CHAPTER TWO

GATHERED TOGETHER

“AND GOD SAID, LET THE WATERS UNDER THE HEAVEN BE GATHERED TOGETHER UNTO ONE PLACE, AND LET THE DRY APPEAR: AND IT WAS SO.”

 In the very first chapter of the very first book of the Bible, a mystery is revealed concerning the Third Day and the Seventh Day. We find in the ninth and tenth verses of Chapter One these words: “AND GOD SAID, LET THE WATERS UNDER THE HEAVEN BE GATHERED TOGETHER UNTO ONE PLACE, AND LET THE DRY APPEAR: AND IT WAS SO. AND GOD CALLED THE DRY EARTH; AND THE GATHERING TOGETHER OF THE WATERS CALLED HE SEAS: AND GOD SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD.” There is a great deal of Scripture dealing with the GATHERING TOGETHER of God. In Ephesians 1:10 we find these words: “THAT IN THE DISPENSATION OF THE FULNESS OF TIMES HE MIGHT GATHER TOGETHER IN ONE ALL THINGS IN CHRIST, BOTH WHICH ARE IN HEAVEN, AND WHICH ARE ON EARTH, IN HIM.”

The whole book of Ephesians is a GATHERING TOGETHER BOOK! As you read the Letter to the Ephesians, you will find a people not only gathered together but also QUICKENED TOGETHER, RAISED TOGETHER, SEATED TOGETHER, FITLY FRAMED TOGETHER, BUILDED TOGETHER, and FITLY JOINED TOGETHER. We also find in John 11:51-52 these words: “AND THIS SPOKE HE NOT OF HIMSELF: BUT BEING HIGH PRIEST THAT YEAR, HE PROPHESIED THAT JESUS SHOULD DIE FOR THAT NATION; AND NOT FOR THAT NATION ONLY, BUT THAT ALSO HE SHOULD GATHER TOGETHER IN ONE THE CHILDREN OF GOD THAT WERE SCATTERED ABROAD.” In I Thessalonians 4:17 we read: “THEN WE WHICH ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN SHALL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE CLOUDS, TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR: AND SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD.” And finally, in Colossians 2:2,19 we read: “THAT THEIR HEARTS MIGHT BE COMFORTED, BEING KNIT TOGETHER IN LOVE, AND UNTO ALL RICHES OF THE FULL ASSURANCE OF UNDERSTANDING, TO THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE MYSTERY OF GOD, AND OF THE FATHER AND OF CHRIST.” And “AND NOT HOLDING THE HEAD, FROM WHICH ALL THE BODY BY JOINTS AND BANDS HAVING NOURISHMENT MINISTERED, AND KNIT TOGETHER, INCREASETH WITH THE INCREASE OF GOD.”

Okay, we have ample evidence that there is going to be a GATHERING TOGETHER of a body, a people who are in heaven and upon the earth. This is the fulfillment of the prayer of our Lord when he prayed this prayer, “FATHER, THE HOUR HAS COME…..verse one “THAT THEY ALL MAY BE ONE; AS THOU, FATHER ART IN ME, AND I IN THEE, THAT THEY ALSO MAY BE ONE IN US: THAT THE WORLD MAY BELIEVE THAT THOU HAST SENT ME. AND THE GLORY THAT YOU GAVE ME, I HAVE GIVEN THEM, THAT THEY MAY BE ONE, EVEN AS WE ARE ONE. I IN THEM, YOU IN ME, THAT THEY MAY BE MADE PERFECT IN ONE.” (John 17: 21-23)

The other side of the mystery in Genesis 1:9-13 is the KIND OF PEOPLE that are going to be gathered together. We find these words in verses eleven and twelve: “AND GOD SAID, LET THE EARTH BRING FORTH GRASS, THE HERB YIELDING SEED, AND THE FRUIT TREE YIELDING FRUIT AFTER HIS KIND, WHOSE SEED IS IN ITSELF, UPON THE EARTH: AND IT WAS SO. AND THE EARTH BROUGHT FORTH GRASS, AND HERB YIELDING SEED AFTER HIS KIND, AND THE TREE YIELDING FRUIT, WHOSE SEED WAS IN ITSELF, AFTER HIS KIND: AND GOD SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD.” Verse thirteen says, “AND THE EVENING AND THE MORNING WERE THE THIRD DAY.”

The Third Day is a day when God shall gather together a KIND OF PEOPLE who bear the fruit of the seed. Jesus Christ said, “VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU, EXCEPT A CORN OF WHEAT FALL INTO THE GROUND AND DIE, IT ABIDETH ALONE: BUT IF IT DIE, IT BRINGETH FORTH MUCH FRUIT.” Here, Jesus was speaking of Himself as the corn of wheat or that seed that must FALL INTO THE GROUND AND DIE. What ground do you suppose the Lord was speaking of? We can see this two ways: first of all, we can see Christ dying on the cross and being buried in the actual earth. In this first act, we know that Christ was raised from the dead as the FIRSTFRUITS, as there shall be a full harvest of those who are resurrected ON THAT DAY. The second way to see this verse is to acknowledge the fact that Jesus, being the word of God, has been sown into the soil of our hearts as recorded in Matthew 13. There we see four different conditions of the heart. One is on the WAYSIDE, one is ROCKY, one is loaded with THORNS AND THISTLES, and the other is GOOD SOIL.

