In this sermon, the preacher discusses the concept of a great white throne and the multitude of people it will include. He emphasizes the need for believers to have a broader understanding of the challenges they will face. The preacher shares a disturbing incident involving a six-year-old boy who harmed a baby out of revenge, highlighting the darkness and brokenness of humanity. He emphasizes the importance of taking God seriously and not just seeking His blessings, but also acknowledging His judgment. The preacher concludes by urging believers to bear true witness to others and represent God faithfully.

Lord, we thank you for your goodness to us this night. Lord, I just praise you. I thank you for bringing us here safely. I praise you, Lord. I pray for the loved ones represented here that your hand will be upon them and that you will keep them, Lord, while we're away. Lead them into your kingdom, we pray. I thank you, Lord. I remember especially Paul Cohen tonight. Lord, I know you will hear this tape. I know how he longs to be here. Lord, we pray that you will make a way for this man, Paul and Lisa, to come and have their place with us, Lord, according to your holy will and in your time. Now, Lord, just help us tonight to cover the ground that you want brought forth here, and we'll be careful to praise you in Jesus' name. And everyone said, Amen. You heard us talk about the latter rain. Now, everywhere we go, it seems that we're hearing, I mean, they had it in the Women in Action, and I've heard it from several places, ministers' meetings, and so on, that we're on the edge of a tremendous revival. Okay? I believe it. I've been preaching it for, well, since before we were here, that's more than 20 years. We're going to have a big revival, greatest revival of all time. Smith Wigglesworth prophesied over it, of it. Others have seen it coming. Now, it's the latter rain. The latter rain. What does that term mean? What does it mean, anyone, the latter rain? What does it mean? Well, the original reference is to have two rain seasons. History only goes to the second of the two rains, the one that brought forth the maturation of the grain, rather than the planting rain, which set the grain and began it to grow. The latter rain being the one that actually brought forth the grain's maturation. In Israel, in the land of Israel, the rain cycle is as follows. You have a planting rain, as Brother said, which occurs at the beginning of October, roughly. And that's, they've had, prior to that, they've had six months of drought. Six months. Very hot. Through the summer. And then, and then the ground is hard. Then the rain begins to fall in October. That's the former rain of the planting rain. And throughout the winter, they have, then they have an occasional rain shower. And then starting about the end of February, there is a very heavy rain called the latter rain. And that rain comes when the wheat is starting to come up to maturity, to bring it to maturity. And then you have sun. And the sun finishes the job, it hardens the heads of wheat, and then it can be, the wheat can be cut, threshed. Alright, now, when we say latter rain, then, we're talking about a rain that would come at the end of the church age, just before a time of tribulation, before the sun. And its purpose is to bring the wheat on the earth, God's people are a type of wheat, bring it up to maturity. Now, you don't want too much rain. If you get too much rain, what will happen? It rots the wheat, it rots it, it becomes counterproductive. You want just enough to cause the wheat to come up just nice. And then it stops. So it has to be, you know, if they're going to have a good harvest. That is, so when we're talking about latter rain, we're talking about that in the last days, before the Lord comes, there will be a heavy downpour, heavier than the book of Acts. Our personal opinion is that the book of Acts is the former rain, or the seed rain, or the planting rain. That the latter rain, it started to sprinkle at the time of Martin Luther, and you can see from that time that there's been an increase in glory. From the time of Martin Luther, we're coming up to something. And every spiritual person that I know of has spoken of this. It was spoken of in the convention. People don't call it latter rain. Latter rain got itself a bad name because of some things that people did. But that has nothing to do with anything. Now, where is the latter rain mentioned in the Bible? That's, you need to know, because people are like, latter rain, that's occult, this, that, and the other. Where does it say it in the Bible? There's three references in the Old and one in the New. Anybody know the New Testament reference? There's just one. There it is. Remember it says, the farmer has long patience until he receives the early and the latter rain. That's in the book of James. That the farmer plants the earth, and he has long patience for it until it receives, I don't know the reference. One of these times when I didn't know in the last minute what I was going to be preaching on. Okay? It's in the book of James. Anybody find it? Did you find it, Bill? 5.7? Read it, Mark. What does it say? Receives the early and the latter rain. There you go. You need to know that. Now, people are free to talk about revival, but they don't know where it is in the Bible. Okay? All right, now in the Old Testament, there's three references. Do you know any of them? Yes. Well, there's one that's not really listed as a former and a latter rain, but I believe it makes reference to it. I believe it was Caleb's daughter came and asked first for land and then for springs of water, and he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. I've always thought that was a reference to the former and the latter. That's good. That's good. That's in the book of Joshua. I think it's repeated somewhere else, either in Judges or in Deuteronomy. No, it wouldn't be Deuteronomy. It would have to be Judges. Joshua and Judges. Twice that incident's in there, where Caleb's daughter asks him for the upper and the lower springs. Yes? The one with the Joel 2.23? Yes, Joel 2.23. The first one is in Joel. Okay, read it. Be glad, then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he is giving you the former rain faithfully, and he will cause the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain in the first month. Yes, so we can expect in the end time, in the time in which we live, both former rain and latter rain. In other words, it means both evangelism and maturity will be present in a tremendous revival, a double portion in the last days. The former rain speaks of planting, so that's revival, a new soul. And then the latter rain speaks of the saints coming to maturity. So both of these will occur, and the revival is coming up. It will be worldwide evangelism plus revival on the saints. Call it renewal, call it what you want. But it is predicted to be in the last days, in the first month. Okay? Yes, Janet? Isaiah 6.3. Odeah is the second one, 6.3. Read that out, Janet. Then shall we know, if we follow unto the Lord, in going forth to prepare in the morning, that he shall come unto us as the rain, and the former, and the latter, and the former rain unto you. Yes, and that morning then corresponds to the first month. See, in other words, it's a beginning. You'll find where the great revival is mentioned in Ezekiel 47, where the water comes out toward the east. Where is the east? It's talking about, that's where the sun rises. It's talking about the beginning, the day of the Lord. Alright, so we had Joel and we had Hosea. What's the third? Yes? Zechariah 10.1. Zechariah 10.1. That's the third reference to the latter rain in the Old Testament. Yes? Another one, Deuteronomy 11.14. I didn't know that one. Read it. There are two regions of rain in the land, and two regions of earth's rain, and the latter rain that thou mayest gather in, like corn, and like wine, and like