Isa 11:6-9
6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall
lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the
fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie
down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and
the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for
the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters
cover the sea. (KJV)
Metamorphosis is an event that happens in certain
aspects of biological life that entails a journey of change from one
form into another form, but not just an external, physical change
only, but a complete change of form and nature. The word itself,
metamorphosis, denotes a change of mind and nature which is
necessary in order to operate and function in the new form that
takes place. In this chapter of our study on this phenomenon of
transformation, we will be focusing upon the inner workings of such
a change, rather than the more obvious, external changes that take
place in such an outworking process. This is especially critical for
us that are presently experiencing such internal eruptions of God’s
operation of salvation for the whole man. In earlier stages of God’s
plan for the ages, the focus of the Body of Christ was upon outward
signs of God’s workings within mankind, such as signs and wonders,
healings and miracles, including the raising of the dead, the blind
seeing, the deaf hearing, etc., etc. In this Age of ages that we are
living in, the focus is changing for us who are now sons of God
ready to take our place in the participation of the unveiling of
Jesus Christ to the masses. In order for this to take place, there
must first come about a great and complete change in these sons, so
the inner man is seen and heard in a corporate expression of the New
Man in Christ. Heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the earth
will be broken amidst great disruptions and quakes, elements will
melt and old heavens will burn up and be removed. But, that which
remains after this great shaking and rearrangement will be eternally
rooted in the Christ Nature, unblemished, unspotted and singular in
vision and purpose. This is the process and this is the journey upon
which we have embarked, and it is not a process for the weak of
heart and the uncommitted. As long as we love our life, as long as
we are double minded, as long as we are drawn aside by our own
carnal lusts, as long as we crave attention and individual fame, as
long as we remain competitive and ambitious, as long as we allow
jealousy and envy to take place in our heart, as long as we hurt and
destroy in God’s holy mountain, as long as we refuse to forgive our
enemies, as long as we devour the weak and raid the helpless, as
long as we hide the Truth and follow fables and legends, as long as
we allow prejudice and dishonor to remain in our lives, as long as
we remain the OLD CREATURE, this change cannot and will not happen!
We must DIE to the old nature and be transformed by the new nature.
We MUST! It is not a wish, or a desire of our heart, it is a
necessity and a commandment from our Father. WE MUST BE CHANGED!!
It has been said that a picture is worth a
thousand words and in dealing with these issues of change and
transformation the scriptures portray a beautiful portrait of
restoration and reconciliation by using common examples that we are
all familiar with. In the prophetic scripture above, Isaiah uses
stereo-types of animals that normally behave according to a specific
nature and disposition to show how in the ages to come, there will
be a change take place in the hearts of the sons of God that will
trumpet the emergence of a new age of harmony and unity within the
inner being of these chosen vessels of God. This transformation must
be accomplished first in a first-fruit company of sons and then it
will be demonstrated and put on open display by God to all men
everywhere, who, as beholding in a glass the glory of the Lord, will
all be changed into that same image and likeness found in each son
of God, fully expressing and manifesting the incorruptible nature of
their Master and Lord. This is the appearing of Christ in His
saints, and is accomplished by reason of a fiery transformation that
has worked an elemental, nuclear changed in the inner most being of
each son. By son, I mean to differentiate this chosen vessel of God
from the servant realm, which is a realm of "whosoever will", but
the true sons ar those that are apprehended by God, not asked and
invited to participate in such a metamorphosis of character and
nature, but these sons of destiny are actually harpooned and dragged
to such an occasion! They have no other recourse! Once the Lord has
seized them, there is no turning back and to assure there is no
chance of such a returning to where they have been snatched from,
all of their former paths are burned up by the operation of the
spirit of God. Doors that were wide open to them are slammed shut in
their face. Loved ones turn their back on these appointed
messengers, their reputations are dragged through the mud,
ministerial positions are revoked, the phone stops ringing, they are
cut off from all former associations and they become isolated and
confined, without friend or foe, left with only One Hope, to trust
in only one True Friend, to hear only One True Voice, rely on only
One Source, stand on only One Foundation, live for only One Cause,
serve only One Master, Jesus Christ, the Author and the Finisher of
their faith! Great Day of God Almighty! For such a time and occasion
have these sons been prepared from before the foundations of the
earth and every one will lose their head and be found in Christ,
lost and swallowed up into His wondrous Nature, Named with that
Name, Anointed with that Anointing, called with that Calling. The
world has never seen such a company of sons that have ladi their
lives down and sworn allegiance to their King and Lord, the Captain
of their salvation. They can’t be bought and they can’t be schmoozed
by the religious Whore of Babylon, her voice does not fall upon
their ears, for their hearts are circumcised and their minds are
renewed. This is the great Transformation that we are walking into
today and I do pray for us all, that we will not fear this great
experience, but that we may embrace it and cling to that Purpose
that has called us from this world of care into such a private and
intimate chamber of birth and renewal.