The parable Jesus used described a farmer who sowed SEED. He said the seed was the WORD OF GOD. The bible tells us that we have been born again by the INCORRUPTIBLE WORD OF GOD! The seed that has been sown into our hearts has the POTENTIAL to manifest the exact likeness, or the AFTER-HIS-KIND, fruit! This means that we have within us the seed that has the exact likeness of Christ. It is in the Third Day that the great HARVEST is taking place, as God gathers together a people after the exact likeness of His Firstborn SON. Can this be supported by other Scriptures? Let’s take a look. Romans 8:29, 30 declares: “FOR WHOM HE DID FOREKNOW, HE ALSO DID PREDESTINATE TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, THAT HE MIGHT BE THE FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN. MOREOVER WHOM HE DID PREDESTINATE, THEM HE ALSO CALLED: AND WHOM HE CALLED, THEM HE ALSO JUSTIFIED: AND WHOM HE JUSTIFIED, THEM HE ALSO GLORIFIED.” John 17:22 says, “AND THE GLORY WHICH YOU GAVE ME, I HAVE GIVEN UNTO THEM, THAT THEY MAY BE ONE, EVEN AS WE ARE ONE.” Here it is! The mystery revealed! 

 The glorified saints who were predestined before the world ever was, to be conformed into the image of the Firstborn SON. The same glory that Jesus had that made him and his Father ONE is given to those who were predestined, called, justified and glorified. These ARE ONE!! This is the AFTER-HIS-KIND company who bear the fruits of the seed. These are the fruit bearing trees, whose fruit is AFTER HIS KIND! No matter how we look at this, we find that there are a people who are being harvested in the Third Day that have something in common! They have the SAME NATURE, CHARACTER and DNA as the seed before them, the first fruits, CHRIST JESUS! Yes, beloved, we are in the time of the GREAT HARVEST! And as the scriptures declare, ALL THINGS ARE BEING GATHERED TOGETHER! Consider the following verses: “LET BOTH GROW TOGETHER UNTIL THE HARVEST: AND IN THE TIME OF HARVEST, I WILL SAY TO THE REAPERS, GATHER YE TOGETHER FIRST THE TARES, AND BIND THEM IN BUNDLES TO BURN THEM: BUT GATHER THE WHEAT INTO MY BARN.” (Matt. 13:30) Remember, Jesus said he was as a kernel of wheat, or the seed of wheat, and so now we see that the harvest of wheat are those who are after his likeness and the tares are those who have a different form, fruit, nature.

This truly is the great separation that takes place within the Kingdom of God. There are many who claim to be the wheat, which in nature are nothing more than tares in the field. What is the FRUIT of those who are of the SEED? Love, joy, peace and all the fruits revealed in Galatians 5:22-24. Verse 24 says that, “THEY THAT ARE CHRIST’S HAVE CRUCIFIED THE FLESH WITH THE AFFECTIONS AND LUSTS” There are many IN THE CHURCH who have yet to do this! Are they Christ’s? You decide. How about you? Are you one of those who are being gathered together into His barn, or are you being gathered with those who are to be burned in the fire? Are you ready? Is your life bearing the fruits of the one true seed? Are you a life that others may partake of and be made whole, or are you of another sort of fruit, the kind that is after the world, Satan and the flesh? Understand that in this DAY there are two gatherings taking place, NOT THREE! One is unto life everlasting and the other is unto everlasting destruction, shame and disgrace.

