#324 Kingdom: Progress Through Revelation

Within these last 300 studies on the Kingdom of God and its reality now in the Christian Life there has been an underlying frustration that we cannot seem to touch that “mystical factor” that prevents us from experiencing this “reality.” I have presented many theories and suppositions concerning this eternal reality. Many of our conclusions have come from studying the Word of God and applying its truths to situations and conditions. Many of these studies have “felt” like they were bordering on “the Philosophy of the Kingdom” rather than the “reality of the experiential Kingdom.” It may be that Ephesians 1 opens the window into the problem.

Paul prays that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Him. Eph 1:18] I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, [19] and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.

Since ALL revelation comes to us in the spiritual dimension of the new inner man, it seems clear that all the intellectual searching and philosophical investigation will never discover the reality of the Kingdom experience.

My new theory is that ALL further progress from the Outer Court dimension into the Holy Place dimension must come by direct revelation given by the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. I am guessing that the Key to this Kingdom understanding is by the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge [epignosis] of Him. More “human instruction”, anointed preaching and inspirational teaching will not help us to advance any further into an advanced and more favorable spiritual condition where the Kingdom becomes experiential reality.

I am speculating that following the Consecration Offering the ONLY progress will be by “an inner seeing” or vision, spiritual illumination, spiritual perception and revelation that produces an inner knowing. I will call this “spiritual intuition.” Since God IS Spirit the ONLY way we can Know Him is by Revelation. Knowing Him is the key to experiencing the Kingdom.

Natural preaching and intellectual teaching has taken the natural man as far as he can go in the [epignosis] Knowledge of God. Knowing doctrine is just not the same as Knowing God. We can learn accurately 100 doctrines, dot every I and cross every T and still not Know God. This may have been sufficient in the Outer Court ministry in natural light but that method will take us no farther in our Knowledge of God. It seems very clear to me that we will never Know God except by an “inner revelation.”

Mat 16:13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He began asking His disciples, saying, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” [14] And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” [15] He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” [16] And Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” [17] And Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. [18] “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. [19] “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Flesh and blood preaching and teaching will never reveal God’s Christ, the Son of the Living God! This revelation can only come from the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The natural man will read this scripture and start debating about little stones and great big stones and miss the intervention of the Father directly in the life of Peter. Out of the 12 disciples every one knew Jesus after the flesh. They knew His mother, His brothers and His cousin John. They all heard His teaching about the Kingdom and seen the signs and miracles. They saw the water turn to wine and the multiplication of the bread and the fishes. They even went out and preached in His name and saw people healed and demons cast out. They may have suspected that He was the promised Messiah and the king of the coming kingdom.

Out of the 12 only one was given the revelation that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. We might think that after all that time with Jesus that all 12, with one voice, would all cry out you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. But they didn’t! Why? Because they didn’t have any “inner revelation.” What does this mean? It means that no one can know the Son except the Father and those to whom He gives revelation.

Mat 11:27] “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

Neither the revelation of the Son OR the revelation of the Father has been turned over to man. This revelation is NOT communicated by preaching OR by teaching. This revelation is protected by the Sovereignty of God. And He is just giving revelation to those who are ready to receive it. Does that mean that they are approaching perfection? Not At All! Peter had a very long way to go and even denied the Lord after this revelation.

Paul was praying in EPH 1:15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you, and your love for all the saints, [16] do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; [17] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

Since Paul had been caught up to the Third Heaven and had many revelations of God why didn’t he just explain to them the revelation of God so ALL of them could “know God” also?

Because giving ANY revelation is far beyond the capacity of man. God holds that “revelation” under His own Sovereignty and gives the revelation of Christ, the Son of the Living God to whom He wills. In like manner Jesus Christ holds the revelation of the Father under His own Sovereignty and has permission to give that revelation to whom He wills.

Therefore, we might conclude that it is not just to those who study the Word or move in the gifts that God gives revelation from the word but that God gives revelation to fit us into His Eternal Purpose. God’s revelation is not a commodity that can be traded on the market. We can’t get revelation wholesale by attending the big meetings.

Therefore, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God will build His church upon the solid Rock of God, the Father, giving a direct Revelation of Christ to His chosen people. Building upon this “rock” IS by the direct Revelation by the Father, revealing Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. The church is Not just built upon Christ but upon the Father giving Revelation of Christ, the Son of the Living God! No matter how well we preach, flesh and blood cannot reveal this dimension of spiritual knowledge or spiritual understanding which is ONLY given by the Spirit.

