February 2001

We are now coming into a new and fresh understanding of the truths of the kingdom of God. The kingdom has increased and grown, from a small Seed within us, to the vast dominion of Christ in all the earth. The truths of the kingdom of God have rarely been known, understood or taught in the church system. But the Spirit is now revealing many kingdom truths to His elect, for the time for its disclosure has come. The kingdom of God is not new, but our understanding of it is. And now we know that the kingdom of God includes all that is in and of the Spirit of God. It is that combined, almighty, spiritual authority and sovereign power of God that is coming "down" from heaven to the earth. The kingdom of God began in Eden and has continued to be a fundamental part of God's plan and purpose from that day to this.

As we pointed out in previous articles, there are four requirements for a kingdom to exist. The first are the people, which in its beginning was Adam and Eve; the second is the land, which was the Garden of Eden; the third requirement are the laws or principles that govern the people, which in the case of Adam and Eve was the law of the Lord telling them they were not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:16-17); and the fourth is the King, or the Lord, Who was the sovereign Ruler or King in Eden. The kingdom of God progressed from Adam and Eve in Eden to the nation of Israel in the first promised land of Canaan. But with the coming of Jesus Christ to the earth, a new day was initiated and the kingdom of God was manifested spiritually rather than naturally or literally. The kingdom was then planted as a Seed, which is Christ, within His chosen disciples. From there the kingdom grew and increased, from those first few chosen disciples, to dwell within the members of the body of Christ, who are the elect and chosen sons of God.

We are also growing spiritually to understand that the kingdom of God comes to the earth, in the Spirit and by the Spirit, in parts or in segments. His kingdom began to come "down" from heaven, or from the realm of Spirit, to the earth, beginning with the kingdom-within-us portion during the previous age of the church (as in Lu. 17:21). As a result of that initial coming of the throne realm of the kingdom of God to the earth to reign within us, Christ now reigns in the lives of His elect in fullness and completeness. Because of His total reign within us now, we are committed to doing only and always the perfect will of our Father in all the earth. This is the kingdom of God in its present form in the earth. We are the people of His kingdom; our bodies of this earth are the "land" of the kingdom (Ro. 12:1); the absolute and sovereign will of our Father is the law of our "land" (Mt. 6:10); and Christ is our ever-living King, to whom we joyfully give all our allegiance, our obedience, and our sacrifices (1 Tim. 6:14-16).

The "Capitol," if you will, of our kingdom "land" is the heavenly, spiritual, new Jerusalem "city" of the Lord. The new Jerusalem "city" of God strongly contradicts, disagrees with, and is opposed to, the negative, warlike attitudes, along with the old, dead religion of the past, which belongs to the old city of this world. That old city and the accompanying land is no longer "the holy land," for God has made the new Jerusalem the true holy land of His presence; it is the realm where His saints may now abide in absolute peace, joy and contentment. The old city of "Jerusalem which now is,.. is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above (or spiritual) is free, which is the mother of us all" (Ga. 4:24-27). To those of the new Jerusalem realm of the kingdom of God, the Lord has said, "Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband."

While that old city in Palestine has always been, and still is today, a city of constant wars and trouble, the new Jerusalem is a heavenly, spiritual "city" of the true peace and blessings of the Lord. It is in the old city of Jerusalem and its vicinity where the prophetic words of Jesus in judgment unto correction have been and are being fulfilled even today (see Lu. 19:27-28). As long as the great nations of this world continue to believe and declare that the people in that false state of Israel are the chosen people of God, there will never be peace there. But when once the nations acknowledge the great truth that God has moved His true Israel people out of that old city and land to their new appointed lands here in the West (2 Sam. 7:10), those nations will cease supporting those false Israelis and erroneously treating them like privileged people, as they have been doing for many years. Then, and only then, will the true peace of the kingdom of God be established among all the nations and peoples of the Middle East.

The new Jerusalem "city" of God is just one part of the kingdom of God. That new Jerusalem realm is to be seen spiritually, in the Spirit and by the Spirit, coming down from God out of heaven to the earth. This is confirmed by the revelation John received while on the Isle of Patmos. To the overcomer, the promise is given, "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name" (Rev. 3:12).

