---

Quick Return Home Page

  
"Bread corn is bruised; because He will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of His cart, nor bruise it with His horsemen. This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working." [KJV. Isaiah 28:28-29].

        There are many and various terms which are used to speak of our purging, purifying, processing― the correctional chastenings of the Lord, the up girding into His righteousness, which are literally the inworkings of His judgments. In this allegory of grains and bread corn, the word "judgment" does not readily lend itself to the terminology, and so the word THRESHING is used, but there is a definite parallel- the removal of the chaff, that the pure kernel of grain might remain, and then become a blessing. This processing comes "forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working." Bless His holy name!
        "Bread corn is bruised." The Hebrew word for "bruised" is "daqaq" and means: to be made thin. It is also translated as─ beat small, beat in pieces, make dust, into powder, very small, and to bruise. The import of it all is, when God is going to make a new loaf, a new bread─ "For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread," [1 Corinthians 11:17], He must, of necessity, grind it very fine. For this bread will have been made "of fine flour." Fine flour speaks of NO UNEVENNESS. Every grace in perfectness, none out of place, none wanting. No high points and low points, but all is even, perfect.
        In our incomplete state, we have our "high points," those areas where we excel in spirituality, and then we have our weaknesses, where the flesh still reveals itself, and we are not yet fully yielded to His will and purpose. We might have too much sympathy, or too little compassion; we might be too gushy in our expression, or too reserved; we may be too bold, or too bashful. We have our highs and lows of emotion. But HE is perfecting a people who will be as fine flour, even, perfect in every part, and they shall be to His glory.
        There are two scriptures which use this word "daqaq" translated as "into powder," and both are very significant of that which is needed to be wrought in us. First, Exodus 32:20, where it speaks of how Moses "took the (golden) calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder." Here was a working of direct judgment. A sentence was passed upon this golden calf, and the people who caused it to be made. They had substituted a golden calf to be their god, and it needed to be dealt with, brought to nought. A correction was essential, and the process included fire and grinding to powder.
        The second scripture blends right with this, 2 Chronicles 34:7, where Josiah "broke down the altars and the groves, and beat the graven images into powder." Obviously one of the great purposes in our processing, being beaten small, is  to bring an absolute end to all of the graven images, false ideas and concepts, that there be no idolatrous forms within us, no icons of self, indeed, that we be ground down to such fine powder that there be nothing identifiable of the old nature, that we might be formed into a new image, HIS IMAGE, so that He alone shall be manifested to the world.
        God's THRESHINGS─ His judgments, shall bring an end to this ego parade which we have seen in Christendom. Men have exalted themselves in the most ridiculous manners and statements, forgetting that HE, and HE ALONE is the One to be exalted. But when this inworking of God is complete, there will not be one particle of the old nature of self, with its carnality, which will be identified as belonging to the old Adam. It will all become the image and nature of the Christ.
        The "vain imaginations" which have been reared up in the chambers of our imagery, when we portrayed the Lord in  this or that manner, after the ways of man, must be broken down and beaten small. Our creeds and traditions have produced forms and images of Him which were so far from the truth, and yet presented to man, saying, "This is your God to worship." And strangely enough, there are always those who appear to be ready to fall down and worship these distortions.
        In one of his visions, Ezekiel was brought to a wall, and when he digged in the wall he came to a dqor, and when he went in, he saw "what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery." [Ezekiel 8:12]. He was shocked, for here were forms of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and idols portrayed upon the walls of this chamber. While they were supposed to be elders in Israel, the leaders of the people, they held within themselves, in their own inner chambers, imaginations of utter depravity.
        Only God knows what "distorted images" are engraven in our inner being, in our concepts, in our imagination, and these distortions pervert and mar the truth, so that we hold opinions and thoughts which do not truly express the right. The "inner picture" which some have of God is a gross caricature, a grotesque or ludicrous exaggeration. His wrath is distorted in both its expression and purpose. His love is weak and ineffective. His will is subservient to the will of man. His co-existence with a big bad devil is utterly preposterous. No wonder there needs to be some drastic THRESHING. These must be broken down and ground to powder.
        "True worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit AND IN TRUTH: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him." [John 4:23]. All that is not OF THE TRUTH shall surely be dealt with─ and our heart cries for His judgments to come and thresh out the false, the perversions, that we might know Him in truth.
