The Lamb

While they remained at Gilgal, on the plains of Jericho, before they attacked the city, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. The day after they observed the Passover they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain that came from the land of Canaan.

At this point the manna ceased.

The celebration of the Passover on the eve of the invasion reminds us how God works. We do not leave salvation and move to Pentecost, and then proceed to the fullness of God, as typified by the feast of Tabernacles.

Rather we are ascending a spiral staircase. As we ascend we keep coming back to the same point, only this time at a higher level.

When we began as a Christian we observed the Communion in obedience to the Scriptures. Now we are beginning to understand that the body and blood of Christ are His Life in us, the very Life that will raise us in the resurrection.

The Wife of the Lamb is married to the Lamb by eating the Lamb.

The principal message of the Passover is not that of the Jews leaving the bondage of Egypt, for they soon were in a worse spiritual slavery after being in Canaan for a while. The main message of Passover is the Christ, the Lamb. "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."

If we would live in resurrection life we must eat the flesh of the Lamb of God and drink His blood. We must live by eating and drinking Him as He lives by the Father.

Every time we move forward in God we must reaffirm our life, our position in Christ, the Lamb of God. All progress proceeds from our oneness with Him. When we first receive Christ we have all there is of God. But if we are to gain our inheritance, then that which was given us in the beginning must be developed. It must be worked out. Otherwise it remains stunted or is finally aborted.

It is possible to begin in Christ and then to be cut from the Vine.

It is possible to begin in Christ and finally ascend the throne of the creation.

The Israelites were facing Jericho and the first major battle of the invasion of their land of promise. Therefore the original convocation, the Passover, had to be observed.

The ceasing of the manna is of great significance. The Lord used the daily manna to teach the Israelites humility, continual dependence on God for their survival. The daily manna illustrated that man does not live by natural bread alone but by the Word that keeps proceeding from the mouth of God.

But now the soldiers began to eat the produce of the land of promise.

The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan. (Joshua 5:11,12—NIV)

We are close to the brink of Jordan today. The two thousand years of Church history have brought us to this place. We are to move forward, as God directs, to the total destruction of the enemy. Perhaps we are going to need a change of diet, food stronger than that to which we have been accustomed, in order to stand in the cataclysmic confrontations with evil that are facing us.

Our spiritual food has been as manna to this point, but now we are to eat the flesh of Christ and drink His blood. The body and blood of Christ are the Kingdom of God, the resurrection and the life, our salvation, the spiritual strength by which we will stand during the age of moral horrors we are entering.

If one would comprehend the plan of redemption he must understand that God's intention, from the time the covering cherub said "I will," is to rid His creation of all rebellion and sin.

"Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy." (Daniel 9:24—NIV)

To finish transgression.

To put an end to sin.

To atone for wickedness.

To bring in everlasting righteousness.

To seal up vision and prophecy.

To anoint the most holy.

After having made an atonement for wickedness God is going to put an end to sin.

Think of this and hold firmly to it: God is going to put an end to sin!

The history of the world from its creation is one long plan and device to put an end to sin. If you keep that in mind everything else in the Bible will fall into place. The present concept of Divine grace as a state in which the believer lives that is independent of his behavior is not known to the Scriptures; it is in opposition to the plan to rid the creation of sin.

In the last days, the period we are approaching, God will permit Antichrist to reach into the heavens and challenge the forces there. At that time the only safety will be in the Lord Jesus Christ, in His body and blood. That which hinders Antichrist in the present hour will be removed. Sin will attain maturity before it is harvested and cast into the winepress of God's wrath.

The hour is coming in which no man can work. Only those who are filled with the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit will be able to stand in victory and help those in need.

God is ready to put an end to sin.

When Satan, who was covering the Father with his wings, chose to follow his own will rather than the will of the Father, the holiest sanctuary of all was polluted. The obedient Christ ascended to the Father and sprinkled His blood to make an atonement for the sanctuary in Heaven.

It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. (Hebrews 9:23,24—NIV)

Remember, if there is any rebellion in us it will not leave by virtue of our dying. At some point it must be challenged. God will have no rebellious spirit in His creation. He is going to put an end to sin.

God began the work of cleansing His creation by the atonement made on the cross of Calvary. Then He offered perfect forgiveness to man, to whoever will receive it by faith.

After this God gave us His Holy Spirit so we would be able to bear witness of Jesus Christ and also have the wisdom and strength to enter the Kingdom of God.

Now it is time to take the Kingdom. Taking the Kingdom means we enter our inheritance. Our inheritance consists of God and Christ, of a redeemed body, of eternal life in God's Presence, of the fullness of fruitfulness and dominion, of the nations and farthest reaches of the earth, and of everything else of the creation of God. The sons of God, the victorious saints, inherit everything of worth.

All of this depends on our receiving into ourselves the body and blood of Christ. It is on this body and blood that the Bride of the Lamb is formed. It is through the body and blood that God will put an end to sin and bring in everlasting righteousness. The adamic nature, the life of the flesh, is of no profit and cannot possibly enter the Kingdom of God.

First we must leave the world and become part of the family of God by receiving the blood atonement.

