“A Voice for the Gathering Saints”
Duane Stewart
Judgment Begins in God’s House
Part One of Two
Job 42:5-6,
“I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Therefore, I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
Job’s declaration of repentance, stated in the above scripture, takes on life and truth because of a change in his relationship with God. That change states that Job is now seeing God beyond just hearing about Him. From Job’s situation we can learn that judgments from God are for the purpose of a nature and relationship change in order that we may see Him as He is.
God’s nature of honesty and His desire for man reflects upon the visible Christian community of today. Showing that there is a need to see clearly the condition the Christian community has fallen into and that which is being manifest before the world. In this realm of being honest, the Christian community must look at itself, with eyes open to see that a lack of true spiritual understanding is what motivates them. For the most part, this lack of spiritual understanding causes them to be prisoners of a natural carnal mindset, which limits knowing God and His true purpose for and in His people. In this, God reveals His progressive steps to bring enlightenment to humanity. That is, bringing the light of understanding to His creation.
1 Cor. 15:46 states,
“However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.”
Herein God reveals the progressive order He uses in the enlightenment He gives to man in bringing forth His likeness and image as stated in Genesis from the very beginning. This enlightenment is for the available purpose of all humankind in coming to know who they really are in Christ.
Man, in his beginnings from Adams fall, became limited by knowing, seeing, and hearing only after the natural fleshly order of their existence. In this natural order of things, God released unto man the law. This law was set in motion to subject man in gaining an understanding of the weaknesses and fallacies of his natural flesh. Herein, man came to know that the natural flesh man called self could not live successfully under the requirements of a righteous law. This law, coming from God, was and still is in opposition to the nature, the mind, the will, the emotions and desires of the carnal flesh man. For these reasons the Christian community, while being offered the power of God’s Holy Spirit, as sent from God on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was sent to enable the man to mature into the like kind nature as Christ. For the most part though, man has rejected this power and is continuing to or reverting back to live under that powerless law. Man must understand that the law is powerless and cannot make nor bring any man to the perfection of God’s likeness because of the weakness of mxan’s own flesh.
Therefore, with the availability of the Holy Spirit as given by God for the opening of man’s spiritual eyes, God is now calling upon a people for such a time and condition as the world is in today. God is rising up within certain receiving men by maturing and enabling them to escape from the realm of the natural man, to move into the realm of the spiritual as manifested from God. This means a people are released from the prison house of the natural realm to have freedom to walk in the spiritual heavens of God. This speaks of a dying out to the carnal realm of the flesh man to know a new birthing into the realm of God’s life-giving Spirit. This likewise means that receiving men shall no longer be limited to a natural understanding of God’s Word, the dead letter only. But now, by the indwelling Holy Spirit, they are receiving a knowing and a moving into the realm of spiritual understandings.
2 Cor. 3:4-6 declares,
“And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life”.
Did not God send His Son to die that we might have His life? Did not Jesus send the Holy Spirit to empower His people to overcome?
In this we see a calling, we see a people invited to receive a new covenant, a new understanding. This covenant is not formed after the letter that kills, but by a spiritual enlightenment after the order of God’s new covenant. (Read Heb. 8:7-13) with Heb. 8:10 stating,
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days [those who are in Christ are the house of Israel], says the Lord: I will put my laws [His nature] in their mind and write them on their hearts [soul]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people”.
This has a meaning for this new covenant people; God shall enlighten them into spiritually knowing that all the shadows and types are but examples for us, as given through the natural house of Israel. These shall know the spiritual meanings and verbiage contained in the written Word. Thus, we see a people who begin to walk in the heavens, a people who begin to know God’s ways as they manifest those ways. This manifestation comes not from the natural order of things but from the spiritual heavens that abide within the vessel, a new nature birthed to manifest God’s first-fruits man-child.
Mt. Zion, a natural hill that sits in the land of Israel, begins to be seen and heard of anew as it speaks loudly of becoming a spiritual manifestation used to reveal and manifest the first-fruits of God’s harvest. Zion, spiritually understood as the abiding place of God’s glory which manifest from within these sons that are dwelling in spiritual Zion. Zion becomes a people living in the authority of God with a purpose. This purpose is to establish the kingdom of God throughout the earth.
