Gods
Two Armies by Bill Britton
The battle of the Ages is at hand! It
is, of course, a spiritual battle between spiritual forces, these forces are very
real, and the great World-Wide Nuclear war between the nations of the earth is
only a shadow made by the great war in the heavenlies. All the events that have
making headlines in recent years only lead up to the full and complete deliverance
of God's people, and ultimately all God's creation, through the glorious victory
of the forces of Christ in this last great battle.
One thing that must
be made clear. It is God that is going to win this war, and not the might of man.
Ezekiel chapter 36 predicts the restoration of Israel from Babylon. Ezekiel was
with the captives by the river of Chebar, in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin'
s captivity, when God brought a word through him concerning the plan of God to
restore Israel back to their promised land.
Ezekiel makes it plain that
it will not be Israel's power, nor for their sakes, that their deliverance comes.
But God will do this to sanctify His name among the heathen, and that He might
be sanctified in His people. God promises that "in the day that I shall have cleansed
you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and
the wastes shall be builded." Praise God for the promise that we are to be cleansed
from ALL iniquity. Even tho we are now God's people, and the passover blood has
"covered" our iniquities, yet we realize that sin and death are still in the land,
and that we must come to a Day of Atonement at the Feast of Tabernacles (at the
end of the year, or "in the last time") in order to have a complete victory and
gain that "full salvation" promised in Hebrews 9-28 (Amplified). God promised
in Ezekiel 36:11 that "I will settle you after your old estates, and will DO BETTER
unto you than at our beginnings; and ye shall know that I am the Lord." Many had
a glorious start in this earth, with great wisdom and complete dominion over all
the works of God's hands. But Adam never knew the glory to which God is bringing
His people in these last days.
LIKE THE GARDEN OF EDEN
Verse 35
says: "This land that was desolate is become like the Garden of Eden." But getting
back to the Garden of Eden is not easy. Satan and his forces will not give in
unless a greater power comes against them and casts them out. We turn to Joel
chapter two and see God's Army marching toward Eden. Verse two says they are:
"A great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like neither shall
be any more after it, even to the years of many generations."This has to be the
Army of God, whether you like it or not for it is the greatest company that ever
walks the face of this earth. Those who preach that the army of God is so weak
as to have to fly away in an "escape rapture" to get out of the battle, would
try to say that Joel's army is the enemy. But there are many evidences in this
description of them that they are the mighty company that shall shake the earth
and put all enemies under their feet. Praise God!
Notice in verse 3
that there is fire behind them and fire before them. They have come through much
fire and tribulation, and there is yet more to go through before they come into
the Garden of Eden. Behind them is a desolate wilderness, nothing to turn back
to. Before them is Eden. Yes, their faces are set toward a return to the Garden
of Eden. Let us took to see what the Bible says about Eden.
THE GARDEN
OF THE LORD
God's people are His garden, that which brings forth His fruit.
In Isaiah 51:3 we read: "The Lord shall comfort Zion; He will comfort all her
waste places; and He will make her wilderness like EDEN, and her desert like the
Garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and
the voice of melody." Neither dirt nor trees, peaches nor tomatoes, can express
joy and gladness. True joy can only be expressed by those made in the image of
God. His people have truly been like a wilderness, void of fruit, full of thorns
and briars, waste places. But God's promise is that He will make them a fruitful
garden.
The Bridegroom speaks in Song of Solomon chapter 4 and says:
"A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.
A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters .... Awake, o north wind; and come,
thou south; blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out. "Let my
beloved come into His garden, and eat His pleasant fruits. Glory to God what a
picture! The Lord allowing the cold north wind to blow upon His garden in order
to bring about the full flavor of a victorious life, bearing the fruit of the
Spirit. Be assured that He will come into His people to abide, and to eat His
pleasant fruit. In chapter 5 He says: "I am come into my garden, my sister, my
spouse." "My beloved is gone down into His garden ... (6:2)."
