When the Chief Shepherd Shall Appear
I PETER 5:1-4
1 ¶ The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage (lord’s = to bring under one's power – to dominate over, that’s what denominations do), but being ensamples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
When the Chief Shepherd Shall Appear
Quote from last week to recap..
WHY.IT.HAD.TO.BE.SHEPHERDS_ TUCSON.AZ V-6 N-15 MONDAY_ 64-1221
106 Throughout all sacred Scriptures, the Message of redemption has been given by shepherds and through sheep.
107 Now I have to come to a close, because we're getting time to close. I'm bypassing many Scriptures just so I can get you to this thought.
108 Throughout all Scripture, redemption has been represented through shepherds and sheep.
Recap last week in HEBREWS 9:24-28 Speaks of the 3 appearing’s of Christ
HEBREWS 9:24
24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
He appears in heaven as our high priest to make intercession for seven church ages. This is his second appearing
But we know that His first appearing was in the flesh to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
HEBREWS 9:28
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many (first appearing); and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time (his second coming – the shout voice and trump appearing) without sin unto salvation.
Opening scripture…
I PETER 5:1-4
1 ¶ The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
This word “appear” is the Greek word “phaneroo” {fan-er-o'-o} = to make known by teaching, expose to view, make manifest, to show one's self, appear; to become known, to be plainly recognised, thoroughly understood:
The purpose of the message of the hour is to reveal or make God known and thoroughly understood to you personally – that is the coming of the Lord on a personal level, that is why the message had to forerun the second coming.
So this is speaking of His appearing in the revealing of the word in this hour after his intercession for seven church ages. “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear” He is appearing to us in this hour by making himself known by the fullness of the truth of his word that he has open to us through the message of the hour - that is how he is revealing himself to us.
LUKE 17:30
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
Revealed = to uncover, to make known, to disclose what before was unknown
That is why it is the invisible union or marriage of the bride of Christ – this marriage between the bride and Christ is taking place in a way that is invisible to the natural eye.
Last week we finished with the story of Zacchaeus
LUKE 19:9-10
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
This is an example of the great shepherd himself looking for and restoring a lost sheep.
Jesus descends to the lowest city on earth to the point that he has to look up to see the lowest man – showing us that he is willing to go to the lowest level to redeem a fallen man that has strayed from his fold.
EZEKIEL 3:1-4
1 ¶ Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.
2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.
3 And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.
4 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.
So this is a direct parallel of the bride of this hour that eats the book of the message that God has sent by the seventh angel’s voice.
REVELATION 10:8-11
8 ¶ And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
***We can see that these two scriptures are almost identical, so we know that Ezekiel is a type of the bride of this hour that eats the book which is the “fresh kill” or revelation of the word – so what takes place after Ezekiel eats the book is also a pattern and a prophecy of what takes place after the bride of this hour eats the book of the 7th angel’s message after 1963.
EZEKIEL 6:12
12 He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my fury upon them.
**After the opening of the seven seals in 1963, we have seen a marked increase in economic hardship. War, famine and immorality is spreading over the whole world, every nation is in debt, there are dozens of wars being fought perpetually, refugees are fleeing their nations because of unrest and economic pressure, the nations are in distress and perplexity, all these things have been prophesied of this hour.
EZEKIEL 34:1-16 If we will notice that this event of Ezekiel 34 takes place after Ezekiel has eaten the book in chapter 3, so we can see that the same conditions are repeating in this day because there has also been a people that have eaten the book in this hour.
1 ¶ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? (This is speaking of the denominational ministries of this day after God has sent a prophet to the world and that prophet has been rejected)
3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. (Television evangelists who are after the people’s money. Religion is big business because you can control the way people think through deceptive teaching - all will be deceived outside of the revelation of the message of God for this hour, that is why if you reject the truth for your day, you have no defence against deceiption)
4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. (Lording it over God’s heritage)
5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd (why? – because they have rejected the appearing of the Chief Shepherd in this day): and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. (This is what denominations have done – and this is what began to take place after the early church left their first love)
7 ¶ Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;
8 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;
9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.
