Rick Joyner's Blog, page 6

Differences in Perspective—The Book of Revelation

 

         Much of what I have used in this study has been from a historical view of Revelation, which was common and almost universal in the Protestant church before the 1844 Advent Movement. It was during that movement when much of the emerging evangelical church embraced a more futuristic understanding of Revelation. As noted, I have studied most of the perspectives of Revelation and have found some merit to most of them. However, some of the holes and contradictions in the futuristic perspective would be resolved with an understanding of the historic view.

 

Of course, some who hold to an extreme historic view usually have some holes and contradictions as well, and these would be well served to study some of the futuristic views. According to I Corinthians 13, we all “see in part,” and “know in part.” To get a complete picture, we need to be open to others who have pieces we do not have.

 

One interesting perspective of Revelation is that history is an ever ascending and tightening spiral that culminates at the apex at the end of the age. For example, there have been many antichrist types in history, but as history unfolded, each new one would be more like the ultimate one that would appear at the end of the age. Napoleon may have been more like the ultimate version than the previous antichrist types, but Hitler was even more of an antichrist type than Napoleon.

 

For those of you that are serious students of Revelation and biblical prophecy, I would like to recommend The Islamic Antichrist by Joel Richardson. This book has is a futuristic view, but I think it has a great deal of merit. It is a well-deserved New York Times Bestseller, and the parallels between the Islamic Mahdi and the Christian Antichrist are remarkable. This book is also one of the best studies of the Islam proclaimed by The Koran, which must be understood to comprehend what is happening in the world today.

 

         There is still much room for openness and humility in any perspective of the Books of Daniel and Revelation, and I have a personal distrust of any who are overly dogmatic about their perspective. That does not mean that we cannot have confidence in the parts that we see, but when one is prone to belittle or attack others that have a different view, it is usually a sign of weakness in their position. We must seek truth that we can have confidence in, but understanding that we “know in part” also requires that we remain open and teachable. To date, those who become dogmatic in their perspective of biblical prophecy are in the most danger of becoming like the first century Pharisees and opposing the purposes of the Lord they claim to serve.

 

         Again, the most important characteristic for those who would know the times is to know Jesus Christ, the Purpose for the Revelation and the Purpose for all things that were created. The Book of Revelation was given as a “revelation of Jesus Christ” (see Revelation 1:1), not a revelation of the antichrist or of unfolding events. For this reason, we should devote our attention to understanding what Christ is doing rather than what may be unfolding in regard to the antichrist. We can know all mysteries, but if we are not living in God’s will, then we are deceived in a much more profound and destructive way.

 

         The culmination of the Revelation we are about to study still has many things to illuminate about the evil that will yet unfold. Yet even more importantly, it is about the glory of God that is about to be revealed through Jesus Christ and His followers. It will be “the great and terrible day of the Lord.” I will be great for those who are abiding in Him and terrible for those who are not.

 

This is one of the ultimate purposes for the whole story of man—there are two roads, two choices, and they both come to a conclusion at the end. For those who are here to see it, this will be the ultimate privilege and honor. When “darkness covers the earth, and deep darkness the people” it will also be the time when the glory of the Lord arises and appears on His people (see Isaiah 60:1-3).

The Mighty Ones—The Book of Revelation

          The Book of Jude precedes the Book of Revelation in our New Testament. In it a portion of Enoch’s prophecy is quoted about the “mighty ones” that accompany the Lord’s appearing (see Jude 1:14). Jude is like a preface for Revelation, and it is placed where it is by divine design as it helps set the stage for the message of the Book of Revelation.

          The book of Enoch was not canonized because the only manuscripts available were thought to have been corrupted by someone adding parts to it that were not Enoch’s. In my study of the book of Enoch, I felt that this was correct—it had been tampered with and added to. Obviously this was not the case in Jude’s time or he would not have quoted it, and it would not have been included in canon Scripture. So how does this part of Enoch’s prophecy relate to the Book of Revelation?