Tho God's
garden has been a wilderness, a waste howling wilderness, yet He has determined
that He will make it again a fruitful place, even like the Garden of Eden. It
is in the second chapter of Genesis we find the first reference to Eden. It says
He planted a garden "in Eden." Now you may believe that the garden was just a
natural pile of dirt if you want to, and that the Tree of Life had apples on it,
and perhaps peaches on the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, but I see a greater
picture in this than something so carnal. If the Tree of life is Spiritual, and
it is, then the place it was planted must have been a spiritual place. No doubt
Adam lived on an actual piece of real estate somewhere, but you can hunt for that
angel with the flaming sword over in the Middle East all you want to, you won't
find him. The Garden of Eden that Adam was cast out of was not a piece of beautiful
real estate, but a place in the Spirit that gave him dominion over all the earth
and the works of God's hands. Let me prove this to you from the Scriptures.
IN
THE PARADISE OF GOD
We turn to the book of Revelation to see the end of
the story, and the restored Tree of Life in the City of God. If you don't yet
know that the Holy City is the Body of Christ, God's true people, then please
do a study on this in your Bible. Revelation 21:9-10 plainly tells us that the
City of God is the Bride, the Lamb's wife. This is also borne out in verse 2 of
that chapter.
Now turn to chapter 22 of Revelation. There we see the
Tree of Life right in the midst of the City. Yes, this garden where grows the
Tree of Life is right in the Body of Christ. God's people are the garden, and
they are the City, and out of them shall the Tree of Life bear its everlasting
fruit. Then we read in Revelation 2:7 that "To him that overcometh will I give
to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of THE PARADISE OF GOD." Now
we see that the term "Paradise of God" also describes that place where the Tree
of Life is, the place of God's garden. This is the place Jesus promised the repentant
thief on the cross he would go to that day. And the Apostle Paul tells us that
he:
1. entered this state of being, but he could not say whether his
spirit was transported outside of his body, or whether all this took place while
still here in the body. He says in 2Corinthians 12:2-4 that he was "caught up
to the third heaven." Now scholars who know little of the Spirit's operation,
who indeed fight the Holy Spirit Baptism, would tell us that these three heavens
are: 1. The heaven of clouds, 2. of stars, and 3. of God's abode. They would also
like to put God's abode way off beyond the stars somewhere. But even modern science
makes such carnal interpretations look foolish. And the Word of God is plain.
The three heavens are pictured in the three parts of the Tabernacle. The outer
court, the sanctuary, and the Holy of Holies. They deal with our relationship
to Christ. 1. Reconciled by His blood. 2. Ministering by His Spirit. 3. Ruling
from His Throne. Paul was revealing here that he, who had experienced the first
two realms or heavens, had been "caught up" into that third realm. He had been
taken beyond the Vail, where he heard such things that were at that time impossible
for him to speak of. He says in verse 4 that "he was caught up into paradise."
Paradise, where the Overcomer eats of the Tree of Life. Glory to God! I hope you
are seeing what I am seeing in the Spirit! Paul got a preview of that place or
realm where he and all the other overcomers should later reside and minister from.
Many people do not realize that we are now in heavenly places in Christ.
According to Ephesians 1:3 and 2:6 we find that Christ has raised us up and made
us sit together in heavenly places, or "In the heavenlies," with Him. So whether
you are in the first or second heaven, if you who were dead in sins have been
quickened, or made alive, then you are in a heaven. But there. is a third heaven,
the paradise of God, where the Throne of God is. This is the place in God we come
to when we begin to rule and reign with Him. This is the place to which we, like
Paul, must be "caught up" when we meet the Lord. Dear friends, if this meat is
too strong for you, or your mind has not yet been cleansed from the Babylonish
fairy tales. and you cannot understand what I'm saying ... then just put it on
the shelf. For it shall soon come to pass anyway, and then the Word shall be quickened
to you.
THE GARDEN RESTORED
Isaiah tells us that there is a people
coming forth whose "Light shall rise in obscurity," and "whose darkness shall
be as the noonday (Isaiah 58-10-12)." "And the Lord shall guide thee continually,
and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones; and thou shall be like
a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they
that shall be of thee shall build the old wast places; thou shalt raise up the
foundations of many generations; an thou shalt be called, The repairer of the
breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in."
Yes, there is to be a restoration
of God's Garden, and thereby a destruction of the howling wilderness. Romans 8
tells us that a" creation groans and waits for the manifestation of God's sons
who shall liberate the creation from the bondage of corruption. For before it
is over, all of God's creation (natural and spiritual) shall become a beautiful
fruit bearing Garden. No thorns, thistles, briars, evil spirits, afflictions,
sickness or death to mar the beauty of the Land. No deserts or earthquakes, and
no one in rebellion against God, but every man bearing the fruit of the Spirit.
