We have begun to observe the scriptural and creational pattern of an extreme dual emphasis demonstrated in all divine principles. There will frequently be a doubled doubling feature in these dual category observations. This is the case with the 2 basic categories of life being immortality (life that is not subject to death) and mortality (life that is subject to death). 

However each of these 2 life categories have 2 subcategories. Immortal life can be separated into 2 subcategories. 1) The immortality of our Creator is both underived and has been both ‘from forever’ and will extend ‘to forever’. 2) However the immortality of the angels, Jesus Christ and the saint is most definitely derived and is limited to extending forever forward. 

Mortal life also has 2 subcategories. 1) Our current mortal nature demands an assured death, defined by a maturing process including decay and disease. 2) The original life assigned to Adam & Eve before sin imposed the death sentence was certainly subject to death but could not possibly have included an assured death. Mankind was the focal point of the entire creation project, where the Creator originally invested His image and likeness. That physical image and spiritual likeness were both forfeited when our ancestors  contradicted the righteousness of Yahweh by choosing the serpent’s testimony. Death, disease, decay and hard labor were righteously imposed on all of creation, but with a promise of redemption from the seed of the woman. There is no possible way death could have been part of a creation order divinely defined as being “very good”.

Merely touching a dead body during the 1st Kingdom of God demanded leaving one’s family and home for 7 days and participating in 2 sin offerings (red heifer ashes spatterings). The laws of the Kingdom of God declared death to be so physically defiling that a divine reconciliation ritual was required. If one refused to pursue this cleansing procedure from the physical defilement of death they were to be permanently ostracized from the enlightened community without any avenue of return (Numbers 19). Suggesting death could actually have been part of a creation operating model divinely defined as “very good” would qualify as an extreme insult to the Creator of heaven and earth. Even Jesus, unarguably the best creation component that ever existed since the curse of sin and death was imposed, refused to be identified by the lesser title of being simply good (Matt. 10:17-18). 

Presuming Adam and Eve were originally created in an assured death nature would define God’s threat of death for sin to be either foolishness or an outright lie… again severely insulting the Creator.  If God had actually immediately executed Adam & Eve it would have rendered His entire creation project to be a failure, as Adam & Eve were the focal point of that entire creation project. God does not fail. If God had actually threatened an immediate death that He never intended to impose, that makes Him a liar. We are told it is impossible for God to lie. On the basis of the integrity of God we are compelled to understand the life subject to death before that first sin was different than the life subject to death after sin. That original ‘very good’ mortal nature could not have been subject to aging, decay, disease, sweat or an assured death. These were all components of the curse imposed on creation due to Adam & Eve’s contradiction of the Creator’s righteousness, thereby contagiously corrupting that previously ‘very good’ operating model. 

Yet these understandings of our Creator’s righteousness have not prevented doctrinal distortions from being developed within the enlightened community that have resulted in fellowship separation. The false teachings of Bro Andrews, referenced in the previous post, were also dependent on presuming the Edenic condemnation had no physical component, but qualified as only a legal condemnation. It was inappropriately presumed that death was not imposed after that first sin corrupted a previously very good creative order and therefore it was presumed a covenant sacrifice (such as baptism) would be required to satisfy that legal condemnation to permit a rising from the grave for the purpose of judgment. There were quite a few divinely disrespectful features of Bro Andrews reasoning. In addition to denying the 2 separate resurrection categories and the 2 separate mortality categories, the divine right of vindication was also denied by limiting the resurrection to judgment to only those who were baptized or somehow technically bound by a blood covenant. Our Creator will be vindicated before all who offended Him, whether they are alive or dead at the time of judgment. This is the reason why the many who are only going to die that 2nd forever death will actually be raised for that judgment. Their rejection is not in doubt by God, but they will be made to understand that God was right before they die that 2nd time, without being invited to participate in that 2nd resurrection category. This is why we are told so many times that there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth at the conclusion of the judgment.

Hopefully we are beginning to see the subtle but powerful and extensive pattern in the divine emphasis requiring 2 categories for all divine principles. Eliminating any one of these dual applications will imbalance our understandings about the righteousness (right-ness) of our Creator. Yet this is exactly what is being done in an accelerated fashion throughout the enlightened community in these last days… before enlightenment will no longer be optional. The principles of resurrection, mortal life, atonement, the fear of God, sin and righteousness are being inappropriately diminished into a single, oversimplified application. These incomplete understandings initiate a domino effect of increasing error, as divine truths are 3 dimensional and interdependent. One mistake affects everything, just as an isolated bodily infection affects the whole body’s capacity to function.

There is a distinct and very powerful dual nature demonstrated in our heavenly Father’s creative activity, divinely designed rituals, operating principles and salvation shadows. This dual nature is demonstrated extensively throughout the 2 complementary avenues of divine witness, the written word of God (Bible) and the spoken word of God (creation).

There are 2 aspects or primary categories of every divine principle. This issue serves as the defining point between what Jesus describes as the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ within the enlightened community. Jesus preached to the already enlightened community that was already in a covenant relationship with his Father. The Jewish people were the equivalent of the Christadelphians in the generation of Christ’s ministry, death & resurrection. His disciples were confused as to why the Master only taught the general population in parables and only explained them privately to his closest disciples (Mark 4:33-34). Jesus addressed their confusion concerning his intentionally complex teaching pattern by explaining:  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables (Matt. 13:12-13). The parables were intended to give more understanding to those possessing the rare seeing eyes and hearing ears within the enlightened community while simultaneously draining away what little true understanding was possessed by those within the enlightened community without seeing eyes or hearing ears. God’s primary goal in the development of the saints is not quantity. It is quality. There are filters within the 2 avenues of divine testimony (Bible/written word of God & creation/spoken word of God). 

These filters give us whatever we truly want. If we want absolute truth and are willing to do whatever it takes and suffer whatever humiliations or costs in our pursuit of greater and greater enlightenment… we will be given truth. If we are indolent and our focus is merely the social approval of our enlightened community (just like the Jews demonstrated) then our correct understandings will keep draining away, to our own shame. This is the effect resulting from dismissing any one of the two categories of each divine principle. 

In continuing to address the salvation category of this dual pattern saturating scripture and creation, we should realize there are two separate categories of resurrection, just as there are two separate categories of death. The 2 categories of death are exceptionally easy to identify scripturally due to one of them actually being defined as the “second death”. The death of those accountable to the judgment of Christ will be a temporary death (that chronologically 1st death). The death of those not accountable to Christ’s judgment, as well as the many prophesied to be rejected at that judgment, die forever.  Their death is everlasting, as opposed to the saints that do not suffer a 2nd death. Revelation references that 2nd death category 4 times. Jesus refers to both categories of death when he warns the enlightened community about who to fear and who we do not need to fear: And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna (Matt. 10:28). We have no need to fear those who can only kill us but do not have the capacity to keep us dead. The One we should fear offending is the only one with the capacity to not only kill us but keep us dead…. the Father of Jesus Christ.

Jesus also explains to his closest disciples on the Mount of Olives 2 days before his execution that they would die, but not a single hair of their head would perish (Lk. 21:16-18). Perishing is that second and forever death that Peter, Andrew, James and John would not experience. Those were the 4 disciples he was addressing across from the temple mount (Mk 13:3). 

This issue of understanding there are 2 death categories is a defining issue between the true gospel and the divinely insulting doctrines of paganized Christianity. Christians absolutely reject the concept of a 2nd death that is permanent, but even maintain that first category of death is nothing more than a transition to another form of existence. Ignorance of the 2 categories of death is a doctrinal guarantee that one will actually experience that 2nd ‘forever’ death. 

This dual aspect pattern is also true for resurrection. There are two distinct resurrection categories. Ignoring this truth has resulted in more than one fellowship separation within the enlightened community. It is often, very oddly emphasized by our community speakers that when the Bible references a resurrection that the exclusive application is immortalization. This is not simply a lie. It is a very dangerous lie and one that imposes a darkness in the context of our heavenly Father’s testimony that takes away instead of giving more. There is certainly a resurrection to immortality that follows judgment. There will be two of these resurrection events (as is the pattern we are highlighting) in the beginning of the 7th millennium and the beginning of the 8th millennium. However there is also a resurrection to mortality that will precede those same judgments. This 1st resurrection category is also separately referenced in scripture and testified to every single day of our lives in the creation pattern of awakening from a sleep that scripture repeatedly parallels to death. 

