"THE 42nd GENERATION"
"I
would like to print this booklet in multiplied thousands,
enough
to put one into the hands of everyone of God's sons,
that
they might know the heights to which God has called them"
The
Other Chapters Are: 1st --"DIVINE BREAKTHROUGH"; 2nd --"OIL ON THE BEARD";
3rd --"BEYOND JORDAN"; 4th --"THE TRIPLE SEALING";
5th
--"THE THRONE, BOOK, and LAMB"
THE 42ND GENERATION
division headings ...
The
Sons of God are all numbered! The Bible says so... "He telleth the number
of the stars; He calleth them all by their names." (Psalm 147:4) Now surely
you don't
think
he was just talking about those bright lights you see up in the sky at
nights. Beloved, the stars that God is interested in enough to name and
number are the stars
referred
to in Daniel 12:3 and Rev. 1:20. The Sons of God that shall turn many to
righteousness, and shall be found in His right hand at His coming! Jesus
himself said
in
Matt. 10:30 that "the very hairs of your head are all numbered." The prophet
Isaiah cried out in Isa. 40:26, "Lift up your eyes on high, and behold
who hath created
these
things, that bringeth out their host by number . . ."
And
the psalmist spoke very boldly of numbers in Psalm 90:12: "So teach us
to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Now please
don't think
that
God was trying to get us to figure out how long we are going to live. He
has never been too interested in letting us know when we were going to
die. That is not
what
this scripture means at all. It simply means that because God's Bible is
a mathematically perfect book, and His truths are precise and orderly,
we can know the
day
in which we live so as to apply our hearts to wisdom.
A PERFECT BOOK OF NUMBERS
Every
letter of the alphabet in the original languages of the Bible is also a
number. Thus, if you look at the original text in their number value instead
of as letters, you
find
that every paragraph in the Bible has an amazing and perfect numerical
pattern. Also, every Bible name, both of the saints of God as well as His
enemies, proves to
be
very significant when converted to its numerical value. This converting
of names and words to their numerical value is known as "gematria. " Books
have been
written
on the subject, and it is not my intention to go into great detail on it
now. I just want to draw your attention to the fact that everything in
God's Bible is in
perfect
mathematical order. You must believe that the book, in its original form,
is perfect if you are to receive any value from what I am about to say.
For there is a
strange
verse of scripture dealing with numbers that seems to be a mistake, and
can only be rightly understood by a revelation of the company of Sons that
are coming
forth
in the image of Jesus our Lord. This scripture is found in Matthew 1:17
. . .
"So
all the generations from Abraham to David are FOURTEEN generations; and
from David until the carrying away into Babylon are FOURTEEN
generations;
and from the carrying away into Babylon into CHRIST are FOURTEEN generations."
"THE MISSING GENERATION"
Now
get your Bibles out and you will discover by reading the first sixteen
verses of the book of Matthew that sure enough David was number 14 of the
generations
listed,
and that Jeconias (the king who went into Babylon) was number 28, or 14
in the second list, but then you find that Joseph the husband of Mary was
number 40
in
the list, making him the 12th generation from the carrying away into Babylon.
This makes Jesus, according to law, the 41st generation, or the 13th one
on the
3rd
list. Why? Where is the 42nd generation? Why did it seemingly leave the
list incomplete with Jesus who left no son to carry on his name or bring
in the next
and
final generation? Now friends, if you are of the opinion that the Bible
is full of mistakes, and that this just happens to be one of them, you
might as well throw this
booklet
away right now, for it will mean nothing to you. The thing I'm about to
say comes by divine revelation, and it comes to those who love His Word
and
have
confidence in its message! I propose to show you that the 42nd generation
referred to as "Christ" in Matt. 1:17 refers to the Christ of I Cor. 12:12,
27. The
42nd
generation is not Jesus alone, but it is His son, the overcomer of Rev
21:7. It is that company of people spoken of by Isa. 8:18 and Heb. 2:13
as "the children
God
hath given me." It is those referred to in Rom. 8:29 as being conformed
to His image. This is the generation of Jesus Christ, an elect company,
an "ecclesia"
called
out of all ages and all generations, those who are the true seed of Abraham,
who are "joint heirs with Christ," who rule and reign with Him on the throne
of their
father
David! There is no mistake in this first chapter of Matthew. It is mathematically
perfect, marked throughout with the number 7 in many ways, which is God's
perfect
number. The five kings omitted in this list were "blotted out" of God's
book for very special reasons.
Starting
now with the prophet Isaiah, I want to take you from Genesis to Revelation
to show you the picture of this glorious company of Sons that God
has
purposed to bring forth in His own image upon this earth.
"HE SHALL SEE HIS SEED"
Turn
with me now and read the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, that precious messianic
prophecy referring to our lovely Savior, written some 700 years before
His birth.
Notice
verses 8-10 . . .
"He
was taken from prison and from judgment: and WHO SHALL DECLARE HIS GENERATION?
for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the
transgression
of my people was He stricken. And He made His grave with the wicked, and
with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither
was
any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him, He hath
put Him to grief, when thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, HE
SHALL
SEE
HIS SEED, HE SHALL PROLONG HIS DAYS, and the pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in His hand."
Now
it is easy to see what this scripture is speaking of. The prophecy says
that he would be stricken and cut off from the land of the living before
he had brought
forth
any children to carry on his name or "prolong his days." This was a term
which referred to a man's son carrying on his genealogy after his death,
just as he had
been
a continuance of the life of those ancestors who had lived before him.
