June 1999

A prepared people with a holy purpose in the kingdom of God are seen in the Spirit coming out of the wilderness (Song of Solomon 3:6 & 8:5). Just as our Father sees us already finished and complete in Him as we await our transformation, so also are we seen in the Spirit coming out of the wilderness. We are not yet out of the wilderness in reality, or in fact, but our Father is progressively leading us out with each truth we receive from Him and with each spiritual step He leads us to take. Our Father has already determined, with prophetic purpose and intent, that we shall come out of this wilderness by the leading of His Spirit, and by no other way. Our path out of this wilderness is already established and laid down for us in the Spirit. As we continue to grow in God, we shall come out of this wilderness by the leading of the Spirit. Then we shall enter the greater glories and the joyous freedom of the fullness of the kingdom of our Father.

Just What is the Wilderness?

The wilderness for the elect and chosen ones is anything and every-thing that is not of the Spirit of God and His righteous, spiritual kingdom! All that is outside the kingdom of God is the wilderness to us. The fullness of the kingdom of God is our home; it is our goal, our Promised Land. And everything outside His kingdom is the wilderness. According to the prophetic word of the Lord, the entire world order is a wilderness! It is fallen Adam, or the carnal nature and mind in all mankind, "that made the world as a wilderness" (Is. 14:17). This world is as a wilderness, for everything in it and of it was done for the benefit of, and to sustain the carnal minds and bodies of all mankind. The fact that we are in this body of flesh and blood, while in this present world, shows that we are in the wilderness. When we die or are changed into the image and likeness of Christ, we shall be released from this wilderness! Until then, we are in the world but not of it!

The religious systems of this world are also as a wilderness, due to man's corrupt leadership. All of Christendom has been made a wilderness of confusion and turmoil by the many voices of man, who are giving many opinions contrary to the truth of God. Thus, the prophet wrote, "Many pastors (shepherds, rulers) have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness" (Jer. 12:10). Not only is this world a wilderness, but so also is the church system. But to be in the church system is to be in double bondage; it is to be in bondage to the world and also to the religious systems of man. So our Father called us out of the wilderness of the religious systems, and into the greater freedom of the wilderness of this world, not that we might partake of the world and it's iniquities, but that we would be more completely processed in this wilderness. He led us out of religious bondage and into the wilderness of this world to lead us into the greater Promised Land of the kingdom of God. The Lord has already done this by example with Israel of old. He led them out of the greater bondage of Egypt and into the wilderness (Ex. 3:16-18, Eze. 20:10-12), that He might prepare them to enter their Promised Land of Canaan.

It is also possible that the wilderness of this world could be a place of refuge for us, just as it was for Israel and Jesus (see Ps. 55:6-7, Lu. 5:16 & Jo. 11:54). Also, Israel found grace in the wilderness (Jer. 31:2), and David was protected from the wrath of Saul while in the wilderness (1 Sam. 23:14-25). As we remain in our spiritual "booths" while in the wilderness of this world, we are sheltered and protected from the many contrary, religious voices of the carnal-minded and those in the church system. A new Day has begun in the earth. The Lord is now leading His elect out of the old church order, by repentance, and into the new and greater order of the kingdom of God. He is doing a strange, new work within us for His glory. Our Father is also taking the old church order out of our hearts and minds to prepare us for the new order of the kingdom of God on earth.

When the Lord apprehended us, filled us with His blessed holy Spirit, and began to reveal new truths to us by His Spirit, this present world then became as a wilderness to us. His Spirit, His life, and His truth, which was within us, caused us to look at the world and its corrupt systems and see it all exactly as it is in the Spirit: a vast wilderness of man's unrighteous ways. When we saw the world through the eyes of the Spirit and as God sees it, everything in it and of it then became as a wilderness to us. The spiritual-minded will always see this world and its corrupt systems as the wilderness that it really is, when compared with the righteous and holy kingdom of our Father, which is our true inheritance, or the Promised Land of our Father's dominion.

