This is the second of two articles that explore what the Lord means when He speaks of "waiting" on Him.

Cumulative secluded waiting

The next verse listed in my Bible's small concordance under the word "wait" is verse 4 of the following passage:

"⁴And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. ⁵For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." (Acts 1:4-5)

As a result of this command, the Lord's disciples gathered in an upper room, where they fervently prayed for 10 days until the Pentecost outpouring broke out. This once again reveals that God's version of "waiting" is in no way passive but rather it is active. As they prayed, the disciples poured out their hearts as they longingly waited for God's response. They secluded themselves, away from those who continued going about their lives as if everything was "the same". In that isolated room, something began to accumulate, just like water pressure building up inside a small container, until a bursting took place. In the same way, those "waiting for the Lord" have secluded their hearts in a "post-death upper room", an "Abraham's bosom", as the rest of the Church go on with "religious practices as usual". As the remnant "waits", pressure is accumulating, and a bursting is soon to be manifested, a bursting of judgement unto redemption. In these latter days, the judgements that have remained "pending" for ages since the fall of man are reaching their climax, and this latter-day remnant shall be the instrument that releases all that "pending" judgement into the Earth.

"³Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. ⁴Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore. ⁵Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; ⁶O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. ⁷He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth." (Psalm 105:3-7)

"¹Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images. ²Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images. ³For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the LORD; what then should a king do to us? ⁴They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field. ⁵The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Bethaven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it. ⁶It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel. ⁷As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water. ⁸The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us." (Hosea 10:1-8)

The word "furrow" in verse 4 was translated from the Hebrew word telem, which is derived from another word meaning "to accumulate". The word "hemlock" in verse 4 was translated from the word ro'osh, which is derived from another word apparently meaning "to shake". Thus, the phrase "judgement springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field" is God's way of saying that "judgement shall accumulate underground, hidden from man's view, and suddenly spring forth in the form of mighty agitations". Therefore, it is no coincidence that the passage above ends with the words, "They shall say to the mountains, 'Cover us', and, to the hills, 'Fall on us'", for this passage points to the large earthquake unleashed when the 6th seal is broken, the seal that comes after judgement accumulates during 5th-seal seclusion:

"¹²And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; ¹³And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. ¹⁴And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. ¹⁵And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; ¹⁶And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: ¹⁷For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Revelation 6:12-17)

"⁵But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; ⁶Who will render to every man according to his deeds: ⁷To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: ⁸But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, ⁹Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile." (Romans 2:5-9)

[The phrase "patient continuance" was mistranslated from the Greek word hypomone, which literally means "steadfastness", and has the connotation of someone remaining (mene) under (hypo) a great weight, enduring through the agony. Therefore, hypomone has the connotation of "heavy work"; it is by no means a "patient waiting" as you comfortably repose on a nice couch.

Notice also that, according to verse 7, eternal life is given to those who are steadfast in doing good and who seek glory, honour, and immortality. Thus, eternal life is not given to those in passivity. It is a prize that comes after an arduous and anxious race (that you must choose to endure in Him). As we have said many times before, "eternal life" is not equivalent to "escaping literal hell", as most believers seem to think. Those who do think that "eternal life" means "escaping literal hell" have a lot of explaining to do with regard to Romans 2:7.

Even in the New Testament of "grace", God declares that He "will render to every man according to his deeds" (v6), and that includes the rendering of eternal life. Contrary to popular belief, the New Testament of "grace" (as shown by this passage) declares that all human beings, including believers, are under the judgements of God.]

"¹Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. ²Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. ³Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. ⁴Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. ⁵Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. ⁶Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. ⁷Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain." (James 5:1-7)

[Notice the harsh word of judgement against "rich men" in this "New Testament" passage. This passage begs the question, "Where is the love, compassion, and understanding that the espousers of 'New Testament grace' talk about?" Instead of speaking of God's compassion, and instead of offering "rich men" an option for repentance in the loving arms of a "kindly" God, James tells them that rust "shall eat your flesh as it were fire" (v2), and he emphasises that they have accumulated judgement for the last days (v3). What an evil and unkind man!! James and the spirit that inspired him to write the words above deserve to be condemned as cruel and unloving!! As shown by the passage above, the Spirit of God (who inspired this passage) surely does not know about "love", "grace", and "forgiveness" ... at least as natural man understands these terms! If I were to believe the rantings of matriarchal believers on what the "love of God" is, the passage above would be clear proof to me that the one who knows the least about the so-called "love of God" is God Himself.]

