“And out
of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite
the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron…” (Rev.
19:15).
At
first glance such a scene may seem fanciful and to the natural reasoning
it certainly appears incredible. All kinds of ridiculous notions have
been promoted from this picture! But as we approach it from the spiritual
viewpoint we discover the truth presented is most beautiful and
significant. The Holy Spirit always illumines the symbols, and in this
instant He brings to mind another scripture that throws light on this
one. The book of Hebrews is a book that explores the glories of
Christ’s sonship, kingship, and priesthood. It is written to show His
superiority over all prophets, priests, and kings who went before
Him. It is my conviction that the passage in the fourth chapter
specifically has reference to Him, when it says, “the word of God is
living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb.
4:12). The title “the Word of God” is the title ascribed to
Jesus by John in the vision now under consideration. As I was in
meditation upon this beautiful truth it became clear to me that the
writer of the book of Hebrews is referring to Christ Himself as “the Living
Word of God,” and not to the written word, the
scriptures, but to that quickening, energizing Word that lies beyond the
sacred page. He says, “The Word of God is LIVING AND POWERFUL, sharper
than any two-edged sword.” Then he immediately goes on to
say, “neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight;
but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with
whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:13). Obviously
the “him” in this verse refers to the Living Word of God just spoken of,
signifying that this Living Word is not a book — it is a Person!
A further
description is given of this Word of God, revealing the great truth that
not only is it living, but it is also a sharp two-edged
sword! This adds to the picture of the Christ coming to judge and
make war. Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, which according to
Revelation 1:6 is a “sharp two-edged sword,” and in our text
is used to smite the nations and bring them under His righteous
rule. The Greek word here for “sword” is hromphaia which indicates
a long Thracian sword or one unusually large and longer than most
swords. The same word is sometimes used to describe a javelin, a sword
sufficiently light and long to be thrown as a spear. Here the word is
used symbolically to represent a sharp instrument of war with which
Christ will smite the nations and establish His absolute rule.
The key
word here is mouth. “Out of His mouth goeth a
sharp sword…” How meaningful this is! It is a sword, yes — but a kind
of sword that comes forth out of the mouth. The sword that goes forth
from the mouth of Christ is without doubt the sharp two-edged sword of
the Word of God! His name is called THE WORD OF GOD. He is the
LOGOS. “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made” (Ps.
33:6). This is He who was in the beginning. “In the beginning was the
Word” (Jn. 1:1). This is the Word that was God. “…the Word was with
God, and the Word was God” (Jn. 1:1). In Him was life, and the life was
the light of men. This is He of whom it is written, “He sent His Word,
and healed them.” This is the Word that is sharper than any two-edged
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. In
this vision of John this One is represented as being armed with a sword,
two-edged and sharp, passing out of His mouth, indicating
that His chief force lies in the action of His lips uttering words. His
force is truth — truth expressed by His mouth in words. He goes forth
to battle wielding only the weapon of Truth! Christ does not come to
avenge blood or slay in battle as other conquerors have done. His words
smite all who hear them! As someone has said, it will smite them with
conviction and bless them with conversion.
The
apostle Paul
says, “Take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God”
(Eph. 6:17). When the legionnaires of Caesar girded on their belts and
fastened their breastplates in position
and took upon themselves their helmets and picked up their shields and
swords, they were going forth conquering as a conqueror, to travel
across the face of Europe for Imperial
Rome, and to conquer all that came before them. How does the Christ
conquer? By His WORD!
When I
speak, or write, I manifest spiritual influences, and the force of these
influences is proportionate to the inner power, and their effect is
proportionate to the state of reception of my hearers. Words are thus
seen to be representatives of spiritual forces, but not merely
representatives, but also vehicles of spiritual powers! It is
truly amazing! Many times as I write there is a powerful anointing that
permeates my being. Even this week as I have given myself to penning
these messages, that divine unction has been awesome, at times almost
overwhelming, as though I was caught up into another dimension of
consciousness and being. The words that I write are in a computer, then
transferred to paper, sent through the mail, and read by thousands of
the Lord’s people. Then we receive letters, and precious ones write of
the effect of those words, how as they read understanding dawned in
their spiritual minds, encouragement and strength poured into their
hearts, some write of an uncontrollable laughter or weeping with tears
of thanksgiving and joy — for in some strange, mysterious way the very words which
were written out of the anointing actually become vehicles of the
life and power of the Living Word — there is a transference of the
anointing, of divine life and glory through the words which are
words of God. Oh, the mystery of it! Oh, the wonder of it! The action
of spirit on spirit is appreciable by the senses, and could we look
behind the veil of nature we would see that the influence exerted
through words is as real and actual as muscular force. From this we
learn that words are not mere sounds or forms, but are the sheaths or
cases of spiritual life, and on this ground we at once see the force of
the Lord’s declaration, “The words that I speak unto you, they are
spirit, and they are life” (Jn. 6:63).
