[FROM THE ARK OF THE COVENANT TO JESUS CHRIST]

[EXODUS 25:19-22]

19    And make one Cherub on the one end, and the other Cherub on the other end: [even] of the mercy seat shall ye make the Cherubims on the two ends thereof.

20    And the Cherubims shall stretch forth [their] wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces [shall look] one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the Cherubims be.

21    And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

22    And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two Cherubims which [are] upon the ark of the testimony, of all [things] which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel..

[ACTS 17:29-30]

29    Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

30    And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:

[HOSEA 4:6]

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

 

It is helpful to understand the process of God’s redemption plan. In the New Testament, and for every Church Age, where souls have been redeemed, there has been a sequence of events which God did as he fulfilled the promised Word for each Age.

This Truth has been revealed to us by The Prophet Messenger to The Laodicea Church Age, as he declared The Revelations of The Seven Seals.

FIRST.SEAL.THE_  JEFF.IN  MONDAY_  63-0318

“126-3  {61} Now, notice: But it's to be revealed when the Lamb leaves His intercessory place from the Father. (Now, that's Revelation 5). Now, He takes the Book of Seals, the Book of Seals or a Book sealed with Seals, breaks them and shows them look at the end of the age now, after the intercessory is over; the church ages has done finished up. He come in the first age, the Ephesians Age, revealed, sent the messenger. Notice what happened as we go along.

Here's the plan of it: The first thing happens, there is an announcement in the heavens first. What happened? A Seal is opened. What is that? A mystery is unfolded. See? And when a mystery unfolds, then a trumpet sounds. It declares a war. Or a plague falls, and a church age opened. See? What is the war part? The angel of the Church catches the mystery of God, not fully yet revealed, but when he does, he catches this mystery of God, and then he goes forth to the people (after the mystery has been given to him), goes forth to the people. What does he do out there? He begins to proclaim that message, and what does it start? A war, a spiritual war.

FIRST.SEAL.THE_  JEFF.IN  MONDAY_  63-0318

126-5  {65}    And then God takes His messenger with the elect of that age, and lays them away asleep, and then He drops a plague upon them who rejected it: a temporary judgment. And then, after that is over, then he goes on, and they denominate, and bring in denominations, and start off with that man's work like of Wesley and all the rest of them, and then it gets all in a scrapple again; and then another mystery comes forth. Then what happens? Another messenger arrives on earth for a church age. See?

Then when he arrives, the trumpet sounds. He declares war. See? And then what happens? Finally then he's caught away. And then when he's laid away, then plague falls destroys them. Spiritual death hits the church and she's gone, that group. Then He goes on to another one.

Oh, it's a great plan until it comes to that last angel. Now, he has no certain mystery, but he gathers up all that's been lost in them other ages, all the truths that wasn't truly revealed yet (See?), as the revelation come. Then he reveals those things in his day. If you want to read it, there it is: A Revelations 10:1 to about 4. You'll get it. All right. See?” END OF QUOTE

In short, this is what happens:

1. An announcement is made in heaven. “Come and see!” This is made in the seals only four times. All the seven Church Age Messengers come under the anointing of the four Living Creatures: Lion, Ox, Man, and Eagle.

2. A seal is opened. A mystery unfolds, but not fully revealed.

3. Messenger of the Age catches the mystery.

4. Trumpet sounds. The messenger proclaims his message, and it causes a religious stir and war.

5. Elect of that Age catch, recognise and receive their message. Then the Messenger and the Elect of that Age are put to sleep. The Door closes for that Age.

6. Plague or temporary judgment is dropped upon the rejecters of their message. Spiritual death sets upon them.

7. Denomination starts. The rest of the religious people denominate on the very message they rejected. And they continue as if all is well, and may even prosper numerically and materially.

Christ Spirit; [the intercessor; advocate; or Holy Spirit], leaves that age and moves to the next Age. He leaves the religious denominational make believers to go on.

 

He starts all over with A NEW MESSENGER, a new message, a new set of elect, until the last one of that age comes on board. Another denomination emerges and they continue like all the others.

