Complimentary Story
January 2024“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” (Revelation 22:11 KJV).
I recently heard a comedian note that to his surprise, he has accidentally become more “Christian” over the last few years of the plandemic hoax. He said he had lived on the west coast and was a “spiritual” person but disdained religion before this. To his surprise, marrying, becoming a father, and going through the current “woke” scene has led him more toward the God of the Bible. His theory is that the blatant evil that is being carried out, suppressing life and freedom, polarizes people. If you and your spirit are attuned to the suppression of rights and massive control, you will go in that direction but if your spirit recoils from the blatant evil totalitarian control it automatically goes to what is opposite of that: the freedom and life offered by the God of the Bible. (Paraphrase is mine from J P Sears, Awaken with JP on Youtube).
My immediate response was, “Thank you Abba, Father!” I really don’t think this is accidental at all, though to our eyes it may appear to be. This seems like an answer to prayer. As a community, SAM has been praying for many years already that this division take place, as is stated in Revelation 22:11. We are simply agreeing with Him and praying for His outcome. Hearing of “accidentally coming to Christianity” felt like a confirmation of what we have seen in this prophetic declaration. “Polarizing” is a good word for it. For all those people who have been sitting on the proverbial fence, unable to really tell the difference between the behaviors of those who serve God and those who don’t, this is a mercy to be able to see them becoming more distinct from each other and clarified. That clarity is a call to the hearts of people to return to our Creator! We believe it is a part of the separation of not only the sheep and the goats, but also between the sheep and the sheep (Ezekiel 34 & Matthew 25) while there is yet time! I also see a danger if those who are called in this way do not follow through to really learn the Creator’s ways, and end up in some kind of self-styled “Christianity.” This is a teshuvah call; a call to genuine repentance, not just remorse; to acknowledge our need for our Father and our Redeemer, Yeshua. The Way, The Truth and The Life.
It is such a two-edged sword…good for some and disastrous for others. A common theme throughout Scripture is the number “two” which carries the metaphor of witness or division, per Hebraic understanding. (It takes two to come into agreement and it takes two to differ.) Whenever we see a theme that includes two, we can look for at least two aspects of truth it conveys.
We often hear reference to an apocalypse of the Last Days. Generally, we think of that as being destructive and frightening. In fact, it is another two-edged sword being honed. It is from the Greek word: apokálupsis. (G601). It carries the meaning of “revelation, unveiling.” Popularly, it is more often recognized as a reference to the destruction that will come at the unveiling/Revelation of Messiah. One of the correlating joyful events is the unveiling of who is among Messiah’s Bride. We have the opportunity now to choose which the Revelation of Messiah will be for us: disaster or joy!
“And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, ‘Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’” (Revelation 21:9 KJV).
This introduction is followed by a detailed description of the wall of the New Jerusalem. I refer you to my study, “I am a Wall In Need of Rebuilding,” for an in-depth analysis of the connections between the wall and the Bride.
“And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Revelation 21:27).
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.” (ESV).
“Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” (KJV).
Both of these are Revelation 22:14.
The robes referred to are the robes of righteousness that we are given at Salvation, as well as the “white linen” which is the good deeds of the saints. (Isaiah 61:20, 64:6; Psalm 132:9,16; Revelation 19:8). We are required to continue through the process of sanctification, keeping ourselves clean and righteous through obedience to His commands. For those who have told me that “New Testament believers” don’t have to be concerned about righteousness because Jesus did it all, please note! We DO have a responsibility to keep ourselves clean, righteous and undefiled. Our Father will certainly respect our free will to do whatever we choose, but as the opening reference shows there IS a distinction between what is chosen! Our choice will lead to whether or not we have the right to the tree of life, mentioned back in Genesis and returning into focus here at the end. Our choice of obedience, or not, will determine whether we can be allowed to enter into the gates of the city. (Remember that parable about the wedding guest who got in by some other way and wasn’t wearing the correct garments? He was thrown out! (Matthew 22: The Banquet Parable).
For those who have told me that the “Old Testament” no longer has any validity or bearing on our faith and life, I continue to point to the connections: the fulfillments of what was referred to in the “Old” as a shadow of the Substance that was to come — Yeshua in the “New.” He always confirmed that He taught only what His Father did, not a different or a new way. He said that the Word would never pass away until all heaven and earth passes away. It’s still here as far as I can see, but under more and more duress in the world system.
Have you ever wondered what Messiah said to those disciples on the Road to Emmaus, when He said that He told them all about Messiah beginning with Moses and the prophets? In English alone, these references are not very clear, but when we take a Hebraic view, they are prolific and amazing to see! If Messiah used the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings to show how it was all about Him, perhaps we should be paying more attention to these foundations and not considering them “old” or “irrelevant.”
The reference to our Messiah Yeshua/Jesus being “The Way, The Truth and The Life” was not a new formulation someone “came up with” in what is called the New Testament. It is a direct reference to the Tabernacle, which had three gates in order to fully enter in. This is an entire study of a journey of faith in itself, but I must only summarize. The first gate was in red, blue and purple, Messiah’s colors, and was called “The Way.” It is a parallel to the outer court in the later Temple. There was only this one permitted entrance to the Tabernacle, to approach our Creator. Since the walls were only stretched linen fabric, one could imagine that someone might TRY to enter in by another way, but they would be found out and ejected!
The second gate led to the Holy Place and was called “The Truth.” In this portion of the faith journey as exemplified in the Tabernacle, there were opportunities to learn what it was to come into intimate relationship with our Creator, as part of His priesthood. As many people know, only the High Priest could enter into the third gate, the Most Holy Place with the Ark of the Covenant, called “The Life.” Here was communion with Him in His appointed time and place on earth. These gates also represent the four covenants that have been presented through the Word from the beginning. In our Greek western mindset, we often have concluded that each new covenant negated the former. In Hebraic understanding, they were progressive and built in intensity to show us the sanctification path to being made mature and without spot or wrinkle. Abrahamic-salvation, the Way; Mosaic-intimacy, the Truth; Davidic-whole heart, the Life; and finally, the culmination of all in the Bridal covenant — living and walking in all three, becoming that mature Bride.
“That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5: 26-27 KJV).
The mature bride is a picture of all those who have believed and been sanctified, and are now a priesthood! (Isaiah 61:6; Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6).
The accidental part can be a part of getting into the Way of Salvation, the outer court. For some, that will be all they want.
I am not so sure that it can carry someone all the way through the maturing of the believers to become the wife of the Lamb…He isn’t coming for a child bride, but for a mature one with spotless garments. (Revelation 22:14). One who has washed their robes/kept His commandments. He respects our free will choice. We can choose to be righteous and walk after Him, becoming more set apart/holy to Him OR we can choose to continue to be filthy and unrighteous …still. There are consequences for our choices.
“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19 KJV).
“Accidents” may bring us into salvation. How great is the mercy of our Elohim! His Word says that He can work all things together for the good of those who love Him, but who among us would have thought that as we are seeing the evil more and more exposed, He would have already had the forethought that this is part of helping the undecided see more clearly while there is yet time!
Then, as we come into the Way and fellowship with Messiah, we need to enter into the Truth, and learn what it is to walk in His Way, to have intimacy with Messiah so that when He comes, we will be ready to go into the Marriage Chuppah /canopy with Him, which is like entering into the Most Holy Place, into eternal Life with Him.
“Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.”
“In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” (1 John 3 :7, 10 KJV).
“And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” (Revelation 19:8 KJV).
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