HEAVEN'S DESCENDERS

(Part 6)

#141.01

"And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you" (Acts 3:20).

Scriptures such as this have caused some to assume that Jesus presently resides in the vast heavens of outer space where He awaits the command from God to return to Earth. It is pictured that when the order comes, He will saddle His handsome steed, muster His army, and make His grand appearance. This, of course, is the natural view point of our text verse and has nothing to do with spiritual realities. When people look only to the natural, such as with Jesus and His Kingdom, spiritual realities often come and go without the church system having so much as a clue that anything has taken place.

It is easily seen that Horse and rider in scripture is associated with war. In the days of old, the strength of armies was measured by the number and greatness of their horses. Horses were never mentioned as being used for agricultural purposes, but for riding, drawing chariots, and for war.

The four horsemen of the sixth chapter of Revelation portray the calamities, war, destruction, and death of man's ways. These four horses are war horses of God, and are sent into our personal earths to destroy every enemy of His Kingdom. They destroy the usurper; namely, the carnal mind, the will of the flesh, the lusts of the flesh, the emotions of the flesh, the works of the flesh, and the commerce of the flesh. Simply speaking, these riders and horses conquer and destroy everything that finds its strength and livelihood in the flesh.

The horse is a symbol of God's presence and power in warfare. Revelation 19:11 is a good example: "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war." The horse signifies strength and swiftness in battle, as in Isaiah 2:7, 30:16; Jeremiah. 12:5, 51:27; Ezekiel 38:4; Hosea 14:3 and Joel 2:4.

If we are looking for Jesus to come galloping over hill and dale of billowy rain clouds in the sky, I am afraid we will be sorely disappointed; for spiritual realities do not afford Him to appear in such a manner. "Repent ye therefore," change your way of thinking, " and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the ⁽¹⁾times of ⁽²⁾refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; Whom the heaven must receive until the times of ⁽³⁾restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:19, 21).

When, pray tell, is the proper time of His return? Yesterday? Today? Perhaps tomorrow? Yes! The answer is yes to all the above, depending on the purpose of each return. He returned yesterday to the handful at Pentecost, He has been returning ever since, which includes today, and He will continue His returning tomorrow. Knowing also that the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, we expect a much greater manifestation than anything yet seen.

Notwithstanding, Jesus ascended on high. He led captivity captive. He triumphantly conquered every foe and faction. In so doing, He led them captive. He has continually been descending and giving light, life, and liberty to men.

After leading captivity captive, if He had remained forever in the unseen heavens of glory; it would have done us no good at all. He had to descend again for His presence to be made eternally internal rather temporarily external. His first advent was external in the form of the first Adam. His second advent was, is, and shall be internal as the Last Adam; for He is a life-giving SPIRIT. The victory He claimed by ascending He now gives to us by descending into the lowest parts of our earth, and lifting us out of that death.

Has He descended from your heaven within and led captive that which had you captivated? And is He reconstituting all things in you with the essence of Himself? The answer is more simple than you might think. If you are continually battling in over the issue of sin, and you are never at peace with your spiritual walk, then it is likely that the only thing descending in you is the law. As long as this continues, you will never be seized, you will not lead captivity captive, and victory will be a far reach for you.

Everyone who lives by the law will forever be struggling to keep the law. They will grasp at this doctrine or that one. They will follow after this teacher or that one. They will do this and that with hopes of someday ascending; but as long as the externals are the focal points, they will never rise.

It seems as if they hold close to preachers and teachers who will hopefully take them upon their weary wings and carry them to celestial heights of glory. But it is always the same. Temporary delight; but disappoint is their end portion, and they pursue hither and yon for another savior to lift them out of death and darkness.

Brethren, I am encouraged when you read and are blessed by The Pathfinder; but please know, that I do not have all your answers, nor can I lift you into Kingdom's glory. Only Christ our Lord can do that. He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Although I am one with Him, and have a fragment of truth, if you depend totally on the sound of this one trumpet, you will not hear the full sound. You will be lacking and are destined to fall short in your journey. If you listen to this trumpet alone, you will never go beyond its single sound. You will be looking to me as being your savior, and you will never shout the victor's cry -- IT IS FINISHED! Please know that when people rely on another man or woman to hear God for them, they will be conformed into the image of that man or woman rather rather than Christ. When men say that you are incapable of hearing for yourselves, I would like to ask them, why is this so? When people tell you that you are outside of God's will and can never make it if you don't submit yourselves to him, or his church, or some other church -- run for your lives! For when they fall in the ditch, so will you.