Jerusalem is a natural city within Israel, and when understood spiritually, it speaks of God’s true church, the bride of Christ, who becomes one with Him in spirit and truth. Herein, we can see that God’s many promises are greater as they move from the natural realm into the spiritual, manifesting from within. Every promise from God then becomes a part of today’s receiving people as the results of Jesus Christ and His death, burial and resurrection. As we receive Him into our lives, our character make-up progressively changes to become one manifesting a Christ-kind nature, birthed from within to become His heirs.
Gal. 3:29,
“And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
As Abraham’s seed, we receive the promise as heirs, not from the natural order of things, but by a blending in with the spiritual realm as a part of the heavens of God. This speaks of the heavenly spiritual revelation and understanding of God swallowing up and taking authority over all that is of the natural order of man.
How shall such a transition as this take place? God’s Word declares and reveals the needed coming judgment, that such a transitional birthing could take place. Afterward it becomes man’s reality.
1 Peter 4:17,
“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God”?
With man’s nature being the product of a fallen condition received at birth, it continues to manifest corruption. This results in the many influences of the world that are instrumental in forming the characteristics within each vessel.
Because the vessel’s worldly nature separates them from God, therefore they are vessels that cannot know nor understand the true purpose in God’s creation. Thus, we have the law given by God to rule over the fleshly carnal man. This law, put in place in order to expose the weakness of the natural man’s flesh and his inability to obey the law or his lack of understanding the nature of God. For this reason, Christ came, He became the Word made flesh, becoming the sacrifice given by God for humanity’s reconciliation back to God. In man’s need for reconciliation know that each person is a world unto himself that produces the fruit of his fallen soul. Thus, fruit manifest and reveals the nature of the man, be it from a fallen nature or one restored by God. Herein let us take notice of the parable of the wheat and tares as explained by Jesus (read Matt. 13:24-30).
With Matt. 13:37-43 explaining,
“He answered and said to them: He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He, who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
What is it that the Father is desirous for man to hear? In these above scriptures, Jesus spoke to the people in a parable. He did so in order to relate to humanity a very important message of truth wherein they might begin to understand it. The word spoken of here relates to the natural world that we are and that we live in. This natural world consists of two specific orders or governments that rule in the arenas of economics, politics, and education, along with the different cultures of society and religion. These arenas, separated in purpose, with one being the fruit of light and the other being the fruit of darkness, that is to say, knowing a world of carnal darkness or a world of the spiritual light of God. This parable reveals the time when a definite separation takes place called the “end of the age.” This “end of the age” speaks to us of this day and time when maturity is the revealing factor as to which part of the harvest each vessel is a part of; vessels of truth, light and glory or vessels of deception, perversion and darkness.
Apart from the natural order of things, God reveals the activities that are taking place within the spiritual order of heavenly things. That is to say, with each vessel being a world unto itself, each contains the ability to receive seed and the seed brings forth its own fruit. Remember, man from Adam is one with a fallen sin nature that receives seed (the seed of the wicked one) into his world (spirit, soul, and body) which if left alone will grow until maturity to become the mature offspring of the wicked one. When man receives Christ into his spirit, the heavenly seed is awakening (the seed of the Son of Man, Christ), to bring forth after its kind unto a full measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Thus we have a man (a world), typed as a field with two kinds of seed growing and maturing from within the soul.
The people without the Christ seed maturing within are the worlds that manifest only the tares. Those who have received Christ into their hearts now have growing within their field both tares and wheat. God says this continues until a time called “the end of the age” when maturity brings forth judgment. This judgment time reveals the need for the removal of the tares. This work of separating the wheat from the tares is even now taking place among the Christian community. The tares, which is all that offends and practices lawlessness, are being removed and cast into a fire to be burned up. Fire represents the act of God’s judgment, which is His perfecting power. Fire removes from the repentant vessel any and everything that is not of God. These things shall perish (wood, hay and stubble) leaving only the gold of purification which represents the nature of Christ.
Let us take notice then, what are these removed tares? “Tares” are a false grain, a noxious and poisonous weed whose fruit is the blackness of corruption. The fruit of “tares” is a black seed that speaks of false apostles, prophets, evangelist, shepherds and teachers, deceitful workers that transform themselves to appear to be ministers of Christ. They have the appearance of wheat until they are mature and then maturity comes and reveals them for what they are; ministers of deception and death. Herein we should note that now is the time of maturity. These carnal minded doctrines and traditions are the fruit that limit God’s people from what God desires for them to be in Him.
