A Third Day Awakening

The wise man instructs us that there is a season for everything, and a time to every purpose under heaven. Every season brings a new experience and responsibility. Each season demands a corresponding action. In the spring, the farmer seeds the crop and only in the fall does he harvest it. It’s no different spiritually.

In the purpose of God are appointed times, seasons, dispensations and ages, each unfolding and advancing the kingdom of God to its divine consummation.

God calls every son of God to be mindful of the times in which they live. It’s vital that we perceive the times before appointed by God that we may align with the purpose and power of God’s kingdom. It was said of the sons of Issachar that they had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do (1 Chr. 12:32). But such was not the testimony of the Pharisees and Sadducees who were called hypocrites because they knew how to discern the face of the sky (natural things), but could not discern the signs of the times (Mat. 16:3).

Consider the times of which the scriptures speak. The ancient Greeks had three words in reference to time: chronos, kairos, and aion. Chronos is time as we know it. It’s chronological or linear time, the time that is counted, the time that is money. Kairos is the opportune moment, the right time for action. While chronos is quantitative (measured numerically), kairos is qualitative (measured by quality).

From the perspective of the kingdom, kairos is used to signify the right or appointed time in the purpose of God. It is the decisive period awaited for in God’s divine agenda – the time in which God begins to move in a new way.

Both chronos and kairos exist within aions. Aion properly means “an age” a period of time, whether long or short, often of indefinite length. It is the epoch, the span of time that can be used refer to the stone age, age of enlightenment, information age and, as we will see, the church age. Each age consists of chronological time (chronos) and is initiated or advanced by divinely appointed moments (kairos).

The progressive development of God’s kingdom plan is comprised of ages. The kingdom advances and triumphs with every successive age. The dispensation of the fullness of the times (the fullness of the ages) marks the completion of God’s plan of the ages when He will reconcile all things in Christ (Eph. 1:10).

Just after John had been put into prison, Jesus came declaring the gospel of the kingdom saying: “The time (kairos) has fully come…the Kingdom of God is close at hand: repent, and believe this Good News” (Mar. 1:15). In that appointed hour, God brought the age of the law to an end and began to usher in a new age by the preaching of the gospel. For the law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached (Luk. 16:16).
Each new age in God’s Kingdom program brings a new order, a new revelation, a new understanding, a new commission, a new realm, a new dimension of life, and another chapter of His inworking. The end of one age ushers the coming of a new one. Every new age causes the previous age to grow old and pass away.

When the Lord brought the new covenant, with it came a greater glory that did away with the age of the law: “When God speaks of a new [covenant or agreement], He makes the first one obsolete (out of use). And what is obsolete (out of use and annulled because of age) is ripe for disappearance and to be dispensed with altogether” (Heb. 8:13 Amp).

The coming of a new age is often hidden, revealed only to a few. Paul testifies that the dispensation of grace was a mystery given to him by revelation from God – “which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit” (Eph. 3:5). Again, Paul attests to the mystery which had been hid from ages and from generations, but was now made manifest to his saints (Col. 1:26).

People are often not attuned to the dealings of God that accompanies a new age. Anyone who follows outward forms and edicts instead of the leading of the Spirit will fail to discern the change of an age. This is the reality in which we now live among the Lord’s people who neither discern the times for themselves nor pay attention to those who do.

Dear reader, God is inaugurating a new age. There is a paradigm shift taking place within ourselves to a new dispensation in God’s kingdom program. Today, majority of the Lord’s people find themselves in the church age; under the order of Pentecost.

But Pentecost is an in-part (fragmentary) realm – a realm of partial knowledge, partial understanding, partial gifts, partial ministry, and partial experience. Paul states: “whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away” (1 Cor. 13:8-10). Hallelujah! To those who hear with spiritual ears what the Spirit is saying, that which is perfect (kingdom age) has come and has made Pentecost obsolete.