It was a terrible thing for a man to die and leave no seed. God even gave
laws to insure that
if
this happened, his brother would continue his name by raising up seed for
him. It was prophesied of Judas Iscariot in Psalm 109:13 that his children
would die
without
leaving any seed, that in the generation following his name would be blotted
out.
Then
seemingly the prophet is amazed at the revelation that is coming through
him, for he starts verse 10 with "Yet . . ." And tho this One he prophesied
about has
been
cut off with evidently no one to "declare His Generation," or carry on
His name, yet we find the Word of the Lord saying "HE SHALL SEE HIS SEED
HE
SHALL
PROLONG HIS DAYS . . ." It is obvious what it means. Years ago some Mormon
missionaries pointed out this scripture to me as proof that Jesus was
married
and had children before he died. But I declare to you today that it is
not natural children after the flesh that it is talking about . . . it
is a clear and definite
reference
to the "missing generation" of Matthew chapter one, the Sons of God that
are coming forth in the image of Jesus Christ to bear His name and continue
His
life
in the earth. They will "declare His generation."
"A SEED SHALL SERVE HIM"
Now
let us go into the book of Psalms and see a prophecy of a people that is
coming forth to "declare His righteousness," a people known as "a seed,"
a people
accounted
to the Lord "for a generation." Turn to Psalm 22:30-31. This is a messianic
Psalm, and it speaks of Christ throughout, of His sufferings on the Cross.
Let
us
read the last two verses . . .
''A
seed shall serve Him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for A GENERATION.
They shall come, and shall DECLARE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS unto a people
that
shall be born, that He hath done this."
I don't
care how many times the agnostics, unbelievers, and lukewarm "Christians"
say that it can't be done, I declare to you that God's Word says a generation
shall
come
forth and walk in His righteousness upon this earth, showing a people that
shall be born what the Lord can do. No one can stop Him from fulfilling
this Word.
Praise
God! Hallelujah! Aren't you glad that it was Him who said it? Aren't you
glad that you are a part of this Sonship company, this "chosen generation?"
I tell you,
we
have a right to shout about it! Praise His great Name! Already some of
you are getting the revelation of His "seed," His Son . . . and I could
stop right now and
know
that the Word is working in you . . . but there is more . . . much more
. . .
"THEY ARE THE SEED"
Isaiah
got another picture of this seed, and it made him so happy that he just
about started shouting. In Isa. 61:9 he says: "All that see them shall
acknowledge them,
THAT
THEY ARE THE SEED WHICH THE LORD HATH BLESSED." Then in verse 10 he speaks
of the Bride and the Bridegroom, of being clothed with the
garments
of salvation and the robe of righteousness. This is the chapter that starts
out with a definite reference to Jesus . . . "The Spirit of the Lord is
upon me . . ."
but
obvious from His discourse in Luke 4 that it referred not to him alone,
but also to those who would come forth in His image in the last days to
"proclaim the day
of
vengeance of our God." It goes on to say that they shall build up the old
wastes, that they shall be named the Priests of the Lord, and known as
the Ministers of our
God.
Until finally in verse 9 it says that "they are the seed which the Lord
hath blessed."
"A CHOSEN GENERATION"
The
Old Testament saints were not the only ones who saw this company of sons.
The Apostle Paul saw it, and declared himself to be a part of it, for which
he was
willing
to suffer the loss of all things. Glory to God! Also, the Apostle Peter
saw it, and writes in I Peter 2:9 . . . "BUT YE ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION,
a royal
priesthood,
an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises
of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."
This
is not the "whosoever will" of God. This is a sovereign election of the
Father. In the natural you had no choice as to who your father would be,
or to what nation
you
would be born in. In this election of God those "whom He did foreknow,
He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that
He might be the
firstborn
among MANY BRETHREN." (Rom. 8:29) This is not predestination for salvation
or heaven. That is for the whosoever will. This is dealing with Sonship,
coming
into His image. "Ye are a CHOSEN generation." HE chose you, you didn't
choose Him. Ephesians chapter 1 states it like this: "According as HE HATH
CHOSEN
US in Him before the foundation of the world . . . HAVING PREDESTINATED
US UNTO THE ADOPTION of children by Jesus Christ to himself,
according
to the good pleasure of HIS will." (The word adoption here is "huiothesia,''
meaning the "placing as a son.") God has predestinated us to mature Sonship!
Praise
His Name!
"I HAVE CREATED HIM FOR MY GLORY"
Lets
turn back to the prophet Isaiah and take a look at another prophetic picture
of these sons. Notice that they include both men and women, for in Sonship
there is
no
natural sex recognized by God. Notice that they are coming from every direction.
God is drawing His sons out of every nation, and out from every denomination
of
Babylon.
Notice they are called by His name, and they are referred to in the singular
as "HIM." This begins to show us how that Christ is making of many people
"one
new
man." This is "that perfect man" that God is bringing us to (Eph. 4:13).
This is all seen in Isa. 43:5-7 . . .
"Fear
not, for I am with thee: I will bring THY SEED from the east, and gather
thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south,
Keep not
back;
BRING MY SONS FROM FAR, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even
everyone that is called BY MY NAME: for I HAVE CREATED HIM
FOR
MY GLORY' I have formed him, yea, I have made him."
Both
Isaiah and Peter saw that this company of Sons were created and chosen
for the purpose of glorifying God and showing forth His praises. This is
not something
man
has dreamed up to exalt himself. This is something God has brought forth
that He might be glorified! God refers to them as both "they" and "him."
For it is a
plural
company of people who, under the headship of Jesus Christ, form a singular
corporate body known as "He that overcometh."