wood. Yes, now that's a reference to the natural, but it's alright. It's good, it's substantial. You can see that you don't have to reach. This is a real Bible doctrine. Alright, read Zechariah 10.1. Ask ye of the Lord rain, and ask of the latter rain, and the Lord shall make a bright cloud out of the shallow of the rain, and put it on the path of peace. Yes, truthfulness for everyone. Now, what does it tell us to do in the time of the latter rain? Ask. Ask. Ask. This is a time to ask for God's Holy Spirit. Now, because this is the great revival that will bring fruitfulness to everyone, bright clouds and so on. So we see that it is absolutely scriptural that there will be a tremendous outpouring of God's Spirit before the Lord comes, before the harvest. The Lord's coming is the harvest of the earth. Judgment and harvest of the things of the earth. And before that will be this enormous revival that properly and scripturally is called the latter rain. The latter rain got a bad name because it was a group that called themselves the latter rain. They got into some screwy stuff, so everybody's afraid of the term. You don't have to be afraid of the term. It's an absolute Bible term. Stan? I noticed it was Jack Apron's notes. He made reference to that revival as a valid revival. He didn't give it the term latter rain, but he did reference it in that time period. Very good. Now, when you go through the book of Revelation, there's only one place where a tremendous revival occurs, and that is in chapters 10 and 11. I consider them as one chapter. If the time of the blowing, when the seventh angel is about to blow, you get this tremendous revival in Revelation 10 and 11. It's the only place where such a worldwide thing... I call it the again revival because at the end of chapter 10 he says you must prophesy again. John there represents the church, and so the church must prophesy again. It prophesied to the ends of the earth once in the first century. It will prophesy again to the ends of the earth in our day. This gospel of the kingdom must be preached unto every nation for a witness, and then the end shall come. That means the end of the ability to preach, and that's in Matthew 24. After the latter rain, God is going to allow Antichrist to prevail so that sin can come to maturity. It will be a time of burning sun for the church and tribulation to perfect the saints so that when the Lord Jesus comes, the church will have been separated from Babylon, will have been purified, and most important of all, will come up out of the wilderness leaning on her beloved. Now see, the Lord Jesus is looking for that, and the church today in some respects is as independent as a hog on ice, and we have to have a lot of burning sun in order to make us dependent on the Lord. So we get to where I'm getting. I guess it's age, but I've had so much age and medical problems in the last year I'm glad to get through a day, but I have to do it by praying. I had to pray to get strength for tonight. I have to pray all the time. Well, that's what the Lord wants. So that for everything, we have to pray for wisdom, for strength, for counseling, and I have to listen to the Lord carefully for everything. There's a million problems, and that's good because it's making me lean on the Lord and come up out of the wilderness leaning on her beloved. And so that's the sequence. The Lord is coming for a bride without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. And it's going to take the latter rain and then tribulation to accomplish that. Okay? Any questions thus far? All right. Let's go to Revelation 10. Now this is symbolic, and I want you, immediately you do not understand, some reference to raise your hand and ask me because this is kind of the deep end of the pool. And this is not simple elementary teaching at all. I'll make it as simple and practical as I can. But it's very symbolic. Yes, Bill? In the great revival that's coming, the latter rain is it, is it going to add to the church, to the body, something that it needs in order to be able to endure the great intense time of maturity that's to follow? Or is it the purpose more to bring in the fullness of the Gentiles? Is it more of an in-gathering or is it more of an imparting to the church so as to be able and equipped to endure what's coming? I would say there are two main purposes to the end time. One we know from James is to bring the church to maturity. Remember the husband Antel received the form in the latter rain. The Lord is waiting for fruit. And that fruit is Christ. Which is really worked out in godly behavior. But the fruit that God is looking for is the image of his Son in people. Right now it's in kind of an immature state. Okay. The second aspect is this. God wants a witness to the world of the nature of the kingdom that is coming. Yes? Is that more on quality than quantity? Okay. If you don't think of it that way, think of it the way that I said. Revelation 11 talks about the witness. Revelation 12 talks about the birth of Christ in the church. That's why those two are there. But the two purposes of the revival. One is to bear witness. See the world is ignorant of the nature of God. And God wants to bear witness. Now a witness is born whether a person accepts it or not. A witness doesn't mean somebody got saved. A witness means that a clear testimony of the nature of God was given. It's not being given today. It's gone over into getting souls saved. Well that's not a scriptural expression. It's good and we want people saved, certainly. But we must deal with the scripture. The scripture says, you shall receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you that you may bear witness. And when you change that into saving souls, that's a human response and it ends up in a diminution of the witness. Because in the desire to get people in, you begin to tamper with the witness because you feel, well boy they can't bear that. And so if we want to have a heart for souls, when I came here there was a bunch of young kids skateboarding out there. Well, one of them waved at me and I waved back. I didn't say, get out of here. The problem is it represents a liability to us if one of them fractures the skull out there on a skateboard, his mother will sue the church. On the other hand, we don't want to come down on young people. It's better to skateboard out here than they're up burglarizing some store. So it's a real difficult thing. So we want to have a heart for these kids and not turn them off just because they're boarding around. We want to do that. But we don't want it. We want to remember that God's first purpose in putting his spirit upon us is that we'll bear witness. The Bible doesn't say, I'll put up my spirit upon you, you'll save souls. We have a human desire to keep people out of hell. That's good and it's understandable, but you would look very hard in the New Testament to find this. And one of the things we certainly must do if we're going to stand in the end time is go by the scripture. If you can find it in the scripture plainly, you're on solid ground. If you can't, you may just be going by a good idea or the traditions of men. It's not enough to say, well, everybody's saying it. I want to know, what does the Bible say? And the Bible stresses bearing witness. And so if we keep that in mind, we become God-centered rather than people-centered. And that's a good thing. When a church gets people-centered, then we find ourselves, God says, who is on the Lord's side? Not who's on the people's side. Who's on the Lord's side? Oh, listen, that makes such a difference in your thinking. Too often, the minister is on the people's side against God. He's telling them, take your bill and sit down and write 50. Take your bill and sit down and write 20. See, and God's not getting his day in court. The job of the minister is to present, he's on the Lord's side. He's saying to the people, this is what God is saying to you. If not, he's an unjust