[Ed.
Note: The letter you are about to read was a proposal
from an incoming prophet “fresh from the desert” to a
large suburban church leadership body, seeking union
with that church according to the Lord’s direction.
Although somewhat personal, the character of this
original letter has been preserved for effect.
Though
the letter is focused on the relationship of one
specific individual to an entire church, it is not
meant to suggest that only one “desert prophet” or
“son” is meant to “marry” back into a single church—as
was taught or implied in certain early Latter Rain
teaching sonship relative to body ministry. The
restoration described in this letter is far broader
and more corporate than the idea of one man to one
church.]
August 9,
1990
Introduction
This
is the most important letter I have ever written [to
date] with respect to my understanding of spiritual
things. It comes as a result of earnest waiting
regarding what my relationship is to be to your church.
Because you [the church leaders] and I come from
intrinsically different perspectives, I am trusting God
to translate everything I say from my perspective into
the language of your perspective.
Attached
is an
addendum of scripture verses. These verses set the
tone for this letter, forming the basis for the
understanding I will impart through it. I encourage you
to meditate over these passages first, sensing the theme
of direction indicated by them. (Based on these
scriptures, this letter could as easily be entitled “The
Record of John,” or perhaps, “I Show You a Mystery.”)
I.
God the Reconciler
The
key to understanding this teaching is in understanding
that God is the Great Reconciler. Everything He does in
nature, in creation, in salvation, and in restoration is
accomplished through the reconciling of things with
opposing natures. There is a natural polarity God has
built into the universe. If you study the story of
Creation in Genesis 1, you will see that everything the
Lord created, He did so as a pair of opposites that must
be balanced in order for Creation to function properly.
Consider these:
|
Day
1
|
Day
and Night
|
|
Day
2
|
Upper
firmament and Lower firmament
|
|
Day
3
|
Earth
and Sea
|
|
|
Vegetation
and Trees
|
|
Day
4
|
Sun
(greater light) and Moon (lesser light)
|
|
Day
5
|
Water
Creatures (fish, etc.) and Air Creatures
(birds)
|
|
Day
6
|
Mammals
and Man
|
|
|
>>
Man: Male and Female
|
Creation pictures heavenly realities. This tells us that
spiritual realities also function through the merging of
opposites into one unit. That word merge is
important. We’re not just talking about “balancing”
opposites here. We’re talking about bringing together to
make one new reality.
Look
again at the Creation story. All the non-living
things created on days 1-4 function by balancing
only. But all the living things made on days, 3,
5 and 6 function by merging two into one. This
is where the concept of gender (“sexuality”)
begins.
When
it comes to spiritual realities then, we are talking
about living realities, therefore we are talking about a
constant merging or “marriage” in which God takes two
oppositely natured life-forms and reconciles them into one
new form. According to Paul, this heavenly
reconciling process will continue until—
“in the—fullness of times, God might gather together in one all
things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which
are on earth; even in Him.” Eph. 1:10
II. Living Reconciliation: Marriage, and the Mystery
of Spirit-Gender
When
God made man, He made man with two sexes—after His
(“our”) image and likeness (Gen. 1:26.) Of all God’s
creatures, only man was specifically made in God’s
image. Since man is the closest representation of God we
have in nature, we learn two monumentally significant
things about God through his existence:
A. God’s nature has a dual aspect
God
holds within His being a duality of nature perfectly
unified into one. One aspect of his nature is displayed
through certain traits which we on earth identify by the
word “masculine.” The other part is displayed through
qualities we call “feminine.” I will discuss this more
at length shortly.
B. Marriage is the strongest
portrayal possible of the heavenly process of
reconciliation
In
establishing human marriage at creation, God gave us a
picture that became for all time the best illustration
of His process of reconciliation between spiritual
realities of opposing nature. This includes God’s plan
of salvation as it is played out through the human race.
It also includes God’s plan of restoration as
it is played out through the body of His People.
For this reason, the Bible is filled with
illustrations of marriage as the type by which these
processes are described.
The
Bible starts with marriage (Gen, 1-2) and ends with
marriage! (Rev. 21-22.) Marriage is the mainstay
illustration of not only the Old Testament prophets, but
also of the New Testament apostles (consider Eph. 5 for
example)—in describing the developing process of God’s
union with His People.
III.