"WRITTEN FOR THE GENERATION TO COME"
The
evidence of Sonship is overwhelming. I cannot see how anybody could help
but be convinced after reading these scriptures. However, I am not writing
this
message
as a "proof-text" to try to convince the unbeliever or the cold-hearted
Christian who is satisfied with the status-quo. This message is for you
who are hungry
to
move on in God, to reach the higher realms of the Holy Spirit. It is a
disclosure of your identity. You need to know who you are, why you're here,
how you got
here,
and where you are going. The Word is clear on all these questions, as soon
as you know your true identity, so you can recognize the scriptures that
refer to you
and
your "brethren" in the Body of Christ. You are the Zion of God. This much
is made very plain in the Word. Turn to Psalm 102:12-21
"But
thou, O Lord, shalt endure forever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.
Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her,
yea,
the set time, is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and
favour the dust thereof. So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord,
and all the
kings
of the earth thy glory. WHEN THE LORD SHALL BUILD UP ZION, HE SHALL APPEAR
IN HIS GLORY. He will regard the prayer of the destitute,
and
not despise their prayer. THIS SHALL BE WRITTEN FOR THE GENERATION TO COME:
AND THE PEOPLE WHICH SHALL BE CREATED SHALL
PRAISE
THE LORD. For He hath looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from
heaven did the Lord behold the earth; To hear the groaning of the
prisoner;
to loose those that are appointed to death; (See Heb 2:14-15). TO DECLARE
THE NAME OF THE LORD IN ZION, AND HIS PRAISE IN
JERUSALEM;"
There
are many generations, many have come and gone in the history of man. But
there is ONE generation that God is interested in, that He has written
much
in
the Book about, that He is perfecting into the image of His Son. Now let
me show you another name for these Sons, an identity that will help you
see many
things
in the Bible that are written for YOU. It is concerning "ZION". Notice
in verse 16 of Psalm 102 . . . The Lord is going to return. He is going
to appear in His
glory!
What a wonderful Day. What a glorious hope! Not coming to be spit upon,
smitten and crucified again, but coming to appear IN HIS GLORY! Now let
me ask
you
. . . WHEN IS HE GOING TO APPEAR? The answer is given here . . . WHEN he
builds up ZION! In that case, we should all be interested in where Zion
is, and
what
it is. Or maybe, WHO it is? Notice verse 21 . . . the Lord has looked down
from heaven "To declare the name of the Lord in ZION, and His praise in
JERUSALEM."
"THE HIGHEST REALM IN THE CHURCH"
Jerusalem
was built on seven hills. The Temple was on one of these hills. But the
highest hill in the City was where David's Throne rested, and this was
known as
Zion.
The voice of the King was heard from this place, and the law went forth
out of Zion. I will not at this time go into detail on all the Scriptures
dealing with Zion,
for
that in itself would take another book. You look up the scriptures for
yourself, and you'll be amazed at what God has planned for His Sons.
Let
us look at Jerusalem. The City of God. It is very clear from Rev. 21:2,
9-10 that Jerusalem is a type and a symbol of the Bride of Christ, "the
Lamb's wife," the
Church.
But notice that in that Church there are 7 hills or realms in the Spirit.
The highest realm in the Spirit for the Church is found in Zion, those
who sit on the
throne
to rule and reign with Him. Not everyone in the Church has this place.
It is for "He that overcometh." These are they that are known as "His brethren,"
conformed
to His image, to whom He will declare the Father's name.
"UNTO MY BRETHREN"
Notice
that in Psalm 102:21 that He comes to "Declare the name of the Lord IN
ZION, and His praise IN JERUSALEM." Now turn quickly to Psalm 22:22 and
read:
"I
will declare thy name UNTO MY BRETHREN: IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION
will I praise thee."
Now
let us go to the New Testament and see the Holy Ghost quoting from these
scriptures in Hebrews 2:12, showing them to be the words of our Lord prophetically
spoken
in the Psalms: "Saying, I will declare thy name UNTO MY BRETHREN, in the
MIDST OF THE CHURCH will I sing praise unto thee."
Now
this should be conclusive proof of who Jerusalem is, and who it is referring
to when He speaks in the Bible about "Zion." For Romans 8:29 says that
Jesus is the
Firstborn
among many brethren. Those "brethren" are also known as "Sons of God,"
"the elect," "the overcomers," "the manchild," "the Christ," "son of man',"
"my
battle-ax
and weapons of war," "the army of the Lord," and many other titles and
references.
"FOR SIGNS AND FOR WONDERS"
While
we are looking at Hebrews chapter two, let us look at verse 13 . . . "And
again, I will put my trust in Him. And again, Behold I and the children
which God
hath
given me." Now here the writer of Hebrews is giving the words of Christ
as spoken prophetically in the Old Testament. The words "Behold I and the
children
which
God hath given me" were the words of Jesus spoken through the prophet Isaiah
700 years before the birth at Bethlehem. They are found in Isaiah 8:18
. . .
"Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion."
Yes,
Jesus was a sign and a wonder in Israel. But He is not alone. He says that
God has given Him some children, a seed, accounted to the Lord for a generation
. . .
these
are both "sons of God," (John 1:12; Rom. 8:19) and "brethren" (Rom. 8:29;
Heb. 2:11) of the humanity of Jesus of Nazareth. This is a divine mystery.
These
are
both His brethren in His earthly walk of the perfect Man, as well as becoming
His "seed" or offspring or children when that precious life is poured out
on Calvary.
"When
thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed . .
." said the prophet Isaiah. This seed is the offspring of Jesus, they bear
His name,
manifest
His life and nature. They, also, are for signs and wonders in Israel said
the prophet. These are those who grow up into Christ, to the measure of
the stature of
the
fulness of Christ, to become His "brethren," the Zion of God. Isaiah said
that this is "from the Lord of hosts, WHICH DWELLETH IN MOUNT ZION!" Think
of
it!
God dwelling in US! Glory to God!
"THE EVERLASTING FATHER"
If
Jesus has brethren, then He is an elder brother. If He has children, a
seed to declare His generation, then He must be a father. Amen? Now there
is a principle of
Bible
interpretation: "By the mouth of two or three witnesses let every word
be established." Also, (II Pet. 1:20) . . . "No prophecy of the scripture
is of any private
interpretation."
That is, it cannot be interpreted apart from the rest of the revealed will
of God in the scriptures. Also I Cor. 2:12-13 says:
"Now
we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is
of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which
things
also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which
the Holy Ghost teacheth; COMPARING SPIRITUAL THINGS WITH
SPIRITUAL."
So let us now look into the Word of God to see if it is true that Jesus is a father and has a son . . . Let us start with Isaiah again . . . chapter 9, verse 6 . . .
"For
unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall
be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
the
mighty
God, THE EVERLASTING FATHER, the Prince of Peace."
The
prophet does not apologize, explain, or mince any words. He simply states
that a child is born, that this child is a Son, that he shall rule and
reign (see verse 7
also),
and that his name shall be called, among other things, the Prince of Peace.
Nothing could be plainer. He could be speaking of no one other than our
Lord Jesus,
Jesus
of Nazareth. But the same scripture that calls Him Wonderful, Counselor,
Prince of Peace . . . also says that He is Mighty God, and Everlasting
Father. Is he ?
Can
you deny it ? Be careful. Don't cast aside the word of God. Believe what
He says, and believe that it is important to you. Now if He, Jesus, is
the everlasting
Father,
then who is His son? If He is the 41st generation from Abraham, then who
is the 42nd? Remember, God is not going to stop at 41. Number 42 is 6 times
7. Six
is
the number of man, seven is the number of divine perfection. Nothing could
be plainer. It is this 42nd generation, by receiving the life of Jesus
the Son born from
heaven
by the seed of God, not Adam, who finally in the last days brings man to
the state of perfection that God desires. Its so! Believe it!
"HE SHALL BE MY SON"
Now
let us go to the book of Revelation for the next scripture to show the
Fatherhood of Jesus. First of all, I want to establish the fact that Jesus
is the Alpha and
Omega.
Maybe you already believe this, but perhaps some do not, so lets read the
Book. Of course, those poor heretics that have thrown the Book away because
it
does
not confirm the "revelations" they are getting or the voices they are hearing,
may not be impressed with what the Book says. But when those "voices" begin
to tell
them
things that violate their reason, things that even they cannot receive,
then they will have no solid foundation, no plumbline to measure by, and
then shall their
foundation
of sand crumble and their house fall. Turn now to Rev. 1:7-8 . . . and
Rev. 22:12-14 . . .
"Behold,
He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which
PIERCED HIM: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.
Even
so, Amen. I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA, the beginning and the ending, saith the
Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."
(Rev.
1:7-8)
"And,
behold, I come quickly: and my reward is with me, to give every man according
as his work shall be. I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA, the beginning and
the
end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments,
that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter into through
the gates into
the
city." (Rev. 22:12-14)
If
you have any doubt as to who is speaking, verse 16 goes on to say "I Jesus,"
. . . so the Lord gives his name. There is no doubt as to who the Alpha
and Omega is,
it
is Jesus . . . Amen? Now turn to Rev. 21:6-7 and find out who His Son is.
You see, Paul says in Ephesians 4:11-13 that the ministries of Apostles,
Prophets,
Evangelists,
Pastors and Teachers are given to the Church "Till we all come in the unity
of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man."
Maybe
you thought you knew all about the Sons of God. Then why do we still have
these ministries in the Church? Well, now the hour is come . . . Awake,
Zion!
Now
lets read Rev. 21:6-7 . . .
"And
He said unto me, It is done. I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA, the beginning and the
end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water
of
life
freely. HE THAT OVERCOMETH shall inherit all things; and I will be HIS
GOD, and HE SHALL BE MY SON."
Now,
who is speaking? Jesus, the Alpha and Omega! Is he the God and Father of
the Overcomer? Yes! Then, if He is God, who is the Son of God? THE
OVERCOMER!
What about Peter's confession that Jesus was "the Christ, the Son of the
living God?" It was true, for Jesus was the Son of God, for He was the
First
Overcomer.
And as such, he overcame and sat down with His Father in His throne, and
He says that when we overcome He will grant us to sit down with Him (Rev.
3:21).
You can't separate or divide Him from the Father . . . "When you see me,
you see the Father" . . . "I and the Father are one" . . . and neither
can you divide Him
from
His Body, the Body of Christ. See the prayer of Jesus in John 17 . . .
"I
have manifested (declared) thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out
of the world . . . I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them
which
thou
hast given me (Isa. 8:18), for they are thine . . . As thou hast sent me
into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world . . . Neither
pray I for
these
alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
(Heb. 11:39-40)
"That
they all may be one (Eph. 1:9-10); as thou, Father art in me, and I in
thee, that they also may be one in us (Col. 1:27; 2:9-10), that the world
may
believe
that thou hast sent me. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made
perfect in one . . . And I have declared unto them thy name (Psalm 22:22;
102:21),
and will declare it . . ."