This is a Day where God is breaking the cycle of
death and corruption. This is why we have been birthed in such a
time, to break the mold of Adam and to allow the reality of the
Christ-Life to take place in mankind. Mankind has been encased in a
hard shell of limited, carnal life, hopelessly locked into that
state and condition. We know that One has broken that prison door
and has made a way for us to boldly enter into that New Life. But,
it is not enough for only that One to enter into this eternal life,
but the will of the Father is for that inheritance to be hand
delivered to all mankind. It has been the choice of God to
accomplish this transfer of the riches of Christ to all men through
a company of sons that have been embossed with the Name and
Authority of Jesus Christ, Ambassadors of His glory, Stewards of His
storehouse. When the scriptures declare that we are being changed
into His image, it literally means His image is being embossed upon
us, which is so much more that just a change of mind, or belief in
God, but necessitates a shift of our substance, a literal change of
our form. Embossment happens when an object is remolded, such as a
designer might emboss their logo upon a sheet of metal, where the
metal itself takes on the shape of the logo, an icon of that
company, and permanently alters the surface of the metal through
heat and pressure. So it is, we as the chosen people of God’s
purpose are being put to the heat and made pliable and changeable,
and we are then being pressed into the image, the form and
expression, of Christ, which makes us In-Christed, bringing to pass
the scriptural declaration, "As He is, so are we in this world!" If
you have seen me, you have seen Him, for He has embossed His
expression upon me, and I am hid in Christ. What a grand time to be
walking in God!
Each animal described by Isaiah in the key
scriptures above needs no introduction and we do not have to go to
the dictionary to find out about these creatures, as they have all
acted out their roles in such purity of nature that the reader can
immediately discern that this is a description of an unbelievable
change of behavior in creatures that have been historically locked
into their specific behavior patterns. What the prophet describes
here is characters that are behaving entirely uncharacteristically!
But, let us not just pass over this astounding scenario without
gleaning some very significant information that will be immensely
relevant and helpful to us in understanding what the spirit of God
is performing in our own transformation as "new creatures" in Christ
Jesus.
Throughout the history of man, certain creatures
in our world have retained an image that is instantly recognizable
as either predator or victim and Isaiah uses this ancient imagery to
show how God plans to change those ingrained traits into a new state
of behavior and identity. However, it is extremely important for us
to understand that the actual change that takes place in these
stereotypical role models has to do more with the predator than the
victim aspect of these distinct animal types.
The WOLF may be the greatest stereotype of a
predator known to mankind. The name itself has become a staple in
our language for something vicious and cruel, predatory and violent,
slinky and cunning. A man is said to be "wolfish" if he is behaving
unsavory toward the opposite sex, slinking about to prey upon naïve
women susceptible to his predatory goals. Many of us grew up as
children reading of Little Red Riding Hood and her dealings with a
cunning wolf dressed up as her Grandmother, going to great lengths
to get the little girl close enough to gobble her up. Horror stories
of humans that turn into werewolves have always been popular in our
modern day, conjuring up images of a fearsome creature that curdles
the blood because of the legendary ferocity of the creature itself.
