What if?

I have often said that we can get many insights by asking the question, “What if?”

For example, what if the 12 spies had all been men of faith and had given a unified good report to the Israelites at Kadesh-barnea in Numbers 13:32, 33? The answer is that the people would have entered the land without delay. Their report came on the Day of Atonement, and I believe they would have entered the land five days later at the feast of Tabernacles.

In fulfilling the feast, I believe they would have been transformed into the full image of God. They would have conquered Canaan by the 8^th day of Tabernacles, not by physical swords but by the sword of the word of God. The Canaanites would have been converted, idolatrous temples would have been emptied and perhaps destroyed by the Canaanites themselves.

Who, after all, would argue with manifested sons of God who had achieved what all religions have tried—without success—to achieve? Would they not have come with fear and trembling, asking how they too might receive the same glory?

If the Israelites had entered the Promised Land at that time, they would not have had to cross the Jordan River to receive the promise of God. The Jordan signifies death and resurrection, pictured also by baptism.

But none of this actually happened. It was delayed to the end of the age. So when we talk about the fulfillment of the autumn feasts, having never seen such events, it is helpful to ask “What if?” We are thereby able to imagine and discern the manner of transfiguration (“change”) that Paul described so briefly in 1 Corinthians 15:51,

⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery [secret]; we will not all sleep [die], but we will all be changed.

To put this in metaphorical terms, the secret is that we will not all have to cross the Jordan, because some of us will enter the Promised Land from Kadesh-barnea.

There are two ways to enter the Promised Land. The vast majority of the people will enter by death and resurrection, led by “Michael, the great prince” (Daniel 12:1, 2). When Michael arises, “many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake.” They will follow his lead and arise when Michael arises. The appointed time for this resurrection is the feast of Trumpets.

But some who are alive at the fulfillment of these feasts will be “changed” without needing to be raised from the dead. These will be transformed on the first day of the feast of Tabernacles and presented to God on the 8^th day, according to the law (Exodus 22:29, 30).

The point is that by studying the pattern of the church in the wilderness (Acts 7:38 KJV), and by asking “What if?”, we can better understand the manner in which we ourselves will receive the promise of God. That which was delayed so long ago is now soon to be fulfilled in us. When this takes place, it will be the start of the great evangelization of the world.

This evangelization has already been going on since the beginning of time, but it has never succeeded in the way that God intended. Israel was supposed to be a light that would draw all nations to God under their Passover anointing, but they had little success. The church too was called to be “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14), but in the end the anointing of Pentecost, which was mixed with leaven (Leviticus 23:17), has proven to be inadequate as well.

The anointing of Tabernacles is necessary for full and complete success. Hence, the instructions that Jesus gave to His disciples apply in a greater way to the generation that sees the fulfillment of the autumn feasts. This is the vision we have for the age to come.

“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light” (Isaiah 9:2). The light of Christ began with His first coming and was seen in the “the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali” (Isaiah 9:1), where Jesus ministered in Galilee. But in the time of His second appearance, this “great light” will be seen throughout the world.

This, I believe, is the great light that I saw over South Africa on August 29, 1984. That light was not stationary. It was on the move. Because of the shortness of the vision, I did not see the end of its movement. I only saw its beginning.

What if Nebuchadnezzar…?

I heard from Bradley today. He was up most of last night discussing the prophecies of Daniel. God posed the question to him: “What if Nebuchadnezzar had asked Daniel what to do to prepare for the transition from the head of gold to the arms of silver?”

This, of course, refers to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream that Daniel interpreted in Daniel 2:31-45. Suppose you were in his shoes as the King of Babylon. What should the king have done? What advice should he have asked for? The king was overawed by the revelation of the four empires that were to come, but he did not seek to know what he should do about it. He simply accepted the prophecy as truth. His response was given in Daniel 2:48,

⁴⁸ Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.

The “wise men” (magi) of Babylon were the expert astronomers who served as advisors to the kings of the day. Nebuchadnezzar honored Daniel, but apparently did not utilize his prophetic gift sufficiently. If the king had truly understood the magnificent opportunity that was set before him, he might have ruled Babylon—and the world—by the will of God. The Divine Mandate had been given to him in Jeremiah 27:6, and he might have exercised that authority properly.

Yet in Daniel 3 we find the king constructing an image of gold and then instructing all of his officials to worship it (Daniel 3:6). Daniel certainly did not advise the king to do this. Daniel’s three friends ended up in a fiery furnace for refusing to worship the image (Daniel 3:18-20).

Again, in Daniel 4 we read how the king had another dream that Daniel interpreted. It was about the great “tree” that was to be cut down by the watchers. In short-term prophecy, this tree was the king himself, while in long-term prophecy, the tree was the empire and its successors. The prophet gave the king some advice in Daniel 4:27,

²⁷ Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.

Can you imagine a man telling the absolute monarch of an empire that he had sin and iniquity? Can you imagine a man telling the king that he ought to show mercy to the poor? Daniel was a remarkable and courageous prophet! Yet the king failed to follow Daniel’s advice, and so twelve months later, the prophecy was fulfilled (Daniel 4:29-31).

Nebuchadnezzar’s lack of humility had far-reaching consequences, not only for himself but for the entire world. One might compare his negative example to the positive far-reaching consequences of Abraham’s faith. It shows how one man’s actions (or faith) casts a long shadow. The things we do affect others in a chain reaction throughout history. No one lives in a bubble. There is a unity in creation itself that few can begin to comprehend.

The Unity of Creation

In fact, this was discovered by those studying quantum physics. These same scientists also proved (inadvertently) the reconciliation of all things. Quantum physics shows that all things are interrelated and that all must be reconciled to God in the end. It’s all or nothing. In the interim, we see a great division between light and darkness, good and evil, sin and righteousness, but this situation had an origination point, and it will also have a termination point (Jubilee).

The Bible thus gives hope to the world, because it was created by a good God. Pagan religions had no such hope, for they believed that good and evil were equal forces and that they would always exist. They thought that the end of history would see the complete separation of light and darkness, heaven and hell. This was because they thought matter was inherently evil and that only spirit was good. To them, the solution was to separate them forever, and so they could give the world no hope of the great marriage between heaven and earth.

We, however, are not of that opinion. In spite of the failures of men and kings, we contemplate the greatest of all musings: “What if God…?”