Peter
declares in Acts 2:36 that God hath made this same Jesus, the crucified
one, both LORD and CHRIST. I believe it! It is a mystery. I don't fully
comprehend it,
but
it is so anyhow. And the truth of it begins to bring light and understanding
and continuity to the other scriptures concerning the Sons of God. Jesus
is LORD!
Remember
that. He is LORD!
"WHO IS CHRIST"
Paul
says (Col. 1:27-28) that it is not Christ in heaven, but Christ IN YOU
who is the hope of glory. And it was this Christ in you that Paul preached,
warning and
teaching,
that he might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Now here is a
mystery, yet a very simple mystery easy to be understood, if you will only
believe
what
the Word says . . . Read I Cor. 12:12, 27 . . .
"For
as the (natural) body is one, and hath many members, and all the members
of that one body, being many, are ONE BODY, so also is CHRIST . . . Now
YE
are the Body of Christ, and members in particular."
Now
it takes every member, in its right place, functioning properly, to make
up a perfect body. And His body could be nothing else. The body is not
just the arm,
neither
is it just the head. Col. 1:18 says that Jesus Christ "is the head of the
body, the church." Eph. 1:22-23 says that God "gave Him to be the head
over all things
to
the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all."
So as your body has many members . . . arms, feet, hands, legs, etc. so
it is with Christ.
The
head, Jesus, is not the whole body. This is not something I dreamed up
to exalt humanity. This is the way He wanted it, planned it and will have
it. Jesus said
(John
12:24) that His hour had come that He should be glorified, and that
"Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."
His
meaning is plain. He was the corn of wheat, the one with life. He could
abide and be the Son of God, the Overcomer, the Manchild, etc.. But He
would be all those
things
alone. This was not what He wanted. He wanted to bring "many sons to glory."
He wanted to be "the firstborn of many brethren." So He was willing to
die for
this.
Think of it. And some men are not even willing to accept it! Without the
sacrifice of Jesus, His going to Calvary, we could have had no hope of
coming into this
glory
or becoming His body, His son. For we had all "fallen short of the glory
of God." Only through Jesus can this glory come to us. Bless His wonderful
Name! So
Christ
is the whole body, INCLUDING THE HEAD, JESUS. "But speaking the truth in
love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ:"
(Eph.
4:15)
"THE TRUE SEED OF ABRAHAM"
Turning
now to the book of Galatians, we find another absolute proof of who Christ
is. Paul is very plain and very bold. He told the Corinthian church that
he was
"rude
in speech," that is, "a simple person in speech," and I believe it. Now
Paul tells the Galatians (and us) who Christ is, and who the seed is that
inherits the
promise
. . . Gal. 3:14-16, 27-29 . . .
"That
the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ,
that WE MIGHT RECEIVE THE PROMISE of the Spirit through faith . . .
Now
to Abraham AND HIS SEED were the promises made, He saith not, And to seeds,
as of many; but as of ONE, And to thy SEED, WHICH IS CHRIST . . .
"For
as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There
is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither
male
nor
female, for YE ARE ALL ONE in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's then
ARE YE ABRAHAM'S SEED, AND HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE."
Now
the Word is very clear . . . in quoting the Old Testament, he says that
not everyone, not even all the seeds of Abraham receive the promise. Only
Abraham and
Christ,
the seed of promise. Now who is this Christ who is to be heir of Abraham
and inherit the promises? It is that company of people who belong to Christ,
who
have
put on Christ, who have been baptized into Christ, who are part of His
body. For His body IS CHRIST! And He includes Himself in this company,
as the head
and
chief cornerstone! Glory to His Name!
"OUR LORD AND HIS CHRIST"
Now
it cannot be disputed that Jesus is Lord. He said it, God said it, the
Word said it, and I believe it. There is "One Lord, one faith, etc." Now
let us consider Him in
His
relationship to the Body as Lord and Father. Turn to Revelation chapter
11 verse 15 . . .
"And
the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying,
The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of OUR LORD AND OF
HIS
CHRIST; and He shall reign forever and ever."
Now
if Jesus is Lord, then who is His Christ? It is the Overcomer the Son,
the Manchild, the elect company that is known as His seed the 42nd generation.
I really
don't
have to preach much about this, just read the scriptures, for they explain
the mystery themselves . . . Turn now to Psalm chapter two . . .
"Why
do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of
the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against
the Lord,
and
against His anointed (Christ), saying, Let us break THEIR bands asunder,
and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall
laugh; the
Lord
shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath,
and vex them in his sore displeasure. 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
for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
THOU SHALT BREAK THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON: THOU SHALT
DASH
THEM IN PIECES LIKE A POTTER'S VESSEL."
Now
this has to be talking about Jesus as the Son, the Christ of God. For if
it is not talking about Him, the sign Son, then it would not be referring
to His body. But we
find
this very scripture quoted in Acts 4:25-27 as referring to Jesus. But notice
that in this prayer they quoted this scripture as relating also to them.
For the kings of
the
earth were now gathered, not against Jesus of Nazareth, but against His
body there in Jerusalem. And God had already given Peter the revelation
that Jesus was
now
both LORD and CHRIST. Lord in heaven, one with the Father; and Christ on
earth, one with His body. Praise God!
Notice
in Psalms chapter two how He speaks of Zion, that's where the King is.
Also see that He speaks of His Son. He says that this Son shall break the
nations with a
rod
of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Turn now to Rev.
2:26-27 . . .
"And
he that overcometh (Jesus is talking), and keepeth MY works unto the end,
to him will I give power over the nations: And HE (the overcomer) 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."
