Manifestation Of The Sons Of God

By G. Reckart, Pastor
Copyright 1984 All Rights Reserved

THE COUNTING PRINCIPAL

The term "sons of God" is found ten times in the Bible:

Genesis 6:2
Genesis 6:4
Job 1:6
Job 2:1
John 1:12
Romans 8:14
Romans 8:19
Philimon 2:15
1John 3:1-2

In the first two texts, some think this refers to angels who came down and had sexual relations with women.  Many in the UPC hold this doctrine.  I know because I was raised in a UPC church that taught it.  I attended several other UPC churches over the years and heard this repeated again and again.  I did not disbelieve this theory because I was young and my mind was not yet formed. In my later years when I entered into the Ministry, I studied this theory out and rejected it.  I saw in this event that the sons of God were no more then men themselves. They were however different then many men because they were sons of God. To have this identity it was necessary for these men to have some kind of relationship with God to be called his sons.  These sons were not literal offspring of God, as if they were demi-gods or human-gods  (half-man and half-God), fathered biological by God through different women. No, these sons of God were men who had a unique spiritual relationship with God to be called his sons. This is the beginning of God calling those things that were not as if they were (Romans 4:17).  They were called sons of God but were not literal sons of God! They were counted as sons of God although there was no God about them except their spirituality.  Spiritually then they were called sons of God.  Later on in the New Testament this Counting Principal of the Sons of God is applied to certain male believers (John 1:12; Romans 8:14, 19; Philippians 2:15;1John 3:1).

In the second two texts the term indeed refers to heavenly beings, angels. But were these literal biological sons of God?  If they were, who were their mothers? Since there are millions of angels did God also have millions of God-Wives to birth these sons? Obviously only those whose minds are in a delusion will claim angels are gods. Here again we have the Word of God calling beings something they were not.  We have the origin of the doctrine of being "counted" to be something that they physically were NOT!

We learn one thing here: its not what man thinks about the Counting Principal, its how God accepts it.  If God counts Abraham righteous because of his faith, then Abraham is righteous.  It matters not who finds fault or sin in his life, God counted his sin forgive and he himself holy and unrebukable.  This glorious state of mercy and grace was imputed to him because of his faith.  We can question but we cannot deny.  We can deny but the truth remains stedfast and unmoveable.  The Counting Principal is beyond the power of man to deny or alter.

The  Manifestation of the sons of God

The word "manifestation" according to Strongs is: apokalupsis; disclousre, appearing, coming, lighten, manifestation, revealed, and revelation (Greek #602).  This same word is translated "coming" in 1Peter 1:7 and "revelation" in Revelation 1:1.

Now do I mean the manifestation of the sons of God are men who are gods? No, and I have never believed or taught this Mormon doctrine.  The word "manifestation" as used in the following text means appearing or revealed in the sense of coming out from being hidden:

Romans 8:19-For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Most scholars interpret this to mean the world waits in expectation for men used of God in a special way, to come forth and bring to the nations the true revelations of God.  I believe this is accurate.  I believe the Apostles were sons of God and in this office the Counting Principal of being "sons" gives Divine authority for the work they are to perform. As sons of God they are ambassadors, they are sent to reconcile the world back to God. They have a Divine mission to bring the light of the Gospel to the nations.  They are the Men of God who separate from all others and walk in the Light. The manifestation of the sons of God is something the Lord himself does. He calls the men, prepares them, and at the appointed time they come into the revelation of the Light. These then manifest to the world that which they have seen, heard, and felt.  In these sons of God there is no division, there are no brawlers, they are humble and lowly.  They are meek and kind. They are prince of men whom many imitate but none can duplicate. The status as a manifest son of God is not man given and man cannot stop it.

Spiritual Restoration Sons of God

Those who understand church history know the different transitions that took place after the Apostles died. Men who once knew and walked in the light, departed into various delusions and false doctrines. The Apostolic Church declined in numbers and eventually was unrecognizabe, having been forced underground and to meet in secret.  The open and public church was now profane and false doctrine replaced Truth. This condition thrust upon the world the "dark ages." During this time from 325AD to around 1200AD the Catholic Church persecuted and killed thousands because they would not convert to the heresies of perverted men. Truth was crushed from the midst of the nations. Traditions of men and pagan ceremonies and rituals were followed and practiced.  Little by little the knowledge of Truth was destroyed.  People's minds were deceived. We get a glimpse from time to time of the glorious Apostolic Doctrine trying to come out of hiding and manifest itself to the world. Each and every time a Truth came forth the devil was there to fight it, destroy the names and characters of those who preached it. The spirit of error demanded death for such sons of God to manifest the Truth. But Truth will come forth. God has ordained it.

