The Seven Last Plagues and the Revelation of Jesus Christ That Dries Up Babylon’s River and Prepares the Way for the Kings of the Rising Sun
CARL TIMOTHY WRAY
Carl Timothy Wray is a Kingdom author and Bible teacher who has devoted more than four decades to the study, teaching, and writing of the Word of God. His ministry centers upon the finished work of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of the Kingdom, the eternal purpose of God, sonship, the manifestation of the sons of God, the Melchizedek priesthood, and the progressive revelation of Jesus Christ through His people.
Through The Finished Work of Christ, Wray has developed an extensive body of Scripture-centered teaching designed to lead believers beyond religious tradition and into a deeper understanding of God’s eternal purpose from Genesis to Revelation.
His writing ministry includes more than 600 books, forming an extensive library of biblical and Kingdom teaching. His approach is built upon allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture, tracing themes, symbols, patterns, covenants, and prophetic images throughout the Word until their place in God’s eternal purpose becomes visible.
A major emphasis of Wray’s ministry is The Revelation of Jesus Christ. He approaches the Book of Revelation not merely as a prediction of future catastrophe, but as the unveiling of Jesus Christ and the progressive accomplishment of God’s Kingdom purpose through His people.
Central to this teaching is the divine order of the firstfruits and the harvest. The manifested sons of God—the man-child company caught up unto God and to His throne—come forth first. From that throne realm proceeds a mature Melchizedek king-priest ministry. This priesthood does not abandon the remainder of the woman in the wilderness. It ministers the life, truth, judgment, and revelation of Jesus Christ until everything contrary to His nature is exposed and the woman is brought forward in God’s purpose and prepared for the Lamb.
In The Sixth Angel and the Great River Euphrates, Wray continues his extensive teaching on The Seven Last Plagues by concentrating upon Revelation 16:12. This study follows the Euphrates from Genesis to Revelation and examines Babylon’s sustaining river, the river of life proceeding from the throne, the ministry of the manifested sons, the preparation of the woman, and the way prepared for the kings arising from the rising of the sun.
The Seven Last Plagues: Revelation 16:12 — The Sixth Angel and the Great River Euphrates is an extensive Kingdom study of the sixth vial, the great river Euphrates, Mystery Babylon, the manifested sons of God, the Melchizedek priesthood, the Bride of Christ, the river of life, resurrection life, and the kings of the east. Carl Timothy Wray traces the prophetic imagery of the Euphrates from Genesis through the prophets and into the Book of Revelation, revealing the difference between Babylon’s sustaining river and the pure river of life proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Discover how the manifested sons minister from the throne, how the seven last plagues reveal the judgment of Jesus Christ working within the remaining church, how Babylonian mixture is exposed and dried up, how the woman is prepared for the Lamb, and why Revelation 16:12 prepares the way for the kings arising from the rising of the sun.
INTRODUCTION
WE MUST KNOW WHERE THE JUDGMENT IS WORKING
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
There are four questions we must answer if we are going to understand the judgments revealed in the seven last plagues.
What is the judgment?
Who carries the judgment?
In whom is the judgment working?
What is God accomplishing through the judgment?
It is not enough to identify a vial, a river, a plague, or an angel. We must understand God’s order. We must know where His people stand when the judgment is administered, which people are carrying the ministry, and which people are being dealt with by that ministry.
By the time we arrive at the seven last plagues, something tremendously important has already happened.
The firstfruits have already come forth.
The man-child has already been born.
The manifested sons of God have already been caught up unto God and to His throne.
The woman, however, remains in the wilderness.
THE MAN-CHILD IS AT THE THRONE, BUT THE WOMAN IS IN THE WILDERNESS
REVELATION 12:5–6
“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”
“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God…”
That distinction establishes the order from which we must understand the seven last plagues.
The man-child is caught up to the throne.
The woman remains in the wilderness.
Therefore, the seven last plagues are not being poured out in order to produce the manifestation of the sons of God. In the framework of this teaching, that firstfruits company has already come forth.
The manifested sons are part of the ministry through which these judgments are being administered.
THE FIRSTFRUITS COME FORTH FIRST TO SERVE THE HARVEST THAT FOLLOWS
REVELATION 14:4
“These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.”
Firstfruits are not the whole harvest.
They are the beginning of the harvest.
God does not bring forth the firstfruits so they can receive their inheritance and forget everyone remaining behind them. The very principle of firstfruits declares that something follows.
The manifested sons come to maturity first because God intends to minister through them to the harvest that follows.
That is why their ministry must be understood as priestly as well as kingly.
THE THRONE BRINGS FORTH A KING-PRIEST MINISTRY
REVELATION 5:10
“And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
The throne speaks of government.
Priesthood speaks of ministry.
The Melchizedek order brings kingship and priesthood together.
The manifested sons are not brought into the throne merely to occupy a position. From that realm comes a ministry carrying the life, authority, truth, and revelation of Jesus Christ.
The sons have come forth.
But the woman remains.
And the sons cannot leave the woman in the wilderness.
GOD DID NOT PREPARE A PLACE FOR THE WOMAN SO HE COULD FORGET HER THERE
REVELATION 12:6
“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God…”
The wilderness itself is within the purpose of God.
The woman is there, but she has not been abandoned.
There is still mixture that must be removed.
There is still truth that must be revealed.
There is still maturity that must come.
There is still preparation that must take place.
The firstfruits have come forth, but God’s harvest is not finished.
The throne ministry therefore turns toward the woman.
THE JUDGMENTS ARE PART OF THE PREPARATION OF THE WOMAN
REVELATION 19:7
“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”
This changes the way we understand divine judgment.
Judgment is not merely about destruction.
God’s judgment reveals, exposes, separates, corrects, and prepares.
The Lord intends to have a people prepared for Him.
Therefore, everything within the woman that belongs to Babylon rather than Christ must be exposed.
Everything belonging to the old Adamic order must be confronted.
Everything that has supplied religious mixture must lose its power.
The Bride cannot be prepared while continuing to receive her life from Babylon.
THE JUDGMENT IS THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
REVELATION 1:1
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ…”
The book tells us what it is from its opening words.
It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, we must never separate the judgments within Revelation from the Christ being revealed through them.
When Christ appears, everything contrary to Christ is judged by His appearing.
When light comes, darkness is exposed.
When truth comes, error is exposed.
When life appears, death is exposed.
When the nature of Christ is revealed, everything contrary to His nature is brought into judgment.
The sixth angel carries that revelation in his vial.
And he pours it directly upon the great river Euphrates.
BABYLON HAS A RIVER AND BABYLON HAS A CUP
JEREMIAH 51:7
“Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, that made all the earth drunken…”
REVELATION 17:15
“The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
Two prophetic images appear.
There is a cup.
And there are waters.
They do not reveal precisely the same function.
THE CUP INTOXICATES; THE RIVER SUSTAINS
The cup shows Babylon giving something to the nations to drink.
The river reveals an ongoing supply.
The old Adamic world has been sustained through a continuing flow of carnal wisdom, religious traditions, false teachings, mixture, earthly systems, and human understanding.
Babylon drinks from that realm and then offers her cup to others.
And much of the woman has drunk from that cup.
Therefore, if the woman is going to be prepared, God must deal not merely with the cup.
He must deal with the river feeding the system.
WHEN TRUTH WALKS IN THE ROOM, THE RIVER DRIES UP
JOHN 8:32
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up…”
The revelation of Jesus Christ strikes the river.
Truth confronts the lie.
Light confronts darkness.
Life confronts death.
The pure revelation of Christ confronts religious mixture.
And the river begins to lose its power.
This is why judgment becomes liberation.
The woman is not being destroyed.
Her captivity is being destroyed.
The flow that has kept her in mixture is being dried up.
GOD DOES NOT DRY UP ONE RIVER WITHOUT REVEALING ANOTHER
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
Here is another river.
But notice where it originates.
It proceeds from the throne.
The man-child has been caught up to the throne.
The Melchizedek king-priest ministry functions from the throne.
And the pure river of water of life proceeds from the throne.
That is not accidental imagery.
God’s answer to Babylon’s river is the river of life.
THE RIVER FROM THE THRONE FLOWS THROUGH A PEOPLE
JOHN 7:38
“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
The river does not remain hidden in the throne.
It flows outward.
The life within becomes ministry without.
This gives us two extraordinary images.
The angel pours something out of his bowl.
The believer has something flowing out of his belly.
Both images reveal an inward reality coming forth into manifestation.
The throne ministry carries the revelation of Jesus Christ into the realm where the woman is being prepared.
THE THRONE SENDS ONE RIVER TO DEAL WITH ANOTHER RIVER
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates…”
REVELATION 22:1
“…a pure river of water of life… proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
Now the two rivers meet.
One belongs to the Babylonian order.
One proceeds from the throne.
One sustains mixture.
One ministers life.
One belongs to the old Adamic realm.
One proceeds from God and the Lamb.
And when the revelation proceeding from the throne encounters the Euphrates, the old river dries up.
But Revelation 16:12 does not end with a dry river.
WHEN THE WATER DISAPPEARS, A WAY APPEARS
REVELATION 16:12
“…and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
The judgment has purpose.
The river is removed because a way must be prepared.
Something is coming through.
The old flow has occupied territory that must now become a passage.
God is moving His people from one order into another.
From mixture into truth.
From captivity into liberty.
From the old creation into resurrection life.
From Babylonian influence into Kingdom government.
And those appearing upon the prepared way are called kings.
THE KINGS COME FROM THE RISING OF THE SUN
The east carries the imagery of sunrise—the dawning of another day.
The old order is not simply collapsing.
Another order is arising.
The river dries.
The way appears.
The sun rises.
And the kings come forth.
This is the revelation we will follow throughout this book.
We will follow the Euphrates from Genesis to Revelation.
We will examine Babylon’s river and Babylon’s cup.
We will identify the people in whom the judgment is working.
We will follow the river of life back to its source in the throne.
We will see the Melchizedek king-priest ministry flowing from that realm.
We will watch the revelation of Jesus Christ confront Babylonian mixture within the woman.
We will see why the river must dry.
We will discover why a way must be prepared.
And finally, we will look toward the rising of the sun and the resurrection life revealed in the kings of the east.
The purpose is not to abandon the woman.
The purpose is to prepare her.
The purpose is not merely to destroy Babylon.
The purpose is to deliver God’s people from Babylon.
And the purpose is not merely to dry up an old river.
It is to make way for the river of life proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction — We Must Know Where the Judgment Is Working
Chapter 1 — The Man-Child Has Already Been Caught Up to the Throne
Chapter 2 — The Firstfruits Have Already Come Forth
Chapter 3 — The Throne Brings Forth a Melchizedek King-Priest Ministry
Chapter 4 — The Sons Do Not Leave the Woman in the Wilderness
Chapter 5 — The Judgments Are Working in the Woman
Chapter 6 — The Sixth Angel Carries the Revelation of Jesus Christ
Chapter 7 — The Great River Euphrates Begins in Eden
Chapter 8 — The Euphrates Becomes a Boundary of Inheritance
Chapter 9 — The Prophets Reveal Waters of People and Power
Chapter 10 — Babylon Dwells Upon Many Waters
Chapter 11 — The Cup Intoxicates; the River Sustains
Chapter 12 — The Woman Has Been Drinking from Babylon’s Mixture
Chapter 13 — Babylon Cannot Sustain the Bride
Chapter 14 — There Is Another River
Chapter 15 — The River of Life Proceeds from the Throne
Chapter 16 — Out of His Belly Flow Rivers of Living Water
Chapter 17 — The Bowl and the Belly Reveal the Same Appearing
Chapter 18 — The Throne Sends One River to Deal with Another River
Chapter 19 — When Truth Walks in the Room, the River Dries Up
Chapter 20 — When the River Dries Up, the Captive Goes Free
Chapter 21 — When the Water Disappears, the Way Appears
Chapter 22 — God Makes a Way Through the Waters
Chapter 23 — The Way Is Prepared for Kings
Chapter 24 — The Kings Come from the Rising of the Sun
Chapter 25 — The Rising Sun Reveals Resurrection Life
Chapter 26 — The Throne Ministry Prepares the Woman
Chapter 27 — The River Must Dry Up Before the Bride Is Ready
Chapter 28 — One River Dries Up While Another River Flows
Conclusion — The Woman Is Being Prepared for the Lamb
CHAPTER ONE
THE MAN-CHILD HAS ALREADY BEEN CAUGHT UP TO THE THRONE
REVELATION 12:1–6
“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”
WE MUST ESTABLISH GOD’S ORDER BEFORE WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES
There is an order in the Book of Revelation that cannot be ignored.
Before we arrive at the seven last plagues of Revelation 15 and 16, Revelation 12 has already shown us a tremendous event. A woman has travailed. A man-child has been born. That man-child has been caught up unto God and to His throne. Afterward, the woman goes into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God.
This order is essential to everything we are going to teach concerning the sixth angel and the great river Euphrates.
If we put the people in the wrong place, we will interpret the judgment incorrectly.
If we place the manifested sons in the wilderness when Revelation has shown the man-child caught up to the throne, we will misunderstand the ministry coming out of the throne.
If we make the seven last plagues responsible for producing the firstfruits when the firstfruits have already come forth, we will reverse God’s order.
Therefore, before we talk about the sixth angel, before we talk about his vial, and before we talk about the Euphrates, we must establish where God’s people are standing in the revelation.
There is a company at the throne.
There is a woman in the wilderness.
And the distinction between those two positions is foundational.
THE WOMAN TRAVAILS UNTIL SOMETHING MATURE COMES FORTH
REVELATION 12:2
“And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.”
The woman is carrying something within her.
The man-child does not appear independently of the woman. He is brought forth from her.
That is important.
The firstfruits do not come from somewhere completely disconnected from the church. They are brought forth from within her. There has been a travail within the people of God. There has been a groaning for something beyond the measure already experienced.
Paul describes another travail:
GALATIANS 4:19
“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.”
The purpose of travail is formation.
Something is being brought to maturity.
Something that was inward is coming outward.
Something conceived must eventually be manifested.
The woman of Revelation 12 is therefore not merely standing in heaven wearing glorious symbols. She is travailing.
Something must be born.
THE MAN-CHILD REPRESENTS A COMPANY BROUGHT FORTH INTO GOVERNMENT
REVELATION 12:5
“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron…”
Notice what Scripture immediately associates with the man-child:
Government.
He is born to rule.
This is not merely another experience of blessing. This is not simply another spiritual gift. This is not merely another movement within the church.
The language is governmental.
He is:
“to rule all nations with a rod of iron.”
That connects the man-child with the authority of Christ.
REVELATION 2:26–27
“And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron…”
The promise given to the overcomer appears again in the description of the man-child.
Therefore, we are looking at a people brought into an overcoming relationship with Christ and His government.
They are being brought beyond childhood.
They are being brought beyond immaturity.
They are being brought into the governmental purpose of God.
THE MAN-CHILD IS CAUGHT UP TO THE THRONE
REVELATION 12:5
“…and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”
This is the location we must never lose as we move toward the seven last plagues.
The man-child is caught up to the throne.
The throne is not merely a chair somewhere in the heavens.
The throne speaks of government, authority, dominion, kingship, and the administration of God’s Kingdom.
This company is brought into relationship with the throne.
And that immediately connects with another promise Jesus gives the overcomer.
REVELATION 3:21
“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”
There is the throne again.
The overcomer is brought into participation with Christ’s government.
Therefore, when Revelation 12 shows the man-child caught up to the throne, we are looking at more than relocation.
We are looking at a change of realm and ministry.
THE THRONE IS THE REALM FROM WHICH THE NEXT MINISTRY PROCEEDS
This becomes enormously important when we eventually reach the river of life.
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
Where does the river come from?
The throne.
Where has the man-child been caught up?
The throne.
We must allow those Scriptures to stand together.
A people have been brought into the throne realm, and from that throne proceeds a pure river of water of life.
Later in this book we will develop that connection extensively.
But we need to establish it now because it tells us something about the ministry of the manifested sons.
They have not been caught up to the throne merely to enjoy the throne.
Something proceeds from the throne.
There is ministry in the throne.
There is life in the throne.
There is government in the throne.
There is a river proceeding from the throne.
THE FIRSTFRUITS ARE NOT THE WHOLE HARVEST
REVELATION 14:4
“These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.”
The word firstfruits itself tells us that others follow.
If there are firstfruits, there must be a harvest.
The firstfruits are not God’s declaration that He has finished His work with everybody else.
They are God’s declaration that the harvest has begun.
This is where we must understand the purpose of the manifested sons correctly.
They do not come forth first because God loves them and has no purpose for anybody else.
They come forth first because God has a purpose through them.
The firstfruits become ministry to the harvest.
The mature become ministry to those still coming to maturity.
The sons are brought into the throne so that the life of the throne can flow outward.
THE WOMAN DOES NOT GO WHERE THE MAN-CHILD GOES
REVELATION 12:5–6
“…and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God…”
Now the distinction becomes unmistakable.
The man-child goes to the throne.
The woman goes into the wilderness.
Two companies are now pictured in two different realms of experience.
This does not mean that God has rejected the woman.
Quite the opposite.
The Scripture specifically says:
“she hath a place prepared of God.”
God prepared her place.
Therefore, the wilderness is not outside God’s purpose.
But neither is the wilderness the final destination.
There is still work to be done.
There is still preparation ahead.
There is still mixture to be removed.
There is still maturity to come.
GOD HAS NOT ABANDONED THE WOMAN IN THE WILDERNESS
This point must become foundational to our understanding of the seven last plagues.
The manifested sons have come forth.
But they do not say:
“We have reached the throne. Let the woman remain where she is.”
That would contradict the very nature of priesthood.
A priest ministers on behalf of others.
The mature do not exist merely for themselves.
The purpose of maturity is ministry.
God brings forth a firstfruits company because He has a greater harvest in view.
The woman remains in the wilderness, but the throne ministry now has something to minister toward her.
THE MELCHIZEDEK ORDER IS A KING-PRIEST MINISTRY
HEBREWS 7:1
“For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God…”
Melchizedek joins two offices:
KING.
PRIEST.
King speaks of government.
Priest speaks of ministry.
This is precisely the character we need to understand in the throne company.
They are not merely rulers.
They are ministers.
They do not merely possess authority.
They minister life.
They do not merely occupy a throne.
They carry what proceeds from the throne toward those whom God intends to bring forward.
REVELATION 5:10
“And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
There again, kingship and priesthood are joined.
This is why the manifested sons cannot abandon the woman.
Priesthood demands ministry.
THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES MUST BE SEEN FROM THE THRONE SIDE
When we arrive at Revelation 15 and 16, we must remember what has already happened.
The man-child has been born.
The firstfruits have come forth.
The throne company has been established.
Therefore, when the seven angels begin pouring out their vials, we are not watching God begin the process of bringing forth the firstfruits.
In the interpretation developed throughout this series, we are watching a ministry proceeding from a realm already reached by the firstfruits.
That changes everything.
The vials are not bringing the manifested sons into existence.
The manifested sons participate in the ministry represented by the vials.
The revelation they carry is directed toward what still needs to be judged, corrected, separated, purified, and brought into alignment with Christ.
And that brings the woman directly into view.
THE JUDGMENT IS WORKING TOWARD THE PREPARATION OF THE WOMAN
REVELATION 19:7
“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”
There is a woman in Revelation 12.
There is a wife made ready in Revelation 19.
Between those pictures, something happens.
Preparation.
We cannot simply jump from wilderness to readiness without understanding God’s dealings.
The woman must be brought out of mixture.
She must be delivered from what belongs to Babylon.
Her understanding must be purified.
Her relationship with Christ must become unmixed.
Everything contrary to the Lamb must be exposed by the revelation of the Lamb.
This is where judgment becomes preparation.
GOD JUDGES WHAT HE INTENDS TO DELIVER
1 PETER 4:17
“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God…”
Judgment beginning at the house of God does not mean God has abandoned His house.
It means He loves His purpose too much to leave His house in mixture.
His judgment exposes what cannot remain.
His truth destroys the lie.
His light removes darkness.
His life swallows up death.
His revelation separates Christ from everything that has been added to Christ.
Therefore, when we speak of the seven last plagues working within the remaining church realm, we are not speaking about God destroying His woman.
We are speaking about God preparing her.
THE THRONE MINISTRY CARRIES WHAT THE WOMAN NEEDS
The woman cannot perfect herself through the same mixture that produced her captivity.
She needs something from another realm.
She needs a pure word.
She needs living water.
She needs the revelation of Jesus Christ.
And that revelation proceeds from the throne.
This is why the sixth vial will become so important.
The sixth angel will pour his vial upon the great river Euphrates.
Why the river?
Because the river has been supplying something.
The river has been sustaining something.
The river has been feeding an order that cannot continue if the woman is going to be prepared for the Lamb.
The throne ministry therefore does not merely address individual symptoms.
It goes after the supply.
BEFORE THE BRIDE CAN BE PREPARED, THE WRONG RIVER MUST BE DEALT WITH
This is where Chapter One brings us to the doorway of the entire book.
There is a woman who must be prepared.
There is a throne company that has already come forth.
There is a Melchizedek king-priest ministry proceeding from that throne realm.
There is a pure river of life proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
And there is another river—the great river Euphrates—that the sixth angel is commanded to address.
The two rivers cannot be confused.
One sustains Babylon.
One proceeds from the throne.
One carries the mixture of the old order.
One carries the life of God and of the Lamb.
And the ministry proceeding from the throne is about to confront the river that has helped sustain the woman’s captivity.
THE MAN-CHILD HAS ALREADY COME FORTH—NOW THE WOMAN MUST BE MADE READY
That is where we stand when we approach the sixth angel.
The sons have manifested.
The firstfruits have come forth.
The man-child has been caught up to God and His throne.
The king-priest ministry is functioning from the throne realm.
But God’s purpose is larger than the firstfruits.
There is still a woman in the wilderness.
She belongs to God.
God prepared her place.
God has preserved her.
And God intends to finish His purpose in her.
The sons will not leave her behind.
The priesthood will minister.
The river of life will flow.
The revelation of Jesus Christ will come.
Babylonian mixture will be judged.
The wrong river will be dried up.
And the woman will be brought forward toward the day when it can finally be declared:
“…the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”
The throne is not the end of the ministry.
The throne is where the ministry toward the remaining harvest begins.
CHAPTER TWO
THE FIRSTFRUITS HAVE ALREADY COME FORTH
REVELATION 14:1–5
“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”
FIRSTFRUITS ESTABLISH GOD’S ORDER OF HARVEST
The language of Revelation 14 is unmistakable.
John calls this company:
“the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.”
That single word—firstfruits—establishes an order.
Firstfruits are not the entire harvest.
Firstfruits are that portion of the harvest that reaches maturity first.
They are gathered first.
They are presented first.
But their coming forth is evidence that a much greater harvest remains.
This principle is essential to understanding the seven last plagues.
If we make the firstfruits the entire harvest, we lose the purpose of the ministry that follows. If we make the woman and the man-child the same company in the same stage of development, we lose the order Revelation has shown us.
The firstfruits have come forth.
The woman remains.
Therefore, God’s work continues.
THE FIRSTFRUITS ARE STANDING WITH THE LAMB
REVELATION 14:1
“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.”
Notice where John’s attention is directed.
The Lamb is standing upon Mount Sion.
And there is a company standing with Him.
This company is not trying to find the Lamb.
They are with Him.
They are not wandering through Babylon looking for their identity.
The Father’s name is written in their foreheads.
The forehead speaks to the realm of the mind, identity, consciousness, and governing thought.
Something has been established within them.
They know to whom they belong.
They bear the Father’s name.
Their identity has been established in God.
THE FIRSTFRUITS HAVE RECEIVED A NEW MIND
REVELATION 14:1
“…having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.”
The Father’s name in the forehead is more than an external identification.
A name in Scripture reveals nature and character.
Therefore, this company bears the Father’s nature within the realm of their understanding.
This becomes extremely important when we begin dealing with the Euphrates.
The river of Babylon sustains an entire order of thought.
Religious traditions flow through the mind.
Carnal interpretations flow through the mind.
Babylonian mixture flows through the mind.
The wisdom of the old Adam flows through the mind.
But the firstfruits have been brought into another consciousness.
1 CORINTHIANS 2:16
“But we have the mind of Christ.”
The ministry that will confront Babylon cannot itself be governed by Babylon’s mind.
The ministry that dries the river cannot still be dependent upon that river for its own life.
Before God sends a ministry to deal with mixture, He brings that ministry into purity of revelation.
YOU CANNOT DRY UP A RIVER YOU ARE STILL DRINKING FROM
This is one of the principles we need to carry throughout this book.
If a ministry is still sustained by the same Babylonian flow as the people to whom it ministers, it cannot deliver them from that flow.
If the priesthood is still drinking from Babylon’s cup, it cannot remove the cup from the woman.
If its understanding is still governed by the old Adamic mind, it cannot minister the revelation of the new creation.
Therefore, the firstfruits must come forth first.
God brings a people through His dealings.
He purifies their understanding.
He establishes His name in their foreheads.
He brings them into relationship with the Lamb.
Then He ministers through them.
THE FIRSTFRUITS FOLLOW THE LAMB WHEREVER HE GOES
REVELATION 14:4
“These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.”
This is one of the clearest descriptions of mature sonship in Revelation.
Their lives are governed by the Lamb.
They do not determine the direction.
They follow Him.
They do not establish their own ministry.
They follow Him.
They do not create their own message.
They follow Him.
They do not pour out their own judgment.
They follow Him.
This is critically important when we later speak of the seven angels pouring out their vials.
The judgment is not the anger or opinion of a human ministry.
The ministry follows the Lamb.
The revelation belongs to Him.
The judgment belongs to Him.
The life belongs to Him.
The authority belongs to Him.
The firstfruits are vessels through whom His ministry proceeds.
THE LAMB PRODUCES THE CHARACTER OF THE PRIESTHOOD
The throne ministry cannot be understood apart from the Lamb.
Government without the nature of the Lamb becomes tyranny.
Authority without priesthood becomes domination.
Judgment without the nature of Christ becomes condemnation.
But this company follows the Lamb.
Therefore, the nature of the One they follow determines the nature of their ministry.
This is why the judgments of God must be understood through Jesus Christ.
The Lamb is not revealing something contrary to Himself.
The judgment exposes everything that prevents His nature from being fully formed within His people.
THE FIRSTFRUITS HAVE BEEN REDEEMED FROM AMONG MEN
REVELATION 14:4
“These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.”
Notice the language carefully.
They were redeemed from among men.
They came out from among the larger company.
They are firstfruits because they have reached a place before the remainder of the harvest.
This establishes a divine principle:
GOD TAKES A PEOPLE OUT FROM AMONG A PEOPLE SO HE CAN SEND THEM BACK IN MINISTRY TO THE PEOPLE
We see this pattern repeatedly throughout Scripture.
God separates Abraham, but through Abraham all families of the earth are to be blessed.
God calls Moses out of Egypt, but then sends Moses back into Egypt to deliver Israel.
God brings Joseph through tremendous dealings, raises him into governmental authority, and then uses that authority to preserve his brethren.
God matures a ministry before He uses that ministry to bring others forward.
The firstfruits principle therefore isn’t about spiritual superiority.
It is about divine responsibility.
TO COME FIRST IS TO RECEIVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOW
The manifested sons cannot look at the woman in the wilderness and say, “We arrived. Our work is finished.”
Their arrival creates responsibility.
Their maturity creates ministry.
Their relationship with the throne creates government.
Their priesthood creates service.
Their possession of life creates something to give.
The whole purpose of firstfruits is connected with the harvest that follows.
THE CREATION IS WAITING FOR MATURE SONS
ROMANS 8:19
“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”
Creation is not waiting merely for another sermon.
Creation is not waiting for another religious organization.
Creation is waiting for manifestation.
Something that God has formed inwardly must become visible outwardly.
The sons must come forth.
But once they come forth, Romans 8 does not picture creation as irrelevant.
The very reason their manifestation matters is because creation is waiting for what God will accomplish through that manifestation.
The sons are connected with the liberation of others.
THE FIRSTFRUITS CARRY SOMETHING THE REST OF THE HARVEST NEEDS
This brings us back to the woman.
She remains in the wilderness.
She has been preserved by God.
But preservation is not the same as perfection.
Being kept by God does not mean every mixture has already been removed.
Being God’s people does not mean every Babylonian teaching has disappeared.
The woman still needs ministry.
She still needs truth.
She still needs the revelation of Jesus Christ.
She still needs the river of life.
And God has brought forth a company capable of ministering from a realm beyond the wilderness.
THE FIRSTFRUITS MINISTER FROM A DIFFERENT REALM
The distinction between throne and wilderness is not merely geographical symbolism.
It reveals different measures of spiritual development and governmental relationship.
The woman is being preserved in the wilderness.
The man-child has been caught up to the throne.
Therefore, the ministry flowing from the throne carries something the wilderness cannot produce from within itself.
The woman cannot simply rearrange Babylonian mixture until it becomes pure truth.
She needs revelation from another realm.
She needs a river whose source is not Babylon.
She needs water whose source is the throne of God and of the Lamb.
THE FIRSTFRUITS HAVE LEARNED THE NEW SONG
REVELATION 14:3
“And they sung as it were a new song before the throne… and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand…”
There is something this company has learned through experience.
It is called a new song.
Not everyone can sing it yet.
Why?
Because revelation must become experience.
There are things we can hear with our ears before we possess them in our lives.
There are truths we can repeat before those truths have become our nature.
But the firstfruits have entered an experience that produces a song belonging to their realm.
And where is that song being sung?
Before the throne.
Again, Revelation keeps bringing us back to the throne.
The man-child is caught up to the throne.
The overcomer sits with Christ in His throne.
The firstfruits sing before the throne.
The river of life proceeds from the throne.
The throne is becoming the center from which this entire ministry must be understood.
THE THRONE IS NOT A PLACE OF ESCAPE—IT IS A PLACE OF ADMINISTRATION
If we think of the throne merely as a place where a favored company escapes the problems of everybody else, we miss the Kingdom.
A throne exists for government.
A priesthood exists for ministry.
A river exists to flow.
Firstfruits exist because a harvest follows.
Every symbol points outward toward God’s larger purpose.
The manifested sons have not been removed from God’s purpose for creation.
They have been positioned within it.
They have been brought into the governmental realm from which they can minister life to others.
THE FIRSTFRUITS MUST BE PURE BECAUSE THEIR MINISTRY WILL DEAL WITH MIXTURE
REVELATION 14:5
“And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”
Notice the emphasis upon their mouth.
That becomes very significant in Revelation.
What proceeds from a mouth reveals what is within.
Words carry spirit.
Teaching carries influence.
Doctrine creates understanding.
Babylon has used a cup and a river to distribute mixture.
But the firstfruits have no guile found in their mouth.
Why?
Because the ministry God sends to remove mixture cannot minister mixture.
The word that dries Babylon’s river must itself be pure.
The revelation that exposes error cannot itself originate in error.
The river flowing from the throne is described as:
“pure… clear as crystal.”
There is correspondence between a pure river and a purified ministry.
A PURE RIVER REQUIRES A PURIFIED VESSEL
God prepares the vessel before He pours through the vessel.
This is why firstfruits come first.
God has dealt with them first.
God has brought them through first.
God has established His nature in them first.
God has brought them into the throne first.
Then what has been accomplished in them becomes ministry toward others.
That is the principle behind the seven-vial ministry as we are developing it.
THE JUDGMENTS THAT WORKED FIRST IN THE SONS CAN NOW BE MINISTERED THROUGH THE SONS
A man cannot truly minister a revelation that has never judged anything within himself.
Truth must first expose our own mixture.
Light must first shine into our own darkness.
The cross must first work within us.
Christ must first become formed within us.
Then what has become reality in a people can flow through that people.
Therefore, when the throne ministry carries judgment toward the woman, it is not standing above her in self-righteous condemnation.
It is ministering from an accomplished work of God within itself.
The sons have experienced the dealings of God.
Now they carry the fruit of those dealings as ministry.
THE WOMAN’S FUTURE IS CONNECTED TO THE FIRSTFRUITS’ MINISTRY
The woman in the wilderness is not forgotten.
Her future is connected with what God has already brought forth.
The firstfruits become evidence of what God intends to accomplish in the larger harvest.
Their maturity testifies that maturity is possible.
Their life testifies that death does not have the final word.
Their purity testifies that mixture can be removed.
Their relationship with the throne testifies that God’s Kingdom purpose can be realized in a people.
Their manifestation becomes a promise to the harvest that follows.
GOD’S ORDER IS FIRSTFRUITS AND THEN HARVEST
This is the order we must carry into every chapter that follows.
The firstfruits are not waiting to appear at the end of the sixth vial.
They have already come forth.
The man-child is not waiting in the wilderness for the Euphrates to dry.
He has already been caught up to the throne.
The Melchizedek priesthood is not waiting to be created by the judgment.
That priesthood is part of the ministry carrying the judgment.
And the woman is not God’s enemy.
She is the object of God’s continuing purpose.
The judgments are working toward her preparation.
THE FIRSTFRUITS HAVE COME FORTH—NOW THE HARVEST MUST FOLLOW
This is where the revelation begins opening wider.
God has obtained His firstfruits.
But He is not satisfied with firstfruits alone.
There is a woman to be prepared.
There is a Bride to be made ready.
There is a harvest to be gathered.
There is a creation waiting for deliverance.
There is a river from the throne that must flow.
And there is a Babylonian river that must dry up.
The firstfruits stand with the Lamb.
They bear the Father’s name.
They follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
They have been brought into relationship with the throne.
And because they have come forth first, they now stand in a position of responsibility toward those who follow.
The firstfruits are not the end of God’s harvest.
They are God’s declaration that the harvest has begun.
CHAPTER THREE
THE THRONE BRINGS FORTH A MELCHIZEDEK KING-PRIEST MINISTRY
HEBREWS 7:1–3
“For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.”
The firstfruits have come forth.
The man-child has been caught up unto God and to His throne.
Now we must understand what kind of ministry proceeds from that throne realm.
It is not merely a ministry of kings.
It is not merely a ministry of priests.
It is a king-priest ministry.
The order that most clearly reveals this union of kingship and priesthood in Scripture is the order of Melchizedek.
Melchizedek appears as both:
KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
KING OF PEACE.
And at the same time:
PRIEST OF THE MOST HIGH GOD.
Government and priesthood meet in one order.
That is essential to understanding the ministry of the manifested sons.
THE MAN-CHILD IS CAUGHT UP TO A THRONE BECAUSE HIS MINISTRY IS GOVERNMENTAL
REVELATION 12:5
“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”
Revelation does not leave us wondering about the nature of the man-child’s calling.
He is connected with rulership.
He is connected with the throne.
He is connected with government.
But if we see only government, we have only seen part of the revelation.
The throne ministry is also priestly.
God is not bringing forth a company merely to exercise authority over others.
He is bringing forth a company through whom His life can be ministered to others.
That distinction is critical.
The authority of the Kingdom is not separated from the nature of the Lamb.
The government of God is not separated from the priesthood of God.
MELCHIZEDEK IS BOTH KING AND PRIEST
HEBREWS 7:1–2
“For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God…”
Melchizedek joins two dimensions that under the old covenant were ordinarily distinguished from one another.
KING.
PRIEST.
A king governs.
A priest ministers.
A king carries authority.
A priest serves the purpose of God toward others.
A king speaks of the throne.
A priest speaks of reconciliation, ministry, blessing, and access to God.
In Melchizedek, those dimensions meet.
This is why the throne company cannot be understood merely as a company that has received authority.
They have received responsibility.
They are not merely reigning.
They are ministering.
THE THRONE DOES NOT PRODUCE TYRANTS—IT PRODUCES SERVANTS OF GOD’S PURPOSE
MARK 10:42–45
“Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them…
But so shall it not be among you…
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister…”
The government of the Kingdom is fundamentally different from the government of the old Adamic world.
The world understands authority as domination.
The Kingdom reveals authority through service.
The world uses power to exalt itself.
Christ uses authority to accomplish the Father’s purpose in others.
Therefore, when the manifested sons are brought into the throne, they do not become another hierarchy standing over the people of God.
They become servants of God’s eternal purpose.
Their maturity enables them to minister maturity.
Their freedom enables them to minister freedom.
Their revelation enables them to minister revelation.
Their life enables them to minister life.
THE PRIESTHOOD EXISTS FOR SOMEBODY BESIDES THE PRIEST
This is one of the simplest truths in Scripture, but it is enormously important to our understanding of the seven last plagues.
A priesthood that exists only for itself has misunderstood priesthood.
Priesthood is ministry toward others.
Therefore, if the manifested sons have entered a Melchizedek priesthood, we immediately know that their manifestation is not the end of God’s purpose.
There must be someone toward whom that priesthood ministers.
And Revelation has already shown us that someone.
The woman remains in the wilderness.
The man-child is at the throne.
The woman is in the wilderness.
The priesthood proceeding from the throne therefore has a ministry toward the woman who remains.
THE WOMAN’S WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE DOES NOT CANCEL HER PLACE IN GOD
REVELATION 12:6
“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God…”
We must keep saying this because it determines the spirit in which we understand judgment.
The wilderness is not proof that God has rejected the woman.
God prepared the place.
God sustains her there.
God has purpose for her there.
But preservation is not the completion of preparation.
She is still moving toward something.
The Bride must be made ready.
Therefore, the throne ministry does not look upon the woman as an enemy to be destroyed.
It sees her as part of God’s harvest that must be brought forward.
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD MINISTERS FROM LIFE
HEBREWS 7:15–16
“And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.”
Here is one of the most important statements concerning this priesthood:
THE POWER OF AN ENDLESS LIFE
This priesthood is characterized by life.
Not death.
Not condemnation.
Not carnal commandments.
Life.
That becomes tremendously significant when we approach the seven last plagues.
If we interpret the judgments only through death, destruction, anger, and catastrophe, we can easily miss the realm from which the ministry proceeds.
The Melchizedek order ministers according to:
“the power of an endless life.”
Therefore, the judgment it carries must ultimately serve the purpose of life.
GOD’S JUDGMENT REMOVES WHAT OPPOSES HIS LIFE
When light judges darkness, light is not trying to destroy for the sake of destruction.
Light removes darkness because darkness cannot remain where light has appeared.
When truth judges error, truth does not expose the lie merely to condemn the person who believed it.
Truth exposes the lie so the person can be free.
Jesus said:
JOHN 8:32
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
There is the purpose.
Freedom.
The judgment of truth upon the lie produces liberation from the lie.
Therefore, when the throne ministry pours the revelation of Jesus Christ upon the river sustaining Babylonian mixture, the purpose is not the destruction of the woman.
The purpose is her freedom.
THE PRIESTHOOD CARRIES THE LIFE THAT WILL REPLACE THE OLD FLOW
It would accomplish very little to dry up Babylon’s river if God had no other water for His people.
If the old flow disappeared and nothing replaced it, the people would simply remain thirsty.
But Scripture reveals another river.
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
Notice again where the river originates.
The throne.
And where has the man-child been caught up?
The throne.
The connection is becoming clearer.
The throne company does not merely carry authority.
It carries life.
There is a river proceeding from the realm into which the manifested sons have been brought.
THE RIVER OF LIFE AND THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD BELONG TO THE SAME REALM
The Melchizedek priesthood functions according to:
“the power of an endless life.”
The river proceeding from the throne is:
“a pure river of water of life.”
We have life in both pictures.
This is not accidental.
The priesthood carries the nature of the realm from which it ministers.
If its ministry proceeds from the throne of God and the Lamb, then what it ministers must carry the life of God and the Lamb.
This is why the sons can minister something the wilderness cannot produce for itself.
Their source has changed.
YOU CANNOT MINISTER THRONE LIFE WHILE DRAWING YOUR SUPPLY FROM BABYLON
The throne ministry cannot have two sources.
It cannot drink from Babylon’s river and simultaneously claim to be the pure river proceeding from the throne.
It cannot minister religious mixture while claiming to minister the revelation of Jesus Christ.
It cannot operate through the carnal mind while claiming to minister resurrection life.
The source determines the flow.
Jesus taught this principle clearly.
MATTHEW 7:17–18
“Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.”
The nature of the source determines what proceeds from it.
Babylon produces Babylonian mixture.
The throne produces the river of life.
THE MANIFESTED SONS MUST MINISTER FROM WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY WORKED IN THEM
This is why the firstfruits had to come first.
God has dealt with them.
God has judged mixture within them.
God has brought them beyond realms through which the woman is still passing.
God has established the Father’s name within their foreheads.
God has brought them into relationship with the Lamb.
God has brought them to the throne.
Now what God has accomplished in them becomes ministry through them.
This is the divine order of priesthood.
THE PRIEST MUST FIRST EXPERIENCE WHAT HE MINISTERS
We cannot effectively minister liberty while remaining enslaved.
We cannot minister pure revelation while remaining governed by mixture.
We cannot minister resurrection life while our entire consciousness remains under the dominion of death.
God works something into His priesthood before He ministers it through His priesthood.
Therefore, the manifested sons are not merely people who know more information than the woman.
They represent a people in whom God has brought His purpose to a greater measure of maturity.
And that maturity becomes ministry.
THE THRONE MINISTRY IS SENT BACK TOWARD THE HARVEST
The movement of God is beautiful.
The woman brings forth the man-child.
The man-child is caught up to the throne.
The throne brings forth a king-priest ministry.
The river of life proceeds from the throne.
And the ministry turns back toward the woman from whom the firstfruits came.
This means the woman participates in bringing forth the very ministry that God will use to bring her forward.
She travailed.
The man-child was born.
The man-child reached the throne.
Now the life of the throne returns in ministry toward the woman.
THE FIRSTFRUITS BECOME GOD’S MINISTRY TO THE HARVEST
This is the purpose of coming first.
First does not mean only.
First means others follow.
The firstfruits are the evidence of what the harvest will become.
They are God’s promise standing in manifested form.
They demonstrate that the purpose of God can reach maturity in a people.
And now they become instruments through whom God brings that same purpose toward the remainder of the harvest.
THE SEVEN VIALS ARE NOT THE ANGER OF THE SONS
This distinction must remain clear.
The manifested sons do not decide whom to judge.
They do not manufacture judgment.
They do not pour their personal opinions upon the church.
They do not attack the woman because they believe themselves superior to her.
They follow the Lamb.
They minister what proceeds from God.
The judgment belongs to the Lord.
The revelation belongs to Jesus Christ.
The life belongs to God.
The sons are vessels.
A PRIESTHOOD CANNOT MINISTER CONDEMNATION AND CALL IT LIFE
ROMANS 8:1–2
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
There is a tremendous difference between judgment and condemnation.
Judgment reveals the truth of a thing.
Condemnation simply pronounces doom.
God’s judgment within His people exposes what does not belong to Christ so that it can be removed.
The purpose is liberation.
The purpose is maturity.
The purpose is preparation.
The purpose is life.
That is why the Melchizedek character of the ministry matters so deeply.
It ministers:
THE POWER OF AN ENDLESS LIFE
THE KING GOVERNS WHILE THE PRIEST MINISTERS
Now we can see why both dimensions are necessary.
The river of Babylon is not merely a personal problem.
It represents an order.
It sustains systems.
It carries teachings.
It influences peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
Therefore, government is necessary.
But the woman caught within that mixture is still God’s woman.
Therefore, priesthood is necessary.
The king deals with the order.
The priest ministers to the people.
The king confronts what rules.
The priest serves those who must be liberated from that rule.
In Melchizedek, both ministries function together.
THE THRONE MINISTRY JUDGES BABYLON WHILE MINISTERING LIFE TO THE WOMAN
That distinction will become increasingly important as we move toward the Euphrates.
God is not confusing Babylon with His people who have been affected by Babylon.
He can judge the system while delivering the captive.
He can dry the river while giving living water to the thirsty.
He can expose the lie while liberating the person who believed it.
He can destroy mixture while preserving the woman.
That is priestly judgment.
COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE
REVELATION 18:4
“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people…”
Those four words tell us something tremendous:
“Come out of her, my people.”
God has people who are still entangled with Babylon.
He does not say they belong to Babylon.
He calls them:
“MY PEOPLE.”
The purpose of the heavenly voice is separation.
Come out.
Leave the mixture.
Leave the system.
Leave the flow that has sustained the old order.
The judgment upon Babylon and the deliverance of God’s people occur together.
THE PRIESTHOOD IS PREPARING A PEOPLE FOR THE LAMB
REVELATION 19:7
“…the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”
Now we can see where the ministry is headed.
The wilderness is not the final destination.
Babylonian mixture is not the final condition.
Immaturity is not the final condition.
The woman must be prepared.
The Bride must be made ready.
And the manifested sons have a ministry within that preparation.
The king-priest ministry proceeds from the throne carrying the life and revelation necessary to deal with everything that prevents the woman from being fully prepared for the Lamb.
THE THRONE SENDS LIFE TOWARD THE WOMAN
This is the picture we need fixed in our understanding before we ever arrive at the sixth vial.
The woman brings forth the man-child.
The man-child is caught up to the throne.
The firstfruits enter maturity.
The Melchizedek king-priest ministry functions from the throne.
The river of life proceeds from the throne.
The ministry turns toward the woman.
The revelation of Jesus Christ judges the mixture within her.
Babylon’s influence begins to lose its hold.
The woman is brought forward toward bridal readiness.
That is the order.
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD DOES NOT LEAVE THE WOMAN BEHIND
The throne is not an escape hatch.
The firstfruits are not God’s abandonment of the harvest.
The manifestation of the sons is not the conclusion of God’s purpose.
It is the beginning of a new dimension of ministry.
A mature company has come forth.
A priesthood has arisen.
A throne ministry has been established.
And because it is truly priesthood, it turns toward those who still need what God has already worked within the priesthood.
The sons do not look backward at the woman and say:
“We made it.”
They look toward her with the ministry of the Lamb and say:
“There is a river of life.”
There is truth beyond mixture.
There is freedom beyond captivity.
There is maturity beyond the wilderness.
There is resurrection life beyond the dominion of death.
There is a Bride being prepared for the Lamb.
And the throne ministry has been brought forth to participate in that preparation.
THE THRONE HAS PRODUCED A PRIESTHOOD—NOW THE PRIESTHOOD MUST MINISTER
The man-child has been caught up.
The firstfruits have come forth.
The throne has brought forth government.
Melchizedek reveals the nature of that government:
KING AND PRIEST.
The king carries authority.
The priest carries ministry.
And both operate according to:
THE POWER OF AN ENDLESS LIFE.
This is the ministry standing behind the seven last plagues in the interpretation we are developing.
It does not pour judgment because it hates the woman.
It pours judgment because God intends to prepare her.
It does not dry Babylon’s river to leave the woman without water.
It dries Babylon’s river because another river is already flowing from the throne.
The throne has brought forth a priesthood.
The priesthood carries life.
And the life it carries is about to confront everything that has kept the woman from being made ready for the Lamb.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE SONS DO NOT LEAVE THE WOMAN IN THE WILDERNESS
REVELATION 12:5–6
“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”
There is something we must understand about the heart and purpose of God.
God does not bring forth a firstfruits company, catch the man-child up to the throne, establish a king-priest ministry, and then forget the woman from whom that company was brought forth.
The woman is still God’s woman.
She is in the wilderness, but she has not been abandoned.
She is in a different stage of God’s purpose, but she is still within His purpose.
In fact, Revelation makes an extraordinary statement concerning her wilderness experience:
She has a place prepared of God.
The same God who receives the man-child to the throne prepares a place for the woman in the wilderness.
Therefore, we must understand both companies within the purpose of God.
THE THRONE AND THE WILDERNESS ARE TWO DIFFERENT REALMS OF EXPERIENCE
REVELATION 12:5–6
“…her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness…”
There is a deliberate contrast.
THE MAN-CHILD — THE THRONE.
THE WOMAN — THE WILDERNESS.
The throne represents government, maturity, authority, and participation in the reign of Christ.
The wilderness represents another stage of divine dealing and preparation.
We cannot place both companies in the same position.
The firstfruits have come forth first.
The woman remains in another measure of God’s dealings.
That distinction becomes essential when we reach the seven last plagues because we must know from which realm the ministry is coming and in which realm the judgment is working.
GOD PREPARED THE WOMAN’S PLACE IN THE WILDERNESS
REVELATION 12:6
“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God…”
Those words protect us from interpreting the wilderness incorrectly.
“Prepared of God.”
The wilderness is not evidence that Satan stole the woman away from God’s purpose.
God prepared her place.
Therefore, God is working even there.
Throughout Scripture, the wilderness is repeatedly a place where God deals with His people.
Israel passed through the wilderness.
Moses was prepared in the wilderness.
John the Baptist came preaching from the wilderness.
Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.
The wilderness can strip away dependence upon one order while preparing a people for another.
The woman is not there accidentally.
PRESERVATION IS NOT THE SAME THING AS PERFECTION
God can preserve a people while He continues to deal with them.
The fact that God feeds the woman does not mean every element of mixture within her has already been removed.
The fact that she belongs to God does not mean every tradition she has received came from God.
The fact that she is His woman does not mean she has reached full maturity.
She can belong to God and still require preparation.
She can be preserved by God and still need purification.
She can love the Lord and still possess understandings formed by the old Adamic mind.
She can possess truth and still have truth mixed with religious tradition.
That is precisely why the ministry of the throne becomes necessary.
THE WOMAN HAS BROUGHT FORTH SOMETHING BEYOND HER PRESENT EXPERIENCE
This is a remarkable part of the picture.
The man-child comes from the woman, yet the man-child is caught up into a realm the woman herself has not yet entered.
She has brought forth something that moves beyond her present position.
That is the principle of firstfruits.
Something matures within the larger company and comes forth first.
Then what comes forth first becomes significant to everything that follows.
The woman travailed to bring forth the man-child.
Now the man-child, having reached the throne, becomes part of God’s ministry toward the woman.
WHAT CAME OUT OF THE WOMAN NOW MINISTERS BACK TO THE WOMAN
This is one of the beautiful movements in the revelation.
The woman brings forth the man-child.
The man-child is caught up to the throne.
At the throne, we see government.
At the throne, we see the Lamb.
At the throne, we see a river of life.
At the throne, we see the realm from which a mature king-priest ministry proceeds.
Then that ministry turns toward the harvest that follows.
The firstfruits do not despise the field from which they came.
They become God’s ministry to that field.
MATURITY CREATES RESPONSIBILITY
LUKE 12:48
“For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required…”
To receive more from God is not merely to possess more.
It is to become responsible for more.
If God gives revelation, revelation creates responsibility.
If God gives maturity, maturity creates responsibility.
If God brings a people into the throne, the throne creates governmental responsibility.
If God establishes priesthood, priesthood creates responsibility toward others.
Therefore, the manifested sons cannot use their maturity as a reason to separate themselves permanently from those who have not yet reached the same measure.
True maturity ministers.
THE FIVEFOLD MINISTRY REVEALED THE SAME DIVINE PRINCIPLE
EPHESIANS 4:11–13
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man…”
Notice the purpose of ministry:
“For the perfecting of the saints.”
Ministry exists to bring others forward.
The principle remains as we move into the fullness of God’s purpose.
A mature Melchizedek priesthood does not minister to demonstrate how mature it is.
It ministers to perfect others.
The goal is not self-exaltation.
The goal is the completion of God’s purpose in His people.
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD MUST PERFECT THE WOMAN
HEBREWS 7:15–16
“And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.”
The ministry proceeding from the throne carries something greater than religious instruction.
It carries:
THE POWER OF AN ENDLESS LIFE
The woman does not merely need better religion.
She needs life.
She does not merely need another system.
She needs Christ revealed.
She does not merely need another organization.
She needs the pure river proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
That is what the priesthood carries.
THE WOMAN MUST BE BROUGHT FROM PENTECOST INTO FULLNESS
The woman has known God.
She has experienced the Spirit.
She has carried the seed from which the man-child came forth.
But the firstfruits have entered something before the remainder of the woman.
Therefore, the ministry of the firstfruits is not to deny what God has already accomplished within her.
It is to bring her forward.
God does not despise the measure through which He has brought His people.
But He will not allow yesterday’s measure to become tomorrow’s prison.
There is more.
There is maturity.
There is fullness.
There is the throne.
There is the Melchizedek order.
There is resurrection life.
There is bridal preparation.
THE WOMAN CANNOT BE PERFECTED BY THE SAME MIXTURE THAT HAS KEPT HER IMMATURE
This brings us directly toward the purpose of judgment.
If mixture has contributed to the woman’s immaturity, mixture cannot produce her perfection.
If Babylonian teaching has helped create her captivity, Babylonian teaching cannot create her liberty.
If the old Adamic mind has interpreted spiritual things for her, the old Adamic mind cannot bring her into the fullness of the mind of Christ.
Something has to be judged.
Something has to be exposed.
Something has to be removed.
And something new has to be ministered.
GOD’S JUDGMENT BEGINS WITH HIS OWN HOUSE
1 PETER 4:17
“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God…”
This Scripture becomes extremely important for understanding where the seven last plagues are working in the framework of this teaching.
Judgment begins at the house of God.
Why?
Because God is preparing His people.
Judgment is not proof that God hates His house.
