(Rev 2:18-29 NRSV) “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze: [19] “I know your works– your love, faith, service, and patient endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first. [20] But I have this against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and is teaching and http://members.iinet.net.au/%7Ejumac/therevelationofjesuschrist/thyatira.docx – thestrangewomanbeguiling my servants to practice fornication and to eat food sacrificed to idols. [21] I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her fornication. [22], Beware I am throwing her on a bed (of suffering), and http://members.iinet.net.au/%7Ejumac/therevelationofjesuschrist/thyatira.docx – greattribulationthose who commit adultery with her I am throwing into great distress (tribulation), unless they repent of her doings; [23] and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve.
[24] But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call ‘the deep things of Satan,’ to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden; [25] only hold fast to what you have until I come.
[26] To everyone who conquers and continues to do my works to the end, I will give authority over the nations; {27] to rule them with an iron rod, as when clay pots are shattered– {28] even as I also received authority from my Father.
To the one who conquers I will also give the morning star.
[29] Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the assemblies.
The City of Thyatira
Thyatira was a wealthy town in the northern part of Lydia of the Roman province of Asia, on the river Lycus. It stood so near to the borders of Mysia, that some of the early writers have regarded it as belonging to that country. Its early history is not well known, for until it was refounded by Seleucus Nicator (301-281 BC) it was a small, insignificant town. It stood on none of the Greek trade routes, but upon the lesser road between Pergamos and Sardis, and derived its wealth from the Lycus valley in which it rapidly became a commercial centre, but never a metropolis. The name “Thyatira” may mean “the castle of Thya.” Other names which it has borne are Pelopia and Semiramis. Before the time of Nicator the place was regarded as a holy city, for there stood the temple of the ancient Lydian sun- god, Tyrimnos; about it games were held in his honor. Upon the early coins of Thyatira this Asiatic god is represented as a horseman, bearing a double-headed battle-ax, similar to those represented on the sculptures of the Hittites. A goddess associated with him was Boreatene, a deity of less importance. Another temple at Thyatira was dedicated to Sambethe, and at this shrine was a prophetess, by some supposed to represent the Jezebel of Rev 2:20, who uttered the sayings which this deity would impart to the worshippers. Thyatira was specially noted for the trade guilds which were probably more completely organized there than in any other ancient city. Every artisan belonged to a guild, and every guild, which was an incorporated organization, possessed property in its own name, made contracts for great constructions, and wielded a wide influence. Powerful among them was the guild of coppersmiths; another was the guild of the dyers, who, it is believed, made use of the madder-root instead of shell-fish for making the purple dyestuffs. A member of this guild seems to have been Lydia of Thyatira, who, according to Acts 16:14, sold her dyes in Philippi. The colour obtained by the use of this dye is now called Turkish red. The guilds were closely connected with the Asiatic religion of the place. Pagan feasts, with which immoral practices were associated, were held, and therefore the nature of the guilds was such that they were opposed to Christianity. According to Acts 19:10, Paul may have preached there while he was living at Ephesus, but this is uncertain; yet Christianity reached there at an early time. It was taught by many of the early church that no Christian might belong to one of the guilds, and thus the greatest opposition to Christianity was presented. Thyatira is now represented by the modern town of Ak-Hissar on a branch line of the Manisa-Soma Railroad, and on the old Rom road 9 hours from Sardis.
The Church in Thyatira.
The message to Thyatira has a primary emphasis upon the Jezebel spirit in the church and the “great tribulation” into which the Lord will cast those involved in order to judge, break, and purify. The great purpose of tribulation or pressure is to bruise and weaken the flesh. The fragrance of the Lord is then brought forth from our lives.
This was foreshadowed in the ingredients of the holy oil which anointed the priesthood of Israel. The fragrant oil was made by a process of bruising and crushing. It is not easy to yield to spiritual crushing and bruising: bitter as myrrh but yielding fragrance in the peaceable fruit of righteousness. The elect of God pass through such a time of purification; there is no other route to the maturity of being a son. The power of the Father’s nature may then be revealed through a transformed life.
Do not look for the answer in the outpouring of blessings and miracles and prosperity many believers seek, but stay at the foot of the cross, outside the camp. Look for heaven’s perfumes in a wilderness place that few neither see nor understand. This sacrifice of perfume is the revelation of the Ecclesia in Thyatira. Jezebel
Notwithstanding I have a few things against you, because you suffer that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. (Rev. 2:18-20).
The typical Jezebel of the Old Testament was the daughter of Ethbaal (with Baal), king of Tyre and Sidon. Prior to becoming king, Ethbaal was a priest to the goddess Astarte the goddess of the groves, also known as Ashtoreth or Ishtar. This was a goddess of sensual love and sex. From her childhood Jezebel was steeped in false religion. She grew up in an atmosphere of position, power, and prestige and learned all the arts of political cunning and intrigue.
Jezebel means “Baal exulted,” and one who is “unchaste, lewd, sexually impure, and defiled. She was so infamous for her wicked wantonness, immorality, and treachery, that lewd women down through the centuries have been dubbed “Jezebel”. These women were seen to display the spirit of Jezebel.
Jezebel married Ahab, the king of Israel. As queen of Israel, she immediately set up the altars, shrines, and temples of her false gods, and required the people of Israel to worship these gods. She practiced witchcraft and at one time Jezebel had four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and four hundred prophets of the grove eating at her table. Baal was the god of agriculture, representing plenty and increase. Temple prostitutes, sexual orgies , and all manner of uncleanness were part of the ritual of Baal worship.
Jezebel used her seductive and manipulative ways to control King Ahab. Ahab became a puppet to her spiritual dominance, as do all who refuse to deal with the spirit of Jezebel. Ahab followed her every whim to satisfy his infatuation and keep peace in his kingdom. It is written of him,
And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. (I Kings 16:32-33).
The story of the house of Ahab typifies the reign of the flesh in carnal humanity. Jezebel is like an internal feminine quality of the soul that works in union with the flesh in those who walk after the erotic nature. Jezebel is also typical of aggressive, seductive, lustful desires that can influence people in a religious sense. The Jezebel dominated soul can be the instigator of religious and spiritual perversions, doctrinal error and carnal religious activities. Jezebel, the “spirit” that prophesies and teaches in the church systems and seduces many to “commit fornication ” with the world and follow false prophets..
Three Heresies
In the messages to the seven churches there are three primary teachings or spiritual attitudes standing among the Lord’s people in opposition to the life of the Spirit.
Nicolaitanism.
The doctrine of the Nicolaitanes puts one man above another, a hierarchical system that makes some people “laity” and others “clergy” or “lords” rather than a family of sons under the Headship of Christ. Church systems of man hold to this doctrine today with a hierarchy of ministers and offices. Clergy conquer the people through the force of their seminary training, titles, prestige, charisma, rules, regulations, and authority, rather than serving in humility out of the ministration of the Spirit.
Balaamism.
The error, way, and doctrine of Balaam goes beyond the Nicolaitanes, for Balaam taught Balak to cause Israel to stumble, to be turned away from the Lord, to be corrupted—and he did this in order to gain a reward of money, prestige, and power for himself. This is the corrupt “hireling” and “religious racketeer” system which has always been in the church.
Jezebel spirit.
Jezebel calls herself a prophetess, Jezebel teaches, and Jezebel seduces God’s bond-slaves to commit fornication and eat things offered to idols.. Her attack is against the seed of Christ within; her assault is upon the sons and daughters of God. The real things the over-comer must conquer are not the theater, the dance hall, and the bar—but the perverted, corrupted, fleshly, carnal, soulish and pseudo-spiritual conditions found within us all. The seven churches show them and history has seen them expressed through and in their members.
The corruption in Thyatira
In Thyatira the fourth church, the spirit of Jezebel was alive and at work. Many of the believers in that church were in the Jezebel condition.
Thyatira a group of God’s people full of good works and charity had much that was good and commendable. Yet there was something evil there, so seductive that Christ warned He would send judgment and make them an example to all the churches. Their good works, charity, service, faith, and patience were overshadowed by a false spirit. They were under the spell of a teaching that came disguised as the true word of the Lord but was evil. It was the teaching and seduction of Jezebel.
Jezebel represents a realm more insidious than the Nicolaitanes and the Balaamites for it speaks of the internal realm of the soul/ mind. The soul may be sitting as queen in our personalities. The Lord says of such an attitude.
Revelation 18:7, “How much she has glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she says in her heart, I sit a queen … and shall see no sorrow.”
A soul that glorifies “self” and sits it as a “queen.” Such a queen is the one that rules over millions of the Lord’s people. This queen is the one that every over-comer is called to conquer. This queen is the Jezebel spirit.
Your woman Jezebel
I have a few things against you, because you suffer that woman Jezebel … to teach.. (Rev. 2:20).
That woman,” translated directly from the Greek, would read, “Your woman Jezebel,” or, “Your wife Jezebel.” the term “your woman” and “your wife” have the same connotation in Greek. The Emphatic Diaglott shows the literal word for word (interlinear) rendering from the Greek as follows: “But I have against you, because you let alone the wife of you, Jezebel, the one calling herself a prophetess, and she teaches and seduces my bond-servants … “
Your woman” or the soul. We all have such a “woman” in us, (similarly psychologists suggest all have a “child” within), and she wants to take the throne and rule. Such souls seek to mingle with spirit, not in subjection but as an independent, domineering, controlling principle, bringing duality and mixture.
