The Woman and the Man-Child — Tracing Jesus Christ from Shadow to Formation to Manifestation Until All Things Are Gathered Together in One
By Carl Timothy Wray
Author
For generations, believers have studied the Law, the Prophets, the Church Age, the Feasts, and the Book of Revelation as separate subjects. Yet the Scriptures reveal one continuous story: the progressive unveiling of Jesus Christ through the ages.
In this powerful volume, Carl Timothy Wray takes readers on a journey from the shadows of Moses and the Levitical Priesthood, through the outpouring of Pentecost and the Royal Priesthood, to the manifestation of the Man-Child and the powers of the age to come. Through the lens of the Woman and the Man-Child of Revelation 12, this book unveils the purpose of this present evil age, the mandate of the Fivefold Ministry, the mystery hidden from ages and generations, and the ultimate gathering together of all things in Christ.
This is not merely a study of prophetic symbols. It is a revelation of Jesus Christ unveiled progressively through the ages until the fullness of times is reached and all things are gathered together in Him.
The Woman and the Man-Child explores the purpose of this present evil age through the progressive revelation of Jesus Christ from Genesis to Revelation. This book examines the Law of Moses, the Levitical Priesthood, the Royal Priesthood, the Melchizedek Priesthood, Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles, the Fivefold Ministry, the Woman of Revelation 12, the Man-Child Company, the powers of the age to come, the redemption of the body, the ministry of reconciliation, and the dispensation of the fullness of times. Readers searching for Revelation 12 explained, the Woman and the Man-Child, the purpose of Pentecost, the Feast of Tabernacles, the manifestation of the sons of God, the Melchizedek Priesthood, Christ formed in you, and the gathering together of all things in Christ will find a comprehensive Genesis-to-Revelation study centered upon the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
The Woman and The Man-Child: Introduction
The story of Scripture is not the story of different laws, different priesthoods, different ministries, or different ages. It is the story of one Christ progressively unveiled.
Many study Moses and stop at the Law.
Many study Pentecost and stop at the Church.
Many study Revelation and stop at symbols.
Yet Jesus taught that the Scriptures were not given merely to be studied. They were given to testify of Him.
The Law testified of Him.
The Prophets testified of Him.
The Priesthood testified of Him.
The Feasts testified of Him.
The Tabernacle testified of Him.
The Church testifies of Him.
The Woman testifies of Him.
The Man-Child testifies of Him.
Everything points toward the same Christ.
The Rock in the wilderness was Christ.
The Lamb was Christ.
The Temple was Christ.
The Priesthood was Christ.
The Word made flesh was Christ.
The Christ formed within His people is Christ.
The Christ manifested in fullness is Christ.
The question is not whether Christ is present. The question is how He is being revealed.
The Scriptures speak of ages past. They speak of this present evil age. They speak of the powers of the age to come. Yet through every administration, one purpose remains unchanged: the unveiling of Jesus Christ.
The Law Age brought forth Jesus Christ, the Head.
This present evil age brings forth the Corporate Christ, the Head in the midst of His many brethren.
The age to come gathers all things into the administration of manifested life.
This book is an invitation to trace that divine progression from shadow to formation to manifestation. It is a journey through Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. It is a journey through the Levitical Priesthood, the Royal Priesthood, and the Melchizedek Priesthood. It is a journey through the purpose of the ages until we arrive at the great declaration:
“That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ.”
The Woman and the Man-Child stand at the hinge of that journey.
One completes an age.
The other inaugurates another.
Together they reveal the purpose of this present evil age and the power of the age to come.
Let us begin.
CHAPTER 1
THE MYSTERY HIDDEN FROM AGES AND GENERATIONS
The Purpose Hidden in God
Before there was a Law, there was a purpose.
Before there was Moses, there was a purpose.
Before there was Abraham, there was a purpose.
Before there was Pentecost, there was a purpose.
Before there was a Church, there was a purpose.
Before there was a Woman clothed with the sun, there was a purpose.
Before there was a Man-Child caught up unto God and His throne, there was a purpose.
The story of Scripture does not begin with man.
The story of Scripture begins with God.
And God has always worked according to purpose.
Many believers study the ages.
Many study the dispensations.
Many study the priesthoods.
Many study the ministries.
Yet the Scriptures reveal that behind every administration stood one eternal purpose hidden in the heart of God.
Paul wrote:
“Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints.” (Colossians 1:26)
Notice the language carefully.
The mystery was hidden.
The ages were visible.
The mystery was hidden.
The generations were visible.
The administrations were visible.
The purpose was hidden.
Men saw the Law.
God saw Christ.
Men saw sacrifices.
God saw Christ.
Men saw priests.
God saw Christ.
Men saw feasts.
God saw Christ.
The purpose was always there, but it remained concealed until the appointed season of unveiling.
Why God Reveals Truth Progressively
One of the greatest mistakes men make is assuming that because God reveals truth progressively, He is changing His mind.
God is not changing His mind.
God is revealing His mind.
There is a difference.
The oak tree is hidden within the acorn.
The harvest is hidden within the seed.
The river is hidden within the spring.
The purpose is hidden within the process.
Likewise, God’s eternal purpose was hidden within the ages.
The Law concealed it.
The Prophets concealed it.
The Priesthood concealed it.
The Feasts concealed it.
The Temple concealed it.
Everything contained the mystery.
Yet the mystery itself remained hidden.
Paul declared:
“To make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God.” (Ephesians 3:9)
Notice where the mystery was hidden.
Not hidden in Satan.
Not hidden in darkness.
Not hidden in men.
The mystery was hidden in God Himself.
God concealed it.
God unveiled it.
God administered it.
God progressively revealed it.
The unveiling of truth is not the invention of something new.
It is the revealing of something eternal.
Christ Is the Center of Every Age
The Scriptures are not the story of different laws.
They are not the story of different priesthoods.
They are not the story of different ministries.
They are not the story of different dispensations.
The Scriptures are the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Himself told the religious leaders:
“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39)
The Scriptures testify.
The Scriptures witness.
The Scriptures point.
But they are not the destination.
A sign pointing to Thomasville is not Thomasville.
The sign has value because it points toward the destination.
Likewise, Moses pointed.
The Prophets pointed.
The Priesthood pointed.
The Feasts pointed.
The Temple pointed.
The sacrifices pointed.
Everything pointed toward Christ.
The purpose of every administration was to reveal another dimension of the same Christ.
The Rock in the wilderness was Christ.
The Passover Lamb was Christ.
The High Priest was Christ.
The Mercy Seat was Christ.
The Temple was Christ.
The Word made flesh was Christ.
The Christ formed within His people is Christ.
The Christ manifested in fullness is Christ.
The story never changes.
Only the unveiling increases.
Grace Was Hidden Before It Was Revealed
Many imagine that grace suddenly appeared in the New Testament.
Yet grace did not begin in Bethlehem.
Grace did not begin at Calvary.
Grace did not begin at Pentecost.
Grace existed because Christ existed.
Noah found grace.
Abraham walked in grace.
Moses experienced grace.
David sang of grace.
The Prophets prophesied by grace.
Grace was present.
But grace was veiled.
The Law concealed what Christ would later unveil.
The shadows concealed what the substance would later reveal.
What was hidden in one age became visible in another.
What was visible in another shall yet be manifested in fullness.
Thus the story of Scripture is not Law versus Grace.
It is Grace veiled, Grace revealed, and Grace manifested.
The Three Great Unveilings of Christ
As we begin this journey, we must understand that every age reveals Christ according to the purpose assigned to that administration.
