It is our understanding that the Mount Zion and Jerusalem mentioned above are not the physical Zion and Jerusalem but are the true Zion and Jerusalem, that is, the Church of the Firstborn.

But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, (Hebrews 12:22,23)

The Lord Jesus told us that the Gospel of the Kingdom would be preached to all nations for a witness and then the end would come.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14)

The two witnesses will bring the Gospel of the Kingdom to every nation for a witness and then the end of the Gospel witness will have come to the great cities of the earth. Salvation and the Spirit of God no longer will be available to the majority of earth's population, including the "believers" who have allowed themselves to become part of the great "Babylon," the huge religious institution which then will have its headquarters in the land of Shinar, the site of ancient Babylon. At that time the major cities will probably have become one economic entity through the use of computerized telecommunications.

The Lord is judging His witnesses today in preparation for their ministry to the nations. Are you experiencing this judgment, this "measuring"?

And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. (Revelation 11:1)

The Christian must participate in three deaths and three resurrections before he is eligible and competent to enter the land of promise.

The first death is death to the world. The first resurrection is entrance into the Kingdom of God. The first death and resurrection are typified by the crossing of the Red Sea.

The second death (not referring in this instance to the Lake of Fire) is death to sin. The second resurrection is entrance into the freedom of life lived in the Spirit of God. The second death and resurrection are typified by the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai.

The third death is death to self. The third resurrection is entrance into the fullness of God's Person through Christ including the fullness of fruitfulness and dominion—that which was promised to man in the beginning. The third death and resurrection are typified by the crossing of the Jordan River.

We must die to the spirit of the present world, coming out from it and living a holy life unto the Lord.

We must die to sin, putting the deeds of our body to death as the Holy Spirit guides and empowers us.

The third death is by far the hardest to die. The third death can be accomplished only through the patient endurance of suffering, as the Lord leads. The third resurrection is by far the most glorious, bringing us into the fullness of our inheritance as a son of God.

To be continued.