1st Aspect of the 3-Fold End Time Project

The picture seen on this aspect of the project is that of a very great multitude of believers of the various denominations, fully armed with the believer’s spiritual armour for defense and offensive, as well as with the believers’ virtues that make for impeccable Christian life. Besides, the picture includes that of a great multitude of Christians with the believer’s tools for effective Christian service.

Let us now view the said army in its various outlooks.

(a) AN ARMY WITH LOINS GIRDED WITH THE BELT – ARMOUR OF TRUTH (Ephesians 6:14)

The Lord, being the God of truth and truthfulness (see Deuteronomy 32:4; Romans 3:4; Hebrews 6:18), and knowing that only the holder of truth and the truthful shall be established (Proverbs 12:19), is raising a great army of believers, whose loins will be constantly girded with the girdle of the truth of God’s Word and with truthfulness (Ephesians 6:14; John 8:32). This is exactly what He had commended and commanded both of old and in this dispensation (see Proverbs 12:19; Zephaniah 3:13; Malachi 2:6; Zechariah 8:16; John 8:32; Ephesians 4:25; 6:14).

The above is however different from what is on ground among many in the Church today. These days, multitudes in the Church (the ministers and the laity alike) are, not only double-tongued, insincere and hypocritical, but also manifest the craftiness or cleverness of sinners and even outright lies to get along. Aside this, many hold to, not the truth of God’s Word, but errors coined out of God’s Word (whether deliberately or unconsciously).

But note this:- As the military belt fastens the soldier’s uniform to his body, and as the lace of his boots fastens the boots to his feet, and as the prophet’s girdle fastens his prophet’s garments to his loins, so the truth of God’s Word and truthfulness girds (fastens) the believer’s other armours on him. Therefore the Lord is raising a great army of believers who will be girded, not only with the truths of God’s Word, but also with truthfulness, as they speak the truth in all matters and at all times (Philippians 2:13; Ephesians 4:15; John 8:32).

(b) AN ARMY WEARING THE BREAST-PLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (Ephesians 6:14; Isaiah 59:17; 2 Corinthians 6:7; Romans 13:12)

In the physical, the breast-plate, the piece of armour plate worn by soldiers or other combatant security agents to protect the breast (the chest) and the organs within, is of cardinal importance.

It is in this light that we see righteousness as a spiritual breast-plate. Righteousness spoken of here is not only the righteousness of Christ, imputed to the believer (Romans 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Philippians 3:9 ), but also the believer’s personal right-living (Matthew 5:20; 1 Corinthians 15:34; Ephesians 6:14; Philippians 1:11).

The coming army is one that will be made to constantly wear the spiritual breast-plate of righteousness. It is a great army of believers that will perceive sufficiently that righteousness exalts a man, a family, a congregation or a nation (see Proverbs 14:34).

The picture seen is that of an army of believers who are ever conscious of right-living, being mindful of what they think, say or do; how they relate with others within and without, and what people say of them within and without (consider Acts 24:16; 1 Timothy 1:5). It is an army of Christians, who will not want to constitute a stumbling block to any person(s) in whatever way, as much as in them is (Romans 14:13; 1 Corinthians 8:9). Furthermore, the coming army is one that will not only know about the good, but will go all out to do good.

Meanwhile, we know what is on ground – “too much God, but too little good”, “too much religion, but too little righteousness”.

(c) AN ARMY WITH FEET SHOD WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE (Ephesians 6:15).

The above statement can be paraphrased thus:- An army whose feet are fitted with the readiness and resolution that come from the gospel of peace.

The coming army is a resolved one, always ready to move and to act (Daniel 11:32; Ephesians 6:10). Knowing and having the benefits of the gospel of peace which they have believed, they are ever ready and resolved to march ahead, overcome all temptations, oppositions and persecutions, advancing the gospel as they march on. ( eg. Acts 4:17-31; Matthew 4:1-1 ).

As it were, their resolution and readiness that come from the benefits of the gospel of peace protect their spiritual feet that they be not wounded and stopped by Satan’s pricks on the way, like the soldiers’ shoes (greaves) that protect their feet from dangers, so they could move on and fight.

(d) AN ARMY WIELDING THE SHIELD OF FAITH (Ephesians 6:16)

This is yet another state of the coming army that gladdens the heart. It is evident that one of the reasons believers of today have not attained their set goals (though legitimate and good) is because there is no faith of the child in them (see Matthew 13:58; 17:20; Mark 6:6). It is also true that the darts and machinations of the wicked one have affected many in the area of their health, business, finances, marriage, career, child-bearing, ministries, etc, because they could not wield enough faith to stop the manoeuvres of the wicked one (compare James 1:5-7; Hebrews. 11:6; Isaiah 7:9).

The army that is in preparation is altogether a different one, in that, its members will be made to be members of the elders’ forum (Hebrews 11:1-2, 4-5, 7-12, 17-35). What a great experience that will shortly be!

(e) AN ARMY WEARING THE HELMET OF SALVATION (Ephesians 6:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:8).

This is yet another status of the coming army, whose significance is not in question. It is an army whose members are not only saved in the now, but are also bent on being saved eventually.