Those who are accountable to Christ’s judgment do not die forever. We die temporarily. As Daniel testifies: many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. This awakening from the dust of the earth is obviously not referencing the resurrection to immortality, since Daniel says that some who awaken from the dust will arise only to suffer shame and everlasting contempt. Jesus also references this 1st resurrection category that can end in forever death when he says: Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5:28-29). How can anyone foolishly try to limit our understanding of resurrection to exclusively immortalization when Jesus refers to a resurrection of damnation? This is the first resurrection, that awakening from the dust of the earth back to the same mortal nature. Following our judgment we will either experience that 2nd category of death or that 2nd category of resurrection (to immortality). Creation testifies to this first resurrection category about 25,000 times over the course of a 70 year life when we wake up each day from what scripture defines as a death-like sleep. One has to wonder how so much evidence can be ignored so completely by so many

Paul references this 1st resurrection category when he declares to Felix:  there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. Although the “unjust” certainly participate in the resurrection to mortality preceding the judgment, only the just will participate in the resurrection to immortality following the judgment.  Jesus uses this same terminology to exclusively reference the 2nd resurrection category when he says: When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. There is no “recompense” or reward for the faithful associated with the resurrection to judgment, just the resurrection to immortality. That participation is exclusively reserved for “the just”, on the basis of the testimony of the man responsible for judging us. 

Another resurrection reference that separately identifies both categories (1st the resurrection to mortality & 2nd the resurrection to immortality) is Hebrews 11:35. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection. It is very simple to recognize that if one resurrection category is “better” than another there certainly have to be a minimum of 2 separate resurrection categories. There has only ever been one resurrection to immortality at this point, being our Messiah. There is no possible way that any other resurrection to immortality could be “better” than Christ’s. The women who received their dead  raised to life again were the widow of Zarephath, the Shunammite woman, the widow of Nain, the wife of Jairus along with Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus. Those resurrections were only back to mortality and the “better resurrection” was that of our Messiah which was the resurrection to immortality that the faithful hope to obtain.  

Paganized Christianity completely rejects both resurrection categories with their insistence for maintaining the original serpent lie that we don’t really die. That doctrine of the immortality of the soul is a divinely insulting declaration that God lied and it was the serpent that was truthful in the Garden of Eden. Contradictions to the righteousness of God is what qualifies as “sin” (1 John 5:17).

Fellowship separations within the enlightened community have been prompted or facilitated on the false basis of presuming there is only one resurrection category. The basis for participating in each of the 2 resurrection categories is not the same. Bro JJ Andrews prompted a fellowship separation over 120 years ago by mistaking these separate resurrection participation qualifications on the basis of the incorrect understanding that there is only one resurrection category. Additionally, the doctrinal mistake of promoting the concept of immortal emergence (coming out of the grave already immortalized) similarly rejects the truth concerning the resurrection to mortality preceding judgment. 

Just as there are 2 death categories, there are also 2 resurrection categories. In the next blog post we will consider the 2 basic life categories and how both of those have 2 sub-categories of each. Mistaking these truths has also resulted in other Creator insulting doctrinal distortions. There are 2 categories of all divine principles. They have to be recognized and correctly balanced to avoid offending the righteousness of our heavenly Father.      BroJim@spiritsword.net 

There is a very extreme emphasis throughout the 2 official witnesses our heavenly Father offers to validate His truths and principles. These 2 witnesses are the written word of God (Bible) and the spoken word of God (creation, originally resulting from the verbal creational summons during 6 evenings and mornings). The previous posts addressing the dual application of the early and latter rains serve as just a single application for this incredibly extensive pattern. The scriptural and creational extreme saturation of this dual emphasis highlights the necessity to look for that dual pattern in all divine truths and principles. Since this is our claim to be the major stumbling block accelerating the prophesied apostasy in this last generation of the Ecclesial Age, then we should be able to conclusively demonstrate that divine emphasis. If this pattern cannot be demonstrated with an overwhelming emphasis, then this warning has no merit and is baseless… like the story of the shepherd boy that cried wolf.

We will approach this pattern through several divine themes, in order to demonstrate the 3-dimensional depth of this substantial divine pattern. These themes will include the frameworks of salvation, creation, divine architectural design, prophecy, miracles, divinely ordained rituals as well as divine laws and rituals.

The dual emphasis in the framework of a salvation theme is very common. There were 2 salvation ark shadows employed by God to project the salvation that would be available through His son, the antitypical salvation ark. These were Noah’s Ark and the Golden Ark of the Covenant. There were 2 genders (man and women) and 2 generations saved on that ark. God commanded that 2 categories of animals also be saved (clean and unclean). That gopher wood ark was double sealed with pitch (both inside and outside). It should be noted the verb God uses to command that double sealing is the Hebrew word kaphar, which is predominantly translated as “atonement”. 

The 2nd divinely appointed salvation ark that is also directly identified with atonement (indicating salvation)  also was covered both inside and outside, but this time with the 2nd covering of gold, as opposed to pitch as used with Noah’s ark of salvation. This Ark was employed on only 1 day every year, the Day of Atonement. At this time the High Priest would enter the Most Holy Chamber to perform 3 separate rituals involving that Golden Ark, but each of those rituals would have a dual emphasis. The first was when the High Priest carried 2 handfuls of incense into the Most Holy Chamber, fed those 2 handfuls of incense into the fire where that dust was transfigured into a cloud that embraced the divine glory between the golden cherubim on the Ark. This saved the life of the High Priest (Lev. 16:12-13). This ritual projects the forever saving (atonement) of the antitypical High Priest, Jesus Christ. Those 2 handfuls of 4 incense ingredients (2×4=8) identify our savior’s name in how the 6 alphanumeric Greek letters forming his name add up to 888. 

The 2nd Day of Atonement ritual projects the 2nd salvation/atonement event in our Creator’s plan. This was when the High Priest brought the bullock blood into the Most Holy Chamber and spattered it across the Mercy Seat of the golden ark in 2 directions, both east and west (Lev. 16:14). This was for the atonement of the whole family of the High Priest. This is a shadow prophecy of the 2nd immortalization/atonement event in the Creator’s plan when the family of the High Priest will be immortalized at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. 

The 3rd Day of Atonement ritual projects the 3rd salvation/atonement event in our Creator’s plan. This was when the High Priest brought the goat blood into the Most Holy Chamber and spattered it across the Mercy Seat of the golden ark in 2 directions, both east and west (Lev. 16:15). This was for the atonement of the rest of the nation. This is a shadow prophecy of the 3rd immortalization/atonement event in the Creator’s plan when the saints from the rest of the world will be immortalized just after the end of the Millennial Kingdom, in that 8th millennium from creation. 

So why does this dual emphasis apply to all 3 of the salvation/atonement rituals surrounding that 2nd salvation Ark with its 2nd covering category of gold? Why did these 2 salvation arks have to be double covered? This is because there are 2 basic aspects to atonement. This is one of the divine truths being repeatedly denied and undermined by oddly respected Brethren in our community writing our books and teaching at our Bible Schools and Study Weekends. The 1st atonement aspect is forgiveness, a heavenly application. The 2nd atonement aspect is the covering of a divinely unclean nature, which is an earthly application. These are the two basic components of all creation: heaven and earth. It is the blending of both heaven and earth at the conclusion of the Creator’s plan that will result in perfect harmony, when God will “be all in all” (1 Cor. 15:24-28).

The 1st salvation association with forgiveness is universally accepted, but it is incomplete. In the same theme there were 2 aspects of divine unacceptability. These have been behavioral and physical. The divine holiness pursuit demanded during the 1st Kingdom Age included the physical holiness standards of a restricted diet, and reconciliation procedures for the physical defilement of touching the dead, suffering with leprosy and suffering with a bodily issue. This physical holiness was in addition to the behavioral holiness demands that are temporarily not required during the Ecclesial Age dispensation of the Creator’s plan. There is more to atonement than simply the forgiveness of sins. There is a cleansing from physical defilement that is part of the atonement principle. There will be a greater concentration on the physical cleansing 2nd aspect of atonement/salvation in subsequent posts. 

