The 3,000-Year Church Period
Let us begin answering this question by considering a most telling living parable or prophecy. In the first three gospels, we find the account of Yahshua taking with Him Peter, James, and John on a mountain where He was transfigured, along with Moses and Elijah. While this transfiguration took place, these three disciples slept, even as they would do so again in the garden of Gethsemane just before Yahshua's crucifixion. There is more to this than just an historical accounting; it meant something! Who are these two glorified ones here represented by Moses and Elijah, and why is it these three disciples twice provided the testimony of being asleep? This we will now see.
If you read the writings on The Remnant Bride, you will find that Moses and Elijah were clear testimonies of the two Remnant - the Moses first Remnant who died in order to enter into the promised land, and the Elijah second Remnant who ascends alive. And as you will see in this writing, for numerous reasons these three sleeping disciples were clear testimonies of Christianity, the body of Christ.
The purpose of this writing is to address the duration of the kingdom of God given to man, which is the church. What we will see here is that the church, which up to now has essentially been Christianity, was supposed to receive 3,000 years to carry out its full tenure and bring forth the Son of God. If Christianity was given their full tenure of 3,000 years, this would culminate in its completion at the end of the seventh day. The church began after 4,000 years from Adam, and has thus occupied the fifth and sixth days, or the last 2,000 years. If Christianity received its final 1,000 years, this would take it through the seventh day. From the original six days of creation, we see that divine light was brought forth on the first day. Thus, if Christianity could do its job correctly, then the divine Light of Yahshua would be brought forth on that proper day. If this happened, then Christianity would fulfill the Elijah work and prepare the way for the Son of God. But, Christianity will not and cannot accomplish this for many reasons, including its corruptness, its divisions, even its death.
What we find here on the mount of transfiguration is a living parable of the kingdom of God, the church. We have already said that Moses and Elijah represented the two Remnant. Of course Yahshua represents Himself - the glorified Savior. And we have also stated that the three sleeping disciples reveal Christianity. Thus we begin to see the unfolding testimony that Yahshua specifically took these three with Him on the mountain in order to represent the 3,000 years given to the church.
Three has a numerical meaning of divine completeness - the trinity of God, the trinity of man, the trinity of the temple, etc. In like manner, three very frequently represents Christianity, or the complete period of Christianity. This is particularly evident in this subject event for several reasons. Luke 9:32 specifically identifies the three as - "Peter and his companions." It was on Peter that Yahshua said He would build His church. Peter most completely represents Christianity - especially per its flawed state. Christianity often has zeal, as did Peter, but equally lacks the ability to come through, as demonstrated by His three time denial of Yahshua. Here we see yet another testimony of this three part or 3,000 year period of the church. If Christianity received its full three days, then it would equally deny Yahshua three times.
Another evidence of these three sleeping men representing Christianity is their rejected building program idea. This is a dead ringer because Christianity's answer to seeing a glorious thing is always to build a temple - even three temples, once again for their three days or 3,000 years.
A third and most telling evidence is that while Yahshua was conversing with the two Remnant witnesses in their glorified state, the three were "overcome with sleep." Christianity is legally "sleeping" or even "dead" (1 Timothy 5:6). Yahshua warned them beforehand about this sleep. To Mark Christianity He declared:
"Therefore, be on the alert - for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, at cockcrowing (which would crow for them with their three denials), or in the morning - lest he come suddenly and find you asleep" (Mark 13:35).
And this is exactly where Yahshua will find Christianity when He comes - "overcome with sleep." This "sleep" is true in two regards. One is the spiritual sleep into which the church has entered, and the other is the natural sleep into which the vast majority of the church have entered via death - the natural sleep revealing the spiritual sleep. More on this in a minute. But suffice it to say that this sleep that Christianity has experienced is equal to the sleep which the first Adam experienced in order for a bride to be brought forth. It is from this sleeping body of the last Adam that a bride will now be brought forth.
Another telling evidence of this allotted 3,000 year period of the church is clearly attested at its beginning. On the day of Pentecost 3,000 souls "were added" (Acts 2:41), in contrast to 3,000 lives suffering death on the previous Pentecost on Mount Sinai (Exodus 32:28). The 3,000 souls "added" on Pentecost represent the 3,000 years Christianity received in order to perform its work. Right now we stand at the 2,000 year mark. But the problem is, at the rate Christianity has been going they will never and can never perform the task to which they have been called - to bring forth the Light on the eighth day and establish a pure kingdom upon the earth.
This 3,000 years/2,000 years contrast will be examined in many ways here, and the first we will look at is the contradiction in the volume of Solomon's sea. Our consideration of this often repeated contrast will give us understanding as to the administration of this 3,000 year period.
