THE PROMISE

Not only are these revealing examples frequently found throughout the Scriptures, but each of these examples while revealing the same pattern, also reveal different or unique aspects associated with the work Yahweh will do. For example, we have said that the period between the two promised works is a breach or delay period. This is one of the unique elements seen in our first example. (In each of the following examples, points will be touched upon which either have been covered in previous writings or would require much more elaboration in order to fully develop or prove the point. It is a great disadvantage to only touch upon these examples here when so much more could and needs to be said. Be that as it may, we must limit our comments on each example.)

One of the most often cited foreshadowings of the bride of Christ is when Abraham sent Eleazar, his chief servant, to get a bride for his son, Isaac. Teachers commonly draw upon this account to show how the Holy Spirit (Eleazar means, God is helper) is sent to find a bride (Rebekah) for the Son of God (Isaac). What teachers fail to perceive here is the significance of the fact that Eleazar was sent specifically to the city of Nahor to get the bride. What does Nahor mean? It means - piercing. So, considering this most significant foreshadowing of Yahshua and His bride, we see that the Holy Spirit is sent to "piercing" in order to get the bride. Without great elaboration, we find that the body of Christ church must be pierced in order to obtain a bride from it. This is exactly what is seen in Adam. In order to obtain a bride for Adam, he had to be put to sleep, his side was equally pierced, and out came a bride. In this most fruitful first example, we see a very unique testimony of the two-part "picture" of what will in fact be this bride for Yahshua. Let us look at it further.

We find that Nahor is actually the name of two men. Nahor is the name of Abraham’s brother, but it is also the name of Abraham’s grandfather. We find then that Nahor begot Terah (Abraham’s father), who begot Nahor (Abraham’s brother). Thus we see:

We already know what Nahor means - piercing. What does Terah mean? His name means - lagging behind or delay period. Thus we see laid out for us this prophetic testimony:

Through this testimony we begin to understand who the bride of Yahshua is. She is the two part "picture" - the one who has the subject promise - with the breach or delay period in-between - Christianity.

How is this bride formed? What makes her unique from Christianity? She is the product of the two outpourings of the Holy Spirit called the former and the latter rains; and she comes out of the body of Christ. These two great works of the Holy Spirit will provide the bride for Yahshua. Where do we see a testimony of these two outpourings and their resulting works? In many places, but one of the most vivid testimonies is found in Zechariah 4. Here we find once again the pattern of a two-part work separated by the breach period of Christianity.

Before looking at this though, let us lay a foundation for what we will see in this chapter. In the book of Revelation, we find the church identified as seven golden lampstands - one for each of the seven churches. In Zechariah 4, we see the same testimony of the church, but in this case there are not seven golden lampstands, but instead we find one golden lampstand with specifically seven spouts. Once again we see the church, or more specifically Christianity. But in Zechariah’s vision, we find a more complete testimony. Not only is there the seven-spout lampstand, but also on each side of it, both on the right and the left, are two olive trees. Thus again we find the subject pattern:

In this pattern is not only the identification of the central breach period or Christianity in the seven-spout golden lampstand, but also, most revealing, we find a specific testimony concerning the origin of these two "olive trees." Zechariah asked the angel what the two olive trees were, to which he answered - they are the "two sons of fresh oil." What did we just say concerning the formation of these two works, but that they are the product of the former and the latter rains? Here we find a clear testimony to these two fresh outpourings of the Holy Spirit at the beginning and at the closing of Christianity, by the identity of these two trees as specifically the "two sons of fresh oil." The Holy Spirit is often identified as oil, and it is in fact the two fresh outpourings of that Fresh Oil in the former and latter rains that will create or establish these two works. And once again we see these two outpourings separated by Christianity, the seven-spout lampstand.

Let us now consider yet a third revealing example. Have you ever pondered the question of who or what it is in 2 Thessalonians 2:6 that has the power to restrain the "man of lawlessness"? In the New American Standard, verse six reads - "And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed." But let us translate this passage and the verse following more literally, and see what they render. This translation can be confirmed in any Greek Interlinear. They read:

What is this "restraining one" that must come out of "the midst" in order for the lawless one to be revealed? If we have a question about the Scriptures, then surely the Scriptures have the answer. If we want to know what this "restraining one" is, then we can get some idea if we find a pattern for it within the Scriptures. Many people say the "restraining one" is the Holy Spirit or the Holy Spirit in the church. But let us see what the pattern reveals.

If one wishes to know what the "restraining one" is, it should be valuable to examine the testimony of anyone in the Scriptures whose name bears testimony to this authority; and this is exactly what we find in the name - Darius. Darius bears perfect testimony to this matter as this name specifically means - "restraining one." So, if we want to see what the "restraining one" is, let us look at Darius, the "restraining one."

