One Thing You Still Lack

 

CONT., page 2

 

THE BRIDE'S COVERING?

 

To understand the covering of the bride, one must first understand who the bride is. While we cannot digress on this, from reading other writings on this web site one comes to see and understand that the bride is actually two-part. In fact, in revealing the bride of Yahshua, the Scriptures even present her as being two brides. These two brides are the two-part Remnant, and they are seen as the Leah first Remnant and the Rachel second Remnant.

It is important for the reader to understand that the bride is in fact two-part, insomuch that any understanding that we might have of a covering for the second part Remnant bride, must equally be seen as the covering that existed for the first part Remnant bride. The second Remnant can claim no covering that did not exist over the first. This is especially true since the second Remnant is the completion or even the fulfillment of what was begun with the establishment of the first Remnant. This related two-part work is seen in the construction of Zerubbabel's temple. When that construction began, a foundation was laid; but, the construction was then interrupted. Following a delay period in which all construction ceased, under the prophetic words of Haggai and Zechariah construction was renewed. The construction that began some fifteen years before resulting in a foundation, was later brought to completion.

Likewise, the foundation that began with the establishment of the first Remnant, will be built upon and completed by the work of the second Remnant, with a 2,000 year delay period separating the two. The second Remnant can have no other foundation than that laid by the first. Thus, this common "construction" necessitates the establishment of a common covering, one which was removed in the delay period that occurred in-between (i.e., the period of Christianity), but will be restored upon the establishment of the second Remnant. This in-between period that did not have this covering was the body of Christ period, not the bride period, and as the masculine body did not require the substitutionary covering that is the subject of this writing. These are important points that will be developed further.

To verify the necessity of a substitutionary covering for the Remnant, it would be most valuable, confirming, and highly revealing to briefly examine a Biblical pattern regarding our need and Yahshua's plan to provide this covering for the two-part bride. One of the most revealing accounts for this is the life of Lot. In examining Lot's life, we find that Yahweh established him as a covering over two remnants that came out of Sodom. This covering quality of Lot is not only evidenced by his accomplishments, but even more surely by the meaning of his name, as his name clearly reveals his purpose. Lot means - "covering." Lot is a covering. For who? Under what circumstances? Lot was the covering for the two remnants in Sodom. Likewise, in the kingdom of God Yahweh has two Remnants that come out of Sodom under a "Lot," a covering.

The first remnant of Sodom came out at the hands of four kings from the land of Babel, or Babylon. They invaded Sodom, took captive a number of people (including Lot, the covering) and plundered the city. They then fled north, and it was not long before Abram came to reclaim his nephew.

But spiritually, Abram was much more than just the uncle of Lot; and Lot was much more than just the nephew of Abram and a mere resident of Sodom. According to the words of Yahweh, Sodom was Abram's possession (Genesis 13:14-15). Later, when Yahweh was to destroy Sodom, He would not do so until He first told Abram, to whom Sodom belonged, and allow Abram to intercede on its behalf. If you read Coverings, Chapter 7, you realize that Abram was the first covering over Sodom, while Lot was the second covering (including the substitutionary covering). So when Abram took Lot from the four kings of the land of Babylon, in prophetic picture he was in fact restoring the covering over his city, Sodom.

Once Abram defeated the four kings of Babel and began His return trip home, a priest named Melchizedek came out and received from him a tithe of all he had restored. Melchizedek, as a picture and type of Yahshua, in truth secured this entire remnant of Sodom under Lot by the principle of the tithe. Yahshua has likewise secured the first Remnant, and has it in waiting under the alter to be united with the second Remnant that is to come later.

Lot was returned to Sodom for a period of time until once again a remnant, a second remnant, could be taken out. But this remnant would not be taken out by the hands of mere men who came from Babylon; these would be removed this second time by an exercise of authority from above - by angels.

When the angels arrived in Sodom, neither fifty (the number of Pentecost or the outpouring of the Holy Spirit) nor even ten righteous could be found; so Lot, the covering, was once again to be taken out of Sodom so that it could finally be fully judged.