The Law Age revealed Christ in shadow.
This present evil age reveals Christ in measure.
The age to come reveals Christ in manifestation.
The Law brought forth Jesus Christ, the Head.
Pentecost forms the Corporate Christ, the Body.
Tabernacles gathers all things into the administration of manifested life.
Thus the story moves from:
Christ concealed.
Christ revealed.
Christ manifested.
The Woman and the Man-Child stand at the hinge of that unfolding revelation.
One completes an age.
The other inaugurates another.
Both reveal the same Christ.
And both exist because of a mystery hidden in God before the foundation of the world.
The ages are not the story.
Christ is the story.
And it is to that story we now turn.
CHAPTER 2
GRACE VEILED — CHRIST HIDDEN UNDER THE LAW
The Law Was Never the Destination
One of the greatest misunderstandings in Scripture is the belief that the Law was God’s final objective.
The Law was never the destination.
The Law was the witness.
The Law was the sign.
The Law was the shadow.
The Law was the preparation.
God never intended for men to stop at Moses.
God never intended for men to stop at sacrifices.
God never intended for men to stop at the priesthood.
God never intended for men to stop at the Temple.
Every part of the Law pointed beyond itself.
Every sacrifice pointed beyond itself.
Every feast pointed beyond itself.
Every prophet pointed beyond himself.
Everything was saying:
“Someone greater is coming.”
The Law was not the revelation.
The Law testified of the Revelation.
The Law was not the substance.
The Law was the shadow cast by the Substance.
The Law of Sin and Death
The administration of Moses operated under what Paul later called:
“The law of sin and death.”
This does not mean God was absent.
This does not mean grace was absent.
This does not mean Christ was absent.
It simply means Christ had not yet been fully unveiled.
The Law governed externally.
Commandments were written on stone.
Priests ministered externally.
Sacrifices were offered externally.
The Temple stood externally.
Everything existed outside the individual.
The administration was preparing men for something greater.
The Law could expose sin.
The Law could reveal weakness.
The Law could identify the problem.
But the Law could not become the life of the people.
The Law could point to Christ.
The Law could not become Christ within them.
The Levitical Priesthood
Every age possesses a priesthood.
Every administration possesses a ministry.
Every purpose possesses a vessel.
Under the Law, God established the Levitical Priesthood.
This priesthood was not random.
This priesthood was prophetic.
The priest represented mediation.
The priest represented access.
The priest represented sacrifice.
The priest represented reconciliation.
The priesthood testified continually that man required something he did not yet possess.
Every sacrifice pointed toward a greater sacrifice.
Every priest pointed toward a greater priest.
Every altar pointed toward a greater altar.
Every offering pointed toward a greater offering.
The Levitical Priesthood was Christ concealed within symbols.
The priesthood itself became a witness.
Not the destination.
A witness.
Moses, the Prophets, and the Witnesses
God did not leave the earth without testimony.
Moses testified.
David testified.
Isaiah testified.
Jeremiah testified.
Ezekiel testified.
Daniel testified.
The prophets spoke of things they themselves did not fully understand.
They looked ahead.
They searched diligently.
They saw fragments.
They saw shadows.
They saw glimpses.
They saw promises.
They saw a coming King.
They saw a coming Kingdom.
They saw a coming Redeemer.
Yet they could not fully see what stood beyond the veil.
Peter tells us that the prophets searched the things they prophesied concerning Christ.
They were seeing pieces of a mystery.
A mystery hidden from ages and generations.
The prophets became signposts on God’s highway.
Every prophecy pointed toward Christ.
Every vision pointed toward Christ.
Every promise pointed toward Christ.
The Feast of Passover
Every age possesses a feast that reveals its central purpose.
The feast of the Law Age was Passover.
Passover was more than a memorial.
Passover was prophecy.
The lamb was prophecy.
The blood was prophecy.
The deliverance was prophecy.
The crossing was prophecy.
The feast revealed God’s intention to bring forth a Redeemer.
Passover announced that a Lamb would come.
Passover announced that deliverance would come.
Passover announced that redemption would come.
The feast itself was preaching Christ centuries before Bethlehem.
The lamb was not the destination.
The lamb testified of the Lamb.
The feast was not the destination.
The feast testified of Christ.
The Purpose of the Law Age
Every age has a purpose.
Every administration has a mandate.
Every ministry has an assignment.
What was the purpose of the Law Age?
The purpose was not merely commandments.
The purpose was not merely sacrifices.
The purpose was not merely religious order.
The purpose was not merely national Israel.
The purpose of the Law Age was to bring forth Jesus Christ into the earth.
Everything moved toward that moment.
The Law pointed toward Him.
The Priesthood pointed toward Him.
The Prophets pointed toward Him.
Passover pointed toward Him.
The Temple pointed toward Him.
The entire administration moved toward one glorious unveiling:
“And the Word was made flesh.”
The purpose succeeded.
The Son appeared.
The Seed arrived.
The promise became visible.
The shadow gave way to substance.
The witness gave way to manifestation.
The sign gave way to the destination.
Grace Was Already There
Many assume grace arrived when the Law departed.
Yet grace existed throughout the entire administration.
Noah found grace.
Abraham walked by grace.
Moses ministered by grace.
David sang of grace.
The prophets prophesied by grace.
Grace was present.
But grace was veiled.
The Law concealed what Christ would later reveal.
The shadow concealed what the substance would later unveil.
The age was not absent of grace.
The age was preparing for the unveiling of grace.
Thus the Law Age may rightly be understood as:
Grace veiled.
Christ concealed.
The mystery hidden.
The purpose preparing.
And when the fullness of time arrived, the age accomplished exactly what God intended it to accomplish:
It brought forth Jesus Christ, the Son.
CHAPTER 3
THE WORD BECAME FLESH
The Fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets
For thousands of years the earth waited.
The prophets waited.
The priesthood waited.
The sacrifices waited.
The feasts waited.
The promises waited.
Everything stood pointing toward a single moment in history.
The Law had spoken.
The prophets had spoken.
The shadows had spoken.
The witnesses had spoken.
But the destination had not yet appeared.
The entire Old Covenant administration stood like a giant signpost pointing toward one event:
The coming of Jesus Christ.
Everything that Moses wrote pointed toward Him.
Everything Isaiah prophesied pointed toward Him.
Everything David sang pointed toward Him.
Everything the sacrifices testified pointed toward Him.
Everything moved toward the unveiling of the Son.
Then suddenly, after centuries of preparation, the promise became visible.
The mystery hidden within the shadows stepped into the light.
The destination arrived.
The Fullness of Time
Paul wrote:
“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son.”
Notice carefully.
The Son did not arrive early.
The Son did not arrive late.
The Son arrived exactly when the Father intended.
Every age is governed by divine timing.
Every administration moves according to divine purpose.
Every revelation appears in its appointed season.
The Law prepared.
The prophets prepared.
The priesthood prepared.
Passover prepared.
The entire administration moved toward one appointed moment called:
The fullness of time.
When the fullness arrived, heaven acted.
The Father sent the Son.
What had been hidden became visible.
What had been promised appeared.
What had been prophesied manifested.
The Birth of the Son
Mary becomes one of the most powerful signs in Scripture.
The entire Law Age had one great mandate:
Bring forth Jesus Christ.
The prophets prepared for Him.
The priesthood prepared for Him.
Israel prepared for Him.
The feasts prepared for Him.
The promises prepared for Him.
Then a virgin conceived.
The impossible became possible.
The invisible entered the visible.