To what gathering do you belong? If you are unsure, take special heed to the next mystery revealed concerning this prophetic Third Day we are living in. Before we go to that next mystery, however, let’s take a deeper look into what the Word says about this gathering together of a company whose fruit is AFTER HIS KIND. 2Corinthians 3:17,18 declares: “NOW THE LORD IS THAT SPIRIT: AND WHERE THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS, THERE IS LIBERTY. BUT WE ALL, WITH OPEN FACE BEHOLDING AS IN A GLASS THE GLORY OF THE LORD, ARE CHANGED INTO THE SAME IMAGE FROM GLORY TO GLORY, EVEN AS BY THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD.” When do you think this SAME IMAGE is going to appear? The WORD tells us that “AND AS WE HAVE BORNE THE IMAGE OF THE EARTHY, WE SHALL ALSO BEAR THE IMAGE OF THE HEAVENLY.” (1Cor. 15:49) In answering the question, let’s look at a few more verses. Verse 48 says, “AS IS THE EARTHY, SUCH ARE THEY ALSO THAT ARE EARTHY: AND AS IS THE HEAVENLY, SUCH ARE THEY ALSO THAT ARE HEAVENLY.” Ask yourself this question: am I earthy or heavenly? Am I one who did bear the image of the earthy, but have now borne the image of the heavenly? Or another way to see this is in verse 47: “THE FIRST MAN IS OF THE EARTH, EARTHY: THE SECOND MAN IS THE LORD FROM HEAVEN.” Are you of the first man or the second? Whose fruit do you bear? Consider verse, 45, “AND SO IT IS WRITTEN, THE FIRST MAN ADAM WAS MADE A LIVING SOUL; THE LAST ADAM A QUICKENING SPIRIT.” We know that Jesus was the LAST ADAM, who is a quickening spirit. The question is, have you been quickened, and are you a quickening spirit? Now, lest we think that these verses are dealing with the “after-life,” let us look briefly at a few more verses.

“FOR THIS CORRUPTIBLE MUST PUT ON INCORRUPTION, AND THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.” (1Cor. 15:53) Many believe that this verse refers to physical death, but let’s us see what the WORD says. In Ephesians and Colossians we find these words: “IF SO BE THAT YOU HAVE HEARD HIM, AND HAVE BEEN TAUGHT BY HIM, AS THE TRUTH IS IN JESUS: THAT YOU PUT OFF CONCERNING THE FORMER CONVERSATION THE OLD MAN WHICH IS CORRUPT ACCORDING TO THE DECEITFUL LUSTS; AND BE RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF YOUR MIND; AND THAT YOU PUT ON THE NEW MAN, WHICH AFTER GOD IS CREATED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUE HOLINESS.” Did you see that? We are to put off the old man, who is corrupt, NOW!!! Who is this “old man?” He is the first man ADAM, the man of the earth who is earthy! He is the corrupt and mortal one! Who then is the NEW MAN? He is the fruit of the seed of the SECOND MAN, who is heavenly. This is the incorruptible and immortal man who has been BORN AGAIN, by the WORD OF GOD! Do we need more evidence?

 Then let’s look at Colossians: “LIE NOT ONE TO ANOTHER, SEEING THAT YOU HAVE PUT OFF THE OLD MAN WITH HIS DEEDS; AND HAVE PUT ON THE NEW MAN, WHICH IS RENEWED IN KNOWLEDGE AFTER THE IMAGE OF HIM THAT CREATED HIM.” Could it be any plainer? There will be a people who fulfill this Scripture, who have put off the old and have put on the new. Now, there have been throughout the history of the Church many who have to some degree done this; some thirty fold, some sixty, and even some a hundred fold, like the Apostle Paul. (See Matthew 13.)  However, we are living in the Third Day wherein a people will possess the hundredfold together! In other words, the gathered together saints who are AFTER HIS KIND shall come forth bearing the exact likeness of the firstborn Son. These shall have completely put off the old and have put on the new. These will have no corruption and no mortality within them, thus making themselves, by the power of the Spirit, the ONE NEW MAN IN THE EARTH! Who are these people? Could it be that they are the “GLORIOUS CHURCH HAVING NEITHER SPOT OR WRINKLE?” Or are they possibly the MANIFESTED SONS OF GOD whom all creation has groaned in travail, as they have waited for them? Let’s find out. Titus 2:11,12 says, “FOR THE GRACE OF GOD THAT BRINGS SALVATION HAS APPEARED TO ALL MEN, TEACHING US THAT DENYING UNGODLINESS AND WORLDLY LUSTS, WE SHOULD LIVE SOBERLY, RIGHTEOUSLY AND GODLY, IN THIS PRESENT WORLD.” Also see 1John 1:5-7, 3:2,3,7, and 4:16,17. Now let’s look at 2Cor. 5:17: “THEREFORE IF ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATURE: OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY; BEHOLD, ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW.”

As I am writing, the Lord is giving me a prophetic word. Is it true? Know ye not? Have you not heard? All these things must come to pass, and I have declared a day wherein all these things shall be fulfilled in a people who have trusted me and have done that which was right according to my eyes. Now is the time, even the acceptable Day wherein I will gather together my elect, those who have honored me, not with their lips but with their hearts and I will glorify them with the same glory I possessed while I was upon the earth.

There is an abundance of evidence that a people are going to arise and shine forth with the glory of the Lord in this, the prophetic Third Day of the Lord, having possessed the divine nature. These will have put off all of ADAM’S ways and will have put on ALL of CHRIST! Now let us summarize before going on to the next mystery. The mystery of the Third Day begins with the revelation of a KIND OF PEOPLE, who are being GATHERED TOGETHER. These people have a purpose IN THE EARTH! The question is, ARE YOU READY?