3/30/23
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
The essence of this word was inspired some 40 years ago by Marion Fretwell, a precious brother in Christ, and a personal friend. However, the greatest part of this word is what I have received from the Lord.
As an introduction ...
The plumb line is dropped, the reed is given, the precise measuring rod is extended, the measuring of the temple of God and the altar and those who worship therein has begun.
Obviously, that has nothing to do with the natural realm.
Former president, John F. Kennedy, an astute politician, was often quoted by the media. One of his most potent statements was, "They who ride the beast for power end up in the beast's stomach." Whether insight or foresight this alludes to Revelation 17, which speaks of Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth. What is Babylon? the worldly system ... the kingdom of darkness. "Those who ride the beast for power" exist even in the United States today. Perhaps we could also say that those who ride the beast for money end up in the beast's stomach.
Now let us consider "a colt, the foal of an ass." The word "ass" can be translated as "donkey." The word also means an animal under the yoke. What kind of yoke? Jesus said, in
Zion speaks of the dwelling place of God or the Bride of Christ or the very elect or the overcomers or the remnant or the man-child company of Revelation 12. Jerusalem is the site of the Lord's tabernacle, or the rest of the Church. There has always been, and still is, a church within a church. All those in Zion are part of the Church but not all those in Jerusalem are part of Zion.
Sixty-nine weeks, a week for a year, equates to 483 years. (69 x 7 = 483). Daniel's prophecy cannot refer to the commandment to restore natural Jerusalem in the time of Ezra because that came about 540 years before Messiah the Prince. However, Zechariah's prophecy came exactly 483 years prior to the coming of Jesus. So Daniel 9:25 refers to spiritual Jerusalem; further the street and the wall do not speak of a natural street or wall.
Some say that the temple in the natural city of Jerusalem will be built again. If so, man, not God will build it because He has no interest in natural temples.
Matthew, in Matthew 21:1-5, refers to Zechariah 9:9:
"Hosanna" means "save us." At that time the Jews were crying out to Jesus to save them from the oppression of the Romans. It was a self-centered plea of desperation in the natural realm.
Note that both Zechariah and Matthew mention two animals ... a mother ass and its colt, the foal of an ass. However, Mark, Luke, and John mention only one animal ... the colt, the foal of an ass. That is because the Lord's primary attention is on the colt. Obviously, no man can ride on two different animals at the same time in the natural realm. But in the realm of the Spirit, God can work on the mother ass and the colt at the same time.
No man had ever sat on that colt before; it had never been ridden by any man; it was wild. What happened when Jesus mounted the colt? Did the colt rear, kick, bite, bray, and try to throw Jesus off? No! The colt was meek and mild and carried Jesus wherever He wanted to go. The prophetic significance of casting their garments on the colt is that we must put off the old man and put on the new man. Of course, the disciples, both then and now, can put on the new man only after our Pentecost, and even then we must decide to be broken.
The account in Luke 19:29-35 reads very similar to that in Mark.
Our questions are first, what is the significance of the mother ass and the colt, the foal of the ass? What does that mean for us today? and secondly, why do Zechariah and Matthew speak of two animals whereas Mark, Luke, and John mention only the colt, the foal of the mother ass?
Consider these facts. The ass is a beast of burden, a work animal. That is why Jesus did not borrow a horse. Horses are beasts of war. However, Jesus IS pictured as riding a horse when He comes to shake terribly the earth. But for the present, He has chosen an ass to be typical of His church, because it is not yet time to fight, conquer, and destroy completely all the workings of Satan.
The white horse speaks of those overcomers who have allowed the Lord to transform their human nature into the righteousness of the Lord and thereby to walk in the Kingdom of God. However, the mother ass was disqualified to be ridden by Jesus, for she had been ridden (ruled over) by man before.
The ass typifies the church through the centuries since shortly after Pentecost. She has borne the burden of persecution, turmoil, false teaching, and lack of power and authority. The mother ass is prophetic of the modern-day Levites who have committed abominations but the Lord still allows them to minister to the house. What is the house? All denominational churches and all named churches that have submitted themselves to more worldly ways rather than the Lord's ways. The colt, the foal of the mother ass speaks prophetically of the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who minister to the Lord, that is those who have kept their garments clean.
