You are the one,
with whom I'm destined to be,
across space and time,
you are drawn to me,

One love, one life, we are destined to be,
soulmates forever throughout eternity,
In past lives I have loved you,
In this life I love you too,

And I know if I shall live again,
I am destined to love you,
across space and time, you are drawn to me,
One love, one life, we are destined to be,

Soulmates forever throughout eternity,
I know I'll always find you where ever you are,
No matter the consequence,
No matter how far,

Even in death I shall love you more,
to fuel my search to find you,
so we shall love once more,
across space and time, you are drawn to me

One love, one life, we are destined to be,
Soulmates forever throughout eternity. 
 

One verse summarizes the vision for The Bride, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). When we go to heaven, the only thing that is supposed to change is our address, not our lifestyle.

Goals

1. To usher the coming of the Lord.

2. To prepare the way of the Lord: Isaiah 40:3-5; Isaiah 57:13b-15; Matthew 3:1-3.

3. Total evangelism: Inside and outside of the church. Some people are concentrating only on the work inside the church and forget the world that needs someone to love them and show them Jesus. Others forget the church and minister only to the unsaved. When they say, "We want to reach the unreachable and the hurting", they eliminate the people who are already in the church. But those in the church are still as unreachable and as hurting as those outside of the church. It's easy to say, "You are saved, now grow up." But it doesn’t work this way. When a mother gives birth to a child she can't say, "I just went through hours of labor with you and I have done my part. Welcome to the world. Now grow up and learn." In many cases, the reason people don't grow is because the church greatly lacks father-figures. Those who teach, train and love all at the same time. Jesus only ministered to the house of Israel. When He was sending the apostles He said, "...You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and even to the uttermost parts of the earth"(Acts 1:8 KJV). This outreach begins with us, our families, our church, our city and then to the ends of the earth. So we can't say to Christians, "We don’t minister to you." We have to minister to Christians first but we also must leave the walls of the church and reach people from every walk of life.

4. To bring unity in the Body of Christ: John 17:11,21-23.

5. The Bride: Created after the pattern of heaven in Revelation 21:2, 22:17. In these Scriptures, the city is called The Bride and so are the people who live in it. The city is the inheritance of the people. There is an interactive relationship between the city and the people. Everything in the city effects the people: the fruit of the trees, the river, the throne, etc. The people create the image of the city. Then together, the city and the people, are called The Bride. 

So, the people of the city will build a place - The Bride. What the people do creates the image of the place, but the place also has an effect on the people - it inspires them, it makes them fall deeper in love with the Lord and with His people. It redefines their priorities in life. These are the things that happen in that place: 

5.1. 24-hour, city-wide prayer in the spirit of the Tabernacle of David

5.1.1. Why 24-hour, or day and night continuous prayer?

We have an accuser who does his work 24 hours a day, so how can we prevail with 5 minutes of prayer? (Revelation 12:10). 
In Leviticus 6:13, the words of God were, "Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out." The word, "continually", means: daily, both morning and evening, at all times, without interruption. It describes God and His care for His people. In other words, this is part of the nature of God. I believe our devotion to Him has to be equal to His care for us. 
There is prayer going on before the throne of God in heaven day and night (Revelation 4:8-11). 
There is a special blessing "justice for them speedily" from God for those who pray day and night. 
5.1.2. Why city-wide?

The New Testament Church began as one church in the city - no denominations, no walls, no separation, and no competition. The Lord commanded His blessing upon that in Psalm 133. This is the answer and the fulfillment of the Lord's prayer in John 17. Jesus was praying for unity more than anything else. 
           5.2. The Heart Center

                 5.2.1. Shelters

                 5.2.2. Food banks

                 5.2.3. Clothing distribution

                 5.2.4. Discipleship and training

                 5.2.5. Community clinics

This has been in the heart of God all the time. Isaiah 58 and Isaiah 61 are vital scriptures for the Heart Center. God always cares for the poor, the orphan, the widow and the alien. The second commandment is "to love your neighbor as yourself". 1 John 3:17,18 also says, "But whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with words or with tongue, but in deed and truth."

The Bride: The Strategy

9 months (3x3)

This begins in the heart of God. It is a fulfillment of the Old and New Testament prophecies: Joel 2:27-30, Hosea 2:14-23, and Isaiah. To take every city for the Lord: Psalm 24:1.

1.  Unseen part: First 3 months (e.g., pregnant woman does not show until after 3 months).

1.1.  Have the understanding and assurance of Psalm 24:1 and Joshua 4:3-9, 2:9-11, 6:2, 16. This is essential for the strategy. The goal of the enemy will be to force us out of the realm of rest in God (Heb. 4:10,11), or knowing that God has already won the battle. God spoke to me one morning when I was praying for strength for the battle. He said, "Pray for the strength not to be involved in the battle. Just rest and trust Me and let Me fight, you know I'll win."

1.2.   Pray and fast to get the Word of God: Where He is sending us? This is the only thing we have to do. The moment God speaks - we get the victory. Our only part is to hear God and obey. It's a work of faith, the only thing that pleases God (Heb.11:6).

1.3.   Start intercession for that city - the Bride.

1.4.   Contact the key leaders of the city (Numbers 13:2,3). Don't forget the favor of the Lord. This will be how we get through.

1.5.   Gather all of the pastors and present them with the vision. 

1.6.   Gather all the intercessors and prayer groups and start praying together.

1.7.  Warning: The biggest percentage of abortions happen during this period. Be alert for discouragement, quitting, and feeling like dropping out. Abortion in the natural deals with one or two lives. Abortion in the spirit for a work like this deals with thousands of lives in that city and other cities. Stay alert and focused.

2.    3-6 months - Visible Growth

2.1    Start the public campaign
2.1.1.   TV
2.1.2.   Radio
2.1.3.   Churches
2.1.4   Businesses

2.2    Practical preparation 
2.2.1.   Musicians
2.2.2.   Worshippers
2.2.3.   Speakers
2.2.4.   Hall/Location
2.2.5.   Volunteers
2.2.6.   Counselors
2.2.7.   Ushers/Security
2.2.8.   Accommodations 
2.3.  Ends with 3-Day conference: The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come" 

2.4.  Warning: This is the time when the baby and the mother need nutrition which is vital for the growth and the formation of the baby. We will need more prayers, persistence and unity. A regular check and much attention is needed to avoid any kind of birth defect.

3.   Last period, 7-9 months: When the baby is born. Labor pain is present, but also the joy of the new life. This will be the time after the conference when the city will be establishing "The Bride".

3.1.   When the whole city is being touched and transformed by the presence of God everything changes: Walls between churches, denominations, races, different walks of life are destroyed. Unity becomes a reality. The city will use it's own resources: every church, every business, every person. It won't be difficult to come up with everything necessary for The Bride to be established.

3.2.   P.U.S.H. - Praying/praising Until Something Happens. We must be careful not to give birth to a dead thing and start immediately caring for the new life. It will take incredible sacrifice from the parents because the baby changes their lives. Everything is new. Be ready to change diapers. 

4.   Finances: Haggai 2:7-9: The gold is Mine and the silver is Mine. The Bride from the latest city that has been transformed by God will go to testify, help and finance the first six months of the work in the next city. Once the new city is touched and transformed, they will have no problem meeting their own needs. This gives global dimensions to the vision. It connects, unifies and creates links between all the cities on earth. The Bride is being prepared and restored all around the earth.