No longer do we love and appreciate this world and its systems; nor can we function any longer on that carnal, worldly level. Long ago we ceased our devotion to the religious systems of man, for all those systems are of the world and for the worldly minded. No longer do we admire the economic and political-governmental systems of this world, for Father has disciplined us so we cannot function or operate profitably in the midst of the Babylonish confusion of that realm. Others do not know that the world and its systems are as a wilderness, for the Spirit of God has not yet given them truth, light and understanding. But they will come to know and understand this truth by the Spirit and in their own due order, rank, and time. When the Lord calls them out of the church system, as He surely shall in His time and by His Spirit, He will also take the old church order out of them. Then we will be here "outside the camp" prepared of the Spirit to lead them into the greater fullness of the kingdom of our Father.

Father's Purpose for our Wilderness Experiences

Everything that happened to Israel all through their journey from Egypt to the promised land of Canaan "happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world (or age) are come" (1 Co. 10:11). Therefore, Israel's experiences during their wilderness wanderings are given to us as an admonition, or as a warning, and for our example. When their experiences in the wilderness were over, the Lord said to Israel, "And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness." Why did the Lord lead them the way He did? "To humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live."

"Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land." (Deut. 8:2-3, 5-6). What the Lord did to Israel then by example, He is doing with us now in the Spirit. The Lord our God is bringing us into a good land; it is the good Land of the greater fullness of the kingdom of God on earth. Because the Lord alone knows how good that Land is, He also knows He must prepare us to inherit that good, Kingdom Land. So He leads us through the wilderness of this world to humble us, and to cause us to hunger for the spiritual bread of God, which will bring us to maturity and prepare us to inherit that wonderful, new, Kingdom Land. As a natural father disciplines his sons, so our heavenly Father is chastening and correcting us, through the trials of this life, that we might be taught the ways of the Lord, and then disciplined of Him to walk faithfully in all His ways. Our Father also made abundant provision for our sustenance during our earthly, wilderness journey, just as He did for Israel of old (Neh. 9:19-25). He also made abundant provision for us to live spiritually by every word that regularly and continually proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.

There is something else that is notable and that took place as a result of Israel's journey through the wilderness. As they stood before their promised land and the spies returned with a negative, false report, many in Israel murmured against the Lord. So God said to Moses, "How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?" (Nu. 14:11) Then the Lord said He would smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them (vs. 12). He also told them He would bring their little ones into the promised land. But the Lord said to the older generation, the generation of murmurers, "But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness" (Nu. 14:32). What was a word of corrective judgment for Israel of old, is to us in this new Day a verdict or a sentence upon the sinful, carnal man of the flesh.

When the Lord spoke that word to unbelieving Israel thousands of years ago, I believe He was giving a prophetic word of judgment for the old man, Adam, which is the carnal man of sin within us all. When God said to rebellious Israel of old, "your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness," He was establishing a prophetic principle of life that applies to all mankind. Our carcasses shall indeed fall in the wilderness of this world. Whether through death or through our full transformation, the carcasses of these carnal, fleshly bodies of sin and death "shall fall in this wilderness." It is not possible for these carnal bodies of flesh and blood, along with our carnal minds, to make it beyond this present wilderness. Our physical bodies were created by God for the wilderness of this world, and for no other realm.

The Kingdom of God is the realm of spiritual life beyond this wilderness realm of earthly, worldly, carnal existence. Our Father is preparing us now to enter the greater fullness of His Kingdom. The rod of our Father's correction has been applied to us many times, and will continue its work in our lives until we are fully changed to inherit the abundant Life of the kingdom of God. We should all know by now the blessed truth of God concerning His Kingdom, which is, "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption" (1 Co. 15:50).

Our fleshly bodies were created from the elements of this earth, and belong to this realm of corruption. The Lord Himself said "dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" (Ge. 3:19). Therefore, these carcasses of corruption - these frail, earthly bodies of flesh and blood, must "fall in this wilderness." These carcasses of carnality are indeed purposed of God to be "wasted in the wilderness" (Nu. 14:33). Our physical bodies of the earth must die and then be planted or sown in the earth to bring forth a new body. The divine principle of life is: "That which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but (this old body of flesh, as with all other seeds, will) bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body" (1 Co. 15:36-38).

