Continuing in the book by J. Leland Earls. Continued from our "Three Comings of Jesus (post 1)".
Second Pentecost. There must, however, be a second Pentecost in order to bring forth an end-time harvest. The outpouring of God’s Spirit in the Scriptures is likened to the falling of rain (Isa. 44:3, 32:15). The Lord had promised the Israelites that if they would obey His commandments, He would give them rain for their land in its season, “the first rain and the latter rain” (Deut. 11:14). The first, or early, rain came in the fall of the year, after the long hot summer, in order to soften the ground that they might plow the soil and plant the grains before the winter came. The latter rain came in the spring in order to swell the grain and bring the crops to maturity for harvest. That which God established in the natural is designed by Him to pattern His workings in the spiritual realm. First the natural and then the spiritual (I Cor. 15:46), with the natural becoming a type of the spiritual. Thus we know that for God to be true to His word there MUST be a latter rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit for the HARVEST of this age to be brought forth. That which came on the disciples in the upper room as recorded in Acts 2 was only the first, or early, rain, in order that the gospel seed might be sown. We are now coming to the end of this age which is the time of the latter rain and harvest. Mt. 13:39 makes it clear that the harvest is the end of the age.
The Husbandman. In James 5:7-8, God is likened to a husbandman who “waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.” Then follows the admonition, “Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” This scripture indicates that the Lord cannot receive the full fruit of the earth (the final harvest) apart from the “latter rain”, and with patience does He wait for the time of that fruit to come. There are two other scriptures which I will quote from the Old Testament to indicate the Lord’s coming TO His people in a latter rain outpouring. The first is Joel 2:23: “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and He WILL CAUSE TO COME down for you the rain, the former rain, AND the latter rain in the first month.” Then in Hos. 6:1-3 we have the following admonition and promise: “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: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live is his sight. Then shall we know - if we follow on to know the Lord: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and HE SHALL COME UNTO US as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. “We are now in the dawning period of this third day, and the Lord is beginning to come to His church as the rain. But first it is a restoration of the former rain, coming down now moderately, according to Joel 2:23. But the full intensity of the former rain is to be restored, as well as the latter rain being added to it. This will take place only after the firstfruits company has been translated, as I will show later.
The Coming of Jesus FOR His Saints
Receive. We have already quoted Jesus’ promise in John 14:3 that He would come again and RECEIVE His own unto Himself, and also alluded to Jesus’ statement in the parable of the pounds recorded in Lk. 19:1-27. Verse 12 tells of a certain nobleman (symbolizing Himself) who “went into a far country to RECEIVE FOR HIMSELF a kingdom, and to RETURN.” Notice, the kingdom (people) is received FOR Him first, and then He returns WITH it. This is in harmony with the Greek word paralambano which we examined earlier as used in Mt. 24:40, which means “to RECEIVE NEAR.” As we examine the scriptures, however, the evidence points to the fact that Christ will receive His saints to Himself in TWO groups, separated by a period of time. Remember that the word church means the “called out ones”. Just as we have been spiritually called out of the “Egypt” of this world, so will the saints of the true church be literally “called out” of the present earthly conditions, putting on immortal, incorruptible and glorified bodies, which will no longer be subject to the limitations of the physical realm. Christ cannot “receive” them unto Himself unless their bodies are changed into the likeness of His glorious body, so that they can function in the heavenly realm where He is, and also manifest or appear in the physical realm as He did after His resurrection to glorified life.
Illustrate. There are a number of scriptural illustrations which can clarify this truth of the two-fold church, or the church being received in two groups. I will list them first, and then deal with each illustration separately.
1. Wise and Foolish virgins (Mt. 25:1-13).
2. Children and Friend (Luke 11:5-8).
3. Feeding of 5,000 and 4,000 (Mt. 14:15-21, 1529-39).
4. Firstfruits and Harvest (Rev. 14:1-5, 14-16).
5. Woman and Manchild (Rev. 12:1-17).
6. Martha and Mary (John 11:1-32).
7. Enoch and Elijah (Gen. 5:22-24, II Kings 2:11-12).
8. Noah and Lot (Luke 1726-37).
9. Daniel and Three Companions (Dan. 2:48-49, 3:10-27).
10. Queen and Virgins (Psalm 45:9-16).
11. Bride and Those Called (Rev. 19:7-9).
12. “Ye” and “They” (Luke 12-35-36).