The Word entered flesh.
The eternal entered time.
The Creator entered creation.
The Son appeared.
This was not merely the birth of a child.
This was the fulfillment of an age.
The Law Age succeeded because it accomplished its purpose.
It brought forth Jesus Christ.
The First Great Sign
Every administration has a sign.
The Law Age had a sign.
The sign was not merely a baby lying in a manger.
The sign was:
The Word became flesh.
The mystery hidden in symbols now stood visible before men.
No longer hidden in sacrifices.
No longer hidden in temples.
No longer hidden in ceremonies.
No longer hidden in shadows.
The Christ who had been concealed throughout the ages now stood openly among men.
This was heaven’s announcement:
A new unveiling has begun.
The old administration had reached its objective.
The sign revealed the age had accomplished its assignment.
Jesus Reveals the Father
When Jesus appeared, something extraordinary happened.
Men began seeing God in a way they had never seen Him before.
The Law revealed commandments.
Jesus revealed the Father.
The Law revealed requirements.
Jesus revealed relationship.
The Law revealed righteousness.
Jesus revealed grace and truth.
Men saw mercy walking.
Men saw compassion walking.
Men saw forgiveness walking.
Men saw wisdom walking.
Men saw life walking.
For the first time, humanity witnessed the mystery no longer hidden in symbols but living before their eyes.
The revelation increased.
The veil became thinner.
The light became brighter.
The Limitation of the First Appearing
Yet even here we discover something remarkable.
The appearing of Jesus was not the end of God’s purpose.
It was the beginning of another administration.
Jesus Himself declared:
“It is expedient for you that I go away.”
Why?
Because the Father had another unveiling planned.
The Christ hidden in one body would soon be distributed into many members.
The Son would become the Head of a corporate people.
Another administration was waiting.
Another sign was waiting.
Another age was waiting.
The purpose was still advancing.
Why the Law Age Succeeded
Many believers think the Law failed.
The Law did not fail.
The Law accomplished exactly what God assigned it to accomplish.
The Law brought forth Jesus Christ.
The priesthood fulfilled its purpose.
The prophets fulfilled their purpose.
Passover fulfilled its purpose.
The shadows fulfilled their purpose.
The witnesses fulfilled their purpose.
Everything moved toward the appearing of the Son.
The age reached its objective.
The sign appeared.
The Word became flesh.
The promise stood visible.
The Son arrived.
The old administration had completed its assignment.
But the story was not over.
For the Christ who appeared in one body was preparing to appear in many.
And soon another sign would come.
Another feast would be fulfilled.
Another priesthood would emerge.
Another administration would begin.
The day of Pentecost was approaching.
And with it would come the next great unveiling of Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER 4
THE DAY OF PENTECOST FULLY CAME
A New Administration Begins
The appearing of Jesus Christ did not end God’s purpose.
It advanced God’s purpose.
The Son had appeared.
The Word had become flesh.
The Law had fulfilled its assignment.
The prophets had fulfilled their assignment.
The priesthood had fulfilled its assignment.
Yet Jesus continually pointed beyond Himself to another unveiling.
He spoke of the Comforter.
He spoke of the Holy Spirit.
He spoke of power from on high.
He spoke of another administration that was about to emerge.
The Christ who had walked among men was about to move within men.
The Christ who had appeared in one body was about to distribute Himself into many members.
Another age was standing at the door.
Another feast was waiting to be fulfilled.
Another sign was waiting to appear.
The Day of Pentecost Fully Came
Luke records one of the most important moments in human history:
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come…”
Notice the language.
Not partially come.
Not beginning to come.
Not preparing to come.
Fully come.
Just as there was a fullness of time that brought forth Jesus Christ, there was a fullness of Pentecost that brought forth another unveiling of Christ.
God never acts randomly.
Every feast possesses an appointed fulfillment.
Every administration possesses an appointed beginning.
The fullness of Pentecost had arrived.
The next stage of God’s purpose was ready to emerge.
The Sign of Pentecost
Every administration possesses a sign.
The Law Age possessed a sign.
The sign was:
The Word became flesh.
Pentecost also possessed a sign.
Suddenly there came a sound from heaven.
A rushing mighty wind filled the house.
Cloven tongues like fire sat upon each of them.
The Spirit was poured out.
This was not merely an experience.
This was a divine announcement.
Heaven was declaring:
A new administration has begun.
The sign revealed that Christ was moving into a new dimension of manifestation.
The Christ who had walked beside them would now live within them.
The Christ who had taught them externally would now teach them internally.
The administration had changed.
The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus
The Law Age operated under the law of sin and death.
Pentecost introduces another law.
Paul called it:
“The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.”
Everything changes.
No longer external commandments.
Now internal life.
No longer stone tablets.
Now living hearts.
No longer an external temple.
Now living temples.
No longer an external priesthood.
Now a priesthood operating from within.
The government of God begins moving from outside man to inside man.
The Kingdom moves from observation to habitation.
The administration changes.
The revelation increases.
The mystery becomes clearer.
The Royal Priesthood Appears
Every age possesses a priesthood.
The Law Age possessed the Levitical Priesthood.
Pentecost reveals the Royal Priesthood.
Peter declares:
“Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood.”
This priesthood differs from Levi.
The priest is no longer separated by tribe.
The priesthood is no longer limited to one family.
The priesthood is no longer restricted to one nation.
Now God possesses a people who carry His presence.
A people who minister life.
A people who reveal Christ.
A people who stand as kings and priests before God.
The Royal Priesthood becomes the priesthood of this present evil age.
Christ Distributed Into His Body
One of the greatest revelations of Pentecost is that Christ did not leave the earth when He ascended.
He distributed Himself.
Paul reveals:
Apostles.
Prophets.
Evangelists.
Pastors.
Teachers.
These are not merely offices.
These are dimensions of Christ functioning through His people.
The Fivefold Ministry is Christ distributed.
The Apostle reveals Christ.
The Prophet reveals Christ.
The Evangelist reveals Christ.
The Pastor reveals Christ.
The Teacher reveals Christ.
The Head begins expressing Himself through a corporate body.
The Word begins becoming flesh again.
Not in one man.
In many members.
The Purpose of This Present Evil Age
Most believers misunderstand the purpose of the Church Age.
They assume the purpose is buildings.
They assume the purpose is denominations.
They assume the purpose is organizations.
They assume the purpose is numbers.
Yet Paul tells us exactly why Christ gave the Fivefold Ministry.
“Till we all come unto a perfect man.”
The purpose of Pentecost is formation.
The purpose of Pentecost is maturity.
The purpose of Pentecost is Christ formed within a people.
The Fivefold Ministry exists for one great objective:
Bring forth the Corporate Christ.
The same way the Law Age brought forth Jesus Christ, Pentecost exists to bring forth Christ in His many brethren.
This is the mandate of this present evil age.
The Great Difference Between Law and Pentecost
The Law pointed toward Christ.
Pentecost forms Christ.
The Law witnessed of Christ.
Pentecost imparts Christ.
The Law prepared the way.
Pentecost builds the vessel.
The Law brought forth the Head.
Pentecost prepares the Body.
Everything is moving toward maturity.
Everything is moving toward manifestation.
Everything is moving toward another birth.
The purpose is not finished.
The administration is still working.
The Spirit is still forming.
The ministry is still laboring.
The priesthood is still serving.
The Woman is still travailing.
For hidden within Pentecost is another mystery.
A mystery waiting to emerge.
A mystery called the Man-Child.
And before that birth can occur, we must first understand the purpose of this present evil age.