For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds (souls) should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (II Cor. 11:2-3).
In this passage Eve in the Garden of Eden is contrasted with two things: the bride of Christ and the mind or soul (psuche). The mind is a function of the soul.
Jezebel, like Delilah in the book of Judges, was a harlot. The name Jezebel means “one wiyout a husband” or “one that can’t be touched.” Jezebel is that soul that will not allow the Spirit of God in our spirit to touch her, or to be a husband to her. She will not enter into union with the spirit. She spurns the purposes of God and rejects the living word of the Lord, and will stone literally or figuratively any prophet who would speak the word of the Lord. She has multitudes of lovers , she follows after men and man’s way, man’s methods, man’s programs, man’s promotions, and man’s organizations; but she seeks no intimacy with the Christ of God, nor does she submit to the spirit’s lordship.
The Strange Woman
Jezebel is like the “strange woman” the beguiling one of the book of Proverbs, revealing a soul or a mind that is perverted and twisted and needs to change.
Jezebel describes aspects of our soul before it is transformed. This attitude, the mind-set, the soul condition in ours lives seeks to seduce us away from the headship of Christ. This seduction is carried out by Jezebel.
The Jezebel spirit in the soul-life has ever since Eve been a woman who wants to do her own thing. She will not allow the spirit to touch her. She cannot enter into a mature relationship with the Christ within. She cannot be subject to One as her head. She cannot love and be faithful to one husband. She cannot walk only in the Spirit of God, for she is lusting after carnal, fleshly, man-centered, need-oriented religious ways, involvements, and activities. She has roving eyes and a lustful, flirtatious, wild, rebellious nature. She wants blessings, chills, and thrills—a religious good time—not a marriage .
The wise man said, “My son, keep my words … and live. Bind them upon your fingers; write them upon the table of your heart … that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the stranger which flatters with her words. For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, and beheld among the simple ones (spiritually ignorant), I discerned among the youths (immature ones), a young man void of understanding, passing through the street near her corner (church on every corner); and he went the way to her house (denomination). In the twilight, in the evening, in the dark of night (darkened fleshly understanding); and behold, there met him a woman (the untransformed soul) with the attire of an harlot, and subtle of heart. She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: now is she wiyout (seeking fleshly things), now in the streets, and waits at every corner. So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said to him, I have peace offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows (I am very religious, I go to church, pray, pay tithes, and serve God in all kinds of programs and activities). Therefore came I forth to meet you, diligently to seek your face (to invite you to church, get you involved), and I have found you. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry (creeds, doctrines), with carved works (images, programs, rituals, ceremonies), with fine linen of Egypt (self-righteousness, works). I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon (false anointing, soul worship, emotional appeals). Come, let us take our fill of love (soulish emotional thrills and chills, blessings, excitement, good times, fun, play) until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves (if it feels good do it). (Prov. 7:1-18).
Both the book of Revelation and the book of Proverbs speak of a true church and a false church.
In the book of Revelation they are called the “Bride of Christ” and the “whore”; in Proverbs “the virtuous woman” and “the strange woman”.
Proverbs chapter thirty-one gives the characteristics of the virtuous woman, and Proverbs chapter seven the nature of the strange woman.
The soul or false ministry.
First of all false servants will flatter then substitute emotion and religious fervor for the anointing in order to seduce. This harlot’s anointing seeks to seduce the church in preaching to an entertainment-based, man-centered, need-oriented policy , keeping the Lord’s people coming back in constant need so the preacher may continue to deliver them. The constant “altar calls” in which the same people go down front time after time to be prayed over for the same things, to dedicate, rededicate, and then re-rededicate again and again, to get all encouraged and blessed, to receive their weekly “blessing ” so they can make it through to the next meeting, is simply the young man void of understanding returning over and over to the harlot’s house for his fill of loves.
The land is filled with lying signs, wonders, miracles, and prophesying by those who will one day come before the Lord, saying,
Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, and in your name have cast out devils, and in your name done many wonderful works?” Then will the Lord profess to them, “I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity (lawlessness). (Mat. 7:22-23).
This not a casting out of the kingdom issue. The Lord is saying, “I never knew you in intimacy of fellowship and vital union. You did things you wanted to do and you did it as if by my authority and at my word—but I had nothing to do with it. I never knew you as Adam “knew” Eve when she conceived and brought forth a son. Nothing that you did led to son-ship. Everything that you have done “in my name” that didn’t originate out of union with me, will not remain. Depart from me—there is a place for you, but you cannot share my throne—for you worked iniquity, lawlessness, unauthorized activities.
Within these ones the religious soul is acting independent of the spirit. It is the spirit of Jezebel.
The Contrast
A true ministry will grow the disciple to the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ. It will bring each to know God for themselves, and cease being needed . A true ministry will not desire to rule or dominate. A true ministry will support and serve, not control. A true ministry will give the word of God by the Spirit and commit the disciple into the hands of the Father to learn by their own experience the ways and dealings of the Lord. A true ministry will encourage the saints to hear from God by the Spirit out of the anointing which abides within. Christ in us is hope of glory.
The Mother of Harlots
The mother of harlots is not the Roman Catholic Church. The mother of harlots is still birthing her children. The mother of harlots is the soul dimension of man’s life that through carnal sense-consciousness and human logic and reasoning births what she believes is pleasing to God, what she feels is the worship of God, what she perceives to be the work of God, and what she determines to be the way of God.
The mother of harlots is our soul life—our own religious mind, will, emotion, and desire. The Roman Church, with all her false doctrines, pagan practices, and carnal rituals proceeded out of the soul of man. Carnal church systems, creeds, rituals, ceremonies, and methods are not birthed out of other church systems—they are birthed out of the mother of them all—the soulish heart of humankind.
Most of God’s people have been walking after this mother of harlots for millennia . We have been deceived by her prophecies, mislead by her teachings. We have been enticed by her attractiveness; we have been seduced by her wantonness and betrayed by the spirit of Mystery Babylon residing in the midst of us.
Most of the church of God has been walking by the direction of the soul nature rather than by the leadership of the spirit. It is time for the “our woman” to keep silence in the church.
This is one of the vital keys to overcoming. The Holy Spirit must be LORD in the house of God. When the followers of the way reach the place where they willingly refuse to accept as spiritual that which thrills and chills and seems right to the soul realm, when we willingly refuse to identify with that outer world that stimulates the affections of the soul and cast ourselves upon Jesus Christ the truth, the light, the reality—then will the Spirit take the throne of our life to reveal out of the innermost being the wisdom and the power of God.
The Prophetic Jezebel
When the soul speaks—Jezebel prophesies. The soul is forever prophesying. The soul is bubbling over with all kinds of revelations out of the tree of knowledge. The soul dominated mind wants to serve God just as Jezebel wanted to serve the kingdom of Israel, but always in a manipulative, carnal, perverted way. The means are usually creative and articulate but driven by assertive, aggressive, seductive, controlling, and demanding principles . The soul will invent a yousand ways to serve God, none of which are sanctioned by the spirit, born of the spirit, or led by the spirit.
Eve and Jezebel were both cut from the same cloth and not wishing to live by the tree of life they lived by the tree of knowledge . To seek to serve God independent of the spirit quenches the spirit in favor of carnal means and methods. Self-knowledge, self-effort, and self-development are major subjects in the “Seminary of the Soul”. The New Age mandate, “Know yourself,” is a prophecy from Jezebel. The mandate, however, from the “School of the Spirit” is: “Know the Lord .” The Lord who is in our spirit. Our Self is in our soul. That is why Jesus said
Except a man deny himself, and come after Me, he cannot be my disciple.”
The harlot mixture
Jezebel is the spirit of harlotry—mixture. Mixing the truth of God with the carnal philosophies of the world; mixing the revelation of Jesus Christ with pagan eastern religions or other strange voices; mixing the move of the Spirit of God with the promotions of humankind; mixing the work of God with the efforts of the flesh; mixing the light of Christ with the darkness of the carnal mind. It is the soul joined to anything—except the Holy Spirit.
The Thyatira type person/assembly is a stronghold of Jezebel, a place of corrupt self-proclaiming ministry. No waiting for God to develop something within but a soul life that must be saying something and doing something for God. Such will prostitute the life of God in them with anything which will be satisfying to their self image. Purity is set aside and any mixture is acceptable for the end justifies the means.. Such ministry seeks out many lovers—join themselves to many causes , trying to receive life from each. Bigger crowds are the answer, bigger buildings, bigger television ministries, bigger organizations, bigger, bigger, bigger—not better. Not more godly, more mature and after God’s own heart.
All such works of humankind are of the soul they exist in this world for the sensual, gratifying the desires of the carnal souls of humankind.
