Tough Days. WANTED: Tough Prophets with Tender Hearts

Posted on April 1, 2020 by ez3728

The International Bible Society website offers us a concise explanation of the circumstances surrounding the times of Ezekiel. The underlines are mine, so that you don’t miss some specific points. Some of my comments appear as notations, in certain parentheticals.
https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/intro-to-ezekiel/

BACKGROUND
Ezekiel lived during a time of international upheaval. The Assyrian empire that had once conquered the Syro-Palestinian area and destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel (which fell to the Assyrians in 722–721 b.c.) began to crumble under the blows of a resurgent Babylon. In 612 the great Assyrian city of Nineveh fell to a combined force of Babylonians and Medes. (EZ: SO WE SEE ONE EMPIRE FALL AND ANOTHER EMERGE – BABYLON GOES DOWN. ASSYRIA RISES UP. BABYLON HAD EARLIER CONQUERED THE 10 NORTHERN TRIBES OF ISRAEL)

Three years later, Pharaoh Neco II of Egypt marched north to assist the Assyrians and to try to reassert Egypt’s age-old influence over Canaan and Aram (Syria). (EZ: IT IS THAT KIND OF ARMIES-PASSING-THROUGH-ISRAEL THAT THE LORD SOMETIMES USED TO CHASTISE AND DISCIPLINE HIS PEOPLE, EVEN WHEN WARRING NATIONS HAD OTHER CONFLICTS ON THEIR MINDS – ref: Ezek 29:20).

At Megiddo, King Josiah of Judah, who may have been an ally of Babylon as King Hezekiah had been, attempted to intercept the Egyptian forces but was crushed, losing his life in the battle (see 2Ki 23:29–30;2Ch 35:20–24).
Jehoahaz, a son of Josiah, ruled Judah for only three months, after which Neco installed Jehoiakim, another son of Josiah, as his royal vassal in Jerusalem (609 b.c.). In 605 the Babylonians overwhelmed the Egyptian army at Carchemish (see Jer 46:2), then pressed south as far as the Philistine plain. In the same year, Nebuchadnezzar was elevated to the Babylonian throne and Jehoiakim shifted allegiance to him. When a few years later the Egyptian and Babylonian forces met in a standoff battle, Jehoiakim rebelled against his new overlord.

Nebuchadnezzar soon responded by sending a force against Jerusalem, subduing it in 597 b.c. Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin and about 10,000 Jews (see 2Ki 24:14), including Ezekiel (EZ: EXPLAINING HOW EZEKIEL WAS ALREADY IN EARLY-JUDAIC EXILE WHILE JERUSALEM REMAINED POPULATED BY JEWISH PEOPLE), were exiled to Babylon, where they joined those who had been exiled in Jehoiakim’s “third year” (see Da 1:1 and note). Nebuchadnezzar placed Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, on the throne in Jerusalem, but within five or six years he too rebelled. The Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem in 588, and in July, 586, the walls were breached and the city plundered. On Aug. 14, 586, the city and temple were burned.

Under Nebuchadnezzar and his successors, Babylon dominated the international scene until it was crushed by Cyrus the Persian in 539 b.c. The reign of the house of David came to an end; the kingdom of Judah ceased to be an independent nation; Jerusalem and the Lord’s temple lay in ruins.

ALL THIS TO SAY: God holds His people, always, to obedience and compliance. His covenant with men and with nations is taken most seriously by covenant-keeping God.
He told His people in the book of Amos:
Amos 3:1-3
1 Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying:
2 “You only have I known of all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” (AND v3 EXPLAINS WHY CORRECTIVE-PUNISHMENT IS SOMETIMES REQUIRED, FOR RE-ALIGNMENT BACK TO HOLY INTIMACY):
3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
Part of the accountability of people with whom the Lord has entered covenant is based upon His rightful desire and requirement for such people to “walk together” with Him. And He is holy. That has not gone out of style in the New Testament days. It is why Peter reminds us of the admonition:
“Be holy for I am holy”. (1 Peter 1:16)

The argument: “lighten up, we’re in New Testament days” does not stand up to the truth of scripture. It’s ironic that teachers wanting to paint all covenants of the Old Testament as being worn out and gone (citing Heb 8:13 which is intended to address the Mosaic ordinances), fail to embrace simultaneous truths written by that same author, who tells us:
Hebrews 12:25-29
25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,
26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”
27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
29 For our God is a consuming fire.

ALL THAT TO SAY: I am of the mind that what is occurring on earth right now, March, 2020, is more than a “forced Sabbath” (though it is), and more than a wakeup call (though it better be) and more than a “conspiracy theory” (which arguably is everything that rages against our Lord’s plans, if you want to get biblically technical – Ps 2).
The nations are raging and proclaiming lies, always, and at all times. Anything taught or proclaimed that contradicts the entire word of God is fake news.
Whether outside or, worse yet, inside of church or synagogue, we would all do well to address His sovereignty over all things, good and bad. Isa 45:7. That sovereignty includes His determination that man would have a free will. But the outcomes of free will, whether exercised that will is exercised in obedience or disobedience, is His to control. Below is Daniel’s chapter 9 prayer. It reveals much.

We appear to be in the most serious of times, times demanding our attention as well as our response. In many ways the outcome is contingent upon our response, individually as well as corporately. In other ways, we have been told the outcome of the divine story, and we will not reverse that – although we can have huge say:
(a) as to the outcome of our own salvation, and
(b) in offering salvation to as many as will come to our Lord.

THIS WRITING: Critical to the deliverance of any word from God, whether of comfort and encouragement, or warning, to anyone, is the heart of the delivering party. Ezekiel said some tough things – as did Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, Amos, Zephaniah, Obadiah, Zechariah, etc. – which explains why those “tough-things-prophets” are so infrequently taught, in textual fullness, in the church. The PROMISES in each of those books are often latched onto, highlighted and preached, but the fullness of those prophetic messages, including WARNINGS and recounts of OUTCOMES are typically left covered up and unaddressed. Sad/typically/dangerously, many church leaders would rather leave the tough stuff in the Old Testament.

But Paul told us in 1 Cor 10 that the whole book was written for our admonition, and purposely cited some startling biblical accounts to confirm what he meant. 1 Peter 1 tells us the Old Testament was written for the New Testament saint. Our Lord (Matt 24) pointed to the book of Daniel as key to our succeeding through the very toughest of days when the abomination that causes desolation (chapters 11 and 12) appears in the (yet to be rebuilt) temple.

THE PROPHET’S HEART: Precious about Ezekiel is his plea to God once divine slaughter was initiated in Jerusalem. Ezekiel was not looking to be affirmed by the activation of the tough words he had been instructed to proclaim. His heart was one of intercession and crying for mercy:

Ezekiel 9:8
8 So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I fell on my face and cried out, and said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?”

This same heart of mercy is evident in Daniel and in Jeremiah:
Daniel 9:3-19
3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
4 And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments,
5 we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.
6 Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land.
7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.
8 “O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.
9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him.
10 We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets.
11 Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him.
12 And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.
13 “As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth.
14 Therefore the LORD has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice.
15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly!
16 “O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.
17 Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate.
18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.
19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

Jeremiah 9:1
1 Oh, that my head were waters,
And my eyes a fountain of tears,
That I might weep day and night
For the slain of the daughter of my people!

I believe the Lord, in these days, is watching and evaluating the response of His people, His prophets, His prayer warriors, His intercessors, His watchmen on His walls. How do we address the message He is speaking to us, and also through us? And how will we respond, as His children, and also as His examples?

Tough times also means some tough revelations will be presented by the Lord to the messengers of God – and as always He is requiring that we speak all of His words, tough or not, always in love.

(all scripture NKJV)

Posted in Anointing, Apocalypse, Blessing, End Times Related, Everything, Faith, Fear of the Lord, Free Will, God's Word, Hearing God, Holiness, Holy Speech, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Movement of God, New Testament, Obedience, Old Testament, Personal Relationship, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophets, Repentance, Revelation(s), Salvation, Sin, Testing, Timing, Tribulation, Understanding & Knowing God, Wisdom, Word Of God | Leave a comment

As promised: A Link to prior teachings and notes, and some third party resources re these times

Posted on March 25, 2020 by ez3728

As some have requested and as I recently promised, I have uploaded a bunch of files that can serve as a resource – writings and some articles pertaining to my opinion regarding current situations on earth, as per the Lord’s plans and timing.

THE LINK:
https://ln2.sync.com/dl/0d9a68ba0/5hrbdzjs-bxk3p5g2-8maqe7sq-rqy5nwwc
THE PASSWORD:
EZ372801

I continue to be learning and pressing in to the Lord, so just like legal documents, I will say: In the event anything appears to conflict w other writings within this folder, more current writings are intended to supersede earlier writings – simply because I am on my journey, as you are on yours.

