God's Two Greatest Mysteries
Chapter 5

I would like to clarify what I mean by the term Mystery of Iniquity. You must understand that we are the real temple of God that He is concerned about. Not a literal building over in Jerusalem. There is a spirit, an old man, a beast nature, the carnal mind, the spirit of antichrist, the man of sin, the son of perdition, that is ruling in God's spiritual temple. The one that is restraining and holding back the move of God is not the devil but is our unrenewed minds. Romans 8:6 says,

"To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so."

There are seven phrases in II Thessalonians 2 that refer to the living Word. These are important because the carnal mind is hostile to the living Word.

1. In verse 2 Paul says, "..nor by word.."
2. In verse 4, "..above all that is called God.."

John 1:1 says,

"In the beginning was the word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

The Greek emphasis is that God was the Word. 'Above all that is called God', is talking about the Word. In verse 8 he says: "..with the breath of His mouth.." And what is it that comes out of His mouth? His Word!!

In verse 10 he says: "..refuse to love the TRUTH.." In John 17:17 Jesus said,

"Sanctify them by the truth; Your WORD is TRUTH."

Notice verse 12: "That they all might be damned who believed not the TRUTH, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." People take pleasure in their traditions because their traditions please them.

In II Cor. 3:12-18 Paul said,

"Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: and not as Moses, who put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished. But their minds were blinded, for until this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been re-moved, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, The veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

The thing that makes the Rapture theory so contrary to the Word of God is the any minute coming of the Lord and the instantaneous change into perfection. The Bible does not teach an instantaneous change. It teaches a progressive change from:

1. Strength to strength, (Psalms 84:7)
2. Faith to faith, (Romans 1:17)
3. Glory to glory, (II Cor. 3:18)

Someone says, "But I can't see that, brother Johnson!" I know why you can't see it. Because your mind is blind! And I don't mean that as an insult. Paul says, here in this scripture, that even in his day when some people read the scriptures there was a veil over their minds. In other words, when they read the scriptures they could not understand what they were reading.

Paul said, however, that when they turned to listen to the Holy Spirit, that veil, that blindness was taken away. So then, when the Spirit is allowed to be Lord there is liberty. Now, with a mind that is not blinded, you are free for the Spirit to bring revelation from the Lord. As a result, this change will begin to take place in you to take you from glory to glory and bring you into maturity.

Every place you see the word 'mystery' in the bible, it takes the illuminating, enabling power of the Holy Spirit to even be able to see what God is saying. Turn again to Acts 17:29,

"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, graven by art and man's device."

In Rev. 13:16-18 it mentions the Mark of the Beast and that they were marked in their right hand and their forehead. The word 'marked' is the same Greek word as the word 'graven' here in Acts 17:29 and it is the Greek word 'charagma' from which we get our English word 'character'. It is a kin to the Greek word in Heb. 1:3 where Jesus is said to be the express IMAGE of the Father. And it means a stamp, a mark, or an impress.

I have already shared with you that in I Samuel 15:22-23 rebellion is as witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Iniquity is idolatry. Iniquity is being a law breaker. The Mystery of Iniquity is also the Mystery of idolatry. It's the Mystery of Rebellion. It's the Mystery of Witchcraft. It's the Mystery of Stubbornness. It's the Mystery of The Carnal Mind.

They were graven by art which is the Greek word 'teckne' and means handy craft or crafted by hand and by man's reasonings. In other words, man's hand and man's mind. Where is the Mark of the Beast? The right hand and the forehead. Everywhere man's mind and man's creative genius has had a good idea and everywhere he has used his strength, his money, his influence, his ability, and his technology, to design that idea, that which he has created and designed has the mark of the beast on it. Ezekiel 6:1-7 says,

"And the word of the Lord came unto me saying, `Son of man set your face toward the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them and say, `You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills and to the rivers and to the valleys: Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you and I will destroy your HIGH PLACES. And your ALTARS shall be desolate, and your IMAGES shall be broken and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.

