Dear Doves,
 
    I have read many excellent posts and I commend you all on your efforts to understand the revelation that God is giving to his church concerning the time in which we live.  Even though I have visited this web site for a couple of years and followed your posts with interest, I have never posted a letter myself.  As I was tempted to do so this morning, but not wanting to take the time, my internet connection locked up.  I looked at my digital computer clock and it read 9:11 AM.  A sign or a coincidence?  Either way, I decided to take the time to post this letter concerning the number of the church.
    I have seen much discussed about the significance of the 153 fishes in John 21:11 and the 120 disciples in the upper room in Acts 1:15, but I haven't read anything about the sum of the two: 273.  It was revealed through several dreams, visions and revelations to a nearby church that the number 273 represents the church of Jesus Christ, or the "church of the firstborn".  The 120 in the upper room represents the beginning of the church and the 153 fishes represents the endtime harvest of the nations into the church.  Sum the two together and you have the number 273 representing the whole church from start to finish.  In Numbers 3:46-49 we see a type of the church in the firstborn of Israel over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites and their number is 273.
    The number 273 is also significant relative to the number of lost souls that were on the ship on which Paul sailed to Rome (Acts 27:37).  Luke begins to use the pronoun “we” in Acts 27, and indicates that Aristarchus traveled with Paul and himself.  Just as the presence of  Paul and his two companions (all three ministers) brought salvation to the 273 others on the ship, God is using his ministers today to proclaim his salvation to the lost world.  It’s also interesting to note that –273 is absolute zero on the centigrade temperature scale.  Think of what this world would be like without the church.
   It is of special interest that the revelation was confirmed to the people of this particular church in that God called attention to the fact that the pastor's birthday was on the 273rd day from the end of the year.  The church itself, in North Alabama, falls within the 273 degree longitude band if you count 0 to 360 instead of +/- 180.  By dreams and visions, he showed the church that 4 of the nearby 273 mile markers on different highways form four points of a cross on a map that falls within the 273 longitude band.   Needless to say, the church was quite excited about this revelation which seemed to be given personally to that church.  What's the primary significance of the number of the church being 273?  I don't know, but perhaps God will give some of you the answer or at least additional revelation on this subject.
Keep looking up (and in the Word) for your redemption draweth nigh!
 
 
David Robinson
robinson@airnet.net