CHAPTER 7:

THE ANGEL OF THE LORD -- "I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE"

"The night of the first day of the week had worn slowly away. The darker hour, just before daybreak, had come. Christ was still a prisoner in His narrow tomb. The great stone was in its place; the Roman seal was unbroken; the Roman guards were keeping their watch. And there were unseen watchers. Hosts of evil angels were gathered about the place. Had it been possible, the prince of darkness with his apostate army would have kept forever sealed the tomb that held the Son of God. But a heavenly host surrounded the sepulcher. Angels that excel in strength were guarding the tomb, and waiting to welcome the Prince of Life." -- Desire of Ages, p. 779

"SON OF GOD, COME FORTH; THY FATHER CALLS THEE."

"'And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven.' Clothed with the panoply of God, this angel left the heavenly courts. The bright beams of God's glory (the Shekhinah) went before him (Her), and illuminated his (Her) pathway. "His (Her) countenance was like lightning, and his (Her) raiment white as snow: and for fear of him (Her) the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.'

"Now, priests and rulers, where is the power of your guard? Brave soldiers that have never been afraid of human power are now as captives taken without sword or spear. The face they look upon is not the face of a mortal warrior; it is the face of the mightiest of the Lord's host. This messenger is he (She) who fills the position from which Satan fell (the Spirit of Prophecy). It is he (She) who on the hills of Bethlehem proclaimed Christ's birth. The earth trembles at his (Her) approach, the hosts of darkness flee, and as he (She) rolls away the stone, heaven seems to come down to the earth. The soldiers see him (Her) removing the stone as he (She) would a pebble, and hear him (Her) cry, Son of God, come forth; Thy Father calls Thee. They see Jesus come forth from the grave, and hear Him proclaim over the rent sepulcher, 'I am the resurrection, and the life.' As He comes forth in majesty and glory, the angel host bow low in adoration before the Redeemer, and welcome Him with songs of praise.

"An earthquake marked the hour when Christ laid down His life, and another earthquake witnessed the moment when He took it up in triumph. He who had vanquished death and the grave came forth from the tomb with the tread of a conqueror, amid the reeling of the earth, the flashing of lightning, and the roaring of thunder. When He shall come to the earth again, He will shake 'not the earth only, but also heaven.'... But 'the Lord will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.' Hebrews 12:26; Joel 3:16.

"When Jesus was laid in the grave, Satan triumphed. He dared to hope that the Saviour would not take up His life again, He claimed the Lord's body, and set his guard about the tomb, seeking to hold Christ a prisoner. He was bitterly angry when his angels fled at the approach of the heavenly messenger (the Shekhinah). When He saw Christ come forth in triumph, he knew that his kingdom would have an end, and that he must finally die." -- Desire of Ages, p. 779-782, (parentheses supplied)

The Mighty Angel that descends from the courts of heaven as the Messenger of the Father and the Mother, and whose countenance is filled with great glory, is none other than the Divine Presence, the Shekhinah. She is the One Who overcame Satan in Heaven and occupied his place as the Spirit of Prophecy, the Voice of Elohiym. She came forth from the Only Begotten of the Father in Heaven, as She also did in the earth, that They might overcome Satan, sin and death. She was the power of resurrection and the life that was Yeshua's by inheritance. The Shekhinah returned to cleanse His Body Temple from the curse of our sin and uncleanness, restoring Him to newness of life.

"I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE"

The Spirit or Ruach was the creative power that went forth from His lips, as He spoke forth the universe and its inhabitants. JThe Saviour possessed the power to lay down His Life and to take it up again. This same power, in the Person of the Mighty Angel of the Lord, spoke forth and awakened the Second Adam from His deep sleep of eternal death, cleansing His Tabernacle -- Body Temple -- restoring to Him the Shekhinah Glory and the divinity that even the first Adam had lost to Satan.

The earth trembled as this mighty Angel descended from on high. She rolled away the stone that blocked the entrance to the tomb, like a small pebble. Standing back, She called to the Second Adam as Eve must have called to her partner to awaken him from his deep sleep. The same words that the Saviour spoke to Lazarus are spoken to Him by the Spirit of Prophecy, the Voice of Elohiym. "Son of God, come forth; Thy Father calleth Thee." Suddenly the Yeshua comes forth from the grave with majesty and glory, and He shouts before His witnesses in heaven and on earth, "I AM the Resurrection and the Life." The angelic host bow low in adoration before the Redeemer, and welcome Him with songs of praise.

"When the VOICE OF THE MIGHTY ANGEL was heard at Christ's tomb, saying, Thy Father calls Thee, the Saviour came forth from the grave BY THE LIFE THAT WAS IN HIMSELF. Now was proved the truth of His words, 'I LAY DOWN MY LIFE, THAT I MIGHT TAKE IT AGAIN.... I HAVE POWER TO LAY IT DOWN, AND I HAVE POWER TO TAKE IT AGAIN.' Now was fulfilled the prophecy He had spoken to the priests and rulers, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I WILL RAISE IT UP.' John 10:17,18; 2:19.

"Over the rent sepulcher of Joseph, Christ had proclaimed in triumph, 'I Am the resurrection, and the life.' These words could only be spoken by the Deity. All created beings live by the will and power of God. They are dependent recipients of the life of God. From the highest seraph to the humblest animate being, all are replenished from the Source of life. Only He who is one with God could say, I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it again. IN HIS DIVINITY, CHRIST POSSESSED THE POWER TO BREAK THE BONDS OF DEATH." -- Desire of Ages, p. 785 (emphasis and parentheses supplied)

THE SECOND ADAM, A QUICKENING SPIRIT

How could Yeshua die an eternal death, and yet, HAVE THE POWER TO RAISE HIMSELF FROM ETERNAL DEATH? When He died He was "rent in twain" or divided into Two Beings, as Adam was when he was put into a deep sleep, and Eve was created from his side. The Second Adam gave up HIS ETERNAL LIFE, THE RUACH OR ETERNAL SPIRIT, THE POWER OF HIS DIVINITY. In order for the Son of man to die an eternal death for man, He had to freely give up HIS DIVINE POWER, the SOURCE of LIFE; HIS SPIRIT, THE SHEKHINAH. Only She, His Second Self, could return to His tomb and call Him forth. If it were not so, then the Saviour would have been a liar to say He laid down His life and He took it up again.

The Second Adam and the Second Eve are One in SPIRIT, as Adam and Eve were one. We are told in Scripture that Elohiym created the man and then the woman in Their image and likeness, and called their name Adam. This tells us that the man's name was Adam and the woman's name was also Adam. In the order of creation, the man was the first Adam and the woman, Eve, was the second Adam. Both came from the same body and had oneness of spirit.

In the recreation of man, the Second Adam, Jesus Christ, fulfilled the same pattern as the first Adam. In the Recreation Story, the Son of man was the First Adam (a male) and the Holy Ghost was the Second Adam (female). The Scriptures tell us: "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." 1 Corinthians 15:45. Yes, this does refer to the male aspect of the two Adams, the first Adam and the Second Adam, Jesus Christ. But it also tells us that Yeshua, the Son of man, took on sinful earthly flesh and became sin for us, to die as a corruptible man. He was laid in His tomb, or planted in corruption, for us. But, in the recreation, the Second Adam, Female Eve, was made a QUICKENING SPIRIT, and raised Him to incorruption, immortality and glory.

What a marvelous and glorious revelation! We can be recreated by the same method and resurrected by the same power that resurrected and restored our Creator. The Second Adam raised and recreated Himself through His Spirit, the Holy Ghost. Our Saviour demonstrated to us the baptism of the Holy Ghost with fire when He overcame sin and death. He desires to baptize humanity in the water of separation and the fire of purification, that we might become the righteous children of the Second Adam (Yeshua) and the Second Eve (the Shekhinah). They will be fruitful and multiply Their perfect image to replenish the earth with righteous beings. They will ultimately have dominion over every creature in the earth, especially Satan and his band of rebels.

Let us read what the Scriptures say about this glorious transformation through the creative and recreative power of the Alpha and the Omega; the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire:

"Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: there are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory." -- 1 Corinthians 15:39-41

"So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: I t is sown a natural body; i t is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body." -- 1 Corinthians 15:42-44.

"And so it is written, The first man Adam (Yeshua) was made a living soul; the last Adam (Second Adam - female - the Shekhinah) was made a quickening spirit (Eternal life-giving Spirit). Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual." -- 1 Corinthians 15:45,46.

"The first man is of the earth, earthy (Yeshua took on earthly flesh, corrupt humanity): the second man (wo-man) is the Lord from heaven (the Lord's Divine Presence, Second Self, the Shekhinah). As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." 1 Corinthians 15:47-50.

"Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, (sleep of death) but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible (sinful flesh) must put on incorruption (righteousness), and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory THROUGH our Lord Jesus Christ (through the power of resurrection and life, His Holy Spirit, the Second Adam, Eve - the Mother of all the living)." -- 1 Corinthians 15:51-57.

THE "ANGEL" OF THE LORD

"ANGEL - (Hebrew Mal'ak, Messenger") - A SUPERNATURAL being created by God, superior to man, and acting as a representative or messenger of God. There are Bible passages where Mal'ak and aggelos do not refer to supernatural beings, but to prophets and others fulfilling the function of a "Messenger" (2 Samuel 3:14; Ezekiel 23:16; Haggai 1:13; Matthew 11:10; Luke 7:24; etc.). There are other passages where the terms seem to apply to Christ Himself (Exodus 23:20; Malachi 3:1; Acts 7:35). The specific references in any case must be found by study of the context they are found in.

"The ' Angel of the Lord' is thus a messenger of the Lord (male or female), not only in the sense that he (or she) belongs to the Lord and is faithful to Him, but more particularly in the sense that he (or she) comes as a messenger sent by God, with a message from God." -- SDA Bible Commentary

Clearly then, a person with a message from God may be termed, the "Angel of the Lord", God's messenger, or a Personal Representative on earth that Personifies the mouthpiece (prophet) or the Voice of Elohiym in the earth.

The doctrine of angels did not occupy the central theme of the Old Testament. But it furnished valuable insight into God's provision for the care, comfort, and instruction to His prophets and people. It enhances one's concept of the sacredness and majesty of God and causes His people to rejoice over the divine help God furnishes the earth's inhabitants through the angel guardians, helpers, and mediators.

The "Angel of the Lord" definitely has Christlike attributes -- Messiah, Mediator, Intercessor -- and carries all the titles of the Lord, but is not the Lord. Scholars call the Angel of the Lord a "type" or "shadow" of Yeshua the Messiah, some what like His Divine Presence.

This Angelic Figure stands out prominently among the angel appearances in the Old and New Testaments. Bible scholars have not been able to make one unified determination as to the real identity of Mal'ak YHWH (Hebrew). This Angel stands out as very different from the angels, in general, mentioned in the Bible and known by the writers of both the Old and New Testaments.

This heavenly being always appears for a special event and t akes the place of prominence in the center of the event (2 Samuel 14:20).

In the Old Testament the Angel of the Lord appeared to Daniel as a beneficent messenger in whose Wisdom one can safely confide.

This Angel fights against Israel's enemies (2 Kings 19:35); helps God's prophets (1 Kings 19:7; 21, 22, 25-35) confronts the hostile sorcerers (Numbers 22:22-26); and protects and guides the nation of Israel (Exodus 14:19, 20; 23:20-23).

The Scripture references in which the Angel of the Lord (YHWH) appears are the ones which do not distinguish between the Angel of the Lord (Yhwh) and the Person of the Lord (YHWH). For example, in Gen. 16, during Hagar's flight from Sarah, the Angel of the Lord (YHWH) found her (vs 7) and talked with her. During the conversation, the Angel refers to the Lord (YHWH) Himself in the third person (vs 11). But the Angel also spoke "as if" he were the Lord Himself: "I will greatly multiply your descendants that they cannot be numbered for multitude" (vs 10). In verse 13, "She called the name of the Lord who spoke to her -- 'Have I really seen God and remained alive after seeing Him?'"

Genesis 21 -- During her second flight the Angel of God called to her from heaven. Also, in this passage of Scripture, the Angel spoke as if he were the Lord Himself: "For I will make him a great nation." (vs 19).

Genesis 22 -- The sacrifice of Isaac: Just before Abraham killed Isaac, the Angel of the Lord stopped him (vs 11) and told him: "For I know that you fear God, seeing that you have not withheld your son, your only son from me." (vs 12).

Genesis 31:11-13 -- Then the Angel of God said to me in a dream, "Jacob." And I said, "Here am I." And he said, "Lift up your eyes... I Am the God of Bethel:....."

Exodus 3 -- The Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a burning bush, and there followed a conversation between the Lord and Moses.

Exodus 14 -- The Red Sea - "and the Angel of God went before the army of Israel" (vs 19). The Lord in the pillar of fire and cloud went before Israel (vs 24).

Judges 2:1 -- The Angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bechim and he said, "I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you into the land which I swore to give to your fathers."

The treatment of these verses by the commentators is varied and contradictory because it has not been time until now for the truth to be revealed. Not until after the revelation of the Person and Gender of the Holy Ghost could this Being be fully revealed and understood.

ANOTHER COMFORTER WITH MY NAME

In the human family the wife or daughter is often referred to as an Angel, in endearing terms. "A person like an angel in goodness...or loveliness" - Webster's Dictionary. As in the earthly family; so also, in the Heavenly Family. The Angel of the Lord, is His "Angel", and brings His goodness and loveliness.

In the earthly family, Eve was Adam's angel in that she was an extension of him and identified with him by the same name, Adam (Genesis 5:1,2). Adam was one with his "rib" until God, through an operation of the Spirit, separated his rib, Eve, from him. God joined them together again as one in marriage, but two separate beings. The Second Adam also has a counterpart, One identified with Himself and with His same Name (John 14:26) but separate from Him.