5.   Our Part - Matt. 9:37,38 and Luke 10:2. Remember the harvest belongs to God - not to us. He sends the laborers - they do the labor. 
Matt. 22:1-14: The master (God the Father) prepared the wedding for His Son. The Son (Jesus) is the Bridegroom. We are His servants sent to invite everyone to the feast. There is not much glory for servants, so we can't make a big deal of ourselves. Nothing is done for us. We are not the centerpiece - God and His people are. We don't go tto the cities to force anything or take something for ourselves. We go to give and to proclaim, "The Kingdom of God is at hand." We realize we are not His first choice but we'll do our best (Luke 14:15-24). Like Reinhard Bonke's example (Matt.25:1-13), we don't want to just be wise, to have enough oil for ourselves, but more than enough so we can give to others and still have enough for our lamps to keep burning.

© Copyright 1999, 2000 Blessing Church International.
 
 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               Bride of Christ Jesus Only
We often hear trinitarians refer to the true monotheistic Church as "Jesus Only". They consider this an insult. They like to claim to "oh how I luuv jesus", but they would use His name, the name above every name, as what they perceive to be an insult. 

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 

The true Church is the bride of Christ, the bride of "Christ only" and not another. 

Imagine with me an earthly "bride to be" who declared that she did not want to be married to "husband only", and would mock at the married women and taunt them saying "Ha! You're married to "Jones only." or "you're Smith only".... 

There's a word for gals like that who are not "husband only". 

They don't want to be married to "Jesus Only", and they often mock at those of us who are betrothed to "Jesus Only". There is something about that name that the world hates. 

Luke 21:17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. 

I have often asked, that since these folks are admittedly not worshipping "only Jesus", just who are those devils worshipping? 

Now here we have a "bride wannabe", but she doesn't want to be married to "husband only", she will mock at true brides and taunt them saying "You're husband only". Well, there is a word for gals like that who are not "husband only" and it is the same word used for the churches that are not "Jesus only". 

The Bible speaks of a great false bride, a great church that has daughters that denominated from her. The Bible speaks of this "Great Whore" that is the "Mother of Harlots". Yes, there's a word for gals like that... 

The RCC is the "Great Whore" 

The "harlot daughters" are the denominations that worship the same false gods as the "Great Whore" (the Catholic trinity). They are not "husband only". 

Most of the false christian churches are denominal daughters of the RCC. That is another reason that no one can be saved in a trinity church. 

Revelation 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 

The RCC "sitteth on many waters". 

Revelation 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 

Catholic "indulgences" and false religion have made many "drunk" with her false "trinity" religion. 

Revelation 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 

The "beast" may well be the economic community that the "Whore" (the RCC) rides on. The nations support the Vatican. 

Revelation 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 

The pomp and jewelry and scarlet robes of the RCC are legendary. But she is most certainly not "Jesus only". 

Revelation 17:5 And upon her forehead [was] a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 

Yep, there's a word for gals like that. 

The RCC is the mother of all of the trinity denominations. 

Revelation 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. 

No organization has murdered (as "heretics") so many real Apostolic Christians as the Roman Catholic Church! History knows no other possible organization than the RCC to fit verse Rev 17:6 and her daughters are the trinity denominations. They are not "Jesus only"; they are not "husband only", and many of them mock and rail at those who , are, "husband only". 

So, trinitarian, next time you want to call those who are Acts 2:38 Christians "Jesus only", why not just call us "husband only"? And, well, we know the word for those of you who are not "Jesus only", don't we... 

The bride of Jesus Christ is the bride "of Jesus Christ Only". 

1 Corinthians 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. 

2 Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 

I hope this helps... 

Rev. Steve Winter 
 

INTRODUCTION 

This writing on the bride of Christ will be new material for the reader. Do not stop short if you do not understand something. Points are repeated with supporting evidence, bringing further clarification. So, be sure and read on to the end. As the piece unfolds, you should see the whole picture.
 
 

Of all the truths I have seen, this matter concerning the covering bride is certainly one of the most exciting and wonderful! Why? Because it so establishes and clarifies the relationship of the body of Christ and the bride of Christ, and reveals what Yahweh's plans and purposes have been from the beginning of time for the bride. 

I have a friend who from time to time insists that we acknowledge the plan of Yahweh in creating and implementing the male/female elements of creation. This is certainly something most important to acknowledge. The male/female aspect of God's creation is obviously a very important truth, having everything to do with bringing forth offspring. On the earthly level, the existence of both male and female entities is essential for replenishing this earth. But as we will see in this writing, the male/female aspect is and will be equally essential to Yahweh in bringing forth godly offspring in His perfect kingdom. In other words, as the union of the male and the female, in particular the union of the husband and the bride, results in the bearing of natural offspring, so the union of male and female works of Yahweh, a husband and a bride, will result in the bearing of spiritual offspring.

One of the critical mistakes of Christianity is to equate the masculine body of Christ and the feminine bride of Christ as being one and the same. That, my friend, is femininity, violating the laws of Yahweh (Deuteronomy 22:5, 1 Corinthians 6:9), and is held because Christianity fails to see the more perfect and complete plan of God for mankind. How can the bride of Christ and the body of Christ be the same when nature itself reveals to us the vast necessity of their separate identity? Simply because Paul calls the relationship of Christ with the church as being a mystery, having just elaborated upon the relationship of a husband and a wife (Ephesians 5:22-33), does not state that the church is the bride. The point is, there is a mystery here, and this mystery has failed to be accurately discerned by Christianity.

The clear purpose of Yahweh is to establish works upon this earth that will bring forth heavenly offspring. This is highly important to realize. At one level, this has been accomplished by the church - converting men to faith in Christ. But, this conversion, though exceptionally important, is still very corrupt. Men are still in earthly bodies, Satan is present to corrupt both man as well as the kingdom of God, converted men still sin and shame Yahweh and His kingdom, all of this leading to a most inferior, but essential, situation. 

The plan of Yahweh is to have both a masculine body as well as a feminine bride, the two uniting to produce the desired godly offspring. The church, as men recognize it today, cannot be this bride. It is the body, not the bride. Yahweh will create two separate works in forming the husband and the bride; the bride coming out of the husband, just as Eve came out of Adam. In a very true sense, supported by the Scriptures, Adam and Eve were both Adam — one. Yet in reality, Eve was a separate entity - feminine. Equally, the body of Christ and the bride of Christ are both the church, but each having separate identities, masculine and feminine; and as we will see, each having very important separate roles.

From the beginning with Adam and Eve, as well as in all of God's creation, the male/female identities have been essential for bringing forth offspring after their own kind. These distinguishable identities, as well as roles, necessitate the distinguishable identities, as well as existence, of the body of Christ and the bride of Christ.

We could go on and on about this; but the purpose of this writing is not to argue with Christianity on their position that the body is the bride. We simply present this to lay out the separation of the feminine bride from the masculine body, and we will see the relevance and importance of this as we go along. There will be two works of Yahweh that are essential to bring forth truly godly, incorruptible offspring - the masculine body of Christ, as well as the feminine bride of Christ. Both, in separate form and identity, are most important; yet both are equally one - the church.
 
 

Continue to page 2 of The Covering Bride for THE UNCLEANNESS OF AN EARTHLY BIRTH

 THE UNCLEANNESS OF AN EARTHLY BIRTH 
 
 

Having set forth the body/bride distinction, let us return to that first couple and see a most important pattern which Yahweh established with them in the garden. It is equally important to realize that what took place with Adam and Eve, what occurred in the garden of Eden, is a seed or a foreshadowing picture as to how Yahweh will work with all of mankind.

Of all the truths seen regarding this first couple, let us note here that when Adam and Eve sinned, they became naked. This couple attempted to cover their nakedness with that which was from the earth - "they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings" (Genesis 3:7).

At this point, we need to introduce something in order to understand the whole of what is being presented here. Let me introduce this by relating a poignant story. 

