Harmonic Concordance and Gathering "Without Hands"

Message from Sterling D. Allan

November 8, 2003 "Harmonic Concordance" Day 1

This message evolved and transformed even as it was written, so bear with the mundane beginning, as it builds to an ending that I think all serious seekers of a better world will find worth while.  It presents a modern fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy of the kingdom of Heaven being established on earth in the last days.

 

On this day of convergence of planets, the moon and the Sun, I ask your indulgence in reading what I have composed here.  The birth of my daughter just two days prior gives me added incentive to take the microphone for a few minutes, so to speak, in hopes that what I say will strike a responsive chord with you.

 

The main topic I would like to address here is the convergence of heaven and earth as the kingdom of God is established upon the earth, and some recent developments of great significance toward this taking place.

 

I realize that there are many noble souls on earth who are playing a key role in preparing for this convergence of heaven and earth.

 

What I would like to present today is a recent major clue I came across about how this kingdom will take shape, and what my associates and myself are doing to specifically to facilitate that process, and an invitation to you to join with us.

 

I would like to begin by presenting briefly the specifics of the projects in which I am involved, and then draw your attention to how they coincide with the fulfillment of prophecy.

 

As you know, I am running for U.S. President in 2004 (www.allan2004.com) with a two-fold message.  First, this great nation is on the brink of calamity and will reap destruction if it does not undergo a massive transformation of heart.  The campaign is presented as a choice for the people to elect a radically different course and thus diminish, if not turn away, the calamities that would come otherwise.

 

Second, in the course of building this campaign, we will be building a support network, based on foundation principles of eternal truth, whose scope goes far beyond just this run for the presidency.  We are building an alternate society of people knit together in mind and heart with a common purpose of establishing God's kingdom on earth.

 

In brief, God's kingdom has two primary elements: (1) freedom, and (2) righteousness.  The righteousness component is borne of gospel principles of faith, repentance, baptism (covenant with God), and being born of the Spirit, and having the Holy Spirit of God to dwell within to guide in the ways of truth and refine the soul to alignment with the will of God.  The freedom component has to do with a form of government that fosters individual responsibility.

 

These two work in symphony -- righteous individuals joined together in a covenant community whose guiding principle is the protection of freedom.

 

On one hand, we will be running a campaign to promote these principles, to establish a party that stands for these principles, not just nationally but globally.  One of the temporary objectives will be to promote a candidate for president of the United States.  That objective will be one of the gathering factors, but not the only one.

 

At the same time, we will actually be establishing amongst ourselves just such a society as we envision will eventually fill the earth.  That society will begin one cell at a time, which will expand cell by cell.  The exact structure of this may change, but the idea of gathering is the primary principle.

 

To begin, each cell will be comprised of a few (5-12) individuals with one captain (or captain pair) that they select to preside.  Each cell is united not just loosely, but seek to become tighter than family in supporting one another, getting to know one another, and assisting one another in identifying and accomplishing their respective missions in life.  As one cell is strengthened, each member of that cell is also building another cell, lending to the growth or expansion of the body.

 

The multi-level marketing structure bears some resemblance, except in this case, the "up-line" and "down-line" are not fixed.  A person can move from one cell to another as cause may arise, to fill a purpose for which they are ideally suited.

 

As this body grows, we will be establishing a separate economy and society based on solid principles, independent of the existing system.

 

The notion for combining these purposes (campaign and alternate society) for synergistic fulfillment was born on Oct. 30.

 

On November 3, I came across a prophetic validation for what it is we are embarking on here, tying it in to the prophecy in Daniel about the stone cut out of the mountains without hands, which rolls forth and fills the whole earth.

 

One of the most well-known prophecies in all scripture is Daniel 2 that states that "in the latter days" (2:28) the Lord will "set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever" (2:44).  Daniel links this to Nebuchadnezzar's visions of a stone "cut out of the mountain without hands..." (2:45).