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14:26. Clearly the Holy Ghost carries the same name as Christ - both Beings are sent from the Heavenly Father and Mother as Intercessors between Heaven and earth.

In the earthly marriage relationship you do not have a masculine person with a feminine body; rather, you have a masculine person joined with a feminine person who together bring forth children. A family has a father, mother, and children. The Body of Christ is a Family, a body of believers born again through His Spirit, the Mother of all living, the Holy Ghost.

"I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you." -- John 14:18. In this Scripture the word comfortless is interpreted to mean "as orphans". If the Lord, our Creator is saying He will not leave us as orphans, He is implying that He, as a PARENT will send the Other Comforter or PARENT with His name. Orphans have neither father or mother to care for them. If He was to leave, mankind would have been without our Father. Therefore, He asked the Heavenly Father to send the Other Comforter that bears His name, the Mother of All living, that She keep us comforted, or parented until the Saviour our Father returns to gather Their children into the Kingdom or the Family of Elohiym.

Therefore, the reference in the New Testament, especially regarding the Angel of the Lord, Whose Name is "Yeshuw'ah" - Hebrew feminine name translated as Salvation - has a very special meaning, heretofore, unknown. Jesus - Yeshua imparts His Salvation - Yeshuw'ah, by giving His Holy Spirit to humanity.

Actually, the Angel of the Lord is not a created being, but the Divine Being Himself or Herself. Let me illustrate this in a simple way.

THE ANGEL OF GOD AND OF THE LORD

• The Angel of God is the Divine Mother - the feminine counterpart of the Divine Father [YHWH]
• The Angel of God is the Only Begotten Son - the masculine expressed image of the Divine Father [YHWH]
• The Angel of the Lord is the Holy Ghost - the feminine image of the Son and express image of the Divine Mother

Reasons for the above conclusions:

1) The Angel explicitly identifies with the Lord on different occasions.

2) Those who see the Angel recognize that the Angel of the Lord is a divine being.

3) The writers of the Scriptures call the Angel of the Lord, YHWH.

4) The "doctrine" here implied of a plurality of persons in the Godhead is in complete accordance with the total revelation of the Family of God, Elohiym - Father, Mother, Children - Christ and His Spirit (Angel), male and female.

5) The unity of the Scriptures would be violated if it could be proved that the central person, this Angel in the Old Testament revelation was a created angel, while the New Testament shows the Angel to be the Son of God in human form at times, to instruct God's prophets in the mysteries of the Holy Ghost, Who is symbolized by Gabriel with Michael, the Archangels on the mercy seat on the Ark, in the Holy of Holies.

This is the representation with which most commentators are not familiar, who show the Angel of the Lord to be only a created heavenly being - an Angel sent from on high, on divine missions to men and women, and who takes the place of God in his dealings with mankind. The Angel may speak the divine "I", and almost be identified with Elohiym Himself; yet, the Angel of the Lord is really and truly a manifestation or extension of Elohiym, as was Eve of the first Adam (the type) - "a likeness". The Angel is "a Form" in which God appears. He (She) is Elohiym Himself (Herself) in Human Form.

The first Adam and Eve were types of the Second Adam, Male and Female, in the flesh (1 Corinthians 15:45, 47,49). Hence, Two Mediators, Two Messiahs, Two Heads, Two Priests, Two Teachers of Righteousness, Two Angels, Two Intercessory Members of the Godhead -- The Lord and His Spirit or Angel, male and female, Priests of the Most High God.

As the Hebrew religion developed under the influence of the surrounding heathen religions, their concept of God became more pronounced as being the one, all powerful God. Within this development of thought, they saw the Angel of the Lord as a transitional mode of appearance between the direct revelation of Elohiym and His withdrawal into the secret place - at a distance. We have to take into account other Biblical references concerning the Angel of the Lord who appears in other various forms, in a flame, a dream, a cloud (Rev. 10), as thunder, as well as in human form. But the principal view of the Angel has to do with passages where there is a definite distinction made between the Angel and the Lord; where two different personalities are involved. The ancients saw in the Angel of YHWH the operation of YHWH Himself in a manner more direct than could be accomplished through any other heavenly being. The Angel was an occasional manifestation of YHWH, spoken of sometimes "as" YHWH Himself but at other times as distinct from Him. The borderline between the Angel of the Lord as a specific medium of Divine revelation and as a created messenger cannot always be discerned except through the "eye" of inspiration.

We have in the past been schooled in the progressive character of Divine Revelation, in greater or lesser degrees, but never have we been called upon, before now, to stretch our minds to the utmost to discern the ministry of the Angels in the time of the end of all things.

The keys are found in the Books of Daniel, Zechariah, and Revelation as brought forth by the latter day revelation of the Spirit of Prophecy - Who is the Holy Ghost.

For example, in the Book of Daniel, angels were given names for the first time in the Scriptures (Daniel 8:13,16; 9:21; 10:13, 20, 21; 12:1) -- Gabriel, Michael, and Palmoni (Daniel 8:13).

As sin increased, God became more and more aloof from contact with the created beings of earth and the doctrine or ministry of angels became more and more pronounced. The angels brought the animals, etc., into the ark; the "Angel" stayed the hand of Abraham: the Angel walked with Daniel and the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace, etc.

THE "ANGEL OF THE LORD" IN ZECHARIAH

Written words can be misconstrued; but symbols can not be misunderstood. Symbols make it possible for both learned and unlearned to immediately distinguish the difference between truth and error.

While the enemy has succeeded in confusing the written word, God lightens the earth with His Glory (the Holy Ghost) by these symbolic revelations. He discloses the entire truth and uncovers the traps of the devil. The reason these wonders are portrayed by symbols is the same as that which caused the Messiah to teach in parables. Through types and symbols He makes wise the simple and confounds the prudent; showing that where there is no type, there is no truth.

THE LORD AND HIS ANGEL

"I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white. Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will show thee what these be. And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest." -- Zechariah 1:8-11.

Thus far, we have the Man (the Lord) who stood among the myrtle trees (vs 8) and the Angel of the Lord who stood among the myrtle trees (vs 11). But in verse twelve it is clearly seen that the Lord and the Angel are Two different beings.

"Then the Angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of Hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?" (Daniel 8:13) The same question that was uppermost in Daniel's mind was asked in Zechariah 1:12 - "How long?" (Jeremiah 29:10).

"And the LORD answered the Angel (the interpreting Angel) that talked with me with good words and comfortable words. So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. Therefore, thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of Hosts, and a line (the prophecy) shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem. Cry yet, (again Zechariah) saying, Thus saith the LORD of Hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem. Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. Then said I, What come these to do? And he (the Lord) spake, saying, These are the horns (the Rulers - Heavenly and earthly) which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it." -- Zechariah 1:18-21

ZECHARIAH TWO

"I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand (the fulfillment of the prophecy in Chapter 1:16). Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he (the Man) said unto me, To measure (judge) Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof (the Saints - 144,000)." -- Zechariah 2:1,2

"And, behold, THE ANGEL THAT TALKED WITH ME WENT FORTH, and 'ANOTHER' ANGEL went out TO MEET HIM." -- Zechariah 2:3. THUS WE SEE THE "Man", the Angel, and "Another" Angel in Zechariah as in Daniel.

"And said unto him, Run, speak to this YOUNG MAN (Zechariah), saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited AS TOWNS WITHOUT WALLS (not measured) for the multitude of men and cattle therein (cannot be measured). (Exodus 38:11). FOR 'I', SAITH THE LORD, WILL BE UNTO HER A WALL OF FIRE (A SIGNAL FIRE) ROUND ABOUT (A CIRCLE), AND WILL BE THE GLORY IN THE MIDST OF HER." -- Zechariah 2:4, 5

"DELIVER THYSELF, O ZION, THAT DWELLEST WITH THE DAUGHTER OF BABYLON (IN THE WILDERNESS - HOSEA 2:14,15; 3:3). FOR HE THAT TOUCHETH YOU TOUCHETH THE APPLE OF HIS (THE LORD'S) EYE. (Deut. 32:10,11)." -- Zechariah 2:8

"SING AND REJOICE, O DAUGHTER OF ZION: FOR, LO, I COME, AND I WILL DWELL IN THE MIDST OF THEE, SAITH THE LORD." -- Zechariah 2:10.

"AND THE LORD SHALL INHERIT JUDAH HIS PORTION IN THE HOLY LAND, AND SHALL CHOOSE JERUSALEM AGAIN. BE SILENT, O ALL FLESH, BEFORE THE LORD: FOR HE IS RAISED UP OUT OF HIS HOLY HABITATION." -- Zechariah 2:12, 13

ZECHARIAH THREE

"And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing BEFORE the ANGEL OF THE LORD (His Angel), and Satan standing at his (the Angel's) right hand to resist him. And the LORD SAID unto Satan, The LORD (the HOLY GHOST) rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee..." (Jude 9). Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the ANGEL (of the LORD)." "....and the ANGEL of the LORD stood by." -- Zechariah 3:1-3

SUMMARY OF ZECHARIAH CHAPTERS 1-3

In times past, we have considered only the CIVIL aspect of Zechariah 1:8-12. But the real meaning is found in the religious understanding.

However, we could not have understood the full meaning, at any time previously, until now when the revelation of the "ANGEL of the LORD" as a member of the Godhead is made known.

The captivity of Israel by Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome - FOUR earthly, CIVIL powers - was but the means that the ruling power of Heaven (the FOUR HORNS) employed to chasten Israel for her sins of idolatry and for neglecting to give God the Glory for Their beneficent care and provision in exalting the Nation above all the Kingdoms of earth.

"And the LORD (the carpenter) shewed me FOUR CARPENTERS. Then said I, what come these to do? And HE (the LORD) spoke, saying, THESE (carpenters) ARE the (FOUR) HORNS - RULERS which have scattered JUDAH, so, that no man did lift up his head: (Is it not so NOW, in Judah?) But these (FOUR HORNS) are (NOW) come to fray them, to cast out the horns (rulers ) of the Gentiles (in the Church), which lifted up their horn (hand to rule) over the land of Judah." -- Zechariah 1:20, 21

ANOTHER, "The ANGEL of the LORD, spoke to the 'young man,' saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited 'as towns WITHOUT WALLS' for the multitude of men and cattle therein." Zechariah 2:3. That is, you have gone far enough, "young man". For: "I" (the ANGEL of the LORD) saith (to the ANGEL that talked with Zechariah), the Lord will be unto HER (Judah - Jerusalem) a "WALL" of "FIRE" (the signal fire) round about (encircling) and will be the GLORY in the midst of thee (HER - Jerusalem). Notice, the ANGEL (Zechariah's interpreter) who went forth, WAS MET BY "ANOTHER" ANGEL WHO ASKED, WHERE ARE YOU GOING and stopped him with a "MESSAGE"? (Zechariah 2:3).

This Angel, vs 5, said he (SHE) was the Lord; that is, the ANGEL of the LORD, vs 3, a DIVINE PERSONALITY (Sanctified Life p. 51).

"While any angel may be sent to execute the commands of God might be called the Angel of the Lord (2 Samuel 24:16; 1 Kings 19:5,7) yet mention is made of AN ANGEL, and under the circumstances one is justified in always thinking of the same angel, who is DISTINGUISHED FROM JEHOVAH, and YET, be identified with Him who revealed the face of God (Genesis 32:30), IN WHOM was Jehovah's NAME (Exodus 23:21), and WHOSE PRESENCE was EQUIVALENT to JEHOVAH"S PRESENCE (Exodus 23:34). The ANGEL of the LORD thus appears AS a manifestation of JEHOVAH HIMSELF, ONE WITH Jehovah AND YET DIFFERENT FROM HIM." -- Dictionary of the Bible - John Davis, Ph.D.

THE MIGHTY ANGEL, THE ANGEL OF THE LORD

The MIGHTY ANGEL that came down from heaven to call forth the Son of God from the tomb, was none other than the ANGEL of the LORD, the HOLY GHOST. This Mighty Angel came from heaven, to represent the Father and Mother at the tomb of Their Beloved Son. Only She, other than Christ, has creative power in the WORDS of Her mouth. The Holy Ghost, as the Spirit of Prophecy, spoke on behalf of the Father and the Mother and even Christ Himself, since She is the Testimony of Jesus. She called Him forth from the tomb to newness of life. Let us use the Spirit of Prophecy to further illustrate Who this Angel is, that rolls away the stone from the tomb and says, "Son of God, Come Forth! Thy Father calleth Thee."

"And lo, the heavens were suddenly alight with glory that came not from the rising sun. The earth trembled. They saw that the great stone was rolled away. The grave was empty."

"The women had not all come to the tomb from the same direction. Mary Magdalene was the first to reach the place; and upon seeing that the stone was removed, she hurried away to tell the disciples. A light was shining about the tomb, but the body of Jesus was not there. As they lingered about the place, suddenly they saw that they were not alone. A young man clothed in shining garments was sitting by the tomb. It was the angel (of the Lord) who had rolled away the stone. He (SHE) had taken the guise of humanity (a man) that he might not alarm these friends of Jesus. Yet about him (Her) the light of heavenly glory was still shining, and the women were afraid. They turned to flee, but the angel's words stayed their steps. 'Fear not ye,' he said; 'for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead.' Again they looked into the tomb, and again they hear the wonderful news. Another angel (Michael) in human form is there, and he says, 'Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not there, but is risen: remember how He spake unto you when He was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'

"The disciples hurried to the tomb, and found it as Mary had said. They saw the shroud and the napkin, but they did not find their Lord. Yet even here was testimony that He had risen. The graveclothes were not thrown heedlessly aside, but carefully folded, each in a place by itself.

"It was Christ Himself who placed those graveclothes with such care. When the mighty angel (the Holy Ghost) came down to the tomb, he (She) was joined by another (Gabriel) who with his company (Michael and others) had been keeping guard over the Lord's body. As the angel from heaven (the Holy Ghost) rolled away the stone, the other (Gabriel) entered the tomb, and unbound the wrappings from the body of Jesus. But it was the Saviour's hand that folded each, and laid it in its place... Order and perfection are seen in all His work.