The
Lord’s speech is the manifestation and influence of His inner life
poured forth upon those to whom He speaks. An incident in the life of
Jesus, recorded in Luke, chapter seven, provides a picture in which may
be discerned the POWER OF THE WORDS OF
GOD. As He approached the gate of Nain there met Him a funeral
procession, a widow’s only son carried out to burial. Moved with
compassion for the sorrowing woman He bade her dry her tears. The
astounded crowd heard Him address the figure upon the bier. “Young man,
I say unto thee, Arise!” The power of the speech of the Prince of Life
pierced the realm of the dead! The lad sat up and began to speak. The
tender Christ delivered him to his mother, and made effective His
command, “Weep not!” Her son was not only brought back from the gates
of the tomb, but was restored to her as a gift from the Lord BY THE
POWER OF HIS WORD.
On
another occasion Jesus had come up to Jerusalem to
attend the feast. As He reached the city He came to the Pool of
Bethesda and He looked into the pool. There were five porches around
that pool. He passed through the porches, and at the last came to a
poor man, sick for thirty-eight years, who had been pushed away from the
sacred spring. The man was startled as he heard the Voice. “Wilt thou
be made whole?” He looked up into the face of a Man who was looking
down at him, asking that strange question, “Wilt thou be made
whole?” There went right down into his heart a strange sensation, his
whole being vibrated like a harp when every string is touched by a
master hand. “Wilt thou be made whole?” Gently
he explained that he had no man to help him into the pool, but that
others, when he was coming, step down before him. Then he waited with
his eyes fixed upon the Man who had so strangely appealed to his
will. He got ready, for the very next moment he heard the voice of Him
who is the Resurrection and the Life say, “Rise, take up thy bed and
walk!” And in a moment there came into his body with that Word, power;
and he rose, took up that bed, rolled it up and walked home, set free
from the bonds of Satan who had bound him for thirty-eight
years. Oh! The power of the flaming
sword of the Living Word of God that proceeds out of His mouth!
As the
Christ of God is a many-membered body, so is the sword that goes out of
His mouth. The word of God is spoken in the world today by the body of
Christ on earth, and that word flows forth as the sound of many
waters. There are not to be two swords nor an hundred and forty-four
thousand swords — not one out of the mouth of the Lord, and the others
out of the mouths of His ministers. There is one sword, and it is
HIS. Our quotation of scripture, our knowledge of the Bible, and our
understanding of truth is not the sword of the Lord! The sword of the
Lord is that word which proceedeth only out of HIS MOUTH, and out of
ours as we are made one in Him. The sword out of His mouth is
the Word of God, His very own Word, of sovereign authority and power
that whether spoken to the angels, or to devils, or to the winds, or to
the waves of the sea, or to the dead who are in their graves, or
proclaims the present and approaching purposes and plans of God, is
heard by those unto whom it is sent and commands obedience (Ps.
29:1-11). The sword of the Lord bespeaks of a purified people, holding
forth the word of Life in the power of the Holy Spirit, and how we
praise God for this company!
The
Spirit of God is forming and fashioning a people, a glorious company,
from whose lips flash
forth that clear word of the Lord which shall cause the
traditions and unrighteousness of man to utterly come to naught. It was
said of our Lord and Elder Brother, “Never
man spake like this man” (Jn. 7:46). “What thing is this, what new
doctrine is this? FOR WITH AUTHORITY commandeth HE even the unclean
spirits, and they do obey Him!” (Mk. 1:27). “What manner of man is
this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!” (Mat. 8:27). That
which was manifest in Jesus Christ shall also be seen in His
many-membered-brethren-company. There are preview glimpses of this even
in God’s servants in the Old Testament. With what boldness did Elijah
the prophet pronounce unto Ahab the king, “As the Lord God of Israel liveth,
before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but
according to my word” (I Kings 17:1). And that word was fulfilled!
God’s
elect has at this time received the “firstfruits” of the Spirit, the
“pledge” and “down payment” of that fullness revealed in the firstborn
Son of God. We have witnessed the movings and miracles of God on a
certain level as the sick have been healed and wonders done in the name
of Jesus. Oh, yes! I have seen these things with my own eyes, and
miracles have on occasion been wrought through even my word, and the
laying on of hands. But it has not been consistent nor constant nor
perpetual, only a little here, and a little there, from time to time
according to men’s faith and the seasonal movings of the Spirit. All we
have experienced up to this time is but a taste, a foretaste, an
appetizer, a firstfruit, a small sample of the glory that is coming upon
the sons of God! When our hearts are fully prepared for it, the pure
and powerful Word of God shall cause His ministers to ride
victoriously. Naught shall be able to stand before God’s army of sons
bearing the two-edged sword of HIS WORD! Not demons, not
sickness, not sorrow, not limitation, not death, not the elements, not
nature, not religion, not rulers, not governments, not armies, not
organizations, not philosophies, not science falsely so called, not anything! How
phenomenal, how glorious shall be the advance of this mighty company of
warriors with the sword going out of their mouth!