          Enoch’s vision was of a great force, “mighty ones,” that would come with the Lord at His appearing. In the Greek, mighty ones is the word murias, which is a literal “ten thousand.” Other Bible versions translate this many different ways, from “tens of thousands” to “myriads,” but it should literally be “ten thousand.” Some have assumed that these are resurrected saints who come back with the Lord when He returns, but we know there are many more than this returning with the Lord. This is a powerful force of ten thousand who will arise at the end of the age.

          I interject this here because I was shown some things about this force in a prophetic experience when I was a relatively new believer. I was told that I would have a part in preparing some of them for their purpose. Over the years, I began to see this group prophetically in other Scriptures. I have sought more understanding on them my entire Christian life, and I have been given some. Even so, I know I still only have part of the understanding of their full purpose, but I am constantly looking for those who are called to be a part of this force. Some of you may have already heard the call to be a part of this force.

          One of the things I was shown about this force in the mid-1980s was that they would be like the Delta Force for God’s army. In 1988 I was given the word about the Heritage property being restored, and I shared that word last week. That prophecy included a part about this “new breed of ministry” that would be raised up there. I knew then that this was the same group I had been shown before.  

          The word I got about the Heritage property spoke of this new breed as “eunuchs for the kingdom’s sake.” Just as a eunuch in the natural cannot have sexual desires, these will be “spiritual eunuchs for the kingdom’s sake”—ones who have no desire to use the church for selfish reasons. They will be devoted to helping the church become the pure, spotless, and blameless bride she is called to be for the sake of the King. Their whole fulfillment will come from seeing the King’s pleasure in His bride.

          True disciples live to know their Master, to become like Him, and to do the works that He did. A basic characteristic of those who are part of this new breed is that they march to the beat of a different drum. They can hear the sound of a trumpet that others may not hear, and they respond to it.

          Because it will be the nature of this new breed of ministry to not exalt or promote themselves, but rather to live to promote the King and prepare for His coming, they will not be known or recognized by many. It will be their nature to hide their identity even when they do great exploits. They live for the King and before the King, not men. They live to hear “well done!” from the Lord, not men. They glory in the Lord, not in men or in themselves. For this reason, they will be trusted with unprecedented spiritual authority. Cities will be stirred by their works, even whole nations and regions at times, yet no one knows who they are.

          Just as the U.S. Army Delta Force may have become one of the most remarkable forces in military history, it cannot win a war without the rest of the military. Likewise, these “mighty ones” will not be all that the Lord is doing in our time. Conventional ministries and churches will be doing the far bigger part. However, they too will be impacted and changed by these “mighty ones,” just as the entire military has been impacted by the Special Forces that have emerged. Now the level of excellence and performance of regular soldiers can reach standards that only Special Forces attained just a few decades ago.

          After the Vietnam War, the American military was possibly at its lowest state ever in morale and general readiness. Even the American people had a disdain for the military, and few people wanted to be a part of it. For this reason, the quality of the recruits was low. This is the time when some of our greatest military leaders emerged. They strove for an uncommon excellence, and they demanded it from top to bottom. The morale started to rise. The condition of the troops started to rise, and this set the table for a great miracle of transformation.

          The military, considered one of the most rigid institutions, became one of the most agile and creative organizations in history. A wellspring of new strategies, tactics, and even new weapons began to flow. When the first Gulf War, the next major test of the American military, came, the whole world stood in awe at what the U.S. military had become. This is a parallel of what has been going on spiritually in the body of Christ.

          I interject this here because much of the rest of the Revelation that we will study will not be about the antichrist, but rather about what Christ is doing. One of the important things happening right now is an inner transformation of His church, and how brilliantly He is building His people into the greatest force that the world will have ever seen. Whether you have no clue what I’m talking about or have already heard the call, I pray that you will excel in going beyond what others are content with.

The New Breed—The Book of Revelation

Last week we discussed the gospel of the kingdom and the transcendent leadership we can expect for the coming Great Awakening. In relation to this, in 1982 and again in 1988 I was shown a coming “new breed” of leadership in the body of Christ. I was shown the nature of this new breed. To date, I can say that it has still not emerged, but there is a convergence of prophetic evidence that it is maturing and about to emerge.

