To the beautiful Bride of Christ, whether weary-hearted or consumed with longing for your Beloved, this vision is for you. I pray your heart will be open to the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads you into a new awareness of His love.
At the Threshold
At the beginning of this new year, 2023, as I was quiet before the Lord, a very tall, golden door stood wide open, about twelve feet in front of me. It wasn't the door that caught my attention but a brilliant white light radiating from the room to which it opened. To say it was a white light seems insignificant. It was the whitest white, so brilliant and consuming that it was all I could see...white that was both intimidating and inviting. It was the holiness of God, fearful and pure but welcoming.
As I drew near, the Holy Spirit reminded me of Song of Songs 6:12 in The Passion Translation which, in part, says, "Then suddenly my longings transported me. My divine desire brought me next to my beloved prince..." (Song of Songs 6:12 TPT).
Immediately, I knew what I was about to experience was for you, the Bride. Your longing has transported you to this open invitation. Whether your love for Him feels weak and scattered or all-consuming, it has caught His attention. So, as you read, engage your heart and allow Him to lead you into this life-transforming encounter.
Standing at the threshold of the room, I tried to see what was inside, but the white was too white, and my eyes couldn't adjust. Going in meant that I had to trust Him fully. I had no idea if I was stepping off a high cliff or what I would meet on the other side. The white was so consuming that I felt that there might not be anything left of me if I went in.
My first thought was to leave any baggage (worries, cares, etc.) outside the room. The fear of the Lord was so strong that all I wanted was to enter this holy place clean. How could I tidy myself up? What could I do or pray to make sure there was no shadow of darkness in me? Immediately, I knew it would be pointless. No amount of striving could ever make me ready to go into that room. So I stepped in, baggage and all.
Stepping Through the Door
With that first step, I knew that Jesus was the Door (see John 10:9). He had made the way for me to enter in, and He wanted all of me exactly as I was. I knew that the greatest surrender was to bring all of myself to Him unreservedly, to trust Him alone to do His perfect work of transformation in me. Would I trust Jesus? Will we trust Jesus enough to let all of ourselves be open to Him, even the places where we hide?
"...Now he comes closer, even to the places where I hide. He gazes into my soul, peering through the portal as he blossoms within my heart." (Song of Songs 2:9 TPT) (Photo via Pixabay)
Stepping in becomes our surrender. Though we've tried, prayed, and yielded a thousand times in a thousand ways, certain cares still feel sticky. Like that last bit of glue that just won't wash off, it remains and tugs at our attention. Such little things become so distracting.
Surrender isn't complicated; it is a simple act of stepping into God's presence, sticky bits and all, and trusting Him to do whatever He wants to do in our hearts and with our lives.
The moment I stepped in, I was completely engulfed in this white expanse. God wrapped me and became a shield around me. Then a strong breeze encircled me and flowed through me, blowing away everything I held on to – not only the concerns but also everything I thought I knew about anything. I was stripped not only of baggage but also of any thought or belief that was inferior to the mind of Christ. Though I couldn't see my nakedness, I knew I was without covering or pretense. There was nothing hidden in me that He didn't already know.
Anointed with Oil and Washed in the Living Word
For a moment, I saw myself from above. An angel was pouring water into my mind, and I could see that the water was liquid words. I knew this angel was pouring the Living Word into me, and that the Lord would give each of us key verses to focus on that would contain answers to our prayers and life to our souls.
As this living water of the Word saturated my mind, my eyes began to adjust to the whiteness. I could see two angels tending to me and very dimly began to notice many other people in the room. I felt unburdened and courageous. I was thinking more clearly than ever because I had the mind of Christ. I was aware of what had burdened me before, but now I only felt absolute confidence in my Father God to take care of every concern.
The verses the Lord will inflame within your heart will change your perspective. As you honor His Word and ponder it with Him, courage, faith, and peace will fill you. Be very aware of the passages He gives you this year. Hold them as precious treasures in your heart and your thoughts. Taste their sweetness often, and let them be as honey on your lips as you frame your life with them.
Next, the angels poured oil into my eyes, ears, chest, and hands. Then they poured it on my head, and it dripped all over me. (I will share an important Scripture regarding this at the end.)