Pentecost is the experience of the second day where we received the Spirit in measure as the guarantee of our inheritance (as the first fruits, the pledge and foretaste, the down payment on our heritage), in anticipation of its full redemption and our acquiring complete possession of it (Eph. 1:14). The church has been in this stance for over 2000 years. And who can deny the gifts, blessings, provisions, and benefits we experienced there. But despite it all, it is without hesitation that I affirm to you that the age of the church has come to a close. This testimony which is now established within the apprehended company of God’s sons is confirmed by the vision of John the revelator.

In the first chapter of the Revelation, John saw in vision seven candlesticks “which are the seven churches” (Rev. 1:20). The seven churches represent the realm and order of the entire church age. In two chapters, Jesus offers a snapshot of the church’s history. One needs to only read the account of these seven churches to know what the church age is like, has ever been and will ever become.

As we go on to read the accounts of the book, we notice that majority of the events taking place in the book occur beyond the candlestick (church) realm. The opening of the seven seals, the sounding of the seven trumpets, the pouring out of the wrath of God, the judgment of Mystery Babylon, the resurrection of the two witnesses, the birthing of the man child, and all others dealings of God take place beyond the seven churches. We must understand then that the Lord’s dealings with His people in these higher realms is no longer under the order of the church system.

Of the 19 mentions of the word ‘church’ in the book, 18 appear in the first three chapters reinforcing the point I wish to relay.
Chapter four begins with something new – a new dimension, a new experience, a new order, a new revelation – A NEW AGE!

This transition from old to new is portrayed by John who is caught up through a door standing open in heaven (Christ) to the throne realm, to enter into a new heaven, a new realm in the Spirit and a closer walk and union with the One who sits upon the throne. This kairos moment marks the beginning of a new age in the progressive revelation of Jesus Christ.

All previous ages have brought glimpses into Christ’s revelation, though, dimly (1 Cor. 13:12). Every progressive age in the kingdom brings a greater revelation and possession of the mind, will, and nature of Christ. With each age, God enlarges Christ in us through greater revelations and experiences of Himself. As He increases within, He draws us into a life of deeper union where He begins to move and live and have His being in us in a greater plane of experience.

It is for this cause that John heard the voice saying: “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place AFTER THIS (i.e. the church age, the candlestick realm)” (Rev. 4:1). Dear saint, along with my fellow brothers and sisters, we declare to you that there is a greater spiritual experience; a more glorious dispensation in His kingdom that transcends all you have learned and experienced in the church age. There are truths that will never be uttered, experiences that will never be realized, and revelations that will never be imparted from the pulpit of your denominational gatherings.

This new age of which I now write is a realm where His incorruption and immortality begins to be raised up in us, not after we die and go to some far-away heaven, but right here on the earth. This is God’s divine preparation of the manifest sons of God. This is a state of fullness, maturity and perfection where God becomes all in all in His sons. This is the summit of sonship where we manifest Him as ourselves and become as He is in this world (1 Joh. 4:17). Dear saint, it is to such heights that God is calling us in this new dispensation of His kingdom.

Paul speaks of this experience by boasting of a man in Christ who was caught up to the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:3). Notice that Paul was not applauding some heavenly encounter, much like those we hear about on Christian television. Not at all. He begins the chapter by clarifying that he was referring to “visions and revelations of the Lord” (2 Cor. 12:1). We can understand then that third heaven is a higher realm of visions and revelations of the Lord.

Let us further elaborate these truths that they may be established in your heart. The scriptures highlight three experiences in God that every saint is called to progress through. These progressive spiritual experiences are signified by various types and shadows of the Old Testament. In Moses’ tabernacle, we see it signified by the Outer Court, the Holy Place and Holy of Holies. Again, we see this tri-part progression in the feasts of Israel; the feats of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles.

In the Outer Court and Passover, we experience the Lord coming to us as Savior in our initial salvation experience. In the Holy Place and Pentecost, we met Him in the power of the Spirit as our firs fruit inheritance and experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But in the Holy of Holies and the feast of Tabernacles we possess the full harvest of His life and experience the realm of the third heaven.