Judgment is proof that God intends His house to correspond to His purpose.
He judges what does not belong.
He exposes what is false.
He separates truth from mixture.
He removes what prevents Christ from being fully revealed.
THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES ARE NOT GOD ABANDONING THE CHURCH
They are part of God’s dealing with His people.
That is the perspective we must maintain.
The woman is not being thrown away.
She is being dealt with.
The woman is not being abandoned.
She is being prepared.
The woman is not being destroyed.
What has held her in captivity is being judged.
The distinction is enormous.
If we confuse the woman with Babylon, we will misunderstand the judgment.
God says concerning Babylon:
REVELATION 18:4
“Come out of her, my people…”
God has people who must come out of something.
Therefore, the people and the system cannot be identical.
GOD CAN JUDGE BABYLON WITHOUT DESTROYING HIS PEOPLE IN BABYLON
This is exactly why priesthood matters.
A priestly ministry knows the difference between the captive and the captivity.
It knows the difference between the woman and the mixture influencing the woman.
It knows the difference between God’s people and the Babylonian system from which God is calling them.
The judgment falls upon what enslaves.
The ministry goes toward the one enslaved.
The river dries.
The captive goes free.
THE PURPOSE OF JUDGMENT IS TO SEPARATE THE WOMAN FROM WHAT IS NOT CHRIST
This is the work that must occur before bridal readiness.
The Bride cannot be presented to the Lamb while still clothed in Babylonian mixture.
The woman must come into a pure relationship with Christ.
Paul gives us the heart of this ministry.
2 CORINTHIANS 11:2
“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
Notice the word:
PRESENT.
There is ministry involved in presenting a people to Christ.
And notice the condition:
“a chaste virgin.”
Purity matters.
Mixture must go.
THE THRONE MINISTRY IS PREPARING A PEOPLE TO BE PRESENTED TO THE LORD
That is the heart of what we’re seeing.
The manifested sons are not gathering followers for themselves.
They are preparing a people for Him.
The priesthood does not own the woman.
The woman belongs to the Lamb.
The ministry does not present the woman to itself.
It prepares her to be presented to Christ.
This keeps the ministry pure.
The objective is always the Lord.
THE BRIDE MUST BE MADE READY
REVELATION 19:7–8
“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white…”
There is a process of readiness.
Something happens between the wilderness and the wedding.
Something happens between mixture and fine linen.
Something happens between immaturity and preparation.
Something happens between Babylonian influence and bridal purity.
The judgments belong within that process.
JUDGMENT IS WORKING TOWARD READINESS
This becomes one of the governing principles for our entire study of the seven last plagues.
When God judges, we must ask:
What is He preparing?
When God exposes something, we must ask:
What truth is He revealing?
When God removes something, we must ask:
What is He making room for?
When God dries a river, we must ask:
What way is He preparing?
Revelation 16:12 answers that final question explicitly:
“…that the way… might be prepared.”
The judgment has purpose.
GOD NEVER LOSES SIGHT OF HIS PURPOSE WHILE HE IS JUDGING
Man often sees judgment only as an ending.
God sees judgment as part of His movement toward His intended end.
The old must be removed because the new is appearing.
Darkness must be exposed because light has come.
The lie must be judged because truth is setting the captive free.
The wrong river must dry because another river is flowing.
Babylonian mixture must be removed because a Bride is being prepared.
THE WOMAN NEEDS A PURE RIVER
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
The answer to mixture is purity.
Notice how John describes the river:
PURE.
CLEAR AS CRYSTAL.
There is no mixture in that river.
Its source is the throne.
Its source is God.
Its source is the Lamb.
This is the water the woman needs.
She cannot be prepared by muddy water.
She cannot be perfected through a mixed word.
She needs the pure revelation of Jesus Christ.
THE THRONE MINISTRY DOES NOT MERELY DRY THE OLD RIVER—IT MINISTERS THE NEW RIVER
This balance is essential.
If our entire message is about what is wrong, we have not yet ministered the fullness of Christ.
If we only identify Babylon, we have not finished the work.
If we only expose mixture, we have not finished the work.
If we only dry the Euphrates, we have not finished the work.
God has another river.
The river of life.
The purpose of removing the false flow is to make room for the true flow.
OUT OF HIS BELLY SHALL FLOW RIVERS OF LIVING WATER
JOHN 7:38–39
“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
(But this spake he of the Spirit…)”
Now the river is not merely at the throne.
It is flowing through a people.
That is ministry.
What God places within His sons flows outward toward others.
The life is not stored up.
The revelation is not hoarded.
The river flows.
THE SONS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO THE THRONE SO THE RIVER CAN FLOW BACK TOWARD THE WOMAN
Here is the movement again:
THE WOMAN TRAVAILS.
THE MAN-CHILD IS BORN.
THE MAN-CHILD IS CAUGHT UP TO THE THRONE.
THE THRONE BRINGS FORTH KING-PRIEST MINISTRY.
THE RIVER OF LIFE PROCEEDS FROM THE THRONE.
THE MINISTRY FLOWS TOWARD THE WOMAN.
THE JUDGMENTS EXPOSE HER MIXTURE.
THE OLD FLOW IS DRIED UP.
THE WOMAN IS PREPARED.
THE BRIDE IS MADE READY.
That is the order we must preserve.
THE FIRSTFRUITS WILL NOT REST UNTIL THE HARVEST IS BROUGHT FORWARD
The heart of priesthood is not satisfied with personal attainment.
Priesthood looks toward others.
The sons know where they came from.
They came forth from the woman.
They know why God brought them first.
They are firstfruits.
And firstfruits testify that a harvest follows.
Therefore, the throne ministry turns back toward the field.
THE WOMAN IS NOT THE ENEMY—BABYLONIAN MIXTURE IS THE ENEMY OF HER PREPARATION
This distinction will protect the spirit of the entire book.
We are not writing against the church.
We are revealing God’s purpose for the church.
We are not attacking the woman.
We are showing how God prepares her.
We are not condemning people trapped in mixture.
We are revealing the truth that sets captives free.
We are not rejoicing because a river dries up.
We rejoice because when the river dries, a way appears.
THE SONS DO NOT LEAVE THE WOMAN WHERE THEY FOUND HER
That is priesthood.
That is maturity.
That is Kingdom government.
That is the purpose of the firstfruits.
God has brought forth a people first, but He has not finished His harvest.
The woman remains in the wilderness, and God has not forgotten her.
The same throne that received the man-child sends forth a river of life.
The same sons who came forth from the woman now participate in a ministry toward her perfection.
The same revelation that judged mixture within the firstfruits now flows outward to judge mixture within the remainder.
And the objective remains before us:
THE WOMAN MUST BE MADE READY FOR THE LAMB
The sons will not abandon her.
The priesthood will minister.
The river will flow.
The revelation of Jesus Christ will expose everything contrary to Him.
The Babylonian supply will be confronted.
The wrong waters will dry.
The pure river will flow.
And the woman who once stood in the wilderness will be brought forward in God’s purpose until the testimony can be heard:
“…the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”
The firstfruits have come forth first—but God’s heart is still upon the harvest that follows.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE JUDGMENTS ARE WORKING IN THE WOMAN
REVELATION 15:1
“And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.”
We have established the order.
The man-child has been brought forth.
The firstfruits have come to maturity.
The manifested sons have been caught up unto God and to His throne.
A Melchizedek king-priest ministry is functioning from that throne realm.
The woman remains in the wilderness, in a place prepared for her by God.
Now we must answer one of the most important questions concerning the seven last plagues:
IN WHOM IS THIS JUDGMENT WORKING?
If we do not answer that question correctly, we can identify every symbol in Revelation 16 and still miss the purpose of the judgments.
We can study the vial.
We can study the angel.
We can study the sea.
We can study the rivers.
We can study the sun.
We can study the throne of the beast.
We can study the Euphrates.
But until we know which people God is dealing with, we do not yet understand the revelation.
In the framework we have established, the firstfruits have already come forth.
Therefore, these judgments are not being poured out to produce the firstfruits.
The ministry carrying the judgments proceeds from the throne realm into which the manifested sons have already been brought.
The judgments are now working toward the remainder of the woman.
God is preparing His church.
God is dealing with the woman.
God is removing what cannot remain.
God is separating Christ from mixture.
And He is doing it because the woman must ultimately be prepared for the Lamb.
JUDGMENT MUST BEGIN AT THE HOUSE OF GOD
1 PETER 4:17
“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God…”
This Scripture gives us a principle that must govern our understanding.
Judgment begins at God’s house.
That means judgment cannot automatically be interpreted as God destroying people who have nothing to do with Him.
God judges His own house.
Why?
Because He intends His house to correspond to His nature.
He will not eternally allow His house to carry His name while being governed by something contrary to Him.
He will not leave His people forever in mixture.
He will not leave them forever under traditions that hide Christ.
He will not leave them forever drinking from a Babylonian cup.
He will not leave them forever dependent upon a Babylonian river.
His judgment comes because His purpose requires transformation.
GOD JUDGES HIS PEOPLE BECAUSE HE HAS PURPOSE FOR HIS PEOPLE
Judgment and rejection are not the same thing.
God can judge something because He intends to preserve what is precious while removing what is contrary to His purpose.
A refiner does not place gold in the fire because he hates gold.
He puts it through the fire because he values the gold and intends to remove what does not belong in it.
That is a powerful biblical picture.
MALACHI 3:2–3
“But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:
And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver…”
Notice the language.
Refiner.
Purifier.
The purpose is not meaningless destruction.
The purpose is purification.
Something precious is being separated from something that does not belong.
That is the nature of the judgment working within the woman.
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST BECOMES A REFINER’S FIRE
When Christ is revealed in His fullness, everything within us that does not correspond to Him becomes visible.
We may have carried something for years without recognizing it.
We may have called something truth simply because it was handed to us as truth.
We may have received traditions from generations before us.
We may have built systems around partial understanding.
We may sincerely love God while still possessing mixture.
But when a greater revelation of Christ appears, the greater light judges the lesser understanding.
That does not mean everything we experienced before was false.
It means God is bringing His people forward.
EVERY NEW MEASURE OF LIGHT JUDGES THE DARKNESS THAT REMAINS
JOHN 3:19–21
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world…
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light…”
Light does not have to fight darkness.
Light simply appears.
And when it appears, darkness is exposed.
This is how we must begin understanding the bowls of Revelation.
The revelation is being poured.
The light is increasing.
Christ is being unveiled.
And everything that cannot stand in that revelation comes under judgment.
THE WOMAN IS GOD’S WOMAN, BUT SHE STILL CONTAINS MIXTURE
This distinction must remain clear.
The woman belongs to God.
But everything operating within her does not necessarily originate in God.
That is why Revelation can say:
REVELATION 18:4
“Come out of her, my people…”
God says:
“MY PEOPLE.”
Yet He also says:
“COME OUT OF HER.”
That means God’s people can be connected with something God intends to judge.
They belong to Him, yet they must be separated from Babylon.
They love Him, yet they may still carry Babylonian influence.
They are His people, yet they may still drink from a cup containing mixture.
This is why judgment must work within the realm of God’s people.
GOD IS SEPARATING THE WOMAN FROM BABYLON
The purpose of judgment is separation.
God is not trying to separate the woman from Christ.
He is separating the woman unto Christ.
Everything between the woman and the Lamb must be dealt with.
Every mixture must be exposed.
Every false dependency must be broken.
Every religious system that substitutes itself for the life of Christ must be judged.
Every teaching that keeps God’s people in the consciousness of the old Adam must be confronted.
Every river supplying that order must eventually dry up.
Why?
Because:
THE WOMAN MUST BECOME THE BRIDE
REVELATION 19:7
“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”
This is where the judgments are headed.
We must keep the Bride before us while studying the plagues.
Otherwise, we will concentrate so heavily upon what is being destroyed that we fail to see what God is preparing.
The judgments are not the end of the story.
The marriage is coming.
The woman must be made ready.
THE BRIDE CANNOT BE PREPARED THROUGH MIXTURE
2 CORINTHIANS 11:2–3
“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
But I fear, lest by any means… your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
Paul connects bridal preparation with purity of mind toward Christ.
Notice his concern:
“your minds should be corrupted…”
This brings us directly toward the river imagery we will develop later.
Babylon’s greatest power is not merely external.
There is a flow of thought.
There is a flow of teaching.
There is a flow of interpretation.
There is a flow of tradition.
There is a flow of religious consciousness.
And that flow can enter the mind of God’s people.
The Bride must be brought back to:
“the simplicity that is in Christ.”
THE JUDGMENTS DEAL WITH EVERYTHING THAT HAS COMPLICATED CHRIST
Religion can make complicated what God has made simple.
Tradition can bury Christ underneath layers of human interpretation.
Systems can become more important than the life they were supposed to serve.
Organizations can become ends in themselves.
Doctrines can become weapons rather than revelations of Christ.
Men can become more loyal to movements than to the Lamb.
All of this must be judged.
Not because God has abandoned His people.
Because He intends to have His Bride.
THE FIRSTFRUITS HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED JUDGMENT
We must not imagine that the throne company somehow escaped God’s dealings.
They came forth first because the work was accomplished in them first.
Before judgment becomes ministry through a people, it must become reality within that people.
The sons have known the dealings of God.
Their mixture has been confronted.
Their traditions have been challenged.
Their understanding has been enlarged.
Their identity has been changed.
The Father’s name has been written in their foreheads.
They follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
Now what God has accomplished in the firstfruits becomes ministry toward the harvest.
GOD DOES NOT SEND AN UNJUDGED PRIESTHOOD TO JUDGE OTHERS
This is critical.
The throne ministry cannot approach the woman in self-righteousness.
It cannot say:
“We are perfect, and you are the problem.”
That is not priesthood.
The sons know that everything they possess came from the Lamb.
They know God brought them through judgment.
They know revelation corrected them.
They know truth exposed them.
They know the fire purified them.
Therefore, they minister from mercy, maturity, and life.
THE MEASURE THAT HAS BECOME LIFE IN THE SONS BECOMES JUDGMENT TO THE WOMAN
When a truth has become reality in a people, their very manifestation becomes judgment upon what contradicts that truth.
A people walking in liberty expose captivity.
A people walking in life expose death.
A people walking in sonship expose immaturity.
A people walking in the mind of Christ expose the carnal mind.
A people ministering a pure word expose Babylonian mixture.
Their manifestation becomes part of the judgment.
Not because they condemn.
Because they reveal another reality.
THE JUDGMENT IS NOT COMING FROM THE WILDERNESS—IT IS COMING FROM THE THRONE
This distinction is essential.
The woman cannot perfect herself through the same realm in which she remains immature.
The wilderness cannot produce the throne ministry.
The throne ministry must come from the throne.
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
The source determines the purity of the ministry.
It is:
PURE.
CLEAR AS CRYSTAL.
And it proceeds from:
THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB.
This is the realm from which the ministry toward the woman comes.
THE THRONE MINISTRY DOES NOT BRING ANOTHER RELIGIOUS SYSTEM
The woman does not need another denomination.
She does not need another religious hierarchy.
She does not need another collection of traditions.
She does not need another Babylonian structure with a Kingdom name painted across the front.
She needs:
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.
She needs the pure river.
She needs life.
She needs truth.
She needs the Lamb revealed without mixture.
THE SEVEN ANGELS CARRY SOMETHING THAT MUST BE POURED OUT
REVELATION 16:1
“And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials…”
Notice the movement.
Go.
Pour out.
Something that has been contained is now released.
Something possessed by the ministry is being administered outwardly.
This is why our connection between the bowl and the belly will become so important later.
Jesus said:
“Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
Revelation says:
“Pour out the vials.”
In both images something inward becomes outward.
Something contained becomes manifested.
THE JUDGMENT IS POURED OUT BECAUSE THE REVELATION CAN NO LONGER REMAIN CONTAINED
There comes a time when what God has worked into a priesthood must flow outward.
The sons cannot remain silent at the throne while the woman remains in mixture.
The river must flow.
The vial must be poured.
The revelation must be declared.
The truth must confront the lie.
The light must enter the darkness.
The life must confront death.
THE SIXTH VIAL WILL DEAL WITH THE SOURCE OF THE FLOW
When we reach Revelation 16:12, the judgment becomes extraordinarily specific.
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates…”
The sixth angel does not merely deal with a cup.
He deals with a river.
That means the judgment is reaching something that supplies and sustains.
This is why understanding the woman is so important before we study the Euphrates.
If Babylonian mixture has flowed into the church, then preparing the woman requires more than correcting a few isolated doctrines.
The source of the flow must be confronted.
GOD IS GOING AFTER WHAT HAS BEEN FEEDING THE MIXTURE
That is what makes the sixth vial so powerful.
God does not merely trim branches.
He goes toward the supply.
He does not merely tell the woman to stop drinking from Babylon’s cup.
He deals with the river filling the cup.
He does not merely correct individual manifestations of the old order.
He exposes the flow sustaining the old order.
And when that flow is exposed by the revelation of Jesus Christ:
THE WATER DRIES UP
This is judgment at the level of supply.
The lie loses its source.
The system loses its nourishment.
The captivity loses what sustains it.
And the woman begins to discover that she never needed Babylon’s river to live.
THE WOMAN WILL NOT DIE WHEN THE EUPHRATES DRIES UP
Why?
Because God has another river.
PSALM 46:4
“There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God…”
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life…”
God does not remove false water and leave His people thirsty.
He reveals the true river.
The drying of one flow prepares the people to receive another.
The judgment is therefore not merely negative.
It is transitional.
It moves God’s people from one supply to another.
THE WOMAN IS BEING TRANSFERRED FROM BABYLON’S SUPPLY TO THE THRONE’S SUPPLY
This is the heart of what is happening.
The woman has been affected by a flow belonging to the old order.
But God has already brought forth a ministry whose source is another realm.
The manifested sons stand in relationship with the throne.
The river of life proceeds from the throne.
The priesthood ministers from the throne.
The revelation of Jesus Christ comes from the throne.
Now that ministry confronts the old river.
THE JUDGMENT IS PREPARING THE WOMAN FOR AN UNMIXED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LAMB
REVELATION 19:7
“…his wife hath made herself ready.”
That is where we must keep our eyes.
Every judgment must ultimately be understood in relationship to God’s purpose.
Why expose the lie?
To prepare the woman.
Why judge the mixture?
To prepare the woman.
Why confront Babylon?
To prepare the woman.
Why dry the Euphrates?
To prepare the woman.
Why minister the pure river from the throne?
To prepare the woman.
God is preparing a Bride for the Lamb.
THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES ARE WORKING TOWARD COMPLETION
The word last matters.
These are the seven last plagues.
There is a movement toward completion.
God is bringing His dealings to their intended end.
The firstfruits have already experienced a measure of that completion.
Now the judgment works in the harvest that follows.
The woman must be brought forward.
The Bride must be made ready.
WE MUST ALWAYS ASK WHO GOD IS DEALING WITH
As we move through this book, we must never lose this principle.
It is not enough to identify the judgment.
We must identify the people in whom it is working.
It is not enough to identify what God is removing.
We must identify what God is producing.
It is not enough to see Babylon judged.
We must see God’s people coming out of Babylon.
It is not enough to see the river dry.
We must see the way that appears when the water disappears.
THE JUDGMENT IS WORKING IN THE WOMAN BECAUSE GOD INTENDS TO PRESENT HER TO THE LAMB
The woman is not forgotten.
She is not rejected.
She is not abandoned in the wilderness.
She is being dealt with because she is precious to God’s purpose.
The firstfruits have come forth.
The throne ministry has been established.
The Melchizedek priesthood carries the power of endless life.
And now the revelation of Jesus Christ is being poured toward the remaining church realm.
It will expose.
It will separate.
It will purify.
It will correct.
It will liberate.
It will dry up the flow that has sustained Babylonian mixture.
And through those judgments, God is moving the woman toward the testimony:
“…the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”
GOD IS NOT JUDGING THE WOMAN TO DESTROY HER—HE IS JUDGING EVERYTHING THAT PREVENTS HER FROM BECOMING THE BRIDE
That is where we stand as the sixth angel approaches the great river Euphrates.
The people have been identified.
The purpose has been established.
The throne ministry is in place.
Now we are ready to look more closely at what the sixth angel is actually carrying when he pours out his vial.
CHAPTER SIX
THE SIXTH ANGEL CARRIES THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
We have established who has already come forth.
We have established the throne realm.
We have established the Melchizedek king-priest ministry.
We have established that the woman remains in the wilderness and that God’s judgments are working toward her preparation.
Now we come directly to the sixth angel.
Before we can understand the river upon which he pours his vial, we must understand what the angel is carrying.
What is in that bowl?
What is being poured out?
What kind of judgment has the power to dry up a river that has sustained an entire Babylonian order?
The answer must begin with the opening words of the Book of Revelation itself.
THE BOOK TELLS US WHAT IS BEING REVEALED
REVELATION 1:1
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass…”
The book announces its subject before presenting a single seal, trumpet, beast, woman, vial, plague, river, or city.
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.
That statement must govern everything that follows.
If we interpret the symbols but lose Jesus Christ, we have missed the revelation.
If we understand the plagues merely as calamities, we have missed the revelation.
If we make the bowls nothing more than containers of divine anger, we have missed the greater reality being unveiled.
The entire book is the revelation—the unveiling—of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, the sixth vial must be understood within that revelation.
THE VIAL CARRIES JUDGMENT, BUT THE JUDGMENT REVEALS CHRIST
REVELATION 15:7
“And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.”
The bowls are full.
Something has reached its appointed measure.
Something is ready to be poured out.
But we must understand God’s wrath according to God’s nature and purpose.
God’s judgment does not arise from uncontrolled human emotion.
God’s judgment is righteous.
It reveals what agrees with His nature and what contradicts His nature.
And Jesus Christ is the perfect revelation of that nature.
Therefore, when Christ is unveiled, everything contrary to Christ comes under judgment.
JESUS CHRIST REVEALED IS THE STANDARD OF JUDGMENT
JOHN 5:22
“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.”
Judgment has been committed unto the Son.
That means we cannot separate divine judgment from Jesus Christ.
He is not standing outside the judgment.
He is the standard by which everything is revealed for what it truly is.
Christ reveals what sonship is.
Christ reveals what righteousness is.
Christ reveals what life is.
Christ reveals what truth is.
Christ reveals what love is.
Christ reveals what the Father is.
And when that revelation appears, everything contrary to it is exposed.
WHEN CHRIST IS UNVEILED, MIXTURE CAN NO LONGER HIDE
There are things that survive only because sufficient light has not yet appeared.
Traditions can continue for generations because nobody questions them.
Religious systems can survive because people have been taught to identify the system with God.
Mixture can pass from one generation to another because each generation receives what the previous generation handed down.
But then revelation comes.
Christ is seen more clearly.
And suddenly what once appeared acceptable is revealed as mixture.
The truth did not create the mixture.
The truth exposed what was already there.
LIGHT IS JUDGMENT UPON DARKNESS
JOHN 1:4–5
“In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
Notice what is joined in Christ:
LIFE.
LIGHT.
This becomes important because the throne ministry carries both.
The river proceeding from the throne is a river of life.
The revelation proceeding from Christ brings light.
Life and light work together.
The life ministers what God is.
The light exposes what God is not.
THE SIXTH ANGEL DOES NOT HAVE TO FIGHT THE RIVER—HE POURS THE VIAL UPON IT
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates…”
Notice the simplicity of the action.
The angel pours.
He does not wrestle with the river.
He does not build a dam.
He does not attempt to redirect it through human effort.
He pours the vial.
The judgment comes from another realm.
And when the revelation strikes the river, the water dries up.
That is a powerful picture of what truth does to a false spiritual supply.
WHEN THE TRUTH WALKS IN THE ROOM, THE RIVER DRIES UP
This is the heart of the sixth vial.
A lie requires continued belief to maintain its power.
A tradition requires continued acceptance.
A false system requires people to continue drawing their understanding from it.
But when Christ is revealed, the source begins losing its power.
Truth exposes the lie.
The people begin seeing.
What once sustained them no longer satisfies them.
What once controlled their understanding can no longer hold them.
The river starts drying up.
THE ANGEL IS CARRYING SOMETHING THAT HAS ALREADY BECOME REALITY IN THE THRONE MINISTRY
We have already established that the manifested sons have come forth first.
That means the revelation being poured toward the woman has first done its work within the firstfruits.
They have been judged by truth.
They have been corrected by revelation.
They have been separated from mixture.
They have learned to follow the Lamb.
The Father’s name has been written in their foreheads.
Therefore, what they carry is not merely information.
It has become life within them.
REVELATION MUST BECOME LIFE BEFORE IT BECOMES MINISTRY
There is a tremendous difference between knowing a doctrine and becoming the expression of a revelation.
A person can memorize Scripture and still live contrary to it.
A person can preach sonship and remain immature.
A person can teach the Kingdom and still operate according to Babylonian principles.
A person can talk about the throne and still draw life from the wrong river.
God’s priesthood must become the message it ministers.
The revelation of Christ must first judge the vessel carrying it.
Then the vessel can pour.
THE GOLDEN VIAL SPEAKS OF SOMETHING DIVINE BEING CARRIED IN A VESSEL
REVELATION 15:7
“…seven golden vials full of the wrath of God…”
Gold throughout Scripture repeatedly points us toward the divine nature and divine glory.
The vial is not empty.
It is carrying something belonging to God.
That is the picture we need.
A vessel has received something.
Now the vessel pours out what it has received.
The ministry does not manufacture the contents.
It carries them.
THE SON CAN DO NOTHING OF HIMSELF
JOHN 5:19
“The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do…”
If that was the pattern revealed perfectly in Jesus Christ, it must also characterize mature sonship.
The sons do not create their own judgment.
They do not decide that they dislike the woman’s traditions and begin attacking her.
They do not pour out personal frustration.
They carry what proceeds from God.
They follow the Lamb.
The ministry originates in the throne.
THE VOICE COMMANDING THE VIALS COMES FROM THE TEMPLE
REVELATION 16:1
“And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials…”
The angels move under command.
They are not acting independently.
The instruction comes from the divine realm.
“GO YOUR WAYS.”
“POUR OUT THE VIALS.”
The ministry is commissioned.
The vessel has been filled.
Now what is within must be released.
WHAT GOD HAS POURED INTO A PEOPLE MUST EVENTUALLY FLOW OUT OF THAT PEOPLE
This brings us to one of the most powerful connections in this entire teaching.
Jesus said:
JOHN 7:38–39
“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
(But this spake he of the Spirit…)”
Something is within.
Then it flows outward.
Revelation gives us another image.
Something is within a vial.
Then it is poured outward.
These are different symbols, but they reveal a related spiritual principle:
WHAT IS WITHIN BECOMES MANIFEST THROUGH AN OUTWARD FLOW
The belly flows.
The bowl pours.
The vessel releases what it carries.
This is why the seven vials can be understood as a ministry of manifestation.
What God has worked inwardly into the mature company now comes outward as ministry.
THE BOWL AND THE RIVER MEET IN THE SIXTH ANGEL
Look carefully at Revelation 16:12.
We have a vial.
We have a river.
And something from the vial is poured upon the river.
Later we will develop this extensively, but the imagery is already telling us something.
There is one flow confronting another flow.
There is one source confronting another source.
There is one word confronting another word.
There is one life confronting another order.
The sixth vial is about more than water disappearing.
It is about the collision of two spiritual supplies.
BABYLON HAS A FLOW
REVELATION 17:15
“The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
Babylon is connected with waters.
Babylon does not exist in isolation.
There is a vast human realm upon which she sits and through which her influence operates.
There are teachings.
There are traditions.
There are systems.
There are philosophies.
There are interpretations.
There are cultural and religious currents.
They flow through humanity.
They shape the thinking of the old Adamic world.
And they can flow right into the church.
THE SIXTH ANGEL DOES NOT MERELY DEAL WITH WHAT PEOPLE ARE DRINKING—HE DEALS WITH WHAT IS SUPPLYING THE DRINK
This is where the river becomes more powerful than the cup as an image.
The cup shows what is consumed.
The river shows what continues to supply.
If you empty one cup while leaving the river untouched, another cup can be filled.
God goes deeper.
He deals with the river.
The judgment reaches the source sustaining the Babylonian order.
THE REVELATION OF CHRIST CUTS OFF THE SUPPLY OF THE OLD ADAMIC MIND
1 CORINTHIANS 2:14–16
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God…
But we have the mind of Christ.”
There are two realms of understanding.
The natural man interprets according to the old creation.
The mind of Christ understands according to another order.
Much religious mixture comes from attempting to interpret spiritual realities through the natural mind.
That produces Babylon.
It mixes heavenly truth with earthly understanding.
But when the mind of Christ is revealed, the old interpretation begins losing its authority.
The river dries.
THE SIXTH ANGEL CARRIES A REVELATION THAT SETS CAPTIVES FREE
JOHN 8:31–32
“If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Truth and freedom are inseparable.
Therefore, the sixth vial is not merely about judgment upon a river.
It is about liberation from what the river has sustained.
When truth reveals the captivity, the captive can come out.
When Christ exposes the false supply, the woman can stop drinking from it.
When the river dries, its power to sustain the old order is broken.
THE JUDGMENT FALLS UPON THE RIVER SO THE PEOPLE CAN BE RELEASED FROM THE RIVER
That is priestly judgment.
God knows the difference between the captive and the captivity.
He knows the difference between His woman and the mixture within her.
He knows the difference between His people and Babylon.
Therefore, He can judge what holds His people while ministering life to His people.
This is why Revelation 18 says:
REVELATION 18:4
“Come out of her, my people…”
The judgment of Babylon and the deliverance of God’s people belong together.
THE THRONE MINISTRY DOES NOT COME EMPTY-HANDED
If God only dried the Euphrates, the woman could ask:
“Where shall we drink now?”
But the throne ministry already carries the answer.
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
There is another river.
And this river is:
PURE.
It is:
CLEAR AS CRYSTAL.
It is:
THE WATER OF LIFE.
And its source is:
THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB.
THE SIXTH ANGEL IS NOT MERELY DRYING A RIVER—HE IS CHANGING THE WOMAN’S SOURCE
This is the larger purpose.
God is bringing His people from one supply to another.
From Babylon’s mixture to Christ’s purity.
From the natural mind to the mind of Christ.
From tradition to revelation.
From death to life.
From the old Adamic order to new-creation reality.
From the wilderness toward bridal readiness.
The river must change because the source of life must change.
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST IS THE JUDGMENT THAT MAKES THE TRANSITION POSSIBLE
The woman cannot simply decide to become the Bride through human effort.
She must see Christ.
She must receive revelation.
She must encounter truth.
She must drink from another river.
The sixth angel carries that judgment.
It is not merely judgment against something.
It is judgment for the purpose of something.
It is against the river.
But it is for the woman.
It is against mixture.
But it is for purity.
It is against captivity.
But it is for liberty.
It is against the old flow.
But it is for the way that is being prepared.
THE VIAL IS POURED OUT SO A WAY CAN APPEAR
REVELATION 16:12
“…and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
There is the purpose stated directly in the verse.
The river dries:
“THAT THE WAY… MIGHT BE PREPARED.”
Judgment prepares a way.
Something has been obstructed.
Something must pass over.
Something is arising from the east—from the rising of the sun.
Resurrection life is coming into view.
The judgment removes what stands in the way.
THE SIXTH ANGEL CARRIES MORE THAN A PLAGUE—HE CARRIES AN APPEARING OF CHRIST
This is where we must land.
The sixth angel carries the revelation of Jesus Christ.
That revelation has already worked within the firstfruits.
The firstfruits have already come forth.
The man-child has already reached the throne.
The Melchizedek priesthood is already functioning from the throne realm.
Now what has become life in that ministry is being poured toward the woman.
The revelation confronts her mixture.
The truth confronts the lie.
The pure river confronts the polluted flow.
The new creation confronts the old Adamic consciousness.
And when the revelation of Jesus Christ strikes the great river Euphrates:
THE WATER BEGINS TO DRY UP.
Not because God intends to leave His people thirsty.
But because another river is flowing.
Not because God intends to destroy the woman.
But because He intends to prepare her.
Not because the throne ministry hates Babylon’s captives.
But because priesthood exists to set captives free.
The sixth angel carries the bowl.
The bowl carries the judgment.
The judgment carries the revelation of Jesus Christ.
And when that revelation is poured out, the river that sustained the old order cannot continue to flow as it did before.
WHEN CHRIST IS REVEALED, BABYLON’S RIVER CANNOT REMAIN THE SOURCE OF GOD’S PEOPLE
That is the ministry of the sixth angel.
And now that we understand what he is carrying, we are ready to go back to the beginning of Scripture and discover what this great river Euphrates represents and why God chose this particular river as the object of the sixth vial.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE GREAT RIVER EUPHRATES BEGINS IN EDEN
GENESIS 2:8–14
“And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
The name of the first is Pison…
And the name of the second river is Gihon…
And the name of the third river is Hiddekel…
And the fourth river is Euphrates.”
The great river Euphrates does not suddenly appear in Revelation 16.
Its biblical thread begins in the opening chapters of Genesis.
That matters.
Whenever the Holy Spirit introduces an image early in Scripture and then brings that image back at the end of Scripture, we need to follow the thread.
Genesis introduces us to a garden.
Genesis introduces us to a tree of life.
Genesis introduces us to a river.
Genesis introduces us to the Euphrates.
And Revelation brings us once again to life, rivers, trees, cities, kingdoms, and the great river Euphrates.
Therefore, if we want to understand the river in Revelation, we should begin where Scripture begins.
THE FIRST GREAT BIBLICAL PICTURE OF A RIVER IS A FLOW OF LIFE
GENESIS 2:10
“And a river went out of Eden to water the garden…”
Before Scripture tells us the names of the four rivers, it establishes the purpose of the original flow.
The river went out of Eden:
TO WATER THE GARDEN.
The river supplied something.
The river sustained something.
The river carried what was necessary for the garden.
This gives us a foundational principle that will become extremely important when we reach Babylon.
A RIVER REPRESENTS MORE THAN LOCATION—A RIVER REPRESENTS SUPPLY
A river carries something from its source into another realm.
A river flows.
A river supplies.
A river waters.
A river sustains.
A river influences whatever lies within the reach of its waters.
This is why river imagery becomes so powerful throughout Scripture.
If we know the source of the river, we can begin to understand the nature of what it carries.
And if we know what a river is supplying, we can begin to understand what is being sustained by its flow.
THE SOURCE DETERMINES THE NATURE OF THE RIVER
The river of Genesis 2 has a source.
It goes:
“out of Eden.”
The river of Revelation 22 also has a source.
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
Notice the language.
Genesis:
“A river went out of Eden.”
Revelation:
“A pure river… proceeding out of the throne.”
In both pictures, the source matters.
A river is known by what it proceeds from.
That principle will become crucial when we deal with the river associated with Babylon.
We cannot merely ask:
What is flowing?
We must ask:
WHERE IS THE FLOW COMING FROM?
Because the source determines the nature of the supply.
EDEN SHOWS US A RIVER BEFORE THE FALL
GENESIS 2:10
“And a river went out of Eden to water the garden…”
This river appears before the entrance of sin described in Genesis 3.
Before the serpent’s deception.
Before Adam’s transgression.
Before the ground is cursed.
Before man is driven from the garden.
There is already a river.
Therefore, the first biblical revelation of a river is not corruption.
It is not Babylon.
It is not judgment.
It is divine supply.
God establishes the true pattern before Scripture later shows us corrupted forms.
GOD ALWAYS HAS A TRUE FLOW BEFORE BABYLON PRODUCES A COUNTERFEIT FLOW
This is important.
Babylon did not invent the principle of spiritual supply.
Babylon corrupts it.
God has a river.
God has water.
God has life.
God has truth.
God has a word.
God has a Spirit.
God has a flow proceeding from Himself.
Babylon’s power comes through offering another flow to humanity.
Therefore, when we eventually contrast the Euphrates with the river of life, we are not simply contrasting water with water.
We are contrasting sources.
THE GARDEN CANNOT WATER ITSELF
GENESIS 2:10
“And a river went out of Eden to water the garden…”
The garden receives supply.
That teaches us something about spiritual life.
Whatever God plants must be sustained by what comes from God.
The garden cannot produce its own river independently of its source.
Likewise, the woman cannot perfect herself through human effort.
The church cannot produce resurrection life through organization.
Religion cannot manufacture the river of God.
Life must proceed from its source.
WHAT WATERS YOU WILL EVENTUALLY SHAPE WHAT GROWS IN YOU
This principle reaches directly into our study of the woman.
If a garden is continually watered from a particular source, that water becomes part of what sustains its growth.
Spiritually, the same principle operates.
What are we hearing?
What are we receiving?
What teachings are watering our understanding?
What word is shaping our consciousness?
What river are we drinking from?
The issue of the Euphrates is therefore much deeper than geography.
The issue is:
WHAT HAS BEEN SUPPLYING THE PEOPLE?
That question will eventually take us straight into Mystery Babylon.
THE RIVER OF EDEN DIVIDES INTO FOUR HEADS
GENESIS 2:10
“…and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.”
One river goes forth and becomes four heads.
Then Scripture names them.
Pison.
Gihon.
Hiddekel.
Euphrates.
The Euphrates therefore appears within the original geography surrounding Eden.
Its first mention belongs to the earliest biblical picture of man’s world and God’s provision.
But the biblical story does not end in Eden.
Something happens to man.
THE SERPENT INTRODUCES ANOTHER WORD INTO THE GARDEN
GENESIS 3:1
“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman…”
Notice how the fall begins.
A voice speaks.
A word enters the garden.
The serpent does not begin by building a city.
He begins by introducing another word.
God has spoken.
Now the serpent speaks.
Immediately there are two words competing for the consciousness of man.
THE FIRST BATTLE OVER HUMANITY IS A BATTLE OVER WHAT WORD WILL BE BELIEVED
GENESIS 2:17
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it…”
Then the serpent says:
GENESIS 3:4
“Ye shall not surely die.”
God speaks.
The serpent speaks.
Truth is present.
Another interpretation appears.
This is the beginning of mixture in human consciousness.
And once man receives another word, the entire course of the Adamic world changes.
THE FALL CHANGES THE REALM IN WHICH MAN LIVES
GENESIS 3:23–24
“Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden…
So he drove out the man…”
Adam moves from one realm into another.
The man who lived within God’s garden now enters a world eastward from Eden.
The river remains an important geographical reality, but man’s relationship to God’s original order has changed.
The Adamic world begins developing outside the garden.
And as Genesis progresses, cities, nations, kingdoms, and systems begin to arise.
Eventually one name becomes enormously significant:
BABEL.
THE ROAD FROM EDEN EVENTUALLY LEADS US TO BABEL
GENESIS 10:8–10
“And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.
He was a mighty hunter before the LORD…
And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel…”
Notice the word:
KINGDOM.
Now another governmental order is appearing in the earth.
The man-child of Revelation will be connected with God’s throne.
Melchizedek will reveal God’s king-priest order.
But Babel introduces another kind of kingdom.
The biblical contrast begins developing.
There is God’s government.
And there is man’s government.
There is God’s city.
And there is man’s city.
There is God’s river.
And there will be a river sustaining another order.
BABEL BECOMES BABYLON
The seed appearing in Genesis grows throughout Scripture.
Babel develops into Babylon.
What begins as a city and kingdom becomes one of the great biblical symbols of human government, religious mixture, captivity, and opposition to God’s purpose.
And geographically, historical Babylon was inseparably connected with the Euphrates.
That means the river first named near Eden eventually becomes associated in Scripture’s unfolding story with the city of Babylon.
This is where the imagery becomes increasingly important.
BABYLON IS A CITY SUSTAINED BY A RIVER
A city requires supply.
Water sustains life.
Water enables agriculture.
Water supports commerce.
Water allows civilization to continue.
Historically, the Euphrates was essential to Babylon.
But Revelation takes historical imagery and opens its prophetic meaning.
By the time we arrive at Mystery Babylon, we are no longer dealing merely with an ancient city beside a literal river.
The imagery has expanded.
REVELATION INTERPRETS WATERS AS PEOPLE
REVELATION 17:1
“Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters.”
Then the angel explains:
REVELATION 17:15
“The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
Now Scripture itself tells us that waters can carry a symbolic meaning.
They represent:
PEOPLES.
MULTITUDES.
NATIONS.
TONGUES.
This is the Adamic world—the vast realm of humanity within which Babylon operates.
BABYLON SITS UPON THE FLOW OF THE ADAMIC WORLD
Now we begin seeing the larger picture.
Babylon’s strength is not merely a building.
Babylon is sustained through people.
Through nations.
Through cultures.
Through languages.
Through systems.
Through traditions.
Through the thinking of the old Adamic world.
The river becomes a powerful picture of the continuing flow of that order.
THE EUPHRATES BECOMES MORE THAN WATER IN OUR REVELATION
By the time the sixth angel pours his vial upon the great river Euphrates, we have traveled a long way from Genesis 2.
We began with a river watering a garden.
We watched man leave Eden.
We saw another word enter human consciousness.
We watched the Adamic world develop.
We saw Babel arise as a kingdom.
We saw Babylon become a great biblical symbol.
And Revelation interprets waters as peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
Now the Euphrates can be understood within the prophetic picture as the sustaining flow of the Babylonian order through the Adamic world.
THE RIVER CARRIES TEACHINGS, SYSTEMS, TRADITIONS, AND HUMAN WISDOM
A river flows from one place to another.
So do ideas.
So do doctrines.
So do traditions.
So do philosophies.
So do religious systems.
One generation hands them to another.
One nation influences another.
One teacher influences thousands.
One religious system can shape millions.
The river continues flowing.
People can drink from a flow without ever asking where the water originated.
That is exactly why the source matters.
EVERYTHING THAT FLOWS IS NOT THE RIVER OF LIFE
The fact that something is old does not make it true.
The fact that millions believe something does not make it the revelation of Jesus Christ.
The fact that a teaching has flowed through generations does not mean it came from the throne.
The fact that something is religious does not mean it is pure.
We must test the river by its source.
THERE ARE TWO RIVERS COMING INTO VIEW
The entire book is beginning to move toward a tremendous contrast.
There is:
THE RIVER OF BABYLON
And there is:
THE RIVER OF LIFE
One is connected with the old Adamic order.
The other proceeds from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
One carries mixture.
The other is:
“pure… clear as crystal.”
One sustains captivity.
The other ministers life.
One belongs to a city destined for judgment.
The other flows through the city of God.
THE RIVER OF LIFE BRINGS US BACK TO THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE OF GOD
REVELATION 22:1–2
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life…”
Look at what reappears.
A river.
The tree of life.
Genesis began with a garden, a river, and the tree of life.
Revelation ends with the river of life and the tree of life.
God’s purpose has not been defeated.
The serpent did not change God’s ultimate intention.
Babylon cannot replace God’s city.
The Euphrates cannot replace God’s river.
The old Adam cannot cancel the new creation.
GENESIS AND REVELATION ARE CONNECTED BY THE RIVER
Genesis shows:
A RIVER GOING OUT OF EDEN.
Revelation shows:
A RIVER PROCEEDING OUT OF THE THRONE.
Genesis shows:
THE TREE OF LIFE.
Revelation shows:
THE TREE OF LIFE.
Genesis reveals God’s original order.
Revelation reveals God’s purpose brought into fullness.
Between them lies the long history of the Adamic world and Babylonian mixture.
THE SIXTH ANGEL STANDS AT THE END OF A RIVER THREAD THAT BEGAN IN GENESIS
This is why we cannot treat Revelation 16:12 as an isolated verse.
The Holy Spirit has been developing the imagery throughout Scripture.
The river begins in Eden.
The Euphrates becomes connected with boundaries and kingdoms.
Babylon rises beside the Euphrates.
The prophets speak of waters, rivers, peoples, and judgment.
Revelation reveals Mystery Babylon sitting upon many waters.
Then the sixth angel pours his vial upon:
THE GREAT RIVER EUPHRATES.
The imagery has reached its appointed moment.
GOD IS DEALING WITH THE FLOW THAT HAS SUSTAINED THE OLD ORDER
The sixth vial does not merely strike a random river.
It strikes the river associated with Babylon.
The judgment reaches the supply.
That is why the water must dry.
The woman cannot be brought into the purity of the Bride while remaining dependent upon the flow of Babylon.
The old river has to lose its power.
THE SAME GOD WHO BEGAN WITH A RIVER WILL FINISH WITH A RIVER
This is the beautiful part of the revelation.
God’s answer to the wrong river is not dryness.
His answer is the right river.
God does not intend His people to live without water.
He intends to change their source.
From Babylon’s river:
TO THE RIVER OF LIFE.
From the old Adamic consciousness:
TO THE MIND OF CHRIST.
From mixture:
TO PURITY.
From human tradition:
TO THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.
From the wilderness:
TOWARD BRIDAL READINESS.
THE QUESTION IS NOT WHETHER WE ARE DRINKING—THE QUESTION IS WHICH RIVER IS SUPPLYING US
Everybody is being influenced by a flow.
Words flow.
Ideas flow.
Teachings flow.
Traditions flow.
Revelation flows.
Spirit flows.
Life flows.
The great question is:
WHERE DOES THE RIVER COME FROM?
Does it proceed from the old Adamic world?
Does it sustain Babylonian mixture?
Or does it proceed:
“out of the throne of God and of the Lamb”?
THE EUPHRATES BEGINS OUR JOURNEY TOWARD THE DRYING OF BABYLON’S SUPPLY
We have now found the river at its first biblical mention.
But the thread has only begun.
The Euphrates will appear again.
It will become a boundary.
It will become connected with inheritance.
It will stand in relationship to nations and kingdoms.
And eventually it will become the great river upon which the sixth angel pours his vial.
We are following that river because Revelation wants us to see something larger than geography.
A river supplies.
A river sustains.
A river carries a flow.
And when God intends to liberate His woman from the Babylonian order, He does not merely deal with what is visible on the surface.
HE GOES AFTER THE RIVER.
The sixth angel pours the revelation of Jesus Christ upon the very flow that has sustained the old order.
And when truth reaches the source of the captivity:
THE WATER DRIES UP, AND A WAY BEGANS TO APPEAR
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE EUPHRATES BECOMES A BOUNDARY OF INHERITANCE
GENESIS 15:18
“In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.”
The Euphrates first appeared in Genesis as one of the rivers associated with Eden.
Now it appears again.
But this time the river is connected with something different.
COVENANT.
SEED.
LAND.
INHERITANCE.
BOUNDARY.
God speaks to Abram and identifies the extent of an inheritance promised to his seed.
And one of the great boundaries of that inheritance is:
THE GREAT RIVER EUPHRATES.
That language should immediately catch our attention because Revelation 16:12 uses the same identifying language:
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates…”
Genesis calls it:
“the great river, the river Euphrates.”
Revelation calls it:
“the great river Euphrates.”
The river that appears in connection with inheritance in Genesis appears again when God prepares a way in Revelation.
That connection deserves our attention.
THE EUPHRATES MARKS A BOUNDARY
GENESIS 15:18
“Unto thy seed have I given this land… unto the great river, the river Euphrates.”
A boundary tells you something about possession.
It marks territory.
It distinguishes one realm from another.
It tells you how far an inheritance extends.
Therefore, the Euphrates becomes more than a source of water in the biblical story.
It becomes a boundary connected with inheritance.
This becomes extremely significant when we return to Revelation 16.
The sixth angel pours his vial upon a river that Scripture has already associated with a boundary.
Then the river dries.
And when it dries:
A WAY IS PREPARED.
WHAT WAS ONCE A BOUNDARY BECOMES A PASSAGE
REVELATION 16:12
“…and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
This is one of the great movements within the sixth vial.
The river has functioned as a boundary.
But now the water dries.
And the place that once represented separation becomes:
A WAY.
That is not accidental imagery.
Something that stood between one realm and another is being removed.
Something that marked a limitation is being dealt with.
Something that had to be crossed is losing its power to prevent passage.
GOD’S JUDGMENT REMOVES BOUNDARIES THAT KEEP HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR INHERITANCE
There are boundaries in our understanding.
There are boundaries created by tradition.
There are boundaries created by religious systems.
There are boundaries created by the old Adamic mind.
There are boundaries created by doctrines that tell God’s people:
“You can come this far, but no farther.”
Religion has often specialized in defining how much of God people may experience.
It tells them what belongs to another age.
It tells them what belongs only to heaven.
It tells them what God supposedly will never accomplish in a people upon the earth.
It creates boundaries around the inheritance.
But God’s purpose cannot forever be confined by the boundaries established through Babylonian understanding.
THE PROMISE IS GREATER THAN THE PRESENT EXPERIENCE
Abraham received a promise before his descendants possessed its fullness.
That is how inheritance works.
God can declare something before His people have entered the experience of it.
The promise reveals God’s intention.
The journey brings His people into possession.
This is important for the woman in the wilderness.
Her present experience does not define the limit of her inheritance.
The wilderness is not the final word.
Pentecost is not the final word.
The earnest is not the final word.
Immaturity is not the final word.
God’s declared purpose determines where He is taking His people.
THE EARNEST DECLARES THAT SOMETHING GREATER REMAINS
EPHESIANS 1:13–14
“…after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession…”
An earnest is real.
But an earnest is not the whole possession.
It is the pledge of something greater.
The woman has experienced the Spirit.
She has known the goodness of God.
She has carried the seed.
She has brought forth the man-child.
But the firstfruits have entered into something first.
The remainder must be brought forward.
GOD’S INHERITANCE CANNOT BE MEASURED BY YESTERDAY’S EXPERIENCE
One of Babylon’s great powers is convincing God’s people to make their present experience the boundary of God’s eternal purpose.
If we have never seen it, we assume God cannot do it.
If our denomination has never taught it, we assume it cannot be truth.
If generations before us did not experience it, we assume it cannot belong to us.
But revelation breaks those boundaries.
The Word of God reveals an inheritance greater than our present possession.
JOSHUA STOOD BEFORE AN INHERITANCE THAT HAD TO BE POSSESSED
JOSHUA 1:2–4
“Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them…
From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates… shall be your coast.”
Again the Euphrates appears.
Again it is connected with inheritance.
Again it marks the extent of territory God has declared.
But notice something else.
God says:
“ARISE.”
Then:
“GO OVER.”
Then:
“THE LAND WHICH I DO GIVE.”
The promise demands movement.
There is something to cross.
There is something to possess.
There is a realm that must be entered.
EVERY INHERITANCE REQUIRES THE CROSSING OF SOMETHING
Israel had to cross Jordan.
Abraham had to leave one land for another.
The children of Israel had to come out of Egypt.
God’s people had to come out of Babylon.
And in Revelation 16, a river dries so that a way can be prepared.
There is a consistent biblical pattern.
God calls His people out of one realm and into another.
COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE
REVELATION 18:4
“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people…”
There is movement again.
COME OUT.
God does not merely reveal Babylon so His people can become experts on Babylon.
He reveals Babylon so His people can come out of her.
The revelation demands movement.
Truth creates a way out of captivity.
THE WOMAN MUST CROSS OUT OF BABYLONIAN CONSCIOUSNESS
The woman cannot become the Bride while remaining governed by the consciousness of Babylon.
Something has to change.
Her source must change.
Her understanding must change.
Her identity must change.
Her relationship to the Lamb must become unmixed.
The wilderness has been a place of preservation and preparation, but God’s purpose continues beyond it.
The throne ministry carries a revelation that opens the way forward.
THE GREAT RIVER STANDS BETWEEN TWO ORDERS
As the Euphrates develops through Scripture, it becomes associated not only with Israel’s inheritance but also with kingdoms beyond the boundary.
The river stands between territories.
That makes it a powerful prophetic image.
On one side is one realm.
On the other side is another.
And when Revelation says the river dries so that a way may be prepared, the language speaks of transition.
Something is moving from one order into another.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS A JUDGMENT UPON LIMITATION
The woman has been told:
“You can only go this far.”
The old creation says:
“You can only go this far.”
Death says:
“You can only go this far.”
Religious tradition says:
“You can only go this far.”
The carnal mind says:
“You can only go this far.”
But God’s inheritance says:
THERE IS MORE.
The firstfruits themselves are proof that there is more.
They have already come forth.
They have already entered a realm beyond the woman’s present experience.
Their manifestation proves that the boundary is not permanent.
THE FIRSTFRUITS ARE LIVING EVIDENCE OF THE INHERITANCE
ROMANS 8:23
“And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit…”
Firstfruits are evidence.
They announce the harvest before the whole harvest appears.
They reveal beforehand what God intends to accomplish more broadly.
Therefore, when the woman sees the manifested sons, she is seeing evidence of her own future in God’s purpose.
The sons are not proof that God has abandoned her.
They are proof that God can bring a people through.
THE SONS HAVE CROSSED INTO A REALM FROM WHICH THEY CAN MINISTER BACK
The firstfruits have been brought to the throne.
That means they minister from beyond the woman’s present boundary.
They do not minister merely from theory.
They minister from possession.
They have entered into a reality that now becomes testimony to those who follow.
That is how firstfruits function.
YOU CANNOT LEAD SOMEBODY BEYOND A BOUNDARY YOU REFUSE TO CROSS
This is why God deals with the firstfruits first.
