“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.” Matthew 27:50-52

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.” Hebrews 10:19-20

THE SOUND OF TEARING

A huge, and all encompassing sound that is coming from far above you and behind you has shaken you. The unusual nature of this sound seems to not only shake you, but to also shake Heaven and Earth. In a strange and holy way the shaking seems to transcend and echo through time as well. It is as if some spiritual something that existed before time had entered time and disrupted the time/ space continuum.

Remarkably, the shear enormity of this tear in time does not last long, but it still shakes you to the core of your being. Though the sound is short lived, you cannot seem to shake the feeling that nothing will ever be the same again. Because your spirit recognizes and responds faster than you body, you already have this eerie feeling that the wall between Heaven and Earth has been demolished. Yet by the sound of it, you know it is far more than that and by the time you get turned around and oriented to what you see the sound has stopped, none-the-less what you behold will take an Eternity understand.

Part of the reason you were so startled is due to the fact that the sound began at the ceiling of the Sanctuary where the Cherubim are woven into the scarlet, blue, purple, and white of this tapestry. No one could reach that high and tear the thick, dense, and heavy Veil that divided the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place, yet you stand there amazed and looking at the veil in two pieces that are now dangling from the Golden rod that suspends them. There is no doubt, from the feather-esc threads stretching out beyond the torn material and now wafting in the non-perceptible breeze, that it has been torn from the top to the bottom. The impossibility of this is heralded by the scribes as they have have written that two teams of horses, tugging against each other, could not have torn this Veil, let alone torn it from the top down, but here it is, torn in such a manner that only the hand of God could have done it.

TORN BACK THROUGH TIME

Though the tearing of the original veil occurred in the Temple during the time of Jesus, it is as if the event wove its way back through time and tore the Veil here in the Sanctuary of the Tabernacle of Moses, where you stand. What happened in one, happened in the other, for the sake of all man-kind. In effect that really did happen, this is why Jesus could descend into Sheol, after His crucifixion and preach the “Good news” to all who had died prior to that day. All humanity was there, under the dark, dictatorship of Satan who Adam and Eve had given control of this Earth to some four thousand years earlier. All humanity would be impacted forever because of this one event, so in effect the torn veil did transcend time and it transcended so much more.

From the moment the Veil was torn, Jesus had access to Sheol, where all who had died were being held in captivity. When He presented Himself to Satan as the “sinless one” or the one who had never submitted to Satan, Jesus was given access to all who were there. There in unimaginable time, Jesus would explain to those who would listen to Him that He was the eternal, sacrificial, provision for all of humanity - including them. They would hear what they had not heard during their life on earth. The good news of who He was would be explained, and they would come to understand that all things written in the Torah pertained to Him, and in so knowing they would be given the chance to accept Him as Messiah, the one spoken of from the beginning of time.

He would go on to explain that all that was written on the tablets of stone referred to Him. He would help them understand that from this point forward, everyone would have the opportunity to have Him written on the tablets of their own heart, tablets of flesh and not of stone. It would be clear to all that He had fulfilled all that was prophesied and written about Him in the Law. It was also clear He would lead them out, for He had proven, in the most clear manner possible, that He was the way, the truth, and the life.

In this short period of time, Jesus would go on to explain that He was the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world, therefore the Passover feast, in fact all the feasts of Israel were about Him. Even now, if you listen closely, with the ears of your spirit, you can hear His words echo through time, and if you are deeply, spiritually attuned, you can almost feel the relief of those who listened to him. They were about to have their chains broken, and Paradise was waiting. However, for the sake of the testimony of this moment, several would make a stop on the surface of the Earth, in order to tell everyone they met of the great things they had heard from Jesus and to verify that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead and set them free.

There are many interesting facts that you need to know about the purpose of the Veil.

THE VEIL WAS JESUS

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.” Hebrews 10:19-20

The writer of Hebrews, probably the Apostle Paul, tells us that there is a direct representation of Jesus being the Veil, and the Veil being torn at the time of His death on the Cross. In the sacrifice of His life, and taking the sin of mankind on His shoulders, Jesus had removed the Veil that separated God from man and at the same time kept mankind from boldly seeking intimacy with God, an intimacy that had been hidden from man for the four thousand years since the “fall.”