This is
not some carnal battle fought with carnal means, but the utterance of
the Living Word of Truth and Power
which no man shall be able to disannul. Ah, how fleshly have been the
swords by which the religious systems of man have conquered! These
“Christian” countries have even gone to war with one another, and with
other powers of earth. These “Christian” armies have sent millions into
a fast hell. Through long centuries the “Christian” nations have been
on fire with brawls, party against party, faction against
faction. These “Christian” nations have deceit and fraud, oppression
and wrong, robbery and murder, in their streets. The “Christian”
families are torn asunder with envy, jealousy, anger, domestic disputes
and abuse, separation and divorce, without number and without end. And
what is most dreadful, most to be lamented of all, are those “Christian”
churches! Those churches that bear the name of Christ, the Prince of
Peace, yet wage continual war with each other. Throughout the church
age this church has attempted to convert sinners at the point of a sword
and sometimes by burning men alive. As it has sought to “purify” itself
and maintain its so-called “orthodoxy” by ridding itself of those it
perceived as heretics, this church has murdered untold millions
throughout the earth and become drunk with the blood of saints and of
martyrs. It has brought praise only to Satan. It is a false church, a
false Christ, a false sword, a false word! This false sword, this
spurious gospel, is waging its carnal warfare throughout the nations!
True
revival and true worship have all but fled from the harlot systems and
can be found only in the hearts of the small remnant who love God and to
whom the word of the Lord is precious. All who have studied the history
of the so-called church know of the abominations committed by this
wanton and worldly system. They have conquered by sorcery, intrigue,
murder, war, and torture. They have made all nations drink of the wine
of their fornication. And in this “enlightened” hour the lewd harlot of
false Christianity stalks the earth still, pontificating about morality
and spirituality. False revivals abound. The false sword is
wielded. The false gospel is proclaimed from the pulpits, from the
printing presses, and over the air-waves. False prophets, false
teachers, false shepherds, false apostles, false evangelists, false
healers, false miracle workers, and false Christs abound together with
all the marvelous works of trickery, deceit, and deception, insomuch
that, if it were possible, the very elect would be deceived.
We have
heard many so-called Gospels. The world is full of poor deluded
souls who are trying to establish their own particular creed of
imaginings and mistakes. We try to go to the world, we try to tell them
the message, by using all the world’s own methods, to advertise, to
appeal to their emotions, to entertain them with music and programs, and
if that fails to try to scare them into salvation with threats of
judgment, doom, and hell-fire. It only proves our impotence, that we
have not left the world very far behind if we can return and employ the
world’s ways so easily.
Today,
everyone with a little bit of preacher’s “itch” is attempting to get
themselves a little congregation, a little following, to build a little
kingdom. These all imagine that somehow they are going to go out and
storm the world and “take the world” for Christ. But a new day is
dawning, a day when the pure and unadulterated gospel of the kingdom must
go forth to the whole world. Religionists have tried in vain to lift
the world out of its darkness and shame by their ambitious programs and
preaching their own ideas and doctrines. It simply would not
work. Sin, immorality, sorrow, fear, violence, and spiritual ignorance
are abounding more and more and the world has grown steadily worse! The
lofty phrases, and text-book
prayers, and apologetic platitudes, and time-honored traditions, and
powerless preaching, and carnal, man-made programs and drives and
crusades of all kinds have utterly failed. Now a new company is to go
forth with a burning message of truth direct from the throne, out of the
heavens of the Spirit of the Lord, and in the fullness of power reserved
for this day. The anointing of the manifest sons of God shall be an
anointing WITHOUT MEASURE, the fullness of Christ’s SONSHIP MINISTRY,
and the message of these sons shall be a message stripped of all the
ineffectual absurdities that have been preached throughout the
years. Religionists have side-stepped, and mollycoddled, and
back-slapped too long. Their day is done!
The sun
is sinking in the western sky of this age of the “in part” realm. A new
day is dawning for those who have been quickened from above. A new army
is being prepared for this new day, an army of the sons of God perfected
in His image, matured in His life, refined in His righteousness, filled
with the precious mind that was in Christ Jesus, radiating the
effulgence of His glory, demonstrating the omnipotence of His power, and
equipped with the sword of His Spirit which is the Living, Creative Word
of God. And there shall be an exultant victory! For now the day is
fastly approaching when “A-L-L nations shall come and worship before
Thee” (Rev. 15:4). “And…all the nations…shall even go up from year to
year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to KEEP THE FEAST OF
TABERNACLES” (Zech. 14:16). That word clearly predicts a new
day! It cannot be denied by any that throughout this age all
the peoples and all the nations that have come to worship the Lord have
worshipped exclusively and only in the feasts of Passover and
Pentecost! Not one nation has ever come to worship the Lord
in the FEAST OF TABERNACLES. Not one! But there is a day, O glorious
day! when all the peoples and all the nations of earth shall know the
Lord and feast with Him in a new order and a new glory — in the blessing
and provision and power of TABERNACLES! Only the manifest sons of God
can usher in such a day!