Some of the docs are live docs.
Some are pdfs
Powerpoints provide graphical support materials so you can see pics and specific scriptures used when many/most of these were publicly presented/taught.

Feel free to utilize any/all of these. They are the Lord’s not mine, unless they are proven incorrect, in which case they are mine!

The 3-week teaching on the books of 1 Peter and 2 Peter of course are broader than just end-times matters, but because that theme is so interwoven into both those books I’ve decided to include them in their entirety.

The David M. Rogers writing is particularly heady, but I believe invaluable it getting an understanding of the Restrainer mystery in Thessalonians. Those writings were a confirmation to me of the personal revelation I received from the Lord that became “The Main Event” writing that is available on the www.ez3728.com website – search for it via SUBJECT, typing in its name.

I wrote (in the prior post):
STAY TUNED FOR TEACHING NOTES: I am also gathering my notes from many teachings – some of which have not been posted on ez3728 before, including the 8-week 2018 Daniel class. Those include pics and scriptures in powerpoint format as well as word doc text – so that can be thoroughly dug into. Feel free to utilize, any/all any way you like. Please know that the writings are my personal teaching notes, and therefore HAVE NOT been perfectly and thoroughly proof-edited. Also, there may well be some specific mentions of events and people at church etc. They are what they are. If your name happens to be in any notes, sorry in advance. They are literally my notes to myself for the classes.
Blessings.

Posted in Anointing, End Times Related, False Teachers, Fear of the Lord, God's Word, Hearing God, Holy Spirit, Movement of God, New Testament, Obedience, Old Testament, Repentance, Revelation(s), Salvation, Timing, Tribulation, Understanding & Knowing God, Wisdom, Word Of God, Worship | Leave a comment

All that’s happening. All the questions. And shut-in or locked out, we finally find ourselves with time to wonder.

Posted on March 22, 2020 by ez3728

QUESTIONS: With so much happening, right now on a day to day basis, I am (like many, I’d presume) receiving emails, texts, phone calls, etc. – getting lots of questions, and inquiries re how I feel about things, what I’ve written, taught on, spoken to individual folks, believers or not yet believers, in the past. I am asked about what others are currently preaching, teaching, and prophesying.

WHAT I AM NOT: First and foremost – Please know I do not consider myself an expert, or the official clearing house for conditions on earth. The EZ3728 website says: “One Man’s Opinion”.

WHAT I BELIEVE: I am fully convinced Jesus (Y’Shua) is the one and only Messiah for both the Jew and non-Jew. I’ve had way too many experiences, dreams, revelations and other wild “co-ordinated incidences” (CoIncidences) in my own life to think otherwise. A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument. Way too much has occurred and in fact is occurring each and every day right now, for me to deny God is alive, well, on the move, acting according to scriptural outline, and just like anyone else who has experienced what I experienced 47 years ago (re: “whosoever will…..”), I know for certain His is in me, in my life.

MY EXPERIENCE AND MY HEALTHY FEAR: I am one man who, by God’s great grace, responded nearly 5 decades ago to His dramatic interruption and call upon my life, and further by His grace, I’ve pressed into deeply studying His word. I happily admit to that addiction. Still, I do not fancy myself an expert, but I can say I know God, I fear Him appropriately and I tremble at His word, and I am committed to challenge myself each time I speak, teach or write anything that represents Him or His Kingdom, or His plans. I am highly accountable to God as a teacher. James said it this way:
James 3:1
1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment….

LEARNING, AND ALWAYS TESTING THE WORD: I continue to learn as the Lord teaches me. I trust HIS revelation and HIS personal teaching, impeccably. I would be denying His good work to deny that He has revealed a good amount me, and I am most thankful. Meanwhile, what I learn, hear or read FROM OTHERS I weigh carefully and prayerfully against the word of God, because at the end of the day only His word will stand. That actually clarifies so much, so often.

WANTING TO RESPOND TO INQUIRIES: All the above is written to say that I’ve pondered how to respond to this barrage of questions and comments in some kind of orderly manner, as I cannot spend hours texting lengthy scriptural opinions, or (worse yet!) answers to deep theological questions in a word-game app Chat box. No kidding, really. As I can, and especially as I am led, I respond when and wherever I am able. At the same time (as Paul admonishes us in Ephesians 5) I want to redeem the time, because the days are evil, and I don’t believe the will of the Lord, for me, is to backtrack time and again answering or speaking things quickly that I’ve been able to puts to words in the past, often via deeper study and in proper context.

EZ3728 – ONE RESOURCE: Below is a brief list of writings on the www.ez3728.com WEBSITE that can all be easily located by title. All of these pertain to the times at the end of the age, the conditions on earth, what the scriptures tell us, etc. There’s likely more writings on EZ3728 that include pertinent information and relate to these wild though foretold times, but this is my personal primary list. The Facebook Page EZ3728 is a very handy resource, and it contains links to audio teachings as well. But the actual WEBSITE provides two handy-dandy search components. One is WORD SEARCH, and the other provides a search function by CATEGORY via a pull-down menu offering topics like Apocalypse, Fear of the Lord, End Times Related.

HOW TO SEARCH THIS RESOURCE: If you scroll up, on the right side of this page you will see a box called: WORD SEARCH. If you wanted to read the article (in the list below): “Main Event”, type in either or both those words. Or use the WORD search box.

STAY TUNED FOR TEACHING NOTES: I am also gathering my notes from many teachings – some of which have not been posted on ez3728 before, including the 8-week 2018 Daniel class. Those include pics and scriptures in powerpoint format as well as word doc text – so that can be thoroughly dug into. Feel free to utilize, any/all any way you like. Please know that the writings are my personal teaching notes, and therefore HAVE NOT been perfectly and thoroughly proof-edited. Also, there may well be some specific mentions of events and people at church etc. They are what they are. If your name happens to be in any notes, sorry in advance. They are literally my notes to myself for the classes.

I pray some of this blesses you all.

THERE’S ONE PERFECT TEACHER WHO IS 100% ACCURATE AND HAS PERFECT DOCTRINE: Please know that the only perfect Teacher is our great God and our Lord Jesus who wants to teach us by His spirit. And because He presents Himself as jealous (Deut 4:24 and many other places), I firmly believe there are revelations and understanding that He personally reserves for Himself alone to reveal to you alone). So read and study anything I’ve written or spoken, or what anyone else has written or spoken, but know that the fullness of your learning experience will come firsthand when you dig dig dig into the Word, with God, yourself. Also know that small groups are great places for bible discussion and revelation. I happened to have married a woman who also loves the Word of God. I cannot begin to tell you how blessed I am to have her as my study/discussion partner.

Another thing to realize is that human teachers must keep learning (and not one of them will ever exhaust the treasure chest of God’s revelation in His Word). My second time at teaching a Daniel series required that I made adjustments to some opinions and conclusions I had arrived at during my first teaching series of Daniel. I am still learning, along with you. So what I’ve written in the past, I’ve written in the past. On one hand I am amazed when I look back and see what the Lord showed me earlier. On the other hand, as He might show me new things, I will speak and teach as I am taught and as I move forward.

I know one thing for certain: Every doctrine that is accurate must and will coordinate with the entire word of God, every jot and tittle. If someone has taught you anything that does not align with the entire word of God, it needs to be humbly and carefully and thoroughly questioned, and if it still fails the test, it needs to be adjusted or discarded. The word of God is “Echad” – whole and complete and never in contradiction with itself. Man’s doctrines, regardless of good (or worse) intent, will always collide with the Word of God. It is divinely intended.

Some very popular teachings and doctrines that permeate the church (sadly, including much of the praying charismatic church) simply cannot hold up to study and scrutiny of several key addresses of scripture, including pretty much the whole book of Isaiah, or Zechariah, Obadiah, chapters 30-39 of Ezekiel, Zephaniah, 2 Thessalonians, and more. Example: I marvel when people proclaim the “toughest times on earth” (Dan 12 and Matt 24) were fulfilled around 70 AD when Jerusalem and its temple was destroyed. Terrible as those times were, that doctrine of prophetic completion miserably fails the “whole-book” test when you read any of dozens of prophecies that tell you “immediately afterward” (the Lord returns) or following the trouble of those days the children of Israel will walk in peace and be lifted up as a nation. Really? That means getting dragged into Babylon with ropes and fishhooks was a glorifying occasion.