CHAPTER 5
THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENT EVIL AGE
Why Does This Age Exist?
This may be one of the most important questions in Scripture.
Why did God create this present evil age?
Why did He pour out the Spirit?
Why did He establish the Fivefold Ministry?
Why did He create the Royal Priesthood?
Why did He give apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers?
Why has two thousand years passed since Pentecost?
Most believers never ask these questions.
Many assume the purpose of this age is simply to attend church.
Others assume the purpose is to build ministries.
Others assume the purpose is to gather crowds.
Others assume the purpose is to accumulate knowledge.
Yet none of these things answer the question.
Why does this age exist?
What is God’s objective?
What is the eternal purpose hidden within this administration?
The answer is remarkably simple.
This age exists to bring Christ to maturity within a people.
The Fivefold Ministry Was Given for a Purpose
The Fivefold Ministry did not appear randomly.
Christ did not distribute Himself into apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers because heaven needed more religious activity.
The Fivefold Ministry was given because God had an objective.
Paul tells us:
“Till we all come unto a perfect man.”
Notice the destination.
Not:
Till we all build bigger churches.
Not:
Till we all gain more information.
Not:
Till we all create larger organizations.
The destination is:
A perfect man.
The objective is maturity.
The objective is completion.
The objective is Christ formed within a people.
Everything in this age moves toward that goal.
Christ Distributed Himself
One of the great mysteries of Pentecost is that Christ did not leave the earth when He ascended.
He multiplied His ministry.
He distributed Himself.
The Apostle reveals Christ.
The Prophet reveals Christ.
The Evangelist reveals Christ.
The Pastor reveals Christ.
The Teacher reveals Christ.
The Fivefold Ministry is not ultimately about ministry.
It is about Christ.
The Fivefold exists because Christ is building something.
The Fivefold exists because Christ is producing something.
The Fivefold exists because Christ is preparing something.
The entire administration is moving toward a birth.
The Purpose Is Not the Ministry
Many generations become fascinated with the instrument and forget the objective.
The Law Age became fascinated with the priesthood.
The religious leaders became fascinated with the Temple.
They became fascinated with the sacrifices.
They became fascinated with the sign.
They forgot the destination.
The same danger exists today.
Many become fascinated with apostles.
Many become fascinated with prophets.
Many become fascinated with gifts.
Many become fascinated with ministries.
Yet the Fivefold Ministry is not the destination.
The Fivefold Ministry is the womb.
The Fivefold Ministry is the instrument.
The Fivefold Ministry is the preparation.
The Fivefold Ministry exists to produce something greater than itself.
The Woman Is the Goal of Pentecost
Revelation 12 reveals the mature fruit of this present evil age.
John sees a Woman.
She is not weak.
She is not immature.
She is not defeated.
She is clothed with the sun.
She stands upon the moon.
She wears a crown of twelve stars.
She is glorious.
She is mature.
She is complete.
This Woman represents the highest achievement of Pentecost.
She is the finished work of the Fivefold Ministry.
She is the mature fruit of the Royal Priesthood.
She is Christ formed within a corporate people.
The purpose of this age is not merely to save men.
The purpose of this age is to produce the Woman.
Why the Woman Groans
If the Woman is mature, why does she still travail?
If she is clothed with the sun, why is she still groaning?
If she is crowned with stars, why is she still waiting?
The answer is profound.
Because maturity is not the final objective.
Formation is not the final objective.
Preparation is not the final objective.
The Woman is carrying another manifestation.
She is pregnant.
She contains within herself the next unveiling of Christ.
The age has not failed.
The age is succeeding.
The travail proves the purpose is advancing.
The groaning proves something is ready to be born.
The Greatest Achievement of This Present Evil Age
Most ministries measure success incorrectly.
They measure buildings.
They measure crowds.
They measure finances.
They measure influence.
They measure visibility.
God measures differently.
The greatest achievement of this present evil age is not the largest ministry.
The greatest achievement of this present evil age is not the largest church.
The greatest achievement of this present evil age is not the greatest revival.
The greatest achievement of this present evil age is that it successfully produces the Woman who successfully brings forth the Son.
That is the objective.
That is the mandate.
That is the purpose.
Everything else serves that purpose.
The Fivefold serves that purpose.
The Royal Priesthood serves that purpose.
The administration of Pentecost serves that purpose.
The entire age serves that purpose.
The Purpose Hidden Within Pentecost
Pentecost is not the final destination.
Pentecost is preparation.
Pentecost is formation.
Pentecost is maturity.
Pentecost is pregnancy.
The Woman stands as the evidence that the administration has accomplished its assignment.
Yet hidden within Pentecost is another unveiling.
Hidden within the Woman is another manifestation.
Hidden within maturity is a birth.
The purpose of this present evil age is to bring Christ to maturity within a corporate people until the appointed moment arrives and the next administration begins.
The Law Age brought forth Jesus Christ.
This present evil age brings forth the Corporate Christ.
The Woman stands as the fulfillment of that purpose.
And when her travail is complete, the Man-Child appears.
Then the story moves from formation to manifestation.
From preparation to fulfillment.
From Pentecost to Tabernacles.
From the purpose of this age to the powers of the age to come.
CHAPTER 6
THE WOMAN — THE FULFILLMENT OF PENTECOST
The Great Sign Appears
Revelation 12 opens with one of the most extraordinary visions in all of Scripture:
“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun…”
This is not merely a woman.
This is not merely symbolism.
This is a sign.
Every administration possesses a sign.
The Law Age possessed a sign.
Pentecost possessed a sign.
Now Revelation 12 reveals another sign.
A Woman appears in heaven.
She stands clothed with the sun.
The moon rests beneath her feet.
Upon her head sits a crown of twelve stars.
This Woman is the mature fruit of this present evil age.
She is the fulfillment of Pentecost.
She is the completed work of the Fivefold Ministry.
She is the mature expression of the Royal Priesthood.
She is Christ formed within a corporate people.
The Woman Belongs to Pentecost
One of the greatest mistakes in prophetic interpretation is failing to identify the administration to which the Woman belongs.
The Woman belongs to Pentecost.
She belongs to this present evil age.
She belongs to the administration of formation.
She belongs to the Royal Priesthood realm.
She belongs to the Fivefold Ministry realm.
She is the completed work of Christ in measure.
Everything about the Woman reveals maturity.
She is not Babylon.
She is not confusion.
She is not mixture.
She is glorious.
She is crowned.
She is radiant.
She is mature.
The Fivefold Ministry has fulfilled its assignment within her.
The purpose of Pentecost has reached maturity within her.
The Royal Priesthood has completed its labor within her.
The Woman stands as the highest achievement of this present evil age.
Clothed With the Sun
John sees the Woman clothed with the sun.
The sun speaks of glory.
The sun speaks of illumination.
The sun speaks of heavenly life.
This Woman is not clothed with earthly religion.
She is clothed with Christ.
She carries revelation.
She carries light.
She carries heavenly understanding.
The Christ formed within her has matured.
The life of Christ shines through her.
Pentecost has succeeded in producing a people filled with the light of heaven.
The Woman reveals Christ formed within.
The Moon Beneath Her Feet
The moon rests beneath her feet.
The moon reflects borrowed light.
The moon speaks of the shadow realm.
The moon speaks of previous administrations.
The Law Age testified of Christ through shadows and reflections.
But the Woman stands above the moon.
Why?
Because Pentecost moved beyond shadows into reality.
Christ is no longer merely hidden in ceremonies.
