"But you have come to mount Zion, and the city of the living God, celestial Jerusalem, and to ten thousand messengers, to a universal convocation, and to the ecclesia of the firstborn, registered in the heavens, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just perfected, and to Jesus, the Mediator of a fresh covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling which is speaking better than Abel.” Hebrews 12:23-25 concordant
“The one who is conquering, him will I be making a pillar in the temple of My God, and he may be coming out nevermore, and I will be writing on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which is descending out of heaven from My God, and My new name. Who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit is saying to the ecclesias." Revelation 3: 12-13 concordant
God raises people to the holy city where they come to a new place in the Lord and eat hidden manna, feasting with the Lambkin. They are Christians who embrace an inner purge, cleansed from reasonings, purified of heart, matured to a perfection that is complete. They fit into the city where God fills them to the fullest measure, bringing them into a unity with His resurrected family. God is drawing us to a city He calls the New Jerusalem, the city Abraham was looking for:
"By faith Abraham, being called, obeys, coming out into the place which he was about to obtain to enjoy as an allotment, and came out, not versed in where he is coming. By faith he sojourns in the land of promise as in an alien land, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the joint enjoyers of the allotment of the same promise. For he (Abraham) waited for the city having foundations, whose Artificer and Architect is God." Hebrews 11:8 concordant
The city is the dwelling place of God! People become one with the city by being God’s habitation, because the city is made up of individual temples in which He dwells. God's intentions have been expressed to the Christian church world in scripture, yet few understand all they are destined to be. We all have a homeland, called to be resident citizens of God’s city. Each individual in it possesses the Father’s nature written within. They have a glory given of GOD ALMIGHTY.
Every Christian is placed within a certain rank within His body of believers, yet all are destined to be full fledged citizens of the holy city, the New Jerusalem order. Old church heavens will be dissolved within us as we are baptized into a current mediation of the covenant from Jesus. He is Lord and Leader of all the varied ranks of Christian believers. That includes every Christian denomination, sect, and group from the Roman Catholic, all the way to the weirdest cults. Every believer in Jesus Christ is destined to fit into the “holy city" shown to John the apostle — but it will be a process.
Although predestined, vast numbers of believers in old heavens must be harvested. They are not yet ready to receive a full inheritance, the manifestation of God’s glory showing forth a full majestic presence within their being. There is a heavenly state of being that is apprehended by those He calls, who seek first the kingdom of God. God’s unfailing Word and Spirit deals with these people until they have been made into His sons and daughters who bring clear messages into focus from the “up hither” realm of God’s city.
The citizens of this city hear the King’s voice roaring out of Zion through brethren whose lips are without guile. They are bringing a pure Word from the throne of a new feast to feed the hungering Christian’s heart. A great feast and feeding of suppers with the Lamb is coming from the throne realm. It is shown in the Old Testament type and shadow at the Feast of Tabernacles. Eyes and ears of the body of Christ are being opened to see with spiritual understanding into the throne realm of Jesus Christ, into spiritual Zion where God fully tabernacles IN us.
About the Pentecostal candlestick churches, the beloved John was given a rod and was told to measure the temple of God and those that worshiped therein:
"And a reed like a rod was given me, and one said ‘Rouse, measure the temple of God and the altar and those worshiping in it. And the court outside of the temple cast outside, and you should not be measuring it, for it was given to the nations, and the holy city will they be treading forty-two months.’" Revelation 11:1-2 concordant
The Jewish calendar is 30 days per month, 30 times 42 months is 1260. Taking a day for a year, Mystery Babylon’s mother church in Rome dominated the church of Christ on earth for 1260 years before a reformation began at the time of Martin Luther in the 1500's.
John the beloved was instructed not to measure the outer court. In other words, the messenger of God’s Spirit was telling John not to measure or even consider measuring the brethren worshiping in the outer courts dominated by Babylonish Roman ideas. Many representing Christ Jesus have not measured up to be counted with the mature, because they keep working in the outer ways taught of religious men.
Brethren coming up to a higher way are coming to spiritual Mount Zion and are being taught by His Spirit. The history of the apostate Christian church is not clear to one who has trampled it underfoot. Religious men have promoted false ways that have kept His people captive, so they do not measure up to be counted with the registered ranks of “ten thousand messengers” at this universal convocation.
