This writing has generated some matters that do not entirely fit into the main subject of law and mercy, but still relate; and if not covered in this writing, they might never be expounded upon. Such is the case with the material in this section.

In the previous section we saw how the last 6, 000 years, including the 2,000 years of the kingdom of God, are characterized as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in which man has had to determine good and evil. These 6,000 years can also be characterized in yet another way that is equally distressing and a grave shortfall. Man will some day most surely look back to this time with great relief that it is over, wondering how we even made it through it. To address this characterization, we will reference a verse here that plays back to the very outset of creation, even preceding the creation of the first day.

In Genesis 1, verses one and two, we read:

This is the way the New American Standard (NAS) reads. But let us rewrite this verse in a more literal translation. Thus it would read:

At first glance you might not think there is much difference between these two, but in fact there are great differences. First we notice that God created the heavens and the earth, and literally that creation "became formless and void, and darkness was over the face of the waters." Creationists have noted that what was created in verse one, was corrupted in verse two. The word "and" used at the beginning of verse two in the NAS, could just as well have been translated "but." Evidence of this is seen in Genesis 2:6 where we see the same Hebrew sentence structure, but this time translated "but" - "But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground." However the main evidence to this usage of "but" and not "and" is found in the meaning of the word describing what happened to the earth - it "became formless."

The Hebrew word translated "was" is the same word (1961) as that found in Genesis 2:7, where we read - "and man became a living being." Thus we see that the earth that was created in verse one actually "became formless and void, and darkness was over the face of the waters." What does all of this mean for us?

In the writing titled The Issue - II, we see that all creation is looking to the coming of Yahshua (which is precisely what we have been saying in this writing as well). In that writing we point out that in the expanse of Yahweh's big picture (or 49,000 years), Yahshua's coming to this earth as King of kings is the fulfillment of the first day of creation in which light is brought forth. (Click here to read about this.) Yahshua is the light of the world, and when He returns He will be that supernatural first day light.

Let us get right to the point. The last 6,000 years have been the fulfillment of Genesis 2 - " the earth became formless and void, and darkness was over the face of the waters." In the beginning Yahweh created a garden, but that garden was corrupted by the serpent and man. As a result, the earth became and remains to this day formless, void, and in darkness.

You might not think we live in darkness, but you will be fully convinced of this fact when some day you enter into the true light of Yahshua and look back to this terrible time in which we have lived. Let me give you an example, though unfortunately it will date this writing and some day may not be so relevant, though the truth of it is lived out every minute of every day in many other ways.

At this writing there has been a U.S. congressman who has been embroiled in a sex scandal regarding a missing intern who is suspected of having been killed. The question in everyone's mind and an issue that dominated the news headlines for several weeks, was not only the fate of the intern, but did the congressman have anything to do with her possible death? And the entire matter was further obscured with the testimony of a flight attendant who also claimed to have had a sexual affair with the congressman and was asked by the him to sign an affidavit that she had not had that affair. Of course all of this has been denied by the congressman, except for the affair with the intern, and the entire matter was only further clouded by the reactions of his political party, the feminine mercy Democrats who tried to prevent political damage. What will be the outcome? Who was telling the truth? Where is the intern? What were the true motives of all of those involved? What did the congressman's wife really think about all of this? What was really right in the entire matter? And finally to summarize it all, as Pontius Pilate asked when he was having to determine a judicial matter regarding conflicting opinions and motives about Yahshua - "What is truth?"

This and the overburdening mass multitude of other cases like it throughout the world, are vast evidences that we live in darkness! All the courts of the world and all the investigative officers and detectives, all the intelligence agencies of all the nations, and all the political and religious groups throughout the world are empirical evidence that we live in darkness. If true light was in this earth, we would know what happened to the intern, and of what the congressman is saying is true and what is a lie. U.S. presidents like Bill Clinton would not even exist if this world was in light and not darkness, and there would not be the political manipulation and maneuvering that occurs in political parties. "What is truth," today? What has been truth for 6,000 years? The god of this world has insured that there is always someone who will cover themselves and the truth in darkness, never allowing the light of truth to shine forth. Yes, we do not live in light, but for 6,000 years man has lived in utter darkness!

Other evidences of this darkness in which we live (as if we need them) is our own difficulty in making decisions. What is best in a given situation? Often we are in the dark and make the wrong decision and suffer greatly for it, along with others who were involved. What about the captain of the Titanic who decided to maintain a fast course through the field of icebergs? The darkness in which he made that decision cost many their lives. And this occurs over and over, even when people's intentions are good. Obviously the last thing that captain wanted for that new elite ocean liner and all of its crew and passengers, was the disaster that resulted from sailing in that perilous darkness. But such is the state in which man has lived.

And what of all the evil that people carry out because they perform it as well in darkness, because they count on others not knowing? How much fraud is carried out because of this darkness that is over the face of men? How much theft takes place that goes unnoticed or unreconciled because of this darkness that is over the face of men? How much sexual deviance or even murder takes place because of this darkness that is over the face of men? Often, "waters" in the Scriptures look to the vast pool of man. The darkness that came upon the face of the waters in Genesis 1:2, describe the darkness that has been over the face of all men for this 6,000 year period in which we await the dawning of the true light upon this earth - the coming of the Son of Man as King of kings.