Spiritual Marriage in the Restoration of the Church: A
Mystery Unveiled
“For
as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons
marry you…” Isa. 62:5
All
of us have a fair understanding already of how God
relates to His People according to the idea of spiritual
gender and marriage. According to this understanding,
God fulfils the place of masculinity while His People
fulfil the role of femininity. But what is becoming
unveiled in this hour, and what I wish to impart to you
is this: The reality of spiritual gender is not limited
to the distinction between God and the church, but is
one that has been planted into the Body itself.
Accordingly,
God has planted within a majority of His People His feminine
Spirit, while to a minority He has committed His masculine
Spirit. These two aspects of His Spirit are opposite in
nature though they are of the same Lord. They are in
fact two polarized manifestations of the same
Spirit. One Spirit—but two aspects of nature: one
masculine, the other feminine. God has committed these
sovereignly as He wills, to each man his appointed
gender of Spirit.
Because
of the oppositeness of these two aspects, there has been
an age long conflict and division in the body of Christ,
even extending back to the original body of ancient
Israel. This conflict has been between those of God’s
People possessed of His “feminine” Spirit versus those
possessed of His “masculine” Spirit. And now, according
to God’s heavenly plan of reconciliation, I am giving
you to understand that the fullness of time is at hand
in which God is now ready after the centuries to marry
His masculine-Spirit People to His feminine-Spirit
People.
At
hand is the fulfilment of Isaiah 62:5, a prophecy never
yet fulfilled to this time in which the sons
of God and of the prophets are able to come in from
their deserts in the earth to marry the established
feminine bodies (daughters) of God’s
People from which they have been outcast. At hand is the
fulfilment of Ps. 147:2, “gathering together the
outcasts of Israel.” In my personal estimation, this is
the greatest revelation of reconciliation since the
apostle Paul was given to understand that Jews and
Gentiles were being reconciled into one body.
IV.
Understanding
Spiritual Gender in the Body of Christ
Although
I have described the reconciliation and restoration at
hand, I have not adequately described the
distinctiveness of the nature-aspects I’m talking about,
though I think your spirit will pick up on what I’m
saying. Let me begin by pointing out that you and I are
of such different natures as I am talking about. That is
why I have asked the Lord to translate what I am saying
into a language your spirits can hear and receive.
The
truth is that I am chiefly infused with the
Masculine-Aspect of God’s Spirit, while to you has been
chiefly imparted the Feminine-Aspect. Since the
beginning of Israel, God’s sons have never been able to
communicate their vision to the body of God’s daughters,
and vice versa. There has been a perpetual enmity
between the two throughout the last two ages.
For
this cause, the “sons of the prophets” have been
perpetually outcast by the “daughter of my people.” They
have been forced to live apart from the
bodies—scattered, hidden away in the deserts of the
earth. Being myself a “son” who has lived in the desert
of ostracism, and having recently come in from the
desert to approach your body, you understand why
I ask the Lord then to translate what I am saying to you
and give you the revelation of it.
I
believe the revelation transcends both our natures.
After life-long rejection of what I’ve had to say to
bodies, I have the grace to believe that this time, a
feminine-Spirit leadership will have hearts to hear what
God is saying through a masculine “son.”
- Getting Down to Distinctives
The
distinctives of spiritual gender are not hard to see.
They simply parallel the traits of natural sexuality,
beginning with an egg and sperm cell. A female egg is an
enclosed cell that makes up a “body.” The cell stays housed
in the mother, finding its meaning and purpose defined
by its dependence.
A
male cell however is independent. It is also “aggressive,”
and contains its own built in propulsion for forward
motion. A male cell “travels,” while a female egg
remains in place. (Note: it is also the male cell which
must make the approach to the egg if there is to be a
union. It has to leave its first environment
[Gen. 2:24])
When
we project these distinctives out through the full human
personality, the picture expands. A woman is an “at
home” person. She is maternal in instinct, protective of
her children, and one who needs security. She is a
“dweller.” She is also characterized by the qualities of
life known for their softness, gentleness and delicacy.
She is deeply empathetic in feeling for others and
intuitive. She is known for her compassion and mercy and
love.
A
man however is characterized differently. He is known
for his adherence to truth, sound impartial judgment,
and clear, rational thinking. He takes the lead and
initiative in forward direction and purpose pertaining
to all matters. He is explorative, bold and
adventuresome, functioning in relationship to a goal to
be achieved. He lives by and in turn ministers a
standard for life, setting empathies aside that deter
from the standard. Thus he sets a standard for order and
discipline.