steward. Well, does he have heart? Does he love the people? Probably he does. He's probably that type of person that really loves people and cares for people. But that cuts no ice. We're servants of God. We're not servants of people. We serve people best when we serve God best. It doesn't do any good to people to moon over them and tell them something that isn't true. Because we're all going to answer when the Lord comes. And we're going to have then a false witness of God. Yeah, but I love the people. Yeah, but the first commandment is to love God. And too often our love for people has in it other motives. Other motives that are not pure. One of them would be so that people would think we love them and come to church. This kind of thing. It's an understandable motive, but it's not a pure motive. God has given me love for people on occasion, many occasions. And it's very real. And it can be surprising. I know when Saul will come, the first time Saul will come to that church, I just want to run over and hug that guy. I mean, it doesn't make any sense. I didn't even know him. But God's love, when God is moving toward a person, you can feel it. And that's real. See, that's real. I felt that toward a Mexican man Saturday night when I was in the Kaiser up in L.A. Oh, I would have given the talk to that guy. He was a little Spanish that I had. He was a Mexican man, very heavy set, about 50 years old. I walked in, and I just took a look at that guy. I was just drawn to him. I couldn't tell him about the Lord, but I said, Oh, señor. And then I said, I don't know what I said. I said, viejo, viejo. He said, no, hold on, hold on. I said, gracias. So we both went back to the doctor, and I kind of petted him. I was a total stranger, but I just felt drawn to him. And when I come out, I said, adios, señor. And he just grinned and beamed at me. You don't know when you do little things like that. The last person I testified to was last week. We changed insurance agents. After we got through talking, the agent and I would come out, and Audrey says, I feel like I've been in church. Before that, I was in a dermatologist in Kaiser the preceding week, and that guy just pumped me about, where do you go to, you know, he wanted to know all about tongues. It just happens. It just happens like that. It just happens when you're serving the Lord. And so, but, it's when we're God-centered. It's when we're God-centered that it comes. When God's love comes, it just flows, and it's real, and people feel that. Oh, listen, you've got a bunch of Mexicans sitting in there, and we're the only gringos in there. You know, they're very sensitive to people. And Audrey loves kids and people and everything, and so she was looking at the children, and they feel that. They were studying us, and we left a very good feeling, at least in race relations, we left a very good feeling in there. Who knows how God would use that, you know. So, I wanted, I said that to balance the fact that this to-witness thing is, contains elements that the church is not ready to hear just yet. We'll get into that. Are we okay so far? Okay, now we're talking what we want to describe in Revelation 10 and 11. This is the Lateran Revival as I understand it. And, it has two purposes. And one is to bring Christ to the fullness in the church. you find it in Isaiah 66. Maybe somebody wants to turn there. Isaiah 66, and it's what, it's around verse 7, where it says, the nation shall be born at once. Very key scripture in what we're talking about. We're talking about now the one half of the Lateran that's destined to bring God's elect to maturity. What's the other half of the Lateran? What does that do? Witness. One of its purposes is to bring a worldwide witness. And don't let me forget, I want to tell you a little bit about that every age of God has two witnesses that embody in themselves the coming age. Every time an age changes, God sends two witnesses in advance. It began with Adam and Eve. They were witnesses of the day of form. The form of man. And they embody in themselves what mankind would be. And the next two witnesses were Abraham and Sarah and then Moses and Aaron. Don't let me forget, because you need to see the significance of this and why I'm stressing that the Lateran Revival will be two witnesses. That's in the mouth of two witnesses. Shall every word be established? And our whole earth has got a false opinion of what God is like and what God will do. And it's up to the church to bear a true witness. And the second purpose of the Lateran is? Okay, read now once in Isaiah 66, 7. The foreseer did the travail as he gave birth. Before her pain came she delivered a male child. That is referring to Jesus Christ. Jesus was born with no travail on the part of the church. Zion. Before Zion travailed she brought forth a son. That was Jesus Christ. Alright, read on. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such a thing? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed she gave birth to her children. That's talking about the birth of Christ in the church. Which will come suddenly in the first month. Okay? The church has travailed for 2,000 years and suddenly a nation will be born. And that nation is the holy nation. Remember 1 Peter? You are a holy nation. A kingdom of priests. That nation will be born at once. One moment you'll have Babylon which we have today. 1,000 different denominations. The next moment you'll have people showing forth in themselves the fullness of Christ. The fullness of Christ in people will be accomplished by 2 things. Suffering and glory. Both. You cannot have one without the other and get the maturity you want. You must have unprecedented suffering and unprecedented glory. It's just like childbirth. You have suffering and you have glory. Okay? We're in for days of suffering and glory and the suffering is nothing to worry about. Apart from it you wouldn't be you wouldn't get what it is you want to get. Which is to be a part of God's royal priesthood. See, it's the royal priesthood that's the holy nation. And that's the nation that will be born at once. When Zion prevails. Now that's what's been talked about. You know, you're going to give birth here. Something's being born here. Something's being born here. What's being born here is Christ in us. Which is the Feast of Tabernacles which is the step after Pentecost. See that? All we're coming into is grand beyond belief. See, and Stan was saying that they mentioned that in the convention that before the Lord comes to the world he will come to the saints. And that's in Hebrews. Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. That's not the coming of the Lord in the clouds of glory. That's the coming of the Lord to those who look for him. That's happening now. That's happening. That's what all the prophets said. What is God doing? What is the tremendous thing? Well, what we're talking about tonight is where it is in the Bible. Okay? Did you hear what... And remember where that was. Isaiah 66. See? Before Zion prevailed she brought forth Jesus Christ. But then Zion prevailed and brought forth the children of God. You'll find the same thing in Micah 5. Turn to Micah 5 and we're talking now about verse 2 of Micah 5. You're kind of getting a sense of the awesomeness of what's about to take place or is taking place? Are you getting a sense of it? See, and people say what's it going to be like? And I know one of the outstanding ministers I won't say her name on hate but they're asking about the laughing revival. Well, how come no criticism of the laughing revival? Hopefully it will help a multitude of people. But she went to inspect it and she didn't have anything negative to say about it. She just said this isn't what we're looking for. You know? I mean, it's good and helpful and it helped many people I'm sure. But it's not what we're looking for. What we're looking for is this tremendous witness and this tremendous growth on the part of God's people. Okay? Someone read Micah 5 too. What does it say? Go ahead, Brent. If you have it, it's on the end here on the page. Who's that? Jesus. Go ahead. Go ahead. There are his brothers, his saints. Go ahead. Them there is referring to Israel. That's the church. Go ahead. You see that? And that's why wherever you find fervent Christians today they've got a desire to go back to Israel. That's the reason. It's the time now for Christ's brothers. Remember, we're brothers. He predestined, he conformed that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Where does it say that? Romans 8. 