It is no secret that the church that the Lord is building is a vibrant, living organism, not an organization. All churches with an emphasis on organization are ruled and governed by man. Each one has their own set of rules by which they are governed. Each has their own doctrines which they propagate. Each has their own ideas of what constitutes worship and a worship service.
Our churches have been ruled over by men for so long that it seems more natural to be subject to man-rule than to be obedient to Jesus alone.
She was "sat on" by "man" in three hundred years after Pentecost. Man siezed control of the Church of the Living God. Man changed the doctrines of the Church - incorporating heathen teachings and practices into the Church. Man then altered the scriptures, in an attempt to validate the ungodly practices and teaching which had been brought in. Man also destroyed most of the original copies of the scriptures - leaving only those which had been corrupted. It is from those corrupted manuscripts that we have so many versions of the Bible to guide our lives today.
From 307 AD to 1567 AD was a period of 1260 years of antichrist teachings and practices. It was the time of great tribulation for the true believers. Man afflicted, tormented, tortured, and killed those who refused to bow to the edicts which came from Man's seat of control over the "beast of burden" Church. It has been called "The Devil's Millenium." The Man has been referred to as "The Antichrist."
The period of 1260 years is described in the Bible in several ways. It is called "three and a half years, forty and two months, three and a half days-- and others. All of the terms refer to the same period of time.
During that time and ever since, the Lord has given many awakenings which resulted in many being temporarily loosed from the bondage of Man domination. They were times of great liberty of the Spirit, and signs and wonders being wrought. But Man was soon able to gain control of these awakenings, and they soon died the same death as all of those before them.
These things have happened in the time of the mother beast of burden. (But, there is to be a "birth" to take place in the future.) The burden-bearing Church will have a many-membered SON arise from its midst.
Before Man can gain control of (sit upon) this many-membered SON of the burden-bearing Church, Jesus Himself will "sit upon" (impart His power to and control) the company, and shall bring His Kingdom on earth into being through them. This company will have a very short, but very powerful ministry. The Spirit of Jesus will be in full control. The work will be finished in very short order.
There can be no Canaanite or mixture in the Kingdom of God (Zechariah 14:21). Consider, however, that the mother ass had a SON upon whom never man had sat. A colt, by definition, is a male ass. That son had "come out of her, My people" as we all are exhorted to do in Revelation 18:4.
That does not mean that males are superior to females. We only make the distinction because it makes the event ring true to Biblical principles. The full-grown sons of God will be made up of both male and female. This group, which we will call the man-child company of Revelation 12, will be cohesive without the need of incorporation and by-laws. The Spirit of God, alone, will be their governing force. Jesus, riding into Jerusalem on the colt, typified His visitation of the Church by means of the man-child company, which, in turn, ministers to the "mother" Church in sustaining and nourishing her, as Joseph sustained his brethren in Egypt. As an interesting sidelight, this man-child is neither a man nor a child, but a new creation in Christ.
As an aside, I do not believe that catching up to God and to His throne is in the natural realm. It has no relationship whatsoever to the so-called rapture theory.
The woman is Jerusalem, that part of the church which had not become overcomers.
Please do not get the idea that all you have to do to be eligible for this choosing is to remain free from man's organization, for that is not the case. The Lord cannot use "self-willed" asses. We also need the on-going work of the Lord in our personal lives.
A chance of being eligible for this choosing of GOD is worth all it would cost an individual to attain to it. Salvation, alone, is only the beginning of our journey with the Lord. It calls for a high degree of character refinement, and not very many of us professing Christians are aware of the need. Why are only a few Christians aware of the need to repent and believe the Gospel? because they have never heard of such a distinction.
Some who are aware of the need do not possess the desire for it. There will probably be plenty of room at the top. Comparatively few will attain to it. Many are called but few are chosen because few choose. To "choose" the straight and narrow way requires much more than a mental understanding and agreement. An increasing number of ministers have expressed deep concern over the lukewarm attitude of many Christian believers today. A great multitude are indeed part of the church of the Laodiceans. However, the Lord is building His church. For now, it is a hidden work.