In this
hour God is moving by His Spirit among those who are being drawn by the
Spirit of the living God into the unseen and eternal realms where they
hear what the Spirit is saying. The words that these are hearing in the
Spirit are the teaching of the Holy Ghost, and the teaching is for the
training and equipping of the army of the Lord. God is making His sons
aware and causing them to become familiar with the instruments of war
they must use in this spiritual and heavenly warfare. He is especially
training us in the use of our sword — the sword of the Spirit, which is
the Word of God! We have spent years reading and studying the Written
Word, and we still do. We also gathered
with the saints to hear the preaching of the word and the utterances of
the prophetic word. Nearly seventy years have passed since the Lord
began to “call out” those who He would lead into higher realms and
deeper depths of His purposes. Yet there are brethren who still argue
over the scriptures and try to bind God between the covers of the Holy
Book. There is the Written Word of God which we hold precious and
sacred. As we have discovered in our present study of the book of
Revelation, we know that deep beneath the surface of the Written Word
there is a gold mine of divine, living truth. And we know that there
are not enough books in the whole world to contain the thoughts and ways
and works of our Father! We must ever remember that there is the Word
that was with God in the beginning. And there is the Word that was
God in the beginning. That Word was before the Sacred Page,
and He is also beyond the Sacred Page. There is the Word which
is God, whom we know and love and serve. Only the Spirit of God can
divide the two — then take THE WORD and reveal HIM to us!
My
beloved, we once knew Him who is the Word in that long ago before the
beginning when we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world,
while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted
for joy. We knew Him as one brought up with Him, and we rejoiced always
before Him. Then, being lowered into this gross material realm, we had
to be brought to know Him again, and were first introduced to Him by the
Written Word, the Sacred Page. But now we seek to know Him again beyond the
Sacred Page, for that is where we find our destiny and our inheritance
in the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The Word which is God, is
the Word which the sons of God shall shout from atop the holy mountain of the
Lord! This is the Word, even the sword, which shall smite the
nations. This is the Word that shall set creation free. This is the
Word that shall bring forth the New Creation, the New Heavens and the
New Earth. This is the Word which shall fill all things with
Himself. It is through this Word that we have life for the ages!
All
this shall be accomplished by the sword of Him that rideth on the white
horse, because the Word of God is LIVING, AND POWERFUL, AND SHARPER THAN
ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD! “These things saith He which hath the sharp
sword with two edges…” (Rev. 2:12). Do you know what it means that
it is a two-edged sword? In the first century there were
three primary swords that armies used when they went into combat. There
was one sword that was a big, heavy, cumbersome thing, you could only
use it with two hands, and you usually rested it on your shoulders, for
it was that heavy. You went into combat and you would swing at the
enemy with that sword with both hands, you could almost club them to
death with it, it was so heavy, and it would cut right through the metal
of their armor. The problem with that was, in the first place, it was
so heavy that it got you tired; secondly, if you took a swipe at
somebody and missed, you were very vulnerable to a counter attack.
There
was a second kind of sword, the kind we usually think of, a sword with a
point at the front and one side of it had a sharp edge. You would take
that into battle and try to whack the enemy with that one side, pull it
back, and try to strike them again. Then someone thought of the idea of
sharpening both sides — it was as revolutionary in the days of Rome as
the atomic bomb was for us. When a legion went into combat with a sword
that had a blade on both sides they had an incredible advantage — the
soldier could cut from all directions, forward and backward. Now that’s
what the writer to the Hebrews had in mind when He wrote about the Word
of God being living, and powerful, and sharper than
any two-edged sword of man. The Word of God is alive! The
Word of God is powerful! The Word of God is sharp! How
effective it is! Without the Word of the Lord man is like a blind man
in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn’t there. Man’s sword is
a sword of death. It kills. But God’s sword is living — it
cuts away and kills what needs to be killed in order to make
alive. It is a living sword — yea, a life-giving sword! Isn’t
it wonderful!
Let us
now consider something further
about the word of the Lord. There is a significant statement about the
word in Psalm 105:8. “He hath remembered His covenant for ever, the word which
He commanded to a thousand generations.” “Word” in this passage is
from the Hebrew word dabar, the meaning of which indicates
“an arrangement of words.” It speaks of words that are set forth in
order, not merely a conglomeration of words, nor any single word or
group of words having no structure, message, or purpose. Dabar denotes
an arrangement of words set in order that declare a message having
substance, which can be understood and appropriated. It is significant
to note that this word dabar is translated “promise” later on in
the same Psalm. “For He remembered His holy promise, and
Abraham His servant.” What is a promise? It’s a word! When
a man makes a promise he gives his word. Therefore this word which God
remembers and which He commanded to a thousand generations is HIS WORD
OF PROMISE!
Hebrew
is an extremely fascinating language. I studied Hebrew for a couple
years and then made an effort to study Greek, but in my love of language
I am partial to Hebrew. I would love to speak it fluently! I learned
some interesting things about the Hebrew language. Early in my studies
I purchased a Hebrew clock which I hung over my desk in my office. The
“numbers” on the clock are letters of the Hebrew alphabet beginning with
“aleph”, or “A,” then “beth,” which is “B,” and so on. I
couldn’t understand it, and not yet being familiar with the Hebrew
letters of the alphabet, I could still tell time by this clock because I
knew where one o’clock, or three o’clock, or any other hour is on the
face of a clock. What I couldn’t understand was why they didn’t have
numbers on the clock — one, two, three, and so on. Soon I learned that
Hebrew, like Greek, and Latin, and many other languages, is a numeric
language. In a numeric language they don’t use numbers! We all
know what Roman numerals are. In a numeric language a value is ascribed
to each letter of the alphabet, therefore “numbers” as we know them are
unnecessary, they simply use the letters of the alphabet as
numbers. Hebrew is like that, so when I learned that “aleph,” which
is the letter “A” in the Hebrew alphabet, is “one” I then
understood why “aleph” was where the “one” would be on the
clock. Knowing the numerical value of the Hebrew characters enabled me
to be able to actually read the clock, not just tell time by my previous
knowledge of telling time.