Who was Darius? Actually, this name is equally held by two different men in the Scriptures, this time two kings. First, there was Darius the Mede who reigned as king in Babylon, immediately following the Medo-Persian overthrow of the Babylonian empire. He reigned for about three years, and was the king who was forced to throw Daniel into the lion’s den. This is the same king who was reigning when Daniel prayed his prayer of repentance for himself and the people, having read Jeremiah’s prophecy that the desolation of Jerusalem would occur for seventy years (Daniel 9). Following Daniel’s prayer, Gabriel came to him and declared - "At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you ...."

Darius the Mede was followed by the Persian king Cyrus, who reigned for nine years. This was Cyrus of whom in his first year of reigning issued a proclamation that he would rebuild the temple that was destroyed in Jerusalem - "He (Yahweh) has appointed me (Cyrus) to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah" (Ezra 1:2). Following precisely seventy years of captivity, Zerubbabel under Cyrus left Babylon with an assembly of 42,360 people and returned to Jerusalem to begin rebuilding the temple. Cyrus’ son, Cambyses, reigned for two years with his father; then following his father’s death reigned for another six years. The total reign of this father and son was fifteen years.

Next to reign was another king from Persia who bore the identical name as the Median king. This next king was Darius I. Darius I reigned for 36 years. The rebuilding of the temple was prayed for by Daniel under Darius the Mede, then construction began under Cyrus. But like King David who was not allowed to build the original temple, neither did Cyrus build a house for Yahweh in Jerusalem as he had proclaimed. After building the temple foundation, for fifteen years (the identical number of years that Cyrus and son reigned) construction ceased. Then finally, construction resumed under King Darius I who issued a decree that no one was to interfere with the construction of Yahweh’s house. Thus, though the work initially began under Cyrus, the temple was actually built under Darius I.

Now let us get to the point of why we laid out all of this information. You will recall that Darius’ name means "restraining one." Cyrus’ name means "the sun" or "throne." Thus we have this prophetic testimony:

Once again we see this "picture" of a work that is first initiated (this time in the prayers of Daniel), then there is a breach or delay period (despite the fact that a proclamation was issued and work began), and finally we see the actual completion of the work. This is exactly the pattern we have seen before; and the unique testimony we see here is that the "restraining one" is no less than the two-part former and latter rain works (or work, as the two are in truth one) that receive the promise to not die until they see the Son of Man come in His kingdom in Yahweh’s glory, and recompense all men according to their deeds. These are the two works that are here shown to be separated by the ones who are in fact identified with many aspects of the worship of the Sun god, including worshiping on Sunday, but like David who preceded King Solomon (who as the prophetic two Remnants was twice anointed as king - 1 Chronicles 29:22 - and twice Yahweh appeared to him - 1 Kings 9:2), they were not allowed to build the temple. That right specifically belongs to the "restraining ones." The former and latter works of the Holy Spirit that precede and complete the church period, are in fact that which restrains the lawless one. When a last-days restraining Remnant is "taken out of the midst" of mankind and even Christianity (as a bride is taken out of "the midst" of the body), then and only then will the Son of Man come to restore His kingdom, and "the lawless one will be revealed." The former and latter rain Remnants are the two "Darius," the two-part "restraining ones."

These two Remnant parts are the ones who in fact build the true temple of Yahweh which He inhabits, while Christianity is forbidden. This is not a literal temple, but a people who, being the first to be born from above into incorruptible bodies, represent Yahweh in purity and truth (something which no one being born of this earth has yet been able to perform).

You may question whether genealogies or the order of reigning kings and the meaning of their names has any bearing on or provides any prophetic testimony to the works of Yahweh. But we can further demonstrate that clearly they do. Looking at the beginning generations of man, Steve Jones in his book Secrets of Time reveals Yahweh’s prophetic message through the meaning of the names of these men. Following is a listing of the first ten men in the genealogy of Yahshua found in the generations up to Noah, along with the meaning of their names.

Adam

Seth

Enos

Cainan

Mahalaleel

Jared

Enoch

Methuselah

Lamech

Noah

Earthly man

To place, replace

Frailty, flesh

House (fixed habitation)

The praise of God

Descent

Teaching, initiation

When he is dead, it shall be sent

Powerful one

Comfort

Thus we see within these ten names the following encoded promise from our Heavenly Father:

Is there any question that Yahweh hides a special prophetic meaning in the names of men and the order of their birth, or even the order of kings? Indeed Yahweh speaks through these riddles if we have eyes to see and ears to hear. And this is exactly what we see when we consider the repetitive pattern of the two-part works of the Holy Spirit in the church, separated by the 2,000 year long breach of Christianity.

These repetitive patterns speak to us, confirming what Yahweh has been doing for 2,000 years, and gives some idea as to what He will do now at this pivotal point in time; and that is, to complete the "picture" and provide Yahshua’s promise.

But these are not all of the testimonies we find relative to Yahshua’s promise to His disciples and its final fulfillment. Other testimonies abound as to Yahweh’s delay in fulfilling His promises, providing light upon how He will fulfill this promise of Yahshua. Let us look at another extraordinary example.