A MIGHTY MESSENGER AND A LITTLE
BOOK
In Revelation 8:1-2 we read the following: "And
when he had opened the seventh seal, there
was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
And I saw the seven angels which stood before
God; and to them were given seven trumpets."
Seven is the number of the church; therefore when the
seventh seal is broken matters concerning the church are
contacted. This is also shown by the fact
that when the seventh seal was broken there was silence
in heaven about the space of half an hour. All heaven
standing in raptured silence at that which is about to
be revealed concerning events which will lead
up to the final setting of the stage for the
"mystery of God" (concerning His church) to be
consummated.
After six angels have sounded (recorded in
chapters 8 and 9), all things are ready for the master
stratagem to unfold—for the "mystery of God" to be
finished. So great is this final chapter in the age-long
history of the church that a special "mighty angel" is
dispatched from heaven to reveal the contents of a
special "little book" (as recorded in Rev. 10:1-2). WHO
is this mighty "angel "and WHAT is in this "little
book?"
The Greek word for "angel "simply means a
"messenger" and can refer to anyone of earth or heaven
with a special mission or message. When we read
John's description of this mighty "angel" (messenger) in
Rev. 10:1-3, we realize that none other than the LORD
JESUS HIMSELF could be described thus. It is HE,
the Covenant (Rainbow) God, the mighty "messenger of the
covenant" (Malachi 3:1) coming down to reveal to John the
end-time message for
the church.
[prophecy]
"Hear my words my people; listen to that
which I make known to you in this
hour. For am I not coming to you even now
as a mighty messenger to REVEAL to you that which has been hidden
for ages and generations? For even now I would reveal to
those who have ears to hear that which I have prepared
for my body in these end-times. Do you think that I will
leave you without direction and knowledge of my purposes
for you in this end-time? Do you think that I am
unable to choose special messengers through whom to
reveal my message and my purpose for you at the
consummation of all things? Hear my words . . . again I
say, listen to that which I speak to you in this
hour. For I now have a little book in my hands and I am
making known the contents of this book to my specially
chosen servants.
"And what [does it say]? It says this. My
people, I am coming to you in an end-time message
and purpose which shall be the consummation of all that
I have prepared for you even for many generations and
ages. And I will cause you to come into the fulness of
that which I have prepared, even the fulness of
that which I consummated on the cross when I poured out
my life's blood for you, to confirm the everlasting
COVENANT to you—even a covenant of perfection for
my people; a covenant which embodies all the fulness of
my glory and power for those who are especially prepared
to receive. For I say to you that a
few, yes a
remnant, are going to be prepared to receive this
end-time revelation and purpose which I am now making
known. For it is too potent to be received except
by a prepared company, even a "little flock" which shall
receive the fulness of the covenant. For you shall walk
in these last days in the fulness of that which I have
prepared for you. For even now I am giving you a
revelation of that which was sealed (ratified) and made
available and ready when my life's blood flowed on
Calvary. For is it not
written that I spoke the words, ‘It is finished.' (John
19:30). What was finished? The fulness of
my covenant was finished; even then fully
wrought out for the full deliverance from all the power
of the enemy, and the full entering in of all that I am
ready and able to impart, including the abolishment of
death. Yes, the full power to overcome all the works of
the enemy, and the full glory prepared even from the
foundation of the earth for those who are ready to
receive and enter in.
"But is it now also written that they "limited
the Holy One of Israel?' (Psalm 78:41). Am I not the
"Holy One of Israel?" Am I not the one who spoke through
the prophet Isaiah saying, "Consider that which I have
done and understand' (Isa.41:20), and ‘is it not
prepared for you' (lsa.64:4),
says the
Lord? But men have limited me. They have hardened
their hearts to BELIEVE ALL; and thus have failed to
fully appropriate all that I have made ready and sealed
(ratified) on Calvary's cross. Yes, I say to you that all
things were ready then. But where could I find a people
who were ready—who were prepared to fully believe? Yes, none were
found save those like Joshua and Caleb. (He that has ears let him
hear! For even here I perceive that your ears are
heavy and I cannot fully reveal to you at this time what
this means; but you shall
understand before too many days are past). But now I
shall reveal as much as you are ready to receive. For
the little book contains much for this day and time. But
I must reveal it a little at a time, for even now many
of you are as babes just weaned from the milk and are
not ready for meat. Others will understand more of that
which I speak. So let me prepare you and
circumcise your hearts
completely to receive this end-time message. For to whom much is
given, much is required (Luke 12:48). For would you know
the contents of this little book? Then prepare your
hearts to receive. For little by little shall it be
revealed to
you as you are ready to receive.