13. Second and Third watches (Luke 12:37-40).
14. Jesus’ First and Second Ascensions (John 20:17, Acts 1:9),
15. Faithful and Unfaithful Servants (Luke 12:41-48).
16. Peter, James, John and Rest of Disciples (Mt. 17:1-18).
17. Overcomers and Churches (Rev., chaps. 2 & 3).
As you can see, there are two contrasting groups in each Biblical illustration, and/or there are two distinct events or episodes which demonstrate the same pattern. Christians have so often fought over pre-tribulation and post-tribulation rapture theories, each finding scriptural support for their beliefs, with most polarizing to one point of view or the other. But very few ever seem to realize that there is some truth to both positions. I hope that after you have read this study, it will help you to “unify” all scriptures in a beautiful picture of God’s end-time plan, which clearly shows that some (a small number) will be translated before the tribulation for the purpose of strategy, as well as to fulfill a certain “role”; and that a much greater number will be translated at the close of the tribulation, for they will have a purpose to fulfill on earth during the tribulation, For contrary to traditional teaching, the tribulation period will see the greatest revival in human history. Even those translated first will minister on the earth at that time.
Wise and Foolish. Let us take a look first at a parable which vividly portrays the truth of some being taken and others left behind. In Mt. 25:1-13 we have the story of the TEN VIRGINS, of whom five were wise, and five foolish. All went out to meet the Bridegroom, but the wise took extra oil with them, so that when the Bridegroom tarried they did not run out. The foolish did not take extra oil and were found wanting at the midnight hour when the Bridegroom finally came. The wise were taken into the marriage, but the foolish were left behind, as expressed in Mt. 25:10: “they that were READY went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.” Those who want to wrest the scripture to fit their traditions try to make this parable a picture of the separation of Christians from non-Christians, saying that the foolish virgins are wicked people who are left behind when Christ comes to take the believers. This will simply not “hold water” for ALL ten were VIRGINS. Thus they all portray born again Christians who have been “ESPOUSED to Christ” (II Cor. 11:2). This is further shown by the fact that all ten had lamps (a type of the Word of God) and oil in their lamps (a type of the Holy Spirit). The wise simply had EXTRA oil with them (a type of the FURTHER WORK of the Holy Spirit in the BAPTISM of the Holy Spirit and subsequent purifyings and preparations by that same Spirit).
Ready. Most Christians, brainwashed by the traditions of man, simply do not want to accept the fact that MORE is required to be READY to be taken by the Lord than simply being a born-again believer. This is too vast a subject to go into here, but there is an abundance of scripture to show that salvation is simply the lifting of the death penalty, giving the recipient of Christ’s gift of grace LIFE (eternal) for the soul now, and resurrection or a change for the physical body at Christ’s return. But just WHERE that life will be lived, and in what realm of glory is another question. Paul says that there is the glory of the earthly (terrestrial), and there is the glory of the heavenly (celestial); so also is the resurrection (I Cor. 15:40). The glory of the heavenly, where those who are changed into the likeness of Christ’s glory (Phil. 3:21), to rule in His kingdom, in intimate association with Him, is reserved only for the overcomers (Rev. 2:26-28, 3:21). All Christians are now espoused to Christ in new covenant relationship through the new birth, but only a select group out of the espoused ones will be TAKEN (even as the wise virgins) to become the heavenly BRIDE of the Christ, for the bride is one who makes herself READY (Rev. 19: 7). For a further discussion of these truths, ask for the booklets “The Voice of the Bridegroom” and “A New and Living Way.” I will simply add here, that though the foolish virgins in the parable were left behind when the Lord came as the Bridegroom, it is quite evident that they did secure that extra oil they so sorely needed (even though too late to be taken at the midnight hour). And this is what vast numbers of Christians left behind will be doing during the tribulation period: getting that extra oil and getting READY for the Lord’s return to take them at the close of the tribulation, to be a part of His heavenly household.