Our family has a heard of goats that we milk. Each spring, the does give birth to kids, providing both kid and, thus, milk. In our first year of kidding, a yearling doe was giving birth to her first kid, and she was having troubles with the birth. This situation necessitated that my oldest daughter assist the delivery by inserting her hand into the goat's womb, finding the kid's front legs, and bringing them forward. This was not only the first time my daughter had ever done this, but it was even the first birth she had ever seen. Due to lack of experience, she was too far into the womb and could not find the kids front legs. The difficulty of this situation was compounded with the fact that there was not one but three kids in there, making a total of twelve legs to choose from.

Goats often seem to want to kid at night, and this was no exception. This night was especially black, both from the standpoint that the moon had already set and because of our uncertain struggles with the birth of these kids. We finally delivered the three kids, but afterwards my daughter related a very poignant experience that would benefit being related here.

In the dark of that night while my daughter had her hand, as well as part of her arm, in the goat's womb, she looked up into that dark, dark universe, unsuccessfully searching for those elusive legs. As she searched, staring into dark space, it seemed to her that the two were one - the darkness and the vastness of the universe, and the darkness and the vastness of the womb. It seemed that her search in that womb was like searching an entire dark universe. Then she related the following. Our lives on this earth are very much the same. We are being formed in darkness while on this earth, and await being born into the light when we escape this earthly and are born into that which is from above, the heavenly. Christ declared - "You must be born from above" (John 33:7). Presently, we are in a vast dark womb - this earth - being formed into that which will be. Some day, we will depart from this darkness and enter into His marvelous light to receive our heavenly spiritual bodies. How accurate she was in this comparison!

This is the purpose of our life upon this earth - it is a time in which we are being formed into that which we will be in the life we will have when we put on our resurrected glorified bodies. This earth is nothing more than a womb, a temporary place of darkness preparing us for our future everlasting existence in His marvelous light.

Having our present place in this earthly existence, this womb, there is something most important to realize. While this is a vital and wholly necessary time of formation, because it is a time of devotion specifically to this earth, it is an unclean period. The earth has been cursed from Adam, and it remains cursed to this day. Anyone who might disagree with this point has only to look at the traffic in the local cemetery, or walk barefooted through our blackberry-covered pasture, or lie down on a grassburr-covered beach, or take a child strolling across a patch of goat-heads, to know that this earth and all that it produces remains under the curse. When the womb of earthly mankind brings forth fruit, its product is of this earth and is equally cursed, being of this earth.

The uncleanness of the earthly womb is testified to by the laws of Yahweh. When a man and woman had marital relations, both of them were resultantly unclean and had to bathe in water, and were unclean until evening (Leviticus 15:18). When a woman was in her menstrual period, issuing forth blood from her womb, she and anything she touched, and anyone who touched her, or even touched anything she touched, were unclean and had to be washed and were unclean until evening (Leviticus 15:19-24). When a woman had a child, she was unclean for seven days, as in the days of her menstruation, and could not touch any consecrated thing or enter the sanctuary for another thirty-three days if she had a boy, and sixty-six days if she had a girl. At the completion of those days, she was to present offerings to make atonement for herself (Leviticus 12).

At this point we must say something most important. Many people would read these laws and view them as useless, senseless, or irrelevant; but, one should realize that these laws reveal the very ways of Yahweh, representing in type works and ways that are being and will be accomplished by Him. Man may not need to keep these laws now, but Yahweh does and will, only on a much higher and broader level than that which men generally focus. Thus, these laws are most important if one wishes to understand the ways and works of Yahweh.

The main point we need to see here in these laws is that the womb and the entire process of bearing fruit from the womb is unclean. This is confirmed in Psalm 51:5 where we find that from conception to birth, men are formed in sin and iniquity.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.

When we realize that the earth is the womb that prepares the sons of God for birth into incorruptible bodies, and understand that equally this earth is unclean, we can see the remarkable parallel and even oneness of these birthing chambers - the earthly woman and the earth. 

In order to add further testimony to the corruptness or uncleanness of this earth, as well as the corruptness and uncleanness of our earthly bodies, let us consider another remarkable testimony edited for us here from the writing - Two Trees In The Garden (also published on this web site). The establishment of one's understanding of this earth's corruption is most important in understanding the remaining points of this writing.

All men from Adam to this moment are born of this earth. All men are born, as written in Genesis 19:31, "after the manner of the earth." All men to this moment are Adam. The only one who has ever come into this world who was not born "after the manner of the earth" was Yahshua, the Christ (the anointed). He was not born of the seed of man, but of the Holy Spirit. Of Him we read - "He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth (which belongs to Satan). He who comes from heaven is above all" (John 3:31). Additionally, Christ declared - "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world; I am not of this world" (John 8:23). Christ is singularly the only one who has yet come from above. The seed that produced His body was not carnal, but distinctly and uniquely the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35).

The impact, the drama, the immense importance of this distinction between the earth-born and the heavenly-born is seen in earthly fertilization. Anyone who has looked at a scientific journal, book, or video production and seen the minute process of fertilization, has beheld within that drama the pictured problem of earthly existence. Revelation 12:9 declares - "And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him."

Within the human fertilization process, this same drama is enacted time and time again. The sperm, which in all appearance and shape looks like a serpent, is "thrown down" to the egg, which in all appearance and shape is a very small world or earth (though infinitesimally smaller). The serpent-appearing sperm enters the earth-appearing egg (both bearing obvious prophetic significance), to produce carnal bodies that clearly are in opposition to God. Only Yahweh knows the full extent of Yahshua's words - "You are of your father the devil" (John 8:44). But certainly we know that this earthly flesh, this earthly body we now reside in, this product of the serpent sperm and the earth egg, is:

"Hostile toward God" and "cannot please God" (Romans 8:7-8), 
"Sets its desire against the Spirit" (Galatians 5:17), 
Makes one "a prisoner of the law of sin" (Romans 7:23), 
Its fruit is "corruption" (Galatians 6:8), 
Causes one to be a "wretched man" (Romans 7, conclusion in verse 24), 
And the dreaded list goes on. 
Is it not thus wholly fitting that this corrupt and Spirit-contrary vessel we receive from the earth where Satan has been thrown down and is master, is given to us via a symbolic "serpent" being cast to an "earth"?

Our only hope in this imposing dilemma is to enter into the distinctly contrasting experience in which Christ came to this earth. He too had a body, but His body was not of the seed of man; He had no association via origin with the little sperm serpent Satan. Clearly, Christ told us that He was conceived from above by the Spirit. Instead of the serpent sperm descending upon the earth egg, John the Baptist beheld the contrasting testimony - the dove of the Holy Spirit descending and remaining on the Son of God.

This Spirit-conceived birth is exactly what we as mortal men most desperately need. This is exactly what Christ was saying when He told Nicodemus - you must be "born from above." This clear distinction, contrast, and dilemma is seen in Christ's words - "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit" (John 3:6). As long as we remain in earthly bodies, in the flesh, of the serpent sperm and the earth egg, we will be at enmity with God. We must have new bodies that are born of the Spirit from above. Christ alone could say He always did the will of the Father who sent Him, because He was not in a body, the seed of which was from Satan's earth. Likewise, we cannot walk as Christ walked in full and complete obedience, until we come forth from this earth and enter into a body that has its origin from the Spirit, from above. Could anything be clearer? Man is in desperate need to get out of this body, and be born from above by the Spirit!

The point of both of these analyses - the earth in its role as a womb, as well as this body we receive by the serpent sperm descending on the earth egg - is to see the uncleanness of this earrth, as well as the uncleanness of the products that come forth from it. Why do I make this point? Let us return to the garden of Eden and see what happened there when Adam and Eve sinned.

