God Always Prepares A "Place" Ahead Of Time For His People (part 2)

A Place Prepared In The Wilderness For A Certain Woman (Revelation 12)

Revelation 12:1-2 – See the note below.

1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars;

2 and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

NASU

In his vision, John saw a certain “woman” who was with child. He says that she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. Representing the power and authority she possesses, she is said to be “clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” There are those who say this refers to Mary who gave birth and then was led to Egypt for a time for their safety. Some would argue that she represents Israel, and the child born to her who was Christ. Others would say the woman is the church, the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). While others would say they represent both, Israel at the first coming of the Lord, and the Israel of God made up of both Jews and Gentiles at the second coming.

In the creation account in Genesis, chapter one, the sun is defined as the “greater light to govern the day,” and the moon as the “lesser light to govern the night” (v.16). It is my belief that they represent the light of God, of His power and authority, that rules over the darkness. The sun represents the source of light, which is God Himself (Psalm 84:11, Malachi 4:2). The woman clothed with the sun represents being clothed in the glory of the Son of God.

The moon has no light in and of itself, but rather it reflects the light of the sun. In the same manner, Christians are the Lord’s light bearers. We are meant to reflect His light to those who are living in spiritual darkness. And like the light of the moon, our glory and authority come from our source, the Son of God.

The side of the earth that is facing the sun receives plenty of daylight. When the earth is turned away from the sun, man is living in darkness. The moon serves as a source of light, especially when there is a full moon. This is a spiritual picture of “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4) being revealed to mankind.

When Zechariah was filled with the Spirit and prophesied over his son, John the Baptist, he said;

“And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

(Luke 1:76-79/NIV)

There is a certain “woman” today that is filled with a great amount of the “light of life” (John 8:12), and is now crying out, being in labor and in pain to give birth to the purpose of God. Through her close walk with the Lord, she will give birth to the final number of the children of God in the last outpouring of the Holy Spirit before the end of the age. The devil will, once again, look to devour this holy child, but will be unable to. Like Jesus when He was birthed on earth, this “child” of God will be protected in the womb of the woman with whom He is spiritually intimate (i.e. the bride of Christ). As we’ll see, her and the children of God will rise up in the Lord, gathered together with Him “in the air,” causing the devil to be cast down, losing his place in the second heaven. But first, the woman must flee into the wilderness “where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days [or, 3-1/2 years].”

Revelation 12:3-4 – A “great red dragon” appears on the scene, attempting to devour the child born to the woman. The devil always looks for someone to devour; “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8/NIV)

3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.

4 And his tail swept away [4951- “to draw, drag, haul”] a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

NASU

Revelation 12:5-6 –See the note below.

5 And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up [726- “to snatch or catch away, to seize, to claim for oneself eagerly”] to God and to His throne.

6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place [5117- “any portion of space marked off, opportunity, power, occasion for acting”] prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished [ for one thousand two hundred and sixty days [or, 3-1/2 years].

NASU

The “woman” gives birth to a son who will rule the nations with a rod of iron. This refers to not only Jesus (Revelation 19:15, Psalm 2:1-12), but to those of His children whom He grants His authority as well. They have overcome, keeping his works until the end (Revelation 2:25-29).

Every woman must go through a certain period after conception before giving birth. The closer it gets to the time for this to occur, the more uncomfortable she becomes. The pressure in her body builds until the end when the ever-increasing birth pains bringing to completion the new birth process. We, the church, are the woman, so to speak, in our relationship with the Lord. We are becoming very “uncomfortable” in these last days because it is the appointed time of the Lord to give birth to His purpose through His servants that are the most intimate with Him in their walks. Their crying out to Him because of their uncomfortable state in this Divine purpose is to birth into God’s kingdom the final number of His children before He pours out His wrath on all that is wicked.

Unfortunately, like Mary and Joseph, there seems to be “no room” for those upon whom the Holy Spirit has filled with His will among their original newbirth-places. Their “hometowns,” so to speak (i.e the original place of their spiritual birth among God’s family, meaning the church), have rejected giving birth to the Lord’s final purpose for mankind in their midst, before His return.

