Keystone Christian Reading Room

That Day

by William Vaught

December 1993

Prologue

In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation." (Isaiah 25.9, NIV)

"Behold, days are coming", declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them", declares the LORD. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel AFTER THOSE DAYS", declares the LORD, I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, `Know the LORD', for they SHALL ALL know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them", declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more". (Jeremiah 31.31-34, NASB, my emphasis; see also Luke 22.20 and 1 Corinthians 11.25 for confirmation of this prophecy and promise).

Careful reading of the verses cited above reveals several exceptionally meaningful phrases, but here I will stress only, "after those days" and "days are coming", which bring us to this promised "IN THAT DAY". Even the most forebearing of God's elect are seldom interested in the need for patience, the necessity to "wait for it, even though the vision tarry" ; nor do they often consider that TIME is God's servant, and that He'll use all He needs in the process of fulfilling His promise. We might really want to just skip "those days" and hop right into the "But this is the covenant".

It's common enough to hear shouts of approbation and joy about the NEW COVENANT, but not often does one witness praise and rejoicing concerning the preparation and disciplining necessary to bring God's chosen into the New Covenant reality. You must first have "those days" before you can enter into "after those days". That's a self-evident fact which shouldn't be ignored.

In Isaiah 25.9 the phrase "in that day", (see above) points us to a realm of victory and glorious communion which is as yet only perceived in part, and I'm NOT talking about some pie-in-the-sky, half-way-house to holy-humbuggery as preached by scare-'em and skin-'em sky-pilots. Sweet-by-and-by, paradise, abode of the saints, celestial city, Happy Isle, Avalon -- you name it -- and no matter what the carnal mind has imagined it to be, the realm of "in that day", is so much beyond our ken that there is no comparison.

In truth we find that which is past, present, and future. For instance; the past includes that which is an historical accomplishment; there is that realm which is being experienced right now; and there is that which is yet to be revealed in dimensions of reality which are far, far beyond our ability to comprehend. This inability should lead us to pray that whatever the LORD means by His promise, that is what we desire. Most of all, we need to rest in His ability to fulfill the promise -- not according to our present understanding but according to His perfect design.

There are many believers who proclaim that even NOW they are "IN that day". There may be a pittance of truth in their claim because it's "their" day.

"...hope beheld is not hope,
For what one beholdeth why doth he yet hope for?
If, however, what we do not behold, we hope for
With endurance are we ardently awaiting it" (Romans 8.24-25, Rotherham's Emphasized Bible)

If you think you see it and what you see is all that you have vision and revelation for, then perhaps it is "your" day. But Philippians 3.12 tells us that Paul, by the Holy Spirit, confessed, "not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, (whole, complete), but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me". (NIV translation, my parenthesis). If you confess this as Paul did then you will also confess that IN THAT DAY He will bring the promises to full expression. Paul longed to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His suffering; to be made conformable to His death and to attain to the resurrection from among the dead. All this is promised -- but we must patiently wait for the Father's time of fulfillment. Blabbing it and grabbing it won't do: NO ONE CAN FORCE GOD'S HAND!

Paul also said in Galatians 2.21 that he doesn't set aside and nullify the grace of God. Though we, too, readily acknowledge that we haven't yet arrived at the wholeness God has purposed we continue to bear down on the goal, heeding the call of God which is in Christ Jesus. But at the same time let us not belittle or attempt to invalidate what our God and Saviour has already worked in us -- for truly WE ARE WHAT WE ARE BY THE GRACE OF GOD: what we have experienced, what we enjoy IN HIM right now, is because of His wondrous grace toward us.

BUT -- this "in part" possession and revelation is NOT the whole -- and it is perilous self-deception to claim otherwise. See what Isaiah says about this:

But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches,
go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze.
THIS is what you shall receive from my hand; You will lie down in torment. (Isaiah 50.11, NIV, my emphasis)

How many get "fired up" with some grandiose self-inspired scheme, ignited by the carnal fire of their own enthusiasm, and think they are "IN THE LIGHT"! They may traverse the entire earth striking their own matches and firing up the air-ways and by-ways, trying to convince all that they have IT -- the real glory, the "genuine shekinah" of God's holiness, but for all the stir and excitement it's much ado about nothing. God makes it very clear: "Your flaming torches, your fires will bring you to that place where you rest in sorrow and torment."

