CORNELIUS

Since the latter rain did not come at Passover, as had been expected, or at the seeming long shot of Pentecost, then when could the latter rain come? Could it come at Tabernacles instead? Or, as we are about to consider here, maybe it could come at a time in which there is not even a feast?

In the account regarding Jonah, we noted that his flight from Yahweh began by first going to a place called Joppa. From there, Yahweh took him on an unexpected route where he saw Him have mercy. Surely this association with Joppa and what took place afterward is not happenstance, especially when it comes to the entirely prophetic nature of the Scriptures?

In Acts 9:36-43 we find Peter being called to Joppa to pray for a woman named Dorcas, or Tabitha, who had died. There Peter was shown the tunics and mantles she had made while performing acts of charity. Peter knelt down and prayed, then turned to the body and said – “Tabitha, arise” – whereupon she opened her eyes and sat up.

It seems quite evident that we are seeing here a representation of the Bride. Joppa means “beauty,” and Tabitha has the same meaning – “beautiful.” So, Peter went to “beauty” to raise “beautiful” out of her sleep, wherein the Bride has been while in the body of Christ (the Lazarus coming out of his sleep), and is now opening her eyes to see. This is the one who had been making mantles, or coverings, as acts of mercy. (Tabitha’s coverings are not coincidental.) And while there in Joppa, Peter fell into a trance and, upon seeing a thrice manifested vision of unclean animals on a sheet (once again revealing the 3,000 years of the church), was likewise told – “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unclean” (Acts 10:9-16). To get on to the point here – via this message, Peter ended up going to the home of the centurion soldier, Cornelius, and while speaking to them, the Spirit of Yahweh fell upon them even as it had fallen on the day of Pentecost.

This might not be so striking, except for the fact of the meaning of Cornelius’ name. We have seen that the outstanding identification that repeatedly arises per Satan and his mark, even on Christianity, is the horn or the steeple. This horn is found most distinctly on Satan’s image engraved on Africa (click here); it was in the smoke image of Satan in the burning twin towers (click here and scroll to middle of page); it was testified in the 2000 elections in the contest between second-Remnant-representing Bush and Satan-representing Gore; it is found on the military hats of the Germans, who, with their two world wars (2,000 years) and the loss of the Third Reich/kingdom, prophetically represent Christianity; it is found in the “horned things” that the prodigal son ate while feeding the swine (click here); it is in fact nothing more than a thorn that the world was cursed to bring forth when Adam and Eve sinned; and in reality one can say that the horn is nothing less than the tower of Babel. Again, repeatedly we have seen evidenced that the horn represents Satan and Christianity. So, what does one conclude when they find that Cornelius’ name means “horn-bearing”?

What does all of this mean? There has to come a time when Yahweh has mercy on flesh man who is afflicted and marked by Satan, and cease calling us unclean, but rather clean. He must pour out His Spirit upon us, not based upon Law, but based upon mercy. The outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost was based upon Law. This first outpouring was on a feast and thus fulfilled the Law. BUT, when the Spirit was poured out upon “horn-bearing,” or Cornelius, it was not on a feast and thus was based on pure mercy. This is what Yahweh is going to have to do for Satan-afflicted and marked man. Therefore we find in this event a foreshadowing testimony that the latter rain could be poured out in much needed mercy and be given at any time.

Taking out a bride is a direct result of having mercy on horn-bearing Christianity. Let us look at two testimonies that bear this out. While Yahweh planned wrath toward Babylon (remembering that Babylon bore the original horn – the tower), He had mercy instead. While He went ahead and put Babylon to sleep (the Meads and Persians did in fact come down and take over Babylon), the outcome was that by doing so He then called out a bride, a remnant, and took them to Jerusalem to restore the temple. This is the same thing that has to happen to the body of Christ. While Yahweh has planned judgment and destruction on the body of Christ (it pleases Him to crush it – Isaiah 53:10), He will instead have mercy on it, equally put it to sleep, and take out a Bride and establish her in new Jerusalem to rebuild His temple. Thus the former physical testimony concerning Babylon, foreshadowed that which is to take place in spiritual mystery Babylon.

In a like physical picture, the Roman soldier planned wrath on Yahshua’s natural body (upon whose head was a crown of thorns/horns) and came to it with that purpose – he was going to break His bones in order to kill Him. Bones speak of the source of life, insomuch that blood comes from the bones and life is in the blood; and to have broken Yahshua’s bones would have testified that the Son of God did not have the power of an indestructible life, which He did, and so demonstrated by coming up from the grave. But because Yahshua had already gone to sleep, the soldier performed a work that was in fact the identical testimony of mercy – he took a sharp spear and pierced His side and out came water and blood. As pointed out in the writing titled Whose Coming Is Through Water And Blood, this is the Bride coming out of the sleeping body of Christ, the same testimony we found in the remnant of Judah coming out of sleeping Babylon. And once again seen here even more graphically and clearer, the sleeping body of Christ is put to sleep and in Yahweh’s mercy He takes from its side a bride.

