In this Chapter I wish to turn to personal testimony. In December 1992 a brother told us of a ‘vision’ and ‘revelation’ he had recently received, and asked if he might share this with us. On January 6th 1993 a few brethren, all involved in the work of the gospel, met with this brother for him to tell us more. He told us how the Holy Spirit had given him a series of visions explaining how the ‘Bride’ and the ‘Harlot’ had come into being. He had been shown how man’s rebellion against God had created ‘Baal Worship’, ‘Emperor Worship’, and ‘man’s wrong use of God’s Law’. He heard a voice saying, "Let’s build a system that would be acceptable to the world." He then saw ‘Mystery Babylon’ being built as a building comprising of the three previous rebellious systems which the world had seen, with their temples made with hands, their priests, idols, altars and laws. It was a woman; a harlot! He also saw a vision of a bride; who was the bride of Christ, the Church. In the vision, the two women, the bride and the harlot, were superimposed on one another, and with the vision came the revelation that they were currently mixed together. In the vision, however, he saw them beginning to separate! None of us who were gathered that evening, including the brother who shared the vision, realised the full import of what God was telling us. It was not until almost two years later that we began to understand more fully of just what the Lord had been forewarning us, but even then it was difficult to fully grasp.

However, within a few weeks of this vision being shared, two of us, who were at that time National Directors of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International in the UK, and who had gathered on that January evening, found ourselves being told we could not remain as National Directors unless we submitted to a leadership by just one Director, who the other Directors were desiring to be ‘leader’. Our exhortation that we be ‘led by the Spirit’, doing nothing without corporate unity, so that Jesus would remain as our Head, was no longer seen by the majority as a way forward. I do not think the actions of our fellow Directors was fully understood, but I believe the ‘headship’ of FGBMFI UK was taken from Jesus that day, and we were soon to have our memberships withdrawn as a result of our refusing to submit in this way to a ‘man’.

Within weeks we were to learn that at the very same time, within the first month of 1993, Richard Shakarian, son of Demos Shakarian, who the Lord had used to bring forth this world-wide ‘Fellowship’, had been made the legal head of FGBMF International in the USA, the ‘International’ effectively removing Jesus as its ‘Head’ also. Something we did not fully understand was happening to us!

It was much later that I felt the Lord emphasise to me the significance of the timing of this warning we had been given. I was to realise that December 31st 1992 saw the actual beginning of the end of the world system as it had previously existed, as the European Union took from its member countries part of their previous sovereignty to create a new unified trading block with its own government already in place. Something of great spiritual significance was beginning to effect the whole world.

It was not until December 1994 that I first wanted to write down what I was beginning to understand. As I reflected on the change and subsequent happenings of late 1992 and early 1993, the Lord, I believe, was telling me to write about an unfolding revelation within my heart about the ‘tares and the wheat’, (Matt.13:24-30 and 37-43). At that time I received correspondence from one of the very first Directors of FGBMFI, one who had been used by the Lord, along with Demos Shakarian, in those first days of that ‘Fellowship’. This brother had resigned in the 1960’s after several years of seeing the ‘Fellowship’ moving away from being led of the Lord. One document he enclosed stirred my spirit very much. This was a copy of a letter sent to a brother in Alaska identifying that there had always been ‘two women’, ‘two mothers’, and ‘two cities’, making up what was of God. The letter described Abraham’s house with Sarah and Hagar living together, (Gen.16), and it paralleled the passages in Revelation 12 and 17, which speak of two women representing the true and false Church. I was aware that even the early Church had two streams flowing together, because John refers to the spirits of antichrist going out from among them, (1 John 2:18-19). This letter explained that the spirit of religion had always plagued mankind, and had always sought to walk with those who were truly spiritual. My correspondent explained that in hundreds of corporate meetings, he had never experienced ‘near perfect values’ being manifested, other than for very brief moments, or periods. He explained that he had sought God for the answer to this universal dilemma caused by these two streams flowing together, and commented that "in the last two years" he had observed a "hidden remnant" who were a "being people" spread all over the world amongst his contacts. He described that he was beginning to see "a sleeping giant, this Gulliver, beginning to breathe from a new wind of the Spirit." The awesomeness of this confirmation effected me very much, for this brother was identifying the very thing that the Lord was telling me to write about. He was also confirming its timing - late 1992 and early 1993.

This timely letter was describing the reality of a separation of tares and wheat which had begun two years before, a ‘revelation’ which had been part of my very experience. I also realised that this conformed to Scripture if this was indeed the beginning of the separation of ‘tares’ from ‘among the wheat,’ as described in the parable of the ‘tares of the field’, (Matt.13:24-30 and 37-43).

The parable of the ‘tares of the field’ explains that these ‘two streams’ cannot be separated until the time of the end. Jesus explained that it is at the "end of the age" that the wheat and the tares will be separated. The prophetic vision and revelation, we had been given in early 1993, could ONLY refer to this very time that Jesus spoke of through the parables of the ‘Tares and Wheat’, and the ‘Dragnet,’ (Matt.13:47-52). There is no other separation.

