Purification of the Bride

I wish to share some things that God has shown me and is
ominously approaching the Church of Jesus Christ. I travel
frequently in many countries and over the last 20 years, have had
the amazing privilege of meeting many prominent religious,
governmental and secular officials.

People call me a prophet yet I came from a conservative
Christian upbringing and had great difficulty coming to grips
with the fact that modern day prophets existed, let alone become
one. I am hesitant personally to take this title for myself. All
I know is that I made a covenant around 1965 when I was saved by
God under a revelation of the Lord’s imminent second coming
that I would never preach or minister a word that does not bring
a solemn challenge to mens’ hearts.

I read of men like Moody, Booth and Spurgeon, also of Finney,
Knox and Wesley, and cried for God to use me like that. I would
never compare myself to the stature of these great men but they
were examples of faith to which I aspired, many times falling so
far short.

On my journey from that day of beginnings to this day forty
years later I prefer to be seen as a teacher, as I treasure the
WORD OF GOD above all else. I have spent much of my life studying
and memorizing scriptures, seeking God for revelation beyond the
surface text that I might understand what the Spirit is saying to
His church. It is in this context I choose to share a portion of
scripture with you that I believe has an imminent prophetic
application and fulfillment. It concerns Samson’s Nazarite
covenant with God.

In November of 2003 I was in Lugano, in Switzerland, speaking
to group of pastors at a conference. In Switzerland they have
three major language groups or areas. Lugano is near the Italian
border and Italian language was predominant. Whilst many were
sharing and fellowshipping together, I felt separated from them
as I could not speak the language, so I went to my room to spend
some time in the Word and study. Whether by divine intervention
or just divine imagination on my part, God met with me. The Lord
opened to me four complete chapters of the book of Judges - 13
through 16, and gave me the most amazing prophetic exegesis of
this story pertaining to the life of Samson and its comparison to
the present day church.

This is what I want to share with you. Samson was born of a
miracle, called before his birth, set apart by God to be a judge
in Israel before he was even conceived. His mother was a Godly
woman, his father likewise, although not to the same degree. The
angel of the Lord gave instructions to them as to Samson’s
upbringing and training. Reading the story you become acutely
aware, God had his hand on this child for a purpose to fulfill a
specific destiny. His destiny was predetermined before conception
and born to an era of great spiritual declension and evil just
like the church of Jesus Christ today. Many will object to what I
am about to say but I make no apology for this. The Lord clearly
spoke to me saying, "as in Judges 13:1, God delivered
His people into the hand of their enemies - likewise we are going
to see in the immediate ensuing years God placing His church into
the hands of its enemies not for destruction but for
purification."

God did not give them up - He gave them over. In Romans 1:24-26
we read, "because the people were unthankful,
they became vain with their hearts darkened. They turned
God’s Word into a lie and made merchandise of it. They
burned in passion for one another" (Pray tell me what
is different from today).

Because of this God gave them up, and wiped His hands of them.
In this case God gave them up, but in Samson’s case he gave
them over. While I am on the subject, I believe some preachers
and merchandisers of truth who spend their lives soliciting
money, speaking vain things, and condoning homosexuality as
acceptable, either by open acquiescence or their spineless silent
consent, will be scourged from the Bride in this coming day of
purification.

The Philistines inflicted heartache and trial upon Israel
forty years and it was God’s doing. Notice that Samson was
from the tribe of Dan. If you have heard or seen my CD
presentation of the Ashkenazi German Talmudic Jews you will know
that I believe the Antichrist will come from the tribe of Dan.
Masonry and all its mystical dark arts also began from a son of
Dan (read 2 Chronicles 2:14).

The chief stonemason hired from Tyre, Hiram Abiff, the father
of Masonry, was a son of the daughters of Dan and son of a man of
Tyre. It was an abomination to marry outside Israel (mixture
always brings depravity). Judges 18:30 states Dan was in idolatry
and rebellion till the day they went into captivity. Earlier,
Judges 18:1 states Dan rejected the inheritance given them by God
through Joshua which was at the southern end of Israel.

This was because they were never able to eradicate their
enemies. They constantly fled from the Amorites, living in the
mountains so they decided to go north and by deceit took the city
of Laish and made it the city of Dan. Dan, later in Greek times
became the city of Pan, where they sacrificed children to Molech.
It’s worth reading Jacob’s prophecy over his sons in
Genesis 49, particularly Dan, regarding what will befall them in
the latter days. Dan’s name means to avenge, to seek
vengeance.