Second we must, through the Spirit, put to death the sins of our flesh and spirit that we may be free spiritually and live in eternal life. Whoever commits sin is the slave of sin, and slavery to sin is spiritual death.

Third we must follow the Spirit of God as He puts our self-will to death. This is where we Pentecostal people are now. To my knowledge the Christian churches have never had a distinct doctrine concerning death to self-will, a doctrine based on the Scriptures. We have distinct doctrines concerning the blood atonement and the baptism with the Holy Spirit, that are based on the Scriptures. But clear, specific doctrine concerning the third and greatest of the works of redemption, death to self-will and the total, utter embracing of the will of God through Jesus Christ, has not been developed to the extent one could wish.

We must not seek to use our ministries and gifts according to our own will, as so many are today. Rather, we must die to our personal ambitions, even our ministerial ambitions. We must now return to God, laying down our life that the will of Christ may be performed in us.

All sin began with the self-will of Satan. Then, at Satan's suggestion self-will entered the Garden of Eden and gave rise to the sins we see today. Until the self-willed adamic nature in us is slain we cannot put an end to the sin in us or in our surroundings. Until the old man is crucified with Jesus Christ the body of sin cannot be destroyed.

The humanistic teaching of today emphasizes the desirability of being our own god, accomplishing our own will. This is the depth of all wickedness.

We cannot live by the body and blood of Jesus Christ and by our own will at the same time. Either we eat and drink of Him and live by Him or we live in our adamic nature. There is no middle ground. If we save our life we will lose it. If we lose our life we will save it in Jesus Christ. This is how we enter the Kingdom of God and the resurrection from the dead.

We come out of the world. We put sin to death through the Holy Spirit. Then we learn to wait patiently in God's prison, the cross, until our self-will is slain. All rebellion against God's will that resides in us must be absolutely, totally, utterly put to death.

Every decision we make during the day, from the time we get up in the morning, is to be held before the Lord. Bringing every decision to the Lord is an art in which we grow as time goes by. Our thoughts, our words, our deeds are to be brought before the Lord continually.

Each day the rebellion in us is challenged. At each point of challenge we either yield to our adamic nature, striving, forcing, manipulating, conniving, clutching, forcing, saving our life, getting our own way at whatever cost, or else we allow the Holy Spirit to help us choose God's will even through our adamic nature is howling for vindication.

When we put to death our self-will, choosing God's way, we are given to eat of the body of Christ and to drink of His blood. This happens every time we turn away from Adam and choose Christ.

The overcomers eat each day from the Tree of Life. They are given the manna that is hidden from all except the conquerors, the true Bread that is from Heaven.

It is through the body and blood of Jesus Christ that we can put an end to sin and bring in everlasting righteousness.

We keep the Passover, and then we come to Pentecost.

After Pentecost the trumpet of war was blown—war against the rebellion and sin that reside in us. The period of atonement, of reconciliation follows. We are saved and reconciled to God by judgment and war against the evil in our personality. All that is in us, especially our self-will and self-love, is brought under subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ. Point by point we are reconciled to God.

When the house has been prepared, the Father and the Son move in and take up Their eternal abode in us. Now we are the throne of God for eternity. Thus has God fully delivered Himself from the highly placed angels that have rebelled against Him. God has left the defiled throne in Heaven and has taken up His eternal residence in the dust of the ground—dust now transfigured through the body and blood of the Obedient One.

The original sin was rebellion against the will of God.

Abraham became the father of all who believe by being willing to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham demonstrated total obedience to God.

Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane became the Savior of the world by being willing to obey God to the point of spiritual death.

Such terrific obedience was required of Abraham and Christ in order to destroy the defilement caused by the rebellion of the angels.

Now God is requiring that the holy remnant of His people become part of the Body of Christ by obeying God in whatever death the Spirit of God leads them into. As the saints sternly obey the Father they are given the body and blood of the Righteous One. God's will, His Kingdom, is now being created in them. God's will shall be done in Heaven and in earth. This is made possible by the body and blood of Christ.

The hour is coming in which no man can work. The powers of wickedness will expand beyond all coping. Only those who have become the throne of God will be able to stand and extend salvation to all who call on the Lord. For in Mount Zion shall be deliverance and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

In that day God shall roar out of Zion. Like a woman in travail He shall gasp and pant and bring forth eternal righteousness.

The LORD will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies. "For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant." (Isaiah 42:13,14—NIV)

Only dead-living people can march in Joel's army. Only dead-living people can conquer the land of promise. Satan does not fear the churches or any of their activities. He is far too powerful for that. He knows the sin and rebellion remaining in the believers and he confronts the Father with their sin and disobedience all the day long. Thus we remain largely ineffectual. We may have spectacular programs but the thorough, lasting conversion of people does not always result.

Satan is terrified of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Whenever a believer chooses to set aside his own life, his own will, and permit Jesus Christ to live in him, then Hell trembles.

Samson brings down the temple of the demons by his death, not by his strength during his life.

The body and blood of Jesus Christ are what the new covenant is. They themselves are the new covenant!

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