In 1988 I was shown specific details about the nature of this new breed of leader that I published in our newsletter at that time. As the other elements in this word proved to be accurate, we can have confidence in the nature of the new breed described in it. This is the word that I sent out in October 1988:

        While praying with a group of men who were considering the purchase of this ministry (PTL, also called Heritage USA), I saw the Lord walk up to a large stone and as He touched it, the stone rolled away and the grave was opened. Knowing this spoke of a resurrection, and being surprised by it, I called Bob Jones in Kansas City to ask if the Lord had shown him anything about PTL. He immediately said that the Lord had shown him that it would be resurrected. He had been shown the widow's mites that had been put into this ministry, and the Lord said that He had watched over them, and it was for them that He was doing this.

         I then called James Robison in Fort Worth and asked him if the Lord had shown him anything about PTL. He said that He had, and that he believed it would be resurrected because of the widow's mites.

        A few nights later the Lord spoke to me and said, "When this ministry is resurrected it will be a eunuch for the kingdom's sake. It will never again rape His bride, but will be used to prepare her for the coming union with Him in harmony with the new breed of ministry about to be released."

        Before there can be a resurrection there must first be a death, and this ministry is not yet dead. The Lord is delaying coming to its aid just as He did with Lazarus. The doors will be closed and the grave sealed for a time before He will move. The stone will not be rolled away until He touches it. At that time it will be given to the stewards He has prepared for a fraction of the present asking price. The new ministry will not be under financial pressure, and it will not be a financial burden on the body of Christ.

When I received this word, I had just moved to Charlotte, North Carolina as the controversies surrounding PTL, or the Heritage USA ministry, was capturing the world’s attention. At the same time, I was becoming known because of the prophecies I had given that were being distributed around the world. These included A Vision of the Harvest and my first book, There Were Two Trees in the Garden, which was becoming a bestseller at that time. Businesses and ministries seeking to acquire the Heritage USA property would seek me out to pray about their plans. I was personally disgusted by the whole situation surrounding the property, and felt many of the ministries and businesses seeking it were like spiritual vultures. I really did not want anything to do with it until I had this vision while praying for a group of businessmen.

Even though that vision, along with what Bob Jones and James Robison shared with me, started to change my heart about Heritage, I had no desire, or plans, to be a part of restoring it. When Jim Bakker told me right after he got out of prison that I would be given that property, I just didn’t see it. My heart was for missions and preparing the body of Christ for the coming harvest. I had no desire to manage a large property like Heritage.

I am not claiming to be a part of this new breed of ministry the Lord spoke to me about. Of course I would like to be, but I am not presuming that. However, I was told in 1982 that I would be able to help prepare some of them and help them along their way. I have been engaged in many aspects of ministry since, but that has remained my main focus, even if I do not talk much about it.

I can say with confidence that there are some who truly are a new breed of ministry, and they are about to emerge. They will illuminate the true nature of radical Christianity and what it means to follow Him. From this we can expect the last message, the gospel of the kingdom, to go forth. These will bring radical changes to body of Christ and the way Christianity is expressed and viewed in the world.

New Leadership Rising—The Book of Revelation

 

If we are looking for new wineskins, we should also expect new wine—a new message. If this is the final harvest that is the end of the age, then we know that this message will be the “gospel of the kingdom.” We can expect this to begin to eclipse the main focus since the Reformation, which is the gospel of salvation.

 

The gospel of personal salvation will be a crucial part of our message, but the gospel of the kingdom is about far more than personal salvation—it is about the coming salvation of the whole world and all that is in it. God so loved the world that He sent His Son. He may love men more than sparrows, but He loves the sparrows too. God loves the whole world that He made and will restore it to the paradise it was created to be, as we see in Isaiah 11 and other prophecies.

