God confirms His Word with signs and wonders. When I was doing conferences across the U.S. on the material in the next four chapters, videos were made and distributed. I received confirmations of the teaching from one end of the country to the other. While watching me teach in the video, a prophetess in Seattle, Washington saw the glory of the Lord coming out of my body and mouth like rays of light of which she e-mailed me. A day or two later, a prophet, from the opposite end of the country, e-mailed me that he was watching the video in Orlando and saw the same thing. Neither knew the other or about the other's revelation because I had told no one. This is not to glorify me as a man, but a message. God chooses the weak of the world because His power is made perfect in weakness.

John's revelation of the end-time Tribulation begins and ends several times in the book of Revelation. Each time a different set of parables is used. One of those times is Revelation 12 and 13. In Revelation 12, John speaks of the man-child and woman. (Rev. 12:1) And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman arrayed with the sun ... (5) And she was delivered of a son, a man-child. Some say the Woman is Israel and the Man-child is Christ. This cannot be. The Revelation of John was given many years after the resurrection of Jesus. The Lord told John at that time that it would come to pass in the future. (Rev. 4:1)...Come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must come to pass hereafter.

Some say the "woman arrayed with the sun" is natural Israel in our day, and the Man-child is their First-fruits. Not so! Natural Israel, as a whole, is very lost, having never been "arrayed with the sun" (Son) and only a remnant of them will be saved. (Rom. 9:27) And Isaiah crieth concerning Israel, If the number of the children of (natural) Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved. Only a remnant of natural Israel will be saved but all spiritual Israel will be saved. (Rom. 11:26) [A]nd so all Israel shall be saved ... "[A]ll Israel" here is identified in verses 19-25 as those who are grafted into the olive tree through faith when unbelieving natural Israel was broken off. (Rom. 9:6) ...For they are not all Israel, that are of (natural) Israel: (7) neither, because they are Abraham's seed, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. (8) That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed.

Notice that it is not the children of Abraham's flesh, or natural Israel, that are called "all Israel" but the children of the promise, which are "reckoned" as his seed. (Gal. 4:28) Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of the promise. Notice that Gentiles who believe the promise "are children of the promise" and as such are part of "all Israel". To Gentiles who walk by faith, Paul said, "Abraham, who is the father of us all" (Rom. 4:16). The Lord shows us in Ephesians 2:11-18 that the promise of redemption in Christ to both natural Israel and the Gentiles was for the purpose "that he might create in himself of the two one new man" (Eph. 2:15). So now Jews and Gentiles who abide in Christ are "all Israel". Jesus, speaking to natural Israel, said, "other sheep I have (Gentiles), which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and they shall become one flock, one shepherd" (Jn. 10:16).

(Rom. 2:28) For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly (a natural Jew); neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: (29) but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter. This spiritual circumcision of the heart he later describes as the cutting-off of the flesh in being baptized into Christ (Col. 2:11, 12). Paul said that only a "new creature" of the born again experience belongs to "the Israel of God". (Gal. 6:15) For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. (16) And as many as shall walk by this rule, peace [be] upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. John said twice of natural, fallen Israel, who worshipped in synagogues, "the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan" (Rev. 2:9; see also 3:9). The Woman in Revelation 12 is clearly, by her description, saved and therefore must be the true Church. "Church", in Greek is ekklesia meaning "the called out ones". They are called out of both natural Israel and the Gentiles to partake of Christ.

(Rev. 12:1) [A] great sign was seen in heaven (The Church's position in Christ is seated with Him in heavenly places [Eph. 2:6].): a woman arrayed with the sun (The Church's position is to be dressed with Christ's righteousness and works [Rom. 13:14].), and the moon under her feet (Our standing or position is only reflecting the light of the Son as the moon only reflects the light of the sun.), and upon her head a crown of twelve stars (The doctrine in her mind and authority by which she rules is that given through the twelve apostles).

As we saw in the Second Key to Hidden Manna, Jesus' birth to Mary was a sign to be fulfilled in the end. Just as Jesus was born to Israel, so the Man-child will be born to the true Church before the beginning of the Tribulation. (Rev. 12:2) [A]nd she was with child ... (4)...the dragon standeth before the woman that is about to be delivered, that when she is delivered he may devour her child. (5) And she was delivered of a son, a man-child. The reason this text appears to identify Jesus is that Jesus laid down a physical body in order to take on a spiritual, corporate body through His Word abiding in the saints. The Man-child is a corporate body within the Church that will be the First-fruits in whom the full Word is manifested.

We see in this a clear identification of the end-time Man-child, of which Jesus and Moses are previous types. In all three stories (Jesus, Moses and the Man-child), being born of the Woman is emphasized. Regarding Jesus and Moses, the Woman is not only the natural mother, but physical Israel. The end-time Man-child is born of spiritual Israel, which we will discuss. All three cases demonstrate a failed attempt by the devil, described in this text as a dragon, to devour the promised seed by murdering the children (Ex. 1:16, 22; Mt. 2:16). In our case, abortion is now being practiced worldwide in an attempt to extinguish a worldwide Man-child, indicating this to be the timing of these verses. Since history always repeats, these types will help us in the next few chapters to see much about the Manchild.

(Rev. 12:5) And she was delivered of a son, a man-child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. Jesus identified this "man-child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron" as overcomers who do His works. (2:26) And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations: (27) and he shall rule them with a rod of iron...as I also have received of my Father. Notice that the First-fruits overcomers are this Man-child who walks in the steps and authority of Jesus. They are Jesus living in a corporate body, a corporate body that is completely given over to Him by overcoming sin through faith to do His works.

We see that this Man-child "was caught up unto God, and unto his throne" (12:5). As Jesus was given authority to rule from the throne of God, He identifies this Man-child as a body of overcomers who are given His authority to rule from His throne. (3:21) He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne. We will deal with this throne in Caught up to the Throne, but for now, we will discuss the Man-child, who he is, and how he becomes the First-fruits overcomer.

Both individually and corporately, the righteous are as Mary who brought forth the Man-child. She bore the fruit of Jesus, as we should-as the true Church will. Jesus has been sown in us as the seed (Greek: sperma) of the Word of God. As we feed that spiritual man, he grows like a baby in the womb. Jesus said in (Lk. 8:21)...My mother and my brethren are these that hear the word of God, and do it. We who believe and act on the Word have the Christ child inside of us. As a mother feeds the baby in her womb, we feed Him Who is the spiritual man. The mother has to eat and breathe to give life to the baby. Her breath (Greek: spirit) goes into her lungs. From her lungs, oxygen (life of the Spirit) is dispersed to the pulmonary veins, to the heart, and to the baby through the placenta and umbilical cord. We are like that. If we don't receive the breath of God's Spirit, we won't give life to that baby. If we don't eat the Word of God, the manna that comes down out of heaven, the baby is not given life and power to grow. Where this spiritual, inner man is growing in the image of Jesus, the outer carnal man is dying. (2 Cor. 4:16) Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. We are the spiritual mother of Jesus. Corporately there is also a body of believers who are the Woman of Revelation 12, the true Church. They will bring forth the corporate Manchild in the likeness of Jesus. "Too good to be true," you say? We shall see that "it is written".

The promises of Jesus in our mind are useless until we believe and act on them. (Heb. 4:2) For indeed we have had good tidings preached unto us, even as also they: but the word of hearing did not profit them, because it was not united by faith with them that heard. As a type of this, the Spirit said to Mary, "[B]lessed is she that believed; for there shall be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord" (Lk. 1:45). When we believe the Word of God, there is going to be a fulfillment of those Words. What was the Word spoken unto her from the Lord? (Lk. 1:31) And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. Like us, Mary was promised to bear the fruit of Jesus. Do you believe it? We can only become the mother of Jesus if we believe the Word.

The Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:18-23 is plain. Jesus sows the seed of the Word in the womb of our heart; if we nourish it, we bear the fruit of Christ, thirty-, sixty-, and a hundred-fold. We are also shown in this chapter that the seed of Jesus is His sperm, reproducing Himself in the soil of our flesh. (Mt. 13:37) And he answered and said, He that soweth the good seed (Greek: sperma) is the Son of man; (38) and the field is the world; and the good seed (sperma), these are the sons of the kingdom. Genesis 1:11-12 tells us that each seed brings forth after its own kind. Jesus can only sow Himself.

Jesus had to go away so He could send the Holy Spirit to His corporate body. (Jn. 16:7)...It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I go, I will send him unto you. It is the Holy Spirit's work to overshadow us as He did Mary in order to produce Jesus in us. (Lk. 1:35) And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God.

When Jesus was departing to send the Holy Spirit, He promised that He would be seen again in the earth as a Man-child born to a Woman, which is the Church. (Jn. 16:19) Jesus perceived that they were desirous to ask him, and he said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, A little while, and ye behold me not, and again a little while, and ye shall see me? Until you read the next verses you might think that the only fulfillment of this was when Jesus was physically resurrected. Jesus died so that He would be spiritually resurrected in the Church.