The word "patient" in verse 7 above was translated from the Greek verb makrothumeo, which is derived from the Greek words makros, meaning "long, far" and thumos, meaning "passion, wrath, indignation"; the word thumos is itself derived from the word thuo meaning "to kill". Thus, the verb makrothumeo speaks of someone who endures wrath for a long time. Therefore, it does not have the connotation of "passive" waiting. Instead, it betrays a longing, a deep and painful yearning for justice to be served. This is the reason why the passage above speaks of "serving justice" to the "rich men" who have lorded it over their fellow brethren, who have "hoarded the resources" and left God's remnant out in the cold. Instead of enabling the righteous, these "rich men" enable themselves; these "New Testament rich men" are the ones that the "nasty Old Testament" talks about in Ezekiel 34. Notice how verse 7 then speaks of being patient (makrothumeo) "unto the coming of the Lord", which means that this whole passage is in the context of "waiting for the Lord". Thus, this passage bares out the fact that waiting for God's vindication is inherently tied to waiting for Him. There can be no manifestation of God's glory without the pouring out of God's accumulated wrath against the "rich men" who have hindered His purposes for ages. As we steadfastly wait (in hiding) under the burden, this wrath accumulates against them. Therefore, our "waiting" accumulates destruction for them, a destruction that shall burst forth "suddenly". As we accumulate destruction for them, we also accumulate the release of God's Glory into the Earth.

"¹⁷Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; ¹⁸That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; ¹⁹Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life." (1 Timothy 6:17-19)

[Notice once again how the "New Testament" speaks of "eternal life" as a "prize" (not as a "grant by default"). This prize is for those who "do good" (i.e.- do apostolic judgements) and who are willing to "distribute" (i.e.- who are willing to shed their lives in prophetic sacrifice so that God's purposes may be fulfilled in others).]

"¹And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ²And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. ³And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. ⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:1-4)

Inductive waiting

The next verse listed in my Bible's small concordance under the word "wait" is verse 23 of the following passage:

"¹⁷And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. ¹⁸For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. ¹⁹For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. ²⁰For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, ²¹Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. ²²For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. ²³And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." (Romans 8:17-23)

Notice once again how the "waiting" described by Scripture is anything but "cross-armed" and "serene". Notice also how this passage speaks of "waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God" (v19). Believers with a literal, natural mind are quick to say, "The sons of God are already here; if you want to see them, just go to the local church; that's where they gather every Sunday; you can see the manifestation of their 'sonship' in the way they sing and dance and help around the church". However, those in the Spirit know that that is anything but the manifestation of the sons of God. In the passage above, the Lord is talking about something deeper, something the conformist Church is really not interested in. The manifestation of the sons of God speaks about the manifestation of God in us ("Immanuel"). The only way for you to recognise that a person is truly someone's son is when you recognise the father's characteristics in the son ... like father, like son. We cannot say that we are openly manifested as "the sons of God" until our father, God, is unhinderedly manifested in us.

Those with a literal and natural understanding of Scripture may be quick to say, "Look, the passage above is talking about the end of the world when Jesus appears in the sky, the whole world is literally transformed, and Jesus literally sits on a throne in Jerusalem and begins to rule over the Earth". This simplistic "explanation" may allay the anxieties of the religiously conformant, but it fails to address an important question: Why be anxious about an external event you have no control over? The literal event that the conformant believers refer to sure did not happen during the days of the Romans that Paul wrote to. Why "groan" and "travail" (v22) over something that may or may not happen in our lifetimes? Didn't Jesus preach against anxiety over issues outside of our control:

"Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?" (Matthew 6:27)

As you address this question, it becomes evident that the "groaning" and "travailing" mentioned in Romans 8 is forging something. In other words, the coming of the Lord is not an event external to us but rather an event we have undeniable influence over. That is why the "groaning" and "travailing" as we wait for His manifestation is by no means a "futile endeavour". The Romans of Paul's day groaned not in vain, and neither do you:

"¹¹Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, ¹²Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?" (2 Peter 3:11-12)

The word "unto" in verse 12 does not appear in the original Greek text. It seemed "nonsensical" for the natural minds of the King James translators to translate what the Greek text actually said, "... waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God", because it insinuated that we can actually accelerate the coming of the Lord. As a result, they added the word "unto" to make the text more pleasing and "familiar" to their souls.

From the above, we can conclude that our "groan-filled" and anxious waiting for the Lord induces His manifestation. We forge His manifestation through our longing, through our calling out for His manifestation amongst His people. The coming of the Lord is equivalent to the "manifestation of the sons of God". Let him who has ears understand what the Lord is saying.

"⁸We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for? ⁹If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar. ¹⁰I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour. ¹¹Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver. ¹²My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred. ¹³Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it. ¹⁴Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices." (Song of Solomon 8:8-14)

[The name "Baal-hamon" in verse 11 means "lord of a multitude"]

"¹⁰For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. ¹¹For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, ¹²Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. ¹³And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me." (Hebrews 2:10-13)

[The word "church" in verse 12 was translated from the Greek word ekklesia, which literally means "congregation, assembly, (public) gathering of a multitude. Therefore, Jesus is saying in verse 12, "... in the midst of the gathered multitude of sons I will sing praises unto You". This speaks of Yeshua's manifestation in the midst of His people.]

Body-centred waiting

The next verse listed in my Bible's small concordance under the word "wait" is verse 33 of the following passage:

"²⁹For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. ³⁰For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. ³¹For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. ³²But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. ³³Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. ³⁴And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come." (1 Corinthians 11:29-34)

[The word that was translated as "wait" in my Bible was translated as "tarry" in the King James version.