This is where the foal enters the picture. A foal is an equine less than one year old. In the last of the last days,
Clearly, those verses do NOT refer to non-believers. The message is for the church of today. Verse 19 is an exhortation for us believers to repent. The masses like to be ruled by man. We do not like to make decisions. Human nature is also attracted by large numbers. That is why mega-churches are very popular. Numbers, in themselves, are not necessarily bad. "Running with the herd," however, is not conducive to getting alone with God with a view to personal refinement of spiritual character. We MUST make Jesus our ONLY Governor if we are to be an overcomer. He will NEVER force Himself upon us. It is by invitation ONLY that He will do His refining work in our lives.
I have never been to a cowboy rodeo, but I have seen clips on the internet and on TV. Two of the events in a rodeo are riding a wild bull and riding a wild horse. Whoever stays atop the bull or wild horse the longest is the winner. Seldom is the winner able to ride the bull or horse for more than one minute. Likewise, we cannot tame our human nature. No one except the Lord can tame our self-life or human nature, and then only if we allow Him to do so. Have you ever seen a cowboy break a wild horse? Have you ever seen what an untamed horse will do? A wild ass reacts similarly to a wild horse.
A few years ago I listened to a message by an Evangelical minister on the topic of Zechariah 9:9. He seemed to be a very knowledgeable and polished speaker with a very smooth speaking voice. But he really had nothing of substance to say. Evangelicals, among other things, tend to interpret the Bible literally, but there are hundreds of phrases in the Bible that cannot or at least should not be interpreted literally. His explanation of why the two disciples brought both the mother ass and the colt, the foal of an ass and why the colt was very submissive to Jesus was that the colt was satisfied because his mother was tagging along. That is a nice natural-level explanation of why the colt was immediately submissive to Jesus, but that was not the case. Have you ever seen little children cry, stomp their feet, scream, and behave badly even in the presence of their parents? It happens all the time. The reason that wild colt was immediately submissive to Jesus and let Him ride him was because Jesus is Lord and even the wild animals know that. The Lord told all of the lions in their den not to touch Daniel ... and they obeyed.
We are not able to do anything with this wild nature that we were born with. We can try everything under the sun to rid ourselves of this wild nature, but the only One that will ever mount that wild ass that is in us is the Lord Jesus Christ. Our will power is not sufficient; neither is our mental understanding; neither are our emotions. Some of the biggest problems in both the individual believer and the corporate church are caused by us trying to do what only God can do. He is able to take our wild nature, subdue it, and reign over it and make us like Himself ... even to the point that we will actually enjoy being a bond-slave unto Him. We must turn our life over completely to the Lord and allow Him to work in us that which is His will, His good pleasure, and His purpose for us.
We are called to identify with Jesus in all things. Therefore, where are the humble and broken people who will allow God to birth a mighty visitation within and through them? Where are the ones who are willing to empty themselves of their own agendas and plans in order to become saturated with God's purpose for us? Where are the vessels that are poured out for Him? Where are those, like the poor widow woman in Mark 12:41-44, who will cast in all that they have? The Lord is not looking for our money. He is looking for us! We must invite the Holy Spirit to fill us with that kind of all-consuming vision and calling. May we yield to the Holy Spirit and give Him permission to groan, weep and intercede through us! May we humble ourselves and repent of ANYTHING that would hinder or quench the Spirit of restoration!
What happens after a sufficient number of believers cry out to the Lord, "Help, LORD! Break me and then make me into what you desire?" Then those believers, a remnant, the elect, the overcomers will fulfill
Then we finally see the fulfillment of
Jesus did not weep because of the death of Lazarus. He wept because not even Mary understood that He, Jesus, was/is Life personified. That event was the second time that Scripture records that Jesus wept. The other time is recorded in
Of course, Jesus did not weep over a city but over the people within the city. I believe the Lord still weeps over spiritual Jerusalem ... the mother ass of the colt on which He rode into Jerusalem.
