Part 2 of 3

The light of day is often diminished while we are overshadowed by God’s pavilion. Although He is always present, and there is great joy in the depth of our souls, a shroud of darkness can replace the illumined brightness of His warm embrace.

This darkness comes in various ways, one of which is hard to believe when it arrives. It is the darkness of rejection, not rejection from our Lord, but from our friends. It is the shadow of no one standing with us when we need them the most. Jesus was acquainted with this dark cloud of God’s pavilion, and even though He knew beforehand that those closest to Him would forsake Him, it hurt terribly. When Jesus was arrested, His most faithful followers turned their backs and denied they ever knew Him. The dark pall of that day was unprecedented; but look at the treasure that came from it—atonement for all, resurrection from the dead, glorification, and ascension!

We may read and hear such words and rejoice that more of God’s mysteries are being revealed. We will be glad that we know more than we did yesterday; but when we experientially find ourselves in the prisons of darkness where there are no comforts to the soul, what then? We may plead for mercy and for God’s vengeance to be poured out to those who have persecuted us or were responsible for causing our world to fall apart around us. But let us remember something said last time. Paul and Silas were not in despair while in prison but were praying and singing hymns as the other prisoners listened. And to make matters seemingly worse, a great earthquake hit, and they had no way of escape. The prison gate was locked tight and they were chained. Yet that is what it took to open the gate and break the chains to free them from prison. The jailer, along with his household, was saved. You see, there were treasures of darkness in that prison (Paul, Silas, the jailer, and his family in the darkness of their home), and they were brought forth for all to see. So, stand fast, brethren, and see your treasures brought forth and pass in review before all men everywhere.

If you have never been rejected by those you love, you cannot imagine the deep pain that is inflicted. It sweeps over your soul like a rolling wave of suffocating darkness. Notwithstanding, there are many other things found in the shadow of God’s pavilion. To name a few: sickness and afflictions of all kinds and magnitudes; loved ones suffering from diseases and dying or being killed without warning; infidelities; divorces; wayward children; drug and alcohol addictions; depression; mental breakdowns; persecutions (religious and otherwise).

That which God is doing in the pavilion of darkness, who can know the glorious outcome? If our Lord had not been standing with us during these trying times, we could have wavered, stumbled, and fallen. Without His abiding presence and power of grace sustaining us, and changing us, we would never see His mysterious treasures rising from darkness like the fabled phoenix from the flames! The dark clouds of adversity would have devoured us. But we were not called to be devoured. Our calling has always been to rise into the radiant light of the One who is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End of all things—our Lord Jesus Christ!

After the baptism of fire has finished its purpose, we shall rise without the smell of smoke upon our garments. As lightning, we will burst forth from the clouds of darkness and bring His shining glory into all the earth! Although our lives may be blanketed with darkness for a season, it is time to rejoice; for our manifestation from darkness surely draws near.

For the moment there may be hardships; but let us not complain. They are working something far greater than we could possibly dream. It has never entered our hearts what God has prepared for us, and it certainly had never entered our minds the path that would carry us there. Oh, the mystery of it all! How could we have known that the way to life was death. It was far from our minds. We were strangers to the thought that to break forth into Christ’s effulgent light would first require a time of darkness.

If you happen to be in such a dark pavilion, feeling as if the winding sheet of death has been wrapped around you, that you will never see the light of day, take hope, brethren! For as "...wisdom excels folly...light excels darkness." Ecclesiastes 2:13. The light always prevails! Darkness is not forever. Do you not know—the Light of Jesus Christ abides in you and cannot be quenched? If this is so, and it is, then this inextinguishable Light will excel and render void the darkness that overflows your lives. You will not remain in these pavilions forever, for pavilions, if you recall, are temporary booths. They are individual tabernacles designed to hold you only for a short time (seven days unto perfection). The Feast of Tabernacles are not a time of permanent dwellings. While in the midst of fire, when the burnt offerings are being consumed, it may seem like there will be no end to the consuming blaze. However, an end is ordained. It comes at our transformation, after the holy flames of God have finished that for which they were fashioned.

Who would have imagined that such pain we suffer could be called holy? Not a large number, we are sure. Nevertheless, if these hard things we are enduring are of God, and if they are working a holy change in our lives, they are then holy! They could be nothing less.