When Adam and Eve sinned, they became naked. The glory of Yahweh which had covered them was gone and they sought to cover their nakedness with fig leaves. What are fig leaves? They are the direct fruit or product from this earth. Was that covering sufficient? No it was not. Thus Yahweh personally provided them another covering to replace the original earth-produced covering &endash "garments of skin." Herein lies the important pattern and testimony of Yahweh which will be worked out for all of mankind.

Man is naked from sin and he needs to have his nakedness covered. What does he do? He seeks to cover it with the covering that is of this earth - fig leaves. But, and this is a most emphatic "but" - but, the problem with this covering is that it is a covering that is of this earth, and is thus unacceptable to Yahweh (since anything conceived of this earth is unclean). Yahweh's response is then to replace the first covering, which is of this earth, with a covering which He provides. This is Yahweh's overall goal, if you would, concerning all of mankind - to replace man's earthly covering with a covering which He provides.
 
 

Continue to page 3 of The Covering Bride for THE LAW AND PATTERN OF COVERINGS

THE LAW AND PATTERN OF COVERINGS 
 
 

Now that we have seen this most important garden pattern or preluding testimony from the earth's foundation, let us look at the next highly important and equally attesting evidence of the work of Yahweh to replace the first earthly covering with His heavenly covering. While Adam and Eve marked the beginning of mankind, our next witness marks the beginning of faith mankind - Abraham.

In Genesis 17 we read where Yahweh came to Abraham, or actually Abram at that time, and announced the covenant He would establish with him. "As for Me," Yahweh declared, "behold, My covenant is with you." The sign of this covenant was to be the following - "And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you." Then Yahweh made a most important statement for all mankind - "thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant" (verse 13). 

What we find operating here once again is the issue or law of coverings. Yahweh made a covenant with Abraham, one in which He was going to watch over and fulfill Himself. The sign of this covenant was pictured or evidenced in the circumcision of Abraham, as well as every male in his household; not just family, but male servants as well. What do we see here? The exact thing in principle which occurred in the garden of Eden; and, as we will eventually see, a most wonderful testimony of what Yahweh will do in bringing man into glorification. Let us now look at this covenant in relation to Adam and Eve. Also, this will lead us to a very insightful look at the teachings of Paul concerning coverings.

Before Yahweh made this covenant with Abraham, in his reproductive organ Abraham was not unlike any other man on the face of the earth - foreskin covered him. This foreskin we read of here is characterized specifically as "the flesh." This is a most significant term, since we find throughout the Bible that "the flesh" is viewed by Yahweh as being most contrary and at odds with Him or the Spirit, being very corrupt and defiling. The sign of Yahweh's covenant with Abraham was to remove "the flesh" that specifically covered the head of the organ that would bring forth all the offspring promised to him. These circumcised offspring were to "multiply exceedingly" so as to become "a multitude of nations." Yahweh was taking full responsibility for this, and thus in reality personally became the covering of the promise. Now, note this very carefully. The foreskin covering was removed from Abram, and Yahweh took the place of that covering, thus becoming the greater covering or guarantee. No longer were Abram's offspring an impossible obligation dependent upon the flesh, but now they were a promise with the personal covering and obligation of Yahweh. In becoming his covering, Yahweh personally took responsibility for bringing forth the offspring of Abraham and would fill the earth with them. (And may we note here that one cannot understand the natural fulfillment of this promise, apart from knowing the truth concerning the dispersion of Israel throughout Europe following their captivity in Assyria and their rapid proliferation there.) Let us now make an important comparison of this covenant with Abraham with that which occurred in the garden of Eden.

In the garden, Adam and Eve covered their nakedness with that which was of the earth - fig leaves. But Yahweh knew the inadequacy of this first earthly covering and thus provided His covering, replacing the earthly fig leaves with "garments of skin." This is the identical truth or principle seen here with Abraham. Abraham was equally covered with that which was inadequate and even defiled, identified as being "the flesh."

 Even as Yahweh replaced the first inadequate covering of Adam and Eve with His own covering, so Yahweh replaced the inadequate covering of Abraham's ability to bring forth offspring with His own covering - a covenant or promise. No longer were Abraham and all the males in his household to be covered with flesh, they were now to be covered with the covenant of Yahweh. Yahweh became their covering in the realm of reproduction.

This truth and application of the coverings of Yahweh are identically revealed in the teachings of Paul. We read In 1 Corinthians 11 that any man who prays or prophecies with something on his head "disgraces his head." In the case of the man, we read that in God's order of authority, his head is specifically Christ - the head of the woman being the man, the head of the man being Christ, and the head of Christ being God. 

But we find that this order in which a man goes before God specifically with his head uncovered, has not always been this way. In fact, in times prior to Christ, to have gone before God with one's head uncovered meant certain death! A man today who has called upon the name of Yahshua to be His savior has entered into the priesthood of God - the priesthood of the believer. In this role of priesthood before God (i.e., prayer) or on behalf of God (i.e., prophecy), a man cannot perform either with his head covered. But in the original covenant with man, this was not so. In Leviticus 10:6 we read that if the anointed priest uncovered his head, he would die. Thus, as we see in the laws of Yahweh in the old covenant, a priest had to go before Yahweh specifically with his head covered. This is not the case in Christ. Now if a man goes before Yahweh in his priestly position with his head covered, he shames Christ. Why the difference? The answer is the same as we saw with the covenant with Abraham.

Abraham's "head" in his reproductive organ was covered by the flesh; but, when Yahweh made a covenant with Abraham, in which Yahweh became Abraham's covering, He removed the former to establish the latter. This is exactly what Yahweh did with Adam and Eve - removing the former - the earthly fig leaves - He established the latter - providing His own covering of skin. And this is what Yahweh has done for the head of regenerated man. He has removed the earthly covering of a priestly turban, and provided the spiritual covering of Christ. In each case, Yahweh's purpose is to remove that which is earthly, fleshly, natural, in order to provide that which is perfect, spiritual, and eternal. This is a most important point to realize concerning the ways of Yahweh.

Do you see the wonder and marvel and very significant nature of this matter of coverings? What ever you see now though, is not going to be all; for as you will find, this matter of coverings predominates all of the works of Yahweh. In fact, it can well be said with assurance that one cannot understand the works or the plans of Yahweh apart from examining them according to this government of coverings. 

How can someone understand the actions of a nation apart from understanding the government of that nation? It would be like manipulating oneself blindfolded in a skating rink, with an obstacle course. To understand a nation, one must understand their government. The nation is their government. Even more so, you cannot know or understand Yahweh God apart from understanding His government. And, the major aspect of the government of God is nothing less than the law of coverings. Think about it. It was this law of coverings which was the first act of Yahweh towards restoring fallen man - Adam. And, it was this law of coverings which was the sole distinguishing command of Yahweh to faith man - Abraham. An understanding of the laws of coverings is absolutely essential to understanding all that Yahweh has done, and all that He will do.

In this regard, there is much more that we can and will learn concerning the application of Yahweh's laws of coverings. But before going on, let me urge the reader to obtain and read at some time this writer's book entitled Coverings. It will give you a far greater understanding as to how this law of Yahweh is expressed throughout His creation.

Now that we see the great significance of the circumcision of Abraham - the removal of the fleshly covering from the head of that which produced the promised offspring who would fill the earth, and its replacement with the spiritual covering of Yahweh's covenant - let us examine this for further insight. In doing so, we will find that it holds for us some most marvelous and revealing truths.
 