All such man-made light shall come to naught. CHRIST ALONE IS THE TRUE LIGHT which lights every man that comes into the world. (See John 1.9 and Isaiah 49.6).

In the same manner one might clothe one's self in the alien apparel of self-righteousness, with uncountable good works to support one's claims to wholeness and holiness, but the DAY COMES when all shall be stripped away. ONLY OUR LORD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS IS ACCEPTABLE.

I say again, GOD CAN'T BE FORCED TO MOVE ACCORDING TO OUR TIME. He will do what He purposes to do in His way and in His time and when He does something it certainly won't become a formula that man can use to his advantage. How many times have we endured the teaching of Babylon's bavardage "revealing" just exactly the steps we must take to enter into the new realm of God? I know of one benighted group that has a seven-step procedure for protestants and a nine-step rigmarole for Roman Catholics and Moslems, and if you're really into such claptrap -- there's an outfit in California that'll send you a "Kingdom Kit" complete with written warranty. (For the nominal fee of $25.00).

God doesn't provide men with formulae so that they can manipulate Him according to their own flapdoodle and fancy. I believe it's essential that we WAIT BEFORE HIM, ready and yielded to His Spirit, of which He has said -- "...it's neither by might nor power but by my SPIRIT" that things are accomplished. (Zechariah 4.6) We need simply to worship in our waiting, for what a man sees why does he yet "hope" for? But if a man hopes for what is not yet revealed to him, then he, with patience, must wait for it -- NOT TRY TO FORCE GOD into action!

Then having yielded to that Spirit, having done all through Christ Jesus dwelling within us -- STAND, alert (Ephesians 6.13) and listen to the voice of the OVERCOMER, knowing full-well that it is "God in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Ephesians 1.9).

Jesus gave us a very simple and positive warning in Matthew 24.3-8 "...the disciples came to Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?' And Jesus answered and said to them, 'See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ', and will mislead many. And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for these things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. BUT ALL THESE THINGS ARE MERELY THE BEGINNING OF BIRTH PANGS.'" (NASB, my emphasis).

Here we have a description of "THOSE DAYS": of the appearance of many who will say "I am the Christ" -- literally "I am the anointed one" i.e. the man of the hour; GOD'S man of faith and power; a man with the true message of salvation, with the gift of life, healing, wealth, happiness -- and so on into the seemingly endless darkness ANNOUNCING THEMSELVES AS THE ANOINTED!

Jesus said in admonishment and prophecy, "I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him." (John 5.43,NIV) In another place He describes the many false anointed that crowd our air-space with TV and radio programs, as well as those who defile our assembly places: "He who speaks from himself (NIV says "on his own") seeks his own glory..." (John 7.18).

Men keep coming, proclaiming themselves, seeking glory for themselves and their penny-ante programs; building their kickshaw kingdoms and doing all manner of soulish things. The pity of it all is that while they do these things myriads of people flock to them and help spread abroad the names and mind-boggling doctrines of these multiloquous mischief-makers. But so it is -- just as our LORD said it would be. John, in one of his letters to us, said that there were already many anti-christs (instead-of-anointed) among us -- and that was in the first century -- nearly 2,000 years ago.

Then, of course, there are the old Pentecostal preacher's favorite bug-a-boos -- wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilence, and earthquakes in "divers places". Splits and factions among nations and political parties are multiplying at a greater rate than we usually expect -- but we should expect such activity: there are more "nations" and "parties" now than ever before on our LORD'S earth. Religious and unsavory branches of the apostate church split off the main trunk and establish themselves in the cesspits of their own righteousness and mislead the people -- so what? Some sheep will follow any bellwether as long as the sound is intriguing and a little bit different from the foolishness they left behind.

Greed and self-interest constantly set man against man and it seems that every segment of society is engrossed in destroying someone or something in order to magnify their own particular "ism".

That's great!! Rejoice! -- BUT "THE END IS NOT YET". Rejoice even more because "ALL THESE THINGS ARE THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS".

The words translated "beginning of sorrows" by the venerable priests, prophets, and school-men who "translated" our beloved King James Version of the scriptures are "ARKE ODINON" -- and are properly translated by Zondervan Greek-English New Testament, Rotherham, NASB, NIV and numerous other translations as "beginning of birth pangs". Rightly so.