Another highly significant dual highlight in relation to salvation is that there will be 2 separate salvation events in 2 separate divine days of the 7th day (millennium) and the 8th day (millennium). That 2nd salvation event of the saints is timestamped after the conclusion of the Millennial Kingdom (Rev. 20:5,7). These 2 salvation timestamps of the 7th and 8th ‘divine’ days since creation parallel the signature rituals of the 2 great covenants of works and faith. The signature ritual of the Mosaic Covenant of works was Sabbath Observance on the 7th day when there was a rest from all our labors. The signature ritual of the Abrahamic Covenant of faith was circumcision, observed on the 8th day when the crown of flesh was cut away from a man. In the same pattern there will be a salvation/atonement event in the 7th day when there will be a rest from the physical effects of sin all through creation and in the 8th day all flesh will be cut away with the elimination of death following that 2nd salvation event of the saints in that 8th millennium since creation. 

Hopefully we are beginning to see the extensiveness of this dual pattern. The weight of this evidence has to be substantial enough to overcome the social pressures within the endangered enlightened community accelerating the prophesied corruption of this last generation of the Ecclesial Age. 

We will be pursuing the width, depth and height of this dual pattern throughout all of our Creators manifestations in order to provide the light to dispel the darkness that is creeping over the enlightened community in the last years before the return of Christ. 

BroJim@spiritsword.net 

As we have noted, the law of the early and latter rains is directly referenced to 3 aspects of the word of God: 1. The inspired written word of God, 2. The word of God made flesh (Jesus) and 3. the word of God expressed in power (the outpouring of the miraculous Holy Spirit gifts). Each of these three early rains from heaven ended at the beginning of the Ecclesial Age. The latter rains for each of these 3 applications will begin again with the introduction of the Millennial Kingdom. 

The Holy Spirit gifts were provided to the first 2 generations of the Ecclesial Age. Peter promised them to 2 generations of Jews as well as to the Gentiles (“those afar off”) on Pentecost Day, which was the first day (High Sabbath) of the Feast of Weeks (Acts 2:38-39). Except for the 3 unique Holy Spirit outpourings from heaven (baptism of Jesus, the 120 at Pentecost, the household of Cornelius), the only way to receive the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit would be to have an Apostle laying their hands on a believer. Although there may have been more with this capacity, we only read of Peter, John and Paul having this capacity. Once these Apostles died there would be no possible avenue for receiving the power of the Holy Spirit to perform miracles. This timing perfectly agrees with Peter’s time limit for the Holy Spirit gifts to just 2 generations of Jews and Gentiles.

This limited timeframe for the early rains of the Holy Spirit power also perfectly matches Paul’s explanation of when the accessibility of those miraculous gifts would end. When Paul was addressing how the Corinthian Ecclesia was abusing their capacity to perform miracles with the Holy Spirit powers they had been given that these gifts would end when “that which is perfect would come” (1 Cor. 13:8-10). The Greek word translated “perfect” is teleios, meaning mature or complete or finished. That which was perfect that signaled the end of the availability of the Holy Spirit gifts was the completed word of God, the whole Bible. The last book of the New Testament to be written was Revelation, while John was exiled on the Isle of Patmos by Roman authority. This was completed a little over 60 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The ‘early rains’ would end with the death of all the Apostles and the completion of the written words of God: the Bible. As noted in the previous post, this would begin the prophesied period of divine silence that Amos appropriately defines as a famine of the word of God (Amos 8:11-13). This qualifies as the absence of rain that separates and defines the ourpouring of the early and latter rains.

This pouring out of Holy Spirit miraculous gifts, the word of God expressed through power, would be done in two separate ages. Jesus references this ‘2 age’ distinction when he warns about the unforgivable sin of blasphemy to those who witnessed that unveiled power and then defined it as the wicked power of Beelzebub.

Matthew 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. 

It should be noted the Greek word that is twice translated as “world” is aion, indicating an ‘age’. Jesus declares this avenue of unforgivable blasphemy will be possible in 2 separate ages, including that current age and another age yet to come. 

This 2 ‘age’ distinction is also expressed by Paul and also in the context of the unforgivable sin of extreme disrespect for that Holy Spirit power. In fact this is also where the pouring out of the Holy Spirit power is defined in the context of rain.

Hebrews 6:4-8 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. 

If one was a partaker of the Holy Spirit, able to demonstrate that power through miraculous manifestations, then they also “tasted of the powers of the world (Age) to come”. Like Jesus, Paul also refers to 2 separate ages when divine power of the Holy Spirit will be manifested through believers. However, also like Jesus, Paul warns that the extreme disrespect of using that power to teach lies (the falling away of the enlightened who were partakers) is an unforgivable sin. Paul then parallels the faithful receiving the power of the Holy Spirit to how the earth receives the rain from heaven. We are the earth, as we are made of dust and to dust we are condemned to return (Gen. 3:19). If our bodies of earth drink in the rain from heaven (Holy Spirit gifts of power) into which the seed of the word of God has been sown, but only yield fruitless briers and thorns, then our end is to to burned (meaning perishing forever, like the tares in Christ’s parable of the wheat and the tares).

So Paul’s confirmation of Christ’s reference to the 2 ages when the Holy Spirit gifts of power will be demonstrated by the enlightened community includes a parallel to that expression of ‘God’s word confirmed in power’ to rain. Peter also makes this connection when he is defending the miraculous demonstration of the gift of tongues (languages) on Pentecost Day in Jerusalem. Peter quotes from Joel’s prophecy about Yahweh pouring out His power onto His people.

Joel 2:28-30 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids In those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth.

However a few verses before this God defines this miraculous power sharing in the context or early and latter rains.

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 

Just like the word of God and the word of God made flesh, the word of God expressed in power is scripturally defined as the early and latter rains. These early and latter rains will be poured out in 2 separate ages with an extended drought between those 2 ages.

This examination of the extensive dual pattern of the early and latter rains has been offered as an example of the distinct and highly extensive pattern of the dual categories of every divine principle. The examples for this pattern are inexhaustible, despite being invisible to those within the enlightened community that are currently imbalancing the right-ness of God by degrading these divine principles into an exclusive single category. The principle of atonement is being degraded into nothing more than forgiveness. The principle of sin is being inappropriately minimalized into nothing more than the exclusive application of guilt assigning transgressions. The principle of righteousness is being limited to the exclusive application of imputed righteousness. The principle of resurrection is being expressed as exclusively applying to immortalization following judgment. The degrading of the principle of mortal life being exclusively understood as an assured death that was supposedly the original creation model prior to the introduction of sin has been corrupting the enlightened community for over 120 years. The mistake of assuming there is only one Sabbath qualification of being a Saturday has resulted in the Christ insulting delusion of a Friday afternoon crucifixion followed by a Sunday sunrise resurrection only about a day and a half later. The often proposed dismissal of the actual breaking of the memorial bread into two components to be shared blinds those embracing that foolishness from the incredible pattern silently shouted through scripture between cleaving and salvation. Even the divinely mandated application of exactly 2 human genders is being denied by some within the enlightened community presuming the legitimacy for the societal corruptions of gender distortions defined as gay, lesbian, trans-sexual, pan-sexual, etc. 

The terms of our Creator’s righteousness (right-ness) are being increasingly challenged within the enlightened community, just as the many prophecies about our last generation of the Ecclesial Age have warned us. Our next post will begin to demonstrate the extreme and endless pattern of how our heavenly Father’s eternal principles have 2 separate categories that need to be balanced. Eliminating one of those categories completely imbalances our understandings and reverses the focus of our worship from God to the mirror. 

broJim@spiritsword.net 

As previously noted, there are 3 divinely appointed applications of the word of God as expressed through the divine law of the early and the latter rains.