When
we see these natural distinctives clearly, seeing the
spiritual realities only follows. Those of
feminine-Spirit believe primarily in the importance of
the visible local body of Christ. Those of the body draw
their security and affirmation through one another.
Because
the cohesiveness of the body is its life, division of
any sort is intolerable. Independence of any sort is out
of character, and conformity to an understanding by
consensus is the guiding principle. There is a strong
mothering nature in the leadership of the feminine body,
a strong protectiveness of the cells, and a deep
compassion over the wounds and hurts of the children.
The great emphasis is on love and unity in the body.
By
contrast, those who are born-again of the masculine
nature believe primarily in developing pure, distinctive
individual identity according to the purpose of Christ
for their own lives. Their sense of conformity is only
to what they perceive as consistent with the life of
Christ. They do not draw their affirmation for direction
from others in the body. They carry their own internal
propulsion for forward motion in the Lord. They have a
strong emphasis on truth, purity and holiness, and
personally tend to exemplify highly disciplined lives.
Masculine
people of God are scattered, hidden and fairly
individualistic. They hate spiritual compromise with
unrighteousness, are bold in their declarations and are
unafraid of the opinion of men, including bodies of
Christians.
V.
The Difficulty of Marriage
I
don’t know if anyone has ever said marriage was easy.
Anything I’ve ever heard said about it is that it takes
real work [Ed.
note: I was not married at the time of this writing].
When I consider the distinctives of natural marriage, I
don’t see how it could be otherwise. If so in the
natural, how much more in the spiritual? For centuries
the established daughter of God’s People and the
uncompromising sons of God have been unable to marry.
Instead,
the sons of God have wound up cast out in the
deserts—the bodies continue on in corruption, and the
sons of God develop into an isolationism—lonely,
frustrated deep within for the rest of their lives. The
bodies will not receive the sons back unless the sons
are willing to recant their identity as sons and
become body cells. And the sons will not
approach the bodies in their retained corruption, and
rather expect daughter cells to defect with them
and join them in the desert.
Meanwhile,
the bodies continue on, mired in their place, groping
aimlessly for vision which only the sons can provide;
while the desert sons unsuccessfully try to forge their
own bodies in the desert, and fail—dying of starvation,
and for lack of love, security, and mothering which only
a feminine body can provide.
Sons
and daughters grow to stereotype each other. Sons call
the bodies “harlots” and bodies call the sons “heretics”
and “lone rangers.” Each finds it extremely
difficult to believe that the other could be walking in
the light of God. Their perceived faults in the other
blind them to that possibility of consideration.
Each
simply continues to champion the things in scripture
they see according to the nature God gave them. The
bodies dwell on those writings which outline the
importance of the body. The sons dwell on the outcast
heroes of their faith—Elijah, the Prophets, John the
Baptist, and Jesus in his “single” state, and Paul.
Yet
despite these opposed natures, I believe God is now
ready to reconcile the “sexes.” I believe He is ready to
work that union and marriage between male and female at
the end of the “sixth day” of world history that will
bring to pass the true fruitfulness and multiplication
of the next age. Not only that, but I believe that this
marriage is vital to the Return of the Lord. In some
ways, it is a “pre-marriage” that will prepare the way
for the ultimate marriage of the Lord to His People, and
the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb.”
VI.
Preparing the Lord’s Return through Pre-Marriage of the
Sons to the Body
You
will note the attached addendum
of scriptures. I ask you to read that before
reading this section, as it will help you understand
what I’m about to say.
Malachi
prophesied
that before the Lord returned, God would send a
messenger to prepare His way. This is because the Lord’s
Return would be sudden and blindingly brilliant. It
would take someone to prepare the eyes of the People
through holiness so that when the Lord came, they might
be able to withstand the sight of Him.
We
know that the first fulfilment of this was John the
Baptist. John’s father prophesied over him that he would
give light to Israel. This would in turn give Israel the
ability to see the Lord Himself who would shine much
brighter—like when one wakes up in the middle of the
night. First he turns on a low level night-light. Then,
he can turn on the regular light without pain of
brightness. This was John’s job.
What
we have to notice about John is this: “And the child
grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the
deserts til the day of his showing unto Israel.”