"For even now I am preparing a people who shall
fully possess the land prepared—who shall cross over
Jordan's tide—who will laugh at the forces of the mighty
descender; even he whose coming is with mighty signs and
wonders, and whose working is like to the rushing
waters of the Jordan. Consider this my people! For is it
not written that the dragon will come as a mighty flood
of death and destruction. And shall not that same dragon
come against my people with a flood of lies and
deceptions in this day (Rev. 12:15). But you shall not be
overcome, for I will cause the waters to be damned
up while you cross over by my mighty hand to possess the
land prepared for you. For truly this is a good land.
And my people have wandered in the wilderness of
spiritual desolation long enough. I say to you that the
‘forty of testing’ has been consummated and a
second time my people are coming to the Promised Land.
Even now I am preparing you to cross
over in spiritual power. Listen and consider what
I say to you. For the little book which I hold in my
hands contains all the secrets and mysteries which I
would have you to know in these days." (end of
prophecy)
[commentary on
Rev. 10:1-4]
Going back to our vision in Revelation Chap. 10,
we see in verse 2 that the mighty messenger with the
little book "set his right foot on the sea, and
his left foot on the earth." Is it not written that he
shall subdue all things under His feet (1 Cor.
15:25-28)? And are not we, the members of His Body, the
feet—the last ones of this age (in time) to come into
that Body. Even so shall the Lord Jesus, the Head of the
Body, bruise Satan under the feet of His Body, and we
are those feet. (Rom. 16:20).
In Daniel, the second chapter, we have the record
of the image which Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream. In
Daniel's interpretation of that dream, the
feet of the image represented the
last stage in history of the system which
began with the head (Babylon). Even so,
according to the same PATTERN, the church began with the
HEAD (Jesus) and will be consummated IN TIME by the
FEET. We, in this end time, are the feet of the Body who
are going to bruise the Serpent. In Revelation, Chap.
13, we see a "beast" arising out of the "sea" (Rev.
13:1), and then a second "beast" arising out of the
"earth" (Rev. 13:11). The "mighty messenger” of Rev.
10:2 sets His right foot on the
"sea" and His left foot on the "earth." He
is standing triumphantly over
both that which would arise out of the
"sea" and the "earth." And so shall the "feet" of His
Body in these end-times triumph over the beast and his
false system.
In Rev. 10:1, John says he saw the "angel's" feet
as "pillars of fire." The Greek
word for "pillar" here is the same word used in Rev.
3:12 where the "overcomer" is to be made a "pillar in
the temple of my God." The same word is also used in
Gal. 2:9, and 1 Tim. 3:15 in connection with the church.
The Lord is going to make us "strong ones" in this day
as "pillars" in His end-time "Temple" (Body), tested
and refined in the fire.
In Rev. 10:3 the "mighty angel "cries with a loud
voice as when a lion roars. Only the "lion of the
tribe of Judah" (Rev.
5:5) could thus roar. It is not as a meek, sacrificial
lamb, who is dumb (Isa. 53:7) before the
shearers, as at His first coming, but as a
roaring lion (KING of beasts) of the tribe
of Judah (the ROYAL tribe). "And when he had cried,
seven thunders uttered their voices."