When the Lord writes the name of the new Jerusalem city of God within us and upon us, He is thereby identifying us with that holy, heavenly, spiritual realm in God. According to the prophetic word of the Lord, the name of this heavenly, spiritual, new Jerusalem "city" is "The Lord is there" (Eze. 48:35). And when the name of that heavenly "city" is written upon us and within us, the truth is thus illustrated in our lives, showing that His dwelling place, or tabernacle, is also within us. This will be the fulfillment of the greater Feast of Tabernacles. Then "My (the Lord's) tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore" (Eze. 37:27-28).

With the coming of the greater, spiritual, Solomon phase of the throne of the kingdom of God to the earth, to reign over all nations, the Lord's tabernacle will then be established within and among the chosen saints of God. Those who are spiritual and spiritually minded will know, by the revelation of the Spirit within them, that the new kingdom Day has come to the earth. Along with this new kingdom Day, the tabernacle of God has also come to dwell within us and among us, beginning to fulfill all that was purposed of God for that most glorious of all feasts, the Feast of Tabernacles.

With the coming of the spiritual, Davidic phase of the kingdom of God to the earth, only the throne of the Lord came to the earth, not the entire kingdom. The throne of the Lord came to the earth for the sole purpose of putting every enemy under the feet of Christ; it is but one part of the new Jerusalem "city" of the Lord. The throne of the Lord, with Christ the King seated on that spiritual throne, came to the earth initially as a Seed to dwell within us individually and make us subject to the rule of our King. In the present Davidic phase, the throne of the Lord has come to earth, with Christ seated on that throne, to subdue all the enemies of Christ everywhere in all the world, and make them all subject to the authority of His reign and dominion in the earth.

When He was dealing with the matter of oaths, Jesus said, "Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King" (Mt. 5:34-35). These three things are sacred and set apart by the Lord for all His future plans and purposes: the heavens, for it is His throne; the earth, for it is His footstool; and the new Jerusalem "city" of God, for it is the city of the great King. Touch them not, nor speak evil of any one of them, for these three are holy and sacred to the Lord. He has invested much in the way of spiritual Life and blessings to His elect of this earth, which is His footstool, and you may be sure He will reconcile and restore it all in the fullness of time.

Not only is our Father writing the name of the heavenly, new Jerusalem "city" upon us, but He is also writing the Name of our God and Father within us and upon us. This establishes and confirms the remarkable truth that we are the Lord's in every sense of the word, and that He dwells within us. This assures us that we are His sons, that He is our God and our Father in fullness and completeness, and that nothing of the flesh or of this world stands between us. His Name and the name of the new Jerusalem "city" of God, which is "the Lord is there," is to be written within us or upon us. This confirms to us the blessed truth that we are among those who shall be changed into His image and likeness, by the power of His indwelling presence. We are His and His alone, and His Name and the name of His "city" upon us and within us confirms this wonderful truth!

The prophetic word of the Lord has gone forth, declaring that those who dwell in that holy, heavenly, spiritual, new Jerusalem "city" of God, are destined of their Father to become perfect, holy, and righteous, even as He is. They shall be fully saved and transformed in their bodies to become all that Christ is. Thus, the prophet wrote, "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles (other nations) shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah (meaning, my delight is in her), and thy land Beulah (meaning, married): for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee" (Is. 62:1-5). What a wonderful promise that is now beginning to be fulfilled in the lives of Father's chosen sons, by His Spirit!

Seven Spirits of God, Seven Heavens and Seven Angels

There are seven Spirits of God, and each of those seven Spirits may have an "angel" to administer the affairs of each of those seven Spiritual orders (Rev. 11:15, 16:17). Just as there are seven Spirits of God, so also may there be seven heavens, each heaven having a supervisory angel to correspond with those seven Spirits of God. Those seven Spirits are given a descriptive name according to Father's plan and purpose for each one of them. There is (1) the spirit of the Lord, (2) the spirit of wisdom, (3) the spirit of understanding, (4) the spirit of counsel, (5) the spirit of might, (6) the spirit of knowledge, (7) and the spirit of the fear of the Lord (Is. 11:2). And those elect who have walked with their Father for some time will know that the Lord reveals Himself to us, in the power and glory of each of those seven Spirits, according to our need and experience at various times.