“While they [Mary and Joseph] were there [in the place prepared by God], the days were completed [4130- “to fill, to fulfill, to end”] for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room [5117] for them in the inn.”

(Luke 2:6-7/NASU)

See the Bible study No Room which explains that the Greek word for “inn” refers to a guest room rather than a public place which uses a different Greek word. This was probably a room in a private home, possibly even one of Joseph’s relatives since he was born there. It was here that the rejection of the Messiah began among His own people (John 1:11). This rejection is occurring in the church today, marking their congregations out for God’s wrath. Because they would not help deliver the “child,” they will not be delivered themselves.

The forerunner ministry similar to John the Baptist is happening today, preparing the way of the Lord within His own people, in the church. In like manner, He is sending His messengers to the places of His choosing where He intends to come.

“Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place [5117] where He Himself was going to come.”

(Luke 10:1/NASU)

The “appointed ones” of the Lord were sent ahead to the places where He was going to come. They prepared His way in these chosen places. This is occurring this very moment in certain cities and places that He will soon come to, right before the end of this age. (See the section The Choosing Of The 12 Prepared Men in the Bible study The Point Of Arrival. Those who were prepared of the Lord within will be led to the place prepared for them, bearing witness before others.)

“I know that you are Abraham's descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place [5562- “to have space or room for receiving or holding something, to go forward, advance, proceed”] in you.”

(John 8:37/NASU; see the Bible study No Room)

Revelation 12:7-12 – There is then war in heaven. Michael and his angels defeat the devil and his angels. It is here that “the accuser of our brethren” loses his place in heaven, and is thrown down, along with his angels, to the earth. The catalyst in this major victorious event over our enemy was the woman successfully giving birth to her male child that was then caught up to God and His throne, which represents the place of rulership. It is this rising up that causes the devil to be cast down. (See Exodus 7:8-13 below which describes when Aaron’s rod was thrown down on the ground (i.e. to the earth), and it became a serpent that swallowed up the staffs of the wise men, the sorcerers, and the magicians of Egypt.)

7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war,

8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 

9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. [Look at Tom Horn’s vision of the asteroid Apophis in the Bible study Apophis And The End. He first saw the asteroid that he says God showed him would strike the earth as a dragon as it came toward us. Revelation 1:20 compares stars to angels. Was the dragon a picture of the devil being thrown down to earth with great wrath? And were the third part of the stars that were swept away and thrown down to the earth actually a picture of the fallen angels who now serve the devil?]

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.

11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

12 "For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time."

NASU

Revelation 12:13-17 – After the devil was thrown down to earth, losing his place in heaven, he then goes with a vengeance after the woman who gave birth to the male child. She then flees into the wilderness “to her place” where she was “nourished” for 3-1/2 years. It’s interesting that, in reference to Moses and the children of Israel’s journey through the wilderness, that Acts 7:38, in the KJV, speaks of the “church in the wilderness.” I see the true ekklesia today being led to this place, outside of a corrupt, institutional church system.

13 And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.

14 But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished [5142- “to nourish, support, feed, to bring up”] for a time and times and half a time [3-1/2 years], from the presence of the serpent.

15 And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away [4216- “carried away/overwhelmed by a stream”] with the flood. [See Isaiah 59:19; “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.” (NKJV/KJV)]

16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth.

17 So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest [3062- “remaining ones, remnant”] of her children, who keep [5083- “to attend to carefully, take care of, to guard, to preserve”] the commandments of God and hold [2192- “to hold fast, keep, to adhere or cling to”] to the testimony [3141- “witness, evidence, testimony”] of Jesus.

NASU

Exodus 7:8-13 – See the note below. Also see Exodus 4:1-5, 17-23, and 2 Timothy 3:8 for more on this.

8 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

9 "When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Work a miracle,' then you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your staff [4294- “staff, a branch, tribe”] and throw it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.'"

10 So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as the Lord had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.

11 Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts.

12 For each one threw down his staff and they turned into serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.

13 Yet Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

NASU

In this passage, the Lord commands Moses on what to do when he stood before Pharaoh. The Lord even told him what Pharaoh would say; “Work a miracle.” He was to then say to Aaron, “Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.” This sounds similar, and I believe is a picture of when the devil was thrown down to the earth in Revelation 12:9 by the authority of God.