So
Jesus does for the overcomer what the Father did for Him. We are to Jesus
what He was to the Father. "As my Father sent me, so send I you". Hebrews
one says
that
Jesus was the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of
His person. So we are to be to Jesus. The express image of His person!
The brightness of
His
glory! Jesus was the Heir, so we are "joint-heirs" with Him. Jesus was
for a sign and wonder, so we are for signs and wonders in Israel, and this
is exactly what
the
disciples prayed for in Acts 4:30, for "signs and wonders." Read Rev. 12:5
. . .
"And she brought forth a Manchild, who was to rule all nations with a ROD OF IRON: and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne."
Now
some say that this refers only to Jesus, and others say that it is the
Jewish nation. But I declare to you that the very words of Jesus and the
Psalmist proves that
this
one who was to rule the nations with a rod of iron could be none other
than the SON OF GOD, the CHRIST, the OVERCOMER, the body of faithful believers
now
joined to their divine Head, Jesus of Nazareth. The ascended Christ spoke
out of heaven to John and said "I will grant the overcomer to sit with
me in my throne,
even
as I also was an overcomer and sat down with the Father in His throne."
"CAUGHT UP TO THE THRONE OF GOD"
Here
we have another glorious promise. He not only says that the Overcomer,
the Sons of God, will rule the nations with a rod of iron, but that they
are "caught up"
to
the throne of God. Now the question arises, WHAT and WHERE is the throne
of God?
This
word "throne" is mentioned 40 times in the book of Revelation, and only
15 times in all the rest of the New Testament. So obviously it has to do
with the end
time
and the Day of the Lord that is, the "Lord's Day" that John was in when
he received this revelation. So let us examine some scriptures throughout
the Bible on
this
subject and see if we can discover what it is.
First,
lets take a look at WHERE the Bible says this throne is. The following
scriptures all tell us that the throne of God is "in heaven," or "in the
heavens" . . . Isa.
66:1;
Acts 7:49; Matt. 5:34; Psalm 11:4; Psalm 103:19; and Rev. 4:2. Now, lest
you get the idea that this means a literal, natural, physical chair is
located somewhere
up
in the sky in a literal geographical location where God the Father (who
is spirit) happens to be sitting with Jesus standing or sitting on His
right hand, where the
Russians
might send a spaceship if they happen to get the right kind of fuel, then
let me enlighten you with some more scriptures.
JEREMIAH
3:17 says; "At that time they shall call JERUSALEM the throne of the Lord,
and all the nations shall be gathered unto it." Well. The time is approaching
when
Jerusalem will be the throne of God. Not natural Jerusalem. Can't you just
see them trying to get the three billion people of the world into that
little old
Hebrew-Arab
city there in Jordan? Impossible. It simply means that the day is coming
when the CHURCH of Jesus Christ will be the seat of authority, and that
God
will
manifest His power and His authority in His people. Then all the nations
of the world will come to the church, to walk in the light of the glory
of God. Jer. 49:38
says
that "I will set my throne in Elam, saith the Lord." Now Elam was a nation
made up of the descendants of Shem. Some of them were present on the day
of
Pentecost
in Acts 2:9. Yet God said He would set His throne in Elam.
So
you see, the Throne of God is not a literal chair for someone to sit down
in, but it is a place or seat of authority and dominion. You can be "caught
up" to the
throne
of God and never leave this earth. Some will. Dan. 7:9 says that God's
throne was like a fiery flame. Fire speaks of judgment. So the saints will
judge the
world,
and we shall also judge angels, (I Cor. 6:2-3), but this judgment will
not come out of our own authority or power, but it will come after we have
been caught
up
to His throne or authority. Isa. 28:6 says that "In that day" the Lord
will not only be for a crown of glory unto the residue of His people, but
He shall also be "For a
spirit
of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that
turn the battle to the gate." Yes, the saints shall judge the world, but
it shall be with His
authority,
and He shall be the spirit of judgment.
"AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD"
Now
Hebrews 8:1 and 12:2 says that Jesus is set down on the right hand of the
throne of God, while Acts 7:55; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 1:3; Heb. 10:12 and I Peter
3:22 says
simply
that He is on the right hand of God. The answer is very simple, lets read
I Pet. 3:22:
"Jesus Christ who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers BEING MADE SUBJECT UNTO HIM."
So
He is in that place of complete dominion over all powers. He has all authority
in heaven and in earth. (Matt. 28:18). Remember, He told us that He got
to this place
by
being an overcomer and sitting down with His Father in His throne. And
He promises this same thing to -- those who follow Him and overcome. In
Luke 22:69
Jesus
told the Sanhedrin court that "Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the
right hand of the POWER of God." The right hand speaks of the greatest
power
and
authority
available. See in Genesis 48 how that Jacob puts his right hand on Ephraim
and his left hand on Manasseh, because the Spirit had purposed to give
Ephraim,
the
younger son, the greatest blessing, in violation of custom and tradition.
"WHO IS THIS SON OF MAN ?"
Jesus
said that the day would come when the Son of man would sit on the right
hand of the power of God. That is, the Son of man would have the authority
and
power
and dominion of God Himself. Now who was He talking about? Who is this
Son of man? Many have thought that it was Jesus and Him alone. This is
not so.
Certainly
Jesus qualifies for all that is said about this Son of man, for He is the
divine Head of this man, called "a perfect man" in Eph. 4:13. But it is
Jesus and His
body,
joined together in the fulness of this Son of man, that fulfills all the
scriptures concerning him. Let's begin by reading Genesis 1:26-27 . . .