Without any doubt, we are living in the Laodicean church age, which is characterized by great deception, even in the visible church. That is what Jesus said in Matthew 24. Sadly, when we Christians hear a general word like this, our human nature tends to say, "Well, that does not apply to me or to our church." Therefore, in Part 2 of this word we will give a specific example that differentiates the mother ass from the colt.
Our God is a consuming fire. God is love but He also is a God of judgment. May we all be found worthy to walk with Him. Amen and Amen.
As an introduction ...
Isaiah 30:8-10, "Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:"
Note in verse 8 that Isaiah said this is for ever and ever. That word was directed to God's chosen people over all of time. If you want to hear smooth things, just go to almost any organized, named church today. Not everyone in the body of Christ is a mouth. I find no example in the Bible of a pastor being the preacher in large assemblies. The only ministry recorded in the New Testament who preaches in a general assembly are prophets (1 Corinthians 14:29-30). That creates quite a problem for the great majority of organized churches because true prophets are very rare. Years ago, a man who traveled extensively and whom thousands called an apostle, said that he only knew two true prophets. Both of those two prophets were in our home several times. Would it be a bad thing just to come together to thank and praise and worship the Lord and intercede for those in authority and all those whom the Lord puts on our heart?
Many long years ago, a true prophet and personal friend of mine said, "Preach the truth. If it kills, let me die first." I can identify with that. Sadly, the body of Christ sorely needs the truth preached. Pilate looked the Truth straight in the eye and asked, "What is truth?"
Many long years ago, a true prophet and personal friend of mine said, "Preach the truth. If it kills, let me die first." I can identify with that. Sadly, the body of Christ sorely needs the truth preached. Pilate looked the Truth straight in the eye and asked, "What is truth?"
Paul said, in Acts 20:26-28, "Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood."
Today the messengers of the Gospel of the Kingdom have one of two choices, Declare the whole counsel of God or compromise; there are no gray areas.
Amos 7:7-8, "Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in His hand. And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou?And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:"
The plumb line is dropped, the reed is given, the precise measuring rod is extended, the measuring of the temple of God and the altar and those who worship therein has begun.
Revelation 11:1, "And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein."
Obviously, that has nothing to do with the natural realm.
Ezekiel 43:10, "Thou son of man, Shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern."
Former president, John F. Kennedy, an astute politician, was often quoted by the media. One of his most potent statements was, "They who ride the beast for power end up in the beast's stomach." Whether insight or foresight this alludes to Revelation 17, which speaks of Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth. What is Babylon? the worldly system ... the kingdom of darkness. "Those who ride the beast for power" exist even in the United States today. Perhaps we could also say that those who ride the beast for money end up in the beast's stomach.
Now let us consider "a colt, the foal of an ass." The word "ass" can be translated as "donkey." The word also means an animal under the yoke. What kind of yoke? Jesus said, in
Matthew 11:28-30, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Unfortunately, there is another kind of yoke ... the yoke of man ... even some men in leadership positions in our churches.
When Jesus was preparing for what has been called the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, he made a specific demand on His disciples. He borrowed two animals in order to enact a prophecy about the future of the Church. The prophet Zechariah had foretold that event.
When Jesus was preparing for what has been called the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, he made a specific demand on His disciples. He borrowed two animals in order to enact a prophecy about the future of the Church. The prophet Zechariah had foretold that event.
Zechariah 9:9, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."
Zion speaks of the dwelling place of God or the Bride of Christ or the very elect or the overcomers or the remnant or the man-child company of Revelation 12. Jerusalem is the site of the Lord's tabernacle, or the rest of the Church. There has always been, and still is, a church within a church. All those in Zion are part of the Church but not all those in Jerusalem are part of Zion.
Daniel, in Daniel 9:25 prophesied, "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times."
Sixty-nine weeks, a week for a year, equates to 483 years. (69 x 7 = 483). Daniel's prophecy cannot refer to the commandment to restore natural Jerusalem in the time of Ezra because that came about 540 years before Messiah the Prince. However, Zechariah's prophecy came exactly 483 years prior to the coming of Jesus. So Daniel 9:25 refers to spiritual Jerusalem; further the street and the wall do not speak of a natural street or wall.