“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.” Matthew 27:50-52

Why was the Veil rent from top to bottom? Because, God the Father wanted to display, in an unparalleled, and unquestionable manner, that He is the one who tore the Veil. He was making a clear and decisive statement that He was the one who recognized the blood of His Son covering the sin of mankind and therefore mankind had the opportunity to commune with Him again. In effect, the gate to Eden was opened and mankind could walk intimately with God anytime they wanted. Just as in the Garden you could eat from the Tree of Life and live forever, now if you will eat of His flesh and drink of His blood you will live forever, for in Him dwells the fullness of life.

There is much still more to the tearing of the Veil than one might think.

Blessings,

John Paul

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“And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, … .” Hebrews 11:32-34

The theme of the Dark Nights is not going draw a crowd. You may have noticed this in the number of responses to each post. It takes a near “special forces” mentality to even listen to this type of message. Thus, in a day when numbers are equated to anointing, pastors find it difficult to teach on the deeper, more substantial matters of the normal Christian life.

The unfortunate result is that the current church culture has lost its grip on victory in the midst of darkness. They have forgotten that Satan’s greatest defeat occurred at the moment he thought he had gained his greatest victory. I wrote to you before, this journey is not for the faint of heart. One can stop at any time. In fact few, very few have completed the journey. Yes, Jesus paid the price for us, but that price was the price for Everlasting life, not the price to save us from difficulty. In fact Jesus said to us that in this world we would have difficulty, but we are to fear not. Fear is the enemy of God’s plan - which requires faith. That is because fear is a belief that something bad is going to happen, where faith is the belief that something good is going to happen. You cannot have fear and faith on the same topic. Nervousness is not the same as fear.

CULTURAL PROPAGATION

I am afraid that our culture has propagated fear at levels we simply do not recognize we have. As I have often said, “Little bitty battles produce little bitty victories and result in little bitty champions. Great battles produce great victories and result in great champions. Which one do you want to be?” Battles do not occur because we failed to win the war, battles are a part of winning the war. Yet, we are taught that if we experience battles we somehow failed to make a right choice. There is no place in the Bible where this is true.

I am writing to help you make it through this difficult journey that no one wants to tell you about - because it is not popular! If it is too hard, I understand. Just remember, in the future you will more than likely come to this point again and you will face the same issues you face now, only what defeated you before will be seven times stronger the next time you face it. Quitting only infuses the dark side with greater boldness, a boldness you will later encounter.

TO GIVE HIM ALL THINGS

To those who want to find the deeper spiritual roots and live at levels where nothing Satan throws your ways sets you back nor overcomes you, then journey on with me. You will make it through the darkness to a point where you trust God at levels you have not experienced in Him before. At this coming level you will be able to give Him all things, even the things no one but you knows about today. You will easily lay your Husband, your wife, your children, all afflictions, all quandaries, all of your shame, along with all of your desires, at the feet of the one who brought you out of darkness into the Kingdom of His most marvelous light.

ESCAPING THIS COCOON OF DARKNESS

When you emerge from this cocoon of darkness, you will become a destroyer of Evil. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead will dwell in you more deeply, more completely, and more powerfully than ever before. The Holy Spirit will indwell you, endue you, and infuse you. Jesus overcame Satan in Sheol, but even Jesus did not raise himself from the dead, it was the Holy Spirit that raised Him from the dead and that same spirit dwells in you. He will raise you up, both in this life and the life to come.

I know some of you feel you cannot take any more - if that is you, take a rest and read these posts later, when you are stronger and full of faith. Though not biblical there is a statement of Vince Lombardi that is true, “Fatigue makes cowards of the bravest men.” Be at peace, rest and gain strength - then fight again.

WHY DID GOD ALLOW IT?

Diane and I have gone through many dark times. Like many of you some of them had to do with children. We adopted a child who it turned out had “Tourette’s Syndrome.” Though Diane and I did not know the child had this when we brought him home at birth from the hospital, we both know it was no accident. If nothing else good happened from this, and there are a myriad of great things, I have found it was God’s hand at work to change me. I am a better man, a better father, and better husband and a better leader, all because of this wonder child. Yes, Diane and I have also shaped the life of that child who is now a young man. We have never lost sight that we are all part of God’s wonderful plan, but there were some very dark times.

