Anxiety and Faith

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV)

“The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17)

And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. (Luke 17:5 NKJV)

Anxiety and faith are just the opposite of each other. By contrasting the two, we may get deeper insights into both, and be aided in losing the one and acquiring the other. It will also help us to see how our faith has begun to recede as soon as anxiety begins to develop.

Anxiety has its center in the creature [mankind with his resources and abilities], but faith has its center in God. Anxiety could never form a part of the experience of an immortal soul unless that soul were in some way depending on created beings or things. [Mankind is born into this world looking inward at himself and his abilities, and just naturally puts his hope in himself.] Reason is the parent of anxiety. Reason looks at the creature, at friends or foes, at circumstances and probabilities, at laws of nature and the prospects. And seeing only the realm of the natural, it can never produce perfect confidence.

On the other hand, faith pierces through all creatures and all circumstances, and fastens itself upon an infinite, Sovereign God, who is in all, and through all, and who knows all and superintends all. Faith is the eye of the human spirit looking at God; and, in a certain lofty sense, ignoring everything but God. In childlike faith it trusts in His promise to work out all things for the good of His children.

Anxiety originates in the unfulfilled desires that come out of the fallen state, but faith has its origin in the fullness of the provisions of God. If it had not been for the fall of mankind, the human mind would never have been tortured with anxiety. There never would have been any abnormal or fictitious wants, but only such legitimate needs as the Creator found, and these would have met a counterpart supply without the intervention of foreboding or questioning fears.

The fallen condition of the soul [because it no longer experiences the fullness of the indwelling presence of God] has many overreaching desires and an excessive feeling of want. The reason is busy with these wants and is constantly searching for the ways and means to gratify them. It sees the thousands of instances where these wants are not supplied, and this creates anxiety. Furthermore, the more these wants are brooded upon, the more exorbitant they grow until the natural life becomes a series of multiplied wants.

On the other hand, faith goes out from the creature and looks upon the fullness of God. It searches into His character, His benevolence, His inexhaustible fullness to supply the mind and affections with His heavenly spiritual life, and sees in ever widening oceans not only the resources of God, but His loving willingness to supply His creatures [the human race], and then simply rests in Him. This interior vision of the fullness of God destroys anxiety.

Anxiety is bounded by the vision of the natural perceptions and is attached to things around it. But faith has a wonderful expansiveness to it and is attached to God’s will, wherever that will may be found, anywhere in the universe.

The natural reason is nearsighted and sees things only as they affect the present hour and emergency. It sees things fragmentary, and so is perplexed at the mishaps and complications of men and things. It attaches itself to this or that thing or enterprise, and when there is a collapse or disappointment, it is in consternation.

On the other hand, faith is long-visioned and is expanded wherever God exists. It is firmly attached to the Divine will, so that it does not cling to any creature, or position, or circumstance, or human plan, or nation, or church, or human creed or any other earthly prop. It is internally united to God Himself and thus can easily let go of all things and circumstances to follow God and be in harmony with His providences. And in this place where the will is in complete union with God’s will, it finds perfect rest of soul.

Faith looks at passing events from the standpoint of eternity, as they will appear thousands of years from now. On the other hand, anxiety results from seeing all creatures and events out of their proper proportion. With its microscopic view, it sees things to be giants, while faith, looking in the light of eternity, regards them only as tiny insects.

Anxiety is always changing its object, but faith has no change of object, and its only change is to increase and intensify. Human reason, which is the instrument of anxiety, fixes its hope first on this person, then on that, first on this party or government, or plan, or desire, and then on that. Hence anxiety is like a person crossing a river of floating blocks of ice, stepping on this one hoping it will float them over, but finding that is melting or sinking, they step on another. And so all through life, the mind never reaches a solid rest and deep repose in God.

On the other hand, faith has gotten down through the shifting sands on the earth’s surface and is anchored in the primeval rock of God and His Word. It never changes its objective. And the more it expands and apprehends God, the farther it gets from ever wanting to change the center of its rest and look back to the temporal realm [this world] for hope.

Anxiety, resulting from various reasonings, is always manifold and complex, and divided into many forms and things. But faith is united and simple. Perfect faith in God is a miracle of simplicity and reduces all things in life to a state of simplicity. The reason, the judgment, the affections, the words, the labors of such a soul all move in straight lines under the dominion of a deep and simple faith in God. It knows that nothing can occur to it that is not according to God’s will. It therefore shuns the complex, where reason naturally goes in an attempt to work out its own results.

Hence we notice that people who are trying to live by their own reason are always uneasy. There is chronic distress in their lives and a fruitless effort to find happiness in somebody or something apart from God Himself. But perfect faith in God has a sweet satisfaction in it. Thus, the soul that in perfect faith gazes on the ocean of God, is kept from uneasiness and inward distress of heart, for it lives on what it sees in God and not on the appearance of things.

The principle of reason is always struggling to achieve results, but the principle of faith accomplishes the greatest results by harmonizing with God and allowing Him to work out His will in this world in and through us. Not only are unsaved people full of anxiety, but great multitudes who are serving God allow their reason to take the place of faith. Today, the churches and other Christian organizations present a scene of so much human planning and wire pulling, where half believing people are taxing their wits with policy and plans and fears, to bring things to pass, as they think, for the glory of God.

Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part {enjoying the peace of God}, which will not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:41-42)

There is sweet satisfaction when faith in God has become perfect [pure]. It seeks only His will regardless of apparent success or failure – and works through the Holy Spirit, letting God bring about the results. When the soul is made one with God by pure faith, it achieves things in a Divine way and in the Divine time, free from anxiety and free from the laborious, demanding and tiresome struggles of the natural mind. Perfect faith sees God, even in apparent failure.

Thus, all through life, anxiety sprouts from the creature and makes its home in the human reason and calculations. But faith drinks continually from the sun bright fountains of God Himself, through the person of Jesus Christ, and by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. With the soul always satisfied, and with the reason and the will always in harmony with God’s perfect will, it finds a heavenly rest, no matter the circumstances of life.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7)


G. D. Watson

The Original Sin, Part 3 & 4

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. (Isaiah 14:13,14)

"I will ascend; I will exalt; I will sit; I will ascend; I will be like the most High."

As we have stated, the most difficult aspect of our salvation is the losing of our independence of thought and action in order that we may become one with God and His will.

This does not mean we lose our uniqueness or our will is weakened. Rather it is true that we are joined into oneness with the Father and the Son and our will is always set on doing God's will.

All of Heaven had been filled with Divine Light. The rulers and authorities who today are occupying the thrones in the air that govern the earth were at one time part of the Divine Glory. It prevents us from understanding what actually took place in the heavenlies if we picture the fallen lords as having been created in wickedness.

Insisting on our own will is sufficient to change us from a child of God filled with Divine Light and Life into a horrible monster of darkness and depravity.

The magnificent Satan, the covering cherub, chose to exert his will independently of the Father. Some of the rulers of the spirit realm followed him.