THE PRIORITY OF HIS APPEARANCE: Another point to note is that an end-times perspective, by any ministry, cannot be treated like an accessory to some other calling. There is great jeopardy in choosing an end-times stance so that a group has something to say about the return of our Lord, when/if they are asked. Our Lord’s return in flaming fire to judge the earth is more serious than a global heart attack. It is the conclusion of this age, friends. Currently, it is the divine elephant in the room, and ought not be avoided nor overlooked, diminished or discounted. Jesus referred to the religious leaders of His time as actors “hypocrites”) because they failed to address His first coming. How liable are we if we fail to address and respond to the signs of His second coming?

A WARNING AND ALSO A PROMISE OF HIS GREAT GRACE: As I’ve written many times, I contend God has purposely booby-trapped His precious word, so that the proud, the ones with religious agendas, the casual self-proclaimed teachers, the cynics and critics, can all blow themselves up failing to handling the whole word with the respect and dedication and sobriety it deserves and demands. At the same time, lest you be intimidated by the bible, our great God promises to fan the fires of revelation upon any and all who would open His word and sincerely press in to learning and understanding. He is that good. Ps 34: come my children I will teach you the fear of the Lord. And He will teach us way more than that. Bless God.

To get started, here’s a list of writings on this site that pertain to these troubling days, days I believe our great God has initiated to get the attention of all who dwell on the earth, as He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to the knowledge of the truth. And He knows that typically and most often it is trouble that motivates man to seek out God.
Psalms 78:34
34 When He slew them, then they sought Him;
And they returned and sought earnestly for God.

The list below is in chronological order, and not in order or preference. But if you ask preference, I’d read “National Accountability” first. Just sayin’. It was written 9/16/2018.

Avner’s Excellent Post re the current pandemic, and God 3/15/2020
Connecting Some Prophetic Dots 2/4/2020
Flies In The Prophetic Ointment 12/17/2019
An Act Of God 10/30/2019
The Main Event – the Restrainer and the Champion 7/1/2019
Has This Chapter Been Fulfilled Yet? 10/11/2018
National Accountability 9/16/2018
A Recent Message Re: Both Testaments 8/12/2018
Tapping Out 6/26/2018
You Shake My Nerves And You Rattle My Brains 11/7/2017
Trying To Remove God’s Teeth 9/8/2017
The Meek, And The End Of This Age 9/22/16
Jehovah Thorough 9/7/2016

PLEASE read the recent post re not passing over Passover. In all of our info as well as revelation seeking and study, let’s not fall into the sometimes neurotic trap of overlooking or missing the now-ness of the times, particularly let’s not miss out on our awareness and sensitivity to His Spirit leading.

Bless you all. And as the writer of the book of Revelation starts off: blessed are those who read and hear. Fully understanding all that is spoken, taught or read may be down the road of investment and study, but the big blessing begins simply by digging in.

BTW and FYI: “EZ3728” is a scripture address, Ezekiel 37:28. It is about Israel, God’s chosen people, and their land, His chosen Ground-Zero for the culmination of this age. It is His priority and He calls us into that understanding and alignment:
Ezekiel 37:28
28 The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” ’ ”
Until His sanctuary is in their midst forevermore, the nations will not know of His purposes. But they will, then. And we are called to know that now.

Posted in Apocalypse, End Times Related, Eternity, Everything, Faith, False Teachers, Fear of the Lord, God's Word, Hearing God, Holy Spirit, Israel, Jesus, Movement of God, Prophecy, Prophets, Revelation(s), Timing, Tribulation, Understanding & Knowing God, Wisdom, Word Of God | Leave a comment

Passover Forever – The Four Questions. The Fair Questions. Forever. For Now. For Our Benefit.

Posted on March 20, 2020 by ez3728

I’ve written before re the Leviticus 23 admonitions, encouragements, and heavenly warnings that specifically accompany some though not all of the Lev-23-listed Hebrew holidays. I am addressing the upcoming Passover, one of those holy-days where “forever”, “everlasting”, and “all generations” is emphatically cited.

Passover/First Fruits:
Leviticus 23:14
….it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
(ALSO) Exodus 12:14
So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.

FYI – OTHER “FOREVER” Holidays:
Yom Kippur/Day Of Atonement – Leviticus 23:30-31
Tabernacles/Sukkot – Leviticus 23:41

We would do well to recognize that the same (one and only) God who describes the crucifixion of our Savior as having been planned even earlier-than-time-itself (before the foundation of the world) also (in Lev 23) told us to observe those holidays forever, and knowing what He knew re the timing of the first appearance of Messiah and His crucifixion, did not time-limit those observances until the Mosaic covenant was to be fulfilled.
NT Proof-Text: In foretelling the work of satan via the antichrist, in John’s Revelation we are also told of WHEN the plan for salvation was formulated:
Revelation 13:8-9
8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him (that is: the antichrist), whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. (v 9 is calling out to us to hear)

Let’s have ears to spiritually hear that God, speaking thousands of years earlier in Leviticus, already knew of the New Covenant that would be activated by the crucifixion work, and purposely told us that certain holidays ought to be observed FOREVER. Do the calendar math, Church. “Forever” includes now.

A good question for us might be: WHY those particular holidays? For this writing, let’s just address Passover, and particularly, the one upcoming this year, in these shaking and troublesome days. 2020 – four hundred years since the first covenant of our forefathers aboard the Mayflower. A most timely anniversary.

PASSOVER – the holiday meal and festival during which our Lord, as the ultimate Lamb, initiated Communion.
Passover is about remembrance.
Communion is about remembrance.
Both are about remembrance of events, and most importantly remembrance of a God who is:
A. Loving and offering forgiveness through repentance, and simultaneously
B. Mighty, righteous, working on behalf of His covenant people, and also judging wickedness on earth. (Ask the Egyptian army about God’s judgment. Fathers, husbands, sons and brothers can be found at the bottom of the Red Sea). This is the whole gospel story.
Jer 9:23-24 confirms the activity and personality of our God, for your reference, and tells us we can rejoice in knowing and understanding Him, in His fullness.

The Jewish Passover tradition of asking questions (classically referred to as The Four Questions) commences with a blanket question: “Why is this night different from all other nights?” is a very Fair question because the traditions of the Passover meal happen to prescribe some unusual observances: what is eaten, how people recline to eat, how the meal takes its course, a prophetic “search” for a pierced and striped middle, broken and unleavened piece of bread, an extra table setting for Elijah who is to come (read the last few verses of Malachi if you will).

The whole point of the anointed “weird meal” is to purposely incite questions – particularly from the young ones – as to why on earth is this meal so strange, so unique. Those are Four, Fair questions deserving faith-filled answers, to serve up new or revived measures faith to the participants. And we can all use fullness of faith in these times.

The admonition to observe Passover is for that blessing, for our remembrance, so that hearts do not fail WHEN (not IF) the people of God find themselves in the impossible. Welcome to 2020, church. Welcome to 2020, synagogue.

The church can choose to play the “we’re under grace” card if we like and ascribe Passover to the Jews, but I don’t believe it is to the benefit of the church. To our benefit is to understand that God has provided everything necessary for life, and faith, and success, and His provision includes admonition and invitation to intentional recounting of His former activity, including even the “politically incorrect” destruction of the wicked, so that an anointed recount might result in what is soberly taken into the spirits and minds of any and all who would hear.

Don’t miss the blessing of the Passover remembrance.
All these things that are occurring, right now, in these particular days and according to His calendar, is for His glory and also for our safety and success. His shaking work is to activate the harvest. THAT is the biblical storyline. These are prophesied in Daniel as being days of great exploits by one who knows their God.

Wednesday April 8 is the beginning of Passover this year.

How to observe Passover is not specifically line by line described in the scriptures, so don’t get hung up on that, nor intimidated by opinionated experts. There’s lots of Jewish tradition and much of it is very good, while some of it is folklore. The inclusion of the egg, for instance, on the Passover plate is thought by some to be a superstitious inclusion of a symbol of fertility, not unlike the Easter bunny. Find your way prayerfully through the seder event. You will be blessed. Egg or no egg, you’ll do quite fine. If more than four questions come up, address them. Enjoy the life of your Seder.

During the days of Hezekiah (2 Kings 30) we’re told the lay folks offered the sacrifice because the priests didn’t quite have it together, and then they were so overwhelmed by the event they added an extra week of observance!. And King Josiah’s Passover celebration was thoroughly over the top as well (2 Chron 35) – so don’t panic over accuracy – rejoice in the holiday observance understanding God loves that observance and will breathe on your efforts.

If you research SEDER (“order”) or HAGGADAH (the book of telling of events), you will eventually reach the conclusion that the concept of “SEDER” (“order”) is sort of like the Italian dessert Tiramisu – each family has their own specific recipe. The anointed intent of the Seder is the remembrance and the retelling of the story of deliverance by our faithful God. We needn’t get hamstrung by rules that are not specified in the Lord’s word. Again, the enjoy the life of your Seder.

