in the most practical matters! That is the cross! That is death! That is the word that all flesh abhors!
In the 27th chapter of Jeremiah we can read of the
absolute
rule that God gave to Nebuchadnezzar over the nations. This was indeed
a time when the heavens had turned to brass and, as in the natural, the
hail became too heavy for the air currents to support, so the judgment
was about to fall. And now have I given all these lands into the
hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts
of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all nations shall
serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his
land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves
of him. And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which
will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that
will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that
nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the
famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand
(Jer. 27:6-8). This is not the prophetic word that Jerusalem and king
Zedekiah wanted to hear. Yet, this was the word that God gave Jeremiah.
In verse 2 of this same chapter, Jeremiah is told to make "bonds
and yokes." The Lord instructed him to put them upon his neck. This
signified the captivity and the judgment that was coming upon the
nations.
As we have mentioned in part 6, Zedekiah means "the justice
of the
Lord." This is interesting in light of the fact that Hananiah, the
false prophet, means "graciously given of the Lord." Two of the
things that have been perverted in this hour are the justice
and
grace
of the Lord! Men are simply speaking about grace, rather than
witnessing
a solid impact of what grace does! For the grace of God
that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that,
denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world
(Titus 2:11,
12).Today, in this "give me convenience or give me death"
generation, it is almost unthinkable to a lot of Christians to view
grace as anything more than unearned salvation. While others may come
up with ideas that promote the unscriptural concept of earning our
salvation, there are plenty of others that could care less about seeing
any real outworking of grace in their lives. Please hear our hearts!
For too long now, Christianity has gone back and forth debating things
like grace and works! In such clashes, nothing of real value is gained
if we do not come away with any balance. In essence, we have two sides
trying to disprove the other. Some would even have us think that Paul
himself invented grace, but if we would just carefully consider Titus
2:11-14 we would see the real point of grace. Too often this point is
missed. Certainly we are saved by grace, but after we are saved the
question concerning our life in Christ is not "Is it grace or is it
works?" The question is, do we understand what grace does? The
point is - grace works! According to Paul (as well as the
Spirit that inspired him), denying ungodliness, worldly lust, living
soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world is a result of
what grace does! These are the attributes that grace works into our
very being! If these attributes are missing in our lives, we may want
to reconsider our theology on grace. Beloved, if you have experienced
the saving grace of God which brought you to Him, can you not believe
that this same grace will also manifest His nature through you? Or will
you draw back in unbelief, forgetting the truth that Paul carried in
his heart, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Phil.
4:13)?
Needless to say, Hananiah typified those who at best see grace from a one sided, imbalanced perspective. While others may feel the only thing the Spirit would have us refute are legalistic views, there has been a strong influence of fleshly perversions of God's grace penetrating Christendom. Still, others have discerned the spirit of the age. By the prompting of the Spirit, the call is sounding concerning the results of the imbalanced views of grace. In response to this call, we find the same spirit in Hananiah's words echoing in this generation.
And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign
of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month,
that Hananiah the son Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto
me in the house of the Lord, in the presence of the priests and of all
the people, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,
saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon
(Jer. 28:1,
2). In the previous chapter of Jeremiah, the prophetic word of the Lord
was given concerning the rule of Nebuchandnezzar. As long as there will
be false prophets delivering their words of deceit, there will arise,
in
the midst of all the lies, a prophetic word of correction. This is a
relevant
word for the body of Christ today. This is not some event that just
happened
in the past. Right now, in this very hour, there is arising a sound of
truth in the midst of lies!
Many people declare that we have "arrived" to manifested sonship and all that we need to do is accept it. Oh, dear reader, can we not take another look at the natural world and see it as a mirrored image of the spiritual world? My wife and I just had our first child this past May. She has been born into the human race by way of natural birth. The human race is headed up under the first man Adam (1 Cor. 15:45). Our child has not even started crawling, but I imagine when she first begins school she will not be handed a high school diploma. I can also tell you we will not be giving her the car keys anytime soon. If we do, they would be nothing more than something to touch and rattle around, because she certainly has not come of age to drive a car yet. Nevertheless, she is here in this world with all the human potential within her being to grow up into a mature adult. For right now, she cannot even eat solid food. She has yet to be weaned from her mother's milk. This is completely normal. We are not ashamed that she is simply a baby. To be quite honest we count it a blessing from the Lord that she is now in our life!