The Purified Colors of Our Personalities
After the washing of living water and the anointing of oil, I was very aware of the Holy Spirit in me. I had not only been immersed in this white light, but it was also in me, filling me and radiating out. I looked down at my clothing; to say I was dressed as a bride isn't adequate. In a way that I cannot explain, I saw that I was clothed with Christ. He had become the glory around me and in me. We were one – totally and absolutely merged in perfect union. I laughed and cried and thought I had actually stepped into Heaven without knowing it.
I looked at the others in the room; they were just as beautiful and magnificent as I was. We had chosen to step into the unknown of absolute surrender, letting our longing lead us into this place. We had chosen to be His, no matter what.
Then, colors appeared in the room. Blue, green, pink, yellow, and many other colors wafted from the people. Each person radiated with both white and color. It was exquisite to see and left us in awe.
Instantly, I knew that the colors represented our personalities. We had been washed, stripped, and consumed with glory, but it didn't remove our personalities. It purified and enhanced them. There was so much joy in the room, and I could feel the Father's delight in us, His most desired creation.
Each person had come into the fullness they were created for because they had finally surrendered to love. Now, the Word, the presence of God, the gifts (anointing) we carried, and our unique, beautiful personalities were ebbing and flowing together in harmony. (Photo via Public Domain Vectors)
On Earth as It Is in Heaven
I thought again that I was catching a glimpse of Heaven until a door with a window appeared ahead of me. The blue sky and green grass of Earth awaited me on the other side. I turned to the others and saw that we each had a door to walk through.
A declaration filled the room, "On Earth as it is in Heaven." The Father wanted us to walk in our fullness so that together, as His Bride, we would release Him into the earth. We were set apart, holy vessels filled with power and authority. This had already been our identity, but now we were going to walk in the reality and awareness of it at unprecedented levels. We had effortlessly surrendered by simply stepping into the invitation.
Now, as we fix our eyes on Jesus – not on our ability to do, to surrender, or to be anything significant – we are coming into our fullness. We are being beautified by the glory of Christ.
Covered with His Splendor
The Scripture the Lord gave me as I pondered this vision was Ezekiel 16:8-9 in the Amplified.
"'Then I passed by you [again] and looked on you; behold, you were maturing and at the time for love, and I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore [an oath] to you and entered into a covenant with you,' says the Lord GOD, 'and you became Mine. Then I washed you with water; yes, I [thoroughly] washed away from you the [clinging] blood and anointed you with oil.'" (Ezekiel 16:8-9 AMP)
We have the Lord's attention, and He has covered our nakedness. He has washed us and anointed us with oil.
Verse 14 says, "'Then your fame went out among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My majesty and splendor which I bestowed on you,' says the Lord GOD" (Ezekiel 16:14 AMP).
God has bestowed us with His splendor so that we will carry it into the earth. Without religious cloaks, jargon, or false humility, we will radiate Him, unashamed of our unique personalities. We are rising and shining because our time has come.
"Be Holy, Because I Am Holy"
The vision ended with Jesus coming to each of us. As we took His hand and walked through the door in front of us, He said, "Be holy, because I am holy" (see 1 Peter 1:16 NIV). And I knew that this was possible to the extent that we remain in Him and turn our awareness to Him when distractions attempt to steal our focus.
This room is His holy presence, and the invitation to step in and be washed and consumed by Him is open to us every day.
It is time for the Bride of Christ to arise and shine!
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(Used by Permission via The Passion Translation)
Gretchen Rodriguez
Gretchen Rodriguez Ministries
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Website:Â www.gretchenrodriguez.com
Gretchen Rodriguez is a writer, dancer and ballet teacher. Her heart burns with one main message: Intimacy with Jesus and discovering the reality of His presence. She co-authored Prayers on Fire, 365 Days Praying the Psalms, The Divine Romance: 365 Days Meditating on the Song of Songs and Ever-Present Love: 365 Days Discovering Jesus in the Gospels, with Brian Simmons. She and her husband invested nine years as missionaries in Puerto Rico, along with their three daughters. They now make California their home.
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Gretchen Rodriguez is a friend, a prophetic scribe, and an anointed author. I've known her and her husband Len for many years. They have been missionaries of love to the nations and carry a call to bring this generation closer to Christ.
