We are now experiencing a specific period in time which carries great meaning for God’s Church. This is awesomely unique within all our history. Let’s understand why. As we do so, there are two verses that will need to be examined a little more closely.
“Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, ‘Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months’” (Rev. 11:1-2).
Although these scriptures on measuring the temple have been instructive and a “type” for other times of judgment upon God’s Church, the specific fulfillment of these verses is right now.
When we fully grasp that chapters 10 and 11 are not about something John was to fulfill in his time, but for his counterpart in the end-time, then we can better grasp what is currently being revealed. That which was spoken to, and recorded by, the only other apostle who was also a prophet, is first and foremost directed to God’s end-time prophet and apostle. The angel’s message to John is for me, the two witnesses, and the Church. It is about the “work” God is concluding at the end of this age.
At this point, it is needful to review some of what was covered in the recent inset post, “Christ’s Coming.” However, even all of this is being more deeply clarified by Christ as he continues to build upon what he has established in us.
In Revelation 10, an angel revealed the Seven Thunders to John, but told him he could not write what they were. The angel held in his hand the “little book” that was open and then he exclaimed with a mighty voice those Seven Thunders (spoken of in verses 2 – 3). Although it was always right in front of us, we did not piece those events together, since the time for it to be revealed had not yet come. God chose that what is contained in these two chapters and was shown to John while he was imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos was to be revealed to his counterpart while he was imprisoned on “high ground” (in Terra Haute), so that nothing would remain hidden, but that all would be able to come to clearly “see” what God does through him and His two witnesses. These things cannot be hidden, but will be revealed in God’s great power. This is the time that God has chosen to reveal the final events and timing that will indeed finally lead up to Christ’s very coming.
The “little book” is the smaller portion of the book, 2008 – God’s Final Witness, which is specifically and only about the Seven Thunders. The eating of this little book that was sweet in the mouth was the period covered during that time of “witness” that led up to the Pentecost of 2012. The excitement and anticipation of where we believed this was leading – the coming of Christ and God’s Kingdom – was sweet. The Church was tasting (eating) this message through living it by faith that this evil age of mankind’s self-rule was about to end and that the age of God’s rule was about to begin. Then the foul reality of bitterness set in as we began to digest that there was more time before us and that this had opened us up to great ridicule, scorn, and contempt from the world around us – a time for learning to wear sackcloth.
I believe God is now showing us the Pentecost of Christ’s return, which will begin to be addressed in this post in an orderly manner. The first aspect to address will be the final transition in time that occurred on Pentecost of 2012 which leads up to Christ’s return. The importance of that transition will be partially addressed and then we will focus on events within the first 42 months that began on that Pentecost of 2012, which was a transition from one important phase into this phase that has now begun. Although we are going to focus on the timing of Christ’s coming, this will likely not be proclaimed until the final 1260 days of this “work,” this final commission given to us.
42 Months
This time period of bitterness corresponds to the time of becoming comfortable with wearing sackcloth, which corresponds to this 42-month period of the holy city being trodden under foot. This is also the time of the “spiritual type” of fulfillment of the two witnesses (and Church) being considered dead (as defeated, conquered, and of no relevance) for 3 1/2 days, which is prophetic for 3 1/2 actual years. That condition exists until God raises them up to stand in power in order to begin fulfilling the actual physical phase of their final 1260 days of work.
This specifically stated period of 42 months is quantified in this manner as a “number given in months” so that it stands alone in design and purpose and is not confused with other similar expressions of this same period of time like the 1260 days, the period of time, times, and half-a-time, or simply 3 1/2 years. It is also astonishing to “see” how this period began. Its first year was revealed to be the “spiritual type” for the fulfillment of the Day of the Lord. There is also a “physical type” for the Day of the Lord that will be fulfilled in the final year leading up to Christ’s return – the last year of this entire final period.
