Forty Days – Christ Beginning and Completion
What is it that God is speaking to the earth realm in this hour and season concerning His eternal purpose? Could God be declaring, through His prophets, who come as blowing trumpets, a clear distinct sound that the Christian community has a need to hear? In this truth, just what is it that God is releasing to the earth in preparation for the immediate events that are taking place? Rev. 2:7a is a scripture that God continually speaks to the church.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches …”
Current events of today clearly speak of a deep seated need for wisdom, which speaks of the need to hear just what it is that the Holy Spirit is willing to reveal concerning this day of darkness which covers the earth.
One concern, which Jesus expressed concerning this day is in Matt. 11:15-17, which expresses a need to hear because of an existing condition.
“He, who has ears to hear, let him hear! But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and calling to their companions, and saying: We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned to you, and you did not lament.”
While there are many people today who seemingly have not heard, are there not voices speaking unto the earth today that are declaring, with a clear distinct sound, God’s purpose? Through these ones raised up by God, an announcement is coming forth to the Christian community concerning a need for preparation. Prepare, for now is the time for God’s first-fruit remnant to make an appearance in the land. “First-fruits,” that part of the harvest that is reaped first, are manifesting with exactness of expression, the pattern for the fruit that shall come forth in the greater harvest that is to follow.
Just as the Lord requires of His people to honor Him, God, likewise is honoring the earth with a first-fruits remnant in which He uses to establish the kingdom of God. These first-fruits are those who also announces the coming King. Proverbs 3:9 states
“Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the firstfruits of all your increase.”
This verse, in agreement with God’s divine order of desiring and manifesting His first-fruits, is confirmed and revealed again as God declares His intent, His divine purpose for the appearing of His first-fruits.
James 1:18,
“Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures”.
God’s divine order and His agent for this fulfilling, the Holy Spirit, brings forth His new creation people. These first-fruits, as a man-child are the expression of Himself through the impartation of His “word of truth.” Thus, we are now beginning to see the appearing first-fruits of the harvest, a pledge of the greater harvest that is to come.
Just who are those who make up this first-fruits people? Scripture declares that these are those who do not defile themselves with the mixture of religious doctrines and traditions that pervert and deceive the carnal minded religious community. These are those remain pure in Christ. They do not cohabitate with the adulterous women who is the carnal minded church. These remain humble and contrite before God as they follow only the lamb.
Rev. 14:4-5,
“These are the ones who are not defiled with women [carnal church], for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.”
This above verse is speaking of those 144,000 (a quality number pointing to mature, completed one’s in Christ’ full stature) who have received the Father’s name written in their foreheads. These are those who are dwelling with the mind of Christ, a coming into His nature. This is not necessarily speaking of a literal number of people, but is speaking of those first-fruits that have matured into the full stature of Christ. These have come into the perfection of God’s divine government concerning the fullness of God’s likeness and image. These are a new creation people, likened into the resurrected Christ Jesus, knowing the completion of spirit, soul, and body.
With the word of God declaring the establishment of His divine order from the beginning, He states that every seed was to bring forth after its own kind. God also, according to His nature, follows the pattern He set forth and established from Himself. Meaning, that Jesus became the seed to be planted in receiving man and purposed to bring forth after His own kind, which the harvest is destined to become. In this, we have the assurance that likened unto Jesus; these first-fruits shall follow Him in the beginning and completion of their ordained purpose. Where then do these first-fruits come from? Like Jesus, these are approved by God and baptized unto the seed that He planted into the spiritual womb of the true pure church. These are the individual members who are willing to receive from Him His life. Following this baptism, they likewise find themselves led into a wilderness, a place of testing and change. Here these shall come forth with the purpose of conquering God’s enemy.
These defeat the enemy through a time of testing’s and temptations that releases them into a place of victory over this enemy of God. This time of temptation, while an enticement to sin, remains but a challenge for the birthing of God’s plan from within these first-fruit people.
Matt. 4:1-2,
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.”
Considering that forty is God’s number which speaks of trials and testing. In like manner, these first-fruits of God likewise enter into that time of trials and tests. In this, they are conquering the fallen soul of man that desires to respond to the influences of the enemy. But, these are allowing God to write the new covenant, His nature within their hearts, within their soul. The number forty speaks of more than a number of days but speaks of a season of God that matures a faithful people into the full stature of Christ, those who defeat the deceitful plotting of the enemy and evil-minded men.