In my book, Satan’s Fall, I wrote the following about Moses and Aaron’s encounter with Pharaoh who summoned his wise men, and those who practice magic that then counterfeited the miracle of God;

“In Exodus 4 we see the Lord granting his deliverer, Moses, powers of authority before he is sent to Egypt. After receiving his mission, Moses said to the Lord What if they will not believe me, or listen to what I say? For they may say, “The LORD has not appeared to you.” And the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. But the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it [“to take hold, to seize, to take possession”] by its tail”; so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand, ‘that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.’

In chapter 3 the Lord revealed Himself to Moses in a burning bush, describing the nature of his call in regards to delivering the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt. This passage describes Moses’ questions, and the response of God. One of the attesting signs given to Moses was the throwing down of his staff to the ground where it turned into a snake. It sounds like Revelation 12:9 where Satan, the serpent, is cast down to the earth.

The Lord then told Moses to stretch out his hand and take hold of the serpent by the tail. Verse 4 says that he stretched out his hand and caught it. The Hebrew for “caught it” is chazaq [khaw-zak']. It means “to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong, to bind, restrain, conquer, to prevail, to be courageous, to be firm, to be resolute.” The possessing, the conquering, the taking hold of the serpent in the hand represents being the one in control, the one in authority. This speaks of the authority of God over the devil through his servant, the deliverer.

When Moses returned to Egypt he came with the staff of God, His authority, in his hand. The Lord is presently training His deliverers for the end of this age, like Moses, through a humbling experience in the wilderness. They must be purged of all self-confidence so that they will rely solely on the strength and authority of God to fully conquer Satan. In due time they will appear on the scene and do “great exploits” (Daniel 11:32).

I think it’s interesting that Moses already possessed in his hand what he would need to fulfill God’s call, it just hadn’t been revealed to him yet. The Lord gives us the tools necessary to fulfill our call first, often without our knowing it, and then He empowers them through the Holy Spirit. He opens our eyes to see the unseen. That which looked like a simple stick in Moses hand would soon become the manifested vessel used to reveal God’s glory to all of mankind…

George Warnock in his book “From Tent To Temple” speaks of this event in Scripture. He says;

“Oh, how God yearns over His people that they might discover His ways! When are we going to get away from the notion that every time the Enemy challenges the people of God, we have got to come forth and meet the challenge with equal kinds of weapons and with equal strategy? In obedience to God, and with nothing but the dry stick that we are, the devices of the Enemy become his own destruction.”

In Christ, the ordinary can suddenly become extra-ordinary in order to defeat our enemies. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world (2 Cor. 10:4). The ways of God will almost always go against our natural instincts. Through this, we learn to trust Him, and He is glorified.

In God’s economy, an unimpressive “stick” can suddenly become a rod of judgment. Apart from God, that is all we are; a simple stick. But under His anointing and authority, we become the rod of iron that rules the world. In fact, this Divine staff of authority will soon be manifested globally in the hands of His faithful servants…

The Coming Confrontation

In Exodus 7:8-12 there is a confrontation between Moses and Aaron, and Pharaoh. At the command of God, Aaron throws down his staff in Pharaoh’s presence and it became a serpent. Through sorcery, the magicians of Egypt throw their staffs down, turning theirs into serpents also.

Satan always tries to imitate the authority of God in an attempt to undermine the Lord’s true servants. The good news is when the true authority is nearby, it swallows up the inferior demonic counterfeit, as did Moses’ staff with the magician’s, taking authority over the false signs and wonders.

These sorcerers are believed to be the ones spoken of in 2 Timothy 3:8 who publicly opposed Moses. Their names were Jannes and Jambres. In describing the difficult times that will come in the last days, Paul uses these two as an example of those who hold to a form of godliness (false religion), but have denied its power. They have said no to the transforming power of God within, usurping His throne in their hearts. He says that “among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Jannes’ name means “he who seduces.” Jambres means “he who is rebellious.” These rebellious seducers who have crept into the church unnoticed are about to be exposed by the deliverers whom God sends. They are reprobate sons of destruction.

