Evening Time Light
This is perhaps the most important generation in human history with the single exception of the era that witnessed the Lord’s ministry, death and resurrection. These are both sobering and exciting times requiring our full attention and sincere responses as we function as spiritual messengers to prepare a generation of champions as vessels of honor postured for the Lord’s coming.
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. –2 Timothy 2:20-21
The end-time scenario is beginning to take shape and the players are starting to take their position in the dramatic unfolding of events prophetically observed by prophets throughout history. Hunger and desire to become vessels of honor is being imparted to those heeding the call to get ready. It is our prayer that each person will respond with favor and give the Holy Spirit permission to fully clothe them with Himself and the revelation of His Word, making us the instruments of His warfare and “useful for the Master and prepared for every good work.”
This generation has the exceptional privilege to live in the day when the Lord demonstrates Himself and His glory in ways never experienced in any prior age. The preparation of recent years has been to make ready a people for His own possession who will bear His image and exhibit His redemption. In order to carry the mantles of glory and power reserved for this company, we must have resident in us His divine nature and adorned in His garments of salvation and righteousness.
I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. –Isaiah 61:10-11)
Clothed in Truth
There are garments specifically designed for our unique generation and profoundly adequate to overpower the spiritual darkness the Scriptures point out will permeate the time of the end. It is not because we are more deserving than any prior age, but more needy. Neither will it be because of any merits of our own but because of His lovingkindness and compassion.
We are being molded and shaped to the very image necessary to carry these sacred garments provided by the Lord Himself. By them we will manifest His glory and taste the powers of the age to come. We are to be an extension of Him and His representation on Earth. To do so, it is imperative we allow the Holy Spirit to fashion us to be perfectly formed for the garments of the “overcomer.”
The Scriptures clearly outline, directly and through types and shadows, the consecration and sanctification necessary to become vessels in whom the Lord will find His rest and through whom He will do His greater works. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 states:
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
The Lord Himself will be profoundly present to accomplish this work. From among the various redemptive names illustrated in the Old Testament, Jehovah Shammah—The Lord Who is Present, is the one with highlighted emphasis for this hour. When the promise of this redemptive name is realized, and the Lord is fully manifested in His Bride, then He brings with Him all of the other redemptive attributes inherent in His nature.
The Lord is our— Provider, Healer, Banner, Sanctifier, Peace, Shepherd, Righteousness, Recompense, Defense as the Lord who smites, and the Lord of Hosts orchestrating the armies of God providing a canopy of protection around those who are His sons and daughters. All of His attributes will be on display in amplified form during our watch
Great Anticipation
There is a flourishing sense of anticipation and purpose in the days in which we are living. The marked increase in the intensity and focus within many Christians relates to the birthing of Kingdom purposes in our nation and throughout the earth. Some individuals are beginning to experience a measure of increase in the anointing and various expressions of outpouring to quicken and prepare us for the next wave of the Spirit.
I was recently allowed by the Spirit to witness some individuals being taken “behind the veil” and shown great and mighty things that have been reserved for the end-time.
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven,
and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet
speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must
take place after these things.” –Revelation 4:1
The objective and commission of these individuals is to spiritually understand God’s great mysteries and their prophetic application. The messages associated with these revelatory truths will initiate the process of awakening God’s people to their high calling and create desire to be groomed for that purpose.
It is our prophetic proclamation to begin to fulfill Revelations 4:1 and Jeremiah 33:3, as many saints call upon Him that He will begin to show great and awesome things which we presently do not know. The truths associated with this reality are quite significant and provide the keys that unlock prominent mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Those who are allowed this experience will be fully sanctified—spirit, soul and body in preparation for this weighty responsibility. One of the former leaders of the great Healing Revival commented saying, “many of the leaders were functioning with overdeveloped gifting with underdeveloped character.” Of course that does not apply to all but it seems that history does support that position in all the revivals that have been lost. Nevertheless, that will not be the case in this generation preparing for the Lord’s return.
It is difficult to adequately express the importance of being clothed with the garment of humility and righteousness in the execution of this commission and the sharing of the great mysteries being imparted in this hour. Our spirit is fully redeemed and bears the righteousness of God. However, that righteousness must also be extended to our soul—mind, will, emotions, conscious and imagination. For most this is a process.
