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Philadelphia Tabernacles Conference

Today we begin our week end Tabernacles conference in the Philadelphia area. When we arrived here earlier on October 6th, we noticed signs posted all around town that read, "October 7: Beginning a New Era."

They had other reasons for posting those signs, of course, but I always find it amusing how God uses people to prophesy without their knowledge. Yes, October 7 is indeed the beginning of a new era, for it was the first day of Tabernacles and the day we poured out the seventh vial.

This feast is also called a harvest festival, since it comes at the end of the growing season when all the fruits of the land have been harvested for the year. In our case, it is especially significant, because we have sown the word for many years, and now, I believe, we are beginning the era of harvest.

Jesus told a parable in Matthew 13 about the sower who sowed good seed in various places. Some of the seed fell on poor soil with few results. But some seed fell in good soil, which resulted in a harvest of thirty-fold, or sixty-fold, or a hundred-fold. I have been conscious of this for many years and long ago asked God to keep away those who did not have ears to hear, so that I would not waste my time and effort sowing on poor soil. I have often laughed, saying that He answered my prayer. They stayed away in droves!

Years ago a preacher that I knew had a small church of perhaps 30 people, but he was part of a team who made a trip to Washington each year to talk to government officials about the Kingdom of God. Government officials are always impressed by numbers, of course, and one of them asked the preacher how many he had in his church. The preacher replied, "Oh, thousands never get in."

The government official was quite impressed.

Our work of sowing has been a six-year work since 2000, a 13-year work since 1993, and a 20-year work since 1986 (the 120th Jubilee from Adam). We poured out seven vials since Tabernacles of 2000, fought a battle of Jericho for 13 years since 1993, and have labored as Laban for 20 years since the great 120th Jubilee in 1986.

It is also the end of 6,000 years of labor since Adam.

It is now clear that the time has come to reap what we have sown and to enjoy the fruit of our labor. This is the underlying purpose of a Sabbath day or year. If the seed is good, the fruit will be good.

After the feast of Tabernacles in ancient times, the "former rain" fell to prepare the ground for planting. The "latter rain" fell in the Spring after Passover to ripen the wheat for Pentecost. The Bible uses these natural things as an illustration of the outpouring of the Spirit. Peter said in Acts 2 that what they were seeing then was the latter rain, because the Holy Spirit came down from heaven as rain upon the people at Pentecost.

But we are actually looking for the "former rain," which does not occur until the Feast of Tabernacles and afterward. This rain prepares the whole world for a whole new rest-work, wherein God prepares the heart of the world to receive the good seed for a later harvest. In a sense, of course, this is also a harvest, because people are coming to a knowledge of Jesus Christ and being gathered into His "barn."

The signs and the revelation of the past year seem to indicate that this is the year when these things begin. I wrote last February that Noah died 2006 years from Adam, making this year the "Year of Noah." Noah's flood prophesied of the flood of the Holy Spirit that is to cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Are we there yet? It certainly seems so.

My request is that you would pray toward that end, and pray for us at this conference. Pray that the Holy Spirit would manifest Himself among us, because this would be of benefit to you and ultimately to the whole earth. We do not need to pray that the Holy Spirit will BE HERE. He already is here. Our prayer is that He would not remain anonymous, but would manifest His presence among us in a genuine way.

Thank-you for remembering us in prayer. I must go now and prepare for the first meeting. God's blessing be upon you.