Paul goes on to say in 2 Timothy 3:9, “But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, as also that of those two came to be.” The manifestation of the obedient sons of God will soon display the true power of their King, exposing the deception of the sorcerers, the sons of disobedience, that hold God’s people captive within the church by their magic powers.”

In his letter to the churches of Galatia, Paul had asked them;

“You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched [see definition in note below] you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

(Galatians 3:1-3/NASU)

Like the Galatian believers, immediately after God gives birth within someone, the devil immediately begins to introduce his deceptive lies in order to bewitch them. The Greek for “bewitched” is baskaino (bas-kah'-ee-no). It’s defined in Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words as, “primarily, ‘to slander, to prate about anyone’ [prate: “; then ‘to bring evil on a person by feigned praise, or mislead by an evil eye, and so to charm, bewitch’ (Eng., ‘fascinate’ is connected), is used figuratively in Galatians 3:1, of leading into evil doctrine.”

Breaking The Staff Of The Sorcerers

One more thing that I find very interesting is the staff of the sorcerers that oppress the people of God with their deceptive powers from the devil. In Isaiah 9:1-7 we have a prophecy about the future birth, ministry, and reign of the Messiah. He says in verse 2,

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light [see Genesis 1:14-19]; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”

(NIV)

This prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus, the Light of the world (John 8:12), left Nazareth right after His time of temptation in the wilderness and went and lived in Capernaum, by the Sea of Galilee in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali (Matthew 4:15-16). These areas were inhabited mainly by non-Jewish, or Gentile people;

“Naphtali and Zebulun, situated in the northern region, marked the frontier of the Holy Land. The northern tribes were directly on the highway of all invaders from the north. It was against this background Isaiah proclaimed ‘In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali.’

During Jesus' time, Naphtali was known as northern Galilee, a region predominantly inhabited by Gentiles. Capernaum, Jesus' ministry's base, was located in this area. Isaiah's prophecy continued, ‘in the future, he will honor Galilee of the nations (or Gentiles).’

Gentiles were initially described as people living in darkness. When Jesus came, they saw a great light, symbolizing the dawn of the Lord's salvation - the beginning of the Gospel of God.”

Jesus is the light of the world that shines in the darkness (see John 1:5 below). When the Lord said let there be light, darkness was overpowered in creation. When the Light who is Christ comes into our lives, the darkness that held us in bondage (i.e. the devil’s yoke), is broke and we are set free. God’s “staff” (Exodus 4:20) swallows up his, exposing the deceptive lies that hold us in bondage.

As I write this, it’s a week before Christmas. In Matthew 2:1-12, which describes the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, it was the light of a star (known as “the star of Bethlehem”) that led the wise men and stood over the place prepared for the Messiah. So if a star was used to announce the first time that Jesus came to earth, will it be a star of some sort that will announce His second coming? If so, could the devil be counterfeiting this by using the stars, or comets in some manner to give some other form of a message in an attempt to confuse the message that the Lord is giving us in these last days through the heavenly host that He created for signs (Genesis 1:14)? Per my understanding at this point, it is my conviction that, yes, he is.

Conversations about aliens and extraterrestrials has become mainstream media conversation. The tracking of asteroids that could possibly strike the earth has become a more recent concern with world governments as well (see the Bible study Apophis And The End). Are these actually “false signs” of delusion that are being used by the devil as a setup for an explanation of what has occurred when the faithful ones of God are snatched away?

The Staff Of God Is The Authority Of God

Isaiah continues in his prophecy, saying;

“You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; they will be glad in Your presence as with the gladness of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.”

(Isaiah 9:3-4/NASU)

When I hear the phrase “the staff on their shoulders,” I picture a yoke-like burden that was, and still does enslave God’s people through the burden of our oppressor, the devil. This yoke of our enemy is what the Lord breaks when the light of His presence shines upon our hearts through repentance.

As we saw above, when God called Moses, He instructed him on how to deal with the serpent in order to “catch” him. After doing what the Lord said, the serpent them became the staff of God (Exodus 4:17-21) that Moses would use to defeat the enemy on earth (i.e. pharaoh) that was oppressing God’s people. It was through the defeat of the enemy in the unseen realm first that the enemy’s mouthpiece on earth could then be subdued.

