Fall 2002
Our Testimony
Wade E Taylor

“And they sung a new song, saying, You are worthy to
take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for You
were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your
blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people,
and nation.”

“And have made us unto our God kings and priests:
and we shall reign on the earth.” Rev 5:9-10.

This “new song” is not one that we learn. Rather, it is the result of the outworking of our spiritual commitment, and is sung as a testimony of what we have become – “kings and priests.”

Many translations use the word “them,” as this is the song of twenty four elders and four living creatures. I have checked this with Biblical scholars and they confirm that “us” is the better translation.

In the Old Testament, twelve patriarchs became the twelve tribes of Israel. Thus, the “twenty four elders” represent the Old Testament overcomers. The “four living creatures” represent the four sides of spiritual maturity, the New Testament overcomer. These have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus from every kindred, tongue, people, and nation, which spans all of history.

They are singing, “and have made us ..” This is the “processing” that takes place during our life time, which leads to our being chosen as an overcomer to reign with Jesus in the Millennial Kingdom.

“For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matt 22:14.

A better way to say this is, “Many are called, but few will pay the price in order to be chosen.”

We can better identify those who are singing as being “overcomers,” from the following Scriptures.

“Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon
their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
and a two edged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance
upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To
bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters
of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this
honor have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord.” Psalm 149:5-9.

“To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in
heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold
wisdom of God.” Eph 3:10.

The outworking of this “song” will take place when these “overcomers” are lifted into a higher realm of Apostolic power and anointing.

In Exodus, chapter nineteen, this was offered to Israel, but was rejected due to their reaction to the manifestation of the supernatural.

“And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation.” Exodus 19:6.

They were told to be ready by the “third day” (the Millennial day), as the Lord desired to come down in the sight of all the people. When this began to happen, the people backed up, and rejected the manifest presence of the Lord.

The manifest power of God will greatly affect our emotions, and our responses will be varied in intensity, as we are different in our make up. Many today criticize the manifestations that are happening in the places where the Lord is “testing” us to see if we are ready to respond to all that He desires to do and accomplish.

“And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that
there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon
the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud;
so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.” Exodus 19:16

“And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and
the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when
the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.” Exodus 20:18.

When Israel began to “tremble” in the intense presence of the Lord, they backed away and rejected the manifestation of the supernatural power of God. In effect, they said, “Moses, we do not want all this shaking, and glory, and trumpets (prophetic). You go into the Lord’s presence and then come back and tell us. We want a nice quiet dignified service.

At this present time, the time of the closing out of the Church Age, Jesus is beginning to take His place as the head of His body, the church (Parousia). All the world will see this “corporate Jesus,” and just as Israel, they will react.

If we are not, at this presence time, being conditioned to stand in this powerful manifestation of the presence of the Lord, we also will react and protest. The Lord can wait for another generation who will rightly respond to His presence, be we cannot. We must be “made ready” to rightly respond to this coming time of visitation.

The Lord had said, “l will come down in the sight of all the people.” He still has this desire to reveal His glory to us. In our day, in this time of “the sound of many waters” (Rev 1:15), the Lord will reveal His glory through a corporate body who have been conditioned to accept and move in His manifest presence.

Because Israel withdrew from the manifested presence of the Lord, He withdrew from them. Now, the same promise, a voice saying to “come up” (Rev 4:1) is being offered to us in our day. Some years ago, I often heard that “a visitation is coming.” I heard it so many times that I began to say, “There is a coming visitation”... and the Lord smote me. I was saying it because I heard others saying it.

Then the Lord sent a “sampler” up in Toronto, and down in Pensacola. Immediately, as with Israel in that day, there arose all kinds of controversy. Some of those who are upset are the very ones who said that visitation is coming. They are saying, “This is not the way we expected it.” But God has chosen “foolish things,” to test us.

There is an established principle. “The recipients of each visitation become the persecutors of the next visitation.” This is because the Lord does not repeat Himself, and because He may move in ways that are embarrassing to our intellect, many will react and reject. Along with the real, there is the counterfeit. But we must be careful that we do not throw the baby out with the bath water.

Years ago, I was in a large church on a Sunday morning, when someone spoke in tongues. The pastor said, “Do not get nervous, sometimes this happens; we usually reserve this for the basement on Wednesday evening.” To not offend those who have no spirit, the Holy Spirit is pushed into the basement, when these are not present.

There is a present call to come higher, and the Lord is doing things that have never happened before. There are those who will say, as Mary of old; “It is impossible, and I do not understand, but be it unto me according to your word.” Today, the world is laughing at the Church, but this is about to change.

I was in the army during the second world war. We had officers over us, who because of the urgency, were trained in a ninety day course. The enlisted men called these “ninety-day wonders” and despised them. They respected the officers who came up through the ranks, but they despised those who were exercising authority, but had never been under authority.

The Lord is not caught off guard as there is no Pearl Harbor in His kingdom. Today, there are those who are being prepared, who in that day will sing “a new song” and will manifest His glory in the earth. In the Lord’s time and way, He will say to these, “Come up.” The Head and the Body will be joined, and the body will function under the direct dictate of the Head.

May we be among those who will welcome His presence.