But God’s ways are very different from those of man. Rather than suffering loss of any kind, he is set to ever increase himself. At all cost his drive is to have more of everything, more money, power. The more he has, the more he will be able to do the things that are fixed in his heart. This is the way of the world; however, it is not relegated to the world alone. It has also saturated the church. This type of thinking has pervaded every quadrant of the religious systems of the world. For instance: If a man, saint or sinner alike, wants to become rich, he generally does not seek to become poor. If he wants to live, he flees the threat of death. When he looks to be strong, it doesn’t make sense to become weak. Should he desire to build, he will not tear down and destroy. He will not root out when he wishes to plant and bring forth a harvest. His general idea is to improve upon and add to that which he already has.

God’s thoughts, however, are different. His thoughts are not man’s thoughts, and His ways are not man’s ways. God’s thoughts and ways are foolishness to the carnal minded man. That is why many look upon those in His dark pavilions as having missed the mark. More than a few who seek after all those things that entice the Gentiles, believe God has been angered and is measuring out His wrath upon those who are under the shadow of death while in His pavilion of darkness. Religious people who are void of understanding cannot see that those under the shadow of His wing are God’s Treasure of Darkness.

Nevertheless, when we are weak He is strong. Jesus became poor that we, His body, might become rich. God told Jeremiah that before he could build or plant he had to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, Jeremiah 1: 10.

For Jesus to become the Lion of the tribe of Judah, He had to be led in humility as a sheep to the slaughter, Acts 8:32. Before all men could drink from the River of Life, He had to empty Himself. He divested Himself of authority so He could come forth with all authority. In death, He ceased from the Father’s works so greater works could be done by those of His corporate Body.

Jesus sounded no alarm for his followers and legions of angels to defend Him. He opened not His mouth. Rather than arraying Himself in glory, He submitted to the humility of being stripped naked. He could have taken His rightful place upon Earth’s throne, but relinquished it to endure the pain of being nailed to the cross, not a likely seat of majesty, honor, power, and authority.

Jesus could have ascended in glory upon mount Zion; but rather, with plucked beard, beaten back, face marred beyond recognition, He walked shamefully upon the hill of Golgotha. Rather than taking His position as the anointed King of kings, He emptied Himself and became the servant of all. The richest man in the universe became the poorest of all, having no place to lay His head and died without a rag to cover his nakedness. He was such a man that the grandest shrine to His honor would pale in the presence of His dead body; yet a tomb had to be borrowed for His burial. Even at His birth, the palace chambers with midwives were not there for Him. Like it would be for His tomb, a borrowed stable was His delivery room, and the animals’ feed-trough took the place of a feather-down bed. He was not born in the midst of great men who would marvel at His majesty, but among the beasts of burden. They were his companions in birth, and throughout his life such were also his friends. Oh, the wonder of it all! Out of Darkness came forth the greatest Treasure of all the ages!

He was crucified in the weakness of flesh as the son of man, but "He was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." Romans 1:4. Where men destroy their enemies by killing them, Jesus destroyed the devil through His own death. What a paradox! To the natural mind it doesn’t make sense. But who would ascribe God as having a natural mind?

Seeing, therefore, that Jesus became weak and suffered the death of the cross that we would live, can we expect it to be different with us? Are the servants greater than the Master? Absolutely not! Referring to himself, Paul spoke of the difficult road that we were to walk: "That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." Philippians 3:10-11.

Day by day, the written word is opening to us in this area. It is becoming alive by the Spirit of revelation. It is also becoming increasingly clear that our lives are bearing it out. There are three things we see transpiring today:

1) The letter declares these truths
2) the Spirit is quickening them to us
3) we daily walk it out.

Who can deny such a thing, especially when that which is written and revealed to us becomes a reality?

In relation to the hardships we endure while in these tabernacles, Paul said: "For we that are in this tabernacle (tabernacle: skenos, a hut or temporary residence, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance) do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 5:4-5. What a paradox! While in our tabernacles, huts if you will, we groan, we are burdened, and for what purpose? That we might be clothed upon by a glorious body, that mortality might be swallowed up of life! God wrought us, He made us, He called us to endure the same suffering as Jesus so we could be arrayed in the same glorious garment of life.