From the original problem of self-will have evolved the various aspects of covetousness, immorality, violence, drunkenness, and sorcery that are filling the earth today.

But the Word, the eternal Life that was with the Father from the beginning and by whom all creatures and things were created, chose to do the will of the Father.

I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. (Psalms 40:8)

Because the Word elected to do the will of the Father rather than to assert Himself, God made many important pronouncements concerning Him—particularly in the Book of Psalms:

Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen [nations] for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. (Psalms 2:6-8)

Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Psalms 45:6,7)

The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. (Psalms 110:1,2)

We can be sure these promises, as well as all the other promises of the Scriptures (for they all are directed primarily to Christ), were emphasized by the Spirit of God to the boy of Nazareth as He pondered the holy scrolls and asked questions of the doctors of the Law.

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, (II Timothy 3:2)

In the beginning all was Divine Light. But then Satan and other distinguished personages decided they had a right to "be themselves" just as people of today decide to nourish their "rights," their self-will, self-love, self-righteousness, self-centeredness, self-importance, self-joy, self-fulfillment, self-ambition—self! self! self! People are lovers of themselves.

Christian people run here and there exclaiming, "I am not having my needs met. I am not being fulfilled!"

One wonders if the Christians who were being burned at the stake ever questioned if they were having their needs met or if they were being fulfilled!

What about God's needs? What about Christ's needs? Do we ever think about anything except ourselves?

This is the image of Satan in the earth.

Therefore God divided the Word, the eternal Life, and the elect angels from the darkness of self-will. The darkness of self-will never again shall be able to comprehend or associate with the Divine Light—no, not for the eternal ages upon ages. The darkness of self-will, self-centeredness, is doomed to remain bound forever in the joyless, loveless, restless realms of spiritual darkness.

God has wrought a new creation. The new creation springs from the obedient One, Christ. There shall come forth from the body and blood of Christ a company of totally obedient sons—sons who have loved not their lives to the point of death while the poison of self-will was being drawn from them.

They have denied their self, taken up their cross, and followed the Lord Jesus wherever He has led them.

"Your Kingdom come, Your will be done," they cry. "As in Heaven, so in earth." This in place of "I am not having my needs met."

The fallen lords occupy the thrones in the air above the earth. At the appearing of the Lord the victorious saints will be caught up to meet Him in the air. There they will be placed on the governing thrones, the thrones previously occupied by the rebels from Heaven. This is the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth.

Because the spirits who have been seated on the ruling thrones are saints who have been called, chosen, and then proven faithful through countless temptations and tests, they are personages of the utmost integrity and obedience to the Father. Also, the love of Christ for all of God's creatures is in them.

These are God's judges, the new lords of the creation. The spiritual environment of the earth will change from that of rebellion and lust to the righteousness, love, joy, and peace that have been created in the sons of God as they patiently have endured tribulation. God's Presence and Glory will fill the whole earth because of the new rulers in the heavenlies.

The nations of saved peoples of the earth, the nations that assisted the Lord's brothers in their hour of testing, will reflect the new spiritual atmosphere.

And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:3)

Robert Thompson

Victory and Vocation

(from The Saving Life of Christ – Ian Thomas)

Jesus Christ and eternal life are one and the same term. (1 John 1: 1-2) Eternal life is none other than Jesus Christ Himself, of whom it is written in – “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4) We have been called out by God for the purpose of becoming an instrument {or vessel} of Christ’s life – the firstfruits of His eternal life.

Jesus walked as a man, indwelt by the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Of Himself He said, “I can of mine own self do nothing.” (John 5: 30 KJV) And then He says the same of you: “Without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15: 5)

How much can you do without Him? Nothing! So what is all that work you are trying to accomplish through fleshly human effort and wisdom? Nothing! This is why Jesus told His first disciples to wait. They were not to begin their ministry for the Lord until He had come back to manifest Himself from within their inner being. They needed to have a personal knowledge of the firstfruits of His eternal life. And like those first obedient disciples, we too need to wait for our own Pentecost – the “Feast of Firstfruits.”

Even after the first disciples had given up everything to follow Jesus, had received personal instruction by Him for three years, had the Spirit breathed into them, and had visibly witnessed His resurrected life, they still had to wait to be clothed with power from on high. With all of their intellectual knowledge, they still were not yet qualified to be true witnesses of His resurrection life. If they had not waited to enter into a union with Christ’s divine nature through the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit, the first-century church would have looked like the modern church of the flesh. And so they waited, because Jesus had promised to come back for the purpose of manifesting His life and nature from within their inner being.

…He {Jesus} commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father {the gift the Father had promised throughout the Old Testament which would establish God’s undivided kingdom-life in the hearts of New Testament believers}…for John truly baptized with water {for repentance}, but you shall be baptized {or immersed into the divine nature} with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. (Acts 1: 4-5)

I will not leave you orphans {to work out the life and glory of God through human effort}; I will come to you. A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see me {as an inner manifestation of divine life}. Because I live, you will live also {by following Me through the cross and into resurrection-life}. At that day, you will know {in conscious reality} that I am…in you. (John 14: 18-20)

Many Christians profess to be “filled” with the Spirit of divine life simply because they live after Pentecost. Although we know there are people in the church who have experienced spiritual regeneration because they do have a hunger to be like Jesus Christ, we can also see the clear marks of a carnal nature. They are still worried and upset about many things as they continue to live by fleshly human effort like “mere men.” They still live by the worldly ways of self-sufficiency and independence and have a natural tendency to elevate themselves in the pride of life. These conditions just naturally flow out of a nature that has never been “crucified with Christ.” They are signs of life in the desert testing period.

You must not worship the Lord your God in their way {through the strength of the flesh}. But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose…To that place you must go…There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you…shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.

You are not to do as we do here today {in the desert wilderness}, everyone as he sees fit, since you have not yet reached the resting place and the inheritance the Lord your God is giving you. But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all your enemies
around you {your sinful [self-willed] nature that keeps you “under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5: 19) and bound to the thought processes of this fallen world} so that you will live in safety. (Deut. 12: 4-10)

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it…There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the {regenerate} people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work…(Heb. 4: 1, 9-10)

It is amazing how busy you can be working in the flesh while still doing nothing! Did you ever find that out? “The flesh” – everything that you do apart from His divine life – “profits nothing.” (John 6: 63)

And there is always the awful possibility, if you do not discover this principle now, that you may spend a lifetime in the service of Jesus Christ living through the power of the flesh – doing nothing! You would not be the first, and you will not be the last.

Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is {whether it was done by human effort in the strength of the flesh, or whether we yielded ourselves to be vessels of the life and works that God wanted to manifest through our weak mortal bodies through the power of His Spirit}. (1Cor. 3: 13)

The Lord Jesus Christ has a claim on the use of your body. He expects to use your whole being, your complete you. As you give yourself to Him by living under the control and power of the Holy Spirit, He will give Himself to you through His eternal “Spirit of life.” (Rom. 8: 2) In this way, all your activity as a human being on earth may be His activity in and through you. If you will follow this Spirit-controlled way of life, every step you take, every word you speak, everything you do, everything you are, may be an expression of the life of Jesus Christ through your mortal body.

If it is of Him and through Him and to Him, where do you come in? You do not! That is just where you go out! That is what Paul meant when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2: 20) “For to me, to live is Christ.” (Phil. 1: 21)

I pray that God will open up your heart to an understanding of the urgent need for having a church body filled with disciples who have given up the carnal works of the flesh. Until this transformation has taken place, the light of Christ’s divine life and work will not be displayed in this world. Truly, in this day, Christ has an extreme need for disciples who will “become blameless and pure, {Spirit-controlled} children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life…” (Phil. 2: 15-16)

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the {one true} faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you {with His submissive nature of self-sacrificing love} – unless, of course, you fail the test? (2 Cor 13: 5)

Noah's Ark

These are the last days. This cannot be denied, and most people will agree that this is so. Men's hearts are failing them for fear of what is coming upon the earth. The leaders of nations are meeting together to try to find a way out, but with little success. Much of the world lives in constant fear, while the rest of it is either in ignorance of world events or is trying to forget by means of pleasure, frantic activity or drugs. The outlook certainly is dark to say the least, from the viewpoint of the natural man.

In the midst of all this, where is God? What is He doing about the situation? Thanks be to God, He is right on time with His program of deliverance. Nothing has gotten out of hand for Him. Everything is moving right along on schedule. For you see, God is preparing a vessel of deliverance for His people, and a means of judgment for His enemies. Exactly as He did in the days of Noah. Jesus spoke some powerful words in Matthew chapter 24 concerning the last days and the time of His return. Let's read Matt 24:36-39…

"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. BUT AS THE DAYS OF NO'E WERE, SO SHALL ALSO THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN BE. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that No'e entered into the ark, And knew not UNTIL THE FLOOD CAME, AND TOOK THEM ALL AWAY; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."

Look at this scripture closely. Jesus is saying the last days will bear a marked similarity to the days in which Noah lived. All most folks think about is that back there they were eating and drinking and getting married. Well that was going on long before Noah's day, and has been going on ever since. Some think that as it was in Noah's day, some were taken and some were left, and they want to be taken. You'd better hope not, for it was not righteous Noah and his sons that were taken. They were left behind to inherit the new earth. It was the wicked who were "taken away". Most of our book-fed theologians who have no divine revelation on the Word are teaching the people to pray that they will be "taken when Jesus comes". Take another look at Matthew 24.

The thing that interests me about Noah's day is not what the wicked were doing, but WHAT WAS GOD DOING? He was not idle. In the days just before the flood, God was busy preparing a vessel of deliverance, an ark that would save Noah and his family, and He was using Noah to do this. Let us read Genesis 6:13-16…

"And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them and behold I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. AND THIS IS THE FASHION THAT THOU SHALT MAKE IT OF: The length of the ark shall be THREE HUNDRED CUBITS, the breadth of it FIFTY CUBITS, and the height of it THIRTY CUBITS. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it."

Now God gave the instructions on how to build the ark. This was not left up to Noah--God knew just what He wanted, and He insisted on His plan. He knew just how big it needed to be in order to hold all the creatures that would come into it. Notice that the dimensions of this vessel were 30, 50, and 300. This is not an accident. These numbers are all very significant in the Bible. God's Bible is a book of numerical perfection. The Lord is very consistent in His use of various numbers. And these three numbers are very important in the building of this vessel of deliverance in Noah's day. They are also important in what God is doing in these last days concerning His sons. Psalm 90:19 says "So teach us to NUMBER our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

God is Building a House


Yes, God is building a house, and He is building it with living stones. This habitation of God through the Spirit will be a mighty vessel of deliverance in the time of judgment of these last days. It may be a laughing stock to the religious world, as Noah's big ship was. It may be a strange looking vessel compared to the ecclesiastical orders of our day, even as Noah's ship was strange looking. Few, if any, of you have ever seen a drawing of Noah's ark that was true to the dimensions and looked anything like the real ark. Most pictures of the ark show it to be a big fat boat about twice as long as it is high. But notice that it is TEN TIMES as long as it is high. 300 cubits long, 30 cubits high. To get an idea of what it was like, take three ordinary yardsticks and lay them out side by side, 36 inches long, and about 3 inches high. This will give you a comparison of the shape of the ark. Each of the three stories was 10 cubits high (about 15 feet) and 50 cubits wide (75 feet). Stand it on end and it would be as tall as a 45 story building. It was quite a ship. Odd looking, but it was what God waned, and it served the purpose.

Now why did God specify these particular numbers? Was it an accident? Or did He just draw those figures out of a hat? Or do you think He might have had a divine purpose behind all this? Of course. God doesn't do anything by accident. Things don't "just happen" with the Lord. He is using this ark to speak to us about the Sons of God, the Overcomer company who shall be joined together in the last days to form a glorious vessel that will house the very fulness of God and bring deliverance to all humanity. Glory to God! Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10 that the things that happened back there in the Old Testament were types and shadows for us who are living in the last days. What does the size of Noah's ark have to do with us today? We are living in the days of the coming of the Son of man, and remember that Jesus said that as it was in Noah's day, so shall it be in this day. Let's see what the Bible says about these three numbers…

Three Hundred


The number 300 in the Bible speaks of complete deliverance, of victory in conflict. And where it is used in the Bible, you often find the number 3 used with it. There were 3 stories in the ark, each of them 300 cubits long. It took all three of them to make up the complete ark, ready to save the ones God had chosen. Look at Judges 7:7, 8, 16, 20, 22…

"And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the THREE HUNDRED men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand; and let all the other people go every man unto his place. So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent and retained those THREE HUNDRED MEN: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley. And he divided the THREE HUNDRED men into THREE companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. And the THREE companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and help the lamps in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the Lord and of Gideon. And the THREE HUNDRED blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled…"

It looked like a suicide charge. Three hundred men against a great multitude of fierce warriors. But the three hundred had God on their side, and that made a big majority. In the natural they went about it in a very foolish way. They exposed themselves, let their lamps shine out, and never even had a sword in their hand. They were defenseless. A foolish way to fight a war. Any smart fundamentalist could tell them how to win the war… "Now boys, just go out and round up a lot of numbers, get a good building program going, do a lot of fine advertising, and get out your sword and go to work on all the other denominations". But this crowd had nothing going for them but God. And believe me, He is enough. And He didn't need a lot of numbers. In fact He sent more than 99% of the people home that started out on this journey. All Israel was going to receive deliverance, but the vessel of deliverance was the THREE HUNDRED. It is the number of victory in war, the number of divine deliverance. Supernatural deliverance.