Unfortunately, the experience of this third realm (third heaven, third day) is one that the church system has postponed to the “afterlife”. Today, many believe that it is impossible for us to be perfect, incorruptible, or immortal until we “go to heaven”. I recently came across a writing which states: “Perfectionism, as you now it, is a lie. There is absolutely no way we can ever truly be perfect on this earth”.

Dear saint, how big is your God? Such statements are plain indicators of which nature one lives out of. Those who live out of the limitations of their Adamic consciousness always see their sinful condition and their inability to attain to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. They see the indwelling Christ as inferior to their carnal man and therefore deem it an impossibility for Christ to have absolute dominion (spirit, soul & body).

If you are Christ conscious, if you have put on His mind, you will know that the Christ in you is complete, there is nothing you need to supplement Him with. And certainly, you do not need to die a physical death to lay hold of the fullness of His life within. If such was the case, why does the writer of the Hebrews not encourage us to “go on to physical death”? Rather, does he not call us to: “go on to PERFECTION” (Heb. 6:1)? Why does Paul claim: “not that I have already attained, or am already PERFECTED; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Phil. 3:12)? Was Paul trespassing by pursuing that which God had not ordained? Surely not! This was the spiritual experience of the third day.

You see, perfection is the very purpose for which Christ has laid hold of us. For this cause, “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man PERFECT in Christ Jesus” (Col. 1:28).
This truth echoes joyously in the hearts of those awakened to the third day experience in God. Jesus said: “Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures, today and tomorrow, and on the third day I shall be perfected” (Luke 13:31).

The third day is an experience of the glory of the Holy of Holies. It is the day we possess the full harvest of our inheritance in Christ and entre into the sabbath rest of God. This is the realm of experience in God’s kingdom which Paul referred to as “that which is perfect” (1 Cor. 13:10).

Here, I would like to point out an important point that I have often overseen. Although it is true that each area of Moses Tabernacle foreshadows a progressive spiritual experience, we are also told that God has raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in heavenly realms in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6). “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace” (Joh. 1:16). The question arises, if indeed we are presently seated with Him in heavenly places and have received of His fullness, how can we still abide in a lower spiritual realm?

Every child of God, no matter their level of spiritual maturity and experience, are hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). Therefore, every spiritual experience, be it in the Outer Court (salvation) or the Holy Place (baptism of the Holy Spirit) finds its life, revelation, and power from the presence and glory of God in the Holy of Holies. It is from the Holy of Holies that the lower planes of spiritual attainment are initiated.

Let me illustrate with a simple example. As a child, I remember these beautifully painted Russian dolls called Matryoshka dolls in our neighbor’s house. They were a set of wooden dolls of decreasing size placed one inside another. As you open the biggest doll, there would be a smaller doll of similar figure, which, in turn contained another figure inside of it, and so on until four or more dolls were revealed.

You see, our spiritual experience begins as the smallest doll in the set, where our understanding is confined to the realm we are enclosed. Only when the next doll (next realm of experience) is opened will a greater dimension of Christ’s life be revealed to us. This is the process of our progression into His fullness. To settle and be satisfied before the largest doll, that contains all, is revealed is to continue to abide in a lower order. But notice that even the lowest realms in which we walked are spiritual experienced that were encompassed within the greater realm, although they were experienced by us in their in-part or incomplete expression.

Dear saint, everything begins from the Holy of Holies within you. God comes out of, speaks out of, and acts out of the fullness of life in the Holy of Holies within your spirit. What we have experienced in our spiritual progression in Passover and Pentecost are partial expressions of this fullness – the earnest of our inheritance. But God is awakening His saints to this third day. He is calling us to move on to lay hold of that for which Christ took hold of us – our perfection in Him. Let us press on beloved that God may bring forth the fullest manifestation of Christ in every aspect of our being. Amen!