In 1 Kings 7:26, we read that Solomon's sea held "2,000 baths." But, in 2 Chronicles 4:5 in an otherwise identically worded account, we read to the contrary that it held "3,000 baths"! Why the clear contradiction? Why the clear difference? Yahweh knows how to write His word. Once again we see a parable, even a contradiction riddle. While the church is given 3,000 years tenure, its time will be cut short to 2,000 years - from 3,000 "baths" to 2,000 "baths."
Very significantly recorded only in Mark - the gospel to Christianity - we read in chapter 13, verse 20:
"And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect whom He chose, He shortened the days."
Christianity will literally see their "days" shortened by one "day," or 1,000 years. Now at the completion of 2,000 years (which is now), Yahshua is calling out His Remnant, will prepare them for priesthood by taking them out of this earth and placing them in immortal bodies that are born from above, and return with them. Like the three sleeping disciples on the mount of transfiguration, Christianity will "fully awake" from their sleep and behold the glorified two Remnant with the glorified Yahshua. The cloud of Yahweh will "overshadow them" (Christianity), and they will be "afraid" as they enter "the cloud." Christians who are alive at the return of Yahshua will remain in their fleshly bodies during the Millennial reign. The wonderful side of this, however, is that He will be with them to complete what He began. The sorrowful side is that they will not be glorified.
The truth of what we are seeing here is further affirmed by what took place when Yahshua and the three came down from the mountain. When Yahshua returns to this earth, the first deed He will accomplish is to bind Satan and throw him into "the abyss" for 1,000 years - Revelation 20:1-3. Confirmingly, the first act Yahshua performed when He came down from the mount of transfiguration with the three was to rebuke the unclean spirit that had been in a boy "from childhood" that none could cast out. The immediate casting out of this spirit is clearly the prophetic testimony that Yahshua will bind Satan when He comes down from "the mountain." As with the case of the young boy, Satan has been on this earth since the "childhood" of man, even the "childhood" of the church, and none have been able to deal with him.
What will Yahshua find when He returns? Will He find "the faith," even as He asks in Luke 18:8? Not really. When the multitude came to Yahshua and the man brought his son to Him, the man declared - "'I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not.' And Jesus answered and said, 'O unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you, and put up with you? Bring your son here'" (Luke 9:40, 41). Thus will Yahshua view Christianity when He returns to deal with Satan.
During the Millennial reign, now strengthened by the visible presence of Yahshua, Christianity will minister to the world and become what Yahweh initiated it to be. Yahshua will be present, along with His glorified Remnant, who will counsel Christianity in their renewed work among men. Christianity will eventually receive resurrected bodies as well, but not until after the Millennium.
As we have thus noted, the 3,000 year church allotment will be divided into two-thirds and one-third periods - or 2,000 years and 1,000 years. These two periods are very distinct and significant prophetic fulfillments, with numerous revealing testimonies evidencing this. One of the clearest is found in Zechariah 13: 7-9. Here we read a passage clearly dealing with Christianity, evidenced by the fact that verse 7 refers specifically to "the Shepherd" and "the sheep." Verse 7 was specifically quoted by Yahshua just prior to His crucifixion. Verses 8-9 follow by defining the 3,000 year church period initiated by His crucifixion, or striking "the Shepherd." "My associate," referred to in the beginning of verse 7, is the first Remnant, which personally worked with Yahshua while He was on this earth. Yahshua was crucified, and likewise the "sword" was brought against the first Remnant - "My associate" - and they died as did He. Read these verses in Zechariah 13, keeping these things in mind.
Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd,
And against the man, My associate,"
Declares Yahweh of hosts.
Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered;
And I will turn My hand against the little ones.
And it will come about in all the land,"
Declares Yahweh,
That two parts in it will be cut off and perish;
But the third will be left in it.
And I will bring the third part through the fire,
Refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them;
I will say, 'They are My people,'
And they will say, 'Yahweh is my God.'"
We see here precisely what Yahweh's plans are for Christianity - His sheep, His "little ones." After the Shepherd and His associate are struck, "it will come about" that "two parts" of Christianity (or 2,000 years) will "perish," and the "third part" (or the last 1,000 years) will be brought "through the fire." What does the word "perish" mean? Does this mean Christians will be rejected to obscurity? Not at all. The Hebrew word for "perish" means "to expire, or die." Thus Christians have perished or died in the church for 2,000 years, even as it was written. Believers who do not come out of Christianity to be a part of the Elijah second Remnant will not reign with Yahshua during the Millennial period. They are the "third part" that "will be left in it" (in the earthly kingdom) in their mortal bodies. They will be tested with the fire of His discipline and will learn righteousness that Christianity has never been able to maintain. They will be purified by their trained obedience under the now abiding Yahshua, as they serve the world that will come into the dominion of His kingdom. Yahshua will declare to Christianity - "'They are My people.' And they will say, 'Yahweh is My God.'"