So the beginning of this unique period for the final phase for God’s end-time events involves this 42 months and the ending is then the final 1260 days that lead up to the very last “count” for Christ’s return. This final phase began with, and will also end in, the “Day of the Lord.” One Day of the Lord is a spiritual fulfillment and the other Day of the Lord is a physical fulfillment. This timing is awesomely exacting, unique, and perfectly ordered for its fulfillment.
Often times, things are revealed to us and we do not fully grasp all that is being shown in the beginning, but in time, God explains (clarifies) and reveals even deeper meaning. There are two immediate examples of this that we have encountered in recent time. One is in the knowledge of a spiritual fulfillment for the Day of the Lord. The other is in the final sealing of the remaining final portion of the 144,000 that occurred during the period that actually began on Trumpets 2008 and went up to Pentecost 2012 (1335 day period).
Before proceeding, it needs to be stated that you do not have to grasp and see every detail of what God is revealing, but often, you only begin by seeing an overview similar to seeing the picture that a puzzle is to become, and then by putting the pieces together through time, you actually come to see the true finished product. Some have written and commented on how they often reread a post several times in order to try to grasp and understand everything. This is often stated in a context of concern toward themselves of getting older, of not being able to retain things, or that they may be lacking spiritually.
It is obviously good to reread posts in order to more fully digest them, and it is also good to always be on guard as to our spiritual state, as well as being humbled by the fact that we can’t get everything in reading a post once, twice, or even more; yet a person does not have to carry guilt or bad feelings that something is wrong because they cannot immediately see everything or are able to keep everything in perfect order.
Indeed, everything that God has given since Pentecost of 2012 takes a lot of time to thoroughly digest, even with the power of God’s spirit working in us. There is actually more in these writings that will continue to be clarified and revealed more deeply even into the Millennium.
Who of us can fully see and understand all that is written in scripture? None of us! But God continues to reveal more and more. Much of what God is revealing now involves intricacy and order, precise timing, and masterful building that only God and His Son can perform. That which we can see is only a minute portion of an overview of that which is far, far greater and immensely more profound than we could ever imagine.
A physical analogy for helping us to better understand this is in our small capacity to view and grasp the vastness of the universe or the intricacy in the world of atoms. We can only grasp and understand an overview and simply be in awe of such things. On occasion, we have been told about aspects of such a creation and of the size, distances, beauty, space, variety, magnitude, time, power and so much more that is involved in it all. Indeed, we cannot grasp the depth of such a physical creation, but we can only capture a minimal overview. The rest will take millennia to come to know and understand.
Although we can see the sun in the sky and how it effects and controls so many conditions of physical life on earth, we cannot begin to grasp the complexities of its existence. As mentioned in past sermons and posts, how can we begin to grasp its composition, function, or its size alone, which would take over 100 earths placed side by side just to reach through its diameter? Or how could we ever grasp the massiveness of VY Canis Majoris, which would take over 235,000 earths placed side by side to reach through it?
Also consider the factor of “time” that our minds have absolutely no ability to grasp concerning the size of this universe that God Almighty created and sustains. Of the estimated number of stars in the universe, how long do you think it would take to visit them all if you could do so at the rate of one million per second? It would take you over 8 trillion years!
So if you have difficulty in grasping all that is written in these posts, please know that it is normal. It takes time to digest all that God is now bringing together at this end-time as He prepares to usher in His Kingdom, which is far, far more complex than what He did to create this physical universe.
If we can grasp what has just been stated about such complexity, then we should be in even greater awe of what God is revealing about His precision, timing, and process whereby He and His Son are bringing about a perfectly ordered and meaningful fulfillment of very specific events that lead up to Christ’s literal coming in His Kingdom.
Spiritual Day of the Lord
So what happened in that first year of the 42 months that was a spiritual fulfillment of the Day of the Lord that was from Pentecost of 2012 to Pentecost 2013? Several things of awesome importance came to pass, however, as that prophetic “Day” was about to begin, a mightily important final transition in timing and final fulfillment had just taken place. The way for the coming of Jesus Christ had just been completed, as the work of transforming all 144,000 who will be resurrected at his coming in His Kingdom was then finished.
