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Reversing Laodicean Blindness

We took note last September at the Feast of Tabernacles (held in Denver) that the first five bowls of wine poured out upon Babylon in Revelation 16 involved hearing something, while the sixth bowl said, "And I SAW."

This was significant to us, because last September was the time when the sixth bowl was to be poured out upon the "Euphrates" (Rev. 16:12). For some years I had wondered if the Father would have to send me to Iraq to perform in the world what the angel was doing in the heavens. I was glad when He told us to go only a short distance over the mountains to Grand Junction, CO and specifically to the suburb of Fruita.

When I told my friend Ron what the Father had said, he told me that back in 1999 he had told friends to "watch Grand Junction, because some day it will be very important." The reason is because the city is so named because it is at the Junction between two rivers--the Gunnison and the Colorado rivers--and that it therefore represented Mesopotamia, "the land between two rivers."

Mesoptamia is, of course, the old land of Babylon, named for the fact that it was located between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. Thankfully, then, I did not have to make a quick trip to Iraq, but went only to Grand Junction and specifically to Fruita to pour out a bowl of wine into the Colorado River. This was done in the presence of about 50 or 60 witnesses. Fruita means fruitfulness; so doesEuphrates.

Yes, I am led to some strange things at times. It would be nice to do it all secretly to preserve my reputation and status as legally sane. But I learned many years ago that to do the type of ministry that God had for me, I had to first give up all need for reputation. It is an intercessory ministry, and the great Example is Jesus Himself, who set aside all reputation to come and minister in earth (Phil. 2:7). I learned that if we care too much what others think, our sense of priority suffers, and we end up putting reputation above simple obedience to God.

At any rate, we began to see that in the year 2006 God was going to begin to open our eyes in some way. I had not thought of this when writing the prayer for "God Is Able" prayer campaign on June 15. But there it is, and I believe that your prayer will be answered in various ways in the days ahead.

In Rev. 3:17, 18 we read about the Laodicean Church,

"Because you say, I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I counsel you to buy from Me gold tried in the fire, that you may be [truly] rich; and [buy from Me] white garments, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness is not exposed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve that you may see."

The Laodicean Church represents the condition of the end-time Church. It seems largely applicable to the Church in America, which has become increasingly materialistic and has begun to teach that "gain is godliness" (1 Tim. 6:5). In other words, ministerial prosperity is thought to be the barometer of spirituality and godliness. Because of this prophesied condition, some ministers flaunt their wealth, purchasing large mansions, expensive cars, and private jets--not because they need them for daily living, but as a demonstration of godliness.

They do not realize, as Scripture says, that they are actually quite "poor," as well as blind and naked in the sight of God. It is not my purpose to expose their nakedness, of course, for even God covered the nakedness of Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:21). Their poverty is self-evident in their lack of Scriptural understanding. It is my hope and purpose to make up for this as best I can with this web log. For this reason I labor daily to share the spiritual food that God has given me over the years.

God made it clear to Moses that God is the one who blinds eyes and deafens ears (Ex. 4:11), and thus only He can open the eyes and ears as well. For this reason, I have no mandate to force anyone's eyes open. We can only appeal to God to do something, and we did so in the "God Is Able" prayer campaign.

There is a parallel that is helpful in understanding the current situation. In Moses' day, the law was given twice. The law in Exodus was given first at the beginning of Israel's sojourn in the wilderness. The second law ("Deuteronomy") was given 40 years later at the end of Israel's wilderness experience just before Joshua led them into Canaan.

Acts 7:38 says that this was "the Church in the wilderness." There is a parallel experience in the New Testament Church. The first law was given in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost, which, as you know, was the feast day celebrating the giving of the law at Mount Sinai. The Church has now completed its 40 JUBILEES in its own "wilderness," and so we are at the time of the second law being given to the Church. It is the Deuteronomy phase of the Church in the wilderness just before "Joshua" (Jesus) leads us into the Promised Land.

This understanding has provided me with some motivation to teach the law to the Church today, so that they will understand it--from a New Testament perspective, of course. We must view the law through the eyes of Christ, or else we will not understand it any better than the rabbis did in Jesus' day.

It is one thing to teach the law, and quite another to have it written on the heart. I can write the words, but only the Holy Spirit can write it on the heart. This, to me, is one of the primary purposes of our prayer that the Holy Spirit would be poured out upon all flesh. Some focus upon the miracles of healing or other things--which are certainly important, especially to those who are sick--but miracles of healing do nothing to resolve the bigger problem in the Laodicean Church.

The bigger problem can only be resolved as the terms of the New Covenant are established. Hebrews 8:10 tells us,

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put My laws into their mind and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people."

Many have been blinded to this truth by the deception that the Jews are Israel, for then it would seem that the New Covenant is not even applicable to "gentiles." They say that the Jews are saved by the law, and the gentiles are saved by grace. This rank heresy, if true, would mean that no Jew could be saved--because the law can save no one, not even a Jew. I do not subscribe to such a view.

The New Covenant is applicable to all men without distinction. The reason Hebrews specifies "Israel" is because it assumes that we know how to become a Jew and how to become an Israelite. These are questions of citizenship, which are regulated by law. How to become a "Jew" and how to become an "Israelite" are discussed in my books on Who is a Jew? and Who is an Israelite? These are legal questions, not genealogical questions, for a genealogical Jew or Israelite could be expelled from his tribe if he violated certain laws.

In other words, the law trumps genealogy.

Ultimately, we seek the Holy Spirit to bring the New Covenant into full manifestation. Then our character will be changed, and not merely our actions.