Again, it doesn’t make sense to the natural mind that one must die to live, weep before he can laugh, know sorrow to be filled with joy, to be humiliated to be lifted up, to become naked to be clothed, to know darkness to come forth as Light. Paradoxes, yes, but altogether true!.

Today, rather than large assemblies of God’s anointed being gathered, we are dwelling in booths, huts, alone, individually or perhaps a few more of like mind and spirit. It is no wonder that we do not see those who have truly been touched by the spirit of sonship trying to build a huge church or ministry. They have no schemes to build their own kingdoms in the "name of the Lord." Other than by mail, the internet, or by phone, many of the treasures of darkness have no fellowship whatsoever. If some are drawn together by the Spirit and meet in a building (church) for any length of time is a rarity. If it lasts, their numbers remain small.

With home fellowships, it is not uncommon for them to have two, three, or maybe a dozen like minded saints who come to know one another. They are very seldom started by the will of man. They seem to just spontaneously start after two or three have a desire to come together to share the word and life of Christ that is so precious to them, and if there are others of the same desires and calling to sonship, they seem to find those homes, coffee shops, or parks. Moreover, there are no "leaders" over the gatherings of the Lord. Only as the Spirit leads do they move. If there is no inspired word or direction, the weather might be discussed, or a number of other things that come to mind. They may pray beforehand, sing a song or two, or they may do nothing. Moreover, there may be neither of these scenarios mentioned. In some cases, there is one person buried in the darkness of a metropolis of more than million human souls jostling, cavorting in the affairs of daily life, yet being alone, so alone, yet abounding in fellowship with the sages and saints of the ages, but most likely unaware.

Those who gather in one accord—they flow in one accord, which we know is by His Spirit, and by His Spirit alone. In many of these obscure gatherings, whether in homes or buildings conveniently used (vacant other than when saints are gathered, churches) if He does not move, then they don’t move. If He does, then they enter into that River of Life, the River that He is.

Some believe that the only way to have "church" is to be alone on a mountain top overlooking the horizon of golden rays of a southwestern desert sunset. Some feel it is seeing the sunrise over the Alpine peaks of glistening snow. Others feel it in the seclusion of their closet. A few take it literally. There are many views of what "church" might be, but one thing for sure; true "church," the "ecclesia", the "out called," cannot be boxed in or identified by man from beneath, for it is from above—far above!

Jesus Christ is the River of Life for all who find themselves swept away by His current. Knowing this to be true, let us consider: Can a river be diverted or alerted by its tributaries—especially the River of Life made by God? It is not only unlikely—it is impossible! That is one reason why we find the treasures of darkness in such nonconformity with main-stream religion. For the true fellowship of the saints is done nothing by rote, not by routine, or ritual. However, they almost always have Communion; but it is not what is called the Eucharist, the bread and wine, the wafer and grape juice, or white bread and water. It is much more than these earthy elements that sates natural man’s appetite and guilty conscience. The Communion of these saints is giving and receiving the true Bread and Wine! It is His broken body and shed blood. It is His Word and His Spirit!

Nothing is fabricated with these treasures of darkness. There is nothing birthed from the natural minds of men and women. These treasures are content to abide wherein they have been placed, in secret places, unseen by the world. They will abide under the shadow of His wing until they are called to rise and shine to be the daybreak, the morning, the New Day! For the time being, however, it is the season of the Feast of Tabernacles, Booths, Huts! Until that Feast has filled its course of seven days, and we rise on the eight day, we will surely remain alone. It matters not whether we are attending meetings—if we are in the Feast of Tabernacles, these treasures will still be alone with God in His Pavilion of Darkness!

Those who are caught up in the latest "moves of God," so called, and the excitement of large crowds is where they find"life"; they are not in the Feast Tabernacles. They are not the treasures who presently abide in God’s solemn pavilions of darkness. Such worldly displays of religion are the very opposite of this solemn Feast of the Lord. Some of what we see is, no doubt, of God. We do not discount what is divinely done therein. He moves in peoples lives in every phase and facet of religion and man’s life. But it is not the Feast of Tabernacles of which the Sons of God are now partaking.

