My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, (Galatians 4:19)

Bringing Christ to Maturity in the Saints

In the days of Zechariah the Jews were ready to bring forth the top stone of the restored Temple.

Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone [capstone] thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it. (Zechariah 4:7)

In the days of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, there shall be delay no longer. The Father will speak and Christ, the chief Cornerstone and Capstone of the Temple of God, will come down to complete the Temple.

Isaiah tells us that a nation, that is the holy nation, the royal priesthood, will be born at once—as soon as Zion travails.

Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. (Isaiah 66:8)

The tares and the wheat are coming to maturity in our day. Christ is ready to face Antichrist. The latter rain is necessary to bring the wheat to maturity.

It is time for Christ to come to maturity in the saints. This is the second purpose of the latter-rain outpouring.

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: (Revelation 12:1)

There are two wonders in the heaven. There is the Church of Christ. She is clothed with the Glory of Christ. The moon, the creation of God, is under her feet. She is crowned with the heroes of faith, the stars of righteousness who will shine forever.

And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. (Revelation 12:2)

The most significant feature of the Church of Christ today is that she is in travail. We have referred to the travail of Zion. Zion is in travail today to bring forth Christ. Have you felt the labor pains?

My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, (Galatians 4:19)

We have been saved and filled with the Spirit. Now it is time for Christ to be formed in us. The glory of the latter rain and the tribulation that will follow will accomplish the maturing of Christ in us.

And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. (Revelation 12:3)

The second wonder in heaven is Satan. He has perfect wisdom, power in the world, and authority that God has given him to accomplish God's purposes.

Much of what will take place in the days to come will be far, far beyond the mind of man to understand or to manage. It is time now to surrender all to Christ. Only He has been entrusted by the Father with superior wisdom, power, and authority. Only He can tear down and destroy Satan.

It is vain for us to struggle to save the world or to bring in everlasting righteousness. The battle will reach into the heavens and attack the host.

And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. (Daniel 8:10)

To be continued.