thefigleaf.ca

Now we can understand why these signs that appear in heaven have such ominous significance! They have such ominous significance because they mark the end of the age of grace and the beginning of the Great Tribulation! The Church has come to the realization of Christ in Her and among Her and has fulfilled the purpose of the Church!

[The purpose is] that through the church the complicated, many-sided wisdom of God in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects might now be made known to the angelic rulers and authorities (principalities and powers) in the heavenly sphere.

That complicated, many sided wisdom of God in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects is finally manifested and has become made known to the angelic rulers and authorities (the principalities and the powers) in the heavenly sphere! The Church realized practically, through experience the love of Christ, and came to know the glorious riches of the mystery for the Gentiles-that mystery of Christ in us and among us!

21And although you at one time were estranged and alienated from Him and were of hostile attitude of mind in your wicked activities, 22Yet now has [Christ, the Messiah] reconciled [you to God] in the body of His flesh through death, in order to present you holy and faultless and irreproachable in His [the Father's] presence. 23[And this He will do] provided that you continue to stay with and in the faith [in Christ], well-grounded and settled and steadfast, not shifting or moving away from the hope [which rests on and is inspired by] the glad tidings (the Gospel), which you heard and which has been preached [as being designed for and offered without restrictions] to every person under heaven, and of which [Gospel] I, Paul, became a minister. 24[Even] now I rejoice in the midst of my sufferings on your behalf. And in my own person I am making up whatever is still lacking and remains to be completed [on our part] of Christ's afflictions, for the sake of His body, which is the church. 25In it I became a minister in accordance with the divine stewardship which was entrusted to me for you [as its object and for your benefit], to make the Word of God fully known [among you]-- 26The mystery of which was hidden for ages and generations [from angels and men], but is now revealed to His holy people (the saints), 27To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within and among you, the Hope of [realizing the] glory. 28Him we preach and proclaim, warning and admonishing everyone and instructing everyone in all wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God), that we may present every person mature (full-grown, fully initiated, complete, and perfect) in Christ (the Anointed One). 29For this I labor [unto weariness], striving with all the superhuman energy which He so mightily enkindles and works within me.

The Church came to know and possess and became wholly filled throughout Her being unto all the fullness of God, and She came to actually possess the richest measure of the Divine Presence, with the end result that She became a Body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself-and the wife appeared in the heavenly places!

19[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

It was by this experiential knowledge of Christ within Her and among Her coming into fulfillment that causes the woman to become pregnant, and in Her anguish She births a male Child-One Who is to rule with an iron sceptre! The Bride of Christ conceived and brought forth that image of the heavenly man (the image of Christ which was in Her and among Her)!

49And just as we have borne the image [of the man] of dust, so shall we and so let us also bear the image [of the Man] of heaven.

The age of grace was accomplished and completed through the Church by His power! And a great sign (wonder), a sign warning of future events of ominous significance, appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crownlike garland (tiara) of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and she cried out in her birth pangs, in the anguish of her delivery. And she brought forth a male Child, One Who is destined to rule all nations with an iron staff, and her Child was caught up to God and to His throne.

1AND A great sign (wonder)--[warning of future events of ominous significance] appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and with a crownlike garland (tiara) of twelve stars on her head.2She was pregnant and she cried out in her birth pangs, in the anguish of her delivery. 3Then another ominous sign (wonder) was seen in heaven: Behold, a huge, fiery-red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven kingly crowns (diadems) upon his heads. 4His tail swept [across the sky] and dragged down a third of the stars and flung them to the earth. And the dragon stationed himself in front of the woman who was about to be delivered, so that he might devour her child as soon as she brought it forth. 5And she brought forth a male Child, One Who is destined to shepherd (rule) all the nations with an iron staff (scepter), and her Child was caught up to God and to His throne.

And when the Child was caught up to God and to His throne, then it came to pass that the kingdom of heaven, at that time was like that of ten virgins, five were wise and went in to meet the Bridegroom and the door was shut!

1"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' 7"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' 9" 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' 10"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 11"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' 12"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' 13"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown (bestowed on) us, that we should be permitted to be named and called and counted as the children of God! Beloved, we are now God's children (here and now), it is not yet made clear what we shall be hereafter, but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall, as God's children, resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him as He really is!

1SEE WHAT [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him. 2Beloved, we are [even here and] now God's children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [as God's children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is. 3And everyone who has this hope [resting] on Him cleanses (purifies) himself just as He is pure (chaste, undefiled, guiltless).

The very fact that God has "broken His silence" and the understanding and the revelation is coming forth is also very significant in itself; it means that the Church is on the verge of bringing this forth into full manifestation in the heavenly realms! It is the beginning of the fulfilling of the prophetic word given by the prophet Daniel, "and knowledge of God's purposes as revealed by His prophets] shall be increased and become great."

4But you, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the Book until the time of the end. [Then] many shall run to and fro and search anxiously [through the Book], and knowledge [of God's purposes as revealed by His prophets] shall be increased and become great.

We have to realize that now that the understanding and revelation is coming forth to the Church, God Himself has broken His silence and we, the Church, are loosing on earth what has been loosed in heaven!

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven.

The Bride is being permitted to make Herself ready in preparation for the Bridegroom, so that the Scripture may be fulfilled.

6And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7Let 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. 8And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Notice verse seven, "…and his wife hath made herself ready!"

She Brought Forth a Male Child

1AND A great sign (wonder)--[warning of future events of ominous significance] appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and with a crownlike garland (tiara) of twelve stars on her head.2She was pregnant and she cried out in her birth pangs, in the anguish of her delivery. 3Then another ominous sign (wonder) was seen in heaven: Behold, a huge, fiery-red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven kingly crowns (diadems) upon his heads. 4His tail swept [across the sky] and dragged down a third of the stars and flung them to the earth. And the dragon stationed himself in front of the woman who was about to be delivered, so that he might devour her child as soon as she brought it forth. 5And she brought forth a male Child, One Who is destined to shepherd (rule) all the nations with an iron staff (scepter), and her Child was caught up to God and to His throne.

The wife, the Bride of Christ brought forth a male Child, the King James says, "she brought forth a man child,"

5And 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.

So what did the wife, who arose and became assembled, completed and fulfilled, bring forth? She brought forth the image of Christ! Hallelujah!

48Now those who are made of the dust are like him who was first made of the dust (earthly-minded); and as is [the Man] from heaven, so also [are those] who are of heaven (heavenly-minded). 49And just as we have borne the image [of the man] of dust, so shall we and so let us also bear the image [of the Man] of heaven. 50But I tell you this, brethren, flesh and blood cannot [become partakers of eternal salvation and] inherit or share in the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable (that which is decaying) inherit or share in the imperishable (the immortal).