He brings them through.
He judges their mixture.
He confronts their traditions.
He removes their limitations.
He changes their consciousness.
He establishes the mind of Christ.
He brings them into throne relationship.
Then He can minister through them to those who remain on the other side.
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD MINISTERS FROM POSSESSION
HEBREWS 7:16
“Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.”
The priesthood is not preaching endless life merely as a theory.
Its ministry proceeds from the reality God has established within it.
That is why it has power to confront the boundary.
The old order says death is the limit.
The Melchizedek order carries:
THE POWER OF AN ENDLESS LIFE.
The old order says the wilderness is as far as you can go.
The throne ministry declares there is a throne.
The old order says Babylon’s river is necessary.
The throne ministry reveals another river.
THE RIVER OF LIFE REVEALS AN INHERITANCE BEYOND BABYLON
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
Babylon does not own the only river.
That is the revelation.
The woman may have lived so long beside Babylon’s waters that she assumes those waters are necessary.
But the throne reveals another source.
There is another supply.
There is another life.
There is another word.
There is another government.
There is another city.
THERE ARE TWO CITIES AND TWO RIVERS
As Revelation unfolds, two great cities come into view.
BABYLON.
And:
THE HOLY CITY.
Babylon is associated with many waters.
The holy city has the pure river of life proceeding from the throne.
One city represents mixture.
The other represents divine order.
One city intoxicates nations.
The other has a river of life.
One city falls.
The other comes down from God.
This is not merely a contrast between two locations.
It is a contrast between two orders.
THE WOMAN MUST MOVE FROM ONE ORDER INTO ANOTHER
That is why the boundary matters.
God is bringing His people out of one order and into another.
Out of Babylonian mixture.
Into the purity of Christ.
Out of the old Adam.
Into the new creation.
Out of religious captivity.
Into Kingdom liberty.
Out of death-consciousness.
Into resurrection life.
Out of the wilderness measure.
Toward bridal fullness.
THE EUPHRATES MUST DRY BECAUSE THE WAY MUST OPEN
REVELATION 16:12
“…and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
Notice again:
The drying is not the ultimate objective.
THE WAY IS THE OBJECTIVE.
The judgment removes an obstruction.
The river loses its ability to function as a boundary.
What once separated becomes a pathway.
What once prevented movement can no longer hold back what God is bringing forth.
WHEN GOD DRIES THE RIVER, HE IS NOT ENDING THE JOURNEY—HE IS OPENING THE JOURNEY
This is why we must understand judgment positively within God’s purpose.
When God removes something, He is making room for something.
When God closes one order, He is opening another.
When God judges mixture, He is making way for purity.
When God dries Babylon’s river, He is preparing a passage into another realm.
The end of one thing becomes the beginning of another.
THE RED SEA SHOWS US THE SAME DIVINE PATTERN
EXODUS 14:21–22
“And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back… and the waters were divided.
And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground…”
Water stood in the way.
God dealt with the water.
Then:
A WAY APPEARED.
The people passed through.
This pattern will become increasingly important when we study the kings of the east.
God knows how to make a way through waters.
JORDAN ALSO BECAME DRY GROUND BEFORE INHERITANCE
JOSHUA 3:15–17
“…the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap…
And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan…”
Again:
Water.
Priesthood.
Dry ground.
Passage.
Inheritance.
The pattern is powerful.
The priests stand in the river.
The waters are restrained.
The people cross.
The inheritance lies ahead.
REVELATION 16:12 BELONGS TO A GREAT SCRIPTURAL PATTERN
The sixth vial is not the first time God has dealt with waters in order to prepare a way.
At the Red Sea, God makes dry ground.
At Jordan, God makes dry ground.
At the Euphrates, the water is dried:
“that the way… might be prepared.”
Scripture is interpreting Scripture.
Water that prevented passage loses its power.
A way appears.
God’s people move.
BUT THIS TIME KINGS ARE COMING THROUGH
That is where Revelation takes the pattern farther.
At the Red Sea, a nation crossed.
At Jordan, Israel crossed into inheritance.
At the Euphrates of Revelation 16:
THE WAY OF KINGS IS PREPARED.
Something has matured.
Government is appearing.
The imagery has moved from people coming out of slavery to kings moving through a prepared way.
That tells us we are dealing with a mature Kingdom dimension.
THE KINGS ARE CONNECTED WITH THE THRONE
REVELATION 5:10
“And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
Here again are the kings.
But they are also priests.
That brings us right back to the Melchizedek order.
The way being prepared is connected with the manifestation of king-priest life.
And because these kings are associated with the east—the rising of the sun—the imagery will eventually bring us into resurrection life.
THE BOUNDARY CANNOT HOLD BACK RESURRECTION LIFE
This is where the revelation is going.
Death creates boundaries.
The old Adam creates boundaries.
Babylon creates boundaries.
Religion creates boundaries.
But resurrection life breaks boundaries.
A stone could not hold Christ in the tomb.
Death could not keep Him.
The grave could not retain Him.
Resurrection created a way where death said there was no way.
That same principle is appearing prophetically in the sixth vial.
THE WOMAN IS BEING PREPARED TO CROSS A BOUNDARY
The judgment working within her is not random.
God is bringing her somewhere.
The throne ministry is not merely telling her what is wrong.
It is opening a way into what is right.
The priesthood is not merely exposing Babylon.
It is ministering Christ.
The river of life is not merely revealing the impurity of the Euphrates.
It is supplying the life necessary for another order.
GOD’S PURPOSE HAS ALWAYS BEEN INHERITANCE
The Euphrates first appears in this dimension as a boundary of promised inheritance.
That is significant.
The final purpose of God is not merely to get His people out of something.
It is to bring them into something.
Israel came out of Egypt to enter inheritance.
God’s people come out of Babylon to enter the reality of His Kingdom.
The woman comes out of mixture to become prepared for the Lamb.
Judgment removes the obstruction.
Inheritance supplies the destination.
THE GREAT RIVER CANNOT REMAIN THE FINAL BOUNDARY
God declared the Euphrates as a boundary.
But Revelation shows the river drying.
That tells us the story has moved into another dimension.
A boundary that once marked territory now becomes the location of a prepared way.
The river loses its power to separate.
The water disappears.
And kings pass through.
WHEN THE BOUNDARY DRIES UP, THE INHERITANCE OPENS BEFORE THE PEOPLE OF GOD
This is the revelation we carry forward.
The Euphrates is not merely a river.
Scripture has connected it with:
EDEN.
COVENANT.
SEED.
BOUNDARY.
INHERITANCE.
KINGDOMS.
And ultimately:
A PREPARED WAY.
The woman has lived within boundaries.
The firstfruits have crossed into a greater realm.
Now the throne ministry carries the revelation that removes the limitations preventing the remainder from coming forward.
The sixth angel pours.
The river dries.
The boundary loses its power.
And where the water once stood:
GOD PREPARES A WAY.
The Euphrates has shown us the boundary.
Now we are ready to follow the prophets and discover how Scripture begins using waters and rivers to reveal peoples, powers, kingdoms, and the great human realm upon which Babylon sits.
CHAPTER NINE
THE PROPHETS REVEAL WATERS OF PEOPLE AND POWER
ISAIAH 8:5–8
“The LORD spake also unto me again, saying,
Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son;
Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:
And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over…”
We have followed the Euphrates from Eden into the covenant promise given to Abraham.
We have seen the river associated with supply.
We have seen it become a boundary of inheritance.
Now the prophets begin opening another dimension of biblical river imagery.
They show us that waters can represent much more than literal water.
Waters can reveal people.
Waters can reveal armies.
Waters can reveal kingdoms.
Waters can reveal political and spiritual powers moving through humanity.
And once the prophets establish this language, Revelation itself gives us the interpretation that will unlock the great river Euphrates.
ISAIAH INTERPRETS THE RIVER AS A KINGDOM AND ITS POWER
ISAIAH 8:7
“Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory…”
Isaiah does something extremely important.
He identifies the waters.
He speaks of:
“the waters of the river, strong and many”
and then explains them as:
“the king of Assyria, and all his glory.”
The river imagery is carrying the idea of a kingdom moving in power.
The waters overflow their banks.
The waters pass through the land.
The waters reach outward.
But Isaiah is not merely describing a flood.
He is describing Assyria.
A RIVER CAN REVEAL THE FLOW OF A KINGDOM
This gives us another principle for understanding Revelation 16:12.
A river can represent the movement and influence of an entire order.
It can carry the power of a kingdom.
It can overflow boundaries.
It can affect people far beyond its source.
That is exactly what teachings and systems do.
A doctrine can begin in one place and flow throughout nations.
A religious tradition can begin in one generation and flow through centuries.
A system of thought can begin with a few people and eventually influence millions.
The river becomes an image of continuing influence.
THE WATERS OF SHILOAH GO SOFTLY
ISAIAH 8:6
“Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly…”
Before Isaiah introduces the strong waters of Assyria, he speaks of another water.
The waters of Shiloah.
They go softly.
The people refuse one water, and another water overwhelms them.
There is already a prophetic contrast between two supplies.
This principle will become even clearer in Revelation.
There is a river associated with Babylon.
And there is a pure river proceeding from the throne.
The question throughout Scripture is not simply whether water is flowing.
The question is:
WHICH WATER ARE THE PEOPLE RECEIVING?
WHAT WE REFUSE FROM GOD CAN DETERMINE WHAT WE BECOME VULNERABLE TO FROM ANOTHER SOURCE
Israel refused the waters that went softly.
Then the strong waters of another kingdom came upon them.
This reveals something about the woman we are studying.
When God’s people refuse advancing revelation, they do not remain spiritually neutral.
Something else fills the space.
Tradition enters.
Human reasoning enters.
Religious systems enter.
The old Adamic mind interprets what the Spirit was meant to reveal.
Before long, another river is supplying the people.
JEREMIAH ALSO USES WATERS TO DESCRIBE NATIONS
JEREMIAH 46:7–8
“Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?
Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers…”
Again the prophetic imagery is unmistakable.
Egypt is pictured as a flood.
Its power moves like rivers.
The water represents the movement of a nation and its power.
This is not an isolated symbolic use.
The prophets repeatedly employ waters to reveal the movement of peoples and kingdoms.
THE ROARING OF NATIONS IS LIKE THE ROARING OF WATERS
ISAIAH 17:12–13
“Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters…”
Now the imagery expands further.
Isaiah explicitly joins:
MULTITUDES OF PEOPLE
with:
THE NOISE OF SEAS.
And:
NATIONS
with:
MIGHTY WATERS.
The prophetic vocabulary is becoming clear.
Waters can represent the great mass of humanity in movement.
THE SEA REALM IS THE RESTLESS ADAMIC WORLD
ISAIAH 57:20
“But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.”
Here again humanity is pictured through waters.
The troubled sea cannot rest.
Its waters cast up mire and dirt.
This is a powerful image of the Adamic realm.
Restless.
Unstable.
Moving.
Producing what belongs to its nature.
The old creation cannot produce the purity of the river of life because the nature of the source is different.
REVELATION INHERITS THE PROPHETIC LANGUAGE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
This is why we cannot read Revelation as though its symbols appeared from nowhere.
John’s imagery is saturated with the language of the prophets.
Beasts.
Horns.
Stars.
Women.
Cities.
Mountains.
Seas.
Rivers.
Babylon.
All of these images have histories in Scripture.
Revelation gathers those prophetic threads and brings them together in the unveiling of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, when Revelation shows us a woman sitting upon many waters, the prophets have already prepared us to understand the language.
REVELATION FINALLY TELLS US EXACTLY WHAT THE WATERS REPRESENT
REVELATION 17:1
“Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters.”
John sees Mystery Babylon sitting upon many waters.
Then the angel explains the symbol.
REVELATION 17:15
“The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
We do not have to guess.
The angel gives the interpretation.
The waters are:
PEOPLES.
MULTITUDES.
NATIONS.
TONGUES.
Now the picture opens.
BABYLON SITS UPON THE ADAMIC WORLD
Mystery Babylon is not sitting upon a few gallons of literal water.
She is sitting upon a vast human realm.
Peoples.
Multitudes.
Nations.
Tongues.
This is the world of humanity in Adam.
It is the realm through which Babylon’s influence moves.
It is the human order through which her systems, teachings, commerce, religion, values, and mixture are carried.
BABYLON DEPENDS UPON PEOPLE FOR HER CONTINUING EXISTENCE
A system has no power if nobody participates in it.
A false teaching has no influence if nobody believes it.
A religious tradition cannot dominate a generation if nobody receives it.
Babylon sits upon waters because Babylon operates through humanity.
The people become the realm through which the system continues.
This gives us tremendous insight into the Euphrates.
THE EUPHRATES IS THE FLOW SUSTAINING THE BABYLONIAN ORDER
Historical Babylon depended upon the Euphrates.
The river flowed through the city.
It supplied the city.
It sustained life.
It supported commerce.
It was part of Babylon’s strength.
Revelation takes that imagery and places it within a prophetic world where waters have already been interpreted as peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
The river therefore becomes a powerful picture of the flow sustaining the Babylonian order within the Adamic world.
THE RIVER IS NOT MERELY THE PEOPLE—IT IS THE FLOW MOVING THROUGH THE PEOPLE
This distinction is important.
Revelation 17:15 tells us the waters are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
But when we speak of the river supplying Babylon, we are looking not merely at human beings themselves, but at the flow moving through that human realm.
Teachings flow through people.
Ideas flow through nations.
Traditions flow through generations.
Religious systems flow through cultures.
Human wisdom flows through institutions.
The consciousness of Adam flows through humanity.
The people become the channel through which the river continues moving.
BABYLON HAS LEARNED HOW TO USE THE ADAMIC FLOW
Babylon does not have to create the old Adam.
She operates through what belongs to that realm.
The carnal mind loves systems it can control.
The natural man loves religion that does not require transformation.
Human pride loves titles.
Human ambition loves hierarchy.
Fear loves systems promising security.
Tradition loves repetition.
Babylon takes these characteristics of the old Adamic world and builds an order upon them.
That is why she sits upon many waters.
THE WOMAN CAN BELONG TO GOD WHILE STILL BEING AFFECTED BY THE WATERS
This is where our teaching must remain precise.
We are not saying the woman is Mystery Babylon.
We are saying the woman can be affected by Babylonian mixture.
God Himself makes the distinction when He says:
REVELATION 18:4
“Come out of her, my people…”
His people are in something they must come out of.
Therefore:
GOD’S PEOPLE ARE NOT BABYLON.
But:
GOD’S PEOPLE CAN BE INFLUENCED BY BABYLON.
That is why judgment becomes necessary.
THE THRONE MINISTRY MUST SEPARATE THE PEOPLE FROM THE FLOW
This is priestly judgment.
The purpose is not to destroy the people.
The purpose is to separate them from what has been flowing through them.
That is a much deeper work than simply changing organizations.
A person can leave one religious system and carry the same Babylonian consciousness into another.
A person can leave a denomination and still think denominationally.
A person can reject a tradition while continuing to operate through the same carnal mind that created the tradition.
Therefore, God’s judgment goes deeper than external separation.
GOD IS DRYING THE RIVER INSIDE THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF HIS PEOPLE
This is where Revelation becomes intensely personal.
The river is not merely somewhere “out there.”
If Babylonian thinking has flowed through our understanding, the revelation of Jesus Christ must confront it within us.
If human tradition has shaped our concept of God, truth must judge it.
If the old Adamic mind has interpreted Scripture, the mind of Christ must replace that interpretation.
If fear has governed us, love must cast it out.
If death has governed our consciousness, resurrection life must arise.
The river dries as its influence loses power within a people.
A RIVER CAN ONLY SUSTAIN YOU AS LONG AS YOU KEEP DRINKING FROM IT
When the woman begins receiving from another source, Babylon’s river loses its power over her.
This is why God does not merely say:
Stop drinking.
He reveals another river.
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
There is the alternative.
Not dryness.
LIFE.
Not emptiness.
ANOTHER RIVER.
Not merely separation from Babylon.
UNION WITH THE LIFE PROCEEDING FROM THE THRONE.
THE PURE RIVER DOES NOT COME FROM THE PEOPLES, MULTITUDES, NATIONS, AND TONGUES
This is the contrast.
Babylon sits upon the human waters.
But the river of life proceeds:
“out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
Its source is not humanity.
Its source is God.
Its source is the Lamb.
Its source is the throne.
That is why it is:
PURE.
CLEAR AS CRYSTAL.
The river carries the nature of its source.
THE OLD RIVER CARRIES THE NATURE OF ADAM; THE NEW RIVER CARRIES THE NATURE OF CHRIST
Here are the two flows.
One proceeds through the old creation.
The other proceeds from the throne.
One carries human wisdom.
The other carries divine revelation.
One perpetuates mixture.
The other is pure.
One sustains Babylon.
The other makes glad the city of God.
One keeps the woman tied to the old order.
The other prepares her for the Lamb.
THE PROPHETS HAVE SHOWN US HOW TO READ THE WATERS
We are now standing on firm scriptural ground.
Isaiah showed us Assyria as the waters of a river.
Jeremiah showed us Egypt rising like a flood.
Isaiah showed us nations rushing like mighty waters.
Revelation explicitly tells us:
“The waters… are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
Therefore, when we come to the great river Euphrates, we are justified in looking beyond literal geography to the prophetic meaning carried by the image.
THE GREAT RIVER IS FLOWING THROUGH A GREAT HUMAN REALM
This is why Babylon has been so powerful.
Its influence has not been confined to one nation.
It has flowed through:
PEOPLES.
MULTITUDES.
NATIONS.
TONGUES.
Religious Babylon can speak every language.
It can appear in every culture.
It can wear different names.
It can adapt its outward form.
But the underlying mixture remains the same.
The old Adam is still attempting to handle the things of God through the natural mind.
THE SIXTH ANGEL STRIKES THE FLOW ITSELF
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up…”
Now we understand why the judgment is so powerful.
God is not merely correcting one doctrine.
He is not merely exposing one organization.
He is not merely dealing with one religious leader.
The revelation of Jesus Christ is striking the flow.
The river itself is being judged.
WHEN THE FLOW DRIES UP, THE SYSTEM LOSES ITS POWER TO SUSTAIN ITSELF
A city dependent upon a river cannot continue unchanged when the river disappears.
A system dependent upon human consciousness cannot continue unchanged when the mind of Christ replaces that consciousness.
A religious order dependent upon tradition cannot continue unchanged when revelation appears.
A captivity dependent upon ignorance cannot survive the appearing of truth.
Jesus said:
JOHN 8:32
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Truth dries the river of the lie.
THE THRONE MINISTRY CARRIES A DIFFERENT FLOW INTO THE SAME PEOPLE
This is the beautiful part.
The people do not have to disappear.
The old flow disappears.
The nations do not have to disappear.
The Babylonian domination of their consciousness disappears.
The woman does not have to disappear.
The mixture within her disappears.
God is not destroying the vessel He intends to fill.
He is changing what flows through the vessel.
OUT OF THEIR BELLIES WILL FLOW ANOTHER RIVER
JOHN 7:38
“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
Think about the transformation.
The people who once received from Babylon’s river become vessels of another river.
They once drank mixture.
Now living water flows from within them.
They once depended upon the old Adamic order.
Now Christ becomes their life.
They once sat under Babylon’s flow.
Now the river of God flows through them.
That is transformation.
GOD DOES NOT MERELY TAKE PEOPLE OUT OF THE RIVER—HE PUTS HIS RIVER IN THE PEOPLE
This is Kingdom deliverance.
God’s purpose is greater than escape.
He wants transformation.
He wants the woman to become what He intended.
He wants the Bride prepared.
He wants His nature manifested.
He wants His life flowing.
He wants the river from the throne reproduced through a people.
THE PEOPLE ARE NOT THE ENEMY—THE WRONG FLOW IS THE PROBLEM
We must keep this distinction clear.
The waters represent peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
God loves the people.
The priesthood ministers to the people.
The revelation liberates the people.
The judgment deals with what has governed and supplied their captivity.
The sixth angel does not pour his vial because God has no purpose for humanity.
He pours because God does have a purpose.
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST IS DRYING UP THE FLOW OF THE OLD ADAM
This is the prophetic picture now coming into focus.
The old Adamic world has supplied Babylon.
Babylon has sat upon the waters.
Her teachings have flowed.
Her systems have flowed.
Her mixture has flowed.
Her wine has intoxicated.
Her river has sustained.
But a ministry has come forth from another realm.
The firstfruits have matured.
The man-child has reached the throne.
The Melchizedek king-priest ministry carries the power of endless life.
The pure river proceeds from the throne.
And the sixth angel carries the revelation of Jesus Christ.
ONE FLOW IS ABOUT TO CONFRONT ANOTHER FLOW
That is where the prophets have brought us.
They taught us that waters can reveal nations and powers.
Revelation told us plainly that the waters are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
Now we can see the great river Euphrates within the larger prophetic picture.
It is the sustaining flow associated with Babylon and the Adamic world upon which Babylon operates.
And when the revelation of Jesus Christ is poured upon that river:
THE OLD SUPPLY BEGINS TO FAIL.
THE MIXTURE LOSES ITS POWER.
THE CAPTIVE BEGINS TO SEE.
THE WOMAN BEGINS TO COME OUT.
And the river that once appeared impossible to cross begins to dry.
Because when God removes the waters:
HE IS PREPARING A WAY FOR SOMETHING GREATER TO COME FORTH.
CHAPTER TEN
BABYLON’S GOLDEN CUP AND THE EUPHRATES CARRY THE SAME FLOW
REVELATION 17:1–4
“Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast…
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand…”
We have followed the river.
We found the Euphrates in Eden.
We saw it connected with covenant and inheritance.
We saw it become a boundary.
We followed the prophetic language of waters through Isaiah and Jeremiah.
Then Revelation gave us the interpretation:
“The waters… are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
Now another image appears in the hand of Mystery Babylon.
A golden cup.
The river is one image.
The cup is another image.
But both images reveal something being received, carried, and consumed.
And when we put them together, we begin to see how Babylon has sustained her influence over the Adamic world.
BABYLON HAS A CUP IN HER HAND
REVELATION 17:4
“…having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication.”
The cup is full.
Something is inside it.
Something is being offered.
Something is being consumed.
And the next verse identifies the woman:
REVELATION 17:5
“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT…”
This is Babylon’s cup.
But the cup does not stand alone.
Babylon is also sitting upon many waters.
She has:
WATERS BENEATH HER.
And:
A CUP IN HER HAND.
One speaks of the vast flow upon which she operates.
The other speaks of what is being served to those under her influence.
THE RIVER SUPPLIES—THE CUP DISTRIBUTES
Here is the relationship we need to see.
A river is a continuing supply.
A cup is a portion taken from a supply and given to someone to drink.
The river speaks of the larger flow.
The cup speaks of that flow becoming personal.
The river can influence nations.
The cup can be placed into the hand of an individual.
One is vast.
One is intimate.
But the spiritual principle is the same.
SAME FLOW—DIFFERENT IMAGERY
This is the key.
God uses different symbols to reveal different dimensions of the same Babylonian influence.
THE RIVER SUSTAINS.
THE CUP INTOXICATES.
The river reveals the continuing flow.
The cup reveals what happens when that flow is received.
The river feeds the system.
The cup puts the system inside the people.
THE NATIONS DRINK FROM BABYLON’S CUP
REVELATION 18:3
“For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication…”
Notice the reach.
ALL NATIONS.
The cup is not restricted to one denomination.
It is not restricted to one culture.
It is not restricted to one historical period.
Babylon’s influence reaches into the nations.
And what happens when they drink?
They become affected by what is in the cup.
WINE AFFECTS PERCEPTION
This is why wine is such a powerful image.
A person under the influence of wine does not perceive things clearly.
Judgment can become distorted.
Balance can disappear.
What seems normal while intoxicated can appear entirely different when sobriety returns.
Spiritually, Babylon’s wine works the same way.
It affects perception.
It shapes how people see God.
It shapes how they see themselves.
It shapes how they interpret Scripture.
It shapes how they understand judgment.
It shapes how they understand salvation.
It shapes how they understand the Kingdom.
It shapes how they understand the purpose of God.
BABYLON’S GREATEST CAPTIVITY IS A CAPTIVITY OF CONSCIOUSNESS
A prison does not always require bars.
If a person can be convinced that there is no way out, the mind itself becomes a prison.
If God’s people can be convinced that their present experience is all God has for them, they will never seek fullness.
If they can be convinced that death must always reign, they will never expect the manifestation of resurrection life.
If they can be convinced that religious tradition is identical with truth, they will resist revelation when it appears.
The cup works within consciousness.
THE SERPENT USED THE SAME PRINCIPLE IN EDEN
GENESIS 3:1
“Yea, hath God said…?”
The serpent did not physically imprison Adam and Eve.
He introduced another word.
He altered perception.
He challenged what God had spoken.
The captivity began in consciousness before its consequences appeared outwardly.
That principle continues through the Adamic world.
The serpent speaks.
Man receives.
The word becomes a way of thinking.
The way of thinking becomes a system.
The system becomes a culture.
The culture becomes a river flowing through generations.
BABYLON HAS BEEN FILLING CUPS FOR GENERATIONS
Religious traditions are rarely invented anew by every generation.
They are inherited.
One generation receives a cup.
Then it hands the cup to the next.
The next generation drinks without asking:
Where did this come from?
Eventually the tradition becomes so old that age itself is mistaken for authority.
People say:
“This is what we have always believed.”
But the question is not:
How long have we believed it?
The question is:
DID IT COME FROM THE THRONE?
THE SOURCE DETERMINES THE PURITY OF THE CUP
If the cup is filled from a mixed river, the cup contains mixture.
If the cup is filled from the old Adamic mind, it carries the old Adamic consciousness.
If the cup is filled from human tradition, it carries human tradition.
But if the vessel is filled from the throne, something entirely different comes forth.
This brings us back to the seven golden vials.
BABYLON HAS A GOLDEN CUP—THE ANGELS HAVE GOLDEN VIALS
Look at the contrast.
REVELATION 17:4
“…having a golden cup in her hand…”
Then:
REVELATION 15:7
“…seven golden vials full of the wrath of God…”
There are vessels on both sides of the imagery.
Babylon carries a cup.
The angels carry bowls.
Both contain something.
Both pour influence into another realm.
But the contents come from entirely different sources.
THE ISSUE IS NOT THE VESSEL—THE ISSUE IS WHAT FILLS IT
Something can look religious and still contain mixture.
Something can appear precious outwardly and still carry the wrong contents.
Babylon’s cup is:
GOLDEN.
Its appearance can be impressive.
Its presentation can be beautiful.
Its institutions can be magnificent.
Its ceremonies can be moving.
Its language can sound spiritual.
But Revelation tells us to look inside the cup.
The contents reveal the nature of the system.
GOD JUDGES CONTENT, NOT APPEARANCE
1 SAMUEL 16:7
“…for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”
The old Adam is impressed by appearance.
God looks at the source.
God looks at the nature.
God looks at what is actually being ministered.
A golden cup can still carry Babylonian wine.
That is why discernment must go beyond appearance.
THE WOMAN OF REVELATION 12 AND THE WOMAN OF REVELATION 17 MUST NOT BE CONFUSED
This distinction is essential to our teaching.
The woman in Revelation 12 brings forth the man-child.
She has a place prepared of God in the wilderness.
The woman in Revelation 17 is Mystery Babylon.
These are not the same spiritual identity.
But God’s people can become affected by Babylonian influence.
That is why the heavenly voice says:
REVELATION 18:4
“Come out of her, my people…”
God’s people are not Babylon.
But His people must be delivered from Babylon’s influence.
THE WOMAN MUST STOP DRINKING FROM BABYLON’S CUP
This is part of bridal preparation.
The Bride cannot be made ready while continuing to drink mixture.
She cannot come into the pure mind of Christ while remaining intoxicated by the old Adamic interpretation.
She cannot receive the pure river while clinging to Babylon’s wine.
The judgment therefore must reach both:
THE CUP.
And:
THE RIVER SUPPLYING THE SYSTEM.
EMPTYING THE CUP IS NOT ENOUGH IF THE RIVER KEEPS FLOWING
Suppose one cup is emptied.
If the river remains, another cup can be filled.
Correct one doctrine, and another expression of the same carnal mind may appear.
Leave one system, and another system may reproduce the same Babylonian structure.
Reject one tradition, and another tradition may take its place.
God therefore goes deeper.
He does not merely empty cups.
GOD DRIES THE RIVER
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up…”
This is judgment at the source of supply.
God is not merely dealing with individual manifestations of Babylonian mixture.
He is confronting the flow that sustains the whole order.
That is why the sixth vial is so powerful.
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST SOBERS THE PEOPLE
When truth comes, intoxication begins to break.
People begin asking questions they were once afraid to ask.
Where is that in Scripture?
Does this reveal the nature of Christ?
Did Jesus teach this?
Does this agree with the finished work?
Does this belong to the old Adam or the new creation?
Does this minister death or life?
Does this produce fear or sonship?
Does this reveal Babylon or the Kingdom?
Revelation produces sobriety.
WHEN CHRIST IS CLEARLY SEEN, THE CUP LOSES ITS APPEAL
A person may drink muddy water when he has never seen pure water.
But once he sees the river:
“clear as crystal”
the difference becomes obvious.
That is why the answer to Babylon is not merely exposing Babylon.
The answer is revealing Christ.
The clearer Christ becomes, the more obvious mixture becomes.
THE PURE RIVER EXPOSES THE MIXED CUP
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
Notice again:
PURE.
Babylon is mixture.
The river of life is pure.
Babylon intoxicates.
The river gives life.
Babylon’s influence operates through the Adamic world.
The river of life proceeds from the throne.
The difference is the source.
THE THRONE MINISTRY CARRIES THE PURE FLOW
This is why the manifested sons had to come forth first.
God has dealt with the cup within them.
God has dealt with the mixture.
God has dealt with the old Adamic consciousness.
God has established the mind of Christ.
God has brought them into the throne.
Now the river flowing from that throne can become ministry through them.
OUT OF HIS BELLY SHALL FLOW RIVERS OF LIVING WATER
JOHN 7:38
“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
Here again is the flow.
Babylon has a river.
But God has a river.
Babylon has a cup.
But God has vessels.
The question is:
WHAT IS FLOWING THROUGH THE VESSEL?
THE BOWL OF THE SIXTH ANGEL AND THE RIVER FROM THE BELLY REVEAL A COMMON PRINCIPLE
The symbols are different, but the principle is powerful.
The bowl contains something that is poured out.
The believer contains something that flows out.
Something has been worked inwardly.
Then it becomes outward ministry.
The manifested sons have received the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Now that revelation flows.
Now the bowl pours.
Now the river of life ministers.
TWO FLOWS MEET AT THE EUPHRATES
This is where the sixth vial becomes extraordinary.
The throne ministry carries one flow.
Babylon is sustained by another.
The sixth angel pours his vial:
UPON THE GREAT RIVER EUPHRATES.
One revelation confronts another order.
One word confronts another word.
One source confronts another source.
One river confronts another river.
One consciousness confronts another consciousness.
Christ confronts Adam.
The throne confronts Babylon.
Life confronts death.
Truth confronts mixture.
WHEN TRUTH WALKS INTO THE ROOM, THE OLD RIVER DRIES UP
This is the simplicity and power of the judgment.
Truth does not need permission from the lie.
Light does not negotiate with darkness.
Life does not ask death whether it may appear.
When Jesus Christ is revealed, the false thing is exposed by the presence of the true.
The woman begins seeing what she has been drinking.
And once she sees it, Babylon’s cup can no longer hold the same power over her.
THE WOMAN IS NOT LEFT THIRSTY
God does not take Babylon’s cup away and leave His people with nothing.
He gives them living water.
JOHN 4:14
“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst…”
There is the answer.
Not another Babylonian cup.
CHRIST.
Not another human system.
LIVING WATER.
Not another mixture.
THE PURE RIVER OF LIFE.
GOD IS CHANGING WHAT HIS PEOPLE DRINK
The transition is enormous.
From the wine of Babylon:
TO THE WATER OF LIFE.
From intoxication:
TO CLEAR VISION.
From mixture:
TO PURITY.
From the old Adamic mind:
TO THE MIND OF CHRIST.
From human tradition:
TO THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.
From Babylon’s supply:
TO THE THRONE’S SUPPLY.
THE CUP AND THE RIVER REVEAL THE SAME BABYLONIAN FLOW FROM TWO DIRECTIONS
The cup shows us what the people consume.
The river shows us what supplies the system.
The cup shows the personal effect.
The river shows the continuing source.
The cup intoxicates.
The river sustains.
SAME FLOW—DIFFERENT IMAGERY.
And this explains why the sixth angel must go beyond the cup.
The river itself must be judged.
THE SIXTH VIAL STRIKES BABYLON AT THE LEVEL OF SUPPLY
God is preparing His woman.
He is not merely treating symptoms.
He is dealing with the source.
The revelation of Jesus Christ is being poured upon the flow that has carried Babylonian thinking through peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
The old supply begins to fail.
The cup cannot continue being filled from a river that is drying.
The system cannot continue feeding the woman when the woman has begun drinking from the throne.
THE GOLDEN CUP IS LOSING ITS POWER BECAUSE THE PURE RIVER IS FLOWING
This is the judgment of the sixth angel.
The throne ministry carries a revelation Babylon cannot survive unchanged.
Christ is being unveiled.
The woman is being sobered.
The mixture is being exposed.
The false supply is being judged.
The river is drying.
And as the waters disappear, something that was hidden beneath them begins to emerge:
A WAY.
The cup explains what Babylon has been feeding the people.
The Euphrates explains what has been sustaining that supply.
And now the sixth angel strikes the river itself.
Because God is not merely taking Babylon’s cup out of the woman’s hand.
HE IS DRYING UP THE RIVER THAT KEPT THE CUP FULL.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE GREAT RIVER EUPHRATES IS THE FLOW THAT SUSTAINS BABYLON
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
We have followed the river from Genesis.
We have seen the Euphrates associated with Eden.
We have seen it mark a boundary of inheritance.
We have followed the prophets as they used waters and rivers to reveal peoples, nations, kingdoms, and powers.
We have heard the angel in Revelation interpret the waters as:
PEOPLES.
MULTITUDES.
NATIONS.
TONGUES.
We have seen Mystery Babylon sitting upon those waters.
We have seen the golden cup in her hand.
And we have established an important principle:
The cup and the river are two different images revealing the same Babylonian flow from two different perspectives.
The cup reveals what Babylon gives the people to drink.
The river reveals the continuing supply sustaining Babylon’s order.
Now we are ready to look directly at the great river itself.
BABYLON CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT A SUPPLY
Every system must be sustained by something.
A natural city requires food.
It requires water.
It requires commerce.
It requires people.
It requires resources.
A spiritual system also requires supply.
It requires people to believe it.
It requires minds to receive it.
It requires generations to repeat it.
It requires teachers to teach it.
It requires institutions to preserve it.
It requires people to continue drinking from its cup.
Remove the supply, and the system begins to weaken.
That is precisely where the sixth angel strikes.
THE SIXTH ANGEL DOES NOT BEGIN WITH THE CITY—HE STRIKES THE RIVER
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates…”
Notice where the judgment is directed.
UPON THE RIVER.
This is extremely important.
God is going after what sustains the system.
He is dealing with the flow.
He is dealing with the supply.
He is dealing with the source through which Babylonian consciousness continues to move through the Adamic world.
THE RIVER IS THE LIFE-SUPPLY OF THE BABYLONIAN ORDER
Historically, Babylon’s relationship with the Euphrates gives us the natural picture.
The city depended upon the river.
The river moved through Babylon.
It supplied water.
It supported agriculture.
It supported commerce.
It contributed to the life and strength of the city.
Without its river, Babylon’s relationship to its environment was fundamentally changed.
Revelation takes that natural imagery and uses it within a spiritual unveiling.
Babylon has a spiritual supply.
There is a flow sustaining her.
REVELATION SHOWS US THE HUMAN REALM THROUGH WHICH THAT FLOW OPERATES
REVELATION 17:15
“The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
Babylon sits upon humanity.
Her influence operates through the Adamic world.
Her power is carried through people.
Her teachings are carried through people.
Her traditions are carried through people.
Her systems are maintained through people.
Her values are transmitted through people.
Therefore, when God deals with Babylon’s river, He is dealing with a flow that has moved through human consciousness.
THE OLD ADAMIC MIND IS THE CHANNEL THROUGH WHICH BABYLON’S RIVER FLOWS
1 CORINTHIANS 2:14
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him…”
The natural man cannot understand spiritual reality through natural reasoning.
Yet religion repeatedly attempts to interpret God through the natural mind.
That is where mixture comes from.
God speaks spiritually.
The natural man interprets carnally.
God reveals heavenly reality.
The natural mind reduces it to earthly concepts.
God reveals life.
The carnal mind interprets through death.
God reveals sonship.
Religion interprets through servanthood.
God reveals a Kingdom within.
The natural mind searches only for an external kingdom.
The river of Babylon flows through this old Adamic consciousness.
BABYLON TAKES THE THINGS OF GOD AND MIXES THEM WITH THE MIND OF MAN
That is why Babylon is called:
MYSTERY.
She is religious.
She uses spiritual language.
She carries a golden cup.
She speaks about God.
She can quote Scripture.
But mixture has entered the flow.
Truth is mixed with tradition.
Spirit is mixed with flesh.
Revelation is mixed with human reasoning.
Christ is mixed with Adam.
Kingdom is mixed with worldly government.
Life is mixed with death.
The cup is golden, but the contents reveal the problem.
THE RIVER HAS BEEN FLOWING FOR GENERATIONS
Babylonian mixture did not begin yesterday.
The river has moved through generations.
A teaching begins.
Another generation receives it.
The next generation assumes it must be true because their fathers believed it.
Institutions form around it.
Schools teach it.
Books defend it.
Pulpits repeat it.
People stop asking where it came from.
Eventually tradition becomes stronger in their consciousness than revelation.
The river continues flowing.
TRADITION CAN BECOME A RIVER
MARK 7:7–8
“Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men…”
Jesus confronted a religious flow that had been handed down through men.
It was not merely one person’s mistake.
It had become tradition.
It had become accepted.
It had become established.
And eventually the tradition of men could stand in the place that belonged to the Word of God.
That is Babylonian principle.
JESUS DID NOT FEAR THE RIVER OF TRADITION
He confronted it with truth.
He exposed the source.
He revealed the Father.
He spoke life.
And when the revelation of God appeared in Him, traditions that had stood for generations came under judgment.
This is exactly the principle we see in the sixth vial.
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST STRIKES THE RIVER AT ITS SOURCE
The sixth angel is carrying the revelation of Jesus Christ.
When that revelation is poured upon the river, people begin seeing where the old flow came from.
They begin distinguishing:
CHRIST FROM TRADITION.
SPIRIT FROM FLESH.
LIFE FROM DEATH.
SONSHIP FROM RELIGIOUS BONDAGE.
THE KINGDOM FROM BABYLON.
THE NEW CREATION FROM THE OLD ADAM.
The river begins losing its authority.
A FALSE SYSTEM IS STRONGEST WHILE ITS SOURCE REMAINS HIDDEN
As long as people believe Babylon’s river came from God, they will continue drinking.
As long as tradition is called revelation, it will continue controlling people.
As long as death is preached as God’s final purpose, people will continue expecting death.
As long as religious bondage is called obedience, people will remain captive.
But revelation exposes the source.
Once the source is exposed, the river can no longer flow unnoticed.
THE WOMAN BEGINS TO ASK WHERE HER WATER CAME FROM
This is part of her preparation.
She begins examining what she has received.
Where did this doctrine come from?
Where did this tradition come from?
Where did this understanding of God come from?
Did it come from Christ?
Did it come from the apostles?
Did it come from the Spirit?
Did it come from the throne?
Or did it flow through centuries of Adamic reasoning and religious mixture?
These questions are part of judgment.
JUDGMENT SEPARATES THE PRECIOUS FROM THE VILE
JEREMIAH 15:19
“…if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth…”
Notice the principle.
There is something precious.
There is something vile.
And they must be separated.
That is what revelation does within mixture.
God does not discard the precious because something vile became mixed with it.
He separates.
He purifies.
He restores.
This is exactly what He is doing within the woman.
GOD IS NOT THROWING AWAY EVERYTHING THE CHURCH HAS RECEIVED
This is important.
There is genuine truth within the church.
There is genuine experience with God.
There is genuine faith.
There is genuine love for Christ.
There is genuine work of the Holy Spirit.
The woman brought forth the man-child.
Something real is there.
But the presence of something genuine does not mean mixture is impossible.
Gold can be mixed with other substances.
The refiner does not throw away the gold.
He removes what does not belong.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS A REFINING JUDGMENT UPON THE SUPPLY
God is separating the pure from the mixed.
He is identifying the river.
He is exposing the source.
He is showing His people what came from Him and what came through Adamic reasoning.
And the more clearly Christ is revealed, the easier the distinction becomes.
CHRIST HIMSELF BECOMES THE MEASURING LINE
We do not measure truth merely by denominational history.
We do not measure truth merely by popularity.
We do not measure truth merely by how many people believe something.
We measure everything by Christ.
Does it reveal Him?
Does it correspond to His nature?
Does it agree with His finished work?
Does it minister His life?
Does it bring people into the liberty of sonship?
Does it reveal the Father?
The revelation of Jesus Christ becomes the judgment.
THE RIVER DRIES WHEN THE PEOPLE STOP DRAWING FROM IT
Think about this spiritually.
Babylon’s river has power because people continue receiving from it.
What happens when revelation causes the people to stop drinking?
The river loses influence.
What happens when a generation stops repeating a false tradition?
The tradition begins dying.
What happens when the woman refuses the cup?
Babylon loses power over the woman.
The drying of the river therefore speaks of the collapse of Babylon’s ability to sustain its old influence.
GOD DOES NOT HAVE TO DESTROY THE PEOPLE TO DRY THE RIVER
This is crucial.
The waters are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
But the judgment does not require the destruction of humanity.
It requires the end of the Babylonian flow through humanity.
God is not trying to eliminate the vessel.
He is changing what flows through the vessel.
THE SAME PEOPLE WHO CARRIED THE OLD FLOW CAN CARRY THE NEW FLOW
This is redemption.
A mouth that once spoke tradition can speak revelation.
A mind once governed by Adam can receive the mind of Christ.
A person once controlled by fear can minister faith.
A church once governed by death-consciousness can proclaim resurrection life.
A people once drinking from Babylon can become vessels of living water.
God transforms the channel.
OUT OF HIS BELLY SHALL FLOW RIVERS OF LIVING WATER
JOHN 7:38
“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
Here is God’s answer.
He does not merely stop the wrong flow.
He establishes the right flow.
The same human vessel that once received something from outside becomes a vessel from which the Spirit flows from within.
That is the transition from Babylonian dependency to Kingdom life.
BABYLON SAYS, “DRINK FROM MY CUP”
But Christ says:
JOHN 7:37
“If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”
There are two invitations.
Babylon offers a cup.
Christ offers Himself.
Babylon intoxicates.
Christ gives living water.
Babylon creates dependency upon a system.
Christ becomes life within His people.
THE THRONE DOES NOT CREATE DEPENDENT CAPTIVES—IT CREATES LIVING VESSELS
This is the difference between Babylonian ministry and Melchizedek ministry.
Babylon needs people continually dependent upon Babylon.
The Kingdom matures people until the life of God flows through them.
Babylon says:
“You need the system.”
Christ says:
“Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
The purpose of true ministry is maturity.
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD MINISTERS LIFE UNTIL THE WOMAN CAN STAND IN LIFE
The sons are not replacing one religious dependency with another.
They are not calling the woman out of Babylon so she can become dependent upon them.
They minister Christ.
They reveal the Lamb.
They minister the river of life.
They prepare the woman.
Their goal is not ownership.
Their goal is presentation.
2 CORINTHIANS 11:2
“…that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
The woman belongs to Christ.
THE SIXTH ANGEL IS DEALING WITH WHAT HAS KEPT THE WOMAN DEPENDENT
This is why the river must dry.
As long as Babylon supplies her understanding, Babylon retains influence.
As long as Adam interprets spiritual reality for her, she remains limited by Adam.
As long as tradition defines the boundaries of her inheritance, she remains in the wilderness.
But revelation changes the source.
The throne ministry brings another word.
Another life.
Another river.
THE RIVER OF LIFE IS NOT MIXED WITH THE RIVER OF BABYLON
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal…”
God does not clean up the Euphrates and call it the river of life.
He reveals another river from another source.
That distinction is essential.
The answer to Babylon is not improved Babylon.
The answer to the old Adam is not a religious old Adam.
The answer is:
CHRIST.
NEW CREATION.
RESURRECTION LIFE.
THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB.
TWO SOURCES CANNOT REMAIN LORD OVER THE SAME CONSCIOUSNESS
Eventually a separation must occur.
We cannot continue drawing our identity from Adam while claiming Christ as our life.
We cannot continue drinking Babylonian mixture while asking for the pure river.
We cannot allow tradition to govern us while saying revelation governs us.
We cannot remain bound to death while proclaiming resurrection.
The judgment forces the issue.
THE SIXTH VIAL EXPOSES WHICH RIVER HAS BEEN FEEDING US
That is why this judgment is so powerful.
It reaches underneath the visible structures.
It goes below the denomination.
Below the organization.
Below the tradition.
Below the doctrine.
Below the language.
It asks:
WHAT IS THE SOURCE?
Where did this come from?
What life does it carry?
What mind produced it?
What kingdom does it sustain?
What city does it feed?
IF THE RIVER FEEDS BABYLON, THE RIVER MUST DRY
God is preparing a Bride.
Therefore, He cannot leave the source of mixture flowing indefinitely.
The woman must be brought into purity.
The old flow must lose its influence.
The golden cup must lose its power.
The people must awaken.
The captives must come out.
The Bride must be made ready.
WHEN THE RIVER DRIES, BABYLON’S LIFE-SUPPORT IS CUT OFF
That is the force of the image.
The system loses what sustained it.
The old teachings lose their authority.
The traditions lose their unquestioned position.
The carnal mind loses its right to interpret the things of God.
The old Adam loses his throne in the consciousness of God’s people.
Something is dying.
But something else is arising.
THE DRYING OF THE EUPHRATES IS NOT THE END—IT PREPARES A WAY
REVELATION 16:12
“…and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
There it is again.
God is not merely shutting something down.
HE IS PREPARING SOMETHING.
The old flow must disappear because a new manifestation is coming through.
The boundary must lose its power because kings are approaching.
The river must dry because resurrection life is arising from the east.
THE FALL OF ONE SUPPLY PREPARES THE MANIFESTATION OF ANOTHER
This is the transition we are witnessing.
Babylon’s river dries.
The throne’s river flows.
The old Adam loses dominion.
The new creation appears.
Mixture is judged.
Purity emerges.
The woman is liberated.
The Bride is prepared.
And the king-priest order becomes increasingly visible.
GOD IS CUTTING BABYLON OFF FROM ITS SOURCE OF LIFE
Babylon appeared powerful because the river continued flowing.
Generation after generation fed the system.
People believed.
People repeated.
People defended.
People drank.
But the sixth angel brings something Babylon cannot survive:
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.
Truth exposes the source.
Light reveals the mixture.
Life exposes death.
The mind of Christ judges the carnal mind.
And when the woman begins seeing clearly:
THE RIVER LOSES ITS POWER TO SUSTAIN HER CAPTIVITY.
THE GREAT RIVER EUPHRATES HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED
It is the great sustaining flow of the Babylonian order through the Adamic realm.
It is the current of human consciousness, tradition, religious mixture, earthly wisdom, and old-creation understanding through which Babylon has fed its city and filled its cup.
But its judgment has come.
The sixth angel stands with the vial.
The throne ministry carries the revelation.
The woman is being prepared.
And when the vial is poured:
THE WATER DRIES UP.
The supply is broken.
The boundary begins disappearing.
The captivity begins losing its hold.
And where Babylon’s river once stood as an obstacle, God begins revealing something that had been hidden beneath the waters:
A WAY.
A way for kings.
A way from the east.
A way connected with the rising of the sun.
A way revealing resurrection life.
And that is where the revelation of the sixth angel takes us next.
CHAPTER TWELVE
WHEN THE TRUTH WALKS IN THE ROOM, THE EUPHRATES DRIES UP
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
We have identified the river.
We have followed its thread from Genesis into Revelation.
We have seen its connection with Babylon.
We have seen the waters interpreted as peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
We have seen the golden cup in Babylon’s hand and the river that supplies the Babylonian order.
We have seen that the problem is not God’s people.
The problem is the flow that has entered their consciousness and sustained mixture within them.
Now we come to the actual effect of the sixth vial:
THE WATER DRIES UP
This is not merely the exposure of the river.
This is the destruction of its ability to continue supplying the old order.
Something happens when the sixth angel pours out his vial.
The river that appeared permanent begins to disappear.
And the power that dries it is the revelation of Jesus Christ.
TRUTH DOES NOT HAVE TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE LIE
JOHN 8:31–32
“If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Jesus did not say the truth would merely give us more information.
He said:
THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.
Truth has liberating power.
When truth appears, the lie loses the darkness in which it operated.
When revelation appears, tradition can be examined.
When Christ appears, Adam is exposed.
When life appears, death is revealed for what it is.
The judgment of the sixth angel works through this principle.
WHEN THE TRUTH WALKS IN THE ROOM, THE RIVER DRIES UP
That statement captures the heart of the sixth vial.
The river does not dry because men become better at arguing with Babylon.
It does not dry because one denomination defeats another denomination.
It does not dry because religious men build a stronger religious system.
The river dries because Christ is revealed.
The true appears.
And when the true appears, the false can no longer hide.
LIGHT DOES NOT STRUGGLE TO REMOVE DARKNESS
JOHN 1:4–5
“In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
And the light shineth in darkness…”
Turn on the light in a dark room.
There is no battle between the light and darkness.
Darkness simply loses its place.
That is the nature of revelation.
There may have been darkness in a person’s understanding for forty years.
There may have been a tradition in a church for centuries.
There may have been a doctrine accepted by millions.
But when the Spirit unveils Christ, one moment of true seeing can destroy the authority of what was believed for generations.
REVELATION CAN DRY IN A MOMENT WHAT TRADITION FED FOR CENTURIES
This is why Babylon fears revelation.
Babylon survives through repetition.
Revelation breaks repetition.
Babylon says:
“This is what we have always believed.”
Revelation asks:
“BUT WHAT IS CHRIST?”
Babylon points backward to tradition.
Revelation points upward to the throne.
Babylon depends upon the old flow continuing.
Revelation cuts the flow off at its source.
THE SIXTH VIAL DOES NOT ADD SOMETHING TO THE EUPHRATES—IT TAKES ITS WATER AWAY
REVELATION 16:12
“…and the water thereof was dried up…”
This is significant.
The river loses the very thing that makes it a river.
Without water, the river cannot continue its former function.
The channel may still be visible.
The memory of the river may remain.
The structures built around the river may remain for a season.
But the supply is gone.
This is exactly what happens when revelation destroys the power of a religious tradition.
A SYSTEM CAN REMAIN STANDING AFTER ITS RIVER HAS ALREADY DRIED
This is important to understand.
Outward structures can continue long after the life sustaining them has disappeared.
Buildings remain.
Organizations remain.
Titles remain.
Programs remain.
Religious vocabulary remains.
People can continue performing the motions.
But something has changed.
The river is no longer flowing.
The system may still exist outwardly while losing its power over the consciousness of God’s people.
BABYLON FALLS FIRST IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF A PEOPLE
REVELATION 18:2
“Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen…”
There is a declaration before the full outward manifestation is seen.
God declares the reality from His realm.
The truth is established.
Babylon is fallen.
Then the vital outworking of that judgment continues until what God has declared becomes manifested within His people.
This is the difference between the legal declaration and the vital experience.
WHAT GOD HAS DECLARED MUST BECOME WHAT HIS PEOPLE EXPERIENCE
Christ has accomplished the finished work.
But the revelation of that finished work must become life within a people.
Babylon is fallen.
But Babylonian consciousness must fall within God’s people.
The old Adam has been judged in Christ.
But the old Adamic mind must lose its government within our consciousness.
Death has been defeated.
But the life of the risen Christ must become manifested in His body.
The sixth vial participates in this vital outworking.
THE RIVER DRIES INSIDE THE PEOPLE BEFORE BABYLON LOSES ITS HOLD OVER THE PEOPLE
This is where the judgment becomes personal.
Babylon cannot dominate a person who no longer drinks from Babylon.
A false teaching cannot control a mind that has seen the truth.
Fear cannot govern a heart that has seen the Father’s nature.
Condemnation cannot dominate a consciousness established in the finished work of Christ.
Death cannot remain the ultimate expectation of a people in whom resurrection life is arising.
The river dries within.
GOD DOES NOT HAVE TO FORCE THE WOMAN OUT WHEN SHE CAN FINALLY SEE
REVELATION 18:4
“Come out of her, my people…”
The heavenly voice calls.
But revelation gives the woman the ability to respond.
Before she could see Babylon, she might have defended Babylon.
Before she could identify the mixture, she might have called the mixture truth.
