In recent writings we have begun to see that the present time is a contest between Christianity and the Remnant. We have seen that since 1948 Yahweh has begun His Carmel - the test to see whose offering will ascend alive to Him.

There is another test taking place that is equally decisive, and that is the test of who has the rights to priesthood. This is the test pictured in Numbers 16 and 17 and can be called - the test of Korah!

Korah and 250 leaders of the congregation who were men of renown, assembled together against Moses and declared - "You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and Yahweh is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of Yahweh?"

Thus, the test was on! Who had a right to lead the children of Israel? Who had the right to priesthood - the 250 men of renown chosen by the people, or Moses and Aaron? The next day that decision was rendered. At Yahweh's instructions, Moses had Korah and all the men accompanying him to each take a priestly censer and put incense and fire in it and bring it before Yahweh. Upon this act Yahweh then told Moses to separate from the people in order that He could destroy them all. But Moses interceded for them and in obedience to Yahweh had the people to move away from the tents of Korah and Dathan and Abiram. Yahweh then opened up the ground and all of these men descended into the earth alive!

What next took place? Even the next day after seeing such a sight, the people grumbled and Aaron had to intercede for them again in order to halt a plague against them. What then was to be the solution to these two events? How could this contest be resolved as to who was going to lead the people and stand before Yahweh in a priestly role? Yahweh instructed Moses to have each of the leaders of the twelve tribes to bring a rod before Him and to write each man's name on his own rod. "You shall then deposit them in the tent of meeting in front of the testimony, where I meet with you. And it will come about that the rod of the man whom I choose will sprout. Thus I shall lessen from upon Myself the grumblings of the sons of Israel , who are grumbling against you" (Numbers 17:4-5).

The next day the rod of Aaron of the house of Levi "sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds." The choice of the rod belonging to Aaron settled the issue of who was to represent Yahweh in priesthood - the one whose rod sprouted and brought forth buds, blossoms, and ripe almonds. Thus Aaron was set apart from the congregation as holy unto Yahweh.

This is where we are today - at another Carmel type test. For 2,000 years Yahweh has attested to His dissatisfaction with Christianity. Even as those who had the priestly censors who rebelled against Him descended into the earth, so for 2,000 years Christians, who have occupied a priestly place before Yahweh, have equally descended into the earth. Christians who have the kingdom of God and the priestly role and yet continue to die, are the fulfillment of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (or three-part Christianity) - Yahweh has rejected their priesthood, their fire, and their incense!

The mere fact that for 2,000 years kingdom-receiving Christians have gone to the grave is quite telling. They have entered into the kingdom of God, the restored garden of God, so why is it that they die? Because they do not represent Yahweh in their actions, teachings, or practices. Thus, it is now time for Yahweh to give sovereign testimony as to who has the rights to represent Him. And how is it that He will do this? The same way He did in this contest we read about here - by selectively performing a work for all to see that produces buds, blossoms, and ripe almonds from an otherwise dead and dry rod.

What can we expect from the latter rain? Even as we see attested in the test of Carmel, the latter rain should bring forth sudden and revealing evidence confirming the choice of the Remnant for priesthood and thus the rejection of Christianity. This sudden work is not only evidenced by the rapidity of Elijah's evening offering ascending to Yahweh on Carmel, but equally by the testimony of Aaron's rod instantly bearing all three parts in fruit-bearing - buds, blossoms, and ripe fruit! To bring forth this kind of evidence requires rapidity in time, compressing an otherwise slow natural process into something that takes place almost instantly. This rapidity or quickness in the establishment and acceptance of the Remnant is repeatedly attested in the Scriptures, including this test as to who has the rights to priesthood. The Remnant work will indeed be a sudden work! Suddenly the Remnant will come onto the scene with attesting signs confirming them to be Yahweh's choice.

Considering that Christianity is a 2,000 year old work, the fact that the Remnant began coming out of Christianity a mere two years ago in May, 2000, is comparably an exceedingly short period of time. Thus we see that in May, 2000, the attesting rod of Aaron budded! And just last year, that bud became a blossom when twelve people began to tithe and establish a covering for the Remnant and Christianity! What now? The mature almond must soon come forth!