1. First, we have the complete Bible, the inspired word of God. But that inspired word that flowed from heaven ended when the prophesied silence of the Creator began when the early rains of that inspired word ended after the 2nd generation of the Ecclesial Age. John finished that last book of Revelation less than 70 years after the death & resurrection of Jesus. 
2. Jesus is that word made flesh and his two comings are directly identified with the early and latter rains.
3. The 3rd application is the word of God expressed in power. Jesus and Paul both reference the two ‘Ages’ during which the Holy Spirit power will be demonstrated through people. Paul even defines being made a partaker of the Holy Spirit power as “tasting the word of God”. Paul also defines the outpouring of Holy Spirit power to be like rain. Therefore the time between those 2 “Ages” during which the rain-like outpouring of the Holy Spirit gifts would constitute the absence of rain; therefore constituting those 2 Holy Spirit outpourings to qualify as an early and a latter rain. 

The early rain application of all three of these associations was fulfilled at the beginning of the Ecclesial Age. 1) The Bible was completed. There have been no divinely inspired writings since John wrote Revelation. But divine inspiration will begin again following the return of Christ. 2) Jesus came the first time as the early rain to plant the seed of the gospel. He comes again as the latter rain to harvest that fully matured seed in the faithful. 3) The Holy Spirit was poured out from heaven in rain-like fashion at 3 highly significant events during that transition from the 1st Kingdom Age into the Ecclesial Age. That power could also be awarded by the hands of certain Apostles. Those gifts ended after the 2 generations Peter promised at Pentecost. This was the early rains of the word expressed in power. These miraculous powers will be displayed again in the world following the return of Jesus Christ, qualifying as the latter rains. All 3 of these applications of the word of God share the same early rain and latter rain timestamps. 

1. The Early and Latter Rains of the Word of God

God prophesies of a period when He would be silent, when there would be no outpouring of His word from heaven. There would be no new revelations, no Holy Spirit powers displayed and the word made flesh (Jesus) would not be in the earth. 

Micah 3:6-7 Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; And it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; And the sun shall go down over the prophets, And the day shall be dark over them. Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: Yea, they shall all cover their lips; For there is no answer of God. 

Amos 8:11-12  Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, That I will send a famine in the land, 

Not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, They shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. 

This prophesied divine silence is identified as both a sunset and a famine, indicating darkness and a drought of the word of God. This dual identification of the dual application of both early and latter rains satisfies our theme of the dual emphasis in the context of salvation and divine acceptability. That sunset and drought are also significant in correctly understanding other prophecies.

We can very easily and definitively prove when this period of self-imposed divine silence ends. Isaiah makes this perfectly clear. In the context of an obvious prophecy of the introduction of the Millennial Kingdom we read this:

Isaiah 42:13-14 The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, He shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: He shall cry, yea, roar; He shall prevail against his enemies. I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: Now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once. 

God’s self imposed, prophesied silence will end dramatically at the beginning of the restored Kingdom, following the return of Jesus Christ from heaven with power and glory. The two silence ending parallels of a charging soldier and a woman giving birth are also common Bible expressions referencing the introduction of the Sabbath Kingdom in that 7th Millennium.

This prophesied divine silence, that absence of new revelations of the word of God being poured in rain-like fashion from heaven, is described by Amos as a famine of the word of God. Another validation of this understanding is where Isaiah defines the resurrection of the saints at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom as how Yahweh will go forth as the morning (eliminating darkness) and come to us as the early and latter rains.

Hosea 6:1-3 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 in 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. 

Notice the 3 sets of dual parallels describing the promise of resurrection: 1) torn/heal, 2) smitten/bind up and 3) revive us/raise us up. This is the language of resurrection and restoration.The timestamp is defined in the dual application of being after 2 days and as well as on the 3rd day. Let’s not underestimate our Creator’s very careful expressions. Our Creator uses surgical redundancy to offer more to those who have while simultaneously taking away from those who have not. We need to remember that a day with the Lord is equivalent to 1,000 years (Ps.90:4; 2 Pet. 3:8). This doubled timestamp for the resurrection of the saints is scheduled for 2 millenniums after the 1st resurrection that took place in 30CE… therefore scheduled for that 3rd divine ‘day’. Pay particular attention to the dual validation of this 2,000 year prophecy from the 1st resurrection to the 2nd, as this specifically references the 2 prophecies of the period of divine silence.  First we see this resurrection frame as being defined as the morning, which is the ending of the divine silence that Micah defines as darkness. Then we see the coming of the Lord being like the early and latter rains, referencing Amos in his definition of the famine/drought of God’s word during the period of divine silence.

2. The Early and Latter Rains of the Word of God Made Flesh

Jesus Christ is defined as the word of God made flesh (Jn. 1:14). The two comings of Jesus, 1st as the sacrificial lamb and 2nd as the lion of the tribe of Judah, are also paralleled to these same early and latter rains.

James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 

 James directly identifies the coming of Jesus to this law of the early and latter rain that brings agricultural bounty and richness of life. Additionally, Solomon describes how the reign of the King’s son would be like rain upon the mown grass and showers that water the earth (Ps. 72:1-11). Interestingly this early and latter rain principle is referenced a 2nd time in that same chapter in James 5.

James 5:16-18 The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. 

The 2 rains bookending the 42 month drought prompted by Elijah’s fervent prayer offer this same early and latter rain frame of reference. The 42 month drought between the early rain and the latter rains further validates the subtle divine testimony of how these early and latter rains define the drought of the word of God between the early rain that ended after that 2nd generation of the Ecclesial Age and the latter rain that will begin with the restoration of the Kingdom of God with the ending of divine silence, the return of Jesus Christ and the accompanying outpouring of Holy Spirit gifts. Those 42 months are referenced in the 42 generations in the lineage reported by Matthew from Abraham to Jesus and the 42 encampments from Egypt to the promised land during the 40 year wilderness wanderings. It is also interesting how we see the ministry of Jesus lasting 3.5 years, which is 42 months as well as the political authority of the antichrist (Papal office) is expressed in the similar terms of 42 months (Rev. 13:5). This was fulfilled in the 1260 years (42 months is 1260 days) from 606CE when the Bishop at Rome was first given that political authority and 1866 when Garibaldi effectively took that Papal political power away. 

Those 42 months of drought between the previous (early) and latter rains resulting from Elijah’s fervent prayer are part of a scriptural pattern of 6 seven’s  (6×7=42) that references a beginning to a partial completion. 

We need to remember the Millennial Kingdom is only a partial completion. The Sabbath Kingdom of the 7th millennium (7th divine day) only offers a rest from sin. It is the 8th divine day following the conclusion of the Sabbath Kingdom when we see death and sin completely cut away in circumcision-like fashion. 

Our next post will highlight that 3rd early and latter rain application of the word of God expressed in power, which is the pouring out from heaven of the Holy Spirit gifts. 

brojim@spiritsword.net 

Our observations concerning the extreme ‘dual’ pattern demonstrated throughout the two required witnesses of our Creator (Bible & creation) in the context of divine truths and salvation is also evident in the divine law of the early and latter rains. Our long term goal will be to address the necessary two balancing aspects of every divine principle, as the diminishing of these two aspects into a single imbalanced definition is the broad path of apostasy down which more and more of our enlightened community is traveling in these last days of the Ecclesial Age… as was prophesied repeatedly in scripture. One example is the 2 aspects of the fear of God that was partially addressed in the previous post.

The foundational law of the early and latter rains is presented by Moses in Deuteronomy 11, but is applied in various ways in prophecies and exhortations by Hosea, James, Micah, Amos, Solomon, Jesus, Paul and James. Applying this law of the early and latter rains comprehensively as opposed to selectively will result in correcting the misidentification of the prophesied period of our Creator’s self-imposed silence as being between the Old and New Testaments and also confirm the timing for the conclusion of the availability of the Holy Spirit miraculous gifts as being only 2 generations at the very beginning of the  Ecclesial Age, as originally promised by Peter at Pentecost. 

God points out that the geography and weather patterns of the promised land are intentionally quite different from Egypt, where the enlightened community had been cruelly enslaved. 

Deut. 11:10-17  For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs: But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: A land which the Lord thy God careth for: the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year. And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full. Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; And then the Lord’s wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you.

It should be noted the next few verses immediately following this law of the early and latter rains exactly match the few verses immediately following the greatest of all commandments back in Deuteronomy 6:5 about loving Yahweh our Elohim with all our heart and all our life and all our strength (Mark 12:29-30). This observation should certainly serve as an underlining emphasis for a dedicated consideration for this law of the early and latter rains. 