Shields of Beaten Gold


In 1 Kings chapter 10 we find a picture of Solomon's storehouse of treasures. There are many wonderful types here, but let us look at the number 300 in verse 17:

"And he made THREE HUNDRED shields of beaten gold; THREE pounds of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon."

Here is another instance where the numbers three and three hundred are used together. Notice what it was… Shields. Implements of war. Paul says it will turn away every fiery dart of the wicked one. Notice that it was of gold. Gold speaks of that which is of God, divine. And it was of "beaten gold", that which had been processed under the hammer. Peter says "the trial of your FAITH, being much more precious than of gold…" The golden shield of faith. Enough for the entire army of 300, that great Army of God that goes forth to bring deliverance to all creation. Praise God! Why the number THREE? The answer to that in just a little while. Right now lets look at 1 Chronicles 11:20…

"And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the THREE: for lifting up his spear against THREE HUNDRED he slew them, and had a name among the THREE."

Now here was a case of supernatural deliverance. One man against 300. God had to be on his side. There's no doubt about it being supernatural. Again we find the 3 and 300 tied together, as a mighty deliverance is wrought in Israel. So we see today the need for a great deliverance for God's people, as well as the entire lost world. And God is bringing forth His vessel, a company of blood-bought, Spirit-filled overcomers who will be measured by the rod of God for the day when they will go into action against all the forces of hell.

Enoch walked with God THREE HUNDRED years (Genesis 5:22). Then, and not before, he passed through the vail into the Presence of the Eternal God without going by way of the grave. A mighty victory over death, a glorious deliverance from the bondage that was upon other men. He did it after walking with God for three hundred years. Number of supernatural deliverance.

Here's something else. In Mark 14:3-6 we find the story of a woman who anointed the body of Jesus shortly before His death. She had an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious. According to verse 5 it was worth THREE HUNDRED PENCE. But here before her was the body of Christ, the vessel of deliverance for the whole world of sinners. In a few days this body would be hung on a cross to bring supernatural deliverance to "whosoever will". And she poured out her 300 pence worth of ointment on His head. It seemed to be a foolish act, but Jesus commended her for it. "She hath wrought a good work on me", He said. It cost her something to minister to the body of Christ in faith. And while she was rebuked and rejected by her contemporaries, history has never forgotten her, so it is with all God's faithful prophets.

Tabernacle in the Wilderness


For the last look at this time at the 300's of God, let us go to the Tabernacle. Notice that there are THREE gates, doors, or vails in the construction of the Tabernacle. Each of them has 100 square cubits of material. The outer gate is 5 x 20, while the other two are each 10 x 10. Five is the number of Grace and this is what marks this outer gate. Passing through it brings us to the Brazen Altar where we receive God's grace by the shedding of innocent blood. Two is the number of witness and passing through the second vail brings us into the realm of the Holy Ghost, which is given to us for a witness, Acts 1:8 says: "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me…" This brings us into the place of the Candlestick, the Church. And this is the realm we have been in since Pentecost. The dimensions of the sanctuary, this inner court beyond the second vail, is 20 cubits long, 10 cubits wide, and 10 cubits high. That is 20 x 10 x 10 or a total of 2,000. And 2,000 years is how long we have been in this place. It is time to move on beyond the THIRD curtain or vail. Beyond the third curtain it is 10 x 10 x 10, a total of 1,000. This speaks of the golden age ahead of us. Notice that passing through the final vail makes a total of THREE HUNDRED square cubits. This speaks of the great and final deliverance awaiting the creation with the manifestation of those Sons who have passed through the THIRD vail into the very Presence of God. Jesus has already made the trip as a forerunner for us.

THREE is the number of completeness. It stands for that which is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire. Two straight lines cannot enclose anything, or complete anything. It takes the 3 dimensions of length, breadth, and height to form a solid. Past, present, and future make up the 3 great divisions completing time. Three things complete the sum of human capability… thought, word, and deed. Israel had three annual feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, to complete their obligation to God. There are many more scriptures showing the use of number three in the Bible, but these are given in another booklet.

Passing through the THREE vails to complete the number of divine deliverance (300), shows us the completeness of God's plan for His people, and the completeness of the deliverance. It is not enough to pass through vail number one and receive the grace of God. It is wonderful and millions have experienced this grace, but God is calling His people on. So we pass through vail number two, and receive the power of the Holy Ghost, the gifts of the Spirit, with that precious anointing from on high. But since this was poured out almost 2,000 years ago, the world has not yet been delivered from the bondage of death and sin. Sickness, affliction, and misery is evident on every hand. Even among people who have received this second experience and passed through this second vail. Complete deliverance awaits the people who complete God's program by passing through the THIRD vail, thus coming into a place where they can fulfill the THREE HUNDRED of God by bringing deliverance to a needy world through our Lord Jesus Christ according to Romans 8:19-23. This is known as the "Manifestation of the Sons of God". This is the deliverance spoken of in Noah's ark when God commanded it to be 300 cubits long. He is right now in the process of putting the finishing touches on His Vessel of deliverance, His body of Sons. The work is almost finished. Judgment will not come until the Ark of God is ready. It is very near. The dark clouds are gathering on the horizon, the thunder rolls, the lightning flashes. Be a part of God's great THREE HUNDRED for this final hour in the battle against sin!

One of the greatest reasons for Christians missing out on God's great plan for the end of this age is their allegiance to their sectarian denomination. The call is going forth: "COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE". For sectarianism will have no part in that which God is doing in this present day Ark of deliverance, His "three hundred". For they will be ONE in Christ Jesus. Brethren are finding their place in this great Body now. Realizing the dreadfulness of the need, and the importance of the call, they are laying aside the minor things that separate them, and coming together in the unity of the Spirit. It is truly a beautiful sight. Beloved, let nothing keep you from joining this great company as they rise in the Spirit to heights never before known by Adam's race.

Thirty Cubits High


Now we go to the next dimension of the ark, the height. "…and the height of it THIRTY cubits." (Genesis 6:15) We see in 1 Kings 6:2 that Solomon's Temple was also thirty cubits high: "And the house which King Solomon built for the Lord, and length thereof was three score cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, AND THE HEIGHT THEREOF THIRTY CUBITS."

