October 2000

A prepared people are growing in the Spirit unto their appointed destiny in the kingdom of their Father. They are sons of God who were called, chosen, and appointed of their Father to this high calling of God in Christ Jesus. They were not appointed to this high calling by the will of any man, but by the sovereign will of their Father. The carnal mind of man cannot understand this high calling of God, and it is certain that man cannot describe it or impart it to anyone else. Our Father planned this high calling and all things concerning His kingdom before the world began. Therefore, He must reveal it and impart it to those whom He has chosen to have a part in its fulfillment. The elect share a distinct calling in the kingdom of God, one that is unique and special and is given them only by their Father.

John described these elect saints this way: "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" (Rev. 7:14-17).

Surely this passage describes the walk of these chosen ones. They are coming out of great tribulation, which are the unique tests and trials of this life. They are being chastised of their Father by those tests and trials. Through that process, their "robes" are washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. By this work of spiritual cleansing, they were elevated to the throne room of their Father. They also serve and worship Him day and night in His temple. He that sitteth on the Father's throne dwells among them. Because Christ dwells among them, these elect shall never hunger or thirst again. Neither shall they suffer any more punishment from the earth or the sun. The Lamb, Who is in the midst of them, shall feed them the true, spiritual food and lead them to His fountain of Living Waters. Their God and Father will eliminate all sorrow and wipe away all tears from their eyes.

The spiritual destiny of these chosen ones is clearly set forth in this passage for all true believers to read and understand. The divine destiny and holy purpose of our high calling in God is not that we might become better prayer warriors, better preachers, or better witnesses of Christ and His kingdom. All those things are part of the old church order, which has already passed away. Our destiny and holy purpose in God and in His kingdom is that we might drink of the fountain of Living Waters, which He is, to partake of Christ and become all that He is. The fullness of Christ is our destiny, and nothing less than this shall satisfy the holy and righteous demands of our Creator, our God and our Father. As far as we know, very few if any, have ever done what we are called to do! Therefore, our high calling in God is unique and special!

We are called to be transformed just as Jesus was transfigured on that "holy" mount. We wrote the following regarding Jesus' transfiguration in our June booklet: Matthew's account of Jesus' transfiguration reads as follows, "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light" (Mt. 17:1-2). The word "transfigured," is taken from the Greek word, "metamorphoo," and refers to the transformation of Jesus or to His metamorphosis. The transfiguration of Jesus was a complete metamorphosis from one bodily form to another. That event illustrated His complete change from His old, flesh and blood body of this earth (as Jesus), to His new, heavenly body of resurrection Life and glory (as Christ). It is a similar transformation or metamorphosis that we shall also experience on our "mount of transfiguration" in Father's appointed time, and according to His perfect will and sovereign purpose!

This Seventh Day - a Sabbath of Rest

The wonderful event on the mount of transfiguration took place "after six days." This speaks to us of the glorious new Day in which we now live. Prophetically, the six thousand-year days since Adam have ended! The Church Age is over and so also are man's religious, church-oriented works! This is the Day when man's works must end, for all those works are now to be judged in the fiery oven of the presence of the Lord (He. 12:29, 1 Co. 3:13-15). We are no longer in "the end times," nor are we still in "the last days" of the Church Age. We are in the beginning of a new Day or age, which is the seventh or last day, in God's purposes for this world. The six days of man's religious labors have ended, and we are now in the beginning of the seventh day, which is the evening time of the wonderful Sabbath Day of the kingdom of God on earth. As the number seven signifies fullness and completeness, so have we arrived at the seventh day in God's economy, which is the last day; it is the Lord's Day of fullness and completeness. And although this is the seventh day since Adam, this also is the third day since the coming of Jesus Christ to the earth!