The carnal mind is enmity against God; it is that which resists and is hostile to the Spirit of God, for it seeks not a husband to be lord over it, but rather uses its subtle and beguiling ways to be joined to fleshly lovers. Jezebel, who is also the great whore, lies in the inmost recesses of our soul. Jezebel is the wisdom of the flesh in man, which proceeds out of the soul, which is the mother of all the religious abominations which are committed against the Lord.
The Purpose of Judgement
The Creator revealed in Holy Scripture is a being of mercy and judgment. There is a purpose in His judgment, a purpose of love. The leading trait of His character is expressed, not by the word “purity,” nor “righteousness,” nor “justice;” but by “love.” The purpose in judgment is two-fold: an uncompromising purpose toward removing wrong doing and a disciplinary purpose toward humankind. It is love working change. As surgeon’s blade cut is not to hurt or destroy life, but to save it and destroy the disease. The hurt is held steady by the kindly purpose in his heart.
The Father loves us just as much when He is subjecting us to surgery, as when He sends His blessings and gifts and brings us into the sunshine of His glory. He loves us most when He is dealing severely and is never more close than when He is reaching in and taking out of your heart and life those things that hinder the development of His life and the manifestation of His nature.
for whom the Lord loves, He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. (Heb. 12:6). “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that bears no fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (Jn. 15:1-2).
The Judgment of Jezebel
Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the reins and hearts … . (Rev. 2:22-23).
The Lord said of Jezebel,
I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. (Rev. 2:21).
A space was given to repent. He sees and will reveal what He sees to us then like a parent correcting a child gives time to repent. Not heeding will bring judgment. (Feet of brass that burn as a furnace).
Jezebel the harlot was to be taken from a bed of pleasure and cast into a bed of trouble. What she produced; her children; were to be killed. The Old Testament story gives a portrayal of the unrepentant Jezebel.
Every person at God’s appointed time will pass through judgment and come to a revelation of God’s purpose. When the process is completed God will be all in all, everything to everybody, the indwelling and controlling factor of every life.
(1 Cor 15:28 NRSV) When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all.
Sometimes God has to get our attention. To do that He chooses to use many events which become instruments of His judgment.
Great Tribulation.
Asked by one of the elders, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, with palms in their hands, and whence have they come?” John answered, “Sir, you know.” And the elder said to him, “These are they which have come out of great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
Each of these white-robed saints had experienced great tribulation.
Those in the church who had been followers of the children of Jezebel; the soul dominated religious works and worship not born of the Spirit of God together with the false soul motivated ministry of the church systems, which led them to commit spiritual fornication and to eat spiritual food that was defiled by false images and conceptions of God (idols) were promised great tribulation. Some repented when the Lord corrected, continuing to repent as the Lord revealed the deception clouding their spirits. Others have been dealt with by the judgments of the Lord in their lives and then repented. To Jezebel and all her followers the Lord has said,
Behold I will cast her into a bed (of trouble), and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.”
The term “great tribulation ” appears only twice in the book of Revelation and applies to the Lord’s people not to the nations or to the world.
The idea that the book of Revelation is about the “great tribulation” that has come, or is yet to come upon the nations of earth is not correct. The Lord Jesus said specifically that He would cast the spiritual fornicators of the church age into great tribulation to influence and motivate them to repent not the whole world.
John saw them coming out great tribulation. These were believers who had been exposed to or influenced by the Jezebel spirit. They have washed their robes from the defilement of their own untransformed souls, and from the soul defilement of religion and religious doctrines, activities, and systems. As a result of the Father’s chastisement by great tribulation, God’s purpose is accomplished in their lives. Cleansed and purified by the Lamb, they are transformed and brought near to His throne.
This great tribulation is the symbol of the Lord’s chastisements upon His people throughout the age, upon all whom He has set His hand to purge and purify to Himself. Many of these saints were in the great movements and revivals throughout the age as the Holy Spirit moved to lead a people out of the existing errors and carnal systems of humankind, into a closer and purer spiritual walk with the Father.
A great multitude that no man could number.” This “great tribulation” has lasted throughout the two yousand years since Christ came and began to form His body in the earth.
The Great Multitude
John saw “great multitude” of saints which no man could number, from every nation, kindred, people, and tongue, standing before the throne of God and before the Lamb. Each was clothed in a white robe (purity) and held a palm branch (victory) in his hand. Being made pure by the inwrought righteousness of Christ brings victory over self.
All through the age He has called out people after people, company after company, from the apostate religious systems of their day, and this by now a great multitude.
The “great multitude,” is not “on” the throne—it is “before” the throne of God and the Lamb. Neither do they “rule nor reign” they “serve” God day and night in His temple, and He that sits on the throne dwell among them. They are a blessed company indeed. They are very near the throne and dwell in the light of the throne, and in the presence of Him who sits upon the throne, and receive great and eternal blessings from the throne. They are the vast multitude of the redeemed out of the ages who have walked with God in a pure walk in the Spirit in the measure of light they have been given. They are a redeemed, sanctified and spiritual people, but they are not the sons of God who reign with Christ upon His throne. They have not taken the spiritual steps that cause them to grow, mature and progress fully into God to become kings and priests. They have not attained to the measure of the stature and fullness Christ. Yet they are the Lord’s own people, precious in His eyes. He who sits on the throne of the Lord—Christ and His many brethren—dwell among them; they live in the, sustaining presence of the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sits on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither shall they thirst any more; neither shall the sun (the illumination of the outer court) light on them, nor any heat (processing). For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them to living fountains of water (life in the Spirit): and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. (Rev. 7:15-17).
No saint of God can escape the great tribulation. it is God’s own process of discipline and purification for all whom he is redeeming and transforming into his image and likeness.
The reins and hearts
And all the churches shall know that I am He which searches the reins and hearts. (Rev. 2:23).
By the work of this great tribulation and judgment Jezebel is destroyed. Not the people involved, but the carnal soul in all its assertiveness and lewdness—the spirit of Jezebel within. Reins and hearts refers to the inward life of our being and when all is finished the churches will know that God has searched, judged, and cleansed His people in the inward parts.
Our reins or spiritual kidneys give us the ability to discern and separate the good from the evil and the soul motivated from the spiritual. Jezebel and her followers were all suffering spiritual renal failure. They had no discernment by the spirit, so they were carried away by every wind of doctrine, soul emotion, and carnal reasoning. There is placed within every son of God that inward sensitivity to spiritual realities. They are made conscious, by this spiritual sensitivity, to the spiritual atmosphere about them in their walk with God, in those they meet, and any gatherings attended.
Awareness of the spiritual quality and motives of a ministry, of prophecy, preaching, teaching, testimony, prayer and worship are revealed. How pure the love, truth, humility, righteousness, gentleness, sincerity, genuineness, and dependence on God is made clear and pride, error, self-esteem, deceitfulness, impurity, envy, strife, carnality, or kingdom-building spirit laid bare.
The Lord brings every son into such submission and intimacy with Him, that they may discern the least uprising within or any temptation while it is far off. God teaching is to become so quiet to self-effort and fleshly activities that life is like still waters ; and then any strange sound will alarm and arouse to prayer and watching. He will draw sons apart from the false odors of the flesh, the strange scents of religious Babylon, and the stench of the spirit of the world, for no one can learn discernment in the harlot’s house.
Kill her children with death
And I will kill her children with death … . (Rev. 2:23).
The Lord searches deep within the inner life. There is also an outward dealing with the “children” of Jezebel, the offspring of the religious nature of the soul. These are all carnal religious youghts, attitudes, ideas, concepts, doctrines, works, methods, activities, manifestations, movements, systems, and kingdoms which are born out of the flesh. These children that are the offspring of the carnal mind of the soul are destined to die.
Rule over the Nations
And he that overcomes … to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. (Rev. 2:26-27).
This extract is speaking of spiritual authority, spiritual power, and spiritual dominion that begins in that spiritual “land” which we are.
We have now come to the fourth step in our progressive journey as we continue to overcome. We have eaten from the tree of life. We have escaped being hurt by the second death. We have been filled with the Spirit of God and have begun to feast upon the hidden manna. We have received a white stone and have been given a new name as revealed to us by Christ, and the next step is to be given power over the nations..
Much of the book of Revelation is symbolised by events, conditions and arrangements in the Old Testament. The tree of life ,the hidden manna the white stone and the new name are from the Old Testament. “To him that overcomes will I give power over the nations.” also draws its imagery from the Old Testament and Israel’s conquest (overcoming) of the land of Canaan.
Israel came out of the wilderness to enter in and possess the land God had promised them,
When the Lord your God shall bring you into the land whither you go to possess it, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you; and when the Lord your God shall deliver them before you; you will smite them, and utterly destroy them; and you will make no covenant with them, nor show mercy to them: neither will you make marriages with them; your daughter you shall not give to his son, nor his daughter shall you take to your son. For they will turn away your son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy you suddenly. But thus shall you deal with them; you will destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. For you art an holy people to the Lord your God: the Lord your God has chosen you to be a special people to Himself above all people that are upon the face of the earth. (Deut. 7:1-6).
Israel’s new land was occupied by seven heathen nations who were exceedingly vile and corrupt and typified the the Balaamite and Jezebel conditions
The land
In the scriptures all the outward, physical, material, and earthly things that we see, touch, and enjoy are not eternal things they point to a higher reality.