''And
God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and LET THEM
HAVE DOMINION over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air
and
over the cattle and over ALL THE EARTH, and over every creeping thing upon
the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God
created
He him; male and female created He them."
So
the purpose of God in the beginning was for man to have dominion. He created
him for this purpose. It looked as tho Adam fell and lost this estate and
dominion,
but
Jesus has come to restore it, and more. Luke 3:38 says that Adam was the
son of God. Now maybe you think that God had reached the ultimate of His
creation,
and
that if Satan had not come and spoiled it with sin, that God would have
been forever satisfied with His Adam and the seed that would be brought
forth in his
image.
Oh no. Tho Adam had dominion over the earth, he was of the earth, earthly,
and could only bring forth seed which would bear the image of the earthly.
God
had
a higher plan and purpose. I Cor. 15:45 says that the first Adam was made
a LIVING SOUL. God wanted something more for His Son. So the Word was made
flesh
and dwelt among us, suffered and died, so that the last Adam could be a
LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT! Yes, the Son of man is to have dominion over all the
creation of
God,
but on a much higher plane than the first Adam ever had. This is our inheritance
because of Jesus.
"WHAT IS MAN ?"
Let us see if God dropped His plan for man to have dominion, or if He still pursues that course of action . . . Turn to Psalm chapter 8, beginning with verse 3:
''When
I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars,
which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and
THE
SON
OF MAN, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than
the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. THOU MADEST
HIM
TO HAVE DOMINION over the works of thy hands; thou has put ALL THINGS UNDER
HIS FEET: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beast of the field;
The
fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through
the paths of the sea."
Now
we turn to the New Testament and see the writer of Hebrews quoting this
Old Testament scripture, giving us some light on it in relation to Jesus
and His sons . .
.
Heb. 2:5-9 . . .
"For
unto the angels have he not put in subjection THE WORLD TO COME (this world
in the days ahead), whereof we speak. But one in a certain place
testified
(Psalm 8) saying What is man that thou art mindful of him? or the SON OF
MAN that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little (for a little while)
lower
than the angels; thou crownest him with glory and honor, and didst set
him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection
under his
feet.
(end quotation of Psalm 8). For in that He put all in subjection under
him, He left nothing that is not put under him (Son of man). But NOW we
see NOT
YET
all things put under him (Son of man). BUT WE SEE JESUS (Head of the Son
of man corporate body), who WAS made a little lower than the angels for
the
suffering of death, CROWNED WITH GLORY AND HONOR."
Now
the very next verse goes on to say that Jesus is bringing MANY SONS unto
glory, that He and they are all of one, for which cause He is not ashamed
to call
them
brethren. So the writer of Hebrews is very realistic (which is more then
I can say for some of the self exalted dreamy-eyed "positive-speakers"
of our day). At
least
he recognized that the body of Sons, the Son of man company, (with the
single exception of Jesus) had not yet come to the place God has purposed
for them.
They
did not yet have the dominion that was their inheritance. This was some
30 years after the death and resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the day
of Pentecost
and
the enduement of the Church with power from on high. That enduement, he
realized, was only the "earnest" of the inheritance. They had a "measure"
of power
and
authority and dominion over evil spirits and sickness and even death. But
the fulness of the inheritance had not come. ALL things had not yet been
put under the
feet
of the Son of man, even tho the scripture in Psalms indicated that it had
already been done. God speaks of those things that are not as tho they
are, because He
knows
His eternal purpose shall be fulfilled. As far as God is concerned, it
is done, but "we don't yet see it."
"THE SON SUBJECT TO THE FATHER"
The
traditional churches, especially the Pentecostals, have been subjecting
the people to a fantasy of men's imaginations concerning the coming of
the Lord. This they
hold
out to the people as the "hope of the Church," that Jesus will come and
"rescue" His army from this wicked old world and take them off to a great
supper in the
sky
while someone else does the necessary work of subduing Satan and the Anti-christ.
Maybe the Jews will do it. Maybe, in one day's time all the Jewish Rabbis,
merchants,
soldiers, housewives, school-teachers, etc. will suddenly change their
minds about Christianity and its Christ. Maybe they will all then be suddenly
clothed
with
the full armor of the Spirit and come to the place of authority and dominion
in the Spirit that the Church has not been able to reach in 2,000 years.
Maybe. I tell
you,
the fantasies of men are much harder for me to swallow than the Truth of
God's precious Word. The Word of God makes sense, at least it does to those
who are
beginning
to see by the eye of the Spirit, for these things are spiritually discerned.
The
story of how God subdues all things under the feet of His Son (the corporate
body of sons) is told in I Cor. l5:24-28. However, you must have the correct
interpretation
of the personal pronouns of he-him-his in this passage. Some of these pronouns
refer to God, while some refer to the Son of man who is coming into
dominion
over all things. Now we know that Jesus our Lord already has overcome and
has all authority and power over all things. So when this passage speaks
of
someone
ruling until all things are under his feet, we know it is not speaking
of Jesus alone. It speaks of His body, His sons, the Son of man. Let us
read it, and I will
identify
to the best of my ability, these pronouns as they appear . . .
"Then
cometh the end, when HE (Son of man) shall have delivered up the kingdom
to God, even the Father; when HE (Son of man) shall have put down all
rule
and all authority and power. For HE (Son of man) must reign, till HE (God
the Father) hath put all enemies under HIS (Son of man) feet. The last
enemy
that
shall be destroyed is death. For HE (God the Father) hath put all things
under HIS (Son of man) feet. But when HE (God the Father) saith all things
are
put
under HIM (Son of man), it is manifest that HE (God the Father) is excepted,
which did put all things under HIM (Son of man). And when ALL THINGS
shall
be subdued unto HIM (Son of man) then shall the Son also himself be subject
unto HIM (God the Father) that put all things under HIM (Son of man),
that
GOD may be all in all."