Luke describes for us the moment when Jesus appointed seventy of His disciples to go in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He was going to come (Luke 10:1-16). As the Lord did with Moses, Jesus gave them specific instructions on what to say, and what to do. They then returned from their mission with great joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” Jesus said to them;

“I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

(Luke 10:18-20/NASU)

Notice that the focus was not to be on the authority they possessed over the devil and his demons, but that their names were recorded in heaven. Without this heart of gratitude, recognizing the source of their authority, it would be easy for pride and arrogance to become an open door for the enemy to successfully counter-attack.

After Jesus’ resurrection, He appeared to the eleven remaining disciples as they were eating at a table. After rebuking them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, “because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen,” He gave them final instructions before His ascension, saying;

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

(Mark 16:15-18/NASU)

I don’t believe Jesus was encouraging snake-handling as some Christians have practiced in the past, but it was a sign of authority over the enemy among “those who have believed.”

In Psalm 110, a psalm of David, he declares;

“The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ The Lord will extend your mighty scepter [4294- interpreted “staff” in Exodus 7:9 above] from Zion; you will rule in the midst [7130- “among, the inner part, the middle”] of your enemies.”

(Psalm 110:1-2/NIV)

The Lord did this for David, and will fulfill it in the last days on earth, I believe, when the rule of Jesus Christ is established in Jerusalem. When David declared that the Lord prepares a table for him in the midst of his enemies (Psalm 23:5), I see a picture of the Lord giving him, as He did with the disciples and us the authority to rule in the midst of our enemies. The staff of God in our hand is the authority of God over the enemy. When implemented as instructed, the authority of God is manifested over the enemy and he will “fall like lightning” before us. Having already disarmed the enemy through Calvary (Colossians 2:15), it is the Lord’s victory over the devil that He, when allowed to, has promised to lead His children into (2 Corinthians 2:14, 1 Corinthians 15:52-58).

When the Lord rules in the middle of us first, both individually (i.e. in our spirit; the enemy within) and then corporately, we will rule in the “midst of” our enemies on earth. This, I believe, will ultimately lead to the body of Christ’ victory in the middle heaven where the devil will once and for all be dethroned over mankind. Our rising up in the power and glory of God will cause him to be thrown down to earth (for a more detailed explanation of this, see the section Spirit, Soul, And Body in the Bible study The Point Of Arrival).

The Universe; A Place Prepared By The Word Of God

Hebrews 11:1-3 – See the note below.

1 Now faith is the assurance [5287- “a setting or placing under, substructure, foundation”] of things hoped for, the conviction [1650- “a proof, that by which a thing is proved or tested, conviction”] of things not seen.

2 For by it the men of old gained approval [3140- “to be a witness, to bear witness, give a good report (see the Bible study Good report, Bad Report)”].

3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared [2675- “to complete, furnish completely, equip, prepare, put in order, arrange”] by the word [4487- rhema (hray'-mah) “that which is or has been uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, an utterance, speech, declaration”] of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. 

NASU

Hebrews 11:1-3

1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

2 This is what the ancients were commended for.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

NIV

Through this chapter defining what faith is, we understand that God did the impossible concerning the creation of our universe. The writer of Hebrews declares that He formed it out of that which was invisible. It was His word, His command that brought it into being, that manifested it (“Let there be…” and there was). The world, on the other hand, which has no faith in the “invisible” God and His power, has to see it to believe it. So, therefore, they look to science, for instance, and their own intellectual capacities to comprehend the visible. They need something tangible.

In regards to Jesus and the creation of the world, John writes the following about the Word, who is Christ;

“In the beginning was the Word [3056- “logos (log'-os)- “a word or saying, discourse, a collecting, collection”], and the Word [3056] was with God, and the Word [3056] was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend [2638- “to lay hold of, to seize upon, take possession of”] it.”

(John 1:1-5/NASU)

Through Jesus, the living Word of God, “all things came into being” (see Isaiah 45:11-12). He is the Light of the world that always overpowers darkness. When you turn a light on in a dark space, it ALWAYS pushes the darkness away. The darkness never overpowers the light. Even a candle, as it move around a dark room, pushes away the darkness. And so it is with a Christian. The light of Jesus that shines in us reveals Him, the way of salvation so as to escape the darkness of life.