Now, if you take a negative view, these things are sorrows, death-throes, and last spasms of the old order of things. But if you look at these happenings positively, you see BIRTH PANGS of a new order being brought to birth -- a glorious victory -- a FIRSTFRUITS of a new creation! A seed! An elect, -- an inheritor of His Kingdom -- , a people through whom HE shall reveal HIS NEW COVENANT ORDER!!

Now as to the times and epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the LORD will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth-pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night or of darkness. (1 Thessalonians 5.2-5, NASB)

"Immediately AFTER the distress of those days...the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. (Matthew 24.29-30, NIV, my emphasis).

(Please note well -- the word "sky" in the above translation is, in the Greek, two different case forms of "OURANOS", a word used 325 times in our Authorized Version of the New Testament. In 295 cases the word is translated "heaven" or "heavens"; 10 times: "air"; and 5 times "sky". Much has been made of Jesus appearing in the sky swishing around the earth on a cloud, and I won't bore you with more of the same drivel. The word in question can mean the universe; the world; the aerial heavens or sky; heavenly forces; the region above the sidereal heavens; or the seat of an order of things eternal and consummately perfect, where God dwells. Let the Holy Spirit interpret for you. To me, the dwelling place of God is heaven -- and God is in Christ reconciling the universe to Himself. Know ye not that God dwells in you?)

In the cited scripture we see that AFTER THE PRESSURE AND DISTRESS -- AFTER THOSE DAYS the SIGN of the Son of Man will be revealed! Not before, not in the middle, but AFTER. Our God has absolute control of times and seasons, and we need to keep our eyes single on Him, the Author and Finisher of our faith. We don't belong to THOSE DAYS. We're NOT children of darkness. We belong to the DAY, because we are children of the Light -- so we focus our hope on "THAT DAY" (not "those") wherein shall be revealed the grand and glorious manifestation of His righteousness.

The best that my searching of the scriptures has been able to determine is that the phrase "IN (or on)THAT DAY" occurs first in Exodus 8.22-23:

But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of insects will be there, in order that you may know that I, the LORD, am in the midst of the land. And I will put a division* between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall occur. (NASB)

(* Vulgate, LXX, Amplified, "will put a deliverance")

Although this is obviously a record of an historical event, it is an overture, so to speak, of more fulfillment to come. The Holy Spirit is well able to lift a "word" or event out of accomplished history and place it in the present, or project it into the future so that it becomes LIFE within us, a promise for our tomorrow. Did not He say through His messenger, Paul, that " -- these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come"!?! (See 1 Corinthians, 10th chapter, especially the first twelve verses.)

God promised Israel that He would deliver them from bondage, and He spoke of a certain day when He would set apart the dwelling place of His people and the dwelling place of the remainder of the world. The word used in Hebrews that I have written "set apart" is a word meaning to separate, make wonderful, to show as marvelous; literally "to distinguish"; God is placing a MARK OF DISTINCTION on a people because He has chosen them -- a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that they may declare the praises of Him who called them out of darkness into His glorious light (See 1 Peter 2.9-10). He CHOOSES!! and this is His Sovereign inworking in His first fruits as He prepares them and separates them into His NEW COVENANT ORDER, truly showing Himself marvelous in the process. "But know that the LORD has set apart the godly man for Himself" (Psalm 4.3, NASB).

He also said, "...I will put a division between my people and thy people" -- "thy people" meaning the Egyptians -- the unchosen. I think it's interesting and extraordinarily significant that the word "division" used here is from a Hebrew word meaning "redemption". (See also Exodus 6.6 and 13.13 for similar expressions of God's purpose in this respect.) The word used includes the thought of separation. In fact, the LXX translates "diastole" as "a difference" -- and this separation, this difference, is a result of the all powerful inworking process of redemption. "He sent redemption to His people" (Psalm 111.9).

Most of the time we're not aware of the truth that the dividing, or separating, work that God is doing IN US is actually a central and essential part of our redemption. How many times do we think He's just leaving us out on the backside of the wilderness alone -- denying us fellowship? Actually it's part of His redemptive process so that we may be loosed from the things of the earth and experience the spiritual, the heavenly, resurrection and to sit with Him WHERE HE IS. Do you not recall Jesus' prayer to the Father in which He requests that we might be where He is? John 17.24. Look it up!