Now, can we not apply this to the realm of the Spirit? Those
born of
the Spirit have all the potential within them to come of full age. Paul
prayed for this possibility to become a reality. In Ephesians 3:19 he
speaks
of his prayer for the believers at Ephesus to "be filled with all
the
fulness of God." Can we not also see that the growth of the
believer
runs parallel with the growth of a the natural man? For every
onethat useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he
is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even
those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both
good and evil
(Heb. 5:13, 14). As we count our little child in the
natural a joy, Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the
presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth
(Luke
15:10).
Now that we have considered the natural and spiritual realm, can we not see the fatalism and falsehood tied into the idea of claiming to have arrived to full spiritual maturity by virtue of simply acknowledging what others deem as "the message of the hour?" Can we not see how contrary to the Spirit it is to say that we already possess the fullness of the promise land while the foreskins of our hearts have yet to be fully circumcised? (See Joshua chapter 5). We may speak of possessing the promise land and the peace we have, but Israel did not have a Sunday picnic or a nice social outing as they entered the promise land. They had a time of war with all the giants in the land!
Some would have us think that if we just name and claim it
or think
it and blink it, then all the things that make war with our spirit
will just go away. They fail to see that in our struggle there are some
very important principles of the Kingdom that we would not learn if we
just had our entire outworking of spiritual growth by-passed. While
some
have sought out a detour into our spiritual inheritance, we must take
note
of the perfect pattern we find in the life of Jesus. Though he were
a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered
(Heb. 5:8).
What will be the result of the false declarations of peace when
God
has war in store ? My hand will be against the prophets who see
false visions and utter lying divinations. They will have no place in
the council of My people, nor will they be written down in the register
of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel, that
you may know that I am the Lord God. It is definitely because they have
misled My people by saying, 'Peace!' when there is no peace. And when
anyone builds a wall, behold, they plaster it over with whitewash; so
tell those who plaster it over with whitewash, that it will fall. A
flooding rain will come, and you, O hailstones, will fall; and a
violent wind will break out
(Eze. 13:9-11, NASB). Concerning the
hailstones in verse 11, the Concordant Version reads, "I WILL MAKE
HAIL STONES THAT SHALL FALL." In the time of preparation, which so
often speaks of our wilderness sojourn, God has been making His
hailstones. This also ties into the divine expansion God puts between
the waters of humanity as He moves forward toward His goal in the new
humanity. In the confines of time, the hammering of a new humanity
continues. This new humanity, headed up under Christ shall, have the
capacity to do in the invisible realm what natural hailstones do in the
visible -- but it will only be in accord with the will of God!
The King James Version uses the word "untempered" concerning the wall in Ezekiel 13:10-15 and 22:28. The Hebrew word used for "untempered" in these verses is the same Hebrew word translated in Lamentations 2:14 as "foolish things." In this verse, we find yet another classic case of whitewashing that the prophets of Jerusalem were involved in. "Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment."
It is also very interesting that the first time we find this
Hebrew
word used is in Job 6:6, and it is translated as "unsavoury." "Can
that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in
the white of an egg?" We should know that it is indeed a foolish
thing
to offer our words to others as well as our service to God without
being
salted first! What we mean by being salted is simply receiving that
bitter
and sharp word which shall preserve us through the time of testing and
proving (Jas. 1:21). Let us consider the words of the Lord. If any
man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow me
(Matt. 16:24). Do these words not bring a flavor of
bitterness
to the selfish nature that will, by any means possible, seek to hinder
our spiritual growth? Yet, as bitter as it may be to the flesh, the
spiritual
man welcomes such words and understands the warfare that comes with our
new life in Christ. For as long as we walk in these biodegradable
shells
of the old humanity we have enemies to contend with. We are hopeless
when
we face such foes if we do not let these sobering words sink down into
the very depths of our soul until they saturate our hearts. Welcome all
the harsh implications that come to the flesh so that the deposit of
God
within us may be preserved. Beloved, such words are food for the new
humanity
which dwells within our frail earthen vessels. The spiritual man knows
that this is all needful and quite normal. He knows that which slays
the
old man will nurture the new man, for he has come to terms with the
following
verse: For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and
whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it
(Matt.
16:25).