We, by the power of HIS promise, see "new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwellest
righteousness. (II Peter 3:13)." Is this too much for you to hope for? Believe
it, for God hath said it!
The City of Wrath
Now we begin to wonder,
what has the Army of God to do with this Garden, this paradise, this Tree of Life?
Remember that Joel's Army was passing through fire on their way back to Eden.
There was a battle to be fought, and an enemy to be overcome. This enemy will
not give up easily, they will fight to the death. So God raises up and equips
a mighty Army, and turns them loose against Satan's hordes. But they will not
"revenge all disobedience" until their own obedience is fulfilled (2 Corinthians
10:6). So God deals with His Army on this earthly plane to get them ready for
this great battle. He works on them with His ministries (Ephesians 4:11-12) to
perfect them for the work of the ministry. For His great Army shall be a perfected
Army, so that like Jesus, when they begin tearing down the strongholds of the
powers of darkness, Satan will find nothing in them.
Jesus told a parable
in chapter 22 of Matthew verses 1-14 concerning a great King who made a marriage
for His Son. Now all scholars will agree that Jesus was speaking of the Kingdom
of God, and that the King represented Deity, the Son was his human, visible habitation
and offspring, the servants were the prophets and messengers of God. Notice the
timing of this parable was at the time of the Marriage Supper. The Bride has made
herself ready. But an enemy, a vicious enemy, must be overcome and their city
burned. So verse 7 says: "He sent forth His Armies, and destroyed those murderers,
and burned up their city." Notice that He sent His Armies (plural) to burn up
their city (singular). The murderers (Satan is the one who was a murderer from
the beginning) were destroyed. Hebrews 2:14 says that Jesus came that, through
death, he might destroy the devil. But Satan has a city. It is called Babylon,
the old harlot. The City of God, represented by Jerusalem, is the pure virgin,
the Bride of Christ. Satan's city, Babylon, is a harlot and has brought forth
everything except that which has the Life of God. And tho Satan's hordes are destroyed
by God's Army, still that evil city must be burned. (Revelation 18:8).
Notice that there is only one city, yet God uses more than one Army to destroy
it. Why? Would not one army be enough against one city? But if we are careful
not to miss what God is saying, we shall discover a glorious truth here. In the
first place, you must believe in the verbal inspiration of the Bible, or you will
not believe what I am about to tell you. You must believe that when the Bible
says "armies" (plural), that it does not mean one army, and that there is a reason
why it said it. Notice that the time when more than one army comes forth is at
the time of the Marriage Supper. This is important.
THE ARMY OF HEAVEN
The Bible has a lot to say about His people being soldiers, spiritual warriors,
Ephesians chapter Six tells us of the armor a Christian soldier is to wear, the
breastplate, shield, helmet, etc.. Many have been the sermons preached on this.
2 Timothy 2:3 instructs us to "endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."
But to be sure that we understand that we are not to go around with guns, killing
people, Paul tells us in 2Corinthians 10:3-4 that "Though we walk in the flesh,
we do not war after the flesh; (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,
but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds)." There have been those
like old John Brown who went around shooting down pro-slavers, in the name of
Christianity but let me say that NO real Christian will take up carnal weapons
and start assassinating people to try to bring about the purposes of God. More
men have been removed from office by the prayers of intercessors than ever killed
by the pistols and rifles of murderers.
So God is preparing an Army
to attack Satan from this earthly realm. But before Calvary the power was not
available to perfect this earthly Army. So when we look into the Old Testament
we see only one Army, the one in heaven. For you see, there is a place where there
are "spirits of just men made perfect (Hebrews 12:2)." Or as the Amplified Bible
says: "The spirits of the righteous, the redeemed in heaven, who have been made
perfect."
We look then into the Old Testament, in Daniel 4:34-35: "I
praised and honored Him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting
dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. And all the inhabitants
of the earth are reputed as nothing; and He doeth according to His will in the
Army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth." Notice that in the Old
Testament that heaven has an army, while earth has only inhabitants. Someone may
say: "that heaven's army are only cherubim or seraphim, or some other form of
angelic beings." Now, friends, where did you find a Scripture that even remotely
suggested that? It isn't there. Those who have the breastplate of righteousness
and the helmet of salvation are the saints of God, redeemed from Adam's race.
