"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." John 3:8.
In recent weeks, while we have been under the influence of the time of the Goat, I have had many personal burdens which seemed associated with the burdens of Jesus at the time of the crucifixion. I could not explain them, or find a reason for them, but they were strong and persistent. I could not be comforted. As I posted earlier in the week, the burdens were as a lead weight to My soul.
3SP-PG-93 Jesus had been earnestly conversing with and instructing his disciples; but as he neared Gethsemane he became strangely silent. His disciples...had frequently seen him depressed, but never before so utterly sad and silent. As he proceeded, this strange sadness increased; yet they dared not question him as to the cause. His form swayed as if he was about to fall, His disciples looked anxiously for his usual place of retirement, that their Master might rest.
...Every step that the Saviour now took was with labored effort. He groaned aloud as though suffering under the pressure of a terrible burden; yet he refrained from startling his three chosen disciples by a full explanation of the agony which he was to suffer. Twice his companions prevented him from falling to the ground. Jesus felt that he must be still more alone, and he said to the favored three, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; tarry ye here, and watch with me." His disciples had never before heard him utter such mournful tones. His frame was convulsed with anguish, and his pale countenance expressed a sorrow past all description.
...The sins of the world weighed heavily upon the Saviour and bowed him to the earth; and the Father's anger in consequence of that sin seemed crushing out his life.
...Satan had now returned for the last fearful conflict. He had been preparing for this final trial during the three years of Christ's ministry. Everything was at stake with him. If he failed here his hope of mastery was lost; the kingdoms of the earth would finally become Christ's who would "bind the strong man" (Satan), and cast him out. ...Again the Son of God was seized with superhuman agony and, fainting and exhausted, staggered back to the place of his former struggle. Again he was prostrated to the earth. His suffering was even greater than before. ... A few hours before, Jesus had stood like a mighty cedar, withstanding the storm of opposition that spent its fury upon him. Stubborn wills, and hearts filled with malice and subtlety strove in vain to confuse and overpower him. He stood forth in divine majesty as the Son of God. But now he was like a bruised reed beaten and bent by the angry storm. A short time before, he had poured out his soul to his disciples in noble utterances, claiming unity with the Father, and giving his elect church into his arms in the language of one who had divine authority. Now his voice uttered suppressed wails of anguish, and he clung to the cold ground as if for relief.
...The Saviour trod the winepress alone, and of all the people there was none with him. And yet he was not alone. He had said, "I and my Father are one." God suffered with his Son. Man cannot comprehend the sacrifice made by the infinite God in giving up his Son to reproach, agony, and death. This is the evidence of the Father's boundless love to man.
While I cannot compare My own experience precisely with that of Jesus, since the work is different now, there are some factors which are identical. That identical part is related to the weight that is laid on the priest, quite outside of himself. From time to time, I have felt a great weight on My soul which seemed to have no reason for it. I have visited with various persons over the weeks, and shortly after, would feel as if I were bearing the complete weight of the soul upon Myself. Their sins seemed to be on Me. This weight translated into a general feeling of depression and sadness which I could not even try to step out of. I did not have the emotional strength to visit with people or give aid and comfort. I could barely carry Myself, and even then, there were the two witnesses who inadvertently helped support Me in the burden, but could not actually lift it off of Myself. They would sometimes feel My burdens that I carried, and would pray for Me. Their positive and cheerful interaction comforted Me, but it did not lighten My soul. In reality, the full weight of the load was felt by Me no matter how much support I received.
The noticeable thing in all of this is that My burdens would lift at sundown as regularly as if a natural occurrence. It was as if a switch were thrown. One minute I was carrying the burdens of the day, fully weighted down under the load of them, then, right after sundown, it would lift and I would be as rested and light as if I had never had a burden in My life. The only change that occurred in My environment was that the sun had set. Because of this, I looked into the Jewish evening time and I found there the answer to what I was experiencing.
And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat (Azazel): And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there: And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people. And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar. And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp. And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung. And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp. (Leviticus 16:20-28, KJV).
The process of removing the sins of the camp involved getting dirty. It was as if the sins had a taint on them, which could effect the carrier, even though he had no involvement in them. Even though the high priest did not commit sins, he had to wash himself because they tainted him. Besides this, an offering had to be offered where the entire offered animal had to be consumed in the flames, leaving nothing remaining. This offering was carried out in the evening, at sunset.