Without a doubt, if we now know the Lord in greater fullness and maturity, we will realize that He has also ministered to us in the power and glory of each of those seven Spirits. Throughout our lives, when a particular need arose, the Spirit ministered to us according to that need with one of His seven Spirits. And just as our Father has ministered each of those seven spirits to us throughout our Christian experience, so also will we receive, experience, and manifest all seven of those Spirits of God at once and at the appointed hour. Then we shall know Him and His wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord, as well as His Truth, Light and Life, in all the glorious fullness that He is! That will be the manifestation of the sons of God, which will set all creation free.

Just as there are seven Spirits of God, so also are there many parts to the kingdom of our Father. The kingdom of God has many parts, each with a distinct purpose to fulfill in the earth. And the kingdom of God comes down from God out of heaven to the earth, just as the new Jerusalem city of God comes down to the earth: gradually or in segments, parts or degrees. The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom; it is the realm of His dominion that includes everything that is in and of the Spirit of God. The vast and powerful realms of the Spirit of God, including His seven Spirits, are all a part of the kingdom of God. So also is the entire new Jerusalem realm, along with its various sections or portions, such as the throne, the temple, and the city, all vital parts of the kingdom of our Father. And each part or segment of the kingdom must come "down" from God out of heaven to the earth, to change everything of this old earth, making it the new earth of our Father's declared plan and purpose.

The manifestation of the kingdom of God in the earth also includes the many manifestations of the Spirit and power of God. Whenever the sick are healed, the dead raised to life, or devils are cast out, by the Spirit of God, the kingdom of God has then come to the earth. Jesus said this about the kingdom of God: "If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you" (Mt. 12:28). It is important to see that Jesus said that if He cast out devils "BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, then the kingdom of God is come unto you." There are other spirits in the world capable of doing miracles (Ex. 7:10-11, De. 18:10-11). But only the work done "by the Spirit of God" has any connection with the pure, righteous, and holy kingdom of our Father.

When Jesus appointed the seventy and sent them out two by two, He gave them instructions, which included this specific charge: "And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you" (see Lu. 10:1-11).

When the sick are healed, or when any other spiritual event takes place in the earth, it is the coming of the kingdom of God to the earth. Therefore, the kingdom of God includes every manifestation of the Spirit of God. All that our Father does, is doing, or will yet do in the earth, by His Spirit, is the coming of His kingdom to the earth. From these words of Jesus it is clear that the presence of the Lord, which is the power of the kingdom of God, was with the seventy. Just by entering a city, the seventy were representing and manifesting the kingdom of their Father to that city. And that kingdom power upon and within the seventy was so mighty and powerful that judgment unto correction resulted if the cities they visited rejected them.

Is it not the same with us in this new Day? When we walk in the Spirit, doing only and always the perfect will of our Father, wherever we go and whatever we do, His kingdom power is accompanying us all the way. Although we are not now seeing signs and wonders, yet "every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours." This tells us that wherever we walk, those places belong to the kingdom of God. We are marking out that territory for a future manifestation of the power and glory of the kingdom of our Father!

From reading the scriptures, it should be clear to us that the coming of the new Jerusalem realm to the earth is also the coming of a portion of the kingdom of God to the earth. The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom! Therefore, His kingdom includes all that is in and of the Spirit of God, as well as every spiritual manifestation of God's power in the earth. This also includes the entire realm of the new Jerusalem "city" of God. It all belongs to the kingdom of God and is a vital part of our Father's spiritual kingdom. When the new Jerusalem spiritual realm comes down to the earth from heaven, what does that involve? What actually comes from heaven, or from the realm of the Spirit, to the earth? The truth of the scriptures, inspired and anointed by the Spirit of God, will give us the answer.