Paul taught that the goal of perfection is attained by the resurrection life of Christ manifested in us through death to self (Php. 3:10-15). Jesus' disciples would weep and lament over His death. As we are united with Christ in His death, we, too, lament and travail over our death to this world. Continuing our text, Jesus tells us that this sorrow of travailing in death to self would give way to the joy of bringing forth His life. (20) Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. (21) A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for the joy that a man is born into the world. Notice that the disciples of Christ, who were the Church, would be likened to a woman in travail who brings forth a man-child in the image of Jesus. In this way, He would be seen again. (22) And ye therefore now have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh away from you.

The sorrow that we feel in His absence will be taken away when we see Him again manifested in His corporate body of flesh. From Jesus' statement here you can search all the way through the Word and you will come to that Woman in travail with the Man-child in Revelation 12. (Rev. 12:2) [A]nd she (woman) was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered ... (5) And she was delivered of a son, a man-child.

Jesus said we would see Him in this Man-child born as the First-fruits of the Woman, the Church. The Man-child is the First-fruits of those who manifest Christ after a time of apostasy (falling away) just as Christ was the First-fruits in His time. (2 Cor. 3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.

If our face is truly unveiled, we accept what happened at the cross and see by faith the finished work of Christ in the mirror. Only in this walk of faith are we "transformed into the same image". We accept by faith that God made an exchange of Christ's life for our life. (Col. 1:22) [Y]et now hath he reconciled (Greek: "exchanged") in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him: (23) if so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and stedfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel ... Through this exchange we died and Christ now lives in us by faith. (Gal. 2:20) I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me. Only seeing the real Jesus in the mirror by faith will transform us into the "same image". Aspiring to be like "another Jesus", as Paul called it in 2 Corinthians 11:4, will not bring forth Christ but antichrist in us. Having our eyes on self, our ability, our failure, is to see our "natural face in a mirror" and is not walking by faith. This will bring no power to obey but will make us hearers and not doers of the Word. (Jas. 1:23) For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror. These are the ones who do not unite faith with the Gospel so that Christ can be manifested in them. (Eph. 4:13) [T]ill we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Paul is confident in the power of God to do this declaring "that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God" (3:19).

Those who wish to live the old life believe that it is not possible that Christ could be manifest in this body. (2 Cor. 4:10) [A]lways bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body. (11) For we who live are always delivered unto death (to self) for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. Notice he speaks of Jesus coming in this mortal flesh, not glorified bodies. In Paul's day they were falling away from this truth, which led to many dark centuries of apostasy. (Gal. 4:19) My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you.

(Gal. 2:20) I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that [life] which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, [the faith] which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. I am learning that it is not I, living the Christian life and doing the works of Christ, but it is I accepting my death and exercising faith so that Christ may live and do His works through me. Jesus gave up a natural body in order to take up a corporate body so that He could continue on a much larger scale His deliverance of this fallen creation. (1 Cor. 12:27) Now ye are the body of Christ, and severally members thereof. We are not the body of "another Jesus", a weak and worthless Jesus. We are the body of the same Jesus Who walked in that first body, exercising God's power to set the captives free. (Heb. 13:8) Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday and today, [yea] and for ever. It is sad that most do not agree that Christ's plan is to continue exercising the sovereignty that He had in His first body, in His second "body". (Amos 3:3) Shall two walk together, except they have agreed? We must agree with Jesus working through His body today to do the Fathers' work, so that the body of Jesus today, will walk as Jesus did in His first body 2,000 years ago.

Through faith in the Gospel we can expect the life of Jesus to be manifested in our human bodies. The life of Christ is not only His fruit but also His ministry, as we shall see. Those who teach that we cannot expect the life of Christ in this life are deceivers. Those who preach that as long as we are in this body we will always be in bondage to sin are deceivers. (2 Jn. 7) For many deceivers are gone forth (from the Church) into the world, [even] they that confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. The KJV falsely says "is come in the flesh" because they thought this spoke of His first body. There is no manuscript that says this. Even the Received Text says "coming in flesh". The ancient manuscripts also say this and the numeric pattern proves it to be true.

When Jesus physically comes again, He will have a glorified body, not one of flesh, however, He is coming now in the flesh of His body of true believers. Those who preach that our ultimate hope here is only to be forgiven, and not transformed, are deceivers. Paul explained that he was revealing a mystery with the words "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col.1:27). He said that the wisdom in this mystery was to "present every man perfect (complete or mature) in Christ" (28). The seed of Christ must become manifested (bear fruit) in us "from glory to glory". (Col. 3:4) When Christ, [who is] our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory. Christ manifested in us has power over sin and the curse around us. (See our book Sovereign God, For Us and Through Us.) As we come to realize the purpose of Christ is to live in us, our faith in what He can do in us and through us grows exponentially. (Phm. 1:6) [T]hat the fellowship (Greek: sharing in common) of thy faith may become effectual, in the knowledge of every good thing which is in you, unto Christ. The seed of Christ we have received has the potential for the whole plant but it must have the fertile ground of repentance and faith.

Suffering brings about this repentance, which is the suffering on our own spiritual cross of death to self. (Rom. 8:16) The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: (17) and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified with [him]. Notice that "we are children of God" and we will be heirs if we suffer the death of self that Christ may be glorified in us. "Child" is the Greek word teknon, which is always distinct from the word for "son", which is huios. Jesus is always called the huios of God. Vine's Expository Dictionary describes the difference. "Teknon, a child... gives prominence to the fact of birth, whereas 'huios' stresses the dignity and character of the relationship." A born again spirit makes us a child of God but only a born again soul gives us a pure and mature relationship with Him that a son like Jesus has. Our soul is our character, our mind, will, and emotions. Our spirit is reborn through an initial gift from God of repentance and faith. The soul is born from above by obedience to the Word given to that spirit. (Jas. 1:21) Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted (or inborn) word, which is able to save your souls. "Christians" who will not be birthed and ruled by the Word are deluded. (22) But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves.

Paul speaks of salvation as a process that Christians must cooperate in by standing in the faith of the Gospel to "hold fast the word" or else they "believed in vain". (1 Cor. 15:1) Now I make known unto you, brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, (2) by which also ye are (Greek: "are being") saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. The ancient manuscripts, the numeric pattern, and the Received Text say, "are being saved" here. Peter teaches us to see the soul as already saved by faith but he also shows us that obedience to the Word is the method of manifesting soul salvation. (1 Pet. 1:22) Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently: (23) having been begotten (born) again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God.

We are to endure in our faith to see the manifestation of soul salvation. (9) [R]eceiving the end of your faith, [even] the salvation of [your] souls. The soul that is born again manifests the nature of Jesus or the nature of Sonship. It is a soul submitted to the spirit that is led by the Spirit of God. (Rom. 8:14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. To manifest Jesus, the huios of God, is to manifest Sonship. The Scriptures do not teach "just accept Jesus", the false gospel that fills churches with tares. Jesus is the One Who does not accept anyone who does not repent, meaning change their mind, and believe the Word.

Just as in Jesus' day the creation of God was waiting for a Son to come with the Word of deliverance from the curse of corruption, so it is in our day. (19) For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God ... (21) that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. In Jesus' day spiritual children had led His creation into bondage to corrupt religion and sin but God sent His Son to deliver them with the unleavened bread. So it will be in our day. The foundations have been destroyed by many generations of children put in positions of leadership by those who have wanted their ears tickled. In times of apostasy God gives them what they want. (Isa. 3:4) And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. (5) And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbor: the child shall behave himself proudly against the old man (mature), and the base against the honorable.... (12) As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they that lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

God's solution will be to reveal His sons whom He will use to restore a repentant remnant with the truth that sets free. Jesus in His first body offered this deliverance to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Mt. 10:6) before there was a great falling away, but Jesus in the corporate Man-child will offer it to the called of the "whole creation" to restore the elect. (Rom. 8:22) For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. The work of the Spirit is to bring us to adoption: spirit, soul, and ultimately, body. Jesus was the Son of God abiding in the Son of Man. He was the Son in Spirit and Soul when He still inhabited a body of the seed of David (Rom. 1:3). His ability to fully walk in the kingdom came when He received His redeemed, glorified, body. So shall it be with the Man-child manifested sons. They will first manifest Sonship in spirit and then progressively in soul through persecution and suffering, as it was with Jesus. (Heb. 5:8) [T]hough he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered; (9) and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation ... Through this stage the Man-child sons will minister in power to the called of God as it was with our pattern, Jesus. In Romans we see the last step of full adoption through the new body. (Rom. 8:23) And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for [our] adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body.

Our faith, like our Father's faith, "calleth the things that are not, as though they were" (Rom. 4:17), so we must claim our Sonship before we see it. (Gal. 3:26) For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. The manifestation will come to those who walk by faith beholding the Son in the mirror. However, as long as we walk as a child we are servants in bondage and do not realize our heritage of being lords of our Father's domain. (4:1) But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a bondservant though he is lord of all; (2) but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed of the Father.

Servants do not serve for love as sons do and they do not have authority over a father's domain. All sons are servants of their father but not all servants are sons. Christians who are children are in bondage to the principles of the world. They walk by their physical senses instead of by faith. Sons live according to faith principles of the kingdom. (3) So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the rudiments (Greek: "first principles") of the world: (4) but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (5) that he might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Paul exhorts children, who walk under law to religion, to receive the gift of Sonship by faith in what Jesus did. Those who seek to be justified by the works of the Law (whether man-made or Old Testament) are children of bondage and cut-off from Christ and grace. (Gal. 5:4) Ye are severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace. For this reason Paul said unto them: (4:19) My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ (Sonship) be formed in you.