The promised land is a land of hills and valleys, dependent on rain for agricultural productivity. As God notes, this is unlike Egyptian’s Nile valley where irrigation channels could be easily run from the river to water crops without worrying about the rain cycle. Note how God parallels the rain from heaven to His word from heaven. If the enlightened community would be obedient and fruitful to the words of God that they been given from heaven, then they would also receive the rain from heaven upon which they would depend for food production for themselves and their animals. There is a direct parallel throughout scripture between rain and the word of God that both pour from the heavens.

Deut. 32:1-2  Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, My speech shall distil as the dew, As the small rain upon the tender herb, And as the showers upon the grass. 

Isaiah 55:10-11 For as the rain cometh down, And the snow from heaven, And returneth not thither, But watereth the earth, And maketh it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: It shall not return unto me void, But it shall accomplish that which I please, And it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

It should be understood that the heavens and earth God addressed through Moses was Israel, the heaven and earth descendants of Abraham. He was promised descendants as numerous as the dust of the earth and the stars of heaven. The nation of Israel was subsequently addressed many times directly in the context of heaven and earth, particularly in the prophecies by Jesus and Peter concerning the destruction of the nation (Matt. 24:35; 2 Peter 3:7-13) as well as the restoration of that Kingdom (Is. 65:17).

It should also be understood that the offer of rain and the warning about withholding rain is another demonstration of the law of the required 2 witnesses for any judgment. Heaven and earth are appointed as God’s witnesses to the resulting fruit-fulness or fruit-lessness in response to His Words poured out from heaven to the enlightened community. One of the laws of witnessing was that the hands of the witnesses would be the first against the accused (Deut. 17:7). God appointed heaven and earth to serve as witnesses for or against Israel.

Deut. 4:26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. 

Just as the hands of at least 2 witnesses had to be the first to be applied in judgment against the condemned, so the heaven witness appointed by God would withhold the rain from heaven and that 2nd earth witness of God would not yield its bounty… thereby fulfilling the law of the hands of the witnesses being the first to be applied against the one judged as guilty.

Lev. 26:19 And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass.

Deut. 28:23-24 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

It is important to understand this divine association between rain and the word of God as we look throughout scripture to apply this law of the early and latter rains in the context of that intentionally complex communication pattern of our heavenly Father that gives more to those who ‘have’ within the enlightened community while simultaneously taking away the little from those who ‘have not’, also within the enlightened community (Matt. 13:10-15). 

There are three applications of the word of God that have specific early and latter rain assignments. These are 1) the inspired word of God (Bible), 2) that word made flesh (Jesus Christ) and 3) the word expressed in power (the awarding of the Holy Spirit gifts). Each of these 3 applications will perfectly demonstrate this early and latter rain law in the same historic and prophetic context. But due to the extensive issues to be addressed in order to confidently and 3 dimensionally validate these associations and timestamps this will have to be the focus of our next post.

BroJim@spiritsword.net 

We are continuing our observations of the divine pattern of how the number 2 is silently shouted throughout the 2 avenues of divine testimony (written word of God=Bible & spoken word of God=creation). We will also begin to highlight the danger of eliminating one of the two balancing aspects of every divine principle.

The 1st two of the 3 immortalization events into the Creator’s plan are separated by 2 millenniums. These also correspond to the 2 comings of our Messiah. Jesus came the first time as a mortal, issuing from a mortal mother impregnated by the power of the heavenly Father. This was at the end of the 1st Kingdom Age. He comes the 2nd time, after 2 days (divine days of 1,000 years each; Hosea 6:1-3) to preside over the 2nd immortalization event and to restore that Kingdom but as a heavenly Kingdom of God. That 1st Kingdom was initiated at Sinai under Moses. The 2nd Kingdom will be initiated at Jerusalem under Jesus Christ. 

The word of God is divinely identified as both the water of the word (with its two atomic elements of hydrogen and oxygen) and also as a 2-edged sword. A sword has 2 basic purposes (defend and attack) and 2 basic applications (parry/defend & thrust/attack). In the same way that word of God will be our judge and determine which of the 2 judgments will be assigned to us: forever death or forever life. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day (John 12:48). As we have noted, both of the witnesses of the word of God will be applied in our judgment. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse (Rom. 1:18-20). This phrase about creation being a witness when the wrath of God is revealed is often inappropriately deflected as applying to the unenlightened community, undoubtedly due to its condemning focus. However, the context specifically defines the application as being directed to those who “hold the truth”, which can only possibly apply to the enlightened community.  One cannot possibly be describing as ‘holding’ the truth without enlightenment. The features of creation (the things God has made) declare the invisible things of God from the creation of the world. Those within the enlightened community who undermine the righteousness of Yahweh are ignoring the testimony of creation and will suffer the wrath of God. They will be without excuse, due to not only the written testimony of God but, secondly,  His validating creational testimony.

Every divine principle has 2 aspects that have to be balanced. This is certainly true of the “fear of God”. However our enlightened community today is frequently and very inappropriately urged to eliminate the more unpleasant of the 2 balancing aspects of that divine principle. We know that the fear of God is a salvation requirement. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12). 

The two aspects of the fear of God that have to be correctly balanced for a hopeful salvation are 1) respectful reverence and 2) actually being afraid of the consequences of contradicting God’s righteousness. Unfortunately, this 2nd fear of God category is endlessly denied currently in our enlightened community. It is presumed we can take our salvation for granted and that grace and forgiveness are unconditional. False comfort is treasured by a corrupted understanding of John’s statement that: There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love (1 John 4:18). John is referring to a particular aspect of fear that is eliminated by a mature love. If this actually applied to ‘all’ categories of fear then this would mean that we don’t’ even have to exercise reverential fear, as that too would have to be eliminated by perfect love. Therefore, supposedly, one can be disrespectful to God without fearing consequences. That is absurd. Therefore there has to be a category of fear that is eliminated through perfect love but not all fear as that would be highly disrespectful to our heavenly father.

Presuming the enlightened community never has any reason to be afraid of divine consequences for encouraging our Creator’s disfavor is a direct contradiction of Christ’s warning: And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt. 10:28). Jesus advises us not to fear men, who can only kill us but have no power to keep us dead. Jesus strongly advises us to be afraid of the one who can not only kill us but keep us dead forever… which is God. The term “hell” is poorly translated from Gehenna, indicating the Valley of Hinnom where God promised to judge the highly disrespectful enlightened community (Jer. 7:30-34; 19:1-6). Since our savior advises us to be afraid of our potential rejection by God, why would so many Brethren in the truth so frequently recommend exactly the opposite? 

Fear can have 2 effects, just like fire. A controlled fire is life preserving and enriching. We use controlled fire to heat our homes, cook our foods, light our path in the dark, temper metal, cauterize a wound and sanitize. The sun is a perfect example of controlled fire, with its perfect 93 million mile distance from Earth. The 8 eternal fires in the divine construction of the Tabernacle underscore the creational testimony of fire. The 7 golden lamps in the Holy Chamber were to be refueled twice each day and never allowed to stop burning (Lev. 24:2). That 8th fire, consuming the altar offerings in the Tabernacle Courtyard, was also supposed to burn continually (Lev. 6:12-13). God spoke to Israel from the burning mountain when they camped at Sinai. In the same sense fear can be a valuable safety mechanism, protecting us from potential danger. 

But uncontrolled fire only destroys and kills.  Similarly fear that is not throttled by courage or wisdom only destroys. The fear of God is supposed to encourage us to refrain from thoughts, words and behavior that are disrespectful to our Creator. But unfortunately, the waterless wells and fruitless trees and wandering stars within our enlightened community promote unconditional forgiveness and over-emphasize the promise of grace, thereby disengaging the safety mechanism of the fear of engaging our God’s disfavor. They do this for personal advantage and community elevation. This imbalancing of divine principles is a symptom of podium addiction, telling Brothers and Sisters what they want to hear instead of what God wants to hear from us. 