We have heard it said by some that they are already walking in the anointed fulness of Christ’s life, and the only thing anyone else has to do for the same is to realize it, believe it, and they will have the power and authority to rule and reign, to do exploits, even to raise the dead.

At the right time, at the manifestation of the sons of God, this is a true word; but their demise will come first. We were made to have the selfsame life and power of Jesus. This is understood. However, He not only made us to have the selfsame life, but also the selfsame death. We see this anointing when the woman anointed Jesus with a precious ointment from an alabaster box, and the anointing was on behalf of His death, of which Jesus said was good and was for His burial! (ref. Matthew 26:7,10,12).

Before the power of life and resurrection is known in our lives, the law of death will first be known, and not by knowledge alone—but by experience! We will be the treasures of darkness for the occasion (ref. ) or "In The Beginning" Publication #163.03 free upon request). We do not find pleasure in it any more than our Lord before us; but we can endure it as He did: "...The Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame." Hebrews 12:2). Let us, therefore, rejoice for the joy that is set before us while being swept over with the cloud of death as we abide our appointed season as a peculiar people—the treasures of darkness.

It is in that season our burnt offerings are made. This is when the renewing of our minds is made and our transformation comes. Before we rise into the heavens which we are destined to rule, we must first descend into hell. Its dominion of darkness will embrace us sorely, this is certain; yet it can neither hold us nor destroy us. After it has worked its immutable purpose, we will turn and command it. We shall ascend with power and dominion over death, hell, and the grave.

We can now see that after the Lord had said to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness," he could write, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9. It was Paul who also wrote, "...God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." 1 Corinthians 1:27. Therefore, my friends, if you happen to be among those who are acquainted with the bitter waters of grief, and the pavilion of darkness has been your place for seven days, take heart—you will shine on the morrow.

"The people which sat in darkness saw great Light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death Light is sprung up" Matthew 4:16. At various times we all have sat in darkness. Our first darkness was that of the world. It lasted until we saw the Great Light of Jesus Christ. Our souls were filled with unspeakable joy when He came forth into our lives as our Savior. He was as a warm summer’s dawn. We were delivered from the power of darkness, and set into the kingdom of God’s dear Son (ref. Colossians 1:13). Most of us joined ourselves to a church of some sort, wherein we were blessed for a season. Those confines satisfied, but not for very long. Where we had once known freedom and had seen light, darkness soon squeezed tightly about us.

Our quest for life was calling us to be free, and it was not long that we saw again His Great Light, and to our surprise, it was not in the church where we presumed it had to be. It was in us, in our own hearts and mouths (ref. Romans 10:8-9). It was in the same place we first saw it.

With this new light shining, we tried to remain and share it with our friends, yet we found this to be futile. Not only that, the longer we stayed attached to ‘our’ church, the dimmer the light grew and the lonelier we became. The sweet, and sometimes not so sweet, people could not provide that for which our souls hungered. We became the disdained talk of the church.After nine months, we were delivered from our mother’s womb. The apostle Paul mentioned in Galatians 1:15 that it had happened to him. He was never the same, and neither were we. As it was with many others throughout the world, we took a leap of faith and left the protection of our religious mother. Once again the light shined brightly and illumined our souls. We had no idea where our journey would lead; but we knew we could not remain in the stagnation of darkness to which the church system had descended. Our exodus was a must in order to continue our search for life, and life more abundant, as Jesus said He would give. Out of darkness we came. We were truly Treasures of Darkness.

We had not expected, however, to leave one darkness for another. This was not in our vision. We could see in a vague way the grand things that pertained to Sonship; but what lay between us and our destiny was out of sight. The farther we walked, the more things changed, and they were not always pleasant. And now, rather than in the midst of manifested glory, we find ourselves secured in God’s pavilion of darkness. Even so, there is the true Light that still brightens our days within. Outwardly, the dark waters and thick clouds may cover us over; but inwardly, we persevere and hold fast to that which is Life.

Many today know the pain of sorrow, anguish, and longsuffering that weigh often upon them. In the heat of the day, or the cold of the night, there seems to be little hope as the fierce winds taunt them, and the waves of the storm beat relentlessly upon the eroding shoreline of their lives. But rest assured, fellow hut dwellers, although "...weeping endures for a night, joy cometh in the morning" Psalm 30:5. Jesus will "Give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace" Luke 1:79.