29. Okay. His brothers will return to the children of Israel when Zion prevails. How many see that? Isn't that marvelous? I told you, it's kind of the deep end of the pool but it's something you can't understand. But if you're going to understand when people say a revival is coming, a revival is coming, it's got to be in the book of Revelation. Okay? And this is where it is. You see, there's something awesome that's taking place here. Now, by the way, a very important... We're in chapter 10 of Revelation. See, what does this have to do with Revelation? In verse 7. But in the days of... Revelation 10.7 In the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he is about to sound, so there'll be a period of time called the days of the seventh angel. And that's what we're entering now. See, the days of the seventh angel. As he's poised to sound, there's going to be a period of time when this latter rain is going to fall. Now, look what it says. The mystery of God is finished. That's the key. The mystery of God. The mystery of God. Now, what is the mystery of God? Yes? That's right. Now, turn to Colossians 1 starting with about verse 24. Colossians 1. See, it's a mystery. And if you don't think it's a mystery, you haven't tried preaching it. Alright. Here we go. Colossians 1.25 Of this church I was made a minister, according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God. That is the mystery The mystery. See, it's a secret. It's not understood. It's a mystery. It remains a mystery to this day. And that's why it's highly significant where it says in Revelation 10.7 the mystery of God should be finished. Very significant. Okay? Which has been hidden from the passages. Has now been manifest to his saints. And Paul did preach it in the former rain. He did preach the mystery. See, we're not talking now about getting souls saved. We're talking about the mystery of God. The mystery of God. In his days, the mystery of God should be finished. Okay? Which has among the Gentiles the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ or Messiah in you. Now during the church age we are still preaching Christ to you or Christ with you. Like in our celebration of Christmas. Even all the saved people. We tell them you know, I pondered why is it that every time we go to preach we say to people let Christ into your heart. And you won't find that in the book of Acts. And I thought, why is that? They never in the book of Acts preached let Christ into your heart. Never. You won't find it one time. But now it seems so natural and so right. I don't doubt that this is the time when God wants to enter the hearts of people. Certainly in Revelation in the third chapter where Christ said, I knock at the door that's to the church of Laodicea. It's to the last church. Where Christ says I stand at the door and knock. It's to the last church. So evidently we're coming into a time now when God wants the church to realize that the gospel is not Christ with us. But Christ in us. But as you listen to preaching you'll see or when people talk about heaven. Whenever people talk about heaven they don't picture Christ in them. They picture Christ with them. I want to go live in a mansion and there's Jesus and there's Paul. You'll never, I've never read and I've read every vision I could find of saints who have a vision of heaven. Never once did they have anything to say about Christ in them. And you'll see on Christmas when Christmas comes, when Easter comes people go and stand in the morning to worship about Christ coming from the tomb. We ought to be talking about Christ in us. That's the mystery, not Christ coming from the tomb. That's not the mystery of the gospel. Christ on the cross. That's not the mystery of the gospel. That's plain and easy to understand. What people don't dig is Christ in us and the significance of that. That means that's all the difference. That has to do with the bride, it has to do with the body of Messiah, it has to do with the servant of the Lord. It's what Paul said. I'm crucified, nevertheless I'm living. What is Christ is living in me. That is the gospel. That is the mystery of the gospel. Not that Christ is crucified. That's the atonement. Or that Christ rose out of the cave. That's our hope and our justification. But the mystery is Christ in us. And it remains a mystery to this day. Now how many, yes? Yes. Yes. That's right. Yes. It's said but when it works out in practice, it's not real in people's minds. Now we just came from a convention, but I didn't hear any accent at all. It was wonderful, but I didn't hear any accent on Christ in us. Or that had any particular significance. Because you see, that's the Feast of Tabernacles. We haven't been there yet. That's Pentecost. It's the Holy Spirit on you. And so there's a lot of talk about the Holy Spirit. Which is good, because the former reign, the latter reign, the first one. But we need the Holy Spirit. Revival comes by the Holy Spirit. There's no question about that. But the mystery of the Gospel is not the Holy Spirit. It's not revival. It's none of these marvelous things. It's something that is infinitely more significant and infinitely more challenging. And that's the fact that we are changing from a human being, a son of Adam, into an individual who is moved by the Messiah being birthed and growing and acting and thinking in us. Infinitely more challenging. Infinitely more significant. That Zion prevailed. That's the nation born in a day. That has nothing to do with Calvary. I hope I don't sound irreverent. We're just discussing one aspect, yes? In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul calls it the adoration of the vessels. And of course, Paul preaching in the first century, preaching in the fullness of the Revelation, no doubt made clear to many people what the mystery of the Gospel was. But when the second generation of preachers came and began to deal with Latin and Hebrew and Greek and commentaries and everything, they lost that. See, it wasn't it was reserved for the end time. It's reserved for the latter reign. And it's really the big news of the hour. Christ is in us. Oh, of course I know. Every Christian knows that Christ is in him. He let Christ into his heart. But it doesn't work out to where it connects. He's still thinking in terms of getting saved and going to heaven. To be with the Lord. So shall we ever be with the Lord. And being with the Lord is true. And he's both in us and with us. But his main concern is what happens in us. Because he was with the apostles. But he couldn't set up his kingdom then because he can't set up his kingdom until he's in us. His kingdom is in us. And being with us is important and marvelous beyond words. But it doesn't make that kind of a demand on us. Christ is in us. Makes a total demand. Total. You know, where is Christ anyway? Woo! He's being formed in us. And that is very painful. Because he's setting up housekeeping. And I mean, he's interested in every grain of dust in the place. And it's gotta be a perfect house. But we can't do that. But he can. And you see, God's end purpose in the church is to form a living temple. Because once he gets his temple, then he can reveal himself to men and angels. But until he gets that living temple, he cannot do that. He's the invisible God. But he first made Christ his chief cornerstone of his temple. That's why it says God was manifest in the flesh. He was manifest in Jesus. And the angels decided he'd never seen God before. It's a mystery. And the invisible God, who is so great he's not even comprehensible, made himself real that could be seen by men and angels in Jesus Christ. There's God. There's a Father who has decided to make himself real. But as Jesus said, in my Father's house are many rooms. And that's us. Yes? ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... and your father and my God and your God well if you say Jesus was the father that's see you have to throw offers that they don't make any sense so no he is not the father but he can say he that has seen me has seen the father why because he was filled with all the fullness of God and a day will come somewhere down the trail in eternity when you'll be able to say he that has seen me has seen Jesus why because you will be so alive with the life of Christ that the words you speak will be the words of Christ the actions you do will be the actions of Christ so for all practical purposes he that has seen you has seen Christ now why is Jesus God and why can we worship him and pray to him because God made him God God said to him uh thy throne oh God is forever see God said that to Jesus he made him God in fact he said that to Moses he said that to Aaron he said I have made you God and Aaron is your prophet I don't think anybody wants God but the father see the Lord said to my Lord David said speaking of the father speaking to Christ the Lord the father said to my Lord Christ and Jesus referred to that so no it's no big deal it's uh it's uh very easy to understand to me I have no no problem no problem with that I have no problem with that to me Jesus is God's son and he perfectly reflects his glory and his image and it's filled with him but you want to remember this that Jesus is the chief cornerstone in the temple of God so what does that tell us there'll be other stones you mean we're being made a room in the house of God my father's house there are many rooms oh my I think theology has done a number on us I think theology has done a number on us and made the simple you know my theory is is people tend to make that which is simple difficult difficult I'm sure you found that in your job and everybody else life can be so beautiful but we make it difficult by straining over things that there's no need to strain over well anyway that's my masterpiece there all right now we're still in Colossians 1 now grab this one it's important the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you not Christ risen not Christ crucified those are important all part of the kingdom all part of salvation but what God is after is Christ in you and that's the most neglected concept in the church today it's all you're saved and on your way to heaven now get out and tell others the good news nothing wrong with that except we're neglecting the mystery the mystery and so there are two purposes to the latter rain what are they that God will have a that the nations of the earth will have a true witness of what is coming and not be caught off guard and what's the second one bringing up Christ in us see at revelation 10 7 in the days when the seventh angel is about to the mystery of God shall be finished that's referring to the temple of God it's referring to the fourth chapter Zechariah where they were putting the capstone on the temple in the days now let's think about the expression the seventh angel there are seven angels and it doesn't mean that what the first angel does will happen and then what the seventh angel does will happen it revelation is not chronological okay we're in the days of the seventh angel now we're also in the days of the first angel the second angel yes when we look at the second aspect which which is the forming of Christ is that does that process come about as a result of the latter rain and tribulation to follow yeah they'll both be necessary the latter rain will bring with it the revelation and that's what we're getting now see you're being taught others are being taught some at one level some at another but see that wave is going through the church now and it was in the convention this is the first time anybody has ever said before he'll come to the world he'll come to the church they never said that before that would be right see that is what the rapture was intended to remove the rapture took the verses that have to do with his coming to his church and turned it into a pre-advent or pre-coming disappearing of the church see which is what keep it external keep it external keep it external my mind the idea that the latter rain was simply the blessing the question i asked quite a while back was regarding that because if it was just a time of blessing how could the great blessing the great outpouring actually cause the fullness of Christ's people and that requires the heat and the pressure of the sun so by incorporating both the great tribulation as well as the great outpouring together and calling that the latter rain then it makes sense that Christ could be formed in that environment whereas it was just the blessing the part couldn't where do your minds go now for a moment to the tabernacle of the congregation and i want to be sure everybody knows what i'm talking about how has anyone here never has seen a picture of the tabernacle is there anyone who has never seen it and doesn't know what i'm talking about you remember there was a fence and then within the fence there was a tent and that was divided into the holy place and the most holy and are you with me has anybody snowed at this point brian have you ever seen it okay okay okay well i have a book out there in the tabernacle if you don't know it's the most important type in the bible there's 40 chapters devoted 40 chapters devoted to the tabernacle very important all right for example the book of exodus it goes from chapter 25 to the end of the book well the tabernacle of priesthood all right now picture that in your mind now that was a tent and there were material covered made a tent all right the material up on top of it that formed the the roof of it material was a goat's hair that was coupled together with rings so that there was goat's hair and then there were rings that coupled it to another piece of goat's hair so that you had a long enough piece that would go over the whole top and then drape over the back it wasn't it was beyond there there was lambskin dyed red which was one huge piece and there was um porpoise skin that was one huge piece but the first two layers the white linen which was the first ceiling and then on top of that was the black goat's hair it's a second ceiling were made in sections coupled together with rings rings like in a spiral binder rings and couple them together all right now when they went over the holy place which is a type of the church age see it was two thousand cubit cubits referring to the two thousand years of the church it stopped over the veil over the division between the holy place and the most holy place the most holy place was a thousand cubit cubits referring to the thousand years of the kingdom age okay inside the tabernacle the veil divided up on the roof it was divided at that point there were rings and then there was more material that went over the holy of holies and then draped over the back okay can you can you kind of follow that all right now what is very significant is that over the veil there were two sets of rings the material was coupled with two sets of rings first of all they were both 50 rings what does that tell us what's 50 the number of Pentecost what does two mean a double portion of the spirit would fall just before the church was ready to go from the church age into the kingdom age there will be a double portion and you see that also in the minute of Elisha Elisha is a type of the latter ring and of the two witnesses I don't want to go into that now but he is but see he Elijah Elisha was Elijah multiplied