If you are a believer in Jesus/Y’shua, there’s lots of seder recommendations online that correspond to your faith and understanding.
If you are a Jew still unconvinced of Y’Shua’s Messiah position, I am so sorry about that and I recommend you’d simply pray and ask the God of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph, your God, whether or not Y’Shua might just be your one and only Savior. And while you are it read Isaiah 53 and Zechariah 12:10. Both of those good Jewish prophets spoke and continue to speak eternal truth. I’ll post the Zechariah verse for you:
Zechariah 12:10
10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

(All scripture NKJV version)

One more BTW: I do not omit the middle letter “O” from “GOD” because that too is religious superstition. The commandment to not use the Lord’s name in vain is accurate, alive, and well. I am not using His name in vain. I am using it in reverence. Our God reigns.

Posted in Anointing, Blessing, End Times Related, Eternity, Everything, Faith, Israel, Jesus, Obedience, Old Testament, Personal Relationship, Prophecy, Repentance, Revelation(s), Timing, Tribulation, Understanding & Knowing God, Word Of God | Leave a comment

Avner’s Excellent Post re the current pandemic, and God

Posted on March 15, 2020 by ez3728

Coronavirus and you

POSTED ON MARCH 14, 2020 BY AVNER BOSKEY

The coronavirus has now become a pandemic –

a “worldwide spread of a new disease” (www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/frequently_asked_questions/pandemic/en/ ).
“an epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents, usually affecting a large number of people” (www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/89/7/11-088815/en/#R2 )
“A true … pandemic occurs when almost simultaneous transmission takes place worldwide” (www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/89/7/11-088815/en/)

A pandemic does not mean that the situation is the worst possible one. It simply refers to the fact that the virus is spreading widely and quickly.

Facts, spin, denial and omniscience

People respond to this pandemic in very human ways. Usually, people acknowledge the verifiable events. Immediately after that, fierce arguments break out as to the real meaning of these events. The following points may be helpful here:

There is a difference between the amount of people tested and the amount of people who have the virus. Some educated guesses suggest that 20-27 times more people have the virus than will ever be tested

The news media usually zoom in on the number of people infected, but less often tell us how many people have recovered

Most people (over 90%) who test positive for the virus are recovering/ will recover with no long-term problems

Some people will die from the virus. The percentages will depend on advanced age, preexisting immunity system issues and available medical treatment. Numbers thrown around are based on averaging things out – 0.7% South Korea; 4.9% Wuhan region of China; 5% Iran

The stark realities of this pandemic are unsettling for many people. Reactions include declaring that huge conspiracies are at work, blaming supposedly deliberate plots by China, the CIA or Israel’s Mossad for the spread of the virus. Others deny that the pandemic is even a problem, and assert that the whole thing is a manipulative ruse by politicians attempting to shore up their own rule.

Only an omniscient God knows exactly how many people will be touched by this virus and to what extent. The Bible’s perspective is stunningly reflected in the Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) rabbinic prayer ‘Unetana tokef’ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unetanneh_Tokef) which declares that God is both good and sovereign in all these events:

It is true that You alone are the One Who judges, proves, knows, and bears witness; Who writes and seals, Who counts and Who calculates … All mankind will pass before You like a flock of sheep. Like a shepherd pasturing his flock, making sheep pass under his staff, so shall You cause to pass, count, calculate, and consider the soul of all the living. And You shall apportion the destinies of all Your creatures and inscribe their verdict . . . – how many will pass from the earth and how many will be created; who will live and who will die; who will die after a long life and who before his time; who by water and who by fire, who by sword and who by beast, who by famine and who by thirst, who by upheaval and who by plague, who by strangling and who by stoning.

This Yom Kippur confession is powerfully true. And that same truth also applies regarding the ultimate destiny of each one of us. It’s worth remembering the reality that God “has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained” (Acts 17:31). In light of that, we ruefully confess: “If You, O YHVH, should mark iniquities – O YHVH, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, so that You might be feared!” (Ps. 130:4).

Messiah Yeshua’s soon return to Jerusalem will establish the fallen Tent of David over Israel and the nations. All His promises will be established for the Jewish people. His judgments on all the peoples of this planet will also be actualized: “ But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:31-32).

Casting the first stone

When bad things happen, we want to know why. Who is guilty? Against whom do we point the finger? Two thoughts here:

Shi’ite Iraqi Islamic scholar Hadi Al-Modarresi, based in Qom, Iran, said on February 28, 2020 that the spread of coronavirus is undoubtedly an act of Allah’s divine punishment against China for their disrespect towards Muslims and Islam:

“It is obvious that the spread of this virus is an act of Allah. How do we know this? The spread of the coronavirus began in China, an ancient and vast country, the population of which makes up one seventh of humanity . . . The authorities in that country . . . laid siege to more than a million Muslims . . . Allah sent a disease upon them and this disease laid siege to 40 million [Chinese] . . . And there you have it, this disease spread . . . and it has scared humanity in its entirety” (www.memri.org/tv/qom-iraqi-scholar-hadi-modarresi-coronavirus-divine-punishment-chinese-mock-islam).

In early March, online sources reported that Hadi Al-Modarresi contracted coronavirus.

Messiah Yeshua raised the issue of individual responsibility in one of His comments on the collapse of a building in Jerusalem’s Shiloach neighborhood:

Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Yeshua said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Shiloach fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:1-5)

Yeshua tells us that we need to avoid haste in ascribing specific guilt to people who suffer tragedies. The fact is that all of us have fallen short of the glory of God. None of us is righteous (see Psalm 14:1-3), and all of us are in need of repentance. The accurate reason for tragedies and judgments may not be available to us in the heat of the moment.

God’s wake-up weapons of discipline

Though many believers are not aware of it, the Bible does not mince words regarding God’s ability to bring judgment to a nation or even an entire planet (think Noah). Jeremiah, Ezekiel and John the Revelator refer to four weapons in YHVH’s hands – famine, wild beasts, the sword of war, and plagues – that He has used, does use and will use to speak to a deaf and rebellious world (see also 2 Samuel 24:13; 2 Kings 8:1; 2 Chronicles 20:9; Psalm 105:16; Jeremiah 5:12; 14:12, 15; 15:2; 21:7; 24:10; 27:8; 29:17-18; 34:17; 44:12-13; Ezekiel 5:12, 17; Revelation 6:8).

Then the word of YHVH came to me saying, “Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast . . . Or if I should send a plague against that country and pour out My wrath in blood on it to cut off man and beast from it, even though Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, as I live, declares YHVH God, they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness. For thus says YHVH God, How much more when I send My four severe judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, wild beasts and plague to cut off man and beast from it” (Ezekiel 14:12-21)

A pandemic touches all the nations of this world. Whether it is specific sins that are the fulcrum, or simply the general attitude of the world that ignores God, His values and guidelines – we may not clearly know at this point. But there is no question that, like King David in 2 Samuel 24, we need to cry out to YHVH the God of Israel and ask Him to stay His hand, grant repentance and hold the plague back from people (2 Samuel 24:21).

David purchased the threshing floor of Jerusalem’s Jebusite mayor (the Ara’unah) “‘in order to build an altar to YHVH, that the plague may be held back from the people.’ . . . So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. David built there an altar to YHVH and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Thus YHVH was moved by prayer for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel” (2 Samuel 24:21-25).

The voice of King David echoes down through the pages of history to us, and it should become ours as well. As 70,000 Jewish men, women and children were perishing, he cried out to YHVH and asked “But these sheep, what have they done?” (2 Samuel 24:15-17).

Intercession for the sins of our nations is of great urgency right now!

Racing against the chariots of fire (2 Kings 6:17)

The Prophet Isaiah tells us that people respond to God’s judgments in two diametrically opposed ways:

“For when the earth experiences Your judgments, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. Though the wicked is shown favor, he does not learn righteousness” (Isaiah 26:9-10).

The present pandemic challenges us to seek the face of God, to learn righteousness and to call out to Him for international mercy.

Some of us may feel that it is hard to keep up with all that is happening. Be encouraged that the God of Jacob is calling us to press onward to our upward calling in Messiah Yeshua (Philippians 3:12-14). Jeremiah’s challenge is ours as well: “If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses?” (Jeremiah 12:5).

How should we then pray?

Pray for God to have mercy on your nation and to reveal the areas of needful repentance
Pray for the saving of many lives and the healing of many who are sick
Pray for gifts of healing to increase on the earth through praying believers
Pray for the raising up of Ezekiel’s prophetic Jewish army

Your prayers and support hold up our arms and are the very practical enablement of God to us in the work He has called us to do.