And I will lay the dead carcasses of the children of Israel before their idols and I will scatter your bones round about your altars. In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste and the high places shall be desolate that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate and your IDOLS may be broken and cease and your IMAGES may be cut down and your WORKS may be abolished. And the slain shall fall in the midst of you and you shall know that I am the Lord.'"

In the world system today, men think like a beast and they act like a beast. The mind and the hand. The forehead and the right hand. What I am saying to you is that there is already stamped on the world system, and this includes the religious world system, the Mark of the Beast. Any teaching that you hear which comes from the carnal mind of man, is stamped with the Mark of the Beast.

One of the Beastly teachings is that we are going to be raptured out of here any minute. I am not just saying this in order to make you mad or to just get your attention. But to say to you that this teaching came out of the mind of man and it takes the strength and hand of man to keep it going.

Rev. 9:20-21 says,

"The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the WORK OF THEIR HANDS; they did no stop worshipping DEMONS, and IDOLS of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts."

Men will not repent of the works of their hands. Notice, it says that they would not stop worshipping their idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood and these things cannot SEE or HEAR or WALK. If you worship the things of the flesh, you will be unable to SEE or HEAR the voice of the Spirit.

Paul said in Romans 6:16,

"Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?"

If you worship the things of the flesh, you are worshipping that which is corruptible and is dying!! Just like the woman in Luke 13:4, those who worship the flesh and the handiwork of man are bent over and cannot see or hear what the Spirit is saying and doing. And they certainly are not walking in what God is saying to the Church in this generation. You will find what God is saying in the bible but you cannot understand it unless He illuminates your heart, your mind, and your understanding.

If there are Beastly thoughts which result in beastly actions; if there are Beastly Carnal Minded teachings which result in iniquity, stubbornness, rebellion, witchcraft, and idolatry; the end result will be a local church that cannot see and cannot hear and cannot walk. Jesus said in Rev. 3:17,

"You say, `I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, BLIND, and naked."

There is a carnal mind, a beast nature, an antichrist nature which exalts himself above the Word and takes the place of the Word. His traditions and his ideas take place of the Word and he sits in the temple showing himself that his way and his thoughts are more important than God's way and God's thoughts and by his words and his actions he declares himself as God.

For the last ten years I have been teaching and preaching that God's destiny for you and me is that we be like Jesus in this life and in the life to come. I have received more persecution because of this teaching than anything else. The very men and teachings and organizations that oppose this have made the Word of God to none effect and have set themselves up as God in the process.

When we say I am going to believe my teachings, my traditions more than the bible, then have we set ourselves up as having more wisdom than God Himself.

Now, let's look at the phrase, 'who holds it back' in verse seven. This phrase is the same in the Greek language as the phrase, 'till he is taken out of the way'. This phrase 'taken out of the way' is not a very good translation from the original. The original wording says 'until he comes into being' or 'until he be revealed'. This is the Greek word 'ginomai' and literally means until he comes to the birth and be revealed and manifested. This is the subject of this whole passage of scripture; the revealing of The Man of Sin.

Just as there is going to be a manifestation of the corporate Son of God, there is also going to be a manifestation of the corporate Son of Satan!!! The Man of Sin. Jesus told the Pharisees of His day who were ruled by the carnal mind, "You are of your father, the devil."

Verse 10 in the King James version says, "And then shall that Wicked be revealed." In verse 9, "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan..." And in verse 10, "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness IN THEM that perish..."

Why is it that the Church does not want to be told this?? That this Mystery of Iniquity, this spirit of antichrist, this man of sin, this son of perdition, this beast nature is the unrighteousness that is in them that perish.!! "Because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved." It is also called a strong delusion and a lie in verse 11. In verse 3, let's take a look at the phrase 'and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.'

The Greek word for 'revealed' is No. 601 in the Strong's concordance and it is the Greek word 'apokalupto' and means to be uncovered, to be unveiled, to be reveled.