“For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity have been made intelligible and clearly discernible through the things that have been made—His handiworks. (Rom. 1:20, Amplified).
Eternal reality is spirit. The earth and the land is a figure pointing to Christ. Christ is our land of eternal reality.
In the symbolic language of the Spirit, the symbol of “land” often has the meaning of “inheritance.” In some cases it deals with our inheritance, in other references, the inheritance of the Lord. This and many other varied ideas are conveyed by the word “land.” In the Old Testament God called out Abraham, telling him that He would bring him into the land of Canaan. From the book of Genesis to the end of the Old Testament the Lord stressed that special land again and again. “The land … the land I promised Abraham … the land I gave to your fathers … the land I brought you into … I will bless you in the land … ” It was always the land. When Israel sinned God drove them out of the land. Many are still focused on that land. Jewish, Christian, and Moslem pilgrims travel to that land and many are expecting the kingdom of God to be established in and from that land.
The land of Israel however is a figure of the true land—Christ.
By faith Abraham when he was called, obeyed and went forth to a place which he was destined to receive as an inheritance; and he went, although he did not know or trouble his mind about where he was to go. By faith he dwelt as a temporary resident in the land which was designated in the promise of God, in a strange country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs with him of the same promise. For he was waiting expectantly and confidently, looking forward to the city which has fixed and firm foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God. Now those people who talk as they did show plainly that they are in search of a fatherland—their own country. But the truth is that they were yearning for and aspiring to a better and more desirable country, that is, a heavenly (spiritual) one. For that reason God is not ashamed to be called their God … . (Heb. 11:8-10,14,16, Amplified).
The physical, geographic land has always been a shadow and figure of the true land, the heavenly land of the Spirit, where the called and chosen of the Lord are to dwell in the Christ in God. Everything that God prepared naturally for the children of Israel was concentrated in that land.
For the land, whither you go in to possess is a land of hills and valleys, and drinks water of the rain of heaven: a land which the Lord your God cares for: the eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even to the end of the year. (Deut. 11:10-12).
They were called to live on the land and to enjoy all the provision and abundance of God. They were to be formed into a kingdom in that land, observing the statutes, judgments, laws, ways, and will of the Lord. They were to become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation in the midst of the land so that through them all the nations of the earth might be blessed. All the promises, provisions, plans, and purposes of God were concentrated in the land.
All these types are fulfilled in Christ as a piece of land. All the promises, provisions, plans, and purposes of God for humankind are now concentrated in Christ. Christ is the real, appointed, abundant, fruitful, heavenly land. The over-comers citizenship is in Christ in the heavens of God’s Spirit. They are not to be of this world, or of the earthly Jerusalem, or of the physical seed of Abraham, or of the land of Canaan in the Middle East. God has given a citizenship in the heavenlies where overcomers are to be seated together in Christ Jesus. God has given this heavenly, spiritual, incorruptible, eternal, all-sufficient land to a kingdom of priests, an holy nation, and that through this elect of God all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
The land is occupied.
God has promised to give the land, which is the fullness of Christ.
But as with the old land of Caanan , the land of promise within us is occupied.. Seven nations occupy the land. The Hittites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, the Jebusites, and the Canaanites. Each is “greater and mightier” than Israel (Deut. 7:1).
When we say that Christ is our land of promise, this doesn’t mean that Christ Himself is full of wickedness. The land is the realization of Christ within us.. In that land of the experiencing of Christ within ourselves are hindrances, problems, bondages, fears, perceptions, ideas, concepts, fleshliness, carnality, habits, sin, sickness, and death—all enemies of the realization of Christ.
The realization of Christ as the totality of our life is experienced in our spirit, soul, and body. Christ is the land of promise, but Christ is entered into and possessed through the experiencing of Christ in spirit, soul, and body. This is land occupied by enemies, and Christ is not realized without a battle. In the major focal point of our mind the battle for our hearts and our loyalties rages a struggle for the souls and lives of humankind.
To cross the Jordan, in spiritual type is to enter the coming land of the kingdom of God or the fullness of Christ on the earth. The new land of Canaan was the place where Israel of old faced their enemies and conquered them.
Possessing the land
Canaan—what volumes the name speaks to us. Many are the songs written about Canaan Land, yet the masses of believers entertain the mistaken notion that Canaan is a type of heaven—that bright glory world above with streets of gold, walls of jasper, and gates of pearl. This cannot be, because the great mark of Canaan was that the land had to be conquered and that God gave such glorious victories over the strong, entrenched enemies. There is warfare in Canaan. There are giants in Canaan. There are hoards of enemies in Canaan. The battles in Canaan make the experience in the wilderness look like a Sunday School picnic. The possession of Canaan was for victory and through victory. The children of Israel crossed the Red Sea to escape the enemy. They crossed the Jordan to conquer the enemy. Canaan speaks to us of our inheritance in Christ in the kingdom of God.
If we are going to possess the kingdom, we are going to have to fight for it. The powers that are there will contest every foot of it; as soon as we start to possess our inheritance in God, we will come face to face with them, and we will find they are not easily defeated. In that land of experiencing the fullness of Christ within ourselves we find great strongholds of hindrances, problems, bondages, discouragements, fears, misperceptions, carnal ideas and concepts, fleshly desires, habits, limitations, sin, sickness, and death—all entrenched enemies of the realization of the mind, nature, victory and power of Christ. We are no threat to them until we begin our march to possess our inheritance.
When God told the children of Israel to go into the land of Canaan, He said, “I have given it to you.” In a little while He added this striking admonition, “Go in to possess it.” These were potential terms. In the divine and sovereign council of heaven God had already deeded the land to them, but they were not qualified yet to possess it. Is that not how it is with the so-called “finished work” we hear so much about. The land was full of giants, and walled cities, and fierce armies, which required a struggle for its possession. But—consider, precious saint of God, how vast and rich the land is. The land is unsearchably great, unlimitedly rich. The dimensions of the land are the length, the breadth, the height, and the depth of the fullness of Christ. The land is all the riches and the glory of Christ Himself. The land is peace, joy, righteousness, incorruptible and immortal life, wisdom, knowledge, power, dominion and glory. All this is ours as children of God, but only as we grow up into Christ and truly put on Christ do we become mature and arrive in the position to assume this responsibility of possessing our possessions. We are talking about the full stature of Christ within ourselves, not gold bath tubs in heaven. By a mature understanding and a divine faith we see the way to enter the land and take possession of all the riches and glory of full sonship to God.
Why have we not, then, fully possessed our land? The thing that kept Israel out of their land was a heart of unbelief. “Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. (Heb. 4:1-2; 3:19). You remember how those that spied out the land of Canaan brought back an evil report. On the one hand they said that the land was exceptionally good, but on the other hand they said it was impossible to enter. The people were giants, they said, and the cities fortified and great. They asserted that Israel could never conquer the land; if they tried they would be utterly defeated and devoured.
Ah, how often that wily devil of unbelief speaks the very same things within us. Does he not say, “Don’t talk about overcoming the enemy. Don’t talk about walking in the nature of God. Don’t think about attaining to perfection—nobody can be perfect in this world. Don’t talk about conquering death—everybody dies until the resurrection. Don’t think about being manifest sons of God—that is just wishful thinking. Don’t talk about becoming exactly like Christ, to do the works He did—nobody can measure up to Him. Don’t try to put on the mind of Christ, don’t think about ruling and reigning with Christ—it might go to your head. Don’t talk about being kings and priests after the order of Melchizedek—that is too high for you. All these things are good and wonderful. But it is absolutely impossible for you to possess them.”
I do not doubt that even while some have been reading this message that devil of unbelief has whispered such things in your ear. “You cannot possess the land, you cannot attain to the high calling of sonship, you will never stand among the manifest sons of God—you are too weak, you are now old and feeble; you can’t preach or teach or explain the Word; you are beset by physical ailments and disease—silly of you to think of overcoming sin and death. You have already failed so many times to please your heavenly Father; God never answers your prayers, anyhow; you have no one to fellowship with, to encourage and strengthen you; you have too many problems and hang-ups; you are young and inexperienced, others have walked in this truth for years; your own home is out of order, you are bedeviled by a carnal, opposing spouse and unruly, rebellious children; don’t even think you could enter the good land of the kingdom—it is far beyond your ability. You can never make it.”
Oh, yes. Those ten “spies” do give an evil report, don’t they. That little devil of unbelief lurking within the carnal mind in each of us is just waiting for the opportunity to inject his deadly venom and deliver to us the evil report—”You are not able to go up and possess your inheritance.” Never believe him. “The inhabitants are giants,” he will tell you, “and the cities have walls that the chariots run upon. You will be defeated and you know it. You’ll go by way of the grave at last. You will miss the unveiling of the glory of Christ in the earth, you will not be a member of God’s overcoming, conquering army.” All this is an evil heart of unbelief. But we are called in this hour to take our stand with Joshua and Caleb and proclaim by the faith of the Son of God within that WE ARE ABLE TO GO UP AND TAKE THE LAND.