There
is another truth beyond this of far greater significance. Not only does
each letter of the Hebrew alphabet have a numeric value, but each
possesses within it a spiritual connotation. In other words,
there is a spiritual value ascribed to each letter of the
alphabet in addition to the numeric value. One letter will carry a
value such as righteousness, another bears the value of faithfulness,
another carries the value of the self-existent One, the One who is, etc.. Thus,
when one speaks or writes in Hebrew the letters in each word that he
speaks or writes contain within them the essence
of the spiritual qualities which characterize the meaning of that
word. This truth is referred to by the Psalmist when speaking of the
Lord, he said, “He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth
them all by their names, great is our Lord, and of great power:
His understanding is infinite” (Ps. 147:4-5). The “number”
of the stars denotes the numerical value; their “names” denote their
spiritual value, for the name signifies the nature. In Isaiah 40:25-26,
God said, “To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith
the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created
these things, that bringeth out their host by numbers; He calleth
them all by names, by the greatness of His might.” What
a mighty God we serve who can conceal within the name of every created
thing the spiritual essence,
nature, and destiny of that thing! Truly He IS infinite and of great
might!
In the
opening verse of the Bible we read, “In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth.” Now God chose the Hebrew language to record
that! The Jewish scholars believe that Hebrew was the original
language, the divine language, before any other language existed. I
don’t know whether that is true, but I do believe that in His
omniscient wisdom
and by divine design and purpose God arranged to have the original
scriptures of the Old Testament recorded in Hebrew and the New Testament
books written in Greek. For this reason I am a believer in what is
called the “verbal inspiration” of the scriptures. That means simply
that God inspired the Bible writers word by word, He ordered the
precise arrangement of every word and every sentence to reveal within
them not only the surface meaning of the words, but within their
divinely ordered arrangement may be searched out His hidden or secret
wisdom. Within His word God has given us a power. We could get hung
up, as the fundamentalists do, on the idea that God verbally inspired
this word, and make a holy relic or a religious idol out of the
Bible. That’s not the purpose of God at all! In fact, the
fundamentalists who challenge the cause of “verbal inspiration” never
get into the inner essence,
life, and power of the word — they are stuck on the external surface
meaning of the letter that killeth! The great truth the
Lord is revealing to us is that when He speaks, contained within
that word are all the characteristics of His wisdom
and power which the word represents. Therefore, resident within every
living word of God is all the wisdom,
energy, potential, glory, and power of God necessary to bring that
word to pass! That, precious friend of mine, is why the Lord
can confidently assert: “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of
my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish
that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I sent
it” (Isa. 55:11). Notice — the Lord does not say that HE will
accomplish that which He declares by His word, but IT, that is, the word
itself, shall accomplish that whereunto He sends it! The power is in the Word!
On the
natural level every letter of every word in the Hebrew language has a
spiritual value, so that when you put those words together they have
spiritual meanings according to the characters that are in
those words. That is a divine and beautiful science, only designed by
the mind of omniscience, but if we stop there in the external form of
the “letter” of the Word, we miss the point altogether! The deeper
truth is that God is pointing to a spiritual reality beyond the
outward “science,” and when He speaks any living word to
us there is contained within that living word all the energizing life,
knowledge, wisdom,
glory, and power to accomplish all that it promises. God Himself is in
His Word to perform it! That is the mystery. The creative
energy in every living word that proceeds out of His mouth is the power
of His own divinity. Just as the power of life that forms the giant oak
is resident in the tiny acorn which falls into the ground, so is the
creative power of divine life resident within every word we hear from
our heavenly Father. And that, my beloved, is the promise of
God’s word! That God “remembers His promise” means infinitely more than
the notion that He doesn’t “forget” His verbal assurance, pledge, or
vow. The assurance that God will do all that He says lies not within
the form of the words we hear, but the guarantee is found in the divine
ability and power residing in the word. Can you not see
the mystery?
How
many who read these lines have ever questioned a word of the
Lord? Have you ever doubted a word of the Lord? Have you at
sometime perhaps disobeyed a word of the Lord? The reason for
this was because we did not comprehend the power that was in that
word! Our failure to perceive the living essence
that was in the word, in which essence
was contained everything necessary to bring it to pass, was the root of
our unbelief and weakness. Oh, yes! When the word of the Lord is
quickened within our hearts by the Holy Spirit we have only to say
“Amen” and proceed to walk in that word and the miracle of the living
power in the word will unfold just as naturally as the budding of a
plant, bringing to fruition all that the Lord has spoken. The miracles
of God are the simplest things in the world! Simple trust and
obedience, stepping forth in faith to embrace and walk in the promise of
God, releases the power of the word to perform it. Our faith and
obedience are just like supplying water and sunshine to a seed that has
fallen into the ground, causing it to germinate and spring forth,
releasing the power of its life within!