Christ is now formed within a people.
The Woman stands above the previous administration because she possesses the substance the shadows testified of.
The Law pointed toward Christ.
The Woman carries Christ formed within her.
Crowned With Twelve Stars
Upon her head rests a crown of twelve stars.
Government.
Authority.
Administration.
Completion.
The Woman carries governmental maturity.
This is not an immature Church.
This is not a powerless people.
This is a mature corporate body brought unto completion through the administration of Pentecost.
The Fivefold Ministry has accomplished its labor.
The Apostle has labored.
The Prophet has labored.
The Evangelist has labored.
The Pastor has labored.
The Teacher has labored.
Christ has been formed within a corporate people.
The Woman stands crowned because the administration has succeeded.
The Fulfillment of the Fivefold Ministry
Many believers misunderstand the purpose of the Fivefold Ministry.
The purpose was never endless church activity.
The purpose was never endless immaturity.
The purpose was never endless dependence.
The purpose was maturity.
The purpose was formation.
The purpose was to bring Christ to fullness within a corporate people.
Paul declared:
“Till we all come unto a perfect man.”
The Woman is that mature condition.
She is the fulfillment of the Fivefold mandate.
She is Pentecost matured.
She is Christ formed.
She is the evidence that this present evil age has accomplished its assignment.
Why the Woman Still Groans
Yet Revelation 12 reveals something astonishing.
The Woman travails.
She groans.
She cries out in birth pains.
Why?
If Pentecost has succeeded, why does the Woman still groan?
Because Pentecost is not the final destination.
Formation is not the final destination.
Maturity is not the final destination.
The Woman carries another unveiling within herself.
She carries the Man-Child.
The Woman belongs to Christ in measure.
The Man-Child belongs to Christ manifested in fullness.
The Woman belongs to the Royal Priesthood administration.
The Man-Child belongs to the powers of the age to come.
The Woman belongs to Pentecost.
The Man-Child belongs to Tabernacles.
Thus the groaning of the Woman reveals that another administration is ready to emerge.
The Greatest Achievement of This Present Evil Age
The Woman stands as the proof that this present evil age did not fail.
This age possessed a purpose.
This age possessed a mandate.
This age possessed a ministry.
The Law Age brought forth Jesus Christ.
This present evil age brings forth the Corporate Christ.
The Woman is the evidence that the purpose succeeded.
She is the mature fruit of Pentecost.
She is the completed labor of the Fivefold Ministry.
She is the fulfillment of the Royal Priesthood administration.
She is Christ formed within a corporate people.
Yet hidden within her is another revelation.
A greater unveiling.
A manifestation waiting to emerge.
For the purpose of Pentecost is not merely the Woman.
The purpose of Pentecost is that the Woman successfully brings forth the Son.
And when that birth occurs, the administration changes.
The hinge appears.
The powers of the age to come begin emerging.
The sign of Tabernacles appears.
The Man-Child comes forth.
CHAPTER 7
THE GREAT HINGE — FROM PENTECOST TO TABERNACLES
Every Administration Has a Sign
One of the great patterns throughout Scripture is that God never changes administrations without providing a sign.
When God transitions from one dimension of revelation to another, He marks the moment.
He witnesses the moment.
He announces the moment.
The sign reveals that an administration has fulfilled its purpose and another administration is beginning.
The Law Age had a sign.
Pentecost had a sign.
The age to come has a sign.
The sign reveals the transition.
The sign reveals the hinge.
The sign reveals that God’s purpose is advancing.
The Sign of the Law Age
The Law Age possessed one great mandate:
Bring forth Jesus Christ.
Everything in that administration moved toward that objective.
The Law pointed toward Him.
The Prophets pointed toward Him.
The Priesthood pointed toward Him.
Passover pointed toward Him.
The Temple pointed toward Him.
The entire administration existed to bring forth the Son.
Then the sign appeared.
“The Word became flesh.”
The Son arrived.
The destination appeared.
The Law fulfilled its purpose.
The sign revealed the administration had succeeded.
The Sign of Pentecost
Pentecost also possessed a sign.
Jesus had ascended.
The disciples waited.
The promise remained.
Then suddenly:
“There came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind.”
Tongues of fire sat upon each of them.
The Spirit was poured out.
A new administration began.
This was not merely an experience.
This was heaven’s announcement.
The sign revealed:
Christ would now move from beside man to within man.
The administration changed.
The Law Age ended.
The Pentecostal Age began.
The Royal Priesthood emerged.
The Fivefold Ministry emerged.
The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus emerged.
The sign revealed that a new dimension of Christ had appeared.
Pentecost Was Not the Destination
Many believers assume Pentecost is the final objective.
Yet Pentecost itself points beyond Pentecost.
The same way the Law pointed beyond itself, Pentecost points beyond itself.
The Fivefold Ministry points beyond itself.
The Royal Priesthood points beyond itself.
The Woman points beyond herself.
Everything within this administration moves toward another unveiling.
The purpose of Pentecost is formation.
The purpose of Pentecost is maturity.
The purpose of Pentecost is preparation.
The purpose of Pentecost is to bring forth the Woman.
Yet the Woman herself is pregnant.
Why?
Because another administration is waiting.
Another manifestation is waiting.
Another sign is waiting.
The Woman Stands at the End of Pentecost
Revelation 12 reveals the mature fruit of Pentecost.
The Woman stands clothed with the sun.
The moon rests beneath her feet.
A crown of twelve stars rests upon her head.
She is mature.
She is glorious.
She is victorious.
She is complete according to the purpose of Pentecost.
The Fivefold Ministry has accomplished its assignment within her.
Christ has been formed within her.
The Royal Priesthood has reached maturity within her.
Yet she groans.
Yet she travails.
Yet she cries out in birth pains.
Why?
Because Pentecost has reached its limit.
Formation has accomplished its purpose.
The next administration is ready to emerge.
The Sign of Tabernacles
If the Law Age had a sign…
If Pentecost had a sign…
Then Tabernacles must also have a sign.
God does not change administrations silently.
He announces them.
He reveals them.
He witnesses them.
The sign of Tabernacles cannot merely be more gifts.
It cannot merely be more knowledge.
It cannot merely be more revelation.
Pentecost already possesses those things.
The sign must reveal the administration itself.
The sign must reveal the difference between Pentecost and Tabernacles.
The sign must reveal the difference between the Woman and the Man-Child.
The Redemption of the Body
Paul identifies the great hope of creation:
“Waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”
The Woman possesses Christ formed.
The Woman possesses spiritual maturity.
The Woman possesses heavenly understanding.
Yet one limitation remains.
The body still groans.
Creation still groans.
The earth still waits.
The sign of Tabernacles appears when the limitation is removed.
The sign of Tabernacles is the redemption of the body.
The sign of Tabernacles is manifested life.
The sign of Tabernacles is mortality swallowed by life.
The sign of Tabernacles is Christ revealed through spirit, soul, and body.
The Birth of the Man-Child
Revelation 12 reveals the great transition.
The Woman brings forth the Man-Child.
This is not merely another believer.
This is not merely another ministry.
This is not merely another movement.
This is the sign that the administration has changed.
The Woman belongs to Pentecost.
The Man-Child belongs to Tabernacles.
The Woman belongs to Christ formed.
The Man-Child belongs to Christ manifested.
The Woman belongs to the Royal Priesthood administration.
The Man-Child belongs to the Melchizedek dimension.
The Woman completes one age.
The Man-Child inaugurates another.
Spirit, Soul, and Body
The Man-Child reveals the fullness of Christ.