We understand, I am sure, the heaven wherein Jesus is retained is not up there somewhere in the sky blue yonder of outer space. It is in here, in you and in me, in the spiritual wonder of inner space. Paul told us in the tenth chapter of Romans something of Christ's whereabouts: "... Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above) (you won't find Him there). Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) (You won't find Him in the grave; for He is not there either.) But what saith it? The Word is nigh thee, even IN THY MOUTH, and IN THY HEART..." (Rom 10:6-8). And Jesus said, "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven" (John 3:13). You see, He was in heaven before He was received by a cloud and taken from men's sight. IS CHRIST IN EVERY MAN?

Again, it is in here, in inner space, where we find Him. And that is where He remains until it is time for the reconstitution of all things in every believer, and in the rest of the world. You see, Jesus as the first Adam did everything on the exterior, while as the Last Adam He does everything on the interior. Moreover, the first Adam was an outward expression everywhere that man trod upon the earth. Christ, on the other hand, is the inward expression in every man. Whether it is in the height of heaven or in the lowest hell -- He is there. It is inward and not outward where He abides. Some contend with this, and I can see why. When we look at the unspeakable evil in some lives, it is hard to imagine that there could be any fragment of our loving Lord of peace and righteousness. Nevertheless, "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." (John 1:9).

The Amplified reads: "There it was; the true Light [was then coming into the world -- the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light -- that illumines every person. [Isa 49:6.]"

Had He been a seed in me all those years of sweat, toil, and sin, and then sprang from my bed of earth that wonderful day when I became alive in Him? Or did He at that point in time enter my dark house and light it with the presence of Himself? Truthfully, brethren, it makes little difference to me; for the end is the same -- being enlightened and made alive.  Therefore, whether Christ is a resident seed in every person, or He comes into every person later on, tell me this: why would we spend a valuable lifetime proving or disproving either view while life passes us by? Oh, my, what a loss! Not only that, such a thing would be as Paul said -- we would be yet carnal.

We have been quick to justify our ways of war by saying "I am of Christ, and it is in His name I slay heretics." But let us not be too aggressive in our bloodletting. Claiming to be of Christ can be as carnal as claiming to be of Paul: "For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" (1 Cor 3:3). This is easy to see; but what follows becomes a little more difficult. Herein is the point I am making:

"For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?" (1 Cor 3:4). Earlier in his letter, he wrote, "Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" (1 Cor 1:12-13).

Being proud to claim that we are of Christ can be just as carnal and sectarian as claiming to be of Paul, or of Elwin, or of Preston, or of Ray, or any other minister across the land. There is a vast difference between claiming to be of Christ than being of Christ. Most often, when one makes such a claim, he is usually not being of Christ at all, but is being of self while acting as Christ according to what he imagines Christ to be. However, those in Christ and who make no claims are merely Christ beings. There's no acting to it at all. It is a simple fact of being. It is the truth.

For example, human beings do not have to act like humans; for they are human beings by birth. That is their nature, and whether they are being good or being evil, they are being that very thing from which they were birthed. And likewise with those birthed into the Kingdom of God. By nature they are God beings, and they do not have to act like God to be God beings. They do not become God beings by amassing a set of scriptural rules and laws and then go about doing what they feel they are told to do. When people do God-things, and it is out of duty and efforts of the religious determination, they become God doings rather than God beings. Regardless of how Godly the acting may appear, they are still religious doings. Without the Spirit they are works, efforts, shows, performances. Sadly, I must say, there is an awful lot of acting like God these days, rather than simply BEING.

But we praise God for those who simply BE who they BE! There are no pretenses with them -- no contentions, no envying nor pride, no false humility, no self-abasement, no will worship that has a show of wisdom, no legalistic prisons, no religious gymnastics, no anything that smells of sweat. They simply exude the plain and simple truth of who they are -- God BEINGS.