To find the answer to these questions we must first understand what the new Jerusalem realm really is. Since the new Jerusalem is in the Heavens of God's Spirit, we know it must be a realm of spirits. Specifically, the new Jerusalem is a realm in the Spirit where the spirits of the saints who died in Christ abide. All that is in that new Jerusalem spiritual realm are the spirits of the redeemed. The new Jerusalem is comprised of the spirits of the saints who once lived in this world, who are Christ's by virtue of the saving blood of Jesus Christ, and who have overcome all things of this world by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. When they became overcomers, those saints then received the name of God and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, thus giving them an inheritance, or a place, in that heavenly, spiritual "city" of God (Rev. 3:12). Thus, the new Jerusalem is the realm, the abode, or the dwelling place, of the spirits of all the overcomers who died in Christ.

Furthermore, there may very well be saints of God in this earthly realm now, who also are overcomers in Christ, and who have been assigned an inheritance or a position in that new Jerusalem "city" of God. They are more mature saints of God who have not yet passed from this life to the next, but who meet all the qualifications of that heavenly, spiritual realm in God. Their redeemed spirit is not only within them as they continue the remaining portion of their journey here on earth, but is also represented in the heavenlies of Spirit in that new Jerusalem "city" of God, together with their new bodies of the Life of Christ. Some of the elect, who are now on earth in physical bodies, are also seated with Christ in the heavenlies of His Spirit on the throne of Christ in that new Jerusalem "city" of God, while they walk out the rest of their appointed path in this present world.

The lives of the elect in this world are patterned after Jesus' life in this world. Like Jesus, they are "in heaven," even though they "came down from heaven," that they might learn the ways of the Lord here on earth (Jo. 3:13). They are awaiting their new spiritual body of the Life of Christ that Paul tells us "we have" already, which is reserved for us in the Spirit, and which is our "building of God, an house not made with hands, ETERNAL IN THE HEAVENS" (see 2 Cor. 5:1-4). Therefore, when the new Jerusalem realm comes to the earth from heaven, it is the coming of the spirits of the redeemed saints of God to the lower heavens of the earth, to do a certain work here on earth.

On page five, we wrote to say that just as there are seven Spirits of God, so also may there be seven heavens to correspond with those seven Spirits of God. We know from scripture that there are at least three heavens. Paul wrote of a man in Christ who was "caught up to the third heaven." He also wrote of a man who was "caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter" (2 Co. 12:2-4). Paradise, in the Greek, refers to a park-like area similar to Eden, or to a realm of future happiness. The third heaven may very well be a spiritual realm of lesser glory, truth and power than that of the higher realm of "paradise," since the words heard in that higher realm were "unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." This suggests to us that there may be seven heavens, just as there are seven Spirits of God with seven angels. And if, as these verses suggest, there may be an ascending glory from the third heaven to paradise, the first or the lowest heaven may be that realm of the Spirit that has to do with the manifestation of the power and authority of the kingdom of God here on earth. Therefore, the initial phase of the new Jerusalem "city" of God descends to the first heaven, to fulfill Father's declared purpose in the earth, which is to subdue every enemy by the power of the reign of Christ on earth.

Jude quoted Enoch's prophecy, when he said, "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints" (Jude 14). This is the coming of the Lord to the first heaven, in the power and the glory of His kingdom reign, along with Father's mighty authority and dominion, to do a certain work in all the earth. And He comes "with ten thousands of his saints" from the new Jerusalem realm of the Spirit. What is it the Lord comes to do with ten thousands of His saints? He comes in the power and glory of His kingdom "To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him" (Jude 15). Christ comes with His saints, in the Spirit and by the Spirit, to convince all the ungodly of their unrighteousness! In other words, He comes to save the world! Since He comes "with (the spirits of) ten thousands of his saints," to execute judgment and convince all the ungodly of their ungodly deeds, and of all their hard and sinful speeches or sermons; we know He will be totally successful in convincing them all and in turning them away from their sins and iniquities. Then they will all know the Lord, from the least to the greatest, to experience His so-great salvation in glorious fullness.