The Greek word for 'perdition' is No. 684 in the Strong's concordance and it is the Greek word 'apoleia' and means destruction, waste, perdition, to die, damnable heresies, pernicious ways. As the son of perdition, this man is destined to be destroyed. In verse 8 Paul says when this will happen,

"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall CONSUME with the spirit of His mouth, and shall DESTROY with the brightness of His coming."

In Verse 4 Paul says, "Who opposeth..." The Greek word for 'opposeth' is No. 480 in the Strong's concordance and is the Greek word 'antikeimai' and means to oppose or to be an adversary. It is found eight times in the New Testament. Here in verse 4 which says, "Opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God.." In Luke 13:17 it says, "And when He had said these things, all His ADVERSARIES were ashamed..."

Notice also, that in Luke 13, the blind synagogue ruler is called an ADVERSARY of God!!! In Galatians 5:17 Paul says, "The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.." The Spirit spoken of here is the Christ nature in you and the flesh is the Mystery of Iniquity.

The Amplified bible of Galatians 5:17 says,

"For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the (Holy) Spirit--and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (Godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other--continually withstanding and in conflict with each other--so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do"

The desires of the flesh are opposed to the Holy Spirit who inspired the writing of the scriptures. The Holy Spirit and the written Word of God are in complete agreement. What the flesh desires in it's traditions and teachings is opposed to the written Word of God!! The flesh opposes and exalts itself above all that is called God. Isn't this what our forefather, Adam, desired to do as recorded in Isaiah 14:13-14?

"I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne ABOVE the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High"

This word 'exalt' is No. 5229 in Strong's concordance and is the Greek word 'hupenantios' and means to raise ONESELF over, to become haughty, to be exalted above measure. It is found in two other places. In II Cor. 12:7 where Paul said, "...Lest I be exalted above measure..." And again in verse 4, "Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God..."

This word 'sits' is No. 2523 in Strong's concordance and is the Greek word 'kathizo' and means to sit down, to settle (hover or dwell), to tarry. In other words, this one who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or is worshipped, wants to live [dwell] in God's temple.

Again in verse 4 the phrase 'showing himself that he is God...' The word 'showing' is No. 584 in Strong's concordance and it is the Greek word 'apodeiknumi' and means to show off, exhibit, demonstrate, prove, set forth, show.

In Acts 2:22 it says, "...Jesus of Nazareth, a man APPROVED of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs..."

In Acts 25:7 it says, "And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round a bout, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not PROVE."

In I Cor. 4:9 it says, "I thank God that He SET forth us the apostles last..."

Those who are operating in the flesh will always SET themselves forth first and want to sell you on their own APPROVAL. Beware of those who are always patting themselves on the back. Judge a man's ministry by how much he sets forth himself. Who gets the most praise, God or him? Paul said in II Cor. 5:12, "We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again.." And again in II Cor. 10:12, "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves."

In II Thess. 2:5-7 Paul said,

"Remember that when I was with you I told you these things? And now you know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. for the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way."

Now let's look at the phrase 'he that letteth'. It is No. 2722 in the Strong's concordance and is the Greek word 'katecho' and means to hold down, to possess, retain, seize on, stay, take, withhold, to detain or hinder the progress of something.

The traditional teaching is that the Holy Spirit in the Church is restraining and holding back the forces of darkness and when the Church is raptured out the Holy Spirit will be taken out also and all the forces of darkness will be released like as a mighty flood tide of evil. If this is true, then how can all those people in Rev. 9 be saved in the midst of tribulation? If the Holy Spirit has been taken out no one can be saved. Jesus said, "No man can come to Me unless he is drawn to Me by My Father. And there will be a multitude without number that will come out of the great tribulation.

Paul said here that they know who is holding back, who is restraining, who it is that is detaining, who it is that is hindering. It is time for the Mystery of Iniquity to be reveled. The phrase, 'until he be taken out of the way', is the Greek word that we looked at earlier 'ginomia'.

