HE REVEALS MYSTERIES FROM DARKNESS

We are all acquainted with those wonderful times when we were hidden from trouble. During those assuring occasions, we echoed the words of David: Yea, in the shadow of Thy wings we made our refuge ,until those calamities were over. Psalm 57:1. And again in Psalm 91:1 — "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." We are so thankful to have been protected from ensuing calamities, as we saw piercing lightning bolts strike with a vengeance in other people’s lives. We have all known such times when we remained miraculously unharmed when so many were flooded with adversities.

However, as we progress ever closer to the end of our journey, we are becoming more aware that God’s secret place, His pavilion, is sometimes not the same as we once knew it. In the beginning of our walk as newborns, infants, and toddlers — our Father's protection was all about us. We were spared things too numerous to recount. But now, in our travels through the valley of the shadow of death, we find ourselves being baptized in Fire. His pavilion (Heb. cukkah: booth, hut or lair) has taken on a change. The shadow of His wings that once sheltered us from the storm seems now to be the storm. The shadow has become what the word means — a shadow, a shade, that which lacks light. His pavilion wherein we now abide for a season is the one David referred to: "He made darkness His secret place; His pavilion round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies." Psalm 18:11.

Paul was another who was overshadowed while in the secret place of God’s tabernacle. He wrote, "At my first answer (Greek defense) no man stood with me, but all men forsook me." 2 Timothy 4:16. Brethren, 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 is a multitude of 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 terribly with pain, dying of debilitating diseases, or them being suddenly killed; infidelities; divorces; wayward children; drug and alcohol addictions; depression; mental breakdowns; persecutions (religious and otherwise).

If you happen to be in such a dark pavilion that you don’t think you will ever see the Light of Day, take hope, for as "...wisdom excels folly — light excels darkness." Ecclesiastes 2:13. The light shall prevail! Darkness is not forever. And do you not know — the Light of Jesus Christ abides in you? If this is so, and it is, then this unquenchable Light will excel the darkness that overflows your lives. You will not remain in these pavilions of darkness 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). Tabernacles are not 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 blaze of fire. However, an end is ordained. It comes at our transformation — after the holy flames of God have finished that for which they were fashioned.

Nevertheless, when I am 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 of the River of Life, He had to empty Himself. He divested Himself of authority so He could come forth with greater authority. In death, He ceased from the Father’s works so greater works could be done by those of His corporate Body. He sounded no alarm for his followers and legions of angels to defend Him. He opened not His mouth. Rather than robbing 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, and authority).

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." Rom 1:4. Where men destroy their enemies by killing them, Jesus destroyed the devil by 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? It is unlikely. Paul spoke of the difficult road that we where 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.

In relation to the hardships we endure while in Tabernacles, Paul said: "For we that are in this tabernacle 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 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 His life.

Do we want the power of resurrection in our lives? Then let us receive the anointing of death. We don’t have to enjoy it but can endure it as our Lord before us — "...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 by the dark cloud of death.

We can now see why Paul could say: "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9b. To enforce his conviction of this truth, our Lord told him: "My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corintians 12:9a. It was Paul who also wrote: "But 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 (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 (Romans 10:8-9). It was in the same place we first saw it.

Many of us know the pain of sorrow, anguish, and longsuffering. They weigh heavily upon us at times. In the heat of the day, or the cold of the night, there seems to be little hope as the fierce winds taunt us, and the waves of the storm beat relentlessly upon the eroding shoreline of our lives. But let us 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 in the shadow of death. Maladies and ongoing traumas may be very real; but as this seventh day of Tabernacles draws to a close, we can rejoice. The Great Light of our Lord shall guide our feet into the way of peace. It matters not if our minds bodies are racked with pain, the truth is, our eye is single. With our eye being single our whole body is full of light (Luke 11:34). And when light begins to shine, if it has not already done so, will guide our feet into the way of peace.

Those lacking insight to why we are dwelling in makeshift huts will be quick and ready comforters. But their comfort will be akin to the comfort Job’s friends gave to him. If, however, they took the words of Paul to heart, they would be a little more at ease. He said: "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.

This is the light, the voice of Lord, 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 everlasting 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 (1 Corinthians 4:5).

The gates of hell shall not prevail against this great exodus from the shadow of death. None can prevent God’s mysteries 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.

In this pavilion of dark days, we may wonder on occasion how we can possibly make it to our destination. Remember, we are not of the night, but of the day, and when His candle shines upon our heads, and when His light illumines our way — we walk through the darkness as it is related in 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 upon our backs, as it were; yet these days will not last forever, and the wounds will heal. Furthermore, we know our LORD is righteous, and He will cut the cords that bind us tight (Psalms 129:1-4).

There is a time and season for everything, and we are now living in the time of being hidden in God’s pavilion of darkness. And there is the season of being unseen and protected in the secret of His tabernacle. Yet there is also the time when He shall set us up upon a Rock (Psalm 27:5). And I can tell you, brethren, anyone who is upon the rock of Christ is no longer hidden! They are in plain view. They can be seen from great distances. It is then that the seven days of Tabernacles are over. Hence — the manifestation of the Sons of God!

In the closing hours of Tabernacles, we hear David’s words echoing down through the ages and into our own hearts: "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).