Those who claim their Sonship and the authority and privileges that go with it because of the redemption wrought in Christ are accounted as sons. We are "justified (Greek: reckoned or accounted righteous) by faith in Christ" (2:16). If I believe that "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me" (20), then I am a son by faith even if I am not yet by manifestation. (3:6) Even as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. (7) Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham. Therefore, if we have received the Spirit of Christ and believe that He now lives in us to do His works, we are sons by faith. (4:6) And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (7) So that thou art no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

Those who live as joint-heirs with Christ are walking in the faith of Sonship and will manifest His works by God's power. Jesus said, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father (Jn. 14:12). God is carefully bringing His servant/children who walk by faith to manifest Sonship, first the Man-child and then those disciples who follow in His steps. (Pr. 29:21) He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become a son at the last.

While the apostates were waiting for the coming Messiah, He was being manifest in their midst as a Man-child born to a Woman. According to this type, the apostates in our day are waiting for Jesus to come in the sky to save them. They do not understand that He will come first manifested in the Man-child. The Son will come to be manifested only in those children who "abide in Him". This is what the manifestation of Sonship is. Those who do not manifest Sonship will be "ashamed" like the man without the wedding garment, when they physically see Jesus. (1 Jn. 2:28) And now, [my] little children, abide in him; that, if he shall be manifested (in us as Sonship), we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming (Greek: parousia, meaning His physical presence).

Both the ancient manuscripts and the numeric pattern say, "if He be manifested" here. "If" shows that only the "children" who manifest Jesus or Sonship will not be "ashamed" when He comes. The KJV translated this "when He shall appear" because they thought this was a reference to Jesus' physical coming, which truly is a "when" and not an "if". A major problem with this translation is it has Jesus' coming twice at the same time. "When he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming". However "manifested" here is the Greek word phaneroo, meaning "to appear or make visible". It comes from the root word phan meaning "to shine". The same word used in many other places plainly shows us that the glory of Jesus will "shine" out of our "mortal bodies" (Rom. 8:11) to "appear" to the world. (2 Cor. 4:11) For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested (Phaneroo meaning "shining appearance") in our mortal flesh. Obviously this is a spiritual shining of the righteous glory of God out of us but sometimes God allows even lost people to see it.

Around 1984 I was witnessing to a man who said, "I saw you some years ago and there was a light shining out of you wherever you went and I wondered what it meant." (6) Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Notice in the same text that if we know the true "face of Jesus Christ" in the mirror by faith, His glory will shine in us. (3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory. (Col. 3:4) When Christ, [who is] our life, shall be manifested (in us), then shall ye also with him be manifested (shining appearance) in glory. Back in our 1 John text, we see that when we are children He has not yet made His shining appearance in us. (1 Jn. 3:2) Beloved, now are we children (teknon) of God, and it is not yet made manifest ("shining appearance") what we shall be. (If He makes His shining appearance in us "we shall be like him".) We know that, if he shall be manifested ("shining appearance", i.e., in us), we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is (in the mirror). The ancient manuscripts, the numeric pattern, and the Received Text all say "if he be manifested" here. Notice also that those who "see him even as he is" in the mirror by faith "shall be like him". We must believe that "as he is, even so are we in this world" (1 Jn. 4:17).

The rest of this text confirms this manifestation of Jesus will come in those who have "confident expectation" of it. (1 Jn. 3:3) And every one that hath this hope (Greek: "a good, confident expectation") [set] on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Can we purify ourselves "as he is pure"? Those who have a "confident expectation" of this manifestation of Christ in them will receive grace to walk in it. (Titus 2:11) For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, (12) instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; (Only those who are "looking for" the "shining appearance" of Jesus' glory from them will have it.) (13) looking for the blessed hope and appearing (Greek: epiphaneia, a "shining forth") of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (Notice that this does not speak of the coming of the Lord but of the coming of His glory. Epiphaneia here speaks of Jesus' coming in us and is distinct from parousia, which speaks of His personal "presence" or coming. In other words, He will come for those from whom He is "shining forth". He is coming in His saints before He comes for His saints. To this end He sacrificed Himself.) (14) who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works. The Man-child is those who are the First-fruits company to manifest the glory of this purity. Those who fight the good fight of faith shall have this epiphany of Jesus, either as the Man-child or as the Woman He leads into this understanding. (2 Tim. 4:7) I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: (8) henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved his appearing (epiphaneia). Like Paul, those who have loved His "shining forth" in them shall have the "crown of righteousness."

There are many who reject these awesome promises of "Christ in you" satisfied merely to get their toe in the door, but God has no interest in promoting the lukewarm. Those who justify their "just accept Jesus" religion in order to live as they like will not have eternal life, much less be in the First-fruits Man-child. They may be servants, but are not sons. (Jn. 8:34) Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Every one that committeth sin is the bondservant of sin. (35) And the bondservant abideth not in the house for ever: the son abideth for ever.

Those who have imputed Sonship through their faith in the true Gospel are included with these eternal sons. Both sons and servants have been given the First-fruits of their inheritance here on earth but the sons will keep their inheritance and the servants will not. (Ezk. 46:16) Thus saith the Lord: If the prince (Jesus) give a gift unto any of his sons, it is his inheritance, it shall belong to his sons; it is their possession by inheritance. (17) But if he give of his inheritance a gift to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty; then it shall return to the prince; but as for his inheritance, it shall be for his sons. Notice that when Jesus returns to set at "liberty" His own, He will take the gift He had given to the servants who had not born the fruit of Sonship, and give it to the sons. Jesus confirmed this in several parables. He described Himself giving gifts of His inheritance, called "talents", to His servants. (Mt. 25:14) For [it is] as [when] a man, going into another country, called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. (15) And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his several ability; and he went on his journey ... (19) Now after a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and maketh a reckoning with them. He finds that two of these servants have used their talents and brought forth hundred-fold fruit; the servant with the five talents brought forth five more and the servant with the two talents brought forth two more. The servant with the one talent reported that he "hid thy talent in the earth: lo, thou hast thine own" (25). In other words he kept what was given and used it for earthly purposes but bore no fruit.

Jesus will accept no excuses from these fruitless servants. (28) Take ye away therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him that hath the ten talents. You see, the inheritance of the fruitless servants will be taken away and given to the sons. (29) For unto every one that hath (fruit) shall be given (inheritance), and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not (fruit), even that which he hath shall be taken away. (30) And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

In order to justify self, some would say that the servant here was a lost man. The lost have never been called God's servants and they have never been given a talent for which they would receive eternal life. In this parable Jesus "called his own servants". I looked up every place the word "called" is used in this way in the New Testament and not once are we told that the lost are "called". The call is not the external invitation to come to Christ but the internal invitation to God's children to partake of Sonship and its benefits. If the lost are called then all are called, but the Word says only that "many" are called, speaking of God's children. "Many are the called, but few are the chosen" (Mt. 22:14). The called are the vineyard of God (Isa. 5:7) but the chosen are those who bear fruit. Only the saved are called. (2 Tim. 1:9) [W]ho saved us, and called us with a holy calling. "Called" is the Greek word kaleo, meaning "invited". Only the "brethren" have an invitation to partake of heaven. (Heb. 3:1) Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling. Only "brethren" are "invited" to come out of the world and into the kingdom of heaven to partake of Sonship by abiding in Christ.

God called Israel out of Egypt, a type of the world, after they ate the Passover Lamb of salvation. (Hos. 11:1) When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son (by faith) out of Egypt. (2) The more [the prophets] called them, the more they went from them. Though they were called to come out of Egypt (the world) and partake of Sonship, God reprobated the majority who would not give up Egypt in their heart. (Ex. 32:33) And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. (Rev. 3:5) He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life (see also Ps. 69:28; Rev. 22:18, 19). Jude warned "them that are called" (Rom. 8:28), "that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And angels that kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day" (Jude 5-6). It is clear that "Many are the called, but few are the chosen".

Only the people of God are called to partake of eternal life. Paul, addressing the apostle Timothy, said, "But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of the faith, lay hold on the life eternal, whereunto thou wast called and didst confess the good confession in the sight of many witnesses" (1 Tim. 6:11-12). Notice that "following after" the nature of Christ or Sonship is "laying hold on" eternal life. Though Timothy gave "the good confession" that eternal life was his, he still had to fight the fight of faith to manifest that life that he was "called" to. All who have been saved know they have been "called" but they must prove that they are "chosen" by obedience, which comes through faith. (2 Pet. 1:5) Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence in your faith, supply virtue; and in [your] virtue knowledge; (6) and in [your] knowledge self-control; and in [your] self-control patience; and in [your] patience godliness; (7) and in [your] godliness brotherly kindness; and in [your] brotherly kindness love. (The Greek originally had no punctuation. The comma should not be behind "diligence" as many translators have done, but behind "faith". We cannot add any self effort "on our part" that does not come from God's grace, and faith is a gift of God but we must be diligent to use it.)

