By Greg Turner
greg@sharingtheway.com

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse…” (Romans 1:19-20).

The plan of God for men was set when He created (or formed) the earth as it is today 6000 years ago. We can see a pattern that was set in the physical creation (Rom. 1:20) of 6 days where God worked and the 7th day He rested (Gen1-2). Since Peter showed us that a day is as a 1000 years to God (II Peter 3:8 and Ps. 90:4) then we know the length of things in His plan for men. We can see that there have been about 4000 years of recorded history of man before Christ and about 2000 years of man’s history after Christ. The end of man’s reign and his 6 days of work is upon us and the day of God’s rest and the 1000 years of God’s reign is about to begin.

Now a second physical pattern was put in place that shows us how God is creating Himself sons and daughters – His children. This pattern was called a mystery in the new testament (Eph. 5:32), but was shown by the creation itself where God made a man and woman and He made them one by marriage, a permanent covenant between a man and a woman, and they were to have children (Matt. 19:4-6). This pattern is played out in the physical marriage between Jesus and the old church created under the old covenant which ended at His death. That physical type would then be the pattern of the spiritual type of Jesus resurrected and his body, and wife, which is the spiritual church with all of the children in it.

A third physical pattern appears at the time of the old covenant which shows which things must be fulfilled in order for a person to be transformed from the physical into the spiritual to be made one with God. This pattern is described in the layout of days required to be kept under the old covenant by the physical Israel and are now played out and fulfilled by the spiritual Israel. These days were called the Holy Days and are described in Lev. 23. This pattern shows us the things that must be done in order for the mystery of creation to be completed.

These days are briefly described with their intended meaning as follows:

  • Passover – this event pictures the sacrifice of Christ for the forgiveness of sins and is encapsulated by the sin offering of the old covenant.
  • Days of Unleavened Bread – after Passover the Israelites rapidly left Egypt (the world of sin) to be washed by being baptized in the Red Sea and then went into the wilderness of this world to be tested. They took with them unleavened bread meaning that they were both free from sin and were to live without sin or not serving sin(Rom. 6:6). Leavening being a type of sin (I Cor.5:7). This event being fully fulfilled by Jesus walking the perfect life without sin in service to God (burnt offering) and to man (meal offering) and completely obeying the law that He preached (Matt. 22: 37-40).
  • Pentecost – also called Feast of Weeks in the old covenant. This day is well known for being fulfilled in Acts 2:1-4. But was it completely fulfilled at that time? In Lev. 23:17 where there were two wave loaves made of fine flour and they were baked with leaven. We know that God’s people are always called the wheat (Matt. 3:12). We also see a mystery in Joel 2:23 where the former and latter rains bring forth the Holy Spirit. Note that these are rains – a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The latter rains are even greater than the former and the latter put together, but have not yet come. These two loaves represent God’s people that are made ready by fire (a burnt offering) before the next Holy Day (Rev. 6:9-11) which is Trumpets.
  • Trumpets – this event is aptly named after the trumpet that was blown in Israel to denote a time of war (Judges 3:27, 6:34; Jer. 4:5,4:19). There are seven trumpets of God and they are described in Rev. 8-11. The 7th trumpet finishes God’s mystery for creating His children and they are then raised up to eternal life.
  • Atonement – represents making man at one with God which is done by the blood of Christ and the putting away of Satan into prison (Rev. 20:1-3; Lev. 16:10, 16:20-22; Lev.23:29).
  • Feast of Tabernacles – an event representing the 1000 year rule on earth as described in Rev. 20:4. Then comes an extra day mentioned in Lev. 23:36 which is an extra day after the feast being the day of judgment mentioned in Rev. 20:5, 11-15.

All the patterns play together in perfect synchronicity as the first pattern shows the timeline and the second pattern shows what God is really trying to do with humans on earth and the third pattern shows how it will all be fulfilled and played out.