In Messiah Yeshua,

Avner Boskey

Posted in Everything | Leave a comment

The Whole Truth And Nothing But The Truth

Posted on March 4, 2020 by ez3728

“The whole truth and nothing but the truth”

Sgt. Joe Friday, TV’s “Dragnet” detective, asked and expected this of the folks he would interrogate (along with “Nothing but the facts”)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragnet_(1951_TV_series)

Our Lord expects nothing less than this of His anointed saints – that we speak the whole truth and would not bury any of His treasure in the ground – instead that we would steward, and speak, all that He has given us. All. One example:
Jeremiah 36:1-2
1 Now it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, that this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying:
2 “Take a scroll of a book and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel, against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah even to this day.

Isaiah 60 reveals darkness will cover the whole earth, and our response is not to hunker down in fear or denial, but instead to arise and shine because that is especially when light will be upon us:

Isa 60
1 Arise, shine; For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.

Verse 12 (12 being the hebraic number of judgment, btw) informs us those times will culminate in more than the sons and daughters coming from afar, or the wealth of the Gentiles coming into the Kingdom. It will involve judgment on earth:

12 For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish, And those nations shall be utterly ruined.

Tough truth, yet clearly part of the same prophecy, as well.

Further in this same prophecy, Isaiah proclaims our anointing to declare a list of divine purposes:

Isaiah 61:1-3
1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

Yay God!
The Divine decree for us to rise and shine (Isa 60:1) does not have us operating on our steam, but instead has us anointed for divine purpose by the Spirit of the Lord. Our responsibility (and opportunity, and invitation) is to press into that place of intimacy and anointing, to expect and embrace and respond to the anointing.

(BTW – we are not anointed as a reward, by heaven. We are anointed for the purposes of heaven, (v13) “that He may be glorified”.)

Years ago I listened to a young preacher declaring Isaiah 61:1-2, and as he was speaking clearly stumbling over: “…..and the day of vengeance of our God”.
It simply did not sit comfortably into his paradigm of “God is in a good mood all the time”.
Meanwhile that “day of vengeance” mention is actually a comfort to the ones walking in obedience, those turning the other cheek, those even suffering martyrdom for the sake of the gospel.

Vengeance is God’s just response to injustice.

But to the disobedient, God’s prophetic word of vengeance constitutes a strong warning that they would do well to repent and to flee from the wrath to come (Rev 6:17). True love, therefore, would include us loving people enough to proclaim what the Lord has told us to proclaim.

Our anointing is to speak and teach and preach the whole word. Comfort, joy, invitation to salvation, healing, and not to exclude or diminish the day of vengeance of our God. Anything less, is less.

Paul, the writer of “by grace you have been saved through faith “ (Eph 2:8), also reported that he: “warned every man“. In fact, Paul revealed: WE warn every man:

Colossians 1:28-29
28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

Colossians 1:29 (above) thus presents itself as a NT companion-verse to the beginning of Isa 61:
1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach… (the whole planned conclusion of this age and all that the Lord says will transpire).

Our “whole truth and nothing but the truth” purpose, calling and message, particularly during the days of increasingly contrasting darkness (including troubles) covering the earth, even as light and the glory of God shines upon believers, wants and warrants to be “Echad”. Our message wants and needs to be complete, and whole, to glorify our God and to prepare the way for His return, which will include all that He told us that return will include.

Ignoring the prophetic warnings of the Lord to the people (both saint and sinner alike, btw) is failure on the part of the ones who are aware of all that Lord has called us to speak. Whether from the pulpit or in a personal conversation, fear of man, or “seeker-sensitivity” may well attempt to motivate us to dial-down the full message breathed from the mouth of God – the same God who desires that no man perish but that all come to the knowledge of the truth.

Our silence re this truth – like our silence re every holy truth, constitutes failure. By His Spirit, we are encouraged to know how to answer every man, and that assures us His Spirit will guide us into all truth, when and how and what to say.

Help us Lord. Happily, He does.

(all scripture NKJV)

Posted in Anointing, Apocalypse, End Times Related, Eternity, Everything, Faith, Fear of the Lord, God's Word, Hearing God, Holy Spirit, Obedience, Old Testament, Prophecy, Prophets, Repentance, Revelation(s), Sin, Testing, Timing, Tribulation, Wisdom, Word Of God | Leave a comment

Connecting Some Prophetic Dots: Super Bowl, Days, Dates and Palindromes, Ground Hog Day, and Revival Done Right

Posted on February 4, 2020 by ez3728

Some of this I have addressed before in prior writings. Much of this is brand new, one week new in fact. God is moving, and unlike the Pharisees – who Jesus called hypocrites for refusing to discern the signs of their times, we are appointed to and therefore expected to see and recognize what God is doing, right now, during our times.
Luke 12:56
Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time? )

Meanwhile, instead of rebuke, the good news is the promise of faith activating our humble response, that through our understanding of our acceptance into Kingdom relationship, it can be through our lives and life experiences that the Lord will come into this earth and work His work, as we remain awake and aware of what He is doing in, around, through and for us:

Psalms 24:7
7 Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.

TIME OF THIS WRITING:
The time of this writing is February 4, 2020. We are just a month and a few days into the 400th anniversary year of our founding fathers making covenant (cutting covenant) with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob while onboard the pilgrim ship Mayflower, requesting God’s providential hand upon a new nation (officially yet to be formed), a nation to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ:
In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten, ….. Having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one of another, covenant, and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation, and furtherance of the ends aforesaid (NOTE: “the ends aforesaid are ‘for the glory of God’); and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, offices from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony: unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names; Cape Cod, the 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our sovereign lord King James, of England, France and Ireland eighteenth and of Scotland fifty-fourth, ……Anno Domini 1620
(NOTE THE YEAR: 1620)
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mayflower-Compact

THE BLESSING AND THE BREACH:
America has clearly been blessed by God, although as a nation it is becoming more and more evident we as a nation (not He) have broken that covenant by living, writing and enacting laws and policies in provocative opposition to biblical rules and morality (Psalm 2). Add to this 400th anniversary the day by day revealed biblical prophetic time markers and pointers towards the second appearance of Messiah, and praying folks can get a good sense as to what time it happens to be.

THE SUPERBOWL:
This past weekend was Super Bowl weekend. The Chiefs beat the 49ers in a startling comeback effort.
Many/most reading this piece likely already know about the prophecy by now-departed (2014) Bob Jones that declared when the Chiefs win the Super Bowl God will release His chiefs, and revival will break out. Revival. For your convenience, here’s a link to a post by Shawn Bolz, a respected man of God and prophet in his own right:
https://www.charismanews.com/us/79790-shawn-bolz-bob-jones-told-me-end-time-revival-would-come-after-chiefs-win-super-bowl

It says: Following the Chiefs’ win, Bolz wrote on Instagram, “I am not sure what it means when Bob Jones said ‘when the chiefs win the Super Bowl revival is going to break out,’ but I sure am excited. We haven’t been able to find any recordings of him saying this but he said it often to us. He often prophesied about sports teams and prophetic symbolism. He said when the chiefs win God is raising up His apostolic chiefs around the nation and one time he said ‘nations.'”

Last December a friend and man of God sent me a brief video of Lou Engle, a seasoned saint, who declared a word had first been birthed in him during the 7/7/07 Nashville Call (my wife and I, by chance [?] were there), and then had been brought forth more recently, that God would bring about a “Jesus Movement-like” revival in the Nashville area. I am grateful to now be living in that area, and I am assured that when (not if) revival occurs it will by no means be confined or constrained to the Nashville area, but will spread out to at very least the borders of our land. So the point is not to race to Nashville, but to be exactly where the Lord has called you to be. Discover that in prayer. Only be there.

AND NOW THIS WRITING:
I am writing this from my personal viewpoint. This is one man’s opinion, written in the fear of the Lord, and fully understanding that the plans of God in no way even small way exclusively revolve around me – even a hint of that attitude would only be religious arrogance, That said, what we each happen to experience, as saints, ought not be ignored nor overlooked. I am therefore writing this in obedience to the Lord.

Although neither one of us are musicians, in large part my wife and I believe we have been called to the Nashville area, for the very purposes of revival and particularly revival worship. Revival wants and needs mothers and fathers. Olders and Elders. Seasoned saints. Satan dreads revival, and fears pure and prophetic worship – explaining his personal investment into undermining such holy activity, poisoning it with performance, politicking, and worse. Meanwhile we are called to get it right, do it right, in accordance with the will and the word of the Lord. Ps 78 memorializes past failure of one generation failing to speak into the lives of other generations. By His grace we can do this right.