The angels declared to Lot - "Up, take your wife and your two daughters, who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city." But Lot hesitated. "So the men (the angels) seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his daughters, for the compassion of Yahweh was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city" (Genesis 19:15-16).

The question must be raised here - For whom is the woman's head covering to be worn? Is it not written that it is for the angels? Yes, for the angels (1 Corinthians 11:10)! And what then is it we find here, but that the angels are equally addressing where that covering, Lot, is applied? Thus we see in this account the repeated association of angels and legal coverings.

Even once outside the city of Sodom, Lot again hesitated and requested permission to flee to a small town called Zoar. The angel's response again conclusively reveals how important and how immensely relevant this covering was to them - "Behold, I grant you this request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you (Lot, the covering) arrive there." One should note here, and it should be immensely significant, that these angels, in the administration of the judgment of Yahweh, could not do anything apart from and according to the order, the authority, and the placement of the established covering!

Why do women not wear head coverings? Why does one not recognize how important and significant this matter is for us to discern what is the "Lot," or covering, for this Remnant bride that must come out of "Sodom"? Are we to be like those sons-in-laws of Lot who were to marry his daughters, and upon hearing Lot's warnings failed to respond because they did not assign any significance to it - "he appeared to his sons-in-laws to be jesting." Will you be the masculine, the body of Christ, the "son-in-law," that cannot hear these warnings? Or will you be the bride in waiting whose hand will be grasped by an angel simply because you, like Lot's daughters, were in the house of the covering?

The angels grasped Lot's hand, the hand of his wife, and the hands of his daughters, and took them out of Sodom. Likewise, Yahweh is taking a bride out of Sodom, and He is doing this with an exercise of authority, as well as under a "Lot," a covering. This exercise of authority administered by His angels will take a remnant to heaven alive to be His bride; but it is essential that we discover what it is that will cover this bride, and will keep her from the judgment of Sodom. We must discern and look to our "Lot" that is before us as we flee, and not be tempted to look back to the place from which we have come, lest in our weakness and division of heart we become like Lot's wife and turn into a pillar of salt, having forsaken our covering and our quest.

This little band under Lot then went to a little town called Zoar (meaning, "small"); and Zoar alone with its inhabitants, with Lot and his two daughters, were the only ones in the entire valley to survive Yahweh's fiery judgment. Why? For one reason alone - because the covering, Lot, now rested on Zoar, and everyone under the covering was protected! Under that covering there was only one small town that was saved - a Zoar, a very small remnant.

Lot thus fulfilled his great purpose - he covered two remnants that were taken out of corrupt Sodom; one by the kings of Babylon at the beginning, and one by angels at the end! Equally, and it should be clear to you by now, Yahweh will have His "Lot," His covering, over His two-part Remnant bride that will protect and deliver her - the first that was likewise apprehended by Mystery Babylon (Christianity), and the second that will likewise be taken out by heavenly authority.

Seeing these great and most meaningful truths in this account regarding Lot and Sodom, should cause us all-the-more to desire and seek to understand specifically what was that covering for the first Remnant, and thus what it will be for the second Remnant. If we are to discover the covering that is to be the protecting "Lot" over the second Remnant, we must find out what the covering was over the first Remnant.

In this quest to discover what covering, what "Lot," there will be over the second Remnant, that of necessity was found over the first Remnant, one thing that makes this matter much simpler is that there is so very little history recorded about the first Remnant; affording little to choose from and examine. The book of Acts is the only remaining historical account we have of these initial believers - specifically chapters two through seven. But one thing we have to our advantage in this account is that if this matter of a covering for the bride is of great importance to Yahweh, and regarding the testimony of Lot it is evident it is, since this account in Acts was given to us under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we should indeed find here an indication as to the presence and significance of that legal bride covering. So, let us consider from Acts some of the outstanding qualities of this first bride work.