(Rev. 10:3). The "seven thunders" represent the church
RESPONDING TO HIS CRY. It is even those in this hour who
have ears to hear the Lion of the tribe of
Judah
now
CALLING. The apostle John (who received and recorded
this vision) IN TYPE represents the end-time
church. And was not John called a "son of thunder" (Mark
3:17). Even so shall the end-time "sons of thunder" HEAR
the voice of the mighty messenger as He "roars" and
shall RESPOND to the message of the "little
book."
In Rev. 10:4 we read that when the "seven
thunders" uttered their voices, John was about to write,
and the voice from heaven said: "Seal up those things
which the seven thunders uttered and write them not."
WHY was not John permitted to write what he heard?
Because the VOICE (message and ministry) of the
Seven Thunders was RESERVED UNTIL THIS END TIME. It
is NOW being revealed. What John was told to "seal up"
is NOW BEING MADE KNOWN. This parallels a word given to
Daniel, the prophet, who was told to "seal up" his
vision to the
"time of the end." (Dan. 12:4).
[prophecy]
"Oh my people, have I not waited longingly for
this hour, that I might reveal to you that which has
been hidden? Is not this the hour that all history has
waited for? Is this not that which was spoken of by the
prophets, though they themselves understood it not? Oh
my people, have you considered the honor and glory
accorded you
to live in this hour and to partake in this end-time
ministry? Oh that you might be awakened from your
lethargy to behold the glory that has been prepared for
this hour. Why will you say in your
heart that the time is not yet? Why will you wait and not
enter in with all of your heart and soul ? I say to you, NOW IS
THE TIME TO SEEK ME WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART, that I may
speak to you
in the inner chamber of your heart, and
make known to you my counsel
for this hour. Listen not to those who would seek
to discourage you and blind you to that which I
speak.
"Where are those who have the courage to STEP OUT
on the waters of difficulty and testing and WALK TOWARD
ME WITH FAITH, knowing that I am able to sustain and
uphold in this hour, so that you may walk
triumphantly above the waters of tribulation and
disturbance which shall try all men in this day. WALK, I
say, fixing your gaze steadfastly on me, looking neither
to the right nor to the left; looking neither to those
around you nor to the turbulent waters which would seek
to engulf you. For I say to you, that you
will never make it to the end-time calling and awakening
until you are willing by FAITH to step out of the boat
of your present ease and security and INTO THE
STREAM OF MY DIVINE PURPOSE, letting not the waves
of doubt and fear overcome you; neither letting those
who prefer to stay in the boat deter you. But COME MY
PEOPLE, for I will have those who dare to walk on the
waters of that which has never been done before, and
meet me as I come to you in power and glory in this day.
Did they not see that it was a BODY walking on the water and
not a spirit as they had supposed? (Matt. 14:26).
And did not Peter, in his BODY, walk on the waters?
(Matt. 14:29). Even so my people, it is NOT just the
spirit, but A BODY OF FLESH which shall be brouqht to me in this
day, to do exploits above the waters of human confusion
and distress. Are you not the BODY
of Christ; are you not my flesh
and my bones? (Ephes. 5:30). So shall you be one with
me in this day; so shall we be joined together ON THE WATERS,
to go forth in this day, says the Lord.
And so shall you be in the
coming days, says the Lord, a
BODY OF OVERCOMERS—those who have overcome all the
emotional defilements of the watery recesses of the
enemy and who are walking triumphantly in overcoming
power." (end of prophecy)
[commentary on
Rev. 10:5-10]
Going back to our vision in Revelation Chap. 10,
we read in verses 5 and 6 that John sees the mighty
messenger lift up his hand to heaven and "swore
by him that lives forever and ever . . .
that there should be time no longer." The Berkeley version
translates it, "There shall be no further
delay." That is, there would no longer be a time
of delay or waiting for the CONTENTS of the little book
to be revealed, for the "mystery of God" to be finished,
and for the end-time church of the "seven thunders" to
enter into her ministry. This is further indicated by
the seventh verse which says: "But in the days of the
voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin
to sound, the mystery of God should
be finished, as he has declared to
his servants, the prophets.” The "mystery of God"
is none other than the "mystery" revealed to Paul
concerning the church (Ephes. 3:3-11) much
of which has been veiled
until this end-time.