So we see that the number thirty stands for that which is of full stature. This is very significant in the message of the Sons of God. Let us look at some more scriptures on this number:

"And Joseph was THIRTY years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt." (Genesis 41:46)

"David was THIRTY years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years." (2 Samuel 5:4)

"And Jesus himself began to be about THIRTY years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli." (Luke 3:23)

There is not much comment needed. It is so plain. Joseph, David, and Jesus all THIRTY years of age when God put each of them in his respective place of power and authority and dominion. It is the number of full stature. Why is it the height of Noah's ark? God is showing us that His end-time vessel of deliverance will be a company of Sons who have come "to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). Until you are brought to the full stature, you will not be used in this great Body. You may be in the Body now. You may be a part of the company of Sons, and know a measure of His divine anointing and have a glorious revelation of His purposes. But until that THIRD story of the ark is completed and measured up to the full THIRTY cubits, until every member of that great Body is in its proper place with all the work completed, the real action will not start. There is a glorious work being done now in the sons. Fret not if you don't see it, for most of what is being done is invisible. But God is moving by His Spirit, and He is not a minute late. A work is being done in you, even if you do not recognize it. Just glorify God, and walk with Him! He has His purpose in you and He will bring you to His full stature. The Word declares it and I believe it! Let others beg for the weak, cold, indifferent and immature Church to be raptured away before the Anti-Christ destroys it. I am seeing a Glorious Church, without spot or wrinkle, coming forth in power and authority and in the full stature of Christ, putting every enemy under foot, and giving all the world to understand that there is a Victorious God in heaven who is able to do that which is impossible with men! Hallelujah! Can you believe it? It's true!

The Number of Pentecost


The word "pentecost" comes from the Greek "pentekoste" meaning fifty or fiftieth. This word is used only three times in the Bible, and on each occasion it refers to the Jewish festival or feast of Pentecost, known in the Old Testament as the "Feast of Weeks" (Deuteronomy 16:16), the Harvest Feast, or the Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:17). Since this feast is tied in with the numbers of Noah's ark, let's look at the Scripture where God instituted it… Leviticus 23:15-17

"And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number FIFTY DAYS; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked WITH LEAVEN; they are THE FIRSTFRUITS unto the Lord."

This was the feast of the "FIFTIETH". Seven sabbaths passed by after the resurrection of Jesus, and then of the FIFTIETH day the Holy Ghost was poured out on the waiting Church. Notice that it was a "NEW" offering. It was not just a revival of Passover, or a continuance of that feast. **This was something new and separate from the experience of salvation or justification.** Notice that it was baked with leaven, which speaks of imperfection. It was not the full harvest, it was the "firstfruits", *and the firstfruits of the Spirit was not given to perfect the Church.

The early Church had hardly gotten out of the upper room when they began to show the marks of the leaven. Members lied to the Holy Ghost and fell dead, preachers had big arguments and split up, doctrinal disputes came up and split the churches. But in all this, they were a glorious witness to the world of a resurrected Christ. For it was given to them for a witness (Acts 1:8). Notice the "two wave loaves" of "two tenth deals". Two is the number of witness. This is the second feast, the feast of the firstfruits, the feast of witness. The final perfecting of the Church will come later, with the third and final feast of "ingathering."

God's Fifty


Now what does all this have to do with Noah's ark? Notice that the ark was FIFTY cubits wide. We have already seen by the 30 and the 300 that God will have a glorious company of Sons that have come to full stature and go forth into the conflict to win a great victory for the deliverance of humanity. Now we see that they are anointed by the Holy Ghost. For the number fifty goes beyond just the one feast of Pentecost, as we will see, It speaks of the Anointing, first at Pentecost (the firstfruits), then the fulness of the Spirit without measure, as pointed out by the other scriptures.

The history of the Pentecostal outpouring and apostasy is told throughout the Bible in numbers. God has your number, friend. First let us look at the beautiful picture in the Tabernacle…"FIFTY loops made he in one curtain, and FIFTY loops made he in the edge of the curtain which was in the coupling of the second; THE LOOPS HELD ONE CURTAIN TO ANOTHER. And he made FIFTY taches of gold, and coupled the curtains one unto another with the taches: so it became ONE TABERNACLE". (Exodus 36:12-13)

The curtains of the Tabernacle became one great wall because they were joined together by the FIFTY loops and the FIFTY taches of gold. Beloved, the thing that joins God's people together into ONE CHURCH is not the doctrine, the denomination, the name of the church, the great preacher, or the fine building... IT IS THE ANOINTING! When the Spirit is flowing, you find God's people becoming ONE people. Whether it be in a fine church building, a living room, a store building, a tent, or a garage... as long as the anointing is there, you'll find a people moving on in God into the oneness of the spirit. Noah's ark was ONE vessel! Fifty cubits wide.

The Negative Side of Fifty


Much more could be said about God's fifty. But space is so limited. Let us look at what man has done to the precious anointing. Now there's nothing at all wrong with the anointing but the way man has defiled it is terrible. Turn to Joshua 7:21. The sin of Achan has been uncovered and he is now making confession… listen…

When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of GOLD of FIFTY shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them, and, behold, they are hid IN THE EARTH in the midst of MY tent, and the silver under it."

Here was a member of the generation that, as a child, had been delivered out of Egypt and it's idolatry, now bringing the garment of Babylon right into the camp of Israel. He had his feet in the promised land, was part of the Army that had conquered Jericho and seen it's walls fall flat. Yet he couldn't stay away from Babylon.

Notice the wedge was of gold. Divine, from God. Fifty shekels weight. That is a picture of the anointing. Pentecost. But what did he do with it? Hid it in the earth, in His tent. And so it has been. The precious power of Pentecost, the divine anointing of the Spirit hid, unseen, covered over by the fleshly manifestations and ambitions of the carnal man. "If you want it come to MY tent, join MY denomination or fellowship. Get your hands dirty in MY earth, and you can have the divine anointing." Well, I tell you what they did with that mess… they took the whole kaboodle down to the valley of Achor (which means "trouble") and buried it all under a huge pile of stones (including Achan, the fellow who defiled the camp). As well as all who dwelled in His house. His sons, daughters, cattle and sheep. If you are a son of Achan, or a sheep in his denomination, you'd better change pastures quick. You'll end up in Achor. The precious anointing is for us, but not to be buried in man's earth, under his tent. Amen.

Self-Exaltation by Fifties


Here is a story of two of David's sons. Sons of the king. But they both died a violent and shameful death. They both had two things in common… they rebelled against the will of the King, and they had FIFTY men to run before them as a mark of their greatness.

"And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and FIFTY men to run before him." (2 Samuel 15:1)

"Then Adonijah the son of Haggith (his mother) exalted himself, saying I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and FIFTY men to run before him." (1 Kings 1:5)

The story of these men's rebellion and deaths is too lengthy to go into. The thing I want you to see is that they are a picture of those who have rebelled against God and are using the divine anointing of Pentecost to exalt themselves and draw attention to how great they are. "See my great gifts of the Spirit… look at my supernatural ministry… support this tremendous work that is turning the world upside down!" (All they really want to turn upside down is your pocketbook or billfold.) But they are using the precious gifts of God, the divine anointing to exalt themselves. "Look at our great denomination which we have built on the Pentecostal doctrine of tongues". "See our beautiful buildings, our thousands of preachers, our many Bible Schools, our great organization which has been brought about by the power of God". Is it the real power of God? Yes. Absalom actually had FIFTY men to run before him. This speaks of the Real Pentecost. But God judged him severely for his misuse of them.