However, no matter how much revelation that God, the Father, is currently giving, the natural man cannot receive it or understand it because it is all foolishness to him. The reason is because all this dimension of revelation is only received in our spirit. If our spirit is undeveloped or if our inner life is full of garbage it will receive nothing. For that reason the development of the “inner life” is essential to move into the 100% spiritual light [revelation] of the next restoration. Christian philosophy [flesh and blood ministry] has taken us as far as it can and all further progress will be by the direct revelation by the Father.

Rejecting or minimizing the next restoration will force us into retreat from this spiritual dimension. Accepting the Holy Place restoration and 100% spiritual light will force us into a forward movement and a much more aggressive message. Therefore, we will need to know if we have the backing of heaven or not. It seems to me that the popular “message” today has become marginal, trivial and irrelevant as far as a “New Spiritual Movement” is concerned.

The general frustration that we see in the visible church is this; “We haven’t seen God do anything in our area for several years.” The fact is this; “If I haven’t seen God do anything IN MY LIFE for several years it explains why nothing is happening in our area.” This next restoration must begin in the inner life of all those who are going to participate. If God has not been able to do anything IN ME, that explains why God has not been able to anything THROUGH ME. Therefore, the fault rests with me rather than with God. The “moral and spiritual vacuum” experienced in the visible church today is one reason the world is not breaking in our doors to get in. We have sucked all the “spiritual oxygen” out of the church by our carnal living.

The real members of the body of Christ must rise up within the local church to serve the local church in a visible way. The “local church” is NOT a “local denomination” but the one church in one location. Obviously this is NOT going to happen outside of the experiential Kingdom of God within “local lives.” This is why I believe that the next restoration must begin within each one of us experiencing an “Inner Renovation” and “Inner Change.” The basis of this “Inner Change” is the “Inner Kingdom of God.”

Since moving to “one local church” in “one location” will be a totally radical outward change, it must begin as an “Inner Change.” Otherwise there is no motivation to change. The Status Quo will continue until a new “spiritual light” comes within us. This “new Spiritual Light” IS the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of Him. This appears to be the “Divine Source of the Next Level of Ministry.”

Importing more “Cheap Ministry” will not build up our “Spiritual Economy” any more than importing “cheap products” has built up our national economy. Someone has suggested that we need at least one huge church building in our area so we can get in many “Big Ministries.” That way our local people will have a place to go to benefit from this diverse ministry. My theory is that depending upon “imported ministries” is a sign of failure in the local church. Importing more “psychological ministries” will not produce “Spiritual Restoration” in the local church.

When “Christ IS our Life” then the Kingdom of God will become our motivation. This will produce Christianity that is dynamic realism and a living witness to the local residents. Importing another “Christian witness” will not produce a local dynamic church anymore than the present status quo has produced a magnet to draw sinners to God..

Depending on someone in another location to prepare a “dynamic spiritual ministry” that we can import is short sighted OR lacks “vision” completely. The “eyes of the understanding” has been blinded by spiritual apathy.

My theory is that “WHEN” God pours out the “Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of Him” upon us and our spiritual eyes are opened, dynamic local ministries will be the result. According to Ephesians 1 ALL the “power” [dynamic realism] has already been given but we need the revelation of it to experience it in practical everyday life. The stability of the next restoration will be the Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person. More psychological preaching blaming our parents for our failure is a backward excuse not a forward movement.

Luke 9:59] And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Permit me first to go and bury my father.” [60] But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”

Letting the dead bury the dead and rising up to follow Jesus is the best solution. In other words don’t go back to the dead for an excuse for our lack of consecration. Let me first bury my father is the psychological answer to lukewarmness. Eze 18:2---`The fathers eat the sour grapes,

But the children’s teeth are set on edge’? The “old creation” can blame their earthly fathers but the “new creation” has a new Father, whom no one can blame.

Phil 3:13] Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Every time we blame our ancestors for our own failures, we are digging a bigger hole to bury the dead but our life will just be digging more carnal holes. We must let the dead bury the dead so we can go forward to the next restoration. There is no end to the fleshly excuses for our own failures.