Carnivorous and living in packs, the wolf is famous for its cunning
ability to hunt and steal its kill from other herds of animals that
cannot protect themselves against the sharp teeth and pure strength
of the beast. Wolves will find a flock of sheep and pick out the
weakest or youngest lamb and isolate it from the rest of the flock,
then falling upon and tearing it to pieces, feasting upon the
helpless creature with a hunger that has made the wolf legendary. In
spite of all of the urban legend surrounding this mysterious animal,
there are those that have studied the life of the wolf in the wild
that will tell a different story than is commonly known about this
animal. A loving parent, playful and loyal to the family, which
paints a picture of this predator that is in stark contrast to the
image of a bloodthirsty killer. The truth is, all creatures of the
wild are truly WILD, but man has a tendency to try to "humanize" all
animals and as a result, there are many seemingly opposing opinions
about such creatures as the wolf and other predators. The
domestication of the dog and other animals has attributed to
mankind’s skewed outlook on nature and its residents. We think
WOLVES should behave more like Lassie and stop all of that maiming
and killing of such innocent creatures as the gentle and meek LAMB.
But, the WOLF is doing nothing wrong, he is simply acting out his
role that he has been created into, a predator that must eat meat in
order to stay alive, and the simple truth is, the poor animal cannot
go shopping at Krogers to pick that meat up in the meat department,
already killed, butchered and packaged out of the sight of
impressionable humans and then take it home to devour it. The WOLF
will have to run down it’s prey, grab it and wrestle it to the
ground and then try to kill it by tearing it’s throat out, all so it
can eat the meat on the bone, so to speak.
So, where is the sin in that? Well, in the world
of the predator and the prey, there is absolutely no sin to it at
all! God has made it so. Animals must act like animals, some will
act as predators and have even been given the tools to be a predator
by having a physical form that lends itself to the activity and
nature of a predator, i.e. – long, sharp teeth, powerful jaws,
strong muscles, etc. Indeed, it seems to me that the physical form
of the predator is actually dictated by the nature that is contained
within that form, rather than the form dictating the nature it
contains. In fact, I believe that this is a fundamental principle
involving all things in our universe, namely, the form or external
shape of things are dictated by the internal nature and function of
those things. If we accept such a premise, then we can see how the
natural and the spiritual are both locked into their separate forms,
by reason of the distinct and respective nature of those two
dimensions. As predator and prey are uniquely entwined with one
another, yet directly opposed to one another, so the natural is
inherently connected to the spiritual, but directly opposed to one
another in their form and function. As I have written, the actual
change that takes place in Isaiah’s prophecy has more to do with the
predators listed than the prey that are listed. So it is that in the
overall transformation that is to take place in all of God’s
creation, the focus of that change is on the natural elements, not
on the spiritual. As the WOLF takes on the attributes of the LAMB,
even so the natural, corruptible creation will take on the
attributes of the spiritual substance of God Almighty!
Although this is all in order in the present
course of things, as seen in the balance of nature between the
hunter and the hunted, we are now reaching into a new dimension and
time in God when the partitions that have separated the natural and
the spiritual are being rent and a great compounding of these
distinct and independent elements are being joined together to form
a new thing in God, a new heaven and a new earth. Isaiah’s prophecy
declares that there is coming an age when the order of the earth is
going to change, which will be especially noticeable in the change
of nature and genetic dispositions in the elements contained within
the old earth. Personally, I do not believe that God throws the old
earth and the old heaven away and creates brand new ones. I believe
the old earth and the old heavens pass away by reason of a process
of transformation, which brings out the new earth and the new
heavens from within the old ones! This is not speaking of the
literal planets themselves passing away, but it is speaking of us!