11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered (in his third appearing as the shepherd of the sheep); so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
This is this age when Christ is seeking out his own elect that are scattered throughout the earth – he is getting the word to them through the true ministries that he has ordained under the message of this hour.)
13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land (the message of the hour), and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold (a good message church), and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. (Notice I I I – Christ himself among his own people as the great shepherd of the sheep)
16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. This is the great and dreadful day of the Lord which is both mercy and judgement happening at the same time – this is the season that we are living in right now.
MATTHEW 7:13-15
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate (Not STRAIGHT but STRAIT which is a channel of water - the water way of the correct formula for water baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that is how you enter in, but very few in this day will find it – in the water way is the light today): for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15 ¶ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
MATTHEW 10:16-17
16 ¶ Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
*The most dangerous animal on earth is a man that is alienated from God. An animal in the jungle will kill another animal for survival, but a man will kill another man for many reasons - for money, for jealousy or for hatred, for entertainment as in the gladiatorial games, there are many reasons.
Look at how six thousand Jews were killed during the holocaust because of one man Hitler’s idea to create a superior race of people.
Man is the most dangerous of all species outside of the new birth, it was Cain that first killed Abel, and so a man that does not have the spirit of Christ by the revelation of the truth will also kill people spiritually by their false teaching and self-leadership outside of the word.
ACTS 20:27-30 - Paul speaking
27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
SHEPHERD.OF.THE.SHEEPFOLD_ CHICAGO.IL TUESDAY_ 56-0403
E-35 Now, there's something that God always likened people unto sheep, did you ever notice? "You're the sheep of the pasture, the sheep of one fold. Other sheep have I," and so forth, likening people unto sheep. You know why He likened us to sheep? Did you ever--did you ever fool with sheep any? They're certainly educational, and a Divine education to--to learn of sheep. I've raised them and shepherded them around, and the little fellows.
But when a sheep is lost, he's absolutely helpless. I picked up sheep, not standing maybe three hundred yards from the sheepfold, and--where all the other sheep was. And that sheep when he's lost he can't help himself; he just stands there and bleats and bleats until the wolf gets him or something takes place. He--he just can't find his way back. He's totally helpless without a shepherd.
E-36 And that's the way the human race is, we are absolutely, totally, helpless without the Shepherd of the fold. We can't find our way back. We tried to educate our way back; we've tried to reform our way back; but we'll never be able. Education will never do it. Reformation will never do it. We're not reformers. The police out here are reformers. We're preachers of the Gospel, not to try to put people on penalty and crawl on your knees and so forth, but to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ: deliverance to the people. That's what the shepherds are supposed to do, to feed the sheep. You know He said to Peter, "Love me, Peter, more than these?"
"Yes."
"Feed My sheep." Now, He never said, "Drive My sheep." He never said, "Kick My sheep." He said, "Feed My sheep." That's what the sheep needs, is some sheep food, don't you think so? And you know the best sheep food I know of for you sick sheep and all kinds of sheep? Here it is. That's right. In this great big bread basket of God. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." That's what the Holy Spirit lives on, that's in you, lives on the Word of God. That connection of shepherd and sheep...
What is it that produces the connection between shepherd and sheep in this day? It is the revealing of the word that you have received into your heart in this hour.
When the Chief Shepherd Shall Appear – We believe that he has appeared in these last days. What is he is doing in this appearing? - He is seeking out the lost sheep of his elect and is gathering them into one fold, sometimes he has to go into the lowest cities on the earth in order to find them and bring them to his sheep fold – what is His sheepfold? It is the revelation of himself, He himself is the door to the fold, He is the fold - under his wings my soul shall abide, safely abide forever.
The Mystery of Shepherd and Sheep