The Third Part

“The Third Part”

(Revelation 8-9)

Preached by:  Carolyn Sissom

Sunday, June 7, 2009

(Text from The Seven Thunders of God by:  Van Tanner -comments are my own)

Zech. 13:9: “And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and  I will hear them:  I will say, it is my people; and they shall say, The Lord is my God.”

This teaching is about the third part, God’s part, or the redemption of that which is redeemable.  These are the fire carriers who have stood the test of fire.  The scripture reference is Revelation 8-9.    I have known for several decades by the Spirit when a separating was going on.  I would always pray that I would make it through the choosing because I want to be in the midst of whatever the Lord is doing on the earth.  I believe another choosing and separating is now going on in the realm of the Spirit.  Let each of us pray that we be counted worthy.

11 Thessalonians 1:11 “Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power.”

The Lord called many of us out of the Harlot/Babylonian church system many years ago.   There is now another call to “Come out from her my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.” (Rev. 18:4)  Carnality is freely accepted among many Christian churches today.  Our government and church systems are calling evil good and good evil.  I have been preaching this message for some time now.  Today I will be using some of the material researched by Bro. Van Tanner in his book, The Seven Thunders of God.  As Pastors, we thank the Lord for men and women who have been set aside to do the research.

I am least qualified of anyone to declare a thus saith the Lord concerning the Book of Revelation.  The Lord has blessed me with many visions relative to Revelation and those things I know that I know.  Any other knowledge I have is as good as anyone else has.  All of us see through a glass darkly.

I have never believed the Book of Revelation was written in linear or chronological order.   Because I have experienced by vision the spiritual realm of some of John’s visions, I know many of these realms of Heaven are for us as individuals and we can walk in New Jerusalem on this side of the grave.    I also know that those of us who have been called out are to be accountable to prepare a corporate company of called out ones and bring them in to the revelation.

I get a strong witness on the three dimensional view of Revelation using the 7 Thunders and under the corresponding Thunder (1), is Seal (1) Trumpet (1), Angel (1), Vial (1), and Vial Angel (1).  The judgment themes are interconnected under each number.  For instances, Thunder (1), Seal (1), Trumpet (1), Angel (1), Vial (1) and Vial Angel (1) all have to do with the earth.  Likewise the same set under Thunder (2) has to do with the sea; Thunder (3) Rivers and Fountains; Thunder (4) The Sun, Moon, Stars, Day and Night.  Thunder (5) Seat of the Beast, Thunder (6) Euphrates (Sources of Babylon) and Thunder (7) Air (spiritual realm).

Van Tanner:  “For example, in the ones, Seal 1 will be the authority in which the first thunder operates.   This means that Christ makes spiritual authority available for His Holy Messengers to use.  Once they understand this power is available for them to dispense, then they can become the “dispensers” (vials) for that particular thunder. 

The Seal is the authority by which each thunder operates in Christ. Nevertheless, we will not know the revelation or insight of the First Thunder until He reveals it through Trumpet 1.  The Trumpet is the revelation of each Thunder.  The Trumpet provides insight into what is taking place in a Thunder.   The natural meaning of Trumpets is an item heralding an event, often associated with Jubilee.  Revelation type:  a Revelation voice (Rev. 4:1) of God that reveals the truth.  The Trumpet in any thunder explains the problem that God is going to conquer.

The Vials explain how He is going to do it. The Vial is the dispensation of the Spirit associated with each Thunder.  Here God is showing us what is taking place behind the scenes.  The vial shows us the process from God’s perspective.  Remember that in the Seal (authority).  He reserved for Himself the right to deal with mankind in this way.  God is always just.  He has allowed the cup of wrath to fill so that it can be dispensed at this time, in this way, to accomplish His will for man.

The Angel proclaims the Thunder in the form of a message that all can understand.  The Angel brings the message associated with each thunder, and describes how God wants the revelation presented.  The message may also tell us for whom the message is intended.