Before she saw another river, she might have thought Babylon’s water was all there was.
Then Christ is revealed.
Suddenly she sees.
And when she sees, she can come out.
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST CREATES EXODUS
This pattern runs throughout Scripture.
God reveals Himself.
Then people move.
Moses encountered God.
Then Egypt was confronted.
Israel came out.
Christ appeared.
Then men left nets, tables, traditions, and former identities to follow Him.
Revelation creates movement.
When God unveils something greater, the old realm can no longer satisfy the person who has seen.
YOU CANNOT UNSEE CHRIST AFTER CHRIST HAS BEEN REVEALED
Once the Spirit truly opens something, the old interpretation can never have quite the same authority again.
You may wrestle with the implications.
You may need time for your thinking to be renewed.
You may have relationships connected with the old order.
You may still be surrounded by structures built around the old river.
But you have seen.
And seeing changes everything.
PAUL’S WORLD DRIED UP WHEN CHRIST APPEARED
PHILIPPIANS 3:7–8
“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord…”
Paul had an entire religious world.
Training.
Identity.
Status.
Tradition.
Confidence.
Then Christ appeared.
Suddenly what once seemed like gain became loss.
What happened?
The river dried.
A greater revelation changed the value of everything connected with the former order.
CHRIST DID NOT HAVE TO ARGUE PAUL OUT OF HIS OLD WORLD ONE DOCTRINE AT A TIME
Christ appeared.
That appearing judged the whole order.
This is why the sixth vial is an appearing.
The revelation of Jesus Christ strikes the river itself.
God does not merely debate every drop of water.
He reveals the source of life.
And when the pure river is seen, the polluted river loses its attraction.
THE WOMAN IS BEING SOBERED BY REVELATION
Babylon’s wine affected perception.
Now revelation restores sight.
She begins seeing Christ without mixture.
She begins seeing the finished work.
She begins seeing sonship.
She begins seeing the Kingdom.
She begins seeing God’s eternal purpose.
She begins seeing the difference between Pentecost and Tabernacles.
She begins seeing the firstfruits.
She begins seeing the throne.
She begins seeing the Melchizedek priesthood.
She begins seeing resurrection life.
Every revelation removes another measure of Babylonian intoxication.
THE WATER DRIES AS THE MIND OF CHRIST REPLACES THE MIND OF ADAM
1 CORINTHIANS 2:16
“But we have the mind of Christ.”
This is not merely a better natural mind.
It is another mind.
The answer to Adamic thinking is not improved Adamic thinking.
It is:
THE MIND OF CHRIST.
The answer to Babylonian interpretation is not better Babylonian interpretation.
It is:
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.
The answer to the old river is:
ANOTHER RIVER.
THE THRONE’S RIVER DRIES BABYLON’S RIVER BY REPLACING ITS SUPPLY
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
The pure river changes what the woman drinks.
Once she drinks life, death no longer tastes the same.
Once she receives pure revelation, mixture becomes recognizable.
Once she experiences liberty, bondage becomes intolerable.
Once she sees the Lamb, religious substitutes lose their glory.
The old river dries because another river has become her source.
THE SIXTH ANGEL IS NOT LEAVING A DESERT—HE IS CHANGING THE SOURCE OF WATER
This must remain clear.
God’s objective is not spiritual dryness.
It is not emptiness.
It is not the removal of all ministry.
It is not the destruction of the church.
It is not the abandonment of the woman.
He removes one supply because He has another supply.
He dries the Euphrates while the river of life continues flowing from the throne.
THE JUDGMENT OF GOD IS THE MERCY OF GOD TOWARD THE CAPTIVE
If a poisoned river is killing a people, stopping that river is mercy.
If a false teaching keeps a people captive, exposing that teaching is mercy.
If a religious system hides Christ, judging that system is mercy.
If death-consciousness keeps God’s people from seeing resurrection life, confronting that consciousness is mercy.
Judgment against captivity becomes mercy toward the captive.
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD UNDERSTANDS THIS KIND OF JUDGMENT
The priesthood does not rejoice over destruction.
It rejoices over liberation.
It does not pour the vial because it hates the woman.
It pours because it loves God’s purpose for the woman.
It knows what she can become.
It knows the inheritance.
It knows the throne.
It knows the river of life.
It knows the Lamb.
And it knows Babylon’s river cannot take her where God intends to bring her.
THE SONS CARRY THE TRUTH THAT HAS ALREADY DRIED THE RIVER IN THEM
This is why their ministry has authority.
They are not teaching theory.
God has brought them out.
God has dealt with their mixture.
God has broken the old supply.
God has established another life within them.
What has become reality in them now becomes ministry through them.
THE BOWL POURS WHAT THE PRIESTHOOD CARRIES
REVELATION 16:1
“Go your ways, and pour out the vials…”
The vessel has been filled.
Now it pours.
This is not human anger being poured upon the church.
This is not frustration.
This is not accusation.
This is revelation.
This is light.
This is truth.
This is the judgment of Jesus Christ upon everything that does not correspond to His nature.
OUT OF THE BELLY FLOWS WHAT GOD HAS PUT WITHIN
JOHN 7:38
“Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
The bowl pours.
The belly flows.
Different images.
Same spiritual principle.
WHAT GOD HAS PLACED WITHIN A PEOPLE IS NOW COMING OUT OF THAT PEOPLE AS MINISTRY.
And that living flow confronts the dead flow of Babylon.
ONE RIVER DRIES WHILE ANOTHER RIVER FLOWS
This is the picture.
Babylon’s river:
DRYING.
The throne’s river:
FLOWING.
The old Adam:
LOSING GOVERNMENT.
Christ:
BEING REVEALED.
Tradition:
LOSING AUTHORITY.
Truth:
SETTING CAPTIVES FREE.
The wilderness woman:
BEING PREPARED.
The Bride:
COMING INTO VIEW.
THE DRYING OF THE RIVER REVEALS SOMETHING THAT WAS THERE ALL ALONG
When a river is full, you cannot see the ground beneath it.
The water covers the pathway.
But remove the water, and something appears.
Dry ground.
A passage.
A way.
This brings us to the stated purpose of the sixth vial.
REVELATION 16:12
“…that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
The water dries for a reason.
THE PURPOSE IS NOT THE DRY RIVERBED—THE PURPOSE IS THE PREPARED WAY
God does not celebrate emptiness.
He prepares passage.
The river was an obstruction.
Now the obstruction is removed.
The boundary stood in the way.
Now the boundary has lost its power.
Something can come through that could not come through before.
EVERY TIME GOD DRIES WATERS IN SCRIPTURE, WE SHOULD LOOK FOR WHAT IS ABOUT TO CROSS
At the Red Sea, the waters moved.
Israel crossed.
At Jordan, the waters stood back.
Israel crossed into inheritance.
At the Euphrates, the water dries.
And Revelation tells us immediately why:
THE WAY OF THE KINGS OF THE EAST IS BEING PREPARED.
The drying and the crossing belong together.
THE WOMAN’S DELIVERANCE MAKES ROOM FOR ANOTHER MANIFESTATION
As Babylonian consciousness loses its power, something begins arising within God’s people.
A new order becomes visible.
A new identity appears.
A new government emerges.
A new life manifests.
What Babylon suppressed begins to come forth.
The river had covered the way.
Now the way appears.
THE OLD FLOW HAS BEEN HIDING THE WAY OF RESURRECTION LIFE
The kings come from the east.
The east is the direction of sunrise.
The rising of the sun gives us the imagery of appearing light, a new day, and resurrection.
What comes from the east does not belong to the darkness that is passing.
It belongs to the day that is arising.
The river must dry because resurrection life is coming through.
THE TRUTH WALKS IN—THE RIVER DRIES—THE WAY APPEARS
That is the sixth vial in its simplicity.
THE TRUTH WALKS IN.
Christ is revealed.
THE RIVER DRIES.
Babylonian supply loses its power.
THE WAY APPEARS.
The obstruction is removed.
THE KINGS COME FROM THE EAST.
Resurrection government begins to manifest.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS NOT MERELY THE END OF A RIVER
It is the beginning of a passage.
The judgment does not end with what disappears.
It points us toward what appears.
The revelation of Jesus Christ has struck the old flow.
The woman is being liberated from Babylonian supply.
The old Adamic consciousness is losing its government.
The waters are receding.
And beneath the river God is revealing a way.
Now we must look at that way.
We must ask why Scripture repeatedly reveals God making dry ground through waters.
We must follow the Red Sea.
We must follow Jordan.
We must see the divine pattern of passage.
Because the sixth angel does not dry the Euphrates merely to prove that Babylon’s river can be judged.
HE DRIES THE RIVER BECAUSE GOD IS PREPARING A CROSSING.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
WHEN GOD DRIES THE WATERS, HE PREPARES A CROSSING
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
The Euphrates dries for a reason.
God does not simply remove the water because He intends to leave an empty riverbed.
The Holy Spirit tells us exactly why the water is dried:
THAT THE WAY MIGHT BE PREPARED
This changes how we understand the entire judgment.
The emphasis is not merely upon what disappears.
The emphasis is upon what the disappearance makes possible.
The river dries.
The obstruction is removed.
The boundary loses its power.
And something that could not pass before now has a prepared way.
This is not the first time Scripture reveals God dealing with waters in order to bring a people through.
There is a pattern running through the Word of God.
And that pattern helps us understand the sixth angel.
THE RED SEA REVEALS THE GOD WHO MAKES A WAY THROUGH THE WATERS
EXODUS 14:21–22
“And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground…”
Look carefully at the language.
THE WATERS MOVE.
DRY GROUND APPEARS.
THE PEOPLE PASS THROUGH.
This is not merely deliverance from Egypt.
It is passage from one realm into another.
Israel had come out geographically, but Pharaoh’s power still pursued them.
The sea stood before them.
Egypt stood behind them.
They had left the house of bondage, but the old order was still attempting to reclaim them.
Then God made a way.
GOD DID NOT REMOVE ISRAEL FROM THE PROBLEM—HE OPENED A WAY THROUGH IT
This is how God reveals His salvation.
The people saw an impossible barrier.
God saw a passage.
The people saw water.
God saw dry ground underneath the water.
The people saw the end of their journey.
God saw the beginning of another stage.
That principle speaks powerfully to Revelation 16:12.
The Euphrates appears to be a barrier.
But God knows there is a way beneath the waters.
THE WAY WAS THERE BEFORE THE PEOPLE COULD SEE IT
The dry ground did not suddenly come into existence when the waters divided.
It was hidden beneath the waters.
When God removed the water, the way became visible.
This is an important spiritual principle.
Sometimes God’s purpose is hidden beneath the very thing that appears to prevent it.
Remove the obstruction, and the way is revealed.
That is exactly what happens at the Euphrates.
The Babylonian flow has covered the way.
The old Adamic consciousness has obscured the way.
Religious mixture has hidden the way.
But when the revelation of Jesus Christ dries the river:
THE WAY APPEARS
THE RED SEA WAS A JUDGMENT UPON THE OLD MASTER
EXODUS 14:27–28
“And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength…
And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh…”
The same event accomplished two things.
It delivered Israel.
And it judged the power that had enslaved Israel.
That is extremely important.
JUDGMENT AND DELIVERANCE OCCURRED TOGETHER.
To Pharaoh, the waters became judgment.
To Israel, the opened waters became salvation.
The same divine action dealt differently with the captive and the captivity.
THIS IS THE PRIESTLY NATURE OF GOD’S JUDGMENT
God knows the difference between His people and what holds His people.
He can judge the captor while liberating the captive.
He can destroy the bondage without destroying the person who was bound.
He can judge Babylon while calling:
“Come out of her, my people.”
He can dry the Euphrates while giving His people another river.
The judgment is directed toward what stands against His purpose.
THE SIXTH VIAL FOLLOWS THE SAME PATTERN
The Babylonian river has sustained captivity.
The woman has been affected by its flow.
The revelation of Jesus Christ is poured upon the river.
The water dries.
The old supply loses its power.
And a way appears.
The judgment upon the river becomes deliverance for the people who were held by its influence.
GOD’S JUDGMENTS CREATE EXODUS
Egypt was judged.
Israel came out.
Babylon is judged.
God says:
COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE.
The Euphrates is judged.
A way is prepared.
This is not accidental.
God’s judgments repeatedly produce separation between His people and the order that has held them.
JORDAN REVEALS ANOTHER CROSSING
The Red Sea was a crossing out of bondage.
Jordan was a crossing into inheritance.
That distinction is powerful.
JOSHUA 3:14–17
“And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan…
That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap…
And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan… and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground…”
Again we see:
WATER.
DRY GROUND.
PRIESTHOOD.
PASSAGE.
But this time the people are not merely escaping slavery.
They are entering possession.
THE RED SEA BRINGS YOU OUT—JORDAN BRINGS YOU IN
There are two sides to deliverance.
God brings us out of something.
Then He brings us into something.
It is not enough to come out of Babylon.
We must come into the reality of Christ.
It is not enough to reject the old Adam.
We must walk in the new creation.
It is not enough to expose death.
We must enter resurrection life.
It is not enough to leave religious mixture.
We must drink from the pure river.
GOD’S PURPOSE IS NEVER MERELY EXIT—IT IS INHERITANCE
Israel did not leave Egypt so they could wander forever.
They were brought out because God had somewhere to bring them.
The wilderness was part of the journey.
But the wilderness was not the inheritance.
That speaks directly to the woman of Revelation 12.
She has a place prepared by God in the wilderness.
But God’s eternal purpose is greater than wilderness preservation.
There is preparation.
There is maturity.
There is bridal readiness.
There is fullness.
THE WOMAN CANNOT BUILD HER PERMANENT HOME IN THE WILDERNESS
The wilderness can be divinely prepared without being the final destination.
God can feed you in a place He never intended you to remain forever.
Israel received manna in the wilderness.
That did not make the wilderness Canaan.
God preserved them there.
But inheritance remained ahead.
Likewise, God can preserve the woman in her wilderness measure while continuing to bring her toward fullness.
JORDAN OPENS WHEN THE PRIESTHOOD STEPS INTO THE WATER
JOSHUA 3:13
“And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD… shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off…”
Look at the relationship.
PRIESTHOOD.
WATER.
WATERS CUT OFF.
A PEOPLE CROSSING.
This pattern becomes especially powerful in light of the Melchizedek ministry we have already established.
The priesthood is involved in the crossing.
The priesthood stands in the place where the obstruction is being removed.
And the people pass through.
THE PRIESTHOOD DOES NOT CROSS ALONE
This is crucial.
The priests enter the river first.
But they do not say:
“We made it. Let everybody else stay behind.”
They stand.
They bear the ark.
They hold the place of passage.
And:
JOSHUA 3:17
“…all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.”
That is priesthood.
THE FIRSTFRUITS COME FIRST SO OTHERS CAN FOLLOW
This is exactly the principle we have been developing.
The man-child comes forth first.
The manifested sons enter the throne first.
The Melchizedek order comes into maturity first.
But first does not mean alone.
First means:
THERE IS A HARVEST FOLLOWING.
The sons do not leave the woman behind.
They minister from the realm into which God has brought them.
THE PRIESTHOOD STANDS UNTIL THE PEOPLE CROSS
That is a powerful picture for the ministry proceeding from the throne.
The purpose is not to demonstrate spiritual superiority.
The purpose is to open a way for others.
The sons have experienced something first.
Now their ministry becomes a bridge into that reality for the woman.
They carry the revelation.
They pour the vial.
They minister the river of life.
They stand in the truth until the old waters lose their power.
THE ARK STOOD IN THE MIDDLE OF JORDAN
The priests were carrying the ark of the covenant.
The presence and testimony of God stood in the place of passage.
That tells us something.
The way is not opened by human intelligence.
It is not opened by religious ambition.
It is not opened by a new organization.
God Himself opens the way.
Christ is the way.
JESUS CHRIST IS THE WAY
JOHN 14:6
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life…”
Look at those three words:
THE WAY.
THE TRUTH.
THE LIFE.
We have been speaking about all three.
The truth dries the river.
The life flows from the throne.
And the way appears.
But these are not merely principles.
They are found in a Person.
JESUS CHRIST.
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST PREPARES THE WAY BECAUSE JESUS CHRIST IS THE WAY
This brings the entire sixth vial back to the central subject of Revelation.
The book is:
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.
The bowl carries that revelation.
The revelation judges the false flow.
The truth exposes Babylon.
The river dries.
And Christ becomes visible as the way forward.
BABYLON HAS BEEN STANDING WHERE CHRIST ALONE SHOULD STAND
Every religious system becomes Babylonian to the degree that it substitutes itself for Christ.
When the institution becomes the way, mixture has entered.
When the denomination becomes the way, mixture has entered.
When the preacher becomes the way, mixture has entered.
When doctrine separated from the life of Christ becomes the way, mixture has entered.
Jesus did not say:
“I will show you a religious system that is the way.”
He said:
“I AM THE WAY.”
THE SIXTH VIAL REMOVES WHAT HAS HIDDEN THE WAY
The river has covered the pathway.
Babylonian mixture has hidden Christ beneath systems.
The old Adamic mind has hidden spiritual reality beneath carnal interpretation.
Tradition has hidden the simplicity of Christ beneath generations of religious thought.
But the water is drying.
And as the water disappears:
THE WAY BECOMES VISIBLE.
THE RED SEA REVEALED A WAY OUT
JORDAN REVEALED A WAY IN
THE EUPHRATES REVEALS A WAY FOR KINGS
This is the progression.
At the Red Sea:
SLAVES COME OUT.
At Jordan:
A PEOPLE ENTER INHERITANCE.
At the Euphrates:
KINGS HAVE A WAY PREPARED.
The imagery has matured.
We are no longer looking merely at escape.
We are looking at government.
We are looking at kingship.
We are looking at the manifestation of a ruling life.
THESE KINGS DO NOT COME FROM BABYLON
They come:
REVELATION 16:12
“…from the east.”
The King James Version says:
“the kings of the east.”
The underlying image is the direction of the rising sun.
That matters.
These kings are associated not with Babylon’s darkness but with an appearing day.
They are connected with light arising.
They are connected with resurrection imagery.
THE EAST SPEAKS OF THE RISING OF THE SUN
Every natural morning gives us a witness.
Darkness covers the earth.
Then light appears in the east.
The sun rises.
The night cannot stop it.
The darkness cannot negotiate with it.
A new day begins.
This is the imagery surrounding the kings.
RESURRECTION IS GOD’S GREAT NEW DAY
MALACHI 4:2
“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings…”
Christ is the Sun of righteousness.
His appearing brings a new day.
Resurrection is the declaration that the night of death cannot hold the Son.
The stone cannot hold Him.
The grave cannot hold Him.
Death cannot hold Him.
The Sun rises.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST ARE CONNECTED WITH AN ARISING LIFE
The river is drying.
The way is opening.
Kings are appearing from the direction of sunrise.
This is not the imagery of a dying order.
It is the imagery of an arising order.
Babylon is losing its supply.
But the Kingdom is arising.
The old Adam is losing his government.
But the new creation is arising.
Death is losing its claim.
But resurrection life is arising.
THE WAY IS BEING PREPARED FOR RESURRECTION GOVERNMENT
This is where the sixth vial takes us.
The river does not dry merely so people can stand and admire an empty riverbed.
The way is prepared for kings.
Government is coming through.
And because these kings are connected with the rising of the sun, their government is connected with resurrection life.
This is not government according to Adam.
It is government according to life.
MELCHIZEDEK APPEARS AGAIN IN THE PICTURE
We have already seen:
REVELATION 5:10
“And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
Kings.
Priests.
Government.
Ministry.
This is the order we have been following.
The throne has produced a king-priest company.
Now the Euphrates dries and a way is prepared for kings.
The imagery belongs together.
THE KINGS DO NOT COME THROUGH TO ENSLAVE THE WOMAN
They come in the nature of the Lamb.
Their kingship is priestly.
Their authority ministers life.
Their government liberates.
Their revelation sets captives free.
They do not replace Babylon with another Babylon.
They manifest another order entirely.
THE WAY OPENS BECAUSE THE BRIDE MUST BE PREPARED
Everything still points toward God’s purpose for the woman.
The river dries so Babylon loses its supply.
The way opens so resurrection life can manifest.
The king-priest ministry comes forth.
The woman receives the pure flow.
Mixture is removed.
The old consciousness loses its power.
The Bride is made ready.
GOD IS MAKING A WAY THROUGH WHAT ONCE LOOKED IMPASSABLE
That is the testimony running through Scripture.
At the Red Sea, there was a way.
At Jordan, there was a way.
At the Euphrates, there is a way.
When God’s purpose requires passage, no water can remain an eternal obstruction.
THE WATER IS NOT THE FINAL REALITY—THE PURPOSE OF GOD IS
This is why the sixth vial is filled with hope.
Yes, it is judgment.
Yes, a river is drying.
Yes, Babylon’s supply is being cut off.
But beneath the judgment is purpose.
GOD IS MAKING A WAY.
The firstfruits have come forth.
The priesthood stands in the river.
The revelation of Jesus Christ is being poured.
The old flow is losing its power.
And the woman is being prepared to move beyond the boundary that once held her.
THE WATERS DRY BECAUSE SOMETHING IS ABOUT TO CROSS
That is the pattern.
The Red Sea dried, and Israel crossed out of bondage.
Jordan dried, and Israel crossed into inheritance.
The Euphrates dries, and the way of the kings of the east is prepared.
Now the riverbed is open.
The way is visible.
And our attention turns from what has dried up to who is coming through.
THE KINGS ARE COMING FROM THE RISING OF THE SUN
And to understand them, we must understand the east.
We must understand the sunrise.
We must understand resurrection.
We must understand why Scripture joins kingship with priesthood.
And we must understand why the manifestation arising through the prepared way is not another Adamic government.
IT IS THE GOVERNMENT OF RESURRECTION LIFE.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE EAST REVEALS THE ARISING OF RESURRECTION LIFE
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
The river has dried.
The old Babylonian supply is losing its power.
The obstruction has been removed.
The way has been prepared.
Now the Holy Spirit directs our attention to those for whom the way is being prepared:
THE KINGS OF THE EAST
If we are going to understand these kings, we must understand the imagery of the east.
The east is the realm of the rising sun.
It speaks of the breaking of a new day.
It speaks of light overcoming darkness.
And within the revelation we are following, it points us toward the arising of resurrection life.
This is not merely about where the kings come from geographically.
It reveals the nature of the life in which they appear.
THE SUN RISES IN THE EAST
Every morning creation preaches the same message.
Night covers the earth.
Darkness appears to rule.
Then something happens.
Light begins appearing in the east.
The sun rises.
The darkness retreats.
A new day begins.
Darkness does not vote on whether the sun may rise.
Night does not have authority to prevent morning.
When the appointed hour arrives:
THE SUN COMES UP
That natural witness gives us a tremendous picture of resurrection.
JESUS CHRIST IS THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
MALACHI 4:2
“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings…”
Notice the language:
ARISE.
The Sun of righteousness arises.
Christ is not merely light.
He is arising light.
He is the dawning of God’s new day.
He is the end of the night of the old creation and the beginning of the day of the new creation.
RESURRECTION IS THE ARISING OF GOD’S NEW DAY
Jesus went into death.
The stone was rolled before the tomb.
To the natural eye, darkness had won.
Death appeared victorious.
The grave appeared final.
But death could not hold Him.
ACTS 2:24
“Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.”
That is resurrection.
Death could not hold the Son.
The grave could not retain Him.
The darkness could not prevent the morning.
The Sun arose.
THE EAST THEREFORE SPEAKS TO US OF AN ARISING LIFE
When Revelation speaks of the kings associated with the east, we are looking at kings connected with an arising order.
They are not coming from the darkness of Babylon.
They are not coming in the life of the old Adam.
They are associated with the sunrise.
Their appearing belongs to the new day.
Their government belongs to resurrection life.
THESE ARE KINGS WHO HAVE COME THROUGH DEATH INTO LIFE
True Kingdom authority does not arise from Adamic ambition.
It does not arise because somebody wants a title.
It does not arise because somebody wants to rule other people.
Kingdom authority comes through death and resurrection.
The cross deals with the old man.
Resurrection brings forth the new.
That is why the kings of the east cannot be understood merely as natural rulers seeking natural power.
The imagery points us toward another order of government.
THE KINGDOM IS GOVERNED BY THE LIFE OF THE RISEN CHRIST
ROMANS 6:9
“Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.”
There is the nature of resurrection life.
DEATH HATH NO MORE DOMINION.
That is the life of the new creation.
It is not merely life after physical death.
It is life over which death has lost dominion.
And this is the life connected with the kings arising from the east.
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD IS MADE AFTER THE POWER OF ENDLESS LIFE
HEBREWS 7:15–16
“And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.”
Notice the language again:
“THERE ARISETH ANOTHER PRIEST.”
And what characterizes this priest?
THE POWER OF AN ENDLESS LIFE
Now the imagery begins joining together.
The kings come from the rising of the sun.
Melchizedek priesthood operates in the power of endless life.
The manifested sons have been caught up to the throne.
And Revelation identifies God’s redeemed order as:
KINGS AND PRIESTS.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST BELONG TO A KING-PRIEST ORDER
REVELATION 5:9–10
“…thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
There are the two dimensions.
KINGS.
PRIESTS.
Kings reveal government.
Priests reveal ministry.
The order coming forth from the throne carries both.
It governs.
And it ministers.
It possesses authority.
And it serves God’s purpose in others.
MELCHIZEDEK WAS BOTH KING AND PRIEST
GENESIS 14:18
“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.”
There it is in one man.
KING.
PRIEST.
He carries government and priesthood together.
And what does he bring forth?
BREAD AND WINE.
His kingship does not appear as domination.
His priesthood ministers supply.
This is extremely important for understanding the kings of the east.
THESE KINGS DO NOT COME TO BUILD ANOTHER BABYLON
Babylon governs by control.
The Kingdom governs by life.
Babylon exalts men.
The Kingdom reveals Christ.
Babylon creates dependence upon systems.
The Melchizedek ministry supplies bread and wine.
Babylon keeps the people beneath an order.
The Kingdom matures the people into the life of Christ.
The kings of the east therefore cannot be interpreted through Adamic ideas of kingship.
JESUS REDEFINED GREATNESS
MARK 10:42–45
“Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them…
But so shall it not be among you…
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister…”
Jesus makes the distinction.
Gentile government exercises lordship.
Kingdom government ministers.
Therefore, when kings appear in God’s order, their authority carries the nature of the Lamb.
THE LAMB IS IN THE THRONE
REVELATION 5:6
“And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne… stood a Lamb as it had been slain…”
This tells us everything about the nature of throne government.
Who stands in the throne?
THE LAMB.
Therefore, anyone truly governing from that throne must carry the nature of the Lamb.
The throne does not transform the Lamb into a tyrant.
The Lamb defines the throne.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST CARRY LAMB GOVERNMENT
They do not conquer God’s people through domination.
They overcome through life.
They do not enslave the woman.
They prepare her.
They do not replace Babylon’s control with their own control.
They minister Christ until she can stand in Christ.
They do not demand that she drink from their personal cup.
They point her to the river proceeding from the throne.
THEIR AUTHORITY COMES FROM WHAT GOD HAS WORKED IN THEM
The manifested sons have passed through judgment first.
God has dealt with Adam in them.
God has dealt with Babylonian mixture in them.
God has dealt with ambition.
God has dealt with religious identity.
God has dealt with death-consciousness.
They have been brought into the throne.
Therefore, they do not minister merely what they know.
They minister what they are becoming in Christ.
RESURRECTION LIFE IS NOT MERELY A DOCTRINE TO THEM
It is their realm.
This is the difference between teaching resurrection as theology and manifesting resurrection as life.
A person can believe Jesus rose from the dead and still live entirely governed by the consciousness of death.
But the kings of the east represent something further.
They reveal a government arising from resurrection consciousness.
THE EAST ANNOUNCES THAT NIGHT IS ENDING
Babylon belongs to the night.
Confusion belongs to the night.
Mixture belongs to the night.
Death-consciousness belongs to the night.
The old Adam belongs to the night.
But when the sun begins rising, the nature of the hour changes.
ROMANS 13:12
“The night is far spent, the day is at hand…”
There is a transition.
Night is passing.
Day is appearing.
THE KINGS APPEAR WITH THE DAY
This is why the river has to dry.
The old order cannot forever obstruct the manifestation of the new.
The Babylonian flow cannot forever prevent resurrection life from coming through.
The darkness cannot forever prevent sunrise.
When God’s appointed hour comes, the way is prepared.
THE SUN DOES NOT RISE BECAUSE DARKNESS AGREES WITH IT
This is important.
Babylon does not have to approve the manifestation of the sons.
The old religious order does not have to understand what God is doing.
Tradition does not have to give permission.
The old Adam does not have to agree.
Resurrection life does not ask death for authorization.
The sun rises because it is time for the sun to rise.
THE FIRSTFRUITS ANNOUNCE THE MORNING BEFORE THE WHOLE EARTH EXPERIENCES THE DAY
Firstfruits always come first.
The first light of morning appears before full daylight covers the landscape.
That first light announces what is coming.
Likewise, the manifested sons are not the end of God’s harvest.
They are the beginning.
They announce what God intends for the remainder.
THE SONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN BROUGHT FORTH
REVELATION 12:5
“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”
This is essential to our understanding.
At the point we are dealing with in the seven last plagues, we are not waiting for the man-child to be born.
The man-child has already been brought forth.
The sons have already been caught up to the throne.
The firstfruits have already entered their position.
Now the ministry proceeds from the throne toward the remainder of the woman.
THE SIXTH ANGEL IS NOT PRODUCING THE SONS—THE SONS ARE MINISTERING THE SIXTH VIAL
That distinction keeps the order clear.
The seven last plagues are not producing the firstfruits.
The firstfruits are already in the throne realm.
The judgments are proceeding from that realm toward the rest of the church.
The woman remains in the wilderness.
And the throne ministry is working toward her preparation.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST REVEAL WHAT IS COMING THROUGH THE PREPARED WAY
The river dries.
The way opens.
The king-priest order becomes manifest in its ministry.
Resurrection life now has a clear passage into the consciousness of the woman.
What has already been established in the firstfruits begins ministering toward the harvest.
THE FIRSTFRUITS DO NOT KEEP RESURRECTION LIFE TO THEMSELVES
A firstfruit exists because there is a harvest.
The first ripe grain does not prove the rest of the field has been abandoned.
It proves harvest has begun.
The firstfruits are God’s testimony to the woman:
WHAT GOD HAS DONE HERE REVEALS WHAT HE IS ABLE TO DO IN YOU.
THE SONS COME FROM THE THRONE TO MINISTER THE LIFE OF THE THRONE
They carry the river.
They carry the revelation.
They carry the judgment.
They carry the life.
They carry the government of the Lamb.
Their ministry is not centered in themselves.
It proceeds from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
THE RIVER OF LIFE AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST BELONG TO THE SAME THRONE ORDER
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
The river proceeds from the throne.
The sons have been caught up to the throne.
The Lamb stands in the throne.
The king-priest order ministers from the throne.
These images converge.
THE THRONE IS BECOMING A RIVER THROUGH A PEOPLE
That is ministry.
What is established in the throne flows outward.
The life of the Lamb flows.
The revelation of Christ flows.
The judgment of truth flows.
The river of life flows.
And out of those who believe:
JOHN 7:38
“…out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
The heavenly river becomes an earthly ministry through a people.
THE SIXTH BOWL AND THE RIVER OF LIVING WATER MEET IN THE SAME MINISTRY
The bowl is poured.
The river flows.
Different symbols.
One appearing.
The manifested sons carry the revelation of Jesus Christ into the realm of the woman.
That revelation falls upon the Euphrates.
The Babylonian flow begins drying.
And the river of life begins replacing what sustained the old order.
THIS IS THE APPEARING OF RESURRECTION LIFE TO THE WOMAN
She sees something she could not see while Babylon’s waters covered the way.
She sees a people living from another realm.
She sees another priesthood.
She sees another government.
She sees another river.
She sees another life.
She sees what the throne has produced.
And that manifestation becomes a word to her:
THERE IS MORE THAN THE WILDERNESS
There is more than preservation.
There is more than Pentecostal earnest.
There is more than mixture.
There is more than mortality.
There is more than the old Adamic consciousness.
There is a throne.
There is a Melchizedek order.
There is a river of life.
There is resurrection.
There is bridal fullness.
THE SUNRISE IS NOT FOR THE SUN’S BENEFIT—IT LIGHTS THE EARTH
The manifested sons do not arise merely for themselves.
Light appears so others can see.
The firstfruits come forth so the harvest can follow.
The priesthood enters the river so the people can cross.
The kings appear so the government of resurrection life can minister into the earth.
This is the purpose of the east.
THE EAST IS ANNOUNCING A NEW DAY FOR THE WOMAN
Babylon told her the old order was permanent.
The sunrise says it is not.
Death told her mortality was the final boundary.
Resurrection says it is not.
Tradition told her the wilderness measure was enough.
The throne says there is more.
The river of Babylon told her she needed its supply.
The river of life reveals another source.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST ARE THE MANIFESTATION OF A LIFE BABYLON CANNOT PRODUCE
Babylon can produce religion.
It can produce organization.
It can produce theology.
It can produce hierarchy.
It can produce impressive institutions.
But Babylon cannot produce resurrection life.
Only Christ can do that.
Only the throne can supply that river.
Only the Spirit can manifest that life.
THE GREAT SIGN OF THE KINGDOM IS LIFE
The Kingdom is not ultimately proven by titles.
Not by buildings.
Not by organizations.
Not by crowds.
Not by human power.
The Kingdom is revealed by the life of the King.
And the King is the risen Christ.
Therefore, the government of the Kingdom must manifest:
RESURRECTION LIFE
THE WAY HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR THE KINGS
The river that sustained Babylon is drying.
The boundary is losing its power.
The old consciousness is being judged.
The woman is being sobered.
The way is appearing.
And from the direction of sunrise comes a king-priest ministry carrying the life of another age.
Not to destroy the woman.
Not to abandon her.
Not to rule over her in Adamic dominion.
But to minister the revelation that will prepare her for the Lamb.
THE SUN IS RISING OVER THE EUPHRATES
This is the revelation of the kings of the east.
The night of Babylonian mixture cannot remain forever.
The old river cannot flow forever.
The wilderness cannot be the final condition of the woman.
The firstfruits have already come forth.
The throne has been occupied.
The priesthood has been established.
The river of life is flowing.
And the sixth vial is clearing the way.
The east is brightening.
The Sun of righteousness is arising.
Resurrection life is coming into manifestation.
And the kings who come through the prepared way reveal the government of that life.
THE RIVER DRIES BECAUSE THE MORNING HAS COME.
THE WAY OPENS BECAUSE RESURRECTION LIFE IS ARISING.
AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST COME FORTH IN THE POWER OF AN ENDLESS LIFE.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE KINGS OF THE EAST ARE A KING-PRIEST MINISTRY OF RESURRECTION LIFE
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
The river has dried.
The way has been prepared.
The east has revealed the arising of resurrection life.
Now we must look more closely at the kings themselves.
Who are these kings?
What kind of kings are they?
What is the nature of their government?
And why is their way being prepared through the drying of the Euphrates?
We cannot interpret these kings according to the governments of the old Adamic world.
They are not kings after Babylon’s order.
They are not kings who rule through domination.
They belong to another order entirely.
They are:
KINGS AND PRIESTS
REVELATION 5:9–10
“…for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
Revelation has already identified a people as kings and priests.
Therefore, when we encounter kings in Revelation 16, we already have scriptural language revealing a king-priest order.
This is the order of Melchizedek.
It is the order of the throne.
It is the order of resurrection life.
And it is the order from which the seven last plagues are being ministered.
MELCHIZEDEK JOINS KINGSHIP AND PRIESTHOOD IN ONE ORDER
GENESIS 14:18
“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.”
Melchizedek is:
KING OF SALEM.
And:
PRIEST OF THE MOST HIGH GOD.
The two offices meet in one person.
King.
Priest.
Government.
Ministry.
Authority.
Service.
This is not the governmental structure of Babylon.
This is another order.
MELCHIZEDEK DOES NOT APPEAR WITH A SWORD IN HIS HAND—HE APPEARS WITH BREAD AND WINE
That is a remarkable picture.
He is a king.
Yet when he meets Abraham, what does he bring?
BREAD.
WINE.
He ministers supply.
His kingship does not prevent his priesthood.
His authority does not prevent his ministry.
His government does not exist to exalt himself.
The king serves the purpose of God through priesthood.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST MUST BE UNDERSTOOD THROUGH THE NATURE OF THE LAMB
REVELATION 5:6
“And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne… stood a Lamb as it had been slain…”
The Lamb is in the throne.
Therefore, the throne cannot be interpreted through Babylonian ideas of power.
The throne is governed by the nature of the Lamb.
Sacrificial love is in the throne.
Life is in the throne.
Mercy is in the throne.
Truth is in the throne.
The finished work is in the throne.
And the manifested sons who have been caught up to that throne must minister according to the nature of the One who occupies it.
THE THRONE DOES NOT CHANGE THE LAMB—THE LAMB DEFINES THE THRONE
This is critical.
Natural men see a throne and think:
POWER OVER PEOPLE.
But God reveals a Lamb in the throne.
Therefore, Kingdom authority is not the authority of Adam perfected.
It is an entirely different kind of government.
Jesus showed us this government.
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM DOES NOT EXERCISE LORDSHIP LIKE THE NATIONS
MATTHEW 20:25–28
“Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
But it shall not be so among you…
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister…”
Jesus draws the line.
There is one kind of government among the nations.
Then He says:
“It shall not be so among you.”
The Kingdom operates differently.
This distinction must govern our understanding of the kings of the east.
THESE KINGS DO NOT COME THROUGH THE EUPHRATES TO DOMINATE THE WOMAN
They come to minister.
They come as priests.
They come carrying the life of the throne.
They come with the revelation of Jesus Christ.
They come to participate in the preparation of the woman.
Their authority exists for God’s purpose in another people.
TRUE KINGSHIP IS THE AUTHORITY TO MINISTER LIFE
Babylon thinks authority means controlling people.
Christ reveals authority as the ability to set people free.
Babylon uses power to make people dependent.
Christ uses power to mature people.
Babylon gathers everything toward itself.
The Kingdom gives itself away.
Babylon builds servants around a throne.
The Lamb in the throne creates sons.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST ARE NOT BUILDING THEIR OWN KINGDOM
There is only one Kingdom.
There is only one King of kings.
There is only one throne from which the river of life proceeds.
The sons are not establishing personal kingdoms.
They are manifesting the Kingdom of the Father.
Their kingship exists entirely in union with Christ.
CHRIST IS THE KING WITHIN THE KINGS
REVELATION 19:16
“And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
He is King of kings.
The kings do not replace Him.
They manifest His government.
They do not compete with His authority.
They express it.
They do not become independent sources.
They remain joined to the Source.
That is why the river proceeds from:
THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB.
THE KING-PRIEST MINISTRY COMES FROM THE THRONE BECAUSE THE MAN-CHILD HAS ALREADY BEEN CAUGHT UP
REVELATION 12:5
“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”
The order is important.
The woman brings forth the man-child.
The man-child is caught up to God and His throne.
Then the woman remains in the wilderness.
Therefore, when we come to the seven last plagues, the firstfruits are not still waiting to be brought forth.
They have already come forth.
They are already associated with the throne.
THE SEVEN VIALS PROCEED FROM A THRONE ORDER THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED
This keeps the revelation clear.
The judgments are not producing the firstfruits.
The firstfruits are participating in the judgments.
They have already undergone their preparation.
They have already come through their own dealings.
They have already been brought into the throne realm.
Now the ministry moves toward the remainder of the woman.
GOD DEALS WITH THE FIRSTFRUITS FIRST SO THEY CAN MINISTER TO THE HARVEST
This is the divine principle of firstfruits.
The first ripe portion appears before the full harvest.
But the firstfruits are never the denial of the harvest.
They are the promise of it.
The firstfruits announce:
THE HARVEST HAS BEGUN.
THE MAN-CHILD IS NOT GOD’S EXCUSE TO ABANDON THE WOMAN
This is essential.
The woman brought him forth.
God has a place prepared for her.
She remains within His purpose.
And now the mature ministry coming from the throne turns toward her preparation.
The sons do not look back at the woman and say:
“We have arrived. You are on your own.”
That would not be priesthood.
PRIESTHOOD ALWAYS TURNS TOWARD THE NEED OF ANOTHER
A priest ministers on behalf of others.
A priest carries something from God toward the people.
Therefore, if the manifested sons are truly a Melchizedek priesthood, their maturity must become ministry.
Their revelation must become ministry.
Their life must become ministry.
Their throne experience must become ministry.
Their resurrection life must become ministry.
WHAT GOD HAS WORKED INTO THE SONS NOW FLOWS OUT OF THE SONS
JOHN 7:38
“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
There it is again.
The river.
God works inwardly.
Then life flows outwardly.
The throne is not a place where the sons hoard life.
The throne is the source from which the river proceeds.
THE PRIESTHOOD BECOMES A CHANNEL OF THE THRONE’S RIVER
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
The source remains God and the Lamb.
But God ministers through a people.
The sons do not become the source.
They become vessels of the Source.
That distinction protects the entire revelation.
THE BOWL AND THE RIVER REVEAL THE SAME MINISTRY FROM DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS
The angel carries a bowl.
The believer carries living water within.
The bowl is poured.
The river flows.
In both images something proceeding from God is ministered outwardly.
And in the sixth vial, that ministry is directed toward:
THE GREAT RIVER EUPHRATES.
THE RIVER OF LIFE CONFRONTS THE RIVER OF BABYLON
Here are the two flows again.
One proceeds from the throne.
The other sustains Babylon.
One is pure.
The other carries mixture.
One ministers resurrection life.
The other carries the consciousness of the old Adamic order.
One prepares the Bride.
The other keeps the woman bound to the wilderness consciousness.
The sixth angel brings the two flows into confrontation.
THE KING-PRIEST MINISTRY CARRIES THE REVELATION THAT DRIES THE OLD RIVER
This is why these kings appear in connection with the Euphrates.
They carry something Babylon cannot supply.
Resurrection life.
Babylon can imitate religion.
Babylon can build impressive institutions.
Babylon can quote Scripture.
Babylon can create titles.
Babylon can create hierarchy.
But Babylon cannot manufacture:
THE POWER OF AN ENDLESS LIFE
HEBREWS 7:16
“Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.”
This is the authority of Melchizedek.
Not organizational authority.
Not political authority.
Not ecclesiastical authority.
THE POWER OF AN ENDLESS LIFE.
LIFE IS THE AUTHORITY OF THE NEW CREATION
Death governed Adam.
Life governs Christ.
Fear governed the old creation.
Love governs the new.
External law governed the servant.
Life within governs the son.
The kings of the east therefore reign through the life of Christ within them.
THEIR GOVERNMENT IS RESURRECTION GOVERNMENT
What does resurrection government do?
It brings life where death has ruled.
It brings light where darkness has ruled.
It brings liberty where captivity has ruled.
It brings truth where mixture has ruled.
It brings sonship where servanthood has ruled.
It brings the mind of Christ where Adamic consciousness has ruled.
This is why the kings arise from the east.
Their government belongs to the morning.
THE KINGS DO NOT COME TO TAKE THE WOMAN’S PLACE—THEY COME TO HELP PREPARE HER PLACE
There is a tremendous difference.
The manifested sons are firstfruits.
The woman is the remainder of the harvest.
The sons minister from the throne toward her.
They are not trying to become the Bride.
They are participating in God’s work of preparing the Bride.
THE PRIESTHOOD MINISTERS UNTIL THE WOMAN CAN STAND BEFORE THE LAMB
This is the goal.
Not perpetual dependence upon the priesthood.
Not endless immaturity.
Not another religious hierarchy.
The goal is maturity.
The goal is preparation.
The goal is presentation.
EPHESIANS 5:27
“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing…”
There is the purpose.
A GLORIOUS CHURCH.
Prepared.
Purified.
Mature.
Ready.
THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES ARE WORKING TOWARD THAT PREPARATION
The judgments expose what does not belong.
They judge mixture.
They judge the beastly mind.
They judge Babylonian influence.
They judge the old Adamic supply.
They dry the river.
Not because God hates the woman.
Because He intends to present her glorious.
THE SIXTH ANGEL IS POURING A BRIDAL JUDGMENT
This judgment is working toward purity.
The river supplying Babylon must dry because the Bride cannot be sustained by Babylon.
The golden cup must lose its influence because the Bride cannot remain intoxicated with mixture.
The old Adamic consciousness must lose its government because the Bride must have the mind of Christ.
The wilderness cannot define her final identity because she is being prepared for the Lamb.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST MINISTER WHAT THE WOMAN NEEDS FOR HER PREPARATION
They bring the revelation of Jesus Christ.
They bring the testimony of resurrection life.
They bring the pure flow of the throne.
They bring the government of the Lamb.
They bring the priesthood of endless life.
And every measure of that ministry attacks the old river.
EVERY DROP OF LIVING WATER DRIES THE AUTHORITY OF BABYLON’S RIVER
Not because living water produces natural dryness.
But because truth makes the false supply unnecessary.
When Christ becomes the source, Babylon loses its place.
When the mind of Christ governs, Adam loses his government.
When resurrection life arises, death loses its authority.
When the Bride drinks from the throne, she no longer needs Babylon’s cup.
THE KINGS COME THROUGH A WAY THEIR OWN MINISTRY HAS HELPED PREPARE
This is the beauty of Revelation 16:12.
The bowl is poured upon the river.
The water dries.
The way of the kings is prepared.
The ministry of revelation removes the very obstruction that prevented resurrection government from becoming visible.
As Babylon’s flow decreases, the Kingdom becomes increasingly manifest.
ONE GOVERNMENT IS FALLING WHILE ANOTHER GOVERNMENT IS ARISING
Babylon:
FALLING.
The Kingdom:
ARISING.
The old Adam:
LOSING DOMINION.
Christ:
GAINING EXPRESSION.
The river of mixture:
DRYING.
The river of life:
FLOWING.
The wilderness consciousness:
BEING JUDGED.
The Bride:
BEING PREPARED.
THIS IS NOT A CHANGE OF RELIGIOUS ADMINISTRATION
It is a change of life.
That is the difference.
If all God did was replace one hierarchy with another, Babylon would simply have another name.
If all God did was replace one group of rulers with another group of rulers, Adam would still be governing.
But God changes the very nature of the government.
The Lamb governs.
Resurrection life governs.
Love governs.
Truth governs.
Christ governs from within.
THE KINGDOM DOES NOT REPLACE BABYLON WITH A BETTER BABYLON
It replaces Babylon with:
THE GOVERNMENT OF CHRIST.
That government flows from the throne.
It manifests through the king-priest order.
It ministers the power of endless life.
And it prepares the woman to stand in direct relationship with the Lamb.
THE GREATEST SUCCESS OF THE PRIESTHOOD IS A MATURE PEOPLE
True ministry does not measure success by how dependent people remain upon the minister.
True ministry measures success by maturity.
Can the people hear God?
Can they discern truth?
Can they walk in Christ?
Can they live from the inward life?
Can they stand?
Can they minister?
Can they become what God intended?
That is priesthood.
THE SONS ARE PREPARING THE WOMAN FOR THE LORD
This is where the sixth vial stands in God’s purpose.
The sons have already been brought forth.
The throne has already been established as their realm of ministry.
The river of life proceeds from the throne.
The bowls of judgment proceed from the throne.
The revelation of Jesus Christ is poured upon the Babylonian river.
The water dries.
And resurrection government comes through.
All of it serves one great purpose:
THE WOMAN MUST BE MADE READY
She must be delivered from the old supply.
She must be separated from Babylonian mixture.
She must receive the pure river.
She must come into the mind of Christ.
She must be brought beyond wilderness limitation.
She must be prepared for the Lamb.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST ARE NOT THE END OF THE STORY
They are ministers within the story.
Christ remains the center.
The Lamb remains the Bridegroom.
The throne remains God’s throne.
The river remains God’s river.
The glory remains God’s glory.
The sons simply become vessels through whom that glory ministers into the remainder.
THE TRUE KING REVEALS THE KING OF KINGS
THE TRUE PRIEST MINISTERS THE LIFE OF THE GREAT HIGH PRIEST
THE TRUE SON REVEALS THE FATHER
THE TRUE FIRSTFRUIT SERVES THE COMING HARVEST
That is the nature of the kings of the east.
They arise with the sunrise.
They come in resurrection life.
They minister in the Melchizedek order.
They carry the nature of the Lamb.
They flow from the throne.
And they turn toward the woman—not to dominate her, but to minister until the Babylonian river can no longer sustain anything within her.
The Euphrates is drying.
The way is prepared.
The king-priest ministry is coming through.
And the purpose is becoming increasingly clear:
THE FIRSTFRUITS HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE READY.
NOW THE THRONE MINISTRY IS WORKING TO MAKE READY THE REST OF THE WOMAN FOR THE LAMB.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THE THRONE MINISTRY TURNS BACK TOWARD THE WOMAN
REVELATION 12:5–6
“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God…”
There is an order in the revelation that we must never lose.
The woman brings forth the man-child.
The man-child is caught up unto God and to His throne.
The woman remains in the wilderness.
Therefore, two different stages of God’s work are visible at the same time.
There is a people who have come to the throne.
And there is a woman who remains in a place of preparation.
The firstfruits have come forth.
But the harvest is not finished.
GOD DOES NOT FORGET THE WOMAN AFTER THE MAN-CHILD REACHES THE THRONE
This is one of the most important truths for understanding the seven last plagues.
God did not bring forth the manifested sons so He could abandon the rest of His church.
He did not take the firstfruits and forget the harvest.
He did not bring a Melchizedek priesthood to maturity merely so that priesthood could enjoy its own position.
The very nature of priesthood turns toward another.
The sons have reached the throne.
Now their ministry flows from the throne toward the woman.
THE FIRSTFRUITS ARE FIRST—THEY ARE NOT ALL
ROMANS 8:23
“And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit…”
The language of firstfruits always implies something following.
If there are firstfruits, there must be a harvest.
The first ripe portion is not God’s rejection of the remainder.
It is God’s testimony concerning the remainder.
The firstfruits reveal beforehand what God intends to accomplish in the harvest.
THE MAN-CHILD IS THE PROOF THAT GOD’S PURPOSE CAN BE COMPLETED IN A PEOPLE
The woman can look toward the throne and see the evidence.
A people have come through.
A people have matured.
A people have overcome.
A people have entered resurrection life.
A people have been caught up into throne government.
A people have entered the Melchizedek order.
Their existence becomes a prophetic testimony to the woman:
GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH YOU
THE THRONE IS NOT A PLACE OF ESCAPE FROM THE WOMAN
The manifested sons have not been caught up so they can become disconnected from God’s purpose in the earth.
The throne is government.
The throne is ministry.
The throne is authority.
The throne is the place from which the river of life proceeds.
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
The throne sends something outward.
A RIVER.
The throne is not stagnant.
The throne flows.
WHAT GOD ESTABLISHES IN THE THRONE BECOMES MINISTRY TO THE EARTH
This is why the sons cannot remain turned inward toward their own experience.
They have received life so life can flow.
They have received revelation so revelation can be ministered.
They have entered government so the government of Christ can be manifested.
They have become priests so they can minister.
The throne experience must become an earthly manifestation.
THE SEVEN ANGELS COME OUT OF THE TEMPLE
REVELATION 15:5–6
“And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues…”
Notice the movement.
They come out.
The judgment proceeds from the heavenly realm toward the realm that must be dealt with.
This is not judgment rising from the anger of men.
It is ministry proceeding from the presence of God.
THE BOWLS ARE GIVEN TO A MATURE PRIESTLY MINISTRY
REVELATION 15:7
“And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God…”
The bowls are golden.
They are given.
They are filled.
Then they are poured.
The ministry has received something from God that must now be released.
This is exactly the principle Jesus revealed:
JOHN 7:38
“…out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
What God puts within eventually flows outward.
THE BOWL AND THE RIVER ARE TWO IMAGES OF OUTWARD MINISTRY
The bowl is poured.
The river flows.
The symbols differ, but both reveal something moving from one realm into another.
The throne possesses a revelation.
The priesthood carries that revelation.
Then the revelation is ministered.
That is what we are seeing in the sixth angel.
THE SIXTH ANGEL TURNS HIS BOWL TOWARD THE EUPHRATES
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates…”
The direction matters.
The judgment is aimed precisely at the flow that has sustained Babylonian influence.
Why?
Because the woman must be prepared.
If Babylon’s river continues feeding her consciousness, she cannot come into bridal purity.
If the old Adam continues interpreting God for her, she cannot see with the mind of Christ.
If mixture continues flowing, she cannot become the chaste woman God intends to present to the Lamb.
THEREFORE THE PRIESTHOOD MUST DEAL WITH THE RIVER
This is priestly ministry.
The sons cannot merely tell the woman:
“You are in mixture.”
They must minister the revelation that breaks the power of mixture.
They cannot merely say:
“Come out of Babylon.”
They must minister Christ so clearly that Babylon loses its hold.
