There are several interesting parallels between the re-building of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the work of re-awakening that the Lord is doing in His Church in this end-time.
For the purpose of this article, we’ll start with the revelation that God gave Prophet Zechariah to strengthen the hands of the temple builders in the midst of the storm that arose against the work. We see this revelation in Zechariah 4:1-14.
To access this particular revelation, Zechariah was taken up to a higher notch in the realm of the spirit. Verse 1 of the passage tells us that the angel woke him up AS a man that is ‘WAKENED OUT OF HIS SLEEP’ (obviously, Zechariah was not asleep!) This is somewhat similar to Daniel’s experience in Daniel 8:18, and to Apostle John’s experience in Revelation 1:17 and 4:1. All had to ‘ascend higher’ to see better.
The experience was an indication that they were about to be shown some very deep matters. In all the three cases, the revelation the men were given relates to events pertaining to the end-time.
For Zechariah, what he saw was A CANDLESTICK ALL OF GOLD. It is a simple revelation that has one of the deepest significance in the Scriptures. For what Zechariah was seeing is the blueprint of HOW God will build His church in the end-time in preparation for the return of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
In the immediate context of Zechariah’s days, the vision related to the completion of the Second Temple. But it has a deeper application for the end of the age.
For the CANDLESTICK ALL OF GOLD that Zechariah saw is somewhat similar to the seven golden candlesticks that Apostle John saw in the Island of Patmos in Revelation 1:13. Zechariah’s CANDLESTICK ALL OF GOLD had blossomed to SEVEN GOLDEN CANDLESTICKS – the Church of Jesus Christ. For the sake of convenience, we’ll be using the two visions interchangeably due to their similarities.
When Zechariah sought the interpretation of the CANDLESTICK ALL OF GOLD that he saw, he got this response: “… This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” (verse 6)
The meaning was clear. The arduous task of completing the building of the Second Temple would neither be achieved BY MIGHT nor BY POWER. It would ONLY be by the Lord’s Spirit. Verse 7 tells us that Zerubbabel will “… bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.”
So, the work of completion would be by the Lord’s Spirit. And it would be by grace. It is in this EXACT manner that the church of the end-time will be built for the return of the Bridegroom. It will be by A CANDLESTICK ALL OF GOLD.
ALL OF GOLD speaks of how the work will be ALL OF GOD. For gold, in this respect, symbolises an unalloyed work of God. NOTHING of man – ALL OF GOD.
It is a work that cannot be tainted or corrupted by the strategies, ideas, perspectives, and machinations of MAN. It has to be ALL OF GOLD. ALL OF GOD. This is the standard – the GOLD STANDARD – for the work of re-building the end-time church. We compromise that standard at the peril of our souls.
For this exact standard is what was shown to Apostle John as he saw “… in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man…” (Revelation 1:13). It was THE SON OF MAN in the midst of the candlesticks that made all the difference to the golden candlesticks. Indeed, it was the ‘visitation’ of Jesus to the seven churches in Asia that put the churches back on track where God wanted them to be.
Before the manifestation of the man in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one of the churches thought she was ensconced in the arms of her FIRST LOVE – but she was not! Unknowingly, she had left her first love! She needed to REPENT and TURN (Revelation 2:1-7).
Before the manifestation of the man in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one of the churches thought she was alive and thriving – but she was not! She was practically dead! She needed to REPENT and TURN (Revelation 3:1-6).
Before the manifestation of the man in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one of the churches thought she was ‘rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing’ – but she was not! She was ‘wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked’. She needed to REPENT and TURN (Revelation 3:14-22).
It was the manifestation of the man in the midst of the candlesticks that made all the difference. And, as God brings the Church Age to a close, it is EXACTLY this manifestation that God will resort to – the candlestick ALL OF GOLD.
It is for this reason that God is beginning to reveal Christ to His Church again in these Last Days. Men are today beginning to have a glimpse of the revelation of Christ in a way that He was not known – even in the last few decades. The man in the midst of the candlestick is beginning to manifest Himself. And it is for a simple task: to complete the temple – the habitation of God through the Spirit. A task that was fore-shadowed by Zerubbabel in the Old Testament.