Eliminating that 2nd aspect of the fear of God is extremely dangerous, disposing of a highly valuable safety mechanism in our pursuit of divine righteousness. We need to demonstrate both the more pleasant respectful & reverential fear as well as the unpleasant fear of the temporary and eternal consequences for contradictions to our Creator’s righteousness.  Paul describes his fear of rejection at Christ’s judgment serving as a preaching motivation. 

2 Cor. 5:10-11 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.

Both fear of God aspects are required for a hopeful salvation. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:28-29). We need to cultivate both the reverential aspect of the fear of God as well as the godly fear that understands our God is a consuming fire. We, as the branches extending from the true vine (Jesus Christ, John 15:1-8), must bear fruit to the glory of our heavenly Father or we are nothing more than fuel for that consuming fire (Ezek. 15). That fear of destruction should offer a motivating energy, as it did with the Apostle Paul to preach the truth.

If we diminish the dual aspects of the principle of the fear of God into exclusively reverential fear we imbalance that principle, thereby threatening our relationship with Yahweh and Christ. Every divine principle has 2 aspects that have to be balanced. This is why it takes 2 to go from 6 to 8 and from curse to blessing and from death to life. The divine emphasis of the number 2 in the context of salvation is a theme saturating the 2 avenues of divine testimony: the Bible and creation.

BroJim@spiritsword.net 

We have noted that it takes 2 to go from 6 to 8… from death to life and from sin to righteousness. Let’s consider the 3 dimensional divine shadow testimony answering the significance of this simple observation. 

There is an extreme scriptural and creational pattern demonstrating a dual emphasis in the context of the principle of salvation and divine principles. The few examples offered in the previous 4 posts barely scratch the surface of this pattern. The critical issue in the recognition of this pattern is in how one of the dual aspects in a series of these features of our Creator’s truths and principles are being systematically denied by Brothers and Sisters within the enlightened community in this last generation of the Ecclesial Age.  This denial instead of the balancing of these dual aspects of our Creator’s truths and principles is what is fueling the prophesied divine unacceptability of this last generation just before divine enlightenment is no longer optional. The divine principles of atonement, sin, righteousness, life, the fear of God and the terms of judgment are being inappropriately reduced to a single application. This imbalances our understandings of these divine principles, which is extremely dangerous from a salvation hope perspective.

Let’s reference a few more examples of this extreme dual emphasis throughout the 2 avenues of divine testimony (Bible & creation) in order to cement this understanding. 

There are 2 saviors and we need both of them. God saves us. He is referred to as our savior all through scripture. However Jesus Christ is also our savior. It is presuming these are not 2 separate saviors but only 1 that defines the blasphemous doctrine of the trinity. Our 2 saviors are certainly not equal but there are 2 distinctly separate saviors we depend on for salvation. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself (2 Cor. 5:19). Both Father and son are independently but cooperatively needed for our salvation, but there is no equality between these 2 saviors. 

There are 2 names for our divinely appointed savior: Jesus Christ. That name and that title define his distinctive dual origin of a human mother and divine Father. This recognition offers a demonstration of the ultimate application of the dual nature of all divine principles, the harmonizing of heaven and earth. Jesus Christ is the mediator between the Creator and mankind, where the dual investment of God’s image and likeness had been originally invested in that 6th evening and morning of creation but then forfeited due to choosing the serpent’s right-ness over the Creator’s.

Those 2 original design components of the image and the likeness of God were invested into the 2 structural components of the 2 genders of mankind. Those 2 structural components are scripturally defined as the dust of the earth and the breath from heaven. And Yahweh Elohim formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Gen. 2:7). Just as there was no equality in the 2 saviors and the 2 origin sources of Jesus Christ, there is no equality in the 2 genders of mankind. While that recognition has absolutely nothing to do with inherent value, it has everything to do with respecting the divine creation order and the Edenic gender judgments. This divine inequality in spiritual assignments is emphasized in the 2 gender based rituals of the Ecclesial Age: headcoverings during prayer and Sisters’ silence. 

There were 2 creational procedures divinely employed over those 6 creation days that were separated into the two categories of night and day. The first creational procedure was to verbally command individual components into existence or into place. By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast (Ps. 33:6-9). However there was one component of creation that was not commanded into existence and that was mankind. Adam and Eve were crafted and not commanded into existence like the animals and plants.

Therefore it should not be surprising to realize each divine sanctuary was designed with 2 chambers. There was the Holy chamber where the priests entered every morning and night to perform 2 daily rituals. The priests had to refuel the 7 golden lamps & burn the incense inside that 1st of the 2 sanctuary chambers twice each day (Ex. 27:20-21; Lev. 24:2-3; Ex. 30:7-8). The 2nd sanctuary chamber was the Most Holy chamber. Only the High priest would enter this 2nd sanctuary section and only on the Day of Atonement. Once again, there is no equality in these 2 divisions of each of those 2 categories of sanctuaries. The first sanctuary category was the mobile tent produced at Sinai. The 2nd and 3rd divine sanctuaries were immobile buildings constructed at Jerusalem. All three of these divine sanctuaries had these 2 separate chambers, with that veil separating the two of them that is scripturally interpreted as representing the flesh of Christ (Heb. 10:19-20). 

That veil representing the flesh of our savior, separating those 2 temple chambers, was ripped into two components at the moment of the crucifixion death of Christ (Matt. 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). This action of the cleaving of 1 component into 2 in the context of salvation is a common theme throughout scripture. The memorial bread, also representing the flesh of Christ, has to be broken before being eaten in order to follow the pattern Jesus established at that first memorial service on Passover night. The Red Sea clave in two to both save the Israelites and to facilitate the destruction of the pursuing Egyptian cavalry’. Similarly if we imbalance a divine principle by dismissing one of the 2 categories of a single truth within the water of the word, we invite a similar fate. The Jordan River clave in two to permit the enlightened community to enter the promised land when the priests bearing the Christ Ark stepped into those waters about to flow into the mouth of the Dead Sea. In fact the Jordan River miraculously clave on exactly 3 occasions, paralleling the 3 immortalization events in the Creator’s plan. Additionally, the rock at Rephidim clave in two at the stroke of the rod of the future High Priest, wielded by Moses, to release the waters that would save the enlightened community from a thirsty death (Ps 78:15; Is. 48:21). That cleaved rock is also identified as a symbol of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 10:1-4). 

Both of the two salvation arks are shadows of the substance casting those 2 shadows: Jesus Christ. God mandated these 2 salvation arks to each have 2 coverings. Noah’s salvation ark had to have pitch applied both inside and outside. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch (Gen. 6:14). It should be noted the verb translated as ‘to pitch’ here is the same Hebrew word predominantly translated as ‘make an atonement’ throughout the Old Testament. The 2nd salvation ark was the golden Ark of the Covenant. The 6 surfaces of the Acacia wood box had to be covered inside and outside with gold. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it (Ex. 25:11). That gold covering over the 6 panels of the Ark both inside and outside is a perfect parallel to the 6 sin offerings for guilty transgressional sins (the High Priest, a ruler, a commoner, the poor and the destitute; Lev. 4-5) and the 6 cleansing sin offerings for unclean physical conditions for which no repentance was required (healed leper, healed bodily issue, touching the dead, a woman who gave birth, the dedication of the Christ Altar of Burnt Offering and the annual sin offering for the entire Tabernacle on each Day of Atonement).

When our teaching and writing Brethren insist the principle of atonement has only the exclusive application of the forgiveness of sins, but not a 2nd application of a physical covering that cleanses from sin, they are denying our Messiah’s assignment as being the substance casting these two shadows in the context of his capacity to save. There are 2 covering aspects to atonement, not just one. They have to be understood and balanced. Isn’t it a fascinating observation that there are 2 shadow directions extending from the same substance each day in creation’s testimony of the terms of our Creator’s righteousness? Shadows generated by the sun extend west to east in the morning but from east to west after mid-day. There will be long & thin shadows or short & squat throughout the day, but the substance casting those 2 shadow directions is always the same. In the same manner the eternal divine truths will cast different temporary shadows throughout the 8 divine days of our Creator’s plan, but the substance is always the same. Let’s not discount the validity of this dual shadow observation from creation’s testimony as there are many more creational validations for this extensive pattern of dual applications of a single truth and principle.

This divine pattern, its significance and the dangerous implications of denying this duality of divine principles will continue in the subsequent posts.