 

As we see with the last trumpet in Revelation, the last message to go forth is “our God reigns,” or the kingdom. We can expect this to be a major new thrust. Even though there are presently a number of messages that claim to be the gospel of the kingdom, what we can expect has yet to be proclaimed. This is not to say that the messages claiming to be the message of the kingdom do not have aspects of it, but we all “see in part and know in part.”

 

The first-century church preached “Christ and the resurrection from the dead.” The gospel of the kingdom is first about the King and then His coming reign. There has never been a more revolutionary force than the Gospel preached in its purest form, as the early church demonstrated. As the message at the end returns to the purest form of the Gospel, with the added element of the impending kingdom, we can expect Christianity to become the most revolutionary force again, with an even greater impact than the first century witnessed.

 

As the promised presence of the Lord is revealed in His temple, the prophecies assure us that the mountains (governments) will quake and even “melt,” as we see in Psalm 97. The message that prepares the way for the Lord brings the mountains and hills down and raises up the valleys and low places. This speaks of radical change coming to the earth as this Gospel goes forth. In the last chapters of Revelation, we get a perspective of what that will look like.

 

We can expect the coming gospel of the kingdom to have another important factor: the emergence of a new and transcendent leadership that demonstrates the power of the kingdom. As the Apostle Paul declared in I Corinthians 4:20, “For the kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power.” So we can be sure that when the gospel of the kingdom comes, it will not just be in words but also in a demonstration of its power.

 

To many prophetic people, the passing of Billy Graham was a major marker that the final harvest is finally upon us. This is not just because of his great ministry, but there were prophecies that foretold that when he passed it would be a sign to mark the beginning of the last harvest. Because of this, many had prayed for Billy Graham to be kept alive so the church could get ready for what is about to come.

 

Billy Graham was described at his funeral as a type of Moses. Moses set God’s people free and led them across a great wilderness to the edge of their Promised Land. Likewise, Billy Graham set millions of people free from their bondage to sin. His time did not carry the church to our Promised Land, but it did help lead us to the end of the long wilderness. Therefore, the type of leadership we should be looking for will be found in Joshua. Though it may not seem that such a new generation of leadership is yet present, they are here and we should expect them to emerge soon. This will be elaborated on in the coming weeks.

 

Building Our Church Life—The Book of Revelation

 

We finished last week’s word by asking what we need to do to be prepared for the coming harvest. We all see in part and know in part, so I do not have the whole picture, but I do have part of it. The first two points are:

 

1) Build our church life first on small groups

2) Build on koinonia before ecclesia

 

To build our church life on small groups first does not mean that large churches and gatherings do not have a place. What was modeled in the first church in Jerusalem was to have a large gathering in the temple to hear the apostles teaching, and then to meet from house to house in smaller groups. However, our primary connection to church should be the small group. For example, our hand is a part of the whole body but it is not directly connected to every part, but rather to the wrist and arm. One may identify with the message and leadership of a large church, but how is real connection to the body possible if we just go to the big meetings? It is the small meetings, the home groups, where direct connections to the body are made. This is why the strongest churches producing the strongest Christians have both large and small group meetings.

 

I was shown in the vision of the harvest I had in 1987 that small groups would grow at times when they would see a thousand or more people added in a week. In the same vision, I was shown large churches only adding a few dozen new people a week. This seemed counterintuitive, so I inquired how it could be like this. I was told that small groups tended to build on people more than programs, and large churches tended to build on programs more than people. Therefore, it was in the small groups that most of the leaders were being prepared for the harvest. Small groups are where many of the equipping ministries will be recognized and developed that will help gather the multitudes into the powerful church they are called to be.

 

Point two above refers to the mistake of trying to build on ecclesia, the structure and government of the church, first rather than on koinonia, the fellowship and bonding together as the family we are called to be. The church is called to be a family first, not an organization. It is much more difficult to start out as an organization and then try to be a family than it is to start as a family and add organization as it is needed.