In other words, John was a man of the masculine
spirit and light of God. He was a desert son
to whom was committed “son-light revelation” to
be administered to the feminine body of Israel. And he
was “strong in spirit.”
What
am I saying? I’m saying that it is to desert sons that
is committed a certain light that the
body does not have. That light resonates to the
frequency of Jesus Himself, and is given to sons only
who are to give it to the body so they will not be
blinded at the Lord’s Return.
Even
as John first fulfilled this reality, so now God is
starting to bring in His sons from the desert, sons to
whom He has committed a revelational light that the body
does not have, a light that vibrates to the frequency of
Jesus Himself, a light that will prepare the body to
withstand the sight of the Lord’s Return in all its
brilliance. Without that light, the body will not be
able to stand before the Lord.
That
is why this pre-marriage must take place first. Right
now the Body has “moon light” (the lesser light),
but not the “sunlight” that only the desert sons
can provide. That is why it is imperative that desert
sons humble themselves to come in from the desert to
“propose marriage” to the bodies that once rejected
them, and for the bodies to humble themselves to receive
the desert sons with their light and to “accept”
their proposals of marriage.
Otherwise
both will die—the sons because of isolation, and the
bodies because of the blinding judgment of the Lord for
which they were unready (Right now the bodies sing,
“Shine, Jesus, Shine.” They know not what they ask!)
VII.
Relating Spiritual Gender to Other Offices and Moves of
God
We
know through other prophets that God has other
restorations occurring. We also know of the other
offices in the Church. Particularly we know that the
apostolic office is in restoration now. The question
arises: How does this marriage of spiritual genders fit
with what else God is restoring? Can this, for example,
be equated with the restoration of the apostles in which
the apostles are the “sons” come in from the
desert?
Answer:
while this may be partly true, the marriage of the
spiritual genders actually transcends and runs far
deeper than the restoration of any one particular
office. Spiritual gender is not confined to a particular
office, but cuts across all offices and other positions.
You see, there are “body apostles,” and there are
“desert apostles.” Peter, for example, was a “body
apostle.” Paul however was a “desert apostle.”
Likewise,
there are “body prophets” and “desert prophets.” Right
now for instance, most of the focus of prophetic
restoration is on “body prophets.” There is little or no
acknowledgment of “desert prophets” (who are still being
tagged as “lone rangers” by body people.) There are body
teachers, pastors, evangelists, elders; and there are
desert teachers, pastors, evangelists, and elders.
Because
all this is so, we are talking about something much
greater than offices when referring to this union of
spiritual gender. We are talking about the union of two
totally opposite breeds of spiritual people. It’s
easiest then to distinguish them the way the Old
Testament does, between the “daughter of My People”
and the “sons of the prophets.”
VIII.
A Prophet’s Proposal to a Church
[Ed note: the
following is the actual text of a bold “marriage
proposal” this prophetic writer made to a church
leadership body based upon the truth outlined above.
This proposal was cautiously accepted after some
further time of proving and mutual compromise and
pruning within the will of God. It led to a fruitful
relationship for a period of years between the writer
and the pastoral leadership—and not without its ups
and downs. The original church has since passed away.
This type of
proposal is only fore typical of what will come to
pass in tougher times ahead when the church as a whole
is truly ready to receive the prepared sons. The
proposal is bold but was made in faith. If given or
received prematurely or through the wrong spirit it
would be summarily categorized as presumptuous without
further hearing. In days of desperation to come
however, when the full inadequacy of pastor-led
churches becomes apparent and the truly matured
“desert sons” are ready to be released, the sense of
presumption associated with such proposals will give
way to the spirit of faith.]
Last
week, I offered you certain proposals as to how I could
serve your ministry in a full-time way. In reality, I
was offering myself in “marriage” as a desert son to a
feminine body and leadership. But because of the
distinction of our spiritual gender, there is at present
an unspoken barrier between us.
You’re
not really sure what to make of me or what to do with me
or whether or not I really fit with you. You are used to
relationship only in the context of “feminine” spirit
where everyone begins with the same basic corporate
identity (affirmed through membership classes) before
they offer themselves. But I have offered myself without
affirming that identity, which creates an oddity.