BroJIm@spiritsword.net 

While it is childishly simple to recognize that it takes 2 to go from 6 to 8, that simple equation veils a vast wealth of hidden glory in the two avenues of our Creator’s testimony. The number 6 is the divinely appointed number assigned to identify everything related to the curse of sin and death that resulted from Adam & Eve’s contradiction of the Creator’s righteousness in Eden. The number 8 is the divinely appointed number assigned to identify salvation, immortality and our Savior. The difference between curse (6) and blessing (8) and death (6) and life (8) is this number 2. So we need to ask WHY this is the case. 

We have noted how the 6 alphanumeric Greek letters in the name of Jesus add up to 888. He is our savior. He is the man of righteousness. Those three 8’s shadow prophesy of the 3 immortalization events in the Creator’s plan (1) Jesus, 2) the saints at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom in the 7th day and 3) the saints just after the conclusion of the Millennial Kingdom in the 8th divine day). 

The man of sin is numerically identified by 666. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six (Revelation 13:18). 

Before being able to address the huge significance of the difference between 6 and 8, let’s cement this observation concerning how that number 8 is identified with our Messiah, by noting more of its 3 dimensional nature. 

The Bible testimony resulting from the ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is what we call the New Testament. It should not be surprising there have been a highly appropriate 8 sub-authors of the New Testament. These are 1) Matthew, 2) Mark, 3) Luke, 4) John, 5) Paul, 6) James, 7) Peter and 8) Jude. However, admittedly, the entire New Testament was divinely inspired by Yahweh (the one true author).

Although there was a very long list of divinely required rituals during the 1st Kingdom Age we only see exactly 4 rituals divinely mandated during the current Ecclesial Age … that began about 2 millenniums ago. These 4 rituals are 1) baptism, 2) memorial service, 3) headcoverings during prayer and 4) Sister’s silence during Ecclesial worship. There is an absolute dual aspect to each of these 4 Ecclesial Age rituals, accessing that same ‘8’ identification with salvation and particularly our savior.

Baptism offers an obvious dual aspect as there are 2 components to any baptism projecting those 2 aspects of death and resurrection. We voluntarily descend into that water grave to validate our Creator’s righteousness in demanding death for sin in Eden. We rise again from that water grave and thereby shadow testify of our Creator’s righteousness in extending renewed life on the basis of grace, despite being right in demanding our death. This death and life testimony in the 2 baptism stages are referenced in Romans 6:3-5,11.

That dual aspect in the Memorial Service is quite obvious in those 2 components of bread and wine but doubly emphasized in that the bread has to be broken. That cleaving of the symbol of the body of Christ is a very common theme in a salvation context all through scripture including the tearing of the temple veil (also representing the flesh of Christ, Heb. 10:19-20); the cleaving of the rock at Rephidim to save the enlightened community from a thirsty death (Ps. 78:15, Is. 48:21, also representing Christ-1 Cor. 10:1-4); the cleaving of the Red Sea to save Israel from the murderous Egyptian cavalry; and the cleaving of the Jordan River to permit the enlightened community to inherit the promised land under Joshua’s leadership just before Passover. Interestingly that Jordan River running from the sea of life to the north into the sea of death in the south was miraculously cleaved on exactly 3 occasions with the 2nd and 3rd being by Elijah and Elisha. 

There are 2 ‘gender’ based Ecclesial Age rituals that share this dual emphasis. Brethren are forbidden from ever wearing a headcovering during either a prayer or prophesying. Sisters are required to cover their heads during any prayer at any time and were required to cover their heads during that 2 generational term at the beginning of the Ecclesial Age when the faithful (both men and women) could have the capacity to prophesy due to possessing that particular gift of the Holy Spirit. Once again we not only see a dual emphasis in this 2 gender based ritual but also its dual application of both praying and prophesying.

The 4th Ecclesial Age ritual was the 2nd that was gender based. Sisters were required to remain silent during worship and not serve as teachers of Brethren, only other Sisters and children. Therefore Brethren were required to educate, direct the Ecclesia and lead the worship activities. One gender is silent and one gender cannot be silent. Despite having the capacity to miraculously prophesy, Sisters were still required to be silent in the environment of the Ecclesia. At the conclusion of Paul’s rebuke in how the Corinthian Ecclesia was inappropriately exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit within the Ecclesia the Apostle demands the complete silence of Sisters. As in all churches of the saints, let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak (1 Cor. 14:33-34).

These 2 gender based rituals have their independent applications based on the 2 genders originally designed by the Creator. If we foolishly presume there are more than 2 genders by showing any respect to the divinely insulting presumptions of the society of the Sons of Men with their multiple LGBTH gender assignments, we suicidally contradict the divine pattern of the significance of this number 2 in the context of salvation. 

This relationship between 6 (sin & death) and 8 (righteousness and life) in the context of a pattern including the number 3 (identifying the number of immortalization events) is rather consistent in both scripture (the written word of God) and creation (the spoken word of God). 

If we are tempted to dismiss this dual pattern in the 4 Ecclesial Age rituals as inconsequential and unrelated to our Messiah’s identification with the number 8, it should be understood this is not an isolated pattern at all. The exact same pattern is demonstrated in the 8 people saved on Noah’s Ark. Just like the family of the saints that are now baptized into the one family name of the Father, the son and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19), there was one family on that salvation ark. There were 4 divisions of 2 in that family with 4 husbands and 4 wives, perfectly matching the 4 Ecclesial Age rituals with their dual emphasis and including a particular gender emphasis in 2 of those 4 rituals. 

The heaven and earth covenant between God and Abram demonstrates this exact same pattern in the 2 sets of animal categories of the cleaved beasts of the earth and the whole fowl of heaven (Gen. 15). The 3 beasts of the earth that are each 3 years old are cleaved into 6 sacrificial components, to which are added the 2 fowl of heaven. There is an unfathomable depth of glory in the details of this covenant sacrifice. The 3 genders of the 3 year old earthbound beasts perfectly parallel the spiritual gender identifications of the 3 parties to be immortalized (blending of earth & heaven) over 3 divine days in the Creator’s plan. The 3 year old ram parallels Christ, the groom in his marriage to the saints. The 3 year old heifer (female) and 3 year old she-goat parallel the two sets of Christ’s bride at the 2 immortalization events of the saints. These 3 immortalization events are scheduled over 3 divine days totaling 3,000 years (Ps. 90:4; 2 Pet. 3:8). God required Abram to place those 8 sacrificial components into 2 rows, perfectly paralleling the 4 Ecclesial Age rituals with their obvious dual focus. Further emphasizing the legitimacy of this pattern in how each of the 4 parallel items share a foundational emphasis of 8 is how each of the earth beasts have 4 feet that are cloven hooves. This constitutes an 8 component foundation that is actually 4 sets of 2 (just like the family on the Ark with 4 sets of 2). Even the 2 fowl of heaven share a similar identification as each of the 2 (genderless) sacrificial birds have a 4 talon foundation to provide that same pattern of 8 in that 4th sacrificial stage. Is not Jesus, the man of eights, the foundation of our salvation hope?

This same 4 plus 4 pattern seen in the Ecclesial Age rituals, Noah’s Ark and Abram’s covenant is silently shouted to those with hearing ears, over and over in Ezekiel’s 3 cherubim visions. We will address these silent shouts in our next post as we continue to address this issue of why it takes 2 to go go from 6 to 8; why it takes 2 to go from sin to righteousness and from death to life.

BroJim@spiritsword.net 

The highly exaggerated dual emphasis in our Creator’s testimony should be extremely difficult to miss. But there are many issues that are silently shouted throughout our Creator’s intentionally complex testimony exclusively to those within the enlightened community who are and have developed the required seeing eyes and hearing ears Jesus references in order to escape the resulting filtering effect.