All that II Thess. 2:7 is saying is this, "For the mystery of iniquity is already at work among us; only he that now hinders will continue to hinder until he be birthed out, until he be completely revealed"

And then shall that wicked man of sin be revealed when he comes into his fullness. And the purpose of his revelation is so that the corporate Son of God will consume him with the mighty Word that comes forth from His mouth as the sound of many rushing waters.

He is not talking about the Church being taken out of here. He is simply saying that this man of sin, this carnal mind, is that which opposes and restraineth the move of the Holy Spirit of God in your life and in mine. This is why Paul exhorts us in I Thess. 5:19 to quench not the Holy Spirit of God.

What has held us back is The Law of Sin and Death as it operates in the Carnal Mind. I want you to realize that all this is happening within the temple and you are that temple. Peter said it this way in II Peter 1:19,

"And we have the word made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rise in your heart."

The light shining in a dark place is Christ in you shining forth the light of His Word into your carnal mind. The prophets of God in the old testament saw two eras of time. This is brought out in 1 Peter 1:10-11 which says,

"Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow."

The two eras of time that they saw were:

1. The time period of the sufferings of Christ.
2. And the time period of the glories that would follow.

In Acts 3:18-21 Peter said,

"But this is how God fulfilled what He had foretold through all the prophets saying that His Christ would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins might be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that He might send the Christ, who has been appointed for you; even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore EVERYTHING, as He promised long ago through ALL His holy prophets."

Please note the following:

1. That His Christ would suffer.
2. That times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
3. He [Jesus] must remain in heaven UNTIL the time comes for God to restore ALL things.

The prophets saw two time periods of God's grace:

1. They saw the early rain which followed His suffering,
2. And they saw the latter rain which proceeds His coming again.

The early rain, which fell to cause the seed to grow, fell on the Day of Pentecost. The latter rain, which began to fall in the early 1900's, is causing the Church to come into maturity. When Jesus came the first time, He came as a man and as a Spirit. However, Jesus said in John 14:18 speaking of the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Christ,

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."

And again in John 14:23 He said,

"If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and We Will Come and make our home With him."

The Spirit of His Son was sent into our hearts whereby we cry 'Abba, Father' (Rom. 8:15). On the Day of Pentecost, Jesus came again, not as a man, but as a life giving Spirit. Before Jesus comes again in the air and every eye shall behold Him, He will come by His Spirit, in His fullness, to indwell His Body, the Church.

When Jesus died, we died with Him; and when He rose from the grave, we were resurrected with Him. (Rom 6) And we were given a measure of His Holy Spirit as a deposit to guarantee that the Day is coming when we will receive the fullness of His Spirit and do the greater works that He promised. II Cor. 1:21 says,

"He anointed us, set His seal of owner ship on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts guaranteeing what is to come."

Before Jesus comes in the air, the Christ in you is going to speak to your carnal mind and you will be set free from that which restrains you and holds you back. As a result, the fullness of His Spirit will be released in your life and you will be changed and become pure and spotless and unwrinkled.

Jesus is coming in the saints as a Spirit and then He is coming WITH the saints in His glorified body in the air. When Jesus returns in the air, the Jesus that the world sees will be The Corporate Son of God? The reason there must be a catching up in the air to meet or to greet the Lord is because the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ, is coming down out of heaven from God to dwell here on this earth. We must go up to meet and be with the Corporate Son of God, because we are a part of that Corporate Son.

God is going to destroy the Man of Sin with the Brightness of His coming in His Corporate Son and by the Powerful Word that this Corporate Son is going to speak. At the end of this age there is going to be a Corporate Son of God stand up and face a Corporate Man of Sin.

There is taking place, right now in your innermost being, a miniature picture of this confrontation and conflict that shall rage through out this whole universe. This message I am proclaiming to you is the most profound message we can hear. If the revelation of this message ever dawns on your thinking, not only will it eventually change your life, but it will affect the lives of everyone you come into contact with.

This message is not something new!! It has been around for many years. More and more Pastors are now receiving this revelation because it is the time for this Man of Sin to be revealed. This Man of Sin, the carnal mind, must be revealed to God's people in order that the hindrance to His Spirit being released in their lives, might be taken out of the way.