A grain of wheat planted in the earth will always bring forth a wheat plant. The same is true of every other seed. God's law for the creation is that everything must bring forth after its kind (Ge. 1:11). Likewise, when a believer's physical body is planted in the earth as a spiritual seed, a new body like unto Christ's must come forth in a glorious resurrection and manifestation of His Life. This also is the principle of resurrection! Paul wrote, "So it is with the resurrection of the dead. [The body] that is sown is perishable and decays, but [the body] that is resurrected is imperishable - immune to decay, immortal. [Dan. 12:3.] It is sown in dishonor and humiliation; it is raised in honor and glory. It is sown in infirmity and weakness; it is resurrected in strength and endued with power. It is sown a natural (physical) body; it is raised a supernatural (a spiritual) body. [As surely as] there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body." (1 Co. 15:42-44, Amp.)

The natural must give way to the spiritual! This is our Father's, kingdom order! The natural body came first; it has been a temporary "tent" or home of tests and trials for us as we journeyed through the wilderness of this world. This body was the will of God for us, and it will have served Father's purpose well. When this part of life's journey from one life to another is over, we will have grown spiritually from babes in Christ to full-grown and mature sons of God, created in His image and likeness. But this body, this carcass, "shall fall in this wilderness." The greater spiritual body of the fullness of Light, Life, and Glory, which must follow this natural body, will one day soon be given to those who are being prepared of the Spirit for that change. The promise is: "as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly" (1 Co. 15:49).

The word, "carcass," as used in Nu. 14:32, literally means, a corpse or a dead body. And that is exactly what these bodies are; they are dead bodies or carcasses, when compared with the new body of resurrection Life that we shall receive in the fullness of time. The Apostle Paul tells us: "But she (or he) that liveth in pleasure is dead while she (or he) liveth" (1 Tim. 5:6). In Kingdom terminology, these bodies are dead! Since Christ is within us, it is His Life that makes us alive and gives us a future in His kingdom. Without His true Life within us, we are dead even while we "live" through this realm of death that we flippantly call "life." Therefore, these carnal carcasses, these dead bodies, cannot possibly make it into the greater fullness of the kingdom of God. But they are foreordained of our Father to "fall in this wilderness." We may try to improve our health by eating right and taking vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplements, but these bodies will not make it out of this wilderness. Our bodies will either be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, or they will be planted in the earth, from which they came, to come forth and be born again of the Spirit, manifesting the fullness of the resurrection Life of Christ! What a glorious hope we have because of His Life within us!

The prophet Ezekiel accurately predicted our wilderness experience in this world. The prophet's terminology sounds much like Israel's experience under the leadership of Moses, but it is a spiritual prophecy foretelling God's plan to bring His true Israel to spiritual maturity. Ezekiel prophesied the word of the Lord, saying, "As I live, saith the Lord, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God" (Ez. 20:33-36).

Our Father's primary purpose concerning us is to rule over us. Before we shall ever grow beyond the primary or "milk" stage, Christ must be the supreme Head, Lord and King of our lives. Unless Christ is the King of our lives, we have no real relationship with Him as King in His kingdom. So the first thing the Lord tells us is, "As I live, saith the Lord, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you." When Christ fully rules and reigns in our lives as our Lord and King, He will then bring us into the wilderness, by the revelation of this truth to our spirits, and will then plead with us face to face. We will know we are in the typical wilderness when the Lord separates us from the fellowship of others so He can plead with us "face to face." Our Father desires to commune with His elect on an individual basis and not collectively, as in a group of people. Christ is not now standing and knocking at the doors of churches or fellowships, but at the individual "door" of "any man" who will hear His voice and "sup with Him" (Rev. 3:20). Here again we can see that what the Lord did with Israel in history, He is doing spiritually and individually with His chosen ones today.

The Lord is now pleading with us individually and "face to face." He is pleading with us regarding the Adamic nature and mind that is within us, delivering us of our many iniquities that resulted from old Adam's sinful nature in us. Our Father is moving in our lives to show us our iniquities and bring us to repentance, that we might be set free of the man of sin that is within us all. It is here, in this wilderness, where the Lord has purposed to plead with us face to face. And it is also here, in the wilderness of this world, where our Father has purposed to end the sinful, Adamic man's carnal dominion in our lives. Because we are the firstfruits of all mankind, the deliverance of all mankind will follow our transformation, when old Adam's dominion in us is thoroughly broken and brought to an end.