Psalm 130.7 says that with Him is plenteous, abundant, full redemption, and the word used here is the same one we discussed as "separation", "distinction", et cetera. Yes -- plenteous, abundant and full inworking of the cross until we say with Paul "...God forbid that I should boast about anything, or anybody except the cross of our LORD Jesus Christ, which means that the world is a dead thing to me and I am a dead man to the world" (Galatians 6.14, Phillip's Translation). This "being crucified" is the very thing that brings forth redemption; and not just a beggarly supply for a rescued few, because it's His plan to reach out and embrace the entire creation in love, reconciling it to Himself.

The phrase "IN THAT DAY" is used again in Samuel 3.11-12: "In that day I will carry out against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end" (NASB).

Eli was the Priest, the symbol of the religious order of the time. If we recall the record, we see that Eli's godless sons signify the grip that carnality had on the ministry then -- and is symbolic of much that binds the religious world today. God declared He was going to deal with the lawlessness and irreverence of Eli's ministry -- a process that began at the House of God. We have just begun to hear the cries that are arising because of God's bringing down "the house of Eli".

Eli had been appointed to the office of priest and he was in proper and lawful succession to that office in the "old order". He didn't lightly accept the office, nor did he appoint himself priest. All the tremendous moving of God had been passed down from generation to generation through the Levitical priesthood -- and it was rapidly falling into disrepute. Eli's morally corrupt sons were doing such abominable things that Israel had become a "stench in God's nostrils", and the time came that God began His corrective discipline. He promised -- "I'll carry out what I've spoken from beginning to end".

God's word stands for all the ages -- IT SHALL BE FULFILLED.

In taking away The Old Covenant, the disruption of death-agony manifests itself -- BUT, that agony is also the BIRTHPANGS of the New Covenant being unshrouded and delivered to God's creation. We've tasted of it; we've received the inworking Holy Spirit as an earnest of our inheritance, and we shall experience and live out the fullness of the promise. I must say again: When God begins a work in us, He'll make an end. The Holy Spirit says through Paul, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1.6, NASB).

Railing against Babylon is useless, and we must recognize that the present corruption is a work of God's process. (See Jeremiah 51.7 where Babylon is described as a golden cup in the hand of God). Let's see the present apostasy for what it is: a sign of the times. And let's remember that IN THAT DAY, when Babylon has fallen God has brought an end to an era and a new day has come. Then we will say, as reported in verse 10 of Jeremiah 51,

The LORD has brought about our vindication; Come and let us recount in Zion the work of the LORD our God!

God is truly placing a division between those who are godly, apprehended to be first fruits of the harvest, and those who remain as a part of the old order that is being brought low. (Be reminded that "those who are godly" are NOT "godly" or "godlike" by any "godliness" that they themselves have generated. GOD chooses and cleanses and gives His likeness to whom HE will -- not according to anything done by man).

Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, 'Thus says the LORD GOD, "Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat (the LORD'S portion) and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock" (Ezekiel 34.1-3, NASB, my parenthesis).

Terrifying!

Our LORD then promised in verse 12, "As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so will I care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day". Terrific!

Read, now, the admonishment of the Holy Spirit;

Enter the rock and hide in the dust from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His Majesty. The proud look of man will be abased and the loftiness of man will be humbled, And the LORD alone will be exalted IN THAT DAY .(Isaiah 2.10-11, NASB)

Truly, man's haughtiness, his "I will" spirit shall be dealt with, purged by the fire of God's loving kindness in correction and uprightness. Only the glory of His Majesty will stand in man's vision and HE ALONE SHALL BE EXALTED!

When?

It was rather easy for mankind to grow unfruitful self righteous under the old covenant, because that covenant required man to DO certain things in order to please what he thought was a wrathful God. Having done them and being momentarily exalted, mankind was prone to act very much as the Pharisee Luke wrote about in the 18th chapter of his good-news: "The Pharisee stood and was praying thus to HIMSELF, 'God, I thank thee, that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax gatherer. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.'"

"I"..."I"..."I"...all the emphasis is upon what big "I" is doing or has done. Read what the Holy Spirit says in cutting contrast to this concerning the indwelling of the new covenant: "Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy (competence, power, ability, sufficiency) is from God". (2 Corinthians 3.5, NASB, my parenthesis). He promised both for Himself and for weak and unstable mankind: "I WILL AND THOU SHALT." We are blessed beyond all hope of discerning or deserving: -- IT'S GOD ALL THE WAY.