Not spirit alone.
Not soul alone.
Spirit.
Soul.
Body.
The complete image.
The complete manifestation.
The complete unveiling.
The same Christ hidden in the Law.
The same Christ revealed at Pentecost.
The same Christ now manifested in fullness.
The legal becomes vital.
The invisible becomes visible.
The promise becomes manifestation.
The Word becomes flesh.
The Powers of the Age to Come
Scripture speaks of:
“The powers of the world to come.”
The powers of the age to come are not merely future promises.
They break into history through a firstfruits people.
The Man-Child becomes the firstfruits of another administration.
The firstfruits of Tabernacles.
The firstfruits of manifested life.
The firstfruits of the age to come.
What was hidden in ages past…
What was formed in this present evil age…
Now begins appearing in manifestation.
The hinge has been crossed.
The sign has appeared.
The administration has changed.
The Woman has fulfilled her mandate.
The Man-Child has been born.
And the powers of the age to come begin their great work of gathering all things together in Christ.
CHAPTER 8
THE MAN-CHILD — THE FIRSTFRUITS OF TABERNACLES
A New Administration Appears
The birth of the Man-Child is not merely the continuation of Pentecost.
It is the beginning of another administration.
The Woman belongs to Pentecost.
The Man-Child belongs to Tabernacles.
The Woman belongs to formation.
The Man-Child belongs to manifestation.
The Woman belongs to Christ in measure.
The Man-Child belongs to Christ in fullness.
The Woman completes the purpose of this present evil age.
The Man-Child inaugurates the powers of the age to come.
This is why Revelation 12 stands as one of the great hinge chapters of Scripture.
One administration reaches completion.
Another administration begins.
One purpose is fulfilled.
Another purpose emerges.
The birth of the Man-Child announces that God is moving from formation to manifestation.
The Firstfruits of Tabernacles
Every harvest possesses firstfruits.
Every administration possesses a beginning.
Every revelation possesses a first unveiling.
The Man-Child is the firstfruits of Tabernacles.
Just as Jesus became the firstfruits of resurrection life, the Man-Child becomes the firstfruits of manifested life.
The firstfruits always reveal what the harvest will become.
The firstfruits always testify of what is coming.
The firstfruits always stand as evidence that the harvest has arrived.
The Man-Child is not the entirety of Tabernacles.
The Man-Child is the firstfruits of Tabernacles.
The Man-Child reveals the nature of the administration that is emerging.
Christ Manifested
The central revelation of the Man-Child is not another doctrine.
The central revelation is Christ manifested.
The Law revealed Christ in shadow.
Pentecost revealed Christ in measure.
Tabernacles reveals Christ manifested.
The Man-Child is not another Christ.
The Man-Child is not a different gospel.
The Man-Child is not a separate revelation.
The Man-Child reveals the same Christ unveiled in another dimension.
The same Christ hidden in Moses.
The same Christ hidden in the Rock.
The same Christ hidden in Passover.
The same Christ revealed through Jesus.
The same Christ formed through Pentecost.
Now appears in manifestation.
The revelation increases.
The unveiling deepens.
The purpose advances.
The Melchizedek Priesthood
Every administration possesses a priesthood.
The Law Age possessed the Levitical Priesthood.
Pentecost possesses the Royal Priesthood.
Tabernacles reveals the Melchizedek dimension.
Melchizedek appears in Scripture as both King and Priest.
Government and ministry united.
Authority and life united.
Rule and service united.
This priesthood speaks of fullness.
This priesthood speaks of maturity.
This priesthood speaks of manifestation.
The Levitical Priesthood pointed toward redemption.
The Royal Priesthood administers redemption.
The Melchizedek Priesthood manifests redemption.
What was legally accomplished now becomes visibly expressed.
The legal becomes vital.
The invisible becomes visible.
The promise becomes manifestation.
Caught Up Unto God and His Throne
John records:
“Her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”
The throne is one of the great themes of Scripture.
The throne represents government.
The throne represents authority.
The throne represents administration.
The throne represents dominion.
The Man-Child is caught up unto God’s throne because the administration changes.
The purpose shifts from formation to government.
The purpose shifts from preparation to administration.
The purpose shifts from maturity to manifestation.
The throne reveals that another realm of responsibility has begun.
The throne reveals that another phase of God’s purpose has emerged.
Spirit, Soul, and Body
The Woman reveals maturity.
The Man-Child reveals fullness.
The distinction is critical.
The Woman possesses Christ formed.
The Man-Child reveals Christ manifested.
The Woman belongs to the realm of preparation.
The Man-Child belongs to the realm of manifestation.
The sign associated with the Man-Child is the redemption of the body.
Spirit.
Soul.
Body.
The complete image.
The complete expression.
The complete unveiling.
The complete witness.
The purpose of God has always been the whole man.
The purpose of God has always been the complete image.
The purpose of God has always been the manifestation of Christ.
Why the Man-Child Belongs to the Age to Come
Scripture speaks of:
“The powers of the age to come.”
The Man-Child belongs to that administration.
Not because Pentecost disappears.
Not because grace disappears.
Not because Christ changes.
But because another dimension of manifestation emerges.
The Woman belongs to the present evil age.
The Man-Child belongs to the powers of the age to come.
The Woman reveals Christ formed.
The Man-Child reveals Christ manifested.
The Woman reveals maturity.
The Man-Child reveals manifestation.
The Woman is the fulfillment of Pentecost.
The Man-Child is the firstfruits of Tabernacles.
The Ministry of the Man-Child
Every administration possesses a mandate.
The Law Age brought forth Jesus Christ.
This present evil age brings forth the Corporate Christ.
The age to come begins the great ingathering.
The ministry of the Man-Child is not merely personal victory.
The ministry of the Man-Child is not merely individual blessing.
The ministry of the Man-Child is reconciliation.
The ministry of the Man-Child is ingathering.
The ministry of the Man-Child is gathering all things together in Christ.
The firstfruits appear first.
Then the harvest follows.
The firstfruits reveal the nature of the harvest.
The firstfruits reveal the power of the administration.
The firstfruits reveal what God intends to accomplish in the ages to come.
The Beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles
The birth of the Man-Child is not the end of the story.
It is the beginning of another story.
It is the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles.
It is the beginning of the great ingathering.
It is the beginning of the administration of fullness.
It is the beginning of the gathering together of all things in Christ.
The Woman fulfilled her assignment.
The Man-Child begins his.
The purpose of Pentecost has been accomplished.
The purpose of Tabernacles has begun.
And the next great question becomes:
What is the purpose of the Feast of Tabernacles?
The answer is found in the great mystery hidden in God’s heart from the beginning:
That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ.
CHAPTER 9
THE FEAST OF INGATHERING
The Final Feast
Among all the feasts given to Israel, one stands apart.
Passover was a feast of beginning.
Pentecost was a feast of increase.
Tabernacles was a feast of completion.
Passover revealed redemption.
Pentecost revealed formation.
Tabernacles reveals ingathering.
The Feast of Tabernacles was also called:
The Feast of Ingathering.
This title is not accidental.
It reveals the purpose of the administration itself.
The purpose of Tabernacles is not merely another blessing.
The purpose of Tabernacles is not merely another experience.
The purpose of Tabernacles is gathering.
The purpose of Tabernacles is fullness.
The purpose of Tabernacles is completion.
The purpose of Tabernacles is bringing into one everything that God has been preparing through the ages.
The Great Purpose Hidden in God
Before there was a Law.
Before there was a Priesthood.