The mighty power of God within us is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask or think, above all that we dream or imagine. God will do the work as we follow on in patience, faith, and obedience, even as He did for Israel of old. “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.” That is the confession of the heart of faith born of God. The Lord has promised it, but we must possess it. He has given it, but we must experience it. It is our portion, but we must take it. The fullness of Christ is not presently our possession, but HE will cause us to take it, HE will enable us to possess it. Our heavenly Joshua, Christ Himself in us, is taking the lead in His army; He will go before us; He will fight the battle for us. All we need is such a vision. Joshua received such a vision, and thereby the faith and assurance that God was with him. And armed only with that faith, trust, and obedience, he possessed the land.
The myth that the “finished work” of Christ secures for us all the provision and purpose and glory of God, that Jesus paid it all and did it all, therefore we can enter the land essentially unscathed, that it costs nothing, that there is no striving, no pressing, no warfare; that all you have to do is believe and confess—these myths must forever end. The hour is late, the day of unveiling is at hand. Only an unreserved commitment, only an indestructible faith, only a radical thrust will burst this manchild of the ages and herald the dawn of that blessed age when the glory of the Lord shall fill the earth as the waters cover the sea, and all peoples and all nations shall come and walk in the light of the Lord, and there shall be no more curse anywhere forever. Sons of God—let us arise and enter in and possess our land.
We all want victory in one brief skirmish. How many times did some of us go forward in response to an invitation in a church or revival meeting, expecting that in one divine encounter we would conquer all our enemies, henceforth to possess our inheritance. We consecrated ourselves to the Lord, we tarried at the altar, hands were laid on us, prophecies went forth over us, demons were cast out of us, we laid all on the altar, we prayed through, each time expecting that this was the final battle. And how many know it didn’t work. Somewhere we missed the point—there are seven nations in this land that must be subdued. Seven is a complete number, representing every enemy, including the last enemy, death. You see, we did not yet understand in those days the plan and way of God for our overcoming. God’s word to Israel in the wilderness should be weighed with diligent meditation, thought, and prayer. “And the Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee little by little: thou mayest not consume them at once … but the Lord thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed. And He shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them. (Deut. 7:22-24).
Woe to anything that stands up in His temple and tries to prevent that unveiling. Anything that stands up in His temple which we are, to defy that unveiling, has automatically made itself His enemy. God is coming swiftly, He’s coming in vengeance to destroy your enemies and His enemies. God is not after you, He’s after your enemies. We haven’t separated ourselves from the enemies that are on the inside of us. The enemies on the inside of us are not US. Fleshly thinking, natural reasoning, the carnal understanding of the word of God, all of our hatred, variance, discord, doubt, fear, lust, all of our greed—those things are not US. They are squatters, they are trespassers, for they inhabit our land which is His land, and God is angry at them, He’s after them, because He wants to be revealed, He wants to appear and be king in His land.
The Lord of glory is going to be seen in His temple and He won’t allow any enemy to stand. What He requires of us is that we view these things as our enemies, the way He does. Once we view them as enemies, as squatters and trespassers, then we can isolate them from ourselves and see them as enemies separate from ourselves. Once we truly see this we can sit back and watch God do His wondrous work. All the judgments of the book of Revelation have the seven churches in mind. It is the judgment that begins at the house of God.
Have you ever had one of these enemies that you thought was dead suddenly stick its ugly head up and attempt to exercise dominion over you? Many times I have heard saints (myself included) gasp in horror as they say, ‘I thought these things were gone. I was delivered of these things long ago.’ This exclamation is usually followed by pinning the blame on themselves; sentencing themselves to discouragement, feelings of failure, and self pity. The enemy would have us think that these trespassers have returned to their seat of authority to reign as king over us, when in fact God’s deliverance, which is total and complete, is revealed in us and through us, in divine stages, not all at once. ‘I will not drive them out before thee in one year,” the Lord said, ‘by little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased (mature, fruitful, able to produce offspring), and inherit the land’ (Ex. 23:29-30)”—end quote.
There is a scripture which relates the remarkable story of the report of the twelve spies Moses sent to spy out the land of Canaan, and this experience of the children of Israel is very meaningful to God’s elect today as we set our faces to possess our promised land. When the spies returned ten of them said to Moses, “We came into the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan … the land through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature … giants … and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had spied out” Num. 13:27-33).
Ten out of the twelve men Moses sent to scout out the land of Canaan, after getting a first-hand look at the promised land, returned on the edge of despair. The size of the grapes—as large as melons—could not remove the gloom from their faces, for what good is milk and honey in a land that “eats its inhabitants.” In a well-fortified land whose citizens are giants? When the people of Israel heard this pessimistic report, they lost heart, for it seemed that continuing with the plan to take over the land of Canaan would be tantamount to signing their own death warrants. It’s easy to understand their fear after the scouts’ vivid and daunting descriptions. Nevertheless, the Lord blamed the Israelites for their cowardice. In fact, their lack of faith brought the wrath of God against that entire generation, which was sentenced to die in the wilderness, never having entered the land.
Today God has set before His elect a much greater land. Since the late 1940’s and the early 1950’s God’s people have been hearing these glorious revelations of sonship, inheritance, and the kingdom of God. But what good is it to know these things if we continue to hesitate to enter in and lay hold upon them? We are not the first people who have come to the threshold of the kingdom. One generation has already died in the wilderness of fear and unbelief. If you and I do not arise and walk in what God has so mightily sent before us by His Spirit, then we, too, shall go by way of the grave and wait for our children or our children’s children to get us out. The creation is groaning for real deliverance, not merely some deeper teaching or higher concept. Someone must come forth and declare, “We are able to go up and take the land. Let us arise and cross over this Jordan.”
Why did God, who certainly knew about the giants and the fortified cities, command Moses to send spies in the first place? Why didn’t God simply allow the Exodus to keep moving, replete with the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, the miraculous manna and the glorious tabernacle, without confronting the people with the option of battle? Why the command, “Send thou men that they may spy out the land of Canaan. (Num. 13:1-2). The Lord had a wonderful purpose in mind, and it certainly wasn’t intelligence gathering. The verse in which God instructs Moses to send men to spy out the land uses the Hebrew word v’yaturu—a form of the verb latur—while the usual word meaning “to spy” is leragel, as seen in Genesis, where Joseph calls his brothers spies (Gen. 12:9).
What latur really means is to lust after (this definition comes from Rabbi Schlomo Riskin, chief rabbi of Efrat, Israel). God didn’t want these men to spy out the land—but rather to lust after it, to desire it intensely. It wasn’t enough to report back that, yes, the fruits were good, and yes, the cities were fortified, and yes, the inhabitants were giants and we looked like grasshoppers in their eyes. What this advance guard was supposed to demonstrate, despite the instinct of the heart to tremble and the spirit to quake, was an overriding passion. Without such passion, Israel could never step forward with faith and determination to possess the land. Hence, God’s intention in sending the “scouts” was that they see the land, desire the land, be inspired with passionate love for it, inspire the people with vision, faith, zeal, and devotion—and enter in.
This is the spirit God is raising up in His elect in this hour. It is no longer merely a wish, or a desire, or a hope, or a longing to possess our inheritance in Christ, but we are truly consumed by such a love, such a passion for Christ in all His beauty, majesty, wisdom, power, glory, and fullness that it becomes a divine necessity. We will not be denied. Sonship to God has now become our all-consuming passion; our desire is so intense, our hope so fervent, our expectation so strong that we cannot settle for less. Now we are pressing forward, fully believing and expecting that God will put every enemy within our land under His feet and deliver us into the fullness of the power and glory of the kingdom of God. We are yielding to Him in every way we know for that divine purpose.
God always has His witnesses to His truth and His purpose, and in Joshua and Caleb, of the twelve scouts sent to search out the land of Canaan, He had such a witness. When the time came to enter in, Caleb wanted for his inheritance the mountain wherein he had seen those giants forty years before. “Give me this mountain.” he thundered. He would not be denied. Among those of us who started in this last move of God that came in 1948, that got a glimpse of that land flowing with milk and honey, are a few who have the true report—those who know God is able to bring us into the fullness of sonship to God. There are many today who, like the ten scouts, have lost the vision and have watered down the purpose of the Father. They refer to the original revelation of sonship as “classical sonship,” and, of course, they have now come up with the new and improved version. But somehow their version always falls short of the revelation so powerfully imparted in the days of God’s sovereign visitation. I do not hesitate to tell you that those who are ready to settle for something less than what GOD HAS SPOKEN are of the faithless scouts, and they will sink down into a lesser glory and their bones will bleach in the desert. Joshua and Caleb were the only two that entered into what God had promised Abraham and his seed from the beginning. And it is interesting to note that the portion that Caleb desired was Kirjath-arda which became Hebron. Hebron is where David later ruled for six and a half years until made king over all Israel. This is very significant, for it became a place of rulership. Do we desire the spiritual high places enough to demand the mountain, drive out the giants, and reign over the land of our inheritance? Yes, God has always had His two witnesses, and He has them today as well. They do not deny there are obstacles before one enters into that which is our inheritance, the fullness of Christ, but they are sure of one thing—GOD IS ABLE TO GIVE US THE LAND.