"And it shall come to pass IN THAT DAY, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the *anointing". (Isaiah 10.27) Yokes are supplied by the LORD to help make the burden, or load, easier for yoke-fellows, and when man takes the yoke of Jesus Christ he finds peace. But -- when man supplies the yoke he burdens mankind with all sorts of ugliness and fear -- rules, regulations, misinterpreted "laws of God", condemnation, "do and don't-do-it-or-else", long hair, long sleeves, long skirts; -- you name it, the wolves that masquerade as God's shepherds will find some way to press the people down.

(*Other translations read "fatness".)

The prophecy cited, above, had its fulfillment in Israel long ago, but there are many present applications when we consider the yokes laid upon the people of God since our Lord's resurrection.

As Peter once said, "Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the LORD Jesus,..." (Acts 15.10-11). So, then, let us rejoice in the new covenant which is not of the letter, but of the SPIRIT; because the letter kills, but the SPIRIT gives life. Further, where the SPIRIT is there is freedom from the law of sin and death.

The yoke is destroyed because of the anointing!! It's the deep, penetrating working within us of His Spirit that looses us from the bondage, the yoke and burden, and it's a loosing FROM INSIDE OUTWARD -- NOT from outside in. We certainly should at all times be thankful for the many gifts and ministries Our LORD has blessed us with -- whether laying on of hands, the ministry of helps and others -- but our teaching continues: "This is the way!" "You get this answer when you pray thus!" "Tithe faithfully and God will bless you with sevenfold return!" "These are the steps to true worship!" "You must come to our retreat (or whatever) to get to know the LORD better!"

There seems to be no end to the self righteous chicanery of religious rodomontade.

IN THAT DAY (after THOSE days) when the New Covenant fully reveals itself "...they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, and everyone his brother, saying, 'KNOW THE LORD', for ALL shall know Me from the least to the greatest of men" (Hebrews 8.11, NASB, and Jeremiah 31.34).

We are the temple of the living God, just as God said,

"I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK IN THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE". (2 Corinthians 6.16)

When God dwells in you all of man's yokes and bondage are dissipated by His anointing presence. Surely His indwelling presence delivers us from the prison-cells of lusts, bad habits, the spirit of the world, from self-worship -- indeed from all of self that exalts any thing or being other than HIM.

Noting in particular what Paul wrote of the veil that lies dark upon the heart whenever the Old Law Covenant was read, let us be assured that as soon as the heart turns to the Lord, that veil is stripped away because "where the Spirit of the LORD is, there too is emancipation from bondage to the Law". (Arthur Way's Translation).

When God begins to remove an onerous burden from you there are always those standing by ready to harness you to a new load -- , perhaps just hanging an albatross of guilt about your neck. The only burden we desire is His -- because it's light, and we truly desire to be yoked to Him, because it's easy. HE SAID SO.

We only experience this ease and rest in limited measure now -- but "IN THAT DAY" we'll know the full blessed reality of His victory. NOW "...We know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away... For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully, just as I also have been fully known". (1 Corinthians 13.9-10,12, NASB).

We know that first and foremost this is fulfilled in Christ our LORD. HE is the Banner of Salvation, the Chief Ensign and HIS REST is glorious. We hear Him calling, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest for your souls, for My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11.28-31).

The ANOINTING destroys the hateful and carnal yoke but that doesn't mean we are left lawless. The Holy Spirit tells us that we are "...not without law to God, but under the law of Christ, the Anointed." (1 Corinthians 9.21). This yoke frees us from the yoke of man and will certainly separate us from the burden of religion -- and the more we shed the onus of man's futility and rest in Him, THE MORE WE LEARN OF HIM. THEN BURDENS THAT ONCE SEEMED OVERPOWERING BECOME LIGHT BECAUSE OF THE ANOINTING.

There is a place in scripture that says he that is called in the LORD while a slave, is the LORD'S freed man; likewise he who was called while free is CHRIST'S SLAVE. (Look it up!) I think that's great! Under the most repressing servitude to sin and self when He called -- NOW we are His FREE MEN. If once we felt we were free to "do our own thing" rest assured WE ARE NOW HIS BONDSERVANTS -- CHRIST covers it all: slave and freeman, rich and poor, high or low -- IN THAT DAY WE SHALL FIND THAT GLORIOUS REST HE PROMISED.

EPILOGUE

STAND FAST THEREFORE IN THE LIBERTY WHEREWITH CHRIST HATH MADE US FREE, AND BE NOT ENTANGLED AGAIN WITH THE YOKE OF BONDAGE. (Galatians 5.1).