It is a significant truth to realize that Jesus was transfigured after six days, or on the seventh day. Six prophetic days, which translates to about six thousand years as the Lord reckons time (2 Pet. 3:8), was allotted to man in which to do his work. Man has been doing his in-part works during the last two of those six days, with the limited, in-part blessings of the Lord on all man's works. And now that the six thousand-year days of man are over, the works of man must also end. A new and higher spiritual order has come to the earth at this time of the seventh day or age, which is a Sabbath Day of Rest. It is the new and higher order of the kingdom of God, when man's works must end and the Lord will do His work His way, by His Spirit. The seventh day was established by the Lord as a day of rest; it was to be a day of cessation from work for every person in Israel (Ex. 20:8-11).

Six is the number of man, the number of imperfection. Man was created on the sixth day; and the number six also is imprinted on man and on all his works. Six days were allotted to man to do all his work. Therefore, the number six has to do with man's labor, or man's works. The six days of man also include the in-part, church works done by man during the previous age, which was the Church Age (1 Co. 13:9-12). And now, upon entering this new Day, which is the seventh Day in the purposes of God, all the works common to the previous age of the church must be put aside, and we must embrace with faith and determination the new principles of the plan and purpose of our Father for this new Day (see He. 8:10-13). And all who are called and chosen of their Father to inherit the kingdom and reign with Him are discovering that He is writing His new word of the principles of His kingdom on the tables of their hearts. When we are obedient to those principles, which our Father has imparted to us, we will make the transition from the old age to the new.

In the original law it is clearly stated "the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work" (Ex. 20:10). Therefore, this seventh day, which also is a Day of the Lord, is the Sabbath Day established by the Lord. It is a day in which the Lord has decreed that no one shall do any work. "Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings" (Lev. 23:3). This seventh day in the purposes of God is also a sabbath day; it is a day of rest. It is a day when all the works common to the past ages of man must end. This also is the blessed Day of the coming of the kingdom of God to the earth in a greater way. It is the wonderful Sabbath Day of Rest in which the Lord has taken to Himself His great power and is reigning in all the earth.

As the sixth day was man's day, so also is the number six stamped on all the works of man during the previous six thousand years. Similarly, the number seven identifies the Sabbath Day of Rest for the people of God. The number seven, and all it signifies, is imprinted on this day and everything of it. The original word for "seven" in the Old Testament is taken from the Hebrew "sheba`" meaning "seven (as the sacred full one)." That Hebrew word is taken from another word, "shaba`," meaning "to be complete" (from Strong's). Thus the number seven and all it means is stamped and imprinted on this seventh day or age, which is the Sabbath Day of the Lord, the great Day of the beginning of the reign of Christ on earth. Of course I could be wrong, but since this is the seventh day in our Father's purposes, which is the day of fullness and completeness, this may also be the last of the days or ages of man for this world; this may also be the age of the fullness of time. In my opinion, what follows this seventh day will be timeless eternity, during which God shall be all and in all (1 Cor. 15:28).

The writer to the Hebrews told of the history of Israel's unbelief, disobedience and rebellion against God. The Lord was grieved with that former generation and said "they do always err in their heart; and have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest." Then the writer adds this very important word of warning, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" (see Heb. 3:7-13). What is "the deceitfulness of sin?" It is the tendency and inclination of the man of sin within us all to lie to us and deceive us, leading us to err.

The tendency to obey "the deceitfulness of sin" is within us all (see Ro. 7:12-25). Therefore, we will exhort one another regularly, lest any of us should "be hardened" by that deceitful thief and liar, that tends to lead us astray. Of that former generation, we read, "So we see that they could not enter in (to the Sabbath Rest of God) because of unbelief." Were it not for the carnal mind and nature within us all, every true believer in Christ would understand all the present truth of God, when it is revealed by the Spirit. Instead of accepting truth when it is revealed by the Spirit and written or declared by someone anointed to do so, the carnal minded person will reject that truth due to unbelief and because their hearts were "hardened through the deceitfulness of (the man of) sin." But the elect are hearing the Voice of the Lord and are rejecting the man of sin and "his" unbelief.