Finally, Christ speaks to Holy Messengers through the Vial Angel to explain background or needed information they must have before they are sent forth.  The Vial Angel is the message to those who are the dispensers of each Thunder.  It shows them the purpose or completion of their task.  Like the Vial, this is a spiritual peek behind the scenes so that the ‘Holy messengers’ know what God will accomplish in the Spirit through them.

Jesus will work through a ‘Firstfruits” company of people to separate the wheat from the tares.  He will have His church without sport or blemish…the Bride.  When he has finished sanctifying the church into His Bride, He will appear in and through her to the world.  This is the time of the great Harvest in which Jesus will use His Bride to Harvest the world.  The world will be without excuse as they see Christ again in a cloud of witnesses.  He will minister great signs and wonder (the greater works referred to in John 14:12) doing all He can to turn up the pressure and force unbelievers to choose.

Rev. 8:7:  “The first angel sounded, and there followed hail, and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth; and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.”

Trees are metaphorical of people and their works.  (Jer. 17:8)  Grass is metaphorical of the life of man, temporal…as well as the works founded on personal strength (1 Pet. 1:24) “for all of flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass.  The grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away.”  The fire of God exposes and destroys all that does not reflect the nature of godliness.

The blood is a part of the judging and perfecting process.  The Third part represents God’s part.  The part that is redeemable.  It is the green part of the grass that has life; therefore it is God’s part (the Church) and can be tried in the fire.  By seeking the third part, those who possess a measure of life, the messengers of God, are guided to those who are ready to hear their message and embrace the fullness of Jesus’ life.  This “third part” will be a reoccurring theme in almost all of the seven Trumpets because it refers to the redemption of that which is redeemable.  Contrary to what the world may believe, the revelation of Jesus Christ was not given to bring terrible punishment to the disobedient.  It was given to reveal the path which God in His incomprehensible love, has made for them to come back into fellowship with Him.  The church will be sanctified into a Bride worthy of the Bridegroom.  

We pray the Lord will count us worthy of this calling…”that the name of our Lord Jesus christ may be glorified in you and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Angel 1:  Rev. 14:6-7:  “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue and people.”  This is being fulfilled now through the Streaming of the Gospel to the nations.   (Vs.7) “Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come; and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

“Fear God” means Holy reverence.  I Fear God.  “Give Him Glory” means that this is about pleasing Him in deed as well as word.  Christians are to pursue death-to-self so that His presence will increase in them and therefore, more of His glory will be seen by the world.

Angel 1 is the first message of the thunders, a message to fear Him and give Him Glory.  It is a message that smacks in the face of carnal Christians who are seeking their own name, fame, and recognition.  Those without ‘eyes to see and ears to hear’ will blaspheme God by robbing the message of the dynamic truth it represents.  Nevertheless since the “hour” of judgment is here.  All Christians should daily make sure they are in right relationship with Jesus.

The first Angel’s message is brief and plain.  “Fear God” is more than just respecting the Power of God.  It is the deep consuming belief that honoring Him is the only worthwhile purpose in life. (Matt. 10:28).  It is a message that the Church has lost due to coming into agreement with the doctrine of being socially and politically correct.

Worldliness and Pride are stumbling blocks for many Christians.  We are supposed to be peculiar people not conformed to this world.  Those who dwell on the earth are content with “their lives” of self-destruction and self-fulfillment.  These kinds of Christians are the lukewarm Christians spoken of in the letter to the Laodicea’s.

The sold out message of Christ-in-us spoken and lived by His holy messengers brings forth Spirit and Truth.

Since carnality is being revealed in the lives of Christians, then the church is not exempt.  Judgment must and will begin at the house of the Lord.  The church has in many cases, taken on the image of the world instead of the image of Christ.  Inspired faith seems to have been replaced by worldly wisdom. We are to convict the world not mimic it.  Harlotry will tell us to make the church more appealing and less confrontational.

17:2:  “With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drink with the wine of her fornication.”