The Psalmist told of God's power by which Israel was able to cross the Red Sea after being delivered out of Egyptian bondage. The Psalmist declared, "For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou breakest the heads of the dragons in the waters. Thou breakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness" (Ps. 74:12-14). To know that our King is continually working salvation in the midst of the earth is a wonderful truth to realize and understand. When we can see, by the Spirit, that God is working toward His wonderful and all-inclusive plan of salvation every hour of every day, we will have made a giant step in this process of dispelling the darkness within us. All that the carnal-minded can see now is the darkness, the chaos, and the turmoil all around them. Their minds are so darkened that they find it impossible to think in spiritual terms or to see anything good taking place any where.

God is indeed "working salvation in the midst of the earth." He was working salvation in the midst of the earth when He led Israel to cross the Red Sea. And our Father is also working salvation in the midst of the earth in this wonderful new Day in which we now live. The same omnipotent King and Lord of all Who parted the waters of the Red Sea and then broke the heads of the dragons of old Adam by destroying the carnal-minded soldiers of Pharaoh's army, is the same mighty King who today is purging us and preparing us for our full deliverance from old Adam's dominion. The Psalmist used the truth of God's power, which opened the Red Sea and then destroyed Pharaoh's army, as an example for us of His power that is now breaking the heads of leviathan, or fallen Adam, and then causing "him" to be destroyed by the people in the wilderness. And we are the people in the wilderness who are bringing an end to old Adam's dominion in every man!

The Psalmist said, "Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing" (Ps. 17:3). So also has it been with us! The Lord visited us during this night, which is the beginning of a new Day. He also has been trying us like as by fire. And when His work in us is complete, He shall find nothing within us that is contrary to His will, His purposes or His kingdom. As it was with Jesus, so shall it be with us, when we have been thoroughly tried, tested and purged, there will be nothing within us that will respond to the devil's evil suggestions (Jo. 14:30). And as Israel was delivered from Egyptian bondage by night (Ex. 12:41-42, 14:19-22, De. 16:1, see also Acts 5:19), so also shall we be delivered from old Adam's dominion during this night of nights.

That which our King and Lord is doing with us now is primarily of a spiritual nature. Yet, when God moves by His Spirit to lead us on a new path, literal, natural changes take place in our lives. For example, when the Lord leads us to fulfill the spiritual principles of the Feast of Tabernacles, by His Spirit, He then puts us in our individual, spiritual "booths" (as in Lev. 23:42). Our "booth" for us is a realm in the Spirit where we are sheltered and protected from being misused or from going our own way and doing our own thing, by His rich and abiding presence. His will alone then becomes our utmost desire and purpose!

When He puts us in our individual, spiritual booths, the Lord is thus confining us and limiting our outward, religious activities. No longer can we do what we think is His will, according to our former understanding, for Father restrained us so we can only do His perfect will with each step we take, as He reveals it to us. When we try to do that which once brought us life, or some of the old order, churchy things, the Spirit speaks softly within, saying, "others may, you cannot!" Now we really know Him as our King and Lord! He rules us now with His mighty hand and stretched out arm, at times with fury poured out, but more often with His unlimited grace, mercy and love.

Ezekiel prophesied of the restraining hand of our Father that is upon us. He said, "And I will cause you to pass under the rod [as the shepherd does his sheep when he counts them, and I will count you as Mine, and I will constrain you] and bring you into the covenant to which you are permanently bound. [Lev. 27:32.]" (Ez. 20:37, Amplified.) Sonship truths involve much more than merely believing and accepting the truth that we are God's sons. Maturing and growing sons of God know their Father in a way that is more experienced and far superior to the limited understanding of others. Maturing sons of God are in their spiritual booths. We were put there by our Father, Who has limited our walk and confined us, so we can no longer go our own way. The elect of the Lord have also passed under the rod of their chief Shepherd, Who has put His mark of ownership on us and then separated us unto Himself for His kingdom purposes.