This same accounting of the church is equally seen in Hosea 6:1-2. Here we read:
Come, let us return to Yahweh.
For He has torn us, but He will heal us;
He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.
He will revive us after two days
He will raise us up on the third day
That we may live before Him.
Thus we see the identical message that the church would go through two days of affliction, but would be raised up on the third day. More specifically this promise per the third day pertains to the Remnant, but will indirectly mean the strengthening of Christians as well.
We have just noted that the Scriptures tell us two-thirds or 2,000 years of the sheep will die. But Yahweh does not always characterize this period so kindly as being sheep, even though in one sense this is most certainly true. Clearly we know, even from the words of Yahshua in Matthew 13:24-33, not to speak of the obvious evidences over the last 2,000 years and even today, that Satan has entered into the church to corrupt and defile it. This defilement is further insured by the kingdom being given to man while he remains in cursed wretched earthly flesh that wars against the Spirit - a miserable lot. This defilement of the kingdom and its members makes it unclean. Thus we find the following testimony. (We must be very brief here however, but this following point is addressed many times in the writings on The Remnant Bride.)
While Christians on the one hand are viewed as sheep, in regard to their unclean state and behavior Yahweh equally characterizes them as swine. When Yahshua encountered the man (or men in Matthew) living among the tombs (even as Christians live among the dead), Legion in him requested permission to be cast into the swine who were grazing on the mountain side. Yahshua granted this and thus they entered into the swine, who then all ran down the steep bank into the sea to die.
This is precisely what has happened in Christianity for 2,000 years. Satan has entered into the church, and for 2,000 years Christians have all gone into the sea of death to be "cut off and perish," or die. How can we know this living parable applies to Christianity? For many highly revealing reasons (as you will find by reading here at this site - use our available search feature and look up "swine"), but one of the most telling evidences is that the number of swine into which those Legion-possessed demons entered, as we are told in Christianity Mark 5:13, was once again 2,000! For 2,000 years Satan has entered into unclean earthly-fleshed kingdom man; and even as written in Zechariah 13, has caused him to go down those steep slopes into the sea of death! This is just one more clear evidence as to what this "two parts" period of the kingdom truly is. It is the holy kingdom of God given to unclean earthly cursed fleshy men who are possessed by Satan. And the consequence has been the same for 2,000 years - they all run to the sea of death!
As we have stated, there are many testimonies in the Scriptures regarding this two-thirds/one-third or 2,000 years/1,000 years division. Let us consider some more of these.
In Leviticus 7 we read of Yahweh's laws concerning offerings that are made unto Him. We know that Yahweh is not really interested in the carcasses and smoke from a host of animals (I Samuel 15: 22; Psalm 40:6-8, 51:16-17; Isaiah 1:11-15; and Micah 6:6-8). His true purpose is to fulfill all His laws in people. Yahshua was a man, and as such became many of the perfect sacrifices unto Yahweh. Yahshua was not, however, the only sacrifice to be received by Yahweh. You and I will be sacrifices unto Him as well. Romans 12:1 tells us plainly - "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." As Yahweh unfolds His will and plan, we become those sacrifices spoken of in His law. We become the "fragrance of Christ to God" (2 Corinthians 2:15) as an offering unto Him.
In Leviticus 7:16-17, we read of the "votive" or "freewill offering." Recorded here for your reading are these interesting and very significant verses. And remember as you read, people will fulfill these offerings; not a bunch of animals.
"But if the sacrifice of his offering is a votive or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice; and on the next day what is left of it may be eaten; but what is left over from the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned with fire."
Christianity is the "freewill offering." These are the ones from mankind who of their "free will" have accepted Yahshua as their Savior and want to follow in His ways. Regarding this "freewill offering," Yahweh's law requires that the sacrifice be partaken of for two days, but on the third day it had to be burned. Thus Yahweh has taken to Himself men from the earth (i.e., He has eaten of the offering) for two "days," or 2,000 years. But according to His law, He must now burn the offering in this soon coming third "day," or the next 1,000 years.
Of course the actual purpose of this heavenly kindled burning is not, in reality, to decimate the offering, any more than Yahweh actually eats men. The purpose of the fire, as we saw in Zechariah 13, will be to purge and purify. This required "third day" burning of the "freewill offering" with fire is the exact occurrence set forth for the "third part" in Zechariah 13:9 that will be brought "through the fire." Both testify to the identical thing. This fire will refine the third part of Christianity "as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested," pictured in the burning of the free will offering on the third day.
