Fall 1998
Entering His Rest
Wade E Taylor

"And after six days, Jesus taketh Peter, James, and
John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high
mountain apart, and was transfigured before them:
and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment
was white as the light.

"And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias
talking with Him" Matt 17:1-3.

Since neither the text nor the context of the above Scriptures reveals the identity of this six day period of time, it is therefore possible that the Lord is referring to this present time.

Creation took place within six days (man's time), and the Lord rested the seventh day (His Millennial day). Man was created on the sixth day, therefore, his number in Scripture is six. Six-six-six refers to the highest that man can attain, his seeking to deify himself and solve his problems apart from God. We are close to the end of man's six days.

During the six days of man's time, those who represented the Lord functioned for Him in His absence. But in the seventh (Millennial) day, through direct intervention, the Lord will be personally present, and the initiative will pass from man to Him. Presently, we are in a time of transition in which the Lord is preparing us through times of visitation, to rightly relate to His increasing presence and direct intervention into the affairs of the nations and mankind.

Our greatest difficulty in this time of transition is shifting from working for the Lord in His absence, to responding and cooperating with the Lord in His presence. This means that we must come to the end of all self-motivated activity and enter a state of "rest."

The problem is that we have been so active that we become impatient with inactivity and are unable to rest. Therefore, there is a reluctance to enter this place of rest in which we recognize and become comfortable with divine activity.

This state of rest that prepares us for and precedes the Millennial Kingdom is necessary, because all of our efforts have not accomplished the purpose of the Lord to establish righteousness, peace, and joy upon the earth. Therefore, we must come to a cessation of "our methods" in order to make room for the Lord to become active to accomplish that which we were unable to do. This is the primary purpose for the preparatory visitations that are presently taking place in many parts of the Body of Christ.

During this present time of transition, the Lord is increasingly revealing His presence to us. He is testing us with these "touches of His manifest presence" to see if we will make room for Him and allow Him to do as He pleases. Many times in the past, the Lord desired to move, but by our ignorance, indifference, or even our rejection of His presence, He was grieved and therefore withdrew.

Much of the present criticism of these "spiritual stirrings" is directed against the manifestations that result from the visitation of His presence. Rather, we should welcome His presence and seek to purify our reactions.

It is important for us to know that whenever the Lord attempts to reveal Himself to us, personally, or in a meeting, He will wait for our response to this manifestation of His presence. Until we take a step towards Him, He will not act.

"And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this
great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the
LORD SAW THAT HE TURNED ASIDE TO SEE, God called unto
him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses,
Moses. And he said, Here am I" Exodus 3:3-4 (emphasis added).

This same principle is found in the New Testament.

"And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went:
and HE MADE AS THOUGH HE WOULD HAVE GONE FURTHER. But
they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is
toward evening, and the day is far spent. And He went
in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as He sat
at meat with them, He took bread, and blessed it, and
brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened,
and they knew Him; and He vanished out of their
sight" Luke 24:28-31 (emphasis added).

You may have experienced a time when you were with a group and you wondered whether your presence was appreciated. Therefore, you reluctantly offered to leave and when they let you go without attempting to detain you, you were hurt. Actually, you did not want to go, but you were testing to see if you were wanted. It is important that we develop a sensitivity toward each other, but much more, toward the Lord.

Presently we are approaching the end of the sixth day in which we must learn to cease from human activity in order to enter divine activity. It is very important for us to recognize the presence of the Lord, then to rightly respond.

A mature Christian is one who has cultivated this sensitivity and capacity, especially in this time of the closing out of the Church age in preparation for the Millennial Kingdom of our Lord.