Our old earthy self must pass away, become void and without form, so
the new form of the new earth can be raised upon us. The old man is
buried in Christ, and the New Man is that which rises from our
being, swallowing up the corruptible form into the incorruptible
form of Christ. Of course, when Isaiah writes of the wolf and the
lamb, the lion and the calf, the child and the asp, he is not
writing about those natural creatures themselves, but he is using
those creatures as types and examples of the distinct difference
between our own being, both divine and human, both ravenous and
gentle, both wolfish and lamblike. Eventually, the predator must no
longer lust after the prey, and the prey must not fear the predator,
as love takes its awesome place in the center of all things. Love is
the missing key in the disarrangement of the present world. As God
starts to bring true, divine arrangement back into His creation,
LOVE will be the driving force behind that rearrangement. There is,
in all of God’s creation, a hidden and untapped element of pure LOVE
that is yet to be experienced by the ancient order of a fallen
world. Yes, we have experienced a measure of love in our lives, and
that has lifted us up from the earth in a special way, but there is
a LOVE that is in us that cannot be measured or comprehended. It is
an instinctual LOVE, not conscious or emotional, but innate in our
being, by reason of our beginnings in the image and likeness of God
Himself, who IS LOVE. This LOVE is not spoken by mere words, as so
many do today, mouthing the words, "I love you", which cheapens the
kind of LOVE I am writing about. This LOVE cannot be spoken from the
mouth of man, it is beyond expression of language, but its
expression is a creative force that will bring us through our
imminent transformation. This unspeakable, unknowable LOVE is the
force and vitality behind the process of metamorphosis and it is a
force that cannot fail, nor will it fall short of its intended,
finished work.
The WOLF cannot stop acting wolfish simply by
trying to teach it a new philosophy of "lamb-life", or by sending it
to "lamb school". Neither can you beat the WOLF to try to rid it of
its wolfish behavior. You can punish it, chain it up, starve it,
rebuke it, threaten it, and more, but at the end of the day, you
will still have a WOLF on your hands with an inherent wolfish
nature. You can even try to dress it up like a lamb, covering it
with wool and hiding its fearsome visage, but all you will end up
with is a WOLF in lamb’s clothing. The only thing that can change
the WOLF is the LOVE that is expressed through the true LAMB nature.
Once the WOLF experiences this LOVE of the LAMB, it will no longer
be subject to the wolfish nature, but LOVE will have its way in the
WOLF and the hunger will be no more. Of course, I am not writing
about some animal, dear one of God, I am writing about you! Oh yes!
Our WOLF will no longer snarl and bite within us, neither will our
wolfish desires run rampant over us, but our LAMB will win over our
WOLF with that inexpressible power of TRUE LOVE, which even now is
wooing our beast and causing us to cry HOLY! Again, let me be clear
on this point, our WOLF is not to be cowered and beaten down into a
submissive posture that is forced upon it by reprimand, as this
would only assuage our wolfish nature for a period of time, which
would rise up again at some point in time, when we would least
expect it. Oh no, dear one of God, this transformation is not to
have a subjected WOLF at our feet, but it is a transformation that
will truly change the desire and heart of the WOLF, causing this
wolfish beast to fall head over heals in love with the LAMB,
embracing the LAMB, protecting the LAMB, thinking as the LAMB
thinks, loving as the LAMB loves. What a wonder Isaiah writes about,
a WOLF that is not wolfish, freely dwelling with the LAMB, not
chained down in the presence of the LAMB, not confined and drooling
with desire to tear the LAMB’s throat out and devour it, but at
peace and contentment with the LAMB. Wonder of wonders! Isaiah goes
on in his prophetic imagery, speaking of the leopard lying down with
the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling being
together, without any tearing of flesh or violent intentions on the
behalf of the converted predators, but all at peace and oneness.
Then, wonder of wonders, he speaks of a child leading this parade of
love and peace, which is only fitting that in the presence of such
transformation within the ranks of the beastly natures represented
by the prophet, that Innocence Personified should lead it in an open
display of the power and authority of TRUE LOVE. Yes, dear ones of
God, our Child will lead this parade of LOVE victorious through our
own being, as a testimony and witness of God’s overwhelming LOVE and
NATURE at work in our house, investing all things with its
outworking principle of transformation. Praise His holy Name!