To
every member of God’s elect there must come a time when the truth of
the power resident within the word of God to us dawns as the
morning on the meadows of our consciousness. With all confidence I tell
every person who reads these lines that prophecy (prophetic utterance)
is not fulfilled simply because God foreknows what is to happen. God
does indeed
know all things, for “known unto God are all His works from the
foundation of the world.” Truly He knows the end from the beginning and
nothing is hidden from Him! The grossest darkness is bright as the
noonday sun to the all-seeing eye of the Lord our God. We could say
that because God knows what will happen He is able to speak beforehand
precisely what will come to pass and therefore that is prophecy. That
seems altogether logical to the natural mind. But I do not hesitate to
tell you that that is not the reason prophecy comes to pass! Prophecy
is not fulfilled on the basis of God’s foreknowledge. Prophecy comes to
pass because the life of God, the ability of God, and the power of God
are in that word to perform all that it speaks. Again I
say that the word of God is not just a spoken foreknowledge, for the
word of God is itself CREATIVE ENERGY!
“In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God. ALL
THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM, AND WITHOUT HIM WAS NOT ANYTHING MADE
THAT WAS MADE. IN HIM WAS LIFE; AND THE LIFE WAS THE LIGHT OF
MEN” (Jn. 1:1-4). God did not say, “Let there be light,” because He
knew there would be light; rather, He said, “Let there be light,” so
there would be light!” And the power that created the light
was The Word. That is the difference. We stated above that there must
come a time when every one of God’s called and chosen elect is
thoroughly possessed of the understanding of this great and eternal
truth concerning the power resident in the living word of God. This
is unerringly true because we are called to be the proclaimers of His
Word. As the sons of God go forth into spiritual warfare to smite the
nations, the Living Word of God is our sword!
Let me
give you an example of how we are called to rule and reign over the
nations at this present time. In 1983 the Lord spoke to me in a
dream. In the dream I was standing on a wide boulevard at a busy
intersection in the city of Moscow, Russia. At
this intersection was a large vacant lot, and erected on this lot was a
tall pole on the top of which was affixed crucifixes and religious
emblems of the type used by the Russian
Orthodox Church. I stood in transfixed wonder, astonished that in a
nation ruled by an atheistic government which harshly suppressed all
outward expressions of religious faith, this religious symbol should be
planted in such a prominent spot with no connection to any nearby church
edifice. As I marveled, I turned and saw to my left a vast throng of
people coming, marching down the boulevard. The street was completely
flooded with this crowd of demonstrators, and those at the head of the
parade (who I presumed were priests) held out in front of them a great
number of crucifixes and religious emblems identical with those on the
pole. Again I was amazed that in an atheistic nation where public
demonstrations were prohibited, this multitude of people should be
uninhibitedly parading their religious symbols through the
thoroughfares. At that moment I started across the side street, but the
demonstrators turned toward me and I found it necessary to run in order
to keep from being trampled.
Immediately the scene changed. I was in the same city, but
found myself in a storefront building. There was nothing in the large
room where I stood except a number of folding chairs. I was aware that
this building was used by certain believers who met for prayer, counsel,
preparation and planning; for from this place teams of ministry were
sent forth throughout the length and breadth
of Russia. Suddenly I was transferred to a small room at the back of
the building. The room was furnished with only a single cot with a
small table at its head, upon which lay a book with a dark purple cover,
and embossed across the front in gold letters was this title: THE UNITED
STATES IN PROPHECY. The next scene was back in the larger room where
several people were now congregated. I knew that a meeting was soon to
begin, with prayer and a strategy session for sending out the ministry
teams. In connection with this activity I was shown a massive
intervention of God’s power accompanied by a dramatic move of the Holy
Spirit across Russia by
which the whole nation would be stirred with the manifestation of the
glory of God. With this electrifying knowledge planted within my
consciousness, I awoke.
Immediately the interpretation of the dream flooded my
spirit. It was clear that a new condition of RELIGIOUS LIBERTY was to
come to the people of the Soviet Union. Remember
— this was 1983! At that time Yuri Andropov was in power and Mikhail
Gorbachev was unknown to the Western world. We had not yet heard the
words GLASNOST and PERESTROIKA. And the imminent collapse of the Soviet
Union was the farthest thing from anybody’s mind! In 1984,
first at a Convention in Daytona
Beach, Florida, I commenced
to proclaim the word the Lord had given me; following that in meetings
in El Paso, Texas and
in other parts of the country. The Spirit revealed to me that religious
liberty (typified by the pole on the vacant lot) was coming
to the Russian people and that the advent of religious liberty would be
followed by a revival of religion (represented by the
parade). This we have seen come to pass! Late in 1989 as I watched the
NBC Evening News, suddenly — THERE IT WAS! The reporter was giving a
report from Moscow. Down
the broad avenue I saw them coming — a vast throng, literally hundreds
of Christian believers marching on foot…at the forefront of the crowd marched
the Russian
Orthodox Priests holding out the crucifixes and icons — the exact scene
I had witnessed in my dream six years prior! I shouted through the
house to Lorain,
“Honey, come, look! That’s it! There is the procession I saw in my
dream!”