They cannot merely condemn the old river.
They must bring the living water.
TRUE MINISTRY DOES NOT MERELY IDENTIFY THE WRONG SOURCE—IT REVEALS THE RIGHT SOURCE
That is why the river of life is so important.
God does not simply dry the Euphrates.
He reveals:
“a pure river of water of life.”
The woman is not being called from water into thirst.
She is being called from one river to another.
From Babylon’s flow:
TO THE THRONE’S FLOW.
From Adam:
TO CHRIST.
From mixture:
TO PURITY.
From mortality:
TO RESURRECTION LIFE.
THE WOMAN HAS BEEN PRESERVED IN THE WILDERNESS FOR A PURPOSE
REVELATION 12:6
“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God…”
Notice carefully:
The wilderness place was:
PREPARED OF GOD.
Therefore, we cannot despise the woman because she is in the wilderness.
God has preserved her there.
God has fed her there.
God has kept her there.
But preservation is not completion.
GOD CAN PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU THAT IS NOT YOUR FINAL REALM
Israel proves this.
God fed Israel in the wilderness.
God gave them water.
God gave them manna.
God protected them.
God led them.
But the wilderness was not the inheritance.
It was part of the journey.
The same principle applies to the woman.
Her wilderness experience is real.
God’s preservation is real.
But His purpose continues.
THE WILDERNESS WOMAN MUST BECOME THE PREPARED BRIDE
Now we see why the judgments matter.
The woman cannot simply remain as she has been.
Something must happen within her.
Mixture must be judged.
Babylonian influence must be removed.
The beastly mind must be confronted.
The old Adamic consciousness must lose its government.
The river sustaining that consciousness must dry.
This is preparation.
BRIDAL PREPARATION IS NOT COSMETIC
God is not merely improving the outward appearance of the church.
He is changing her inward source.
A Bride cannot merely look different.
She must become different.
Her mind must be renewed.
Her consciousness must be purified.
Her relationship with Christ must become direct.
Her dependency upon Babylon must end.
Her life must come from the Bridegroom.
THE BRIDE MUST HAVE THE NATURE OF THE LAMB
REVELATION 19:7
“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”
Notice the language:
MADE HERSELF READY.
There is preparation.
There is a work.
There is a transformation.
Something brings the woman from wilderness preservation into bridal readiness.
The judgments of God participate in that preparation.
THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES ARE NOT RANDOM DISASTERS—THEY ARE REVELATIONS THAT PREPARE A PEOPLE
This is why we have followed each vial spiritually.
The judgment reveals Jesus Christ against everything contrary to His nature.
The light exposes darkness.
The truth exposes mixture.
The life exposes death.
And the woman is changed through what is revealed.
THE SIXTH VIAL DEALS WITH HER SUPPLY
This is the particular revelation of the sixth angel.
Other judgments address other dimensions.
But here God goes after the river.
He deals with what has been feeding the Babylonian order.
He deals with the flow of old Adamic consciousness through peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
He deals with the teachings and systems that have sustained captivity.
GOD KNOWS THAT IF HE CHANGES THE SOURCE, HE CAN CHANGE THE WOMAN
What we continually receive eventually shapes us.
Drink from fear, and fear shapes consciousness.
Drink from condemnation, and condemnation shapes identity.
Drink from death, and death shapes expectation.
Drink from tradition, and tradition shapes interpretation.
But drink from Christ—
and Christ begins shaping everything.
THE THRONE MINISTRY CHANGES THE WOMAN’S SOURCE
That is what the priesthood is doing.
It is not creating followers of itself.
It is directing the woman toward the throne.
It is teaching her to drink from the pure river.
It is bringing her into direct relationship with the Lamb.
The mature ministry succeeds when the woman no longer needs Babylon’s supply.
THE PRIESTHOOD IS WORKING ITSELF OUT OF A JOB
That is true ministry.
Babylon wants permanent dependency.
The Kingdom wants maturity.
Babylon says:
“You will always need us between you and God.”
True priesthood says:
COME INTO THE LIFE WE HAVE FOUND IN CHRIST.
Babylon gathers servants.
The Father matures sons.
PAUL UNDERSTOOD THIS PURPOSE OF MINISTRY
EPHESIANS 4:11–13
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come… unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”
There is the goal.
PERFECTING.
MATURITY.
FULLNESS.
The ministry exists to bring the saints somewhere.
It is not the destination.
Christ is.
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD CARRIES THAT PRINCIPLE INTO FULLNESS
The fivefold ministry belongs to the earnest realm.
But the Melchizedek order comes in the power of endless life.
The principle of ministry remains:
BRING THE PEOPLE INTO MATURITY.
Only now the ministry proceeds from a people who have entered the throne and resurrection realm first.
THEY MINISTER FROM FULLNESS TOWARD THE WOMAN
They are not trying to reach the throne.
They minister from the throne.
They are not merely preaching resurrection as future hope.
They minister resurrection life as present reality.
They are not merely promising another river.
They have drunk from the river proceeding from the throne.
Therefore, their testimony carries another measure.
THE WOMAN SEES HER FUTURE IN THE FIRSTFRUITS
This is one of the most beautiful dimensions of firstfruits.
When the woman sees the sons, she sees proof.
Death does not have to remain her master.
Babylon does not have to remain her source.
The wilderness does not have to remain her identity.
Mixture does not have to remain her condition.
There is a way.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST ARE THE EVIDENCE THAT THE WAY CAN BE WALKED
The river dries.
The kings come through.
Their manifestation says:
THE BOUNDARY CAN BE CROSSED.
THE OLD FLOW CAN BE BROKEN.
RESURRECTION LIFE CAN GOVERN.
THE THRONE CAN BECOME REALITY IN A PEOPLE.
This gives the woman something more than a doctrine.
It gives her a manifestation.
CREATION HAS BEEN WAITING FOR A MANIFESTATION
ROMANS 8:19
“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”
Creation is not merely waiting for another sermon.
It waits for manifestation.
Something must become visible.
Something must become embodied.
Something must demonstrate what God has been speaking.
The sons become that sign.
BUT THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SONS IS NOT THE END OF GOD’S PURPOSE
It begins another phase.
Once the sons are manifested, their ministry turns toward creation.
It turns toward the woman.
It turns toward liberation.
It turns toward restoration.
It turns toward the preparation of the Bride.
The firstfruits become servants of the harvest.
THE THRONE MINISTRY IS NOW POURING THE JUDGMENT THAT SETS THE WOMAN FREE
This is where we stand in Revelation 16:12.
The sixth angel has the bowl.
The Euphrates is before him.
The woman remains under the influence of a world that has been watered by Babylonian thought.
The command comes:
POUR.
The revelation of Jesus Christ falls upon the river.
TRUTH ENTERS THE FLOW
Suddenly things long accepted begin to be questioned.
Traditions lose their unquestioned authority.
Death-consciousness begins losing its grip.
Fear-based religion begins losing its power.
The old Adamic interpretation begins collapsing.
The woman begins seeing the Lamb.
And every time she sees Him more clearly:
THE RIVER GETS LOWER
More truth.
Less Babylon.
More Christ.
Less Adam.
More life.
Less death.
More purity.
Less mixture.
More throne.
Less wilderness consciousness.
Until eventually:
THE WATER THEREOF IS DRIED UP
And now the way is visible.
The woman can see something she could not see while the river was full.
There is a passage into another realm.
There is a way beyond the old boundary.
There is resurrection life beyond Babylonian consciousness.
There is a Kingdom beyond religious mixture.
THE SONS DO NOT DRAG THE WOMAN ACROSS—THEY PREPARE THE WAY
This is crucial.
True ministry does not violate.
It reveals.
It ministers.
It demonstrates.
It opens.
It prepares.
The woman must respond to what she sees.
The Bride:
“hath made herself ready.”
The ministry provides revelation.
The Spirit works within.
The woman responds.
LOVE IS PREPARING THE BRIDE THROUGH JUDGMENT
This is the heart of the seven last plagues.
Judgment is not separate from love.
God loves the woman too much to leave her mixed.
He loves her too much to leave her drinking Babylon’s wine.
He loves her too much to leave her governed by Adam.
He loves her too much to leave her trapped in death-consciousness.
He loves her too much to leave her permanently in the wilderness.
THE LAMB WANTS A BRIDE WHO KNOWS HIM WITHOUT MIXTURE
Not merely doctrines about Him.
Not merely traditions concerning Him.
Not merely religious systems speaking in His name.
HIM.
The revelation of Jesus Christ removes everything standing between the woman and the Lamb.
That is bridal judgment.
THE RIVER MUST DRY BECAUSE THE BRIDEGROOM IS CALLING
The old supply cannot accompany her into fullness.
Babylon cannot prepare the Bride for the Lamb.
Adam cannot reveal Christ.
Death cannot teach resurrection.
The wilderness cannot define the finished woman.
Something must end.
Something greater must arise.
THE FIRSTFRUITS HAVE BECOME PRIESTS TO THE HARVEST
They have come through first.
They have entered the throne first.
They have experienced resurrection life first.
Now they turn toward the woman.
Their message is not:
“Look how far above you we are.”
Their message is:
THERE IS A WAY
We have seen the throne.
There is a way.
We have tasted endless life.
There is a way.
We have drunk from the pure river.
There is a way.
Babylon’s river does not have to hold you.
There is a way.
Death is not the final boundary.
There is a way.
THE PRIESTHOOD STANDS IN THE PASSAGE UNTIL THE WOMAN COMES THROUGH
Like the priests standing in Jordan, the throne ministry carries the presence of God into the place of transition.
The water is dealt with.
The ground becomes dry.
The way opens.
And the purpose is not complete until the people for whom the way was prepared can move forward.
THE SIXTH ANGEL REVEALS THE HEART OF TRUE PRIESTHOOD
The bowl is in his hand.
The river is before him.
The woman is still being prepared.
The Bridegroom awaits a prepared Bride.
Therefore, the priesthood pours.
Not to destroy her.
Not to condemn her.
Not to abandon her.
But to remove what has sustained her captivity.
THE FIRSTFRUITS HAVE COME FORTH.
THE THRONE HAS BEEN OCCUPIED.
THE RIVER OF LIFE IS FLOWING.
THE EUPHRATES IS DRYING.
THE WAY IS OPENING.
And the Melchizedek priesthood turns from its own attainment toward the great purpose for which God brought it forth:
TO MINISTER THE LIFE OF THE THRONE UNTIL THE WOMAN IS MADE READY FOR THE LAMB.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE SIXTH VIAL PREPARES THE WOMAN TO DRINK FROM ANOTHER RIVER
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
We have come a long way through one verse.
We have followed the Euphrates from Genesis to Revelation.
We have seen Babylon sitting upon the waters.
We have seen the golden cup in her hand.
We have seen the waters identified as peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
We have seen the old Adamic flow moving through those waters.
We have seen the manifested sons already brought forth and caught up to the throne.
We have seen the Melchizedek king-priest ministry proceeding from that throne.
We have seen the sixth angel pour the revelation of Jesus Christ upon the river.
And we have seen the purpose:
THE OLD FLOW MUST DRY SO ANOTHER LIFE CAN COME INTO MANIFESTATION.
Now we must bring these truths together.
Because God is not merely drying a river.
GOD IS CHANGING THE SOURCE FROM WHICH THE WOMAN LIVES
That is the heart of the sixth vial.
The woman has been preserved by God.
She belongs to God’s purpose.
She brought forth the man-child.
But she remains in the wilderness.
And within that wilderness condition, Babylonian mixture has continued to influence the larger church realm.
Therefore, the woman must undergo preparation.
She must learn to live from another source.
EVERY PEOPLE IS SHAPED BY WHAT FEEDS THEM
What we continually receive eventually becomes part of our consciousness.
Feed upon fear long enough, and fear begins interpreting everything.
Feed upon condemnation long enough, and condemnation begins defining our relationship with God.
Feed upon death long enough, and death begins appearing normal.
Feed upon tradition long enough, and tradition begins sounding like the voice of God.
Feed upon Babylonian mixture long enough, and mixture becomes difficult to recognize.
That is why the sixth angel deals with the river.
GOD GOES AFTER THE SUPPLY
The Lord could address individual symptoms endlessly.
One false teaching.
Then another.
One tradition.
Then another.
One religious structure.
Then another.
But Revelation 16:12 shows something deeper.
The vial is poured:
“upon the great river Euphrates.”
God is dealing with the flow itself.
He is dealing with the source that keeps replenishing the cup.
IF THE RIVER KEEPS FLOWING, THE CUP CAN ALWAYS BE FILLED AGAIN
This is why merely correcting one doctrine is not enough.
A person can reject one false teaching while continuing to think through the same old Adamic mind that produced it.
Then another error eventually takes its place.
A person can leave one Babylonian system and carry Babylonian consciousness into another organization.
The outward name changes.
The inward source remains.
God therefore goes deeper than religious relocation.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS A JUDGMENT OF SOURCE
Where does our understanding come from?
Where does our identity come from?
Where does our expectation come from?
Where does our revelation come from?
Where does our life come from?
Those are sixth-vial questions.
The river is being judged.
THERE ARE TWO RIVERS BEFORE US
One river is associated with Babylon.
The other proceeds from the throne.
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
Look at the contrast.
One river sustains the old order.
The other carries:
WATER OF LIFE
One flows through the Adamic world.
The other proceeds from:
THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB
One produces mixture.
The other is:
PURE
One keeps Babylon alive.
The other communicates the life of the Kingdom.
GOD IS NOT TRYING TO IMPROVE BABYLON’S RIVER
This is important.
The purpose of God is not to purify the Euphrates until it becomes the river of life.
The Scripture says:
“the water thereof was dried up.”
That flow must end.
Then Revelation shows us another river entirely.
Another source.
Another nature.
Another life.
THE ANSWER TO ADAM IS NOT A BETTER ADAM
The answer is Christ.
The answer to Babylon is not improved Babylon.
The answer is the Kingdom.
The answer to mortality is not more successful mortality.
The answer is resurrection life.
The answer to mixture is not less mixture.
The answer is purity.
God is bringing the woman from one source into another.
THIS IS WHY THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST IS THE JUDGMENT
The revelation of Jesus Christ does not merely tell the woman what is wrong.
It shows her what is right.
It does not merely expose Adam.
It reveals Christ.
It does not merely expose Babylon.
It reveals the Kingdom.
It does not merely expose death.
It reveals life.
The greater revelation displaces the lesser order.
WHEN CHRIST BECOMES THE SOURCE, BABYLON BECOMES UNNECESSARY
This is how the river truly dries.
Babylon loses its power when the people no longer need what Babylon supplies.
Religious systems have often survived by convincing people that they cannot live without the system.
But the throne ministry reveals something different.
COLOSSIANS 3:4
“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear…”
Christ is not merely part of our life.
CHRIST IS OUR LIFE
When that becomes revelation, the whole structure of dependency begins changing.
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD DOES NOT MAKE THE WOMAN DEPENDENT UPON IT
True priesthood points beyond itself.
The sons are not the river’s source.
The river proceeds from God and the Lamb.
The sons are vessels.
Channels.
Ministers.
Witnesses.
Firstfruits.
They reveal what God has done so the woman can come into the same life.
THE PRIESTHOOD MUST NEVER BECOME ANOTHER EUPHRATES
This is vital.
If the manifested sons caused the woman to become dependent upon them instead of Christ, they would reproduce the very principle they were sent to judge.
If they gathered people around themselves, they would reproduce Babylon.
If they demanded worship, they would reproduce Babylon.
If they controlled the woman’s access to God, they would reproduce Babylon.
True Melchizedek ministry does the opposite.
TRUE PRIESTHOOD BRINGS THE PEOPLE TO THE SOURCE
The river proceeds from the throne.
The priesthood says:
DRINK.
The life is in Christ.
The priesthood says:
LIVE.
The veil is removed.
The priesthood says:
COME.
The way has been prepared.
The priesthood says:
CROSS.
The ministry succeeds when the woman learns to live from God.
THE WOMAN MUST HEAR THE SPIRIT FOR HERSELF
REVELATION 22:17
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come…”
Look at the transformation.
Earlier we saw a woman in the wilderness.
But Revelation ultimately shows us:
THE BRIDE.
And what is the Bride doing?
She is not merely receiving ministry.
She is ministering.
She says:
“COME.”
Something has happened to her.
THE WOMAN WHO ONCE NEEDED TO DRINK BECOMES PART OF THE INVITATION TO DRINK
This is maturity.
This is the purpose of priesthood.
The ministry does not merely create receivers.
It produces givers.
The one who was thirsty drinks.
Then living water begins flowing from within.
The one who needed ministry becomes ministry.
The one who needed preparation becomes prepared.
OUT OF HIS BELLY SHALL FLOW RIVERS OF LIVING WATER
JOHN 7:38
“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
Notice the progression.
First:
DRINK.
Then:
FLOW.
Jesus said:
JOHN 7:37
“If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”
Then immediately:
“Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
Receive.
Then release.
Drink.
Then flow.
This is God’s order.
BABYLON CREATES CONSUMERS—THE KINGDOM CREATES RIVERS
Babylon says:
“Keep coming back to my cup.”
Christ says:
“OUT OF HIS BELLY SHALL FLOW.”
Babylon keeps the people dependent upon external supply.
Christ places the fountain within.
Babylon needs perpetual immaturity.
The Kingdom produces mature sons and a prepared Bride.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS BREAKING EXTERNAL DEPENDENCY
The woman has lived too long under systems that told her where she must drink.
The revelation of Jesus Christ brings her back to the inward reality of the New Covenant.
HEBREWS 8:10
“I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts…”
This is inward government.
Not law merely outside.
Not Babylon outside.
Not dependency upon religious structures outside.
God writes within.
THE KINGDOM MOVES THE GOVERNMENT INSIDE THE PEOPLE
This is the difference between Adamic religion and new-creation life.
The old order constantly needs external control.
The new creation lives from inward life.
The old order says:
“You must be governed from without.”
The Kingdom says:
“CHRIST IN YOU.”
COLOSSIANS 1:27
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
That is the mystery Babylon can never reproduce.
CHRIST IN YOU DESTROYS BABYLON’S MONOPOLY
If Christ is in the people, Babylon is no longer necessary as mediator.
If the Spirit teaches the people, Babylon cannot control revelation.
If the river flows from within, Babylon cannot control the water supply.
If the Kingdom is within, Babylon cannot convince the people that God’s government exists only in an external institution.
This is why the sixth vial is devastating to Babylon.
THE WOMAN IS LEARNING WHERE THE TRUE RIVER COMES FROM
Not from Rome.
Not from Jerusalem after the flesh.
Not from a denomination.
Not from a religious headquarters.
Not from a human organization.
Not from the old Adam.
The pure river proceeds:
OUT OF THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB
That is the source.
THE THRONE IS NOW BEING ESTABLISHED IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE WOMAN
The sons have already entered the throne realm.
Now their ministry brings the reality of that government toward the woman.
They do not bring her to a natural throne.
They bring her into the government of Christ.
The Lamb begins reigning within her consciousness.
The mind of Christ begins replacing the mind of Adam.
The river of life begins replacing Babylon’s river.
THE BRIDE CANNOT BE PREPARED WHILE TWO RIVERS GOVERN HER
Eventually there must be singleness.
She cannot drink the cup of Babylon and the river of life indefinitely.
She cannot live from Adam and Christ simultaneously.
She cannot be governed by fear and perfect love.
She cannot be governed by death and resurrection life.
The judgments separate.
GOD IS PURIFYING THE WOMAN’S SOURCE
That is bridal preparation.
Not merely changing clothing.
Not merely changing organizations.
Not merely changing terminology.
Changing the source.
When the source becomes pure, the flow becomes pure.
When Christ becomes the source, Christ becomes the expression.
A PURE RIVER PRODUCES A PURE PEOPLE
The river is:
“clear as crystal.”
Why?
Because of where it originates.
It proceeds from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
There is no Adam in the source.
There is no Babylon in the source.
There is no serpent in the source.
There is no death in the source.
There is life.
THE WOMAN IS BEING PREPARED TO BECOME WHAT SHE DRINKS
Drink Babylon long enough, and Babylonian thinking shapes the consciousness.
Drink Christ, and Christ shapes the consciousness.
Feed upon the Lamb, and the nature of the Lamb becomes manifest.
Receive the river of life, and life begins flowing outward.
God is changing the woman’s diet because He is changing the woman’s nature.
THE JUDGMENT IS WORKING UNTIL THE BRIDE CAN SAY “COME”
REVELATION 22:17
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.”
This is maturity.
The Bride has come into agreement with the Spirit.
Notice the unity:
THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE.
No mixture.
No competing voice.
No Babylonian intoxication.
The Spirit says:
COME.
The Bride says:
COME.
Their voice is joined.
THE PURPOSE OF THE SIXTH VIAL IS AGREEMENT WITH THE SPIRIT
Every Babylonian voice must lose its authority.
Every Adamic interpretation must lose its government.
Every river carrying another nature must dry.
Until the woman can speak from the same life as the Spirit.
That is bridal preparation.
THE BRIDE BECOMES A MINISTER OF THE SAME WATER SHE RECEIVED
Revelation does not end with a Bride begging for water.
It ends with a Bride offering it.
REVELATION 22:17
“And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
Look at God’s purpose.
The woman who was once affected by Babylon’s river is now associated with the invitation to the water of life.
What a transformation.
GOD DOES NOT MERELY DELIVER THE CAPTIVE—HE MAKES THE CAPTIVE A MINISTER OF LIBERTY
That is Kingdom restoration.
The one who was bound becomes a liberator.
The one who was blind becomes a witness.
The one who was thirsty becomes a river.
The woman in the wilderness becomes the Bride speaking with the Spirit.
This is why the sons minister.
THE FIRSTFRUITS SERVE UNTIL THE HARVEST BEGINS CARRYING THE SAME LIFE
The firstfruits do not remain the only expression.
They reproduce.
The life spreads.
The river increases.
The woman receives.
The woman matures.
The Bride appears.
Then she joins the invitation.
THE THRONE MINISTRY IS MULTIPLYING THE RIVER
The river comes from God.
It flows through the Lamb.
It flows through the sons.
It reaches the woman.
It becomes life within her.
Then out of her comes the same testimony:
COME AND DRINK.
This is how the Kingdom fills the earth.
BABYLON’S RIVER IS DRYING WHILE GOD’S RIVER IS MULTIPLYING
One flow decreases.
Another increases.
One voice loses authority.
Another becomes clearer.
One government falls.
Another arises.
One woman loses her intoxication.
Another identity emerges:
THE BRIDE
THE SIXTH ANGEL IS PREPARING THE TRANSITION
That is what Revelation 16:12 reveals.
The bowl falls upon the Euphrates.
Truth confronts the Babylonian supply.
The water dries.
The old boundary disappears.
The way is prepared.
Resurrection kingship appears.
The Melchizedek priesthood ministers.
The woman receives another flow.
And the entire movement is carrying her toward bridal readiness.
THE END OF THE EUPHRATES IS THE BEGINNING OF ANOTHER FLOW
God never intended His people to live without water.
He intended them to discover the true river.
The Euphrates dries.
But the river of life never dries.
Babylon’s supply fails.
But the throne’s supply cannot fail.
The old Adam comes to his end.
But Christ is:
THE POWER OF AN ENDLESS LIFE
The woman is not being brought into emptiness.
She is being brought into fullness.
Not merely out of Babylon.
Into Christ.
Not merely out of mixture.
Into purity.
Not merely out of the wilderness.
Into bridal readiness.
Not merely away from death.
Into resurrection life.
THE SIXTH VIAL CHANGES THE SOURCE.
THE THRONE CHANGES THE FLOW.
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD MINISTERS THE LIFE.
THE WOMAN DRINKS.
THE BRIDE ARISES.
And ultimately the woman who once needed the river becomes part of God’s great invitation to creation:
“WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
THE DRYING OF THE EUPHRATES PREPARES THE BRIDE FOR THE LAMB
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
We have followed the revelation of the sixth angel from the river to the throne.
We have seen Babylon’s supply.
We have seen the golden cup.
We have seen the peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues through which the Babylonian flow has moved.
We have seen another river—pure, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
We have seen the man-child already brought forth.
We have seen the manifested sons caught up to the throne.
We have seen the Melchizedek king-priest ministry proceeding from that throne.
And we have seen that the judgments are now working in the remainder of the woman.
All of this brings us to the great purpose behind the judgment:
GOD IS PREPARING A BRIDE FOR THE LAMB
The drying of the Euphrates is not an isolated event.
The river must dry because the woman cannot be prepared for the Lamb while she continues receiving her life, understanding, and identity from the Babylonian flow.
The Bridegroom must become her source.
THE WOMAN OF THE WILDERNESS IS NOT GOD’S FINISHED WORK
REVELATION 12:6
“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God…”
God prepared the place.
God preserved the woman.
God fed the woman.
Therefore, we do not despise her wilderness experience.
But preservation is not perfection.
Protection is not maturity.
The wilderness is not the throne.
And the woman in the wilderness has not yet reached the full expression we later see in the Bride.
There is still a work to be done.
GOD PRESERVES WHAT HE INTENDS TO PERFECT
The woman is preserved because she belongs to God’s purpose.
The fact that she remains in the wilderness does not mean God has abandoned her.
It means the story is not finished.
The firstfruits have come forth.
But the harvest remains.
The man-child has reached the throne.
But the woman remains under divine preparation.
And the throne ministry now turns toward her.
THE SONS WERE NOT BROUGHT TO THE THRONE FOR THEMSELVES
REVELATION 12:5
“…and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”
The throne is not merely a place of privilege.
It is a place of government.
It is a place of ministry.
It is the source of the river of life.
What God establishes in the throne must eventually flow outward.
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
The throne flows.
THE FIRSTFRUITS BECOME MINISTRY TO THE HARVEST
This is the nature of firstfruits.
They come first.
But they do not come first so they can remain separated forever from the remainder.
They come first because God intends to use the first manifestation as a testimony and ministry toward what follows.
The firstfruits declare:
THE HARVEST IS COMING.
The manifested sons declare:
THE PURPOSE OF GOD CAN BE COMPLETED IN A PEOPLE.
THE WOMAN CAN LOOK AT THE THRONE AND SEE HER DESTINY REVEALED
The manifested sons become a sign.
They reveal what resurrection life can accomplish.
They reveal what happens when death loses its government.
They reveal what happens when the old Adamic consciousness is judged.
They reveal what happens when Christ becomes the life of a people.
They reveal what happens when the river of life becomes the supply.
They are not the Bride.
But their manifestation ministers toward the preparation of the Bride.
THE PRIESTHOOD EXISTS FOR SOMEONE OTHER THAN ITSELF
This is why the Melchizedek revelation is so important.
A priest who ministers only to himself has misunderstood priesthood.
Priesthood turns toward another.
It carries the things of God toward a people.
The sons have received from the throne.
Now they minister from the throne.
THE SEVEN GOLDEN VIALS ARE PART OF THAT PRIESTLY MINISTRY
REVELATION 15:7
“And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God…”
The bowls are not filled with human anger.
They contain divine judgment.
And divine judgment reveals the truth of Jesus Christ against everything contrary to His nature.
The judgment separates.
The judgment exposes.
The judgment purifies.
The judgment prepares.
THE WOMAN NEEDS JUDGMENT BECAUSE THE WOMAN IS BEING PREPARED
This is where natural religious thinking often misunderstands judgment.
If God intended merely to destroy the woman, preparation would be unnecessary.
But because He intends to present her to the Lamb, everything incompatible with that presentation must be dealt with.
The judgment is severe against the mixture because God’s purpose for the woman is glorious.
THE BRIDEGROOM DETERMINES THE NATURE OF THE BRIDE
The Bride is being prepared for:
THE LAMB
That means the nature of the Lamb must become the nature expressed through her.
She cannot remain governed by Babylon and be prepared for the Lamb.
She cannot remain governed by Adam and be prepared for the Lamb.
She cannot remain governed by death and be prepared for the Lamb.
She cannot remain intoxicated by mixture and be prepared for the Lamb.
The preparation must reach her inward life.
BABYLON’S RIVER MUST DRY BECAUSE THE LAMB MUST BECOME HER SOURCE
This is the sixth vial.
The issue is source.
What feeds the woman?
What shapes her consciousness?
What determines her understanding of God?
What defines her identity?
What tells her what is possible?
What tells her what her future is?
As long as Babylon supplies the answers, Babylon continues exercising influence.
Therefore:
THE RIVER MUST DRY
THE GOLDEN CUP MUST BECOME EMPTY
Babylon’s cup has been filled from Babylon’s flow.
Generation after generation has drunk.
Traditions have been passed down.
Doctrines have been inherited.
Fear has been inherited.
Death-consciousness has been inherited.
Religious systems have been inherited.
But when the river dries, the cup cannot continue being replenished.
The old supply begins to fail.
THE WOMAN IS SOBERING UP
The revelation of Jesus Christ brings spiritual sobriety.
She begins seeing what she could not see while intoxicated with Babylon’s wine.
She begins distinguishing Christ from tradition.
She begins distinguishing the Kingdom from religion.
She begins distinguishing sonship from servanthood.
She begins distinguishing the mind of Christ from the carnal mind.
She begins distinguishing resurrection life from death-consciousness.
She begins distinguishing the pure river from the Euphrates.
THE MORE CLEARLY SHE SEES THE LAMB, THE LESS POWER BABYLON HAS OVER HER
This is why the answer is revelation.
You cannot merely command somebody to stop believing a lie while leaving the truth hidden.
Truth must appear.
Christ must be unveiled.
Once Christ is seen, the lie begins losing its authority.
THE BRIDE IS PREPARED BY BEHOLDING THE BRIDEGROOM
2 CORINTHIANS 3:18
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory…”
There is transformation through beholding.
We become changed into the image we behold.
Therefore, bridal preparation is ultimately Christ-centered.
The sons do not prepare the woman by getting her to behold the sons.
They prepare her by unveiling:
JESUS CHRIST
TRUE THRONE MINISTRY DISAPPEARS BEHIND THE LAMB
The ministry may carry the bowl.
The ministry may speak the word.
The ministry may reveal the judgment.
But the goal is always Christ.
The priesthood succeeds when the people no longer see the vessel as the source.
The source is God.
The source is the Lamb.
The source is the throne.
JOHN THE BAPTIST UNDERSTOOD THE PRINCIPLE
JOHN 3:30
“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
That is true ministry.
The minister decreases.
Christ increases.
Babylon makes the institution increase.
Babylon makes the personality increase.
Babylon makes the hierarchy increase.
But Kingdom ministry causes Christ to increase in the consciousness of the people.
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD DOES NOT BUILD A NEW BABYLON AROUND THE MANIFESTED SONS
This distinction must remain absolutely clear.
The manifested sons are not the new object of worship.
They are not replacing Christ.
They are not becoming another religious hierarchy.
They are not establishing themselves between the woman and the Lamb.
They are ministers of reconciliation, life, revelation, and preparation.
Their purpose is to bring the woman into direct union with Christ.
THE BRIDE MUST KNOW THE BRIDEGROOM FOR HERSELF
No priest can know Him for her.
No son can know Him for her.
No apostle can know Him for her.
No prophet can know Him for her.
The ministry can unveil Him.
The ministry can point toward Him.
The ministry can remove obstacles.
The ministry can pour the judgment that exposes mixture.
But ultimately:
THE BRIDE MUST SEE THE LAMB
THE PURE RIVER BRINGS HER INTO DIRECT SUPPLY
Babylon’s river created dependency upon the old order.
The river of life creates participation in divine life.
Jesus said:
JOHN 4:14
“But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
Notice:
IN HIM.
The source is no longer merely external.
Life becomes inward.
This is New Covenant reality.
THE BRIDE IS BEING PREPARED FROM THE INSIDE OUT
God is not putting a wedding garment over Babylonian consciousness.
He is transforming the woman.
The mind changes.
The source changes.
The identity changes.
The expectation changes.
The life changes.
Then the outward expression follows the inward reality.
THE FINE LINEN REVEALS WHAT HAS BEEN WORKED INTO HER
REVELATION 19:7–8
“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white…”
Notice again:
“HIS WIFE HATH MADE HERSELF READY.”
There has been preparation.
The wilderness woman does not simply receive another title.
She comes through a process.
She is made ready.
THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES BELONG TO THAT PREPARATION
Every judgment removes something contrary to the Lamb.
The first vial judges one realm.
The second another.
The third another.
The fourth another.
The fifth another.
And now the sixth strikes the Euphrates.
Why?
Because the Bride cannot be ready while Babylon’s river remains her supply.
THE SIXTH ANGEL CUTS OFF THE OLD SUPPLY SO THE WOMAN CAN LIVE FROM THE NEW
This is not punishment for punishment’s sake.
This is transition.
The old river dries.
The pure river flows.
The old cup empties.
The water of life is offered freely.
The old mind loses government.
The mind of Christ arises.
The old order falls.
The Kingdom appears.
THE WOMAN IS MOVING FROM PRESERVATION TO PREPARATION
In Revelation 12, God preserves her.
In the vial judgments, God deals with what remains contrary to His fullness.
By Revelation 19, we see the language:
READY.
Then by Revelation 22:
REVELATION 22:17
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.”
Look at the journey.
WOMAN IN THE WILDERNESS.
Then:
WIFE MADE READY.
Then:
THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SPEAKING TOGETHER.
That is transformation.
THE WOMAN WHO ONCE RECEIVED FROM BABYLON’S RIVER NOW SPEAKS WITH THE SPIRIT
What happened?
The wrong river dried.
The right river became her life.
The mixture was judged.
The Bride was prepared.
Now her voice agrees with the Spirit.
The Spirit says:
COME.
The Bride says:
COME.
THE GOAL IS ONE VOICE
This is bridal union.
Not merely standing beside the Bridegroom.
Sharing His mind.
Sharing His nature.
Sharing His life.
Sharing His purpose.
The Bride speaks what the Spirit speaks because the same life is flowing.
BABYLON’S VOICE MUST DISAPPEAR FROM THE WOMAN
This is why the river must dry completely.
As long as Babylon continues speaking through her consciousness, there are competing voices.
The Spirit says one thing.
Tradition says another.
Christ says one thing.
Adam says another.
Life says one thing.
Death says another.
The sixth vial works toward the end of that mixture.
THE BRIDE MUST BECOME CLEAR AS CRYSTAL
The river from which she drinks is:
“clear as crystal.”
There is no mixture in the source.
And as she drinks from that river, clarity begins appearing in her.
The confusion of Babylon gives way to the singleness of Christ.
THE JUDGMENT IS PRODUCING SINGLENESS
One Lord.
One life.
One source.
One river.
One government.
One Bridegroom.
The woman is being separated from every competing influence until Christ alone becomes her life.
THIS IS WHY THE THRONE MINISTRY CANNOT COMPROMISE WITH THE EUPHRATES
The priesthood cannot say:
“Let us leave a little Babylonian water flowing.”
The Bride must be pure.
The priesthood cannot preserve mixture merely because the mixture is old.
The Bride belongs to the Lamb.
The priesthood cannot protect traditions merely because generations believed them.
The Bride must hear the Spirit.
LOVE REQUIRES THE RIVER TO DRY
This is the severity and goodness of God meeting in one judgment.
The river has sustained captivity.
Therefore, love dries it.
The wine has intoxicated the woman.
Therefore, love exposes it.
The old Adam has distorted her vision.
Therefore, love judges him.
Death has limited her expectation.
Therefore, love reveals resurrection.
THE LAMB LOVES THE WOMAN TOO MUCH TO LEAVE HER IN THE WILDERNESS
He intends a Bride.
He intends fullness.
He intends union.
He intends glory.
He intends a woman without spot or wrinkle.
EPHESIANS 5:27
“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing…”
That is the purpose.
THE THRONE MINISTRY SERVES THE PRESENTATION
The manifested sons are not the destination.
The Melchizedek priesthood is not the destination.
The seven angels are not the destination.
The bowls are not the destination.
Even the drying of the Euphrates is not the destination.
All of these serve God’s eternal purpose in Christ.
THE DESTINATION IS A PEOPLE FULLY PREPARED FOR THE LAMB
The river dries for her.
The way opens for her.
The kings minister toward her.
The priesthood serves her preparation.
The revelation judges what has held her.
The river of life supplies what she lacked.
Christ is unveiled before her.
And she changes.
THE FIRSTFRUITS HAVE ALREADY COME FORTH
Now the harvest is being dealt with.
The sons have already reached the throne.
Now the throne ministers toward the woman.
The king-priest order has already entered resurrection life.
Now resurrection life flows toward the remainder.
The river from Babylon is drying.
The river from the throne is flowing.
And between those two rivers stands the woman undergoing transformation.
SHE WILL NOT ALWAYS BE THE WOMAN IN THE WILDERNESS
There is another name coming into view.
Another condition.
Another relationship.
Another manifestation.
THE BRIDE
Prepared.
Purified.
Awake.
Sober.
Filled with life.
Joined to the Spirit.
Speaking with the Spirit.
Drinking from the throne.
Ministering the water of life.
THIS IS WHY THE EUPHRATES MUST DRY
Not merely because Babylon must fall.
But because the Bride must arise.
Not merely because the old flow must end.
But because the pure flow must fill the woman.
Not merely because Adam must lose government.
But because Christ must become all.
Not merely because judgment has come.
But because:
THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB IS COMING.
The sixth angel pours.
The Euphrates dries.
The Babylonian supply fails.
The kings of the east have a prepared way.
The resurrection priesthood ministers.
The woman drinks from another river.
And the revelation of Jesus Christ continues its work until the voice once mixed with Babylon can finally join the voice of the Spirit:
“AND THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY, COME.”
That is where the judgment is taking her.
FROM THE WILDERNESS TO THE BRIDE.
FROM BABYLON’S RIVER TO THE WATER OF LIFE.
FROM THE OLD ADAM TO THE RISEN CHRIST.
FROM MIXTURE TO THE LAMB.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THE SIXTH ANGEL REVEALS THE TRANSITION FROM BABYLON’S RIVER TO THE RIVER OF LIFE
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
We have followed one verse through an extraordinary revelation.
The sixth angel pours his vial upon a river.
But when the symbols are opened through the rest of Scripture, we discover that we are looking at far more than natural geography.
We are looking at two orders.
Two sources.
Two flows.
Two kinds of government.
Two kinds of life.
There is a river associated with Babylon.
And there is a river proceeding from the throne.
One river must dry.
The other river must fill the earth.
THE SIXTH VIAL REVEALS WHICH RIVER WILL REMAIN
Babylon has appeared powerful because her river has flowed through generations.
Her teachings have flowed.
Her traditions have flowed.
Her religious systems have flowed.
Her Adamic understanding has flowed.
Her death-consciousness has flowed.
And the nations have drunk from her cup.
But Revelation does not end with Babylon’s river.
It ends with:
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
That is the river that remains.
ONE RIVER FLOWS FROM ADAMIC CONSCIOUSNESS—THE OTHER FLOWS FROM THE THRONE
This is the great contrast.
The Euphrates represents the sustaining flow of the Babylonian order through the Adamic world.
The river of life proceeds from God and the Lamb.
One carries mixture.
The other is:
PURE.
One sustains Babylon.
The other communicates:
LIFE.
One flows through the consciousness of the old creation.
The other proceeds from:
THE THRONE.
The sixth angel stands at the point where these two orders confront one another.
THE BOWL OF THE SIXTH ANGEL CARRIES THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
The seven golden vials are not human anger.
They are divine judgments.
And divine judgment is the revelation of Jesus Christ against everything that does not correspond to His nature.
When Christ is revealed, everything is measured by Him.
Adam is measured by Christ.
Babylon is measured by Christ.
Tradition is measured by Christ.
Death is measured by Christ.
Religious mixture is measured by Christ.
And whatever cannot stand in His light comes under judgment.
THE JUDGMENT OF THE SIXTH ANGEL IS THE JUDGMENT OF THE FLOW
This is what makes the sixth vial distinctive.
The vial is poured:
“upon the great river Euphrates.”
God goes after the supply.
He goes after what keeps feeding the old consciousness.
He goes after what keeps filling Babylon’s cup.
He goes after the current through which the old order perpetuates itself.
Because God knows something:
IF THE RIVER DRIES, THE CITY CANNOT CONTINUE LIVING FROM THE SAME SOURCE
This is deeper than correcting individual doctrines.
It is deeper than changing denominations.
It is deeper than reorganizing religious institutions.
God is dealing with the source from which the old order receives its life.
THE REVELATION OF CHRIST DRIES THE RIVER BY DESTROYING ITS AUTHORITY IN THE PEOPLE
The river does not have to disappear geographically for the spiritual reality to occur.
Its authority dries within the consciousness of God’s people.
A tradition loses its power when truth is seen.
A false doctrine loses its power when Christ is revealed.
Fear loses its power when perfect love is known.
Condemnation loses its power when the finished work is understood.
Death-consciousness loses its government when resurrection life arises.
WHEN THE TRUTH WALKS IN THE ROOM, THE RIVER DRIES UP
That is the heart of the sixth angel.
Truth enters.
The lie loses its hiding place.
Light enters.
Darkness loses its realm.
Christ appears.
Adam loses his government.
The river gets lower.
GOD IS NOT DESTROYING THE PEOPLE—HE IS DELIVERING THE PEOPLE FROM THE FLOW
REVELATION 17:15
“The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
This distinction has guided our entire teaching.
The people are not the enemy.
The nations are not the enemy.
The woman is not the enemy.
The judgment is directed against what has held them.
God distinguishes the captive from the captivity.
THE JUDGMENT UPON BABYLON IS MERCY TOWARD GOD’S PEOPLE
This is why the voice from heaven says:
REVELATION 18:4
“Come out of her, my people…”
He calls them:
MY PEOPLE.
They belong to Him even while something Babylonian still influences them.
Therefore, His judgment is working toward separation.
He is separating His people from what does not belong to their true identity.
THE WOMAN OF REVELATION 12 IS BEING PREPARED
The man-child has already been brought forth.
REVELATION 12:5
“And she brought forth a man child… and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”
The firstfruits have come forth.
The manifested sons have entered the throne.
The Melchizedek king-priest ministry has reached the realm from which it can minister in the power of endless life.
But the woman remains.
And God has not forgotten her.
THE FIRSTFRUITS ARE THE BEGINNING OF THE HARVEST—NOT THE ABANDONMENT OF THE HARVEST
The sons come first.
Then they minister toward the remainder.
They do not remain turned toward themselves.
Priesthood cannot do that.
The very nature of priesthood requires ministry toward another.
Therefore, the throne ministry turns toward the woman.
THE THRONE MINISTRY CARRIES TWO IMAGES THAT BELONG TO ONE APPEARING
There is a bowl.
And there is a river.
The bowl is poured.
The river flows.
JOHN 7:38
“…out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
And:
REVELATION 16:1
“Go your ways, and pour out the vials…”
Different imagery.
But the same principle is present.
Something has been placed within a vessel.
Then what is within becomes outward ministry.
THE PRIESTHOOD POURS WHAT GOD HAS WORKED INTO IT
The manifested sons do not minister mere information.
They minister what has become reality in them.
God has judged Babylon in them.
God has judged Adam in them.
God has dealt with death-consciousness in them.
God has established resurrection life in them.
God has brought them into the throne.
Now what God has established inwardly becomes ministry outwardly.
THE PURE RIVER FROM THE THRONE CONFRONTS THE EUPHRATES
One flow meets another.
Truth confronts tradition.
Life confronts death.
Christ confronts Adam.
The Kingdom confronts Babylon.
The pure river confronts the mixed river.
And the result is inevitable.
THE EUPHRATES DRIES
Why?
Because the old flow cannot survive indefinitely in the full appearing of Christ.
The darkness cannot remain when the sun rises.
The lie cannot remain authoritative when truth is known.
Babylon cannot continue feeding a woman who has learned to drink from the throne.
THE DRYING OF THE RIVER PREPARES A WAY
The judgment does not end with dryness.
This is crucial.
Revelation says:
“that the way… might be prepared.”
Something is being removed because something else is coming through.
This pattern runs throughout Scripture.
At the Red Sea, waters moved and a people crossed.
At Jordan, waters moved and a people crossed.
At the Euphrates, the water dries and a way is prepared.
GOD REMOVES THE OBSTRUCTION BECAUSE RESURRECTION LIFE MUST COME THROUGH
The kings come from the east.
The east speaks of sunrise.
The Sun of righteousness arises.
The darkness retreats.
A new day appears.
Therefore, the kings of the east reveal government associated with an arising life.
THIS IS RESURRECTION GOVERNMENT
Not government according to Adam.
Not domination.
Not hierarchy.
Not another Babylon.
This is the government of the Lamb.
This is king-priest government.
This is Melchizedek government.
HEBREWS 7:16
“…after the power of an endless life.”
That is its authority.
THE AUTHORITY OF THE MELCHIZEDEK ORDER IS LIFE
Babylon controls.
The Kingdom gives life.
Babylon produces dependency.
The Kingdom produces maturity.
Babylon gathers around itself.
The priesthood points to Christ.
Babylon keeps people drinking from its cup.
The Kingdom puts a river within the people.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST COME TO MINISTER—NOT TO DOMINATE
They are kings.
But they are also priests.
Their government carries the nature of the Lamb.
Their authority exists for God’s purpose in others.
They do not cross the dried Euphrates to establish another religious empire.
They come carrying resurrection life.
THE FIRSTFRUITS HAVE WHAT THE WOMAN NEEDS TO SEE
They demonstrate another realm.
They demonstrate another source.
They demonstrate another consciousness.
They demonstrate another life.
Their manifestation tells the woman:
BABYLON IS NOT YOUR DESTINY.
THE WILDERNESS IS NOT YOUR FINAL CONDITION.
DEATH IS NOT YOUR FINAL LORD.
THERE IS A WAY.
THE WOMAN MUST MOVE FROM THE WILDERNESS TOWARD BRIDAL READINESS
REVELATION 19:7
“…the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”
This is where the judgments are taking her.
Ready.
Not merely preserved.
Ready.
Not merely religious.
Ready.
Not merely forgiven.
Ready.
Not merely possessing an earnest.
Ready for the Lamb.
THE SIXTH VIAL PREPARES HER BY CHANGING HER SUPPLY
This is why the river matters.
The Bride must receive from the Bridegroom.
She cannot continue drinking Babylon’s wine.
She cannot continue receiving her consciousness from the old Adamic world.
The river supplying the old order must dry.
Then another river becomes her life.
THE RIVER OF LIFE DOES NOT MERELY FLOW TO THE WOMAN—IT BEGINS FLOWING THROUGH HER
This is the great transformation.
Jesus said:
JOHN 7:37–38
“If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
He that believeth on me… out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
First:
DRINK.
Then:
FLOW.
The woman receives life.
Then the woman becomes a vessel of life.
THE ONE WHO NEEDED WATER BECOMES PART OF GOD’S INVITATION TO THE THIRSTY
By Revelation 22 we hear something extraordinary:
REVELATION 22:17
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come… And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
Look at the transformation.
The wilderness woman has become the Bride.
The Bride is now speaking with the Spirit.
And the subject of their invitation is:
THE WATER OF LIFE.
THE WOMAN HAS CHANGED RIVERS
That is the journey.
Babylon’s river once influenced her.
Now the water of life flows.
Babylon’s voice once mixed with her understanding.
Now:
THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY, COME.
There is agreement.
There is purity.
There is one voice.
There is one flow.
THE PURPOSE OF THE THRONE MINISTRY IS NOT TO MAKE THE WOMAN DEPENDENT UPON THE SONS
It is to bring her into agreement with the Spirit.
The sons are firstfruits.
The sons are priests.
The sons are ministers.
But Christ is the Bridegroom.
The sons do not marry the woman.
The Lamb does.
Therefore, true priesthood always points beyond itself.
THE PRIESTHOOD PREPARES THE BRIDE FOR ANOTHER
This is holy ministry.
It does not possess the woman.
It prepares her.
It does not gather her around itself.
It presents her.
It does not become her source.
It brings her to the Source.
2 CORINTHIANS 11:2
“…that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
There is priestly purpose.
THE SIXTH ANGEL IS PARTICIPATING IN THAT PRESENTATION
The bowl pours.
The river dries.
The mixture is exposed.
The old supply fails.
The way opens.
Resurrection life appears.
The woman receives.
The Bride is prepared.
All of these images belong to one divine movement.
GOD IS BRINGING THE WOMAN INTO SINGLENESS OF SOURCE
No longer Christ and Adam.
No longer truth and tradition.
No longer the throne and Babylon.
No longer life and death mixed together.
No longer two rivers.
The Bride must know one source.
THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB
From that throne flows the river.
From that throne comes government.
From that throne comes judgment.
From that throne comes life.
From that throne the Melchizedek priesthood ministers.
And toward that throne the whole revelation points.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS A REVELATION OF TRANSITION
From:
BABYLON TO THE KINGDOM.
From:
ADAM TO CHRIST.
From:
MIXTURE TO PURITY.
From:
THE WILDERNESS TO BRIDAL READINESS.
From:
THE EUPHRATES TO THE RIVER OF LIFE.
From:
DEATH-CONSCIOUSNESS TO RESURRECTION LIFE.
From:
RELIGIOUS DEPENDENCY TO CHRIST WITHIN.
THE RIVER DRIES BECAUSE THE BRIDE MUST LIVE
That is the heart of the judgment.
God is not merely ending something.
He is bringing forth something.
The judgment against the old river is preparation for the manifestation of the new.
The end of Babylon’s supply becomes the opening of a way for resurrection life.
THE SIXTH ANGEL STANDS BETWEEN TWO RIVERS
Behind him is the throne.
Before him is the Euphrates.
From the throne comes the pure river of life.
Through the Babylonian world flows the old river of mixture.
The bowl is raised.
The command has been given.
The revelation of Jesus Christ is poured.
And the old river cannot remain what it was.
THE EUPHRATES DRIES.
THE WAY OPENS.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST COME FORTH.
RESURRECTION LIFE APPEARS.
THE PRIESTHOOD MINISTERS.
THE WOMAN IS PREPARED.
THE BRIDE ARISES.
And when the work has reached its purpose, the voice that once lived amid the confusion of Babylon is heard in perfect agreement with the Spirit:
“AND THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY, COME.”
The sixth angel has revealed the judgment of the river.
The river has revealed the fall of the old supply.
The drying has revealed the prepared way.
The east has revealed resurrection life.
The kings have revealed the Melchizedek order.
And the whole revelation has brought us back to the purpose of God:
THE THRONE IS POURING LIFE INTO THE WOMAN UNTIL SHE IS READY FOR THE LAMB.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
THE DRYING OF THE EUPHRATES REVEALS THE END OF BABYLON’S DOMINION
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
The sixth angel has brought us to a decisive transition.
The river that sustained Babylon is drying.
The way of the kings of the east is being prepared.
The resurrection order is arising.
The Melchizedek priesthood is ministering from the throne.
And the woman is being prepared for the Lamb.
But there is another tremendous truth contained in the drying of the Euphrates.
When the river dries:
BABYLON IS LOSING ITS DOMINION OVER THE PEOPLE
This is not merely the drying of religious teachings.
It is the breaking of an entire government within human consciousness.
Babylon ruled because Babylon had a supply.
Babylon ruled because the people drank.
Babylon ruled because the old Adamic mind continued receiving and reproducing the same flow.
But when the supply is cut off, the dominion built upon that supply cannot continue forever.
BABYLON’S POWER DEPENDS UPON THE WATERS
REVELATION 17:1
“Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters.”
Babylon sits upon waters.
Then the angel interprets them:
REVELATION 17:15
“The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
Babylon’s dominion operates through humanity.
She sits upon peoples.
She sits upon multitudes.
She sits upon nations.
She sits upon tongues.
Her influence requires a human realm through which it can operate.
BABYLON CANNOT RULE A PEOPLE WHO NO LONGER RECEIVE HER WORD
This is the key to the judgment.
A lie has power only while it is believed.
A tradition has authority only while it is accepted.
A religious system controls only while people recognize its claim upon them.
Fear governs only while fear is received as truth.
Death-consciousness governs only while death is accepted as the final word.
But when Christ is revealed, the foundations of that dominion begin collapsing.
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST CHANGES GOVERNMENT
This is greater than changing doctrine.
Doctrine changes because government changes.
The mind changes because government changes.
The source changes because government changes.
The old Adam loses his throne.
Christ takes His rightful place.
The issue throughout Revelation has always been government.
WHO SITS UPON THE THRONE?
Babylon wants to govern consciousness.
The beast wants to govern consciousness.
The old Adam wants to govern consciousness.
But the purpose of God is:
THE LAMB IN THE THRONE
REVELATION 5:6
“And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne… stood a Lamb as it had been slain…”
There is God’s government.
Not the beast.
Not Babylon.
Not Adam.
THE LAMB.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS REMOVING A FALSE GOVERNMENT BY REMOVING ITS SUPPLY
This is why the river is so important.
If you want to understand what sustains a government, look at what feeds the consciousness of its people.
Babylon’s teachings support Babylon’s government.
Babylon’s wine supports Babylon’s government.
Babylon’s traditions support Babylon’s government.