The Harlot will have a hard time changing because it takes it strength from its numbers (many waters)….Those with a desire for worldliness are the ones quick to fornicate with the Harlotry in the church.  They are in agreement with this hypocrisy and are confused by the type of life they are drinking.  This is carnal religion.

The real losers are the unredeemed (inhabitants of the earth).  These are the unbelievers who needed to taste of the new wine of Christ’ presence, but instead they got a dose of the wine of hypocrisy which tasted just like the junk they have had to drink in the world.  They are very confused (drunk) by this hypocrisy (fornication).  Therefore, they are reluctant to believe the message of the church.  This is why Christ will purify the church before He finishes evangelizing the world.

I gleaned this text from chapters 8 & 9 of The Seven Thunders of God.  I barely touched the surface of the revelation of the first Thunder.  I hope all of you will get the book and read it for yourself.

I want to close by reading the scripture in Rev. 8:7-12 and define the metaphors of the earth, sea, creatures, ships, rivers, fountains of waters, Sun, moon, stars, night and  day of which a third part will be separated unto the Lord.

Earth:  carnality; self-will independence from God’s will.  A fleshly earthly nature, the carnal mind with its lust.  Carnality is what the Lord is coming to conquer.  1 Cor. 15: 47-48:  the first man is of the earth, earthy, the second man is the Lord from heaven.  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy and as in the heavenly such are they also that are heavenly.”

SEA:  The Sea represents the heart of the carnality in the Church.  It is the place from which the Beast rises.  It is unredeemed humanity.  It is the place from where the Beast rises.

SHIPS:  These are programs that make up the church organization; they are more “pride” that Christ.  These are the vehicles by which comers is done in the heart (sea) of the church. (Isa. 43:14)

RIVERS AND FOUNTAINS:  Sources of the heart of the church. The negative is the organizations that are filled with carnality; thereby adding to the sea.  The positive is Jesus is the Fountain of Life and the Holy Spirit is a River.  Satan always has a counterfeit.

WATERS: (Rev. 17:15) “And he said unto me, the waters which you saw, where the whore sits, are peoples, and multitudes and nations

SUN, MOON, STARS, DAY AND NIGHT:  The sun represents the greatest glory in whatever context it is used.  If it is the better resurrection, then it is the eagles; and if it is about the Corporate Body, then it is the Bride Church.  If it is about carnality or worldliness, then it is about the dragon.

The sun as a heavenly body can be His glorious body of people, the Bride, or the “natural light” of this world.  Or it can mean Jesus Christ.  Any of the three heavenly bodies (sun, moon or stars) is glory.

1 Cor. 15: 40-42: 
There are also celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.  There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars, for one star differs from another star in glory.”

SEAT OF THE BEAST:  Worldliness - “His authority is in the riches and pleasures of this world and our desire to be like god (carnality). (1 Tim. 6: 9-10)

EUPHRATES:  Sources for Worldliness “God will bring tribulation and wrath (probably on a global level) that will destroy the sources through which satan’s lies originated.  As God shakes this world, He will remove Satan’s ability to deceive, exposing the deception that has covered the emptiness of worldliness.”

AIR:  Spiritual realm.   1 Thess. 4:17:  “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Rev. 16:17: “And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne saying, it is done.

All things both in heaven and earth have been purified.  The vials are poured out progressively on the earth, sea, rivers & fountains, sun, seat of Beast, Euphrates, and Air.  This is also the path that restoration must take from inside out.  God starts with the intent of our heart and finishes by removing satan from the spiritual garden.

This is the fall in reverse, a path back to the garden.  Look at the vials in reverse to see how sin caused the fall of this world and the church.  Now you can see why Christ began and finished His work as He did.

The seventh vial shows satan’s vessels removed from the earth while the final test is being completed.  He has cleared the Garden of snakes and He will meet us there.  This is the throne room

Carolyn Sissom, Pastor

Eastgate Ministries, Inc.