You will notice that within diligent faith is every other attribute of Christ. Because of our deliverance from sin these attributes are ours, but those who walk by sight see only their natural face in the mirror and not Christ. (9) For he that lacketh these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. Those who have these attributes are more than merely called, they are chosen. (10) Wherefore, brethren (saved), give the more diligence to make your calling and election (Greek: "chosen") sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble: (11) for thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Notice that "if ye do these things" you are chosen to enter the kingdom. When the Lord returns only the called and chosen who are the faithful will be with Him. (Rev. 17:14) [T]hey [also shall overcome] that are with him, called and chosen and faithful. Only the chosen are foreordained to adoption of sons and will receive their new body. Paul said to the "saints" (sanctified ones) that are "faithful in Christ" that "he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: having foreordained us unto adoption as sons" (Eph. 1:1, 4-5). Some versions falsely translate this "adoption of children". Children must be born but only sons can be adopted. The Greek word for adoption is huiothesia, meaning "son placing". God will place His sons in His kingdom, spirit, soul, and then body. Continuing to abide in Christ will make this a sure thing. This is what the First-fruits Man-child is doing in these days and this is what God will restore to the Woman through him.

Abiding in Christ is where salvation, sanctification, eternal life, and Sonship, all synonymous terms, are found. Some say that God gave us the gift of eternal life so he can't take it back and still be truthful, yet 1 John 5:11 says that "God gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son". The only place that we can claim eternal life is "in his Son". God doesn't have to take it back-His people reject it and walk out of it.

In Galatians 3:16 we are told "to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ". The promises were inherited by Christ, not us. The only way the promises are ours is if we abide in Christ. Abiding in Christ is accomplished by our faith in the true Gospel. We are accounted as righteous by our faith, which entitles us to grace that enables us to manifestly abide in Christ. Abiding in Christ is believing the same teachings given by Jesus and the apostles. (1 Jn. 2:24) As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father. Abiding in Christ is walking as He walked. (6) [H]e that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked. Abiding in Christ is not walking in willful sin. (3:6) Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither knoweth him. Abiding in Christ is keeping His commandments. (24) And he that keepeth his commandments abideth in him, and he in him. Abiding in Christ is the way to bear fruit. (Jn. 15:4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me. Faith in the blood covers us until we manifest these conditions, which we will be coming into as we walk in that faith.

When we walk in willful sin we are not abiding in His body. (1 Cor. 6:18) Every sin that a man doeth is without the body. Contrary to the doctrine of some churches, willful sin is not under the blood and must be chastened. (Heb. 10:26) For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. Knowledge of the truth makes us responsible. If we walk in willful sin we are not abiding in Christ for "in him is no sin" (1 Jn. 3:5). The sin of fornication (spiritual or physical) will "take away the members of Christ, and make them members of a harlot" (1 Cor. 6:15). Those who walk in willful sin cannot have faith to abide in Christ for their own heart condemns them. (1 Jn. 3:21) Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God; (22) and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.

Sin in the Old Covenant was a transgression against the written law, whether the law was known or not (Lev. 5:17). The New Covenant changed this and holds us accountable for what is written upon our mind and heart, meaning what we know of God's will. (Heb. 10:16) This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, saith the Lord: I will put my laws on their heart, And upon their mind also will I write them.

This is God's grace and mercy to His children. Ignorance, unless it is willful, is under the Blood. (Jas. 4:17) To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. If we do not believe something is right to do, then it is not. (Rom. 14:23) [W]hatsoever is not of faith is sin. God doesn't hold it against us when we don't understand or our conscience doesn't warn us. (Rom. 5:13) [S]in is not imputed (counted against) when there is no law (knowledge of sin). (Jn. 15:22) If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin. Notice that this narrows the scope of accounted sin to what we know is sin. On the other hand some do not study the Word because they do not want to be held accountable for sin. However, in a catch-22, these will be rejected for not bearing fruit, which comes from consuming the Word. Some stick their heads in the sand denying their outward immorality that even the lost know is wrong. (1 Cor. 6:9) Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men, (10) nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified.

We must "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3). That first faith delivered from sin, not just covered it up. Even in the Old Covenant they had a blood covering but God found fault with its "sacrifices, the which can never take away sins" (Heb. 10:11) as the Blood of Christ does. (Jn. 1:29)...Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world! We are told by many apostate ministers of our day to be satisfied with God's forgiveness and that we shouldn't hope for deliverance from the sin nature of unrighteousness itself. (1 Jn. 1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Since our old sinful man was crucified with Christ, we do not have to serve him anymore. (Rom. 6:6) [K]nowing this, that our old man was crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin. Our faith makes this possible. (11) Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. Since we have this faith we have authority to forbid sin to rule us. (12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof.

This teaching makes us servants of righteousness instead of sin. (17) But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered; (18) and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness. Since apostates have no hope themselves, they come up with convenient doctrines that permit them to live as they like while claiming to be Christian. To these God says, "I know thy works, that thou hast a name (Christian) that thou livest, and thou art dead" (Rev. 3:1). These are "twice dead" (born again and died again) and "plucked up by the roots" (Jude 12). These will deceive the many, but not the elect. They are "holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof, from these also turn away" (2 Tim. 3:5). They do not believe in the power from God to those who would live Godly.

Once saved, always saved, is a demonic delusion that has destroyed multitudes. (1 Jn. 3:7) [My] little children, let no man lead you astray: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous: (8) he that doeth sin is of the devil.

The apostates deny that God is able to make His servants like Jesus but He refutes them by His Word. (Lk. 6:40) The disciple is not above his teacher: but every one when he is perfected shall be as his teacher. (The Man-child is the First-fruits to fully manifest Christ. The apostates will hate and accuse these coming sons of God.) (Mt. 10:25) ...If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household! These will ignore all of the above Scriptures, objecting that the Bible says that in the end many false Christs will claim to be Him. We must confess only what the Scriptures teach, "Christ that liveth in me", but not "I am Christ", as some antichrists do. Others will object that they do not see any of these "Jesus people" around so how can it be that He will be manifested in some? First of all, without a mind renewed by the Word they could not discern these sons. Almost none of the Bible school graduates of Jesus' day discerned that He came in the fullness of God. Even His disciples questioned Him, Peter rebuked Him, and Thomas doubted Him. Second, haven't you heard, He has saved the best wine for last. (2 Thes. 1:10) [W]hen he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believed (because our testimony unto you was believed) in that day.

Notice that Paul believed there was a day coming, after the falling away that he predicted in chapter two, when the saints would have grace to believe the Scriptures and manifest Jesus. The text declares that the Lord would come when this happens (7-9). After all, His crop has come to maturity and is ready for the harvest. (11) To which end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfil every desire of goodness and [every] work of faith, with power; (12) that the name (Greek: "nature, character", and authority) of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that the grace of God through our faith will manifest in us the nature, character, and authority of Jesus to do His works. Then He will come.
 

Here is another reason that the full manifestation of Jesus could not happen until these days. The prophet Joel declares a full restoration of all that the curse and religion has taken from God's people through a great falling away. (Joel 2:23) Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for he giveth you the former (or early) rain in just measure, and he causeth to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, in the first [month]. (24) And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil (bearing much fruit). (25) And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. These insects represent the curses that have devoured God's crop, which are His people. God said that the former and latter rain will restore His people from the years of devastation. This rain was identified in verses 28 and 29 as the outpouring of the Spirit on God's people.

Peter quotes these verses, declaring that the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost was the beginning of the fulfillment of this prophecy. (Acts 2:16) [B]ut this is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel: (17) And it shall be in the last days, saith God, I will pour forth of my Spirit upon all flesh: And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams. The "former rain" of the Spirit came "in the last days" of the Old Testament people of God and the "latter rain" will come "in the last days" of the New Testament people. This former rain came to the Jewish believers to restore them after a great falling away and then it was passed on to the Gentiles. Those disciples who received that power of the Spirit walked as Jesus walked and did His works. The heathens called them "Christians", meaning "Christ-like ones". There is not enough evidence to convict many of that today but the story is not over. For almost 2,000 years only a few have been partakers of the former rain. Like the former rain type, the latter rain will come to those who believe to restore the fallen Church to Christlikeness and then it will be passed on to a remnant of the Jews. In many ways "the last shall be first, and the first last" (Mt. 19:30).

Both natural Israel and the Church have fallen away for almost 2,000 years from what was given in the Gospels and Acts. Hosea chapter 5 tells us why. (Hos. 5:3) I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me; for now, O Ephraim, thou hast played the harlot, Israel is defiled. Ephraim and Israel is a play on words because Ephraim was called in Hebrew the "fulness of nations" (Gentiles) in Genesis 48:19 and represents the Church. Ephraim was the second son of Joseph, who was the clearest type of Jesus in the Bible. Jesus, like Joseph, had two sons, Israel and the Church. Joseph's second-born, Ephraim, represents the Church, which received the inheritance that should have been given to Manasseh, the first-born, who represents natural Israel. (Ex. 4:22)...Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, my first-born. Joseph's father, representing Jesus' Father, gave the first-born blessing to the second-born, Ephraim (Gen. 48:17, 18). The Church is the Father's second-born son who received the double-portion outpouring that Israel, the first-born, should have received but refused. The Church, which is made up of Israel and Gentiles who believe, is first with God, not an afterthought as some believe. So, natural Israel and the Church are spoken of in Hosea's text as having fallen away. (Hos. 5:4) Their doings will not suffer them to turn unto their God; for the spirit of whoredom is within them, and they know not the Lord. As a whore they received the seed of the world rather than the husband, Jesus. (7)...they have borne strange children.

