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"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." Genesis 1:1-3. And "I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places." Isaiah 45:3.

We see a similarity with the heaven and the earth of old more than two thousand years ago. Darkness was on the face of the deep until God said let there be Light, and His Word became flesh whose name was Jesus, and He dwelt among us. He was God’s Treasure in a dark world. Most of His life was hidden; but there were times when His light shone brightly, and we, like that first Treasure, have been hidden in darkness that God created. Something not realized by a lot of people is that darkness has been by the hand of our Creator. If this were not so, Isaiah would have never written these often ignored words: "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things." Isaiah 45:7.

Some will wonder, just how does God create darkness? Does He reach deep inside, deep into shadowy regions unknown to man and draw it from Himself? I do not believe so; for since "He is the Father of lights, and with Him there is no shadow of turning," James 1:17, this cannot be. Moreover, "...God is light, and in him is no darkness at all," 1 John 1:5, therefore, none exists in Him from which to draw. So, how then, does He create darkness? It is as I remember our dear friend Preston Eby once saying that God creates darkness the same way we do, simply by turning off the light. Of course, the way He turns off the light is by withdrawing Himself or to cease from manifesting His glory.

Jesus was a light that was placed in the world of darkness, and His presence and His word lit up people’s lives round about Him. Some were not enlightened, but were exposed for who and what they were. When He spoke, the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees hated Him for revealing what creatures of darkness they were, which was a generation of vipers. As long as He spoke, His life lit up the dark world, and those whose father was the devil could not touch Him; for light is greater than darkness and will always prevail. However, after the last supper with His disciples and sweating blood in the garden of Gethsemane, His light was turned off as the powers of darkness came upon Him. He had been a Lamp that shined in the darkness, but now was the Lamb being led to the slaughter. His light was not turned on again until He was seen in the garden—ALIVE!

Jesus was the greatest treasure of darkness that will ever be. He was first in the darkness of His mothers womb, then in the dark stables of Bethlehem, and after that He was in the world of darkness, not only in Egypt but in Nazareth as well. In due season, His Father turned on His light and it dispelled the darkness wherever he went. He was the Great light that those who sat in darkness saw. He was that light to those who sat in the region of the shadow of death, Matthew 4:16. Prior to His death, God was giving Jesus to the world as a Treasure of Darkness; but this was not all the treasure. There was more to come. He was yet to be glorified by the resurrection from the dead, and there was even more that remained hidden in darkness. The seed of every son of God was housed in the darkness of His loins, and they all died in that dark place with Him. They rose also from the dead with Him, but have, for the most part, been hidden in a dark world, while waiting for their Father to turn on their lights; that is, to bring about the manifestation of the sons of God! What a great mystery, God manifested again in the flesh. It is as Job said: "He reveals mysteries from the darkness, And brings the deep darkness into light." Job 12:22 (NASB).

He first creates the heavens and the earth and places it in darkness. After a time of brooding over it all, He says, "Let there be light," and there is an unveiling of light that he called day. Likewise with the sons of God. They were placed in darkness with His Spirit brooding over and preparing them for the time when He again says, "Let there be Light"! And that is what they will be—light—as they are revealed to the world. God’s glory in them will dispel the darkness of night as His Sons rise to bring the Day. Who they are in Him is no longer the mystery of iniquity and darkness, but the mystery of goodness and godliness, that is, God manifest in the flesh and reconciling the world to Himself. For a season, "He made darkness His secret place; His pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies" Psalm 18:11; but as it is sensed that this season is drawing to a close, with great expectation we await the manifestation of the sons of God!

Whether in the beginning with God’s mysteries having been hidden in the deep, or it is today in the heavens, we have been veiled by darkness, by thick clouds which we believe will very soon drop down as rain upon a barren land.

It is the quest of man to not only know about mysteries but to understand them, especially those pertaining to God; but who would think to look for them in the confines of darkness. Not many that I know; yet those who are called to Sonship are destined at times to abide in those hallowed chambers.

Many today have already become acquainted with this darkness. And be sure to know, it is not the darkness of sin, it is the darkness akin to Job’s sufferings. We do not sit upon the ash-heaps of rebellion, but rather, upon the ash-heaps that work perfection.