The Lord is helping us to rightly discern between the mind of the Spirit and the carnal mind! We are sharing in all God has for us as we continue to trust in and partake of Christ, by the Spirit. Thus we read, "For we continue to share in all that Christ has for us so long as we steadily maintain until the end the trust with which we began. These words are still being said for our ears to hear: Today if ye shall hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation" (Heb. 3:14, Phillips). Our loving Father is still speaking to us today! If we remain in pure and unbroken fellowship with our Father, with our hearing ears wide-open and receptive, we will hear His voice declaring His pure, anointed Word. We will hear Him say to us in this new Today, "the same promise of rest is offered to us today!"

We will also hear our Father say to us, "Now since the same promise of rest is offered to us today, let us be continually on our guard that none of us even looks like failing to attain it. For we too have had a gospel preached to us, as those men had. Yet the message proclaimed to them did them no good, because they only heard and did not believe as well. It is only as a result of our faith and trust that we experience that rest. For he said: As I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest: not because the rest was not prepared - it had been ready since the work of creation had been completed, as he says elsewhere in the scriptures, speaking of the seventh day of creation, And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.

"In the passage above he says, `They shall not enter into my rest.' It is clear that some were intended to experience this rest and, since the previous hearers of the message failed to attain to it because they would not believe God, he proclaims a further opportunity when he says through David, many years later, "today," just as he had said "today" before. TODAY if ye shall hear his voice, Harden not your hearts. There still exists, therefore, a full and complete rest for the people of God. And he who experiences his rest is resting from his own work as fully as God (did) from his. Let us then be eager to know this rest for ourselves, and let us beware that no one misses it through falling into the same kind of unbelief as those we have mentioned. For the Word that God speaks is alive and active: it cuts more keenly than any two-edged sword: it strikes through to the place where soul and spirit meet, to the innermost intimacies of a man's being: it exposes the very thoughts and motives of a man's heart. No creature has any cover from the sight of God; everything lies naked and exposed before the eyes of him with whom we have to do" (Heb. 4:1-13, Phillips).

How eloquently J.B. Phillips translated that portion of scripture! There is a REST reserved for the believing, trusting saints of God in Christ! That rest is provided for all who will enter into it on this new Today! Today if we will believe it and enter into it, we will find rest for our weary souls from all the fleshly, carnal, religious works of man. Those religious works once had the blessing of the Lord upon them and were an expression of our Father's will. But now, since those works no longer express His will, the Lord has withdrawn His Spirit from those works, making them useless, carnal works of man. The Lord has prepared us for that REST! Therefore, we will not doubt His word, but will believe and will joyously enter into HIS REST!

Every provision has been made, which would make it easy for us to enter into His rest! "Seeing that we have a great High Priest who has entered the inmost Heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to our faith. For we have no superhuman High Priest to whom our weaknesses are unintelligible - he himself has shared fully in all our experience of temptation, except that he never sinned. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with fullest confidence, that we may receive mercy for our failures and grace to help in the hour of need" (Heb. 4:14-16, Phillips). How wonderful that we have this truth for this present Today! There is a REST reserved for us during this new Today! What then doth hinder us from entering into the Lord's Sabbath of Rest, to walk according to the principles of His new Day of the kingdom of God in all the earth?

Life Committed to the Elect on "the Last Day"

Since this seventh day or age has the principles and purposes of the number seven within it and upon it, which is fullness and completeness, then this day also may be "the last day." And if this is the last day or age in the purposes of our Father for this world, then the promise given by Jesus applies to this present time. Jesus said, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it (them) up again AT THE LAST DAY. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life (see also 1 Jo. 3:2): and I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY" (John 6:37-40, 53-54).

What a wonderful promise given to the elect of the Lord, who are Christ's by virtue of the Father's gift to Him! The Lord Jesus Christ shall raise us up to the fullness of His Life in this last day! Blessed be the Name of the Lord! And all who are appointed of their Father to partake of that LIFE are eating the flesh of the Son of man and are drinking His blood. Of course, this does not mean that we are to do any of this literally or naturally; we fulfill this and any other word of the Lord by being led by His Spirit!

To eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood has a different meaning than it seems to be saying. The term, "the flesh of the Son of man," refers to the human life, or the external, bodily life of Jesus, which He lived on this earth. The Greek word used for "the flesh" is "sarx," and means the body as opposed to the soul or spirit. It refers to His earthly body as the symbol of the external life of Jesus. Thus, to "eat the flesh of the Son of man" means that we are figuratively to eat of Him; we are to partake of the external principles of Jesus' earthly life. We are to live in this world using His earthly body as a pattern or example of life in this world. We are to partake of the bodily, earthly life of Jesus, by living this present life in a similar way. Our lives in this world are to be patterned after His life in this world, for Jesus is our example and pattern of true sonship. This is what it means for us to "eat the flesh of the Son of man," according to the original wording of that passage of scripture (Jo. 6:53).

To "drink his blood" has a similar, allegorical meaning. We know we are not to literally eat the flesh of Jesus or literally drink His blood, for His fleshly body along with His natural blood has been changed to become new life in the spirit. In this verse (Jo. 6:53), the term "blood" refers to the atoning blood of Christ - to the precious blood that was shed for us at Calvary, rather than the literal blood that ran through Jesus' veins. It is the spiritual representation of His blood that we are to figuratively and spiritually "drink" or partake of. It is the new and precious blood of Christ that continually atones for us, protecting us and keeping us, as we walk through this earthly realm of corruption, sin and death.

Therefore, when we "eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood," we are following the pattern Jesus laid down for us when He walked this earth. We are trusting and relying on the precious blood of Christ to protect and keep us throughout this earthly journey. All this is summed up in one, simple principle of truth, and that is to be led by His Spirit! By being led of the Spirit of the Lord, we have His seed of Life within us now, and are assured that God will "raise us up at the last day," which may be this present Day or age (Jo. 11:24)!

This seventh day may be an age of one or two thousand years, more or less. I believe it will be a time when God will do His work in a greater way. The work our Father will do on this Sabbath Day will be glorious beyond our present understanding. Since the seventh day is the day of completeness and fullness, we can expect our Father to complete, perfect and bring to fullness all the work He has already begun. This Sabbath Day is a day of rest for us, but it also is a Day when the Lord will work like He has never worked before. Paul wrote to say this about the Sabbath Day: "let no one sit in judgment on you in matters of food and drink, or with regard to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath. Such things are only the shadow of things to come, and they have only a symbolic value. But the reality - the substance, the solid fact of what is foreshadowed, the body of it - belongs to Christ" (Col. 2:16-17, Amplified). Jesus also said, "For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day" (Mt. 12:8).

Indeed, every Sabbath Day, especially this present Sabbath, belongs to the Lord. This also is "the day of Christ" (Phil. 1:10, 2:16, 2 Thess. 2:2). It is His Day in a very special and unique way, for God will finish His work on this Day. Since the number seven, meaning completeness and fullness, marks this seventh Day or age, all God's work will be brought to completeness and fullness during this great Day. While man is commanded to rest during this and all other Sabbath Days, the Lord will "work" on this Sabbath Day to complete all His works and bring it all to fullness and perfection. Our trans-formation "in the twinkling of an eye," will deliver the creation and turn the world to Christ, thus completing all His work. When Jesus was criticized for healing on a Sabbath Day, He said, "My Father has worked [even] until now. - He has never ceased working, He is still working - and I too must be at [divine] work" (Jo. 5:17, Amp).

When your life takes a turn for the worse, remember that God is working in your life to change you into His image and likeness! He is using the difficult and trying circumstances in your life and mine to bring us to completeness, fullness and perfection. He is working in our lives to deliver us of the carnal, Adamic nature and mind, and restore us to the glory of His abundant Life. Thus, the prophet declared, "For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon (against old Adam in us all), that he may do his work, his strange work (of restoration); and bring to pass his act, his strange act" (which is to deliver us of this carnal nature and mind, and raise us up to the fullness of His Life, Is. 28:21).