We parents seem to get stuck on the idea that we are placed here for our children, we fail to comprehend that our children might just be sent from God to shape us.  What if it is by the shaping we are given through our children that we actually impact more lives than we would have had God not sent them from Heaven. We think we are to shape them, but what if God sent them to shape us? You see, the benefits of life, in all its forms, is omni-directional and is never just a one way street of mono-focused, exhaustive efforts to form the child for adulthood. We are always better off because of God’s choices for us - even in the children He chooses to give us - even the ones who have special needs. We would never become what we were created to become if it were not for them.

In spite of all the pain and anticipated pain, it is in the midst of dark times that the brilliant light of the miraculous occurs - you see you do not need a miracle until you need a miracle.

But, wait … there is a sound from above and behind you. Something unexpected is happening. It is as if Heaven … .

Blessings,

John Paul

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“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:4-5

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Matthew 27:46

“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” John 19:30

“And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.” Luke 23:46

Scripture says that children are the glory of the father. If that is true on Earth how much more so is it true in Heaven? Thus when the Scripture states, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:4-5) we find that when the Light of the World was put to death, the Father’s heart was broken, the glory of the Son had been put to death, and the result was that the visible nature of the darkness of sin was exposed.

The above verses represent the three stages I am about to write about. I have no fascination with darkness. I do have a great desire to present the truth. Sometimes truth is uncomfortable, sometimes truth is delightful, either way to ignore truth does not change the reality of that truth. Many say you want a new day, new wine, new spiritual outpourings. For that to happen, the old must pass away. In this journey death to self must happen. Self must pass away. As Scripture states, every new day begins in darkness; sorrow comes in the night, but joy comes in the morning; and in creation the evening then the morning were counted as a day. There has never been a new day without darkness and chaos.

Here are three stages you will need to know so you can traverse the darkness and emerge into the glorious light prepared for you. Remember, you are the light of the world I am trying to help you come to place where you believe it. If you do not understand darkness, you will think you are losing. If you understand the matter of light and darkness - in time - you will shine.

THE FEELING OF BEING ABANDONED

The beginning of the Dark Night of the Spirit starts at the demarcation line of the Cross. If you decide to take Jesus at His word, and pick up your cross, you have volunteered for this journey. The deep darkness at the crucifixion was found between the sixth and ninth hour of the day, when for three hours, just prior to the death of Jesus, God darkened the entire Earth (Luke 23:44). An eclipse did not cause this triad of time. It was true, unexplainable darkness. It was during this moment that Jesus uttered three very important statements, the first being, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Why did Jesus say this? Because, the darkness He felt at this moment was more than the physical darkness everyone saw. He could tangibly feel the increasing morass of sin taunting Him and claiming victory. You may have heard the same taunt. The stench of the decaying demonic beings surrounding Him, jeering, and touting their own prowess would have overcome most of us. Hanging there in abject darkness, the natural spoke of the invisible. This painful statement was uttered with the full realization that Darkness was gaining an apparent victory and the Father’s Light seemed to be no longer present with Him. The Glory had departed. Jesus knew the Father had turned His face away. For the first time Jesus felt totally abandoned and helpless to accomplish the task for which he came.

Up to this moment, Jesus would see the Father acting on something and then He would do the same on Earth. Suddenly, the spiritual atmosphere changed, the Father was doing nothing and Jesus immediately felt it. With this you now understand more concerning the prayer of Moses and why it included the phrase, “May God make His face shine on you.” You may also be gaining greater revelation on the cost of taking up your cross. Very few take up the Cross today, they mistake the Grace of God as a substitution for carrying the Cross. However, if this perspective is true, why did Jesus say that if we want to follow Him we’d have to take up the cross to do it?