Yesterday we returned from a trip to Los Angeles. I happened to be there during the Kobe tragedy – in fact driving with a dear friend, yakking, we missed our freeway off-ramp and ended up exiting the 101 fwy onto Los Virgenes, about a mile or two from where that helicopter crash would occur the very next day.

Kobe’s death rocked us all. He had led an apparently charmed life, accomplishing great things in the world of sport and even entertainment, capturing the accolades and attention of a good part, if not all of, the Western world. His most-public life clearly wasn’t without fault, and yet the past years bear a notable and even glorious fragrance of redemption, and forgiveness, family and faith. He took communion earlier in the morning before the crash that took his life, the life of one of his daughters, and several other precious folks. The “Amazing Grace” rendition at Staples Center, sung by the artist Usher, was viewed around the world, and I believe the Lord used that to usher many, including many believers for the first time, into what true prophetic cry-out worship is all about. It is part of the plan. That is worship in spirit and truth. God is breaking in.

In fact, it is that kind of prophetic worship that, in its due time, is determined by the Lord to bring down Assyria (one prophetic name for the dark spiritual kingdom that will rage and rear its ugliest head during the toughest of times, soon upcoming). The word of God is non-negotiable, regardless as to what anyone might teach, preach or speak forth in futility, hoping that somehow God will come along on their perhaps well-intended but humanistic hope of Him abandoning His own eternal word. There will be huge battles and conflict at the end of this age. Zech 12-14, Matt 24. Ezekiel 38-39. And simultaneously there will be huge revival. A recent article on this EZ site addresses the Divine Dichotomy. Isa 60:1-2 tells us darkness will cover the earth and simultaneously we’re called and in fact anointed to rise and shine because His light will be upon us. Both are well on their way.

BACK TO THE IMPACT OF PROPHETIC WORSHIP IN THOSE DAYS:
Isaiah 30:31-32
31 For through the voice of the Lord
Assyria will be beaten down,
As He strikes with the rod.
32 And in every place where the staff of punishment passes,
Which the Lord lays on him,
It will be with tambourines and harps;
And in battles of brandishing He will fight with it.

YEAR AND DATES:
God speaks to His people and moves upon His people often in specific and notable calendar dates. He’s done that many times in the past.

Tisha B’Av – both the first and second temple were destroyed on the same day of the year. First by Babylon (586 BC), then by Rome (AD 70). The Jews were dispelled from England (1290), France (1306) and Spain (1492) on that same day. The final solution was initiated by Hitler on that same day (1941). There were additional dark events on that one day. Might God be working to get the attention of His people? The article below is not about today, but it is about A DAY on the calendar that appears marked for trouble – let’s simply look at this as one more way our great God chooses to move and to deal with His people and all people. He wants us to learn how He speaks.
https://www.cufi.org.uk/news/first-and-second-temple-destruction-and-other-jewish-tragedies-that-happened-on-this-day/

911 – The numbers (911) that America utilizes still for emergency calls is the exact date of the World Trade Center attack. I happened to be there. These are the verses on and around Jeremiah 9:11 (one [verse 10] of which was ignorantly declared in pride as NY dedicated the land of the WTC disaster, failing to recognize the prophetic irony of their own plans to REbuild and REstore with sadly no mention of REpentance):

Isaiah 9:8-13
8 The Lord sent a word against Jacob,
And it has fallen on Israel.
9 All the people will know—
Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria—
Who say in pride and arrogance of heart:
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
But we will rebuild with hewn stones;
The sycamores are cut down,
But we will replace them with cedars.”
11 Therefore the Lord shall set up
The adversaries of Rezin against him,
And spur his enemies on,
12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind;
And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth.
For all this His anger is not turned away,
But His hand is stretched out still.
13 For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them,
Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts.

2020:
Besides the implications of eyes with clear vision as the Lord watches the people on earth, the year numbered 2020 is exactly 400 years since our founding fathers’ primary pre-nation “national” covenant. 4’s stand big in God’s plan. The rains of judgment in the days of Noah. Egypt. Time wandering in the desert. Moses on Sinai. The spies in Canaan. Jesus in the desert.

2020 and JUBILEE:
The Bob Jones prophecy (re Super Bowl and Chiefs, and releasing chiefs, and revival) of course is profound. In the fourth quarter, the magic suddenly happened and the Chiefs came back from a seemingly hopeless deficit and were victorious, precisely and notably 50 years (the Jubilee anniversary) since Chiefs won the Super Bowl their first (and only other) time.

2/1/2020 AM – BREAKFAST WITH A WOMAN OF GOD, A WIDOW
In the AM my wife and I shared a breakfast meeting with a mighty woman of God who had lost her anointed husband and two children in a plane crash, many years ago. The Jesus Movement had lost a prophetic worship leader. There were parallels to the Kobe tragedy – both events were the result of people failing to make good decisions at critical times. Note to us all, btw.

2/1/2020 2PM – A MEMORIAL FOR A MAN OF GOD:
That same day, still one day prior to the Super Bowl, the Lord spoke briefly through me at a memorial service for our beloved pastor of nearly thirty years. The gathering brought back together hundreds of older saints who had come into the Kingdom during a most wild and crazy, sloppy and messy and magically powerful Jesus Movement revival (Look, Time, and Life Magazine articles, etc.) and yet that revival suffered suicide, scandal, split, accusations, and a lawsuit.

We had been radically saved, were young, zealous and yet without a whole lot of wisdom, in desperate need of covering and the loving input of spiritual fathers and mothers in the faith. That kind of generational covering would have come by way of olders/elders, of which we had precious few. We found ourselves left on our own. At the 2/1/20 memorial service, I briefly spoke and said (paraphrased as it was not prepared): “Get ready for revival. We have been kept here by God at this older stage of our own lives for this purpose – so that young ones who would come into the upcoming revival can do better than we did and avoid the errors and failures we experienced. There will praying, God-loving, God-fearing and God-knowing elders. They will have us. Get ready”.

2/2/2020 SUPERBOWL SUNDAY – Pre-Game:
I woke up early that AM having received something from the Lord, and began writing rough notes. I later spoke to a small group of some of my/our dearest praying friends minutes before the kickoff and mentioned:
A. The Bob Jones prophesy

B. The fact that the date had a notable numeration to it – it was a most-rare “palindrome day” (numbers read the same backwards and forwards: 02/02, 2020. That had not occurred in over 900 years.
“The previous palindrome date in all formats came 909 years ago on 11/11/1111. The next will come in 101 years on 12/12/2121 and after that there will not be another until 03/03/3030. Solihull School Maths Department wrote on Twitter: “Today is a Palindrome Day in all date formats (UK, USA, ISO). It’s also a palindrome day of the year (33) and there are a palindrome number of days left in the year (333). Quite a unique day!”
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/02/world/palindrome-day-february-2-2020-intl-scli/index.html

C. It was Ground Hog Day! I had already heard/read earlier in the week that there would be a Super Bowl commercial with Bill Murray reprising his role in the Ground Hog Day movie.

Now I was understanding why – this whole weekend and all of its “supernaturalness” was and is about revival, and us getting to do it over and do it right this time. It was about the people of God that our Lord had been preparing, pickling, marinating, refining, even frustrating, as He brought and continues to bring us into the place of emptiness of self so we can be filled by Him and with His spirit for the purposes of His return, for His glory, for the Daniel 12 great exploits.

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY – 4th Quarter:
The Jeep commercial with the Ground Hog Day theme aired during the last quarter of the game, when the Chiefs suddenly woke up and magic happened. In the movie – the clock clicked 6AM time and again. Bill Murray got to do it over and over again, until he got it right.

This upcoming revival is our invitation from the Lord to do it over, and to get it right.

In that hilarious movie, Sonny and Cher sang “I got you, babe” and meanwhile the magic happened.
Meanwhile #2: The chords of our heart can sing: “I got You, Lord, and You’ve got us. We are your people, for such a time as this.”

Coincidences? Co-ordained Incidences? Could it be?
I think so.

What a blessed time to be child of God, a son or daughter of the soon and coming King of the universe and Commander of the armies of heaven. Adonai Tzevoat.
https://www.jewelsofjudaism.com/adonai-tzevaot-the-lord-of-armies-bemidbar/

Saints and even pre-saints: If you can hear this, if there is anything out of line in your life, topple it over now. Take it down now. Run to the glorious place of complete surrender.