When a true son passes under the rod of the Lord, they are then chosen and selected of their Father as His own. As the shepherd of a flock of sheep in Israel chose some of his sheep to be holy unto the Lord when they passed under his rod (Lev. 27:32), so our Chief Shepherd causes us to pass under His rod of selection, making us His "jewels," or His own special treasure, in a very unique way (Mal. 3:17-18). And when we become His choice, His selection, His jewels, His elect, and His firstfruits, we then have no choices of our own. Our blessed and honorable King and Lord of all then makes all the choices for us, performing His perfect will in our lives, for His glory and our ultimate good. Furthermore, when our Father selects us as His own, He then constrains us, which means that He confines us, almost with compelling force. We can no longer go our own way, for we have passed under the Shepherd's rod. And now we belong to Him! We are His in a very special and unique manifestation of His absolute sovereignty and consummate love.

To share truths like this with carnal-minded Christians will generally result in complaints from those Christians who would suggest that we are then only "puppets," or "robots." It seems most Christians prefer to go their own way and be led by their carnal minds, as they have for many years. Yet, in spite of their carnal minds, God has led them and is leading them, even though they may be in partial darkness. Eventually, the Lord will lead them out of their darkness and into the greater Light of Christ and His kingdom. To those who complain about being "puppets" or "robots," we would ask, to whom would you rather be "puppets," or "robots?" To yourselves? To your carnal mind? To another person? To a religious system? To the world? Or to the devil? We were created by God to be led and guided by a Force other than ourselves. And that Force is God! Left to ourselves, we would surely make ship-wreck of our lives.

Throughout the scriptures, we see the mighty Hand of God guiding and leading His people, Israel, and others also, wherever they went. In Genesis ten, it speaks of Shem's descendants, and refers to one, Peleg, and then it says, "for in his days was the earth divided" (Ge. 10:25). Whatever part this statement may have concerning our Father's omnipotent purposes, we see here the almighty hand of God dividing the earth, possibly into nations, and leading many people, including unbelievers, to do His will and fulfill His plans and purposes. Later, in the song he sang before his death, Moses enlarged on this truth, saying, "when the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel" (De. 32:8).

Therefore, it was God Who divided to all the nations of the earth their inheritance, leading each nation, tribe, and kindred to their own lands, to fulfill His ultimate plans and purposes. The Lord also set the boundaries of the people of the nations according to His purposes for His people, Israel. Our Father has given His people the best inheritance anywhere! And He is now dealing specifically with a remnant here in this country, as well as with other chosen ones in other areas. The work our Father is doing now is truly vast, comprehensive, and in many instances, beyond our understanding.

Furthermore, the Bible tells us, "The steps of a man are from the Lord, and he establishes him in whose way he delights; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord is the stay of his hand" (Ps. 37:23-24, Revised Standard Version). All mankind are in the loving, merciful hands of the Lord. Our Father is doing all His will regarding every person, according to His eternal purposes and His due order, rank, and time for each of them (1 Co. 15:22-23, 1 Tim. 2:4). When a person falls, they will not be cast away from His will or His plans and purposes, but His hand shall lead them in the way they should go. A friend of mine once said, "everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing, including the devil," and I think he was right. This includes all mankind, whether we think they are good or bad, all of Christendom, and all the sons of God who are led by His Spirit.

In one of his psalms, David prophesied, saying, "Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The Lord reigneth" (1 Chr. 16:31). If there is any word the Lord is quickening and making alive at this time, it is the wonderful truth, "The Lord reigneth." The Lord is truly reigning today, not just among His elect, but also "among the nations." He is not going to reign in the earth some day, but He is reigning among the nations NOW! The result of the reign of Christ among the nations shall ultimately be, "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord's: and he is the governor among the nations" (Ps. 22:27-28). "And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Is. 2:4).