Thus, we advise each to take inventory in assessing their spiritual growth and development in the worship of God. Do we worship Him in spirit and truth? We are not to judge the worshipers in the “outer courts” harshly, for they are just not being drawn at this time. Christ quickens our inner spirit to truth that rules over our soulish life to see the end of human reasoning and carnal ways. This is what God measures as progress, this inner condition of our spiritual person being made strong enough to rule over our own selfish soul.
God is testing each of us, measuring for growth, and even wayfaring ones therein come to the call of likeness of Christ. Christians honestly need major change through presenting their bodies as living sacrifices. Most efforts have proven futile, for most of the candlestick churches have received just an in-part measure of Spirit.
We, however, found out that the will of God is for healing THE WHOLE MAN, including the body! Yes, and now there is coming a glory that redeems our spirit and soul, guiding us to a blessed redemption like unto Jesus Christ’s. Our inner man is alive and Christ has been formed within us, a spiritual body. Our spirit is alive and yet has something mortal that must put on immortality. People are led into the city of God because they belong to the Lord. How different was Paul’s focus and our experience when the apostle Paul wrote:
“For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.” Romans 7:18-23 NRS
After Christians profess to be born again, they discover some of the same old propensities, inclinations, weaknesses, and habits are causing sickness to work within them. New creatures in Christ Jesus do not angrily fly off the handle and say things that are ungodly! The measure of your spiritual experience should be working in your mind and body, and in your outer members. God will reconcile and fully redeem the inner man, but first our mind grows with transformation from an inner spiritual process.
Christ must quicken, liberate, and cleanse as our inner spirit receives His guidance directly by Spirit to enlighten and refashion our inner being. Some give diligence to follow godliness in our spirit. Christ has saved our soul and now is leading us to a redemption for our body. Christ being established within our spirit has saved our soul. Those who worship God in an outer court way are not yet being measured for sonship, it’s not now the focus of their concern.
The history of Christianity is seen in the candlestick churches. They are “the outer court” of His people, given over to denominations who really do not believe in the Spirit-filled, Spirit-led life. These believers of the outer court practice things that trample God’s word under the feet of their own understanding for the time allotted of 1260 years.
But our homeland does have streets of gold! In the city is the purest nature of God, so God’s gold flows here within, unhindered. Truth springs up like water from within. The incorruptible Word of God brings an unveiling of extended glory and reveals the powerful dominion of His throne. Yet Christian people are worshiping in the outer courts of the “30 fold” Passover churches, and the “60 fold” Pentecostals, still missing the spiritual messages that bring the spiritual glory of the “100 fold” Feast of Tabernacles city.
Religious men are experts at trampling His courts with the "feet" of their own religious understanding and traditions. His own people have become part of a religious woman called "Mystery Babylon" which, in this matter, is having a golden cup in her hand (the scriptures), but is brimming with abominable interpretations and unclean teachings that need washed because of her earthly mindedness.
She still keeps treading underfoot all the high and holy things of God. Beating a path in the carnal minded with interpretations expressed in the outer court, these are content to be FORGIVEN BUT NOT PERFECTED. They are content children (babes) of God, but not mature sons.They are being reconciled and justified but not transformed, possessing gifts but not having the power to love and the authority to reign with Christ.
"Are you not aware that you are a temple of God and the spirit of God is making its home in you?" I Corinthians 3:16 concordant
"And opened was the temple of God in heaven, and seen was the ark of God's covenant in His temple, and lightning, and voices, and thunders and an earthquake and great hail occurred." Revelation 11:19 concordant
God's Word and Spirit are His two witnesses that have been held to literal carnal interpretations by earth minded men prophesying for one thousand two hundred and sixty years. Clothed in sackcloth, the darkness of man's religious mind keeps Christians, for the most part, in the outer court. That is changed when we are raised up to hear messages coming from the heart of Zion inspired from above. Many should now hear the trumpet of the Lord, a voice from the throne saying: "Come Up Hither."
The “open temple in heaven” is the people who had previously been worshiping at the golden altar of incense and have allowed God to grant greater measures to their inner spiritual person through trials and testing. They are dealt with by God as sons and daughters, given things “sweet in the mouth and bitter in the belly”.