The old Adamic mind supports Babylon’s government.
Therefore, the sixth angel attacks the river.
DRY THE RIVER AND THE THRONE OF BABYLON BEGINS TO SHAKE
This is the wisdom of divine judgment.
God does not merely attack outward structures.
He reveals truth.
And truth destroys the inward agreement that gave those structures their authority.
A person can remain physically inside a religious institution while Babylon has already fallen within his consciousness.
Another person can physically leave an institution while carrying Babylon with him.
Therefore, geography is not the primary issue.
THE REAL EXODUS OCCURS IN CONSCIOUSNESS
Israel physically left Egypt.
But Egypt still had to come out of Israel.
Likewise, a person can leave Babylon outwardly while continuing to think Babylonian thoughts.
They can reject a denomination and still operate through denominational consciousness.
They can reject hierarchy and still desire control.
They can reject religious titles and still seek recognition.
They can reject one doctrine while retaining the Adamic mind that produced it.
God therefore deals with the river within.
BABYLON MUST FALL INSIDE THE PEOPLE
REVELATION 18:2
“Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen…”
There is the divine declaration.
Babylon is fallen.
But that legal declaration must become a vital reality within God’s people.
The truth must enter consciousness.
The mixture must be exposed.
The old government must lose its authority.
The river must dry.
LEGALLY FALLEN—VITALLY BEING REMOVED
This distinction helps us understand the judgment.
In the finished work of Christ, the victory is established.
The old creation has received its judgment in the cross.
The prince of this world has been judged.
Babylon is declared fallen.
But the outworking of that victory continues within God’s people until every opposing consciousness loses its place.
The seven last plagues belong to this vital manifestation.
GOD IS MAKING HIS DECLARATION AN EXPERIENCE IN THE WOMAN
He does not merely tell her:
“Babylon is fallen.”
He reveals Babylon until she sees it fallen.
He exposes the river.
He exposes the cup.
He exposes the mixture.
He exposes the old Adamic mind.
And then He gives her another source.
THE WOMAN MUST EXPERIENCE WHAT HEAVEN HAS ALREADY DECLARED
This is the movement from legal reality to vital manifestation.
Heaven declares.
Then the earth experiences.
God speaks.
Then the Word becomes manifested.
The finished work is complete in Christ.
Then Christ is formed in a people.
THE THRONE MINISTRY CARRIES THE HEAVENLY VERDICT INTO THE EARTH
This is the function of the sons.
They minister from the throne.
They carry the judgment of God concerning Babylon.
They do not create the verdict.
They announce and manifest what God has already established.
The bowl is not filled with their personal opinion.
It comes from the temple.
THE PRIESTHOOD DOES NOT DECIDE WHAT IS BABYLON—CHRIST DOES
This protects the ministry from becoming another religious tribunal.
The sons do not judge according to personal preference.
They do not say:
“Anything that disagrees with us is Babylon.”
That would itself be Babylonian.
The standard is Christ.
The revelation is Jesus Christ.
Anything contrary to His nature comes under judgment.
THE LAMB IS THE MEASURE
Does it reveal His nature?
Does it manifest His life?
Does it agree with His finished work?
Does it produce liberty?
Does it produce sonship?
Does it produce love?
Does it produce resurrection consciousness?
Does it bring the people toward maturity?
The Lamb is the measuring line.
BABYLON’S GOVERNMENT PRODUCES DEPENDENCY
Babylon must keep the river flowing because Babylon needs people continually drinking.
Babylon says:
“You need our system.”
“You need our approval.”
“You need our interpretation.”
“You need our hierarchy.”
“You cannot hear God without us.”
“You cannot understand without us.”
That is how external government maintains itself.
THE KINGDOM PRODUCES INWARD GOVERNMENT
HEBREWS 8:10
“I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts…”
This is entirely different.
God writes inwardly.
Christ governs inwardly.
The Spirit leads inwardly.
The river becomes inward.
The Kingdom comes within.
THE END OF BABYLON’S DOMINION IS THE ARISING OF CHRIST’S GOVERNMENT WITHIN
This is not lawlessness.
It is higher government.
It is not independence from God.
It is direct dependence upon God.
It is not every man becoming his own god.
It is every member coming under the government of Christ.
CHRIST WITHIN IS STRONGER GOVERNMENT THAN BABYLON WITHOUT
Babylon requires external control because the inward nature has not matured.
But when Christ becomes life within a people, government changes.
Love governs.
Truth governs.
Life governs.
The mind of Christ governs.
The nature of the Lamb governs.
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD MINISTERS TOWARD THIS INWARD GOVERNMENT
True ministry does not replace Babylon’s external government with another external government.
It ministers until Christ is formed within the people.
Paul understood this.
GALATIANS 4:19
“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.”
There is true ministry.
Not:
“Until you become dependent upon me.”
But:
UNTIL CHRIST BE FORMED IN YOU
THE SONS ARE MINISTERING CHRIST INTO THE WOMAN
This is why the river of life flows from the throne.
The sons carry the life.
They carry the revelation.
They carry the judgment.
But everything they carry has one objective:
CHRIST FORMED IN THE WOMAN.
When Christ is formed, Babylon loses territory.
When Christ governs, Adam loses government.
When truth reigns, the lie loses authority.
When life reigns, death loses dominion.
EVERY INCREASE OF CHRIST IS A DECREASE OF BABYLON
This is how the river dries.
More Christ.
Less Babylon.
More revelation.
Less tradition.
More life.
Less death-consciousness.
More inward government.
Less external religious control.
More purity.
Less mixture.
BABYLON FALLS AS CHRIST ARISES
This is why the kings come from the east.
The imagery is not accidental.
The sun rises.
The darkness retreats.
You do not have to shovel darkness out of the world.
The light comes.
The night ends because morning appears.
Likewise:
BABYLON FALLS BECAUSE CHRIST ARISES IN A PEOPLE
THE KINGS OF THE EAST REVEAL THE NEW GOVERNMENT
REVELATION 16:12
“…that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
The old government loses its river.
Another government comes through.
But these are not Babylonian kings.
They are king-priests.
Their authority is resurrection life.
Their nature is the Lamb.
Their order is Melchizedek.
Their realm is the throne.
THE OLD GOVERNMENT RULED THROUGH DEATH—THE NEW GOVERNMENT RULES THROUGH LIFE
ROMANS 5:17
“…they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”
There is Kingdom government:
REIGN IN LIFE
Not reign in fear.
Not reign in condemnation.
Not reign through death.
Not reign through religious domination.
REIGN IN LIFE.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST REIGN IN THE LIFE OF ANOTHER
Their authority is not self-generated.
They reign:
“by one, Jesus Christ.”
Christ is the life.
Christ is the King.
Christ is the government.
The sons participate in His reign because they participate in His life.
RESURRECTION LIFE BREAKS THE GOVERNMENT OF DEATH
The old Adamic world has lived under death-consciousness.
Death appears inevitable.
Death appears final.
Death appears sovereign.
But resurrection introduces another government.
Christ rose.
Death could not hold Him.
And the life of the risen Christ now becomes the life of His body.
THE MANIFESTED SONS ARE THE FIRST CORPORATE WITNESS OF THAT GOVERNMENT
They have come forth.
They have entered the throne.
They manifest the power of endless life.
They reveal that another government is possible.
And now their ministry turns toward the woman.
THEY DO NOT COME TO RULE OVER HER—THEY COME TO HELP BREAK WHAT RULED OVER HER
This is the heart of priestly kingship.
The purpose of their authority is liberation.
Babylon ruled over the woman.
The sons minister until Babylon cannot rule her anymore.
Death ruled her consciousness.
The sons minister resurrection life.
Tradition ruled her understanding.
The sons minister revelation.
External religion ruled her relationship with God.
The sons reveal Christ within.
TRUE KINGSHIP SETS THE CAPTIVE FREE
Jesus is the pattern.
He did not use authority to make captives.
He used authority to release them.
He healed.
He forgave.
He delivered.
He restored.
He revealed the Father.
That is Lamb government.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS THE GOVERNMENT OF THE LAMB INVADING BABYLON’S SUPPLY
The bowl falls upon the river.
Truth enters the flow.
The old water disappears.
Babylon begins losing its ability to govern the woman.
And another government becomes visible.
THE WOMAN IS MOVING FROM BABYLON’S GOVERNMENT TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CHRIST
This is preparation.
She is not merely changing religious affiliation.
She is changing kings.
She is changing kingdoms.
She is changing sources.
She is changing rivers.
She is changing consciousness.
THE BRIDE CANNOT HAVE TWO GOVERNMENTS
The Lamb will not share His throne with Babylon.
Christ will not share His government with Adam.
Truth will not remain permanently mixed with the lie.
Life will not remain forever under the government of death.
The judgments separate.
THE RIVER DRIES UNTIL BABYLON HAS NOTHING LEFT TO FEED
That is the direction of the sixth vial.
The old supply is exhausted.
The cup empties.
The intoxication wears off.
The woman awakens.
She begins seeing the Bridegroom.
And when she sees Him clearly, Babylon loses the last thing it needed to govern her:
HER AGREEMENT
A government over consciousness depends upon agreement.
When the lie is no longer believed, its throne collapses.
When fear is no longer believed, fear loses government.
When death is no longer accepted as lord, death-consciousness loses government.
When Babylon is seen for what it is, Babylon loses government.
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST REMOVES THE WOMAN’S AGREEMENT WITH BABYLON
That is judgment.
Truth separates her inwardly from the old order.
She no longer says what Babylon says.
She begins saying what the Spirit says.
And that brings us again to the final picture.
REVELATION 22:17
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.”
Now there is agreement with another government.
THE BRIDE AGREES WITH THE SPIRIT
That is the opposite of Babylonian intoxication.
Her mind is clear.
Her source is pure.
Her voice is joined to the Spirit.
Her life comes from the throne.
Her invitation concerns the water of life.
The transformation is complete in the image.
THE WOMAN ONCE INFLUENCED BY BABYLON NOW MINISTERS THE WATER OF LIFE
What a victory.
The old river has lost its dominion.
The woman has changed sources.
The wilderness woman has become the Bride.
The Bride has become a minister.
And she says:
“Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
BABYLON’S DOMINION ENDS WHERE THE WATER OF LIFE BEGINS TO GOVERN
That is the revelation.
The sixth angel does not merely announce the fall of Babylon.
He participates in the vital outworking of that fall.
The vial strikes the supply.
The water dries.
The old government weakens.
The way opens.
The kings of the east appear.
Resurrection government comes through.
The woman receives another life.
And Christ begins reigning where Babylon once held influence.
THE EUPHRATES IS DRYING BECAUSE BABYLON’S DAY IS ENDING.
THE EAST IS BRIGHTENING BECAUSE THE KINGDOM DAY IS ARISING.
THE OLD GOVERNMENT IS FALLING BECAUSE THE LAMB IS TAKING HIS PLACE.
THE FIRSTFRUITS ARE MINISTERING BECAUSE THE HARVEST MUST COME FORTH.
THE PRIESTHOOD IS POURING BECAUSE THE WOMAN MUST BE PREPARED.
THE RIVER OF LIFE IS FLOWING BECAUSE THE BRIDE MUST LIVE.
The sixth angel has struck Babylon at the level of its supply.
And as the waters disappear, the truth becomes unmistakable:
BABYLON CANNOT CONTINUE TO RULE A PEOPLE WHO HAVE LEARNED TO LIVE FROM THE THRONE.
The Euphrates dries.
The government changes.
The Bride awakens.
And the Lamb becomes the life, source, and government of His people.
CHAPTER TWENTY
THE WAY OF THE KINGS IS PREPARED WHEN THE OLD BOUNDARY LOSES ITS POWER
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
There are two movements in this verse that must remain together.
First:
THE WATER IS DRIED UP.
Then:
THE WAY IS PREPARED.
Something loses its power.
Something else gains passage.
Something belonging to the old order is removed.
Something belonging to resurrection life comes through.
The judgment is therefore not merely about the ending of Babylon’s river.
It is about the opening of a way.
GOD NEVER DRIES THE RIVER WITHOUT PURPOSE
The sixth angel is not creating spiritual emptiness.
God is not removing one source and leaving His people thirsty.
He is not exposing Babylon without revealing the Kingdom.
He is not judging Adam without revealing Christ.
He is not confronting death without manifesting life.
The river dries:
THAT THE WAY MIGHT BE PREPARED
This tells us where to place our attention.
We have studied what is going away.
Now look at what God is making possible.
THE EUPHRATES WAS A BOUNDARY
Throughout Scripture, the Euphrates appears not only as a river but as a boundary connected with kingdoms and dominions.
A boundary says:
YOU CAN COME THIS FAR.
BUT YOU CANNOT PASS BEYOND HERE.
Spiritually, that is exactly what the Babylonian flow has done within the consciousness of God’s people.
It has established boundaries.
Boundaries of understanding.
Boundaries of expectation.
Boundaries of identity.
Boundaries concerning life.
Boundaries concerning death.
Boundaries concerning what God can do in a people.
BABYLON HAS TOLD THE CHURCH HOW FAR SHE CAN GO
Babylonian religion says:
“You can be forgiven, but you will always remain essentially the same.”
“You can receive the Spirit, but fullness belongs to another age.”
“You can know Christ, but death will always have the final word over your mortal body.”
“You can experience God, but only within the boundaries our traditions have established.”
“You can come this far.”
And then the river says:
NO FARTHER
That is a boundary.
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST CHALLENGES EVERY FALSE BOUNDARY
The sixth angel pours the bowl upon the river.
Suddenly the thing that appeared permanent begins drying.
Why?
Because Christ reveals possibilities Babylon could never reveal.
The finished work reveals what religion concealed.
Sonship reveals what servanthood could not understand.
The throne reveals what the wilderness could not see.
Resurrection reveals what mortality declared impossible.
TRUTH DOES NOT NEGOTIATE WITH A FALSE BOUNDARY
Truth exposes it.
The old order says:
“You cannot cross.”
The revelation of Christ says:
THE WAY IS ALREADY THERE.
The water only hid it.
WHEN THE WATER DRIES, THE GROUND BENEATH IT APPEARS
This is the pattern we saw at the Red Sea.
This is the pattern we saw at Jordan.
The water had covered the pathway.
When God dealt with the water, the people discovered that the obstacle was not as final as it appeared.
There was ground beneath it.
There was a way.
THE WAY WAS HIDDEN BEFORE IT WAS VISIBLE
This is a tremendous spiritual principle.
God’s purpose can exist beneath something that appears impossible.
The impossibility does not cancel the purpose.
It merely hides the pathway from natural sight.
When revelation comes, the obstruction loses its authority.
And suddenly:
YOU CAN SEE WHERE YOU COULD NOT SEE BEFORE
This is what the sixth vial is doing within the woman.
The Babylonian river has hidden the way.
Tradition has hidden the way.
Adamic consciousness has hidden the way.
Death-consciousness has hidden the way.
But the bowl of revelation is being poured.
And the water is getting lower.
THE WOMAN IS BEGINNING TO SEE BEYOND THE WILDERNESS
The wilderness once appeared to be her entire world.
God preserved her there.
God fed her there.
God protected her there.
But now the throne ministry reveals something beyond preservation.
There is fullness.
There is maturity.
There is resurrection life.
There is bridal readiness.
There is the Lamb.
A REVELATION OF SOMETHING GREATER CREATES DISSATISFACTION WITH THE LESSER
This is not rebellion.
It is divine hunger.
Once Israel knew there was a promised land, wilderness manna could not become the final definition of God’s purpose.
Manna was miraculous.
But manna was not inheritance.
The cloud was miraculous.
But the cloud was not inheritance.
Water from the rock was miraculous.
But water from the rock was not inheritance.
God’s provision in a temporary realm does not make that realm permanent.
PENTECOST IS REAL—BUT THE EARNEST IS NOT THE FULLNESS
EPHESIANS 1:13–14
“…ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession…”
The earnest is glorious.
But an earnest points beyond itself.
It is evidence of something greater.
It is not the denial of fullness.
It is the promise of fullness.
The woman has known the earnest.
But the manifested sons testify concerning the inheritance.
THE FIRSTFRUITS HAVE CROSSED A BOUNDARY THE WOMAN THOUGHT COULD NOT BE CROSSED
That is why manifestation matters.
The sons are not merely preaching another doctrine.
They are evidence.
They have been caught up to the throne.
They have entered a realm beyond the woman’s present wilderness experience.
Their manifestation tells her:
THERE IS MORE
There is more than the earnest.
There is more than wilderness preservation.
There is more than mortality.
There is more than mixture.
There is more than Babylonian limitation.
THE FIRSTFRUITS MAKE THE INVISIBLE WAY VISIBLE
A pioneer proves a passage exists.
Once somebody has crossed, the boundary can never again claim absolute authority.
The manifested sons become that witness.
They demonstrate that the old boundary is not final.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST COME THROUGH THE PLACE WHERE THE BOUNDARY ONCE STOOD
This is the power of Revelation 16:12.
The river once marked separation.
Now the river is dry.
And what comes through?
KINGS.
Not captives.
Not slaves.
Not refugees.
Kings.
This is a complete reversal of the old order.
THE VERY PLACE THAT ONCE DECLARED LIMITATION BECOMES THE PLACE OF MANIFESTATION
That is how God works.
The Red Sea appeared to be Israel’s grave.
It became their highway.
Jordan appeared to prevent inheritance.
It became the entrance into inheritance.
The Euphrates appears as Babylon’s sustaining boundary.
It becomes the prepared way for the kings.
GOD TURNS BARRIERS INTO HIGHWAYS
What said:
STOP
becomes:
PASS THROUGH.
What said:
NO FURTHER
becomes:
THE WAY IS PREPARED.
What said:
DEATH
becomes the place where resurrection is revealed.
JESUS HIMSELF PASSED THROUGH THE GREATEST BOUNDARY
Death.
Humanity had stood before that boundary generation after generation.
Men could approach it.
But they could not overcome it.
Then Jesus entered death.
And something happened.
ACTS 2:24
“Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.”
Death discovered that it could not hold the Son of God.
JESUS TURNED THE GRAVE INTO A PASSAGE
He went in.
He came out.
He entered death.
He arose in life.
The grave that appeared to be the end became the place through which resurrection was manifested.
That is the pattern of the Kingdom.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST COME IN THAT RESURRECTION PATTERN
The east is sunrise.
The Sun of righteousness arises.
The new day appears.
The kings come through the prepared way.
Therefore, the prepared way is not merely an escape route.
It is a resurrection passage.
THE OLD BOUNDARY CANNOT HOLD THE NEW CREATION
The old Adam says:
“You are mortal.”
Christ says:
I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE.
Babylon says:
“You will always need my river.”
Christ says:
IF ANY MAN THIRST, LET HIM COME UNTO ME, AND DRINK.
Religion says:
“This is as far as the church can go.”
The Spirit says:
COME UP HITHER.
Death says:
“You belong to me.”
Resurrection says:
DEATH HATH NO MORE DOMINION.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS REMOVING THE WOMAN’S AGREEMENT WITH LIMITATION
This is critical.
A boundary exercises tremendous power when the person standing before it believes it cannot be crossed.
Babylon’s greatest boundary is not external.
It is internal.
It is the belief that the present condition is permanent.
The revelation of Jesus Christ destroys that agreement.
THE WOMAN BEGINS TO SEE WHAT THE SONS HAVE ALREADY ENTERED
The sons have entered throne life.
The woman sees it.
The sons have entered king-priest ministry.
The woman sees it.
The sons manifest resurrection life.
The woman sees it.
The sons drink from the throne.
The woman sees it.
Now her expectation begins changing.
REVELATION CHANGES EXPECTATION BEFORE IT CHANGES EXPERIENCE
You first see.
Then you walk.
God showed Abraham a land before Abraham possessed it.
God gave Israel promises before Israel entered Canaan.
God reveals the end before the people arrive there.
Revelation opens the eyes.
Then faith moves the feet.
THE SIXTH ANGEL IS GIVING THE WOMAN A NEW HORIZON
She once saw only the wilderness.
Now she sees the throne.
She once saw Babylon’s river.
Now she sees the river of life.
She once saw mortality.
Now she sees resurrection.
She once saw religious government.
Now she sees king-priest government.
She once saw limitation.
Now she sees:
A PREPARED WAY
THE WAY IS NOT PREPARED BY HUMAN EFFORT
This must remain clear.
The kings do not dig a canal around the Euphrates.
They do not build a bridge through human ingenuity.
The angel pours.
God acts.
The river dries.
The way is prepared.
This is divine action.
RESURRECTION LIFE IS NOT AN ACHIEVEMENT OF THE OLD ADAM
Adam cannot perfect himself into immortality.
Religion cannot organize itself into resurrection.
Human discipline cannot produce the Melchizedek order.
The way is prepared through the revelation and action of God.
The new creation is God’s work.
THE PRIESTHOOD MINISTERS WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED IN CHRIST
This is why the finished work remains central.
The sons are not inventing a new salvation.
They are unveiling the fullness of the salvation already accomplished in Jesus Christ.
The judgment exposes everything that has kept the woman from seeing the dimensions of that finished work.
BABYLON BUILT BOUNDARIES AROUND THE FINISHED WORK
Religion said:
“This part is for now.”
“This part is for later.”
“This promise cannot be experienced.”
“This dimension belongs only after death.”
“This fullness belongs to another age.”
But the revelation of Jesus Christ begins challenging those boundaries.
THE QUESTION BECOMES: WHAT DID CHRIST ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH?
Not:
“What has tradition permitted us to believe?”
Not:
“What has our denomination experienced?”
Not:
“What has previous generations reached?”
But:
WHAT DID JESUS CHRIST ACCOMPLISH?
That question pours judgment upon the river.
Because once the finished work becomes the measure, many old boundaries begin drying up.
THE CROSS IS GREATER THAN BABYLON’S LIMITATIONS
The cross dealt with sin.
The cross dealt with the old man.
The cross dealt with principalities and powers.
The cross dealt with the world.
The resurrection dealt with death.
The ascension revealed the throne.
The Spirit revealed the life within.
How can Babylon place a boundary around what Christ has accomplished?
THE WAY OF THE KINGS IS THE WAY OPENED BY CHRIST
Jesus said:
JOHN 14:6
“I am the way…”
Ultimately, the prepared way is not merely a doctrine.
It is Christ.
Christ is the way out of Adam.
Christ is the way out of Babylon.
Christ is the way out of death-consciousness.
Christ is the way into the Father.
Christ is the way into resurrection life.
THE SIXTH ANGEL DOES NOT CREATE THE WAY—HE REVEALS IT BY REMOVING WHAT COVERED IT
This is the distinction.
Christ is already the way.
But Babylon’s waters have hidden Him beneath mixture.
When the water dries, the way becomes visible.
The woman discovers that the answer was never another religious system.
THE ANSWER WAS CHRIST ALL ALONG
That is the revelation.
Not a better Babylon.
Christ.
Not a better Adam.
Christ.
Not a better religious hierarchy.
Christ.
Not another river from the earth.
The river from the throne.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST WALK IN THE WAY OF CHRIST
They do not create their own path.
They come through Him.
Their kingship is His kingship manifested.
Their priesthood is His priesthood manifested.
Their resurrection life is His life manifested.
Their authority is His authority manifested.
They are kings because He is:
KING OF KINGS
THE WAY PREPARED FOR THE KINGS BECOMES A WITNESS TO THE WOMAN
If the way exists for the firstfruits, the existence of that way becomes testimony to the harvest.
The sons do not close the way behind them.
They stand as priests.
They minister.
They reveal.
They call.
They demonstrate.
THE FIRSTFRUITS DO NOT SAY, “WE CROSSED—NOW DESTROY THE BRIDGE”
They say:
THERE IS A WAY.
This is why priesthood turns back toward the woman.
The purpose is not private attainment.
The purpose is corporate fulfillment.
THE WHOLE CREATION IS WAITING FOR THE CONSEQUENCE OF THIS CROSSING
ROMANS 8:19
“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”
Creation waits because the manifestation of the sons opens something beyond the sons themselves.
Their manifestation begins liberation.
Their manifestation begins ministry.
Their manifestation announces another government.
THE WAY OF THE KINGS BECOMES THE WAY OF MINISTRY TOWARD CREATION
The kings come through.
Then life flows outward.
The priesthood ministers.
The woman is prepared.
The Bride arises.
The Spirit and the Bride say:
COME.
The water of life is offered freely.
Do you see the progression?
GOD OPENS A WAY FOR A FEW SO THE FEW CAN SERVE THE MANY
That is firstfruits.
That is priesthood.
That is Kingdom government.
That is the heart of the Lamb.
THE DRIED RIVER IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY
An empty Euphrates is not God’s goal.
The prepared way is not God’s final goal.
The kings are not God’s final goal.
The priesthood is not God’s final goal.
All of these serve the eternal purpose.
GOD IS BRINGING HIS CREATION INTO THE LIBERTY OF HIS LIFE
The sons come first.
The woman follows in preparation.
The Bride comes into agreement with the Spirit.
Then the invitation expands:
REVELATION 22:17
“And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
The river widens.
The invitation widens.
The life spreads.
THE OLD BOUNDARY IS DISAPPEARING BECAUSE GOD’S PURPOSE IS GREATER THAN THE BOUNDARY
The Euphrates said:
THIS FAR.
The sixth angel says:
DRY.
Babylon said:
NO FURTHER.
The throne says:
THE WAY IS PREPARED.
Death said:
YOU CANNOT PASS.
Resurrection says:
COME THROUGH.
THIS IS THE REVELATION OF THE SIXTH ANGEL
The judgment is not merely against a river.
It is against limitation.
It is against the flow that taught God’s people to accept less than His purpose.
It is against the consciousness that built boundaries around Christ.
It is against the Babylonian supply that kept the woman from seeing what lay beyond the wilderness.
THE BOWL IS BEING POURED UPON EVERY FALSE BOUNDARY
The revelation of Jesus Christ is exposing it.
The river is dropping.
The ground is appearing.
The way is becoming visible.
The east is brightening.
The kings are coming.
The priesthood is ministering.
The woman is awakening.
The Bride is being prepared.
THE BOUNDARY CANNOT REMAIN WHEN THE KING HAS PREPARED A WAY.
THE RIVER CANNOT HOLD BACK THE RESURRECTION ORDER.
BABYLON CANNOT STOP THE PURPOSE OF GOD.
DEATH CANNOT KEEP THE NEW CREATION ON ITS SIDE OF THE RIVER.
The sixth angel pours.
The Euphrates dries.
And where the old world once saw an uncrossable boundary, the revelation of Jesus Christ reveals:
A PREPARED WAY INTO RESURRECTION LIFE.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
THE KINGS OF THE EAST REVEAL A GOVERNMENT THAT DEATH CANNOT HOLD
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
We have seen the river.
We have seen the judgment upon the river.
We have seen the prepared way.
Now we must bring our attention again to the ones whose way is being prepared.
They are called:
KINGS
And they are associated with:
THE EAST
The east gives us the imagery of the rising sun.
The kings give us the imagery of government.
Bring those two images together and a powerful revelation appears:
RESURRECTION LIFE IS COMING INTO GOVERNMENT
This is not merely life surviving.
This is life reigning.
This is not merely resurrection as a doctrine believed by the church.
This is resurrection becoming the governing reality of a people.
The old creation has been governed by death.
The new creation is governed by life.
DEATH REIGNED IN THE FIRST ADAM
ROMANS 5:17
“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one…”
Notice the word:
REIGNED.
Death did not merely exist.
Death reigned.
Death exercised government.
Death established its dominion in the Adamic creation.
From the fall onward, humanity lived beneath the consciousness and dominion of death.
But Paul does not stop there.
ROMANS 5:17
“…much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”
There are two governments in this verse.
DEATH REIGNED.
Then:
THEY SHALL REIGN IN LIFE.
That is the transition we are seeing at the Euphrates.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS THE GOVERNMENT OF LIFE
Babylon belongs to the old Adamic world.
The river of Babylon carries the consciousness of that world.
And at the heart of the Adamic world is the government of death.
But the kings of the east arise from another order.
They:
REIGN IN LIFE
Not merely after life.
Not merely someday in heaven.
Paul says:
“reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”
Their government is the government of the risen Christ.
JESUS BROKE THE GOVERNMENT OF DEATH
ROMANS 6:9
“Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.”
There is the great dividing line.
Adam came under death’s dominion.
Christ came out from under it.
Death had no more dominion over Him.
He entered death.
He passed through death.
He arose from death.
And He entered a life over which death has no governmental claim.
RESURRECTION IS MORE THAN COMING BACK TO LIFE
Lazarus came out of a tomb.
But Lazarus was still mortal.
Jesus arose into another order.
He arose into a life over which death:
“hath no more dominion.”
That is the life we are dealing with.
THE MELCHIZEDEK ORDER IS ESTABLISHED IN THE POWER OF THAT LIFE
HEBREWS 7:15–16
“…after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.”
Again we encounter the language of arising.
THERE ARISETH ANOTHER PRIEST.
And what is the power of this priesthood?
AN ENDLESS LIFE
This is why Melchizedek belongs so perfectly with the kings of the east.
The east reveals arising.
Melchizedek reveals endless life.
The kings reveal government.
Together they reveal:
THE GOVERNMENT OF ENDLESS LIFE ARISING IN A PEOPLE
THIS IS NOT THE GOVERNMENT OF THE OLD ADAM IMPROVED
God is not taking mortal Adam and teaching him how to reign better.
The old man does not become a king in God’s Kingdom by religious improvement.
The cross brings Adam to his end.
The resurrection brings forth another man.
1 CORINTHIANS 15:47
“The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.”
Two men.
Two orders.
Two sources.
Two governments.
THE FIRST MAN PRODUCES THE BABYLONIAN WORLD
The first Adam is earthly.
His consciousness produces earthly government.
His fear produces systems of control.
His mortality produces death-consciousness.
His separation produces religious mediation.
His confusion produces Babylon.
But the second Man comes from heaven.
And He brings another order.
THE SECOND MAN PRODUCES THE KINGDOM ORDER
Christ brings:
Life.
Sonship.
Resurrection.
Reconciliation.
The mind of Christ.
The government of the Spirit.
The power of an endless life.
Therefore, the kings of the east cannot be understood through the first man.
They belong to the second Man.
THE OLD RIVER MUST DRY BECAUSE THE OLD MAN CANNOT SUPPLY THE NEW GOVERNMENT
This is the issue of source again.
You cannot feed resurrection government from an Adamic river.
You cannot produce Melchizedek priesthood from Babylonian consciousness.
You cannot produce immortality from the mind of mortality.
You cannot produce the new creation by educating the old creation.
The river must change.
THE GOVERNMENT CHANGES BECAUSE THE LIFE CHANGES
This is one of the deepest principles of the Kingdom.
Government flows out of nature.
If death is your governing nature, death shapes the world you build.
If fear governs, you build systems of fear.
If self governs, you build systems protecting self.
But when Christ becomes the life:
His nature begins producing His government.
THE LAMB GOVERNS ACCORDING TO HIS NATURE
The Lamb does not govern like the beast.
The Lamb does not govern like Babylon.
The Lamb does not govern like Adam.
The Lamb governs according to His own nature.
Therefore, those who reign with Him must reign in that same life.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST ARE KINGS BECAUSE THE KING LIVES IN THEM
Their kingship is not independent.
Christ is:
REVELATION 19:16
“KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
He remains the King.
Their kingship is participation in His government.
Their authority is the expression of His authority.
Their life is the expression of His life.
Their throne is participation in His throne.
THE MAN-CHILD HAS ALREADY BEEN CAUGHT UP TO THAT THRONE
REVELATION 12:5
“…and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”
This is why we have established the order carefully throughout this book.
At the point of these vial judgments, the manifested sons have already come forth.
They have already been caught up.
They have already entered throne government.
We are not waiting for their birth.
We are looking at their ministry.
THE SEVEN VIALS REVEAL THE THRONE GOVERNMENT MOVING OUTWARD
The sons have come into government.
Now government becomes ministry.
They do not sit upon the throne merely to possess a position.
The river flows from the throne.
The bowls come from the heavenly temple.
The judgment moves outward.
The priesthood turns toward the woman.
TRUE GOVERNMENT ALWAYS SERVES GOD’S PURPOSE IN OTHERS
This is why these kings are priests.
Kingship without priesthood could become domination.
Priesthood reveals the purpose of their kingship.
They reign to serve.
They govern to liberate.
They carry authority to break captivity.
They minister life where death has ruled.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST ARE NOT COMING TO PUT THE WOMAN UNDER THEIR FEET
They are coming to deal with what has kept her under its feet.
This is a tremendous difference.
Babylon dominates people.
Kingdom government dominates the thing that dominates people.
Death has ruled the woman.
The sons minister life.
Mixture has ruled the woman.
The sons minister truth.
Babylon has influenced the woman.
The sons pour judgment upon Babylon’s river.
KINGDOM AUTHORITY IS DIRECTED AGAINST CAPTIVITY, NOT THE CAPTIVE
Jesus demonstrated this perfectly.
He confronted sickness.
He confronted demons.
He confronted death.
He confronted hypocrisy.
He confronted religious bondage.
But He released the people.
His authority was terrible toward captivity and merciful toward the captive.
That is Lamb government.
THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES MUST BE READ THROUGH THE NATURE OF THE LAMB
Otherwise, judgment appears merely destructive.
But when the Lamb becomes our interpretive center, we see something greater.
The judgment destroys what prevents union with the Lamb.
The judgment removes what prevents maturity.
The judgment exposes what prevents life.
The judgment breaks what holds the woman.
THE SIXTH VIAL ATTACKS THE GOVERNMENT OF DEATH AT ITS SUPPLY LINE
The Euphrates has carried the consciousness of the old Adamic world.
That consciousness has told the church what death can do.
It has told her what mortality can do.
It has told her what limitations she must accept.
It has built theology around death’s supposed permanent dominion.
Then resurrection walks into the room.
RESURRECTION DOES NOT ASK DEATH WHAT IS POSSIBLE
Jesus did not negotiate with the grave.
He arose.
That is the authority of resurrection.
Death says:
YOU CANNOT COME OUT.
Resurrection comes out.
Death says:
MY BOUNDARY IS FINAL.
Resurrection crosses it.
Death says:
I HAVE THE LAST WORD.
Christ arises and proves that it does not.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST ARE THE TESTIMONY THAT DEATH DOES NOT HAVE THE LAST WORD
Their way is prepared because a resurrection order must become visible.
They come from the sunrise.
They come in the power of endless life.
They come as kings and priests.
They come from the throne.
They come carrying the government of the Lamb.
THIS IS WHAT THE WOMAN NEEDS TO SEE
The woman has heard about resurrection.
Now she needs to see resurrection government manifested.
She has heard about victory.
Now she needs to see a victorious people.
She has heard about sonship.
Now she needs the manifestation of the sons.
She has heard about the Kingdom.
Now she needs to encounter the government of the Kingdom.
MANIFESTATION BREAKS THE POWER OF IMPOSSIBILITY
As long as something exists only as doctrine, the old mind can place it in the future.
But when it becomes manifest, the argument changes.
The firstfruits become proof.
They testify:
THE HARVEST IS POSSIBLE.
THE FIRSTFRUITS ARE THE DEATH OF THE ARGUMENT THAT FULLNESS CANNOT COME
One ripe fruit changes the conversation.
If one portion of the field has ripened, harvest has begun.
The firstfruits are not boasting about being first.
Their very existence prophesies concerning what follows.
THE MANIFESTED SONS ARE GOD’S PROPHECY TO THE WOMAN
Their message is not merely spoken.
Their life is the message.
Their resurrection life says:
THERE IS MORE.
Their throne life says:
THERE IS MORE.
Their Melchizedek priesthood says:
THERE IS MORE.
Their freedom from Babylon says:
THERE IS MORE.
THE WOMAN BEGINS TO SEE BEYOND THE GOVERNMENT OF DEATH
This is preparation.
Her expectation changes.
Her consciousness changes.
The old river loses authority.
She begins drinking from another river.
And the life of that river begins working within her.
RESURRECTION LIFE FIRST APPEARS BEFORE IT FILLS THE WHOLE HARVEST
This is the firstfruits principle.
Morning begins with the first light in the east.
The whole sky is not immediately bright.
But the first light proves night is ending.
The kings of the east carry that imagery.
THE FIRST LIGHT IS ENOUGH TO ANNOUNCE THE END OF NIGHT
Babylon may still appear.
The woman may still be undergoing preparation.
The whole creation may still be groaning.
But once resurrection life appears in a firstfruits company, the darkness has received notice:
MORNING HAS BEGUN
THE SUNRISE CANNOT BE REVERSED
Once the sun begins to rise, night cannot turn it backward.
The darkness cannot say:
“Go back down.”
The appointed day has come.
Likewise, once God begins manifesting His resurrection order, Babylon cannot reverse the purpose.
The river is drying.
The way is opening.
The kings are arising.
THIS IS WHY THE SIXTH VIAL IS FILLED WITH HOPE
Yes, it is judgment.
But look at what the judgment reveals.
A river is dying.
But a way is opening.
Babylon is losing supply.
But resurrection life is gaining expression.
The old government is collapsing.
But the Kingdom government is arising.
DEATH REIGNED—BUT LIFE SHALL REIGN
That is the great contrast.
ROMANS 5:17
“…much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”
MUCH MORE.
Death’s reign is not equal to Christ’s reign.
Paul says:
MUCH MORE.
The victory of life exceeds the dominion of death.
THE KINGDOM IS NOT STRUGGLING TO BARELY OVERCOME BABYLON
Christ is not nervous about the outcome.
The Lamb is in the throne.
The river of life is flowing.
The sons have come forth.
The priesthood is ministering.
The Euphrates is drying.
The way is prepared.
God’s purpose is moving forward.
THE GOVERNMENT OF LIFE WILL OUTLAST THE GOVERNMENT OF DEATH
Death belongs to the old creation.
Life belongs to the age-abiding purpose of God.
Babylon falls.
The Kingdom remains.
The beast is judged.
The Lamb remains.
The Euphrates dries.
The river of life remains.
THE RIVER OF LIFE DOES NOT HAVE A SIXTH ANGEL SENT TO DRY IT
That contrast is beautiful.
Babylon’s river has an ending.
God’s river does not.
Babylon’s supply can be exhausted.
The throne’s supply cannot.
The Euphrates dries.
But the river of life continues proceeding from God and the Lamb.
THE WOMAN IS BEING TRANSFERRED FROM THE TEMPORARY RIVER TO THE ENDLESS RIVER
From the dying order:
TO ENDLESS LIFE.
From the old creation:
TO NEW CREATION.
From Adam:
TO CHRIST.
From death’s government:
TO REIGNING IN LIFE.
THIS IS THE MINISTRY OF THE KINGS OF THE EAST
They manifest the transition.
They stand as evidence that another government has arrived.
They carry resurrection life into the realm where death has governed.
They minister from the throne toward the woman.
And their ministry prepares her to participate in the same life.
THE GOAL IS NOT A FEW KINGS SURROUNDED BY MORTAL SUBJECTS
That would reproduce the old order.
God’s purpose is greater.
The firstfruits serve the harvest.
The priesthood serves the people.
The sons serve the woman.
The mature serve the immature.
Until maturity spreads.
Until life spreads.
Until the Bride is ready.
THE KINGDOM MULTIPLIES WHAT THE FIRSTFRUITS CARRY
The river flows outward.
Life reproduces life.
Sons help bring forth sons.
The mature perfect the saints.
The Bride eventually joins the Spirit.
And the invitation expands to:
WHOSOEVER WILL.
RESURRECTION GOVERNMENT IS EXPANSIVE
It does not hoard life.
It releases life.
It does not build walls around fullness.
It opens a way.
It does not say:
“We have crossed. Stay where you are.”
It says:
THE WAY HAS BEEN PREPARED
That is the heart of the kings of the east.
They are not merely beneficiaries of the dried river.
They become ministers of the reality beyond the river.
THE OLD BOUNDARY HAS LOST ITS POWER
Death cannot hold the risen Christ.
Babylon cannot permanently hold God’s people.
The wilderness cannot permanently define the woman.
The Euphrates cannot permanently block the kings.
The old Adam cannot permanently prevent the manifestation of the new creation.
THE EAST IS BRIGHTENING
The first light is appearing.
The kings are arising.
The priesthood is ministering.
The river of Babylon is drying.
The river of life is flowing.
The woman is awakening.
The Bride is being prepared.
And over the whole revelation stands the testimony of Jesus Christ:
“DEATH HATH NO MORE DOMINION OVER HIM.”
That is the government coming through the prepared way.
Not the government of human kings.
Not the government of another religious hierarchy.
Not the government of the old Adam.
THE GOVERNMENT OF RESURRECTION LIFE.
The sixth angel pours his bowl upon the Euphrates.
The water dries.
The way opens.
And the kings of the east arise as the testimony of a new creation truth:
DEATH REIGNED IN ADAM.
BUT IN JESUS CHRIST, WE REIGN IN LIFE.
THE OLD RIVER IS DRYING.
THE NEW DAY IS ARISING.
AND THE GOVERNMENT OF ENDLESS LIFE IS COMING FORTH FROM THE THRONE.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
THE RIVER OF LIFE REPLACES THE RIVER THAT SUSTAINED BABYLON
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
The sixth vial brings us to one of the clearest contrasts in the entire revelation.
A river is drying.
But God is not ending the story with a dry riverbed.
Another river is already flowing.
Babylon has her river.
The throne has its river.
Babylon has her cup.
The Lamb has His water of life.
Babylon has supplied the old Adamic world.
The throne supplies the new creation.
And when the sixth angel pours the revelation of Jesus Christ upon the great river Euphrates, God is revealing a transition:
ONE RIVER IS DRYING WHILE ANOTHER RIVER IS FLOWING
This is not merely the destruction of an old source.
It is the manifestation of the true Source.
God does not deliver His people from Babylon so they can die of thirst.
He brings them out from one flow so they can drink from another.
BABYLON HAS A RIVER BECAUSE EVERY CITY MUST HAVE A SOURCE
Natural Babylon was sustained by the Euphrates.
The river flowed through the city.
It supplied life.
It sustained commerce.
It supported the civilization built around it.
The spiritual imagery is powerful.
Mystery Babylon also requires a flow to sustain her.
She must have something feeding her systems.
Something feeding her teachings.
Something feeding her consciousness.
Something continually replenishing her influence among peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
BABYLON CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT HER RIVER
Take away the supply and the system begins to die.
That is why the sixth angel does not merely strike individual branches of Babylon.
He strikes the river.
God goes after the source.
REVELATION 16:12
“…and the water thereof was dried up…”
This is judgment at the level of supply.
THE GOLDEN CUP AND THE EUPHRATES REVEAL THE SAME FLOW IN DIFFERENT IMAGERY
REVELATION 17:4
“And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour… having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication.”
The cup presents the flow as something consumed.
The river presents the flow as something sustaining an entire order.
Different symbols.
Same principle.
Babylon has something for the people to drink.
And what they drink becomes part of the life of the city.
THE CUP REVEALS PERSONAL PARTICIPATION
A river can flow beside you.
But a cup is brought to the mouth.
The imagery becomes personal.
What have we drunk?
What teachings have entered us?
What concepts of God have entered us?
What ideas concerning death have entered us?
What traditions concerning the Kingdom have entered us?
What understanding of ourselves has entered us?
The judgment of the sixth angel eventually reaches this level.
THE RIVER OUTSIDE BECOMES A CONSCIOUSNESS INSIDE
That is why Babylon cannot merely be identified geographically.
The issue is deeper.
Babylon can operate within thought.
Within theology.
Within expectation.
Within religious identity.
Within our understanding of God.
The river becomes internal when the water is received.
GOD MUST DRY THE RIVER IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF HIS PEOPLE
The sixth vial is not complete merely because somebody recognizes that Babylon exists.
Babylon’s water must lose its ability to feed the inward man.
The old flow must cease to determine what the woman believes.
This is where revelation becomes judgment.
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST MAKES THE OLD WATER UNDRINKABLE
Once you see Christ clearly, some things you once drank freely become impossible to drink again.
Once grace is revealed, condemnation tastes different.
Once sonship is revealed, slavery tastes different.
Once the Father is revealed, religious fear tastes different.
Once resurrection life is revealed, death-consciousness tastes different.
Once the finished work is revealed, religious striving tastes different.
TRUTH CHANGES YOUR APPETITE
This is one of the greatest signs that judgment has occurred inwardly.
You no longer hunger for what once fed you.
Nobody has to force you away from the old river.
You have tasted something better.
GOD DOES NOT MERELY COMMAND THE WOMAN TO STOP DRINKING—HE GIVES HER ANOTHER RIVER
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
Here is God’s answer to the Euphrates.
Not no river.
ANOTHER RIVER
Not spiritual thirst.
WATER OF LIFE
Not another mixture.
PURE
Not another earthly source.
PROCEEDING OUT OF THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB
Everything changes because the source changes.
THE TWO RIVERS COME FROM TWO DIFFERENT GOVERNMENTS
The river of Babylon sustains Babylonian government.
The river of life proceeds from the throne.
Therefore, what we drink determines what government is being established within us.
Drink from Babylon, and Babylonian consciousness is strengthened.
Drink from the throne, and throne consciousness is strengthened.
THE RIVER OF LIFE CARRIES THE NATURE OF THE THRONE
It carries the nature of God.
It carries the nature of the Lamb.
It carries the nature of the Kingdom.
It carries life.
It carries purity.
It carries truth.
It carries resurrection.
It carries the government of Christ.
THE RIVER IS PURE BECAUSE THE SOURCE IS PURE
Revelation says it is:
“clear as crystal.”
There is no Babylon in its source.
There is no Adam in its source.
There is no mixture in its source.
There is no death in its source.
The river carries what the throne is.
THE WOMAN CANNOT BECOME PURE WHILE CONTINUALLY DRINKING FROM A MIXED SOURCE
This is why the sixth vial is necessary.
God’s purpose is a prepared Bride.
But the Bride cannot be prepared merely through outward adjustment.
The source must change.
The water must change.
The consciousness must change.
The inward life must change.
WHAT FLOWS INTO THE WOMAN WILL EVENTUALLY FLOW OUT OF THE WOMAN
Jesus established this principle.
JOHN 7:37–38
“If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
First:
DRINK
Then:
FLOW
What comes in eventually comes out.
This explains both Babylon and the Kingdom.
BABYLON PUTS A CUP IN YOUR HAND SO BABYLON CAN EVENTUALLY SPEAK THROUGH YOUR MOUTH
Drink the mixture long enough and you reproduce the mixture.
Drink fear and you preach fear.
Drink condemnation and you minister condemnation.
Drink death-consciousness and you teach death as the final government.
Drink religious hierarchy and you reproduce religious hierarchy.
The river becomes a voice.
BUT WHEN YOU DRINK CHRIST, CHRIST BEGINS TO FLOW
Jesus says:
“out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
This is not merely receiving life.
This is becoming a vessel of life.
The one who drinks becomes the one through whom the river flows.
THIS IS THE PURPOSE OF THE THRONE MINISTRY
The manifested sons have already drunk.
They have already been brought into the throne.
They have already come under the government of resurrection life.
Now the river flowing from the throne flows through them toward the woman.
The sons are not the source.
But they have become vessels of the Source.
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD CARRIES THE SUPPLY OF ANOTHER ORDER
GENESIS 14:18
“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.”
Again we see supply.
Melchizedek brings something to Abraham.
Bread.
Wine.
The priesthood ministers what belongs to its order.
Likewise, the manifested sons minister the life of the throne.
A TRUE PRIESTHOOD FEEDS PEOPLE WITH WHAT WILL MAKE THEM MATURE
Babylon feeds people to keep them dependent.
The Kingdom feeds people so they can become mature.
This difference is enormous.
Babylon says:
KEEP COMING TO MY CUP.
The Kingdom says:
DRINK UNTIL THE RIVER FLOWS OUT OF YOU.
Babylon creates permanent consumers.
Christ creates fountains.
THE GOAL IS NOT FOR THE WOMAN TO REMAIN FOREVER AT THE FEET OF THE SONS
The sons are ministers.
The woman must mature.
The Bride must arise.
The same life that flows through the firstfruits must begin flowing through the harvest.
Otherwise firstfruits have not fulfilled their purpose.
THE RIVER MULTIPLIES THROUGH A PEOPLE
One river proceeds from the throne.
Then Jesus says:
“out of his belly shall flow rivers…”
The river becomes rivers.
The life multiplies.
The Source remains one.
But the vessels become many.
THIS IS HOW THE KINGDOM FILLS THE EARTH
Not by Babylonian domination.
Not by forced conformity.
Not by religious control.
Life reproduces life.
Truth produces truth.
Sons mature sons.
Priests prepare priests.
The river enters a people, and then the river comes out of the people.
THE WOMAN WHO WAS ONCE DRINKING BECOMES A WOMAN WHO IS FLOWING
This is the transformation God is after.
She moves from dependence to maturity.
From receiving only to giving.
From being ministered to, to becoming ministry.
From wilderness preservation to bridal expression.
REVELATION ENDS WITH THE BRIDE STANDING BESIDE THE RIVER
REVELATION 22:17
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
This is one of the most beautiful endings possible to the revelation of the sixth vial.
The woman who was once affected by Babylon’s flow is now joined with the Spirit in offering:
THE WATER OF LIFE
She has changed rivers.
She has changed voices.
She has changed governments.
She has changed identity.
THE WOMAN IN THE WILDERNESS HAS BECOME THE BRIDE AT THE RIVER OF LIFE
Look at the movement.
Revelation 12:
THE WOMAN IN THE WILDERNESS.
Revelation 16:
THE RIVER OF BABYLON IS DRIED.
Revelation 19:
THE WIFE HAS MADE HERSELF READY.
Revelation 22:
THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY, COME.
There is a divine progression.
THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES BELONG INSIDE THAT PROGRESSION
They are not disconnected disasters.
They participate in the preparation.
They expose.
They separate.
They judge.
They purify.
They remove what cannot remain in the Bride.
THE SIXTH VIAL DEALS SPECIFICALLY WITH WHAT HAS BEEN FEEDING HER
God is changing her diet.
Changing her source.
Changing her river.
Because the Bride must carry the nature of the Bridegroom.
YOU CANNOT DRINK BABYLON AND MANIFEST THE LAMB
Eventually the contradiction must be judged.
The Lamb is pure.
The Bride must become pure.
The Lamb is life.
The Bride must live from life.
The Lamb sits in the throne.
The Bride must receive from the throne.
The Lamb speaks truth.
The Bride must lose the voice of mixture.
THE RIVER OF LIFE PREPARES THE BRIDE BECAUSE IT CARRIES THE LIFE OF THE BRIDEGROOM
This is more than information.
This is impartation of life.
The Bride is not merely learning about Christ.
Christ is becoming her life.
COLOSSIANS 3:4
“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear…”
There is the goal.
Not Christ merely as doctrine.
Not Christ merely as historical figure.
Not Christ merely as theological subject.
CHRIST OUR LIFE
WHEN CHRIST BECOMES THE LIFE, BABYLON LOSES THE SUPPLY LINE
The woman no longer needs Babylon to tell her who God is.
Christ reveals the Father.
She no longer needs Babylon to tell her who she is.
Christ reveals sonship.
She no longer needs Babylon to tell her what her future is.
Resurrection reveals God’s purpose.
She no longer needs Babylon’s river.
She has found the river from the throne.
THE DRYING OF THE EUPHRATES IS THEREFORE A DELIVERANCE FROM DEPENDENCY
The woman is being brought into direct relationship with the Source.
That is New Covenant reality.
HEBREWS 8:11
“And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me…”
This does not eliminate ministry.
It reveals the purpose of ministry.
Ministry brings people into the knowledge of God.
THE PRIESTHOOD DOES NOT STAND BETWEEN THE BRIDE AND THE BRIDEGROOM
It prepares the Bride for Him.
That distinction protects everything.
The manifested sons are not building a kingdom around themselves.
They are preparing the way of the Lord within a people.
They are pouring the revelation that removes the old flow.
They are ministering the river that brings life.
THE SUCCESS OF THE SONS IS SEEN WHEN THE WOMAN BEGINS TO SPEAK WITH THE SPIRIT
Not when she quotes the sons.
Not when she glorifies the sons.
Not when she becomes dependent upon the sons.
But when:
THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY THE SAME THING
That is maturity.
That is preparation.
That is union.
THE PURE RIVER PRODUCES A PURE VOICE
Babylon means confusion.
Many voices.
Mixture.
Contradiction.
But the river of life produces agreement.
The Spirit says:
COME.
The Bride says:
COME.
There is no confusion in that voice.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS MOVING THE WOMAN FROM CONFUSION INTO AGREEMENT
The old river dries.
The competing voices lose strength.
The Lamb becomes clearer.
The mind of Christ arises.
The Bride hears the Spirit.
And eventually her voice joins His.
THIS IS THE END OF BABYLON’S RIVER IN THE WOMAN
Babylon may still exist as an outward system.
But its river no longer runs through her consciousness.
Its cup no longer intoxicates her.
Its teachings no longer define her.
Its death-consciousness no longer limits her.
Its government no longer rules her.