"Mary... looked into the empty tomb, grief filled her heart. Looking in, she saw the TWO ANGELS, ONE at the HEAD and the OTHER at the FOOT where Jesus had lain.

"THESE ANGELS (MICHAEL and GABRIEL) HAD BEEN WITH CHRIST AS GUARDIAN ANGELS THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE ON EARTH. They had witnessed His trial and crucifixion. They had heard His words to His disciples. This was shown by their message to the disciples, and should have convinced them of its truth. SUCH WORDS COULD HAVE COME ONLY FROM THE MESSENGERS OF THEIR RISEN LORD.

"Even when the women declared that they had seen the Lord, the disciples would not believe. They thought them under an illusion... And the hearts of the disciples were so full of grief that they did not believe the ANGELS' MESSAGE or the WORDS of CHRIST HIMSELF. HOW MANY ARE STILL DOING WHAT THESE DISCIPLES DID?" -- Desire of Ages, p 788-794. (All emphasis and parentheses in Scriptures - supplied unless otherwise indicated)

As we read the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy we see that a Mighty Angel came down from heaven and lighted the earth with glory, as She rolled away the stone that sealed the tomb. She entered the tomb and was met by Gabriel who was guarding the Saviour's body with Michael and a company of angels. Gabriel unwrapped the Saviour from the graveclothes, as the Holy Ghost breathed into His nostrils Her Breath of Life. She then called Him forth, restoring His divinity and immortality; recreating and glorifying His humanity. Michael stood by and watched the Saviour come back to life and fold the graveclothes neatly and set them in a corner of the open tomb.

The ANGEL of the Lord, the Second Eve, called to and awakened the Second Adam from His deep sleep, as in the beginning with Adam and Eve. Michael and Gabriel, the Commanding Angels and personal representatives to Christ and the Holy Ghost, were also there to protect the Son of God from Satan's plot to keep Him in the grave; to assist the Holy Ghost. These messengers of Jesus and the Holy Ghost bore the greatest message of all time - the good news that Jesus through the power of the Holy Ghost overcame sin and death. We are priveleged through Christ to receive that same power, Christ in you the hope of glory.

"I will commune with thee from between the Cherubim (TWO)." Ex. 25:22. It has not been known that the TWO cherubim, with wings outstretched over the mercy seat covering the Ark of the Ten Commandments were symbolic of two "living" beings, the angels Michael and Gabriel - created in the image of Jesus and the Holy Ghost.

IN CONCLUSION

"To the believer, Christ is the resurrection and the life. In our Saviour the life that was lost through sin is restored; for He has life in Himself to quicken whom He will. He is invested with the right to give immortality. The life that He laid down in humanity, He takes up again, and gives to humanity. 'I am come,' He said, 'that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.' 'Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.' -- John 10:10; 4:14.

"To the Christian, death is but a sleep, a moment of silence and darkness. The life hid with Christ in God, and 'when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.' -- Colossians 3:4. "The voice that cried from the cross, 'It is finished,' was heard among the dead. It pierced the walls of sepulchers, and summoned the sleepers to arise. Thus will it be when the voice of Christ (the Holy Ghost) shall be heard from heaven. That voice will penetrate the graves and unbar the tombs, and the dead in Christ shall rise. At the Saviour's resurrection a few graves were opened, but at His second coming all the precious dead shall hear HIS VOICE (HIS MESSENGER, THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY, THE SHEKHINAH), and shall come forth to glorious, immortal life. The same POWER THAT RAISED CHRIST FROM THE DEAD WILL RAISE HIS FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS, AND GLORIFY THEM WITH HIM, above all principalities, above all powers, above every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in the world to come." -- Desire of Ages, p 787 (emphasis and parentheses supplied).

CHAPTER 8:

THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY,"COME, DRINK OF THE WATER OF LIFE, FREELY"

THE WOMAN IN HEAVEN

This chapter will clearly establish who the Woman in Revelation chapter 12 is. Her representative in the flesh and in the spirit, in both heaven and in earth will be revealed. The Woman's history before sin entered the heavenly courts, and what transpired after Satan was cast out into the earth will also be discussed and developed.

It will be shown how Satan was wroth with this Woman and went to make war with Her earthly Image Eve. Through Eve's disobedience, Satan was able to produce his unrighteous image in the earth. His attempt to completely obscure, veil and counterfeit the true Woman through his masterpiece of deception, the gigantic system of false religion found in his mistress of iniquity and mother of harlots, the pagan Roman Church, will be exposed.

The latter rain message about the impartation of the Righteousness of Christ through the power of the Holy Ghost, lightens the whole earth with the Messiah's Shekhinah Glory, and reveals the True Pure and Righteous Woman, His Bride to all. This Truth will set us free from Babylon the Great, the false woman and prepare our hearts to receive the latter rain of power which clothes us with the righteousness of Christ and makes us sons and daughters of David, in the Family of Elohiym.

"The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies. I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once." -- Isaiah 42:13,14.

BEHOLD THY MOTHER, THE JERUSALEM ABOVE!

"Then saith he to the disciple (and those who are His disciples), BEHOLD THY MOTHER (Mary)! -- John 19:27

THE MESSIAH'S EARTHLY MOTHER WAS A SYMBOL (IMAGE) OF HIS HEAVENLY MOTHER IN THE JERUSALEM ABOVE.

"BUT JERUSALEM WHICH IS ABOVE IS FREE, WHICH IS THE MOTHER OF US ALL." -- Galatians 4:26

"For this AGAR is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to JERUSALEM which NOW IS, and is in bondage with her children." -- Galatians 4:25

"For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid (Hagar), the other by a freewoman (Sarah)." -- Galatians 4:22

"WHICH THINGS ARE AN ALLEGORY: for these are the TWO COVENANTS (the two WOMEN - represented by Hagar and Sarah)." -- Galatians 4:24

"For this Agar (woman) is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to JERUSALEM which now is, and is in bondage with HER children." -- Galatians 4:25

"But JERUSALEM (the woman, Sarah) which is above (Mt. Zion in Heaven) is free (free from the flesh -- Divine Spirit Mother), which is the MOTHER OF US ALL." -- Galatians 4:26

Therefore, the Heavenly City Jerusalem is our Spiritual Mother, symbolized by a real woman on earth with a proper name, Sarah.

"Cast out the bondwoman (Hagar) and her son (Ishmael): for the son of the bondwoman (those born of the seed of Abraham) shall not be heir with the son (Isaac) of the freewoman (Sarah, Heavenly Jerusalem - THOSE BORN OF HER SEED, THE HOLY GHOST - the Church of the Firstborn, Hebrews 12:23)." -- Galatians 4:30

"To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect." -- Hebrews 12:23

"But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son (in the flesh), made of a WOMAN (Mary was the Divine Mother's earthly representative or handmaid, a vessel, a surrogate, a symbol of earthly Jerusalem), made under the law." -- Galatians 4:4

"Seeing then that we have a great high priest (the Messiah, the Son of the Woman, Heavenly Jerusalem and Mary, a woman under Moses' law, symbolized by Hagar - earthly Jerusalem), that is passed into the heavens (returned to His Mother), Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession." -- Hebrews 4:14

REVELATION 12 AND THE WOMAN IN HEAVEN

"And there appeared a great wonder IN HEAVEN; A WOMAN (G1135) clothed with the sun (light of Truth), and the moon (to reflect the Truth - light) under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth (G5605), and pained to be delivered (G5088)." -- Revelation 12:1, 2

woman - G1135 gune, goo-nay'; probably from the base of G1096 - ; a woman; specifically a wife: -- wife, woman.

birth - G5605 odino, o-dee'-no; from G5604; to experience the pains of parturition (literally or figuratively): -- travail in (birth).

delivered -- G5088 tikto, tik'-to; a strengthened form of a primitive teko, tek'-o (which is used only as alternate in certain tenses); to produce (from seed, as a mother, a plant, the earth, etc.), literally or figuratively: -- bear, be born, bring forth, be delivered, be in travail." - Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionary

In the Greek, WOMAN is translated "qune" - qoo nay'; a woman, specifically a wife: -- wife or woman. This Woman in heaven was the wife of someone, another Being, the Almighty 'El, the Father because She was pregnant with His Child. The Almighty could not be called The Father until He had begotten The Son. The Greek word for the phrase "to be delivered" is "tikto" tik' to; to produce (from seed, as a mother, plant, the earth; etc.), literally or figuratively: bear, be born, bring forth, be delivered, be in travail." The definition of the phrase, "travailing in birth", has several meanings to be applied. Notice that it means "to experience the pains of parturition, to travail in birth" or "to be delivred" as well as "bear, be born, bring forth, be delivered".

The accepted view, that the Woman gives birth after the dragon appears, is supported by adopting the meaning "to be in travail". But, if one would look at the other meanings of this verb, you would see the great possibility that the Woman actually bore or brought forth Her Child, the Only Begotten Son of Elohiym, before the dragon appeared in heaven. This latter conception is harmonious with the order of the manifestations of the Persons of the Godhead or Divine Family. First, there was the Father, then the Mother, who brought forth the Only Begotten Son. The Son then created Lucifer and all the other sons of God. Lucifer rebelled and was cast out of heaven into the earth, becoming Satan, the adversary, symbolized by the dragon.

BEHOLD, A GREAT RED DRAGON

"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads." Rev 12:3.

This took place after the Son spoke the sons of God into existence, and then Satan rebelled. The dragon was seen IN HEAVEN and being 'cast out,' it is obvious the symbol is of HEAVENLY ORIGIN. Of him it is said: 'That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan.' Note here, that the dragon is a symbol of Satan, and that Satan spoke as a dragon in heaven, and that the beast coming up out of the earth, having two horns like a lamb, spake as a dragon also. Since the number seven symbolizes completeness, it is evident that the seven crowns on the heads represent or are symbolic of complete authority over the earth when he was cast out of heaven. The ten horns represent universal rule, since the number ten represents universality and the horns represent rulers. Therefore, Satan, the dragon had universal and complete rule over the earth when it was without form and void before the six days of creation, when it was finished with perfect beauty and Adam and Eve were created.

"And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born." Rev 12:4

The first part of this verse completes the description of the rebellion spoken of in the previous verse and tells of the outcome of the rebel and his host of sympathizers. The second half of the verse, brings us all the way down in His-Story to the birth of the Son of the Woman through the womb of Her surrogate, the earthly woman, Mary, a daughter of David. This would have to be true, since the dragon did not come into existence before the Son came forth from the Bosom of the Father.

THE MAN CHILD

"And SHE brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and HER child was caught up unto God, and to his (and Her) throne (in the Heavenly Jerusalem, Sanctuary, symbolized by a WOMAN)." Rev 12:5

This of course took place after His the Son's crucifixion and ascension into the heavenly Jerusalem, His Father and Mother's dwelling place or Sanctuary. Here He was to stand as our advocate and high priest, mediating His own blood before the seat of Justice and Mercy, the Father and the Mother's throne. If He was to rule all nations, nation that are on the earth, then this would also give support to the fact that He was born in the earth in this instance, not in Heaven before all dominions and principalities were created. In other words, the Son had to born by the Woman in Heaven, before He was re-born in the earth in the dragon's dominion after sin entered.

"And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the WOMAN (the Church of God - the Father's Wife) which brought forth the man child (Yeshua, Emmanuel through Her surrogate, Mary)." Rev 12:13.

Satan persecuted the WOMAN and all that were made in Her image, beginning in heaven with the Spirit of Prophecy, then Eve, and so on, until the Divine Mother through Mary brought forth Her Seed in the earth. The Son and the Holy Ghost could then be fruitful and multiply, and extend the Mother's Family to the earth, and ultimately have dominion over the adversary of Her Husband and Family.

WINGS OF A GREAT EAGLE

"And to the WOMAN were given TWO WINGS OF A GREAT EAGLE, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished (fed) for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood AFTER THE WOMAN (the Pure Church), that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. " -- Revelation12:14,15

The Woman was given two wings of a great eagle. It has been understood that these two wings represented the Old and the New Testaments that enabled the Woman to take flight into the wilderness, a place ouside the vineyard, where She might be nourished and comforted for a designated period of time. Since we now have a greater revelation of who the Spirit of Prophecy and the Word are, these two wings could be understood to represent both the Son and the Daughter, Whose testimony are found in the Old and New Testaments. They are both an integral part of Her and have given the Woman, Their Mother, the ability to fly or move about in the wilderness, Satan's domain the earth, that She (the Church of the first-born) might be nourished and comforted there, from the face of the serpent. Both the Word and the Spirit of Prophecy work together to establish the Father's Wisdom (Spirit Mother) in our hearts and minds, even in this world which has become a wilderness of sin. The serpent, we are told, casts out of his mouth waters like a flood. These waters like a flood are nothing but false doctrines which he uses in counterfeiting the truth or impersonating the true Spirit of Prophecy. The Truth is as living waters that swell up in us and bring forth life. But his counterfeit waters are truth mixed with error which come up as a flood to carry the Woman or the Truth away.

"And the earth (the earthly woman, Mary) helped the WOMAN (the heavenly Woman, Wife of God), and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood (destroyed the falsehoods by establishing the WORD, the TRUTH and the LIFE in the earth, through the birth of the Messiah, the Son of Promise) which the dragon cast out of his mouth." -- Revelation 12:16

In this Scripture we are told that the earth helped the Woman by opening her mouth and swallowing up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. The counterfeit religions and churches that were established in the earth through the dragon power to under mine the true worship of the Almighty and His Shekhinah Glory, was to be counteracted by the earth coming to Her rescue. When Mary was visited by the Angel of the Lord, and was asked to bear the Son of Elohiym, she opened her mouth and said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to Thy Word." Mary, the earthly woman, agreed to be used as the handmaid of the Heavenly Woman. Mary opened her womb to receive the WORD, the TRUTH, and the LIFE, to give Him/Her a fleshly Body Temple, that Her Express Image, the Shekhinah (Holy Ghost Daughter), might be veiled in the child of Bethlehem. The Woman would thereby conquer the adversary of Her Family, through an earthly woman representing Her and giving human flesh to the Son of Elohiym. The Son and His Glory would then re-establish a pure Church (Woman) with a pure unadulterated Truth as Her doctrine, as was done through the Apostolic Church that Yeshua and the Spirit established at Pentecost.