 

Continue to page 4 of The Covering Bride for SARAI, THE COVERING OF ABRAM

SARAI, THE COVERING OF ABRAM 
 
 

Even as we saw with Adam and Eve in the original garden of God, so the testimony of the law of coverings which Yahweh established through Abraham is a preluding design of that which will be. As we have noted in other writings numerous times before, from Ecclesiastes 1:9 we read: 

That which has been is that which will be,
And that which has been done is that which will be done.
So, there is nothing new under the sun.

This pattern of Abraham's circumcision is not a lone act never to be repeated again. Abraham is too significant a man for that, and this act of his circumcision is too dramatic and too significant a command. The covenant via his circumcision is in fact a preluding foreshadowing testimony of that which will be. For in this matter of Abraham's circumcision of the foreskin of the organ which brings forth offspring, we see Yahweh's testimony of what He will accomplish on the much, much, much higher level of bringing forth godly offspring or seed in the kingdom of heaven; and not just Christianity, but in the more perfect kingdom in which Yahshua bodily reigns here upon this earth.

One must realize and keep in mind that Yahweh's purpose on this earth is to bring forth and fill the earth with godly offspring. This is thus far accomplished in part on lower levels of fulfillment, both in the rearing of physical children in which parents seek to direct them in the ways of God, as well as having spiritual children in which men and women seek to lead others in the teachings and ways of God. But both of these aspects of producing Godly offspring are corrupted levels. We cannot perfectly lead men or children; and they have yet to become perfect offspring. Only Yahweh can truly fulfill this purpose, so we are not talking about fulfilling this by working through the imperfection of our present existence. Yahweh must fulfill this by changing our state of existence. He must remove us from this corrupt earthly state and place us in His perfect spiritual heavenly state. Only then can we be truly free and equipped to produce truly godly offspring, which will then become our task. Let us look at this important point further by returning to the foreshadowing testimony or pattern of Abraham, or more exactly, Abram.

Prior to Yahweh becoming Abraham's covering, or guarantee if you would, this Abram (for such he was called prior to circumcision) was covered in his ability to bring forth offspring by his foreskin or his flesh. This might elicit numerous connotations to you; but, there is a fulfillment of this at a level which you surely have never considered before.

If one ponders this work of Yahweh in becoming the covering of Abraham in his ability to produce offspring, this uncovering of the "head" of Abram raises a very big question. Let me ask you. Before Abraham was circumcised and Yahweh became the covering over his ability to bring forth offspring, when Abram was going to have marital relations with Sarai, was Abram covered in his reproductive capacity at that moment? The answer is no. When Abram was in the tent with his wife for conjugal purposes prior to the placement of Yahweh's covenant over Abram, the physical nature of that moment resulted in the uncovering of Abraham's "head." If you think about this in light of what Yahweh did in becoming Abraham's covering, this in fact does bring up this very real question or wonder. 

Apart from your reading the book Coverings, you are probably unaware of the ill consequences of being uncovered. There are a whole host of evidences in the Scriptures of these ill consequences, whether it be in the area of clothing, the firmament, the incense over the ark of the covenant, a woman's head covering, a beard, Christ, and on and on. The laws of Yahweh require that men be appropriately covered, and the consequence for not being covered is judgment. This is Yahweh's law and way.

Let me give you just one example out of several, which are covered in Coverings, to help you see or understand this law and its consequences. In Leviticus 16:13 we read - "And he (Aaron, or the high priest) shall put the incense on the fire before Yahweh, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, lest he die." This is clear and simple. There was to be a covering over the mercy seat - the cloud of incense - and if that covering was removed or ffor any reason was not in place when the priest came into the holy of holies, then judgment was demanded. The absence of the covering over the ark of the covenant evoked Yahweh's judgment - the death of the high priest. Again, read Coverings for an in depth analysis of this most important law and way of Yahweh.

And thus we see, at the time when Abram was with Sarai to try to bring forth offspring, which they were never able to accomplish (equally, fleshly man cannot bring forth truly godly offspring), Abram, by the physical nature of that precovenant moment, was uncovered and needed a covering. His uncovered state demanded a covering. Without a covering, according to the laws of Yahweh, he would be judged. So, what would be his covering in this moment? Sarai! The uncovered "head" of Abram was soon covered by his wife, Sarai.

You might object here that this is a little farfetched or uncomfortably or even inappropriately irrelevant; but, keep in mind that it was not my idea for Yahweh to use the removal of the foreskin from the reproductive organ of Abram, as well as his offspring and servants, to testify of His covenant with him. This is Yahweh's marvelous testimony, and if you will stay with me, you too will see that this is far more relevant and exceptionally important than you could have ever known or imagined. 

Sarai became the covering of Abram in his temporary uncovered state, prior to Yahweh becoming his covering. When Abram was uncovered, Sarai became the covering until Yahweh removed the foreskin, testifying that he had a new covering, and replacing the old. Thus, until Yahweh could provide the more perfect covering of His covenant, Sarai was the interim covering for Abram. Let me state this again, for it is a most important point. Until Yahweh could provide the more perfect covering of Abram with His covenant, Sarai was the interim covering. This interim covering was to legally cover Abram so as to avert the judgment of Yahweh in his temporary uncovered state, the inherent and inseparable consequence under the law of coverings. 

What does all of this mean? When one is examining the father of faith, one can be entirely certain that this speaks volumes; especially when we are dealing with the very sign of the covenant that Yahweh had with this man of faith, this man that represented the bringing forth of the sons of God, this man who represented the population of the earth with nations of offspring who were to be a blessing to the entire earth. 

I assure you, although the literal offspring of Abraham (the sons of Israel, the Caucasians of Europe who founded the world-blessing nation of America), and though the spiritual offspring of Abraham (the sons of God by faith), have been a blessing and great transforming force to mankind on this earth, these are only lesser preluding levels that come far short of the sons of God who will be glorified in heavenly bodies, who will be the ultimate fulfillment of this great need to bring forth godly offspring that will fill the earth!

How will these offspring come about? In one sense, in the lower sense, they already exist in Christianity. But this level is corrupted and must be refined or "improved." How will all of this work out? The outcome is evidenced by what we have just examined in this testimony concerning Abram and Sarai. Let us look further at this most important testimony.
 
 

Continue to page 5 of The Covering Bride for THE COVERING BRIDE
 
 

THE COVERING BRIDE 
 
 

This is the hardest part in the transition of this teaching, for to elaborate further is to bring information which is entirely new to you (as though this is not), and new information is always extremely hard to relate to. We will continue in our examination of Abram and Sarai in their most significant pattern for faith man. 

First, let us note that in order to bring forth offspring, there must be this male/female combination. There cannot be offspring without both. This is a most important point to realize. Yahweh established it this way for a reason - it foreshadows what He will do in bringing forth these godly offspring at the highest level. Keep in mind now, there of absolute necessity must be this male/female relationship in order to bring forth godly offspring. If you miss this, you will fail to grasp what Yahweh's plans are in His kingdom. There must be the masculine entity as well as the feminine entity in the works of Yahweh.

Where do we see these two entities in the kingdom of God? First and most obvious, we certainly see the masculine entity of the kingdom of God in the body of Christ. Christ was male and His body is thus male. So, we certainly have in the kingdom the male aspect. And, as patterned in the beginning of time (even as we are in the beginning of the kingdom of God), the masculine work precedes the feminine work. As Adam was created first and accomplished his task of naming all the animals prior to Eve ever coming on the scene, so the masculine entity of the kingdom of God, the body of Christ, precedes the feminine entity in His kingdom, the bride of Christ. But, as we all know and as Yahweh noted, it is not good for the male entity to be alone. The masculine body of Christ needs a bride, the feminine, not only for companionship, and not only for offspring, but for another most important purpose which we will see in a moment.