 

We must keep in mind that our main purpose is to love God and then one another. So our main purpose is relational, not organizational. Organization is important, but it is not the main purpose. When we become more of an organization than a family, then we have departed from being what He will dwell in. Those who seek to build on ecclesia first will tend to have more in common with the institutional “old wineskin” church than with His living church. No doubt ecclesia is needed, but to put it first is to put the cart in front of the horse.

 

Throughout the last wave of the Holy Spirit, church planting networks were a main strategy. Many of these did help provide a “net” for that ingathering. I think many of them have done much to help prepare for the coming wave, if they don’t fall to the same trap that previous movements have and start to resist the next wave and the differences in leadership in each new move.

 

Since the end of the last great wave, just about every prophetic person I knew was saying that “small is God’s next big.” Hardly any of them knew what this meant or how to apply it, but they knew they had heard it from God. I think this foretold a coming emphasis on small groups that will be essential for the church to be prepared for the ingathering that is now unfolding.

 

Eventually, the church model built mostly on a single person’s preaching or teaching gift will be rare, if not extinct. There is only one foundation that will withstand the coming shaking, or the stress of the huge ingathering of new believers. A direct relationship to Jesus Himself is the foundation of the church. The purpose of all ministry is to lead the people closer to Him. The leadership He gave to His church is a team, and He is the Head of that team. Most of the present church structure is so far from the way He designed it that most cannot even imagine what this really looks like. However, we can expect to see this demonstrated and quickly become the norm for church in the last great harvest that is the end of this age.

The Next Great Wave—The Book of Revelation

 

In 1987 I was given an extensive vision of the coming harvest. I was shown two great waves of harvest coming. The first one that I was shown emerged a couple of years after I had that vision, resulting in the greatest ingathering and growth of Christianity in history over the next couple of decades. In the vision, I was shown that this first wave would begin to recede at the end of its time, just as a wave on the shore will recede after pushing as far as it can onto the beach. Then I saw a time of relative spiritual quiet before the next wave. This time was needed to prepare for the next, far bigger wave that is coming.

 

We have been in this period of the receding first wave and relative spiritual quiet for over a decade now. There are many increasing signs of the next great wave approaching. Are we prepared for it?

 

As the bigger ingathering will soon be upon us, we must start looking for the nets to hold the catch. From these nets, we can expect new wineskin churches to emerge. Like all spiritual transitions, when this happens it is not likely that these new wineskin churches will begin with as much definition as many will want. They will likely be disconcerting to those who are used to and like the institutional and hierarchical church forms of leadership. We need to consider what the church that truly has Jesus as its head would look like.

 

If we view the way that the Lord built the first-century church, it started out with a relatively ambiguous form. As it matured, it took on more structure in an organic, natural way. It looked a whole lot more like God orchestrating it than the many forms and patterns men have come up with since. Remember, a basic quest of the sojourner is to seek to be part of what God is building, not men. Virtually every move of God in history has been radically different than what most men expected, even those who most desired and prayed for Him to move.

 

The Lord has not taken me up to show me the complete coming structure of His church, but I have been shown some aspects of it. What I have seen is the coming of very powerful but relatively small church units. Eighty to one hundred and twenty seemed to be about the optimum size. They were flexible, responsive, and resourceful, and when they grew fast in numbers they would multiply into new, smaller units to stay flexible and responsive.   

 

This does not mean that there will not be any large or mega-churches. At other times I have been shown these “fortresses of the truth” that were like great military bases for the army of the Lord. However, a key element of every church will be that it is directed by the Lord, not men. Of course, the Lord uses men, but there is a difference between being led by institutional policies, doctrines, and methods imposed by spiritual bureaucrats and being led by the Holy Spirit.

 

An impending need is for “nets” that can hold the coming catch without breaking. Studies have indicated that only about 5% of the people who make a decision for Christ in these times are actually added to the church. In the first century, “all” who made a commitment to Christ were added to the church. The message could be a reason for the low results today, but much of it has to do with the church being so rigid and archaic that new believers have a hard time fitting in, or even finding the Lord they gave their life to in it. Again, we have the challenging verse in Revelation 3:20 where Jesus stands outside the doors of His own church to see if anyone would open to Him.