Fifty and the Prophetic Ministry


There is a story in 2 Kings that is lengthy, but too important to pass by. It is the story of the Prophet of God as he deals with Ahaziah king of Israel. Now there are some remarkable sidelines in this story. Ahaziah the king is a type here of the Pentecostal denominations and organizations, ruling over God's people. But outside of the king's jurisdiction or authority is a prophet of God, a type here of the prophetic ministry of our day. Notice in the 1st chapter of 2 Kings that the king fell out of the upper room and became sick. Now he didn't know it yet, but this sickness is unto death. He is not going to get better. Yes, Pentecostal organizations have fallen out of the "upper room" into the "supper room", and they are very sick. And you are NOT going to revive them. This saith the Lord! They are going to die. They know they are sick, and they are going after the ways of the worldly religions and ecclesiastical orders to try to find the answer. Just like Ahaziah did. He sent messengers to Baalzebub the god of Ekron. Now Ekron means "eradication", and if you don't think this applies to the organizations today, let me send you some histories…

But the messengers of Ahaziah were met by Elijah. He had the Word of the Lord for Ahaziah. And it wasn't nice, not even very courteous. But it was a true word, and it was from God. When Ahaziah heard it, he didn't like it, so he sent out to destroy this Prophetic Ministry of his day. The denominational systems would like to destroy this end-time prophetic ministry, but I have news for you… they'll never get the job done. But let's read it out of the Bible, beginning in 2 Kings 1:9-15…

Then the King sent unto him a captain of FIFTY with his FIFTY. And he went up to meet him; and, behold he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake to him, "Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down!"

And Elijah answered and said to the captain of FIFTY, "If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy FIFTY". And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his FIFTY.

Again also he sent unto him another captain of FIFTY with his FIFTY. And he answered and said unto him, " man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly!" (It is now the end-time, time is running out)

And Elijah answered and said unto them, "If I be a man of God let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy FIFTY." And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his FIFTY.

And he sent again a captain of the THIRD FIFTY with his FIFTY. And the THIRD captain of FIFTY went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, "O man of God, I pray thee let my life, and the life of these FIFTY thy servants, be precious in thy sight."

"Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the TWO captains of the former FIFTIES with their FIFTIES: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight."

And the angel of the Lord said unto Elijah, "Go down with him: be not afraid of him". And he arise, and went down with him unto the king.

A book could be written about the story told by these numbers. The number FIFTY appears FIFTEEN times in this story. Fifteen is 3 x 5. Five is the number of grace, and three is the number of completeness. This shows the completeness of God's grace to the Pentecostals, even tho they have rejected His end-time prophetic ministry.

Notice that the first two captains came to Elijah with the command to come down from the high realm he is in, on the authority of "thus saith the king". Elijah was willing to put what he had to the test. "If I really have the word of the Lord, then let God move in a sovereign way, in answer to His prophetic mouthpiece". And God moved. And God in heaven judged the actions of this wicked king over God's people who would actually use the power of the anointing (fifty) to try to subdue the move of the Spirit for that day. Now God didn't kill the king just yet. But he brought an end to this phase of the anointing. So the king lost his first fifty. The anointing was disappearing. But he tried again. Same results. More anointing gone. Notice that Elijah didn't have to start a bonfire. He didn't fight the fifty. He let God do it. The judgment didn't come from God's ministry. He just spoke the word. The judgment came from God out of heaven!

God is With You


Now the third captain and his fifty came. But he doesn't come in the name of the king or say "thus saith the king". He says in effect, "We know that the king is wicked, and God is with you. God has proven that by fire. We know that those who opposed and rejected the prophetic ministry have perished. Now we want you to come with us, but we come humbly asking for this ministry, and you can come on your own terms". And I declare to you that the day is soon at hand when the people who have been anointed by the Holy Ghost will come to God for Revival. But they will not come in the name of the organization or denomination. They will be saying: "We know that twice now we have missed God by our rebellion and our attitude toward His true ministry. Now we want this true ministry from God, we want this high realm of the Spirit, and we will take it on God's terms". And God will come to them and give them this prophetic ministry. And the king will die. Babylon will fall. The daughters of the Harlot will perish with their Mother. But the precious people of God, and many of their anointed ministers will "Come out of her", to go on with God into a glorious realm. This is the story of the fifties.

Fifty Sons of the Prophets


In the very next chapter of this book we find another story of the Pentecostal fifties. Elijah is going yet into a higher realm. Elisha is going to receive a double portion of the prophetic ministry. Now we find some preachers looking on. They are aware that something is going on. They know there is going to be a "catching up" of some kind. But they are viewing the situation "afar off". They are not going to get into this thing just yet. They are going to stand back and watch. Maybe those two fools would drown in that raging torrent of Jordan. Hadn't they warned Elisha time and again? Wasn't their fault if he got mixed up in some wild heresy or "went off the deep end" into Jordan. So they watched, but they didn't get very close. Not close enough to hear the word of the Lord through the Prophet.

Now I know that these are Pentecostal preachers who are typed here. For there were FIFTY of them, the number of Pentecost. Brother, God has your number! Let's read the story now in 2 Kings 2:7, 16, 17…

"And FIFTY of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off; and they two stood by Jordan." (Now Elisha comes back without Elijah…) "And they said unto him, behold now, there be with thy servants FIFTY strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up, and cast him upon some high mountain, or into some valley. And he said, "Ye shall NOT send". And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, "Send". They sent therefore FIFTY men; and they sought THREE days, but found him not."

There's quite a story here. See how they wanted to bring back the old ministry, the old order. But Elisha told them to forget it. The old ministry had come from God, and was now gone back to God, and they would not bring it back. A new order was here, a new ministry with the same anointing only more of it. But they insisted that the old order was best, and they wanted to revive it. They had strong men. FIFTY of them. The very best of Pentecost. "We can revive the old ways!" Forget it. It's gone. Move on with what God is doing today. But they insisted. So they sent their fifty strong men, and they searched for THREE days. This speaks of the completeness of their efforts, and the completeness of their failure to bring back the old ministry to revive the old order. Hallelujah!

Lest you should think that I am being sarcastic, or too hard, let me assure you that I am using great restraint and have asked the Lord for mercy in bringing this word through me. For God feels very strongly about what they have done to His precious anointing and how they have used the very gifts of the Spirit to mislead and scatter His dear sheep. I am here to tell you that when God deals with this thing in strong judgment, it will not be pretty.

High Hangs the Gallows


There are other fifties in the Bible, including Isaiah 3:1-5 where the prophet says that God will strip them of their anointing because of their sin. And in Haggai 2:14-16 where it shows the people coming to church expecting to receive that precious anointing as of old, only to be cheated and receive less than half measure because of sin and uncleanness.