From where will this bride for the body of Christ come? The answer is very simple. Where did Adam, the first man, get his bride? God took her out of his side. He put the man to sleep and took a bride from his side. If the bride of the first Adam came from his opened side while he slept, then the bride of the body of Christ, the body of the "last Adam," will equally come from its opened side while it sleeps. This, of course, is dramatically and clearly testified to by the blood and water coming from the pierced side of the literal body of Christ while He "slept." The bride of Christ cannot and will not be the body of Christ, as believed by most, but must come out of the body. And though I cannot elaborate upon this, the bride of Christ will be the two part Remnant which is established by the former and the latter rains of the Holy Spirit at the very beginning of the church period on the day of Pentecost, and at the very end of the church period - today.

This two-part work is the bride of Christ and will fulfill the unique qualities of the female in that it will be capable of bearing the godly offspring, will not possess the things of this world (as women of the Bible did not have great possessions, those belonging to and being passed on through the masculine; and certainly the masculine body of Christ has possessed the things of this world), it does not go to war (as the body of Christ has, and the reason for which David could not build the temple of Yahweh), it will be a keeper at home with a gentle and quiet spirit (which the masculine body of Christ has not always evidenced), it will obtain the long-hair-represented glory (which the short-haired masculine body of Christ will not obtain), and, as we will see, it will provide a most essential role as the feminine bride for the sake of the body, including not only providing companionship, completeness (the two making one), procreation, but also the body's interim covering.

Recall that until Abram was circumcised in the foreskin of his flesh and received the covering of Yahweh's covenant, when he was aroused to the place of bringing forth offspring, and thus physically his "head" became uncovered, it was Sarai that fulfilled that vital covering. This is the identical foreshadowed role of the bride of Christ for the body of Christ. 

Once again, the newness of this information to the reader makes it more difficult to relate. Attempting to keep this brief, the body of Christ does not exist just today, but rather it is a 2,000 year old body - an old fella, the oldest work of Yahweh in the history of mankind. But his bride won't be so old. In fact, she will be very young - without spot or wrinkle (which is more than can be said for the old masculine body). The members of this 2,000 year old body will not receive their resurrected bodies at the return of Christ, as they expect. No, they will stay in their earthly flesh and be refined as silver and tested as gold (Zechariah 13:7-9). Those "blessed and holy" ones who will be resurrected first into incorruptible, born from above bodies, will be the glorified two-part Remnant - the Moses/Elijah Remnant that is glorified on the mountain while the three-part body of Christ church sleeps. The Remnant is glorified as promised in Revelation 20:4-6, while the 2,000 year long period of the body of Christ is cut off by death and sleeps (Zechariah 13:7-9).

If this is entirely new to you, you are probably at a total blank as to what I am saying. But let us look at this again in light of what we saw with pattern-setting Abram and Sarai. Here we will see one of the marvelous benefits that the bride of Christ provides for the body of Christ.

Until Abram was circumcised in his flesh, Sarai was the interim covering for him. When Christ returns, the body of Christ will likewise not be circumcised of their flesh. Those who have been in the 2,000 year old body of Christ who have died, and those in this present day who do not come out of the body of Christ at the outpouring of the latter rain to become the bride of Christ, will remain in natural earthly bodies - uncircumcised of the flesh. Or in relation to Adam and Eve, they await their "garments of skin," heavenly-born skin, that is directly provided by Yahweh to replace their earthly-born fig leave coverings. (The dead who are in Christ will be resurrected back into earthly bodies to be held accountable for their actions and to be purified.) These will not be circumcised of the flesh, but rather their bodies will still be earthly flesh, earthly fig leaves.

Now, what will be the state of this earthly-fleshed body of Christ? It will be a body that is uncircumcised of its flesh; and when the body and the bride come together to produce godly offspring, the body, like uncircumcised Abram, is uncovered in its ability to bring forth offspring. Thus we see one of the most marvelous purposes of the bride of Christ - it will be the interim covering for the masculine body of Christ until the masculine body can become circumcised in its flesh, until it can put off these bodies of earthly flesh and put on bodies of the incorruptible, the heavenly bodies that are promised to them but which they have had to wait for. Until the body of Christ can be circumcised of its flesh, it will be covered by the glorified, long haired, bride of Christ. This is a truly most marvelous and highly revealing evidence from Yahweh's perfect word.

And speaking of His word, do you recall all the times during the life and the crucifixion of Christ when it was stated that these events occurred "as it was written." Well, "as it was written" the bride of Christ will be the covering of the body of Christ. This is not only seen in the testimony of Abram and Sarai, but as proclaimed by Yahweh through the prophet Jeremiah.

Solomon declared that "there is nothing new under the sun." In the sense that all things are lived out in prophetic foreshadowings at lower prophetic levels beforehand, this is true. But, when the actual fulfillment comes, THAT IS NEW! Christ was foreshadowed in many ways before He came to this earth - as a Passover lamb, as a serpent on aa pole, as Jonah in the great fish, etc. But none of these were the true fulfillment. When Christ came, this was something that in actual fulfillment was new!

In Jeremiah 31:22 we read a promise by Yahweh that is to be "a new thing." Will it be new? Of course it will be, even as the arrival of Christ was new. But before it comes, it will definitely be foreshadowed. What is this new thing? Let us read.

For Yahweh has created a new thing in the earth - 
A woman will encompass a man."

Has a woman ever encompassed a man? Multiple millions and billions of times. Every time a man and a woman come together in conjugal relationship, the woman encompasses the man. So what can be so new about a woman encompassing a man? The actual fulfillment of the prophetic pattern is the "new thing." When the bride of Christ is established to become, among many other purposes, the interim covering of the uncircumcised body of Christ, this scripture will be fulfilled - "For Yahweh has created a new thing in the earth (new in time, and new heavenly bodies) - a woman will encompass a man." This scripture will be fulfilled when the feminine bride of Christ will encompass and become the interim covering for the masculine body of Christ; that is, until the body of Christ can be circumcised of their flesh. When the body and the bride unite in the Millennial reign to bring forth godly offspring, the glorified bride will become the legal interim covering for the fleshly body.

As we saw and established at the onset of this writing through the testimony of the fig leaves, through the evidences that the world is the womb of mankind, through the witness of the flesh as the first covering of Abraham, through the testimony of the removal of the earthly turban worn by the priest in deference to the covering of Christ over the man, we come to see that the first earthly covering is not a sufficient covering and must be replaced by the greater spiritual covering provided by Yahweh. Paul gives us a just account of these bodies we live in, as well as the longing and the hope of this awaited change.

For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed (or, covered), in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life (2 Corinthians 5:1-4).

Until this great change is effected, man remains in the dreadful state identified by Paul as being - earthly, perishable, sown in dishonor, weak, and natural. The great transformation of this state provides us in contrast - the heavenly, imperishable, glorious, powerful, and spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:35-44). It will be this former state for which the resurrected and glorified bride of Christ will become the interim covering, even as Sarai was the interim covering for precircumcised Abram. Yahweh will then perform "a new thing" as the glorified bride of Christ that comes out of her husband, the preceding body of Christ, serves as the interim covering of the body - the woman will encompass the man. As written in the Scriptures, the first will be last, and the last will be first. The last-created bride will enter into resurrection before the first-created body; but not without cause, as she will be the interim covering of the body; and not without the foretelling pattern, as we have seen in the Scriptures. 