SHE HAS CHANGED RIVERS
And when a people change rivers, they change worlds.
They move from the Adamic world:
INTO THE NEW CREATION.
From Babylon:
INTO THE KINGDOM.
From mortality consciousness:
INTO RESURRECTION LIFE.
From wilderness limitation:
INTO BRIDAL PREPARATION.
THIS IS WHY THE KINGS OF THE EAST HAVE A PREPARED WAY
The river dries so resurrection government can come through.
The king-priest ministry carries the life of the throne into the realm of the woman.
What God established in the firstfruits begins spreading into the harvest.
THE RIVER OF LIFE IS THE MINISTRY OF THE THRONE TO THE EARTH
It carries no Babylon.
It carries no mixture.
It carries no death.
It is:
PURE.
It is:
CLEAR AS CRYSTAL.
It is:
WATER OF LIFE.
And its source is:
THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB
That is the river that cannot dry.
Babylon’s river has an appointed end.
The river of life does not.
The Euphrates loses its water.
The throne never loses its supply.
ONE RIVER IS TEMPORARY.
ONE RIVER IS ENDLESS.
ONE RIVER SUSTAINS BABYLON.
ONE RIVER PREPARES THE BRIDE.
ONE RIVER CARRIES THE OLD ADAMIC CONSCIOUSNESS.
ONE RIVER CARRIES THE LIFE OF THE LAMB.
The sixth angel pours his vial.
The old river dries.
The way is prepared.
The kings of the east arise.
The Melchizedek priesthood ministers.
The woman drinks.
The Bride comes forth.
And at the end of the revelation, there is no invitation to return to the Euphrates.
There is only the voice of the Spirit and the Bride:
“LET HIM THAT IS ATHIRST COME.”
“AND WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY.”
Babylon’s river is drying.
But God’s river is just beginning to be manifested through His people.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
WHEN THE EUPHRATES DRIES, THE WAY INTO RESURRECTION LIFE STANDS OPEN
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
Everything we have seen in this sixth vial brings us back to one tremendous statement:
THE WAY IS BEING PREPARED
The Euphrates does not dry without purpose.
The Babylonian flow is not judged merely because God wants to expose error.
The old Adamic consciousness is not confronted merely so we can identify what has been wrong with the church.
God is removing an obstruction.
God is uncovering a pathway.
God is preparing the woman for something greater than the wilderness realm she has known.
And the direction of that prepared way is toward:
RESURRECTION LIFE
The kings come from the east.
The east announces sunrise.
The sunrise announces a new day.
And the new day is the manifestation of the life of the risen Christ in a people.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS NOT ABOUT DEATH WINNING—IT IS ABOUT LIFE COMING THROUGH
This distinction is essential.
When people hear the words judgment, plague, and wrath, they often imagine only destruction.
But look at the verse.
The river is judged.
Then a way appears.
The judgment removes what was obstructing God’s purpose.
Therefore, the purpose of the judgment is revealed by what comes after it.
THE RIVER DRIES SO THE WAY CAN OPEN
God is not merely ending an old thing.
He is preparing the manifestation of a new thing.
Babylon’s river dries.
Resurrection government comes through.
The old flow weakens.
The kings of the east appear.
Death-consciousness loses its authority.
Endless life becomes visible.
GOD’S JUDGMENTS CLEAR THE WAY FOR HIS PURPOSE
This pattern appears repeatedly throughout Scripture.
Egypt was judged.
Israel came out.
The Red Sea opened.
The people crossed.
Jordan opened.
Israel entered inheritance.
Babylon falls.
God’s people come out.
The Euphrates dries.
The way of the kings is prepared.
Judgment and passage continually appear together.
GOD JUDGES WHAT PREVENTS MOVEMENT
This helps us understand the seven last plagues.
God is not randomly striking things.
Every judgment has purpose.
Every bowl exposes something.
Every vial deals with something that cannot remain if the woman is going to be prepared for the Lamb.
The sixth vial specifically deals with the river that has sustained the old Babylonian consciousness.
Why?
Because that river has become a boundary.
YOU CANNOT WALK INTO A NEW REALM WHILE DRINKING FROM THE OLD ONE
This is the crisis of transition.
The woman cannot move into resurrection consciousness while continually receiving death-consciousness.
She cannot move into the pure Kingdom while continually drinking religious mixture.
She cannot move into the mind of Christ while continually being governed by the old Adam.
She cannot become the prepared Bride while Babylon continues supplying her inward life.
Something must dry.
EVERY TRANSITION REQUIRES THE END OF AN OLD DEPENDENCY
Israel could not return to Egypt every time the wilderness became uncomfortable.
At some point Egypt had to cease being an option.
Likewise, the woman must reach the place where Babylon is no longer an option.
Not because somebody forbids her to return.
But because revelation has changed her.
ONCE YOU HAVE TASTED THE PURE RIVER, THE OLD WATER CANNOT SATISFY YOU
The judgment becomes inward.
You hear something you once believed and recognize the mixture.
You encounter fear you once accepted and recognize that it does not carry the Father’s nature.
You hear death exalted and recognize that resurrection has another word.
You hear Adam speaking through religion and recognize that Christ speaks differently.
The river is drying inside you.
THIS IS HOW BABYLON FALLS VITALLY
Babylon is already declared fallen.
REVELATION 18:2
“Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen…”
That is the divine declaration.
But what has been legally accomplished and declared must become vitally manifested within a people.
The old system loses its inward authority.
The old voice loses its credibility.
The old river loses its ability to satisfy.
THE LEGAL VICTORY OF CHRIST BECOMES THE VITAL EXPERIENCE OF HIS PEOPLE
This principle runs throughout redemption.
Christ accomplished the victory.
Then the Spirit reveals the victory.
Then the victory becomes reality within a people.
Christ defeated the old man.
Yet the truth must become experiential.
Christ judged the world.
Yet that judgment must become revelation.
Christ conquered death.
Yet the life of the risen Christ must become manifested in His body.
THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES BRING THE FINISHED WORK INTO MANIFESTATION
They reveal Jesus Christ against everything still contradicting His finished work in the consciousness of the woman.
That is why these judgments are revelations.
They uncover Christ.
And when Christ is uncovered, everything contrary to Him is uncovered at the same time.
YOU CANNOT REVEAL LIGHT WITHOUT EXPOSING DARKNESS
You do not need two separate events.
Turn on the light.
Immediately the darkness is judged.
Reveal Christ.
Immediately Adam is exposed.
Reveal grace.
Condemnation is exposed.
Reveal life.
Death-consciousness is exposed.
Reveal the Kingdom.
Babylon is exposed.
THE BOWL OF REVELATION DOES NOT NEED TO ARGUE WITH THE RIVER
It simply pours.
Truth does not need permission from error.
Life does not negotiate with death.
The sunrise does not debate the darkness.
The light appears.
And the darkness loses its realm.
THIS IS WHY THE KINGS COME FROM THE EAST
The east is a perfect image.
The night can appear absolute at midnight.
Everything is dark.
Nothing in the darkness itself tells you morning is near.
Then the horizon begins changing.
At first there is only a little light.
But that little light announces something enormous:
THE NIGHT HAS LOST
The sun has not even reached its fullness in the sky.
Yet the first light already prophesies the end of darkness.
THE FIRSTFRUITS ARE GOD’S FIRST LIGHT
The manifested sons are not the entire harvest.
They are the firstfruits.
But firstfruits announce what is coming.
Their manifestation announces that resurrection life is not merely a doctrine.
It can become reality in a people.
Their manifestation says:
THE NIGHT IS ENDING.
THE FIRSTFRUITS DO NOT NEED TO BE THE WHOLE HARVEST TO PROVE THE HARVEST HAS BEGUN
One ripe portion is enough to announce the season.
That is the power of firstfruits.
The woman can look at the manifested sons and see something prophetic concerning herself.
What God has accomplished in the firstfruits reveals the direction of His purpose for the harvest.
THE SONS ARE NOT THE END—THEY ARE THE BEGINNING OF MANIFESTATION
This keeps the revelation from becoming exclusive.
God has not produced a small elite company merely to separate them permanently from everybody else.
He has produced firstfruits.
And firstfruits serve harvest.
The manifested sons become ministry.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST COME THROUGH THE PREPARED WAY AS MINISTERS OF WHAT THEY HAVE ENTERED
They have entered resurrection life.
Now they minister resurrection life.
They have entered throne government.
Now they minister the government of the Lamb.
They have entered the Melchizedek order.
Now they minister the power of endless life.
They have drunk from the river.
Now rivers flow from within them.
THE WAY OPENS FIRST FOR MINISTRY
This is a powerful thought.
God brings the priesthood through first because the priesthood must stand for the people.
At Jordan, the priests entered the water before the nation completed the crossing.
JOSHUA 3:17
“And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground…”
The priests stood.
The people crossed.
TRUE PRIESTHOOD DOES NOT CELEBRATE ITS CROSSING WHILE EVERYBODY ELSE REMAINS ON THE OTHER SIDE
It stands in the opening.
It holds the testimony.
It carries the presence.
It serves the crossing of others.
This is the nature of the Melchizedek ministry coming from the throne.
THE MANIFESTED SONS STAND IN THE OPEN WAY AS A TESTIMONY TO THE WOMAN
Their life says:
COME FORWARD.
Their revelation says:
THERE IS MORE.
Their resurrection says:
DEATH IS NOT THE FINAL BOUNDARY.
Their priesthood says:
THE WAY IS OPEN.
Their ministry says:
DRINK FROM ANOTHER RIVER.
THEY ARE NOT CALLING THE WOMAN TO THEMSELVES
They are calling her toward Christ.
This must remain absolutely clear.
The sons are not the destination.
The priesthood is not the destination.
The kings are not the destination.
CHRIST IS THE WAY
JOHN 14:6
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life…”
Everything is contained in those words.
THE WAY.
THE TRUTH.
THE LIFE.
The truth dries the false river.
The way becomes visible.
The life becomes the new supply.
And all three are Christ.
JESUS IS NOT MERELY SHOWING A WAY THROUGH THE EUPHRATES—HE IS THE WAY
This keeps the entire revelation centered correctly.
We are not teaching people to follow a new religious movement.
We are unveiling Christ.
We are not replacing one system with another.
We are unveiling Christ.
We are not moving people from one hierarchy into another.
We are unveiling Christ.
THE SIXTH VIAL REMOVES WHAT HAS OBSCURED CHRIST AS THE WAY
Babylon said:
“Our system is the way.”
Tradition said:
“Our interpretation is the way.”
Religion said:
“Our institution is the way.”
But Jesus said:
“I AM THE WAY.”
When that revelation comes, the old river begins drying.
CHRIST IS ALSO THE TRUTH THAT DRIES THE RIVER
A river of false understanding cannot survive the full revelation of Truth.
Jesus does not merely possess truth.
He is Truth.
Therefore, the greater His appearing within the woman, the less room remains for Babylonian mixture.
CHRIST IS ALSO THE LIFE THAT REPLACES THE RIVER
He does not merely remove error.
He supplies life.
This is why the woman will not be left thirsty.
The same Christ who exposes the old river becomes the life of the new creation.
COLOSSIANS 3:4
“Christ, who is our life…”
There is the destination of the sixth vial.
CHRIST OUR LIFE
Not Babylon our source.
Not Adam our identity.
Not death our destiny.
Not the wilderness our permanent condition.
Christ our life.
THE PREPARED WAY LEADS INTO THE LIFE OF THE SECOND MAN
1 CORINTHIANS 15:47
“The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.”
The sixth vial exposes the flow of the first man.
But the kings of the east manifest the government of the second Man.
The transition is from Adam to Christ.
THE WOMAN MUST PASS FROM THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE FIRST MAN INTO THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE SECOND
This is deeper than religious reform.
God is not merely teaching Adam better theology.
He is bringing the old consciousness to its end.
The new creation must govern.
The mind of Christ must govern.
Resurrection life must govern.
THE OLD MAN SEES A RIVER AND SAYS, “YOU CANNOT CROSS”
The new creation sees God preparing a way.
The old man sees death and says:
FINAL.
Christ says:
RESURRECTION.
The old man sees the wilderness and says:
THIS IS ALL THERE IS.
The Spirit says:
THERE IS FULLNESS.
The old man sees Babylon’s power and says:
IT WILL ALWAYS BE HERE.
Heaven says:
BABYLON IS FALLEN.
THE SIXTH VIAL CHANGES WHAT THE WOMAN BELIEVES IS POSSIBLE
That is a major part of her preparation.
Before she can walk in fullness, the limitations placed upon fullness must be judged.
Before she can drink from the river of life, the authority of the old river must be broken.
Before she can stand with the Lamb, Babylon’s intoxication must end.
THE PREPARED WAY IS ALSO A PREPARED CONSCIOUSNESS
God prepares the way outside by drying the river.
He prepares the woman inside by revelation.
Eventually the outward symbol and inward reality meet.
The obstruction is gone.
And the woman is ready to move.
RESURRECTION LIFE DOES NOT FORCE HER ACROSS
The priesthood ministers.
The truth reveals.
The river dries.
The way opens.
But the woman must respond.
This is why Revelation says:
REVELATION 19:7
“…his wife hath made herself ready.”
There is response.
There is participation.
There is preparation.
THE THRONE MINISTRY PREPARES—THE WOMAN RESPONDS—THE BRIDE EMERGES
This is the movement.
The sons minister.
The woman receives.
The old river dries.
The new river flows.
The old consciousness loses authority.
Christ becomes clearer.
The woman becomes ready.
THE BRIDE IS A WOMAN WHO HAS CROSSED OUT OF MIXTURE INTO SINGLENESS
Her heart belongs to the Lamb.
Her source is the throne.
Her life is Christ.
Her voice agrees with the Spirit.
That is why Revelation eventually says:
REVELATION 22:17
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.”
The woman has crossed.
THE PREPARED WAY HAS PRODUCED A PREPARED BRIDE
This is where the imagery reaches its beauty.
Revelation 16 says:
THE WAY IS PREPARED.
Revelation 19 says:
THE WIFE IS READY.
The prepared way serves the prepared people.
God removes the obstruction because He is bringing the woman somewhere.
THE JOURNEY IS FROM THE RIVER OF BABYLON TO THE RIVER OF LIFE
From confusion:
TO CLARITY.
From mixture:
TO PURITY.
From death:
TO LIFE.
From Adam:
TO CHRIST.
From wilderness preservation:
TO BRIDAL READINESS.
From Babylon’s government:
TO THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB.
THIS IS THE REVELATION OF THE SIXTH ANGEL
The bowl is the revelation of Jesus Christ.
The Euphrates is the Babylonian flow sustaining the old Adamic order.
The drying is the loss of that flow’s authority within God’s people.
The prepared way is the opening created by truth.
The east is the arising of resurrection life.
The kings are the king-priest order.
The throne is their realm.
The woman is the realm now being prepared.
The Bride is the purpose toward which the ministry moves.
EVERY SYMBOL POINTS TOWARD ONE GREAT PURPOSE
CHRIST MUST BECOME ALL IN HIS PEOPLE
When Christ becomes all, Babylon has nothing left to supply.
When Christ becomes all, Adam has nothing left to govern.
When Christ becomes all, death has no final word.
When Christ becomes all, the woman has become ready for the Lamb.
THE SIXTH ANGEL IS POURING UNTIL THE FALSE BOUNDARY DISAPPEARS
The river gets lower.
The old teachings lose power.
The old fears lose power.
The old traditions lose power.
The old death-consciousness loses power.
The old Adamic government loses power.
And beneath all that water something begins appearing:
THE WAY
The way was Christ.
The way is Christ.
The way will always be Christ.
THE RIVER DRIES UNTIL CHRIST ALONE STANDS AS THE WAY.
THE DARKNESS RETREATS UNTIL RESURRECTION LIFE STANDS AS THE NEW DAY.
THE FIRSTFRUITS COME FORTH UNTIL THE HARVEST CAN SEE WHAT GOD INTENDS.
THE PRIESTHOOD MINISTERS UNTIL THE WOMAN CAN DRINK DIRECTLY FROM THE THRONE.
THE JUDGMENTS WORK UNTIL THE WILDERNESS WOMAN BECOMES THE PREPARED BRIDE.
And when Babylon’s river has lost its authority, when the way stands open, and when the life of the throne fills the woman, the testimony of the sixth angel reaches its purpose:
THE WAY HAS BEEN PREPARED.
RESURRECTION LIFE HAS COME THROUGH.
AND THE WOMAN IS BEING MADE READY FOR THE LAMB.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
THE SIXTH VIAL REVEALS THE MINISTRY OF THE THRONE TOWARD THE REST OF THE WOMAN
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
There is one truth we must keep firmly before us as we bring the revelation of the sixth angel into its fullness:
WE MUST KNOW WHO IS POURING THE JUDGMENT AND WHO IS RECEIVING THE JUDGMENT
Without that distinction, the entire order becomes confused.
The man-child has already been born.
The manifested sons have already been caught up unto God and to His throne.
The firstfruits have already come forth.
The Melchizedek priesthood is already ministering from the throne realm.
Therefore, when we arrive at the seven last plagues, we are not watching God begin the work that produces the man-child.
We are watching:
THE MINISTRY OF THE THRONE TURN TOWARD THE REST OF THE WOMAN
The firstfruits have come forth.
But the harvest remains.
The sons have reached the throne.
But the woman remains in the wilderness.
And God has not forgotten her.
REVELATION 12:5–6
“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God…”
There are now two positions in the imagery.
The child is at the throne.
The woman is in the wilderness.
That distinction is essential.
THE THRONE AND THE WILDERNESS ARE NOT THE SAME REALM
The manifested sons have entered one realm.
The woman remains in another.
The sons have entered government.
The woman remains under preparation.
The sons have entered the firstfruits manifestation.
The woman represents the remainder that must yet be brought into maturity.
This is where the ministry of the seven angels becomes so important.
GOD DOES NOT TAKE THE FIRSTFRUITS AND ABANDON THE HARVEST
That would contradict the very meaning of firstfruits.
Firstfruits are never the entire harvest.
They are the beginning.
They are the promise.
They are the evidence that the harvest has arrived.
Therefore, when God brings forth a firstfruits company, His purpose is not finished.
THE FIRSTFRUITS BECOME A MINISTRY TO WHAT FOLLOWS
This is why the manifested sons must be understood as a priesthood.
Priesthood is never merely about personal attainment.
A priest stands in relation to others.
A priest ministers.
A priest serves.
A priest carries what belongs to God toward those for whom he ministers.
THE MELCHIZEDEK ORDER IS A MINISTRY OF LIFE
HEBREWS 7:15–16
“And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.”
What does this priesthood carry?
THE POWER OF AN ENDLESS LIFE
That is exactly what the woman needs.
She has lived within mortality.
She has known the earnest.
She has been preserved in the wilderness.
But the firstfruits have entered another order.
Now the priesthood ministers from that order toward her.
THE SONS DO NOT RETURN TO THE WOMAN WITH ANOTHER RELIGION
They come with life.
They do not come carrying another denomination.
They come carrying Christ.
They do not come with another human hierarchy.
They come with the government of the Lamb.
They do not come with another Babylonian river.
They come from the throne from which flows:
THE PURE RIVER OF WATER OF LIFE
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
Now we can see the two realms clearly.
The woman has been influenced by a Babylonian flow.
But the sons minister from another flow.
One river belongs to the old order.
The other proceeds from the throne.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS THE CONFRONTATION OF TWO FLOWS
The Euphrates has supplied Babylon.
The river of life proceeds from the throne.
The manifested sons belong to the throne.
The woman is being delivered from the influence of Babylon.
Therefore, when the sixth angel pours upon the Euphrates, the throne ministry is striking:
THE VERY SUPPLY THAT HAS KEPT THE WOMAN IN MIXTURE
This is why the judgment is mercy.
God is not attacking the woman.
He is attacking what has held the woman.
God is not trying to destroy the Bride.
He is preparing the Bride.
THE BOWL IS POURED FOR THE SAKE OF THE WOMAN
The river must dry because the woman must be free.
The Babylonian wine must lose its influence because the woman must become sober.
The old Adamic consciousness must lose its government because the woman must receive the mind of Christ.
The death-consciousness must be judged because the woman must hear the message of resurrection life.
THE PRIESTHOOD KNOWS WHAT THE WOMAN DOES NOT YET FULLY KNOW
Not because the sons are inherently superior.
But because firstfruits have entered something first.
That is what makes them firstfruits.
They have experienced the realm into which their ministry now points.
They have tasted the life.
They have entered the government.
They have experienced the judgment.
They have come through the transition.
YOU CANNOT MINISTER A REALM YOU HAVE NEVER ENTERED
The authority of the manifested sons comes from reality.
They do not merely teach freedom from Babylon.
Babylon has been judged in them.
They do not merely teach resurrection life.
Resurrection life has become their experience.
They do not merely teach throne government.
They minister from the throne.
WHAT GOD HAS DONE IN THE SONS BECOMES THE MESSAGE OF THE SONS
Their life becomes testimony.
Their manifestation becomes prophecy.
Their existence declares to the woman:
THERE IS ANOTHER REALM
There is another river.
There is another government.
There is another priesthood.
There is another consciousness.
There is another life.
THE WOMAN IS NOT BEING CALLED TO BECOME THE MAN-CHILD
This distinction must remain clear.
The man-child has already been brought forth.
That birth has already occurred in the prophetic order we are examining.
The woman is now being prepared in her own relationship to the Lamb.
She is being brought toward:
BRIDAL READINESS
The firstfruits and the Bride are connected in God’s purpose, but we should not collapse the symbols into one another.
THE SONS MINISTER—THE WOMAN IS PREPARED
The sons have a priestly function.
The woman has a bridal destiny.
The priesthood serves the preparation of the Bride.
This gives tremendous purpose to the vial judgments.
THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES ARE PART OF THE MINISTRY THAT MAKES THE WOMAN READY
REVELATION 19:7
“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”
She becomes ready.
Something has happened between the wilderness and the marriage.
Something has worked within her.
Something has removed mixture.
Something has changed her source.
Something has changed her consciousness.
THE JUDGMENTS PARTICIPATE IN THAT PREPARATION
The judgments expose what cannot enter bridal fullness.
They expose Babylon.
They expose beastly consciousness.
They expose the old Adam.
They expose death.
They expose mixture.
They expose false government.
Not to condemn the woman forever.
But to separate her from everything contrary to the Lamb.
THE BRIDE MUST BE PREPARED FOR THE NATURE OF THE ONE SHE WILL MEET
The Bridegroom is the Lamb.
Therefore, Lamb nature must be worked into her.
The Bridegroom is life.
Therefore, death cannot remain her governing consciousness.
The Bridegroom is truth.
Therefore, Babylonian mixture cannot remain her source.
The Bridegroom is pure.
Therefore, the river supplying impurity must dry.
THE SIXTH ANGEL GOES AFTER THE SOURCE BECAUSE GOD WANTS THE WOMAN WHOLE
If God merely corrected individual doctrines, the source could keep producing more mixture.
If He merely changed organizations, the old consciousness could build another Babylon.
If He merely changed vocabulary, the old nature could speak new words.
So God goes deeper.
HE DRIES THE RIVER
He deals with the source.
He judges the flow.
He confronts the consciousness that continually replenishes Babylon.
THE THRONE MINISTRY DOES NOT TRIM THE BRANCHES—IT LAYS THE AX TO THE SUPPLY
This is why the revelation of Jesus Christ is so powerful.
Christ does not merely give us better religious ideas.
Christ becomes the standard by which every idea is judged.
Christ does not merely repair Adam.
Christ reveals the end of Adam and the beginning of new creation.
Christ does not reform Babylon.
Christ reveals the Kingdom that makes Babylon obsolete.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS NOT RELIGIOUS REFORMATION
It is Kingdom transformation.
Reformation can rearrange Babylon.
Revelation dries the river.
Reformation can replace one system with another.
Revelation brings Christ.
Reformation can change outward forms.
Resurrection changes the life.
THE WOMAN NEEDS MORE THAN REFORMATION
She needs preparation.
She needs transformation.
She needs another river.
She needs the mind of Christ.
She needs the life of the Lamb.
She needs to hear the Spirit.
THIS IS WHY THE MINISTRY FLOWS FROM THE THRONE
The throne is not merely authority.
The throne is source.
REVELATION 22:1
“…proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
Government and life come from the same place.
The throne governs.
The throne flows.
This reveals the nature of God’s government.
GOD GOVERNS BY LIFE
Babylon governs through control.
The beast governs through fear.
Adam governs through the carnal mind.
But the throne releases:
WATER OF LIFE
God’s government gives life to what it governs.
That is the government the sons carry toward the woman.
THE PRIESTHOOD POURS JUDGMENT WITH ONE HAND AND MINISTERS LIFE WITH THE OTHER
These are not contradictions.
The same truth that destroys the lie gives life to the captive.
The same light that judges darkness gives sight to the blind.
The same revelation that dries Babylon’s river opens the river of life.
JUDGMENT AND LIFE ARE TWO EFFECTS OF THE SAME APPEARING
When Christ appears, Babylon is judged.
When Christ appears, the woman receives life.
When Christ appears, Adam loses government.
When Christ appears, the new creation arises.
When Christ appears, death is exposed.
When Christ appears, resurrection life is manifested.
THE DIFFERENCE IS NOT IN THE CHRIST WHO APPEARS—THE DIFFERENCE IS IN WHAT HIS APPEARING MEETS
To darkness, He is judgment.
To the captive, He is liberty.
To Babylon, He is destruction.
To the Bride, He is preparation.
To death, He is defeat.
To the new creation, He is life.
THE SIXTH ANGEL CARRIES THAT APPEARING TO THE RIVER
The bowl is poured.
The truth enters the flow.
The Babylonian supply begins disappearing.
And the woman begins hearing another voice.
THE VOICE FROM THE THRONE DOES NOT SOUND LIKE BABYLON
Babylon says:
REMAIN DEPENDENT.
The throne says:
MATURE.
Babylon says:
FEAR.
The throne says:
LOVE.
Babylon says:
DEATH IS YOUR FINAL DESTINY.
The throne says:
CHRIST IS YOUR LIFE.
Babylon says:
DRINK FROM MY CUP.
The throne says:
TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY.
THE WOMAN IS LEARNING TO RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO VOICES
This is part of preparation.
She must distinguish the Bridegroom’s voice from Babylon’s voice.
She must distinguish the river of life from the Euphrates.
She must distinguish the Lamb from the beast.
She must distinguish Christ from Adam.
MATURITY IS THE ABILITY TO DISCERN THE SOURCE
A babe can hear religious language and assume everything spoken in religious language comes from God.
Maturity asks:
WHAT SPIRIT IS THIS OF?
What nature does it reveal?
What life does it produce?
What government does it establish?
Does it produce Christ?
Does it produce liberty?
Does it produce maturity?
Does it produce life?
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD TRAINS THE WOMAN TO DISCERN LIFE
Because the priesthood itself ministers from endless life.
Its message carries the nature of its realm.
It is not teaching the woman merely to memorize doctrine.
It is helping her recognize the voice and nature of Christ.
EVENTUALLY THE WOMAN NO LONGER NEEDS SOMEONE TO TELL HER WHICH RIVER IS WHICH
She knows the taste.
She knows the voice.
She knows the Lamb.
She knows the Spirit.
This is maturity.
THE PURPOSE OF TRUE MINISTRY IS TO MAKE ITSELF UNNECESSARY AS A MEDIATOR
Not unnecessary as fellowship.
Not unnecessary as service.
But unnecessary as a barrier between God and His people.
Christ is the Mediator.
The priesthood brings the woman into direct participation with Him.
THE WOMAN MUST HEAR THE BRIDEGROOM
Jesus said:
JOHN 10:27
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
His voice.
Not Babylon’s.
Not Adam’s.
Not fear’s.
Not death’s.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS CLEARING THE NOISE SO THE WOMAN CAN HEAR THE LAMB
As the old river dries, the old voices weaken.
The intoxication lifts.
The mind clears.
The Bridegroom becomes visible.
And the woman begins moving toward readiness.
THIS IS HOW THE WOMAN BECOMES THE BRIDE
Not by changing labels.
Not because somebody simply declares her mature.
Not because she joins the manifested sons.
She becomes ready through transformation.
She comes into agreement with the Lamb.
She receives His life.
She receives His nature.
She drinks from His river.
THE WOMAN WHO HEARS THE BRIDEGROOM EVENTUALLY SPEAKS WITH THE SPIRIT
REVELATION 22:17
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.”
That is the mature result.
The priesthood ministered.
The judgment worked.
The river dried.
The mixture lost its hold.
The woman drank from another river.
And now:
THE BRIDE SPEAKS THE LANGUAGE OF THE SPIRIT
This is the success of the throne ministry.
The sons do not stand around saying:
“Listen to us forever.”
They rejoice because the woman has learned to hear Him.
She has become ready.
She has become a vessel.
She has become ministry.
THE FIRSTFRUITS HAVE SERVED THE HARVEST
That is Kingdom order.
The first serves the rest.
The mature serves the immature.
The priest serves the people.
The king governs for liberation.
The son reveals the Father.
THE MANIFESTED SONS ARE NOT GOD’S FINAL PURPOSE
They are essential to His purpose.
But they serve something larger.
God’s purpose moves toward a prepared Bride.
It moves toward a creation liberated from corruption.
It moves toward all things gathered in Christ.
It moves toward God filling all things.
THE THRONE MINISTRY MUST THEREFORE KEEP FLOWING OUTWARD
The river does not circle endlessly around the throne.
It proceeds from the throne.
That word is important:
PROCEEDING
Life moves outward.
The government of God moves outward.
The ministry moves outward.
The firstfruits move toward the harvest.
THE SEVEN VIALS ARE THE THRONE MOVING TOWARD THE WOMAN
Not physically leaving the throne.
But extending its judgment, revelation, and life into the realm where the woman remains.
The sixth vial strikes one of the deepest things holding her:
THE RIVER THAT HAS FED BABYLONIAN CONSCIOUSNESS
When that river dries, a tremendous change occurs.
The woman begins receiving from the throne instead of Babylon.
CHANGE THE RIVER AND YOU CHANGE THE WOMAN
Change the source and you change the consciousness.
Change the consciousness and you change the voice.
Change the voice and the Bride begins speaking with the Spirit.
This is why the sixth vial is so important.
GOD IS NOT MERELY DRYING A RIVER.
HE IS PREPARING A WOMAN.
HE IS NOT MERELY JUDGING BABYLON.
HE IS MAKING READY A BRIDE.
HE IS NOT MERELY MANIFESTING SONS.
HE IS USING THE SONS AS A PRIESTHOOD TOWARD THE REST OF HIS PURPOSE.
The man-child has already been caught up.
The throne has already received the firstfruits.
The Melchizedek priesthood has already arisen in the power of endless life.
Now the ministry turns outward.
The bowl is poured.
The Euphrates dries.
The way opens.
The resurrection order ministers.
The woman awakens.
And the Bride is prepared.
THE THRONE DOES NOT FORGET THE WILDERNESS.
THE FIRSTFRUITS DO NOT FORGET THE HARVEST.
THE PRIESTHOOD DOES NOT FORGET THE PEOPLE.
THE SONS DO NOT FORGET THE WOMAN.
The very reason they have come into fullness first is so that the life of the throne can flow through them toward those who remain.
And therefore the revelation of the sixth angel becomes more than the drying of the Euphrates.
It becomes:
THE MINISTRY OF RESURRECTION LIFE FROM THE THRONE TOWARD THE WOMAN UNTIL SHE IS READY FOR THE LAMB.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
THE FIRSTFRUITS MINISTER UNTIL THE WOMAN CAN STAND IN THE SAME LIFE
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
We have established the order.
The man-child has already been brought forth.
The manifested sons have already been caught up unto God and to His throne.
The Melchizedek priesthood has already arisen in the power of an endless life.
The firstfruits have already entered the realm from which they can minister.
And the woman remains in the wilderness under the dealings and preparation of God.
Now we must ask an important question:
WHY DID GOD BRING FORTH THE FIRSTFRUITS FIRST?
Why sons before the remainder?
Why a firstfruits company before the harvest?
Why a priesthood entering fullness while the woman is still undergoing preparation?
The answer reveals the heart of God.
THE FIRSTFRUITS COME FIRST SO THEY CAN SERVE WHAT COMES AFTER THEM
First does not mean only.
First means there is more to follow.
A firstfruit is not the rejection of the harvest.
It is the promise of the harvest.
It is evidence that the season has arrived.
It is God’s announcement that what has appeared first will not remain alone.
ROMANS 8:23
“And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit…”
The language of firstfruits always points beyond itself.
Firstfruits testify concerning fullness.
GOD NEVER INTENDED THE FIRSTFRUITS TO BECOME A SELF-CENTERED COMPANY
The manifested sons do not come forth so they can admire their attainment.
They do not enter the throne so they can forget the woman.
They do not receive resurrection life so they can separate themselves permanently from those still struggling in mortality.
They do not become priests for themselves.
PRIESTHOOD EXISTS FOR OTHERS
This is one of the great safeguards in understanding the manifested sons.
If our revelation of sonship produces superiority, we have misunderstood sonship.
If our revelation of kingship produces domination, we have misunderstood kingship.
If our revelation of priesthood produces self-exaltation, we have misunderstood priesthood.
The Son of God Himself revealed the pattern.
MARK 10:45
“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister…”
That is the nature of the Son.
THE MATURE SERVE THE IMMATURE
The strong bear the infirmities of the weak.
The enlightened help those who cannot yet see.
The liberated minister liberty to the captive.
The one who has crossed stands in the opening for those who are still crossing.
That is Kingdom order.
THE MANIFESTED SONS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORTH FOR MINISTRY
Their manifestation is not merely an event to be celebrated.
It begins a responsibility.
Creation has been waiting for them.
ROMANS 8:19
“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”
Why is creation waiting?
Because something happens when the sons are manifested.
CREATION DOES NOT WAIT MERELY TO LOOK AT THE SONS
Creation waits for liberty.
ROMANS 8:21
“Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
There is the purpose.
DELIVERANCE.
LIBERTY.
The manifestation of the sons is connected with the liberation of others.
SONSHIP BECOMES MINISTRY
What God has done in the sons begins flowing outward.
Their liberty ministers liberty.
Their life ministers life.
Their revelation ministers revelation.
Their victory ministers victory.
Their resurrection consciousness ministers resurrection consciousness.
THE THRONE IS NOT A DEAD-END STREET
Everything does not flow toward the throne and stop.
Something flows out.
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
The river is:
PROCEEDING.
It moves outward.
The throne becomes the source of ministry.
WHAT GOD ESTABLISHES IN THE THRONE FLOWS TOWARD THE CREATION
That is why the seven angels can carry the bowls.
The throne has a ministry toward the earth.
The revelation of Jesus Christ moves outward.
The judgment moves outward.
The river of life moves outward.
And the priesthood moves outward in ministry.
THE WOMAN IS THE IMMEDIATE REALM OF PREPARATION
The woman brought forth the man-child.
Now the man-child has reached the throne.
But the woman remains in the wilderness.
God has preserved her.
God has fed her.
God has prepared a place for her.
She belongs to Him.
And because she belongs to Him:
HE WILL NOT LEAVE HER IN MIXTURE
This is where the judgments become beautiful.
They are severe toward what holds her because God is committed to her preparation.
LOVE WILL NOT LEAVE THE WOMAN WHERE LOVE FOUND HER
God loves her too much to leave Babylon’s river flowing through her consciousness.
He loves her too much to leave death governing her expectation.
He loves her too much to leave Adam defining her identity.
He loves her too much to leave religious mixture determining her understanding of Christ.
Therefore, the bowl is poured.
THE JUDGMENT IS THE MINISTRY OF LOVE AGAINST EVERYTHING THAT PREVENTS FULLNESS
We must understand this.
Love does not approve captivity.
Love breaks captivity.
Love does not protect the lie because somebody has believed it for generations.
Love reveals truth.
Love does not preserve Babylon because people are comfortable there.
Love says:
REVELATION 18:4
“Come out of her, my people…”
Notice again:
MY PEOPLE.
The judgment against Babylon is not hatred toward God’s people.
It is evidence that they belong to Him.
GOD CLAIMS HIS PEOPLE WHILE THEY ARE STILL COMING OUT
That is powerful.
He does not say:
“Come out, and then perhaps you will become My people.”
He says:
“COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE.”
They are His.
But they are somewhere they should not remain.
Therefore, the voice calls them out.
THE MANIFESTED SONS CARRY THAT CALL IN THE POWER OF RESURRECTION LIFE
They do not merely say:
“Babylon is wrong.”
They manifest another realm.
This is more powerful than argument.
They show what life outside Babylon looks like.
They reveal what happens when Christ becomes the source.
They reveal what happens when the river of life replaces the Euphrates.
THE GREATEST JUDGMENT AGAINST A FALSE ORDER IS THE MANIFESTATION OF THE TRUE ORDER
You can argue against darkness all night.
Or the sun can rise.
The sunrise settles the argument.
You can preach against death endlessly.
Or resurrection life can appear.
You can describe Babylon’s failure.
Or the Kingdom can be manifested.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST ARE GOD’S ANSWER TO THE OLD GOVERNMENT
They arise with the sunrise.
They carry the government of life.
They stand in the Melchizedek order.
They manifest a priesthood that does not depend upon the old Adamic system.
Their authority comes from:
THE POWER OF AN ENDLESS LIFE
The woman sees them.
And suddenly the boundaries of possibility change.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THEM BECOMES A PROPHECY TO HER
The sons have crossed.
Therefore, there is a way.
The sons have entered life.
Therefore, death is not the final boundary.
The sons have reached the throne.
Therefore, the wilderness is not the final realm.
The sons have entered Melchizedek priesthood.
Therefore, the old religious order is not the final priesthood.
THE FIRSTFRUITS ARE A LIVING ANNOUNCEMENT OF WHAT GOD CAN DO
This is why firstfruits are so powerful.
They do not merely tell you harvest is coming.
Their existence proves the harvest has begun.
THE WOMAN MUST SEE THE POSSIBILITY OF FULLNESS BEFORE SHE CAN BE PREPARED FOR FULLNESS
For generations, the church has been taught limitation.
She has been taught to expect death.
She has been taught to postpone fullness.
She has been taught that certain promises belong only to another age.
She has been taught that the wilderness condition is normal Christianity.
Then the manifested sons appear.
THEIR VERY EXISTENCE CHALLENGES THE THEOLOGY OF LIMITATION
The woman looks at them and must confront a new question:
IF GOD HAS DONE THIS IN THE FIRSTFRUITS, WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THE HARVEST?
That question begins breaking Babylonian boundaries.
THE FIRSTFRUITS DO NOT SAY, “BECOME US”
They reveal Christ.
The woman has her own place in God’s purpose.
She is being prepared as the Bride.
Therefore, the ministry of the sons is not to reproduce their exact symbolic identity in her.
It is to minister the same Christ.
The same life.
The same truth.
The same purity.
The same government of God.
DIFFERENT SYMBOLS CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE SAME LIFE
The sons are sons.
The Bride is Bride.
The priesthood is priesthood.
The kings are kings.
But the life is one.
CHRIST IS THE LIFE OF THEM ALL
This is where unity comes.
Not by destroying every distinction of function.
But by filling every function with the same Christ.
THE WOMAN MUST COME INTO THE SAME LIFE EVEN THOUGH HER SYMBOLIC PURPOSE IS DIFFERENT
The sons cannot live from resurrection while the Bride lives from Babylon.
The sons cannot drink from the throne while the Bride drinks from the Euphrates.
The sons cannot carry the mind of Christ while the Bride remains governed by Adam.
The life must become common.
THE RIVER OF LIFE CREATES THE COMMON LIFE
One river.
One source.
One throne.
One Lamb.
Many vessels.
This is God’s order.
THE FIRSTFRUITS DRINK FIRST—THEN THE HARVEST DRINKS
The firstfruits have entered the life.
Now the priesthood ministers that life toward the woman.
And eventually the woman no longer merely receives from the sons.
She drinks directly from the Source.
THAT IS THE GOAL OF TRUE MINISTRY
The sons do not want the woman permanently dependent upon them.
True ministry does not create permanent spiritual infancy.
It matures.
EPHESIANS 4:12–13
“For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come…”
Notice:
TILL WE ALL COME
Ministry has a goal.
Maturity.
Fullness.
A people coming into Christ.
THE PRIESTHOOD MINISTERS UNTIL THE WOMAN CAN STAND
Not forever crawling.
Not forever dependent.
Not forever needing somebody else to hear God for her.
Not forever drinking from another person’s revelation.
She must know the Lamb.
THE WOMAN MUST HEAR HIS VOICE FOR HERSELF
JOHN 10:27
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
This is where ministry is taking her.
From hearing only what somebody says about Christ:
TO HEARING CHRIST.
From drinking only from somebody else’s cup:
TO DRINKING FROM THE RIVER.
From receiving life only through another vessel:
TO HAVING THE WELL WITHIN.
THE NEW COVENANT PUTS THE SOURCE WITHIN
JOHN 4:14
“…the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
There it is again.
IN HIM.
The life becomes inward.
BABYLON FEARS THIS KIND OF PEOPLE
Because people with the river inside cannot easily be controlled by external religious systems.
People who know the Lamb do not need Babylon to define Him.
People who hear the Spirit do not need Babylon to tell them what God is saying.
People governed by Christ within cannot easily be ruled by fear without.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS PRODUCING A PEOPLE BABYLON CANNOT FEED
The old river dries.
But something more radical happens:
The woman loses her appetite for it.
She has tasted life.
She has tasted truth.
She has seen Christ.
She has encountered the river from the throne.
YOU CANNOT KEEP A MATURE BRIDE AT BABYLON’S TABLE
She knows another feast.
She knows another cup.
She knows another river.
She knows another Bridegroom.
THE WOMAN IS BEING PREPARED TO STAND WITH THE LAMB
REVELATION 19:7
“…the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”
Ready.
Not dependent.
Ready.
Not intoxicated.
Ready.
Not confused.
Ready.
Not divided between two rivers.
THE BRIDE IS A WOMAN WHO HAS COME INTO SINGLENESS
One Bridegroom.
One life.
One source.
One Spirit.
One government.
Christ.
THE MINISTRY OF THE FIRSTFRUITS CONTINUES UNTIL THAT SINGLENESS APPEARS
The sons pour judgment against mixture.
They minister truth.
They minister life.
They reveal Christ.
They expose Babylon.
They demonstrate resurrection.
But their work has a purpose:
THE WOMAN MUST BECOME READY
THE FIRSTFRUITS REJOICE WHEN THE HARVEST NO LONGER NEEDS TO BE TREATED AS IMMATURE
This is the joy of ministry.
A father rejoices when the child matures.
A teacher rejoices when the student understands.
A priest rejoices when the people know God.
The mature do not fear the maturity of others.
Babylon does.
BABYLON NEEDS PEOPLE TO REMAIN BABES
Babes can be controlled.
Babes depend upon others for everything.
Babes cannot discern.
Babes accept whatever is placed before them.
But God’s purpose is maturity.
THE THRONE MINISTRY IS NOT BUILDING A NURSERY—IT IS PREPARING A BRIDE
That requires maturity.
Discernment.
Identity.
Life.
Union.
Agreement with the Spirit.
THE BRIDE EVENTUALLY BECOMES MINISTRY HERSELF
This is the beautiful ending.
REVELATION 22:17
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come…”
The woman who once needed ministry is now ministering.
The woman who once needed to hear is now speaking.
The woman who once needed water is now inviting others to drink.
THIS IS THE PROOF THAT THE PRIESTHOOD HAS DONE ITS WORK
The Bride has a voice.
And her voice agrees with the Spirit.
She does not merely repeat the voice of the sons.
She speaks in union with the Spirit.
“THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY, COME.”
What began in the firstfruits has spread.
The river has moved.
The life has multiplied.
The woman has matured.
The Bride has arisen.
THE FIRSTFRUITS HAVE SERVED THEIR PURPOSE WHEN THE HARVEST CARRIES THE SAME LIFE
That is the Kingdom.
Not a few living while everybody else watches.
Life spreading.
Liberty spreading.
Truth spreading.
Resurrection spreading.
The knowledge of God spreading.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS PART OF THAT GREAT TRANSFER
The old river loses its water.
The woman loses her dependence upon Babylon.
The kings of the east have a prepared way.
The priesthood ministers from resurrection life.
The woman receives.
The Bride matures.
And the same river that flowed from the throne begins flowing through a prepared people.
THIS IS WHY THE SONS CAME FIRST.
THIS IS WHY THE PRIESTHOOD ENTERED THE THRONE.
THIS IS WHY THE SIXTH ANGEL POURED HIS BOWL.
THIS IS WHY THE EUPHRATES HAD TO DRY.
Not so a small company could boast that it had arrived.
But so God’s life could move outward.
Toward the woman.
Toward the Bride.
Toward creation.
THE FIRSTFRUITS ARE FOR THE HARVEST.
THE PRIESTHOOD IS FOR THE PEOPLE.
THE THRONE IS THE SOURCE OF THE RIVER.
THE RIVER IS FOR THE THIRSTY.
And the ministry continues until the woman who once stood in the wilderness can stand in the life of the Lamb and join the Spirit’s invitation:
“WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
THE SIXTH VIAL PREPARES THE WOMAN TO BECOME A MINISTRY OF LIFE TO CREATION
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
The revelation of the sixth angel continues to widen.
We began with a river.
Then we discovered the city the river sustained.
We saw Babylon sitting upon many waters.
We saw the golden cup from which the nations drank.
We saw the old Adamic consciousness flowing through peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
Then the sixth angel poured the revelation of Jesus Christ upon that river.
The water began to dry.
The way of the kings of the east was prepared.
The resurrection order appeared.
The manifested sons ministered from the throne.
The Melchizedek priesthood turned toward the woman.
And the woman began to be prepared for the Lamb.
But even the preparation of the Bride is not the end of God’s purpose.
GOD PREPARES THE BRIDE SO LIFE CAN CONTINUE FLOWING OUTWARD
The woman does not move from the wilderness into bridal readiness merely for herself.
The same principle we have established concerning the manifested sons now begins appearing in the Bride.
The sons receive life and minister life.
The Bride receives life and eventually ministers life.
God does not produce spiritual reservoirs that keep everything they receive.
He produces rivers.
JOHN 7:38
“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
The direction is outward.
EVERYTHING GOD FILLS HE INTENDS TO FLOW THROUGH
The throne is full of life.
The river proceeds from the throne.
The sons receive life.
Life flows through the sons.
The woman receives life.
The Bride eventually joins the Spirit in offering life to others.
This is the movement of the Kingdom.
LIFE RECEIVED BECOMES LIFE RELEASED
This is why maturity is so important.
Babes primarily receive.
Mature ones begin giving.
Babes must be fed.
Mature ones become capable of feeding others.
Babes require ministry.
Mature ones become ministry.
The purpose of God is not to keep the woman in perpetual infancy.
THE WOMAN MUST BECOME WHAT THE SONS HAVE BEEN TO HER
The manifested sons have ministered life toward the woman.
But eventually the woman becomes the Bride, and the Bride begins ministering life toward others.
The pattern reproduces.
The mature serve those coming behind them.
THE KINGDOM ADVANCES THROUGH MATURITY SERVING IMMATURITY
This is not hierarchy.
It is service.
The one who sees helps the one who cannot yet see.
The one who walks helps the one who is learning to walk.
The one who has crossed reaches back toward the one approaching the river.
The one who has drunk says:
COME AND DRINK.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE SEE AT THE END OF REVELATION
REVELATION 22:17
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
Notice the order.
First:
THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY, COME.
Then:
LET HIM THAT HEARETH SAY, COME.
Then:
LET HIM THAT IS ATHIRST COME.
Then:
WHOSOEVER WILL.
The invitation keeps expanding.
THE RIVER CREATES AN EVER-WIDENING MINISTRY
The Spirit speaks.
The Bride joins the Spirit.
The one who hears joins the invitation.
The thirsty come.
The water is offered freely.
This is multiplication.
GOD IS NOT BUILDING A CLOSED PRIESTHOOD
He is releasing life.
The Melchizedek priesthood is not a spiritual aristocracy.
The manifested sons are not a closed circle possessing something God refuses to share.
They are firstfruits.
And firstfruits point toward harvest.
THE PURPOSE OF FIRSTFRUITS IS MULTIPLICATION
If you find the first ripe grain in a field, you do not say:
“This one stalk is the entire harvest.”
You rejoice because the first ripe grain announces what is happening throughout the field.
The firstfruits say:
THE HARVEST HAS BEGUN.
THE MANIFESTED SONS ARE THE BEGINNING OF A GREATER RELEASE OF LIFE
They come forth first.
They enter the throne first.
They minister from resurrection life first.
But the purpose is not to keep resurrection life confined to them.
The river flows outward.
THE WOMAN RECEIVES WHAT THE FIRSTFRUITS CARRY
She receives revelation.
She receives judgment.
She receives correction.
She receives life.
She receives the ministry of the throne.
And gradually Babylon’s influence dries within her.
THE OLD RIVER DRIES AS THE NEW RIVER FILLS HER
This is important.
Deliverance is not merely subtraction.
It is replacement.
Babylon goes.
Christ fills.
Mixture goes.
Truth fills.
Death-consciousness goes.
Resurrection life fills.
The old Adam loses government.
The mind of Christ fills the consciousness.
GOD DOES NOT EMPTY THE WOMAN AND LEAVE HER EMPTY
Jesus warned concerning an empty house.
God’s purpose is fullness.
The old must go because the new must fill.
The Euphrates dries because another river must become the woman’s supply.
THE RIVER OF LIFE FILLS WHAT BABYLON ONCE OCCUPIED
This is complete deliverance.
Not merely:
“I no longer believe the lie.”
But:
I KNOW THE TRUTH.
Not merely:
“I am no longer under condemnation.”
But:
I KNOW MY RIGHTEOUSNESS IN CHRIST.
Not merely:
“I have left Babylon.”
But:
I HAVE ENTERED THE KINGDOM.
Not merely:
“I reject death-consciousness.”
But:
CHRIST IS MY LIFE.
KINGDOM JUDGMENT ALWAYS MOVES TOWARD POSITIVE FULLNESS
God’s answer to darkness is light.
God’s answer to death is life.
God’s answer to Adam is Christ.
God’s answer to Babylon is the Kingdom.
God’s answer to the Euphrates is the river of life.
THE WOMAN MUST BECOME FULL OF WHAT SHE WILL EVENTUALLY MINISTER
She cannot offer water she has never drunk.
She cannot reveal Christ she does not know.
She cannot minister resurrection life while death governs her consciousness.
She cannot invite others out of Babylon while Babylon still controls her inward world.
Therefore, preparation precedes ministry.
GOD PREPARES BEFORE HE SENDS
This is a principle throughout Scripture.
Moses was prepared before confronting Pharaoh.
David was prepared before occupying the throne.
The disciples were prepared before being sent to the nations.
The sons are prepared before ministering from the throne.
The woman is prepared before becoming the Bride who says:
COME.
THE WILDERNESS WAS PART OF HER PREPARATION
We should not despise the wilderness.
God prepared a place there.
REVELATION 12:6
“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God…”
God preserved her there.
But preservation is not the final purpose.
The wilderness protects something that God intends later to bring forth.
GOD PRESERVED THE WOMAN BECAUSE HE INTENDED TO USE THE WOMAN
She was not preserved merely to survive.
She was preserved for purpose.
The Bride must emerge.
The Bride must mature.
The Bride must speak.
The Bride must minister.
THE WOMAN WHO ONCE FLED EVENTUALLY SAYS “COME”
Look at the transformation.
In Revelation 12 she is fleeing.
In Revelation 19 she is ready.
In Revelation 22 she is speaking.
FLEEING.
READY.
SPEAKING.
That is development.
That is maturity.
That is preparation.
THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES STAND BETWEEN THE WILDERNESS WOMAN AND THE SPEAKING BRIDE
This helps us understand their place.
The judgments are not detached from God’s purpose for the woman.
They participate in the transformation.
Everything contrary to the Lamb is exposed.
Everything Babylonian is judged.
Everything beastly is revealed.
Every false source is confronted.
THE SIXTH VIAL DEALS WITH THE WOMAN’S SUPPLY SO HER VOICE CAN CHANGE
This is profound.
What you drink eventually affects what you say.
Babylon’s cup produces Babylon’s voice.
The river of life produces the Spirit’s voice.
Therefore, if the Bride will eventually say what the Spirit says, she must first drink what comes from the Spirit.
CHANGE THE RIVER AND EVENTUALLY YOU CHANGE THE VOICE
The woman once spoke from mixture.
Then the Euphrates dries.
She drinks from the throne.
The life of Christ fills her.
The mind of Christ governs her.
Eventually:
THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY THE SAME THING
This is not imitation.
It is union.
The Bride is not memorizing what the Spirit said and repeating it mechanically.
The same life is producing the same testimony.
ONE LIFE PRODUCES ONE VOICE
This is true spiritual unity.
Not organizational unity.
Not denominational unity.
Not everybody signing the same statement.
Not everybody belonging to the same religious structure.
One life.
One Spirit.
One Lamb.