And meanwhile, Lord, in our own zeal, help us to not manufacture revival, but to manifest revival.
In Your time and by Your spirit, only for Your glory.

all scripture NKJV

Posted in Anointing, Apocalypse, Blessed, End Times Related, Everything, Fear of the Lord, Holy Spirit, Movement of God, Personal Relationship, Prophecy, Repentance, Timing, Understanding & Knowing God, Worship | Leave a comment

Walvoord re Zechariah

Posted on January 30, 2020 by ez3728

I love reading the writings of John Walvoord. This dedicated scholar went home to his reward years ago. I humbly disagree with him on his view of rapture timing (I believe the saints are here for the tribulation but not the wrath), saints abandoning their God and thus disqualifying themselves from eternal life (ask Judas Iscariot, and Demas 2Tim 4:10), etc. Meanwhile John Walvoord has explained and taught me much, and I honor him and his work.

Zechariah is not an easy prophetic book, because the plan of God is not an easy plan. Zechariah chapters 10-14 addresses (then) near-future events, and also speaks all the way to Messiah’s (soon) return at the conclusion of this age. Almost diplomatically just lightly touching on the absolutely most severe “Jacob’s troubles” (Daniel 12, confirmed by Matt 24:21), Walvoord speaks in much greater clarity and clinical sobriety to 70AD and then almost lightly referencing some consecutive companion verses, assuming sober readers will themselves envision the activity on earth and the troubles upcoming to still-stubborn Israel towards the conclusion of this age – a remnant of whom will, because of the unmatched magnitude of trouble, finally turn to and cry out for their long-denied but at that time admittedly identified Messiah Y’shua.

The point of this exercise is to hopefully present a concise overview of circumstances that so dramatically are confirmed by analysis of eternal scriptural truth. Zechariah is not a friendly book to teachers who want to espouse a dominionism view of the world getting predominantly saved prior to the Lord’s return, nor does it fit in well with the related weak theory that 70AD checked the boxes for being the worst time in the history of mankind. Zechariah has to be embraced in its reality of context, and when that happens, much opens up in the spirit of the reader to the fullness of end-times prophecy and plans.

Like other tough portions of scripture, Zechariah was not written to freak out the people of God. It was written for our understanding and admonition, upon whom the end of the age has come (1 Cor 10). No further EZ commentary is required. I suggest you open your bible to the chapters in Zechariah and read along and speak with the Lord as you read.

First, here’s the Daniel verses referenced above
Daniel 12:1-4
Prophecy of the End Time
1 “At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Every one who is found written in the book.
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever.
4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

Below is John Walvoord at his very best. Thank You, Lord, for this dedicated theologian and lover of Your word.

Walvoord Commentary
Zech 9:16-17
The divine deliverance predicted here will come on that day, a reference to the end time. God will care for them as a shepherd cares for his flock (cf. 10:3). Then Israel will sparkle in His land like jewels in a crown. This is a beautiful cameo of the fulfilled promises concerning the people in the land (cf. Amos 9:11-15). They will be attractive and beautiful symbols of all God has done for them. Divine blessing on nature will produce conditions of plenty (cf. Joel 2:21-27) so that physical health will also be assured (Zech. 9:17).

(3) Messiah Will Destroy the False Shepherds at His Coming.
10:1-5
The exhortation in verse 1 is transitional, indicating that the source of natural blessings (rain and plants of the field) is the Lord, not idolatrous and deceptive false shepherds (vv. 2-3). As a result of the deception by the false (and apparently foreign) prophets and diviners, God’s people wander like sheep. Therefore God announced that He would bring wrath and judgment on the false shepherds and victory to His flock (cf. Micah 5:4). The remedy for the nation’s deception focuses on the coming of the Messiah who is described in a fourfold way as the Cornerstone (cf. Isa. 28:16), the Tent Peg … the Battle Bow (cf. Ps. 45:5), and the Ruler (cf. Gen. 49:10; Micah 5:2). These terms emphasize the strong, stable, victorious, and trustworthy nature of Messiah’s rule. The Lord will not do all the fighting but will empower His people to conquer like mighty men. His presence (He will be with them) will enable them to be victorious.
(4) Messiah Will Regather All Israel (10:6-12).

The worldwide scope of this prophecy relating to both Israel and Judah and God’s activity on behalf of His Chosen People indicate that the final regathering of Israel just before the Second Advent of the Messiah is in view.

10:6-7
God announced that He will strengthen (cf. v. 12) and deliver all Israel (Joseph was the father of two major Northern tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh). Because of His compassion they will be restored and reunited (cf. Hosea 1:11), with their sins forgiven and forgotten — as though I had not rejected them, enjoying communion with God (I will answer them). The name of the northern tribe of Ephraim was sometimes used for the Northern Kingdom (cf. Hosea 10:6; 11:8, 12). Israelites will be glad and joyful and will rejoice in the Lord because of God’s blessings on them.

10:8-10
Israel will be regathered from present worldwide dispersion. God announced, I will signal for them. The term “signal” means “whistle” (as in gathering a swarm of insects; cf. Isa. 7:18) or “pipe” (as a shepherd using a reed pipe to gather his flocks; cf. Judges 5:16). The latter meaning seems more appropriate in view of the shepherd/sheep imagery in the general context (Zech. 9:16; 10:2-3; 11:4-16; 13:7). Their regathering will be accompanied by redemption and multiplication (10:8b; cf. Hosea 1:10). On the human side their return will involve the fact that they will remember God. On the divine side God said, I will bring them back. Egypt and Assyria are representative of all the countries of Israel’s dispersion (cf. Hosea 11:11; Zech. 10:11). Gilead and Lebanon are probably named to indicate the northern and eastern extents of Israel’s occupancy of the land promised to Abraham (Gen. 15:18; cf. Deut. 30:3-5).

10:11-12
In regathering Israel to the land, God will remove every obstacle to restoration, pictured in terms of the ancient deliverance when He brought Israel through the sea on dry land. Again Assyria and Egypt were mentioned to represent all Israel’s enemies (cf. v. 10). The prophecy closes with its opening phrase, I will strengthen them, so that Israel’s behavior (walk) will be in His name (i.e., she will glorify Him by obeying Him).

3. The Rejection of the Good Shepherd and Its Consequences for Israel (Chap. 11)
This dark chapter conveys the cause for the delay in Israel’s realizing the blessings of chapter 10.
a. The coming of wrath introduced (11:1-3)

11:1-3
This lamentation portrays the impending devastation that will result from the people rejecting the Messiah as the True and Good Shepherd (vv. 4-14). The language obviously involves personification, but the references to the cedars of Lebanon … oaks of Bashan, and lush thicket of the Jordan suggest devastation of the entire land of Israel from the north to the south, including of course its inhabitants. All three areas — Lebanon, Bashan, and the Jordan — were heavily forested. Shepherds would wail because their pastures would be devastated. Even lions who lived in the thick woods around the Jordan River would roar because of the destruction of their living areas.

The general description of the devastation is to be taken literally. However, some writers have viewed the trees as representing the glory of Jerusalem, particularly the temple which was constructed, in part, of lumber. While this is doubtful, the general period of the destruction, whether literal or figurative, probably includes the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in a.d. 70.
b. The cause of devastation indicated (11:4-14)
In this difficult but messianically significant passage, Zechariah was directed by God to portray Israel’s true Shepherd-Messiah. Then (vv. 15-17) Zechariah was required to portray the wicked shepherd, pointing to the end-time Antichrist. The passage (vv. 4-14) is probably not intended to be a strict dramatic portrayal, for this would require the unlikely cooperation of other actors in the narrative. The passage focuses attention on Israel’s spiritual condition at the time of Christ’s ministry and the consequences of her rejection of Christ, the True Shepherd.

11:4
God told Zechariah, Pasture the flock marked for slaughter. To “pasture” includes not only feeding but also directing and defending. The “flock” was the nation Israel which God had designated for slaughter by the Romans.

11:5
There is debate whether the buyers of the flock and those who sell them were Jewish leaders or foreign oppressors. However, their own shepherds are Jewish leaders who would fail in their responsibilities to care for their people (cf. 10:3).

11:6
The climactic phase of Israel’s apparently pitiable condition was God’s withholding of pity: I will no longer have pity on the people of the land. This divine withdrawal seemed to result from the people’s rejection of their true Shepherd-Messiah, stated in verses 8-13. The king to whom God would hand over Israel was apparently the Roman emperor (cf. John 19:15, “We have no king but Caesar”). God would not deliver them from the Roman armies.

11:7
As commanded, Zechariah portrayed the work of a shepherd tending the flock marked for slaughter (cf. v. 4), especially the oppressed of the flock. This perhaps refers to the believing remnant at Messiah’s First Advent. Like any good shepherd, Zechariah took two staffs to use in directing and protecting the flock. The staffs were given the symbolic names of Favor (or beauty, grace, pleasantness) and Union (lit., bands or “ties”). They depicted God’s gracious benefits toward His people (cf. 9:14-17) and the internal union of Israel and Judah as a nation (cf. Hosea 1:11).