THE REMNANT OF HER SEED

"And the dragon was wroth with the WOMAN (the Wife of God), and went to make war with the remnant of HER SEED (the pure apostolic body of believers established Yeshua and the Spirit of Prophecy) which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (His Shekhinah, the Divine Presence, the Spirit of Prophecy in their midst)." -- Rev 12:17

Yeshua (the Word) and His Shekhinah (the Spirit of Prophecy) were combined in the SEED of the WOMAN. The REMNANT are the body of believers that the Saviour baptized on the Day of Pentecost, with the Holy Ghost and with fire, authorizing and crowning them to be the ambassadors and members of His/Her earthly Body - Kingdom - Family, and to carry the pure gospel (good news), the Testimony of Yeshua and His Spirit, to the rest of Israel, and then to the entire world.

The Creator and His Helpmate re-established the pure line of heavenly truth about Their Father and Mother that Satan interrupted in Eden. From Eden to the Pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit of Truth and Power, Satan attempted to cover up the sure WORD of PROPHECY with his flood of falsehood, superstition and man made laws. Saviour and His Shekhinah, the WOMAN'S SEED, established a REMNANT or The BRANCH of the Heavenly House of David, starting Their Own Family in the earth. Satan was very wroth with the Woman, the Mother of Us All, and desperately tried to destroy this Remnant of Her pure spirit and blood line in the earth. He recognized that through the Father's Creative Power the adversary and his kingdom would be defeated and destroyed.

SUMMARY OF REVELATION CHAPTER 12

Note that the objects shown in the vision were in HEAVEN, not on earth. Therefore, whatever these symbols may imply, they must be of a HEAVENLY ORIGIN. Thus, John in VISION, was looking BACK BEYOND the birth of Christ on earth to His birth in Heaven. We have already discussed the creation of the sons of Elohiym by the Only Begotten of the Father and how Satan coveted the Father's Shekhinah Glory and the creative power inherent in the Son. He was consequently cast out of Heaven into the darkness of the earth.

Satan was wroth with the WOMAN in Heaven because She would not give over to him Her power to create. He despised the Son after the Father crowned Him with the same glory that He had - the Holy Shekhinah, His Second Self and Helpmate. Satan's position in Heaven was filled by ANOTHER WOMAN, the Express Image of the Divine Mother, the Person of the Son's creative power. Lucifer was enraged and his hatred grew with intensity toward the Divine Family, especially the WOMAN, the Divine Mother, and HER SEED, ANOTHER WOMAN, the Shekhinah, the Spirit of Prophecy.

Satan was cast out of the heavenly courts into the earth, where he continued his plan to take control and use the creative power of the Heavenly Woman, for his own selfish aggrandizement. He saw that the Shekhinah made Eve in Her Own Image, the Image of the Heavenly Mother, and that Adam's helpmate was given the power to create, to be fruitful and multiply the image and likeness of the Divine Family in the earth.

SATAN'S SIN BEARS FRUIT IN THE EARTH

Satan coveted Adam's creative power and saw how he could use her to his own advantage, and create his own image and likeness, rebellious and unrighteous creatures. He desired to beget sons and daughters that would worship him and not the Godhead. He saw how he could have his own helpmate and establish his own church family in the earth.

In order to do this, he needed to persuade Eve to give her allegiance to him and deny her allegiance to God and her husband Adam. He knew that once she gave up her will to his deception, she belonged to him. Here is the beginning of the false church or woman. This was how he corrupted that which was fashioned in the Image of the Pure Woman - the Shekhinah, the Spirit of Prophecy, Pure Unadulterated Truth - and took her as his mistress, while she was still married to Adam. Eve became the first woman in the earth to sin. She committed spiritual idolatry (adultery) and became a harlot, Satan's mistress, denying the Father and her husband's authority and protection. Adam, understanding the penalty of the law, was given to eat of the fruit and he willingly accepted.

Adam became sin with Eve, for he feared he would lose his wife to Satan forever. Now that they were both sinners, they were evenly yoked together once again in the flesh and spirit. Satan achieved his purpose. Adam and Eve would now reproduce his image instead of Elohiym's in the earth. Thus, Satan corrupted the pure woman Eve in the earth that he might create his own offspring, the sons of the flesh, born of a bondwoman who was under the bondage of sin and death.

John saw Eve, the WOMAN on earth, who was the IMAGE of the EVERLIVING ONE, THE HOLY SPIRIT MOTHER IN HEAVEN. He saw the Woman of Revelation 12:1 (see Gen. 1:26,27), when this WOMAN, AS AN EAGLE, A BIRD OF PREY, would go forth "conquering and to conquer", when the Holy Spirit Mother sends down the Latter Rain, in the message of ANOTHER WOMAN, HER DAUGHTER, the DAUGHTER OF ZION, the NEW JERUSALEM, the BRIDE OF CHRIST. Through HER DAUGHTER AND SON, the SECOND ADAM and EVE, THE MESSIAH and HIS HELPMATE, the HEAVENLY FAMILY will be re-established in the earth, through the Pure Church, the REMNANT OF HER SEED, that keep the commandments of God and HAVE the TESTIMONY OF JESUS, THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY, IN THEIR MIDST.

Thus, God the Father and God the Mother, will extend and enlarge Their Family through Their Son and Daughter, the Creators and Re-Creators. The Second Adam, and the Second Eve, will be fruitful and multiply and bring forth righteous offspring, and fill the whole earth and Heaven with Their image and likeness.

THE CLEANSING OF THE HEAVENLY AND THE EARTHLY SANCTUARY

In heaven, the WOMAN cleansed Her Sanctuary or cleaned Her House, the House of David, from sin and sinners when Satan and his band of rebels were cast out of the Jerusalem above into the earth. As depicted in the sacrifices for the purification of a mother in Leviticus chapter 12, the Divine Mother offered a pair of turtledoves, Her Son and Her Daughter, that Her purification, and the purification of Her Family would be accomplished. She was the Mother of all living, that is, the Mother of every being in the whole universe, therefore, if Her children were unrighteous, it reflected directly upon Her Family and Home (the Heavenly Sanctuary).

After Satan was cast out of the Heavenly Sanctuary, he again marred Her Family's purity by causing Adam and Eve to become tainted with sin. Again, She offered Her two turtledoves, Yeshua and His Shekhinah, so that the earthly Branch of Her Family would be cleansed from sin and sinners.

When we refer to the Heavenly Sanctuary we are really considering the Jerusalem above, the Divine Mother's House. Therefore, the prayers of the repentant rise up as incense to heaven, through the intercession of the Shekhinah, the Holy Ghost, who takes our prayers with groanings which can not be uttered (Romans 8:26), placing our petitions for forgiveness of sins on the altar of incense before Yeshua our high priest. He then places our confessed sins, through the sprinkling of His own blood upon the veil, into the Holy of Holies, the most sacred place in His Mother and Father's House.

The blood stained record of our sin is left on the Mother's veil or curtains until the cleansing of Her dwelling place "Sanctuary" takes place. At this time, She offers Her two turtledoves (or Her two goats), One a sin offering and the Other a peace or live offering; one is slain (male) while the other (female) remains alive and is set free bearing the sins of the penitent, the REMNANT of HER SEED.

Through the live offering of Her Daughter and Perfect Image, the WOMAN is able to cleanse Her TEMPLE. The Daughter, the Holy Ghost, gives the REMNANT the power to be overcomers. When the Son pours out His Spirit on all flesh and lightens the whole earth with His Shekhinah Glory, He will sprinkle the earth with PURE WATER, the Spirit of Prophecy, and SHE will take away our stony heart and give us a heart of flesh, and fill us with His agape' love, so that we will walk in His laws and in His ways. Through the power of His indwelling Spirit, the earthly body of believers, the Remnant, will sin no more. The Shekhinah cleanses Her dwelling place, the earthly Sanctuary, the Body of Believers, the Temple made of lively stones. The Creator and His Shekhina Glory will dwell within their midst in a cloud by day and a fire by night.

Thus, not only will the Heavenly Sanctuary, the Jerusalem above, the Mother of us all, be cleansed, but, the earthly Sanctuary made of lively stones, the Temple of the Daughter of Zion, the Shekhinaht, will be cleansed from all sin and uncleanness. Therefore, the HOUSE of DAVID, will be as the ANGEL of the LORD - The Angel of Mercy, the Shekhinah Glory - pure, holy, and undefiled.

THE WHOLE FAMILY OF GOD

The Creators, the Divine Son and Daughter, are the Parents of the human race. Adam and Eve were created by Them, and it is through Their efforts that we are redeemed and restored. We were made in Their image and likeness as the sons and daughters of Elohiym. The Father and Mother of Yeshua and His Shekhinah are OUR GOD PARENTS - God Father and God Mother. We have heard this term before, but, it makes more sense now, doesn't it? The Divine Father and Mother gave to Their Son all power and glory. He created all things. Yes, every thing; every creature; every being.

After sin entered the heavenly courts, the Plan of Salvation was established, and the Son was crowned with the same Glory and Power the Father had. He received a Helpmate, a Bride, a Wife. She replaced Lucifer in heaven, and became the Spirit of Prophecy. Both the Creator and and His Spirit (Ruach) finished the creation of the earth and all life upon it. Adam and Eve were made in Their image and likeness; male and female. Through Adam and Eve, the Creators wanted to repopulate the void left in heaven after the rebellion with righteous beings made in Their Own image and likeness.

The Divine Mother, through Her Seed, Yeshua and His Shekhinah, desired to populate the whole universe with righteous, holy beings who were in the image of God, male and female. Satan, as we know, interrupted this plan. But, the Messiah and the Shekhinah re-established the original Plan of Salvation at the Cross, through Their Own flesh, blood and spirit. Thus, the true and pure blood line was established in the earth in the REMNANT of HER SEED.

THE CHURCH -- THE WIFE OF THE ALMIGHTY FATHER

In the human family the mother represents her whole family - the father and the children. She binds the father to the children and the children to their father. The mother gives herself to the father. She also gives of her flesh and bone and of her spirit when she creates their children in her womb. The mother therefore, is the fleshly representative of her husband and her children. She ties them together through herself. Likewise in the Divine Family, the WIFE of the FATHER is ONE WOMAN who represents ALL THE RIGHTEOUS, the CHURCH or Family of Elohiym, for She is the MOTHER OF US ALL. SHE, through Her Son and Her Spirit Daughter, carries on Her Pure Family Lineage in the earth.

Revelation 12 states: "And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place." Note that She was given TWO WINGS of a great eagle. They must denote two great PERIODS of church history. The symbol must embrace each period from its beginning. Thus one of the wings takes in the entire church history from THE FALL OF ADAM TO THE CRUCIFIXION OF THE MESSIAH, and the other FROM HIS CRUCIFIXION TO THE END OF THIS PRESENT WORLD (the Second Coming). Thus, it proves that there is only ONE TRUE CHURCH IN ALL AGES. HER ORIGIN IS IN HEAVEN before the Son was even brought forth.

The two wings are a part of the anatomy of the Woman and they are the means by which She is able to fly into the wilderness to be fed or preserved. These wings are of a great eagle, a female eagle, since they are part of the Woman. These two wings not only represent the two great periods of church history, but they also represent the periods of Her Daughter's work in the earth, in bringing forth the Church of the Firstborn. The Holy Ghost is the means through which the Woman, Her Mother, is able to fly and extend Her Family in the earth, the wilderness of sin. Therefore, the wings are symbols of the Holy Ghost, part of the same Woman, but in the earth and in different periods; from Adam to the cross and then from the cross to the end.

The Daughter's offspring are the grandchildren of the Almighty Father, conceived and born of the Spirit of Prophecy -- the Word and the Shekhinah. She represents the Holy Spirit, the Mother of us all. The wings are a part of the Body of the Woman signifying that even though the Holy Ghost gave birth to these offspring, they all were part of the Woman's Family. The Son (The Word), through His creative power (the Spirit of Prphecy), created all. All the righteous are grandchildren of the Father through Yeshua (the Word) and the Shekhinah (Spirit of Prophecy), for She in turn is the MOTHER OF ALL THE LIVING.

THE CHURCH -- THE BRIDE OF THE EVERLASTING FATHER

Church or Woman has been symbolized by earthly representations; we speak of symbols by WOMEN; namely Hagar and Sarah. The Former was a symbol of the Jewish Church, and the latter of the Christian Church. These earthly women point out God's Church in different sections and conditions. But the "WOMAN clothed with the sun" and her "eagle's wings" being of Heavenly origin, denote God's True Church (TRUTH) in Heaven first, then in the earth, in one continuous line.

The corporate Body of Believers in the Messiah is represented by a ANOTHER WOMAN, the Spirit of Prophecy, through whom the members of His Body are conceived and born again. It is utterly impossible to enter into the Kingdom or Family of the Creator without a PERSONAL TOUCH OF His DIVINE GLORY. JThe Master said: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be BORN AGAIN (of His Spirit), he cannot see the kingdom of God."

The only WOMAN that can truly represent the Divine Mother, IS HER DAUGHTER, the MOTHER OF ALL LIVING; the Mother of the Church of the FIRSTBORN - the Body or Temple of Our Lord and Saviour in the earth. The Creator is the Father, the Second Adam, and His Shekhinah is the Mother, the Second Eve. The earthly lineage of the Family of Elohiym has always been under the power and authority given to the Son and His Helpmate, and it is through Their concentrated and combined effort that all will be restored and fulfilled. They will make the AT-ONE-MENT complete.