Another witness to this two-thirds/one-third truth is found in the words of Yahshua. Yahshua sent word to Herod, who wanted to kill Him - "Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I reach My goal" (Luke 13:32). This was not a literal day accounting set forth by Yahshua. He was not anywhere near the time of His crucifixion yet, so this could not have been a reference to His work on the cross. He next declared - "Nevertheless I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem" (vs. 33). Thus His statement made just prior to this must have had meaning beyond the natural and into the prophetic. And indeed it did! These two days of casting out demons and performing cures speaks of the body of Christ or Christianity's period for the last two days. For 2,000 years the body of Christ has cast out demons and performed cures. But, in the soon coming "third day," or the Millennium, Yahshua will reach His goal. He will take the Remnant out of this earth, glorify them, and return with them to reign. Even His goal for Christianity that will remain on this earth will be fulfilled. In the third "day" He will perfect them through fire.
Another quite revealing testimony to this significant "third day" is found in 2 Kings 20:5-6, where we read that fatally ill King Hezekiah was told by Isaiah - "On the third day you shall go up to the house of Yahweh." Here we find the same message in Hosea 6:2 where He promises to "raise us up on the third day." Clearly once again this account of an otherwise perishing King Hezekiah receiving the promise to "go up to the house of Yahweh" on the third day, refers to the Remnant's ascension and glorification and their reign with Yahshua in this "third day" in which He will reach His goal. All of these marvelous truths knit together so wonderfully as one seamless garment of truth!
And for one final testimony, though there are many others, the book of Job is a most remarkable and very complete account of the church. Even as the church is the first Remnant, followed by Christianity, then completed by the second Remnant, so we find Job being blessed, followed by a severe period in which Satan afflicted and tormented him and devoured all that he possessed, then in the end he received a double portion blessing. There are many remarkable testimonies which we cannot go into here, but you will notice that Yahweh provided a most telling evidence about this dire period representing Christianity. Along with all of Satan's afflictions and Job's loss, how many counselors accompanied him in this time? Even as we have seen in other testimonies of three-part Christianity, Job had three counselors. And was their counsel correct? No more than Christianity's counsel has been correct.
This is the plan and work of Yahshua in the 3,000 year church period. Presently 2,000 years of church history in which kingdom men have all been cut off by death are now complete. The 2,000 swine have all gone to the sea. Yahweh has torn and wounded kingdom man for "two days." He has partaken of the "freewill offering" for as long as He legally can. The "third day" is now at hand. A Remnant "Hezekiah" is being called out to "go up to the house of Yahweh" to receive their immortal bodies. Yahshua will reach His goal, return with the glorified Remnant, and cast out Satan, which man has not been able to do from the beginning of time. Yahweh will burn the remaining "freewill offering" - the "third part" that must pass through the fire to be refined as silver and tested as gold. The now completed Remnant will once again be His "associate" and reign with Him during the Millennium. Yahshua will call Christianity His people, and they will say - "Yahweh is my God."
Following the scheduled end of their 3,000 year period, Christianity will in time receive their resurrection and anointing into priesthood. Yahshua's return one "day" or 1,000 years early will be due to His loving mercy and zeal for His kingdom. "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you (in the first Remnant) will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).
We have already seen the great necessity that Yahshua cut these three days short to two. .In conclusion, let us briefly consider some of the consequences if He does not do this. We have already seen that it would be like Peter, the rock, denying Yahshua three times. But even more telling, it would be like the three hours of darkness Yahshua experienced on the cross, at the end thereof when He cried - "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" If Yahweh left the suffering and dying body of Christ in their present state for another 1,000 years, it would be equivalent to Yahshua's three hours of darkness on the cross. This sorrowful continuation would once again in the end bring forth the anguished cry - "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Clearly, what Yahshua experienced at the conclusion of His crucifixion, the body of Christ would equally sorrowfully experience.
Further foreshadowed in a living parable and pointed to by Yahshua, if given its full 3,000 years, the church would be in the belly of the great fish for three days, as was disobedient Jonah, and as Yahshua foretold regarding His own period of death (though in accrued time is was two days). This would be the foreshadowed death state of the body of Christ if left there.
Likewise, as spoken of in Daniel 8, the abomination of desolation of the temple by Antiochus Epiphanes was for precisely three years. Why? Because if Yahshua did not return early and cleanse His temple of the abominations which have occurred by Satan and the flesh of unclean swine men for the last 2,000 years (the 2,000 swine), then the abomination of desolation would yet extend another 1,000 years up to the eighth day.
Much more can be read about the timing of the church in the writing The Issue - II. But, this is an advanced writing and should not be read until after reading other writings here, such as The Issue and Two Trees in the Garden.
We hope this helps you greatly in your understanding of Yahshua's kingdom and what He is performing.