This "veiling" is shown by Rebekah (The BRIDE of
Isaac—a TYPE of the church) who was veiled until she was
taken by Isaac into the tent (Gen. 24:63-65). Even so
our Isaac (Christ) shall LIFT the veil (of mystery) from
off His Bride as He comes to meet her. And then there
shall be "mysteries" no longer as the Lord unfolds His
purposes during the DAYS (plural) of the voice of the
seventh trumpet, indicating that the seventh trumpet
"blows" over a period of
time, AFTER the mystery has begun to
unfold. This is further indicated by the words "when he
shall begin to sound." If the seventh angel
begins to sound, then he must continue to
sound for a period of time. The final
blast of this seventh trumpet will see the
fulfillment of I Cor. 15:51-52 and I Thess. 4:14-17,
when the dead in Christ shall be raised and the living
in Christ shall be changed. The consummation
of this sounding will be that recorded in Rev. 11:15
"And the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms
of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign
forever and ever."
In Rev. 10:9-10, John is instructed to take the
little book from the hand of the angel and "eat it up."
The angel then said: "It shall make your belly
bitter, but it shall be in your mouth sweet
as honey." John obeys and "eats" the book. He then says:
"It was in my mouth sweet as honey; and as soon as I had
eaten it, my belly was bitter." Those who are willing to
accept the call to this end-time revelation and ministry
must be willing to accept the "bitter" with the "sweet."
That which God is revealing is SO SWEET to the taste, as
we "taste and see that the Lord is good." (Psalm 34:8).
But the Lord must PROVE us, and the testings
necessary for the perfecting of God's end-time
remnant seem so bitter at times. But God must be certain
that there will be no failures during the critical times
just ahead. For the words to John AFTER he
had "eaten" the little book were: "You must
prophesy again before many peoples and nations, and
tongues, and kings. HERE is the evidence that God's WORD
will go forth during this end-time, during the "days of
the voice of the seventh angel," once again with
mighty power to all nations as at the beginning. For
JOHN in this vision stands for the end-time "remnant
"which shall "prophesy" before many peoples,
and nations, and tongues, and kings.
[personal
sickness of Leland Earls: a prophetic
type]
In connection with John's symbolic experience of
"eating" the "little book", let me share with you
that which came to pass in my own experience AFTER I had
received from the Lord and "ate" the end-time message
and ministry which the Lord revealed to me from this
"little book." I share this only because I believe the
Lord WROUGHT OUT in my life a PATTERN to depict the
condition of the church in these days, even as the
ancient prophets enacted by life drama, PATTERNS
(similitudes) to depict the condition of the people and
God's dealings with them. In Hosea 12:10 we read these
words: "I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have
multiplied visions, and used similitudes (patterns)
by the ministry of the prophets."
Shortly after the Lord began to reveal to me this
end-time message, and made known to me that I had been
called to a ministry, I suddenly became very ill. For
over a year I was down most of the time, and came very
close to losing my life. If the Lord had not intervened
I would not be alive today. The root of all my
trouble was in my stomach. Before this I had
never had any stomach trouble. But after I had "eaten"
(received and assimilated into my life) what God had
revealed to me, which was so "sweet" (wonderful), I went
through the most "bitter" (trying) experience of my
life. I AM NOT saying that everyone who receives this
end-time message must go through such an
experience, although everyone will be tried in one way
or another. But God chose to ENACT A PATTERN
through my life that it might SPEAK to
others.
The fact that my illness was from a stomach
ailment was not known until after several months of
progressively getting worse, even to the point of death.
I was in four hospitals and had several medical doctors
who were unable to correctly diagnose my trouble. It was
finally discovered that my system was not producing the
necessary hydrochloric acids so that my stomach could
function properly, and without these acids in my stomach
it was impossible for my body to assimilate the
vitamins, minerals and proteins from the
food.