Oh, to see the end of this thick darkness! To arrive in full glory—that is our earnest desire— but it is not yet the hour. If it were the hour, we would see ourselves rising out of the shadows of death and into the bright Light of the Day. These mysteries are still at work in the secret place of the Most High. They are grinding out perfection from where we abide alone in Him. Many, like Job’s friends, peer long and hard at our condition and suppose we must have done something wrong; for why else, they wonder, would God bring so much sorrow and painful humiliation upon us. Those, however, who are not initiated into the same cannot begin to understand such mysteries. It is impossible for them to know what is going on. For you see — they are mysteries. They are secrets. They are not laid open for all to see. They are not for every ear to hear. They are hidden from the profane. Brethren, they abide in the Treasures of Darkness!

Isaiah wrote: "Verily thou art a God that hidest Thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour." Isaiah 45:15.

We flee the darkness of the world from which we were delivered, and we should, for it works nothing but death. However, we at times also find ourselves fleeing from the abode of God. For who would venture willingly into such a secret place. It is not common for one to swim in a pavilion of dark waters, or to clothe himself in thick clouds. Nevertheless, we are driven to such dreadful places.

What a paradox—God is Light, yet the scriptures tell us that He makes darkness His secret place. Oh, the wonders of God! Who can know His mind? Let men pry, but His ways are past finding out, and one of those things men cannot find out is the treasures of light that shines in darkness. Again, I must insert, this is not the darkness of sin, rebellion, and self-willed lifestyles. This darkness is the darkness of pain, of sorrow, of rejections, of calamities, of suffering, and of many afflictions.

These are the mysteries of God that take us on a journey through dark waters, deep valleys, and thick clouds—for therein is where the Master of these Treasures of Darkness hides them along with Himself. Anyone searching for the Prince of Peace would not think of finding Him in the darkness of the lions den or fiery furnace; but that is where He was found by Daniel and his three companions. His pavilion is often the inner recesses of the dark valleys of rejection, loneliness, and debilitating infirmities. These are things we do not seek, and we don’t have to, for they come looking for us if our testimony is that of Jesus Christ.

Once we find ourselves in these dark places, we will also find Him in a way we have never known. It is then that the mysteries are secured as we are baptized, immersed, initiated, deeply into them. When the baptism has worked its purpose, our Lord of glory will be seen coming with power in these clouds of heaven. From where He was formerly hidden, He will be seen shining brightly in the treasures that were hidden in darkness.

This pavilion is different from the one wherein we walk with Him in the wonderful Light of His Spirit, wherein we enjoy the light of His day. It is not that part of God that bears us on eagles’ wings, and brings us into the safe haven of His arms while sheltering us from the storm. The treasures of darkness which we speak today abide in the habitation of adversities. They are the proving grounds for the sons of God.

We should know, however, that in the midst of the storm, when the waves roll fiercely over the bows of our ships, we are in no grave danger. Regardless of the trouble that blows through our lives, He is with us. He never fails, He never leaves, nor forsakes us. This is made clear not only in scripture (Deuteronomy 31:6 & Hebrews 13:5), but by that which we know by experience!

He may at times be found asleep in the back of our frail vessels as we are tossed about; but let us not fear; for we are on a mission with Him. We have been sent to the other side of life’s Galilee, and come rain or shine, wind or calm, hell or high water—we will arrive safely. We will disembark upon the coastline of death and finish what we were sent to do in the tombs of the Gadarenes.

Until the sons of God make their way across the troubled sea and into the portals of death and hell, not many will be made free. Those doors will remain bolted about with strong bars; but once ashore, the gates shall not prevail. The keys of death and hell are in our hands to free those appointed to death.

We may be prone to cry a little, or to groan, and question why must we suffer the ravages of these storms when the tranquil beaches of home are much more pleasant. The answer is simple, we are being prepared to set the captives free. Before they can be made free, however, we must be free. And how can we know what freedom is if we have never known captivity? We are of little good to those in the prison of corruption until we have known corruption and then put on incorruption. Until then, all we can do is to empathize with them. Immortality can only be known after we have been subjected to mortality and risen out of it. It is then that it shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, "...Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" 1 Corinthians 15:54-55.