In conclusion here, the covering of the body of Christ will continue to be their earthly flesh. Yahweh will circumcise them of this flesh at their appointed time, replacing it with His heavenly provision (even as foreshadowed with Abraham and attested to by the replacement of the fig leaf coverings for Adam and Eve with the "coverings of skin," heavenly-born skin). But until then, in the realm of bringing forth offspring, the glorified bride will be the covering for the still fleshly body. The bride will be the interim covering of the body in this requirement. Oh the wonder and the marvel of Yahweh and His unfathomable word! Praise be to the name of Yahweh!
 
 

Continue to page 6 of The Covering Bride for CHRIST AND HIS BODY
 
 

CHRIST AND HIS BODY 
 
 

There is a point here that should be briefly addressed. Frankly, it could be a writing all its own, but for now we will only lightly address it. An interesting dilemma arises, at least in the minds of some, with Yahweh's advent of the body of Christ. Since the body of Christ is not the same as the bride of Christ, this raises the question of to whom this bride is joined — to the body of Christ or to Christ Himself? When Christ's bride is taken up to be united with Him, for in truth she is the bride of Christ, then to whom is she joined — Christ or the body of Christ? 

The problem with this seeming contradiction or conflict is that one is attempting to separate Christ and His body, "the fullness of Him" (Ephesians 1:23). The body of Christ is, quite simply, just that — Christ's body, the fullness of Him upon this earth. One cannot separate Christ and His body. The two are inseparably ONE.

When the bride of Christ is taken up to heaven to be united with Christ Himself, there is no compromise that the Rebekah will be taken into His mother's tent, Jerusalem above, and joined to the Son of promise — the Isaac. There will be a union of the two there that is not diminished or compromised in any regard. Christ will have His bride, and the two will become one flesh — resurrected, immortal, incorruptible, heavenly-born flesh. But, even as Christ and His bride become one, in truth Christ and His body are one. So, when the bride is joined to Christ, inescapably she is joined to the body of Christ.

If you attempt to be a concrete thinker here, you will be perplexed. There are some mysteries that are just that — mysteries. Concrete thought does not lend itself to two separate entities being one. But without a doubt, this oneness of the Father with the Son as well as with man, is the goal of God, expressed in Christ's prayer in the last verses of John 17 — "Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us." How can a man and a woman be one? They become one in marriage — two but one. How can Christ and His body be one? We know they are, both in experience and in hope. So, when the bride of Christ is joined to Christ in heaven, since Christ and His body are one, one cannot now distinguish Christ from His body so as to surmise that this bride is somehow joined to two husbands. She is not. To the great benefit of the body of Christ, when the bride is joined to Christ, she is in truth legally joined to Christ's body as well. 

One of the problems of grasping these issues involving two being one, is that their fulfillment is at the much higher spiritual level and not the natural. On that higher level, the laws and ways of Yahweh still apply, but the constraints of these earthly dimensions no longer exist. Although the natural is important in that it reveals the spiritual (the natural preceding the spiritual — 1 Corinthians 15:46), the spiritual does not have the immense limitations of the natural. Thus, when a bride is united with Christ in heaven, in harmony with the will and purpose of God she is equally united to the body of Christ on earth, Christ and His body being one. And we have already seen the important and necessary benefits she affords the body. In the end, as is the will of God, ALL will become one — the Father, the Son, His body, the bride, as well as all the offspring from the union of the body of Christ and His bride. It is these offspring that we will consider in the next section.
 
 

Continue to page 7 of The Covering Bride for WHO ARE THESE GODLY OFFSPRING?

Return to home page
 

WHO ARE THESE GODLY OFFSPRING? 
 
 

It is interesting and strange to me that Christianity holds to a Christ/bride truth, yet fails to address the question or to note the immense relevance of why this Christ/bride relationship is established. Why the male/female, why husband and wife, why Christ and a bride? What is the purpose of this union in this obviously deliberate characterization?

It is essential at this point in this examination of the covering bride to reaffirm why this body of Christ/bride of Christ relationship will exist, as well as to consider who specifically these godly offspring will be that are a product of this heavenly designed relationship. "What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate" (Matthew 19:6, Mark 10:9).

The purpose of the union of the body of Christ and the bride of Christ is to bring forth godly offspring. The union of the male and the female in matrimony has one most important designed purpose. Companionship is important, mutual help is important, but the one element that is strictly unique to the union of the male and the female is the bearing of offspring. 

This union of the body of Christ and the bride of Christ should evoke the question as to who will be the offspring? For Yahweh to unite the body and the bride, they must be joined together in order to bring forth godly offspring. Who will these godly offspring be? Many denominations fail to address this question at all (I personally have never seen it addressed once), and some denominations believe in such cataclysmic and wrathful end times, that there is absolutely no room for the bearing of any offspring in the future. One MUST keep in mind that the union of the body of Christ and the bride of Christ is exceptionally purposeful! This highly important union would not occur without the anticipation that there will result from it the procreation of godly offspring.

The answer to this question of who these offspring will be, necessitates being addressed with the understanding of the immensely higher and vastly greater state which the bride of Christ enters into by being born from above into heavenly bodies, as well as the equal state into which the body of Christ will in time enter. It must be realized that by entering into this state of resurrection, one enters into perfection — perfect understanding, perfect knowledge, perfect truth, perfect behavior, in general, being capable of providing a perfect response. This definitely is not the case for man now, even Christian man. The fact is, Christian man, as well as all men, desperately need to undergo this essential change — to be born from above. Until this change occurs, any spiritual offspring are not in truest form godly. Any spiritual offspring effected by Christian man are a mix, being a product of both the good of Yahweh, as well as the evil of carnal man, along with the input and corruption of Satan.

When the bride, the two-part Remnant, enters into this incorruptible state of being born from above, and thus becoming the covering over the still carnal body of Christ (the woman encompassing the man), the two will reside upon this earth with Christ for the purpose of providing truth, justice, peace, harmony, order, everything good that is to be under the theocratic government of Christ as Lord of lords. Under this order of the reigning Christ with the glorified bride of Christ, as well as the still carnal body of Christ, for the first time in history the world will have truth availed to it as it has never had.

With the body of Christ still uncircumcised of its flesh at this point, as with Abram it will not be possible for there to be children of promise as of yet - the Isaac. These sons of promise, these true godly offspring, can only come when an Abram becomes an Abraham and is circumcised of its flesh. Until the body is circumcised of its flesh, the only offspring it can expect is through a relationship with a Hagar, and the birth of an Ishmael. How all of this does or might work out is to be seen. We do know that at the close of the Millennium, rebellion still occurs (Revelation 20:7-10).

As we have already noted, the 2,000 year old body of Christ is far too old to be a bride without spot or wrinkle. And as an uncircumcised Abram, the body of Christ is incapable of bringing forth the promised offspring through the bride of promise, the Sarai. It will not be until the body of Christ is circumcised of its flesh that the true sons of promise can be brought forth.

Once the body of Christ is circumcised of its flesh, receiving its promised imperishable heavenly-born bodies, then the union of the two like parties, the spiritual bride and the spiritual body, will result in the bearing of "Isaac" - the children of promise, the truly godly offspring. Who will these offspring be? Let us now see.

If one has the false idea that Yahweh is going to annihilate men or send them into an unlawful and unjust everlasting fiery punishment, then they cannot possess the truth concerning the purpose and reason for which the union of the body and the bride will unite — to bear offspring after their kind. It is important to note here that these offspring will be derived from the same womb from which the preceding body and bride came forth — the earth. The spiritual offspring which the body and the bride will bring forth will be from those who have preceded them on this earth — the multiplied millions and billions who have resided upon this earth from the beginning of man. The purpose of the union of the body and the bride is to bring all of waiting mankind into union or oneness with the Heavenly Father. This perfect union occurs when men put off the corrupt state of this earth and are born into their heavenly incorruptible bodies. The first shall be last to enter into this immortality, and the last (the bride and then the body) shall be first to enter into immortality. In the end, as presented by Yahshua in Matthew 20:1-16, all men will receive the same pay for their labors on this earth — immortal incorruptible life. But in order for this to be so, men must enter into this union via the works of Yahweh preceding them — through the established union of the body and the bride. From this union, others will be born, again, after their kind — i.e., possessing spiritual bodies.