Thus we say once again – as we see here that Yahweh had mercy on “horn-bearing” and gave him the Spirit of Yahweh strictly out of His mercy, calling clean that which is legally unclean, so when Yahweh has mercy on horn-bearing Christianity, the outcome will be that He pours out His Spirit on a people based entirely on mercy and not on law. The outcome of this, once again, is that since this is based purely on mercy, this outpouring can be at any time, even as testified by the outpouring of the Spirit on Cornelius.

While the men were here, the question arose – What is Jerusalem above? The answer to that question came out the next day. In Genesis 27:13 we find a statement that provides the answer. Here we read Rebekah’s response to Jacob when she told him to go into his father and present himself as Esau so as to receive the blessing. But Jacob feared that he would be discovered and a curse would fall upon him. Rebekah then replied – “Your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get (the two choice kids) for me.”

Let me ask you a question: Who is it that you think of when you read this statement – “Your curse be on me”? Does this not ring quite clearly concerning the work of Yahshua? Indeed it does. Let us take this even further. Isaac favored Esau to receive the blessing, and legally he had every right to it; but, his wife Rebekah knew that that blessing had to go to Jacob (as it was so declared to her before his birth – Genesis 25:23), and she performed the work and led him in the way in order to receive it, which he did. Likewise, Adonijah had the legal right to reign in place of King David (outside of an obscure brother named Chileab), and “Yahweh father,” or Joab (for such is the meaning of his name), knew this and fully supported it. But once again, Bathsheba had a prior agreement with David concerning this and equally overturned that which seemed right according to the law and natural choice. Likewise, when Yahweh told Abraham that Sarah would have a son, noting his and her old age, he implored – “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!” By law Ishmael was indeed Abraham’s first-born son; but as in the other cases, Yahweh was going to perform another miracle work by grace and give the birthright to another.

So in each case here we see that a work was performed or a choice was made that was not based on the Law, but rather on mercy. So once again we ask - What is Jerusalem above? Jerusalem above is the work of God that is based upon mercy and not Law. It is the Rebekah work or the Bathsheba work. Jerusalem above is the feminine expression of mercy triumphing over judgment. It is actually in fullness the feminine expression of Yahshua – “Your curse be upon me”! Jerusalem above is the righteousness of God coming to this corrupt earth when men do not deserve it, and furthermore, is even unlawful. This was the message given to Peter, who knew it was entirely unlawful for him to go into the home of a Gentile – “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unclean.” And once again, this is the work that Yahweh must perform for carnal man – He must no longer consider man unclean and go to his house, this earth, and give him what he does not deserve according to the Law. This is why it is entirely possible for the latter rain to come on man at any time – it does not have to be based on Law and can come outside the realm of a feast, as Yahweh has mercy.

In fact, there is something else most interesting and important to note about this. If Yahweh’s Spirit came on Passover, it would be a fulfillment of Passover. If His Spirit came on Pentecost, it would be a fulfillment of Pentecost. And if His Spirit came on Tabernacles, it would be a fulfillment of Tabernacles. But, if His Spirit came in mercy and not by the Law, and was poured out at any time irregardless of a legal feast, He could then accomplish all of the testimonies set forth in all of the feasts at one time, even as we find evidenced in the heavenly testimony covered in the writing Ascending Alive. This could be most amazing and could indeed be accomplished only by removing the constraints of Law. And yet, by performing this act of mercy, He could unite Law and mercy and accomplish the entire Law of the feasts at one time.

Thus we see here the great difficulty of understanding Yahweh. He acts according to the Law; but, at some point He acts out of mercy, or as stated in Hebrews 7:15-28, out of an oath (as testified per David and his oath to Bathsheba regarding Solomon), and even in so doing thereby fulfills His Law. In the end, mercy triumphs over judgment. This is equally the difficulty of walking in His ways, for both law and mercy are necessary; and though law often has to labor alone, it is the coming together of these two that in the end is essential in order to bring forth offspring. (Read The Conflict.) But oh the process of this eventual union is sometimes as difficult and unpredictable as relationships often can be!

Continue to page 6 of Alls Well … for ANOTHER SMOOTH MAN

Return to home page