The Daily Word of Righteousness

Ye Shall Receive Power, #9

For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: and lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed. (II Corinthians 12:20,21)

The Lord cannot entrust to an unjudged people the authority and power that are to be given to the "two witnesses." As we look about us in the church world of today, we realize the giving of such authority and power would only increase the self-glorifying, lying, stealing, and foolishness that are prevalent among believers. The Divine power would be used as the means of exalting the sinful flesh of ambitious men and woman.

The true saints will be brought to repentance and cleansing by the Spirit of God in preparation for the latter-rain revival—the bringing of the Good News of the soon coming of the Kingdom of God.

In the days to come, all the ends of the earth will hear of the Kingdom. God will pour out His Spirit on all flesh. After this will come the great tribulation, the sifting of the believers until only the pure of heart remain, and the perfecting of the Bride of the Lamb. Then the Lord will call up His eternal witnesses, the living and the dead, to Himself, and the wrath of God will fall on the world.

And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. (Revelation 11:1)

Measuring, as mentioned in the Scriptures, is symbolic of judgment.

The sanctuary of God is to be judged, the Altar of Incense and those who are worshiping there.

The court outside the sanctuary, representing the nations, the inheritance of Christ and the saints, does not experience Divine assessment at this time but will when the Lord comes.

The eternal Temple of God, the Church, the Body of Christ, is measured against the standard. The standard is Christ, not the standard of men. It is the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

We are examined concerning the fleshly lusts, the worldliness, the covetousness, the religious pride and self-will, the disobedience to the Father, that are in us. A determination is made of the extent to which we are in union with Christ and are obedient to the Father's will.

All three areas of the Church are being judged. Those who have been born again, symbolized by the Table of Showbread, are being tested. Those who have been born again and also baptized with the Holy Spirit (the golden Lampstand of the sanctuary) are being tested.

But the emphasis of judgment is on those who have been born again, baptized with the Holy Spirit, and are pouring out their lives in selfless praise and consecration, as portrayed by the Altar of Incense. They are singled out for careful, precise judgment because they are the firstfruits to God from the peoples of the earth.

To be continued.