       For many, the inditement spoken through the Psalmist still stands, "Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself; but I will reprove thee, and set in order before thine eyes." [Psalm 50:21]. Man has portrayed God as man, with all the base emotions of man, "such an one as thyself." But "GOD IS NOT A MAN." [Numbers 23:19]. And when, these threshing processes have been executed, we will know that He truly is "HIGH AND LIFTED UP," far above all that we have ever thought or imagined.
        When God had finished His THRESHING─ JUDGMENTS in Nebuchadnezzar, he "lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured Him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation: and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?" [Daniel 4:34-35].
        Much of our bruising, much of our breaking, has been to rid us of all these graven images, concepts and imaginations which were false beliefs of God. No more will we reduce Him, in our thoughts, to the low estate of man, but HE will be lifted up, far above all, till we acknowledge His sovereignty, His omnipotence.
        Furthermore, it is to be found, that once we have been thoroughly dealt with by His threshing, there is another application to be drawn, it is that He might cause us to become HIS THRESHING INSTRUMENT to be used in the out-working of this process in others. It is a principle that can be applied again and again, how that the highest order of anything is to become that thing. And so we read, "Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and BEAT THEM SMALL, and shall make the hills as chaff." [Isaiah 41:15].
    He, of Whom it is written, "Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered." [Hebrews 5:8], and who endured all of the processings appointed to Him of the Father, is also the One who said, "For judgment I am come into this world." [John 9:39]. There is a sense in which, as the MAN Christ Jesus, He was threshed. But there is also another sense in which, "being made perfect" He not only became the Author of eternal salvation, (Hebrews 5:9), but He also became the THRESHER─ the Judgment. And in His bringing us into the fulness of our salvation, He must needs thresh us.
       Long before we become His "new sharp threshing instrument," we will have known the full inworking of His threshings─ so that we know what all the process is, what is to be removed, and what it is to become in its glorious "nevertheless after-wards," when His life and victory are revealed. Then we will have the utmost compassion for others, when it comes time to administer the threshings of God. "To execute vengeance upon the heathen, punishments upon the people; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all His saints." [Psalm 149:7-9].
        Who has this honour? HIS SAINTS― His separated ones, His sanctified ones, those who have known the threshing process, known what it was to have endured the separating of the chaff from the wheat, error from truth, self-will from His will, ego-glorying from His glory, until that which is left is all to His praise.
        Interesting phrase, that His threshing instrument is made "having teeth." Legislative bodies will pass laws that seem to be ineffective, and so they return and in another session of law-making, will put "teeth" into that law, so that it becomes more effective. It has a bite to it, it grabs hold and makes itself known. For the threshing instrument would not only bring out the grain, it will both remove the chaff and cut the straw into small pieces. And dare we say, since nothing in God is ever lost or wasted, even this straw and chaff is to be used as a compost, or a fertilizer to bring forth the new life. But that would be another facet of truth, into which we will not probe at this time, of His marvellous purpose in the interplay of good and evil. Yet truly He does work all things together into good, and for His praise.
         "Thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small." For sure, every mountain and hill in us will have been beaten small, before we seek to bring balance to others. Mountains speak of kingdoms─ and all the kingdoms of man, of self, are to be leveled. Be they high mountains, or low-lying hills. Great exaltations or minor ones, all must be subdued. And, concurrently, if the opposite has been our experience, and all we know is the deep valley, the utter humiliation of subjection to another's kingdom, this, too, shall be dealt with. For, "Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; ─and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." [Luke 3:5-6]. When all has been made even, brought into proper condition, then HE alone, His kingdom, shall be exalted, and become preeminent.
        As long as there are "high points of man," you have that which obstructs the vision, so that ALL cannot see the salvation of the Lord. These earthy mountains get in the way, and they cannot see the kingdom of God because of the kingdom of man forcing itself into their vision. Nor, if one is in deep valley humiliation and servitude to the kingdom of man, can they clearly see HIM who is to be their Lord and Master. So busy are they in their forced labour to support man's programs, they do not have time to LOOK UP and see the salvation of the Lord that is drawing nigh. Hence the tremendous need to fill the valley, and to thresh the mountain. Once God has balanced us out, made us as His FINE FLOUR, then can He in turn use us to level out these other conditions around us. To first be judged, before we become His judges.
        When He has finished His inworkings in His first fruits, His son-company of many brethren conformed to His image, then we read, Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with ALL POWDERS of the merchant?" [Song of Solomon 3:6].