"The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even (sundown)." (Exodus 29:39, KJV).
When Jesus was in Gethsemane, He was being weighted down with the corruptions of the people. He bore their sins on Himself. While in that place, He experienced fear that He would not be able to carry out the work of Lamb of God. He felt His humanity was not up to it. He even asked the Father to release Him from the work. It was as if He were experiencing the depths of the sins He was carrying for others, such as having fear, darkness, depression and great anxiety. He could not escape it. Jesus was fearing as a common man would fear, forgetting that His humanity was not doing the work. He felt your failures and sins in His very own soul. At one point He felt as if His Father had forsaken Him. It was a real, physical carrying of other souls on Himself. It was the second death. "He became sin for us." This is the work of the High Priest. He bears the infirmities of the people on Himself and must be cleansed of those infirmities himself. Jesus really died for us. He cleansed the sins which would be attributed to us, while carrying them to His own death. Yet, He was faithful to the end, thereby overcoming for us. This is the life He has given to us in a very real, physical way. This is a heavenly mystery that cannot be fathomed unless one is involved in it. When Jesus went to the cross, He died and was at rest before sundown.
I have been greatly interested in the process in which I have been involved. Many things in My experience could be attributed to bright ideas and mental manipulation by someone who did not care to believe, but how could it be, that on a good number of days, I was burdened with a huge weight I could not find a reason for, and it would lift immediately as the sun set? This past week I was greatly impressed with the thought, because of this phenomenon, that truly we are in the last things. We are at the end of the heavenly scenario. Probation has closed, the door is shut, not only viewed in the signs in the heavens, but felt with the feelings of the soul. Each event, as it transpires, is felt by Me. I know when it comes and I know what it is. My faith could not have conjured it up by My strong belief in some expected phenomenon, because I did not expect this, and did not know what it was, until I had carried this weight and associated phenomena for a number of days. It is as though I stand in the very place that the stars reveal and I experience the prophecies that are now being unfolded in Myself. Previously, I could only wonder at why I was feeling as I did. Now, My faith is confirmed as having been fulfilled. We really are in the final things. As with the consummation and other related events, I am in the midst of a heavenly revelation and carrying it out in my present reality. We have come to the end of all things, as surely as can be seen by My own experience of it.
Human sin is so often associated with the prideful need of man to think he is someone or something of himself. It has been said, "I think, therefore I exist." Yes, that is quite enough proof that someone's self exists. If men can think about themselves, they can therefore believe they exist. A human has the strong tendency to remain in existence. An example of this may be found in the accidental mishap that causes one embarrassment or imagined loss. Recently one of our sisters found that her computer had been dropped in the computer room. It was damaged on the back corner. A normal "unthinking" person would immediately set out to tell the owner of the computer that they had dropped it and would be willing to have it fixed. A "thinking" person may become embarrassed at their clumsiness, and hide the fact that they dropped it, so they might not get into trouble, or have to pay for it. It is this thinking person who will never see heaven though they search for it a thousand years. Those who are intent on looking good, will find that they will eventually be carrying their own sins on themselves and get to suffer the fate of the scapegoat.
The life of God is to be in us. This is the fulness of the experience. It is to be our very core nature and not simply a belief or assent. The Messiah bears us on Himself and where He goes, we go. The "unthinking" persons, who are not interested in themselves, simply find that they go where the Messiah goes, since they are on Him. When one "thinks" about his survival and checks all the doors in regards to what others might think of him, he will find himself full of himself and unable to comprehend the mysteries that are placed before him to understand. The truth must be in us. It is not out there somewhere. One's faith in the realities of these present things opens the door to them. When one considers himself, the door is locked to what the Spirit is bringing to the soul.
"For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it". (Deuteronomy 30:11-14, KJV).
There is a simple story below that was sent me in e-mail recently. The awareness of God and His leading is normal and simple in its way of unfolding.
A young man had been to Wednesday night Bible Study. The Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice. The young man couldn't help but wonder, "Does God still speak to people?" After service he went out with some friends and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways. It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, "God in heaven...If you still speak to people speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey." As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, "God is that you?" He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk. The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli. "Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk." It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk.