And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young
ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the
ox.
The prophecy of Isaiah continues to unfold the
length and height and depth and width of this transformation as he
continues to portray the predator endued with the same mind and
heart of the prey. The cow and the bear shall feed, not on each
other, but on common food. Then, to even further the scope of this
marvelous transformation, he declares that their offspring will lie
down together. How glorious it is to see that the change that is
pictured in this prophecy extends even to the offspring, showing to
us that the very roots of the seed of corruption have been plucked
up and will no longer bear fruit in the following generations.
Again, this is not some kind of behavior modification program
instituted here, but it is a change at the nuclear level of the
bear, and reaches into their following generations. Ancient and
historical creatures that have been locked into a role of predator
and prey, are now living in a new order of life, at ease with one
another. Then, even more detail about the extent of this
transformation, as Isaiah declares that the lion will eat straw like
the ox. Mind boggling! The lion is famous for his carnivorous
appetite, gouging huge hunks of flesh from his prey, gorging himself
upon the prey’s flesh until he can eat no more, and then lazily
stretching out on soft grass and sleeping it off, purring with a
deep rumbling contentment of satisfaction. This is the picture we
have grown up with concerning this majestic creature, but now,
according to this prophecy, the lion is no longer a flesh devouring
beast, but he has now developed a great fondness for straw! Now, it
is a fact that the body and form of the lion is not suited for
eating straw, with the massive jaws and large teeth and sharp claws
being suited more for rending the flesh and breaking the bones of
the prey he used to hunt. But, here now is the huge creature,
contented to chew cud like the ox, having exchanged his violent
mannerisms for the docile appetites of his former prey, which
illustrates even further where the focus of the transformation is
centered upon, the predator and not the prey.
Now, if you were a curious sort of person, you
might be thinking, "I wonder why the Lord has chosen to change the
inner nature of such creatures, but not their outer form and shape,
leaving them with the same physical attributes that are still
associated with their former appetites and behaviors." I am glad you
asked that question. It has always been my opinion that in the ages
to come, as we continue to experience our transformation through the
process of metamorphosis, we will eventually be "like HIM". However,
it is my opinion that we will always have our testimony of being
redeemed man, and not created angel. By this I mean, that we will
give glory to God throughout eternity, and how else are we to give
glory to our Father but by bearing upon us the mark of our great
salvation and redemption, which is namely, our humanity. I am not a
Being Of Light, or a GOD that had no sin, I am a Redeemed Man, a
God-man and for that reason I will always stand as a witness to the
power of God’s LOVE, that took such a creature and renewed it,
transforming it by His own hand, into a wondrous and illustrative
portrait of God’s creative nature. Looking at the prophecy of
Isaiah, please tell me, who do you think truly glorifies God and
illustrates His grace and transforming LOVE? Is it the lamb, or the
calf, or the kid, or the child? No, dear one of God, the truly
glorifying creatures of this prophecy are the wolf that is no longer
wolfish, the lion that is no longer a flesh-eater, the leopard that
is no longer a predator, these are the images that cause one to sit
up and take notice, for these are the ones that are living contrary
to their former innate instincts, and God saw fit to have them keep
their outer shell of who they once were, so we can stand up and
cheer God for His curious and wondrous redemptive power! Even so, we
are set to be God’s glory throughout the ages and on to eternity, by
reason of our redemption and salvation through the vivifying power
of the Christ-Life that has been bestowed so freely upon such lowly
creatures as us. For this reason, Christ is personified as the Lion
of Judah, and the Lamb of God. He is the Lion with the heart of the
Lamb, a Priest-King, a spiritual warrior with a sword and a heart of
compassion. Sounds incompatible in our world, but in His world,
these are all elements and personalities that flow out of the unity
of LOVE. Love that will not let us go, will not let us stay bound,
will not let us stay unchanged, but is always working for our good,
for us and not against us, making war against all the elements of
corruption that would keep us locked into our role of prey or
predator, love that believes for us when we cannot believe for
ourselves. This is the Compound Man, the Pattern of the New
Creature, a Specie of God-man that will cause all heaven to wonder
at such a thing.