 

The context of the chapter shows that this is talking about a government that will be established never to be thrown down.  Some believe that this refers exclusively to their church denomination.  While their church likely plays a role in laying the groundwork (D&C 65:2), there is more to it than that.  A treatise needs to be done on the subject, and would rightly fill an entire book if not more.  Suffice it to say for now, Daniel is describing a "kingdom" not just a church, though that kingdom is sure to have a strong foundation in principles of virtue as sustained by gospel living.

 

According to Daniel's interpretation of king Nebuchadnezar's dream, the various components of the "great image" correspond to the major world powers down through history, that "bear rule over all the earth" (2:39), beginning with Nebuchadnezar's Babylonian kingdom (2:38).  We must therefore presume that the "kingdom" of which he speaks, the final and enduring kingdom that supersedes all these, will also be a global governmental system -- the ideal system.

 

Surely such a government is not presently in prevailing power on the earth at this time.  Rather, this is a time when corruption abounds, and the antithesis prevails.  Satan's influence is coming to its pinnacle of glory on earth.  The stage is set for the "reign of the beast" (another prophecy by Daniel, in chapter 7; compared Revelation 13).

 

Those who have thought the prophecy in Daniel 2 is referring to their church are in part correct, for a distinguishing element of the kingdom is that it is the kingdom of heaven on earth, and such a society will not just be based on a properly arranged government system, but will necessarily also have a righteousness element nurtured by the church.

 

The phrase "made without hands" is a single word, acheiropoietos, in the original Greek New Testament, from which the modern Bibles (NT) are translated.  Alphabetically, it is word number 886 according to James Strong's numbering of all the words of the Bible approximately a century ago.  This is just two digits away from the number of Jesus: 888.  The word just prior, 885, is a proper noun, Acheim, and means "the Lord will establish."

 

The word for "made without hands" is derived from two Greek words: a (1), which means "without," and cheiropoietos (5499), which means "made with hands."

 

All this ties strongly into the idea of the prophecy of Daniel of a kingdom of God to be established in the latter days.

 

The word immediately following cheiropoietos (5499), is very interesting, considering what we have been contemplating above regarding a campaign for the presidency on a new party ticket that stands for restoring government to its proper, limited bounds; and simultaneously, and more importantly, establishing a new society that combines principles of righteousness and freedom.

 

Word 5500, cheirotoneo is defined: "To elect to an office by lifting up the hand; to choose, vote (2 Cor. 8:19); to appoint to an office (Acts 14:23)."

 

That certainly is relevant to the notion of an election, especially in the United States.

 

The antonyms for the word are: "aneireo: to abolish; katargeo: to put down, cancel out; anathematizo: to curse; paraiteomai: to depreciate, reject; aporripto: to hurl off, reject." (Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament; 1994.)

 

On a mundane level, an application I personally find in these definitions is an apt description of how people have responded to my announcement of my candidacy for President of the United States.  It is an "impossible dream."  Yet I know in my heart that what I am promoting is indeed a superior proposition -- just as the home birth of my daughter two days ago, with a team of caring midwives, is far superior to the way birth has been turned into a medical emergency in the United States, placing the U.S. 28th world wide in infant and mother mortality.  The later represents the status quo, the former is the ideal, currently spurned by the status quo as a strange thing, when in fact the status quo is what is out of order.

 

Putting my personal situation aside, these antonym word meanings are a close match to the opposite of "shall stand forever" (Daniel 2:44); just as "made with hands" is an opposite of "without hands" (Daniel 2:45).

 

These two neighboring word definitions are thus just as pertinent to each other as the neighboring verses of Daniel 2:44 and 2:45 are.

 

Look at the antonyms one at a time, to see if that statement is not justified.

 

Daniel 2:44 phrase and word 5500 antonyms

"aneireo: to abolish" is opposite "shall stand forever"

"katargeo: to put down, cancel out" is opposite "shall stand forever"

"paraiteomai: to depreciate, reject" is opposite "shall stand forever"

"aporripto: to hurl off, reject" is opposite "shall stand forever"

 

and

 

 

Furthermore, the phrase "shall stand forever" from Daniel 2:44 is opposite the fate of the kingdoms that precede the prophesied kingdom of God, which "shall break in pieces and consume" them.