 

We are on the verge of one of the greatest events in all of history and the greatest ingathering of new believers that there has ever been. New believers who have never been part of the church will be relatively easy to disciple. At some point, there will also be added those who have been in a rigid, “old wineskin” church life. We may think this will be a disaster and that we should keep these groups separate, but they could also be a great aid to one another. How?

 

Over the next few years a new factor will emerge in church life—the manifest presence of the Lord. It will once again be like it was in the first century, when everyone will experience a constant sense of awe and wonder at the great things the Lord is doing. Even though most new believers in the first century church came out of the rigid Judaism of the time, they made the change surprisingly fast. Not all did, and those who clung to their form of Judaism did become a problem for the young church. Likewise, we can expect some who come out of the more institutional versions of church life to present some problems. However, the power and life of Christ Jesus in the midst of His people will easily overcome this.  

 

So what can we do to be ready for this impending ingathering? That will be the subject of next week’s word, and then we will continue with the final chapters of the Book of Revelation.

The New Wineskin—The Book of Revelation

 

Last week we began to address a prophetic event crucial to our times: the destruction of “Mystery Babylon” and the call of God’s people to “come out of her.” Our first observation is that if God is calling His people out of her, then His people are in her. This is further indication that this is a false, harlot church, not some other kind of institution. We are given specific events to expect when the command goes forth for God’s people to come out of her:

 

1) The collapsing of this religious system

2) The appearance of a messenger whose glory fills the earth and who declares that “Babylon has fallen”

3) “Another voice from heaven” declaring “Come out of her My people”

 

 Since we have not seen these three things yet, we can conclude that many, if not most, of God’s people are still in the counterfeit church—but it is not time for them to come out yet. This is not to negate those who come out because of personal guidance to do so, or because they are following a vision to be a part of the city that God is building. However, we can conclude that those who have not yet been called out are being trained for their purpose by being in this harlot church. How can that be?

 

A number of biblical parallels show how staying within an apostate situation benefitted those who were in it. David serving under King Saul was one of these. Saul turned against God and His ways, ended up killing the Lord’s priests, and sought to kill David, who had been a faithful servant. In spite of this, David remained faithful to Saul. The Lord delivered Saul into David’s hand as He had promised, telling David that he could do with Saul what he wanted. Yet, David refused to lift his hand against Saul. Saul may not have been the people’s choice for king rather than God’s, yet God used him just as He has the religious systems that were not of His building. For this reason, David would not lift his hand against “the Lord’s anointed.”

 

Like it or not, understand it or not, God anointed and used many in scripture who were not His choice. God has also used that which this vision calls “Mystery Babylon” to stand and fight against some of the great evils released on the earth. It was the institutional church that mobilized Europe to successfully turn back the Islamic conquest of Europe, and they stood up to communism in our time and were instrumental in breaking its yoke off of Europe. To this day, it stands against some of the great evils of our time, such as abortion and perversion.

 

The point is that David was willing to serve Saul and his house, and even after suffering all of the injustices and trials, he remained faithful. It was the persecution from Saul that fashioned David into a great leader. The most severe persecutions against confessing Christians in history have come from this false church revealed in Revelation. Biblical types and shadows never perfectly fit the actual landscape, just as no map can perfectly fit the actual land it represents, but this type is clear. Just as David was willing to serve the house of Saul, and did so with integrity until he was driven out, the Reformers had no intention of leaving the Roman Catholic Church. Rather, sought to bring needed reform until they too were driven out.

 

We’ve covered how Protestant churches went on to do the same things, often taking on the nature of what is described in Revelation as the false church. As the proverb, “Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it,” has proven true, it seems that every generation has fallen into this same trap. Even so, until this great messenger arises and declares that this “Mystery Babylon” has fallen, it is not time to call God’s people out.

 

There is another major factor we should consider in relation to this: If God’s people will be called out of these churches, what are they being called to? Where is the new wineskin that can hold the new wine? Although the New Testament pattern, apostolic, church planting, and home church movements produced some great churches and may have been better than what people were called out of, none measured up to being the new wineskin that was expected.