 

WHAT WAS CHRIST INTERCEDING FOR IN ALL THE SEVEN CHURCH AGES?

Hosea says people perish for lack of knowledge:

[HOSEA 4:6]

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

 

WHAT.IS.THE.HOLY.GHOST_  JEFF.IN  V-4 N-2  WEDNESDAY_  59-1216

“62 How we could go into details of that and break that down, of how that when It--It makes intercession for our ignorance. Sometimes when we got the Holy Ghost, we ignorantly stagger into something. The Holy Spirit's there to make advocate for us. He is our Advocator. He stands there; He's our Attorney. He stands there and pleads for us. We don't plead for ourself, because the Holy Ghost in us pleads for us. The Holy Spirit giving utterance, sometimes with words you can't understand, and He makes intercessions for us. That's what the Holy Ghost is.” END OF QUOTE

 

BREACH.THE_  JEFF.IN  SUNDAY_  63-0317E

“96-7  {194}    John hadn't noticed this Lamb before, you know here. He hadn't been mentioned before. Nowhere had it been mentioned. John didn't see It all over the heavens as he's looking, but here It come forth. Notice, where It came forth... Where did It come from? It come from the Father's throne where He had been seated since He had been slain and raised again. He raised up and set on the right hand of God, ever living to make intercessions. Amen. Raised there today as an Intercessor with His own Blood to make intercession upon the ignorance of the people. Now, oh, that's the One I'm depending on. He still was covered with bleach, the bleach of the forgiveness of sin.

 

BREACH.THE_  JEFF.IN  SUNDAY_  63-0317E

97-1  {196}    John looked at that Lamb, and the Lamb looked like He'd been slain. And then he noticed He was wounded, and cut, and bruised, and bleeding: a bloody Lamb. That's what took our place.

Isn't it strange a simple Lamb had to take our place? And he saw the Lamb. He proceeded out; John hadn't saw Him, because He had been way back into the eternities, even making intercession and showing that those who had come to God under the offering of the blood of bulls, of goats, a substitutionary offering, He also... 'Cause them who believed it pointed to Him. And the Blood had not been shed yet, so He was there to clear them. He was there to clear you and I. And oh, God, I hope He's there tonight. For every sinner, the Lamb been slain.” END OF QUOTE

 

This knowledge was lost over the ages. Wrong denominational teachings distorted the truth or replaced it altogether. It was needful for the prophecy of Malachi 4:5-6 to be fulfilled at its time to restore all things.

 

THE IGNORANCE OF THE PEOPLE

Ignorance is absence of knowledge or information. You can be genuinely ignorant because you have not been exposed to information. You can be ignorant because of misinformation. You can become willfully ignorant by refusing knowledge or information: This would be the best illustration for such a one:

 

ONCOMING.STORM_  PHOENIX.AZ  V-15 N-2  MONDAY_  60-0229

“98    Now, did you notice, it's just like a man that says, "I'm going to refuse to believe the sun's a-shining. I won't have nothing else to do with the sun," closes his eyes, and goes down in his basement of his house, and said, "I just refuse to know the sun is a shining."

"Why," you say, "Brother Branham, that man would be something mentally wrong with him."

Well, a man that would reject Jesus Christ has the same grounds. The Holy Spirit is more real than the sunshine. The sun will fail, but the Holy Spirit can't fail.” END OF QUOTE

 

[HEBREWS 4:15-16] & [HEBREWS 5:1-2]

15    For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.

16    Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

[HEBREWS 5:1-2]

1    For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things [pertaining] to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:

2    Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

 

1. PAUL The Apostle: [I TIMOTHY 1:12-13] Acknowledged his ignorance and was accepted.

12   And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

13    Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

 

[NUMBERS 15:27-28] 

“27    And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering.

28    And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.”

 

2. ISRAEL: [ROMANS 10:1-3]

1    Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.

2    For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

3    For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

 

3. GENTILES: [Rom 11:25] should be aware of this.

“25    For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.

 

4. THE CORINTHIAN BELIEVERS: [1Cor. 12:1]

“Now concerning spiritual [gifts], brethren, I would not have you ignorant.”