Like it was with those in hell that Jesus ministered to and led them captive, there are those who have long awaited our arrival; but before we slay the dragon in the sea, we must first slay it in ourselves. Before we can bring forth those held in death, we ourselves must first rise in light and live. No soldier ever won a war unless he first suffered the hardships of battle. "Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:13 (NASB).

We at times wonder why we are set apart from the rest of the Body. Although we are joined to the Body of Christ by His Spirit, we can’t help asking why we must be physically separated from those of like mind and spirit. Sure, we may have one or two with which to fellowship, or a handful in our assemblies as we come together; but where is the manifestation of the Body as a whole?

It matters not what we do in attempts to bring people together and motivate the Body into action, every effort fails. There may be times when it looks as if the body is being assembled for action; but they are short-lived excursions. We may even see moves, or sparks of inspiration shooting into the heavens; but they are more like perspiration than inspiration, and after a time they are gone. These moves of God, as they are sometimes called, remind us of what Isaiah penned: "Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow." Isaiah 50:11. The Amplified renders it: "Behold, all you [enemies of your own selves] who attempt to kindle your own fire [and work out your own plan of salvation], who surround and gird yourselves with momentary sparks, darts and firebrands that you set aflame! Walk by the light of your self-made fire, and in the sparks that you have kindled [for yourself, if your will]! But this shall you have from My hand: you shall lie down in grief and in torment."

There is little question why we don’t see any long-lasting, earth-shaking moves of God today. They are, by and large, self-made fires and sparks of passing glory of their own making. Some may feel that these laughing revivals, or healing campaigns that fill huge stadiums with thousands of people will be what ushers in the kingdom of God for every eye to see. But please be assured, my travel-weary friends, these stirrings do not have the markings of what burns in our hearts. They are far from the treasures of darkness that will be brought to light. It is nothing close to the initiation of God’s Kingdom being manifested in the earth.

What we see in the church system is not the assembling of the body of Christ. Since this is true, what about the firstfruits? Why are we not seeing the assembling of and manifestation of Christ’s Body among these? I am sure there are various factors; but part of the answer lies in where they are today, which is, in the pavilions of darkness, wherein they will abide during the Feast of Tabernacles. The feast must run its course before they have the liberty to leave. And the Kingdom of God, we can be sure, will remain obscure and hidden in darkness until those in Tabernacles exit and assemble in the eighth day.

The Hebrew meaning for pavilion (sûkkâh) is a hut or lair, as of entwined boughs (rf. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance). Most often the word is translated booths or tabernacles. Thus, the tabernacles (huts/lairs) of the Feast of Tabernacles (huts/lairs) are neither the main building nor permanent dwellings. Like camping tents, they do not contain all the comforts of home. Tabernacles speak of a time when we dwell in temporary booths or huts, and this is while making burnt offerings.

Each year during September and October there is heightened expectation. For it is the season for the manifestation of the Sons of God, as it is told, and it may indeed commence at this time, but only when the feast spiritually draws to a close. Although this is just cause for such anticipation and excitement, it seems there are some vital aspects to the Feast of Tabernacles that are not largely understood.

What makes this feast so difficult to understand is that practically everything written and taught about it over the past years has been a feast for the future, that it is yet to be fulfilled. Perhaps we should consider that after Jesus fulfilled Passover and the Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70, the sacrifices ceased. After the Temple was destroyed there was no more feasts of Pentecost; for Jesus had fulfilled it when He came again and filled the handful on the day of Pentecost. The need to practice the Feast of Pentecost came to an end. It is the same with us; there is no need to practice that ordinance after we have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

But what about the Feast of Tabernacles? Why are we still coming together every year and observing this feast? There is certainly nothing wrong with coming together during this time of the year. It is great to be able to hear a rich word breathed from the throne and to fellowship with the saints; but assembling during the season of Tabernacles will not speed along the manifestation of the sons of God. If our assembling is a religious practice—such as, eating bread and wine (communion), water baptisms, etc.—its life will be lost by replacing the real Tabernacles with the ritual, while those in obscure pavilions of darkness are in the true Feast of Tabernacles. Therefore, the carnal ordinance of this feast was fulfilled by Jesus and done away with when the Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70. and made room for the true feast to take place within us.

