Wade E Taylor
“And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:8
It was not “while they were walking” that Adam and Eve heard the voice of the Lord. Rather, they heard “the voice walking.” This profound statement reveals two things:
First, the fact that they “heard” the voice tells us that the Lord desires to communicate with us.
“Who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 13:9
Secondly, the fact that He is “walking” tells us that there is a progression in what the Lord desires to say, beyond all that He said yesterday, and is saying today.
“I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He will not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear that will He speak: and He will show you things to come.” John 16:12-13
Tomorrow, the Lord will speak beyond that which He has already spoken.
“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 here, and I will show you things which must be hereafter.” Revelation 4:1
Creation was accomplished in six days, and the Lord rested the seventh day. Peter tells us that these segments of time can be understood as being “one thousand year days.” These days can be divided as four Old Testament days, two New Testament days, and the 7th, as the Millennial, thousand year day.
This is prophetic time, not necessarily calendar time. The following Scripture can be understood in this way:
“And He said to them, Go you, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, (Church Age) and the third day (Millennial Age) I shall be perfected.” Luke 13:32
Near the end of each of these six “thousand year days” of human history, there was a direct intervention of the Lord in which He revealed Himself to an individual, who, as a result of this act of divine intervention, was able to greatly affect the conditions of that day and time.
The Lord walked with mankind through the first “thousand year day,” at the end of which the flood came and removed all from the earth, except Noah and his family. The Lord had visited Noah in order to prepare him for this event.
The Lord walked through the second “thousand year day,” and Abram was called out from Ur of the Chaldees. Through divine visitation, he became Abraham, the friend of God and the father of faith. A personal relationship was established between the Lord and a man, and Abraham reasoned with God concerning the judgment of the “Sodom and Gomorrah” of that day.
The Lord walked within Israel during the third “thousand year day.” At the height of this time, the Lord so revealed Himself to Solomon that he was able to record “The Song of Songs,” and the Temple that he built was dedicated in a display of manifest glory.
During the fourth “thousand year day,” Israel gradually departed from the Lord. Toward the end of this day, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that God desired to use her body to bring His Son into this world. Mary submitted herself, and Jesus was born. Later, John the Baptist was called apart to become “the voice of One crying in the wilderness” who introduced Jesus as being “the Lamb of God.”
At the beginning of the fifth “thousand year day,” redemption was accomplished for mankind through the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. The Holy Spirit was poured out upon the one hundred and twenty who tarried in the upper room, and the Church was born. As the Holy Spirit descended, cloven tongues of fire rested upon each, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking forth the glory of the Lord in “tongues” that were unknown to them.
The Lord continued to walk in apostolic power through the fifth “thousand year day, or the first “thousand year day” of the Church Age, and the world of that day was greatly affected. Gradually, the Nicolaitans (those who rule over the laity) gained control and substituted religious form and ritual in place of the supernatural, which resulted in the “Dark Ages.”
During this time, around 1150 AD, Bernard of Clarivaux received a revelation of grace. This beam of light continued to expand until it shone brightly within the life of Martin Luther, a Roman Catholic priest.
As the sixth “thousand year day” of divine history, or the second “thousand year day” of the Church Age began, the Lord continued to walk, and the light of redemption again began to shine in the darkened Church. In order to raise money to build the Vatican, the Roman Church sold indulgences, by which it claimed an escape from “purgatory” could be obtained.
Martin Luther received the understanding that “salvation was a free gift of grace that could not be purchased,” and in 1517 nailed his thesis on the door of the Church. This led to the restoration of true “teachers” who were burdened for the Church, and great persecution followed.
As the Word of God began to be printed and circulated during the 1600s, the Baptists received the revelation that “if we are freely justified by grace, we should communicate this to others who would be established in local fellowships.” The “pastor” was restored to the Church, and again these were persecuted.
As the Lord continued to walk through the 1700s, the Wesley brothers received a revelation that “if we are declared to be righteous, there should be the visible evidence of a committed life.” The revival that resulted continued though the 1800s, and the “evangelist” was restored to the Church.
On New Years Eve in 1901, in a small Bible School in Topeka, Kansas, a young lady received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Others also began to receive this baptism and soon, this visitation spread to the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles. The revelation began to form that “if we are justified, sanctified, and communicating the Gospel, we should be empowered for this purpose.”
Thus, Acts 1:8 became a present word.
“But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8
As this Pentecostal visitation moved throughout the world, persecution again followed.