In both parables Jesus states that they apply to the "end of the age," (v.39&49). In one parable the "stumbling blocks" are gathered "out of His Kingdom," and in the other, "the wicked from among the righteous," (v.41&49). This is, therefore, not the ‘the catching away of the saints,’ who will, at that time be taken out from among the wicked, nor is it the end of the world; it is the end of the age. This is a separation of those who say they belong to the Kingdom from those who actually do, and Jesus tells us that this is "in the time of harvest," (v.30&39), the "end of the age".

Before the end of this age, and before the return of the Lord, we find another Scripture where there is a separation of those who belong to the Lord and those who do not, which again suggests God’s people are mixed together with false believers and must be separated. This end-time event is found in Revelation Chapter 18. When the sins of ‘Babylon the great’ have "piled up as high as heaven," (v.5), a voice is heard from heaven saying, "Come out of her My people, that you might not participate in her sins and that you might not receive of her plagues," (v.4). We see that the fate of the ‘tares’, ‘the bad fish’, and ‘city of Babylon', is the same, to be "burned up with fire," (Rev.18:8, Matt.13:30&50). This ‘burning’, although it leads to people being cast into the lake of Fire, consists, initially, of a judgement which is carried out by the "ten horns and the beast..", God having "put it in their hearts to execute His purpose," (Rev.17:16&17). The ‘beast’ "will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and burn her up with fire." We are told "In one day her plagues will come, pestilence and famine and she will be burned up with fire," (Rev.17:16 and 18:8).

Many Christians have an end-time belief that has the Body of Christ being ‘caught away’ before the emergence of the ‘beast,’ his ‘mark,’ and the tribulation of the saints, the ‘great tribulation’. They, therefore, maintain that any separation of tares and wheat, and judgement carried out at the hands of the ‘beast,’ is nothing to do with current believers, but concerns so called, ‘tribulation saints’, a separate body of believers. It is very necessary, therefore, to understand from Rev.20:4&5, that the "first resurrection," which is concurrent with the "catching away of the saints," includes those who have "not worshipped the beast or his image," and have "not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand", as previously explained.

It seemed that the countdown to the end of the age had begun in late 1992, with the ‘Bride’ and the ‘Harlot’ beginning to separate. As the ‘two streams’ were beginning to separate it was as though there were three, one completely false, one a mixture and the other being free. In reality, it has seemed as if only a few have broken free, but I have come to realise that in due course, as the gospel of the Kingdom is preached in the whole world, during the forthcoming time of ‘great tribulation’, more will break free. This will also be the time when many will be brought into the Kingdom, "a multitude which no one can count from every nation, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues," (Rev.7:9). This, the end-time harvest, will be gathered before the Lord returns.

"The Kingdom of God may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while men were sleeping his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares became evident also, and the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? ‘How then does it have tares?’ And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ And the slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us then, to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No. ‘Lest while you are gathering up the tares you may root up the wheat with them. ‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to be burnt, but gather the wheat into my barn,’" (Matt.13:24-30).

"And His disciples came to Him [Jesus] saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.’ And He answered them and said, ‘The One who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as to the good seed, these are the sons of the Kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; and the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. ‘Therefore, just as the tares are gathered up and with fire are consumed, so shall it be at the end of the age. ‘The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His Kingdom all stumbling blocks and those who commit lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ‘Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father,’" (Matt.13:36-43).

"Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; and when it was filled they drew it up on the beach and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad fish they threw away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth," (Matt.13:47-50).

.......

When we try to understand parables, and scripture which uses picture language, we can often make the mistake of reading too much into the characters or picture language used. New Testament parables often draw on Old Testament symbolism, and this symbolic meaning is often very useful to being able to understand them. We must not, however, read more into the symbolism than we should. If we do, rather than improving our understanding, we can end up with an incorrect interpretation.

For example, in the parable of the ‘ten virgins’, (Matt.25:1-8), we can miss the message of the story if we assume it does not refer to us, the Church, because we realise we are the ‘bride of Christ’, and, therefore, must take the role of the ‘bride’ in the story, and not the virgins. Obviously we do not have the same problem when the characters and objects of a story are not used elsewhere in Scripture with other meanings. Another example is trying to understand ‘what is’ and ‘who are’ the City of God. Again, we can get confused by reading too much into the picture language being used. The City of God, the New Jerusalem, is described as the ‘bride’, which is us, (Heb.12:22 and Rev.21:10), as well as our ‘mother’, (Gal.4:26). Strict literal interpretation is not always adequate.

When we try to understand the parable of the ‘tares of the field’ we, therefore, need to take care when we try to interpret the picture language being used. Fortunately we have the parable of the ‘dragnet cast into the sea’, which describes the same end-time event, to assist us in correctly understanding the parable of the ‘tares of the field’. These two parables need to be compared to ensure they are correctly understood.