This has appeared strange to me. Every feast and ordinance of the law has been fulfilled except this one. I have often wondered why God would bring about all the others into a living reality in our lives and wait 2,000 years for this particular feast. The fact is swiftly appearing that He has not waited after all, as we may have presumed. There has been a fulfilling, at least in part, of Tabernacles right along with Passover and Pentecost; but due to our eyes having been veiled, we have not seen the mystery of it. It has, therefore, been projected into the future the same way everything else that is not readily seen or experienced.

Certainly, there are many things yet to be worked in our lives and manifested, including the temporary feast of huts wherein we are today. It is clear, at least to me, that all three feasts—Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles— are presently working in our lives. For instance: we are dying daily as the new man suffers the deluge of many hardships—Passover. Also in Passover is the process of being saved/delivered from the lusts of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life as well as deliverance from the body of death by the life of Jesus Christ. The anointing of the Holy Spirit is a reality in our lives—Pentecost. And burnt offerings have been with us as we dwell seven days in booths—Tabernacles. Seven in scripture speaks of perfection, nothing lacking. Seven days, regardless of how long it takes to complete the task, is the process of bringing it to perfection.

Like Passover and Pentecost, without this basic understanding, people will continue practicing the ritual of Tabernacles until it is manifested in their lives as well. When reality is lacking, people will almost always revert to rituals. Going through the motions is all they know to do. Truthfully, it is much easier to go to a convention once a year and feast upon anointed messages and encouraging prophecies than to live seven days (throughout the year) in make-shift huts.

"And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook..." Leviticus 23:40a. Nevertheless, the accommodations may not be the best to be had; but it was a time of rejoicing: "...and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days" Leviticus 23:40b. It may be hard to imagine; but one can rejoice in the midst of difficult times. Jesus said: "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven..." Matthew 5:11-12. And Paul spoke of this also: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" Philippians 4:4.

Although Tabernacles is a time of rejoicing, it is also a time to be solemn: "Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein" (Lev 23:36). During the seven days of Tabernacles, burnt offerings are being made. When viewing things in the light of types and shadows, we can see that the burnt offerings signified the ones who made them. And I can tell you, when our lives are going up in smoke, dying daily as unblemished burnt offerings, we have good cause to be solemn.

Truly, this is one of God’s many paradoxes. On one hand He commanded the people to rejoice before Him, and on the other He said it was to be a solemn assembly. The two words, rejoice and solemn, do not have a lot in common. For instance, rejoice speaks of "...being glad or joyful with the whole disposition as indicated by its association with the heart. Many occasions and objects cheer a man: wine (Ps 104:15); meeting a loved one (Ex 4:14); God’s feasts (Neh 12:43); but the Lord and His salvation are cited most frequently as the reason for joy (II Chr 20:27, Ps 5:11...)" Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. And solemn assembly is from one word written twice, asara asara. It means "...to restrain, retain, to seize, hold back, prevent, to keep from, shut up." Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. That is, treasures of darkness shut up in God’s ordained pavilions of darkness.

Only in Christ can we be solemn and at the same time rejoice. Due to the deep working of His grace in us, we easily maintain the spirit of praise and worship before our Lord as we dwell alone as the flames of burnt offerings sweep through our lives.

We are familiar with the fire, and with dark days that often conceals the bright rays of the Sun. What we are experiencing speaks expressly that we are already in Tabernacles. To make my point, let me ask:

Are we dwelling today in large congregations of Christ? Is there an over-abundance of fellowship in our lives? Are the doors of the house of the Lord standing wide open? Has an easy access been made to God’s wonder-working power? Are the lost and weary drawn to us as a welcomed light set upon a hill? Or is it to the contrary? More often we are alone and void of fellowship. We may seek crowds of people who are of like mind and spirit, but they are seldom found. Although we enjoy Spirit-filled meetings, we find that we abide alone afterwards, and at times we are still alone while in the midst of the meetings. God’s power isn’t working in great measures throughout the Body. And we certainly do not see the world beating a path to our doors.