And do you know what? Some of these God beings believe in things that I may not agree with doctrinally! Wow! Imagine that! Kingdom cops have a hard time accepting, agreeing with, and walking with someone they believe to have a splinter in their eye. It is unthinkable to speak good of those who say the Seed of Christ is in every man. Personally, I would much rather walk with those who are right in their spirit and wrong doctrinally, than with someone who is right doctrinally and wrong in their spirit.

Brethren, it is time to get real. It is time to get off our high walls of "Kingdom" denominationalism and start walking in the Light of Truth. "Ah, but we have the truth, Brother Roach." This you say; but I say -- ha! Doctrines don't make truth regardless of how true they are. Truth is Christ! Truth is Spirit! Truth is God! Truth is you and me when we walk in that which we are, that which is in oneness and in union with He who is Truth!

Don't tell me you have the truth when your spirit smacks with pride, when it revels in being right, when your facts slay your brothers and sisters who walk in Truth. Not in a million years will you convince me that you have the truth merely because your doctrines can be backed up by the scriptures. Mine can also. I can lay out scriptures that cannot be denied; but that is not what makes truth. Moreover, I too embrace some of your doctrines; but so what? Where have our doctrines gotten us when the Spirit of Truth is lacking? Nowhere, to be exact, except upon a high wall of condemnation, self-exaltation, and the pointing of the finger. Such a place deceives us into believing that the poor sheep out there can't hear, discern, and think for themselves, that we alone can hear God, judge a matter, and warn all the unsuspecting victims.

Indeed, if someone is preaching any other doctrine that Paul preached concerning the atoning blood and saving life of Jesus Christ, then let them be accursed. But squabbling over hair-splitting issues is just plain childish carnality.

Again -- it is time to get real. It is time to get off our high-horses and climb down from our highchairs. It is time to be spiritual and not carnal. It is time to descend and walk humbly in the earth as God beings and not God doings. It is time for the reconstitution of all things in our earth. It is time for the walled cities of men's religious minds to fall, and fall they shall at the sound of Heaven's mighty descending trumpets. And it is certainly time to cease from being watchmen on the wall, and I will tell why this is a must. There is no need for watchmen on the wall during the day, only during the night, only when it is dark. If we are sentries on the wall, it is a testimony that we are still in darkness, and this should not be for the Sons of God who walk by the light of the Day (John 11:9)"

Allow me to quote from another: "The Lord gave me a vision one time concerning the watchman on the wall. I saw myself as the watchman on the wall, and the wall I was on was as if it was the ‘wall’ just before you entered into the Most Holy place, as if this place had no covering, and it looked like a city. I turned from the darkness I was looking at, looking for an "enemy" trying to enter the city, and looked at the city behind me. It was as if the sun was coming up in it, for all it's brilliance. Just then, the Lord spoke to me and said, ‘There's no need for the watchman on the wall when the daystar arises.’ Think about it. I did."

THE SOUND OF TRUMPETS

Prior to Jericho's fall, the two spies "...descended from the mountain, and...they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us" (Josh 2:23-24). We can see that they had entered God's assuring Rest, the Last Day, and they were able to call those things which are not as though they were. Although it was yet to be manifested, they declared -- IT IS FINISHED, the LORD HAS DELIVERED in our hands all the land.

They certainly saw the finished work, that it was created in their hands from the foundation of the world. Even so, yet they had to walk a pace before it was brought into focus to others. After spying out the city, they had to hide. They first found refuge on the roof at the hands of Rahab. They were then let down by a cord, and from there they sought safety from their pursuers by ascending for three days to a mountain. They could have remained there in those hide-a-way heavens (the roof and the mountain); but their knowledge would have been of no value in those lofty places. They had to descend before victory could be held. Their ascending and descending can be seen as being similar to the angels ascending and descending on the ladder Jacob saw with God ruling over it.

SEVEN TRUMPETS

After their descent, and having reported what they saw to Joshua -- the fullness of victory was laid out before the eyes and ears of Jericho. Every day, for six days, seven priests sounded the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. They did this while the men of war silently followed as they compassed the city (Josh 6:4).

Seven speaks of fulness, trumpets are messages from the throne, rams pertain to maturity of the slain Lamb, and their horns symbolize power. The sounding of the seven horns is a single message that makes a way for victory. The victory does not come by the message alone. There is more to conquering than preaching or teaching. At the end of the days, at the LAST DAY, the SEVENTH DAY, THE DAY OF REST -- there is a great SHOUT! It is the shout that brings down the wall; but first, there must be the trumpets.

