Haggai 2:6-9
6 “For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land;
7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts.
8 ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts.
9 The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts.”
Our great God, revealing Himself via the prophet Haggai, identifies Himself in this timely prophecy as “Lord of Hosts”. Yahweh Ts’va-ot, aka: Warrior God. Commander and Chief of the armies of heaven. It is one title of our Lord that invites our understanding recognition that He is on the Divine Warpath. These verses point to the conclusion of the age, when our returning Lord will, to restore peace and glory to their proper state, necessarily, forcefully overthrow all of the rebelling nations and set things right. (Zech 12, Isa 30, elsewhere). Verse 6 speaks of God’s intended shaking work, purposed to get the attention of the people of the world, all of us, particularly His saints. That shaking work is beginning on our watch. The prophetic math provides us a timeline to understand some of the WHENS of God. There’s a search facility on the www.ez3728.com website where you can access other supportive writings.
All that to say: The many troubling events on earth in these days – locally, nationally, and globally, are in large part part of that shaking. Biblical history confirms more folks come to their Lord when there’s discomfort rather than when there’s comfort. Without a sober, prayerful, biblical God-grid of understanding, the world (individuals, people groups, govts) look to decry, blame, accuse march, riot, loot, even kill others who are in disagreement w their perspective or cause or complaint, or skin color or ethnicity or social status (high or low). Meanwhile the problem is not any one symptom in particular. It is the daily-increasing fullness of the sin-state on earth that will eventually climax in an environment completely contrary to the holiness of God. And then our Lord will return.
The saints are told this by the One who has saved us:
Luke 21:25-28
25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;
26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
The issue is SYSTEMIC SIN. It began in the Garden. It’s flourished throughout the millennia because mankind for the most part, continues to be unkind (man-unkind?) one to another, and then stems from disobedience a holy God – a holy God Who will not change, adjust, diminish, evolve, in His holiness to become “relevant” to our devolving culture.
It is not systemic racism (although racism needs to be addressed in a holy manner)
It is not systemic governmental corruption (although that too is a grievous evil)
It is not systemic anything in particular. It is systemic sin.
In some ways, the people of God bear much of the responsibility for not preaching (of course, in love) against sin.
The salt of the earth has dropped the ball on being the salt of the earth, and the earth has and continues to going rotten without that prophetic preservative: Spiritual Salt.
Saints – our only safe place is repentance, surrender and holiness. Isa 60:1-2 – two conditions at the same time: Light coming upon the people of God. Darkness covering the whole earth. Awake to righteousness. It is no time for any compromise. “Having done all to stand” (Ephesians), says Rabbi Paul.
Not-Yet Saints – your only safe place is repentance and surrender and holiness. Your own good deeds are insufficient to attain to holiness. Holiness is in our Savior.
Stubborn Sinners – God loves you so much He even promises to increase the shaking the work, troubling you and the world until all who would finally surrender, will surrender. And sadly we’re told many will never surrender, and instead will even cry for the rocks to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb:
Revelation 6:15-17
15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains,
16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!
17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
SYSTEMIC SIN is the problem, and that takes on many forms.
Meanwhile: Sin will never solve the sin crisis.
More laws of man will not be the remedy.
The saints ought to know better. It’s all in the Book.
Don’t let the issues (real or not) be THE ISSUE.
THE ISSUE is the upcoming return of the Lord.
Follow