by two he had a double portion a double portion you see it in the two loaves of Pentecost in many places that show us that the latter ring will be a double portion of God's spirit okay former rain in the latter ring the whole works is coming going to be poured out by God okay now here's what to get back to Bill one of that sets of rings was bronze of the 50 rings the other set was gold now what does that tell us that the outpouring will contain in itself the divinity of God and the judgment of God and of course Revelation 11 tells about the judgment so it takes both glory and judgment tribulation is judgment it's a fourth chapter of first Peter tribulation God saves us by judgment Zion shall be redeemed with judgment and it is judgment we're saved by glory and by judgment if we just have glory we become foolish I had a dream about the laughing business I guess I told you that I was in a room and I was getting ready to preach to people I had a good spirit in my heart I felt real good I thought I had good things for them and I started they wouldn't listen to me they just all burst out laughing and they laughed and laughed and I said hey guys let's get serious well most of them were talking to each other and laughing and trooped out and there was a handful left and I thought okay I'll just talk to these guys and one of them was laying kind of laying on the floor looking up at me like that and I was fishing in my mind I thought well I have some good things to tell these guys and they didn't want to hear it they were just laughing and all amused of themselves and everything and I woke up and I realized that if God is going to address his people there's a time when they have to get serious now I don't say there's not a time for laughing many a person who's got the baptism in the old days laugh and they laugh for three days I don't problem with it but it's like day under day utter speech and night under night shows knowledge in that and when everything is bright and wonderful there's a lot of talk but it's when things get rough that you begin to learn about the Lord because it kind of presses you into the Lord don't you find that's true that you learn more about God in the hard times than you do when everything is moving you know when everything is moving there tends not to be the same kind of growth there may be growth in numbers but growth from the saints comes as they go through tribulation I think you probably find that to be true but both are necessary if you have all judgment the saints get moody and gloomy and dry up you know there's not enough oil if you have all glory they get silly and all occupied with themselves so you have to if you're going to bring a person to spiritual maturity you've got to have the gold and the bronze and they've got to be in balance see and that's shown in the tabernacle so clearly and it's shown in revelation 11 when this enormous revival comes and the saints get the power what do you have judgment doesn't talk about the glory in revelation 11 it talks about the judgment they're both necessary when 1st Peter 4 talks about the fiery trial don't be amazed because it goes on to say the righteous are saved with difficulty meaning that salvation is not a one-shot ticket thing it's a process during which we are saved from worldliness saved from lust saved from self-will and in order for that to happen we've got to have both glory if we don't we get discouraged but if we don't get seasons of refreshing wow it's like too much sun on the grass you know pretty soon it's brown I've got a yard to prove it okay you got to keep the water going you got to have both if you get all water and all water and water you get weeds and bugs and rot and everything else that's got to be a balance well we know that balance is one of the key concepts of the Christian life and go off on anything so we've got bronze and gold any more question about that can you are you beginning to get a picture of what we're facing here as we're moving we're coming to a God's central desire central mystery which is Messiah formed in you my little children of whom I prevailed until Messiah is formed in you they were going off doctrinally and Paul says the solution is to have Messiah forming he's a circumcision and uncircumcision it's nothing it's a new creation that God sent so the mystery is Messiah in you the thing that God is after is Christ to be formed in you don't lose that for anything see revelation 12 11 and 12 go together God wants both things full blown he wants a witness to the ends of the world and he wants Messiah formed in his people he wants them both to the fullness and the latter rain will accomplish it if we keep it in balance remember now the most important thing in your life and mine is that Christ is formed in us and sometimes we go through long seasons when it seems God's not using us you know and all but if we're in prayer God never wastes anything and if we've got something to give God will see that it's given but of most importance is what is happening to you in the process because you can walk like Paul says a and then be disqualified but God is making eternal service and I've noticed on the ministry scene and Chuck Smith is a good example that when God sees a need to plug in and he just picks out whoever he wants and just goes to town the same thing happened with Jack Hayford that church was nothing for years and years just a handful of praying things praying things and all of a sudden God asked Jack Hayford to go there and he went there and God poured out his spirit we went when we went up to Van Nuys we were in the service it was good we walked out I could feel the angel of God I said why it's no wonder this place is why I got it it was if I got an oasis of God's power there in Van Nuys it was enormous the umbrella of God's power and presence that were there in that church and God can do that any place at any time that he wants to and he does and he uses who he wants but he wants all of us whether we're used or not to remember that the most important thing is Christ in you because God then can use you for eternity but if you miss that part you've missed if he went out and ministered and won a million souls and then and then you didn't grow you know you've lost the game the main thing but both are important and God wants them both done full bore yes angel of God God also used a donkey and he used the root epistle the bulk message is to the church to be disciples and to grow in the Lord that's that's what most of the verses by far are about is is to the church epistles are written to the churches to grow the Christ will be formed in them okay so fine all right let me I'm almost time's almost over I want to talk to you about these that in every age there's been two witnesses the first set of two witnesses and there's a number of other people who were types of the two witnesses like for example the spies that went into the land remember that's the type of the two witnesses and every every type of the two witnesses tells us something about the the two witnesses of revelation 11 this is very important because these are the witnesses that are heralding the kingdom age I was going to tell you why Elisha there are two things in the ministry of Elisha that portray the two witnesses of revelation 11 does anyone know what they were not only that he had the double portion there's two things in his life that reveal the two witnesses okay listen carefully one was when some young men mocked him he was on his way up to the mountain of God and they were saying go up thou bald head go up thou bald head evidently referring to the fact of when Elijah was carried up and now they're saying why don't you go up baldy and he turned around and he cursed them when he did two she bears came out of the woods and killed 42 of them now what does that tell us about revelation 11 there are two witnesses for 42 months wow isn't that something because he's the proper the double portion