The modern Church has borne strange children that do not look anything like the Father, or the Church fathers in the book of Acts. (11) Ephraim is oppressed, he is crushed in judgment; because he was content to walk after [man's] command. This is why for almost 2,000 years Jesus has not really been manifested in the Church as He was in Acts. He turned away from the Jews and the apostate church as they went through the Dark Ages, and most are still there.

The Lord left His people to their own religious devices during this time but in the midst of affliction there will be repentance. (Hos. 5:15) I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly. In Tribulation His people will say, "Come, and let us return unto the Lord; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. And let us know, let us follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth" (Hos. 6:1-3). Notice that the Lord will come as the latter rain. The Holy Spirit's work is to manifest Jesus in those who receive Him. We see here that on the morning of the third day the latter rain outpouring will come to empower and restore them after a two-day (2,000 years) falling away period. As Jesus came with the former rain anointing and imparted it to the disciples through breathing upon them (Jn.20:22), so He will come manifested in the Man-child to impart the latter rain to the witnesses. This will fulfill Joel's latter rain restoration of all.

What are these days and when is the morning of the third day? (2 Pet. 3:8) But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. Having read the writings of the early Church fathers, I can tell you that they commonly believed in the thousand-year day and that after six of these days the end-time would come. Barnabas, Ireaneus, Polycarp, Hippolytus, Cyprian, Lactantius, Methodius, Justin Martyr, the Hindus, Muslims, and the Jewish Talmud, to name a few, have taught this. Gibbon in The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire said that the early Christians commonly believed this.

The Bible is laid out in seven prophetic thousand-year days from the creation of the first Adam, or three prophetic thousand-year days from the birth of the "last Adam", Jesus (1 Cor. 15:45). There were four thousand years, or four days, between the Adams. I believe it is likely that in September of 2001-2002 we came to the Biblical year 6000 A.M. (Anno Mundi; i.e., year of the world). This began the morning of the seventh day from the old creation Adam and the morning of the third day from new creation Adam, Jesus Christ. This would then be when the end-time begins and God finishes His work to rest for the remainder of the millennium. (Gen. 2:2) And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. Jesus' words spoke prophetically of this same time when His corporate body would be perfected and resurrected. (Lk. 13:32)...Behold I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and (on) the third [day] I am perfected. (Jn. 2:19) Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.... (21) But he spake of the temple of his body. "In three days" here is different from all four other places, Mt. 27:63, Mk. 8:1, Lk. 2:46, Acts 28:17, in which the Word says that "After three days" Jesus physically arose. Whereas the physical body of Jesus rose after three days, His spiritual body will rise "on" and "in" the third day. According to this type, God is about to finish His new creation work on the morning of the seventh/third day and rest. This soon coming latter rain outpouring on the morning of the third day will restore the true believers to the holiness, power, and ministry of Jesus.

As Solomon said, "That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done" (Eccl. 1:9). What happened with the former rain will also happen in the latter rain. Many apostate people of God will fight against this move of the Spirit and be reprobated. The persecuted, Spirit-filled remnant will, by signs and wonders, bring revival to lovers of truth worldwide. Jesus said, "But many shall be last [that are] first; and first [that are] last" (Mt. 19:30). The former rain was first offered to Israel, but most blasphemed against it so it was given to the Gentiles. The latter rain will first be given to the Church, but when many blaspheme it will be given to a remnant of Israel. I thank my God that by His grace I was not stubborn but received His former rain. It has given to me a miraculous life of God's provision but the latter rain will be far greater.

Do all believers have the former rain of the Holy Spirit? Jesus said to His disciples, "[Y]e who have followed me, in the regeneration" (Mt. 19:28). Regeneration comes from the Greek word meaning "new birth". The disciples were born again but did not have the Holy Spirit because Jesus told them, "he abideth with you, and shall be in you" (Jn. 14:17). He later told them, "But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses... unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). When the Spirit comes we receive the power needed to be witnesses of Jesus. The disciples were called Christians by the lost because they did the works of Jesus.

The apostate church of our day has separated many from this infilling power by saying that all who are born again automatically have the Holy Spirit. Obviously Jesus didn't teach this, nor did the disciples teach it later. Paul didn't believe it. (Acts 19:1)...Paul...found certain disciples: (2) and he said unto them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? And they [said] unto him, Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was [given]. Notice that these disciples had not experienced the infilling of the Spirit. (6) And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. Why would believers need to be prayed for to receive the Spirit if it was automatic? As with every New Testament case, they knew when they received because the Spirit came with signs, gifts, and power. Even now the apostate church fights against the God-given gifts just as Israel did. (Acts 8:14) Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: (15) who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit: (16) for as yet it was fallen upon none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. (17) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Our spirit must be born again before the Holy Spirit will come to dwell in it. The lost cannot receive the Spirit for Jesus said, "the Spirit of truth: whom the world cannot receive" (Jn. 14:17). The promise of the covenant is clear that those who have "a new spirit" can have "my Spirit". (Ezk. 36:26) A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. (27) And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep mine ordinances, and do them.

Notice also that when God's Spirit comes to dwell He will empower you to obey the Word. (Acts 5:32) And we are witnesses of these things; and [so is] the Holy Spirit, whom God hath given to them that obey him. Obey, dear friend, and receive. If you will do what they did in the book of Acts, you get what they got, and if you get what they got, you will do what they did with power.

Just as the former rain in Acts empowered the disciples to manifest Jesus, the latter rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit will empower the endtime saints to come into all that Christ is because Christ will live in them. (Eph. 3:16) [T]hat he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; (17) that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (Notice that the Spirit empowers us so that Christ may dwell in us. In this way the latter rain will bring Christ in His body on earth like never before.) (18) may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, (19) and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God. Notice that by the Spirit we are empowered to apprehend the full scope of Christ, the breadth, length, height, depth, and His love.

Jesus was called "the last Adam" (1 Cor. 15:45). He was the Firstfruits and spiritual Father of the new creation, born again, Spirit-filled man. He was the Man-child Who came in the end of Israel's covenant after a great falling away to restore what years of the curse took from His people. Likewise, Christ in the Man-child of our day will come in the end of the Church's covenant to restore what two thousand years of the curse and dead religion took from His people.

Jesus will be manifested in this First-fruits Man-child, appearing as God said He would, as the latter rain on the morning of the third day. This will all happen according to the type laid down in Scripture. Jesus was the first to have the former rain of the Spirit. He went forth for 3-1/2 years to train the early Woman, provide for her in the wilderness, and give her His authority. Then after that 3-1/2 years He poured out the former rain when He "breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit" (Jn. 20:22). Ten days later the Spirit came as "the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting" (Acts 2:2). That early Woman was empowered by the former rain to face the beast and harlot of their day. History will be repeated, as the latter rain comes to a worldwide body of believers this time. Therefore Jesus will come in the corporate body of the Man-child in order to do the same thing on a much larger scale. Upon this morning of the third day Jesus is going forth in the man-child for 3-1/2 years to train the Woman, provide for her in the wilderness, and give her His authority. Then after that 3-1/2 years He will pour out the latter rain to empower the Woman to face the beast and harlot for another 3-1/2 years before He comes in the clouds.

I once complained to the Lord that some whom I had been teaching were slow to act on the Word that they saw. That night the Lord gave me a vivid dream. I do not normally dream but when I do it is from the Lord.

I found myself standing on the bank of what I thought was the Red Sea and looking across it at the far bank. There I saw a large turtle coming out of the water and laboring to climb the steep bank. I looked further down the bank, parallel to the turtle, and saw my two oldest boys also laboring to climb the steep bank. As I stood there the faces of believers that I have taught kept coming to mind. I spoke to these believers and said, "Come over here, I want to show you something". Suddenly I was on the land on the far side of the water and looking for the turtle. It was nowhere to be seen but in its place there was a rabbit. The rabbit was inside a dirt firewall, the kind that is built around tanks of flammable liquids so that if the contents were spilled any fire would be contained. The rabbit had a faucet over its head and it was covered with oil. It was then that I noticed that the land all around was a desolate wilderness.

After eating the Lamb of salvation, Israel was baptized in the Red Sea to prepare them for the wilderness of this world. That baptism represented death to self, as it does today. The old man, the Egyptian, died and was buried there as Israel, the new man, was resurrected. (1 Cor. 10:1)...[O]ur fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; (2) and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. The water represents the curse of the Word that brings death to the old man and the blessing of the Word that brings life to the new man. Paul said that Christ cleanses the Church "by the washing of water with the Word" (Eph. 5:26). The Word is the curse of death to the disobedient old man and the life of blessing to the submissive new man. (Dt. 30:19)...I have set before thee life and death, the blessing and the curse. Baptism should be our first experience after coming to Christ. At that time we should accept the death of our old man by faith. However, we need to continue abiding in that faith until the old man is manifestly put to death by the water of the Word. Most of Christianity has never left bondage in Egypt and still needs to repent and die to self. The judgments on Egypt brought Israel out as a corporate body to enter their wilderness Tribulation, as it will be with the Church. My oldest sons, the turtle, and the faces from the past are all parables to describe children whom I have taught that need to do something with what they have learned. The curse is to motivate repentance. The turtle, which lived through the baptism, has been given armor by God to make him invincible to the curse on his enemy, the old man. Even though the turtle is protected it lacks the gift of speed and strength for a wilderness journey.