Jesus was never created, but has always been with the Father. The devil, on the other hand, was a created being, and was NEVER an “angel of light” as his doctrines of demons teach (see my book Satan’s Fall). In fact, without going down a huge rabbit trail, my wife is an ex-Mormon. They actually teach that Jesus and Satan are brothers;

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) teaches that Jesus Christ and Satan (Lucifer) are spirit brothers, both children of God the Father in a premortal existence. Jesus is considered the Firstborn spirit son, making Him Lucifer's older brother, and all humans are also spirit brothers and sisters with Jesus and Lucifer, as they are all spirit children of God… This teaching emphasizes that Jesus and Lucifer were once spiritual siblings with great potential, but chose opposite paths, with Jesus submitting to God's will and Lucifer rebelling.”

Absolutely bizarre… back to our subject. John wrote of the faith spoken of in Hebrews when he said;

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is [a hearing logos statement]. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as He is pure [a “doer” of the logos word].

(1 John 3:1-3/NIV)

Those who truly believe what John says, that when the Lord appears we shall be like Him, “for we shall see Him as He is,” does something, by faith, within themselves. They prove their faith by an action, purifying themselves, “just as He is pure.” This hope in what we do not yet see, of purifying our hearts in response to what the Spirit is saying to the church, is what will allow us to see Him when He comes again. In other words, believing is seeing! Unbelief, on the other hand, proven by our lack of acting upon what is being declared, will cause many “foolish virgins” in the church to not see, or be involved with our soon coming “meeting in the air” with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:13-18; see the Bible study Meeting In The Air).

Christians come to understand, by faith, that what is seen miraculously came into being by the command/instruction of God. This is crucial for those of us who now stand at the end of this age and are being given instructions by God (i.e. His word) for our crossing over into His presence. As pictured in type by the children of Israel when they crossed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land of Cannan, we too must obey the word of the Lord by faith that we are currently receiving. When we do what we hear in our final instructions, His way for our deliverance/salvation is prepared, thereby ushering in His coming again. Obedience to what the Spirit is saying to the church will prepare His way, first within us, giving us eyes to see and ears to hear the way/manner in which we should walk. The hearers and doers of His word open His way for us to enter into His presence. (See the Bible study The Point Of Arrival.)

Paul said in Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word [4487- rhema (hray'-mah); see def. above] of Christ.” (NASU) After hearing the word of Christ, we then do what we hear so as to bring faith to completion, to manifest what we heard. The promise alone means nothing if we do not follow it with obedience to act in whatever manner we are being called to. This is what the Bible calls saving faith in James 2:14; “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?” (NASU) So, if we have heard the word of God, and believe it to be true, but are not doers of that which accompanies the word we have heard, we cannot be saved.

Would Noah and his family had been saved if he did not, by faith, complete the work he was given to do by God? Would the children of Israel have crossed over the Jordan safely if they did not first follow the instructions of the Lord given to Moses? This means that works DO play a part in our salvation, after hearing the word of the Lord. The difference, therefore, is doing the works that accompany what we have heard. James said, “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (James 2:24/NASU) The completion of what we have heard, if what we hope for in Christ, can only be obtained as we work together with the Holy Spirit, not fighting against Him (i.e. the spirit of anti-Christ). (For the two different types of works mentioned in the Bible, and their effect on salvation, see my book Works And Salvation.)

Rhema, the same Greek word interpreted in Hebrews 11:3 above as “word,” is found in Luke 1:26-38 when it was revealed to Mary by the angel that she would miraculously become pregnant per the word of God. Not only would she become pregnant, but her relative, Elizabeth, who was barren would also bear a son in her old age;

“‘And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word [4487- rhema].’ And the angel departed from her.”

(Luke 1:36-38/NASU)

The order of the original language for verse 36 is very interesting. I don’t believe that the interpretation in English gives the proper depth of understanding that it should. It says, “For nothing will be impossible with God,” to which we all say amen. But I believe that there is more to see in here.