John, while on the Isle of Patmos, also saw Christ coming with His "clouds" of saints. John said, "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen" (Rev. 1:7). And the clouds with which Christ comes in the Spirit, are those saints who make up that "so great a cloud of witnesses," spoken of in Hebrews, chapter twelve and verse one. Before his death, Moses blessed Israel with a blessing that described the work of the Lord for His people, Israel. He said to them, "The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Param, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them" (Deut. 33:2). In other words, the presence and power of the Lord, which included the ten thousands of His heavenly, spiritual saints, along with the dynamic authority of the kingdom of God, came "down" from heaven to accompany Israel and bless and guide them throughout their wilderness wanderings. Those heavenly hosts also were at Mt. Sinai when the Lord gave them the law. The combined presence of the Lord with His heavenly saints was so awesome and powerful on that mountain that there were thunderings, lightnings, and the sound of trumpets, that left Mt. Sinai smoking (Ex. 20:18). Zechariah also prophesied, saying, "and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee" (Zech. 14:5).

Therefore, the manifestation of the kingdom of God includes the coming of the spirits of ten thousands of the saints of God with the Lord to the earth, or to the lower heavens of this world, to do a certain, predetermined work in the earth. I have often wondered why the Lord would bring His saints with Him when He comes, as is most certainly the truth of the scriptures. I believe the Lord has given me an answer to this question. Every redeemed person who dwells as a spirit in the heavenlies with God, or in the new Jerusalem realm, is an overcomer. Each one of those elect saints has gone through a process in this life that made them the victorious overcomer they are in the kingdom of their Father.

Within the souls of the Lord's elect are recorded the many tests and trials of this life that they endured, which put them on the path in this world that made it possible for them to become overcomers. But within their spirits are found the answers, the solutions, to those problems, tests, and trials. The tests and trials of this life put us on the path to the overcoming life, while the solutions, the answers, and the victory, will take us through those tests and trials, making us the victorious overcomers that we are. Each one of us will go through a different set of tests and trials. So also has each redeemed spirit in the new Jerusalem realm of the Spirit gone through a different process that made them the overcomers that they are.

Obviously, the Lord brings the many spirits of those overcomers with Him when He comes to the lower heavens of the earth. In this way the victorious answer or solution to every human problem is represented, and every possible human need is solved in the victory and triumph of the kingdom of God. With the coming of the new Jerusalem realm to the earth, the throne of the Lord has also come, bringing with it/Him all the wisdom and the governing power of the redeemed overcomers, or the saints of the Lord, to change both the people of the world and the whole earth, by the mighty and sovereign power of God.

One of the greatest truths we are discovering now is the wonderful truth that our lives in this world were preplanned by our Father in heaven. Our Father planned the course we would take in this world, which for every overcomer must be a course of spiritual and moral crucifixion, and of death to self and its ways. And He also preplanned and foreordained that we should become overcomers by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. That entire course, path or journey through this life, for every true overcomer, has been and is being recorded in the spirit for the benefit of many others who shall follow us on this path to the fullness of Christ. All that redemptive, restorative, and overcoming information, truth and power is recorded and retained in the spirits of the redeemed in the new Jerusalem realm of the Spirit. Therefore, our Lord, in His great wisdom and omnipotent purpose, brings the spirits of all those elect saints with Him when He comes to the lower heavens of the earth, in the Spirit and by the Spirit, to change all the people and everything of this world.

With the coming of the new Jerusalem realm of Spirit to the earth, there will be found within her the victorious solution to every problem that every person on earth has ever endured or suffered. Many thought they suffered in this life so they could help others who are also suffering in this life. And they will, but not in the flesh! All the answers to every person's problems are to be found in the Spirit, and not in this carnal, fleshly, imperfect realm. To attempt to speak to someone in the flesh and give them the answers they need is often futile. But the Spirit of Love, or of God, never fails! The way to the overcoming life is to be seen in the lives of all those redeemed saints of God, whose spirits now abide in the new Jerusalem realm of Spirit. In this great kingdom Day, all mankind will have access to the temple of God in the Spirit, where every solution to every person's problems will be found. So let us hold to the course set before us in this world, for we are adding spiritual solutions to those that already exist within the spirits of the overcomers in the new Jerusalem realm of Spirit.