But right now I would touch on just one more negative fifty before I tell you of the best news you've ever heard. Turn now to the book of Esther. Here we find Esther coming to the throne, through a wedding. Also we find Haman the Agagite attempting to kill Mordecai and his people. Esther is clearly a type of the Bride of Christ. No one will dispute that. Mordecai is a type of the Sons of God, who was instrumental in preparing Esther for the Throne, and who sustained and protected her through a time of great danger. Haman is a type of the flesh. He was an Agagite. Agag was king of the Amalekites. Amalek has always been recognized as the flesh in the Bible. Saul lost his kingdom when he spared Agag. God had decreed war forever against Amalek, and He will not be satisfied until all flesh is out of the Church. We can't take time for the whole story, but now we find Haman building a gallows to hang Mordecai on. Why? Because Mordecai will not bow to Haman. Praise God, there are Sons being raised up who will not bow to the flesh! They are not submitting to the demands of the flesh! They are not submitting to the demands of the carnal man. So Haman builds a gallows. Read about it in 5:14…

Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, "Let a gallows be made of FIFTY cubits high, and tomorrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet." And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.

Did you ever wonder why he made the gallows so high? Fifty cubits is as high as a seven story building. You don't have to go that high to hang a man. Ten cubits would have been plenty. But God is speaking to us here how that the flesh is going to get into Pentecost and try to use the anointing to destroy the Sons of God. Anyone moving in Sonship at this time will tell you that the greatest opposition to this message is not coming from the old line traditional churches. Many of the denominational people are hearing the message of Sonship for the first time and receiving it gladly, for they have not been warned against it, nor their minds poisoned. But in any church that is moving in a higher realm of the Spirit toward Sonship, you will find the Pentecostal people staying away by the multitudes. For they have been so indoctrinated with the warnings of "false doctrines", "deep end", "off brand", "free love", "evil spirits", etc, until they are scared to death to come and see if it really could be God. So the gallows was FIFTY cubits high. And Haman really meant to hang Mordecai thereon. But God…

And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, "behold also, the gallows FIFTY cubits high which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman." Then the king said, "Hang him (Haman) thereon."

And so it was done. Haman hung on his own gallows. Now let me tell you what God is saying… The flesh may be trying to use the anointing now. And even the leaders of the Pentecostal movement will admit that there is far too much flesh prevalent in Pentecost today. But I see a day approaching when a great Revival sweeps the Pentecostal ranks, and the anointing will get so great, and will get in the right hands and the right channel, that the flesh will hang on the very gallows it built for the Sons. Glory to God! As it was in the days of Elijah, the people of God are going to see that their leaders have left them into a bondage of organization that has neither lifted them higher in the Spirit nor brought them into a greater understanding of the things of God, but has actually SLAMMED THE DOOR on a further move of the Spirit and the progressive revelation of God'' precious Word! And they will "Come out of her" by the multiplied thousands, to move out in the greatest Revival this world has ever seen! Hallelujah! Glory to God's great Name!

The Year of Jubilee


Now we come to the last FIFTY… And what a glorious picture it is! Turn to the book of Leviticus, chapter 25… It would be good if you would read again the entire chapter, but I want to quote here verses 8-11…

"And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years."

"Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the Jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, IN THE DAY OF ATONEMENT shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land."

"And ye shall hallow the FIFTIETH year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a Jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his family."

"A Jubile shall that FIFTIETH year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed."

Now this is not the same as the Feast of Pentecost. That was on the fiftieth day after the waving of the sheaf. This is in the fiftieth YEAR. And it did not come about in the third month, the month of Pentecost, but it was to begin in the seventh month, on the day of atonement, IN THE END OF THE YEAR! This is something that the Apostle Peter says is reserved for the "last time".

God has special Days, Weeks, Months, and Years. The numbers SEVEN and FIFTY are prominent in this.

1. Days. Man worked six days, and on the seventh day he rests. A day of rest

2. Weeks. There are seven full weeks after the Passover and the waving of the sheaf (a type of the resurrection of Jesus), then on the FIFTIETH day there is a feast, a type of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, the "firstfruits" of the Spirit. This is also known as the "earnest of our inheritance".

3. Months. The seventh month was the Feast of Tabernacles. Signifying the entering into God's rest. It came in the end of the civil year. A month of rest.

4. Years. Each seventh year (Leviticus 25:4) was to be a sabbath of rest to the land. They were to let the land rest and not sow, prune, or harvest. It was a year of rest for the land.

5. Sabbath years. After seven time seven years, a total of 49 full years, there was to be a year of Jubile. Not only would the land rest (for the second year in a row at this time), but all debts could be wiped out, all slaves made free, all bondages loosed, and every man's rightful possession returned to him. This only happened once in a generation, and it was the fulness of what the annual feast of Pentecost was only a promise of.

Now in case you're not already shouting, let me give you some more… In the day of Atonement, the day that they went beyond the vail into the Holiest of all, they were to blow the trumpet and proclaim liberty to ALL the inhabitants of the land. Whether they knew anyone had gone beyond the vail or not, they were free! It was to be declared. What they had lost or been swindled out of, was to be returning to them. Every jail door was to be opened, and the chains removed from every slave, and every man to return to his family and find the place or realm to which he had been born. Now God wrote all this in His Book, I didn't imagine it.

I hope you see what I see in this. I see the great year of Jubile, when we shall pass through the vail into the very Presence of the fulness of God, to be filled with this fulness and go forth proclaiming liberty to all creation. Romans 8 calls this the "Manifestation of the Sons of God", and says the whole creation is groaning and crying for this day. This goes far beyond anything portrayed anywhere else by God's fifties. This is the ultimate anointing! This is the fulness of the Spirit! This is the Spirit without measure that Jesus had, spoken of in John 3:34, reserved until the end of time for His Brethren!

Return Every Man to His Possession

What a glorious promise! All that was lost in the fall of Adam is to be restored! And yet more, for the glory of the latter House shall be greater than the former. The House of God that He is building for a habitation for Himself through the Spirit, shall be greater than anything ever put in the Garden of Eden. This is His promise to us. Let me read to you about this promise from the Amplified New Testament: 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

"But it is God who confirms and makes us steadfast and establishes us in joint fellowship with you in Christ, and has consecrated and anointed us, enduing us with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He has also appropriated and acknowledged us as His, putting His seal upon us and giving us His Holy Spirit in our hearts as the SECURITY DEPOSIT and GUARANTEE of the fulfillment of His promise."

And in Ephesians 1:13--the Amplified New Testament says that we have been "stamped with the seal of the long promised Holy Spirit". Then verse 14 goes on to say:

"That Spirit is the GUARANTEE of our INHERITANCE, the FIRST FRUIT, the pledge and foretaste, the DOWN PAYMENT ON OUR HERITAGE, in anticipation of its FULL redemption and our acquiring COMPLETE POSSESSION of it, to the praise of HIS glory."