Eph. 4:13-15,
“Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ”.
This is speaking of those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes, not allowing the harlot women, the carnal minded church to defile them.
Again, we draw attention to God’s sounding trumpets that are sounding throughout the land today. A people are hearing this sound and they are standing up. These are coming out of the wilderness with a mind-set that enables them to take the kingdom. A time of ministry, when the disciples who make-up these first-fruits, do come forth. These know who they are in Christ, as they receive their commission from God.
Mark 16:15-18,
“And He said to them, go into the entire world and preach the gospel to every creature, He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover”.
This commission, given by Christ, over the years has seen many spiritual former rains. It has also seen a time of some spiritual latter rains, which has resulted in keeping alive the seed; the Christ planted and nurtured seed so that in its proper season, it will bring forth the first-fruits that shall come forth to prepare the earth for the coming harvest. These first-fruits are now appearing in this season, as we are now seeing the cloud the size of a man’s hand appearing upon the horizon. It is coming up, out of the sea of humanity, to become the former and latter rain promised to bring forth the complete harvest. In this, the first-fruits are appearing to enter into the fullness of their forty-day season of preparation that shall finally manifest the kingdom of God’s rulership in all the earth.
In this, liken unto the ministry of the risen Christ for forty days, these first-fruits shall know the reality of no longer being and doing their own thing nor living in just an in-part knowing. They are now totally in obedience to God through Christ; speaking and manifesting a time of glory that the earth shall begin to see. John 21:18-19 speaks of these people,
“Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger [spiritual children], you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old [spiritually mature], you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish. This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, follow me.”
This ministry spoken of here is the resurrected ministry of Jesus Christ, imparted into the first-fruits that are now making an appearance. This does not speak only of a forty-day time period, but it speaks of a season of ministry within the first-fruits company that will eventually lead them into the release of the power of God’s resurrection. This resurrection power will then be ministered unto the nations. These nations are to know the judgments of God because they have lived a life-style attuned to the carnal fleshly appetites of this fallen world. These nations shall, for the most part, fight against God and His people. But God’s first-fruits company become His true witnesses in the earth. These are willing to lay down their carnal lives for God and His greater purpose. These are those who, like Jesus, are slain for the kingdoms sake, but they also arise to stand in God’s presence as they come forth in the power of His resurrection, knowing the fullness of God’s glory in that resurrection power.
Rev. 11:3a, 5-6,
“And I will give power to my two witnesses … And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.”
Who are these two witnesses? These witnesses are the first-fruits that come forth in the power of the spirit and the word (God’s two witnesses = spirit and word dwelling within these first-fruits) made flesh in those of the first-fruit harvest.
In the course of their season of ministry, when they finish their testimony, God’s purpose is to release the beast to slay the witnesses. Here God releases through them His resurrection power which is then ministered before these fallen nations. These resurrected witnesses are they that are preparing the nations for the time of God’s judgment.
Rev. 11:7-8,
“When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified [these follow the Lamb wherever He goes]”.
Again, liken unto our Lord, these shall live and not die, for after three and one half days, the power of God’s resurrection kicks in.
Rev. 11:11-12,”
Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, a great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, Come up here. And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.”
Thus, these first-fruits ascend into a higher dimension in God, His cloud of people. They come to a rest in God, as the earth is now ready for the appearing of Christ, head and body, coming forth to find their place in the authority of God’s kingdom on earth.
In these events, a people called, chosen, justified and glorified are now complete. These are those, who are purposed by God before the foundation of the world, who are now complete in the fullness of God’s eternal purpose. Again, consider the time, the season of God that is now upon us. God’s trumpets, blowing loudly, with clarity, are sounding forth. This that the earth has long been groaning for is upon us. Therefore, he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. We, who hear with humility before God and in obedience, shall become. Let us discern the time and season we dwell in and proceed accordingly in the fulfilling of His pre-ordained purpose. Waters are rising, not just ankle deep or just waist deep, but spiritual waters to swim in. Waters that shall manifest God’s supernatural presence to the nations as the dimension of His glory comes forth to cover the earth. Is not this our forty days? Gods time for His first-fruits to come forth?