Thank God for that inborn confidence and assurance in the hearts of God’s called and chosen elect that the hour for the unveiling of the sons of God is at hand; that the ultimate purposes of God for His Christ-body are about to be revealed; that we stand now on the brink of Jordan prepared and ready to follow the ark of the Lord into a NEW EXPERIENCE OF CHRIST; to “cross over” from our wilderness of wandering into the life and victory and abundance and authority of the land of Canaan. The message sounds forth as a trumpet across the land—the Lord has prepared great and mighty things for His people: things which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man (I Cor. 2:9).
Therefore, give all diligence to enter into the REALM OF THE SPIRIT wherein are known and touched and experienced all these unseen, unheard of, and unthought of things. That blessed realm brings the fullness of Christ and the kingdom of God. It brings righteousness and love, the mind of Christ and the image of God, life and immortality, victory and authority over all things, and blessing and deliverance for all mankind. Truly the heritage is ours for the possessing. And if no man from the ascension of Christ until now has entered into it, it still does not make one whit of difference. The fact remains—the fullness of Christ is ours for conquest. The popular church has rejected the possibility of possessing it; they would rather settle for a palm branch to wave in the sky, and a harp to play on a golden street, than to press on in to the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ.
Although the Israelites, under Joshua, entered into the land with wonderful victories, the complete conquest of Canaan did not take place until much later, for we read that Joshua “made war a long time with those kings. (Jos. 11:18). New kings, still loyal to those already killed, kept springing up and had to be destroyed. Some, in fact, were not annihilated but were left to test Israel, to see whether they would remain faithful to the Lord (Judges 3:1-4). The war against the self-life and all its attributes and powers is a prolonged and on-going conflict. Not a day goes by that the flesh does not send one or more of its kings and their armies to assail those who love the Lord in truth and seek His kingdom. Each manifestation and defeat of one king brings to light other and more formidable manifestations of the carnal mind and nature. The flesh has many arms in its arsenal. But thank God, “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (II Cor. 10:4-5). Oh, yes. God will give us the victory.
The land must be “possessed.” That was the Lord’s word to Israel of old and it is His word to His elect today. The word “possess” is the Hebrew word yarash meaning “to tread on grapes,” indicating the necessity of treading on the enemies as a conqueror. The causative form of the verb yarash means to cause a change in the power structure on the land—bringing down the kings, nobles, rich, and powerful, so that a new order may be set up. It is exactly what Elaine Cook wrote: “When, after forty years of wilderness journeying they were ready to enter the land, what did they find? Because they had endured the waste howling wilderness and had now crossed over Jordan, did they find that the enemy in the land was suddenly subdued without a struggle of any kind? Did they just proclaim, ‘We are the sons of God. We have come to take the kingdom and possess it.’ and find that the giants in the land fled from them in fear and left the land for them to inhabit without any interference at all? If that’s what you believe, you need to look at the blueprint again. Yes, they had crossed over Jordan. Yes, they had experienced circumcision. But, no—the enemies did not flee away in terror from them. When I last read the account it said that they had to actively possess each step of the way—one foot at a time as they walked. Potentially, it was all theirs, but they had to overcome each enemy and dispossess him before they could take possession of the land. They couldn’t just ‘declare’ it done.”
This is what is taking place in the life of every overcomer as we “possess” our land of the fullness of Christ. The enemies are entrenched, they have occupied our lives for a long time, but the Christ in us is mightier than all. As we gain victory after victory by the wonderful power of Christ in us the enemies are being routed one by one and a new governmental order of the mind of Christ, the righteousness of God, and the will of the Father, is being established in our land.
Conquering the Land.
The time for crossing over the Jordan into the land of promise had arrived. Drums of war rumbled in the background as the armies of Israel gathered in solemn array. Leaders of the twelve tribes encircled a central fire within the camp. All were seated but Joshua and two men who had just returned from a reconnaissance mission. They had scouted the enemy and were about to suggest a strategy of attack. The two advance scouts addressed the council to make this report, “Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us. (Josh. 2:24). The enemy is already defeated. Israel could go to battle in the strength of knowing the Lord had secured the victory.
All Israel was on tiptoe in expectancy. This was the time which this particular generation had looked forward to. For thirty-nine long years they had wandered in the wilderness as their disobedient fathers fell one by one and were buried in the desert. God called Moses up into the mountain; there Moses died, and the angels of God buried him. Joshua began to prepare the people for the crossing, according to God’s instructions. The day before the crossing Joshua gave the people certain definite instructions. Chief among these instructions was this word, “Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. (Josh. 3:5).
One of the reasons for this particular instruction was set forth in this line, “You have not passed this way before. (Josh. 3:4). Most of us enjoy routine, and going down the old familiar roads. There we see familiar places, faces, and experiences, and we feel comfortable with that which we are used to. There are not many surprises on the old paths, but neither is their much change or progress. Now the people of Israel were looking forward with eagerness to the moment when they would enter the new road. Joshua said to these eager people, “The road before us is new. We have never walked this path before. You have not passed this way before. You must be cautious but not unbelieving. You must be youghtful and you must be obedient. You must walk in faith today and tomorrow. (Josh. 3:3-6).
As it was for them, so it is for us today. Unknown realms lie before us. Many of the Lord’s people are comfortable with the old ways. They prefer to go to church and do the same old things Christians have been doing for two yousand years. They fear change, and do not believe that God is bringing in an entirely new order. But God’s called and chosen remnant has heard the voice of Joshua-Jesus saying, “You have not passed this way before. The road before you is new. Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. You must be obedient and walk in faith today and tomorrow.” We who have received the call to sonship have been called to paths where our feet have not walked. We cannot continue on eating manna in the wilderness and drinking water from the rock. There is a new order in God that challenges us. We will face unveilings of glory of which we have never dreamed. God is doing a new thing. A new day has arrived. A new feast of abundance and fullness is prepared. It is now time to arise and cross over our spiritual Jordan. The hour has come to begin to possess our land.
It wasn’t Moses who led the children of Israel from the wilderness into the promised land, but it was Joshua—the Hebrew name for Jesus. Moses was a shepherd, but Joshua was a military general. When our Joshua-Jesus has made the determination that it is time for us to cross over and take our land, then there is nothing that is going to stand in His way. He is a great military mind, the general and captain of our salvation. Whether we are set to battle the giants, or the Canaanites, or the Jebusites, or whatever enemy lies before us, He declares, “This is our land, this is our promise, this is our inheritance, this land belongs to us and we are taking it by the word of our God.” Our heavenly Joshua is a great warrior and He will bring us into our land. He will drive out every enemy and defeat every foe. Not one of our problems, weaknesses, besetting sins, or the power of corruption can stand before Him.
The children of Israel were commanded to “Arise and go over this Jordan.” Jordan is a type of crossing the barrier or boundary to break forth into the new. It is the point of entrance. The Hebrew word abar, meaning “to cross over” or “to pass over,” is used more than twenty times in the first four chapters of the book of Joshua. Besides emphasizing the decisive nature of this moment in the history of the nation of Israel, it distinguishes this event from what happened at the Red Sea. This word is never used to describe the passage through the waters of the sea. Two other words for crossing over are used in Exodus 14:22 and 29; they mean “enter” or “walk.” The reason for this is that the verb abar implies crossing over a boundary, whether physical like a river valley, political like a nation’s border, or spiritual as to enter into a new realm in God.
The snows from mount Lebanon had been melting and they poured into the valley making Jordan a raging torrent. The Canaanites stood on the opposite bank and laughed at the Israelites. They are certain there is no need for alarm, for Joshua will have to wait for spring floods to recede before his army can cross. But their laughter solidifies in their throats as they perceive that there is a strange moving in the Israelitish army. Joshua gives the command, “Forward, March.” How will they cross? Will they go down to a watery grave? Has he lost his mind? One mile ahead of the army go two priests bearing gently and cautiously the Ark of the Covenant—the very presence and glory of God. I can see them with the eye of the mind as they approach the raging, muddy waters. It appears the waters grow the more unruly the nearer they come. But onward they march. What faith. What unswerving trust.
Carrying out God’s strategy, the priests advance to the edge of the water, and as they touch the rim of the water, Jordan trembles, and as if answering the order of the Almighty Commander, jumps to attention, standing a half mile high. Walls of water. But God was fulfilling His promise to Joshua. The host goes over dryshod and moves into the promised land by obedience. So the unconquered and unexplored territories of the fullness of Christ can be obtained as we, in obedience to our heavenly orders, by the living word of God we now hear out of the spirit of sonship within our hearts, launch out into the deep with Joshua-Jesus as our Commander. By that same faith we do now leave the wilderness of our previous in-part experiences with God behind, and following the presence of God which goes before us we dare to step our feet into the waters of impossibilities that separate us from the land we are to possess. One step at a time we go forward, not looking back, that we may safely, by the power of God, make our entrance into the borders of our new land of the kingdom of God.
Power over the Nations
And he that overcometh … to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers … . (Rev. 2:26-27).