This revelation has serious implications for ALL believers that are living in these days in the run-up to the return of the Lord. If we do not have a clear understanding of what God is doing today, we will miss out on God’s final plans for His Church. Slothful servants that sleep in the final harvest. A very, very bad position to be in.
Not only must we understand WHAT God is doing, it is extremely important to also understand HOW He is doing it. And the HOW is the standard He is using – a candlestick ALL OF GOLD.
In these days, we MUST all run very far away from all the strategies and machinations of MAN in the building of the temple of God – His Church.
In these days, these are all an ANATHEMA. Pure filth and dross in a work that has to be ALL OF GOLD. Everything and anything (including ANYBODY) that is not of GOLD has to be discarded and ‘burnt’.
Please note this next point diligently. God will NEVER, EVER, EVER compromise on this standard of GOLD in the work of the end-time. It has been in His mind from the ageless past – as revealed to Zechariah.
Rather than compromise on that standard, God will rather crush ANYBODY and ANYTHING that stands in His way. For GREAT is the King that is coming! The King whose ways must be prepared BEFORE He returns (Isaiah 40:3-5). In this essential work of preparation, valleys will be exalted and mountains will be brought down.
It is because of this GOLD STANDARD that the Lord is today side-lining systems and servants that He had TOLERATED in the past – including the denominational church system and the carnal pastoral system we use today. In these days, anything that is of man in the work of God has to go – with ZERO exception!!! Those who continue to abide where God has left will rot in the shadow of the work of the candlestick ALL OF GOLD.
How does this apply to us today? Clearly, the church of today is NOT familiar with God working in the midst of His people. We were mostly born into church systems where MEN sought to build the church of God. We have become accustomed to those systems and ways. We recognise them as ‘the church life’.
Thus, the ‘arrival’ of the Man in the midst of the golden candlesticks is going to be an irritation to many! They will find Him disruptive because they neither know Him nor understand His ways. They certainly will not understand why He’ll have to be the ONLY KING – with absolutely no co-rulers in His church. Believers are too used to seeing ‘men of God’ as some sort of vice-regents of God, and will not like to see them side-lined as Jesus fully takes the reins of His Church.
Therefore, there will be no room for Jesus in the mainstream church! We shouldn’t be surprised about this, for when we saw Jesus arrive at the church in Laodicea, where was He? He was at the door! If He was the Lord of the church, why would He be consigned to the door? On His arrival, why was He not welcomed to the centre-stage of the church and celebrated as the Lord of the church?
It is because, according to several Bible prophecies, the church of the end-time will not have Jesus at the centre, generally speaking! And so, Jesus stands at the door. And knocks. Calling out to those who can still hear His voice (Revelation 3:20). Calling them, and ONLY them, to an intimate fellowship with Himself.
But, please hear this. Those that come out to Him MUST understand the NEW RULE IN TOWN! And that NEW RULE is a candlestick ALL OF GOLD. Those who unrepentantly come into this terrain with ANY of the corruption of the old system will enter a new level of darkness that may probably be worse than staying in the disco-lit church system! For, it will amount, in a way, to crucifying Christ afresh! Coming into His immediate sphere, and still trying to build with man’s wisdom and strategies.
Thus, it is important to learn, learn, and re-learn the way that God works in His temple. For when He is in the temple, the whole world MUST keep silent before Him (Habakkuk 2:20).
Here are just a few of the many points to note in this regard.
(1) SAY NO TO GLORY-SHARING: When God works, He does not share His glory with ANY man. Not in any way. Those that do not learn this lesson, and understand it very well, will soon be out in the cold. A candlestick ALL OF GOLD!
(2) PRAYER, PRAYER, PRAYER: God works on the wings of the prayers of His people. When Jesus drew the attention of His disciples to the fact that the harvest was ripe, He did not tell them to jump into the field and start harvesting! Rather, He told them to “… PRAY YE THEREFORE the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:2)
Two implications of this. First, those that are not sent by God, but choose to run into the work will run into fire! Second, in these days, believers ought to be VERY EARNEST in the place of prayer SO THAT God can work in our midst – in His own way, and in His own time. A lot of what we do today in the name of ‘reformation’ are flesh-driven initiatives of men. God is waiting to work. Waiting on us to call on Him to work. To build His church as promised in Matthew 16:18. A candlestick ALL OF GOLD!