The reference to Gibeon here is very significant. Gibeon was a strong and great city, a royal city of many people who were allied with Israel when Joshua led them to possess the land of their inheritance. It was at Gibeon where the Lord fought for Israel, and where Joshua commanded the sun and the moon to stand still, allowing Israel to continue to battle the enemy until victory was achieved (see Joshua, chapter 10). As the Lord fought for Israel at Gibeon, so will He fight for us in this final, all-out conflict between the old Adamic man of the flesh within us all and the might and power of the Spirit of the Lord. And we already know Who the Victor will be!

When it seems conditions in the world may be getting worse, remember that our Father is working to restore it all on this great Sabbath Day, which also is the Day of the reign of Christ! (World conditions are not really getting worse; they are getting better. In this country, violent crime was down 7% last year, and has been going down for eight years in a row, which is a national record. Unemployment also is down, as our national economy continues to prosper.) When those around you say that God does not care about world conditions, remember that He is always at work; all the heavenly hosts and His saints of earth are also working with Him. They are not working literally and carnally, but by the Spirit and in the Spirit, where all true, redemptive work must be done. When we can look into the realm of Spirit - into the heavenly realm of all power and authority - to see in the Spirit as it really is, we will join Jesus in saying, "My Father has worked [even] until now. - HE HAS NEVER CEASED WORKING, HE IS STILL WORKING - AND I TOO MUST BE AT [DIVINE or spiritual, not literal or religious] WORK." Amen!

The Promises of God for This New Sabbath Day

The prophet Ezekiel prophesied of the end of the six working days of man and the beginning of the sabbath day. He said, "Thus saith the Lord God; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened" (Eze. 46:1). The "inner court that looketh toward the east" is the Holy of Holies, or the Holiest of all. That inner court was on the west side of the tabernacle in the wilderness, as well as in the temples that followed. Its gate or entrance would then face toward the east.

The entrance, door, or gate of the inner court, which was the hallowed, spiritual realm called the Holy of Holies, has been shut all during the previous six working days of man. Those six days, which are the previous six thousand years of human history, was the period when man's work was to be done in the earth. We have had limited access to that high and holy spiritual realm all during the past in-part era. Even the best of the ministries that God gave to man in the past were limited, for the holy Spirit was only given to His people in measure. Jesus Christ was the only one who did not receive the Spirit in measure, or in part (see Jo. 3:34). But during this new Sabbath Day, that gate into the Holy of Holies shall be fully opened. Then the fullness of the Spirit, which are the seven Spirits of God (Is. 11:2, Rev. 5:6), shall be poured out upon all flesh in great abundance. And when the fullness of the seven Spirits of God are lavishly poured out upon all flesh, as God shall do during this great Day, more bounteous and generous benefits and blessings shall be provided, bringing forth full and complete salvation and restoration for all.

The prophet declared that the gate into the Holy of Holies was to be opened on the sabbath day and also on the day of the new moon. That "gate" into the Holy of Holies faced the East or toward the people. This tells us that the multitudes of the people of the world shall come to the Lord through that "gate" during this great Day. Those multitudes have not had access to the Lord during the six working days of man as they shall have when that "gate" is fully opened wide. Only a small remnant out of all nations were saved in the past, which was God's plan (see Acts 15:13-18). But in this new Day multitudes shall come to Christ when He opens that "gate" into the Holiest of all.