We know our Father has a wise purpose to fulfill in all the earth and among the nations. And He most certainly is fulfilling that wise pur-pose, which includes some negative things we are seeing now in this world. Isaiah prophesied of the coming of the Lord to sift the nations in judgment. He said, "there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err" (Is. 30:28). That God puts a bridle in the jaws of some people, causing them to err, is a truth that many will question because they simply do not understand it. We may dissect this passage, look up the meaning of every word in Strong's Concordance, and read other translations, but the truth of it remains. God Himself puts a bridle on people, as we would put a bridle on a horse to guide it. And that bridle in the jaws of some people may cause them to err, go astray, be deceived, or wander out of the way. In His sovereign and omnipotent purpose, our Father is using some people in this way to bring to pass His judgments in the earth (vs. 27). He also "created the waster to destroy" (Is. 54:16), and made "vessels of wrath fitted to destruction" (Ro. 9:21-24), to serve His more negative kingdom purposes in the earth. But we, who are the called and chosen of our Father, are His "vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory." And we are doing all His will as He reveals it to us!

The Lord foreknew man's lack of understanding regarding the sovereignty of God and His ability to do anything and everything He purposed to do with the nations. So He said through His prophet, "Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing" (Is. 40:13-15).

The prophet Isaiah spoke of the Lord raising up Cyrus, a king who was not of the nation of Israel. The Lord called him "the righteous man from the east," and used him to fulfill His plan. Then God said through His anointed prophet, "Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he"(Is. 41:2, 4). The prophet also prophesied of the restoration of God's people and of Jerusalem. In fulfilling this portion of our Father's word of promise, the prophet said, "The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God" (Is. 52:9-10).

While the elect are being led by the Spirit in a positive way, everyone else is doing the will of God in their own unknowing, uninformed, and passive way. But only the sons of God are positively and aggressively being led and guided by the Spirit of God into the greater glories of the fullness of His kingdom in this new Day. And they are also being changed into His full image and likeness! It may not appear to us that God's will is being done in the lives of all mankind, for our carnal mind finds it difficult to believe that our King is in control of them all. But we believe He is, in spite of the evil in their hearts and lives (see Job 12:7-25). Jesus said, "For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known" (Lu. 12:2). This is the Day when our Father is obviously revealing everything that has been covered with a veneer of man's carnal goodness, and making known all that has been hidden in every man's carnal mind and nature.

All of man's carnal deeds and sinful actions are being openly revealed and made known for all to see and witness at this time. This is the work of the Lord for this Day! The words of Jesus are now being fulfilled! All the hidden, secret sins and iniquities of the old, carnal man of sin are being exposed and revealed for all to see. God is letting us see all that is in and of the old, sinful Adamic man. He is giving us a large dose of all of man's iniquities; so that when it is Father's time to deliver us of that man of sin, we will not hinder His glorious work. When others have fully seen and witnessed old Adam's many iniquities, they will sincerely desire to be set free of that man of sin.

Another reason the Lord is exposing and revealing everything that old, fallen Adam is capable of, may be to clearly show us the utter failure of the law. Whether it is the old law given on mount Sinai, or the newer laws of the church system to which most Christians give their assent, all of it has utterly and completely failed to stem the rising tide of sin and iniquity and bring people to the righteousness of Christ. Nothing of the old laws or of man's opinions will ever free us of man's carnal, sinful ways. Only by the reign of the grace of God in righteousness unto eternal life shall the reign of sin and death come to an end (Ro. 5:21). Christ must reign until every enemy is defeated! He is reigning, and we are reigning with Him! He shall continue to reign until every enemy has been put under our feet, and Christ is Lord and King everywhere and in every life, for His glory and honor!

The prophecy of Ezekiel continues with this word, showing what our Father is doing among His elect at this time: "And I will purge out and separate from among you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they temporarily dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord. [Heb. 4:2, 3.]" (Ez. 20:38, Amplified.) That the Lord is purging out and separating from among us the rebels and those who transgress against His word should not be a difficult truth to believe and accept. Father will have a holy, separated people who shall rule and reign with Him in righteousness and true holiness! Jesus said the same thing with these words: "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Mt. 7:22-23).

Only those who do the will of God, and not merely say it, shall inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world (Mt. 25:31-46). All others shall be purged out and separated from among the faithful elect. The term "purge out," as used in Ex. 20:38, means to clarify, examine, and select. The use of that term suggests that all the elect were made bright, by being cleansed and purified, and that all the rebels have been removed from among them. Thus, the Lord clarifies or defines who His elect really are by examining them, and then selecting them. Those who do not conform to His will and ways are purged out, to be separated or removed from the company of the elect. This is what the Lord is doing among His elect and chosen ones at this time of the beginning of this new kingdom Day! When we see this work being done, we will then recognize Him as the only potentate, as the King of kings and the Lord of lords!