Exactly
as the Lord said, much of what is happening spiritually in Russia today
is taking place within the precincts of religious Babylon. The Russian Orthodox Church has
had a dramatic influx of people and increase of priests and seminaries,
and restoration of power and prestige. Thousands of new churches have
opened representing many denominations and groups. The Lord has opened
doors — tremendous avenues for the gospel of salvation. Teaching
services in Russian
churches are now diverted to evangelistic messages in deference to the
masses of unbelievers (most first-time attenders) flooding the
meetings. Invited by friends or attracted by a printed invitation,
many Russian
people come to churches seeking an answer to their great spiritual
hunger. Evangelical churches are filled with new inquirers, and many
newcomers are converted to Christ. Most have dramatic and emotional
experiences — all are life-changing. Excitement permeates Russian
churches as believers have the joy of leading unbelievers — people who
have never
been exposed to spirituality or prayed before in their lives — to the
Lord. And there is a very significant revival in the cities,
especially among the youth. But for the most part this is all an
elementary move of the Spirit in the feast of Passover set within the
context of the church systems of man.
The
sovereign move of God in miracle working power that the Lord showed me
in 1983 HAS NOT YET BLOSSOMED — but the seeds of it are planted and it
looms upon the horizon. According to the word of the Lord there was to
be a revival of religion first, then the mighty move of the
Spirit of God! Since 1984 I have had a ministry to Russia in
and by the Spirit and through that saw the collapse of Soviet Communism
there just as the Lord had moved me to proclaim. Everything that has
happened there has been according to that word of the Lord and the
proclaiming of it! That is what it means to be given power over the
nations and to reign over them out of the heavenlies! By
prayer, by faith, and by the revelation and proclamation of the word of
the Lord we have heavenly governmental power and authority to change
things! The sons of God are beginning to reign in the heavens of
God’s Spirit, and earth is being impacted by their authority and
dominion! When the present distress in Russia has
run its course, there will be an unprecedented, sovereign move of God in
that country that will bring the glory and honor and power of the kingdom of God in
a new and higher dimension, and bringing multitudes into living
relationship with God beyond the religious systems of man through
the power of the Holy Spirit! I was made to understand that the book I
saw — THE UNITED STATES IN PROPHECY — indicated
that American
ministries were destined to play a pivotal role in this move of the
Spirit in Russia. But
beyond that, America represents to
the whole world the concept of LIBERTY,
and God is about to PROCLAIM LIBERTY to the former captives of communist
ideology, sin, darkness, ignorance, bondage, helplessness, poverty,
sorrow, and death throughout Russia!
The
groundwork is being laid. The preparation is in progress. The stage is
being set. And regardless of what events, positive or negative, may yet
transpire, the mighty God, in due time, will utter His voice from the
heavens and great shall be the sound of abundance of rain. Can you
comprehend, dear reader, what effect you can have upon creation by
REIGNING FROM THE HEAVENLIES? There is no need to board a great
airliner and fly to far-away nations with strange sounding names and
quaint customs in order to bless the world. I have never
set foot on the soil of Russia,
yet I do not doubt for one instant that the faith and prayer in my heart
and the declarations of God’s word through my mouth aided in some
mysterious and divine way the amazing events that have unfolded and are
unfolding in that distant land. THERE IS POWER
IN THE SPOKEN WORD OF THE LORD! GOD’S SPOKEN WORD IS THE MIGHTY SWORD OF THE SPIRIT!
Let me tell you
something. What has happened in the former Soviet
Union has nothing to do with me personally any more than
anything God does through you has anything to do with you. It is the
work of God! Yet I ask — did God show me, and did God have me declare,
the manifestation of His kingdom power in Russia because
He knew it was going to happen, or did He have me declare that word SO
IT COULD AND WOULD HAPPEN? Ah, He gave me a word to declare so that
by the power of the Lord in the word would be unleashed a mighty
river of life, the omnipotence of God to bring it to pass! That is the
great truth the Holy Spirit would make real to your heart today. It is
my deep conviction that if I had never
declared it, it would not have happened! Granted, the Lord could
have proclaimed it through someone else — the result would have been the
same. For it has nothing to do with me, or you, or anyone else — it has
everything to do with the POWER IN THE
WORD!
God is
in His Word in all His ability, omnipotence, majesty, and dominion to
move upon men and nations. No word of God can fail! Here is the power
of the kingdom of God! Here
is the power of the sword that goes out of His mouth! It is almost
possible to hear the thrill of Isaiah’s voice as it comes ringing over
the centuries: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than
the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than
your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from
heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh
it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and
bread to the eater: SO SHALL MY WORD BE THAT GOETH FORTH OUT OF MY
MOUTH: IT SHALL NOT RETURN UNTO ME VOID, BUT IT SHALL ACCOMPLISH THAT
WHICH I PLEASE, AND IT SHALL PROSPER IN THE THING WHEREUNTO I
SENT IT. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace:
the mountains (strong kingdoms) and the hills (smaller kingdoms) shall break
forth before you into singing, and all the trees (peoples) of the field
shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn (evil men) shall come
up the fir tree (fragrant ones), and instead of the briar (vicious,
violent, vindictive men) shall come up the myrtle tree (peace loving,
righteous ones): and it shall be to the Lord for a name(the shining
forth of His nature), and for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut
off” (Isa. 55:8-13).