His Banner of Love
As my experience continued, the Holy Spirit revealed how the sharing of Kingdom Truths with the body of Christ was likened to the preparation of a great banqueting table being set by the Lord for His Bride. Seemingly, the “implements and banners” that were being revealed to this group somehow were utilized in the adornment of the banqueting table, particularly around the area that was clearly recognized as the “seat of honor.” Naturally, these things are shown in symbolic form to illustrate truth that will help us in the hour in which we are living and the responsibility being delegated to us by the Holy Spirit.
One of the banners particularly emphasized depicted an image of the High Priest in all of his adornment with the breast plate, golden miter and other garments. When this banner was displayed, an audible voice spoke with clarity and determined purpose and stated “My banner over you is Love.”
“Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. In his shade I took great delight and sat down, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He has brought me to {his} banquet hall, and his banner over me is love. –Song 2:3?4
There will be many who will be allowed to go behind the veil, to obtain and experience expressions of His Divine love that will transcend anything that we presently know. It will be a greater comprehension of His love and heavenly design for us and also a fulfillment of John 17:26… “that we may love Him with the love wherewith the Father did love Him.” His holy zeal and love for us will supply the essential spiritual provisions necessary to see us through to our promises.
This central truth is an emphasis of the Holy Spirit pointing us to a form of genuine unity with Him that will also birth in us brotherly love and fraternal affection. Jealousy and selfish ambition have no place in the joining of individuals and ministries for the purpose of pursuing a higher mandate and greater fruitfulness during the end-time generation. Throughout the church there is a relationally based alignment of people and ministries that will produce a much higher anointing and authority in the realm of the Spirit.
A Unique Day
One need only look at the evening news to discern the hour in which we are living clearly points to the many biblical prophecies foretelling and describing a day of profound significance. Just as the Bible describes, all things are being shaken so that those things which remain can stand under the scrutiny and pressure of the harvest generation.
The prophet Zechariah foretells a unique day known only to the Lord that is neither day nor night; a day in which light and darkness become apparent at the same time. A quite significant day in which individuals will become the light of the world displaying the bright and virtuous attributes of God Himself!
And it will come about in that day that there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. For it will be a unique day which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light. –Zechariah 14:6?7
This day is so remarkable that only the Holy Spirit can make ready a company of people to meet the challenges and spiritual demands of this hour. As it is written, “at evening time it shall be light.” This is the “evening time” of human history and the light of God is about to shine.
Many of the events that have taken place throughout history have provided a rehearsal for the confrontation between light and darkness as the Holy Spirit orchestrates the training of His army. Likewise, our adversary is also providing polluted authority to those who have set themselves in opposition to the Lord Jesus and His end time mandates.
A Threefold Mandate
Clearly, there are many purposes for which we are being equipped and prepared. However, three notable divine mandates begin to emerge as our primary focus. First, our highest purpose and the one instrumental in allowing us to achieve all others purposes and mandates, is to know God as personally and intimately as He may be known. There is an open door and a call to come up higher to a place of fellowship and exchange with the Creator and establish friendship with God.
From that place of communion we begin to receive the unveiling of His nature and attributes that are not merely intellectual perceptions but revelation and comprehension of His Person. The prophet Isaiah was given the great privilege of seeing heaven’s design before the throne of God as Seraphim spoke one to another declaring “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts.”
They were allowed to see with their eyes demonstrations of His majesty and authority and give expression to it. Their words began to fill the temple with smoke and Glory by witnessing with their eyes and expressing with their lips the revelation of God sitting upon His throne in absolute and perfect supremacy and sovereignty.
As the Seraphim gave Glory to Him and He received the Glory due Him, more of his Divine attributes began to be revealed causing an even greater expression of praise and Glory. This Kingdom exchange and heavenly design continued filling the atmosphere with the Glory and illumination of God until the entire temple was saturated with the appearance and revelation of His Glory.
That is the order of Heaven that is to be transferred to the earth providing the second end-time mandate: to create an atmosphere on the earth that is consistent with His nature and character in which He can dwell.
If we can fulfill this mandate, all the other purposes and desires for which we long will naturally be established and achieved by His Presence and anointing resting in us. We must likewise become the instruments that create a similar atmosphere on earth so He can tabernacle among us and accomplish all that He has foretold for this generation.
The third mandate for winning the lost and healing the sick will inherently take place because of the evident Glory of God resting on the Lord’s friends because of the close encounters they have with Him. We are given the incredible opportunity in this generation to function under the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven and experience intimacy with God and demonstrate the power of the age to come.