Unfortunately, the tendency to take the word of the Lord and filter it through the agendas of self-preservation, ecumenical compromise, materialism, imbalanced views, reasoning apart from spiritual understanding, and other motives influenced by the spirit of the age, lies within anyone that will give their attention to such things. Today, many have taken the words of our Lord and filtered them through these vain systems of Adamic thinking. We hate to sound cliche, but there is some truth to the old saying, "you are what you eat." Spiritually speaking, just as the Living Word is the salt of our earth, we are to be the salt of the earth! We are to become that preserving word, but we are useless to the world if our declarations and state of being are void of all the flesh piercing and yet spiritual preserving implications that the Living Word brings!
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his
savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for
nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men
(Matt. 5:13). So, we find the vain declarations that hinder our growth
and those who declare such things to be tasteless and foolish according
to the Lord. Can something tasteless be eaten without salt, Or is
there any taste in the white of an egg?
(Job 6:6, NASB).
Let us draw your attention to the fact that the false prophets and the message they delivered were compared to the building of a wall. It was not a very secure wall. It was a wall that was deceitful in its appearance (See Eze. 13:9-11). Are these walls being built today? We are afraid so. However, we do not believe that the perversions of the Gospel among us today are perpetuated by those who are out to purposely deceive others. For the most part, we would dare say that the influence of other voices of philosophy, world religions, and the lying spirit of the age has left a heavy impression on many well meaning people. Knowledge itself, being held with the wrong attitude, is also common in the body of Christ. We are also aware that God still turns some over to a reprobate mind, which is a mind void of judgment (Rom. 1:28). God simply does not condone everything that the heart of man labels as a new revelation or what some say is the most up-to-date "word of the hour." He knows the motive of our heart before our words even issue out of our being. However, when there is a lack of humility and reverence towards the Living God, it becomes obvious. A proud spirit is riding high in this hour in many circles that wave the "kingdom" banner. The proof is in the pudding, and the testimony speaks for itself.
You see, there was a time when the Spirit of revelation was moving in a freshness within the body of Christ. Things which had been buried under the traditions of man-made Church systems were being uncovered. The Spirit swept the dust caked carnality aside to unveil the hidden treasures that had been in the scriptures all along. It is not our purpose at this time to go into all the history behind this glorious recovery of truth, but we will mention just a few names for your own investigation. Keep in mind, we are persuaded that these men did not invent some new revelation apart from what the written testimony of the scriptures proclaim. We must also confess that we may not agree with every point these men taught, but their names may serve as a reference for further study. Among other writers, God used the writings of George Warnock, Bill Britton, and George Hawtin to awaken those with an ear to hear to the high calling of going on to full maturity, which is what some of us call Sonship. Although we have a right to discern whatever error we may find in their writings, I dare say there was a profound witness in their writings of a heart that desired to walk in the life of an overcomer! They had a vision! They had a purpose that surpassed the social clubs that so often call themselves churches. Those who hungered after more of what God had to offer, and knew within their spirit that God's purpose was far more glorious than what most people settle for, had many things confirmed through the writing ministry that came out of what some call the Latter Rain movement.
Those we have just mentioned were not the exclusive holders of this vision. Every generation has had a remnant for every truth God has spoken! Truth does not hinge on a writing ministry! Truth is like God. It is there whether we see it or not. I would like to share a quote from one who had the vision of Sonship from yet another generation. "It burns as light in the kingdom of darkness, unpolluted by it, and even transforming all that it illumines by its meek yet mighty power. It is the hope of the world, which unconsciously waits for the manifestation of the sons of God; for the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God" (Andrew Jukes, The New Man and The Eternal Life, p. 292).
The walls mentioned in Ezekiel 13:10 are indeed being built by those who have modified the vision God has given. This would certainly cause one to take note that just because we may use the same terminology that we hear others use does not mean we have been captivated by the vision God has given! The reason why these walls can be compared to the modified word of Sonship is quite obvious when we listen to what is being proclaimed. Rather than exhorting one another to draw from the life of Christ in order to overcome whatever would cause us to miss the mark of the prize of the high calling, we are hearing a different word. It is a word that claims all the glory of the revelation of Sonship, but has yet to manifest the life of Christ on the same scale that the very revelation itself contains. We are hearing others claim the promise land as they say peace, peace, when there is no peace. In the presentation of such a message, confusion comes forth because no one seems to see the difference between the free gift of salvation and the prize of the high calling! In other words, "come as you are" is quite alright when it comes to the message of salvation, but to stay as you are is not what Sonship is about!
