Awake Mount Zion, A Call to the Remnant Bride – Book Written by Mark Bevan copyright 2024
The topic of the first fruits man-child is not a new revelation, but is not well known in the Body of Christ today. This is primarily due to the pre-tribulation rapture theory being taught heavily in most seminaries since the 1830’s. Most of the church agrees that Jesus is coming back again. However, when and how are the subjects of much controversy.
Many years before I gave my life to Jesus, I was introduced to the Left Behind book series written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. The books are a captivating fictional account of the End Times from the view of the authors. At the time, in my early 20’s, I was not attending a church and had very little firsthand knowledge of the Bible. The writing and story captured my attention. The books were hard to put down, having always had an interest in the book of Revelation.
On the day, I gave my life to Jesus in November 2008, I came face to face with a problem that I had not even been aware of. Fear! In this case the fear of getting caught up in the wrong religion or doctrine. One of the things that had prevented me from going back to church, was the wisdom to realize that all denominations and even religions think their doctrine is the only right doctrine. This leads to the idea that obviously not all can be right. Posing the question, “Which is the right church/religion/doctrine?”
I asked confessed this fear to Jesus, leaving it at the cross, but that still left the dilemma of where to go to church. In the quiet stillness, He says to me, “Let me have it. Let me lead you to the right church. I’ll show you the truth, just trust in me.” That revelation, of trusting God to lead me in doctrine, has prevailed with me until today. Even in writing this book. Once our fear is taken out of the way, the truth is easily discerned.
Within weeks of that day, my wife and I began attending a fundamental Baptist church, which believed in the pre-trib rapture much like was written in the Left Behind books. But this time I was intrigued to investigate it for myself. I started reading the Bible feverishly, trying to get a better understanding, yet the more I read, the less of the pre-trib doctrine made sense. To me, the Word was not confirming, but denying this theory. This is the time when the Lord began giving me dreams, speaking to me at night, and finally showing up in my living room with the message. “Get ready, I’m coming!”
Little did I understand, this entire process was by God’s design. He was removing the wrong doctrine, replacing it with His truth. At the same time, leading me again to teachers who would help, increase my understanding. Don’t get me wrong. I needed a great deal of the things which were taught in that Baptist church, laying the solid foundation of Christ. However, mixed in was a little leaven, which the Lord couldn’t work with. So that had to go, and that process has been my story ever since.
It was in this time that the Lord began to teach me about the end times characters and their roles. The bride, harlot, beasts, antichrist, witnesses and the first fruits. He also began giving me a clearer picture of the timing of the end times events. The more I studied the Word, the clearer the picture became. This was the start of my first wilderness season. A time which led us in and out of various churches, but more importantly taught me how to hear the Lord and trust his leading.
He also began to speak about the state of the church.
“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock.The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. Ezekiel 34:2-4
The evangelical church today has become drunk with wine of its own making. After all, the “business of religion”, has become almost as intoxicating as it is financially lucrative. Financially lucrative to those who have learned to use their influence to build empires in the name of Jesus. But are those empirical churches really fulfilling God’s plan in these days. How many of us “church goers” can actually say that we belong to a true “Book of Acts” type church, where the needs of our assembly come before expenses to upkeep a building, pay staff and support the weekly stage show we call worship.
So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.”‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: “As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock”- therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord!Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.” Ezekiel 34:5-10
New Shepherds for the Flock
As I began to study out this idea of the first fruit Man-child, I was very surprised to find this concept intertwined throughout the entire Bible. Once your eyes are opened to the concept, it will become exceptionally clear and much more of the text will make sense.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:21-22
Paul writes in Corinthinians 3:6, that we are “ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” Following the letter of the law, does not bring salvation, but it is the Spirit of the law which gives Life. Speaking of what makes a true worshiper of God, Paul is very clear who a true Jew is:
“For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.” Romans 2:28-29
Therefore, salvation is a matter of heart condition, not by the following of the letter of the law. Because of this principle, we must always judge scripture by the Spirit, not the letter. Let’s examine an incredibly important piece of scripture with this concept in mind.
“Return, O backsliding children,” says the LORD; “for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
Jerimiah 3:14-15
God is speaking here to his people who have gone astray. He desires they return to him, because he loves them with a covenant love, despite their backsliding. He says I will take one from a city and two from a family. This sounds like Matthew 24: 40-41 when Jesus says, “Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.” Many who see only the letter, believe this points to a pre-trib rapture. Yet, I suggest it points to a remnant, and a rather small one at that… one from a city!
Those whom God takes (his Bride); he brings to Zion, which remember is the home of King David. Here they are given shepherds (plural). All having a heart after God’s own, just like David. To have God’s heart, is to say they also have His mind, or the mind of Christ. These shepherds feed the Bride with Kingdom knowledge and understanding. Don’t overlook the many associations to David (warrior-poet-shepherd-king) in just this one verse.