I went to show these saints, whose faces I saw, what would be on the other side of their baptism unto repentance and there was a rabbit covered with oil, the symbol of the Holy Spirit. The Israelites were baptized, not only in water, but "in the cloud", which was the Holy Spirit. Friends, there is coming an outpouring of the Holy Spirit the likes of which this earth has never seen. Even Saul was turned into "another man" (1 Sam. 10:6) when the anointing came. This is what the anointing oil on the rabbit symbolizes. Unlike the turtle, the rabbit is designed by God to run fast and escape its enemies in the wilderness. This was God's answer to my complaint about the people not living what I was teaching. They would be anointed, as the Israelites symbolically were, to run in the wilderness and escape the enemies of worldly lusts, principalities and powers. The firewall is to contain the oil and the fire around the rabbit. John said, "he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and [in] fire" (Lk. 3:16). The wilderness is a controlled environment. God will anoint and empower His people to go through the fiery trial to burn up the wood, hay and stubble in their lives. There they will learn to walk by faith.

Some of you might be saying, "I am already filled with the Holy Spirit." I was trained as a industrial and municipal fireman for Exxon at Texas A&M University and Louisiana State University. Have you ever seen a room filled with smoke that you could see through? How about a room, filled with smoke, that you could not see through? The difference is the density. The former rain, of which many of us have partaken, was in "just measure" in the Hebrew of Joel 2:23. However, when the latter rain comes, we will receive "the former rain and the latter rain, in the first". That is a much more powerful anointing. In this outpouring, when God's people begin to believe the Word, the Spirit will not be given "by measure" (Jn. 3:34). You might say, "David, that spoke of Jesus." Of course! "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27) will be manifested first in the Man-child, and then in the Woman in the wilderness experience to come.

Through the power of the Spirit, the Man-child is the first to outgrow the mother. By virtue of Christ-likeness he is the first body of disciples to come out of, and be counted separate from, the multitude of immature Christianity. Jesus and Paul likened maturity to becoming as a child. Some of you are thinking, "Is it too late for me to be in the Man-child company?" This baby will be born and continue to come to maturity very fast. Although many have had very similar dreams, I will share with you one, as an example, that Curt, a brother in our assembly, had.

I dreamed I was in a hospital room where everything was perfectly white, even our clothing. Though others were present in the room my eyes were focused on a new born baby boy in the hospital bed. What was strange was that in a moment the baby spoke a word...then another... and another, all very clearly. Very shortly he was able to speak an entire sentence...and then he was carrying on a conversation with me. Then miraculously he slid off the bed and stood by himself. Then he took a step...and another...and another until he was walking perfectly. Then the dream was over.

We have felt these dreams speak of the Man-child coming to maturity very quickly after being born. The hospital represents not only the assembly that Curt is a part of, but on a larger scale it is the true Church because it is a place for healing the sick and giving life. The perfectly white atmosphere is where the Man-child matures quickly. So you see, hang out with the true disciples of Christ and put your faith in God's Word and He is able to do a quick work. Like Jesus, this Man-child feeds the Woman for 3-1/2 years in the wilderness in the time of the dragon (Rev. 12:6, 14). After this, the beast is permitted to make war with the rest of the seed of the Woman for 3-1/2 more years (12:17; 13:5, 7). The true Church should not fear this wilderness Tribulation for God will sanctify, empower and mature them quickly.

The Man-child, Jesus, came filled with the former rain of the Spirit only to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Mt. 15:24) in the 3-1/2 year Gospel ministry. Then in Acts the Holy Spirit came as the former rain outpouring, first to Israel then to the Gentiles. (Eccl. 1:9) That which hath been is that which shall be. When He comes in the Man-child, He comes as the latter rain only to the lost sheep of the Church for the first 3-1/2 years. Then, in our own Acts of the second 3-1/2 years, "He will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain" (Hos. 6:3), first to the Church and then to the Jewish remnant. This is a wonderful promise and perfectly aligns with the type in Acts because now the Church is grafted into the olive tree of New Testament Israel and natural unbelieving Israel are the broken-off unbelievers.

Hosea 5:15 - 6:3 tells us Jesus went into self-imposed exile because of His people's rebellion but will return on the morning of the third day as the latter rain in the Man-child. We also can see clearly in Micah 5:1-6 the Man-child Jesus, born, rejected, leaving in exile, and then returning in the end-time Man-child before a remnant of natural Israel returns to Him. (Mic. 5:1) Now shalt thou gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us; they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. (2) But thou Bethlehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto me that is to be ruler of Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.

Jesus Christ, as the pre-existent Son of God, took on a body and was born as a Son of man in Bethlehem. He was given "to be ruler of Israel". The Jews did not recognize Jesus as ruler and He became "The stone which the builders rejected" (Mt. 21:42). So He gave them up to their own ways until the end-time Woman brings forth the Man-child at the beginning of the Tribulation. (Mic. 3) Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth. Jesus gave up apostate Israel and the apostate church so that they could go their own way. Paul said that wolves came in to divide the flock after themselves (Acts 20:29, 30). Jesus is returning as the latter rain anointing in the Man-child to save and reform His Church-the Woman of Revelation 12. After that time a remnant of Jesus' natural brethren, natural Israel, shall begin to return to Him by being born again into the New Testament "children of Israel", the Church. (3)...[T]hen the residue (remnant) of his brethren (natural Israel) shall return unto the children of Israel.

First, we see that natural Israel is not the Woman because they return after she brings forth the Man-child. Then we see that a remnant of Jesus' brethren, natural Israel, will return to the spiritual New Testament "children of Israel", the Church or Woman. As we have already seen in Romans 11:17-26, natural Israel was broken off of the olive tree called "Israel" when they rejected Jesus and the Church was grafted into their place. Then when all the Gentiles have been grafted in, "the residue of His brethren shall return" to the olive tree to be grafted back in. (Rom. 11:26) [A]nd so all Israel (those in the olive tree) shall be saved: even as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer; He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. Jesus is the deliverer from Zion and the Man-child is the deliverer from spiritual Zion. Jesus manifested in the body of the Man-child will raise up disciples in His image to "turn away ungodliness from Jacob". Jacob here is both natural Israel and the apostate Church.

As we continue with our text we are going to see this exciting ministry of Jesus again on this earth. (Mic. 5:4) And he shall stand and shall feed [his flock] in the strength of the Lord in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. In the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide; for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. Jesus, in the Man-child, "shall stand and feed [his flock]", who is the Woman. The Jesus Who was the First-fruits in the beginning of the Gospels is the same Jesus Who is in the First-fruits in Revelation 12. He will come to do the same miraculous works but in a larger worldwide body. He will again feed His flock for 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation and "they shall abide" in Him. (Rev. 12:6) And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they (the Man-child) may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days (3-1/2 years).

As Jesus taught the Church for 3-1/2 years and then anointed them with the power of the former rain in Acts, so the Man-child will teach the Woman for 3-1/2 years and anoint them with the latter rain power and acts. The book of Acts was the forty years between Jesus' 3-1/2 year ministry and the destruction of the harlot of apostate Israel in 70 A.D. by the Roman beast. Forty is the number of tribulation. The book of Acts of the former rain Woman/Church represents the second 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation or the acts of the latter rain Woman/Church.

We are going to witness the type of the latter rain multiplied around the world since spiritual New Testament Israel is now worldwide. The pattern holds true. As with the former rain, the latter rain saints are made war on by the beast, and killed in some cases. (Rev. 13:5)...[T]here was given to him (the beast) authority to continue forty and two months (3-1/2 years) ... (7) And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them.

As Jesus fed the Woman of the former rain in a body of flesh, so He will feed the Woman of the latter rain in a corporate body of flesh. (Mic. 5:4) And he shall stand and shall feed [his flock] in the strength of the Lord in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. In the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide; for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

The Jesus of the former rain was revered by the disciples and feared by His enemies but because of apostasy this has not been true for many centuries. The Man-child and the disciples who follow in His steps will restore this and He shall be "great unto the ends of the earth". The Man-child's teaching will bring peace to the seven churches that are at war with the beast. (5) And this [man] shall be [our] peace. When the Assyrian shall come into our land, and shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principle (Hebrew: "princes among") men. The corporate body of the Man-child is "this man" who brings peace to the corporate Woman with his teachings that enable her to resist the beast invasion. He brings peace because the "Prince of peace" is in his heart. Spiritually speaking we are the "land" and the "palaces" that the corporate beast is trying to invade. (1 Cor. 3:9) For we are God's fellow-workers: ye are God's husbandry (Greek: tilled land), God's building ("palaces").

As we shall see, the beast is a corporate spirit from the abyss (Rev. 17:8) that inhabits the body of the wicked (3) and seeks to inhabit the righteous and mark them. Notice that the Assyrians are called "him", which shows that they are seen as the corporate body of the beast. Since the Assyrian beast kingdom passed away over 600 years before Christ, they could not have been connected with Jesus or the Man-child. Therefore God, as usual, was using the beast of that day to represent a particular aspect of the end-time beast. As the Assyrian beast did not conquer Jerusalem, so the end-time beast will not conquer those spiritually abiding in the New Jerusalem.