One river.
And therefore:
ONE VOICE
BABYLON CANNOT PRODUCE THAT UNITY
Babylon means confusion.
It can create organizations.
It can create creeds.
It can create external agreement.
But it cannot create the unity that comes from one divine life flowing through a people.
Only Christ can produce that.
THE RIVER OF LIFE CREATES ORGANIC UNITY
Every vessel drinks from the same Source.
Every member receives from the same Head.
Every part lives by the same Christ.
Then unity is not forced.
It grows out of shared life.
THE BRIDE’S VOICE IS THE EVIDENCE THAT THE RIVER HAS REACHED HER
She says:
COME.
And what does she invite the thirsty toward?
REVELATION 22:17
“…let him take the water of life freely.”
The Bride has learned the river.
She knows where life is.
She knows what satisfies thirst.
She knows what Babylon could never supply.
THE BRIDE DOES NOT INVITE THE THIRSTY TO HERSELF
This is another mark of maturity.
She says:
COME TO THE WATER.
She does not say:
“Come become dependent upon me.”
She points toward the same Source that transformed her.
TRUE MINISTRY ALWAYS REPRODUCES ACCESS TO GOD
Babylon controls access.
The Kingdom opens access.
Babylon sells what it claims to possess.
The Bride says:
FREELY
That word destroys the Babylonian economy.
REVELATION 22:17
“…let him take the water of life freely.”
No religious price.
No hierarchy controlling the river.
No Babylonian merchant owning the supply.
THE WATER OF LIFE CANNOT BE OWNED BY BABYLON
It proceeds from the throne.
No denomination owns it.
No ministry owns it.
No apostle owns it.
No prophet owns it.
No manifested son owns it.
No Bride owns it.
God is the Source.
The Lamb is the Source.
THE PRIESTHOOD STEWARDS WHAT IT DOES NOT OWN
This protects the heart of ministry.
The sons can pour because they received.
But they cannot claim ownership.
The Bride can invite because she has drunk.
But she cannot sell the river as though it originated in her.
THE KINGDOM SAYS, “FREELY YE HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE”
MATTHEW 10:8
“…freely ye have received, freely give.”
That is Kingdom economics.
Babylon trades.
The Kingdom gives.
Babylon turns spiritual things into merchandise.
The Kingdom ministers grace.
THE BRIDE BECOMES THE OPPOSITE OF BABYLON
Babylon holds a cup.
The Bride offers living water.
Babylon intoxicates.
The Bride brings clarity.
Babylon enslaves.
The Bride invites.
Babylon trades.
The Bride says:
FREELY.
Babylon sits upon peoples.
The Bride serves peoples.
THIS IS THE TRANSFORMATION THE JUDGMENTS ARE PRODUCING
The woman does not merely leave Babylon geographically.
Babylon’s nature is removed from her.
She no longer acts like the system from which she came.
This is crucial.
YOU HAVE NOT FULLY COME OUT OF BABYLON IF YOU REPRODUCE BABYLON AFTER YOU LEAVE
You can reject an organization and still control people.
You can reject hierarchy and still exalt yourself.
You can reject religious merchandising and still make merchandise of revelation.
You can condemn Babylon and still carry Babylon’s nature.
The sixth vial goes deeper.
THE RIVER MUST DRY WITHIN
The source must change.
Only then can the nature change.
Only then can the ministry change.
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD MODELS THE NEW ORDER
It ministers from endless life.
It does not minister from death.
It blesses.
It serves.
It carries the nature of the King of righteousness and peace.
The woman encounters that ministry and learns another way.
THE BRIDE LEARNS MINISTRY FROM THE LAMB
Ultimately, Christ Himself is her pattern.
The Lamb gives Himself.
The Lamb lays down His life.
The Lamb serves.
The Lamb loves.
The Lamb liberates.
Therefore, a Bride prepared for the Lamb must carry Lamb nature.
THE WOMAN CANNOT BECOME THE BRIDE MERELY BY HAVING CORRECT REVELATION
Revelation must become nature.
Truth must become life.
Doctrine must become character.
The river must flow through the whole being.
THE BRIDE IS NOT MERELY A WOMAN WHO KNOWS THE TRUTH—SHE HAS BECOME AN EXPRESSION OF THE TRUTH
She knows the Lamb.
She carries His nature.
She agrees with His Spirit.
She ministers His water.
That is maturity.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS PREPARING HER FOR THIS MINISTRY
The Euphrates dries.
Babylon’s supply ends.
The kings of the east have a prepared way.
The resurrection priesthood comes through.
The river from the throne ministers life.
The woman drinks.
The woman changes.
The woman matures.
The Bride emerges.
Then something wonderful happens:
THE MINISTERED-TO BECOMES THE MINISTER
The woman who received now gives.
The woman who listened now speaks.
The woman who drank now invites.
The woman who was prepared now participates in preparing others.
THIS IS HOW THE KINGDOM MULTIPLIES
Not by permanent dependency.
By maturity.
The sons mature the woman.
The woman becomes the Bride.
The Bride ministers toward the thirsty.
The one who hears then says:
COME.
The invitation keeps spreading.
“LET HIM THAT HEARETH SAY, COME”
The one who hears does not remain silent.
Life reproduces ministry.
The river keeps flowing outward.
THE THRONE IS MOVING TOWARD CREATION THROUGH A PEOPLE
This is the great picture.
The throne is the Source.
The river proceeds.
The sons become vessels.
The Bride becomes a vessel.
Those who hear become voices.
The thirsty receive.
The water spreads.
GOD IS FILLING CREATION THROUGH THE FLOW OF HIS LIFE
This is why creation waited for the manifestation of the sons.
The sons were the opening.
They were the firstfruits.
But God’s purpose was always larger than them.
THE FIRSTFRUITS OPEN INTO THE HARVEST
The harvest opens into ministry.
The Bride joins the Spirit.
The invitation reaches:
WHOSOEVER WILL
The circle keeps widening.
THE SIXTH ANGEL IS NOT MERELY DRYING SOMETHING—HE IS MAKING ROOM FOR THIS EXPANSION OF LIFE
The old river must go because it carries another nature.
Babylon’s flow must end because the pure river must have free course.
The old government must fall because the Lamb’s government must spread.
THE EUPHRATES NARROWS.
THE RIVER OF LIFE WIDENS.
BABYLON’S VOICE WEAKENS.
THE BRIDE’S VOICE STRENGTHENS.
THE OLD ADAM LOSES GOVERNMENT.
CHRIST BECOMES THE LIFE OF THE PEOPLE.
THE WOMAN WHO ONCE NEEDED DELIVERANCE BECOMES A MINISTER OF DELIVERANCE.
This is God’s order.
This is maturity.
This is the purpose of priesthood.
And this is where the sixth vial ultimately points us:
THE RIVER FROM THE THRONE WILL NOT STOP WITH THE SONS.
IT WILL FLOW INTO THE WOMAN.
IT WILL PREPARE THE BRIDE.
IT WILL FLOW THROUGH THE BRIDE.
AND THE INVITATION OF LIFE WILL GO FORTH TO CREATION:
“WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
THE DRYING OF THE EUPHRATES PREPARES THE WOMAN TO HEAR ONLY THE VOICE OF THE LAMB
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
There is something deeper in the drying of the Euphrates than the ending of a false religious supply.
The river has carried teachings.
It has carried traditions.
It has carried the consciousness of the old Adam.
It has sustained Babylon.
But everything flowing through that river eventually produces something else:
A VOICE
Every kingdom has a voice.
Every order speaks.
Every river carries a message concerning the nature of the realm from which it flows.
Babylon speaks.
The old Adam speaks.
Death speaks.
The Spirit speaks.
The Lamb speaks.
And the woman must learn to know the difference.
THE PREPARATION OF THE BRIDE IS ALSO THE PURIFICATION OF HER HEARING
The woman cannot be ready for the Lamb while she continually confuses the voice of Babylon with the voice of God.
She cannot come into full agreement with the Spirit while the voice of the old Adam continues governing her understanding.
Therefore, the sixth vial must deal with more than what she drinks.
It must ultimately deal with what she hears.
THE RIVER THAT FEEDS YOU WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME THE VOICE THAT GUIDES YOU
Drink from fear and fear begins speaking.
Drink from condemnation and condemnation begins interpreting God.
Drink from religious tradition and tradition begins telling you what Scripture is allowed to mean.
Drink from death-consciousness and death begins telling you what God cannot do.
Drink from Babylon long enough and Babylon’s voice can begin sounding like God’s voice.
That is the danger of mixture.
BABYLON DOES NOT HAVE TO DENY GOD TO MISREPRESENT GOD
Religious Babylon can speak about God.
It can quote Scripture.
It can use the name of Jesus.
It can speak about salvation.
It can speak about heaven.
It can speak about judgment.
Yet mixture can remain within the message.
That is why spiritual maturity requires discernment.
THE QUESTION IS NOT MERELY, “DID SOMEBODY QUOTE A SCRIPTURE?”
The question is:
WHAT LIFE IS FLOWING THROUGH THE INTERPRETATION?
What nature does it reveal?
What image of the Father does it produce?
What consciousness does it establish?
What government does it strengthen?
Does it reveal Christ?
Or does it strengthen the old Adam?
JESUS SAID HIS SHEEP WOULD KNOW HIS VOICE
JOHN 10:27
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
This is relationship.
The sheep know the Shepherd.
They recognize His voice.
And because they recognize His voice:
THEY FOLLOW HIM
This is where the woman is being brought.
Not merely into better religious information.
Into recognition of the Lamb.
THE BRIDE MUST KNOW THE VOICE OF HER BRIDEGROOM
Someone else cannot know Him for her.
The manifested sons can reveal Him.
The priesthood can minister Him.
The seven angels can pour the judgments that remove mixture.
But ultimately the woman herself must know:
HIS VOICE
This is bridal preparation.
THE SIXTH VIAL SILENCES ONE VOICE BY DRYING ITS SOURCE
This is a powerful principle.
If the river stops flowing, eventually the sound of the river disappears.
The Euphrates has made noise in the consciousness of the church for generations.
Tradition has spoken loudly.
Fear has spoken loudly.
Mortality has spoken loudly.
Religious systems have spoken loudly.
But the sixth angel pours.
The water begins dropping.
And as the river dries:
THE VOICE OF THE OLD ORDER BEGINS LOSING ITS AUTHORITY
The woman hears something she once accepted automatically.
But now she recognizes:
THAT IS NOT THE VOICE OF THE LAMB.
That recognition is judgment.
DISCERNMENT IS ONE OF THE FRUITS OF MATURITY
HEBREWS 5:14
“But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age… who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
The mature discern.
They do not merely receive everything presented to them.
Their senses have been exercised.
The woman must mature into that discernment.
BABES CAN BE FED ALMOST ANYTHING
A babe depends upon another person to determine what is placed before him.
That is natural in the beginning.
But it is dangerous as a permanent spiritual condition.
God does not intend His church to remain perpetually unable to discern.
THE PRIESTHOOD IS MATURING THE WOMAN UNTIL SHE CAN DISCERN THE RIVER FOR HERSELF
The manifested sons are not simply telling her:
“This is Babylon.”
“This is not Babylon.”
“This is God.”
“This is not God.”
If that remained permanent, she would simply exchange one dependency for another.
True ministry does something greater.
TRUE MINISTRY DEVELOPS DISCERNMENT IN THE PEOPLE
It reveals Christ so clearly that the people begin recognizing what does not sound like Him.
It reveals life so clearly that death-consciousness becomes recognizable.
It reveals grace so clearly that condemnation becomes recognizable.
It reveals the Kingdom so clearly that Babylon becomes recognizable.
YOU DISCERN THE COUNTERFEIT BEST BY KNOWING THE TRUE
This is why the revelation of Jesus Christ is central.
The priesthood does not need to catalog every possible religious error.
Reveal Christ.
When Christ becomes clear, the woman gains a measuring line.
THE LAMB BECOMES THE STANDARD BY WHICH EVERY VOICE IS JUDGED
Does this sound like the Lamb?
Does this reveal His nature?
Does this agree with His finished work?
Does this produce life?
Does this produce liberty?
Does this produce righteousness?
Does this produce peace?
Does this produce maturity?
THE WOMAN IS LEARNING TO MEASURE EVERYTHING BY CHRIST
Not by tradition.
Not by popularity.
Not by age.
Not because:
“We have always believed this.”
Not because:
“Our fathers taught this.”
Not because:
“Everybody in our movement says this.”
CHRIST IS THE MEASURE
This is devastating to Babylon.
Because Babylon depends upon inherited authority.
It depends upon people accepting something because someone before them accepted it.
But revelation asks:
DOES IT AGREE WITH JESUS CHRIST?
When that question becomes alive within a people, the Euphrates begins drying quickly.
THE REVELATION OF CHRIST BREAKS GENERATIONAL RELIGIOUS CONTROL
A teaching may be hundreds of years old and still be mixture.
Age does not make something truth.
A doctrine may have millions of followers and still contain Adamic reasoning.
Numbers do not make something truth.
A religious institution may possess tremendous earthly influence and still drink from Babylon’s river.
Influence does not make something truth.
JESUS CHRIST IS TRUTH
JOHN 14:6
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life…”
There is our standard.
THE WAY.
THE TRUTH.
THE LIFE.
The sixth vial deals with all three.
The false river dries.
The way is prepared.
Truth exposes the mixture.
Life comes through.
THE WOMAN IS MOVING FROM HEARING ABOUT TRUTH TO KNOWING TRUTH
This is maturity.
At first we hear what others say.
Then the Spirit begins opening Christ within us.
Eventually revelation becomes inward conviction.
THE NEW COVENANT WRITES TRUTH WITHIN
HEBREWS 8:10
“I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts…”
God writes inwardly.
The woman is being moved from external religious control into inward Kingdom government.
WHEN GOD WRITES THE TRUTH IN YOUR HEART, BABYLON CANNOT ERASE IT
A system may disagree.
Tradition may disagree.
Popular theology may disagree.
But revelation has become life.
You no longer merely believe something because another person told you.
You see Christ.
THIS IS WHAT MAKES THE BRIDE STABLE
She cannot be tossed endlessly by every religious current.
She has found the river from the throne.
She has heard the Bridegroom.
She knows His voice.
THE RIVER OF LIFE HAS A VOICE
It says:
LIFE.
It says:
COME.
It says:
DRINK.
It says:
FREELY.
Look at the difference between that voice and Babylon’s.
Babylon controls.
The river invites.
Babylon sells.
The river says:
FREELY.
Babylon intoxicates.
The river gives life.
THE NATURE OF THE VOICE REVEALS THE NATURE OF THE SOURCE
That is discernment.
The woman learns to listen beneath religious terminology.
What is the source?
What river is flowing?
What nature is being communicated?
THE LAMB’S VOICE CARRIES THE LAMB’S NATURE
Jesus said:
MATTHEW 11:29
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart…”
The Lamb’s government does not sound like Babylon’s domination.
His authority does not require intimidation.
His truth does not need manipulation.
His life does not produce bondage.
THE MANIFESTED SONS MUST SPEAK WITH THE SAME NATURE
This is crucial.
If the sons claim to minister from the throne but speak with Babylon’s nature, something is wrong.
If they dominate the woman, they are reproducing Babylon.
If they demand dependence, they are reproducing Babylon.
If they exalt themselves, they are reproducing Babylon.
THE THRONE MINISTRY MUST SOUND LIKE THE LAMB
The bowl may contain severe judgment against mixture.
But the vessel must carry the nature of Christ.
Truth can be uncompromising without becoming Babylonian.
Judgment can be powerful without becoming carnal condemnation.
THE PURPOSE IS LIBERATION
The river is being dried because captives must become free.
The woman is being corrected because she must become ready.
The mixture is being exposed because purity must appear.
THE PRIESTHOOD IS NOT ANGRY WITH THE WOMAN FOR BEING IN THE WILDERNESS
God prepared a place for her there.
The priesthood understands the divine order.
The woman has been preserved.
Now she must be matured.
The firstfruits do not despise those who have not yet entered what they have entered.
MATURITY NEVER DESPISES IMMATURITY
Maturity serves it.
A father does not despise a child because the child cannot yet walk.
He helps the child stand.
A teacher does not despise the student because the student does not yet understand.
The teacher teaches.
A priest does not despise the one needing ministry.
He ministers.
THE MANIFESTED SONS ARE SERVANTS OF THE WOMAN’S PREPARATION
Their revelation serves her.
Their judgment serves her.
Their life serves her.
Their priesthood serves her.
Their throne position serves her.
THE HIGHER THE REALM, THE GREATER THE RESPONSIBILITY TO SERVE
Jesus revealed this perfectly.
LUKE 22:26
“…he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.”
That is Kingdom greatness.
Babylon says:
“The higher you rise, the more people serve you.”
The Kingdom says:
“The higher you rise, the more capable you become of serving others.”
THE THRONE PRODUCES SERVANTS
This seems contradictory only to the carnal mind.
But the Lamb is in the throne.
The One governing creation is the One who gave Himself.
Therefore, true throne ministry carries sacrificial love.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST ARE SERVANT-KINGS
They rule in life.
They minister liberty.
They carry the Melchizedek order.
Their kingship and priesthood cannot be separated.
The king governs.
The priest serves.
In Christ, both become one ministry.
THEY RULE OVER WHAT HAS RULED OVER THE PEOPLE
This is the nature of their authority.
They rule over death.
They rule over Babylonian consciousness.
They rule over the carnal mind.
They rule over the powers that have held creation in corruption.
But toward the captive:
THEY MINISTER LIFE
THE WOMAN HEARS THE DIFFERENCE
She has heard Babylonian authority.
It demanded.
It controlled.
It condemned.
It frightened.
Then she encounters Lamb authority.
It reveals.
It liberates.
It gives life.
It matures.
And she begins recognizing:
THIS IS THE VOICE OF MY BRIDEGROOM
Now preparation accelerates.
THE MORE CLEARLY SHE HEARS THE LAMB, THE LESS SHE CAN HEAR BABYLON AS AUTHORITY
Babylon may still speak.
But she no longer recognizes Babylon’s voice as governing truth.
That is the difference.
The voice has lost authority.
THE EUPHRATES CAN STILL HAVE A MEMORY AFTER ITS WATER IS GONE
The riverbed may remain.
Old structures may remain.
Old terminology may remain.
Old memories may remain.
But the water that gave them power has dried.
Likewise, remnants of old religious thinking may appear for a season.
But once the source has been judged, those remnants no longer possess the same life.
GOD IS DRYING THE SOURCE, NOT MERELY HIDING THE SYMPTOMS
Eventually the whole old order becomes unsustainable.
Babylon cannot continue without its river.
THE WOMAN BECOMES INCREASINGLY RESPONSIVE TO THE SPIRIT
As the old voice weakens, the Spirit becomes clearer.
Not because the Spirit suddenly began speaking.
He was always speaking.
The mixture was interfering with her hearing.
SOMETIMES GOD DOES NOT NEED TO SPEAK LOUDER—HE NEEDS TO SILENCE WHAT WE HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO
That is the sixth vial.
The Euphrates dries.
The noise diminishes.
The Bridegroom becomes clear.
THE WOMAN WHO HEARS CLEARLY CAN NOW ANSWER CLEARLY
This brings us again to Revelation 22.
REVELATION 22:17
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.”
How can they speak together?
Because the Bride has learned the Spirit’s voice.
She has come into agreement.
HER VOICE IS NOW AN ECHO OF THE LIFE WITHIN HER
Not religious imitation.
Not memorized doctrine.
Not institutional programming.
The same river is flowing.
Therefore, the same invitation comes forth.
“COME.”
One word contains the nature of the Kingdom.
Not:
“Stay away.”
Not:
“You are unworthy.”
Not:
“The water belongs only to us.”
But:
COME
THE BRIDE’S VOICE OPENS WHAT BABYLON’S VOICE CLOSED
Babylon created barriers.
The Bride extends invitation.
Babylon controlled access.
The Bride says:
COME.
Babylon made merchandise.
The Bride says:
FREELY.
Babylon kept people dependent.
The Bride points them directly to the water.
THE WOMAN HAS BECOME THE OPPOSITE OF THE SYSTEM THAT ONCE INFLUENCED HER
That is true deliverance.
She does not merely leave Babylon.
Babylon leaves her.
Its nature is gone.
Its voice is gone.
Its river is gone.
Its government is gone.
NOW THE LAMB CAN BE HEARD THROUGH HER
This is bridal ministry.
The Bride speaks with the Spirit because the Lamb’s nature has been formed within her.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS PREPARING A VOICE
The bowl strikes the river.
The river dries.
The mixture loses supply.
The woman becomes sober.
Her hearing clears.
She recognizes the Lamb.
She receives the river of life.
The life becomes inward.
Her voice changes.
And eventually:
THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SPEAK TOGETHER
This is more than doctrinal agreement.
This is union of life.
ONE RIVER.
ONE LIFE.
ONE SPIRIT.
ONE BRIDEGROOM.
ONE VOICE.
The sixth angel is not merely drying the Euphrates.
He is participating in the preparation of a woman who will no longer speak from Babylon’s river.
She will speak from the throne.
BABYLON’S RIVER IS DRYING.
BABYLON’S VOICE IS WEAKENING.
THE LAMB’S VOICE IS BECOMING CLEAR.
THE WOMAN IS LEARNING TO HEAR.
THE BRIDE IS LEARNING TO SPEAK.
And when the preparation reaches its fullness, the voice that comes forth from the woman will no longer carry the confusion of Babylon.
It will agree with the Spirit:
“COME.”
“LET HIM THAT IS ATHIRST COME.”
“AND WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY.”
The river has changed.
The voice has changed.
And the woman is becoming ready for the Lamb.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
THE SIXTH VIAL PREPARES THE BRIDE TO STAND AS THE OPPOSITE OF BABYLON
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
The revelation of the sixth angel has brought two women before us.
One woman is associated with Babylon.
The other woman is being prepared for the Lamb.
One woman carries a golden cup.
The other eventually offers the water of life.
One woman intoxicates the nations.
The other joins the Spirit and says:
COME.
One is sustained by the flow of the old Adamic world.
The other receives her life from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
These two women reveal two completely different orders.
BABYLON AND THE BRIDE CANNOT DRINK FROM THE SAME RIVER
This is where the sixth vial becomes intensely personal.
The woman in the wilderness cannot become the prepared Bride while continuing to receive her life from Babylon’s flow.
The river must dry.
The mixture must be exposed.
The intoxication must end.
The woman must become sober.
The Bride must know one Bridegroom.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS A JUDGMENT AGAINST EVERYTHING COMPETING WITH THE LAMB
REVELATION 17:1–2
“Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”
Babylon produces intoxication.
She affects perception.
She affects judgment.
She affects understanding.
That is what intoxication does.
A drunk person does not see clearly.
Therefore, Babylon’s wine is an appropriate symbol for religious mixture.
MIXTURE DISTORTS THE WAY A PEOPLE SEE GOD
If you drink condemnation long enough, you begin seeing a condemning God.
If you drink fear long enough, you begin seeing a God who must constantly be feared rather than a Father who brings sons into maturity.
If you drink death-consciousness long enough, you begin interpreting every promise through the expectation of death.
If you drink Babylon long enough, Babylon can become the lens through which you read the Scriptures.
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST SOBERS THE WOMAN
Suddenly she sees clearly.
She sees the Father in the Son.
She sees grace.
She sees the finished work.
She sees new creation.
She sees resurrection life.
She sees the eternal purpose.
She sees the difference between the river of Babylon and the river proceeding from the throne.
TRUTH SOBERS WHAT BABYLON INTOXICATED
That is judgment.
The sixth angel pours the bowl of the revelation of Jesus Christ upon the river.
And the water begins drying.
As the water dries, Babylon loses her ability to keep the woman intoxicated.
THE BRIDE MUST BE SOBER BECAUSE SHE MUST RECOGNIZE HER BRIDEGROOM
This is not merely about correct doctrine.
This is about relationship.
The woman must know Him.
She must hear His voice.
She must recognize His nature.
She must know what belongs to Him and what does not.
THE LAMB WILL NOT SHARE HIS BRIDE WITH BABYLON
The issue is singleness.
Paul expressed this concern.
2 CORINTHIANS 11:2–3
“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
But I fear, lest by any means… your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
Notice the language:
ONE HUSBAND
And:
THE SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST
Babylon is confusion.
Christ is singleness.
Babylon multiplies competing voices.
Christ gathers everything into Himself.
BRIDAL PREPARATION IS A RETURN TO SINGLENESS
One Husband.
One Head.
One Life.
One Spirit.
One Source.
One river.
CHRIST
The woman does not need Babylon and Christ.
She does not need Adam and Christ.
She does not need death-consciousness and resurrection life.
She does not need the Euphrates and the river of life.
THE SIXTH VIAL FORCES THE ISSUE OF SOURCE
Where are you drinking?
What is sustaining you?
What consciousness governs you?
What voice defines God for you?
What river is shaping your expectation?
The bowl is poured directly upon that question.
GOD DOES NOT MERELY WANT THE WOMAN TO LEAVE BABYLON—HE WANTS BABYLON OUT OF THE WOMAN
Physical separation is not enough.
Organizational separation is not enough.
Changing denominations is not enough.
Changing terminology is not enough.
Babylon must lose its inward supply.
YOU CAN COME OUT OF A SYSTEM AND STILL CARRY THE SYSTEM WITHIN YOU
Israel came out of Egypt in one night.
But Egypt did not come out of Israel in one night.
Their bodies crossed the Red Sea.
Their consciousness required further dealings.
They repeatedly remembered Egypt.
They remembered its food.
They remembered what had been familiar.
DELIVERANCE FROM A PLACE CAN HAPPEN BEFORE DELIVERANCE FROM ITS CONSCIOUSNESS
That is why the wilderness becomes a place of dealing.
And that helps us understand the woman.
She is in a wilderness prepared by God.
The wilderness is not Babylon.
But Babylonian influence can still require judgment within her.
GOD USES THE WILDERNESS TO BREAK DEPENDENCE UPON THE OLD SUPPLY
Israel could no longer depend upon Egypt’s supply.
God gave manna.
God brought water from the rock.
The source changed.
Likewise, the woman must learn:
MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE
Her life cannot depend upon the old order.
She must learn the sufficiency of God.
THE WILDERNESS EXPOSES WHAT WE STILL THINK WE NEED
That is one of its purposes.
When the old supply disappears, our dependency becomes visible.
Israel said:
“Let us go back.”
Why?
Because Egypt still existed within their memory as a source.
THE SIXTH VIAL SAYS THERE IS NO GOING BACK TO THE OLD RIVER
The Euphrates dries.
God is removing the option.
Not because He wants the woman thirsty.
But because He wants her to discover:
ANOTHER RIVER
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
The Bride does not need Babylon’s river.
She has the throne.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BABYLON AND THE BRIDE IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO SOURCES
Babylon draws from below.
The Bride receives from above.
Babylon carries the consciousness of the old Adam.
The Bride carries the mind of Christ.
Babylon intoxicates.
The Bride gives life.
Babylon takes.
The Bride gives.
Babylon makes merchandise.
The Bride says:
FREELY.
BABYLON HAS A GOLDEN CUP—THE BRIDE HAS LIVING WATER
REVELATION 17:4
“…having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations…”
Then Revelation 22 gives us another picture:
REVELATION 22:17
“…whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
What a contrast.
TWO WOMEN.
TWO DRINKS.
TWO MINISTRIES.
TWO RESULTS.
Babylon gives wine that intoxicates.
The Bride offers water that gives life.
WHAT BABYLON GIVES MAKES PEOPLE LESS ABLE TO SEE
What the Bride gives opens their eyes.
Babylon clouds.
Christ reveals.
Babylon confuses.
Christ clarifies.
Babylon binds.
Christ liberates.
THE WOMAN MUST FIRST BE DELIVERED FROM THE CUP BEFORE SHE CAN OFFER THE WATER
This is why preparation precedes ministry.
You cannot give pure water while still drinking mixture.
The vessel must be cleansed.
The consciousness must be purified.
The source must become single.
THE JUDGMENT OF THE SIXTH ANGEL IS PREPARING A PURE VESSEL
The river dries.
The woman becomes sober.
The voice of Babylon weakens.
The voice of the Lamb becomes clear.
The woman receives the river from the throne.
Then what she receives begins flowing through her.
THE BRIDE BECOMES A VESSEL OF THE VERY LIFE THAT PREPARED HER
This is God’s pattern.
The comforted become comforters.
The liberated become ministers of liberty.
The healed become witnesses of healing.
The matured become ministers of maturity.
The woman who has been brought out becomes a voice saying:
COME OUT
And then:
COME AND DRINK
There are two movements.
Come out of Babylon.
Come unto the water of life.
TRUE DELIVERANCE ALWAYS HAS A “FROM” AND A “TO”
God did not merely bring Israel out of Egypt.
He was bringing them into inheritance.
Likewise, God does not merely call His people out of Babylon.
He calls them into Christ.
Out of confusion:
INTO TRUTH.
Out of bondage:
INTO LIBERTY.
Out of Adam:
INTO NEW CREATION.
Out of death:
INTO LIFE.
Out of the old river:
INTO THE RIVER FROM THE THRONE.
IF WE PREACH ONLY “COME OUT,” WE HAVE PREACHED HALF THE MESSAGE
People need to know what they are coming into.
Christ.
The Kingdom.
The new creation.
Resurrection life.
The river of God.
The fullness of divine purpose.
THE MANIFESTED SONS CARRY BOTH SIDES OF THE MESSAGE
Their judgment says:
COME OUT.
Their life says:
COME IN.
Their bowl exposes Babylon.
Their priesthood ministers Christ.
Their authority dries the old river.
Their life reveals the new river.
THIS IS WHY THE KINGS OF THE EAST ARE NOT MERELY DESTROYERS
They come as king-priests.
Kingship brings government.
Priesthood brings ministry.
They carry authority against captivity and life toward the captive.
THEY ARE TERRIBLE TO BABYLON AND MERCIFUL TO THE WOMAN
That distinction must remain.
The judgment is against what holds her.
The ministry is toward her.
The sons do not confuse the captive with the captivity.
JESUS NEVER CONFUSED THE SICK PERSON WITH THE SICKNESS
He opposed the sickness.
He loved the person.
He opposed the bondage.
He liberated the captive.
He opposed the religious spirit.
He called the people to Himself.
This is Lamb judgment.
THE THRONE MINISTRY MUST HAVE THE SAME NATURE
Otherwise it becomes another Babylon.
If judgment produces arrogance, we have missed the Lamb.
If revelation produces superiority, we have missed the Lamb.
If sonship produces contempt for the woman, we have missed the purpose of sonship.
THE TRUE SON REVEALS THE FATHER
Jesus said:
JOHN 14:9
“…he that hath seen me hath seen the Father…”
The manifested sons must reveal the same nature.
Their ministry toward the woman must reveal the Father’s heart.
THE FATHER WANTS HIS WOMAN READY
He wants her free.
He wants her sober.
He wants her mature.
He wants her filled.
He wants her hearing clearly.
He wants her standing in union with the Lamb.
THIS IS WHY THE JUDGMENT IS SO THOROUGH
God is not satisfied with partial freedom.
A little Babylon remaining can still reproduce Babylon.
A little mixture can still contaminate the cup.
A little death-consciousness can still establish limitation.
So the river is not merely reduced.
The prophetic word says:
“THE WATER THEREOF WAS DRIED UP”
The source loses its power.
GOD IS AFTER COMPLETE DELIVERANCE FROM THE OLD SUPPLY
The Bride must not need Babylon.
She must not need its river.
She must not need its government.
She must not need its identity.
She must not need its approval.
THE BRIDE’S SECURITY IS IN THE BRIDEGROOM
She knows whom she belongs to.
That knowledge frees her from the need to seek identity from religious systems.
BABYLON BUILDS IDENTITY AROUND THE SYSTEM
“What denomination are you?”
“What movement are you?”
“Who ordained you?”
“What group do you belong to?”
But bridal identity answers another question:
WHOSE ARE YOU?
I belong to the Lamb.
THE BRIDE IS DEFINED BY RELATIONSHIP, NOT INSTITUTION
She is His.
This is the simplicity that is in Christ.
One Husband.
One Bridegroom.
One Life.
THE DRYING OF THE EUPHRATES REMOVES COMPETING SOURCES OF IDENTITY
The woman stops defining herself by Babylon.
She stops defining herself by the wilderness.
She stops defining herself by her immaturity.
She stops defining herself by Adam.
She begins seeing herself in relation to the Lamb.
YOU CANNOT PREPARE FOR MARRIAGE WHILE CONTINUALLY IDENTIFYING WITH YOUR FORMER CAPTIVITY
The identity must change.
Egypt cannot remain Israel’s identity.
Babylon cannot remain the woman’s identity.
Mortality cannot remain the new creation’s identity.
Christ must become the defining reality.
THE BRIDE IS A CHRIST-CONSCIOUS PEOPLE
Her consciousness is centered in Him.
Her expectation comes from Him.
Her identity comes from Him.
Her life comes from Him.
Her voice agrees with His Spirit.
THIS IS THE OPPOSITE OF BABYLON
Babylon centers everything around the system.
The Bride centers everything around the Lamb.
Babylon says:
“Look at the city.”
The Bride says:
“BEHOLD THE LAMB.”
Babylon glorifies the works of man.
The Bride glorifies Christ.
Babylon builds upward from earth.
The Bride receives what proceeds from the throne.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS TRANSFERRING THE CENTER OF THE WOMAN’S CONSCIOUSNESS
From the old city:
TO THE LAMB.
From the Euphrates:
TO THE RIVER OF LIFE.
From Adam:
TO CHRIST.
From mortality:
TO RESURRECTION.
From wilderness identity:
TO BRIDAL IDENTITY.
WHEN THE CENTER CHANGES, EVERYTHING CHANGES
Her worship changes.
Her expectation changes.
Her speech changes.
Her ministry changes.
Her relationship with others changes.
Her understanding of judgment changes.
Her understanding of God changes.
THE BRIDE BEGINS TO LOOK LIKE THE BRIDEGROOM
That is the ultimate preparation.
Not merely agreeing with His doctrines.
Bearing His nature.
THE LAMB PREPARES A LAMB-NATURED BRIDE
She does not become beastly while fighting the beast.
She does not become Babylonian while judging Babylon.
She does not become controlling while preaching liberty.
She does not become condemning while preaching grace.
SHE OVERCOMES THE OLD ORDER BY MANIFESTING ANOTHER NATURE
That is Kingdom victory.
Light overcomes darkness by shining.
Life overcomes death by living.
Truth overcomes error by being revealed.
The Lamb overcomes the beast by remaining the Lamb.
THE BRIDE MUST OVERCOME BABYLON WITHOUT BECOMING BABYLON
This is one of the final tests of maturity.
It is easy to recognize another system’s control.
It is harder to recognize control when it tries to operate through us.
It is easy to condemn another group’s hierarchy.
It is harder to recognize self-exaltation within our own ministry.
The sixth vial judges the river wherever it flows.
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST JUDGES BABYLON IN US BEFORE IT JUDGES BABYLON THROUGH US
The vessel must be clean.
The priesthood must carry the Lamb.
The Bride must carry the Lamb.
Otherwise the old river simply receives a new religious name.
GOD IS NOT RENAMING BABYLON.
GOD IS BRINGING FORTH THE BRIDE.
The distinction is absolute.
One drinks from the old river.
The other drinks from the throne.
One intoxicates.
The other gives life.
One enslaves.
The other says:
COME.
One makes merchandise.
The other says:
FREELY.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS SEPARATING THESE TWO WOMEN IN CONSCIOUSNESS
Babylon loses her hold.
The woman becomes sober.
The Lamb becomes clear.
The Bridegroom’s voice becomes unmistakable.
The river of life becomes her source.
And eventually she stands completely opposite the system that once influenced her.
SHE NO LONGER HOLDS BABYLON’S CUP.
SHE OFFERS THE WATER OF LIFE.
SHE NO LONGER SPEAKS BABYLON’S CONFUSION.
SHE SPEAKS WITH THE SPIRIT.
SHE NO LONGER DEPENDS UPON THE EUPHRATES.
SHE DRINKS FROM THE THRONE.
SHE NO LONGER BELONGS TO THE OLD ADAMIC WORLD.
SHE BELONGS TO THE LAMB.
This is what the sixth angel is helping prepare.
Not merely a dry river.
Not merely fallen Babylon.
But:
A SOBER WOMAN.
A PURE WOMAN.
A MATURE WOMAN.
A WOMAN WITH ONE BRIDEGROOM.
A BRIDE WHO CARRIES THE LIFE AND NATURE OF THE LAMB.
And when the Euphrates has lost its power within her, she can finally stand with the Spirit and offer creation what Babylon could never give:
“LET HIM THAT IS ATHIRST COME.”
“AND WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY.”
CONCLUSION
THE SIXTH ANGEL DRIES THE RIVER OF BABYLON SO THE WAY OF RESURRECTION LIFE CAN BE REVEALED
REVELATION 16:12
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
We began this book with one verse.
One angel.
One vial.
One river.
One drying.
One prepared way.
And one company of kings arising from the east.
But within that single verse we have discovered an extraordinary revelation of the purpose of God.
The great river Euphrates is far more than a geographical river in the prophetic language of Revelation.
It reveals a flow.
A supply.
A consciousness.
A system of life that has sustained Babylon and fed the old Adamic world.
And when the sixth angel pours his vial upon that river, God is dealing with the source.
GOD DOES NOT MERELY JUDGE BABYLON—HE DRIES THE RIVER THAT KEEPS BABYLON ALIVE
This is the depth of the sixth vial.
God goes beneath the outward structure.
Beneath the organization.
Beneath the traditions.
Beneath the religious language.
Beneath the systems men have built.
He reaches the flow that sustains them.
Because if the river remains, Babylon can rebuild.
If the consciousness remains, another system can arise.
If the old Adam remains the source, changing religious forms accomplishes very little.
THE AX MUST BE LAID TO THE ROOT
The river must dry.
The source must be judged.
The consciousness must change.
The revelation of Jesus Christ must penetrate all the way to the place from which the old order receives its life.
THE SIXTH ANGEL CARRIES A BOWL OF THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
The bowl is judgment because Christ Himself is the standard.
When Christ is revealed, everything contrary to Him is exposed.
When light appears, darkness is judged.
When life appears, death is judged.
When truth appears, mixture is judged.
When the Kingdom appears, Babylon is judged.
When the second Man appears, the first Adam loses his claim to government.
THE JUDGMENT IS IN THE APPEARING
The sixth angel does not need to manufacture destruction.
He pours the bowl.
Christ is revealed.
And the old river cannot survive the revelation.
WHEN TRUTH WALKS INTO THE ROOM, THE EUPHRATES BEGINS TO DRY
That has been one of the great truths running throughout this entire teaching.
Truth does not merely disagree with Babylon.
Truth removes Babylon’s supply.
The revelation of Jesus Christ exposes the mixture that has fed the consciousness of God’s people.
And once the mixture is exposed, it can no longer nourish them in the same way.
WHAT ONCE FED YOU CAN NO LONGER FEED YOU AFTER YOU HAVE SEEN CHRIST
What once satisfied you becomes empty.
What once sounded spiritual begins revealing its mixture.
What once appeared to be the voice of God begins revealing the voice of religious tradition.
What once seemed to be an uncrossable boundary begins revealing itself as a river whose water can be dried.
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST CHANGES THE ENTIRE LANDSCAPE
And that is precisely what the sixth vial does.
THE EUPHRATES IS CONNECTED WITH BABYLON
Throughout Scripture the Euphrates is associated with kingdoms, boundaries, captivity, and the Babylonian world.
Natural Babylon was sustained by the Euphrates.
Without the river, the city lost its great natural supply and defense.
The prophetic imagery is unmistakable.
Spiritual Babylon also requires a river.
Something must feed her.
Something must sustain her.
Something must keep her consciousness alive among the peoples.
REVELATION 17 SHOWS US THE WATERS
REVELATION 17:15
“The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
There is the Adamic world.
Peoples.
Multitudes.
Nations.
Tongues.
Humanity living within the old creation order and influenced by the systems flowing through it.
Babylon sits upon those waters.
She exercises influence through them.
She feeds them.
And they, in turn, sustain her.
BABYLON AND THE ADAMIC WORLD FEED ONE ANOTHER
The old consciousness builds the system.
Then the system reinforces the old consciousness.
The river feeds the city.
The city distributes the river.
The cycle continues.
Until:
THE SIXTH ANGEL POURS HIS VIAL
God interrupts the cycle.
THE GOLDEN CUP AND THE GREAT RIVER REVEAL THE SAME BABYLONIAN FLOW THROUGH DIFFERENT IMAGERY
REVELATION 17:4
“…having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication.”
The cup is something to drink.
The river is something that sustains life.
Two images.
One principle.
Babylon has something flowing from her system that enters people and sustains the world she has built.
THE CUP SHOWS WHAT THE INDIVIDUAL DRINKS
THE RIVER SHOWS WHAT THE CITY LIVES FROM
The same mixture can be pictured as wine in a cup or water in a river.
One reveals intoxication.
The other reveals supply.
And the sixth vial strikes the supply.
GOD IS SOBERING THE WOMAN
The woman cannot become the prepared Bride while intoxicated with Babylon’s wine.
Her vision must clear.
Her hearing must clear.
Her understanding must clear.
Her consciousness must clear.
She must see the Lamb as He is.
BRIDAL PREPARATION REQUIRES THE END OF MIXTURE
One Bridegroom.
One life.
One Spirit.
One source.
One river.
One government.
THE WOMAN MUST COME INTO THE SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST
The seven last plagues are therefore not random acts of destruction.
They are part of the divine preparation.
They expose what cannot remain.
They judge what cannot enter fullness.
They remove what contradicts the nature of the Lamb.
THE JUDGMENTS ARE WORKING IN THE REALM OF THE WOMAN
This distinction has been essential throughout this book.
The man-child has already been born.
REVELATION 12:5
“…and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”
The manifested sons have already come forth.
The firstfruits have already entered the throne.
The Melchizedek priesthood has already arisen in the power of an endless life.
The woman remains in the wilderness.
REVELATION 12:6
“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God…”
Therefore, the seven vial judgments reveal the ministry of the throne toward the realm that still requires preparation.
THE FIRSTFRUITS HAVE COME FORTH—BUT GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN THE HARVEST
This is the heart of the revelation.
The sons do not reach the throne and abandon the woman.
They do not enter resurrection life and forget those still living under the consciousness of mortality.
They do not become kings and priests merely for themselves.
FIRSTFRUITS EXIST FOR HARVEST
PRIESTHOOD EXISTS FOR PEOPLE
MATURITY EXISTS TO SERVE IMMATURITY
THE THRONE RELEASES LIFE TOWARD CREATION
This is the order of the Kingdom.
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD COMES OUT OF THE THRONE IN THE POWER OF ENDLESS LIFE
HEBREWS 7:16
“Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.”
This priesthood carries something Babylon cannot produce.
Endless life.
Not religious survival.
Not improved mortality.
Not Adam made more spiritual.
ENDLESS LIFE
This is resurrection government.
This is the life of the risen Christ.
This is the realm from which the manifested sons minister.
THE RIVER OF LIFE PROCEEDS FROM THE SAME THRONE
REVELATION 22:1
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
Now the great contrast becomes complete.
There are two rivers before us.
THE EUPHRATES AND THE RIVER OF LIFE
One sustains Babylon.
One proceeds from the throne.
One belongs to the old order.
One carries the life of the Lamb.
One is being dried.
One continues flowing.
GOD IS NOT LEAVING HIS PEOPLE WITHOUT WATER
He is changing their source.
That is the judgment.
That is the deliverance.
That is the preparation.
THE OLD RIVER DRIES SO THE PURE RIVER CAN BECOME THE WOMAN’S LIFE
This is why the sixth vial is ultimately a revelation of mercy.
God is removing what cannot give life so His people can receive what does.
THE KINGS OF THE EAST REVEAL THE ARISING OF RESURRECTION GOVERNMENT
The east is the place of sunrise.
Morning comes from the east.
Light appears from the east.
The new day announces itself from the east.
Therefore, the kings of the east beautifully reveal a government arising in resurrection life.
THESE KINGS BELONG TO THE NEW DAY
They do not arise from Babylon’s darkness.
They arise with the appearing of light.
They do not carry the government of death.
They reign in life.
ROMANS 5:17
“…they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”
Death reigned in Adam.
But now:
LIFE REIGNS IN CHRIST
The kings of the east are therefore not merely rulers.
They reveal:
RESURRECTION LIFE IN GOVERNMENT
THE KING AND THE PRIEST COME TOGETHER IN THE MELCHIZEDEK ORDER
They carry authority.
But their authority serves.
They carry government.
But their government liberates.
They carry judgment.
But their judgment destroys what has held the captive.
THEY DO NOT RULE OVER THE WOMAN—THEY RULE OVER WHAT HAS RULED THE WOMAN
This distinction is critical.
Babylon dominates people.
The Kingdom destroys domination.
Babylon keeps people dependent.
The Kingdom brings them into maturity.
Babylon intoxicates.
The Kingdom sobers.
Babylon sells.
The Kingdom gives freely.
THE THRONE MINISTRY IS TOWARD THE LIBERATION OF THE WOMAN
The sons minister what they have entered.
They have entered life.
They minister life.
They have entered the throne.
They minister throne government.
They have come out of Babylon.
They reveal freedom from Babylon.
They have entered the power of endless life.
They reveal resurrection.
THEIR MANIFESTATION BECOMES A PROPHECY TO THE WOMAN
The firstfruits tell the harvest:
THERE IS MORE.
The sons tell the woman:
THE WILDERNESS IS NOT THE END.
Resurrection tells mortality:
DEATH IS NOT THE FINAL WORD.
The throne tells Babylon:
YOUR GOVERNMENT IS NOT PERMANENT.
THE FIRSTFRUITS PROVE THAT THE HARVEST HAS BEGUN
That is why creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God.
ROMANS 8:19
“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”
Creation is not waiting merely to admire them.
Creation is waiting for what their manifestation releases.
LIBERTY
ROMANS 8:21
“Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
The manifested sons are connected with liberation.
The firstfruits become ministry.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS PART OF THAT LIBERATING MINISTRY
The Euphrates has acted as a boundary.
The river says:
YOU CANNOT CROSS.
But the bowl is poured.
The water dries.
And suddenly the thing that looked like a boundary becomes:
A PREPARED WAY
This pattern runs throughout Scripture.
The Red Sea appeared to be a barrier.
God opened a way.
Jordan appeared to be a barrier.
God opened a way.
Death appeared to be the final barrier.
Jesus arose.
GOD SPECIALIZES IN TURNING BARRIERS INTO PASSAGES
The grave became the place from which resurrection appeared.
The river becomes the place through which the kings pass.
THE OLD BOUNDARY LOSES ITS POWER WHEN RESURRECTION APPEARS
This is why the east matters.
Morning is coming.
Night has had its time.
But the sunrise announces that darkness does not have permanent government.
THE FIRST LIGHT IS ENOUGH TO PROVE THE NIGHT HAS LOST
The entire sky does not have to be bright before morning has begun.
The first appearing of light announces the coming day.
So it is with the firstfruits.
Their manifestation announces:
THE NEW DAY HAS BEGUN
RESURRECTION LIFE HAS APPEARED
THE OLD GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN CHALLENGED
THE WAY IS BEING PREPARED
And now the ministry moves toward the woman.
THE WOMAN MUST CHANGE RIVERS
This may be the simplest way to summarize the entire sixth vial.
She must stop receiving her consciousness from Babylon.
She must receive her life from the throne.
She must move from:
THE EUPHRATES
to:
THE RIVER OF LIFE.
From:
THE CUP OF BABYLON
to:
THE WATER OF LIFE.
From:
THE OLD ADAM
to:
THE NEW CREATION.
From:
DEATH-CONSCIOUSNESS
to:
RESURRECTION LIFE.
From:
THE WILDERNESS
toward:
BRIDAL READINESS.
WHEN THE RIVER CHANGES, THE VOICE CHANGES
This has been another great truth of the sixth vial.
What flows into you eventually flows out of you.
Jesus said:
JOHN 7:38
“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
First you drink.
Then you flow.
Babylon understands this principle.
That is why she has a cup.
If she can determine what people drink, she can influence what eventually flows from them.
But God changes the source.
THE WOMAN DRINKS FROM THE THRONE UNTIL THE THRONE BEGINS FLOWING THROUGH THE WOMAN
This is transformation.
The woman who once needed ministry becomes ministry.
The woman who once heard Babylon begins hearing the Lamb.
The woman who once drank mixture begins carrying living water.
The woman who once fled into the wilderness eventually stands in agreement with the Spirit.
REVELATION 22 SHOWS US THE COMPLETED TRANSFORMATION
REVELATION 22:17
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
What a journey.
In Revelation 12:
THE WOMAN FLEES
In Revelation 16:
THE FALSE RIVER IS JUDGED
In Revelation 19:
THE WIFE MAKES HERSELF READY
In Revelation 22:
THE BRIDE SPEAKS WITH THE SPIRIT
That is preparation.
That is maturity.
That is transformation.
THE WOMAN WHO ONCE NEEDED TO HEAR NOW HAS A VOICE
And what does she say?
COME.
She does not repeat Babylon.
She does not offer Babylon’s cup.
She does not invite people into another religious system.
She points them toward:
THE WATER OF LIFE
And she says:
FREELY
There is no Babylonian merchandise in that word.
No religious market controls the river.
No priesthood owns the river.
No manifested son owns the river.
No Bride owns the river.
THE RIVER BELONGS TO GOD AND THE LAMB
The priesthood serves it.
The Bride offers it.
The thirsty receive it.
THIS IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Life freely given.
Grace freely ministered.
Christ freely revealed.
The captive liberated.
The immature matured.
The thirsty satisfied.
THE SIXTH VIAL IS THEREFORE NOT THE END OF A RIVER—IT IS THE BEGINNING OF A GREATER FLOW
One river dries.
Another river becomes increasingly visible.
Babylon’s river ends.
The throne’s river expands through a people.
THE EUPHRATES DRIES.
THE RIVER OF LIFE FLOWS.
BABYLON FALLS.
THE BRIDE ARISES.
THE OLD ADAM LOSES GOVERNMENT.
THE NEW CREATION COMES FORTH.
DEATH LOSES ITS BOUNDARY.
RESURRECTION PREPARES A WAY.
THE FIRSTFRUITS MINISTER.
THE WOMAN MATURES.
THE BRIDE SPEAKS.
CREATION IS INVITED TO DRINK.
This is the movement of the sixth angel.
AND EVERYTHING BEGINS WITH THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
That is the bowl.
Christ revealed.
Christ unveiled.
Christ appearing against every contradiction.
Christ drying the false river.
Christ exposing Babylon.
Christ revealing resurrection.
Christ flowing from the throne.
Christ ministered through the sons.
Christ becoming the life of the woman.
Christ manifested through the Bride.
CHRIST IS THE JUDGMENT.
CHRIST IS THE WAY.
CHRIST IS THE TRUTH.
CHRIST IS THE LIFE.
CHRIST IS THE RIVER.
CHRIST IS THE RESURRECTION.
CHRIST IS THE KING.
CHRIST IS THE BRIDEGROOM.
And when He is fully revealed, Babylon has nothing left with which to feed His people.
THE GREAT RIVER EUPHRATES MUST DRY
Not because God desires emptiness.
But because another river has appeared.
Not because God desires thirst.
But because living water is flowing.
Not because God desires destruction.
But because resurrection life is preparing a way.
Not because God has rejected the woman.
But because He intends to prepare her for the Lamb.
THE SIXTH ANGEL POURS HIS VIAL.
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST STRIKES THE RIVER.
THE BABYLONIAN FLOW LOSES ITS POWER.
THE OLD BOUNDARY DISAPPEARS.
THE WAY OF THE KINGS OF THE EAST IS PREPARED.
RESURRECTION LIFE COMES FORTH FROM THE THRONE.
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD MINISTERS TO THE WOMAN.
THE WOMAN DRINKS FROM ANOTHER RIVER.
THE BRIDE BECOMES READY.
And finally the very woman who once lived under the influence of Babylon’s waters stands in union with the Spirit and announces to a thirsty creation:
“COME.”
“LET HIM THAT IS ATHIRST COME.”
“AND WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY.”
The Euphrates is drying.
The way is prepared.
The kings are arising from the east.
The river of life is flowing from the throne.
And the revelation of Jesus Christ is bringing God’s people out of the old creation flow and into the fullness of resurrection life.
The Seven Last Plagues Series
- THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES
- THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES — REVELATION 16:10–11 — THE FIFTH ANGEL AND THE THRONE OF THE BEAST
- THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES — REVELATION 16:8–9 The Fourth Angel and the Sun Realm
- THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES: Revelation 16:4–7 — The Third Angel and the Rivers and Fountains of Waters
- THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES: The Second Angel and the Sea Realm
- THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES: Revelation 16:2 — How the First Messenger Reveals the Ways of God
- THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES: How Jesus Christ Reveals the Three Spiritual Realms of Heaven, Earth, and Sea
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