The Son and the Daughter created man and woman in Their image and likeness, therefore, after Adam and Eve sinned, They were responsible to re-create and restore Their image and likeness. No other beings could undertake such a grave responsibility, not even the Father or Mother, since Adam and Eve were created in the Son and Daughter's image and likeness. Only our Father and our Mother could truly re-create us in Their perfect and holy image and ransom us from the captivity of falsehood, sin and death, thus, restoring our inheritance as Their sons and daughters. The Remnant are those who have REMAINED LOYAL to the Son and the Holy Ghost, keeping all Their commandments and testifying of Them, by calling Them Father and Mother, Creators and Re-Creators.

THEIR MARRIAGE IN HEAVEN WAS ANNULLED

When the Creator became man and veiled His Shekhinah Glory in humanity, He gave up the glorious and majestic position He had in heaven. He became both human and divine. He was both God and man. He became as Adam was before Eve was created; as His Father was before He manifested His Glory. The Son no longer had a separated helpmate, for She was veiled within His humanity. The marriage relation the Son had with His Shekhinah Glory, no longer existed for the two became One Being again. The divine law concerning marriage states that a "man shall leave his Father and Mother and cleave unto His wife, and the TWO shall be one flesh." The Son was full of the Shekhinah, the Holy Ghost, but She was not yet separated from His Being. Therefore, Their heavenly marriage was annulled or abrogated.

At the cross, our Saviour set His Spirit free and gave up the Holy Ghost. We know that the veil which sinified His flesh was rent in twain and we beheld His Shekhinah Glory, the Glory of the Only Begotten, the Beloved of the Father. At this moment, His the Divine Presence came forth from His side, and offered His/Her blood before the Father and Mother as a pledge of Their continual intercession and ministration to cleanse and rid the House of Elohiym from the curse that sin had wrought, both in heaven and in earth. She was manifest as Another Comforter, Another Parent, Another Messiah, Another Intercessor; Another Adam; the female counterpart of the Second Adam. She cleansed and purified the Saviour from our sin and uncleanness and raised Him from the dead. They both ascended unto the Father and Mother to make sure Their sacrifice was accepted on behalf of humanity.

On the Day of Pentecost, the Son was crowned in heaven with a Mediatorial Crown and He received a Mediatorial Kingdom. All those that believed in His sacrifice were given pardon and their sins were transferred to the heavenly Sanctuary, through His mediatorial intercession and shedding of His blood. Faith in the Saviour's Righteousness made them members of His Mediatorial Kingdom. The Lord signified that He was crowned with Glory when He sent the Other Comforter, the Other Parent, the Other Messiah, the Other Intercessor, the Other Adam, the Holy Ghost, His Divine Presence among humanity, Who baptized or birthed the 120 into His Spiritual Family. They were imbued with power and authority to preach the gospel of a risen Saviour, first to Israel and then to the Gentiles. The 120 were crowned with cloven (split in two) tongues of fire, signifying the twofold purified message they were authorized to preach about Yeshua and His Shekhinah, our Two Parents, our Two Messiahs.

THEIR ENGAGEMENT IS ANNOUNCED

"Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart." -- Song of Solomon 3:11

The actual "crown of glory" the Son received from His Mother was the betrothal of Her Daughter to Him. The Creator and the Shekhinah were not only engaged in the work of restoring Their Family back to purity, but They were engaged to be married once again. The announcement of His engagement was given to His faithful friends on earth. In the upper room, on the Day of Pentecost, He introduced Her to them in the outpouring of His Spirit in power and as a BEING SEPARATE from Himself. She came down as a mighty rushing wind and there appeared the form of cloven tongues of fire above the heads of the 120 first fruits of Their labors. The cloven tongues symbolized the Word (Testimony of Jesus - the Spirit of Prophecy) that would speak of Two Comforters, Two Intercessors, Two Messiahs, the Bridegroom and His Bride, Yeshua and His Holy Spirit (Ruach).

All those that were born again into the Mediatorial Kingdom were conceived of the Word and the Spirit of Prophecy and born in the spirit man through this Virgin - the Shekhinah. The Messiah Himself was conceived of the Holy Ghost and born of a virgin. Our rebirth experience is a spiritual act of regeneration through the Spirit of Prophecy, the Holy Ghost, who has not yet married the Son. Therefore, She is still a Virgin, but She gives birth to our spirit man by the Word of Elohiym. We receive the same spirit that Yeshua Himself possessed, the Holy Ghost - the Shekhinah. She gives to us of His/Her spiritual nature and we become sons and daughters of the Living Elohiym. Our flesh is not glorified at this time, nor was Saviour's humanity glorified until He died and was resurrected and recreated by the Shekhinaht; baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire; the fire of purification. We too will be glorified in our humanity after the Son and His Bride consummate Their marriage and the At-One-ment is completed. Our humanity and Their divinity will come together in this marriage and we shall receive our full inheritance into the Divine Family.

THE MARRIAGE OF HUMANITY AND DIVINITY

As the "Bride" sends out the wedding invitations to the guests to attend the wedding supper, so does the Holy Ghost send out invitations to the marriage supper of the Lamb through Her servants the prophets who are blessed with the "Living Spirit of Prophecy" - Inspiration.

"In the Revelation the people of God are said to be the guests at the marriage supper (Rev 19:9). If guests, they cannot be represented also as the bride." -- Great Controversy, p 427

By the MARRIAGE is represented the UNION of HUMANITY with DIVINITY; and the SUPPER is illustrated by the GOSPEL INVITATION, first, to the Jewish people, and then to the Gentiles. By the WEDDING GARMENT is represented the PURE, SPOTLESS CHARACTER which the righteous must possess. The WHITE ROBE of innocence was worn by our first parents when they were placed by their Creators in Eden. A beautiful soft light, THE LIGHT OF the Shekhinah, enshrouded the holy pair. This ROBE OF LIGHT was a symbol of their SPIRITUAL GARMENTS of heavenly innocence and rightousness. Had they remained true to Elohiym it would ever have continued to enshroud them. But when sin entered, they severed their connection with the Spirit of Prophecy, and THE LIGHT of the Shekhinah that had encircled them departed. They tried to supply the place of the heavenly garments by sewing together fig leaves for a covering. But the robe, woven in the loom of heaven, without one thread of human devising is the only accepted garment. When we submit ourselves to our Creators and Redeemers, the heart is united with Their hearts, the will is merged with Their will, the mind becomes one with Their mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Them. This is being clothed with the garment of righteousness; restored to the ORIGINAL IMAGE of Elohiym, male and female.

When our Lord and Saviour marries His Bride, humanity and divinity will be one again. He will be crowned with His Shekhinah Glory, His Wife and She will take on His glorified flesh or humanity. The Second Adam and the Second Eve will be as They were when They made Adam and Eve in Their Image and Likeness.

The Only Begotten Son and the Only Daughter of Jerusalem above will become One in Marriage. At this time They will be able to fulfill the commission given to Adam and Eve which was interrupted by Satan; "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." -- Genesis 1:28.

When Christ marries His Bride, They will then bring forth Their offspring. Our spiritual character will cause our humanity to be cleansed and glorified when we are renewed and washed as we are baptized (born again) by the Shekhinah and with fire. This last baptism actually transforms and translates our vile flesh into glorified humanity, like Adam and Eve were before they sinned. This is how Our Father and Mother's flesh will be when She, the Holy Ghost, finally cleanses Her earthly (fleshly) Temple, made up of living stones. We become as They are, perfect and holy, covered with the Shekhinah Glory, wearing the garment of Their Righteousness.

The Saviour and His Bride will bring forth Their sons and daughters in Their Own Image, male and female glorified and translated beings. They will truly replenish the earth with righteous sons and daughters and subdue it; and Their Kingdom (Family) will have dominion over every creature, even Satan and all his rebellious host, both men and angels alike. And of Their Kingdom will be no end.

BRANCHES OF THE TREE OF LIFE

Through Yeshua and His Shekhinah we will become Branches of the Tree of Life, the Family Tree of the House of David. We will receive our inheritance from our Father and Mother, the Branch He and the Branch She, the Lords Our Righteousness. The Creator is the Righteous Branch of the House of David, His Almighty Father. His Shekhinah Glory is the Righteous Branch of the River of Life, the Divine Mother. Through The Branch of Righteousness flow the Living Waters of the River of Life into humanity, and where these waters flow, cleansing, healing and newness of life follow. The Branch of Righteousness flows with healing in Her Wings.

THE SONG OF SOLOMON

SOLOMON, the PRINCE of PEACE, the SON of the HEAVENLY DAVID, will be crowned by His Divine Mother, when SHE gives HER DAUGHTER, HIS SISTER, the fairest among ten thousand, to Him, and He will build a LIVELY TEMPLE for HIS GLORY, HIS HOLY SHEKHINAH, to dwell in. This GLORIOUS TEMPLE made of lively stones hewed out of humanity, will have greater GLORY than all the former, for the KING and QUEEN of RIGHTEOUSNESS, MELCHIZEDEK, will dwell in the midst of THEIR BODY of BELIEVERS, the Congregation of the Firstborn. Their offspring will sing both the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb, which is truly the SONG OF SOLOMON, calling all to the GLORIOUS WEDDING RECEPTION of the SON and DAUGHTER of DAVID. Whosoever accepts the invitation will receive the wedding garment, the RIGHTEOUSNESS of CHRIST, the BRANCH HE and the BRANCH SHE the LORDS OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, and be adopted into the HOUSE and FAMILY of HEAVENLY DAVID.

MY SISTER, MY BRIDE

The following Scriptures from the Song of Solomon will give further evidence of the fact that Solomon the Son of David is a type of Jesus the Son of the heavenly David and that He is betrothed to His Sister the Holy Ghost.

"I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters." -- Song of Solomon 2:1, 2

"Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed." -- Song of Solomon 4:9-12

"A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits." -- Song of Solomon 4:15,16

"I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night." -- Song of Solomon 5:1, 2

"What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?" -- Song of Solomon 5:9

"I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies. Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners." -- Song of Solomon 6:3, 4

"My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?" -- Song of Solomon 6:9,10

"O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised. I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate." -- Song of Solomon 8:1, 2

"Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee. Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned." -- Song of Solomon 8:5-7

"We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for? I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favor. My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred." -- Song of Solomon 8:8-12

THE IMPARTATION OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST, IN VERITY

"Hear now, O Joshua the High Priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee:... behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. For behold the STONE that I have laid before Joshua; upon ONE STONE shall be SEVEN EYES (complete vision): behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD OF HOSTS, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in ONE day." -- Zechariah 3:8, 9

"The "ONE STONE" - the CHURCH or WOMAN (with ANOTHER WOMAN as HER representative) shall have complete vision of HEAVENLY GLORY: For behold the STONE that I have laid before Joshua; upon ONE STONE shall be SEVEN EYES."

"And in that day will I make Jerusalem (The Church - WOMAN) A BURDENSOME STONE for all people: all that burden themselves with it (HER) shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it (HER)." -- Zechariah 12:3.

There is both a physical and a spiritual application of this Scripture. The physical application of course refers to the City of Jerusalem in Israel. But the spiritual application refers to the Church, the Woman of Revelation 12, the Holy Spirit, who sends forth Her SEED, the Holy Ghost to lighten the whole earth with His/Her Glory. The message of the Fourth Angel, the Holy Ghost, joins the Third Angel, Christ the Third member of the GOD Family, and gives power and force to His Message. Jesus and the Holy Ghost will be joined in marriage and They will usher in Their Kingdom of Glory through the latter day Pentecostal outpouring.

This latter rain message of the Two Messiahs, male and female, becomes a burden for all people on the earth. The revival and reformation that this ANGEL brings will cause a reform in their ideas, habits and practices as they see that the Godhead is not all male. The ANGEL brings the last solemn message, and lightens the earth with Their Glory, the Glory of the Family of God.

The nominal Christians who have not dug deep into the shaft of truth and have not given themselves completely over to the working of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Prophecy, who comes to testify of Jesus and reveal all aspects of His nature - divine and human, the fullness of the God Family BODILY, the express IMAGE of His Father - will not be able to receive this glorifying message with its power; the impartation of the Righteousness of Christ in verity. They will rise up against it and call it heresy and that it is of the devil!

"Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD." -- Zechariah 2:10

ZECHARIAH FOUR

The Golden Candlestick referred to in Zechariah four is the most remarkable symbol in the Bible pertaining to the Church, the Woman of God. Its arrangement reveals that the last section of God's Church, is to be the most glorious Church in all ages. This continued communication by the Holy Ghost to the Church is to bring every part of the entire Body in perfect harmony; a Church without guile.

This prophetic symbol unmistakably points forward to a Heavenly Agency, the Woman, absorbing human weakness and imperfection into everlasting glory. "A glorious Church (Woman), not having spot (Jude 12) or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish (Eph. 5:27) Amen.

To this Candlestick, Church, or Woman is promised: BEHOLD I WILL MAKE "THEE" A NEW SHARP THRESHING INSTRUMENT HAVING TEETH: THOU SHALT THRESH THE MOUNTAINS (CHURCHES) and BEAT THEM SMALL, AND SHALT MAKE THE HILLS AS CHAFF. (Isa 41:15)

THE STRAIGHT TESTIMONY OF THE TRUE WITNESS

The Lord and His Angel are two different Beings - BOTH DIVINE... UNCREATED. HIS ANGEL appears in "human form" -- divine and created; whatever the occasion demands, and is always with the Lord of Hosts. This Fourth Angel, the Shekhinah, joins the Third Angel, the Third Member of the Divine Family, Yeshua the Son of Elohiym, and gives power and force to His Message or Testimony and thus, lightens the whole earth with His Glory, the Shekhinah, His Bride. This last message is the straight testimony of the True Witness, the Holy Ghost or Spirit of Prophecy, which causes a shaking in the Laodicean Church. This shaking brings forth the means of purifying the Church from sin, sinners and tares. The Loud Cry can then be given with power and authority! "Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots has fallen. Come out of her My people into My pure Church - Family." This last message is what the church is waiting to hear and receive!