To participate with God in the restoration of all things, as the prophets of the Lord predicted we would, we must become more spiritual. Much of what we thought we would do with our new ministries while in this body of flesh was the product of the carnal minds of the preachers of the church system. It was once thought that the manifest sons of God would march triumphantly through the world, literally healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead, and healing all the oppressed in all the mental institutions and on the streets of our cities. But that was carnal thinking from the carnal mind of man, and did not come from the mind of Christ. All we thought we would do in the way of ministering in this world must be eliminated from our minds, for most of it is carnal and wrong. With our new, correct understanding of the kingdom of God, and of the will and ways of our Father, we now know that our new and greater ministry is a spiritual ministry, not a literal ministry that is of this world.

For example, let us consider Psalms 149. Most of this Psalm is to be fulfilled spiritually, not literally. The psalmist declared, "For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation." The Lord does indeed take pleasure in His people, and "he will beautify the meek with salvation." This certainly does not mean that we will all run around with beautiful garments that have salvation written all over them. But it is, rather, a declaration of our transformation, by the power of the Spirit of God. The meek in the kingdom of God will not wear literal garments of His salvation. But they will be clothed upon with their new bodies of the Life of Christ, which are reserved for them in the realm of the Spirit (2 Co. 5:1-4).

The psalmist continues, by saying, "Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds." Of course, we can sing aloud on our beds if that is a reasonable thing to do, considering our individual situations. But we can only be joyful in the glory of the Lord, by worshiping Him in the Spirit, and not by doing some physical thing. There is very little joy in this world! The true joy of the Lord is in the heavenlies with God, and we can only partake of His joy when we ascend to the heavenlies and worship Him in Spirit and in truth. When the saints of the Lord do this, they will experience that boundless, heavenly joy that transcends all the sorrow, woe and sufferings of this world. His joy is truly joy unspeakable and full of glory!

The next verse of Psalm 149 states, "Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand..." The saints of God have a twoedged sword, but it is not in their hands in the literal sense. That "twoedged sword" is in our spirits; it is the anointed Word of the Lord that is within us (He. 4:12, Rev. 1:16), which will "execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord" (Ps. 149:4-9). Therefore, our new and greater ministry in the kingdom of our Father is a totally spiritual ministry, which will function on a much higher level, by the will and purpose of the Spirit of God. And to participate in that new and greater kingdom ministry, we will have to become more spiritual. We must be anointed of God to hear in the Spirit the fresh, anointed Word of our Father for this new kingdom Day!

It is obvious that some of the Lord's people are not hearing His pure Word, by the Spirit. Instead of hearing the pure Word of the Lord from His pure mind, many are hearing only the words of man. We are living in the time when this new Day has progressed from evening time to the midnight hour (as in Mk. 13:35). As we approach the midnight hour, there is a famine in the land among God's people. The prophet Amos foretold of this famine. He said, "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of HEARING the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it" (Amos 8:11-12). If any prophecy accurately describes the present state of some people in this day, this is it!

Some preachers today are wandering from sea to sea, and from the north to the east, as the prophet said they would, because of this famine. They do not have the present truth in them, for they are not HEARING the pure Word of the Lord! But they have an old word, an old message, one that has been declared and written for many years. The people who go to hear them are equally devoid of the present truth of God. Like the prophet said they would, they are running to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it! Those who are spiritual can HEAR the pure Word of their Father from His pure mind, without running to and fro. The ears of the elect are tuned to the Voice of their Father, and they are hearing His pure Word, which is the present truth of the kingdom of God. And when they HEAR His pure Word, those elect will never need to run any where to hear some man or woman preach or teach. They shall be satisfied in the Lord, for they are hearing His pure Word from His pure mind by the Spirit!

