THE BEAUTIFUL GATE

  (Excerpts from Chapter 1)

  By Doug Fortune

As I write this first chapter in the spiritual adventure that lies before us, I am actually writing it last, as the rest of the chapters are finished. You might think that an odd way to write a book, but remember that God also declares "the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 46:10). I am looking out the window of the train as we speed through the suburbs of Paris, France on the way to Montelimar in southern France. I am sharing these details because being in France at this particular time in history, I am impressed with the urgency of the hour we live in. I was in France a few months back, and the week after I returned home there were buildings being burned, rioting, looting, and cars overturned in the streets of Paris. France was reeling, the world was shocked. Why had this and so many other tragic events been happening over the last few years? I believe that perhaps it is because the earth is in travail, "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." (Romans 8:22) The closer one is to giving birth, the more intense the labor pains are. All of history has been building toward something. We must understand the times we live in. That brings us to our illustration in the book of Acts, which will begin to bring clarity as to the hour and season we are in.

"And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;" (Acts 3:2) I am drawn to the miracles that Jesus performed as he walked the earth as a man. I am drawn not so much to the display of the supernatural, but to the meaning of the miracle. You see, according to the book of John, there are many things that Jesus did that we do not read of; "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." (John 21:25) In other words, the miracles recorded were recorded for a purpose. I believe that purpose goes beyond just conveying some facts and details concerning Jesus supernatural ministry. Certainly it is a good thing to be familiar with the details of Jesus supernatural ministry, but I believe there is more than that. When we dig beneath the surface of what a 'casual reading' renders, we can find untold treasures. I am a firm believer that "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter." (Proverbs 25:2)

Keep in mind that this is not a matter of 'spiritualizing' things, for there was a literal lame man who was literally healed by the literal Jesus. This is an event that literally happened, however there is also a spiritual truth contained in this literal event. The Bible is filled with literal events that happened, but it does not read simply like a history book. The Bible is first and foremost a spiritual book written in spiritual language to spiritual people. "And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit]." (1Corinthians 2:13 Amplified Bible) With that in mind, let us now proceed in our illustration to the truth that will unfold before us.

"Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour (three o'clock in the afternoon)..." (Acts 3:1 Amplified Bible) If you are familiar at all with my writings, you will know that I am always intrigued by the 'threes' found in Scripture. Peter tells us, "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." (2 Peter 3:8) I believe there is significance in the 'threes' because according to 2 Peter 3:8, we are moving into the Third Millennial Day of Christ. So here we have a message found in the THIRD chapter of the book of Acts, and it is happening at THREE o'clock in the afternoon (the ninth hour). The verse starts out, "And a certain man..." So here we find a CERTAIN man. He is not just ANY man, he is a CERTAIN man. He has a destiny built into his DNA. That destiny is NOT to be LAME, his destiny is "walking, and leaping, and praising God." (Acts 3:8) However the condition that we find manifesting as we join him in our illustration is lameness. How does Father see this man? Isaiah 46:10 tells us the way God sees things; "Declaring the END from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are NOT YET done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." Because He sees the end from the beginning, Father does not see a LAME man, He sees that man's ultimate destiny. We read that this man was LAME from his mother's womb, yet we know that lameness is not his destiny. So we know that his destiny was not determined by his natural circumstances.

I believe that this CERTAIN man we are reading of is a spiritual picture of the Church and that there is a spiritual principle we can glean from. Our ultimate destiny is NOT determined by our natural circumstances! In fact, many times it is at odds with our natural circumstances. Father calls us to something much higher than our natural capabilities. We read that he was "lame from his mother's womb." This makes me think of the basic condition of the Church... an inability to WALK. Allow me a moment to explain. Psalm 8:4-5 says, "What is MAN, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour." The word translated as angels is Elohim in Hebrew, refering to God; "In the beginning God (Elohim) created the heaven and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) The word translated as lower, chaser in Hebrew, means to lack, be without, decrease, be lacking, have a need. The Literal Bible says, "For You have made him LACK a little from God..." Youngs Literal Bible states, "And causest him to LACK a little of Godhead..." You see, man is made 'lacking' with the intention of filling or completing that 'lack'.