Jesus was sent here to fulfill all things (Matt. 5:17). We have already seen how that He living a perfect life has fulfilled all the sacrifices once (Rom. 6:10) for all of us (Heb. 10:1-10). This can only happen for each of us by going through the process of conversion (Matt. 18:3-4) from flesh to spirit. This is the mystery. This mystery can only be understood by repenting and being baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 3:19, 2:38). Repenting of what? Of serving oneself. For since Adam and Eve turned from God to choose their own destiny which they taught to their children and on down through the ages until the present time where now all men continue to serve themselves (I Cor. 15:21; Rom. 5:18 ). Since by Adam, and what he has taught, all men die then men must have a new way to live – one that brings life. Repentance means realizing that you have been wrong in the way that you have been living (like Adam making his own decision to eat of the tree instead of obeying God) and changing your mind (Matt. 21:29; Jonah 3:5-10; Acts 2:37) to live a new way. There are only two ways – serving God and serving man (Matt. 6:24). Therefore, by changing one’s mind to serve a new way, God’s way, one then has the need to have all their sins (disobedience to God) forgiven (Acts 22:16) which is done by being baptized the moment one believes this (Acts 16:30-33), buried in the water (Acts 8:35-39), to fully wash the sins away and that when coming up out of the water a new person is born (Rom. 6:3-4) once they have received the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands (Acts 8:17). Now born means conceived for only Jesus has truly been born of God (John 1:14,18; Rev. 1:5; 1 John 4:9). This new conception then needs to move forward living a new life following Jesus (Rom. 8:1) to do the will of God (Rom.6:4-22). What fetus is able to live without the blood of the mother? The same is true for a newly begotten son or daughter of God. For the Spirit must flow (John 7:38) from God through us by being a useful part of the body of Christ in His kingdom, otherwise, it will go out (I Thess. 5:19). The new born must grow in the word, grace and knowledge to fully become like Christ (Matt. 13:30, Eph. 4:11-16, I Peter 2:1-3, 2 Peter 3:18, Mark 4:26-28). So then this new creation becomes a son or daughter of God and an heir with Christ in those things that God gives to Christ which firstly is the kingdom of God.

Jesus was sent to earth to bring the kingdom of God (Mark 1:1-4; Matt. 3:2, 4:17, 12:28; Luke 4:43). No one can enter the kingdom without being meek (Luke 6:20, 4:17-19), have belief (Mark 1:15), repentance and then baptism (John 3:3-7). Jesus having died for us purchased us with his blood and we became his servants (Heb. 9:11-15, Acts 20:28, I Cor. 6:20,7:22-23). Since we became servants we now work for a master (Christ) in this kingdom and he freely turned it over to us (Luke 19:12-24) until he returns. The servants have a description of the work rules that they must follow regarding their master (Matt. 10:24-42, 18:21-35) and rules for working with each other (John 15:12, Rom. 14:4). The servants are not to fight this world (John 18:36) except with the spiritual sword – the word of God (Eph. 6:17, 2 Tim. 2:24-26). Jesus sent out the servants to do the work (Luke 9:2-5) of the kingdom and said that those who were not of the kingdom would hate the servants (Luke 6:22-23) for doing his work. This requires the servants to be all in and willing to lose everything to work in this kingdom (Luke 14:25-33). Suffering and tribulation will come with working in the kingdom (Acts 14:22, 2 Thess. 1:4-5). Jesus will take care of all the needs of those who work for him (Luke 12:28-34) and no servant that starts to work for the kingdom and then wants to go back to this world can be a part of the kingdom (Luke 9:62). All those who work for the kingdom must produce fruit (Mark 4:20). Finally, the kingdom of God is in and among us (Luke 17:20-21) and we are the temple of God in this kingdom (2 Cor. 6:16, Eph. 2:21-22).