 

So what should we do? I still get many books and manuscripts sent to me that claim to be the new pattern for the new wineskin church. They may have some good theories, but I’ve yet to find one that has actually been built and measures up to that claim, and virtually all institutional and “new wineskin” churches seem to be fading. Is it right to call people out of something without having something to call them into? Where is the work that we can point to and say with confidence that this is not the work of man but of God?

 

So to review, where are we in this timeline? First, there will be a destruction of what is a part of this Babylon, or harlot church. Then we can expect a messenger, or worldwide ministry that fills the earth with his glory and declares that Babylon has fallen. This is followed by another voice that cries “Come out of her My people,” as we see in Revelation 18:1-4.

 

There are a few more things we need to see about this specific time that we will continue with next week. Understanding them will not only help us understand the times, but to be prepared for them.

Come Out of Her My People—The Book of Revelation

     The rest of this study on the Book of Revelation will be completed quickly. Thus, we can take a bit more time to dig into the part that is just beginning to unfold. A large part of the prophecy is spent on the destruction of “the great harlot”—Mystery Babylon. It is obvious that we need to really understand this, especially when it is appropriate for God’s people to “come out of her” and the signs of this.

     In the 1960s and 70s, with emerging of movements like the New Testament pattern church, apostolic, and home church, a number of teachers began to proclaim the “come out of her My people” message. This message referenced not only the Roman Catholic Church, but all institutional and denominational churches. Of course, the intent was for these believers to come into these new movements. These new movements had a great deal of life in them for a time, and many still do, but they fell short of the hope that they were God’s new wineskin to hold the new wine. Why?

     The Lord will bless many things He will not inhabit. God will bless just about any movement or anything we try to do for Him, but that does not mean He will inhabit them. We must distinguish between what He will bless and what He will inhabit. We must ask if we are really building His temple—His dwelling place—or just franchises.

     Our best new thing can be like King David trying to bring the Ark to Jerusalem on a new ox cart. It may look good for a time, but it often ends as a tragedy. After many of the movements in the 1960s through the 1990s were unable to bring in the glory of God, many leaders resolved to study God’s ways more thoroughly. This is so when we try to carry His Ark again, we will do it His way.

     King David had a noble desire to bring the glory of God to Jerusalem, but he had limited understanding of the Lord's holiness to think His glory could be carried on an ox cart, even a new one. Oxen represent natural strength, and the new cart represents the way we often think our new revelation, or our new way of doing things, will bring His glory in—but it is really based more on human effort. David learned the hard way how carefully we must treat the Ark of God’s presence. Have we?

     Most of the movements I’ve known had some merit and accomplished some good things. Even those that did not end well at least taught us many things that will no doubt prove helpful. The people in these movements also brought a lot of good fruit to the times. It is a noble thing to have the faith of a sojourner willing to leave all and wander in new places seeking the city of God. However, the city that we’re seeking is one that God is building, not men. So what will identify what He is doing opposed to just what people, even well intentioned people, are building?

     The first thing is timing. Revelation states that Babylon will be destroyed, and this will be followed by “…another angel (messenger) coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!” (Revelation 18:1-2) If the premise is correct that “Babylon the Great” is the institutional church(s) built by man and not God—which became a harlot by marrying the powers of this age instead of waiting for Christ—it has not yet been destroyed, and neither has this angel appeared. If this is the case, than it is still not time to tell God’s people to “come out of her.” So what does that mean for us now?

     For one thing, there has been a massive harvest going on in the Roman Catholic Church, and virtually all denominations, for about fifty years. Millions have been born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit in these churches. Though this great move does seem to be in its waning stages, it appears that until this great messenger appears to illumine the earth with his glory, it is not time to call people out of these churches.

     Next week we will cover the second major factor that will make the timing of these things clear.

The Return of the Lord—The Book of Revelation

 

This week we continue with Revelation 19:11-16:

 

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

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.

And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

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.