This mystery is going to continue to hinder God's people until it is exposed. In Gen. 32, Jacob wrestled with the angel of the Lord and the angel asked him what his name was. Jacob answered, "My name is Jacob." You see, your name is a reflection of your nature. The angel of the Lord was asking Jacob, "What is your nature?" Jacob said, "I am a surplanter, I am a deceiver, I am a phony, I am a hypocrite." However, the angel of the Lord rebuked him and said that his name or his nature would no longer be Jacob. From this time on his name or his nature would be called Israel, because he had struggled with God and men and overcome both of them.

The Spirit of the Lord is sooner or latter going to ask you the same question. What is your nature? What are you really like when you take your mask off? Most Christians are self-righteous and especially Charismatics who would answer the Father, "I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus." This answer is true as far as Satan or the world is concerned, but this is the Father of all spirits asking you this question. If you will humble yourselves and admit that, in and of yourselves, you are everything that Jacob was, except for the grace of God.

We must come to the end of ourselves and admit that we are nothing without Him. Then, and only then, will God speak a final death blow to our carnal mind, our carnal nature, and fill us with His nature. Then, and only then, will we be like Him. Then the prayer of Jesus will come true. We will be one with He and the Father and the eternal purpose of God will be accomplished.

II Chronicles 7:14 says,

"If My people who are called by My Name [Nature] will humble themselves, and pray and seek My Face [presence] and turn from THEIR WICKED WAYS, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

If God can just get you to say, "I am the one who has opposed and exalted MYSELF above all that is called God.

I am the one who has been setting on Your throne in Your temple. I am the one who has restrained Your Spirit from filling Your temple. Lord, I did not realize that I was the one all the time holding you back. Please forgive me!"; then He can begin to reveal to you His eternal plan that He has design especially for you.

In the day of Jacob's trouble, the Church is going to meet Jesus face to face through a prophetic ministry. She is going to confess Her true colors, and the Blind Ruler in the synagogue, the Carnal Mind, the Mystery of Iniquity, the Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition will be destroyed by the Brilliance of His coming. Colossians 1:24-29 says,

"Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of His Body, which is the Church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the Word of God in its fullness- the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me."

The Mystery of Christ in you is the Christians hope for glory. When we receive the life of Christ and begin to experience His nature being manifested in our lives, hope begins to rise up within us. Hope that God will bring to pass that which He has promised when Jesus said that we would be like Him.

Even as God has poured His life out in us, the day is coming when we will pour out His life from within us to a lost and dying humanity. The Blessed Hope of the Christian is that when Jesus comes, we will be like Him.

I John 3:1-2 says,

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we would be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known, But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."

My Blessed Hope is not that Jesus will come again, that is a fact, and you do not have to hope in a fact. The ultimate goal of the Christ nature in you is for that nature to permeate your spirit, soul, and body and to be visible through you so that the world may see that Jesus was truly from God and that God did send Him as a propitiation for their sins.

The world can only see and understand through their five senses. They must see to believe. The purpose of the Holy Spirit in you is to mature you and to perfect you. So that the world may see the life of Christ Jesus being manifested in you as a witness to them. II Cor. 5:17 says,

"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

To be in Christ is not the same thing as Christ in you!! There is no one alive in which the old things have passed away to the extent that ALL THINGS are become new. The proof of this is that your body has not been renewed. Your spirit has become new and you have been given a deposit of His Spirit. Guaranteeing that there is coming a day when the full expression of the Christ in you will be manifest and you will be like Him.

I want to quote some scriptures to you in order for you to see what I mean. I Timothy 6:12 say,

"Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

We are to take hold of eternal life. This is our responsibility! We must allow this life of Christ to live in us.

Romans 1:17 says,

"For in the Gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith'."

Romans 2:7 says,

"To them, who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life."

II Timothy 1:8-11 says,

"So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me His prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life-not because of anything we have done but because of His Own Purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."