When Yeshua came to the Jewish leaders and told them that God had a Son, they laughed Him to scorn and cried out blasphemy, putting their very Creator to death. It is hoped that the leaders of the Laodicean SDA church do not re-enact these scenes, when the Spirit of Prophecy, the Testimony of Jesus declares that God has a Daughter, who is the Holy Ghost! If She, the Shekhinah, the Angel of Mercy is rejected, there will be no other means of forgiveness. They will deny HIS MERCY, the very means the Lord sends to cleanse us from sin and uncleanness and impart to us His righteousness.

THIS ANGEL OF MERCY MUST BE GIVEN A FAIR HEARING, FOR SHE BRINGS OUR SALVATION IN HER LAST SOLEMN MESSAGE AND WARNING! GRIEVE NOT THE HOLY GHOST!!

THE FOURTH ANGEL, THE ANGEL OF MERCY

"In every age there is given to men their day of light and privilege, a probationary time in which they may become reconciled to God. But there is a limit to this GRACE. MERCY may plead for years and be slighted and rejected; but there comes a time when MERCY makes HER last plea. The heart becomes so hardened that it ceases to respond to the SPIRIT OF GOD. Then the sweet, winning voice entreats the sinner no longer, and reproofs and warnings cease. That day had come to Jerusalem. Jesus wept in anguish over the doomed city, but He could not deliver her." -- Desire of Ages, p 587

"God's (Jesus') LOVE for the fallen race is a peculiar manifestation of love - a LOVE BORN OF MERCY (the Shekhinah).... It is because of sin that MERCY (the Angel of Mercy -- the Shekhinah) was brought into ACTIVE EXERCISE (to govern the Sanctuary and Its service)." -- Testimonies, Vol 7, p. 264 (parentheses supplied)

"Christ came to break down every wall of partition. He came to show that His gift of MERCY (the Shekhinah) and love is as unconfined as the air (John 3:8; Acts 2:2), the light (the SHEKINAH), or the showers of rain (latter rain, Joel 2:23) that refresh the earth." -- Ibid., Vol 9, p 190

"We are standing on the threshold of the crisis of the ages. In quick succession the judgments of God will follow one another, -- fire, and flood, and earthquake, with war and bloodshed. We are not to be surprised at this time by events both great and decisive; for the ANGEL OF MERCY cannot remain much longer to shelter the impenitent." -- Prophets and Kings, p 278

"While the procession was halting on the brow of Olivet, it was not yet too late for Jerusalem to repent. The ANGEL OF MERCY was then folding HER WINGS to step down from the GOLDEN THRONE to give place to justice and swift-coming judgment."- Desire of Ages, p 578

"By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its constitution as a Protestant and Republican Government, and shall make provision for the propagation of Papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know... that the end is near. As the approach of the Roman armies was a sign to the disciples of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, so may this apostasy be a SIGN to us that the limit of God's forbearance is reached, that the measure of our nations's iniquity is full, and that the ANGEL OF MERCY is about to take HER FLIGHT, never to return." -- Testimonies to the Church, Vol. 5, p 451

"No Second Probation -- There is not a second probation for anyone. Now is probationary time, before the ANGEL shall fold HER GOLDEN WINGS, the ANGEL OF MERCY, and shall step down from the THRONE, and MERCY, MERCY is gone forever (MS 49, 1894)." -- SDA Bible Commentary, Vol 7, p. 989

"I was shown that a terrible condition of things exists in our world. The ANGEL OF MERCY is folding HER WINGS, ready to depart. Already the Lord's restraining power is being withdrawn from the earth, and Satan is seeking to stir up the various elements in the religious world, leading men to place themselves under the training of the great deceiver, who with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in the children of disobedience. Already the inhabitants of the earth are marshalling under the leading of the prince of darkness, and this is but the beginning of the end." -- Testimonies to the Church, Vol. 8, p 49

"Every NEW TRUTH has made its way against hatred and opposition; those who were blessed with its light were tempted and tried. The Lord gives a SPECIAL TRUTH for the people IN AN EMERGENCY. WHO DARE REFUSE TO PUBLISH IT? He commands His servants to present the LAST INVITATION OF MERCY TO THE WORLD. They cannot remain silent, except at the peril of their souls. Christ's ambassadors have nothing to do with consequences. They must perform their duty and leave results with God." -- The Great Controversy, p 609, 610

The Shekhinah, the ANGEL OF MERCY, comes to truly show us how we have departed from the pure doctrine. The Spirit of Prophecy and the Word established Their pure unadulterated Truth through Their Apostolic Church, on the Day of Pentecost. Over the past 1900 years or more, "the man of sin" has infiltrated the church and caused a falling away from righteousness (pure truth), and has set up his abominations to cause the Pure Woman (Church) to become desolate. A desolate or barren church does not produce righteous offspring. He caused the church to become weak and impure, and planted in her, his unrighteous seed as tares, to water down Her doctrine and effectiveness of the gospel.

Praise Elohiym for the Angel of Mercy (Revelation 18:1), the Fourth Member of the Godhead! For She comes at the right time to give power and force to the REMNANT of HER SEED, who keep all the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Yeshua, which is the Spirit of Prophecy -- Yeshu'ah, the Holy Ghost, Who truly is our Salvation!

Yeshua brings forth Yeshu'ah (feminine) the other Comforter, Parent, Messiah, Intercessor, Creator, IN HIS OWN NAME (MASCULINE), and They purify and restore all TRUTH. The REMNANT then keep all the "TIMES and LAWS" that "the man of sin", the papacy, thought to change (Dan. 7:25).

The BODY OF MESSIAH will receive its Baptism of the Holy Ghost (Ruach hakodesh) and with fire, and will return to its Apostolic Pentecostal purity, as a Messianic Congregation without "spot or wrinkle", by putting away all pagan traditions, customs, abominations and falsehoods in doctrine that have been incurred through the pagan Roman Catholic system and apostate Protestantism. All HER Sabbaths, the weekly Sabbath and the Sabbaths of the Lord (Lev 23), will be restored as a sign between Elohiym and Their True Believers. The Body of Believers in Yeshua their Messiah -- the Temple of the Holy Ghost and Church of the Firstborn -- will come together at THEIR APPOINTED TIMES, THEIR HOLY FEASTS, to RECEIVE a REFRESHING FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORDS.

Then the WOMAN and HER OFFSPRING will go forth "fair as the moon" and "clear as the sun", CONQUERING and TO CONQUER, as a NATION of Kings and Priests, as the RIVER of LIFE flowing throughout the whole earth bringing cleansing, healing and eternal life wherever flows THE LIVING WATERS BRANCH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. (Eze 47)

THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE IN REVELATION CHAPTER 22

"And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand (sealing time). He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." -- Revelation 22:10, 11, 12

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." -- Revelation 22:13 -- Jesus is both the Creator and the Re-Creator; both the Author and Finisher of our Salvation; both Yeshua and Yeshu'ah; both the Son and the Glory of Elohiym; both the Son of man and the Presence of God; the Second Adam and His Shekhinah Glory.

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." -- Revelation 22:14 -- The Tree of Life is the Mother and Her Son and Daughter are Righteous Branches of that Tree Who were planted in the earth to take root and bear the fruit of righteousness, the fruit of the Divine Spirit Mother.

"I Jesus have sent mine angel (the Shekhinah) to testify (Spirit of Prophecy) unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David (The Beloved Father and Mother in Heaven), and the bright and morning star (the star of David, or the Seal of Solomon - a Glorious Star containing Jesus' New Name - Solomon Ben David the Righteous Branch which means The Prince or King of Peace is the Son and Offshoot or Offspring of the Beloved King)." -- Revelation 22:16

"And the Spirit (Divine Mother) and the bride (Daughter of Zion, the New Jerusalem) say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." -- Revelation 22:17 -- The Divine Mother, the River of Life, gives Her Daughter, the New Jerusalem, to the Bridegroom, the Son of David. Both the Mother and the Daughter invite all who hear this last message of The Truth and are thirsty and desire to drink of this water of life; pure unadulterated truth flowing straight from The Source in Heaven. They say, "Come to the marriage reception and drink of this Water of Life, freely. Come and partake and be cleansed from all your sin and uncleanness and put on immortality, the wedding garment of righteousness, as your humanity marries Our Divinity." We will all rejoice at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb, when our Saviour receives His Bride and we Their offspring receive our glorification, becoming One Universal Family of God, ELOHIYM.)

"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book (the revelation of Jesus Christ and His righteousness, the fullness of the Godhead bodily, as the Second Adam), If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:" -- Revelation 22:18

"And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy (the revelation of Jesus Christ, Who is the Everlasting Father - the Creator of man; the Son - the only begotten of the Almighty Father and the Second Adam the Son of man; and The Shekhinah - the Re-Creator, the Mother of all living, the Second Eve), God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." -- Rev 22:19

"He which testifieth these things (Jesus Christ through the Spirit of Prophecy) saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace (the Shekhinah) of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." -- Revelation 22:20, 21

THE DIVINE MOTHER PRESENTS HER DAUGHTER TO THE SAVIOUR

The picture on the following page illustrates very beatifully what took place at the cross. As you can see there are two women represented here, a mother and her daughter bride. The matronly figure in tthe picture has great wings that enshroud her daughter as she takes her hand to give her away to the groom. The younger woman, adorned as a bride has on a beautiful dress made of fine linen with a long veil that trails down her back to her feet. In here left hand, the one nearest her heart, she carries a torch aflame with life and light. But where is the bridegroom! If you will look at the picture very closely, and direct your focus to the young brides torso, squinting slightly as you look at the picture at arms length, you will begin to see a pair of eyes, a nose, a beard, ahead crowned with thorns, and arms raised as if nailed to a cross. Yes my dear reader, the Divine Mother, came down to Her Son's cross and separated from Him His Second Self, His Shekhinah Glory that She might present Her to Him as His Bride. The bridal price our Saviour had to pay was His Eternal Life. In order for that the Second Adam to be fruitful and multiply, His creative power and glory needed to be separated from Him as Eve was from Adam. The Mother presented Her Son with His Own Divine Glory for a Bride. The Son realized in Gethsemane the enormous price that He must pay to be glorified. It would cost Him all that He was and had. The picture also gives us a deeper insight into the Oneness of the Divine Family and how They are all One, yet all have Their own distinct characters and specific work in the Creation and Redemption of the universe. Again look closely at the picture as before, only this time notice how the two (three) figures make a silhouette of a head with long hair and with no distinguishable features. This of course represents the Divine Father, the Self Existent One, In Whom we all have our being. Thus, the whole Divine Family is represented here, as They were represented at the cross with Christ, Who is the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

CHAPTER 9:

THE FALSE WOMAN, MOTHER OF HARLOTS

The previous chapter discussed the true Woman, whose origin was in Heaven, the Jerusalem above, YHWH's Wife, the Mother of us all. The following chapter will expose the false woman, whose origin was in the earth, the Babylon below, Satan's mistress and the mother of harlots. It will be brought forth how she and her harlots are a counterfeit of the Pure Woman and the Remnant of Her Seed and how Satan has created his own unrighteous image through her abominations and false teachings.

HER ORIGIN

"And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." -- Revelation12:7-9

Satan was cast out of heaven into the earth that was yet without form and void. After the earth was finished, there were only two people on the earth; and they represented the entire world. When Eve was persuaded to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, her allegiance was given to Satan, rather than to her husband and to Elohiym (God). She was the original mother of the human race and it was through her that Satan was able to reproduce his unrighteous image in the earth. Both Adam and Eve sinned and lost their covering of glory and inheritance to the Family of Elohiym (God). By deceiving Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, Satan led all the world astray, and came into temporary possession of their kingdom, the earth. The great controversy between Satan and the Family of Elohiym, which had started in heaven, was now transferred to this planet where it would be finished, once and for all.

After the fall of man God pronounced a curse upon each participant in that original transgression. In Genesis 3:15 we read the curse which was placed upon the devil or the dragon. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Here is the prophecy of the age-long struggle that would exist between the dragon and the Woman; between the seed of the dragon and the seed of the Woman.

And so the great controversy has been going on ever since Eden. There have been two sides from then until now. The dragon and his followers are arraigned against YHWH (God) and His Family. Truth versus falsehood; Satan versus the Woman, the Church of Elohiym.

THE TWO FAMILIES

Satan and Elohiym (God) have been contending for the control of every living human being. Even in the children of Eve the two sides were represented. Cain was in Satan's family and wanted to substitute his own way instead of the way the Creator had commanded him. Abel belonged to the Family of Elohiym and was so righteous that Cain finally killed him. The Creator told them both to bring a lamb, but Cain substituted fruit or vegetables for that which the Almighty commanded as a sacrifice. This, you will discover, will always be the mark of Satan the dragon. He tries to substitute, or make a counterfeit, for the exact truth of Elohiym. This pattern can be traced throughout this earth's history as we search for the Way, the Truth and the Life that is a revelation of the Creator Himself, the Author and Finisher of the creation and of our salvation. When we search for the Truth amidst the falsehood we see that Satan has tried to impersonate the True Son of Elohiym through his counterfeits. The Truth is Elohiym, the Originator of the Way, the Truth and the Life, and there is none other. Anything else is but a copy, a counterfeit!

Through the descendants of Cain the earth was so corrupted that God finally had to destroy it with the flood. But after the deluge the two families appeared once again. The dragon's followers concentrated in Babel and tried to defy Elohiym by building a great tower that was to reach up to heaven. The plan failed, of course; the site of the tower of Babel later became Babylon, which in 606 B.C. began to rule as the first world empire.