We fast forward to the year 1899.  After many centuries of freedom of religion and open Bibles, restoration of the Apostolic Church to its first century character became a hunger of many men.  So, on new years eve in Topeka, Kansas, a Bible Study group under the leadership of Charles Parham decided to pray and ask the Lord for the baptism of the Holy Ghost.  They knew it was in the Bible. They knew speaking in tongues was the evidence. And so they decided to have a pray meeting and lay hands on one another and pray that they might receive their Pentecost. To their surprise God rewarded their faith and many of them received their Pentecost that night.  Parham did not receive this blessing that night although he prayed for several who did. He was to receive his Pentecost a couple days later.  Out of this meeting the Lord was to raise up some manifested sons of God. They were to come forth and reveal and disclose Truth that had been replaced and fought against for nearly 1700 years.  What was the response of the demented religious groups?

These men are devils, they have demons in them.  They are a cult.  They are leading the people into isolationism.  They are following one man. They believe they are the sons of God and this phrase is used by several cults. One by one the Ministers who received their Pentecost suffered at the mouths of gainsayers and brawlers.  Their church services were disrupted by rowdy men who would throw skunks into the meeting places.  They threw rotten eggs at those who attended. They stood outside and yelled and chanted "cult, cult, cult."  The sufferings were great.  But opposition only made the revival grow.  The coming forth of the manifestation of the sons of God could not be stopped.

It was in 1914 that Frank Ewart came forth as a manifest son of God restoring baptism in the name of Jesus Christ and the Oneness of the Godhead.  Others accepted the "new issue" doctrine and manifes themselves as sons of God. Such men were Glenn Cook and G.T. Haywood. It only took a  few manifest sons of God to bring a world-wide restoration of Apostolic Truth.  The manifestation of these sons of God brought them hate, bigotry, persecution, railings, and false accustions they were a cult. Who but those full of the devil would hurl such accusations against Godly men whose lives witness their righteousness?  There came forth many men who received the Oneness Truth and the revelation of baptism in the name of Jesus.  But these men were not manifest sons of God. They would love to have that identity but they were not the ones God used to restore to the world the Apostolic doctrines of faith and practice.  So it was, that many of those who later came among the Oneness churches began to be jealous and throwing mud at one who made their ministry look small or unimportant.

The manifestation of the sons of God follows a certain order. First you have those chosen of God to be pioneers in Truth in whatever stage of restoration.  Second, these chosen men are placed by God in a time and environment where their ministry comes to the front of all others in the world.  They step forth like John the Baptist and the Apostles, ready for the challenge and prepared for the sacrifices.  They anticipate the hate they must endure, and face it with all joy.  They are not hired and cannot be fired.  They may be called a cult, an isolationist, and even accused of other sinful acts: but they ignore these rants as the bitterness of men who are failures who wanna-be recoignized but God has not chosen them so! The manifestation of the sons of God will materialize even more as we pass on into the 90s and then into the next century. As Pentecost continues to backslide, and young men come along whose egos are more important then Truth, Laodiciea will be manifest.  Spiritual blindness will sweep Pentecost until the Apostles Doctrine will be compromised.  Trinitarians will stand one day on Oneness platforms and be called Brothers. Unity will become more important then doctrine. The world will slip into the endtimes as the great falling away takes place but few recognize it because liberalism will be accepted as Godliness. Out of the midst of this darkness will come the last and final manifestation of the sons of God.

The Lord has shown me that he will raise up a new generation of young men.  These young anointed men of God will excell the Pentecostal preachers all around them. They will see what others cannot.  And they will restore all the fullness of the revelation of Jesus Christ that the other sons of God could not because the fulness of time has not arrived. The endtime manifestation of the sons of God will be attacked.  These great men will be called all sorts of names.  They must endure the contradiction of sinners.  They must stand when their own families turn against them.  They will be hated of all nations for the name sake of Jesus our Lord.  These manifest sons of God will bring the final perfection to the Church.

Who will these men be?

Some will come out of the UPC. Some will come out of the PAW.  Some will come out of the ALJC.  Some will come out of the PAJC.  Some will come out of the AMF.  And some will come out of independent Churches. These will come out from among them and separate themselves to bring forth the last day revival of the Kingdom of God. Yes, Jesus said the Gospel of the Kingdom would be preached among all nations for a witness, then shall the end come (Matthew 24:14). Until this Gospel of the Kingdom is preached the end will not come. The Lord must fulfill prophecy and bring forth men in their generation to accomplish this great world-wide revival.  The manifestation of the sons of God will come. We wait for it, we pray for it, and we will see it some day.  I believe this Gospel of the Kingdom will restore the identity and revelation of the throne of David.  I also believe the Jewishness of the Church will play a great role in the final restoration of the olive tree. If the Jews will be grafted into the same thing they were severed out of, then the Church must return to its Jewishness.  But remember, this Jewishness is New Testament it is not Old Testament law-keeping.

May the manifest sons of God come forth,

Pastor G. Reckart
Terrell, Texas