A Realm in God Called a "Separate Place!"

It is interesting to see that there is a "separate place" in the restored temple of the Lord, as described in Ezekiel's prophecy (Ez. 41:12-15, 42:1, 10, 13). We believe this restored temple is not a literal temple to be built in Jerusalem, but it represents the anointed body of Christ. Every intricate detail of that restored temple illustrates the many-membered, corporate body of Christ as we shall be when the work of the Spirit concerning all of us is complete. Without a doubt, the many-faceted dealings of the Lord with His elect is illustrated in type throughout Ezekiel's description of this holy temple of the Lord. And that "separate place" describes the "home" of the elect!

The "separate place" was on the west side of the temple, which is the area of the temple closest to the presence of the Lord. To be in that "separate place" shows that all those who dwell in that spiritual realm have had all the rebels and those who transgress against the will of God purged out and separated from among them. All who dwell in this "separate place" are those who do only the pure and perfect will of their Father, with no exceptions. They have no other will or purpose but His! They dwell spiritually in the Holiest of all! The Holiest of all was on the west side of the tabernacle in the wilderness; it was the portion of the tabernacle closest to the presence of the Lord. So also is the "separate place" on the west side of that temple (Ez. 41:12); it is the realm near to the heart of God. This indicates the close relationship these separated and set apart saints of the body of Christ have with their Head, Lord, and King. They are all sons of God who have been cleansed and purged of all the iniquities of man and of the old, dead church order of the past. They are becoming that "fit man" who shall free all mankind of their sins and iniquities.

When I first read the words "separate place" in the Bible, and saw the proximity of this "place" or realm with the mighty presence of the Lord, my spirit leaped within me. I sensed that this was my spiritual dwelling place in the temple of the Lord; it is my real home. This was a realm near to the heart of God that coincided with my understanding, and with the strange and awesome experiences of my life. To see that there is a place or a realm in His temple that is near to the heart of my Father thrilled me. And it should thrill and make glad all others who also have sensed a deep calling within them to be near to the heart of their Father. This "separate place" is reserved for all true sons of God. But it also is a place or a realm in the temple of the Lord with high demands of sacrifice and obedience. Yet those demands are not difficult to fulfill and obey for those who are prepared for that holy realm in God. Those who are led by His Spirit will readily agree to do all our Father asks of us. Nothing is too difficult for those who are led by the Spirit of their Father!

As the old song goes, there is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God! And some of us have found that place! It is a place, or more correctly, a realm in the Spirit, where we have true rest. Here, we have rest from the noisy, carnal, clamoring, religious crowds! We have rest from the old evangelistic zeal and determination to do things man's way, instead of letting the Spirit of God do His work His way. We have rest from those in the old church order, who still cling to the dead ways of the past, while claiming to be sons of God. Here in this "separate place" we have rest from the old law and the newer church-order laws, and from those who would thrust their carnal-minded opinions on God's sons, who have learned to be led only by His Spirit.

On page nine, we quoted a scripture that concluded with this statement by the Lord: "and I will constrain you and bring you into the covenant to which you are permanently bound" (Ex. 20:37, Amplified). Those who are walking and living in the new covenant relationship with their Father also know the restraints our Father places on all who are permanently bound to that covenant. There is no escaping the constraining hand of our Father, Who requires our strict obedience to His perfect will, and our unwavering faith and allegiance to His holy word and His all-inclusive purposes.

We are like Israel was when the Lord led them out of the bondage of Egypt. The word tells us that "the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt" (Ex. 13:18). The word "harnessed" suggests that all Israel went up out of Egypt as armed men, wearing identical armor, and were made strong and fit for the task ahead. Each person in Israel was fully prepared and made strong. They were bound to the plan and purpose of God, which was to be fulfilled as the Lord led them through the wilderness. Spiritually, we are also fully prepared and made strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. We are growing stronger in the Spirit with each step we take in God. We too, are walking through this wilderness as armed men, each of us wearing the same spiritual armor in fullness. We are permanently bound to the new covenant, and are being fully prepared and made fit to inherit our promised land of the kingdom of God on earth.