(Mic. 5:5)...[T]hen shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principle (Hebrew: "princes among") men. The Man-child Jesus raised up twelve apostolic shepherds primarily to restore those of the "twelve-tribes of Israel" who would listen (Mt. 10:5; Acts 26:7; Jas. 1:1; 1 Pet. 1:1). In exact parallel, the corporate Man-child will, from the Church, raise up "seven" corporate apostolic "shepherds" primarily to restore the "seven churches" (Rev. 1:4). The Man-child's primary job is to feed the unleavened bread of the Word to disciples in order to manifest Christ in them. These seven represent the new leadership for the seven churches in the last 3-1/2 years. These "seven shepherds" are not sectarian religious leaders but one man in Christ and are inhabited by one "prince of peace", Jesus, hence "eight princes among men". In the next chapter we will see that even after the Man-child Jesus' 3-1/2 year ministry, He promised to be with the shepherds in spirit "unto the consummation of the age", (Greek: Mt. 28:20) hence "eight princes among men". These princes are sons of the King and have authority over His realm of the seven churches. The seven churches of Revelation are a type of seven different types of Christians in the Church. (Isa. 4:1) And seven women (the Church) shall take hold of one man in that day. The "one man" here is Jesus manifested in the Man-child. Then He will be manifested in the seven shepherds and then in the true Church. Now we see in a two-fold manifestation there will be "eight princes among men". Only this restoration of the type of leadership that the early Church had will solve the problem of apostasy in the latter Church. (Isa. 1:26) [A]nd I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called The city of righteousness, a faithful town. The same type counselors in the former rain will be given in the latter rain.

Here is another confirmation of the Man-child giving His revelation to seven shepherds, who passed it on to the seven churches. When the Man-child Jesus sent His shepherds out, He called them "apostles", meaning "one sent forth". In other words, the shepherds were the Man-child's messengers to the churches. As a type of the Man-child, John on the Isle of Patmos was "a partaker with you in the tribulation" (Rev. 1:9) when he was caught up to the throne of God and given a revelation of the coming Tribulation to give to the seven churches. (4:1) After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, [a voice] as of a trumpet speaking with me, one saying, Come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must come to pass hereafter. (2) Straightway I was in the Spirit: and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting upon the throne.

Like Jesus, he was given a revelation of the apostasy in the Church and told to send it to the seven churches by the hand of seven angels. (1:11)...What thou seest, write in a book and send [it] to the seven churches ... (2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14) To the angel of the church in Ephesus (and so with: Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea) write ... "Angel" in these cases is the Greek word angelos meaning "messenger" and is also used of minister in the New Testament (Example: Lk. 7:24, 27; 9:52). The equivalent Hebrew word in the Old Testament is translated "messenger" when speaking of a priest (Mal. 2:7), John the Baptist, and Jesus (3:1). Since it doesn't make sense that John sent the revelation by angels, he must have sent it by seven minister messengers to the seven churches. This is exactly what Jesus did as Manchild. He shared His revelation with apostolic minister messengers, who shared it with the seven churches and so it will be in our time.

God replaced Judas with Matthias among the twelve apostles, not Paul. A Bible Code skip sequence in Isaiah 53 gives the names of Jesus and twelve apostles including Matthias and excluding Judas and Paul. These twelve Jews were ordained to bring the Gospel to the Jews. Paul is not qualified to be among the original twelve because they had to be witnesses of Jesus' baptism, teaching, resurrection, and ascension (Acts 1:21, 22). The ministry of apostle never ceased except to those who believe it did. Paul is among twelve other apostles listed in the New Testament who were almost all Gentiles and took the Gospel to the Gentiles. In three of these cases the Greek word apostolos is translated "messenger" instead of "apostle" as it is everywhere else. God will fulfill the above type in the end. (Mt. 20:16) So the last shall be first, and the first last. The Man-child will ordain seven corporate Gentile, apostolic shepherds to the Church, and after that, seven corporate, mostly Jewish, apostolic shepherds will go to the Jews to bring them into the Church.

Let's return to our Micah text. (Mic. 5:6) And they (the Man-child and seven shepherds) shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof. In chapter nine, Two Witnesses, we will see that these shepherds will "with the sword" of the Word make war on the beast until "they shall have finished their testimony" (Rev. 11:7) exactly as the early apostolic messengers. (Isa. 31:8) And the Assyrian shall fall by the sword, not of man; and the sword, not of men, shall devour him ... Just as the "land of Nimrod" represents the one world order of Babel, so the Assyrian Empire represents the end-time world beast. I share in chapter fifteen how I saw a vision in which I was caught up over the Gulf of Mexico and saw the U.S. as Nineveh, which was the capital and head of the Assyrian Empire. The U.S. is now and will be the head of the one world order until the Day of the Lord. Assyria is clearly used in Scripture as a type of the whole world. (14:25) [T]hat I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains (kingdoms) tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulder. (26) This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. Once again we see the Assyrians called "his" showing them to be the world corporate beast. Notice that the bondage of the Assyrian beast will be broken in "the whole earth" and in "all the nations", which God says is "my land". This is clearly the land of spiritual Israel, the Church, which is in "the whole earth". This perfectly fits our Micah text in that the Man-child and seven shepherds are spread throughout the earth to conquer this beast.

Also in our text the remnant of God's people under them are spread throughout the earth conquering the kingdom of the beast. (Mic. 5:7) And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples as dew from the Lord, as showers upon the grass, that tarry not for man, nor wait for the sons of men. (8) And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep; who, if he go through, treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and there is none to deliver. (9) Let thy hand be lifted up above thine adversaries, and let all thine enemies be cut off.

Lest we forget, the most important part of this victory of the saints over the beast is over the fleshly beast of the old man. This will come as a spiritual and sometimes physical crucifixion. The Assyrian beast conquered the apostate ten tribes and Judah but when they threatened Jerusalem, the place of God's true temple in the midst of His people, God intervened. (2 Ki. 19:35) And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. God said this great victory was to preserve a holy remnant. (30) And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. (31) For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and out of mount Zion they that shall escape: the zeal of the Lord shall perform this. (32) Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come unto this city ...

God also said this great victory was in answer to the prayer of Hezekiah (14-21), who was a type of the Man-child. He was the greatest son of David and king of Judah until Jesus Christ (18:3-7). He also went up to the house of the Lord on the third thousand-year day as the Man-child will. (20:5) Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the prince of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee; on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. (6) And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake. The First-fruits of the harvest, the Man-child, goes to "the house of the Lord". (Ex. 23:19) The first of the first-fruits of thy ground thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God. There is another spiritual type to be seen in this war on the saints.

Whom did Assyria represent in their day? Assyria was the second beast in a parade of six major beasts that ruled Israel. In our day the second beast is the one who makes war on the saints in the second 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation in Revelation 13. Those whom the Man-child raises up in the latter rain will have authority to speak the destruction of the beast empire. (Dan. 7:25) And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time. (26) But the judgment shall be set, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. Although persecuted and sometimes killed they will destroy the beast kingdom with the sword of their mouth. (Mic. 5:6) And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof. It is going to come to pass because of the word of faith that they speak, for "they reign upon the earth" (Rev. 5:10). Jesus, as Man-child, sent out His twelve disciples "by two and two", as a corporate body of two witnesses (Mk. 6:7). Later these went out in the same way to war with the harlot and beast of their day. They won their battle with the beast for the hearts of God's elect and when their testimonies were finished they were killed by the beast. This is an exact parallel of the corporate seven shepherds or corporate two witnesses of the last 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation. These will, by the sword of their mouth, speak fiery judgments, war, plague, and drought to destroy the beast kingdom that is making war on them (Rev. 11:3-7). At the end of this time the Messiah will come with all of His saints and the sword of the spoken Word to finish-off the nations. (Rev. 19:14) And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses ... (15) And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations. (Mic. 5:6)...[A]nd he (the Messiah) shall deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our border.

(Rev. 6:1) And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, Come. (2) And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering, and to conquer. The white horse rider is Christ in a modern day body of believers called the Man-child. Jesus came at the start of the first 3-1/2 years of the disciples' tribulation, and the Man-child will come at the beginning of the first 3-1/2 years of the end-time Tribulation.

Why must this be the first seal judgment? (1 Pet. 4:17) For the time [is come] for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if [it begin] first at us, what [shall be] the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? Just as the Man-child Jesus brought the unleavened bread of the truth, confirmed with signs and wonders, which made Israel and her leaders responsible to repent or be judged, so it will be with the end-time Man-child and spiritual Israel. (Jn. 9:39) And Jesus said, For judgment came I into this world, that they that see not may see; and that they that see may become blind. Simeon prophesied that the Man-child Jesus would cause both the reprobation of some and the grafting in of others. (Lk. 2:34)...Behold, this [child] is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel; and for a sign which is spoken against. Jesus was also a "sign" that the end-time Manchild would bring the same judgment. As it was with Jesus and Judaism, the Man-child will be "spoken against" by the apostate "Christians". Moses, as Man-child, brought the Law, which held the rebels responsible and brought judgment. (Rom. 4:15) [F]or the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.