Some say that the temple in the natural city of Jerusalem will be built again. If so, man, not God will build it because He has no interest in natural temples.
Acts 9:11, "And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,"
The street was called Straight by men. Actually, it was very crooked. The Lord Himself is the street, the way into the kingdom of God.
Zechariah 2:5, "For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her."
Matthew, in Matthew 21:1-5, refers to Zechariah 9:9:
"And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass."
Then, in Matthew 21:8-9, "And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest."
"Hosanna" means "save us." At that time the Jews were crying out to Jesus to save them from the oppression of the Romans. It was a self-centered plea of desperation in the natural realm.
Note that both Zechariah and Matthew mention two animals ... a mother ass and its colt, the foal of an ass. However, Mark, Luke, and John mention only one animal ... the colt, the foal of an ass. That is because the Lord's primary attention is on the colt. Obviously, no man can ride on two different animals at the same time in the natural realm. But in the realm of the Spirit, God can work on the mother ass and the colt at the same time.
In Mark 11:1-7, "And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, He sendeth forth two of His disciples, And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and He sat upon him."
No man had ever sat on that colt before; it had never been ridden by any man; it was wild. What happened when Jesus mounted the colt? Did the colt rear, kick, bite, bray, and try to throw Jesus off? No! The colt was meek and mild and carried Jesus wherever He wanted to go. The prophetic significance of casting their garments on the colt is that we must put off the old man and put on the new man. Of course, the disciples, both then and now, can put on the new man only after our Pentecost, and even then we must decide to be broken.
The account in Luke 19:29-35 reads very similar to that in Mark.
John 12:15, "Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt."
Our questions are first, what is the significance of the mother ass and the colt, the foal of the ass? What does that mean for us today? and secondly, why do Zechariah and Matthew speak of two animals whereas Mark, Luke, and John mention only the colt, the foal of the mother ass?
Consider these facts. The ass is a beast of burden, a work animal. That is why Jesus did not borrow a horse. Horses are beasts of war. However, Jesus IS pictured as riding a horse when He comes to shake terribly the earth. But for the present, He has chosen an ass to be typical of His church, because it is not yet time to fight, conquer, and destroy completely all the workings of Satan.
Revelation 19:11-13, "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God."
The white horse speaks of those overcomers who have allowed the Lord to transform their human nature into the righteousness of the Lord and thereby to walk in the Kingdom of God. However, the mother ass was disqualified to be ridden by Jesus, for she had been ridden (ruled over) by man before.
Ezekiel 44:10-16, "And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity. Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house: they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them. Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up mine hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity. And they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy place: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed. But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein. But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD: They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge."
The ass typifies the church through the centuries since shortly after Pentecost. She has borne the burden of persecution, turmoil, false teaching, and lack of power and authority. The mother ass is prophetic of the modern-day Levites who have committed abominations but the Lord still allows them to minister to the house. What is the house? All denominational churches and all named churches that have submitted themselves to more worldly ways rather than the Lord's ways. The colt, the foal of the mother ass speaks prophetically of the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who minister to the Lord, that is those who have kept their garments clean.
It is no secret that the church that the Lord is building is a vibrant, living organism, not an organization. All churches with an emphasis on organization are ruled and governed by man. Each one has their own set of rules by which they are governed. Each has their own doctrines which they propagate. Each has their own ideas of what constitutes worship and a worship service.
Our churches have been ruled over by men for so long that it seems more natural to be subject to man-rule than to be obedient to Jesus alone.
Acts 5:29, "Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men."
Matthew 20:12, "These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day."
She was "sat on" by "man" in three hundred years after Pentecost. Man siezed control of the Church of the Living God. Man changed the doctrines of the Church - incorporating heathen teachings and practices into the Church. Man then altered the scriptures, in an attempt to validate the ungodly practices and teaching which had been brought in. Man also destroyed most of the original copies of the scriptures - leaving only those which had been corrupted. It is from those corrupted manuscripts that we have so many versions of the Bible to guide our lives today.