Brethren, try as we may, we have not been able to inject power into the body of Christ, nor have we had much success in assembling it to any degree at all. Small gatherings may be seen at times, and in various places; but this is an exception to the rule. In a word, my friends, for most part—we are dwelling alone in booths, in our own huts. God said that He "... made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt..." Leviticus 23:43,and during the time of tabernacles, every male is commanded to dwell in booths Leviticus 23:17, 42. Are you a male in Israel, that is, are you one of God’s sons? If you are, I can safely tell you, your calling is to dwell for awhile in a hut. You are one of the treasures of darkness, one of those who are called a peculiar people, that has an appointed time to be put on display for all to see!

While in Tabernacles, we don’t want to lose sight that it is a time of rejoicing; even so, we must also know why we are often alone in fellowship, and why the flames are sweeping through almost every family. The Feast of Tabernacles/Booths/Huts is fulfilled in the days following the Blowing of Trumpets, which we have been hearing and sounding for many years. The trumpets, or shofars (rams horns), call us together unto one holy convocation to begin a common activity, to offer burnt offerings as we abide alone in our tiny domiciles. Although alone, we rejoice, for the long-toiling days are over. The time of harvest has come. The promise of victory is upon the horizon. And the unveiling of the treasure chest of God’s mysteries we have long sought is at hand.

And where did we have to go to find them, or better, to find Him—"He made darkness His secret place; His pavilion round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies." Psalm 18:11. It is in Him where these mysteries are found, in the pavilion (tabernacle, booth, hut) of each son of God.

Adversity is not a pleasant thing, and I know of no one who seeks it out. They who understand, however, know that the clouds of adversity unlock untold mysteries to the ones who endure. While dwelling in our temporary booths, they bring to light those hidden things of God. There may be fear at first, as we are swept over with darkness; but ultimately it causes our ears to be opened in ways we had never heard: "While He thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and They feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son: hear Him." Luke 9:34-35. This, my fellow hut-dwellers, is the voice we hear in darkness. It is the voice of our Father which directs us back to the voice of our Lord. You see, there is no reason to fear.

This overshadowing cloud has hidden us from the world. At times it is peaceful as we abide alone with our Father; but at other times it is not. The latter times are the ones we are addressing today. Margit and I have never seen so much pain, sorrow, suffering, anguish, turmoil, afflictions, and sundry pressures in the lives of God’s elect. It is unequaled to anything we have known, and it may get worse. The dark cloud of God’s Pavilion is engulfing so many to one degree or another. For some it is overwhelming! What a baptism with which to be baptized! Yet this is the secret place of the Most High. We could not have imagined what awaited us, and if left in our hands, we would not have chosen it. Who could have told us what had never entered the mind of man? Oh, we prophesied it here and there; but until we actually entered His Pavilion of darkness, we could not comprehend it. This is truly a trying time for all God’s children, especially those who are pressing in to Him; but be encouraged, brethren, He is putting the intricate finish on us.

As we press into Him, into His Pavilion of darkness, the intricate finish will be made whether by physical afflictions that serve as fire for these burnt offerings that we are, or other types of fire that are just as painful and sometimes more devastating. We all know those who live with the pain of rejection; divorce; loneliness, constant stress; depression; nervous breakdowns; anxieties; loss of jobs; financial straits; bankruptcies; imprisonment or children in prison; unjust lawsuits; losing homes, friends and loved ones. The list goes on.

What we are suffering is no different from what the whole world is suffering, except for what the fire is doing. The fire of Tabernacles is working a transformation in our lives. We, the burnt offerings, are consumed and transformed into a sweet-smelling savor to the LORD. Some may question and ask why would such be a sweet-smelling savor to Him? In the same way the heat of an oven is tormenting to cake batter, once it is almost done, the aroma that wafts through the house is indeed a sweet-smelling savor, and so it is with us, the treasures of darkness, and the LORD.

Those outside the Tabernacle are not a solemn work of holiness. While we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, they walk through the valley of death. Some may even be in the valley of Hinnom and are suffering just retribution for their sin and rebellion. Fire does a work in everyone it touches; but it is not the same as what it does to those in Tabernacles. Our focus at the moment, however, is not on the world, but on those who are entering the Kingdom of God through much tribulation.