        I am sure that in our natural thinking, many of us have a translation that reads, "who is this that lives for ever in the wilderness?" For it would seem we have been in our wilderness training, to be proven and tried, for ever. The processings seem endless, cycle after cycle, until we would despair of a climax into victory. The dark night of the soul seems to be endless, until we emerge into the "joy of the morning," and then it is soon forgotten as if but a dream in the night. And while we have been on the back side of the desert, or wandering through the wilderness on a seemingly endless trek, nevertheless it reads, "Who is this that COMETH OUT?" For even this wilderness processing has an end─ with ultimate, total redemption. But there is no "coming out" until we gave experienced all that is entailed in "ALL POWDERS..." with the being beaten small, ground to powder, till there is nothing of self that remains in its carnal identity. It will truly be, "No more I, but Christ liveth in me." [Galatians 2:20].
        Usually this is as far as the teachings go on this subject, of all the processings unto purification and maturity. We rehearse them over and over again. Because we are still in them, because we have not yet arrived. But lest we become overwhelmed with it all, it is time that we lift up our eyes, and that the Spirit expand our vision, to see and know that, "HE WILL NOT EVER (NOT ALWAYS) BE THRESHING IT." He will grind you, yes; He will exercise His judgments in you, yes; but there is a realm BEYOND JUDGMENT, beyond threshing.
   The word "thresh" comes from a Hebrew word that means: to tread down, or literally, to be walked on. Taken from the days of long ago when they used this method to separate the grain from the chaff, etc.
        Sometimes it appears that God places a very heavy foot upon us, and we know that we have been TREAD ON. We might wiggle and squirm, but we are held in place until He has done His profound work within. And as has already been stated in previous chapters, when "He cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills," He knows exactly how much pressure is needed, heavy indeed upon the kingdom-building spirit of man, and perhaps a bit more lightly on other puffed up expressions of the flesh. But the victory is secure, in that we truly rejoice!
        There was a man by the name of Zerubbabel whom God called to restore the temple, after the captivity of Israel and Judah. He was governor of Judah. This, in itself, is significant, for Judah means praise. And in type. he was brought to the place where he was GOVERNING (ruling) IN PRAISE. Seems we have so much yet to learn in how to give PRAISE in and for all that God brings into our lives. Furthermore, the name Zerubbabel means: winnowed in Babylon, or, as another scholar gives, to flow away from Babylon. Either meaning has a strong implication of truth.
        Realizing that, "Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord's hand..." [Jeremiah 51:7], we will not rail against her, though, when He speaks to us His clear command, we certainly will, "Come out of her, My people..." [Revelation 18:4]. Yet we also understand that God has used Babylon in His process of WINNOWING US. And if He ordained that we pass through the various camps of Babylon, in one phase or another, it is for the purpose of removing from us some of those things which belong to the straw-chaff realm. Yet, before we are able to build, yes, become apart of that NEW TEMPLE COMPANY, we will "flow away from Babylon," coming out of her, that we might be separated unto Him, joined unto Him in oneness.
   We will not condemn what God uses, let everything be in its own time, for its own purpose, in its own way. God remains in total control of the interplay of good and evil. And He uses Babylon to fulfill His will, even though He has ultimately foretold its demise. When the WINNOWING is done, and He will not always be threshing it― it is done, and it needs no repeating. Then the "means" used in the processing can also be brought to an end, and be no more. Only the results remain, all to His glory and praise. There is finality in the work of the Lord because there is completeness in all He does. He does not leave any job half done. When He says, "IT IS FINISHED..." you can rest assured that it truly is.
        When His judgments in us have brought forth their desired results, then He will be able to pull back the veil, and say to the world, "These are My sons, in whom I am well pleased."
        Three times this was spoken of our Lord Jesus Christ, and each time it signaled a new dimension. At the river Jordan, having come to be baptized by John, "And lo a voice from heaven saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased..." [Matthew 3:17]. Then on the mount of transfiguration, "A voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him..."[Matthew 17:5]. But the third time, it is stated, in reference to His resurrection, "In that He hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second Psalm, Thou art My Son, THIS DAY HAVE I BEGOTTEN THEE..." [Acts 13:33]. And it shall be when we have come forth in the likeness of His resurrection, that our Father will declare to all men, "These are my sons, this day have I begotten them." Bringing to a climax all of the many processings and disciplines, yes, and the THRESHING-JUDGMENTS, to place His own into the sonship position for which thy have been prepared.
        But considering some more of the time element in our judgment-processings, Elihu states, in Job 34:36, "My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end..."
        TO THE END― the Hebrew Text here reads, "to perpetuity." Elihu had listened to Job's three friends make their accusations, and rebutted by Job's answers and arguments, and finally he would assess and sum up the situation with his own opinion, "let Job be tried on and on and on." And the Amplified translation bears out this thought, "Would that Job’s afflictions be continued." What a pitiful analysis! He deserves what he is getting, so give him some more of the same.