These are "called out" of the general problems, divisions, and conflicts of the vast mansions of candlestick churches. The Lord’s brethren are called, chosen, and elected to receive God's life, His very name! We are given His nature, written upon our hearts, to ABIDE in it. Sons see into the city, into those things that are invisible. Yet, above is where the mercy is seated. Jesus Christ Himself is the ark which exposes the mysteries of Christ as glorious facts while the ark flashes hope for attaining lasting glory:
“And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.” Revelation 11:19 NAS
God has Fathered our spirit and He comes in our spirit to make a dwelling. His life comes into our inner reality as WE are the temple of God. Some brethren are opened in heaven, revealing the ark to show a complete measure of sonship from their Father’s glorious reality. A company of overcoming sons are united by eating the same heavenly manna. The messages from the throne of God's incorruptible Word are flowing within them to make all men see and come alive! The tables of stone with the law written were placed in the Old Testament ark as a type and shadow of His own divine law becoming alive within us.
Aaron’s rod that budded shows God has His own divinely appointed ministry. The Melchizedek priesthood is ordained to function in the Day of the Lord. The glory of that priesthood comes from the mercy seat in a complete measure! The sevenfold spirit of Jesus Christ is coming! It appears within us when we are looking closely into the instruction of the Word. We are enabled to spiritually see the body of Christ opened in heaven with only the ark being seen, because the growth to glory has removed the mixture of the past.
Looking now at perfection with spiritual eye salve, the covenant promises a complete perfection extended to us. God's redemptive plan and purpose is working now to bring forth the pure covenant promise with Life to called sons, not on tables of stone, but written on the hearts of many maturing sons and daughters. Tens of thousands of messengers have eaten hidden manna that is sent within the ark realm, where also Aaron's rod budded.
A true ministry has been chosen of God, kings and priests who now operate in mercy and truth within the mature characteristics of God’s nature. The temple of God is a living people, a believing people who joined with companies of redeemed men. These are pillars, founders, and jewels in the walls making up the city of God, the city prepared for the coming harvest time:
"The one who is conquering, him will I be making a pillar in the temple of My God, and he may be coming out nevermore, and I will be writing on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which is descending out of heaven from My God, and My new name." Revelation 3:12 concordant
"Consequently, then, no longer are you guests and sojourners, but are fellow-citizens of the saints and belong to God's family, being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, the capstone of the corner being Christ Jesus Himself, in Whom the entire building, being connected together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in Whom you, also, are being built together for God's dwelling place, in spirit." Ephesians 2:20-22 concordant
"And one of the seven messengers who have the seven bowls brimming with the last seven calamities came, and he speaks with me, saying, ‘Hither! I shall be showing you the bride, the wife of the Lambkin.’ And he carries me away, in spirit, on a mountain, huge and high, and shows me the holy city, Jerusalem, as it is descending out of heaven from God, having the glory from God." Revelation 21:9-11 concordant
The holy city is the spiritual homeland for the bride of Christ. All of us Christians have a rightful place in the New Jerusalem order. Every member of that heavenly city is a living person, a glorified CHRIST-FILLED person who is the temple of God. Every jeweled stone is a living, ransomed soul, with a message for the body of Christ. They too are living stones, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. The apostle John was permitted to see the perfected bride of Christ coming to full beauty and glory. From his vantage point John was ravished with the electrifying sight. John’s vision of the “holy city” only came into view after “forty-two months” of treading down the holy people by outer court worship. Redeemed members of the body of Christ are drawn by the incorruptible Word of God that cleanses them and raises them from every dead thing!
Thank God, forty-two months was a time limit and the forty-two months have ended. This “Christianity” was trodden down by the carnal thinking of religious church leaders. Now ALL of God’s precious people shall be delivered from the domains of Mystery Babylon. ALL of the Lord’s redeemed ones shall come and return to spiritual Mount Zion with singing and with everlasting joy and gladness in their hearts! We despise not those dear ones in the outer court who can see, but are still trodden down. They will yet be “made ready” as a bride adorned for her husband.
Now at last we see the full measure being granted sons and daughters, the many brethren in the Bridegroom company and the many members of the Bride of Christ. We are now washed by the water of the Word to JOINTLY inherit all things promised, even to REIGN OVER EARTHLY THINGS! The worldly nations shall eventually walk in the light of New Jerusalem people, and those rulers and leaders shall bring all their wealth and prestige.
In the midst of our mind the truth is established that flows like water within our spiritual being. GOD Almighty is our Father, He is now tabernacling within men and women, wiping away every tear, ending our sorrow. We are to be made NEW, filled with an allotment of God’s fullness, with God Himself extending endlessly to us unto the age of ages!