THE ARMIES THAT FOLLOW HIM
Back to the time of the Marriage
Supper. In Revelation chapter 19 we find that the judgment of the great whore
(Vs 2) has come. and "her smoke rose up for ever and ever." Verse 7 says: "Let
us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb is
come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should
be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness
of saints." Please notice that those who wear the white linen are the saints of
God. Now we look at verse 11 and we see heaven opened, and we behold the white
horse rider who makes war in righteousness. His eyes were as a flame of fire,
and he has many crowns. Verse 13 says "He was clothed with a vesture dipped in
blood; and His name is called The Word of God."
Now we come to a glorious
unveiling. In verse 14: "And the Armies (plural) which were in heaven followed
him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean." These Armies wear
clean white linen, the righteousness of saints, for they are the saints. Not one
army but two. For the Army of earth has now been perfected, and has been caught
up to join that heavenly Army, ready now to destroy Satan and burn his city with
fire. Speaking of God's armies, Job 19:12 says that "His troops come together,
and raise up their way against me." 2Thessalonians 2:1 says "Now we beseech you,
brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together
unto Him. " Then in Ephesians 1:10 we find that the purpose of God is "That in
the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things
in Christ, both which in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him."
Just to be sure that this word "armies" (plural) is not a mistranslation in King
James, let us check several other translations to confirm it. In Wuest's Expanded
translation we read in verse 14: "And the Armies which are in heaven kept on following
Him in a steady procession, rank after rank upon white horses, clothed in fine
linen, shining, bright, clean." Turning to Moffatt's translation: "And the troops
of heaven follow Him on white horses, arrayed in pure white linen." The troops
of heaven! Now let us look in the Amplified Bible: ''And the troops of heaven,
clothed in fine linen, dazzling and clean, followed Him on white horses." Again
we find these saints are referred to as ''troops of heaven." Other translations,
such as the Revised Standard, Phillips, New English Bible, Rotherham, etc., all
refer to those in verse 14 as the "armies (plural) of heaven. Remember that this
was at the time of the Marriage Supper..
THE ARMY AT BETHLEHEM
Bearing
in mind now that the "troops of heaven" spoken of in Revelation are the saints
of God who wear the white linen of the righteousness of saints, let us look now
at a great event that took place at the birth of Jesus. In Luke chapter 2 we find
the story of His birth in Bethlehem, and the visitation to the shepherds in the
field. Verse 8 says: "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in
the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the
Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they
were sore afraid". The word "angel" here is the Greek word "angelos" which simply
means "messenger," and can refer to men, God, or angelic beings. In fact, Rotherham
translates it "messenger" saying: "And a messenger of the Lord stood over them,
and a glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they feared a great fear.
And the messenger said unto them, Be not afraid".
But notice something
very important..... in verse 13 King James says: "And suddenly there was with
the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God , and saying Glory to
God in the highest," No doubt you have seen pictures of this event, showing a
great number of little baby cherubs, playing harps and singing? Well, that is
false doctrine. According to the Word of God, those were not little naked baby
cherubims. That great "heavenly host" that welcomed the birth of Jesus was none
other than the Army of Heaven! Remember who the troops of heaven are. Now read
this portion in the Amplified. Verse 13: "Then suddenly there appeared with the
angel AN ARMY OF THE TROOPS OF HEAVEN, a heavenly knighthood, praising God and
saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven." Glory to God, here is an Army (one
army, not two) of heaven on the scene to welcome the birth of the Saviour. And
why not? Did not Jesus once say more than 30 years later that "Abraham rejoiced
to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad?" Oh, you say that means only that
Abraham looked forward in faith to the coming of a Saviour. Really? Someone says
that Abraham couldn't have been there, he was dead. Was he, now? This may astonish
you, as it did the multitude that heard Jesus say it, but Abraham is not dead.