Most within the Church will not be in that resurrection, and although they are not part of the 144,000, they are incredibly unique and important to God’s plan. These are the last to be called, tried and tested, molded, and trained while still in the age of Satan’s reign during this final age of man’s self-rule. Those in the Millennium and final 100-years will not experience being transformed under such conditions. Those now yielding to that process have a special opportunity to serve and be uniquely blessed as they continue into a new age.
By the time the spiritual Day of the Lord came, God’s Kingdom of 144,000 (those dead in Christ, and those few who are living now) were fully delivered up to Christ to be resurrected at the time of his coming. The “way” for Christ to return had now been fully prepared and completed.
There have been numerous and meaningful transitions in time, yet this specific transition is one of the most important and awesome to date in the fulfilling of God’s great plan. This transition in time on Pentecost 2012 established the coming of Christ.
The First Seal of Revelation was opened on December 17, 1994, and the Apostasy was initiated. This was the “sign” to God’s Church that a very specific countdown to Christ’s return had begun, yet the amount of time from the opening of this First Seal to Christ’s actual coming was not known. God is now revealing a complete picture for His timing and final fulfilling purpose that is to lead up to the coming of His Son to reign in His Kingdom. God actually began revealing the process for this timing and purpose beginning after Pentecost of this year (2014), and has since continued revealing much, much more.
There are various posts, as in the Extraordinary 4 1/2 Years, which give more detail about important events that occurred in that first year of that 42-month period of the spiritual Day of the Lord. These events were established in a time that is known as the “cause” or “controversy” of Zion. In that “Day,” the Church stood firm in God’s truth after experiencing the most profound and shortened period (the 3 1/2 years of witness) of being transformed and strengthened in faith and truth, more than any other period of time. God’s process for creating such strength, conviction, and living faith had now been brought to its most matured and structured state ever within the Church. The way this was accomplished was through 6,000 years of continued progressive building and revelation being given to those whom God was calling and preparing for His ruling Kingdom. That “Day” proved and testified of God’s profound work and exercise of spiritual power within the Church in the “cause” (controversy) for Zion.
God had fully prepared the Church to stand through that year as it experienced victory over Satan’s powerful attacks upon it. Indeed, the time of vengeance for Zion was fulfilled as 144,000 had now been sealed, and also, the Church that was to continue on was made to stand. Although God’s quest was fulfilled by fully establishing His government that will reign in His Kingdom, Satan still pursued and tried to destroy God’s Church that is to continue on into the Millennium. By doing so, Satan’s judgment was established for him to be bound for 1,100 years, just as it had been prophesied long ago.
Rather than being destroyed, the Church was made even stronger with exception to the cleansing and refining of the temple that has been taking place ever since Pentecost 2012 when we entered the “42 months” of Revelation 11. In this period of time, that which has been “outside” (in the “court”) and not “in the temple” is being cleansed from any connection to the temple and “cast out.” These have had the appearance of being “in the temple” by their presence “in the court,” but they have not been serving in spirit and truth within the temple.
In addition, in this prophetic “Day” a final judgment became set upon mankind that will be executed during the physical manifestation of all Seven Trumpets and the greater fulfillment of the Seven Thunders. This judgment became firmly established after the response of this world to God’s final witness. It is the same response that has carried through the entirety of 6,000 years of human history.
In all of this, the period of 42 months is still primarily about God’s Church. It is about those who are receiving their final training and preparation for the last prophetic period and final “count” that then leads to the establishment of the Kingdom of God to rule on earth. It is about the measuring of the temple.
As we continue on into this series, it will become incredibly exciting to understand the “complete count” from when the First Seal was opened to the time when the 7th Trumpet is made manifest at Christ’s coming. Through this period, seven periods of 1260 days will have been accomplished, as well as identifying numbered signs that reveal more fully God’s complete design in what He has been orchestrating in this age of the final end-time.
[The next post will contain some of the most profound and inspiring material that I have ever been blessed to share.]
The Church of God - Preparing for the Kingdom of God