 

5. THE CORINTHIAN BELIEVERS: [1Cor. 14:36-38]

36   What? Came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?

37    If any man thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

38    But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.

 

6. SCOFFERS. [II PETER 3:3-5]

3     Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

4    And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation.

5    For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:”

 

Ignorance of the people was the reason for Him to mediate for the elect of every Age. I am sure you know that:

1. The sin question was finished on the cross of Calvary. He paid the penalty for sin in that he died on our behalf. And “IT IS FINISHED”

2. Our sickness and diseases were paid for. “BY HIS STRIPES WE WERE HEALED”

3. The salvation of our Souls was paid for. [ISAIAH 53:10-11]

10  "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put [him] to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong [his] days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

11. He shall see of the travail of his soul, [and] shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”

 

All the price for our redemption was completely paid. But the knowledge and the revelation that it has already been paid for, has not yet dawned in the hearts of the majority of people on earth. That is the main reason he has to stay on THE MERCY SEAT until the last elect is given to see his or her name in the lambs Book of life. [Mat. 13:11]“... it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but to them it is not given”

Now the MERCY SEAT is in the Hearts of the Believers of the SEVENTH CHURCH AGE because the elect of all other Church Ages and their messengers are asleep, waiting for us.

 

HOW HAS THE MERCY SEAT BEEN OPERATING IN THE HEARTS OF THE BELIEVERS?

1. APOSTLE PETER: [God’s Mercy Seat manifested to the 3000 souls who believed][Acts 2:41-43]

41    Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls.

42    And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

43    And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

 

[Acts 3:6-8] [God’s Mercy Seat extending healing to the man born lame from his mother’s womb.]

2    And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

3    Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.

4    And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.

5    And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

6    Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

7    And he took him by the right hand, and lifted [him] up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

8    And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

 

2. STEPHEN THE FIRST MARTYRE. [Acts 7:57-60] [God’s Mercy Seat asking for Pardon to his Killers

57    Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

58    And cast [him] out of the city, and stoned [him]: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

59    And they stoned Stephen, calling upon [God], and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

60    And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

 

3. PHILIP THE EVANGELIST [Acts 8: 26-40] God’s Mercy Seat extended to the ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH In the desert

26    And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

27    And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,

28    Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.

29    Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

30    And Philip ran thither to [him], and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

31    And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

GOD’S MERCY SEAT was in the heart of Philip The Evangelist to extend God’s Saving grace to the Ethiopian Eunuch. He was ignorant of what he was reading. Philip was sent to bring Knowledge and understanding to what he was reading. He led him to Christ and baptized him. He got a supernatural transport to the next city of Azotus.

 

4. PROPHET ANANIAS. [God’s Mercy Seat to Saul the persecutor] [ACTS 9:10-17]

10    And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I [am here], Lord.

11    And the Lord [said] unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for [one] called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,

12    And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting [his] hand on him, that he might receive his sight.

13    Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:

14    And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.

15    But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

16    For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

17    And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, [even] Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

 

Saul of Tarsus a predestinated elect and Messenger to EPHESUS received mercy, through God’s Mercy Seat, ANANIAS. He received his sight, was baptized calling on the Lord Jesus Christ, and was filled with the Holy Ghost. There comes on the scene another Mercy Seat ready for God to use.

 

5. PAUL THE APOSTLE. [A brand new Mercy and Judgment Seat of God] [ACTS 13:6-12]

6    And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name [was] Barjesus:

7    Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.

8    But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

10    And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, [thou] child of the devil, [thou] enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

11    And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

 

Now God in Paul, The Apostle and Messenger to The First Church Age was a JUDGMENT SEAT to Elymas, the sorcerer, and MERCY SEAT to Sergius Paulus, seeker of truth.

 

This pattern has been going on in the New Testament, from The Ephesians Church Age, (Shown in the Book of The Acts). These were the acts of The Holy Spirit in The Apostles. They continue today.

Therefore, we must have this knowledge in us so that we may know how to deal with each other because together, or individually, we make up God’s MERCY SEAT for this Age.

[Please continue in Part 3]

 

Pastor Martin Tombe: Restored Bible Truth Assembly.