The imagery here is drawn from Israel’s conquest of the land of Canaan. To overcome means to conquer—that is the meaning of the word “overcome” in the Greek text. At the time Israel entered into their new land of promise it was occupied by seven “ites”—seven nations greater and mightier than they, seven nations that were exceedingly vile and corrupt, which they had to conquer, subdue, break to shivers, dispossess, rule over, and destroy. In the hidden language of the Spirit, the symbol of “land” has the meaning of “inheritance.” The land of Canaan which Israel possessed is a figure of the true land—our inheritance in Christ. Our new land in this new day of the kingdom of God is the fullness of Christ. Our spiritual inheritance is in Christ, and the full possession of our spiritual inheritance means everything Christ is experientially realized within ourselves.
Hittites
Hittite means terror, coming from a word meaning to prostrate or break down by confusion and fear. Terror is the emotion people feel when facing the unknown or when threatened, as Israel was when they took the first step to conquer their land. It is the emotion we come face to face with when we hear the doctor announce, “You have cancer,” or the stock market falls a couple thousand points right when we are ready to retire. There is also spiritual terror inflicted terrorist preachers. What has God done to us that we should be afraid of Him? God so loved the world that He gave His Son for us. God is Love.
Most fear has its root in the unknown. People fear what they cannot see, or what they do not understand, or what they imagine to be. Since religion deals with an unseen world—with spirit beings, the hereafter, eternity, future punishments and rewards, heaven and hell—that people’s fears play a very important role in most of the world’s religions. Fears virtually dominate most of the religions on earth.
Those who are God’s called and chosen elect in this great day of the Lord are now being delivered from all fear and terror, for they understand by the deep inner revelation of the Spirit that all things are in our Father’s hands and all that happens in our lives is part of His wise purpose for our growth and development in Him. He is in control, no matter how dark or hopeless things seem, and He will bring us forth triumphantly as we commit our way to the Lord and trust also in Him. Now together we can raise our voices in blessed chorus with the Psalmist and joyfully sing, “I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.. (Ps. 34:1,4). The writer to the Hebrews adds, “He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. (Heb. 13:5-6).
Even in the “valley of the shadow of death” He has promised to be with us, and even there we shall “fear no evil. (Ps. 23:4). Those in whom the spirit of sonship is revealed fear no evil. We do not fear the wrath of men. We do not fear sickness or tragedy. We do not fear death. We do not fear judgment. We do not fear hell. We do not fear the antichrist. We do not fear world government. We do not fear tribulation. We do not fear the beast. We have no fear of the “end time”. We have no fear of economic collapse. We have no fear of terrorists. We have no fear of conspiracies. We have sought the Lord, He has heard us, and has delivered us from all our fears by the revelation of His mighty power working in us. By this you can know a son of God.
We will not fear.” declares the prophet. WE WILL NOT FEAR though the earth (social order) be removed. WE WILL NOT FEAR though the mountains (strong kingdoms, empires) be carried into the midst of the sea (brought down by raging, surging masses of humanity). WE WILL NOT FEAR though the waters (peoples) be troubled. WE WILL NOT FEAR though the mountains (governments) shake. No place to hide, there, no “safe area” to flee to—but—WE WILL NOT FEAR because GOD IS OUR REFUGE. As the Lord said to Israel when they entered their new land of promise, “Let not your heart faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is He that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, TO SAVE YOU. (Deut. 20:3-4).
Girgashites
The Girgashites were known only as the offspring of Ham which means dark. Spiritually it means to be ignorant, without understanding, or having a false understanding. The carnal mind of the natural man who “receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned.” All of us have battled with our human perceptions and the reasoning of the carnal mind and nowhere more than in the area of the word of God.
The carnal mind is exceedingly dark and there is not one micro-milligram of spiritual understanding in it. Only those who have met this kingdom of the carnal mind and have defeated it will become sons of God empowered to reign with Christ in His kingdom. Intellect may grasp what is written … but that is not hearing. Hearing the word of God will work transformation in a man. A true hearing of the word will reveal the Father’s heart and uncover His ways and give understanding of His purposes. Hearing the word by the Spirit will bring obedience to the word—the obedience of faith—and things will begin to happen.
Taken by the Spirit to the valley of dry bones, Ezekiel was asked, “Son of man, can these bones live?” “O Lord God,” was the prophet’s response, “You know.” He was then told to prophesy to them: “o dry bones, hear the word of the lord.” The prophet obeyed, and as he declared to them the word of the Lord, they came together, bone to its bone. Covered first with sinews, then with flesh, those lifeless bodies were also quickened by the breath of divine life which entered into them The quickening of the dry bones was effected by their response to the Lord’s word. As they kept hearing what He was saying to them, the Holy Spirit kept working within them until they were made alive by His breath and stood up, an exceeding great army. In like manner, as we keep hearing and keep responding to the living word the Spirit is speaking today, the army of the Lord will stand up in the earth and we will possess all of our inheritance in Christ. . When the giants of the darkened carnal understanding are slain within us, the Girgashites are cast out and we possess more of our spiritual promised land. .
Amorites
Amorite means publicity, prominence, or exalted. Amorites were mountaineers and lived in the high places. This speaks of spiritual pride and every thought and high thing in our lives that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. It includes all vain imaginations. It is very true that once we have conquered fear, becoming full of faith, confidence, and vision, and have slain the giants of the carnal understanding of the word, being quickened to spiritual truth—the very next formidable enemy we encounter is spiritual pride.
God’s true people are an humble people, and there is no place in the kingdom of God for an exalted spirit of self-importance because of our calling in God. The words of the wise man are true for every son of God,
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (Prov. 16:18).
Be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. (I Pet. 5:6).
Pride is a kingdom within each of us to be overcome. .
Caananites
Canaanite means a peddler, trickster, or trafficker. The spirit of charlatanism , showmanship, gimmickry, pretense, and religious racketeers is the misuse of the anointing and revelation one has received. The Canaanites are the harlot spirits of the fleshly religious methods of Mystery Babylon. These Canaanite preachers are always peddling something, hawking their wares—some little gimmick to get you to follow them and send them your money. This is the “business” side of religion. The church systems are full of Canaanite preachers and programs and most churches today show aspects of the Canaanite spirit. So-called Christian television and radio are the strongest Canaanite spirits of all
Above all, we meet this Canaanite spirit right within ourselves, in our very own land, for every ministry the Lord raises up, on whatever level, faces sooner or later the temptation to use the anointing of God, the revelation of God, or the power of God, and to use God’s precious people for his own profit and ends. You will never go anywhere in God without meeting up with one of these giants. Many of have encountered that nation in our land and by the power, wisdom, and understanding of the mind of Christ have thrown down their altars, cut down their groves in all their high places, and have burned all their images within ourselves that they might not any longer turn our hearts from wholly and only following Christ into the land of our full inheritance in the Spirit.
Perizzites
The Perizzites, are an open or unwalled country. They are defenceless, those who have no spiritual immune system, who dwell in a spiritual land of weakness, doubt, indecision, vacillation, limitation, inferiority, and condemnation. They are always upset, worried, offended, confused, discouraged, distressed, beaten down and full of trouble. Their lives are one disaster after another. Those who are constantly battling within themselves this inner condition of the Perizzites have not yet learned this one simple truth—we have within the self-existent Life of God. How many weak and weary saints are constantly running around from meeting to meeting, from revival to revival, from preacher to preacher, from prayer group to prayer group, seeking Life. They need someone to pray for them, encourage them, counsel them, and help them on an on-going basis.
Persons controlled by the Perizzite attitude have their world on the outside. No defences, no strength, no ability in Christ of their own, but dependent upon what others can and must do for them. They must all be ministered to from without. They get no word from God out of their own spirit; others must teach, counsel, prophesy, and guide them. There are three basic characteristics of those in the Perizzite condition. First, they have more problems than most other folk. Second, they are dependent upon others to meet their needs and solve those problems. Third, when they have a need they let it be known until someone comes and meets it.
The Perizzite spirit causes people to have the victory when everything is going well, or when they are struck with some ecstatic experience, some special blessing; but as soon as the blessing wears off they are so weak they can’t make it without another spiritual “fix.” What’s wrong with these folks? Their source of life is on the outside. They have not been awakened to that all-sufficient, omnipotent, self-existent life that dwells within their spirit. They are unable to appropriate the power of the Christ within for themselves. Their senses have not been exercised to discern that truly “greater is He that is within you, than he that is in the world.” They have not developed to that point of spiritual maturity where they know Christ to be the substance of their inward life, their all-in-all, sufficient to answer every question, meet every need, solve every problem, deal with every situation, overcome every obstacle, conquer every enemy, and transcend every problem within and without.
Hivittes
The next nation is the Hivites. Hivite means a village or encampment. That which is organized as a society—the systems of this world—doing things the world’s way. Every little “organized fellowship” establishing some “order” to which we all must conform is apart from the sovereign and spontaneous flow of the life of the Spirit and becomes one of the villages of the Hivite kingdom. This spirit of organization, exclusiveness, control, and sectarianism may be found within the flesh of each one of us and we will surely meet up with this enemy before we have fully possessed our land of the fullness of Christ. Every devotion to man-made religious system is a Hivite village or encampment.