There goes the "New Testament" again talking about "judgement" and "condemnation"!! I thought the "New Testament" was about "love" and "reconciliation", not about a "judging" God!! What is wrong with my copy of the "New Testament"?? It must be different from the one used by the traditional Church!! I guess all these passages about judgement in the New Testament must be "apocryphal" texts inserted into the original canon by some "evil" and "cruel" writers bent on destroying the message of "love" forged by Jesus ... yea, writers like Paul, James, and John!!]

As we have studied before, "discerning the Lord's body" (v29) is not so much about holding a piece of bread with reverence during "communion" or the "Lord's supper" ceremony. Instead, it has to do with discerning the God-potential in your brethren and longing for it to be fully manifested. Therefore, the fact that the Lord inspired the phrase "tarry one for another" in verse 33 reveals a spiritual principle: You cannot wait for Him without discerning the God-potential in your brethren. You cannot long for Him without longing for Him to be manifested in the brethren, for, as you look up to the sky with the eyes of your soul, waiting for Him to appear, you are actually looking into the hearts of men, waiting for Him to be revealed from within the "insignificant" clouds floating about the Earth. This is the hidden reason for the phrase "... waiting for the adoption, [i.e.-] the redemption of our body" at the end of Romans 8:23 quoted above.

Interestingly enough, the word "body" at the end of Romans 8:23 is in the singular in the original Greek text, despite the fact that it is preceded by the word "our". Thus, it is not really talking about "our individual bodies", but rather about "our collective body", which is the Body of Christ. The word "redemption" in Romans 8:23 was translated from the Greek word apolutrosis, which literally means "release procured by the payment of a ransom". This reveals a spiritual fact: The coming of the Lord is tied to the liberation of His Body from the one who holds it captive. This captivity is through rights granted to the enemy by God's own people, for the Church has whorishly sold herself off to satan, just as Hosea's wife did (Hosea 3:1-5). Because of this, there is a Hosea remnant paying the high price to redeem the Body. This high price includes costly warfare, a warfare that is turning the Church from a "body of Moses" into a "body of Christ".

"⁹Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. ¹⁰But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. ¹¹Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. ¹²These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; ¹³Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. ¹⁴And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, ¹⁵To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (Jude 1:9-15)

Verse 15 above reveals another spiritual reason why "waiting for God" is body-centred. Those who are "waiting" for His visitation (in the Scriptural sense of the word "waiting") are travailing to see the physical (i.e.- bodily) manifestation of the Truth. Things which are true and evident in the spirit realm remain invisible in the natural realm, leading to a disparity between the visible and the invisible. Even though it is true that "stealing is wrong", for example, the "wrongness" of stealing is not clearly evident in the natural realm. In fact, it seems (in places such as Latin America, for example) that stealing and cheating are "good", because people are often getting away with it unpunished and are deriving (short-term) benefits from their theft. Thus, the natural realm seems to validate "stealing" and "corruption", even though they are clearly abhorrent in the spiritual realm. God's waiting remnant, however, have come to make evident the truth of the statement "stealing is wrong", and this shall be done as God's judgements are released into the Earth against those who justify stealing. Through God's destructive judgements, it will become clear to all that stealing is indeed wrong, because the natural realm will finally align itself with the invisible truths in the spirit realm. When the Truth is clearly manifest, the Lord will have come, for He is the Truth. When this happens, "all the ungodly will be convinced of all their ungodly deeds" (v15), because the "untruth" in their actions shall become evident. The deception inherent in unrighteousness shall be exposed for what it is: utterly ridiculous and contradictory of reality.

"Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." (John 14:17)

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18)

[As we have shared before, the word "hold" was translated from the Greek word katecho, which literally means "to hold back, to restrain, to hinder". There are forces operating to prevent God's judgements from flowing freely (Amos 5:24), for, when they do, truth is evident and falsehood-laden unrighteousness is no longer "sustainable".]

"³⁷Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. ³⁸Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. ³⁹But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? ⁴⁰Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber." (John 18:37-40)

[There was a disparity between the clear truth in the spirit realm and what was visible in the natural realm. In the spirit realm, it was evident that Jesus was the King, but that truth was not visible in the natural realm, for the King was in the hands of others who had been given authority over Him. In the spirit realm, it was evident that Jesus was righteous, but that truth was not obvious in the natural realm, so much so that the crowd chose Barabbas the robber over Him. In the spirit realm, it was evident that Yeshua is the Truth, but that truth was not obvious in the natural realm, so much so that Pilate asked, "What is truth?", without realising that Truth was standing right before him.]

"¹Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll. ²And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. ³Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. ⁴I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof." (Zechariah 5:1-4)

What the Lord has had us share in these two articles is what is implicit in the word "wait", at least when God uses it. To "wait for His Son from heaven" (1 Thessalonians 1:10) is much deeper than what natural man thinks.