It is interesting to note that in the order of the camps when
they marched Judah was first and Dan was always last. Dan had the
responsibility of gathering up the stragglers and marching at the
rear. The picture here is resentment at the lack of prominence.
Deuteronomy 27:13 reveals Dan was part of the negative oriented
tribes whose duty was to curse their enemies, which obviously
came naturally to them.

The angel said Samson shall be a Nazarite from his birth till
the day of his death, and just like the Church, called to be
separate. God never violated His side of the covenant even though
Samson violated every single part of his. He demanded a woman of
the Philistines whom he lusted after and married. The Church also
has made every evil alliance with the world and been led by the
lust of the eyes.

Samson dishonoured his parents advice. The Hebrew phrase
"she pleases me well" in Judges 14:3 conveys
the meaning, "she is right in my eyes - who cares what God
thinks." However, God brings good out of our wrong choices
and therefore permitted it. It was His permissive will not His
perfect will. Not only did Samson compromise himself sexually but
he violated another main part of the Nazarite vow by touching the
dead lion. Hell comes in and invades the modern church every day
because we allow the spirit of death and sin entrance through
ungodly compromise.

His influence caused his parents to stumble as he gave them
the same polluted honey from the lion, but did not tell them
where it came from. Drink and sin is now so rampant in the Church
many churches are now introducing bars into their churches to
keep their members. This is sacrilege and an abomination.
Samson’s arrogance and pride is demonstrated when boasting
of his wisdom among his friends concerning the riddle.

His own foolishness is revealed in this same story, for his
wife manipulates the answer from him, then betrays him, yet he
takes no warning and pays no heed. This is the folly of ungodly
alliances. Her loyalty lay with her people, not with Samson. We
the Church, have foolishly not learned this dire lesson yet
either. Samson knew she had betrayed him but carried on. The
Church is so caught up in adultery and lust it can no longer even
speak against it. The rate of divorce is higher in the Church now
than outside it. Samson’s friend took his wife and became
his enemy. I think it was going on all along as Samson, when
angry at the revealing of the riddle, states "If you had
not ploughed with my heifer you would not have known my
riddle." The connotation here is that his friend was
having a relationship with her. Regardless, this picture is
mirrored in the modern church and justified by its leaders, large
numbers of whom are married and divorced, some many times
over.

After being shut out of his own household by his father-in-law
he sets fire to the enemies harvest fields in anger, yet God uses
it to inflict judgement on the enemy. How could Samson expect any
different as the people of his acquaintance are people who do not
respect their vows to him? Could it be he is reaping what he
sowed? Absolutely, just as we are now reaping what we have
sowed.

In retaliation for Samson’s reaction, the Philistines
burnt his wife and father alive, confusion reigns on every hand
and a spirit of violence prevails, just as today. Samson reacts
again and kills out of vengeance, then the Philistines come up
against Judah who asks why. "Because we have come to
bind and seize Samson," they replied. So Judah
approaches Samson and states, "Why can’t you
accept that the enemy rules over us. Live and let live.
Don’t stir up trouble."

Isn’t that like the Church today? Sold out to diplomacy!
So Judah delivers up Samson to his enemies. He was betrayed by
his own people! This is going to happen also to the bride in this
last hour. Wake up church! There is no rapture that will
circumvent this – Scripture says, "Brother shall
in that day, deliver up brother to death and shall think that he
does God a service."

Judges 15:12 reveals Samson pleading with his own people not
to kill him. True loyalty is demonstrated not in a time of peace
but a time of war when everyone is more concerned about saving
his own skin. Verse 18 shows him complaining to God about his
lack of water as if God is his servant.

The issue that amazes me is that he would rise from the
harlot’s bed or from some drunken spree and go out and slay
the enemy. As I read these scriptures I see the comparison to the
present church bride which tolerates sin and lavishes itself with
shameful pride like a prostitute, both in a natural as well as
spiritual sense. When it suits we rise up and attack the camp of
the enemy. God in His mercy vindicates us not because of our
spirituality but because of His great grace and we expect it and
take Him for granted. God’s benevolent mercy still
demonstrates His power through us even while the Church lives
like the harlot. His blessings flow in spite of us, not because
of us.