The ‘seed’, which Jesus tells us represents the ‘sons of the Kingdom’, must not be confused, either in its nature, or in any other way, with the ‘word’ which is represented elsewhere as "seed... which is incorruptible," (Matt.13:3-9 and 1Pet.1:23). Because the angels will gather the wicked from among the righteous, out of His Kingdom, it can be difficult to come to terms with the reality that those who represent the Kingdom are in fact a ‘mixture’! We may even ask the question, "Can tares become wheat, and wheat become tares, teachers become false teachers, prophets become false prophets; can true believers fall away?" It is necessary for each of us to apply the test which Paul directed towards the believers at Corinth: "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves. Or do you not recognise this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed you fail the test!" (2Cor.13:5).

That it is the angels who do the separating suggests this is a spiritual separation, certainly something we must not try to do ourselves. The involvement of the angels, however, can confuse us into thinking that this parable is referring to the Lord coming on the clouds with His angels who will gather His elect out of the world, from one end of the sky to the other. Jesus explains, however, that the ‘world’ is the ‘field.’ [The ‘field’ being made up of tares and wheat sown in soil - three elements.] The angels, in the parable, gather the wicked "out of His Kingdom", not out of the world, unlike the ‘Second Coming’ when the angels gather the righteous from amongst the wicked - out of the world. Some, who realise this difference, think the parable does not, therefore, refer to the Church, forgetting that Jesus is only referring to the ‘sons of the Kingdom’, who are the Church, being in the world but not of it.

Through the parable we are told that we must NOT uproot the tares from among the wheat. This means that if the tares represented false religions and cults we, the Church, would be wrong speaking out against, and rescuing people from, the likes of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons. The tares must therefore represent people who outwardly look like the Church but are not! To distinguish exactly who should be classed as tares is very difficult, because there are false cults and, so called, ‘Christian’ religious groups that some of the Body of Christ might speak out against, whilst others might accept. Many might identify certain groups as possible tares without discerning that within any group or denomination there have always been ‘two cities’, ‘two women’, and ‘two streams flowing together’. This has been so, within the Church, for the last 2000 years, and was even the case before then, in whatever was of God. This was what God seemed to be confirming, even explaining, to me.

When I first came to write about this, the letter I received at that time, from my brother in America, described these ‘two women’, ‘two mothers’, in Abraham’s home. Sarah, he pointed out, made the mistake of trying to ensure God’s word be fulfilled by having Hagar bear Abraham’s child. He explained that Man taking from God, what is God’s purpose and ‘fixing’ it for Him, is the root of ‘dual creations’. The result for Abraham was many years spent with two women in the same house, both claiming to be his wife, whilst in constant disagreement, the fruit of which can still be seen today.

Paul explains what these ‘two woman’, ‘two mothers’, and ‘two cities’, are, in his letter to the Church in Galatia: "Abraham had two sons, one by the bond woman and one by the free woman... The son by the bond woman was born according to the flesh and the son of the free woman through the promise," (Gal.4:22&23). Both of these women are mothers, and symbolic. Paul explains that "Hagar... corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children," but Sarah corresponds to the "Jerusalem above" which is "free", and who "is our mother," (v.25&26).

The sobering reality is that both of these women lived in the same house, and Abraham’s house was the Lord’s house!

My correspondent went on to explain further that we can find other scriptural examples of two women living in the same house. The story is repeated with Rachel and Leah in Jacob’s house, Hannah and Peninnah in Elkinah’s house, and Vashti and Esther in the house of King Ahasuerus. In each we see conflict. Likewise, my correspondent continued, in every corporate undertaking, no matter how ‘God-directed’, or seemingly sanctified, this has always been the case. Whereas many would agree that the worst forms of Catholicism, and much of what is represented by the World Council of Churches, are found represented by the ‘harlot’ of Revelation 17, very few would identify that the ingredients of spiritual death found therein are also to be found in what we would describe as the best of corporate Christian activities and groups.

In the life of Judas Iscariot, the ‘son of perdition’, we see a foreshadow of the ‘spirit of antichrist’. He lived and walked with Jesus and the other disciples, being one of the twelve, ministering in power and authority, healing the sick, casting out demons, and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, (Matt.10:5-8). From Psalm 55:12-14, we see that it was "...a man my equal, my companion and my familiar friend. We had such sweet fellowship together, walked in the house of God", who betrayed Jesus. Although apparently together they were not flowing in the same ‘stream’.

The reality of these ‘two streams’ flowing together in the same house was evidenced in the early Church. John says, "many antichrists have arisen; they went out from us but they were not really of us," (1John2:18-19). Paul warned the elders at Ephesus that "from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after themselves," (Acts 20:30), and not making disciples of Jesus.

The mixing of "precious and vile," (Jer.15:19), has been repeated over and over again during the intervening centuries. It seems that whatever started out in the Spirit has always ended up in the flesh. Initially, this deterioration is sufficient to blur our clarity of vision and discernment, but eventually the effects are disastrous. It has seemed as though there has been nothing we could do about this, but Jesus foretold of a time when this mixture would be separated out. Is this time now here? Has this separation begun?

(Both Parables apply to the End of the Age)

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