The Results of the Spiritual Service of that Prepared People

In Isaiah's prophecy of judgment unto restoration, the prophet refers to the prophetic word of the Lord. He prophesied, saying, "Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of THESE shall fail, none shall want her MATE: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them" (Is. 34:16). The first verse of this chapter calls on the nations to come and hear and then to pay attention to the Lord's plans and purposes for the judgment of the nations. They are told, not only to hear the prophetic word of the Lord regarding the judgment of the nations, but also to hearken or pay attention to what God has said. Therefore, that which the nations are to seek out of the book of the Lord and read is the prophetic word of the Lord. Then the Lord says that not one word of His prophetic truth shall fail, and none of His words shall want their mate.

The unfulfilled, prophetic word of the Lord is a word of truth that stands alone. By that, I mean that this word is incomplete; it lacks the zeal of the Lord of hosts and an anointed, consecrated people to bring it to pass. His prophetic word will surely come to pass, in His time and according to Father's purpose, for that word is based on the faith-fulness of God and on the immutability of His oath (see He. 6:13-18). But until the prophetic word of the Lord is fulfilled, that word lacks its mate. It is as an unmarried woman who has no husband. That prophetic word must be "married" and impregnated by its "mate" with the life of God, causing that word to bear fruit and fulfill its intended purpose in God. The "mate" that the Lord's prophetic word lacks is the power of God to bring it to pass, along with an anointed people to walk it out, in the Spirit and by the Spirit. That word came forth out of the mouth of the Lord, and was gathered into the realm of Spirit, where it is absolutely certain to be fulfilled in Father's time.

There is another aspect to the word of the Lord, which also is a significant truth for the elect of the Lord at this time. Christ is the Word that was in the beginning! He is the Word that was with God, and Who also WAS GOD! By Him Who is the Word, all things that exist were created, and without Him, or without the Word, nothing that exists was made. In Christ, the Word, is found the very Life of God. He is not only the Life, but He also is the Light of men. The Light which that Word is, which is Christ, shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. That same Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and was full of grace and truth (Jo. 1:1-5, 14).

The Word of the Lord is not a riddle, a fairy tale, a beautiful story, or a fantasy to be held in our carnal minds as a dream of the night. Nor is the pure, unadulterated Word of God to be confined to the religious creeds and doctrines of men. His prophetic Word is God's pure Word; His Word IS ALL THAT GOD IS! Christ personifies the Word! He is the Word! Christ also is the Truth, the Life, the Light, the Way, the Door, and the Righteousness of God. And we are becoming all that Christ is! As Christ is the Word, so also are we becoming the prophetic Word of the Lord that shall restore all things! We are the missing "mate" that shall add life to His prophetic Word! When Isaiah's prophecy speaks of "these" and "them" (as in Is. 34:16-35:1), it is a reference to the elect of this hour who are becoming that prophetic Word of restoration! And now we understand the Word, which declares, "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for THEM; and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose" (Is. 35:1). This Word expresses our high calling; it is what we are becoming! And because this is His Word, it shall surely come to pass. (More on this next month.)

A Brief Word About This Present Time

We are now approaching the midnight hour of this new Day. It is a period of increased spiritual darkness in the world. Although this new Day began at evening time by God's standards, as all the ages have (See Ge. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23 & 31), this day must progress from even-ing, to midnight, to the cockcrowing, and then to the glorious morning dawn, as Jesus said it would (see Mk. 13:32-37). The spiritual darkness of this time is already manifest in the Balkan war, the increased strength of the Babylon world systems, and the escalating violence by young people. During this time of increased spiritual darkness, many who are called will revert to the old ways; they will deny the present truth of God, and will choose to walk in the darkness of their carnal minds. We should not fear the darkness from without, or what will take place in the world around us. But we should be awake and aware of the spiritual darkness that will seek to weaken us from within. Keep your spiritual lamp burning brightly with the fresh oil of His Spirit! Midnight may also be an hour of His appearing!