During those early years of confusion, the Almighty called Abraham out of Babylon and sent him over into Canaan. Abraham had grown up right there in Mesopotamia, near the place where the great tower of Babel was attempted and where the empire of Babylon developed. Elohiym's plan has always involved a call of separation or a rebirth from the confusion of falsehood perpetrated by Satan, the father of lies.

SATAN'S FAMILY OF SUN WORSHIPERS

Briefly, let us study the history of the dragon's side, the sons of perdition, Satan's family. The city of Babylon was the first capital of the dragon in this earth. This city became his mistress, and it is through her that all falsehoods were spawned. A pagan system of religion developed there in the form of sun worship. It was a blasphemous idolatry, filled with immoralities, licentious ceremonies, and degrading rites. But soon the dragon's followers quarreled among themselves, and Medo-Persia came into power. Babylon remained the dragon's headquarters. Baal worship continued to predominate as it did in the previous kingdom of Babylon. Then Greece took over, but she subscribed to the same pagan sun worship. Finally Rome began to rule the world, but there was no change in religion. Mithraism, or sun worship, was the universal religion of the pagan Roman Empire. From Babylon to Rome, the dragon, Satan, held control through heathen sun worship.

THE SEED OF THE WOMAN

"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns...and stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne." Rev 12:2-5

During the Roman rule, a great thing happened! It was time for the SEED of the Woman to to be planted in the earth, that the prophecy given to Adam and Eve might be fulfilled! Remember, that the prophecy spoke of enmity between the Seed of the Woman and the seed of the dragon. The Woman in Heaven placed Her Seed in Her earthly surrogate, Mary. Mary conceived of the Holy Ghost, bringing forth the Messiah, the man child, the Son of Elohiym. But king Herod appointed by the Rome, in an attempt to destroy Emmanuel, put forth a decree that all the boy babies in Judea were to be put to death. Satan, the dragon, through his human agents tried to devour the man child, but failed.

The Roman Empire, then, is symbolized in the Bible prophecy by the same red dragon as is the devil himself. Because Satan worked so closely through that nation to destroy the Saviour, pagan Rome is represented by the same symbol as is the devil. But Herod did not succeed in his attempt to destroy the man child. Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt and escaped the terrible decree. The master stroke of Satan to destroy the Second Adam on the cross was foiled on that morning of the first day of the week, when the Crucified One broke the bonds of death through His resurrection power, the other Messiah, the Shekhinah. Forty days later He was caught up to heaven; and, ten days later He poured out His Spirit upon His Body of believers in perfect fulfillment of the words of the prophecy.

When the dragon saw that he was not able to destroy the Messiah, he turned his wrath against the Other Comforter, the Other Messiah, the Other Woman and Her offspring - the Church in the earth, born of the Holy Ghost after the Pentecostal outpouring. At this time there were only a small number of Jewish believers in the Messiah, and Satan felt that he could completely obliterate them by persecution. Thousands of Messianic Jewish believers were martyred under the terrible persecutions of the cruel Roman emperors. But the gospel continued to grow and spread through out all of Israel for at least three and one half years. After the stoning of Stephen, the gospel of the Jewish Messiah, raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Ghost, was preached to the Gentile nations, adding to the Church Family daily, as many as would be saved. The blood of the martyrs seemed to become the seed of the church. When one died a hundred more sprang up to take his place. Paul preached his gospel right up to the very gates of Rome. The old dragon became worried. I t was now time for the seed of the dragon to appear.

THE SEED OF THE DRAGON

Satan had tried for centuries to destroy Elohiym's Family by violence and persecution. His plan to stamp out the truth had failed and so he changed his strategy from force to deception. The dragon now set up his own counterfeit religious system. Pagan doctrines and philosophy from the old empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome were mingled with the pure doctrines of the apostolic believers. Through his own mistress - the mother of harlots - the great false system of worship, he was able to bring forth offspring, converts from the truth to his falsehoods. Thus he attempted to destroy millions through delusions perpetrated by his false church.

The seed of the dragon appeared and was brought forth through the union of the beast (dragon) with the woman who rides the beast of Revelation 13. It is very significant that the beast is actually made up of parts of the lion, the leopard, the bear, and the non-descript animal of Daniel 7. The Almighty's symbolic illustration of the papacy reveals that she was made up of parts from all those old pagan kingdoms. According to Revelation 13:2, the dragon gave the beast (papacy) his power and seat and great authority. We have learned that the dragon actually symbolizes the pagan Roman Empire, as well as the devil himself. The woman or the harlot rides the scarlet colored beast, the dragon, since it is their union, the union of the civil and religious powers that brings about the last great attempt to control the earth and destroy Elohiym's Family and Kingdom.

The pagan Roman Empire bestowed authority upon the papacy in 330 A.D., when Constantine, the Roman emperor, turned over the whole city of Rome to the Pope as the seat of his authority. The words of the prophecy in describing it is historically pointed out in a Catholic source:

"When the Roman Empire became Christian, and the peace was guaranteed, the Emperor left Rome to the Pope, to be the seat of the authority of the Vicar of Christ, who should reign there independent of all human authority, to the consummation of ages, to the end of time." -- Papal Rights and Privileges, p. 13,14.

"The removal of the capital of the empire from Rome to Constantinople in 330 A.D., left the western church practically free from imperial power, to develop its own form of organization. The Bishop of Rome, in the seat of the Ceasars, was now the greatest man in the west, and was soon forced to become the political as well as the spiritual head." -- The Rise of the Medieval Church, p. 168.

These statements clearly show that the papacy received her seat and power from pagan Rome - the beast power. In Revelation Chapter 17 the woman is shown to ride on a scarlet colored beast that fits the description of the dragon of Revelation chapter 12. This beast obviously is a combination of all the political systems in history and the woman who represents the false religious system rides this beast, a combination of church and state, all receiving their power from the dragon, Satan.

PAGAN COUNTERFEITS

Let us examine how Satan infiltrated the church with pagan doctrines, setting up his counterfeit religious system. A mark of the dragon power is to counterfeit and substitute, and here we can see in this religio-political system the operation of Satan at his best. As was the case with Cain, substitutes were fabricated to replace God's commandments. Many aspects of sun worship actually came to be regarded as Christian. In this way the papacy gained prestige with the pagan peoples of that age. Ellen White brings this out clearly in the Great Controversy.

"Idolaters were led to receive a part of the Christian faith, while they rejected other essential truths. They professed to accept Jesus as the Son of God and to believe in His death and resurrection, but they had no conviction of sin and felt no need of repentance or change of heart. With some concessions on their part they proposed that Christians should make concessions, that all might unite on the platform of belief in Christ....Under a cloak of pretended Christianity, Satan was insinuating himself into the church, to corrupt their faith and turn their minds from the word of truth.

"Most of the Christians at last consented to lower their standard, and a union was formed between Christianity and paganism. Although the worshipers of idols professed to be converted, and united with the church, they still clung to their idolatry, only changing the objects of their worship to images of Jesus, and even Mary and the saints... Unsound doctrines, superstitious rites, and idolatrous ceremonies were incorporated into her faith and worship. As the followers of Christ united with idolaters, the Christian religion became corrupted, and the church lost her purity and power. There were some, however, who were not misled by these delusions. They still maintained their fidelity to the Author of truth and worshiped God alone.

"There have ever been two classes among those who profess to be followers of Christ. While one class study the Saviour's life and earnestly seek to correct their defects and conform to the Pattern, the other class shun the plain, practical truths which expose their errors." -- The Great Controversy, p. 42,43.

CHRISTMAS - THE BIRTH OF THE SUN-GOD, NOT THE SON OF GOD

Let us look at the holiday of Christmas as evidence of how pagan concepts were adopted by the church. Christmas was celebrated by pagans long before the birth of the Messiah. The pagans worshiped the sun, and they noticed that in December the days were becoming shorter and the sun was getting farther away from them. Fearing that the sun would leave them altogether, they prayed and offered sacrifices. On December 25, they noticed for the first time that the sun was getting close again; the days were beginning to get longer. They said, "The sun is reborn to us," and December 25 became the birthday of the sun or sun-god. It became a great religious festival.

Until the counterfeit papal system was taking form, the day was celebrated only by the pagans. It was adopted by the papacy, and called Christ-mass, the birth of the S-O-N, instead of the birthday of the S-U-N. Dr. Gilbert Murray, M.A., D. Litt.,LL.D., F.B.A., a professor of Greek at Oxford University, has written this:

"Mithraism had so much acceptance, that it was able to impose on the Christian world its own Sun-day in place of the Sabbath; its Sun's birthday, 25th of December, as the birthday of Jesus." -- History of Christianity in the Light of Modern Knowledge Chapter III; cited in Religion and Philosophy p. 73,74. New York: 1929.

Actually, we do not know the date of the Saviour's birth. Many believe that it took place during the week of the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall of the year, and was possibly the same day on which Yeshua was baptized or born again, 30 years later. As you can readily see, the adoption of December 25 by the pagan Roman church was based purely upon the heathen observance of the festival of sun worship. Please take note how easily a pagan institution can slip into Christian churches, and can even be passed along in Protestant circles as the Way, the Truth and the Life, when in reality it is the mark of Cain stamped on their foreheads when adopted as their belief.

EASTER - ISHTAR, THE GODDESS OF FERTILITY

Like Christmas, Easter was also celebrated by pagans long before the resurrection of the Saviour. It was a day celebrated in honor of Ishtar, the goddess of reproduction, the giver of new life and growth in nature. The very word Easter has been transliterated from the name of the goddess Ishtar, whose worship was memorialized by the adoption of Easter. Among the heathen the day was associated with the most licentious practices. The symbols - the bunny rabbits and eggs - depict fertility and reproduction and are retained as reminders of its pagan origin.

At the time the papacy was developing, Ishtar's day was adopted by the church along with the pagan symbols associated with Easter. The Easter season, with lent and good Friday services, replaced the Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread and the Wavesheaf offering.

These examples have been presented to merely show how easily the devil was able to impose pagan ideas upon the church. As the papacy developed, it was open to the reception of unbiblical customs that marked it clearly as the real counterfeit power described by God in Revelation 13.

THE TRUE SABBATHS OF THE LORD

The question comes to our minds at this point: Are we really following the Bible in all our doctrines? If tradition and heathen custom have crept so easily into the church, what about other doctrines? These spurious feasts that are the child of the papacy were created to take away the pure festivals founded in the word of God and kept by the Apostolic church, even after the cross. They are not Jewish feasts, but the scriptures tell us that they are feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations.

These feasts are found in Leviticus chapter 23 and are called the Sabbaths of the Lord. They are the weekly Sabbath day, Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles. All these feasts have been counterfeited by the pagan system of worship who have done away with them, justifying their actions by saying that our Lord nailed these feasts to the cross. What was nailed to the cross was the Lamb of God, our sacrifice, not the feast days.

Our Lord kept the Sabbath after the cross and He also kept Pentecost and the Day of Atonement even in heaven after He was resurrected. The feasts are/were a compacted prophecy of the gospel and that they were done away with by the "man of sin" who thought to change "times and laws" - plural. These feasts are appointed times of refreshing from the presence of the Lords. They tell us of the work of our two Messiahs and the finishing up of the Atonement. We can not know God's time if we do away with His way of reckoning time according to His prophetic time clock and its cycle of Sabbaths.

The growing power of the papacy continued its program by counterfeiting some of the most vital truths contained in God's Word. It was a combination of pagan ideas with Christian doctrine which formed a conglomeration of confusion, well designated as "Babylon" in the Scripture. May our eyes be opened to recognize these counterfeits and to remain loyal to the exact truth in its original form.

COUNTERFEITS OF THE PAGAN ROMAN CHURCH

The main counterfeits brought in by the Pagan Roman Church are:

Instead of the Word of God, tradition;

Instead of Christ as head of the church, the pope;

Instead of baptism by immersion, sprinkling;

Instead of the Lord's supper kept at Passover, Easter;

Instead of "the daily" hour of worship, the mass with communion;

Instead of communion, the transubstantiation of the host;

Instead of the eternal law of God, the law changed;

Instead of the seventh day Sabbath, the first day Sun-day;

Instead of the Holy Feasts of the Lord; the holy days of obligation

Instead of tithe, taxes and indulgences;

Instead of death, purgatory;

Instead of the seal of God, the mark of the beast;

Instead of Christ the Holy Ghost as Intercessor, Mary as Mediatrix.

These are the main blasphemies conjured up by Satan and enforced and perpetrated by the pagan Roman system under the guise of Christianity. There has been much written to explain and uncover these deceptions. Our concern in this study is to bring forth the Truth about the Divine Family so that all might recognize Satan's counterfeits in the pantheon of gods he has flooded the earth with.

THE PURE APOSTOLIC JEWISH CHURCH

Satan hated the pure Apostolic Jewish Church that Christ and the Holy Ghost established on the Day of Pentecost. He did all he could to take away the power and purity of the true Church or Woman. Through the pagan Roman Church, the "man of sin", the papacy, using both civil and religious authority given to him by the beast (Satan), attempted to erase any semblance of the pure Apostolic Jewish Church brought forth by the Holy Ghost.

His wrath was kindled against the Woman and he persecuted Her for 1260 years. During this time he counterfeited all Her pure doctrine with the pagan Roman system of worship, replacing Her Jewish identity and worship with so called "christian" ideas and traditions, which are nothing more than pagan relics that have been made more acceptable to the masses.

The lie that the Christian ( pagan Roman) Church is now spiritual Israel was also perpetrated and that all the divine promises given to the Jews were now to be appreciated by her. The lie goes on to say that it was the Jews that rejected Christ and put Him to death. Nothing is mentioned about Rome being the authority and the instrumentality that crucified Jesus. Nor that it was the Jewish leaders, not the Jewish people, that rejected Him.