 

Somehow, the idea of God's kingdom being ushered in by a violent overthrow of the existing governments, is incongruous to the establishment of a reign of peace.  However, a careful examination will show that violence is not even required or indicated.

 

The Hebrew word used here for "break" is daquq which means "to crush, to beat small, to break in pieces."

 

As proposed above, establishing this new government one cell at a time, a tiny unit by any measure, could certainly qualify as "breaking in pieces."  The Hebrew word for "pieces" in Daniel 2:44 means "a (tiny) bit."  And this manner of "breaking into small segments" is not violent at all.

 

And by the establishment, piece by piece, of these small cells, are the kingdoms of the world "consumed."

 

A look at the various meanings of the Hebrew word, kalah, that is here translated "consumed" is rather interesting in this context.

 

The third meaning is the one that might be the first to come to mind: "(3) to be consumed, spent; to be wasted, to be destroyed, to perish."  The first definition for the word, though, is the dominant meaning of the word, and it means "completed finished, to be prepared, made ready for; to be accomplished, fulfilled."

 

In other words, whoever was translating the Hebrew into English chose the violent connotation of the word, while a peaceful meaning may actually be more correct.

 

The second meaning of the word means "to be past, gone by," with a couple of examples cited: "when the vintage is ended; "and the indignation shall be past."

 

The destructions slated for the planet are consequences of collective choices made contrary to upright principles.  The indignation can be turned away by an awakening and a change of heart -- one cell at a time.

 

Biblical prophecies sometimes compare the end time tribulations to a woman in labor, bringing forth a new child.

 

The analogy is a potent one.  The new kingdom is the new child.  The pain of delivery precedes the birth, and hits its climax with the overwhelming pain of labor and transition.

 

But the very last chapter of Isaiah presents an interest twist to this metaphor.

 

Consider this:  "Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child."  (Isaiah 66:7.)  And the next verse: "Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things?" (Isaiah 66:8.)

 

At a minimum, this gives evidence that the kingdom that Daniel saw, that eventually fills the whole earth, will begin its birth even before the massive tribulations hit the planet.  I would go on to assert that this newly birthed kingdom can be the very source of turning away the calamities that are prophesied to come, by preaching repentance.  A mighty change of heart of a significant core of people can have a profound effect upon the course the planet takes.

 

"Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once?" (Isaiah 66:8)

 

The Lord has something dramatic in store.

 

I invite you to join with us in gathering together upon true principles of freedom and uprightness, that these might fill the whole earth, one cell at a time, breaking into small pieces the governance of the earth, unified under the same foundations of truth.

 

A people thus inclined heavenward are sure to invite the visitation of heaven upon their endeavors, seen and unseen.  Heaven can be established on earth -- one cell at a time.  And one cell thus established can be heaven, despite what the rest of the world may be doing.

 

With the advent of the internet, once I hit "send," this message will be conveyed within seconds to hundreds of individuals throughout the earth.  And some of those will forward it on to their friends.

 

You don't need me or anyone else to oversee your development of a cell group.  It can be between you and your friends and the Lord.  You gather upon principles of freedom and uprightness, you invite heaven, and you become a fulfillment of bringing heaven to earth.  Your cell joins with a neighboring cell, and you unite in your purpose as well.  These larger groupings likewise combine into yet larger groupings, and so forth.  All along, the basic cell remains the most fundamental and autonomous entity where fundamental human caring and interaction takes place.

 

Indeed, a nation could be born in a day, as millions of individuals worldwide choose to unit one at a time, into caring groups based on eternal principles.

 

You don't need to wait to see if other people are going to act before you do.  You can being to unit with those you love, and form such bonds amongst yourselves, and invite heaven to be your guide and partner.  Even if no one else did it, you would have heaven on earth; and your example would draw others to do the same.

 

As we thus commence, we can share with each other what we learn experience -- "open sourcing" the phenomenon so that all may benefit.

 

I will be posting an index of resources I consider to be most fundamental here:

 

http://www.greaterthings.com/Gathering

 

Sincerely,

 

Sterling D. Allan