Nevertheless,
true
to what I have said already, I believe it has been
incumbent on me as the “son” to make the proposal, to
step forward in faith according to my understanding of
what God is doing. I say “in faith” because, as a desert
son, all my experiences with bodies has taught me to
distrust you.
That
is a distrust I have to overcome within myself to come
to you the way I have. Likewise, I’m sure all your
experience with people like me has taught you to
distrust desert sons. After all, they’ve never done
anything but produce division for you.
No
one can force a work of God before its time. It was “in
the fullness of time” that John the Baptist was shown to
Israel, and the Son of God came, and Jew and Gentile
were united. No one could make these things happen
earlier just because they may have had the vision for
them.
So
I realize that neither of us can make a marriage between
us if it is not time. But what if it is time for the
wall to come down and we just don’t see it yet? Suppose
it is a wall God is ready to remove, but the enemy is
doing his best to retain?
Since
we do not know, I have no alternative according to the
boldness of my nature and knock on your door the way I
have, leaving to God to prove whether the remaining wall
between us is still justifiable.
IX.
View from This Side of the Fence
Whether or not
this is the right time for us to come together, or
whether we are even the right “couple” for each other,
let me say the following things from where I stand.
First,
whether or not you are the “woman” for me, God has shown
me that my time in the desert is over, and He does have
the right woman and body for me. This “woman” will
recognize me for who I am without seeking to submit me
to her own identity, ie, without trying to change my
spiritual gender. Rather than make certain demands of
me, she will recognize the work God has done in me
already. Seeing the authority in that work in me, she
will accede to it—
She will appreciate my commitment to her
through recognizing my unsolicited service to her,
seeing the proof of my love through what I do for her.
She will see herself as needy for what I have
to offer her and will overcome any residual pride she
might have because I don’t come to her through her own
channels of verification, even as I have overcome my
pride to come to her.
She will receive the cleansing and light God
has given me for her to prepare her for his Return.
Though her heart goes out to her children, she will not
balk when her husband has to spank them on occasion
through a clear, direct word.
She will admire the order, direction and
authority in the areas God has given it to me for
her—not shun it.
And
so, what I’m saying is, if you are not that woman who
will take me in to herself, then God has the woman for
me somewhere who will. He has not called me to go back
to the desert, nor to go back to the old ways I have
trodden before of self-support as an independent. He’s
told me, “It’s time for you to get married.”
&&&&&&&&&&
Likewise,
from the other side, here’s what I see concerning you.
Whether or not I am the “son” for you, here is what I
see concerning you. When I look at this church, I see a
beautiful woman with many children. This woman has done
the best job she can with her children, but because she
has no man, she’s gone as far as she can to bring order
to their lives.
As
a woman, she does not have the willpower to give them
the direction and constructive discipline they need. It
hurts her too much to bring offense to any one of them
no matter how necessary. So she is essentially paralyzed
from taking them any further.
As
a fellowship, you are in need of the light of a desert
son that can prepare you for the return of the
Lord—whoever that son may be. The Lord also shows me
there is a great blockage on the spirit of the people
that prevents the true bonding of intimate relationship
from developing.
That
blockage is a spirit of self-reliance and personal
invulnerability that surrounds each person, a wall of
protection that prevents them from becoming real through
confession. That spirit of self-reliance is a natural
spirit in the people—and is then carried into the church
after the people are saved.
The
church is indeed living, but right now they are of the
life of plants rather than animals. Plants have immobile
cells connected by thick walls. But animals have moving
cells, unprotected by walls, and therefore able to flow
as through blood with great freedom and vigor. God wants
to change the life at the church from plant cells to
animal cells.
Furthermore,
the Lord needs to do a work of deep genuine repentance
in which the people will become opened to being
disciplined. The people are not open to corrective and
directive authority.
But
know that the great prophecies of striking change to
come will not happen without internal confrontation and
popular turnover. It remains for leadership however to
make the commitment to accept the changes of God no
matter what if they expect to taste of the glory of God
prophesied to come.
&&&&&&&&&&
These
are my observations, dear pastors. I pray that God is
somehow able to translate them for you as body leaders
that will enable you to hear them, and then take action
on what is made clear to your heart. As for me, I am in
the Lord’s hands and will follow Him to the place that
opens its heart to me for who I am in Him as I am.
Thank
you for having listened. Whatever happens, let us remain
open to whatever “marriages” the Lord has for each of
us.
II
Cor. 5:18-19