Before there was a Temple.
Before there was Pentecost.
Before there was a Church.
Before there was a Woman.
Before there was a Man-Child.
There was a purpose hidden in God.
Paul reveals that purpose:
“That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ.”
Notice the language carefully.
Not some things.
Not a few things.
Not selected things.
All things.
The direction of God’s purpose is gathering.
The direction of God’s purpose is reconciliation.
The direction of God’s purpose is fullness.
The direction of God’s purpose is unity in Christ.
This is the language of Tabernacles.
This is the language of Ingathering.
This is the language of completion.
Pentecost Begins the Harvest
Pentecost is glorious.
Pentecost reveals Christ within.
Pentecost reveals the Spirit poured out.
Pentecost reveals the Royal Priesthood.
Pentecost reveals the Fivefold Ministry.
Pentecost reveals Christ formed.
Yet Pentecost is not the harvest in its fullness.
Pentecost begins the harvest.
Pentecost matures the harvest.
Pentecost prepares the harvest.
The Woman stands as the mature fruit of Pentecost.
Yet the Woman herself points beyond Pentecost.
The Woman is pregnant.
The Woman groans.
The Woman waits.
Why?
Because another administration is waiting.
The harvest is not yet fully gathered.
Tabernacles Gathers the Harvest
The purpose of Tabernacles is different.
Passover redeems.
Pentecost forms.
Tabernacles gathers.
Passover reveals the Seed.
Pentecost matures the Crop.
Tabernacles gathers the Harvest.
The Man-Child appears as the firstfruits of that administration.
The firstfruits reveal what is coming.
The firstfruits reveal the nature of the harvest.
The firstfruits reveal the power of the age to come.
The firstfruits reveal the beginning of the great ingathering.
The harvest is no longer merely growing.
The harvest is being gathered.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
Paul writes:
“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.”
Notice once again the direction.
Reconciliation.
Restoration.
Gathering.
Unity.
The ministry of reconciliation is not merely about individuals.
It is about God’s purpose in Christ.
God is bringing creation toward Himself.
God is bringing mankind toward Himself.
God is bringing the nations toward Himself.
The ministry changes because the administration changes.
The focus moves from formation to ingathering.
The focus moves from preparation to reconciliation.
The focus moves from maturity to gathering.
Reconciling All Things
Paul expands the vision even further.
“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself.”
Notice the language.
All things.
Things in earth.
Things in heaven.
The scope increases.
The vision expands.
The administration broadens.
The purpose hidden in God begins coming into view.
The purpose was never merely redemption.
The purpose was never merely formation.
The purpose was never merely firstfruits.
The purpose was always fullness.
The purpose was always gathering.
The purpose was always reconciliation.
The purpose was always Christ filling all things.
Why Tabernacles Is Different
Many believers place Pentecost and Tabernacles in the same category.
Yet Scripture reveals a distinction.
Pentecost forms.
Tabernacles gathers.
Pentecost matures.
Tabernacles completes.
Pentecost produces the Woman.
Tabernacles begins through the Man-Child.
Pentecost prepares the vessel.
Tabernacles administers the harvest.
The Woman belongs to the age of preparation.
The Man-Child belongs to the age of ingathering.
The difference is not another Christ.
The difference is another administration of the same Christ.
The difference is another dimension of the same purpose.
The difference is another stage of the same plan.
The Gathering of the Nations
The purpose of Tabernacles reaches beyond the firstfruits.
The firstfruits are not the end.
The firstfruits are the beginning.
The firstfruits reveal the harvest.
The firstfruits initiate the harvest.
The firstfruits serve the harvest.
The nations become the focus.
The earth becomes the focus.
Creation becomes the focus.
The purpose hidden in God begins unfolding on a larger scale.
The increase of His government continues.
The increase of His grace continues.
The increase of His life continues.
The increase of His reconciliation continues.
The gathering continues.
The harvest continues.
The ingathering continues.
The Feast of Ingathering
Thus Tabernacles stands as the Feast of Ingathering.
Not merely the gathering of grain.
Not merely the gathering of fruit.
Not merely the gathering of firstfruits.
But the gathering together of all things in Christ.
The purpose of the Law pointed toward it.
The purpose of Pentecost prepared for it.
The purpose of the Woman carried it.
The purpose of the Man-Child begins it.
The purpose of Tabernacles fulfills it.
For the final objective of God is not merely redemption.
The final objective is not merely formation.
The final objective is not merely manifestation.
The final objective is:
“That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ.”
This is the Feast of Ingathering.
This is the heart of Tabernacles.
This is the purpose of the age to come.
And this is the direction toward which every age, every feast, every ministry, every priesthood, and every revelation has always been moving.
CHAPTER 10
THE DISPENSATION OF THE FULLNESS OF TIMES
The Summit of the Mountain
Every journey possesses a destination.
Every administration possesses an objective.
Every revelation possesses a purpose.
The Law possessed a purpose.
Pentecost possessed a purpose.
The Woman possessed a purpose.
The Man-Child possesses a purpose.
The Feast of Tabernacles possesses a purpose.
None of these stand alone.
None of these are isolated events.
None of these are the final objective.
They are all moving toward a single destination hidden in the heart of God before the foundation of the world.
Paul unveils that destination:
“That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ.”
This is the summit.
This is the objective.
This is the purpose.
This is the culmination of the ages.
Ages Past
Scripture speaks of ages past.
Those ages were filled with witnesses.
Those ages were filled with shadows.
Those ages were filled with preparation.
The Law prepared.
The Prophets prepared.
The Priesthood prepared.
The Temple prepared.
Passover prepared.
Everything pointed toward Christ.
Everything testified of Christ.
Everything announced Christ.
The ages past existed to bring forth Jesus Christ into the earth.
The purpose succeeded.
The Son appeared.
The Word became flesh.
The first great objective was accomplished.
This Present Evil Age
Then another administration emerged.
Pentecost arrived.
The Spirit was poured out.
The Royal Priesthood appeared.
The Fivefold Ministry appeared.
Christ began forming Himself within a people.
This present evil age possesses a purpose.
The purpose is not buildings.
The purpose is not organizations.
The purpose is not religious systems.
The purpose is Christ formed.
The purpose is maturity.
The purpose is the formation of the Corporate Christ.
The Woman stands as the evidence that the purpose succeeded.
The second great objective was accomplished.
The Corporate Christ reached maturity.
The Ages to Come
Then Scripture speaks of:
“The powers of the age to come.”
Notice the language.
Not merely another age.
Ages.
Plural.
The purpose broadens.
The administration expands.
The harvest increases.
The ingathering continues.
The firstfruits appear.
The Man-Child appears.
The powers of the age to come begin operating.
The focus is no longer formation.
The focus is administration.
The focus is reconciliation.
The focus is gathering.
The focus is fullness.
The focus is bringing all things together in Christ.
The Increase of His Government
Isaiah declared:
“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.”
Notice the language.
Increase.
Not decrease.
Increase.
Not limitation.
Increase.
The government of Christ expands.
The Kingdom expands.
The administration expands.
The influence of life expands.
The influence of reconciliation expands.
The influence of truth expands.
The influence of grace expands.
The increase never ends because Christ never ends.
The revelation continues.
The harvest continues.
The gathering continues.
The administration continues.
The purpose continues.
The Increase of His Grace
Grace did not begin at Pentecost.
Grace did not begin at Calvary.
Grace did not begin in Bethlehem.
Grace has always been present because Christ has always been present.
Grace operated beneath the Law.
Grace operated through the Prophets.