Yet, the mystery is not quite complete. We see that the sons of God are heirs with Christ and servants of Christ. These are one and the same. While in the flesh we are both if we have the Holy Spirit of God (Gal. 4:1-7). We might understand this by looking at one of God’s creations – the butterfly. The butterfly starts out as a caterpillar and as the caterpillar grows and matures the butterfly inside grows and matures. The caterpillar crawls around on the ground doing the tasks that God gave it do and so do those in the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12). No one should be ashamed of what God has given them and no one should look down on another person’s tasks or job in the kingdom. For one caterpillar might be gray and ugly and another might have bright beautiful colors, yet at the end of their existence they all transform into a butterfly. The same is true of those in the body of Christ in that in the end the physical body (or tabernacle – temporary dwelling 2 Cor. 5:1) dies, but because we have the Holy Spirit within us that seals us (Eph. 1:13-14, 4:30; Rev. 7:3) we sleep (I Thess. 4:13-14) like the butterfly in the pupa or chrysalis and will be transformed into a being that has the same form as Christ at his coming (I Cor. 15:35-52, 6:14; Rom. 8:11; 2: Cor. 4:14; 1 John 3:2; Rev. 1:12-16; 2 Cor. 5:1-8). To complete this mystery the sons and daughters must be born. For this to happen the kingdom of God must be brought in power which Jesus showed a type of to Peter, James, and John (Mark 9:1-8).

In order to get to that point which is at the seventh trumpet (Rev. 10:7,11:15) a sequence of events must yet occur. To bring about the kingdom of God in power the latter rains (Joel 2:23) must be released which then brings the church to its zenith under man and will completely fulfill Pentecost. Since the latter rains are a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:24,28-29) and Jesus said that Elijah shall yet come again (Mat. 17:11) then we can see a template of how the former rains played out and can expect the same roles (John the Baptist, Apostles, Prophets, growth in the church) to come in the latter rains. Jesus said “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Since Jesus showed himself to everyone after his resurrection, but no one recognized him except by his voice or revelation (John 20:14-31,21:4,12;Mark 16:12; Luke 24:13-43) then we can see that his coming will first be through this outpouring of the Holy Spirit and those that come in his name (Matt. 23:39). As more and more people light up to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit then light will go across the world. But it will only last a short time – like lightning. So as the former rains died down and were stamped out by the world ruling government of that time (Rome) and the church was scattered into the wilderness (Rev. 12:6) causing great darkness so too shall it happen again. We can see in Matthew 24:29 that “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven”. We can see in Rev. 12 that “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:”. This woman that is clothed with the sun (Jesus – Mal. 4:2) and moon is the church (body of Christ) and the stars are the apostles (Matt. 19:28). So again tribulation will bring the church to darkness (Rev. 6:12; Joel 2:28-32) and great world powers will rise up. But, then there will be a great shaking which will bring on the day of the Lord (Joel 2:1-11; Zeph. 1:7-18; Amos 5:16-20; Joel 3:9-17) and the Trumpets of Revelation which describes great armies and wars (Rev. 8-10) which leads to the seventh trumpet: “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” The mystery of the husband (Jesus) the bride (the church and body of Christ) and the children is complete. Thus, the physical patterns of a family and the Holy days of Israel are also completed (with the exception of the last Great day). And so the mystery is finished for the servants of God:

Revelation 11:15-18(KJV) 15And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 16And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. 18And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

And Paul also says,

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17(KJV) 13But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

We can clearly see that the saints do not die, but rather only go to sleep and are awakened by Jesus at His coming to receive their reward. The reward of the saints is eternal life:

Revelation 20:4-6(KJV) 4And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

The mystery of God is about Him creating sons and daughters for Himself and so He created certain patterns in the physical creation that allow us to understand this and understand Him and why He created us. Above all, believe in Jesus Christ, repent, be baptized, follow Christ, and then you will become sons and daughters and co-heirs with Christ when the kingdom of God comes in power. Amen.

In His Name,
Greg Turner
greg@sharingtheway.com

 

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