Jesus said in Matthew 22:31-32 "Have ye not read that which was spoken unto you
by God saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
God is NOT the God of the dead, but of the living. And when the multitude heard
this, they were astonished at His doctrine.Much more could be said on that subject,
but let us finish looking at Luke 2:13. Let me read from Moffatt's translation:
"Then a host of heaven's Army suddenly appeared beside the angel, extolling God
and saying, Glory to God in high heaven." Now turn to Wuest: "And suddenly there
was with the angel a multitude of the Army of heaven, praising God and saying,
Glory in the highest places to God." I want you to see here that in every case
it was one Army (singular) that appeared. Why not the "Armies of heaven" as in
Revelation 19? Because at the birth of Jesus the Army on the earthward side of
the vail had not yet been brought together and perfected. This was a work for
the End time. This earthly Army is called out, perfected, and "caught up" to join
that other heavenly Army before the Marriage Supper.
THE MARRIAGE
SUPPER
Now lest you get the idea from the preceding statement that you
are leaving earth to take a trip to some other planet for a big supper of fried
chicken, steaks, cherry pie, and ice cream, let me set things straight. Everyone
seems to be talking about a big supper, but no one knows just what they will be
eating at the supper. In John 4:31 the disciples came out of the city of Samaria
with natural food and tried to get Jesus to eat. He answered them: "I have meat
to eat that ye know not of." This statement troubled the disciples, and they wondered
if someone had brought food to Jesus. Then Jesus said plainly: "My meat is to
do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work." This is the great supper
we shall all (overcomers) partake of. Doing the full will of God, and finishing
His work. Jesus went on to tell them of the great Harvest waiting.
Every
true man of God that ever lived has longed to fully do the will of God, and to
be a part of that great Harvest. This is our meat. This is our great Supper. You
will see the day when the Sons of God will go throughout the earth in great Revival,
fulfilling the will of God in its fullest. They will be as a great Army, working
together with those who have returned to earth at the coming of Jesus. They will
put every enemy, including death, under their feet. They will destroy the murderers,
and burn their city. This must be done. This is the Marriage Supper of the lamb.
Did not God promise Daniel that he would stand again in his lot in
the end time? (Daniel 12:13) Did not the Lord say to John (Revelation 10:11) that
he would prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings
? These men of God will be permitted to return and finish the work on earth with
an authority not received until the Feast of Tabernacles in the last time. And
see the promise given by Apostle Paul in I Thessalonians 4:14 concerning them
which have gone on before. They are coming back. This whole discourse in 1 Thessalonians
4 is not to give us an "escape" from the Day of the Lord, so that we might leave
the earth during the battle. But it was to promise those bereaved survivors that
their loved ones who had died in faith, would not miss out on the glory of God's
great Army. So it says: "For if We believe that Jesus died and rose again, even
so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. II It does not say
that we go up to heaven where they are. It says that they come back to earth with
Jesus when He comes. At which time we shall be joined together into one great
company, in that "third heaven" or beyond the Vail in the fulness of God.
Two great armies joined together for the battle of the age, One from this
side of the vail, and one from the other side. No one who has been called, chosen,
and faithful is going to be left out of these great End time events. Whether they
sleep in Jesus or live until He returns it will not prevent them from partaking
in the great Marriage Supper.
THE TWO ARMIES
Let me go further
into this great truth of God's two Armies; Turn to Song of Solomon chapter 6.
It starts out by saying that the Bridegroom has gone "down into his garden, to
the beds of spices to feed in the gardens." The Bridegroom speaks in verse 4:
"Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, TERRIBLE AS AN
ARMY WITH BANNERS." Verse 10 repeats this description: "Who is she that looketh
forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and TERRIBLE AS AN ARMY
WITH BANNERS? Then verse 13 unveils the nature of God's Army. "Return, return
O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the
Shulamite ? As it were the company of TWO ARMIES." Here is God's Glorious company,
two mighty armies Joined together to destroy the power of Babylon and burn her
city with fire.
WHY TWO ARMIES?
One army on one side of the
Vail, and one on the other gives God a great pincher movement against His enemy.
One operating from the Highest heaven sweeping all the way earthward, while the
other rises from earth to the highest heaven, leaves the cunning enemy no place
to hide. Satan and his army are cast out of heaven, then rages in the earth realm
until every last vessel is closed to his entry. Heaven is cleansed, a new earth
cleansed by fire, and there is no place left for Satan but the bottomless pit
where he remains bound.