Grace operated through the Priesthood.
Grace operated through Pentecost.
Grace operates through Tabernacles.
The difference is not the existence of grace.
The difference is the unveiling of grace.
Grace was veiled.
Grace was revealed.
Grace is manifested.
The increase of grace possesses no end because the increase of Christ possesses no end.
The fullness of God cannot be exhausted.
The wisdom of God cannot be exhausted.
The life of God cannot be exhausted.
The grace of God cannot be exhausted.
The Gathering of All Things
The purpose hidden in God begins becoming increasingly visible.
The language of Scripture becomes unmistakable.
Gather together in one.
Reconcile all things.
The ministry of reconciliation.
The fullness of times.
The purpose is gathering.
The purpose is unity.
The purpose is reconciliation.
The purpose is Christ filling all things.
The purpose is Christ becoming all and in all.
Every administration moves toward this objective.
The Law pointed toward it.
Pentecost prepared for it.
Tabernacles administers it.
The ages to come continue unfolding it.
The purpose advances without interruption.
The harvest increases without interruption.
The gathering continues without interruption.
God All in All
Paul reveals the great conclusion.
The final objective is not endless division.
The final objective is not endless separation.
The final objective is not endless fragmentation.
The final objective is:
“That God may be all in all.”
The story begins with God.
The story ends with God.
The purpose begins in God.
The purpose ends in God.
The mystery hidden in God returns everything to God.
The revelation hidden in God returns everything to God.
The life proceeding from God returns everything to God.
The administration of Christ accomplishes exactly what the Father intended from the beginning.
The Purpose of the Ages Revealed
The Law Age brought forth Jesus Christ.
This present evil age brings forth the Corporate Christ.
The age to come gathers all things into Christ.
The Law revealed Christ in shadow.
Pentecost revealed Christ in measure.
Tabernacles reveals Christ in fullness.
The Levitical Priesthood pointed toward Him.
The Royal Priesthood formed Him within a people.
The Melchizedek dimension manifests Him.
The Woman fulfilled the purpose of Pentecost.
The Man-Child inaugurated the powers of the age to come.
The Feast of Tabernacles reveals the great ingathering.
The dispensation of the fullness of times reveals the final objective.
Every age.
Every feast.
Every priesthood.
Every ministry.
Every revelation.
Every administration.
Every purpose.
Every sign.
Every witness.
Every shadow.
Every manifestation.
Moves toward one glorious conclusion:
“That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ.”
This is the purpose hidden from ages and generations.
This is the purpose of this present evil age.
This is the purpose of the age to come.
This is the purpose of the Woman.
This is the purpose of the Man-Child.
This is the purpose of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
And this is the purpose that shall continue increasing until God is all in all.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES BY CHAPTER
CHAPTER 1 — THE MYSTERY HIDDEN FROM AGES AND GENERATIONS
Primary Scriptures
- Colossians 1:26–27
- Ephesians 3:1–11
- Romans 16:25–26
- 1 Peter 1:10–12
- Revelation 1:1
- John 5:39
- Luke 24:27
Key Theme
The mystery hidden from ages and generations is progressively unveiled through Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER 2 — GRACE VEILED: CHRIST HIDDEN UNDER THE LAW
Primary Scriptures
- Romans 8:2
- Galatians 3:19–24
- Hebrews 10:1
- Hebrews 8:5
- Exodus 12:1–14
- Leviticus 16
- Deuteronomy 18:15
- Psalm 40:6–8
Key Theme
Christ concealed in shadows, sacrifices, priesthood, feasts, and prophecy.
CHAPTER 3 — THE WORD BECAME FLESH
Primary Scriptures
- John 1:1–18
- Galatians 4:4
- Matthew 1:18–23
- Luke 1:26–38
- Luke 2:10–14
- Hebrews 1:1–3
- Colossians 2:16–17
Key Theme
The fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets through the appearing of Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER 4 — THE DAY OF PENTECOST FULLY CAME
Primary Scriptures
- Acts 2:1–4
- Acts 2:16–18
- Romans 8:2
- Ephesians 4:7–13
- 1 Peter 2:9
- John 14:16–20
- John 16:7–15
Key Theme
Christ distributed into His Body through Pentecost, the Royal Priesthood, and the Fivefold Ministry.
CHAPTER 5 — THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENT EVIL AGE
Primary Scriptures
- Ephesians 4:11–13
- Galatians 4:19
- Romans 8:28–29
- Colossians 1:27–29
- Ephesians 3:14–21
- Galatians 1:4
Key Theme
The purpose of this present evil age is Christ formed within a corporate people.
CHAPTER 6 — THE WOMAN: THE FULFILLMENT OF PENTECOST
Primary Scriptures
- Revelation 12:1–2
- Ephesians 4:13
- Colossians 1:27
- Romans 8:18–23
- Song of Solomon 6:10
- Isaiah 60:1–3
- Ephesians 5:25–27
Key Theme
The Woman as the mature fruit of Pentecost and the fulfillment of the Fivefold mandate.
CHAPTER 7 — THE GREAT HINGE: FROM PENTECOST TO TABERNACLES
Primary Scriptures
- Revelation 12:1–5
- Acts 2:1–4
- Romans 8:23
- Romans 8:19
- 1 Corinthians 15:51–54
- Philippians 3:20–21
- Hebrews 6:4–5
Key Theme
The sign of Pentecost, the sign of Tabernacles, the redemption of the body, and the birth of the Man-Child.
CHAPTER 8 — THE MAN-CHILD: THE FIRSTFRUITS OF TABERNACLES
Primary Scriptures
- Revelation 12:5
- Romans 8:19–23
- Hebrews 5:5–10
- Hebrews 7:1–28
- Psalm 110:1–4
- Revelation 2:26–27
- Revelation 5:10
- 1 Corinthians 15:20–28
Key Theme
The Man-Child as the firstfruits of Tabernacles and the Melchizedek dimension.
CHAPTER 9 — THE FEAST OF INGATHERING
Primary Scriptures
- Ephesians 1:10
- 2 Corinthians 5:18–19
- Colossians 1:20
- Leviticus 23:33–44
- Deuteronomy 16:13–15
- John 12:32
- Isaiah 11:9
Key Theme
The purpose of Tabernacles as the gathering together of all things in Christ.
CHAPTER 10 — THE DISPENSATION OF THE FULLNESS OF TIMES
Primary Scriptures
- Ephesians 1:10
- Isaiah 9:6–7
- 1 Corinthians 15:24–28
- Colossians 1:16–20
- Ephesians 3:8–11
- Revelation 21:1–5
- Revelation 22:1–5
Key Theme
The fullness of times, the increase of His government, the gathering of all things, and God all in all.
FOUNDATIONAL THREAD SCRIPTURES FOR THE ENTIRE BOOK
Christ Hidden
- Deuteronomy 18:15
- Psalm 40:7
- Luke 24:27
- John 5:39
Christ Revealed
- John 1:14
- Galatians 4:4
- Hebrews 1:1–3
Christ Formed
- Galatians 4:19
- Colossians 1:27
- Ephesians 4:13
Christ Manifested
- Romans 8:19–23
- Revelation 12:5
- 1 Corinthians 15:51–54
Christ Gathering All Things
- Ephesians 1:10
- 2 Corinthians 5:18–19
- Colossians 1:20
- 1 Corinthians 15:28
The Woman and The Man-Child Series
- The Woman and the Man-Child
- THE WOMAN AND THE MAN-CHILD — GOD’S GREAT WONDER IN HEAVEN