A COUNTERFEIT JESUS

A "christian Jesus" was created by the pagan Roman church. A Jesus that supposedly did away with all the Jewish laws and feasts. A Jesus that did not maintain any Jewish characteristics after the cross. But Jesus was a Jew! He came to save the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He taught, spoke and interpreted the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures. His disciples were all Jews. The Apostolic Church He and the Holy Ghost established on the day of Pentecost was a Messianic Jewish Congregation which kept all the Holy Sabbaths and maintained a pure Messianic Jewish doctrine. It was not until the stoning of Stephen, three and one half years after Pentecost, that this Messianic Congregation preached to the Gentile nations. By exercising their faith in the pure unadulterated truth in Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost, Gentile converts became spiritual Israelites and were physically grafted into the Family Tree, the Church of the Living God, the Israel of God, a nation of kings and priests.

A COUNTERFEIT OF THE WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST

As mentioned previously, there are many counterfeits that have been propagated by this false church or lewd woman, Satan's mistress. Let us now look at how the work of the Holy Ghost, the Other Woman having heavenly origin, was counterfeited by the queen of the Roman Church, the "blessed virgin Mary" named the mother of God.

"On earth Satan has deflected the truth and made it off center or perverted it. The doctrine of Mariolatry is based on a truth - the Holy Ghost, the feminine Mediator. Praise the Lord for the understanding She has given us! "... The Jewish Church...can in fact be the shadow and figure of the Catholic Church alone." -- Catholic Doctrine as Defined by The Council of Trent, by A. Nampon, p. 62.

"Today's scholars suggest reasons why Mary became a powerful religious symbol. Greeley believes that the early Christians had a psychological need to express the feminine side of God, which their Hebrew forefathers suppressed.... Mystics found in her total obedience to God the prototype of the single soul's rapturous union with the divine, and monks stressed her perpetual virginity. Meanwhile, the mass of average believers revered her more accessible human qualities - forbearance, compassion, maternal love - and turned to her as 'MEDIATOR' OF CHRIST'S SAVING GRACES....She was 'QUEEN of HEAVEN' and He was 'CHRIST the KING'. Her prayer was the 'Ave Maria', His was 'The Lord's Prayer'. NOT SURPRISINGLY, THEN, THE PROTESTANT REFORMERS REJECTED THE CULT OF MARY BECAUSE IT CONFLICTED WITH KEY REFORMATION THEMES. Among them: FIDELITY TO THE SCRIPTURES ALONE, JESUS AS THE SOLE MEDIATOR between God and man and rejection of monastic life in favor of the Christian family. IN REACTION, the Catholic Counter-Reformation, with the Jesuits taking the lead, enhanced Mary as a symbol of the Catholic commitment.... MEANWHILE, A CURIOUS CLEAVAGE IN CHRISTIAN SENSIBILITY DEVELOPED AMONG RANK-AND-FILE CHRISTIANS....Today, Mary is seen as a symbol of radical Christian hope - the First of mankind to be redeemed and FULLY GLORIFIED by her perfect faith in Christ, but TOTALLY subordinate to her son. In return, at least some Protestant ecumenists, such as Baptist Theologian Arthur Crabtree, HAVE BEGUN TO INCLUDE MARY IN THEIR PRAYERS AS A 'UNIQUE MEMBER OF THE CHURCH AND MODEL FOR ALL CHRISTIANS.' RELEVANCE: But the real question is whether ordinary men and women will find in Mary relevance for their own lives. THE STORY OF MARY IN HISTORY reveals DIFFERENT meanings of the Virgin Mother for DIFFERENT GENERATIONS. Certainly the TIMES ARE RIPE for an APPRECIATION OF THE FEMININE SIDE of ALL human beings - and of GOD AS WELL. And the Christmas story reminds us that Mary was not only the Mother of the Messiah but a courageous woman in her own right who suffered for her singular response to God's call.

"Despite such an enormous cultural change, the Virgin Mary is beginning to recapture the Christian imagination in NEW and OFTEN ARRESTING WAYS. Overcoming their longstanding bias against Mariology, PROTESTANTS HAVE JOINED CATHOLICS AND ORTHODOX SCHOLARS IN EXPLORING THE MEANING OF MARY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT and the role Marian piety might play in a REUNITED CHRISTIANITY. In several recent books and symposiums PROTESTANTS HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THE NEW TESTAMENT DOES CONTAIN A THEOLOGY OF MARY....'BECAUSE SHE WAS ASKED TO BECOME THE MOTHER OF JESUS WITHOUT THE INTERVENTION OF MAN, SHE RESPONDED TO THE CALL OF GOD AS A PERSON, without biological differentiation, says Sister Barbara Thomas, a past president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. 'She did this as a free agent, not bound by any physical dependence upon man's cooperation, nor by social restraint to seek a man's approval'....sociologist Father Andrew Greeley acknowledges the historical and psychological links of Mary with pre-Christian goddesses. Explains Greeley: 'Mary is the Catholic Christian religion's symbol which reveals to us that the Ultimate is androgynous, THAT IN GOD THERE IS BOTH MALE AND FEMALE....'NEW EVE': Much of the current interest in the Virgin is frankly ANALYTICAL - an effort to discover how and why she emerged as the dominant FEMALE IMAGE IN WESTERN ART AND CULTURE....Through her acceptance of God's call to be mother of the Messiah, Mary becomes in Luke's hands the 'New Eve' who symbolizes the LINK between the OLD Israel and the 'NEW Israel' of believers in Christ. Only in 431 A.D., at the Council of Ephesus, did the early church fathers give Mary her first additional title:'Mother of God.'" -- Newsweek, Jan. 1, 1979.

Let us reason together. Since "The understanding of the Holy Spirit as female is also Jewish or Semitic" (New Testament Apocrypha, p. 160), then Satan has perverted and counterfeited this truth by the worship of the person of Mary rather than the Holy Ghost, Who truly is Another Intercessor and the Fourth Member of the Divine Family and the Representative in the earth of the Divine Spirit Mother. Since Romans 8:26 shows the Holy Ghost to be an Intercessor or Mediator between God and man ("but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us"), Satan has perverted and counterfeited this truth to promote the Mary mediatrix teaching. I am sure that if Mary were alive to see how she has been venerated to such a high position at the expense of the True Intercessor, she would be appalled at such heresy.

"Louis De Berquin, a member of the noble family of Artois, and a Hugenot at the court of Francis I, was three times charged with heresy and imprisoned. Finally he was burned at the stake, to become France's first Protestant martyr. ...for in his books (he had written).... 'The Virgin Mary is improperly invoked instead of the Holy Ghost.'" -- Heroes of the Reformation, p. 132,133, by David & Hilda Hagstotz.

Thus we can now understand the basis for the doctrine of Mariology which arose as a satanic counterfeit of the True Woman in the earth, the Holy Ghost, Another Comforter, Advocate, Mediator, Counselor, Paraclete and a feminine Member of the Godhead.

How thankful we should be that the Heavenly Family have revealed Themselves to us! The Jews had to accept the revelation of the Son, as the express image of the Father, to be saved, but, they rejected and crucified Him. Shall we, like the Jews, crucify the Personal Representative of the Holy Spirit Mother, the Holy Ghost, the Angel of Mercy for which there will be no forgiveness?

BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST

"And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." -- Matthew 12:32

"Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men." -- Matthew 12:31

"What constitutes the sin against the Holy Ghost? It is willfully attributing to Satan the work of the Holy Spirit. For example, suppose that one is a witness of the special work of the Spirit of God. He has convincing evidence that the work is in harmony with the Scriptures, and the Spirit witnesses with his spirit that it is of God. Afterward, however, he falls under temptation; pride, self-sufficiency, or some other evil trait, controls him; and rejecting all the evidence of its divine character, he declares that that which he had before acknowledged to be the power of the Holy Spirit was the power of Satan. It is through the medium of His Spirit that God works upon the human heart; and when men willfully reject the Spirit and declare it to be from Satan, they cut off the channel by which God can communicate with them. By denying the evidence which God has been pleased to give them, they shut out the light which had been shining in their hearts, and as the result they are left in darkness. Thus the words of Christ are verified: " If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" For a time, persons who have committed this sin may appear to be children of God; but when circumstances arise to develop character and show what manner of spirit they are of, it will be found that they are on the enemy's ground, standing under his black banner." -- Testimonies Vol 5, p 634

Now we must accept the revelation of the fullness of the Messiah and that through the Holy Ghost we will reach perfection and be gathered into the Kingdom of Peace and Righteousness. Both Yeshua and His Shekhinah Glory work together to recreate Their image in Their children and to restore to them their divinity, and thereby adopting them into Their Family.

The Bible tells His Story! It is truly about the Father and the Son. The volume of the Old Testament embodies the Creator, the Son, as the Father of mankind; the volume of the New Testament embodies the Creator as the Second Adam, the son of mankind and the Son of the Almighty Father. Since the Spirit of Prophecy came to testify of the Father and the Son and came not to speak of Herself, we must discern Who She is through the Spirit of discernment; the same Spirit that inspired the Scriptures must also interpret them for us. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned, especially when it comes to knowing and understanding Who the Person of the Holy Spirit is! Only She can truly testify of Herself to each and every sincere child of the Jerusalem above. We all must be baptized of the Holy Ghost (be born again of the Spirit) even after we have been baptized of water unto repentance!!

THE SEVEN THUNDERS

John the Revelator was told not to write the Seven Thunders (Rev 10:4), but that in the time the Voice of the Seventh Angel begins to sound, the mystery of Elohiym would be finished. The time has come for the thunders to be sounded in the earth by a loud voice that causes the earth to shake like a tree that is blown by a strong wind. With thunder comes lightening, and usually a downpour of rain. In this instance, the latter rain of truth. The Seven Thunders are the complete revelation of Yeshua the Messiah and they reveal that He is distinctively:

• The Divine Father and the Divine Mother expressed in One Being
• The Alpha and the Omega
• The Creator and the ReCreator of the universe
• The Everlasting Father and the Mother of All Living
• The Son of Elohiym and the Son of Adam
• The Second Adam and the Second Eve
• The Fleshly Temple that embodied the Shekhinah Glory
• The Moral and the Ceremonial Law
• The Sin Offering and the Live Offering -- The Two Turtle Doves
• The Two Distinct Streams -- Blood and Water -- the Goat and the Scape Goat
• The Fullness of the Godhead -- The Father and The Mother -- Bodily

The Seven Thunders reveal the work of the Creators from the beginning of the creation to the full restoration of Their children to righteousness and the universe as it was before sin entered the courts of heaven and the Garden of Eden (Eze. 36:35). We believe the Bible more than ever before, since we are now becoming more acquainted with the Author of the Bible, the Spirit of Prophecy, the Holy Ghost, Who, up until now, has been testifying of the Only Begotten of the Father. But now the Shekhinah is lighting up the whole earth with Their Glory -- the Glory of Elohiym -- the Divine Family.

THE VATICAN, WORLD RELIGION HEADQUARTERS

In closing, here are a few quotations that are startling revelations:

"Though many Catholics will no doubt become very alarmed over the prospect, it is clearly factual that The Order (New World Order) desires that the Vatican be the fount and the headquarters of the New World Religion and intends that the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church become the Supreme Pontiff of the whole world. The pope is to become the earth's King/Priest. He is to marshal the spiritual resources of the planet. He will proclaim that ALL RELIGIONS ARE ONE and that "God" has given divine authority, absolute rights, and responsibility to the World Leader.

"Already the Pope is viewed as the world's greatest spiritual leader, by mainline Protestant denominations and other world religions. Quickly, all are coming together while the FEW TRUE CHRISTIANS who REFUSE TO JOIN THIS FALSE UNITY MOVEMENT are increasingly being portrayed as hardline separatists worthy of scorn and abuse.

"It is expected that the pope will instill in peoples a keen desire to WORSHIP THE GODDESS AS THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN. Word will be put out to the FAITHFUL of ALL RELIGIONS that MARY IS AN ARCHETYPE OF ALL THE GODDESSES OF THE PAST, from Isis in Egypt, Ishtar in Babylon and Ashtoreth in ancient Israel, to Venus in Rome and Athena and Diana in Greece. "MARY" and the other goddesses will all be seen to be one and the same. It will also be promulgated that it does not matter WHICH GODDESS YOU PRAY TO OR PETITION, since all their spiritual energies emanate from THE SAME SOURCE. ALL ARE TO BE VIEWED AS INTERCESSORS BETWEEN MAN AND "GOD".

"The pope will also espouse the philosophy that the Great Spiritual Sun is sending to earth many rays of light and this is why there are many world religions. Each man and woman, so the claim will go, may follow the light of his or her own choosing. All men will be seen as brothers and as members of the global community. The belief that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Life will be declared obsolete, bigoted and narrow-minded, and unloving." -- Millennium, by Texe Marrs, Living Truth Publishers, p. 95,96; emphasis ours.

"By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its constitution as a Protestant and Republican Government, and shall make provision for the propagation of Papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know...that the end is near. As the approach of the Roman armies was a sign to the disciples of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, so may this apostasy be a sign to us that the limit of God's forbearance is reached, that the measure of our nations's iniquity is full, and that the ANGEL OF MERCY is about to take HER flight, never to return." -- Testimonies Vol. 5, p 451.

"I was shown that a terrible condition of things exists in our world. The ANGEL OF MERCY is folding HER WINGS, ready to depart. Already the Lord's restraining power is being withdrawn from the earth, and Satan is seeking to stir up the various elements in the religious world, leading men to place themselves under the training of the great deceiver, who works with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in the children of disobedience. Already the inhabitants of the earth are marshalling under the leading of the prince of darkness, and this is but the beginning of the end." -- Testimonies to the Church, Vol. 8, p. 49.

"A terrible conflict is before us. We are nearing the battle of the great day of God Almighty. That which has been held in control is to be let loose. The ANGEL of MERCY is FOLDING HER WINGS, preparing to step down from the throne and leave the world in the control of Satan." -- My Life Today, p. 308.