The "new moon," according to Strong's Concordance, comes from a Hebrew word, meaning a new moon, or a new month. That Hebrew word comes from a primitive root word, meaning to be new, causatively, to rebuild. Thus the meaning of these Hebrew words, translated "new moon," express all that we see for this new Day. Not only have we seen the coming forth of a "new moon" in the Spirit, but we are also seeing the establishment of an entirely new spiritual order in the earth. It is the beginning of a new month; it is the first month of a glorious time of rebuilding and restoration, during which the whole world order shall be completely restored and rebuilt. We have been praying in the Spirit, petitioning our Father, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." And He has answered our prayers by establishing a new spiritual order in the earth; it is the time of a new moon, the beginning of the new order of the kingdom of God in the earth in a greater way, with a new set of principles for this new Day. Hallelujah, and blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Those who are walking this spiritual walk unto the fullness of Christ and their transformation, are observing this Sabbath Day and all its spiritual principles. We are called to cease the religious works of the past age, which are all the old order church works, such as preaching and teaching, and enter into the REST of the Lord (He. 8:10-13). In other words, we need to get out of the way and let the Lord do His Work His way! This is not my opinion; it is the Word of the Lord for this new Day! Hear what the Spirit saith to His elect of this new Day: "Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: FOR MY SALVATION IS NEAR TO COME, AND MY RIGHTEOUSNESS TO BE REVEALED. Blessed is the man that DOETH THIS, and the son of man THAT LAYETH HOLD ON IT; THAT KEEPETH THE SABBATH FROM POLLUTING IT, AND KEEPETH HIS HAND FROM DOING ANY EVIL" (Is. 56:1-2).

If only the saints of the Lord knew of the glory that awaits us on this new kingdom Day! They would immediately cease all the works of the old church order and would hasten to enter into the REST of the Lord. Many do not know of that glory - Father has not yet given them light, so they continue walking the old paths of the past. But His salvation is near to come, and His righteousness shall shortly be revealed. We are called of the Lord to cease walking in the flesh, doing the religious works of the past order, lest we miss out on that glory and the Life of Christ. The elect are doing the perfect will of their Father. They are observing this present Sabbath of the Lord, laying hold of His principles for this new Day, and are keeping their hands from doing any of the now "evil" works of the past order. They shall partake of that coming glory, to experience the full salvation of the Lord and receive His newly revealed righteousness.

Isaiah prophesied more about this new Sabbath Day, when he said, "If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, FROM DOING THY PLEASURE ON MY HOLY DAY; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, NOT DOING THINE OWN WAYS, NOR FINDING THINE OWN PLEASURE, NOR SPEAKING THINE OWN WORDS: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it" (Is. 58:13-14). Beloved, it is time for us to quit doing the things that please us and give us some measure of carnal, soulish, religious pleasure on this new Sabbath Day, which also is the Day of Christ, or the Day of the Lord!

The carnal, soulish, religious works of the past age, that only please the flesh and not our Father, must be discarded and put aside. When we do this, we will then be delighted and overjoyed by the new, rich and abiding presence of our Savior, Lord and King, which we will then experience! We will also realize that we are walking in the Spirit, up to the high places with God, to receive the inheritance that belongs to all the elect of Jacob/Israel, as we enter into the blessed Sabbath REST of the Lord. Those of other callings will continue to do their own pleasure and will walk in the old religious paths of the past on this new Day. But the elect are doing the will of their Father and are entering into His blessed and peaceful Sabbath of Rest!

In order for the kingdom of God to come to the earth and change the whole order of things, a people must come forth fully prepared to do the perfect will of God. That is God's way! He manifests His plans and purposes in the earth through His people. Therefore, God must have a called, anointed and faithful remnant through whom His purposes shall be fulfilled. The prophet Jeremiah spoke of the obedient elect of this new Day, when he said, "And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein; Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding on chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of (the new) Jerusalem: and this city (the new Jerusalem) shall remain for ever" (Jer. 17:24-25).