What does the "white horse" represent? As the mind of man uses his body as a beast of burden to do his work, so the horse is harnessed as a beast of burden to do his work. The horse represents the body or beast. (Ps. 147:10) He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: He taketh no pleasure in the legs of a man. This verse could well fit the other horse riders in revelation six, but to ride a white horse symbolizes completely harnessing the strength of your body and mind to do righteous work. The horse carries the rider like the "legs of a man" carry the Manchild. Overcomers ride white horses because their body submits to the spiritual man who submits to the Holy Spirit.

The Man-child will be the First-fruits of the white horse riders in our day, and the elect of the Woman will also follow their Lord on white horses to finish off the judgment after the Tribulation. (Rev. 19:11) And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.... (14) And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white [and] pure.

Just as the latter rain outpouring of the Spirit on the Man-child will harness his body as a white horse, so through the next three seal judgments evil spirits will ride upon the beast of the flesh of men to bring these curses upon the earth. The difference between the Man-child and the rest of the riders is that he is the one who looses these judgments as did Jesus, Moses, and Jeremiah. (Rev. 6:3) And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come. (4) And another [horse] came forth, a red horse: and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. (5) And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come. And I saw, and behold, a black horse; and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand. (6) And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A measure of wheat for a shilling, and three measures of barley for a shilling (famine); and the oil and the wine hurt thou not. (7) And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come. (8) And I saw, and behold, a pale horse: and he that sat upon him, his name was Death; and Hades followed with him. And there was given unto them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with famine, and with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

Remember that Jesus said, "I have given you authority...over all the power of the enemy" (Lk. 1:19). Authority in this case is the right to use the power of the demons. Twice Paul, by the power of the name of Jesus, delivered sinners over to Satan for chastening so that they would repent and be saved. (1 Cor. 5:4) [i]n the name of our Lord Jesus, ye being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, (5) to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. The Man-child will exercise "authority" and pass it on to the Woman to bring the same "sword", "famine", and "death" to those who return evil for good in order to save a remnant of God's people from them. Much of this will happen after the mark of the beast when these people cannot be saved. Jeremiah was a type of the Man-child who loosed the judgments to come. (Jer. 18:20) Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before thee to speak good for them, to turn away thy wrath from them. (21) Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and give them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives become childless, and widows; and let their men be slain of death, [and] their young men smitten of the sword in battle. Moses and Samuel represent the same type of the Man-child whose words and teachings to the Woman will bring forth the same judgments. (15:1) Then said the Lord unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind would not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth. (2) And it shall come to pass, when they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the Lord: Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for captivity, to captivity.

Jesus, in His First-fruits Man-child, will send forth the disciples with the Word of God to bring the above judgments on the world. (Rev. 6:2) And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering, and to conquer. Notice that He has "a bow" but no arrows, meaning they have been sent forth. "Apostle" means "one sent forth". As Jesus was from Judah and sent forth His twelve apostles and then the seventy disciples, so the Man-child is spiritually a corporate body from Judah and will be the bow that sends forth these "arrows". (Zech. 9:13) For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim (Ephraim was called in Hebrew the "fulness of nations" [Gentiles] in Genesis 48:19 and represents the Woman or Church of all nations.); and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece (beast kingdom), and will make thee as the sword of a mighty man. (14) And the Lord shall be seen over them; and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning ... (15) The Lord of hosts will defend them; and they shall devour. As Jesus' disciples went forth to conquer the mind of the beast that ruled over the elect of God, so will the Man-child's disciples. (Ps. 127:3) Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord; [And] the fruit of the womb is [his] reward. (4) As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, So are the children of youth. Jesus' disciples, whom He sent out like arrows, were His "children of youth" for He has had many since then. He called His disciples "children" (Jn. 13:33; 21:5). In Isaiah's prophecy of the coming of Jesus as Immanuel, He called His disciples His "children" (Isa. 7:14; 8:16, 18). The worldwide Man-child will send forth the disciple arrows to conquer the flesh, the beast, and the devil. (Ps. 127:5) Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: They shall not be put to shame, When they speak with their enemies in the gate. The disciple arrows will go forth to conquer the "enemies in the gate" of the kingdom with the spoken Word. Jesus, Who was the Light and called His disciples "sons of light" (Jn. 12:36), also said that the light would bring judgment when men denied it. (Jn. 3:19) And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. The Man-child and the disciple arrows will once more bring the light of truth, which will judge the world.

This judgment will begin at the house of God and spread outward. As it was with Jesus, those who reject the light will be reprobated, while those who accept it will be the "sons of light". Like the Man-child, Jesus spoke the judgment that the God of this world, who blinds the minds of the unbelieving, carried out. (Mt. 13:14) And unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand; And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive. The white horse rider will bring truth, which is the foundation for all judgment. Remember that Moses, who was the white horse rider of his day, brought all the judgments on Egypt. In fulfillment of that type, the Man-child will lead all the other judgment horses of Revelation 6 against the world. In her book, Prepare For The Winds Of Change II, Chapter 1, Nita Johnson, relates her vision describing the white horse rider's ministry. You will notice that it is the Word that goes forth from the anointed teachers of the end times, as they call the elect out of Babylon, that brings judgment or delivers from it. My notes are in parenthesis.

On January 10, 1990, I was granted a visitation by an angel. When I first saw this majestic being, I was awe-struck by his beauty, his power, and his obvious authority. He was dressed in a white garb resembling an old Roman military uniform. (This is appropriate attire representing revival of the worldwide Roman Empire.) His belt and type of breastplate were of gold. His whole appearance seemed to glow with the glow of heaven itself. He was riding an equally beautiful and powerful white warhorse. Both horse and rider were very large. The horse was much larger than any horse you and I would ever have occasion to see here on earth. It was indeed obvious that this incredible being was one of God's higher-ranking dignitaries. (The large size of the white horse implies a corporate body. Since angelos is the Greek word for messenger, this large messenger represents the corporate body of the Man-child.)

I was frightened by the sight of him and would soon find myself quite distressed over his message to us. I first saw him as he rode this incredible white war-horse down what could have been any street in a typical subdivision anywhere in America. He was carrying a huge sword in his hand (This represents the spoken Word of God [Heb. 4:12]). This Instrument was actually long enough to be a lance, but its shape was that of a sword. With it, he would touch the roof of the houses on either side of the road out of every two or three he passed, thereby bringing judgment. He would declare, "Let the judgment fall from the greatest to the least of the unrepentant".

I then found myself standing at the end of this same street watching intently and fearfully as this illustrious angel moved down the street in my direction. After every house that he cursed, he would proclaim warnings, as it were into the streets. "Great judgment is coming to the lovers of this world. Those unrepentant and cripplers of the children - fear!" Again and again, he would exclaim, "Babylon is falling! Come out; come out of her my children. Take nothing with you; only the clothes on your back and don't begrudge the cost. Judgment is coming at midnight. The hour is 11:55! I say don't mourn the loss, only come away: Come out of her. Run from the daughter of wickedness! Time is at an end. Judgment is sure...," this he would cry out over and over again, as one would imagine a town crier doing, such as Paul Revere of old.

He came to a standstill in front of me, sitting on his horse he spoke with me, giving me a great deal of instruction. Calling me by name, he said, "Nita, warn the people. Warn the people of the earth that judgment is coming at midnight, and the hour is even now 11:55. Everywhere tell them to heed the teachers. Heed my anointed, for their counsel is sure, and is the way of safety and life. Counsel is coming from behind the veil (from the heavenly realm; the Kingdom of God.) Among other things, counsel concerning spiritual warfare. Government is again coming to the Church, and God is bringing forth the mighty men of valor to lead the Church forth in war. Tell my people; Heed the teachers, for their counsel is sure and will provide safety in treacherous time. Heed the prophets and apostles, heed my anointed, for their counsel is sure and a way of safety and life. (Jesus was called Teacher, Prophet, and Apostle.)

God will be lifting up specially anointed teachers, prophets of the Most High. They will be given the rod of government. They will carry the sword (as this angel does in type), bringing separation and judgment and will be healers of great breaches among My own. (They will be used to bring the true flock into one accord with their one Shepherd, Jesus, as He prophesied.) They will prepare the saints with battle strategy and equip them with the power of a mighty warrior, bearing the anointing to spoil. (They will bring judgment on the beast and harlot systems.) Heaven's government is coming in to separate, heal and lead out into strategic battle. These prophets will be teachers who will be given counsel from behind the veil. (They will live both "behind the veil", in the presence of God, and in the physical realm. They will be able to say as the Man-child Jesus did, "I speak the things which I have seen with [my] Father".) Counsel of superior wisdom and strategy for safety, unity and spiritual warfare. They will be taken into the secret counsel of the Most High to obtain what must be diligently taught to the elect. This counsel will provide safety in treacherous times. Don't mourn, only heed the voice of the Spirit of counsel and might. Tell my people to heed the coming anointed ones, tell them to prepare!"

From that point, he began to share many things. He gave much instruction, much information and much warning. He finally told me I would find further understanding of these things in the book of Zechariah. "Study it, understand it, let the Holy Sprit give you much enlightenment in it," he instructed. In closing, he said one more time, "Go forth now and tell the people of the earth. Warn them judgment is coming and it's sure." Then he left, and I was alone in my room.