The above list of fiery afflictions is a small fraction of what those who are in Tabernacles are enduring. However, even in the midst of these dark waters and thick clouds, we have never known such a people who are rejoicing as they are. Yet, this does not stop us from looking forward to its end. We are eager to leave these temporary booths. For it is then that we will emerge from darkness clothed and wrapped about in God’s unsearchable riches, treasures of darkness.

It will then be said of us: "The people that walked in darkness have seen a Great Light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the Light shined." Isaiah 9:2. I don’t know about you, brethren, but this gives me rise to shout! Upon hearing the voice of our Lord—regardless of the cloud that may shroud our lives—I rejoice and praise God with all my heart! Although Tabernacles is a time of loneliness, it is also a time of rejoicing, and only those initiated into true Tabernacles can rejoice in the face of such adversity. Furthermore, if we had it to do all over again, what would we change? For if one tittle of darkness were taken out of our lives before the work was done, something of God would be lacking. We would be half-baked and fall short of His riches as we leave the shadow of death and rise from the ashes of sorrow. But we will not leave unfinished. It will not be allowed, "For Thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness." Psalm 18:28. And "Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous." Psalm 112:4. Although "...weeping may endure for a night...joy cometh in the morning" Psalm 30:5. You can count on it! Oswald Chambers called the Pavilion of Darkness the Place of Humiliation. In his book, My Utmost For His Highest, October 2 reading, he said:

"...It takes the valley of humiliation to remove the skepticism from us. Look back at your own experience and you will find that until you learned who Jesus really was, you were a skillful skeptic about His power. When you were on the mountaintop you could believe anything, but what about when you were faced with the facts of the valley? You may be able to give a testimony regarding your sanctification, but what about the thing that is a humiliation to you right now? The last time you were on the mountain with God, you saw that all the power in heaven and on earth belonged to Jesus—will you be skeptical now, simply because you are in the valley of humiliation?"

We have all known the dark valley of humiliation, and many are presently trudging through it, but take hope, brethren; for every son of God is destined to do exactly that, to pass through it. Not only that, let us remember that the LORD said to His anointed that He would "...give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places." Isaiah 45:3. We will not only possess our treasured souls, but our bodies as well. The Temple of God will then be built and set in the earth, not one made of mortar and stones, but made of His many-membered body! The treasures of darkness—the gold, silver, and precious gem stones that have been reserved in all the Babylons of religion, economics, politics, and the world in general—will be displayed with great power and authority. There will be no more darkness, no more captivity, no more sorrow, no more tears, no more pain, no more suffering, and above all—no more death! When we hear, "Let there be light," we will rise and shine! We will emulate our Lord and lead captivity captive. All nations will be subdued. We will drop down as rain upon the barren land. Those who are called out of darkness are destined to reign with Him. It can be no other way; for such a word has proceeded from the mouth of God which cannot return unto Him void, Isaiah 55:11.

God takes us on a long journey through dark waters, deep valleys, and thick clouds—for therein is where these Treasures of Darkness take form. They are hidden by the Master along with Himself. Anyone searching for the Prince of Peace will find Him there, as well as in the lions den or the fiery furnace. That is where He was found by Daniel and his three companions, and we are no greater than those holy men of faith. We surely do not seek the dark valleys of rejection, long nights of loneliness, or ongoing, debilitating infirmities; and we do not have to. If our testimony is that of Jesus Christ, they come looking for us!

I pray that these words today will be as Jesus told His disciples: "Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old." Matthew 13:52.

To me, it is clear that anyone who is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven brings forth out of the darkness of God’s treasury, things new and old. And the skeletal structure, the bones like of a giant whale, speaks of the hell that Jonah was in for three days and three nights, as well as the grave that Jesus was in for the same amount of time. It is also the hell in which Jesus descended and preached to the prisoners from Adam to Noah and led them all captive. He delivered them from that dark place, leaving it totally bare, bleached white, with no more death, as the skeleton depicts. Hell’s mouth is always opened wide. It is never full; but when those called to sonship, God’s treasures of darkness, rise with power and the word of life, they pull other treasures of darkness from the deep and set them free in Christ Jesus, while leaving their hell completely void, empty, with nothing whatsoever.

Brethren, that is the sum of it—hell will be emptied of all it has or will swallow over the ages past, present, or future! Praise God! I like the way things add up in God’s economy! Don’t you?

Elwin R. Roach