If we believe the scriptures, there is no reason for a Christian to be stupid or lack wisdom. 1 Cor 1:30] But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, These attributes of God are all “potential” until they become experiential. Our potential is in two measures. (1) What is available to us in Christ Jesus and (2) What we are aware of by Revelation and are equipped to use. Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ

As far as our “potential in Christ” is concerned there is no limitation. The main problem is that we are not aware of ALL that is available to us in Christ and therefore, we live in spiritual poverty. For that very reason we need the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Him. Without Revelation we are ignorant of what is available and without Wisdom we are without the understanding to use what has been provided for us.

It is not necessary for any “true Christian” to be intellectually superior IF we are using our Wisdom from God. Ignorant and unlearned fishermen are not to any disadvantage in the Kingdom of God when Christ has become their Wisdom. Many churches will proclaim boldly that Jesus Christ has been made their righteousness and redemption but remain spiritually ignorant simply because they don’t appropriate Christ as their “Wisdom From God.”

In this same way ALL THE POWER that raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at the right hand of God is now available to His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all. If we have NO POWER then it must because we are not aware it is available to us OR we don’t appropriate it because of apathy. That means “God knows my name and address and if He wants me to have it He will look me up.” It is surely God’s will for His corporate priesthood to have His Wisdom, His Revelation and His Power.

The real danger is that an individual will try to appropriate His Wisdom, His Revelation and His Power to benefit himself and not to benefit the body of Christ. WHATEVER God has provided for the church, it IS GIVEN to fulfill His Eternal Purpose and not for personal possession to build up a “ministry.” This is basic understanding for “the corporate priesthood ministry” of the Holy Place.

My theory is that all these “blessings” must be received inwardly for a total rectification of the individual to prepare him for the corporate priesthood ministry. Righteousness, sanctification and redemption are inward “blessings” ALONG with the Wisdom from God AND Revelation. Trying to USE these things for “personal ministry” before they are an inward reality has been popular in the past but we believe that time is behind us now. Surrendering our “individualism” and “personal ministry” to the “Head and His body” and become one member in the corporate priesthood ministry will be a difficult adjustment UNLESS we have Wisdom and Revelation from God.

While all the “blessings from God” are subjective in their essence they nevertheless have an objective purpose as foundational for a corporate priesthood ministry. As an example; Each member of His Body must have all these blessings, subjectively. Then when the body comes together as a unit, every one of these blessings is multiplied together for manifestation, objectively. This is easily understood when we focus upon the Power of God that has been made available to the church, which IS His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all. If one can chase one then 100 can chase a thousand because the power in not just added but multiplied. An “army” is not just a individual doing the best he can! Religious “suicide bombers” that strap on the “explosive vest of doctrines” become the individual army to destroy believers in their own denomination.

It is very clear that it IS God’s will for His corporate priesthood to have His Power in an unlimited way. The “Exceeding Greatness of His Power” suggests that it is unlimited. “Individualism” is actually working against what God is restoring in this generation.

If God can work out His Eternal Purpose in 100 individuals and then bring them together into a unit, He will have a corporate priesthood. If there is NO Subjective Eternal Work accomplished in the individuals they will never be able to come together to cooperate in a corporate priesthood ministry. Why? Because it will still be “every man for himself.” mentality.

The “big I will” must be destroyed by the inward work of God before “not my will but thine be done” can rule. We may not like to admit it but the greatest enemy of the corporate body of Christ is the “individual I will.” However, the Body of Christ is not a democracy where every member has a vote. Eph 1:22] And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, [23] which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.

Until, Jesus Christ is experientially Head of His body and every member is experientially responsive to Him, the “big I will” will continue to divide the work and fragment the purpose of Christ for His Body. Just “doctrinally” declaring that we are the body of Christ sounds ridiculous if the “members of His body” are still doing their own thing and have no idea what He is saying to the church. Appointing a “leader” to represent Christ to His body is certainly NOT the same thing as having Christ functioning as the experiential Head of His Body and every member responsive to Him.

We are not saying the church is wrong or should be avoided but the system that we call church has run its course and is no longer relevant. We are certainly NOT saying that what has been accomplished in believers lives over the last 500 years is unimportant but that those “methods” will take us no farther into the purpose of God. This System of Ministry is becoming Obsolete!