There is a dual nature to all divine truths and principles that is divinely shouted all through the two witnesses of our Creator’s righteousness. These two witnesses are the written word of God (the Bible) and the spoken word of God (creation). The created components and positioning recorded in the creation record reveal how all but one resulted from the verbal commands of the Creator. Man and woman were the only 2 components of creation that were not verbally commanded into existence or into place. They were crafted. Additionally those 2 genders were crafted in 2 stages with man first and woman second. Additionally we are only informed of 2 components in the construction of man. While the intelligent design of a human body is incredibly complex the Creator chose to communicate volumes to a select few by defining that design as being the dust of the earth to form the body and the breath of heaven being added to give life. This earth and heaven dual construction is the same pattern employed for the wilderness configuration for the national first born son of God (Ex. 4:22). That configuration is designed in 2 stages. The outer layer is political (earthly) with the 12 tribes positioned into a foursquare design. The inner layer is heavenly with the 3 Levite divisions and the priests also positioned into a foursquare design. In fact this is exactly the earth and then heaven pattern portrayed in Ezekiel’s prophecy of the 2 resurrection stages of that national first born son of God in the dry bones prophecy. 

Ezekiel is commanded to prophecy twice in chapter 37 in relation to the full restoration of the Jewish nation, including it’s repentance. As we noted in the 1st commentary in this Blog series, this first prophecy resulted in the skeletal reassembly of the dried out bones, followed by the sinew, flesh and then skin. This is the earthly or political resurrection that the world witnessed between 1947 to 1967 with the first 4 wars of Israel. The 2nd prophecy has not yet been fulfilled. This is when the 4 winds of heaven (Christ and the immortalized saints) will save Israel at the moment of their greatest peril and Israel will repent… being filled with that breath of heaven in their repentance before their Messiah. This repentance is detailed in Zechariah chapters 12-14. 

There will be a restoration of the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:6). This will be the 2nd Kingdom Age. The 1st was an earthly Kingdom, ruled by mortals. The 2nd will be a heavenly Kingdom, ruled by immortals. This 2nd Kingdom structure demonstrates the exact same dual pattern as the creation of Adam & Eve, the wilderness configuration and the 2 resurrections of the nation of Israel. Our last generation of the Ecclesial Age sits squarely between those 2 political and spiritual national resurrections.

These 2 Kingdoms of God (earthly preceding heavenly) parallel the 2 comings of Jesus Christ with his two identifications that is first earth and then heaven. Jesus came the first time to die, but without any personal transgressions. His death reconciled the faithful in that validation of the Creator’s rightness in demanding death for sin in Eden.  Christ comes again that 2nd time as an immortal to immortalize the faithful from among the enlightened community, demonstrating the right-ness of the Creator in graciously offering restored life despite His right-ness in first demanding death for sin. Judgment and grace are partners within the terms of our Creator’s righteousness… not contradictions. They are not equal, as equality is an illegitimate principle of the serpent frame of reference. Grace can be extended despite the legitimacy of judgment, but grace never eliminates judgment. That balancing equation is perfectly demonstrated in the divine response to King David’s sins of adultery and contract murder. Even after God forgave David so that he would not be executed, God judged David by requiring humiliating judgments against him including the death of that first son from Bathsheba. 

The 2 applications of the earth and then heaven Kingdom and the earthly and then heavenly coming of the Messiah are spelled out in the 2 names of our Savior. Jesus is the earthly name for the entirely mortal boy born of Mary. Christ is the heavenly title assigned our savior. In the same sense we have 2 saviors. Jesus could never have saved us independently of his Father. God makes this issue perfectly clear.  “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them” (2 Cor. 5:19-19). 

This dual highlight in the context of a salvation theme is incredibly extensive, absolutely saturating the 2 avenues of Divine testimony, the written words of God (Bible) and the spoken words of God (creation). A very obvious application would be the 2 generations of the 2 genders of people saved on Noah’s Ark. That number structure of 2 people with 2 genders in the 1st generation and the 6 children in the 2nd generation perfectly match the structure of Abram’s heaven and earth covenant described in Genesis 15. There were 6 cleaved beasts of the earth and 2 whole fowl of heaven placed into 2 parallel rows for that heaven and earth covenant, paralleling the 6 and 2 structure of the 2 generations saved when the flood waters issuing from both the heavens and the earth, cleansed creation.

The salvation frame for those 2 divinely designed historical incidents is emphasized in their shared numerical frame of 8 (8 people saved on the ark and Abram’s 8 sacrificial components). Eight is the number of salvation, our Messiah and infinity. It is rather odd to see the extreme over-emphasis on the number 7 presented by our enlightened community’s speakers and writers over the last 150 years or so. While the number 7 certainly has its degree of significance, it pales next to the divine emphasis of the number 8 throughout scripture. The number 7 does not indicate a finality, as does the number 8. While this is emphasized throughout a parade of applications, this significance order is certainly emphasized in how the 7th millennium (divine day) does not witness the conclusion of the Creator’s plan. After the Millennial Kingdom concludes there will be a rebellion from the surely enlightened global residents that will be crushed and then followed by a resurrection to judgment followed by necessary judgment and then followed by a resurrection to immortality by the always few who are chosen from every divinely imposed judgment on the enlightened community recorded throughout scripture. Then death itself will be eliminated (Rev. 20:6-15; 1 Cor 15: 24-28). All that is flesh (subject to the curse of sin and death) will be cut away in circumcision like fashion in that 8th divine day, not the 7th. This is why the circumcision ritual, with its emphasis on the 8th day, was greater than Sabbath observance, with its emphasis on the 7th day. This is why the Abrahamic covenant of faith (with its 8th day circumcision signature ritual; Gen. 17:11-12) is greater than the Mosaic Covenant of works (with its 7th day Sabbath signature ritual; Ex. 31:12-17, Deut. 5:12-15, Ezek. 20:12,20). This is why Jesus confirmed the Jews were right to circumcise a boy on the 8th day even though that seemingly violated Sabbath Law (John 7:21-24).  

This 8-structure in the salvation images of Noah’s Ark and Abram’s heaven and earth covenant are shadows from the same substance as the numerical significance of the name of Jesus, meaning He Who Saves. The 6 alphanumeric Greek letters in the name of Jesus add up to three 8’s. Iota=10 + eta=8 + sigma=200 + omicron=70 + upsilon=400 + sigma=200. These six letters add up to 888. These 3 eights in the name of our Savior shadow prophesy of the 3 immortalization events in the Creator’s plan that will be accomplished over 3 divine days (millenniums Ps. 90:4; 2 Pet. 3:8). These are 1) the immortalization of Jesus Christ almost 2,000 years ago and 2) the immortalization of the first set of saints at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom and 3) the immortalization of the 2nd set of saints just after the conclusion of the Millennial Kingdom. 

That salvation theme with its 8 frame is a frequent image strobe-lighting through scripture. Eight being the number of our Savior (in addition to salvation) is demonstrated in how Noah, projecting that ‘savior of the world’ status of Jesus, is scripturally defined as the 8th person (2 Pet. 2:5). Yet he was the 1st to be called, before his sons were even born. David, projecting the kingship of Jesus, was the 8th son of Jesse. Under the laws of the 1st Kingdom Age, 7 of the 8 acceptable animal sacrifice categories were acceptable to the Creator on the 8th day of its life (Ex. 22:30). Those 8 qualifying animal sacrifices were 1) male bovine – bullock, 2) male goat, 3) female goat, 4) male sheep, 5) female sheep, 6) genderless pigeon, 7) genderless turtledove and the 8th was the female bovine known as the red heifer. The fact that only 7 of these 8 animal sacrificial categories were offered in fire on the bronze Christ-Altar of Burnt Offering is highly significant in many ways, but those issues will only distract the foundational ‘dual emphasis’ narrative at this point. 

Additionally that circumcision ritual of cutting off the flesh on the 8th day shadow prophesies how the man of 8’s (Jesus) will eliminate death in that 8th divine day following the end of the Millennial Kingdom, that 2nd and heavenly Kingdom of God. 

That 8 salvation frame with an inserted dual emphasis is also very evident in the 4 divinely appointed rituals of the Ecclesial Age: baptism, memorial service, the gender based presence or absence of headcoverings during prayer and the gender based presence or absence of silence during Ecclesial worshipping and educational events. However the consideration of this application emphasizing the dual nature of divine principles within an 8 frame will be addressed in our next submission within a few days.

Again, if anyone has questions, objections, or criticisms you are welcome to communicate directly at BroJim@spiritsword.net .

Brother Jim Dillingham