In that which God allowed to happen to my
physical body, we find many parallels in the church
world today. I would like to compare the SYMPTOMS which
my physical body experienced, with the CONDITIONS we
find in the "body" of Christendom today. In the first
place, my body was STARVING TO DEATH, in spite of the
fact that I was constantly consuming more and more food.
I was getting no nourishment from my food.
The food was just fermenting in my stomach. I became
what I call a "foodahollc." I wanted to eat all the time
and I consumed enormous amounts of food, but it wasn't
doing me any good. And here is the truth concerning
most church people today: THEY ARE STARVING TO DEATH
(spiritually), and what food is being fed to them is
doing them very little good. There is a FAMINE IN THE
LAND for that which will really nourish and build up.
(Amos:8:11). Church people are consuming much, but it is
not the true LIFE GIVING WORD of God. Generally
speaking, the church world IS SICK NIGH TO DEATH! They
are "spending money for that which is not
bread, and laboring for that which
satisfles not." (Isaiah
55:2.)
[prophecy]
"My people, hear my words! Are not the acids in
the stomach a type of my workings in your midst? Can you
get nourishment from that which is not bread and from
that which does not satisfy? I say to you, the
workings of My Spirit are necessary for you to receive
that which is life-giving. For am I not able to take
that which is vital from my Word and cause it to be
assimilated into your being, so
that you shall receive that nourishment which you need?
But why will you feed on that which is not my Word? Why
will you seek
that which you know will not satisfy your innermost
being? I say to you, if you
will not seek me wholly and let my Spirit vitalize that
which you take into your system, you will find
yourselves in a condition spiritually similar to that
which is described herein. The workings of my Spirit are
necessary. Otherwise you are taking only that which is
dead, and which will do nothing to bring spiritual
vitality to your innermost being. Therefore heed that
which you are reading, for it is true to the pattern of
that which is happening to my people today. For it is
impossible in the present condition of the church world
for me to work by my Spirit in such a way that my Word
will give life and health and deliverance to all who are
in need. Therefore, again I say . . . seek me and let me
give you that which is necessary for you to live a
spiritual life that is vital and full, says the Lord. "
(end of prophecy).
[commentary on
sickness continued]
In the second place, in this terrible condition I
was getting fatter, but also progressively
weaker. Yes, I was actually gaining weight while
starving. I came to the place where I had "pernicious
anemia." Even so, there is a certain "fatness" evident
in the church world today, but at the same time
spiritual anemia and
weakness. I was not only weak from lack of
nourishment, but during the months of suffering I had
experienced a complete nervous collapse. I was so
completely devoid of nervous energy that at times I was
unable to utter a word; even to try to whisper was
more than I could manage. In order to communicate to
those who were caring for me, I would have to scrawl a
few words on a piece of paper.
Do we not see a church world today almost
completely devoid of real spiritual energy (power)? We
have a picture in Rev. 3:17 of the "fatness" of today's
church: "Because you say,
I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing;" but the spiritual weakness and poverty is
described by Jesus in these words: "and know
not that you
are wretched,
and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." "Fat"
(in material things and in self-sufficiency) but "weak"
spiritually is certainly a general over-all picture of
today's church.
Another strange phenomenon which occurred during
my illness was the fact that everything I took into my
stomach would turn to "gas." After eating or drinking,
gas pressure would build up and I would "bloat" until at
times I would almost die. Water was my worst enemy. Even
a little sip of water would turn my stomach into a
raging inferno. Because of the gas pressure I had to
stop drinking water altogether. For over two months I
drank no water whatever. What liquid I got came through
drinking vegetable juices. Does not the scripture teach
that WATER is a type of the SPIRIT (John
7:37-39)? Even as my body could not take water, the
church world, as a whole, cannot "take" the things of
the Spirit. Try to put a little water of the Spirit in
the church "bodies" (organizations) and "gas"
pressures build up to where the situation
usually becomes intolerable.
