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The Raven—Turning Evil Into Good

 September 1st 2018 - I have of late been very aware that the way of Yahweh is to take evil and turn it into good. Or you could say that out of evil comes good. I am not saying that all evil circumstances produce good. But keep in mind, there was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and when Adam and Eve ate from it, Yahweh declared, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:22).

This truth will not be examined here in a broad manner; but rather, we will examine one hopeful and vital application or fulfillment of this—which will help you to understand this better. We will begin with a story with which you could already be familiar, and will seek to be brief.

There are some things in life that are so very profound and miraculous that they are unmistakably the work of the Father, and this is one of them. In probably 1967, one of my two ravens that I had as pets flew across town where I lived and landed on the roof of the house next door to where the girl I would later marry lived. This was my male raven, Louie, and he stood on that adjacent roof and called out to her at her bedroom window. As addressed in the writing, The Raven, which affords additional details of this account, this was undisputedly Divinely ordered! It could not have happened otherwise. That raven had never been away from my house; and with 360 degrees in which to fly, and innumerable distances, the Father alone sent that raven there. And one must ask: Why? Why did He perform this clear miracle regarding the girl I would marry? Certainly, it is remarkably attesting and highly confirming and encouraging prophecy.

Over time, I had five different ravens; and one, the female to that male, I had for twenty-three years. She did not care if that male flew off, for she regarded me as her mate. Her name was George. (I named her before I could determine the sex of the bird.) Why do I bring all of this up? I am confident Yahweh is prophesying through these events pertaining to the raven.

First and foremost, what Yahweh did with Louie flying across town to call out to and in fact identify my bride-to-be, speaks to us today. Frankly, it gives me hope that I am indeed the Elijah, who in fact likewise identifies Immanuel’s bride, and calls out to her. Again, there is no question that what took place then was a powerful attesting miracle.

But you might wonder, “How can Elijah be a raven?” Ravens have a testimony in the Scriptures that is not so good. Proverbs 30:17 states: “The eye that mocks a father and scorns a mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out, and the young eagles will eat it.” And the first time the raven is found in the Scriptures is not good either. In fact, it is a type of Satan. In Genesis 8:6-7 at the end of the flood, we read: “Then it came about at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made; and he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth.” Where else do we read concerning this specific practice? Job 1:7 states: “Yahweh said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’ Then Satan answered Yahweh and said, ‘From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.’” The raven is Satan, and he has been roaming about and flying here and there on the earth for six thousand years, seemingly moreso in the last two thousand years. “Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time” (Revelation 12:12).

But let us look further at the raven. In 1 Kings 17:1 Elijah declared to Ahab: “As Yahweh, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” Obviously, the true fulfillment of this is the period of Christianity between the former and latter rains. He then went to the brook Cherith, and there Yahweh commanded that the ravens feed him. “The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook” (vs. 6). We therefore see that there is a dramatic and direct connection between the raven and Elijah. And note that the provision was in the morning and in the evening. Is that not what we have to have today? The first Remnant received their provision in the morning, at the beginning of the church period we have known for two thousand years. And today, in the evening of this period, we have to have the raven’s sustaining provision. And I believe we can say that from what we are seeing and learning and particularly experiencing in Africa, we are being fed the bread and especially the meat of Yahweh’s word of truth!

Do you now see the tie between Satan and the Elijah? And why would this be the case? Because of the Passing Over Principle. What is that principle? It is something Yahweh began revealing to me in about 1980. From my personal life, He showed me that He passes over the first, He passes over the second, and He takes the third. And this principle is repeated throughout the Scriptures and in life itself, of course. And this is distinctly true with regard to the office of the Elijah. Of course the first one to be in that office was Judas, the twelfth apostle. But of necessity he failed. And most noteworthy, he was the one who had the moneybox, from which he pilfered. Then that office went to Satan, who had entered into him. Thus, Satan has had that office for two thousand years, keeping it alive and legally available. And what has to take place now is that that office must go back to a man—to the last-days Elijah. He thereupon fulfills the twelfth apostle, establishes the latter-day bride, and prepares the way for Immanuel’s birth back to this earth to rule and reign for a thousand years.

Do you now see why the Elijah is identified with the black raven? What the raven Satan—who has flown here and there for the last two thousand years of the church—has legally possessed, must now go to the Elijah raven who equally flies and roams about, but with the specific outcome of finding and identifying the Bride for Immanuel. So do you see that that which Satan has done with evil intent, will now be turned to good. Therefore, we read in Revelation 10:11 the final outcome of eating the little book: “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.” To perform this, all that needs to take place is for a man to receive that office and continue the roaming across the face of the earth, but now for good. He passes over the first, He passes over the second, and He takes the third.

Do you now see how evil being turned into good in the third part is so much needed, and so essential and valuable? It is similar to a track meet where there are three runners on the team and they continue the race by passing the baton to the next runner. The race is not completed until the baton is passed to the final runner and he crosses the finish line. Judas ran and completed what he had to do (death). The baton was passed to Satan and he has done what he too had to do (burial). But the race is completed and the victory secured only when the third and final runner takes the baton and labors to cross the finish line (resurrection).

