The Daily Word of Righteousness

Seven Steps to the Rest of God, #29

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: (Matthew 3:11)

John the Baptist notified us that the Lord Jesus is ready to baptize His household with fire. When the Lord Jesus comes to us He baptizes us with fire for the purpose of reconciling every part of our personality to the Presence and will of the Father.

It is important to remember, as we are going through the dealings of the Lord, that the joy of the Lord is our strength. While we are being judged, it is a temptation to fall into gloom and pessimism, to complain, to become frustrated and discouraged.

No doubt the reason the spiritual fulfillment of the Day of Atonement is placed toward the end of the process of redemption is that it would not be possible for us to endure the fiery tribulations, dealings, probings, testings, at an earlier stage of our spiritual development.

We must keep in mind that our sufferings and testings are for the purpose of elevating us to the throne of Glory. The Bride of the Lamb is to be without spot, wrinkle, blemish, or any flaw or stain of any kind. There must be no corruption in her. She has been called to be the complement of the Lord Jesus Christ.

God is bringing about such perfection in us and we are to bear patiently with the Lord until He is satisfied with His handiwork.

We have stated that the goal of the Christian redemption is the promised-land rest of God. The seven feasts of the Lord typify seven aspects of the Divine workings that bring us from the chaotic condition of those who are without Christ all the way to perfect, complete union with God through Christ.

Let us present a brief review before we move to Tabernacles—the feast that typifies the fullness of the salvation of the Lord.

The seven feasts have kingdom-wide, historical fulfillments:

1. Passover—the death of Christ on the cross of Calvary.

2. Unleavened Bread—the descent of Christ into Hades, removing sin from the camp.

3. Firstfruits—Christ's resurrection from the dead as the Beginning of the Kingdom of God.

4. Pentecost—the sending down of the Holy Spirit from Heaven.

5. Trumpets—the seven trumpets of the Book of Revelation, concluding with the resurrection of the saints and taking from the wicked the control of the earth.

6. Day of Atonement—the thousand-year reign of Christ over the present earth.

7. Tabernacles—the new heaven and earth reign of Christ.

The first three fulfillments took place nearly two thousand years ago during that momentous week of Unleavened Bread. The fourth, Pentecost, began ten days after Christ's ascension and is continuing to the present day. The "rain" still is falling from Heaven.

The last three of the kingdom-wide fulfillments will occur in the future.

To be continued.