I Peter 1:3-5 says,

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."

This full salvation will be manifest in the last days in which we are living. II Cor. 4:10-11 says,

"We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that His life may be revealed in our mortal body."

Romans 8:11 says,

"If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you."

Isaiah 25:6-9 says,

"On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine-the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain He will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from ALL faces; He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth." (NIV)

King James Version says,

"And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto ALL people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over ALL people, and the veil that is spread over ALL nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off ALL faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off ALL the earth: for the Lord has spoken it." (KJV)

I want you to see that again and again God tells us what He is going to do. I am here to tell you the good news that God has done ALL these things in Jesus Christ. We are patiently waiting for the Day when these things become a reality in our lives.

We often quote Heb. 9:27 which says,

"And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."

I am here to tell you that Jesus has already met that appointment for us. Romans 8:1 says,

"There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of Life set me free from the law of sin and DEATH."

I Cor. 15:50-58 says,

"I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit The Kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will ALL be changed--in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

The first man Adam was a living soul, and the last man Adam was a life giving Spirit. We are to have this Christ in us until we are in Christ. Flesh and blood cannot inherit this; Ishmael cannot inherit this; the beast nature cannot inherit this.

Here is another mystery that we have just read. This scripture tells me that not everyone is going to die. This change that we have been talking about starts in our spirits. As our understanding of the eternal mysteries of God is broaden it permeates our soul [mind, will, emotions] and when our mind is completely renewed it will manifest itself in our bodies and as a result our bodies will be changed and become like His.

In verse 52 it says, 'in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.' The Greek word for 'moment' is Atomos and means uncut, that is, indivisible; as atom of time. The King James bible was written in a time when the smallest thing they knew about was a moment. The NIV writers used the word 'flash' which is a little closer. But the word means Atom which is the smallest division of atomic energy that we can have without a tremendous release of energy.

When mankind learned to split the atom, we discovered perhaps the most powerful force available to the natural man. Scientist will tell you today that they do not know what holds the nucleus of an atom together. There is, however, a more powerful force in the universe which is the powerful Word of God which is what holds the atom together.

Hebrews 4:12 says,

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

There is coming a day in which God is going to release His powerful Word and it is going to split forever the First Adam from the Second Adam. As result there is going to be the greatest release of energy that the world will ever experience. It will be so powerful that now only will our bodies be changed, but sin will be dealt with and death will be swallowed up in victory and even all of creation will be changed and come into the glory of the Son's of God. This change is going to occur in our atoms or in our atomic structure.

In the phrase, 'the last trumpet'; the word 'at' in the Greek is the preposition 'in'. In other words, we are going to be changed in the last trumpet. Rotherhams' translation says that they are going to be changed during the last trumpet. Phillips translation says as the trumpet sounds.

All of creation is waiting for someone to break through that veil of flesh, break through that limitation of the carnal mind and manifest the Christ nature. This is the hope of all creation.

2 Cor. 3:15-18 says,

"Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

2 Cor. 4:3-4 says,

"And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

We have already read in Isaiah 25:6-9 that God is going to remove the shroud, the sheet, the veil that has blinded the minds of all people and in that Day every eye shall behold Him and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. But even now those who are in Christ Jesus have that veil already taken away and we reflect His nature as a standard and as a witness in order that He might judge the world.

When anyone makes Jesus Lord of their lives, that veil is taken away and the Spirit begins to reveal the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ to that person. The degree that you have made Jesus Lord of your life will determine the degree of the revelation of Him in your life.

Let me say this another way. Your understanding of the mysteries of the Word of God is an indication of the extent that you have made Jesus Lord of your life. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would take those things that were His and reveal them to us.

We are being changed, or transformed into His likeness or nature with an ever increasing manifestation of His likeness. Paul said in Romans 12:1-2,

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."

This change will never begin to operate in you as long as your mind is blinded by the traditions of man. This change begins in your spirit and flows into your soul, by the renewing of your mind, and finally into your body which will be changed. This change comes from within and not from without.