Just an observation, here. As unbelievers, particularly those who consider themselves scientific/logical atheists or agnostics, like to say, it is error-prone for a person to go looking for evidences to prove a thesis; the person will interpret what they see as evidence for their thesis, whether it actually is or not —'confirmation bias'. (Of course, in such a context they will be careful to show the difference between this danger, and what scientists mainly do, searching to find whether a 'hypothesis' (NOT 'thesis') is true.)
Nevertheless, it is true, and something that is almost impossible to avoid, that people interpret everything they hear/read/see/experience according to their worldview and presuppositions.
Dear Mark,
You are "spot on" with your comments. All one has to do is look at how Believers and Unbelievers view the physical evidence for creation in the geologic record.
Believers see the evidence as proof of Genesis being literal history which only goes back about 6000 years.
Unbelievers see the same evidence as supporting a natural creation with it being billions of years old. Both groups see the same evidence but their world paradigm dictates how they apply the evidence.
Of course, I understand creation as it is literally presented in scripture (6 days of creation which happened about 6000 years ago, along with a literal Noah's flood and tower of Babel).
I will say this, Early Rain believers, even though they are spiritually blind, have a good understand of the literal history that is presented in scripture. They just can't understand what those same events spiritually represent.
This same effect of differing "paradigms" is also evident with Christians who try to understand scripture. The Early Rain Christians (those who only "called out") are left spiritually blind and have a paradigm that comes from this world (Satan). They understand scripture in a very different way than does a believer who has received the Latter Rain and has their spiritual blindness healed. Once a believer has their blindness healed,
their paradigm changes. Instead of seeing Christ in the flesh (carnally), they now see Him in the spirit (spiritually).
When this change of paradigms happens to a believer, it is said to be like earthquakes, thunder, lightning and trumpets. The sun is darkened and the moon turns to blood. It is a monumental moment in that person's life. They no longer receive their light from the world (sun and moon). They now receive it from the brightness of Christ appearing to them.
All the End-time verses that speak of the second coming of Christ, are using physical symbols that represent spiritual truths (things that happen within us). When Christ comes to us, He brings destruction to our Man of Sin/Old Man and but also brings life. This is when an Early Rain believer is converted and saved. It is a change of paradigms. It is an amazing event.
I received the Latter Rain on Oct 8th, 2005 (my testimony is posted in my profile) and it turned my life upside down. Nearly everything that I believed to be true before in scripture, I quickly found to be lies from Satan. Matthew 13:33 is
so true:
Matt 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
All Early Rain believers eat this leavened loaf of "bread". As the parable says, the leaven is "hidden" in the loaf and all who eat it, do not realize that it is leavened. The leaven is so powerful, it taints the WHOLE loaf.
This is an amazing parable and hard to believe, but it is
absolutely true. When one understands scripture with a world paradigm, they shape all the verses to match that paradigm. That is why a person can read verses that very clearly teach that Christ will save all mankind but after they twist and shape the verses, there is no truth left in them. Their worldly paradigm causes them to readily accept the leavened bread as the truth of Christ. It is pleasing to their carnal nature.
Because all Early Rain believers (including those who are "chosen") eat this leavened loaf of bread, it becomes necessary for Christ to come a second time to His chosen Elect. When He comes, they hear is call to "come out of her my people".
Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Mystery Babylon the Great is the religious component of our carnal nature. It is what produces the Man of Sin within us. That part of our carnal nature is what follows the ways of Satan. When Christ comes back to us with the Latter Rain, that is what He immediately destroys. If it wasn't quickly destroyed, we could not be converted. But it is destroyed quickly, in "one hour", and when we stand back from that great city, we see the smoke of her burning (judgment).
Rev 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
Once this religious aspect of our carnal nature is destroyed, we will begin approaching Christ by faith alone. We will never serve two masters again. We are now "born again'.
From this point, Christ starts judging the chosen believer's Old Man (the portion left of their carnal nature). This is called the "thousand years" reign of Christ. It is a spiritual reign from within each believer who has received the Latter Rain. The judgment of the Old Man is a slow process (crucified with Christ) and can take many years to complete. But Christ will complete that judgment within a chosen believer before they physically die. After they have "paid the last penny" and have been "ground to powder" (their carnal nature that is), Satan will be loosed for a short season to test them. And just as Christ passed that test in the wilderness when He fasted for 40 days, so will His Elect. Once this is accomplished, they are considered "overcomers" of this world and are ready to be glorified with a new spiritual body similar to Christ's spiritual body.
What I have stated above is all taught in scripture and is called "end-time prophecy". However, most Christians believe that it is still unfulfilled prophecy and will only be fulfilled out in the world rather than spiritually within a believer. The reason it is misunderstood by most Christians is because they still view scripture with a world paradigm. Instead of seeing the verses as spiritual and inward, they see them as literal and outward.
However, the Word of God is spiritual and is presented to us in Christ's spiritual language. Christ uses physical symbols which have meanings different than what man's wisdom teaches (1Cor 2:13). Here are just a few examples of Christ's spiritual language:
A
SWORD is the Word of God.
FIRE is Christ's judgment.
RAIN/WATER is the Holy Spirit.
CLOSET is our inner heart, our innermost self.
DOGS are Gentiles
SWINE are people who are Called Out.
DARKNESS is spiritual blindness, a place far removed from the truth and righteous character of God.
EARTH represents mankind's carnality, where Called Out believers dwell.
Numbers in scripture also have a spiritual meaning:
Tenth: God’s Elect, healed, walking by faith
One: God the Father
Two: The Elect, witnesses of God
Three: Complete, full measure of God’s work, a complete spiritual process
Four: the Whole of something
Five: Pathway to God, Man’s work or Grace through Faith
Six: Mankind, short of perfection
Seven: Perfection
Eight: New Spiritual State
Nine: walking by works, unthankful
Ten: Completeness of the Flesh, Man of Sin
Eleven: True apostles, chosen, full of New Wine
Twelve: Kingdom of Heaven
This is a very short list and just touches on a few of the spiritual terms shown in scripture. Until a person has a good understanding of them, they are not going to understand scripture.
Christ speaks in this spiritual language to keep His truth concealed from all but His Elect who have had their spiritual blindness healed. This event is the second coming of Christ and is when their world paradigm is destroyed.
All this happens by the
work of Christ within a chosen believer. Mankind cannot do this spiritual work themselves. All that mankind can do is try to make our outward appearance seem righteous by our own "works". But Christ views this outward appearance that comes from "works" as "filthy rags". When Christ does His work within us, He will cloth us in righteousness (faith, Holy Spirit).
All mankind must wait on the Lord to do His work within them. He is the only ONE who can accomplish this great spiritual work of saving us.
Joe