He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home. As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, "Turn down that street." This is crazy he thought and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street. At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, "Okay, I will". He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi-commercial area of town. It wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed. Again, he sensed something, "Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street." The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the car door and then sat back in the car seat. "Lord, those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid." Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk. Finally, he opened the car door, "Okay Lord, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient, but if they don't answer right away, I will leave." He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, "Who is it? What do you want?" Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. "What is it?" The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, "Here, I brought this to you."
The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway speaking loudly in Spanish. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half crying, "We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk." His wife in the kitchen yelled out, "I asked Him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?" The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put it in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that God still answers prayers and speaks to men.
This is the key to the Spirit. The wind bloweth where it listeth. All one need do is follow it, for it is written, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." Rom. 8:14. That is to say, one who goes continually where the Spirit listeth is a son of God, and it is in him to follow that listing.
So, in regards to the consummation, and the current episode of the Goat, the Spirit listeth and "speaketh expressly" that certain events are occurring. If one simply follows this direction of the Spirit, his eyes are opened to the reality of it. If one seeks to think it over first, and preserve himself from embarrassment or loss in some way, he will get to take his milk home, but he will lose the life in it.
I recently received this in an e-mail from a brother. It surely presents itself as a witness for our own times. While Elijah exposed and killed the false witnesses before king Ahab, Michael is at war with the false witnesses in the land. The evil spirits are to be removed from the land as it was written. Elijah translated a little while after completing this work.
And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God." Before the sacrifice, Elijah had said, "How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him." After the destruction of the prophets of Baal, Elijah said to Ahab, "Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain." After the king's departure, Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; "and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees." When he had bidden Ahab go up and eat and drink, did he have an evidence that the showers were about to fall? Did he see the clouds in the heavens? Did he see the rain, or hear the thunder?--No; he spoke these words because the Spirit of the Lord moved [listed] upon his mind, and led him to believe that his prayer would be heard. He had done all that was possible to make manifest his faith, and now he began to pray for the outpouring of the abundance of rain [the flood]. He "said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times." The servant watched while Elijah prayed. Six times he returned from the watch, saying, There is nothing, no cloud, no sign of rain. But the prophet did not give up in discouragement. He kept reviewing his life, to see where he had failed to honor God, he confessed his sins, and thus continued to afflict his soul before God, while watching for a token that his prayer was answered. As he searched his heart, he seemed to be less and less, both in his own estimation and in the sight of God. It seemed to him that he was nothing, and that God was everything; and when he reached the point of renouncing self, while he clung to the Saviour as his only strength and righteousness, the answer came. The servant appeared, and said, "Behold, there ariseth a cloud [ sign of the coming of the son of man] out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. And it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. RH 5-26-91
Satan is constantly alluring away from faithfulness and thoroughness in the essential works of preparedness for the great event that will try every man's soul. The work in the heavenly sanctuary is going forward. Jesus is cleansing the sanctuary. The work on earth corresponds with the work in heaven. UL 344
We are in the time of very serious events. The work in heaven is revealed in the earth. At each interval we have been witnesses to the signs given. After Elijah removed the evil presence from the land by exposing them to the light and the fire of God, a flood came. One flood was the abundance of rain which blessed the land and returned it to fruitfulness. The other flood came upon Elijah, as Jezebel threatened him and caused him to flee in fear. Both floods happened at the same time.
In this day we are promised a flood. It is a flood of blessing, and, yet, may seem like another sort of flood. This all will be revealed in its time. We have had great light and much evidence of the Spirit. The Spirit has moved upon our minds and has caused us to believe the things God is bringing to us. As Elijah was led into his mission, he was brought to his end in his own estimation. He was emptied of himself and saw himself as less and less. This was his victory over the forces of evil in the land. He finally rested only on the Father's mighty breast.
We must stand at attention, awake, and ready to move upon our Father's command. We must all reach the point of self renunciation. All men must abdicate their thrones and be on the throne of Messiah with Him. We must be married to none other. In this is the final deliverance from those influences that have caused our separation from Father. The time is come, and we all stand in the presence of the heavenly King.