This is the One who when He comes will bring light, much needed light! We will know then without a doubt what has happened to the intern. We will know without a doubt what role the congressman did or did not play in this matter. We will know without a doubt what motives were behind his actions, as well as those of his political party. We will know without a doubt the resolution of all court cases, quarrels, and conflicts that have ever taken place or will take place, when the first day True Light comes to this earth.

There are 22,000 denominations and sects of Christianity on the earth today. Why are there so many? Because the church is equally in the earth that remains filled with darkness, and is formless and void. These 22,000 groups do not agree because they too grope in theological and philosophical darkness. Only when the Son of God comes will the error of their ways be revealed and the true light shine upon them. Until He comes, all men, even the church, gropes in darkness, searching for answers! Until He comes, all men still ask - "What is truth?"

The Democrats say one thing, the Republicans another. Who is right?
We live in darkness!
We must make a decision, but do not know what to do. Oh, what is right?
We live in darkness!
Our checkbook or credit card is missing and someone else has used it. Who was it?
We live in darkness!
There's been a murder and no one admits it. Are the suspects innocent or guilty?
We live in darkness!
Billions of dollars are lost in theft and fraud, and they get away with it. Who are they?
We live in darkness!
People carry a great amount of insurance to prepare for the unexpected. Why do they?
We live in darkness!
A man and a woman are married, but one partner is unfaithful. How is the other to know?
We live in darkness!
One religion says one thing, while another says something else. Who is right?
We live in darkness!
One denomination says one thing, while another says something else, both passionately claiming the validation of the Scriptures. Who is right?
We live in darkness!
The Son of God stands before a man, and in his hands lies His fate. "What is truth?," he cries to the Light.
We live in darkness, until He returns!

There are many dreadful evidences of the darkness and difficulty of the time in which we live, and from which we most surely need deliverance. Not only is it a time fraught with the difficulty of having to determine for ourselves what is good and what is evil, but we are trapped in a period in which since the fall of man in the garden, the earth has been formless and void, and darkness has been over the face of men. That darkness remains to this day and needs so very greatly to be removed. Him of whom it is promised must yet come and "recompense every man according to his deeds" (Matthew 16:27). Only when He comes, and all men live under His light that knows no bounds, will there be true sustained light on this earth for the first time. We will never wonder - "What is truth?" - for truth will come with true light. That which is carried out in darkness will come into His light. That which was concealed will be revealed. That which is done in secret, will be brought into the open. Hidden motives will be open for all to see. All things will be seen, for the Light that shines upon all men will have come.

That light has only been briefly known, brief and not sustained. The True Light did come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light. Judah had two sons through Tamar - Zerah and Perez (Genesis 38:27-30). Zerah means - "light." Perez means - "breach." Zerah, the light, made a partial appearance in this birth process through Tamar - he extended his arm outside the womb. But his complete birth was interrupted by the birth of Perez, the breach. Afterwards Zerah was fully birthed.

Likewise, Yahshua came only briefly as the light, but His light was interrupted by the breach. Christianity is NOT the light. Even as it is written - "If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness" (Matthew 6:23) - so Christianity's light is actually darkness. Thus, that which must now take place is the completion of the breach period, the Perez, and the fulfillment of the birth of the True Light, the Zerah. This latter long awaited and final "birth" will now afford the true sustained light of Yahshua, that was only briefly witnessed before this 2,000 year breach began.

All men who have died are sleeping, waiting for the time in which they will be brought back to this earth to learn righteousness. For the entirety of their lives here, they were all in darkness; but when they return, they will be brought back into light. Thus it is written:

"Each in his own order," deceased men will be brought back into this earth in their natural bodies to be judged and to learn righteousness. Though they had been in darkness while they lived here, when they return after the establishment of Yahshua's pure kingdom upon this earth with the glorification of His Remnant, they will not return to a world that has remained in darkness, but to a world that finally has the much needed "light of life." Let us expound just a little further on this promise from Job.

"Behold, God does all these twice, three times with men." God "births" all men (except the second Remnant, and even the third part of Christianity) into the world two and even three times. The first time man is birthed into the world is when he is first born as a baby through a woman. But following that birth, for 6,000 years all men have died and they all sleep, waiting to return to this world through their promised second "birth." In Isaiah 26:19 we read the most wonderful promise for all men:

All men, departed Christians or otherwise (each in their own order), some day will be birthed a second time, this time by the earth which presently holds them. They will be placed back into their earthly bodies to learn righteousness in the True Light.

Thus, as it is written, man will be born twice; but there will be a third birth as well. What will be this third birth? It will be the third and final birth of being "born from above," even as Yahshua looked to and spoke of when he was talking to Nicodemus. This third and final birth is when Yahweh takes men (each in there own order) to heaven to receive their final immortal bodies that are born of the Spirit, born from Jerusalem above, who some day will be the mother of all men. The barren woman who in reality has yet to give birth to anyone (this man has yet to see someone in an immortal body), will greatly rejoice!

Thus we see the three births spoken of in Job 33:29-30. In each of the two latter cases, ever increasing light will be experienced. In the second birth when they return back into their natural bodies, they will see the Light. But in the third birth into a spiritual body, they will become the light, becoming fully like Yahshua, the "hope of glory"!

Continue to page 11 of The Conflict for BREAD AND WINE

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