Do you now see why the Elijah does indeed have to become the black raven? Do you now see why Louie was sent across town to identify the one who would be my bride? And, is it now better understood why the Father is propagating the Bride work out of black Africa? In the writing Becoming Esau—The Power Of Identification, I note that in my first trip to Africa, Caleb was used by Yahweh to make me a black man, even a black raven. But it seems evident that that first trip only effected my identification with them. And if the pattern is fulfilled, this time I will return to enjoy the great victory. And, is this not the pattern for Yahshua as well? Indeed so. He first came and identified with man, and left so as to return later and gain the victory. I pray that is the pattern, along with the Passing Over Principle, we will now see fulfilled upon my return to Africa.

But let us address more about Caleb and my return trip. In the June 14, 2009, Weblog entry titled, “June 6 & 7, 2009,” I explained how on June 7, the day after my fortieth wedding anniversary, the Bride performed an intercession related to my own marriage consummation with my wife forty years prior at Colorado Springs, Colorado. We the Bride gathered at Red Rock Canyon at Colorado Springs forty years later to carry out a like consummation pattern where eight Bride members laid out a split covenant pattern, like unto what Abraham was instructed to perform in Genesis 15, and I was to pass between the covenant parts. As you might recognize, this is the covenant pattern when the man passes between the split covenant parts of the woman, effecting the marriage covenant. Thus, the covenant parts were ordered in this fashion, and I as the ninth was to pass between them:

The intercession was to be very simple, and I said a very brief prayer. But as soon as I got through praying, of all things a dog came up from my right, passed by me, ran directly through the split covenant parts, stopped between 1 and 2, paused, then turned around, came back towards me, then turned right, and stood directly behind number seven. There it paused again for a moment, and then ran off. None of us said anything concerning this most unusual addition to the covenant; and I then passed between the covenant parts, stopped between 1 and 2, turned around, and that was it.

Let me here add another matter from the past. On November 22, 1997, Yahweh spoke to me in a most clear and affirming way that if I wanted to have victory by the Holy Spirit, I was to take Rebekah with me when I presented Bride truth. You can read this account here. At that time I of course thought He was speaking in regard to my second daughter, Rebekah. But that did not prove to be the case. Ever since then I have sought to understand who the Rebekah is. Obviously this is critical! Just before I left Africa, I realized that Caleb was in fact the Rebekah. You can read about this here. And you will see that the name “Caleb” actually means “dog.” Just as the dog passed through the covenant parts with me, so I was to take Caleb with me. (And let us note that two also passed between the Genesis 15 covenant parts laid out by Abraham—a smoking oven and a burning torch.)

So, was Yahweh telling us something when the dog in the intercession paused directly behind number 7? Interestingly, that was Jim McManus, the very person who will accompany me to Africa. I have to wonder if these two men are the ones whom Yahweh had in mind when He said, “Take Rebekah if you want victory by the Holy Spirit.” Upon my return to Africa wherein I am taking Jim with me, are these two men the keys to receiving this promise? I most certainly hope so. When I returned to America, I had Caleb to fly here and hold a meeting as we did so in Africa. But strangely, he had to fly to St Louis to be with his brother for some surgery, and he was not at the meeting. Jim was, but not both of these men. And we certainly did not have victory by the Holy Spirit in America. I hope that when the three of us are united together in Africa, that we will indeed have the victory by the Holy Spirit as promised. And was this November 22, 1997, promise even looking to November, 2018 ? We will see.

And one final message before we close this Report, something I am distinctly aware of right now, even for the first time. We are told in John 12:6 that Judas had Yahshua’s money box, and that he pilfered from it. Obviously, that box and responsibility was associated specifically with Judas, the twelfth apostle. And when he died, the box and office went to Satan. But, that office, and obviously Yahshua’s money box, are then passed to the fulfilling twelfth apostle. What dawned on me is that when you give to this work, you are actually placing your finances in Yahshua’s money box. In reality, you are actually giving to Yahshua and His work today. Thus, it is as real today as it was two thousand years ago that when you give to Bride, you are giving to Yahshua. It is His money box. So you can in truth give to Him as though it was two thousand years ago. What an amazing honor and opportunity today! You are actually giving to Him as though He was here.

And may I say as well, I am most glad that it is His money box, because in the last few years of the Bride work in Africa, it amazes me how the funds have been there to meet the pressing needs. I cannot emphasize this enough. If it was not His money box, I hate to consider what could have happened otherwise! Most gratefully, the funds have been there. And many times that box has been empty, and at the time of need the funds are provided. So thank you for giving. And do remember, you are truly giving to Yahshua and His work, preparing the way for His return.

And finally, I will soon provide an update on the teaching schedule with my return to Africa, including adding yet another country, Zambia, that wants us to come there as well. Walter just flew to Zambia to work out the details. So, it is with great hope that we proceed forward for our return, and hopefully His soon return.

Blessings,

Gary