The Hivites are sons of Canaan, the peddler and huckster, and also speaks of external forms of worship. It is impossible to worship God externally. One may go through the physical motions of singing, shouting, raising the hands, swaying, dancing, or prostrating the body, but that does not necessarily mean worship. Appearing to worship externally can and may well be a sham, a faÁade, for God is a Spirit, and they that worship the Father must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Attraction to the “villages” of the Hivites take many forms, but it is always what man does and builds “for” God rather than the work of God by the Spirit.
Jebusites
. The Jebusites occupied Zion, the stronghold of Jerusalem, and they were not dislodged until David conquered them long after the days of Joshua. David established his kingdom and he reigned from mount Zion. The conquest of the Jebusite kingdom is the final battle for possession of the land giving rule and reign in the kingdom from Zion with the son of David, the Lord Jesus Christ. This fulfils the final promise to the overcomer, following the final step in his overcoming in the messages to the seven churches,
To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne. (Rev. 3:21).
That is the promise to those who conquer the nation of the Jebusites within themselves.
Jebusite means a threshing place. This is the place where we encounter trial, testing, troubles, tragedies, reversals, problems, cross-currents, and all those traumatic experiences by which we are made strongest in the Lord. This is the “much tribulation” through which we enter the kingdom of God. These enemy warriors may be temptations, lusts, habits, sickness, accidents, loss, marital problems, troubles with our children, the boss, or other people, financial disaster, or a thousand other seeming tragedies that come our way. Each of these battles is tremendously important, for this is the final victory that prepares us for the throne.
The journey to the throne of the universe begins in that small and undistinguished place where you are. The kingdom of God is within you and today is the day to make way for the king. The present time is the proving ground for those who through grace will reign with their Lord over the endless vastnesses of infinity.
A maturing son is one who is on the way of having substance within himself. Children must have everything done for them, and they live in the blessing of that to which they have contributed nothing. Spiritual children live on the benefits of what Christ has done for them and is continuing to do for them. They draw upon the abilities, accomplishments, experience, faith, prayers, ministry, knowledge, strength, and wisdom of other saints. Everything comes to the child from the outside, and nothing has been done by the child itself. There is nothing wrong with that. We all love children. But these are the marks of infancy—not maturity. Sons have come out of the realm where everything is done for them. They are no longer living off of other people’s prayers, encouragements, prophecies, strength, and revelation, for the ability of God is being raised up within them by the indwelling life of the Spirit. What the son needs is being produced in him and he is more and more walking in his own reality of the Christ within. His spiritual senses have become exercised, and he is possessing his new promised land of inheritance in Christ.
We have been in the habit of asking questions and getting them answered, but when we enter into the battle with the Jebusite kingdom, suddenly no one can answer our questions; no prophet gives us a word, no word of wisdom is forthcoming to give us direction, no one’s prayers avail anything, the rivers all run dry, the food we have eaten becomes stale and unpalatable, the heavens are as brass, and God seems far away. We are separated from all that has sustained us. Do not despair, For a season it seems that we will perish in the swirling waters—but our wise Father knows that before we go down the third time we will learn to swim. God has shut us up to the fact that from this point on everything must become ours experientially out of the christ within. It is no longer something that is ministered to us, but a work that is done in us.
To come to God’s full and intended place on mount Zion, we must know the Lord for ourselves in an inward way by the Spirit. It is a threshing place. It is there that Christ becomes ALL to us. When we have conquered in this realm, we are then ready to sit upon the throne. We now have power over all the nations and have broken them to shivers as the vessels of a potter. We rule with a rod of iron—the very strength of God in the right hand of sonship.
The morning star
To him that overcomes … I will give the morning star. (Rev. 2:28).
The elect are becoming overcomers by the power of the Christ within. When they have fully overcome all the “nations” that have occupied the land of promise, they are to be given “the morning star.” The morning star is the spiritual light and glory of Christ in His called and chosen ones which brings forth the dawn of the new kingdom day for all humankind. The sons of God, who have been given that morning star of Christ within
(Rev 22:16 NRSV) It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
The sons are to be themselves the heralds of the new day bringing that glorious arising of the light of God to dispel all the night of darkness of man’s disobedience and unbelief, flooding the world with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
The appearance of Christ within His elect as the morning star is a glorious manifestation of the Lord. The morning star appears at the darkest part of the night—just before the dawn. It is not the dawn, but it proclaims the approaching dawn. It comes at the hour when the night is disputing with the morn. It is seen and greeted only by a few who are watching for it.
The morning star is promised to all who overcome, especially to those who conquer all the enemies within their land On the individual level it is Christ arising out of our spirit to enlighten the darkness of our soul, announcing the dawning of God’s glorious day.
There is a remnant of God’s people over the whole earth in whose hearts the morning star is beginning to arise. This remnant have fixed their eyes upon Jesus, they are looking away from all the darkness of this world, from the chaos of sin, sickness, pain, rebellion, crime, drugs, war, terrorism, hatred, injustice, fear, and death stalking the earth; and they are looking away from the seeming hopeless carnality of the church world, away from everything to the everlasting hills of God.
(Heb 13:13-14 NIV) Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. [14] For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
Acts of immoderate indulgence. Usually but not always involving sex and alcohol.
Carnal Marked by the appetites and passions of the body.
Lust= Self indulgent sexual desire.
This appears on the surface to be “good works” but so often breaks down to become “lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life”
Voluntary sex between unmarried persons but in this case it is joining with worldly ways.
From the Roman system to most Pentecostal groups this “special” clergy teaching is given approval.
This is evident in the money seeking attitude of modern televangelists and Web Site ministries who continually seek to sell the Gospel for profit.
These are conditions within the individual person; their state of being.
The mind is a function of the soul.
This is the area that the young person needs to have much advice. The modern attitude to sex and human relationships is a great temptation. The Jezebel spirit is quick to use this opening.
Spiritual lusting can easily turn to lust of the flesh as we have seen in the downfall of many ministries.
Modern humanist society is a good example. New Age teachings, Hollywood, T.V. programs all promote this spirit. Sadly many in the Ecclesia have adopted the idea of “If we can’t beat them, let’s join them” and have adopted soulish ways.
There is nothing wrong with emotionif it is an expression of the Spirit Holy.The soul based substitute is not acceptable.
Programs, programs, busy, busy. Little growth, many lambs.
This over and over blessing time happens in many “ministries”. Falling down under the Spirit, Gold flakes from above, miracles etc are all possible in God’s purpose but the Jezebel spirit will quickly use these if any carnality is present. How people flock to see this kind of thing and how the ministry love to advertise it to gather people to their purpose.
The objective is to “do yourself out of a job”
Ever since Constantine corrupted the church the “self” has continued to introduce the products of Humankind’s thinking into the church.
Babylon means confusion
Read some of the writings from meetings of the Cardinals of Rome or Synods of the Chirch of England. Control, demands, assertions man’s ideas are all to be found in these bodies.
Considerations of the place of theology in the church points to how heavily the leaders lean on knowledge.
This a personal knowing. No one can do it for you.The Jezebel spirit will try to tell you to let someone else do it for you.
The list of these is endless. Senior Pastors, titles of all kinds, Pagan Christmas teachings, buying and selling, candles, liturgy, sumptuous robes and prideful adornments. And more.
Programs. programs, good works of many kinds, social activities, busy, busy, busy Money making schemes, bazaars, raffles,
An act of repentance and so they were accepted to be before the throne.
These people were IN THE CHURCH not unsaved ones of the world.
To turn away from.
To join with as in sex.
(Rev 2:22 KJV) Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
(Rev 7:14 KJV) And I said to him, Sir, you knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
A great number and a great tribulation as a result.for there were many who were called to repent of the false religious systems of man
The phrase “no man can number” should not be taken literally. Of course they could be numbered.
Reins” is an old English word derived from the Latin renes, meaning “kidneys.” “Renal failure” is the medical term today for kidney failure. Renal, of course, is the adjective form of the old English “reins” or the Latin renes. The kidneys are the organ which separates many of the toxins out of the blood to prevent the body from becoming poisoned. People who suffer kidney failure have to go on dialysis, a mechanical method of removing the toxins from the blood, which substitutes for the kidneys. The kidneys, in a spiritual sense, speak of that faculty which is able in our spiritual life to separate between flesh and spirit, between soul and spirit, between truth and error, between the precious and the vile. The kidneys are truly our faculty of discernment. To lack spiritual discernment is to suffer spiritual kidney failure.
(Psa 46:10 NIV) Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
The promised land was lived in by brutal and ruthless tribes who practiced devilish idolatries, including the worship of their own sexual lusts and the burning of their children in the fire as sacrificial offerings. Their abominable, degrading, disgusting patterns of behavior had been inviting the wrath of God during the time that Israel was multiplying in Egypt.
These enemy nations have walled cities replete with towers, huge gates, and citadels. They are fortified strongholds with arsenals of bows and arrows, swords, and daggers plus special weapons like the steel-edged Canaanite battle-axe. They have chariots of iron. The people of Canaan are tall and strong; their warriors renowned (Deut. 1:28).
A flamboyant trickster