Christ
and His army of sons come riding out of the heavens on white horses and
they come to judge and make war. In the vision John saw
this judgment and warfare activity limited to “the sword of their
mouth.” There are no other implements of war seen in the vision! In
other words, this spiritual warfare is performed entirely
by the spoken word of God through their lips! And it is
not extreme to suppose that only the word of the Lord
would have the power to carry out the warfare! Any individual
who sought personal revenge, or a demonstration of human ability, or the
effort to fight the battle by the same tired old methods of the carnal
church systems or the militant nations of earth, would be powerless to
perform any such supernatural activity of warfare. Anything less than
the redeeming power of God’s word would not have the motivation of love,
and therefore the originator would not be God, and the goal would not
be deliverance,
salvation, blessing, and restoration. Thus it can be seen that it will
be only through enlightened, matured, and perfected sons
of God that the words of God in LOVE-JUDGMENT can be spoken! For in
them alone will the nature of the Father be unmixed with the nature of
man! Aren’t you glad!
TREADING THE
WINEPRESS
“Out of
His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations:
and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the
winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Rev. 19:15).
The
following quote is from brother Elwin Roach, taken from his Pathfinder publication,
in which he has given a very inspirational insight into this process of
the winepress.
“Treading
out the winepress is similar, if not the same, as ruling with a
rod of iron. ‘And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto
the end, to him will I give power (Gr. exousia, authority) over
the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the
vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I
received of my Father’ (Rev. 2:26-27). The rod is used to break
people like a potter breaks
his vessels. The afflicted are pressed and broken in order to bring
forth something much greater, life from the world of death. Those
broken to shivers are the marred and cracked vessels who are unusable
and unfit for the glorious kingdom of God. They
are not able to hold the simple water of the Word or the wine of the
Spirit. It is difficult to repair cracked vessels of clay; but it
is a simple matter to break them to
shivers, that is, to crush them completely, grind them to powder, cast
them into the Potter’s field to
be weathered, worn, and reduced to pliable clay. When the time is
right, they are then RE-FORMED in the Potter’s
hands, and all are made new as Revelation 21:5 says they will be.
“As it
is with the re-forming of the Potter’s
vessels, the treading out of the winepress brings forth a higher,
everlasting form of life. For instance, ripe grapes are full of sweet
juices. They possess beauty and sustenance. They are pleasant to the
eye and taste. A burst of energy can be had when grapes are eaten; but
the true life, the higher life of the vine is not known until the inner
juice is released. That releasing is due to the crushing of its fruit,
and seemingly a spoiling during the fermentation process. But there is
no spoiling! There are no values lost! To the contrary, much is
gained! The life of the vine in that fruit is released and manifested
in that process of bruising and dying. There is a marvelous
transformation and resurrection. Abundant life comes out of death. Now
we know why wine is called spirits. The inner spirit/life
has been released as the essence
of the fruit is transformed. Many may appear as though they are rich
and full of life, like plump, religious grapes, yet they will never
drink of the new wine of the kingdom without the treading out
of the winepress, or being vessels broken
to shivers and re-formed.
“We
should note that neither the treading out of the winepress nor the breaking
of vessels are in vindictive vengeance. There is no anger of any sort,
and neither is it a cold, uncaring, retribution to someone who
‘deserves’ God’s harsh, legal ‘justice.’ By no means is this rule of
iron and this treading of the winepress done in malice
or without heartfelt feelings of love. Those rulers have no need to see
anyone suffer, although there is often great suffering on the road to
correction and change” — end quote.
To this
beautiful word I would add only this comment. Most commentators view
the entire scene of the riders on the white horses as wrathful,
vindictive judgment upon the world. It is not! It is corrective,
redemptive judgment. The great purpose of Christ’s conquest is to bring
the nations, all of them, and all of the people who have ever been, or
are now in them, under the righteous rule of the Lord and His
kingdom. He doesn’t come to destroy the nations — He comes to
RULE THE NATIONS! What a difference! And that rule brings with it
judgment unto victory. He comes, not in anger, with a murderous,
destructive spirit to destroy men, but He comes in righteousness to
judge and make war! It is His righteousness in manifestation
to produce righteousness in the men of earth. Oh, how wonderful it is!
He breaks
the nations to shivers. The beauty of it is that the prophet Jeremiah
tells us that when the vessel is marred in the hands of the potter, he
then smashes that vessel and makes it again another vessel as it
seems good to the potter to make it (Jer. 18:1-6). This is re-demption,
re-conciliation, re-generation, re-creation, re-birth, re-surrection! And
then, finally, the winepress. The treading of the winepress is
described as “the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” Sounds
awesome, fearsome, violent, and savage, does it not? Yet — why do men
tread out the grapes in the winepress? Not to destroy them, certainly,
but to crush them in order to release the inner life. And it takes determination,
relentlessness, fierceness, passion, and yes, violence to fully crush
the grapes and shed forth the juice! The word for “wrath” in the Greek
text simply means passion. Oh, yes! God is absolutely
passionate, relentless, determined, even violent when He moves in
judgment to break and redeem and remake men into His image! What a
mighty God we serve! He will not turn from His work of judgment until
He truly RULES in the heart and life of every man and every nation on
earth! Blessed be His name!
To
be continued…
J. PRESTON EBY