Notice also who sent this present famine for the hearing of the word! This famine did not come from man, or from the devil; it came from the Lord Himself. Your Father and mine sent this famine for the hearing of the word, and He did it to separate the chaff from the true grain, the tares from the real wheat, and to remove those that offend and "them which do iniquity" (Mt. 13:41). The chaff and the tares represent those who are not hearing the pure Word of the Lord, by the Spirit. They shall have no part or inheritance with the "wheat!" The tares are being separated first from the wheat, before the real harvest of the true grain can take place (see Mt. 13:24-30). The Lord's faithful elect, the true "wheat," who are hearing the pure Word of the Lord, by His Spirit, should rejoice and be glad, for their hour of harvest may now be near at hand. And it is His pure Word from His pure mind that will transform us, not the empty, feeble words of man!

The Psalmist, David, foretold of the coming of yet another form or portion of the kingdom of God, when he said, "Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Ps. 30:4-5). After the enemies of Christ are put under His feet, by the power of the reign of Christ on earth, spiritual darkness will no longer exist. Weeping, sorrow and travail belong to the night, during which spiritual darkness will prevail. But when spiritual darkness is removed from the earth, the Light of Christ in the glory of His kingdom will prevail, bringing the abundant blessings of the joy, peace and righteousness of the Lord to all mankind in all the earth.

The new morning of this kingdom Day will then dawn, for "joy cometh in the morning." The word, "cometh," is in italics, showing that it was added by the translators. But that added word is not incorrect or unnecessary, for it clearly shows the coming of joy to the world at a time when spiritual darkness prevails. The new Jerusalem "city" of God COMES to the earth, bringing with it all that belongs to that particular spiritual realm. So also does joy COME to the earth, which is the coming of another portion of the kingdom of God to the earth. Real, true joy, the joy of the Lord, must COME from heaven to the earth, for there is none of it here on earth, except within us. It is the coming of the joy of the Lord to the earth, along with other attributes of our Father's nature, in the power and glory of the kingdom of God. And when the joy of the Lord comes from heaven to the earth, every person everywhere will receive of His joy and will manifest that joy in every situation and in all the world.

When the Lord purposed to bring judgment on the nations, He did not come Himself; He sent His Name to the earth instead, to fulfill His purpose in that judgment. Hear what the prophet Isaiah prophesied: "Behold, the NAME of the Lord COMETH from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire: And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, CAUSING THEM TO ERR" (Is. 30:27-28).

"The name of the Lord COMETH," not the Lord Himself. He sent the authority of His Name to the earth to do this work, for it is a negative work that needs to be done, one that burns with his anger and is as a heavy burden. And with His breath, the Lord will "sift the nations with the sieve of vanity." While the Lord does this with the coming of His Name to the earth, He also puts "a bridle in the jaws of the people, CAUSING THEM TO ERR." Perhaps you know some people who have this bridle in their jaws that causes them to err! It seems it is impossible for them to do anything right. They stumble on from one mistake or error to the next, as if they are totally blind and helpless. And they are! God has put a bridle in their jaws that causes them to err, and they cannot avoid the effect of the Lord's bridle in their lives. But we believe there are no mistakes in God! What appears to be a mistake or an error is just another learning experience, sent into the lives of some by our loving Father to do that quick work of correcting them and teaching them the ways of the Lord and of His kingdom.

While the "bridle" of the Lord is giving lessons to others, the elect of the Lord are hearing another word. Their Lord and King is saying to them, "Ye shall have a song, as in the night (at this midnight hour) when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel" (Is. 30:29). There is a clear, distinct message for all the elect to hear in this new Day, and it is this: it is time to go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel! There are not many ages and dispensations yet to come. This is the seventh day, or the last of the ages of man for this world. This is the sabbath day of the Lord, and the clear word of the Lord for all the elect is conclusively declared and set forth in this prophetic message.

Just as surely as there are people in this world at this time who have the Lord's bridle in their jaws that causes them to err, so surely is it that this is also the time when God is giving us a new song to sing during this night. It is a spiritual song giving us gladness of heart as we determine to come up to the mountain of the Lord, to stand before the mighty One of Israel and be changed. We will not be deterred by man's negative messages! But we will continue up this last mountain of the Lord to approach the mighty One of Israel and be changed into His image and likeness, for the Day of our transformation has come.