We see God's two Armies moving back and forth
between heaven and earth. This is pointed out beautifully in Jacob's ladder in
Genesis chapter 28. In his dream, Jacob saw the House of God in symbolic form
as a ladder, a means of entry from earth to heaven, and from heaven to earth,
in that order. "Messengers" were going from one world to the other by means of
this House of God. In John chapter 1 Jesus said the same thing to Nathaniel in
verse 51: "Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels (messengers) of
God ascending (earth to heaven) and descending (heaven to earth) upon the Son
of man (who is the true House of God). At the return of Jesus a glorious thing
will be made possible. We will have access into heaven itself, and the dead in
Christ shall have the ability to return to earth. As of now we are bound to our
respective worlds, except for occasional special dispensation from the Lord. Sometimes
a person is taken by the Spirit into heaven (as Paul was in 2 Corinthians chapter
12). And I have heard of cases where former saints were allowed to be seen on
earth (such as Moses and Elijah at the transfiguration in Matthew 17:3). But such
is rare, and not to be sought after, as the Spiritists do.
Those that
sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him at His return to earth, and eventually
we who remain until His coming will be caught up to meet them in the same dimension
of the Spirit, the same realm of glory. Glorified bodies will come in due time.
But first there must come a victory, a redemption of this earthly body. The victory
of Christ over death must be demonstrated beyond doubt. This is the privilege
for both those who come back from the grave, and those who live out the Day of
the Lord and prove that death has no hold upon their body. Glory to God, what
a day!
TWO PILLARS OF THE TEMPLE
The first few chapters of
2 Chronicles is a description of the building of Solomon's Temple; which is a
type of God's eternal Temple (the Glorious Body of Christ). In chapter 3, verses
15-17, we find the raising up of the two pillars before the Temple. Reading from
verse 17 (in the Amplified) we find: "He erected the pillars before the temple,
one on the right, the other on the left; and called the one on the right Jachin
(meaning, he shall establish), and the one on the left Boaz (meaning, in it is
strength.)". This is also given in 1 Kings 7-21.
These two pillars were
given names, names with meaning, and set up before the Temple. What was their
purpose? What do they mean? They represented strength and stability right at the
beginning or entrance of the Temple. Let us turn to the book of Revelation again.
In His message to the church at Philadelphia, the Lord says in Revelation 3-12
"Him that overcometh will I make a PILLAR IN THE TEMPLE OF MY GOD, and he shall
go no more out!" A pillar in the Temple. This is the promise to the Overcomer.
We see Israel crossing over Jordan and getting ready to attack Jericho.
Suddenly Joshua meets a Man with a sword drawn in His hand. When Joshua inquires
as to who He is, the reply is "As Prince of the Lord's host am I now come. And
Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped, and said to Him, What says
my Lord to His servant ? And the Prince of the Lord's host said to Joshua, Loose
your shoes from off your feet; for the place where you stand is holy. And Joshua
did so (Joshua 5-14-15 Amplified)." You can be assured that when Jordan is crossed
and the conflict of war in the heavens starts in earnest, there will be an appearing
of the Lord Jesus to His anointed. He will take over His Armies and direct every
activity of His
anointed Overcomer.
"AT THAT TIME"
Now
you are going to hear about one of the strangest things you've ever heard. Turn
to Daniel chapter 12:1-2 ... "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great
Prince which standeth for children of thy people, and there shall be a time of
trouble, such a never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and
that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written
in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."
Now
it is obvious to all that the time involved is the time the Great Tribulation,
or the Day of the Lord. It is the time for the appearing of the Lord Jesus, signified
here by the great Prince Michael. He is seated in heaven until the times of the
Restoration, until the time for the complete deliverance of His people. It is
this time that those found written in His book (Malachi 3:16-17) shall be delivered.
Now He stands up!
Now that we have established the time spoken of here,
let us carefully examine what it says about the resurrection that comes at that
time. Now Revelation 20:5 says that there is a resurrection that takes place at
the end of the thousand years, at which time the sheep and goats, saved and lost,
small and great, good and bad are judged at the great white throne. But this resurrection
in Daniel 12 is for another purpose. Part of those who come forth from the graves
are the bodies of saints, the Sons of all ages who embraced the promises by faith.
The others are those who are one with the Son of Perdition. Notice in verse 2
that of those who sleep in the dust of the earth, not all, but "many" shall awake.