In comparing these tares with the “wheat” we see that “wheat” is from a root word which means “to gleam (a reflected brightness, to appear or be revealed suddenly), bright, white”. An understanding of white or to “gleam” is revealed for us in its fullness at the time of Jesus’ transfiguration.
Matt. 17:1-2,
“Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them, His face shone like the sun, and his cloths became as white as the light”.
Remember, the “wheat” is a people purified from all the tares. They will “gleam” with a reflected brightness from God. These purified ones are the first-fruits manifesting in the establishing of God’s kingdom.
1 John 3:2,
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed [is He not being revealed now], we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”.
Christ being revealed is now enabling a people and they are beginning to see Him as He really is.
Part One of Two
God’s judgment is destined to come forth, first to the house of God, the body of Christ, and then to the entire world. First, judgment comes among the maturing first-fruits that are being perfected by God, with a divine purpose of them coming forth at the” end of the age”. This speaks of a time of maturity, to suddenly appear in the power and delegated authority of God. These, first-fruits, as the light of God, shall through righteous judgment began removing the darkness of the world so that God’s kingdom of light can manifest. In this, a people appear likened unto Jeremiah, a ministry God raised up to root out, pull down, destroy, and throw down for the purpose of building and planting, the erecting of God’s kingdom.
Jer. 1:9-10,
“Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: Behold I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over all nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.”
We can see and understand from the meaning of Jeremiah’s name, “Jehovah establishes,” the order and the nature of this “end of the age” order of ministry. This is a ministry coming forth to manifest the Christ for His end-time purposes.
In the context of the above scripture, instilled enlightenment comes forth to reveal the cause and the need for such judgment. God declared beforehand that an enemy of God existed to establish his own ways among the natural children of Israel. These evil ways brought destruction. Likewise, among the Christian community of today, this same enemy is bringing and planting deception, confusion, and false doctrines that shall bring destruction among them. Jer. 1:14-16 shouts out clearly,
“Then the Lord said to me: Out of the north [carnality] calamity shall break forth on all the inhabitants of the land. For behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord; they shall come and each one set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem [false teachings proclaimed as God’s truth versus the truth of God’s word], against all its walls all around, an against all the cities of Judah. I will utter my judgments against them [Judah] concerning all their wickedness, because they have forsaken me, burning incense to other Gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands”.
Take note that there was an indictment pronounced and then a need for judgment. This indictment, spoken against the natural realm of Israel, is also spoken against the spiritual house of Israel, the church as well. The realm of carnality, which is on the increase among the Christian community, has mostly replaced any respect for the undefiled Word of God. These centers of religious activities profane God’s Word as calamity seeks to swallow up God’s people.
In the above scripture (Jer. 1:14), notice where the people of the northern kingdoms (representing the carnal mind) have come to dwell as this carnality sets its throne (authority) at the gates of Jerusalem (the church). This tells us that the hinderer of the spirit of man is present because his throne of carnality sits at the gates (church) to influence the activities within. These activities promote a carnal perverted message that removes any of God’s walls of protection which He provides. They mingle carnal worldly songs among the offerings of praise (cities of Judah) where there should be nothing but pure worship and praise to God alone. Spiritual psalms and hymns, and melodies should be heard making glad the city of our God, not stirring up the flesh.
The false apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers are but ministries that bring destructive doctrines, doom, depravity, and deceptions among the people. (Read 2 Peter 2:1-22). In considering the present day conditions existing among the backslidden church, is there a need for judgment? God’s Word is clear concerning the time and season the world finds itself in. The Christian community is mostly one of a rebellious nature. Therefore, they must begin to hear just what it is that God is declaring.
In the book of Revelation, we get a glimpse of events even now taking place in the earth based upon the authority of heaven. The time, as spoken of here, takes place between the opening of the sixth and seventh seal as seen by John. Note that the sixth seal points to the cosmic disturbances that are taking place in the world even now, disturbances that are on the increase. Then God speaks in Rev. 7:1-3,
“After these things [disturbances of the sixth seal] I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind [speaking of the spirit or spiritual tribulation] should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east [east is speaking of a people ascending into the presence of Christ] having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads”.