“But, as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.” Galatians 4:29
It can be seen in the written Word and through Church history, that the recipients of each of these visitations had received revelations that were beyond that which was presently known and accepted. Because of this, those who had received the previous revelation became the persecutors of the next level of revelation and visitation.
This happened because they had become both satisfied and settled with their particular level of spiritual experience. Thus, there are still Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists, and Pentecostals, who have gone no further.
But the Lord continued His onward walk, and forty years later, during the “Latter Rain” visitation, a further revelation was received. “If we are empowered to communicate the Gospel, there should be supernatural gifts in operation with signs following.” This resulted in the “prophet” and the “prophetic gifts” being restored to the Church.
Persecution again followed, as the Pentecostal movement rejected the “Latter Rain” visitation. But, there were those who were willing to pay the price of misunderstanding and rejection, in order to continue in the gradual restoration of truth.
After another forty years, the “Charismatic” visitation brought the Baptism in the Holy Spirit into the main line denominational churches. So far, the teacher, pastor, evangelist, and prophet have been restored.
During the Charismatic visitation, the “apostle” should have been restored. John the Baptist spoke of a “Holy Spirit Fire Baptism.” This Baptism did not happen when the Baptism in the Holy Spirit took place in the upper room, because this baptism in fire must specifically be invited to come within.
“I indeed baptize you with water to repentance: but He that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire. Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:11-12
We have experienced the Baptism in the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues, along with empowered ministries and gifting. However, we have yet to come to this Baptism in “Holy Spirit fire,” which purges and purifies the individual in preparation for the restoration of the Apostolic office, and also an apostolic enabling with power within individual members of the Body of Christ. This will take the Church beyond all past and present attainments.
This end-time “apostolic” visitation will impart “Holy Spirit fire,” which will prepare the way for the restoration of the Lord’s Shekinah (glory). This will result in a true purity of life and spiritual unity, in which the “creative word” will be spoken, with authority.
“Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.” II Corinthians 12:12
The manifestation of the supernatural is an indication of a true apostolic ministry. This apostolic restoration of the creative word, in manifested glory, will again greatly affect the nations, in preparation for the Millennial Kingdom to be established.
“Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” Isaiah 60:1-3
In transgression, Adam lost the “Shekinah” as his covering, which then became an enemy – a flaming sword that prevented all from coming to the Tree of Life. However, on the day of Pentecost, as one hundred and twenty tarried in the upper room, this “Shekinah fire” became a friend, who returned and sat upon each of their heads.
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:1-4
Notice that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, but the “tongues of fire” sat and remained on their heads. Something more had to take place so this “fire” could come within.
In the progression of each of these visitations, which resulted in a gradual restoration of spiritual life and ministry, the “Charismatic” visitation should have brought the restoration of the apostolic.
Instead, this visitation remained a surface movement with an emphasis on gift ministries, especially healing and personal prophecy. Room was not made for the “fire” to come within and thoroughly purge individuals, in preparation for the restoration of the “Apostolic Office,” with apostolic anointing and power functioning within the Body of Christ.
Therefore, at this present time, the Charismatic visitation is fading. When some well known leaders failed, their failure was an indication that the visitation, which they represented, had come short of the “fire” which would have so completely purged and cleansed, that the failures that took place would not have been possible.
The fullness of the “apostolic” requires our seeing and being in the presence of the Lord. Only through an inner purging and cleansing will the Lord be able to come within His temple to restore the Apostle to the same level of power (and greater), as in the early Church.
We are living in the time of the “Parousia” of the Lord – His presencing, or appearing to those who are being prepared to have a part in His end-time purposes. As Jesus appears to these, He will impart a true apostolic anointing, with power and confirming signs.
Therefore, the present Word of the Lord is: “Because those who were bidden to the feast did not respond (denominational and charismatic ministries), the Holy Spirit is presently reaching out into the highways and by-ways, bidding ungifted individual members of the Body of Christ to enter and be clothed in apostolic anointing and power.”
“And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise… Then said he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go you therefore into the highways, and as many as you shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.” Matthew 22:3-10
At this present time, the “spotlight” of divine activity is beginning to move from the pulpit, into the pew. As those within the Body of Christ who have no “apparent” abilities or giftings respond, they are being quickened by the manifested presence of the Lord to prepare them to function in the restoration of the apostolic.
A new wave of apostolic authority will again greatly affect the nations, as they are shaken by the power of God.
“And he that overcomes, and keeps My works to the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron….” Revelation 2:26-27
The result will be the Kingdom of God established in righteousness and peace, and great joy will be manifest throughout the world, as Jesus is revealed as the King of all kings, and the Lord of all lords.