Also see that everyone who comes out of the grave at this time are not saints
"Some" awake to shame and everlasting contempt.
The two companies are
brought forth for the great battle of the ages. You see, friends, this earth is
about to be invaded by inhabitants of another world. No, not flying saucer men
from Mar or Venus. But there have been saints all down through the ages who embraced
the promises afar off, and obtained a good report through faith. But they could
not come into this perfection without us. They had to go into His presence in
heaven until the plan of God was ready to be completed. We are now in the end
of the sixth day, and thetime is at hand. And just as there were those who gave
themselves wholly to God for His purposes in their generation, yet not being able
to enter into the fulness of God here on earth during their lifetime, we find
also that there were those who gave themselves unreservedly over to Satan, and
did everything in their power to destroy God's kingdom. Yet they were not able
to enter into the fulness of Satanic power. And we find that "lawless one" or
man of sin (who is a body of people, just as "Christ" is a Body) in 2 Thessalonians
2:9 coming forth "with all (Satan's) power and signs and lying wonders."
Did you know there is a world-wide movement which is making a great effort
for you to be ready to receive visitors from outer space? Some people count the
UFO and Flying Saucer movement as a joke. It is more than that. It is demonic.
In a few short years it has received world wide publicity in all major news media,
national magazines, etc., until people all over the world are prepared for almost
anything. Regardless of the fact that some small fry in the movement may claim
to be devoted Christians, even some to be Spirit filled, yet it remains that the
leaders are Anti-Christ and anti-Bible. I have talked to leaders of the movement
who said the "space brothers" told them that the Bible was a pack of lies and
was to be burned when the New Age begins. Their great plea is to "get people to
accept us, believe in us, we are super-human and are here to help the human race."
COMING INTO THE FULNESS
What is all this about ?
Satan is preparing himself a habitation. All hell is about to break loose upon
the earth. You knew, of course, that the Sons of God were looking to come into
the fulness of God. Look again at the chart in our booklet on "The Two Kingdoms".
The enemy is going to do the same. There are a great number of people living on
the earth now who shall so give themselves over to Satan that they become filled
with all the fulness of Satanic power, as well as his nature. And just as the
faithful Sons of God of all ages will come back to join God's great Army here
on the earth, so will the devil have a resurrection. spoken of in Daniel 12.2.
It is for the purpose of a great End time battle. God is going to demonstrate
that His Army is utterly victorious over every power that Satan can muster.
As God spoke through a Mennonite several years ago during a great outpouring
of the Holy Spirit, all the revivals and outpourings of time past are only as
a drop and a half in a ten quart bucket to what God was going to do in these last
days. You are about to see the most exciting times that earth has ever been through.
I am excited about what is going on. Afraid? Why should l be? Jesus said over
and over "Fear not.." He has already overcome. All we have to do is follow. We
are in His hands. We are about to be joined by the great heroes of faith, plus
many saints we never heard of.
Does this cause me to seek communion
with the dead, like Spiritism? Of course not! I seek communion with the Lord Jesus.
When He returns to earth, and they come with Him, they will not be spirits. They
will have their bodies, very real bodies, and they will be very real people. Resurrected,
glorified ... yes, but very real indeed. After His resurrection Jesus demonstrated
this state of being, and walked with His disciples, ate with them, urged them
to touch Him and see that He was not a spirit, a ghost, a spook. He was not subject
to space, gravity, or other laws of nature. Yet could walk within these laws and
be visible and tangible.
There is a Militant praise beginning to sound
forth from the Body of Christ. We came into it suddenly, in a campmeeting on night
in Ontario. Since then God has visited us on numerous occasions with this anointing.
The praises sound forth with military authority and sometimes its almost as tho
you can hear the marching of an Army from the other side of the Vail. Demons flee
at the sound, and the saints are lifted into higher realms of the Spirit. The
time is near when God's two Armies begin to march together in mighty power, back
into the Garden of Eden! Satan will come forth with great wrath, but he knows
that his time is short. It will not be an easy victory, for the devil and his
hordes will resist with everything they have, but the gates of hell cannot withstand
the mighty power of Christ and His Armies. And it will be a sure victory, and
glorious! Put on the whole armour of God, beloved, and get ready for the great
Day of the Lord!
Bill
Britton "Writings of his Unlimited Glory" 