"And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days." Exodus 10:21-22

"I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee." Isaiah 44:22

"And Bezaleel made the Ark of shittim wood.... And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about." Exodus 37:1-2

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." I John 2:1-2

Greetings to my friends near and far away. Tidings of great joy I have for you today; in fact, no true minister of Christ has ever anything but the most wonderfully happy news unto all the children of God. And if as yet you are not a child of His, it is a simple matter to become one, and it is a completely delightful experience! So often I wonder how it is that the children of the very King of this universe usually imagine that they were born unto grief and trouble of all sorts, and to soon get sick and maybe die in despair. Yet this is a sad and commonplace belief among Christians. I know that it is due to what I term "brainwashings" by a blind clergy who has slept down through this long, dark, stygian night (wherein its blackness has been so dense that we could actually feel it). This was foreshadowed for us through the three days of pitch blackness which settled upon Egypt in the days of Moses, which was so dense they could feel it (Ex. 10:21-22). Those three days bespoke 3,000 years which ushered in after the death of Joshua and those of Israel who had seen the mighty works by God, and those 3,000 years have reached into our very time.

Yes, I am well aware that night settled in (Jn. 9:4), and the enemy of man came and sowed the tare-seed (Matt. 13:25). Man has eaten thereof and become deathly sick; completely blind to all spiritual light, and now on the verge of committing international suicide. Nevertheless I marvel at it, for it seems to me that every normal and rational human being who has read the Word of God, should realize that the children of God through Jesus Christ were intended for something much better than perpetual disappointment and misery. Oh, to be sure, I am well familiar with the age-old song about sin and its consequences, neither do I deny that in its slightest. Yet that is only part of the story. The other side of the picture is that Jesus Christ the Son of God came from heaven to earth as a sacrifice for man, and all the way to Calvary went to pay the price of our sin unto its utmost iota! If then it so be that He paid the price for our sin, then you and I are free! And having been born anew into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ as sons and daughters of the Son of God, then is our eternal inheritance, as commencing from this moment, only that which the love of eternal God has prepared for those who are His....

What is more, we are not supposed to sin anymore, having been born anew of His Spirit. And by the Spirit of God, it was written for our good through the beloved Apostle John that "...if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, [Who is] the propitiation for our sins" (I Jn. 2:1-2). What I just quoted to you was the two first verses of the first Epistle of John's second chapter, while a couple verses previous thereto, we are told that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1:9). In other words, though we are not supposed to sin anymore (having been born anew of His Spirit), yet it is recognized that because of man's weakness, and what we sometimes call the carnal mind, man is prone to make his mistakes, even as Peter denied His Lord and Savior. Yet Peter repented of that sin, for he went out and wept bitterly. And we know that he was forgiven that sin and cleansed from his unrighteousness, otherwise the Lord would not have appeared unto him, and retained him as the head of the twelve. Similarly for us of today: through the blood of Calvary were our sins washed away, yet if tomorrow we fall into error, and repent of our error, then are we given the assurance that He is just and faithful to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Now listen carefully: when we are forgiven our sins and cleansed from all unrighteousness, then is there no such a thing remaining as any debt of sin which we must pay; that debt has been washed away, and like a thick cloud been banished into the sea of God's forgetfulness. These statements are all strictly Bible-founded on the clearest of His Word. So why shouldn't we laugh and shout and sing for sheer joy of heart, because Christ our King paid in full the debts of our sin, that life and joy everlasting we might win, commencing here and now?! The words of God are eternally true and change not. Clearly did our Lord say to those who were bound by sin, yet who to Him had come for deliverance, "According to your faith be it [done] unto you" (Matt. 9:29). Instantly were they made whole, completely sound and well; and many of them followed Him in the way, shouting His praises!

"According to your faith be it done unto you" is a double-barreled statement: it applies both ways. If our faith is that because Adam sinned we must ever bear up under trouble, grief and suffering, then that becomes our lot. Yet on the other hand, if, as, and when we come into the realization of that glorious truth, that the very Son of God "destroyed the works of the Devil" (I Jn. 3:8), and made us co-heirs with Himself in the utmost glories of this universe, even commencing in our here and now, then shall we reap according to that faith – there can be no further ifs, buts, or maybes attached to that.

Now if your Bible is convenient, look up the Book of Joshua, which is book number six in our Bible, and I will shortly read to you a few verses from its 3rd chapter. Bear in mind I previously told you that the name "Joshua" is a shortened form for the longer name of "Yahoshua," which was the actual name by which our Lord was christened. The two names were one and the same. The first part of it was the name by which the Hebrews knew their God, while its ending means "preserver" or "Savior." As Joshua of old was he who took the children of Israel out of the wilderness, across the Jordan and into the Land of Promise, so did he become a type of the true Son of God, Who came into human flesh as the preserver of man; Who in turn went all the way to Calvary for the entire world (that is, for whomsoever will accept Him), in order to take us out of the "wilderness" of this world, to completely break down the barriers between ourselves and God, in order that we might enter into the completeness of the inheritance which God has prepared for those who love Him! Now, I want to read to you from Joshua 3:2-4.