What a wonderful promise of the establishment of the kingdom of God in all the earth! Of course, this is a spiritual prophecy and is to be interpreted spiritually, not carnally. It describes the spiritual intent and purpose of our Father for this new Sabbath Day. We are called of our Father to hallow this present Sabbath Day. And this we do by bringing none of the burdens of man's religious, church works with us into the city of the Lord, which is the new Jerusalem. By our obedience to the will of our Father, we prepare the way for kings, priests and princes to be seated on the royal throne of David, which really is the throne of our Father. This is a reference to the coming of the greater fullness of the kingdom of God to all the earth. If we will honor this present Sabbath Day by bringing none of man's outmoded, religious, church works with us into the city of the Lord at this time, we become those kings, priests and princes who shall sit on the throne of our Father, to rule and reign with Him. We are those saints who shall take the kingdom of God and possess that kingdom forever and ever, to rule and reign over all the nations of the earth (Dan. 7:18, 22 & 27).

To receive our inheritance in the kingdom of God depends on us resting from all the religious works of the former church age and letting our Father do His work in the earth His way. The Psalmist David described the righteous state of the godly who shall inherit the earth. He said, "Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord (and in His perfect will); and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart (when our hearts are set on doing His will only). Commit thy way (in this world and in the world to come) unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it (His plan and purpose) to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday (the Lord alone shall do this).

"REST in the Lord (on this Sabbath Day), and WAIT patiently for him (for His appearing): fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the (carnal, soulish) man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (including the now "evil" works of the church age that once were blessed and anointed of God). For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that WAIT upon the Lord (by entering into His REST), they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked (old Adam in us) shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place (we did, and found him to be within us), and it shall not be (in us any longer). But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace" (Ps. 37:3-11).

The Sabbath Day was established by the Lord, between Himself and Israel. It was to be observed by the people of Israel "throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever (or, time out of mind, or a time in the dim, distant future): for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed" (see Ex. 31:13-17). The Lord does not need to rest, and it is certain that He does not need to be refreshed in the sense that we think of being refreshed. He taught Israel the importance of resting and of man's need to rest as a perpetual covenant and as a sign of the greater Sabbath Day, which we are now entering. The great Sabbath Day, which is the reality of that which all the past sabbaths represented and symbolized (Col. 2:16-17), has now begun. We are now entering into the greater purpose and the more blessed reality, which Israel of old only experienced in types and shadows. What a glorious Day this is and shall yet become!

David sang another psalm to the Lord, assuring himself and all of us of the certainty of God's promises. He spoke of the Lord entering into His rest, or into His habitation, when he said, "Arise, O Lord, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength." When we enter into the rest of the Lord, we will find Him waiting there for us. And what blessed and sweet communion we will find when we have entered into the rest of the Lord, to fellowship and commune with Him in the Spirit. God is resting and He invites us to join Him. Yet, He alone can work while resting, for all true Work, the Work of the Lord, takes place in the Spirit, without the feeble and empty works of the carnal man.

Then David repeated the promises of God for his own benefit and ours as well. The words he spoke or sang were the pure words of the Lord. They were prophetic and apply to us as we enter the greater Sabbath Day of the Lord. "If thy children will keep my (new) covenant (He. 8:10-13) and my testimony (or the principles of His kingdom) that I shall teach them, their children (that's us) shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore. For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. I will also clothe her priests with salvation (or with the garments of His Life, as in 2 Cor. 5:1-4): and her saints shall shout aloud for (that transforming) joy" (Ps. 132:8, 12-16).

The Lord has brought forth His elect remnant in the earth at this time of the beginning of the seventh day, which is the Sabbath Day of the Lord. They may be small in number but their walk with the Lord is the highest, most spiritual, and in keeping with the new order of the kingdom of God. They keep the sabbath, with His call to rest, and observe the principles of the kingdom of God, as well as the precepts of the new covenant. The Lord brought His elect into His rest, and has also weaned them of all the old church-order practices of the past age (see He. 8:10-13). They are becoming holy and righteous, as He is holy and righteous, for Christ the Spirit is their only Teacher (Jo. 16:13), as well as their Head, their Lord, and their King.