These offspring will be the spiritual offspring from the union of the body of Christ and the bride of Christ, preceded, of course, by both the bride and later the body entering into that glorified state. These offspring will be the spiritual offspring who, as it is written, "each in his own order" (1 Corinthians 15:20-24) will be transformed from their corrupt earthly existence into their perfect heavenly-born existence, "on earth as it is in heaven." These offspring will be the spiritual offspring who in total will come forth from the dark womb of this earth, having been formed in it, and are in desperate need of being born into His perfect light and breath. These offspring will be the sons of God, as well as those united with the family, the restoration of all things, the perfect establishment of the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.
 
 

Continue to the final page of The Covering Bride for THE BIRTH PROCESS

THE BIRTH PROCESS 
 
 

There are two distinct ways we have been examining this body/bride relationship — via the Abraham/Sarah relationship, as well as the Adam/Eve relationship. Both of these foreshadowing pictures speak to the same works — the body and the bride — yet each picture testifies to different truths specific to each case. In the last section we examined more carefully the Abraham/Sarah relationship in order to see who these godly offspring will in time be — the nations of all people for 6,000 years. In this closing section let us consider once again this Adam/Eve relationship, but this time in order to discern more fully how it is these offspring will come forth. 

We have seen somewhat in this writing a most important point which we will state again here in order to clarify as well as emphasize it. Even as Adam and Eve were the first human male/female figures upon the earth, so the body of Christ and the bride of Christ are the first male/female figures in the kingdom of God. Did you get that? That is very important! Why the two figures? The obvious answer is seen in the specific mandate given to the first two figures at the beginning of the earth — to "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it" (Genesis 1:28). Even as the first couple had this mandate, this is equally the purpose and mandate of the body and the bride in the kingdom of God — to be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it.

This command was issued , of course, by Yahweh after He created the man and the woman on the sixth day. This command was not issued to Adam while He was alone. The verse immediately preceding this command tells us — "male and female he created them." It would have been fruitless to have issued that command to Adam alone — a most impossible task for a man, especially alone. In Jeremiah 30:6 we specifically see the impossibility of the male in bringing forth offspring:

Ask now, and see,
If a male can give birth.
Why do I see every man
With his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth?
And why have all faces turned pale?

It is important to note here that it is impossible for the body of Christ to bring forth the necessary godly offspring, even as it is impossible for any man to bring forth offspring. Frankly speaking, the masculine just is not equipped. And even if he did somehow perform this impossible task, he does not have the plumbing to feed the child after it is born. The Spirit of God could come upon a Mary to conceive; but, He could never have come upon a Joseph to conceive. The male figure in no way has the ability to conceive, give birth, or nourish offspring. These abilities lie wholly with the feminine, which the masculine body of Christ definitely is not.

We have a very real problem in the kingdom of God now, the same problem that Adam had: the kingdom of God, at this time, is single sexed - masculine - with absolutely no ability to bring fforth offspring! Since a man cannot have offspring, then how can He obtain a companion who can? The answer is - Yahweh has to work a miracle for the man.

Returning to the anatomy question, we find the woman, the feminine, is wholly equipped to bring forth offspring. Unlike the man, she is slit so that the bearing of offspring for her is entirely natural. This is not the case with the male. He is not slit. So, in order for "offspring" to be brought forth from his body, miracle surgery is required. The first masculine entity must be put to sleep for this surgery, wherein he too is given a slit, but in his side, which is totally unnatural of course. Accomplishing this, "offspring" can now come forth. The man is masculine, and not feminine, and a slit is not at all natural for him. So, in order for Yahweh to bring forth the woman, this "offspring" requires a most dramatic and highly unique work. The man is put to sleep, a slit is made in his side, and out from it is "birthed" this offspring &endash the woman, who wonderfully is fully equipped to now bring forth these future offspring, and this birthing process can now take place far more naturally.

Right now in the kingdom of God we have an Adam, the body of Christ, more specifically the body of the last Adam. We ask once again &endash Can this masculine entity who is all alone bring forth any offspring? Not by himself! To carry this out naturally, he must have a bride. And since he is not equipped for this purpose of bringing forth offspring, he will have to be put to sleep and a bride "offspring" will have to be taken from a slit placed in his side. This slit was placed in the side of Adam while he was put to sleep. This slit was placed in the side of the last Adam on the cross where He was put to sleep. And, most assuredly, this slit MUST be placed in the side of the sleeping body of Christ in order for Yahweh to bring forth the bride, thus providing the essential two-part male/female beginning in the kingdom of God. Once the bride is added to the kingdom, then the essential equipping is in place for this vital command of Yahweh to be fulfilled - to "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it." Until the bride appears, this is a most impossible task for the body of Christ alone.

The first inhabitants in the kingdom of God must come about in miraculous works performed by God alone. He alone is entirely responsible for producing the masculine Adam and the feminine Eve. It is important to note here though that once this union is created, the process of filling and subduing the earth is now the responsibility of these two. Yahweh did not create Cain, Abel, or Seth. They came about from the union of Adam and Eve. Miraculous creations were not necessary any more. The masculine and the feminine elements were created so that in the uniqueness of each of these two elements, once united they afforded essential procreation for the world. Any future creations following the initial miraculous creation of Adam and Eve, were simply a product of creation "after their kind." 

So it will be in the kingdom of God. The creation of the masculine body of Christ, as well as the feminine bride of Christ, will be miraculous. Yahweh declared to Zechariah concerning the establishment of this two-part body/bride work (revealed to Zechariah as the lamp stand [the body] and the olive trees [the bride]), that these parts were specifically - "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit" (4:1-6). But once this miraculous two-part male/female beginning is established in the kingdom of God, these two entities — the masculine body and the feminine bride &endash will then be equipped (both eventually being born from above into incorruptible bodies) to bring forth all future offspring. The entirely miraculous creation of these first two entities will be followed by the still miraculous (as is the birth of any baby) yet more natural conception via the union of the body and the bride. Do you understand this? Once the body of Christ and the bride of Christ are brought forth by Yahweh, these two will then be used to bring forth spiritual offspring after "their kind."

Of course all of this exists on a purely spiritual level which affords these, as well as other, totally symbolic and descriptive representations. The bearing of offspring by the body of Christ and the bride of Christ, will result in the whole of mankind for the last 6,000 years entering into the state that the body and the bride will already possess &endash heavenly bodies. The "in kind" command assures that the remainder of mankind will enter into this heavenly-born relationship with the Father, experiencing that transformation which the previously established body and bride will have already entered into. The ultimate outcome of the creation of the male and the female and the offspring they will bring forth, will be the conversion of all men into the kingdom of heaven, ALL TO THE GLORY OF YAHWEH! What was intended for the first Adam and Eve, will be fulfilled at the much higher level with the last Adam and Eve. "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."

PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME FOREVER!
 
 

ADDENDUM:

Additional reading specifically on the subject of the hidden bride of Christ is available in the 100 page book entitled Coverings. An entire chapter in this book is devoted to the many scriptural testimonies and evidences concerning this mystery bride. This information cannot be found anywhere else and is exceptionally well worth your reading. Click here to read Coverings online. If you would like to order the printed version of Coverings, please call the number on the title page of the online edition.