And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: “King of kings, and Lord of lords” (NKJV).

 

         Now the prophecy comes to some of the most exciting times in human history—the Lord returning to take authority over the earth that He purchased with His blood. He is coming to make war, which must be done before the peace of His kingdom can be established. He will war in righteousness, and His judgments will be faithful and true.

        

         Here we see that His eyes are like flames of fire. I had trouble understanding why I had seen Him with blue eyes until I learned  that the hottest part of the flame is blue. However, the point is not so much the color of His eyes as it is about what the fire in them will do. They will burn up the “wood, hay, and stubble” in every life, and they will purify “the gold, silver, and precious stones.” This should cause us all to examine what we are building our lives on. Will it withstand His gaze?

 

         When He comes, He will be clothed in a robe dipped in His blood. Thus, His fierce righteousness is tempered by His mercy. He did not die so that He could come back and condemn the world—it was already condemned. As fierce as His return will be against evil and corruption, He is not coming back to condemn, but rather to save and restore.

 

Even so, this will begin with a great war, and the consuming of that which is consuming His creation. He is coming with “many crowns” on His head, which we can conclude is authority over every realm and sphere of influence. He is coming with “the armies of heaven” that none will be able to resist. He is coming with a “sharp sword” from His mouth to strike the nations, which is His word in all of its power. He is going to rule with a rod of iron while treading on the wine press of the wrath of God. All of this is a part of restoring the earth.

Interacting with Angels—The Book of Revelation

 

This week we continue with Revelation 19:10:  

 

       And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (NKJV).

 

         Here we see the oldest living apostle, who had walked with Jesus longer than anyone else and had been the most intimate with Him, fall at the feet of an angel to worship him! First takeaway: angels are not Gerber babies. They fill everyone who sees them with awe and often with terror. If John did this, how much more could we be prone to it?

 

         It is written that we were made “lower than the angels.” All who have seen angels concur with this. Those who treat them casually—or act like they have authority to order them around—are acting foolishly and dangerously. We should suspect that these have never really seen one. Angels ministered to Jesus when He walked among us as a man, but even He did not order them around, saying instead that His Father would send twelve legions of angels if He asked.

 

         Thankfully, the Lord has kind of “child-proofed” His house so that the immature who act presumptuously in things like ordering angels around are usually spared the consequences of their folly. However, the more mature we are, the more likely we are to bear the consequences, which I have witnessed to be devastating. Angels are sent to minister to the heirs of salvation, but that does not give us authority over them.

 

         We may protest that the Word says that we will judge angels. So it does, but that is in the resurrection. Those who have overcome will not just be resurrected in a state higher than the angels, but as God’s own sons and daughters. However, those who attain to this “higher resurrection” have obviously attained a level of maturity, but as previously stated, even Jesus did not try to order angels around while on earth.

 

         Jesus is far above the angels in authority, and we only have true spiritual authority to the degree that we abide in the King. Our King was never pompous or trivial. The Scriptures give us a clear warning about spiritual imposters in places like Colossians 2:18-19:    

 

 

           Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

           and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God (NKJV).

 

         In Scripture, in history, and now, many see angels. I have personally seen many and have not one time been shaken by their appearance. Again, we have the oldest living apostle falling down at the feet of one and starting to worship him! This is no small thing, but as we get closer to the end of this age there will be a closer interchange with angels. We must learn to treat them with due respect, but yet not worship them. How do we keep this balance?

 

         That answer is in the text we quoted from Revelation 19:10-11. We hold fast to the Head, Jesus, in all things. We keep in mind that the true spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus, not angels. Angels may bring the message from Him, but it is from Jesus not angels. The true message will testify of Jesus, not angels.

 

         A final note on these verses is that the angel John fell down to worship said that he was a “fellow servant and of your brethren.” For this reason, some scholars believe that this “angel” was actually a fellow saint who had died and now appeared in his resurrected body. Perhaps, but the point is that we acknowledge angels as the awesome beings that they are and the place they have with God and with us, but we only worship God and His Son Jesus.