In the above scripture, it is necessary to learn the spiritual meanings of a few words to understand fully the message God wanted to pass on to us.
- “Earth” is that which represents carnality and its control over the worldly-minded sinners. The sinner is someone who lives according to the sin nature and is self-willed. He promotes a way of life that is independent from God’s will. “Carnality” is a term that means “of a fleshly earthly nature.” It is the carnal mind with all its lusts. This carnality resulted in Adams fall in the Garden of Eden in the beginning and for which cause the Christ has come and is coming to conquer. These self-willed people represent a people who are trying to live without God’s influence.
- In considering the word “sea,” we, with open eyes know that within the adulterous Christian community, there abides the heart of carnality. This pursuing of carnal practices is that which has influenced much of the Christian community to follow the seed of deception. We should also note that within the carnal church (the sea), this heart of carnality exists and is where the beast arises as revealed in Rev. 13:1, “Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.” This is speaking of the beast, the dragon, which is at war against the true saints. Even now, this beast is devouring, he is perverting God’s Word and deceiving the people while calling it God’s true purpose for the church. Herein, this beast is binding up and making prisoners within the Christian community because they are accepting his lies.
- Let’s now consider the word “trees” as spoken of in Rev. 7:1-3 as quoted above. “Trees” represents the “men” who are willing to stand up to any chastening and correction that comes from the Holy Spirit. These, by God, are pruned and being used for His purpose. These are willing to become that part of God’s kingdom, which He has purposed for them.
Jer. 17:7-8a,
“Blessed is man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by waters …”
By remaining in Christ, these “trees” or men, will bring forth much fruit. Their fruit is the fruit that will establish the kingdom of God throughout the earth, and whose leaves will be for the healing of the nations. The prophet Isaiah said that these trees are those of Mt. Zion, mourning for the adoption of those sons who are heirs and co-heirs with Christ (Read Rom. 8:1-30).
Isa. 61:3,
“To appoint those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified”.
This speaks of the kingdom of God in place with festive joy taking the place of the need for mourning. Here we see a kingdom wherein abundant life has replaced the spirit of heaviness and the garment of praise has cast off the oppressive works of darkness. These are those who are becoming the In-Christ One’s who glorify God because through them God’s kingdom reigns.
Again, in looking at the spiritual house of Israel, God’s house, the church, they are called the true seed of Abraham. It is a house wherein rebellion, stubbornness, perversions and deception have dwelt. This rebellion has splintered the house wherein they now dwell among the many different doctrinal and traditional beliefs that exist within the various church system and denominations. These carnal beliefs separate many people from the truth of God’s Word. Herein, they live where confusion is becoming the by-product of that which the world sees and calls the church.
God’s promises have been for them disannulled because of the deceptive fruit of carnality that has perverted the gospel into the many different kinds of carnal teachings and activities. These positions produce many different types of carnal manifestations. All these manifestations reveal a religious system that takes the people away from true freedom in Christ, making true redemption a foreign subject. The people who are prisoners of these religious systems are continually following after the latest carnal religious fads. These fads are producing within them a false contentment and a false sense of security. Deception as dwelling in man’s carnal life-styles do not relate to God’s gospel of truth.
Like the children of Israel, these carnal minded men have removed the government of God from their church orders. They establish their own carnal thoughts as false teachers minister under the guise of being successful in all their works. The results are that of having a system of error that promotes death instead of life. But in the midst of all this darkness God has promised a light, a light resulting from judgment against carnality that will finally cover the earth with His (God’s) own kingdom.
Ezek. 28:25-26 declares clearly,
“Thus says the Lord God: When I have gathered the house of Israel [the true church] from the peoples among whom they are scattered [into false teachings, errors in doctrine], and am hallowed in them in the sight of the Gentiles [carnal world], then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to my servant Jacob [all God’s promises]. And they will dwell safely there, build houses, and plant vineyards; yes, they will dwell securely, when I execute judgments of all those around them who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God”.
Judgment is bringing forth an understanding to a people who are now beginning to know who they truly are by dwelling in Christ. This people, with a new Christ-like nature, will manifest that which God has purposed in creation before the world ever was. For this reason and cause, God’s judgment shall finish its work and a kingdom shall come forth. Coming forth, even to the perfection of God’s creation. In this we say, come forth.
1 John 3:2,
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”.
Is God not revealing Himself to a people in the now?