The order of the original words adds something at the end that, for some reason, wasn’t placed in many versions. It goes like this per the Greek words; “For/ nothing/ shall be impossible/ with/ God.” It then adds two more Greek words at the very end. They are pas and rhema. Pas means “all, any, every, the whole.” Rhema, as we have already seen, is defined as, “that which is or has been uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, an utterance, speech, declaration.” The other Greek word we interpret into English as “word” is logos. This refers to the written word of God, while rhema has more to do with the spoken word. A rhema word has more to do with a personal word spoken to you and I, like Mary received. The Lord appears to be saying that, even if as in Mary’s case, the word she heard seemed impossible, that we can be confident that nothing is impossible for the words of God to manifest.

Because of this, I think Luke 1:36 should read as, “For nothing shall be impossible with all that God has spoken,” or, “For not any word is impossible with God.” The RV version states this verse as, “For no word from God shall be void of power.” If we will only believe as Mary who said, “may it be done to me according to your word,” nothing will be impossible for God to do, even making, as He did in creation, something visible out of that which is invisible.

Hebrews 11:13-16 – See the note below.

13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.

15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.

16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared [2090- “to prepare, make ready”] a city for them.

NASU

In this chapter known by some as the “hall of faith,” we read of the incredible things that men and women of God have done by faith, thereby obtaining the witness from the Lord that they had “gained approval” from Him (see Genesis 6:9; God’s approval over Noah). Their faith was proved by their actions and we are all blessed from their obedience this very day.

The closer I draw to the Lord, the less I feel a connection to this world, and my nation. Don’t get me wrong, I love my nation with its undeniable beginning seen through the hand of God in our forming, and feel so blessed to have grown up on this covenanted soil, but it is not my ultimate destiny. My ultimate allegiance is to the Lord and His kingdom. Heaven is my nation, and the New Jerusalem my Divine destiny, with the people of God that dwell in it who are my fellow citizens.

In the same chapter we read where Abraham was willingly led to a place prepared for him;

“By faith Abraham, when he was called [2564- “to call, invite someone, summon”], obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.”

(Hebrews 11:8/NASU)

The key with Abraham’s call to a place prepared for him by God was that when he was called, he acted by faith upon what he heard, not even knowing where he was being led to. That is true faith once we have heard the word, whether it be a logos or a rhema word. Not knowing exactly why, but believing God as proven by our actions; this is the faith of those who will occupy the city of God.

The City Of God

The ultimate place prepared by the Lord for His people is the city which is yet to come. It is the place prepared by the Lord for His faithful people;

“For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.”

(Hebrews 13:14/NASU)

So, what is the city which is to come, which we are to be seeking, preparing ourselves through purity so as to be allowed entrance into it? I believe that it’s described for us in the Revelation to John. He says near the end of the book;

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.”

(Revelation 21:1-2/NASU; also Revelation 3:12)

The city we seek to enter into as Christians is the new Jerusalem, the holy city of the Lord (see Hebrews 12:22). It’s described for us in the verses that follow. But first, we see who will be allowed entrance in, and who will not;

“He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving [571- “untrustworthy, unfaithful, faithless”] and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” [See the Bible study The Second Death.]

(Revelation 21:7-8/NASU)

Notice that it does not say unless they’re a Christian, then, of course, they will automatically be allowed to enter in even if they are in rebellion against the Lord. The word of God clearly states that a Christians that, after turning to Christ (Hebrews 10:26-31), becomes entangled in the world again and its sin (2 Peter 2:20-22) will be cut off from the Lord, losing their place at His table. That’s a doctrine from hell that has already caused many Christians who started the race in Christ (i.e. the process of salvation) to be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). They did not believe the truth of God’s word that Jesus taught, declaring that you must stand firm until the end in order to be saved (Matthew 10:22, 24:13

John gives a detailed description of this massive city, including who it is;

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, ‘Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain [I believe that Ezekiel was also led to this mountain, and saw in a vision this same city; see Ezekiel 40:1-4], and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God… The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal…

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.”

(Revelation 21:9-11, 16, 21-27/NASU)

This is the prepared place of the Lord, His holy city “which is to come” that we should be seeking.