"And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall ⁽⁴⁾shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him" (Josh 6:5). In the Last Days before that Great Day of conquering Jericho -- except for the sound of marching feet and trumpeting rams' horns -- there was silence. "And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout" (Josh 6:10).

"And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city" (Josh 6:16). "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with A SHOUT, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first" (1 Thes 4:16). Do you see the victory here, or am I alone in this? Ah, I know you see it! For we stand together, as we peer into the Last Day, the Lord's Day, His Day of Rest wherein we can shout -- IT IS FINISHED! It is this shout of victory that causes all the walls to fall, the gates of all hells to swing wide, all the dead in Christ to rise first, and afterwards all the rest will come forth (1 Cor 15:21-28). Generally, the shout of joyous victory is made after the battle is won; but as we see the finished work in God's Day of Rest, we shout it first, and then afterwards the victory is seen by every eye.

Oh my, what a wonderful sight -- silence, a still, calm, holy hush precedes the ear splitting shout! This has been a hard lesson to learn, probably the hardest that has ever been put before us. It is nigh to impossible to keep silent, especially when we are armed with insight of the day of victory. We really want to sound it abroad. We want everyone to know that the Day of victory is ready to dawn; but in these last days that serve to usher in the Last Day, we are to maintain a holy hush. And even though it is difficult, we are beginning to see that hush. Not all, but many are waiting for the Last Day when it is time to shout the victory. Some, of course, are still speaking their personal thoughts, doctrinal convictions, or yesterday's revelations. The sincere, however, the obedient, the Jordan crossers, the living ones, are mysteriously silent. They are not shouting with confusion while the trumpets are sounding. They wait in silence! And in this waiting, they hear the clear sound of the complete message that precedes them.

There is a trumpet sound of seven ram's horns though the land. Each one is sounding its voice, or else, the composition would be incomplete. And anyone that is not a part of that procession around the city will be so off key that a deaf man would know it. Therefore, let us hear the clear sound of this Day.

While in the Spirit of the Lord's Day, John beheld something very much like the seven priests blowing the seven trumpets before the ark of the covenant. It says that he "...saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets" (Rev 8:2). My, what a coincidence! Ah, but we know there are no coincidences with God and His finished work.

Here are seven priests/messengers standing before God with seven trumpets, as it was at Jericho, and victory over the enemy is seen again. We will not look at all the verses in this passage of scripture; but we can see that their sound prepares the host of heaven (you and me) for victory and the mystery of God to be finished.

The book of Revelation speaks of seven trumpets, or a resounding word of spiritual perfection, which destroys everything contrary to Christ and His Kingdom.

These seven trumpets, like the seven colors of the rainbow, or the seven notes of the musical scale (with the eight being a repeat of seven on a higher octave) to make songs, are the sound of one voice. Each one has a purpose, which shatters and consumes man's kingdom. Corporately they come as hail and fire mingled with blood, as they descend upon the earth and burn up men's ways as trees and green grass(Rev 8:7).

One expression of their word, as hail, is a hard word of judgment that beats down all the proud fields of man. A single word of God's rebuke will reduce the strongest structure to splinters. The residue, along with all wood, hay, and stubble is then kindled by these flaming messengers. But we must not forget the blood. Each word of rebuke, each touch of tormenting fire is mingled with blood -- the blood of the Lamb. With God, mercy comes with judgment. Life comes with death. Laughter comes with sorrow. The carnal mind of man is tormented in the presence of these holy angels of God; but out of that torment rises life and joy forevermore.

The peals of rolling thunder from the heavenly trumpets send a great mountain descending and burning with fire into the sea of humanity. Their worldly lives and livelihoods are overcome and destroyed by this Kingdom from heaven. The little stone of Daniel that smites the feet of the image of world kingdoms and grows into a great mountain (Dan 2:35), strikes into the heart of man and his commerce. It is this Mountain, the Kingdom of God, which eventually fills the whole earth with its glory.