Certainly, one of the outstanding qualities of the first Remnant was that they were under an unusual outpouring of the Holy Spirit - the former rain. And equally, the second Remnant will have the latter rain that establishes them. But although these two unique outpourings of the Holy Spirit create these "two sons of fresh oil," as seen in Zechariah 4, these special works and anointings of the Holy Spirit alone do not qualify as a special covering. Remember, the entire work of the church, which includes both Christianity and Remnant, is a work of the Holy Spirit - "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit." The Holy Spirit's work creates both Christianity and the Remnant, the lampstand and the two olive trees, and can in no way be the covering the bride uniquely needs.

So what other outstanding quality was unique to the first Remnant? Another unique aspect was that it was an entirely Jerusalem-based experience. But this unique quality would likewise not suffice as a substitutionary covering for the bride, for Jerusalem had often been the habitation of Israelites and Jews for many years before. What else do we see?

Keep in mind that the subject covering for the woman is unique in that it is a substitutionary covering, one that is separate and different from her husband, one that is visible to others (where the husband's is not - Yahshua), and she must consciously place it on herself. The man's covering is not like this. His is passive - it is there simply by believing in Yahshua - and it cannot be visibly seen. The woman, on the other hand, must actively choose to place her substitutionary covering on her head, an act which consequently sets her apart from others (especially today). In like manner, the substitutionary covering that will cover the bride of Yahshua must equally be a covering that (1) must be visible in some fashion, and (2) there must be the choice to apply it. This being the case is all the more reason for us to conscientiously seek out precisely what that covering was for the first Remnant, so that we can obediently put it in place.

Let us now look at a third outstanding quality of the first Remnant; and this quality was most certainly an act of willful and overt choice. This was the quality in which they uniquely held all things in common. In fact, this one point is to a very great extent a most significant and repeated focus or theme of Acts 2 through 6, not just an isolated item mentioned merely in passing. Let us quote some of the passages in these chapters that speak to this.

Acts 2:44-45: And all those who believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.

Acts 4:32-37: And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them. ... For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of lands or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales, and lay them at the apostles' feet; and they would be distributed to each, as any had need. And Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means, Son of Encouragement), and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Acts 5:1f: But a certain man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife's full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land?" (Because of its length, all of this account will not be printed here. Both Ananias and Sapphira died on the spot for their actions. More will be discussed on this important event later in this writing.)

Could this matter of selling all and holding all things in common be the covering of the bride? It certainly was a highly unique quality associated with the entire first Remnant, with the absence thereof being fatal to Ananias and Sapphira. Thus we see in this practice not only its obvious presence and uniqueness, but also the dramatic consequence of its absence! We will examine this most dramatic and eventful fate that came to these two, and its relevance to our quest in discovering the legal covering over the bride, but for now let us consider another most important question.

In seeking to resolve whether selling all and holding all things in common was indeed the required covering of the first Remnant bride, and will of necessity equally be the covering for the second Remnant bride, we must evaluate this possibility by asking the very important question - How could one's response to money and possessions indeed qualify as a legal covering? If selling all is this covering of the bride, has Yahweh ever regarded man's application of money as a covering to or for Yahweh? Has there ever been a case in which money was in fact a legal covering? Or, using the same word for "covering," is money ever regarded as an atonement? The word "atonement" actually has the meaning - "covering." We easily relate to and regard blood as able to provide atonement. The animal sacrifices and sprinkling of the blood on the alter was for atonement, looking to the sacrifice of Yahshua and the shedding of His blood as an atoning sacrifice or covering for our sins. While blood was an atonement or covering, did Yahweh ever regard money as providing atonement or covering?

This is a most important question, for if we anticipate that selling all is in fact the legal covering of the bride, this act would most surely not be something entirely new in Yahweh's laws, as Yahweh repeatedly performs His works according to His laws. So one of the great tests to the possibility that this practice of selling all and holding all things in common is indeed this covering is - Has money ever before been an atonement or covering for Yahweh's sake? If so, this provides us one more evidence that this unique quality exhibited by the first Remnant, could in fact be the legal covering that the bride must have in order to come out of the body and go directly to the Father. In order to address this important question, we will turn once again to, of course, Yahweh's Laws.

 

Continue to page 3 of One Thing ... for ATONEMENT MONEY

 

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