by Wade E Taylor
“The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying to Him, Get thee out, and depart hence; for Herod will kill You. And He said to them, You go, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day, I shall be perfected.” Luke 13:31-32
Peter gave us the principle that a Scriptural “day” can be considered as being a “thousand year” period of time.
“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” II Peter 3:8
Thus, at this present time, we are approaching the end of “today and tomorrow” – the fullness of the Church Age.
The Lord created all that was created in six days, and rested on the seventh day. Four of these time periods relate to the Old Testament, and the other two time periods to the New Testament. Presently, we are at the end of the sixth day, or the sixth time period. The seventh day, as a thousand-year day, is the Millennial Day. This relates to prophetic time, not calendar time.
Exodus 19:3-11 and 20:18-19 records the Lord offering His manifest presence to Israel. The people were to wash their clothes “today and tomorrow” so as to be ready on the “third day,” when the Lord would come down in the sight of all the people.
“It came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.” Exodus 19:16
Notice that this took place on the “morning of the third day.” This spoke of the completion of Israel’s preparation in the wilderness to enter Canaan. It was the birthing of a new day, when the Lord Himself made an attempt to manifestly abide in their presence.
“And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.” Exodus 20:18
When Israel reacted by withdrawing from the manifestation of His glory, they missed their opportunity to enter the Millennial Day, and it was given to the Gentiles – to those “who were not a people.”
“Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy. But now have obtained mercy.” I Peter 2:10
This “morning of the third day” also speaks to us concerning the closing out of the second day, the Church age, and the birthing of the 3rd day, the Millennial Day. Hosea, prophetically referring to the Church age, said:
“After two days will He revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight.” Hosea 6:2
We are now approaching the time of this “third day” in which the Lord will raise up His body, the Church, into the restoration of His manifest glory. There are indications that this will begin to take place soon:
“When He shall come to be glorified in His saints….” II Thessalonians 1:10
In preparation for this, “after six days,” Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on the mount and was transfigured before them. This speaks of the restoration of His glory.
“And after six days Jesus takes Peter, James, and John his brother, and brings them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light.” Matthew 17:1-2
Therefore, as we approach the end of the Church Age, Jesus is standing at the door, ready to be revealed in His manifest glory.
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20
In the past, I related this Passage to the Laodicean Church, because they were more interested in the blessings which the Lord provided, than in the Lord Himself, as seen in verse 17:
“Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Revelation 3:17
I saw the Lord as being outside, trying to get back into His Church. There is truth in this statement, but the meaning is far deeper. Instead, the Laodicean Church is the seventh and last Church, which is at the end of the Church age. Therefore, the door is shut because there is nothing further. There is only one way to go – upward into the presence of the Throne.
An indication that we presently live in the Laodicean Church age is the “prosperity” message, which is the prevalent message of our day. Because of this emphasis, the Lord said,
“I counsel you to buy of Me gold tried in the fire that you may be rich….” Revelation 3:18
Actually, prosperity is not the problem. Rather, it is their being satisfied with prosperity, as they said that they needed nothing. The Lord would have us to seek the true riches, which are spiritual.
Hosea told us that after two days, the Lord would revive us, and on the third day, He would raise us up. This confirms the closed door at the end of the second day of the Church age. Horizontally, we have gone as far as we can go; the only way to go further is to answer the vertical call into His presence.
“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show you things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the Spirit: and, behold, a Throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the Throne.” Revelation 4:1-2
This “voice as a trumpet” is saying exactly what Hosea said. It is an end-time prophetic message, which expresses a present urgency. The Lord is telling those who will respond, that they are to come higher in vision, so He can show them things which will come hereafter. This has to do with the closing out of the Church age, and our introduction into the Kingdom Millennial age.
The “overcoming” Church, as a corporate body will be “caught up” to be joined to the Head, our Lord Jesus Christ, as He descends in His “Parousia” to meet us. This is a prophetic, spiritual enabling and empowering of His manifest presence, rather than our physically being taken from the earth realm. It is the Lord becoming visible to His Bride, that is within the Church.
“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up to God, and to His throne.” Revelation 12:5
The “things hereafter,” which will be shown to those who respond to this upward call, have to do with understanding the opening of the seals, trumpets, and vials, as they unfold in the tribulation that will close out the Church age and usher in the Kingdom age.
John said, “Immediately, I was in the spirit, and behold a throne.” This is an overview of the promise to the overcomers:
“To him who overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His Throne.” Revelation 3:21
This is the perfection of which Jesus spoke in Luke 13:32, that on the third day, He would be completed. This completion is the mature Body of Christ caught up and joined to the Head, in relation to the functioning of the Throne.
Presently, the body of Christ is on earth as a “headless body.” Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, ever living to make intercession for us, as a “bodiless head.” This perfection is the bringing together of the body and the head, to function as one before the Throne.
We are living in a marvelous day, in the time when it is possible for us to hear this call to come higher. As we do, an end-time authority will be given to those who respond as overcomers.
Then, the world will see the witness of an empowered Church which has the mind of Christ, and moves in the power and authority of His will and purpose.