Remember, the process of metamorphosis is that of
a change brought about by a resident and indwelling nature that
influences and dictates the outer form. The outer form is indicative
of the inner nature of the creature. We have, in our past life, had
two natures at war in our being, the Wolf and the Lamb, the
corruptible and the incorruptible. First the natural, then the
spiritual, so we have borne the external image of the earthy by
reason of an inner nature of the Wolf, but at the core of our being,
at a nuclear level, we are first and foremost a lamb! Our true
genetic identity is the Lamb, not the Wolf. Our genesis is in the
Lamb, and the Wolf is a necessary element of our redemptive course,
but it is not our dominant genetic self.
1 Cor 15:46-49
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual,
but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the
second man is the Lord from heaven.
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are
earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are
heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy,
we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. (KJV)
In I Cor. 15:44, Paul declares that there is a
natural body and there is a spiritual body. Right now, we are only
cognizant of the outer, natural body, which is in essence a
chaff-like shell, but inside of that external form, there is a
spiritual body, already resident! That is the house that Paul
declares in II Cor 5:1-5 that is a heavenly house, which we must
clothed with, putting it on over this limited and corruptible flesh
and blood body. In this scenario, the flesh and blood body will be
no more, and the spiritual, heavenly house that we put on will not
stay as it is either, as it is entwined into a new compound with the
earthly body, thus a new body, both heaven and earth, but in this
union, it is NEITHER! This is the trademark of the New Man, a Man
that once was many things, but now He is neither of those, yet all
of those combined in a new and more excellent way! For now we are
NEITHER male nor female, bond nor free, Greek nor Gentile, but a New
Creature.
We are not a simple creature with an amoeba-like
existence, one dimensional and singularly important. We, mankind,
are a multidimensional, multilevel, multi-tiered being which the
great Creator did His best creative work upon. An amalgamation of
such opposite elements should by all rights be unable to coexist,
but we are also invested with the makeup of our Creator-Father God,
which is our saving grace. However, we must now come to the Great
Purpose for which we were created, to become a compound of sin and
grace, darkness and light, death and life, man and God, through a
process of entwinement and tabernacling that will cause the death
and poison in us to be canceled out by the Life and Glory of our
inherent qualities of God. This is what a compound is, the joining
of two or more pure elements which gives each element new and
different properties and functions. Compounds are the very prototype
of what God has planned for Himself and His creation. Left to
himself, man is limited and unable, a pitiful and schizophrenic
creature that is constantly at war with the complexities of his
makeup. His only hope is to be joined to God and to be transformed
by that Divine Life. In any form of compounds, each element remains
in its pure self, but by being bonded to other pure elements, such
as Hydrogen with Oxygen in the chemical compound of H2O, both
elements of hydrogen and oxygen take on new properties than they had
before they bonded with one another. Once locked into the chemical
mold of being and behaving as gases, now they are bonded into a new
chemical form that allows them to behave in a new manner, as liquid
and not gas. Wonder of wonders! Can you see how this so clearly
symbolizes to us how the joining of the genetic makeup of God with
the genetic makeup of man will form a New Man, a New Species of
God-man, with new properties and characteristics that neither one
had before this glorious marriage of parts? When this marvelous Plan
of God is finished there will be a new race of creature with God,
which came out from God and returned back into God, now filled with
God, Life of His Life, Spirit of His Spirit. This is the great
Metamorphosis for mankind, subjected unto vanity, lowered into the
realm of the dust life, shut up from his true identity by the law
until a time appointed of His Creator-Father, then a Birth and a
Life and a Death and a Burial and a Resurrection, out of which came
a prototype Son, a King-Priest Order, that for 2 days has been
working in the hearts of men, and now at the dawning of the 3rd
Day, there begins to rise a chosen Seed of promise that will bring
to this earth realm the Divine Image and Likeness of the One that
began it all in Himself!
To Be Continued:
Written by Bob Torango