From 307 AD to 1567 AD was a period of 1260 years of antichrist teachings and practices. It was the time of great tribulation for the true believers. Man afflicted, tormented, tortured, and killed those who refused to bow to the edicts which came from Man's seat of control over the "beast of burden" Church. It has been called "The Devil's Millenium." The Man has been referred to as "The Antichrist."
The period of 1260 years is described in the Bible in several ways. It is called "three and a half years, forty and two months, three and a half days-- and others. All of the terms refer to the same period of time.
During that time and ever since, the Lord has given many awakenings which resulted in many being temporarily loosed from the bondage of Man domination. They were times of great liberty of the Spirit, and signs and wonders being wrought. But Man was soon able to gain control of these awakenings, and they soon died the same death as all of those before them.
These things have happened in the time of the mother beast of burden. (But, there is to be a "birth" to take place in the future.) The burden-bearing Church will have a many-membered SON arise from its midst.
Before Man can gain control of (sit upon) this many-membered SON of the burden-bearing Church, Jesus Himself will "sit upon" (impart His power to and control) the company, and shall bring His Kingdom on earth into being through them. This company will have a very short, but very powerful ministry. The Spirit of Jesus will be in full control. The work will be finished in very short order.
Habakkuk 1:5 Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
There can be no Canaanite or mixture in the Kingdom of God (Zechariah 14:21). Consider, however, that the mother ass had a SON upon whom never man had sat. A colt, by definition, is a male ass. That son had "come out of her, My people" as we all are exhorted to do in Revelation 18:4.
That does not mean that males are superior to females. We only make the distinction because it makes the event ring true to Biblical principles. The full-grown sons of God will be made up of both male and female. This group, which we will call the man-child company of Revelation 12, will be cohesive without the need of incorporation and by-laws. The Spirit of God, alone, will be their governing force. Jesus, riding into Jerusalem on the colt, typified His visitation of the Church by means of the man-child company, which, in turn, ministers to the "mother" Church in sustaining and nourishing her, as Joseph sustained his brethren in Egypt. As an interesting sidelight, this man-child is neither a man nor a child, but a new creation in Christ.
Revelation 121 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne.
As an aside, I do not believe that catching up to God and to His throne is in the natural realm. It has no relationship whatsoever to the so-called rapture theory.
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
The woman is Jerusalem, that part of the church which had not become overcomers.
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Please do not get the idea that all you have to do to be eligible for this choosing is to remain free from man's organization, for that is not the case. The Lord cannot use "self-willed" asses. We also need the on-going work of the Lord in our personal lives.
A chance of being eligible for this choosing of GOD is worth all it would cost an individual to attain to it. Salvation, alone, is only the beginning of our journey with the Lord. It calls for a high degree of character refinement, and not very many of us professing Christians are aware of the need. Why are only a few Christians aware of the need to repent and believe the Gospel? because they have never heard of such a distinction.
Some who are aware of the need do not possess the desire for it. There will probably be plenty of room at the top. Comparatively few will attain to it. Many are called but few are chosen because few choose. To "choose" the straight and narrow way requires much more than a mental understanding and agreement. An increasing number of ministers have expressed deep concern over the lukewarm attitude of many Christian believers today. A great multitude are indeed part of the church of the Laodiceans. However, the Lord is building His church. For now, it is a hidden work.
Luke 14:15-22, "And when one of them that sat at meat with Him heard these things, he said unto Him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper."
This is where the foal enters the picture. A foal is an equine less than one year old. In the last of the last days,
Romans 9:28, "For He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth."
Revelation 3:14-22, "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh 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. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
Clearly, those verses do NOT refer to non-believers. The message is for the church of today. Verse 19 is an exhortation for us believers to repent. The masses like to be ruled by man. We do not like to make decisions. Human nature is also attracted by large numbers. That is why mega-churches are very popular. Numbers, in themselves, are not necessarily bad. "Running with the herd," however, is not conducive to getting alone with God with a view to personal refinement of spiritual character. We MUST make Jesus our ONLY Governor if we are to be an overcomer. He will NEVER force Himself upon us. It is by invitation ONLY that He will do His refining work in our lives.