okay do you know the second one all right Elisha now listen to this so this won't give you a balance nothing will Elisha who had twice the glory of Elijah died sick died sick so much for if we have the faith of the glory whatever gets sick Elisha with twice the anointing died sick but then his bones were in a cave and some robbers I guess that killed a man and they were about to get caught something like that anyway and they took him they threw this dead man into the cave and he touched the bones of Elisha and came to life well when you go into revelation 11 the two witnesses are killed and then they come to life so those are two very powerful types of the two witnesses found in the life of Elisha the prophet of the double portion well let's go back to this pattern there there are seven ages of God and so there will be seven sets seven primary sets of two witnesses the first two witnesses were and there's a couple of things about witnesses they show in themselves the age that is coming one secondly the age that they institute never ends never comes to an end now what they brought in was the age of the form of human beings that will never end see even when we're glorified we will still look like we do God wants man to have a head two arms and two legs I don't know about a belly button yeah I have to laugh this insurance agent I was talking to was telling me about his two little girls and they asked them what where they got their belly button and and he said he called them that day when they were on the assembly line in heaven when they got to the end of the assembly line an angel would reach up like that and put his finger on their tummy and say if this one's okay and then they were finished that's your belly button so I don't know whether we'll have belly buttons but I do know the form of things the form of the world our ideas will not be a strange new computerized world in which everything glistens and people are funny looking and strange with long tails and green ears and people and that's what we want we don't want things to change when you get the thing right you'll find it's exactly what we want we don't want things to change we want it like Adam and Eve we don't want the sin we don't want the shortcomings of the animal body but we want the form of things we want trees and clouds and grass and things we'd be very unhappy without these things we want to be people in a world so once the day is set up it never the second set of two witnesses was I told you Abraham and Sarah and they set up the day of separation and it will always last the separation between God's elect and the world will last forever and that was started see Abraham was the beginning of the separation call them out of urbicalities to be separate to be the representative of God the father of all who believe is Abraham that's the day of separation will never end they'll always be the new Jerusalem surrounded by a wall and then there will be the world okay and you are called to be part of the new Jerusalem and God does not judge you like he does the world you're God's elect God's household God's family don't forget that that's a marvelous privilege it's a minority of mankind the third you know the third set of two witnesses was Moses and Aaron and see they set up the day of the law of God while they brought forth the ten commandments the ten commandments is is a very rough and negative form of the eternal law of God the ten commandments as such are not eternal they're temporary but they reflect the eternal moral law of God like thou shalt not covet that's an eternal moral law that will never end never covetousness will never be accepted it's really the day of righteousness all right who are the four set of two witnesses you know the father and the son you say yes but there was only one but if you read in John 8 Jesus said the testimony of two men is true I am one who bear witness the father who sent me there's witness the testimony of two men is true John 8 you know God gave me all this by revelation it was a fact it was the only thing I've ever seen like that usually it comes in kind of a burden and then it has to be worked out but it started about on the on the uh bridge there coming down from home to church and it was all finished by the time I got to church and I was so scared and overwhelmed I didn't preach on it I had to think about I thought what is going on by four foot but it really was a gift of God the fourth set of two witnesses and God would keep giving me scripture on it like John 8 okay and that was the day of light that was when that was the first time that men understood there was a father in heaven there was a son there was a holy spirit you won't find in that in the old testament any revelation of the father and son we can see it now but the jews had no understanding of the age of light and the next one who do you think the next set of two witnesses the holy spirit and the church and there's a verse on that in acts we are his witnesses of these things and so is the holy spirit that's act four or something and that's the day of life that was brought in the day when God brought an eternal life his holy spirit Jesus brought light and understanding but the apostles brought the light of God the holy spirit okay so that brings us up to the fifth to the what fourth set was a father son fifth set was apostles and the holy spirit the sixth set of two witnesses is coming up now and you see once Jesus came that light is forever once the holy spirit came that's forever you can find all of these things in the new jerusalem the holy spirit there is a river of life the once gone institutes that the moral law is there the light of God everything that's the holy city see that holy city that's separate means separation holiness righteousness is there now in the witness that's coming up it will be to will embody in itself the coming age of reconciliation right the trumpets piece of trumpets and then comes the day of atonement so the day of atonement is this thousand year kingdom age and what did he say the overcomers would do do you remember now this is very important i'm just about through here so don't lose it okay all right now listen carefully do you ever remember anything about where it says you shall smite the nations with a rod of iron and there's a vessel of pottery you know it shall be broken like you hit a flower pot with a piece of iron you ever read that that if you overcome this is going to be your portion to do that did you ever read that revelation two the end that overcomes by grant to rule the nation with a rod of iron okay did you ever stop for one minute to think what that is saying how did you picture it in your mind did you picture yourself doing this did you picture yourself coming to a nation and smashing it to smithereens that's an old expression i never hear that anymore did you picture yourself doing that what did you picture yourself doing to the nations loving them teaching the little children blessing them and i think we will but in addition there's a variance here because that's the second psalm kiss the sun i said you're angry and you come maybe you perish from the way when there's wrath is kindled but a little we are oh god made that so real to me the other day and i could just see myself doing it as just oh man just destruction just absolute destruction everything that was resisting god just going and destroying it destroying it destroying it destroying doesn't that seem harsh you know in christ's mind god made that so real to me the other day i mean it caught me off guard i had never thought i believe the scripture you know i assented that this was true but it was never made real it was made real to me the other day oh there was such a ferocity within me i wasn't thinking about people or anything it was just coming up from within me smashing and destroying it's like you take a roll of flower pots and a very rotten just smashing them a little bit the nation you're not