I rejoice in my heart that in this very hour there are those within
the
body whose hearts are literally crying out for change at any cost! You
can bet your bottom dollar Adam never wants to change, but those who
have
the Son have the difference maker and the life changer. The question
is,
do we want this change? Do we really want to know what it means to have
Christ open up the seven seals in our being and ride through our
microcosm
with the sole purpose of fully transforming us? Or, do we want to say
we
now fully possess the land? Are we already fully transformed while we
let
the giants in the land reek havoc in our lives? Isn't it amazing
that
people have the faith for immortality (or say they do), but they do not
even have the least bit of patience to make it through a traffic jam?
Ah, faith and patience, you cannot have one without the other! Please
let
us stop and meditate on these scriptures: And we desire that every
one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope
unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who
through faith and patience inherit the promises
(Heb. 6:11, 12).
While others have conveyed the idea that there are many ways
into the
Kingdom, the hearts of the righteous are truly saddened when the
exclusive
claims of Jesus Christ have been downplayed and ignored. While others
would
present a philosophy that does away with convictions that keep us from
making allowances for sin, there are those who yearn to see the sinner
turned from his ways. While others are trying to convince the world and
themselves that there is no need for a salvation experience because
everyone
is already in Christ, there are still those who see mankind's need of
salvation.
More than ever, the words of the Lord spoken in Ezekiel concerning the untempered
walls built by the false prophets have a very relevant
application. Because with lies ye have made the heart of the
righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of
the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising
him life
(Eze. 13:22).
We are not ministering life to any one by telling them a
revelation
when they are in need of real deliverance! Humanity is in need of a
real
manifestation! They are not going to be delivered by simply listening
to
us recite our views! The lofty ideas taught in the kingdom
circles do nothing for the junkie in the slums, the destitute youth
looking
for a purpose in life, and every misinformed soul who is sold on
another
way to fulfillment. Tell some one in the grips of heroin withdrawals
that
they are really in the realm of timelessness, they are saved, and
perfect.
Then see if your words cause your declaration to be true in the realm
of
time. We can say what we want, but we are in the realm of time. Sin is
still lurking. Two humanities, Adam and Christ, are living on the same
planet. We can see time as a tool in God's hand or look the other way
as
if it were not real. Nevertheless, the reality remains! Is everyone
already
in Christ? No. Will all come to know Christ? Ultimately yes, but what
saith
the scriptures? For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all
be made alive. BUT EVERY MAN IN HIS OWN ORDER!
(1 Cor.
15:22, 23).
Beloved, the modified message of Sonship has produced the same type
of
superficial healing, false sense of security, and deceiving hope of
deliverance
that we read of in Jeremiah 6:14 and 15: They have healed also the
hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when
there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed
abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they
blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that
I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.
No wonder we
can use the same language the world uses and live like the rest of the
world without giving it a second thought.
We cannot speak of the above verses without listening to the
trumpet
sounding in the next two verses! Thus says the Lord, 'Stand by the
ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and
walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We
will not walk in it.' And I set watchmen over you, saying, 'Listen to
the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen'
(Jer. 6:16, 17 NASB). Many want a word from the Lord, but they cannot
accept the alarming trumpet that the watchmen are sounding. Can we
afford to avoid this trumpet?
We must consider the contrast between the declarations of peace and the alarm of what lies ahead of us. In Revelation 4:1, the trumpet mentioned is properly translated as a "war trumpet" (See the Amplified Bible and Vincent's Word Studies, Vol. 2, p.475). Take a look at any serious believer in Christ and you may not see them constantly rebuking evil spirits and calling it warfare. Ah, but you will see Armageddon on two feet. They know that within them every selfish motive must come to light and be destroyed. They know that every impulse that would seek the seat of authority will not give in without a fight. Furthermore, they know that before the body of Christ ministers deliverance to creation there must first be a cleansing in the temple. They know that the untempered walls built on unsavoury words will not stand in the day of judgment. They know that these are not the walls for which all creation is looking. They also know they must face the reality that if they are to become the walls for which creation is looking, then the warfare must take its course. The Lord's judgment must be first executed within the body before the world can be judged and delivered. The untempered walls must first fall. Then, beloved, we can say with Isaiah, "Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise"! (Isa. 60:18).