This is what we should see beginning this Passover at the end of April and into May. But, obviously the testimony must be far more outstanding than what has taken place thus far. Already the seed faith of twelve people has moved the mount of transfiguration 1,000 years forward and cast the tree of Christianity into the sea of death. Already a little smooth stone selected by the Shepherd from a little brook and placed into His pouch, has taken flight and struck the giant Goliath's forehead so as to defeat and topple him! While the small stone from the little brook (a small outpouring of the Spirit, His breathing upon us) is wonderful and essential, more is needed! In order to more clearly attest the separation of this work from Christianity and its choice for priesthood, the sign of the mature almond must be evidenced! The latter rain must bring forth a greater demonstration of Yahshua's power! Much has already been accomplished, even those things that insure our success; but, much more remains to be done!

Knowing all of this, let us now take a further look at Aaron's rod and see what we can learn. We read that the life that was brought forth from this dry and dead rod was expressed as an almond tree. This is the same tree evidenced in the lampstand. The lampstand had twenty-two almond blossoms on it. The word "almond" in the Hebrew is the word "shaqed," and comes from the word "shaqad," which means to be very watchful, wakeful, to be alert, and to hasten. Thus the almond equally speaks of being very watchful. This is evidenced quite clearly in Jeremiah 1:11-12 where we read - "And the word of Yahweh came to me saying, 'What do you see, Jeremiah?' And I said, 'I see a rod of an almond (shaqed) tree.' Then Yahweh said to me, 'You have seen well, for I am watching (shaqad) over My word to perform it.'" Thus we see that the almond, and particularly here even the rod of an almond (as with Aaron's rod), clearly speaks of being watchful.

Another unique testimony regarding the almond tree is that it is the first tree to blossom. At the end of winter, even before the coming of spring, the almond tree brings forth its blossoms. This is also the sign to the husbandman that it is time to trim the limbs of the olive tree in order to increase its fruit. So you can see that the testimony of the almond tree is quite revealing. As an early bloomer and by the very meaning of its name, the almond is an early testimony that the things Yahweh has spoken are about to come to pass. And the mere fact that the sprouting of Aaron's rod with almond buds, blossoms, and ripe fruit right after the rebellion of Korah, provides highly attesting evidence as to where we are in Yahweh's timing of events!

The establishment of the second Remnant after 2,000 years of the testimony of Korah in which Christians have descended into the earth, is in fact the sprouting of Aaron's rod. It is the preceding testimony of that which a watchman would declare - the soon arrival of the One who is quickly approaching. While many Christians have looked for and falsely attested to signs that point to the soon return of Yahshua, there is one sign, in fact the most important sign, that they have failed to consider - the budding of the almond tree, the bringing forth of the watchman, the performing of that work Yahweh has promised from of old and will watch over to perform, the establishment of the Elijah second Remnant!

The second Remnant is in fact the sudden and decisive work of bringing forth the bud, the blossom, and the ripe almond of the watchman that is the preceding clarion sign of the return of Yahshua. It is the work that identifies the last 2,000 years of Christianity as wholly inadequate, yet also even as Moses performed, preserves that rebellious work from coming into Yahweh's complete wrath. It is by this almond work that, even as we see in the rebellion of Korah, men are preserved from death.

And even as the budding of the almond tree meant the cutting away of the branches of the olive tree, so there are those who will enter into the Remnant and will find that they too are cut away by the husbandman for various reasons, one of which up to now being the unwillingness of some to come under the covering tithe. Yahweh has used the tithe to cut some of those "believing" limbs away. Will they return? All things are possible with Yahweh, but it is to be seen.

Thus we see once again that Yahweh has evidenced that a test on the order of Mount Carmel is now taking place, and one that is equally taking place suddenly! This is the test of Korah! The days before us are critical! It will be interesting to see what Yahweh does from now until the delayed Passover from April 28 through May 5, 2002; but when that feast comes, it should provide the beginning evidence of the ripe fruit of the almond tree - the continuing testimony of the cry of the watchman that Yahshua is indeed coming soon, and that the rights to priesthood have been taken away from Christianity and are given to the Remnant.

May Yahweh be diligent to watch over His word to perform it!

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