very christ-like is it it's what the bible says and it's so foreign to our thinking but we have to go i asked the lord when i knew what i was going to preach on that i said lord really these poor people and it was as though the lord told me if it's in the bible it's meant to be taught okay okay sir you got it now listen it will have a direct meaning for you if not today later but the point is this the nations are not prepared for this they're not prepared and the church is not telling them this is going to happen how many churches have you been in or major preachers will say on television and said you want to get ready america because pretty soon now the saints are going to come and smash you into pieces now just can't you imagine that being preached in a mega church well i mean we'll really get out to a lot of people wouldn't it be wonderful and there was a picture in the paper president clinton and his wife going to the presbyterian church last sunday now wouldn't it be wonderful if that minister got up and said i want to tell you the president of the united states the first lady i want to tell you the saints are going to come and they're going to smash this nation to pieces i mean people you know whatever seminary that man went to and all his friends and colleagues gathering around and say brethren we understand we know we understand i mean it happens to all of us sooner or later we've got something here a surprise for you here's an envelope here's a ticket for you and your little honey bun they've got a place in you in the mountains here for a couple of months take it easy it happens to all of us don't feel bad just just just take a word from your friends just relax you're going to be okay am i correct yes we're getting there not only will it be preached it'll be demonstrated that's the point see adam and eve demonstrated in themselves what was coming moses and aaron demonstrated in themselves what was coming you remember how the two sons of aaron went in they had been drinking and they went in and offered a strange fire before the lord and they were incinerated see you had you've got to demonstrate in yourself abraham and sarah were waiting 25 years for son how to demonstrate in themselves the barrenness of the church as it waits the church that is separate everybody in the world's having a million kids but not the church because they've been called out for this unusual situation with god and and uh christ and the father and the way they were treated by people see they had to show in themselves the light of god that's not the light of this world it's not what men approve of at all there are things that are highly esteemed by men are not esteemed by god and that had to be shown the apostles had to bring forth life out of their crucifixion and these that are coming see that's god's going to raise up in our generation maybe from our kids are going to smite the nation they're going to show what's coming they're going to stop the rain they're going to turn waters to blood i mean this is not a scary story this is going to happen we may live to see it this revival is at hand at the same time christ is going to be glory glory glory and revelation such as the church has never experienced to bring christ to maturity but there's also going to be this tremendous expression of god's judgment and that is god's love because otherwise the nations have the opinion the church is telling god is some kind of a santa clause and if you just say the name of jesus you'll be okay well to a certain extent it's true if we believe and be baptized that certainly gives us a a good authoritative word for salvation but then there's more that's included and a christian life can get very rough it can mean martyrdom and it can mean persecution and it probably will in the days to come and so christians got to be told yes you accept christ and now you've got to stand and you've got to confess him and that may mean death in the days to come and it has throughout church history it's not just oh la la now we got our ticket we've got a happy church and isn't this wonderful that's good as long as it lasts but you've got to be prepared for the rough times because they come you know and we know from the parable of the sword that there's some people that do not stand in that time so the seed's got to be scattered everywhere but then god keeps testing and checking and trying and everything because he knows what he's doing but there's got to be a witness that comes and says hey it isn't all honey cakes here there's the world listen the kingdom is at hand repent and believe the gospel and if you don't it isn't going to rain in your village that's coming and then the world then the world it will prepare the world for the onslaught of armageddon and the coming of these saints with a rod of iron these are going to be people to them has been given the power of judgment don't you know the saints will judge the world i'm telling you as i sit here the saints will be sitting in the great white yes they will you know if it's given to the saints to judge the world won't you know the world will be judged by you once you know we should judge angels from where from the white throne i saw great white thrones got to include a lot of people okay we haven't known that before right so god is saying hey kids it's time to get a broader grasp on what you are facing and i say bring it on lord i love it i don't like to see people hurt but i know in the long run it will do mankind mankind today is hurting itself and remember you think i've seen the worst and then we've got a six-year-old boy and he beat up this baby because he was mad at the father because he broke into the father's house and the father found him and threw him out and he did it to get even six years old and they don't know how to deal with it we think now we've seen it all a six-year-old kid that will kill a baby i don't know whether baby will die or not but it's pretty near death and it's not remorseful it was interesting when his mother came in the court he wouldn't pay any attention to it his grandmother came in he hugged him but not his mother that boy little boy is hurting okay and we think we've seen it all next week it'll be worse people are and the only solution is god so it sounds rough this rod of iron but it's the only thing that's going to return the presence of god to the earth lord we are not among those who harm ourselves against god we are not in that group lord we don't take the side of man against god we know father your love toward mankind must reveal uncowardly we're not we don't doubt your love toward men we know also that god deserves to be god and we have been called to be your priesthood and to represent you to mankind now father i pray that from this night forth this very night forth we will be giving our attention to two things to bearing a true witness to people wherever we are bearing a true witness regardless of how they react but always showing in ourselves as you guide us and help us the nature of the living god and also that we will give attendance in our devotions that christ may be formed in us keeping ourselves full of the richness and goodness of god father we're coming into a new age and we want to come into it 100 we don't want to hang around in the old age we accept the new wine lord we're looking for it we're hungering for it thirsting for it father so help us to make the necessary mental conversion to these wonderful new truths that are being revealed that your will shall be done speedily on the earth until there are no more six-year-old children not even knowing what they're doing killing little babies lord it's our society is sick father we just ask you for your help ask you for your help lord thank you for tonight i pray you keep each one safe on the highway grant them a good night's sleep a good night's sleep in their house lord without dreams that are distressing and i strengthen health in the morning in jesus name amen