THE RECOGNITION OF INCAPIBILITY

While the Dark Night of the Soul is about being purged of the misguided thought that your agenda is God’s agenda; the Dark Night of the Spirit is about knowing God’s plan and finding that you are incapable of fulfilling it. This second phase, the recognition of your incapability, is depicted by the words Jesus spoke next when He said, “It is finished!” These words indicated that Jesus realized he had done all He was capable of doing. He had manifested all of the Father’s names to those He had been given (John 17:6). The human part was done. As He hung there on the cross, incapable of moving, or walking away, with all His disciples except John no where to be found, Jesus must have asked, was this enough? Yes it was, but hanging there the question must have lingered - was it enough? There was absolutely nothing left He could do, as a man He could do no more … Jesus was one breath away from dying, a plan that had been in place since before time began.

GOD MUST FINISH THE TASK HE SENT YOU TO DO

Jesus would take one more breath and whisper the third, and final phrase, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” This was the recognition that the Father must be the one to finish what He began. If, like Jesus, you pick up your cross, He must do the same in you, evidenced by this third dying statement of Jesus. In spite of what the enemy wants you to believe, death to self is not bad.

After this final saying, Jesus breathed His last and gave up His spirit. Herein, Jesus recognized that it was not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of His Father that the conclusion of the task would take place. It was in the Garden that the soul of Jesus was broken, but it was on the cross He gave up the rule of His soul over His spirit. There He gave that rule to His father. Thus, if the Father did not back Him up in His coming decent into Sheol to confront Satan, Jesus would stay in Sheol with the rest of humanity who had died … and the world would remain lost.

This decent was not a journey that flesh and blood could take. This journey in the stench of gross darkness would have to be done in the context of a greater reality - the Eternal reality of the Spirit. Here, before Satan, the Spirit of the Father would attest to the sinless life Jesus lived. As a result, all who had been imprisoned in Sheol, and believed the good new Jesus spoke to them, would have their chains taken off. But, for that to happen, Jesus had to believe the Father would turn His face toward Him again and resurrect Him. At that final moment on the cross, Jesus in essence said, “Father, I am helpless, take me, you will have to take it from here … and He died. Notice, Jesus did not say Father in to your hands I commit my soul - He said “Father in to your hands I commit my spirit.” God, who is Spirit revived spirit in the Dark Night of the Spirit.

Again, I remind you, it was the Spirit of God who raised Christ from the dead and that same spirit dwells in you. You can stand with courage and faith in the midst of great darkness knowing you will not fail and the Spirit of God will raise you up.

DARK NIGHTS

Dark Nights are all about feeling helpless, and directionless, incapable, and that combined with the lingering question of failure or success can be quite daunting. However, this last Dark Night of the Spirit is the hardest of the Dark Night series. In fact, after it is over, you will most likely feel you never completely left this moment - you will seem to have one foot out of the Dark Night and yet one foot seems to be stuck there - a reminder that it is only through Jesus you can accomplish the impossible and become a truly spiritual person.

This lingering knowledge that darkness is lurking all around you is what true light is all about. If you are the brightest light in the room, when you look around at the room it will seem pretty dark. There is a paradoxical “Spiritual Law of Light and Darkness” and that is this, “The greater light you contain and radiate, the darker the room around you will seem so be.” Thus you feel you never quite leave the darkness. Please do no equate darkness to pessimism - they are not the same. Hope eliminates pessimism and there is always hope in God.

Think about this, if it were possible for the world to even try to descend and save themselves, they would immediately find themselves stuck in Sheol.  Why, because they have already submitted to Satan and the sin in their life would trap and keep them there. There would be no advocate for them, the Holy Spirit would not do that. They would join the chained and imprisoned. This is why salvation comes only through Jesus. It impossible for a sinful being to save you from the captivity of another sinful being. This would be called a transfer, but the darkness would be the same.

By now you know that it is impossible to live a truly Spiritual life outside of God who is the One, True, Pure, Spirit. It is also impossible to approach God without coming to Him through Jesus, the sinless, only begotten son of the Living God. He made it all possible.

In God’s justice, those who emerge from this greater darkness, will find a greater glory, become a greater light, and demonstrate the names of the Father to a world who dwell in darkness. The scales of Justice will balance on your behalf and God will be all in all. The world is waiting for your victory through the blood of Jesus.

There is more ….

Blessings,

John Paul Jackson

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