Yes,
Jesus will forever be the Head of this corporate body. They will never
operate independent of God. Of this body Jesus said: "I will be his God,
and he shall be my
Son."
(Rev. 21:7). This body of Sons will never be equal to or have dominion
over God their Father. This Son company will forever be subject to the
headship of
Jesus,
that God may be all in all. Men have tried to relegate Jesus to a second-place
minor position in the Godhead. Not so.
Jesus
is much more than men have ever imagined. There is no one ABOVE HIM. He
has been exalted to the place above ALL principality and power and might,
and
dominion,
and EVERY name that is named both in this world and the world to come.
His name is above EVERY name. None above His. But with His body it is another
story.
There is someone above them. The Son shall be forever subject to the Father.
Bless His Name! That's just the way I like it! Glory to Jesus!
SUMMARY
This
subject is inexhaustible, the Bible is full of it. It is the very theme
of the Book. I could make this a thick full sized book, writing about Zion,
the Sons of God, this
generation
of Jesus Christ, the 42nd generation of Matthew 1:17. This generation shall
not pass away until every promise of God has been fulfilled, down to the
last jot
and
tittle. But I must close this part of the message for now. Paper is scarce,
postage is expensive, and funds are limited. So I must keep this message
down to a size
that
I can afford to send out to all hungry hearts. I would like to print this
booklet in multiplied thousands, enough to put one into the hands of everyone
of God's sons,
that
they might know the heights to which God has called them. For when we see
the eternal things of God, the things of an "exceeding and eternal weight
of glory,"
they
give us courage and strength to bear our "light afflictions which is but
for a moment."
So
in summarizing, let me say that God has planned it right down to the last
numerical perfection. He has a company of people brought forth by the life
which is in His
Son
Jesus, born not of blood or the will of the flesh, but born of God (John
1:13). Yes, they are born of incorruptible seed, by the Word of God. I
Pet. 1:23. And that
Word
was Jesus, made flesh and dwelling among men. (John 1:14). So they are
His sons, and He is their God. This is the people who shall overcome the
world, the
flesh,
and the devil, to ascend to the very authority and dominion of God himself.
All things . . . yes, that means everything, except God Himself, shall
be put under
their
feet and be subject to their rule and authority.
They
are known as a corporate body, for they are ONE in Him. The Bible calls
them Son of man, Son of God, Christ, Body of Christ, Manchild, Overcomer,
God's
Army,
Stars, Sons of God, a Chosen Generation, His Seed, Zion, the Temple of
God, House of God, Abraham's Seed, His Brethren, Living Stones, and many
other
titles
and references. Sometimes they are called by a plural name or title, sometimes
by a singular one. For it is a plural body of saints, making up a singular
Man with
Jesus
as the head.
There
are many good things in eternity for the Church. Christ loves His bride.
There are many promises to the "whosoever will" people. Heaven will be
wonderful for
the
30 fold and for the 60 fold. But it is in this company of sons, the 100
fold, that God has purposed to place the fulness of Himself, to the praise
of His glory! It is
with
them He will share His throne, His authority and power and dominion. I
know it is so, for the forerunner, Jesus, has already made it in. He will
soon come and
receive
us unto Himself into this place of dominion and rulership in the Throne.
This comes entirely by grace, through the sovereign choosing of God. We
cannot
deserve
it, we cannot fast and pray enough to earn it. But we CAN receive it by
faith, joyfully, and gratefully, as He offers it to us out of the abundance
of His love and
mercy
to us.
God's
whole program is now geared to the express purpose of perfecting these
living sons. The actions of even our enemies, yea, all circumstances, are
controlled by
the
Lord to the intent of bringing forth out of us every expression and every
spirit that is unlike Him, so that He can deal with it and deliver it.
The whole world, yea
even
the entire creation of God, awaits with groaning the unveiling of these
sons. For with the manifestation or unveiling of His sons, comes a deliverance
for all of
creation
from the bondage of death and sorrow and sin and misery. Am I interested
in Evangelism? With all my heart I cry out for the salvation of lost humanity.
Not
just
a token few here and there, but for the deliverance for all the teeming
masses in darkness and sin and heathenism. This will only come by the utter
ruin of Satan
and
the spoiling of his goods.
This
will come when EVERY enemy has been put under the feet of the Body of Christ,
the Son of man. And it is this company of sons, "He that overcometh," who
shall
bring this about. The time is at hand for it now. Privileged I am to be
living in this hour, and to have a part in sounding this trumpet! Glory
to God! How I praise
Him!
No wonder I am so interested in preaching this message of Sonship. It is
the answer to real Evangelism. It is the answer to the world's needs. Press
in, sons of
God!
Let no enemy, no hindrance, no well meaning minister of lesser things hold
you back from the high purpose of God. This is the highest calling in the
Church.
This
is Mt Zion! "BUT YE ARE COME UNTO MOUNT ZION, AND UNTO THE CITY OF THE
LIVING GOD, THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM!" (Heb. 12:22). You
are
the generation of Jesus Christ, the Seed that inherit the Promises! Now
walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called!
For more of these and other messages, write:
BILL
BRITTON
P.
O. Box 707
Springfield,
MO 65801
This
message not copyrighted. May be reprinted, translated into other languages,
and published by anyone without further permission. All messages free by
the grace
of
God.
(This ministry supported by members of the body of Christ.)
END
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