Not only does a mountain descend from heaven at the sound of the seven trumpets, but also a great star called Wormwood, and it burns as a ⁽⁵⁾lamp. This fire of God burns as poison to man's spirit. It descends upon his carnal rivers, upon his fountains from within, and without. In effect, it poisons his carnal mind with Life everlasting. To the man, it is terrible, but to the Spirit, it is wonderful. This star is a burning word. It descends as a beaming ray of brilliancy; but to the carnal mind, it is poison wormwood. The anointed word has a way of poisoning man's word, as far as the man is concerned. It sears and afflicts the fleshly soul, as Solomon so pointedly wrote: "Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me" (Lam 3:19-20). You see, that which is life to the ministering flames of fires is wormwood to man and has a way of humbling him. Praise God!

These heralds of God cause man's glory of dominion to be smitten, the sun, the moon, and the stars. The word of this corporate messenger dims man's shining brightness. His splendor by day pales in the true Light that shines in man's light of darkness. Individuals who twinkle against the backdrop of night also find their end when the Last Day, the Lord's Day rises upon the horizon of their souls. There is found no place for them in Christ's great Kingdom of heaven. In the presence of such beauty their faint shining vanishes.

One of the seven trumpeting sounds bring about a descending star from heaven. It is not in dishonor, of course, but with honor and authority. He is given the key to the bottomless pit, and all the hoards of hell are released for five months. Such is the grace of God to those dwelling in the earth who have not the seal of God in their foreheads. Those carnal minds are certainly tormented; but it is to a good end.

The sixth trumpet-note of the scale releases the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. The river which had given Babylon and the world its life and protection becomes its timely end. All their rituals, creeds, doctrines, and dogmas are brought to nought. Out of their own laws, where they thought they had sealed up their destroyer forever, is destruction released. Out of that flowing river comes a word of fire, smoke, and brimstone. The Greek word fire is pur. It is from this word that we get our English words: pure, purity and purify. Brimstone comes from the Greek word, Theion, which means, Flashing Sulfur, Godfire. By fire and brimstone, or the destroying, consuming, purifying Godfire, men of the earth are reduced to nothing and transformed.

And at the sounding of the seventh messenger, or when the sounds come together as one -- the mystery of God is finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets (Rev 10:7). "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever" (Rev 11:15). What a tremendous sound! Praise God!

SHOUT THE VICTORY! If there is a reason to split the ears -- this is it! For not only is the mystery of God finished at the sound of the seventh angle's trumpet; but "...the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was SEEN in His temple the ark of His testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail" (Rev 11:19).

"And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Rev 21:2). We see the city of God descending from Heaven the same way we see Jesus coming down from Heaven. It is not in a physical form; but is that which is presently held in the unseen heavens. It is that which cannot be seen by those whose hearts are fixed on the earth. However, when blind eyes and dark souls are opened and made whole by the indwelling Spirit of Christ -- they will see that grand city of God's elect. It will not set upon the earth like a knot on a little boy's head; but it will fill the earth with its many dwellings of peace and love. And such could not be if it remained in the lofty heavens of the unseen; but as it is with all good things of God, it descends from there and blesses the earth.

There is no physical horse that Jesus comes riding upon from heaven at the times of reconstitution and repletion of all things. Before leading captivity captive and giving liberating gifts to man, he had to descend into the lower parts of the earth, as we likewise must do. Heaven is splendid; but we cannot remain there forever. In order for Him to be the Light coming into the world that illumines every person -- He must descend from the imperceptible heavens of every person and and awaken them to life. This illumination does not come by doctrinal wall-walkers sounding the alarm every time someone speaks a word contrary to theirs. No, not at all! This Light comes from the Descending one from within, who then ascends with them into the heights of the heavens. That resplendent light will never come by squabbling over legalistic issues or condemning those we fail to understand. Such childish carnality brings darkness rather than light. It makes us carnal human beings and not spiritual God beings.

Let us, therefore, always keep ourselves from speaking ill of God's anointed, and even those who are not so anointed; for although fallen in the dust and dirt of the earth, they are in God's image. Let us never be the town criers and find ourselves cast out of heaven in humiliation. But rather let us sound the heavenly trumpets that cause God's holy things to descend in honor upon men's kingdoms. Therewith, they will be brought to naught, and all those kingdoms will become the Lord's and His anointed. Praise His holy name!

To be continued...

Elwin R. Roach

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