This may very well be a Day of a thousand or two thousand years or more. That is no concern of ours for the present. Our real concern should be to climb this last mountain, which is our mount of transfiguration, and present ourselves to our Father for our complete change and bodily transformation. This is the perfect will of our Father for all the elect! This will be the manifestation of the sons of God and of the glory of the kingdom of our Father, which will set the whole groaning creation free. If we are not to be changed into His image and likeness at this time and during my generation, so be it. I will never be ashamed or disappointed in trying! And neither should you! If I try and do not make it, that is my Father's business. My goal now is and ever will be, to be like Him in every area of my spirit, soul, and body. Anything less than this is not acceptable for those who are called and chosen of their Father for this high calling of God in Christ! If it is not to be in my lifetime, I have the assurance, by the Spirit, that I will have done my best! And that is all any of us can do. May we all be able to say with the Apostle Paul, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing" (2 Tim. 4:7-8).

We have seen that the Lord declared that His Name would COME to the earth to bring forth judgment and give His elect a new song to sing, a song that encourages them as they climb this last mountain and stand before their Lord (Is. 30:27-29). This also is the coming of the kingdom of God to the earth to do yet another, greater work in the earth and among mankind; and this greater work will bring INCREASE to His kingdom in all the earth. The prophet Isaiah also told us that the ways of the Lord are higher than man's ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. Then the prophet declared, "For as the rain COMETH down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that GOETH FORTH OUT OF MY MOUTH: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it" (Is. 55:10-11).

This is the coming of the kingdom of God to the earth in the form of His Word. The pure Word of the Lord comes as rain from the presence of the Lord, to do a certain work in the earth. In this prophecy, the Word of the Lord goes forth out of the Lord's "mouth." It is sent, or it comes forth from the Lord, to do a certain foreordained work to advance or increase His kingdom in all the earth. And when the Lord sends forth His Word, that anointed Word of power will not return to Him empty or void, but will accomplish the exact purpose in the earth for which it was sent.

The kingdom of God was first planted as a Seed (Christ) within us to begin our Father's process of restoration and redemption in the earth. Now, the second phase of the kingdom of God has come "down" from God out of heaven to the earth to accomplish more of Father's kingdom purposes, which is to reign over all the earth until every enemy everywhere is defeated and put under His feet. When Father wants to do some other, greater kingdom work in the earth, beyond what He has already done and is doing, He will send the next portion of the kingdom of God to the earth to fulfill yet another greater, predetermined purpose in this world. When the kingdom of God has fully come to the earth, every enemy is defeated, the peace, joy, righteousness, prosperity, life, light, and the salvation of the Lord is fully realized everywhere and in every life, the entire realm of the kingdom of God, and everything of it, will then be turned over to the Father, that God alone may be all and in all (1 Cor. 15:28).

Just as true joy is found in the Spirit, so also is rejoicing and salvation found there. The Psalmist declared, "The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord: This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter" (see Ps. 118:14-20). Our lives are surely described in this passage. The Lord has severely chastened us, but He has not given us over to death. Instead of dying the death common to all mankind, our Father has set our feet on the path of life - not just any life, but the abundant, resurrection Life of Christ. And when we enter into His Life, we will also come into the gates of His righteousness to become righteous as He is righteous.

Then, in our progressive walk to His fullness, Christ will become our Head in the full sense of the word. The Psalmist continued, saying, "The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the day (this present sabbath Day) which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it" (Ps. 118:22-24). The Lord has set aside a Day in which He shall bring to pass much of His prophetic word, and this is that Day! On this wonderful new, kingdom Day, we shall be fully saved and will go into the highest realm of the new Jerusalem through the gates of the righteousness of Christ. Then the Lord Jesus Christ, who has been without a place to lay His head, will become the Head of this gloriously redeemed Christ body. We shall never again go our own way or do our own thing, for we are BECOMING the full expression of our Father's will. In fully becoming our Father's will, His Word shall be fulfilled in us: "Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you (all nations and peoples) out of the house of the Lord" (Ps. 118:26).

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