I have never been to a cowboy rodeo, but I have seen clips on the internet and on TV. Two of the events in a rodeo are riding a wild bull and riding a wild horse. Whoever stays atop the bull or wild horse the longest is the winner. Seldom is the winner able to ride the bull or horse for more than one minute. Likewise, we cannot tame our human nature. No one except the Lord can tame our self-life or human nature, and then only if we allow Him to do so. Have you ever seen a cowboy break a wild horse? Have you ever seen what an untamed horse will do? A wild ass reacts similarly to a wild horse.
A few years ago I listened to a message by an Evangelical minister on the topic of Zechariah 9:9. He seemed to be a very knowledgeable and polished speaker with a very smooth speaking voice. But he really had nothing of substance to say. Evangelicals, among other things, tend to interpret the Bible literally, but there are hundreds of phrases in the Bible that cannot or at least should not be interpreted literally. His explanation of why the two disciples brought both the mother ass and the colt, the foal of an ass and why the colt was very submissive to Jesus was that the colt was satisfied because his mother was tagging along. That is a nice natural-level explanation of why the colt was immediately submissive to Jesus, but that was not the case. Have you ever seen little children cry, stomp their feet, scream, and behave badly even in the presence of their parents? It happens all the time. The reason that wild colt was immediately submissive to Jesus and let Him ride him was because Jesus is Lord and even the wild animals know that. The Lord told all of the lions in their den not to touch Daniel ... and they obeyed.
Jeremiah 8:7, "Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD."
We are not able to do anything with this wild nature that we were born with. We can try everything under the sun to rid ourselves of this wild nature, but the only One that will ever mount that wild ass that is in us is the Lord Jesus Christ. Our will power is not sufficient; neither is our mental understanding; neither are our emotions. Some of the biggest problems in both the individual believer and the corporate church are caused by us trying to do what only God can do. He is able to take our wild nature, subdue it, and reign over it and make us like Himself ... even to the point that we will actually enjoy being a bond-slave unto Him. We must turn our life over completely to the Lord and allow Him to work in us that which is His will, His good pleasure, and His purpose for us.
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.Philippians 2:13
We are called to identify with Jesus in all things. Therefore, where are the humble and broken people who will allow God to birth a mighty visitation within and through them? Where are the ones who are willing to empty themselves of their own agendas and plans in order to become saturated with God's purpose for us? Where are the vessels that are poured out for Him? Where are those, like the poor widow woman in Mark 12:41-44, who will cast in all that they have? The Lord is not looking for our money. He is looking for us! We must invite the Holy Spirit to fill us with that kind of all-consuming vision and calling. May we yield to the Holy Spirit and give Him permission to groan, weep and intercede through us! May we humble ourselves and repent of ANYTHING that would hinder or quench the Spirit of restoration!
What happens after a sufficient number of believers cry out to the Lord, "Help, LORD! Break me and then make me into what you desire?" Then those believers, a remnant, the elect, the overcomers will fulfill
Joel 2:17, "Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?"
Then we finally see the fulfillment of
Isaiah 66:8, "Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children."
John 11:32-36, "Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying unto Him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto Him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how He loved him!"
Jesus did not weep because of the death of Lazarus. He wept because not even Mary understood that He, Jesus, was/is Life personified. That event was the second time that Scripture records that Jesus wept. The other time is recorded in
Luke 19:41-42, "And when He was come near, He beheld the city [Jerusalem], and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes."
Of course, Jesus did not weep over a city but over the people within the city. I believe the Lord still weeps over spiritual Jerusalem ... the mother ass of the colt on which He rode into Jerusalem.
Without any doubt, we are living in the Laodicean church age, which is characterized by great deception, even in the visible church. That is what Jesus said in Matthew 24. Sadly, when we Christians hear a general word like this, our human nature tends to say, "Well, that does not apply to me or to our church." Therefore, in Part 2 of this word we will give a specific example that differentiates the mother ass from the colt.
Our God is a consuming fire. God is love but He also is a God of judgment. May we all be found worthy to walk with Him. Amen and Amen.