That which the Early Church had (which I am afraid many of our present day "Pentecostals", so called, do not have) is called by Ephesians 1:14 in the King James Version "the EARNEST of our inheritance UNTIL the redemption of the purchased POSSESSION, unto the praise of His glory." Now when is this possession going to be redeemed and given to the people of God? The Bible says it will be in the "year of Jubile". Every man shall return to his POSSESSION. In the Amplified N.T. we find the Apostle Peter saying in 1:4-5 that we are:

"Born anew into an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay, unsullied and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, who are being guarded by God's power through your faith till you FULLY inherit that FINAL salvation that is ready to be revealed for you IN THE LAST TIME."

Now whether my Pentecostal brethren believe this or not, every time they speak in tongues or manifest any gift of the Spirit, they are giving me another guarantee that we shall inherit the fulness of our possession. For the Holy Spirit which we have received is the "guarantee" of this glorious fulness. Now if you refuse to move on into the INHERITANCE, then why do you hang on to the guarantee, the foretaste, the earnest or firstfruits of it? You can quit hoping for a "rapture" to carry you out of this world and solve all your problems. Start putting your hope where it belongs… in the coming of the Lord "to bring to FULL salvation those who are eagerly, constantly and patiently waiting for and expecting Him." (Hebrews 9:28) Amp. Yes, the fulness of salvation, the fulness of God's Spirit, the very fulness of God is coming into the vessel that He has chosen for His habitation, His HOUSE!

Remember, Noah's ark was FIFTY cubits wide. I would that you should know the "length, and breadth and depth and height of it". This final FIFTY speaks of the fulness of this anointing that comes upon God's vessel of deliverance in these last days. Praise God! This is not a doctrine to be kicked around and argued over. It is not just some "new thing" that you can either join or reject. It is the eternal truth of God that every one of you carry around with you when you take your Bible to church. Now accept these truths, or quit carrying them under your arm as tho you were a pious believer. Either confess that God's Word is true and that He will do what He says He will, or else be honest enough to do what some other heretics are doing, and throw the book away.

That may sound hard, but beloved, it is time for ZION TO AWAKE! Wake up and realize the great calling where to He has called us. A whole book could be written about this Year of Jubile, and I'd love to be the one to write it! But I must close for now and get this message out. The dimensions of Noah's ark are recorded in God's eternal Word, and no one can change them or take them out. And it is not likely that anyone will find in the Bible a different meaning for them than what we have presented here.

(Excepts taken from Bill Britton's writings found here)

The Man with the Sword in His Hand

(The Saving Life of Christ – Ian Thomas)


So Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, “Pass through the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’” (Josh. 1: 10-11)

Moses was a spiritual type of John the Baptist who took the people through a baptism of repentance. When repentance is real, as observed by the all-knowing eyes of God, it will result in spiritual regeneration and a thirst to become like Jesus Christ. Moses then gave these called out people the law of God to teach them how God’s people are to act. But the law will only serve to make people aware of their own insufficiency. It is here, in the desert testing period, that God will use His law to tear His children away from the self-sufficient ways of this world. (Rom. 7: 13)

God makes use of desert preachers. But, like John the Baptist, they must learn to decrease while God’s children turn from the old way of law {trying to serve God by human effort in the strength of the flesh} to the supernatural life of living under the control and power of the Holy Spirit.

Joshua was a spiritual type of Jesus Christ who led the people through a baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is what cuts off the natural flow of the flesh-life. He then gave them the land where they would be enabled to participate with Christ in His divine nature and live out God’s will here on earth, as it is done in heaven. And on the third day after arriving at the Jordan River, early in the morning, they were taken into the land by God’s power!

Does this remind you of anything? What happened on the third day early in the morning? Jesus Christ rose from the dead! The number three in Scripture is associated with a new fullness of life – resurrection life! And this is the promised land {life}, the Promise of the Father (Acts 1: 4) – to know Christ in the power of His heavenly life and nature. “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death {to the flesh-life}, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection {life}, knowing this that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin {self-will} might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died {to self-will} has been freed from sin.” (Rom. 6: 5-7)
Yes, as we have seen again and again, the promised land of Canaan is nothing less than the believer’s enjoyment, here on earth, of the firstfruits of Christ’s resurrection life.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation {and trials, in the wilderness time of testing}; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (Jam. 1: 12) To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life {and sustain himself on the divine nature of Jesus Christ} which is in the paradise of God… Be faithful, even to the point of death {to self}, and I will give you the crown of life. (Rev. 2: 7, 10)

He does not come to give strength to your flesh – He comes to become your life. When you are eating from the tree of divine life in the Sabbath-rest of God, you will taste of the firstfruits of Christ’s eternal life.

The Lord you are seeking comes in the power of His resurrection life. (Mal. 3: 1-3, Heb. 7: 16) He says, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14: 6) He is the only one who has a victorious life. Therefore, we must enter into the Sabbath-rest of God and permit Him to take control of every aspect of our life.

Joshua went out to make a reconnaissance of the walled city of Jericho and determine how to attack the first major task that confronted him in the land of divine provision. But as he did so, he became strangely aware of the presence of a Man – a Man with a sword in His hand. In so many words, he said to the Man, “Whose side are you on? Are you on our side or are you on their side?”

“Neither,” the Man replied, “But as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” The Man with the sword in His hand said, in effect, “I am not on anyone’s side. I have come as the Captain who has control of every situation. I have not come to take sides – I have come to take over!” This is the supernatural work of Christ’s Spirit.

The One who now possesses all power and authority in heaven and on earth has promised to live within His obedient disciples. He comes to direct their every step and to fight their every battle in this world. He has control over every situation; and He will work out everything for our eternal good as long as we are walking under the control and power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8: 28, 31)

The Lord gave this promise to Joshua as He prepared to take His called out people into the land of Sabbath-rest: “I will give you every place where you set your foot…No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.” (Josh. 1: 3, 5) This promise goes out to everyone who will give up their self-life and permit the Spirit to lead them into the Sabbath-rest of God, where everyone lives by faith under His control and power.

The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth. (Isa. 26: 7)

In the land, you do not make your own plans in the flesh, hoping and praying that God will be on your side. You seek only to walk in union with the Lord’s plans. This is the one life of faith that everyone enjoys when they are living in the undivided kingdom of God. “For the kingdom of God is…{Christ’s} righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 14: 17)

The Lord is the only one with true power and authority. Jericho is no longer your problem. The Sovereign Lord will reign over every circumstance with His victorious life within your soul. When you live by faith, under the control and power of the Holy Spirit, you come under the supreme jurisdiction of the Man with the sword in His hand. This is the life of holiness. We are wholly devoted to serving the Lord according to His “good, and acceptable {pleasing} and perfect will.” (Rom. 12: 2) His will is always accomplished through His providential control when He finds someone who is willing to be a holy instrument of His life and glory. {The Man, who is the Spirit of Christ, said}, “…as commander of the army of the Lord I have come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence {displaying a submissive nature}, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals {which represents our contact with the self-directed ways of the world}, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. (Josh. 5: 14-15)