After being in four hospitals and having the best
medical doctors available, and after undergoing all
kinds of tests, I was only getting worse. What I say
here is not meant to be a "broadside" against the
medical profession, or in any way intimating that the
doctors which treated me did not do their best. Neither
does it mean that I do not appreciate their attempts to
help me. The fact remains, however, that they did not
get at the root of the trouble. I feel that in the
providence of God their "eyes were blinded" that
THAT which He purposed to portray might be fully wrought
out. As a matter of fact, I later found out that
what they were prescribing was actually making me worse,
and was just the opposite of what I
needed.
After being released from the hospital for the
fourth time and getting progressively worse, the Lord
finally led me to a man who found the trouble. After
being in the finest hospitals available, with the most
modern equipment and the best of doctors, the man who
discovered my trouble and started me on the road to
recovery was a little-known physician in a small house,
on a side street, in a small city. He took a test on my
stomach and told me I had no acid. He gave me
hydrochloric acid in tablet form to take when I ate. I
was in such terrible condition by this time that if the
Lord had not directly intervened I would never have
lived, even though the diagnosis was correct. But at
this point the PATTERN had been wrought out and God
began to restore life and health.
WHAT does this tell us? The patient "Christendom"
is sick. And WHERE is the answer? It is not in the
modern church systems with their elaborate and imposing
structures, their modern equipment, their highly
organized programs, and their well-trained ministers and
other professional help. As a whole, our modern
"doctors" of divinity do not have the answer. Much which
they are prescribing is only making the patient
worse. By this I do not mean to imply that it is
wrong to have a nice building and modern equipment, or
that formal education and training are wrong in
themselves. Such can be used for the glory of
God. I am only saying that generally
speaking THE PATTERN IS TRUE. Those to whom God
is revealing the solution to today’s spiritual
dilemma are usually small groups meeting in "out of the
way" places in unimposing structures or in
homes.
One final parallel. During the prolonged illness,
my glands were seriously affected, especially the
adrenal glands. My body could not function properly
because these glands were not functioning properly. The
adrenal glands are a part of the "endocrine" system of
which there are five main glands. These glands regulate
all the functions of the body, and their proper
functioning is absolutely essential to the health and
vigor of the body. The Lord is showing us in these days
that it is impossible for the "Body of Christ" to
function properly unless the five ministries of
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers
are restored to their proper place in the Body. These
ministries, functioning as God has ordained, are
necessary "for the perfecting of the saints, for the
work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of
Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and
of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect
man, to the
measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."
(Ephes. 4:12-13).
I feel led at this point to add a word of caution
lest some jump to unwarranted conclusions because of
what I have written concerning my experience. The Lord
could have healed me miraculously without any medical
help if He had chosen to. He could have used the medical
doctors with their modern equipment and techniques. I
have no quarrel with any of these things. I think it is
wonderful that the Lord has revealed so many things in
this day in the realm of medical science What I have
written does not mean that we should be for or against
any thing just because of an experience. I would not use
what happened in this particular experience as a basis
to determine what I would do in some future
experience of illness.
On one particular occasion Jeremiah had to make
and wear a "yoke" (Jer. 27:2) on his neck to portray a
truth to the people of his day, concerning the coming
Babylonian "yoke" to which they were to submit. But that
does not mean he had to wear it all his life, that
everyone else had to go around wearing them, or that the
use of a yoke was not right in its proper place. Ezekiel
had to be bound and had to lay on his side for many
days, and had to eat his food weighed out in certain
portions (Ezek. Chap. 4), again to portray a truth for
his day and to his people. But this does not mean that
others were to go through such an experience. Even so
God chose to portray through me, by physical means, that
which would speak of today's spiritual condition among
his people. Let us take it for that and nothing
more.
There are other factors in my experience which
also portray important lessons, but the Lord has not
given me liberty to share these at the present
time. At the proper time I will share the experiences of
the final stages of my illness and the unusual way in
which I was raised up for good. Beloved, the Lord has
caused some of us to go through much that you might be
TAUGHT, and that you might be LIBERATED from that
which has bound you INTO the glorious purpose and
ministry which the Lord has for His church in these last
days. Do you have ears to hear?