Zion here represents the corporate body of first fruit leadership which God is anointing and empowering in these days. They are a company of David’s holding not only priestly authority but also a kingship, or civil, anointing. They have the understanding of how to rule and govern as righteous judges in the earth. This corporate body, acts in the unity of the mind of Christ, as the head. Carrying out the executive functions of that body of Christ in the earth.
Now, you may be saying, “That can’t be, what about Jesus. Jesus is the only head of the body of Christ.” Well, lets examine this a little further.
And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne.
Rev 12:5
In Revelation 2:26-27 Jesus states “And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations (just as Jesus received from His father), and he shall rule them with a rod of iron…” That’s not Jesus ruling over the nations directly, it is Christ in a corporate body of believers, executing governance and judgement over the peoples of the earth. So, in essence, it is Christ acting as the corporate head through his first fruits manchild. These first fruits are the first of the Lord’s seed to walk in the fullness of Christ in them, as Paul says “the hope of glory!”
Think of this as a garden which God has been planting for 2000 years. Planting seed, planting more seed, waiting patiently for true sons to sprout forth. Many of these seeds have sprouted over the years but failed to fully mature. Mostly because the church has let religion get the better of it. The time has come for those plants to mature, just as God intended. At just the right time in the right season to produce the desired fruit.
Manchild & The Bride
The bride and manchild hold a very unique relationship. The manchild is brought forth by the woman, just as Jesus was brought forth by Mary. Only now we are talking about corporate bodies of people. Just as it was in Jesus’s day, God is calling a remnant out of the church. The church has failed to bring forth matured sons until now, so God is interceding to water the crop himself. These called out ones have been following after The Lord, learning from him directly through observation and experience, just as Jesus learned from his Father. Jesus says in Rev 2:17, “To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.” They have been fed the hidden manna, the bread of life, directly from the source while overcoming and putting to death their flesh in God’s wilderness training ground.
This manchild is a part of the greater bride of Christ, but as the first fruits to manifest perfection, is tasked with teaching and protecting the bride through her wilderness tribulation. An interesting relationship develops here. The manchild doesn’t just love the Jesus, but instead is a natural extension of Jesus walking in the earth, as the fullness of Christ. As such there is a deep love and respect of both the father and the bride. The manchild loves the bride like Christ loves the church. Their relationship is one of covenant (family) love as is seen in the relationship between Mordecai and Ester. Just as Mordecai raised up Ester, preparing her to be queen; and Jesus raised up disciples, preparing them to lead his church… So will the manchild prepare the bride to lead and rule, as she learns to overcome, just as they did.
Caught up to the Throne – Bearing Fruit
We discussed the manchild receiving the hidden manna from Jesus in the wilderness. Yet there is one more important piece. Jesus was anointed at his baptism by the Holy Spirit. The disciples received their baptism with fire on Pentecost in the upper room. In our day, God is pouring out the latter rains in order to water his crop of first fruits, which will have the effect of causing them to fully mature. They need this anointing like the disciples did in Jesus’s day, in order to complete the works assigned to them. They will be the first to receive this “washing by fire”, which they will then minister to the bride, then the bride will bring it to the church during the second part of the tribulation.
Receiving of the latter rain will have many effects. One of which will be opening a door leading into the throne room of the God. Remember, the woman’s child from Rev 12:3 which we talked about? Being caught up to God and his throne. Listen now to what Jesus says about the overcomers…
“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
Rev 3:21
It is in this throne room experience, where the manchild, and later the bride, will be given wisdom and instructions, preparing the way for the final harvest and Jesus’s physical return at the last trump.
Further study:
I could write an entire book on this first fruit manchild, but luckily someone already has. At the same time which the Lord was coaxing me into the wilderness, He introduced me to David Eells, founder of Unleavened Bread Ministries. David has written more than a few books on the subjects of the end times, and I find his understanding of the concepts of the man-child and bride to be exceptionally researched and well founded in scripture. His book, Hidden Manna for the End Times, in my opinion, is a 402 page must read for every Christian wanting a better understanding of this season. As informative as this book is alone, David has managed to write two others which go deeper into the Man-child and Bride… What Has Been Shall Be: The Man-child Returns & “Man-Child & Bride Prophecy. All David’s books can be downloaded free at www.UBM1.org. For those like me who can’t find time to read, there are various audio and video versions, again all free. Print copies can also be ordered at very minimal cost. One of the reasons I trust David’s opinions is that he has invested most of his life into teaching the things which the Lord has revealed to him, yet asks nothing in return. He lives by faith… “Freely you have received, freely give!” I urge everyone to read or listen.
Key points to remember about the first fruits Man child:
- They are a corporate body who hold an intimate relationship with Jesus and the Father
- Have a deep covenant love for the bride
- Raises up the bride in the wilderness
- They have fully died to self, seeking only God’s will. Ultimately putting to death the beast (of their flesh)