(3) BODY MINISTRY IS KEY: Believers need to understand HOW the Holy Spirit works through the BODY MINISTRY in the church. The church system has ‘damaged’ our spiritual brains in this area, so we don’t understand it well. Thus, what we see today are believers that are floundering to be all things in the Body – performing roles that God has not SPECIFICALLY ASSIGNED them today. Satanic activities instigated by fleshly zeal! Rather, this is how it works: “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, AS IT HATH PLEASED HIM” (1 Corinthians 12:18). We must wait on the Lord to set us where He wants us to be in the Body. And then stay THERE, and there ONLY!
One of the most important lessons in this regard is something we can learn from God’s great army in Joel 2:1-11. The picture we want to ‘borrow’ is in verses 7 and 8, “… they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one IN HIS PATH….” Very apt picture! Every believer in his/her lane as set by God in the Body.
This picture is also entirely consistent with what we see in Apostle Paul’s exhortation in 1 Corinthians 14:29-31, “… ye may all prophesy ONE by ONE, that all may learn … all may be comforted.” Orderliness in the Body.
The emerging church still lacks a thorough understanding of the Body Ministry. And, if we are not careful, this may create a huge gap in our work – for this is the ONLY WAY that God will work to build His Church in our midst BY HIMSELF. There is no other way. We should all be earnest in our prayers that the Lord should please send us faithful teachers that will educate us on the true meaning of Body Ministry. A candlestick ALL OF GOLD!
(4) GOD’S WAYS ARE NOT OUR WAYS: God works STRICTLY according to His word and His ways, NOT according to the OPINIONS AND PERSPECTIVES OF MEN. This is the stickiest point where MOST ‘believers’ will fail and fall in this end-time. Such believers are too fond of their personal views, opinions, and perspectives to humble themselves under the authority of God’s word.
As we today live in the AGE OF SELF, men will NOT want God’s sound doctrines! There is a demonic zeal to heap teachers that will tell them what THEY WANT TO HEAR (2 Timothy 4:3-4). It is NOT about Christ – it is about them! All the ‘believers’ that are in the habit of striving with God’s sound doctrines have come to the end of their road in this NEW STANDARD! They may think they are working for God, but under the radar, God will be hardening their hearts in their rebellion – until it will be too late to turn back. This will be their judgment. Silent, but very deadly! For the standard is a candlestick ALL OF GOLD!
There are several other points to note in addition to the above four, but these have just been highlighted to give us an inkling into what to expect. And how to conduct ourselves, in great humility, in these days.
These are the days of the Lord’s power, and His genuine people will indeed be willing (Psalm 110:3). Willing to RUN FAR AWAY from the ways of man in building the church of God. RUN FAR AWAY from the fleshly impulses that push men into the work of God. RUN FAR AWAY from the praises of men that may unintentionally push us into the arena of God’s glory.
These are days to be EXTREMELY HUMBLE before God, because He is leading us in a way that we are not accustomed to. And in a way that our flesh will find EXTREMELY uncomfortable and inconvenient. Fortunately, the race in these Last Days will NOT be by power or might. It will be ALL by God’s Spirit – as promised in the vision of Zechariah.
And grace, great grace, will be available for the contrite, humble-hearted, and OBEDIENT believers that have no desire in life apart from seeing Jesus HIGH AND LIFTED UP in His church, and eventually on the earth.
All those that are interested may take a moment to say a word of prayer, and express their hearts to God. A cry for help. And for mercy. For God’s work shall be ALL OF GOLD, and there will be NO COMPROMISE. Please remember that prayer, prayer, and more prayer will be required to oil the work of God in these Last Days.
So, in deep humility, and with heads bowed in awe of His majesty, let us get on our knees. The King is at the door! Amen.
Thanks for reading, God bless you real good.
Source: Church Watch in Nigeria.
https://www.facebook.com/Church-Watch-in-Nigeria-742640349163995/