And what exactly IS that LACK? I offer the following quote from my book entitled "Dawning of the Thrid Day" to help explain: You see, God's intention was thus: "And God said, Let us make man in our IMAGE, after our LIKENESS:" (Genesis 1:26) However, when we read the next verse we can see clearly that "...God created man in his own IMAGE, in the IMAGE of God created he him;" (Genesis 1:27) No mention of LIKENESS in verse 27. Hmmm... did God just forget something? Obviously NOT! What's the deal then? Well, when you study out the Hebrew words for image and likeness, you will find that they are similar in meaning, but different enough to warrant an explanation.

The word translated as image, tselem in Hebrew, means a phantom or resemblance, hence a representative figure, an idol. A representative is one who re-presents someone or something else. The authority is to re-present to others what has been presented by the one being re-presented. Adam was the one to re-present the Father in the earth as he subdued it and exercised dominion. So as God made man in His IMAGE, I believe it is primarily a matter of FUNCTION as God’s representative in the earth. The word translated as likeness, demuwth in Hebrew, means like fashion, like manner, similitude, to compare, liken. The word LIKENESS seems to have more to do with LIKE NATURE or ‘character’ rather than function.

So in Genesis 1:27 when it says, "...God created man in his own IMAGE, in the IMAGE of God created he him", we see that man was created to FUNCTION as God’s representative in the earth. This FUNCTION was an authority delegated to man by God. This function of authority did not require an inward working in man. LIKENESS, on the other hand, because it has more to do with inward character, requires an inward working in man. This involves a process. This seems to be where Adam failed the test. The 'likeness' was not fully worked out in him.

The LACK is the inability to WALK out the inward character, the inward 'likeness' of Christ. However, just as the lame man's destiny was to be healed and walking, we are made 'lacking' with the intention of filling or completing that 'lack'. Our ultimate destiny is NOT simply to lie in the dust of the carnal Adamic nature unable to WALK out the inward 'likeness' of Christ! As I look at the events unfolding in France and around the world, I am convinced that never has there been a greater need for true Sons of God, a people who WALK out the inward 'likeness' of Christ!

We find that this lame man was lying at the "gate of the temple which is called Beautiful." The word translated as gate, thura in Greek, means a portal or entrance. Notice that this is not a window, it is a portal. A window is something we can gaze out of without any intention of going through. We can say, Isn't it lovely out there. A window is for spectators. A portal is something that bids us to ENTER INTO what lies beyond! I believe that the Church right now is lying at a GATE, a portal that is pulling on us, beckoning us to ENTER INTO what lies beyond! And the name of this GATE is called Beautiful. Now pay attention, you've GOT to get this!... The word translated as Beautiful, horaios in Greek, means belonging to the RIGHT HOUR or SEASON, timely, that is, (by implication) flourishing!

The SEASON has changed and the Church must go through the GATE, we must ENTER INTO what lies beyond to be in the RIGHT HOUR so that we may be flourishing! All of history has been building toward something and we must understand the RIGHT HOUR and SEASON we live in. Let us look at a poignant illustration, as I believe we are in much the same situation as we find in the book of Esther. "And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or do him reverence, he was very angry... Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus." (Esther 3:5-6 Amplified Bible) The outward circumstances were not looking too good, "Because Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, [to find a lucky day] to crush and consume and destroy them." (Esther 9:24) However, God had Esther in the RIGHT HOUR and SEASON; "...who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14) And so it is with us, it would seem that the world is out to destroy the people of God. However, God has an 'Esther Company' in the RIGHT HOUR and SEASON, and we are in the Kingdom for such a time as this!....