Unlocking Intimacy on the Threshing Floor

 

By: Bobby Conner
January 15, 2015


An Old Dream Reawakened

Recently I’ve had several prophetic events referring to a vivid dream I had in the mid-1990s, I feel that God is about to release and restore some foundational truths revealed in this dream, truths that God has waited to unveil. The time for the revealing has come!

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
Proverbs 25:2

As the dream begins, I'm driving with Bob Jones on the German autobahn. We're in a magnificent German automobile, driving at a very fast speed down a beautiful stretch of roadway. Bob and I are talking about past and pending moves of God. Bob then instructs me, saying, “When I tell you to, pull over to the side of the road and stop.” I agreed.

In a few moments, Bob said, “I think this is the place! Pull over!” I slowed the car and pulled to a stop off the shoulder of the road. As we got out of the car, we saw that the shoulder fell off into a ditch that was quite steep, beyond which was an exceptionally tight barbwire fence, obviously meant to keep out intruders. Surveying the surroundings closely, Bob said excitedly, “Yes! Yes! This is the right place!” He pointed out a small opening in the fence between the wires. Extremely thick brush had grown against the fence, but Bob pointed to a faint, unused path. It was encouraging to see Bob so excited and exceedingly happy that we had discovered the right place to gain entrance. It was difficult for us to walk down and up the ditch to the fence but we made it, and, with care, edged our way through the tightly woven barbed wire.

Once inside the fenced area, we began to make our way tediously up a hill through dense brush, the way was getting clearer and easier to travel with every step. I was eager to find out what our destination was and I asked Bob, only to be told that he wasn't quite sure, but that we would surely find out when we arrived there!

Through the Double Doors

The hill became steeper as we walked, and after a difficult climb up the mountain path, we arrived at a massive old barn. The barn itself was a wonderful work of outstanding craftsmanship, a work of art, extremely old yet in pristine condition. The barn had two very large doors that were locked with what appeared to be a large, stainless steel chain and master lock. I was sad and disappointed that we had made such a difficult climb—only to be locked out of our discovery.

Bob beamed with a delightful smile, however, when I asked him if he knew the combination to the lock. Nodding his head as if to say, “You didn't even have to ask,” he carefully began to turn the dial on the lock. I watched with great interest. He slowly turned the lock to the left five full turns, stopping at the number 3. Then he turned the dial to the right three full turns, stopping at the number 4, then back to the left, stopping at the number 1, then around to 6, then to 8, then back to the number 2.

At this point, the lock clicked. It opened. I said to Bob, “I knew you would have used 3-4-1, but I didn't know about 6-8-2!” Bob answered, confident, “It is the time of the double! When you double 341, you have 682.” And then he repeated, “This is a season of the double. Expect a time of grace, grace!”

The House of Treasure

With great excitement and eager anticipation, Bob and I swung opened the massive wooden doors! There was no need for electric lights because huge skylights flooded the barn with sunlight.

The first thing we saw was a beautiful, hand-carved pulpit lying on its side. It almost blocked the entrance to the building. Our first chore was to set the pulpit upright and in its proper place.

Filled with anticipation, we moved even deeper into the building. I was stunned to discover that the building was packed from bottom to top with the most beautiful old lumber I had ever seen. It was numbered, cataloged, and stored in the most orderly manner. This was not ordinary wood—the beams were massive. The wood grain was wonderful beyond words. No beam was out of place. This was the lumber to reconstruct the Church! Every piece of wood was strong, brilliant, and beautiful.

I was truly amazed at the perfect order of the barn's contents—absent of all dust and cobwebs. Somehow I knew we were in a house of authentic treasures, and that God was going to use the prophetic in a powerful way to help rediscover and rebuild His lost treasures.

In this dream given so long ago, Bob said, “This is the time of restoration of the foundational function for the Church.”

5775: Double Doors, Double Portion

Deep within my spirit I know this dream has great importance for us in 2015, especially in the days ahead. An authentic reformation and radical revolution is about to return to the Church!

It's interesting to consider some of the Hebraic meanings suggested within this dream, beginning with it being quickened to me once again at the beginning of 2015. On God's Hebrew calendar, this isn't 2015, but the year 5775, which began on the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, on September 24, 2014.

As ancient Hebrew did not have numerals, but used the alphabet for its numbers (similar to the practice of ancient Rome, which used Roman numerals). It's curious to note that the numerals 5775 actually spell a Hebrew word, Tish’eh, which means to take heed, to notice, to gaze at. It can also be written Ha’tish’eh, which means Will you pay heed?

This year, we're being asked whether or not we will pay attention. To what?

Hebrew numbers are represented by letters—and the letters themselves form pictures, as most Bible students know. The 5775 forms a very distinct picture, letter by letter. Within the patterning and sequencing of the Hebrew letters, you will find an image of the Lord coming through double doors with a double portion, with His sword—His Word—warring over and nourishing His people.

How will we respond to this open double door opening with a double portion? Will we give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Church to rebuild and reform our foundational function?

Indeed, the third and fourth blood moons are fast approaching, once again on the two Jewish feast days of Passover and Sukkot, repeating the pattern of 2014. In 2014, the blood moons occurred on Passover and Sukkot; in 2015, the blood moons will occur once again on these same feast days, on April 4, 2015 (Passover) and September 28, 2015 (Sukkot). We have a “double portion” of two blood moons on two feast days. These same heavenly signs occurred in 1492, 1948, and 1967—significant years in history. What significant event is upon us now?

A Double Portion of Intimacy

The Hebrew word translated “barn” can also be translated “threshing place.” The threshing floor is indeed the place that is being opened to us now for this most significant season ahead. The threshing floor has been leveled and made smooth. It is a place where the wheat is separated from the chaff—the place where true treasures are discovered and stored. The threshing place is the treasured place where Ruth met her Boaz, where the Church meets her God—the place of profound intimacy. The threshing place is the place where the Beloved calls out to His Bride, Grace, grace!

How do we open the lock to this place of intimacy? What is the combination? It is our love for our neighbor and our Beloved, who calls out to us, Grace, Grace, as we read in Song of Solomon 5:5:

I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.

The 341 combination to unlock this intimacy with the Beloved is the shama` to Israel, calling them to take heed, to listen, and to obey, the grace of Isaiah 34:1:

Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.

Double Blessings...to Be a Blessing

For many years, the number 341, the number to unlock the barn's lock in the dream, was significant to Bob Jones, given to him as a special sign from God beginning in 1980, and continuing throughout his lifetime as the Lord continued to guide him.

Bonnie Jones reports that eventually she and Bob came to understand that the number 341 represented six things spiritually: 1) healing, 2) a holy convocation, 3) asking, 4) petitioning, 5) teaching received from God, and 6) prosperity.

We are being invited to draw near to God on the threshing floor, to find Him as our treasure and to be built together into His Church. The key to unlocking this place of meeting is found in responding to His call of grace. God’s grace brings gifts of healing and prosperity, but it also calls for a holy convocation of every believer, a sanctification and setting-apart of ourselves from this world (see-2 Corinthians 7:1 Amp). We are being called to ask, seek, knock, and petition the Lord for wisdom and revelation directly from His throne (see-James 1:5). He longs to speak to His Bride and pour out His manifest love and Presence—so we will be prepared for the significant season ahead.