Chapter 16 highlights once again Samson’s lust problem.
He goes to Gaza and finds a harlot. While he indulged his lust,
the Gazites surround him and wait to kill him, but he wants a
little sport so goes out at midnight and tears the gates of the
city from its hinges. Here is a significant type; that is what
the Church was told to do - destroy the gates of hell! But here
we are, 3000 years later and not much damage has been inflicted
on the camp of hell. Why? Simply because the Church is more into
sleeping with the enemy than trying to destroy him.

Samson then finds another woman, Delilah, but he can not even
discern that she is an agent of the enemy. Because he has so long
been living amongst them he now thinks like them. She sets him
up, enticing him through the open door of his uncontrolled sexual
appetites. I find it reprehensible that Delilah actually does
exactly what he tells her to do to annul his power and yet he
still sleeps with her and seeks her companionship.

I have learnt one thing. If you despise integrity, the day
will come when you will look for it in those around you, but
because you shunned it, it will be silent when you call, because
those with whom you chose to associate will know nothing of it. I
am appalled at the lack of loyalty and the betrayal in the Church
today. It is because we have no fear of the Lord anymore and
every man does that which is right in his own eyes.

Samson became emotionally and spiritually bankrupt and allowed
Delilah to mock and despise him while he just satisfied his
appetites with what ever he could get. She finally blackmailed
him, accusing him of lying and mocking her, the actual thing she
was doing to him. The final spark of hope and goodness in him,
desiring her undivided love, caused him to disclose his
secret.

Instead of her favor he was rejected, and in his final moment
he is reduced to a defenseless, broken specimen of his former
self, just like the Bride of Christ – broken, helpless,
with many of her members cast aside, rejected, abused and
betrayed even by her own guardians. But in all this God has a
purpose if we can only see it. Through the tears of confusion
many wander without hope or understanding, yet the Bride will be
a spotless bride without blemish or wrinkle so take hope saints!
Things are about to change!

While in Switzerland at that time, God placed a question in my
heart and I was prompted to answer. The question was, "What
do they call a person who sleeps with the enemy in wartime?"
I quickly responded, "They are called collaborators."
Then the Lord put another question upon my mind. "What do
they do to shame collaborators?" I quickly responded,
"They cut off all their hair."

It was then I realized what I had said. 1 Corinthians 11:15
tells us the glory of a woman is her hair and it symbolizes her
purity and femininity and just like Samson’s head was shorn
of his authority, so has the bride of Christ. She has been
sleeping with the enemy and as a result has lost her purity and
beauty. Her glory has departed and gone.

The only solution is to be put in prison where Satan will deal
with what we will not deal with ourselves. Samson had his eyes
plucked out and if we will not separate from our sinful
appetites, Gods mercy will use Satan to do it for us. When it
happens, then we will be driven back to the pure Word, our only
foundation. There, like Samson, we will grind wheat at the mill
again and in bondage, learn to call upon God. But incredibly as
Samson learned his lesson his sin was no longer an issue. His
lust of the eyes no longer enticed him thanks to the enemy.
Simultaneously, his hair began to grow and his glory began to
return. So it will be with the Bride - the Church.

Unwittingly she will make herself ready God’s way, not
in vanity. Then one day like the Philistines, they will decide to
bring out the emaciated remains of this once powerful and
beautiful creation of God and they will throw down the Gauntlet
before God and God will reach down and pick it up and declare
this is the day. You see the prison house rids a body of excess,
and labour brings fitness and strength to otherwise flabby
muscles. Liberty and freedom of any sort becomes an immensely
appreciated and valued thing and the real issues of life become
very important. The man who has suffered comes forth in humility
and humility brings the approval of God.

Just as Samson was led forth from the prison for them to mock
him, so too the bride of Christ will be presented to the world
but a truly different bride than she, who was delivered into
prison. The Word tells us that Samson, now blind, was led out by
a little child just as the prophecy tells us a little child shall
lead them, a true picture of the broken and humble vessel of God,
but by no means weak. The final destruction wrought that day upon
the Philistines was greater than anything Samson had ever
achieved in all his entire life.

The statement that set Gods anger in motion to bring down
Satan’s kingdom is no different than that with the
Philistines. They said "Our god Dagon has delivered
Samson and his God into our hands." What a paradox!
Little did they know they threw down a challenge that God could
not help but pick up. God is not mocked! Whatsoever a man sows
that shall he also reap.