        But Young's Literal translation is far, far better, as it reads, "My Father, let Job be tried― unto victory!" Tried, yes, but not forever, let it be UNTO VICTORY. For He will not always be threshing it. Judgments will have their end. There will be a "nevertheless afterwards," and that is always victorious.
        Jesus declared, "I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in Me. And He was reckoned among the transgressors: FOR THE THINGS CONCERNING ME HAVE AN END." [Luke 22:37].
        It is true, the end could not come until everything that was written of Him was accomplished, for there would be no part left undone. There is no escaping of the processings. But it is all UNTO VICTORY, for the end thereof is secure in God. GO THROUGH UNTO VICTORY, because there shall be an end.
        The Greek word for "end" is "telos" and means: to the full, a conclusion, being completed. He will not always be threshing it, because when all chaff is removed, and only the pure kernel of grain remains, the processing is done, the desired results are obtained. Now one can go on to enjoy the fruits of the harvest, forgetting the labour and time of travail which have gone on before.
        Proverbs 23:18, "For surely there is an end,  and thine expectation shall not be cut off." Expectation, or, literally, HOPE. And, praise God, we have a hope "as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil." [Hebrews 6:19]. Our hope is resident in Jesus Christ, and He has already entered into the realms beyond the veil, and thus anchored us firmly to that victory which lies beyond, saying, "Because I live, ye shall live also."[John14:19].
        Certainly judgment begins at the house of God. Certainly He chasteneth every son whom He receiveth! Certainly He is threshing to remove the chaff of self, etc. But all of this is not for our destruction, it is for our correction, and our ultimate restoration― into the fulness of His life.
      Yet for now, "Behold, the Judge standeth before the door." [James 5:9]. More and more we find that He is at our door, when we would go in or out, so that He judges every move― intent and action. Yet this is not for our hurt, but for our good. For the Psalmist says, "THE LORD IS THY KEEPER... the Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore." [Psalm 121:5,7-8].
        Nor are we to carry a martyr spirit while we are in the threshing, or in the release. "But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." [Matthew 6:17-18]. True, the allegory used here is "fasting," but there is a principle stated which goes beyond the temporary involvement. We are not to go about bemoaning our fate, crying to everyone how severe the judgment is, how prolonged the threshing has been, how heavy our cross is. We are to bear it and be crucified upon it, and all of this is UNTO THY FATHER WHICH IS IN SECRET. He knows what the processing is, He arranged it, and He watches over us to see that it is brought to its triumphant conclusion.
        Joseph also gives us a good example, having been cast into prison, "Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: until the time that his word came; the Word of the Lord tried him." [Psalm 105:18-19]. Yet came the day that the king called for him, "And he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh." [Genesis 41:14]. No whining, no complaining, no condemnation against those who mistreated him, but when he stood before Pharaoh, ready to interpret his dream, he confidently stated, "GOD SHALL GIVE PHARAOH AN ANSWER OF PEACE." [Genesis 41:16].
        What a marvellous inworking of God! The threshing had done its work, there was no rebelliousness left in him, no reproaches for being in a strange land, away from home and family. But, "not imputing their trespasses unto them," he simply stated, "God shall give an answer of PEACE." God will quiet your heart, and clear up your anxiety, and reveal what lies ahead.
        It is while we are in our prisons, while we are in the threshing process, while the Judge is standing at our door, that He is telling us to beat our swords into plowshares, and our spears into pruninghooks, because God will give us a message of PEACE. "How beautiful upon the mountain are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!" [Isaiah 52:7].
        Gone is the chaff of self-defence. Gone is the chaff of pronouncing curses on your enemies. Gone is the feeling "they deserve it, give it to them." But out of a heart that has been purified and filled with His love, comes a message of peace, of love for thine enemies, and of hope for the victory of tomorrow, when all the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, and they shall not hurt nor destroy in all of His holy mountain. It will be an answer of peace, birthed on the threshing floor!

  
He shall not always be threshing,
For this, too, shall have its end.
The sorrow, travail forgotten
'Mid glories that shall transcend.
 
He's treading upon the mountains,
His foot is upon the hills,
Subduing till all is leveled,
Low-lying valleys He fills.
 
His justice and judgment are blessings,
For victory is secure,
The dark night shall turn to dawning,
Mercy shall ever endure.
 
He'll finish the work He started,
Hope anchored beyond the veil.
He shall not always be threshing,
His grace and love never fail.

^{__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(1)  Prinzing, Ray and Doris. WHISPERS OF HIS JUDGMENTS. (now out of print), Boise, Idaho 83705}

---

Back to Top of Page  Back to Whispers Of His Judgments Exit to Introduction Menu  Back to Library  List
  Back to Prinzing Book List  Back to All Things Menu  Back to Reconciliation