The above is in contrast with what is on ground in the Church of today. In the Church today (Church is used here to embrace all who profess christianity — the so-called orthodox Churches, the evangelicals, the pentecostals and the charismatics), there are multitudes of people who have no genuine experience of repentance from dead works, saving faith in the death of Jesus, which lead to forgiveness of sin, impartation of God’s Spirit of adoption and regeneration (consider Acts 2:38-39; 3:19). Those of them in the so-called orthodox churches have been erroneously made to believe they are saved because of the sacraments they have participated and do participate in. Those of them among the evangelicals may have come to erroneously believe that they are saved because of some mere mental acceptance of Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. On the part of those among the pentecostals and charismatics, they think they are saved, just because they now have very serious convictions that God exists and does miracles, of which they may have been partakers, though they do not have definite experience of regeneration.

But in the coming army that the Lord is raising, that indisputable and indispensable experience of genuine salvation will not be less than the ratio of the saved to the unsaved among the disciples of the Lord Jesus (consider John.13:10; 17:12).

(f) AN ARMY WIELDING THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT AND THE SPIRITUAL SWORD OF THE BELIEVER (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12)

On the one hand, the word of God is the sword that the Spirit of God uses as the sons of God declare it in faith (Eph. 6:17). On the other hand, it is the spiritual (non-man-made and unseen) sword that the believer uses to defend himself, ward-off the fiery darts of the enemy and appropriate God’s blessings to himself (Eph. 6:17; Matt. 4:4-11).

The coming army is one that has been made to drink of the word, having their senses charged with the spiritual current in the word (Colossians 3:16; Deuteronomy 6:6; 11:18; John 6:63). As a result, the two-way use of the infallible word of God is operational among them.

(g) AN ARMY, WATCHING AND PRAYING ALWAYS IN THE SPIRIT WITH ALL PERSEVERANCE (Ephesians 6:18)

Naturally, “being vigilant always and ready to act” is the watch-word of those who are in lasting conflict with others. The on-coming army, realizing that it is faced with the last days opposition (and a stiff one for that matter), and with the need of vigilance and ceaseless Spirit-led prayer, is an army whose entire membership are watchful prayer warriors. This will be so because, it is an army endued with the Spirit of supplication (eg. Acts 1:14; Zechariah 12:10).

It will not be a forced-exercise. As the stream or river, because of the gradient in its course, is not forced to flow, so they, because of the influence of the Spirit of supplication, will not be forced to watch and pray night and day. The Lord Jesus was not forced to pray; it was in his blood to watch and pray (Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12; 11:1; John 8:1-2). The apostles were not forced to pray; they gave themselves to watching and praying night and day (Acts 6:4; 1:14; Phil. 1:4). The Scottish revivalist, John Knox was not forced to pray; he rather prayed ceaselessly with great pathos. Martin Luther was not forced to watch and pray; history tells us he prayed all night most of the days he was wanted. The early church was not forced to pray; they rather prayed ceaselessly (Acts 1:14). So, the coming army is an army of supplication and one that watches.

(h) AN ARMY HARNESSED WITH FRUITS AND GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT FOR IMPECCABLE CHRISTIAN LIFE AND EFFECTIVE SERVICE TO THE LORD.

So far we have seen that the on-coming army of Christians the Lord is raising is one with loins girded with truth, chest covered with the breastplate of righteousness; one ready and resolved through the gospel of peace, wielding the shield of faith, wearing the helmet of salvation and wielding the sword of the Spirit and the spiritual sword of the believer. It is also an army continually watching and praying in the Spirit with perseverance.

But apart from the above, it is an army harnessed with fruits and gifts of the Spirit for impeccable Christian life and fruitful/effective service. The picture is very clear. The multitudes will be filled with the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning of the church and as was promised for this end time (Acts 2:4; 4:31; Joel 2:28-29).

As a result, the Spirit’s fruits of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance will flow substantially, making them impeccable Christians (see Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:9; Psalm 92:13-14). Besides, they will be adorned with the Spirit’s gifts of wisdom, insight, faith, teaching, prophesying, discernment, healing, ruling, etc, that make Christian service effective.

In summary and in other words, the army of believers that is in preparation can be described as an army that will be adorned with the beauty of Jesus. The song developer by inspiration wrote:

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me, All His wondrous compassion and purity; O Thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine, Until the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

In this song, the beauty of Jesus referred to comprises just His wondrous compassion and purity. But the Lord is revealing that the coming army will be adorned with all the other details of Jesus’ beauty not shown in the above song, eg, Jesus’ wisdom, power, insight, knowledge, love, humility, prowess, prayerfulness, faith, evangelism, etc.

Remember, all that was found in the life of Jesus in the days of His flesh, being the first begotten into sonship of God, are typical of what should be found in the lives of his true disciples, being the other begotten into sonship of God (consider Matthew 10:25; 11:29). Jesus’ experiences are the apex, while His disciples’ experiences should be substantial measures. So, the coming army, simply put, is an army adorned with the beauty of Jesus in its entirety.