"And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host; and they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.
Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore."

May I draw to your attention the words "after three days," which bespoke 3,000 years from approximately 2,700 years after Adam, at which time Joshua led the people into the Land of Promise. Those 3,000 years have stretched into our time, and we are now entering that era referred to by the word "after."

You will see in verse 3 how Joshua drew particular attention to the Ark of the Covenant, that when the people saw it taking off towards the Jordan, they too should prepare themselves to travel, but remain behind it at a distance of an approximate 2,000 cubits. "Because," said he, "you have not passed this way heretofore."

In other words, this was a new way, even a new event with which they had had no experience; therefore a distance, or a clearance of approximately 2,000 cubits was required for the people to get a clear vision of the facts and reality of the situation. (2,000 cubits = slightly more than half a mile.)

May I remind you that this Ark of the Covenant had within it the tables of the Law engraved in solid stone, and this Ark, or coffer, was covered with gold both inside and out (Ex. 37:1-2). Now hear my words clearly: that Ark of the Covenant was a symbolic representation of Jesus Christ, the very Son of God. He and He only, as up to this time, is the only human being Who has ever fully kept the commandments of God, and because of that, He was symbolized as being overlaid and inlaid with the purest of gold! If you will study up on the dimensions of that Ark, you will find that it approximates the very size of the body of a well-built man. It was carried by means of two staves or long rods run through rings of gold; those two staves represented the legs and arms of man, by which we walk and carry on.

Observe the wording carefully: "When ye see the Ark of the Covenant...." then should they prepare to march into the Land of Promise, but to stay behind, or be separated at a distance of about 2,000 cubits.

It was well over 1,900 years ago that the people first saw that true "Ark of the Covenant" (inlaid and overlaid in the purest of gold) being carried right into the midst of the "Jordan," which was a symbol of death, and stand there dry-shod. That is, the powers of hell were not able to retain Him in the chains of death! Shortly He came back to life, and moved across the full width of the "Jordan" into "the Land of Promise."

Permit me to remind you: the commandment was, "When you see the Ark enter into the Jordan, then you who have been separated from the Ark by a distance of 2,000 cubits approximately, must immediately commence to follow and pass over."

Those two thousand cubits were prophetic of approximately 2,000 years which would be required for Christendom to gain a clear view of the proper path to travel, in order to enter upon the inheritance of the fathers. How could God make it any clearer for us?! What words can I use to make you see it better? By the prophetic figure we were shown clearly how blinded Christendom would require approximately 2,000 years in order to get the matter into clear perspective, that we might see how to traverse the distance, what path to follow, and cross over to take absolute possession of the inheritance promised us. Let me again read three verses more to you from the same chapter, being verses 9 through 11:

"And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God. And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan."

Now clearly observe those words, and the sureness of the sign that was to be given the people, that when those ancient Israelites saw the Ark of the Covenant of their Lord enter into the midst of the Jordan, then were they to accept that as a certain sign that it would be safe for them to also follow the same path and go into the midst of the Jordan, and cross right over to take possession of the land promised their fathers. And God gave them that assurance that when they saw the Ark of the Covenant had entered the Jordan, then they would know thereby that God would go before them to drive out the Hittites and the Canaanites and the other tribes.

Who were the Canaanites? They were – by and large – the descendants of Cainan the son of Ham, whom Noah had cursed into servitude (Gen. 9:22-27). One of the sons was named Heth (the Hittites); the word means "fear." So, through this symbolic language we are shown, even by the living drama wrought out for us that we might better understand, that as and when we beheld the true Ark of the Covenant (namely, Jesus Christ the Son of God) enter into death for us, but not be held by it, but rise again triumphant over death and the grave to enter into His glory, then that should constitute a sign for us, that we are to follow Him without fear! Although, through our blindness it would take us about 2,000 years to behold the path clearly, and the manner by which we should go to enter into the possession promised unto those who would follow the true Ark of God. Observe that we would without fail enter into a full possession of this land, because the very Spirit of God will go before us driving out the Hittite, or the children of fear, and all the Canaanitish tribes who were the children of him who had been cursed into servitude, or bondage.

Were not those the words of our Lord, that "He who commits sin is the servant of sin" (Jn. 8:34)? But – praise God! – He added, "But he whom the Son sets free is free indeed!" (verse 36). The true Ark of God entered the waters of the Jordan, to open the way for us to enter upon the inheritance promised the fathers! And through the power of God's Spirit going before us, we are to conquer every child of fear, and every giant in the Land of Despair; we are to hack off their heads and destroy their cities; neither are we ever to know any trace of defeat: that is the wonderfully good news which I have for you!

Wherever we turn and look in the sacred Word, there are the selfsame happy tidings of wonderfully good things which God has declared to us in a hundred different ways, in order that our blinded eyes may become opened; that we may clearly see the glories of the "land" that lies before us; that with faith absolute we may swiftly go in to take absolute possession!

Shout and sing: for our Lord and KING leads the way!