The Prophetic Message of Jesus on one Sabbath Day

On one particular Sabbath, Jesus went to the synagogue in Nazareth, as was His custom, to read the scripture. The portion He was given to read was "the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears" (see Lu. 4:16-21).

The portion of Isaiah's prophecy that Jesus read on that sabbath was the sixty-first chapter, verse one and the first part of verse two. It is important to see that Jesus did not read all of the first two verses, but only a part of it. The portion Jesus did read was that part of the prophecy that was fulfilled by Him, and which continued to be fulfilled all during the church age. The ministry of Jesus began the ministry that belonged to the church age. The remainder of Isaiah's prophecy is to be fulfilled during this present Sabbath Day.

The ministry of Jesus, including His work during the church age, was confined to preaching "the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." At this point, partially through Isaiah's prophecy of restoration, Jesus stopped reading, closed the book, and sat down. Then He said, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." Only the portion of Isaiah's prophecy that He read then applied to Him and His anointed ministers during the church age. The rest of that prophecy is reserved for fulfillment on this great Day, which is the seventh day, the Sabbath Day of the Lord.

That portion of Isaiah's prophecy, which shall be fulfilled in this new Today, is given as follows: "And the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified" (Is. 61:2b-3). The same wonderful and powerful anointing that was on Jesus will also be upon us, enabling us to fulfill this prophecy, in the Spirit and by the Spirit, and not by the past, outmoded, religious works of the flesh. Not only will the last portion of Isaiah's prophecy be fulfilled in this new Day, but so also will the entire prophecy. Everything Isaiah prophesied in these verses has its fulfillment in this new Today. I believe this is what Jesus meant when He said we would do greater works than He did.

The "day of vengeance of our God" refers to the present time, when the reign of Christ has come to the earth. It refers to the ultimate purpose of the reign of Christ in the earth, which is to subdue all the enemies of Christ and put them under His feet. The Psalmist sang of this day of vengeance and told of our part in executing the Lord's vengeance upon His enemies. "For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with (garments of) salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory... Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; To 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). We are indeed honored by the Lord when He invites us to sit with Him on His throne to reign with Him and execute His vengeance on the heathen. If we truly appreciate that honor, we will quit the useless religious practices of the past, and will respect and observe this Sabbath Day by fully entering into His Rest.

Isaiah foretold of this Day, when he said, "Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; HE WILL COME AND SAVE YOU" (Is. 35:3-4). And again, "For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and THE YEAR OF MY REDEEMED IS COME" (Is. 63:4). The day of the Lord's vengeance is also the day when we shall be fully redeemed. It also is the day of the final destruction of threefold Babylon (see Jer. 50:15-16 & 51:6). It is also very possible that Jesus spoke of THIS day of vengeance, when He said, "For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled" (Lu. 21:22). There have been other days of vengeance, such as in 70 AD when Jerusalem was destroyed. But only this present Day could be the time when "all things which are written may be fulfilled."

When he wrote to the Thessalonians, Paul told of us being worthy of the kingdom through the righteous judgment of God that we endured throughout our journey in this life. He continued by saying, "And to you who are troubled REST WITH US, (for it is the time) when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven (or, the realm of Spirit) with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting (or age-lasting) destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come TO BE GLORIFIED IN HIS SAINTS, and to be admired in all them that believe in that (or this) day" (see 2 Thess. 1:5-10).

This also is the Day when God will "comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified." What a glorious Day of comfort, of the end of mourning, of beauty, joy, rejoicing and praise this Day shall be!

And the only real way this scripture can be fulfilled in our lives so the Lord will be glorified is for us to be delivered of this carnal, Adamic nature and mind, and receive our new bodies of resurrection Life and glory. This is our true inheritance in the kingdom of God! It is our true REST; it is the goal or the prize for which we are now running, and for which we have been patiently running this race all during our present "life" in this world! Blessed are all those who believe and who are resting in Him! They shall endure unto the end, to receive the ultimate Prize, which is His more abundant Life in kingdom fullness!

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