We may presently be walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Maladies and ongoing traumas can be very real; but as this seventh day of Tabernacles draws to a close, we have cause to rejoice. The Great Light of our Lord shall guide our feet into the way of peace. It matters not if our minds and bodies are racked with pain, the truth is this—our eye is single. With our eye being single our whole body is full of light, as Jesus said in Luke 11:34. And this hidden light within the pavilion, if it has not already done so, it will guide our feet into the way of peace.

Although the darkness is not pleasant, and there can be much suffering in its confines, we are not forsaken. Darkness may shroud us on all sides, yet we are blessed. When it seems that our frail ships will sink in these fierce storms, our Lord’s presence insures safe passage. Many of us can already say that in the face of overwhelming circumstances, we have His perfect peace that passes all understanding. We do not complain but rejoice always. Although we are compassed about by adversities, inwardly we do not walk in darkness. We have Him, the light of Life (John 8:12).

Those lacking insight as to why we are dwelling in makeshift huts will be quick and ready comforters. But their comfort will be akin to the comfort Job received from his three friends. If, however, they took the words of Paul to heart, they would be a little more at ease: "But with me: yea, it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but He that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God." 1 Corinthians 4:3-5.

Brethren, it appears to me, that whether the things hidden are the evil things of the world (John 3:20), or they are like Paul, God’s chosen vessels, treasures of darkness—when it is time for the Lord to bring them forth—every man will praise God. The manifestation of Christ in men’s lives works this way. When an evil man’s heart is made bare by the light of Jesus, and His fire burns it clean, he shall praise God. And especially with those whose hearts are fixed upon Him. They shall praise Him. His light will penetrate the darkness of their suffering as He lifts them out of the strange place of God’s dark pavilions.

To be reminded: "He made darkness His secret place; His pavilion round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies." Psalm 18:11. We are in God’s secret place. There is no doubt about it. We abide in His pavilion of dark waters and thick clouds. This is sure. Brethren, we are hidden! But praise God, we will not remain hidden forever! For He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness. He will manifest the counsel of our hearts, whether of good or of evil. Since our eye is single, the counsel of our hearts shall manifest good. These burnt offerings that we are shall come forth as light into a world of darkness. That is what we have to look forward to, to be brought forth as light into a dark world.

This is the light that shall discover (uncover) the forests, and by it everyone in the temple of God will declare His glory (Psalm 29:9). All the hidden things of the world, all those things covered over by man’s own righteousness and religious rituals (fig leaves), shall be exposed.

There are a few things that will strip a forest naked. The lack of rain will cause it to dry up and die. The icy chill of winter will rid broad-leaf trees of their covering. It takes more for the evergreen trees, those people who never change and seem to be forever determined in their self-willed ways. Fire will strip them clean. Regardless of what it takes to expose man for what he is, God will make sure it is done. And as those in His temple praise Him, it will ultimately cause every soul to praise in like manner (ref. 1 Corinthians 4:5).

The gates of Babylon did not prevail against the anointed of the Lord, and they shall not prevail against His anointed today who will bring liberty to the treasures of darkness. None can prevent God’s treasures from coming out of darkness: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6. Huts of darkness may be our temporary living quarters; but we are not of the darkness. "We are the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness." 1 Thessalonians 5:5.

As treasures of darkness in God’s holy sanctuary, we may wonder on occasion how it is possible to make it through the vast valley to our destination, even if we have been called for such a thing. Remember, we are not of the night, but of the day, and when His candle shines upon our hearts, and when His light illumines our way—we will also walk through the darkness to victory. Job 29:3.

At times our sight is diminished, especially when afflicted. The enemy seems to prevail against us as he plows through our lives. Deep furrows are made in our lives; yet, like all days, these days have an end, and healing will come from His wings. Furthermore, we know our LORD is righteous, and He will cut the cords that bind us tight as the anointed Psalmist wrote. Psalms 129:1-4.

In the closing hours of the Feast of Tabernacles, we hear David’s words echoing down through the ages and into our own hearts in this late hour: "O satisfy us early with Thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days wherein Thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Let Thy work appear unto Thy servants, and Thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it." Psalms 90:14-17. Yes and amen! Let it be!

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