Children and Friend. Another parable which is closely related to that of the wise and foolish virgins is the “friend at midnight” as recorded in Lk. 11:5-8. Both parables deal with a crisis at the midnight hour. The foolish virgins were without oil at the midnight hour, and a certain man was without bread. In both parables we find that “a door was shut” (Indicating a lost opportunity because of lack of preparedness). In both parables there were some on the inside of the shut door, indicating that they were taken in before the door was shut. The wise virgins were taken in, and in the parable of Lk. 11:7 we read of the Friend (Jesus) saying to the one on the outside: “Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed.” “In bed” with Jesus would indicate that place of REST and INTIMACY which will be experienced after translation and glorification into His realm to be with Him. This parable illustrates again that some will be taken first to be with the Lord and other left behind. But this parable adds a clarifying and hopeful detail with reference to those left behind. Although the man without bread found the door shut when He went to his friend (Jesus) to get the bread he so desperately needed, he continued in importunity asking, seeking, knocking (see Lk. 11:9-10 which immediately follows the parable), until he got what he sought so intently for.
Three loaves. Because of his importunity (persistence) the man in the parable receives the assurance that his friend (Jesus) will “rise and give him as many as he needeth” (Lk. 11:8); but since in vs. 5, he specifically asks for three loaves, we can assume that is what he received. The “three loaves” are a veiled reference to the three categories of Christians as given in Mk. 4:40: the 30 fold, 60 fold and 100 fold. Since the man in the parable who needed bread asked for three loaves, it portrays to us that he was not going to be satisfied with the 30 or 60 fold stages of Christian experience, but wanted that “third loaf” — the 100 fold estate. Only the 100 fold will be translated into the heavenly realm to be with Christ, so this parable vividly portrays the intensity with which all Christians who are left behind when some are taken at the midnight hour, will seek the Lord Jesus (their Friend) and with importunity cry out for Him to meet them with the fiery Spirit baptism and other dealings and preparations that will be necessary to be taken at the close of the tribulation.
Feeding of 5,000 and 4,000. One of the most interesting pictures of two gatherings is in two similar miracles which Jesus performed. In Mt. 14:15 we read of the miraculous feeding of the 5,000. Jesus fed this multitude with 5 loaves and 2 fishes. The miracle took place near the Sea of Galilee. Galilee means “a circle”, and is a picture of the circuitous area of the whole earth. To us it speaks of Jesus’ ministry throughout this age as the bread of life has been broken to multitudes throughout the whole earth, and as they have partaken of the benefits of His plan of salvation (symbolized by the fish—which speaks of the mystery of regeneration). But notice, after the multitudes were fed, there was a gathering up of the fragments that remained. This speaks of those who remain (are still alive) at the coming of the Lord. They shall be “gathered” unto the Lord through translation, even as we read in II Thess. 2:1 of “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him.”
This will be the first gathering, for we read of another gathering in the feeding of the 4,000, which we will look at shortly. In Mt. 1:20 we read that the fragments taken up filled twelve baskets. Notice that number 12, for it is the key number in speaking to us of the Firstfruits who will be gathered first. We have already seen that in Rev. 14:1 that the first-fruits are symbolized by 144,000. But please note that this number is the multiple of 12 x 12,000; confirming that 12 is the firstfruits number. Also the Greek word for “basket” in Mt. 14:20 means a small wicker hand basket. This is tremendously important as see when we examine the next miracle.
Contrast. I will now show some contrasts between the feeding of the 5,000 and the feeding of the 4,000. The latter miracle is recorded in Mt. 15:32-39. It also took place near the Sea of Galilee in a “wilderness” place. It is important to notice that this miracle took place some time after the other one, so that the “gathering” of the fragments pictured here would speak to us of a gathering of saints which takes place later than the first gathering. The “wilderness” place (15:33) could speak to us of the great tribulation period, which great numbers of Christians will find themselves going through after the firstfruits have been taken, for in Rev. 12:6 we see the remaining church going into the wilderness. Now note carefully! In the feeding of the 4,000 there are seven baskets of fragments taken up. The number 7 is symbolic of completeness of fullness. Thus this miracle speaks to us of the close of the tribulation when the FULL and complete gathering of the church takes place (in contrast to a small part only—the firstfruits—being taken earlier). Also, the Greek word for “basket” in Mt. 15:37 means a large bushel-like basket. See the Amplified Bible and contrast Mt. 15:37 with Mt. 14:20. Thus the 7 baskets taken up after the feeding of the 4,000 would be a much larger amount of fragments than the 12 baskets taken up after the feeding of the 5,000. Again, confirming the fact that the great host to be taken after the tribulation is a much larger group than the firstfruits taken earlier.
[for further information, go to www.wordoflifefellowship.com
or write to Word of Life Fellowship PO Box 190. Shelton, WA 98584 ]
Posts