11:8-9
The identity of the three shepherds disowned by the True Shepherd is not indicated (accounting for the more than 40 interpretations of v. 8!). Most likely, the shepherds refer to three kinds of Jewish leaders — prophets (custodians of the Law), priests, and kings (or civil magistrates) — all of them inadequate. Closely linked to the disowning of the three shepherds is the flock’s disowning of their True Shepherd whom they detested, a word (used only here in the OT) that means to loathe to the point of nausea. The Messiah (portrayed by Zechariah) repudiated His role as Shepherd (I will not be your Shepherd), and He relegated the flock to their doom, involving foreign oppression (Let the dying die and the perishing perish) and internal civil strife (Let those who are left eat one another’s flesh). An alternate interpretation sees this last clause as speaking of the cannibalism that occurred in the Roman siege of Jerusalem in a.d. 70.

11:10-11
The revoked covenant (symbolized by breaking the staff called Favor) had been made with all the nations, apparently to secure God’s providential protection of Israel. The divine disfavor on Israel because of her rejection of the True Shepherd resulted in spiritual blindness (Rom. 11:25) and national destruction and dispersion. Only the believing remnant (the afflicted of the flock) who recognized Jesus as the true Messiah understood His true origin in God.

11:12-13
Israel’s appraisal of the True Shepherd’s worth was 30 pieces of silver, the compensation price for a slave gored by an ox (Ex. 21:32). Baldwin thinks 30 pieces of silver for a slave indicates the “high value set on human life” in the Mosaic Law (Zechariah, p. 184). Whether or not this is correct, the choice of the slave price was probably intended as an insult to the Shepherd, worse than a direct refusal to pay Him any wage. Throwing this handsome price (an obvious use of irony) to the potter shows its trifling worth (the potter was one of the lowest of the laboring class). This prophecy was fulfilled in Judas’ betrayal of Christ (Matt. 26:14-16; 27:3-10; for a survey of problems relating to Matthew’s citation of this passage, cf. Hobart E. Freeman, An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophets. Chicago: Moody Press, 1968, pp. 340-2).

11:14
Zechariah then broke the second staff called Union to picture the dissolving of the national solidarity of Judah and Israel. Discord within the nation was one of the factors that led to the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70 and a new wave of worldwide dispersion.
c. The consequences of rejecting the True Shepherd (11:15-17)
After rejecting the True Shepherd, the flock of Israel will accept a foolish and worthless shepherd. This is a prophecy of the end-time Antichrist who will do the very opposite of Christ the True Shepherd (cf. John 5:43).

11:15-16
Zechariah was called on to portray a second prophetic role, this time a foolish shepherd. The Hebrew word rendered “foolish” (eveel) suggests a person who is a coarse, hardened fool. This shepherd will have no concern for the flock and its needs; he will be interested only in his own gluttony. Instead of defending the flock, the foolish shepherd will destroy it (cf. Rev. 13:7).

11:17
Thus the foolish shepherd is also a worthless shepherd who rightfully deserves the condemnation pronounced (Woe). The arm indicates his strength and the eye his intelligence. The foolish plottings of the worthless shepherd will be annulled when the True Shepherd returns (cf. 12:10; Rev. 19:19-20).

We’ll end there for now. Walvoord’s PRE-cap of his next session tells us this:

The rejected King enthroned (chaps. 12-14)
Chapters 12-14 are one “oracle” (KJV, “burden”; cf. 9:1) concerning God’s people Israel. The events predicted deal with one future time period (except for 13:7) and center in the city of Jerusalem. Thus the prophecies of these chapters rank among the most significant in the Old Testament.

Posted in Apocalypse, End Times Related, Everything, Faith, False Teachers, God's Word, Israel, Jesus, Old Testament, Prophecy, Revelation(s), Timing, Tribulation, Understanding & Knowing God | Leave a comment

Here’s an interesting view forward….

Posted on January 2, 2020 by ez3728

My dear friend Avner Boskey is dedicated to our Lord and involved in a worldwide prophetic ministry based out of Beersheva. I love this guy. He has his nose in the book, his ears up to heaven, his head in the clouds, his feet firmly planted on God’s soil. This video oughta stretch, challenge, entertain, encourage and provide some high-octane ignition for your spirit-man.

Posted in Everything | Comments Off

Flies in the prophetic ointment – the potential and the peril of the divine dichotomy

Posted on December 17, 2019 by ez3728

There are prophets in the land, always. God has ordained that. For anyone leaning towards cessationism (believing that the supernatural ceased when the canon of scripture was complete) – Paul in 1 Cor 13:8 is telling us that prophecy will cease when perfect-Jesus returns to earth, not before that. Hey – knowledge hasn’t ceased. Who would be so naïve as circumcise that one verse to cut off prophecy and leave knowledge? Ans: Cessationists.

And meanwhile the saints accurately believing in both:
A. the office and ministry of the prophet, and even
B. prophetic words brought forth by virtually any other saint as they might be moved upon by the Holy Spirit at any ordained moment,
have often witnessed and heard silliness, exaggeration, inaccuracy, and worse.

So what to do? What is happening?

In reality, what is happening is the spirit of man, whether by ignorance but good intent or otherwise, will often show up within the prophetic utterance, and that will lead to inaccuracy and eventually to trouble. I will not go so far as to say that everyone who has operated in the prophetic office or ministry and perhaps died before what we might consider “their time” was being judged by God (some in fact may have been taken home to their reward!), but I am personally inclined to think that some of the stuff we hear has, unfortunately, contained a confusing mix of accuracy and then also inaccuracy – and there can be accountability attached to that. Meanwhile let’s not blame God.

I recently heard (youtube) a prophetic word pertaining to Donald Trump that calls him a man of few words. Really? I have no trouble recognizing the call of God on our President’s life, and his position in his critical office as being on time, and of God. But a man of few words?

So what is the issue? Why the flies in the holy ointment? Is God not able to maintain completely accurate prophecy? Of course He is. Both testaments illustrate the accurate and inaccurate. The potential and the peril, in fact. Ask Hananiah re the latter.

What is the issue? It’s important to understand this, so that as things heat up, as the lost look more desperately for a supernatural message of truth, and as the saints look to the words of a prophet as a true word from the Lord, we have to expect a battle for not only the souls of men, but for the tongues of men (and women).

I humbly put forth that to measurable degree there’s a lack of sufficient biblical study and therefore a lack of clear understanding of the scripturally revealed times in which we live, and would go so far to say that many men and women with truly prophetic gifts might be tainting their prophetic words (adding a fly to the ointment, if you will) by adding to what the Lord has spoken to them additional prophecy, from their own hearts (read Jer 23).

Because eschatology (the study of end-times/end-of-age events) is sometimes considered as either:
A. Unable to be understood by the “average” believer and therefore never sufficiently personally studied; OR
B. A fanciful distraction or an extra-curricular option to our daily Christian-life theology,
I am concerned that some and perhaps many prophets skew or embellish what they have truly received from the Lord, couching those accurate words with phrases like: “and there will be great blessings of prosperity and world peace” (prior to our Lord’s return), in fact contradicting and ignoring words like those of our Savior who tells us:

Matthew 24:21-30
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.
24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
25 See, I have told you beforehand.
26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.
27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

The greatest days of trouble will precede the days of the return of our Lord, to redeem His people. What is there to NOT understand about these verses? “IMMEDIATELY” is “Eutheos”. It really means immediately. Those verses were not fully filled in 70AD when the temple was destroyed. Nor was Daniel pointing to the AD 70 temple destruction when he said functionally the same exact thing:

Daniel 12:1-2
1 “At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Every one who is found written in the book.
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Daniel clearly was not speaking of AD 70, since the Jewish people were anything but delivered at that time. Nor were many sleeping in the dust risen up to the final judgment. Daniel was speaking to the return of the Lord (which is why Jesus in Matt 24 also told us to go back and read Daniel when the abomination was in the temple in those final days).

What has to occur in these upcoming days is the saints obtaining a sober understanding that our great God has a great plan that includes contradictions and contrasts, divine dichotomies, if you will.

Isa 30:27-32 – The towers will fall, Assyria will come with tambourines (prophetic worship). In apparent contradiction to such violent activity the saints will have an anointing as if they were attending a festival with flutes. Meanwhile the wicked, increasing in numbers and in wickedness, will be invoking His wrath:
27 Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar,
Burning with His anger,
And His burden is heavy;
His lips are full of indignation,
And His tongue like a devouring fire.
28 His breath is like an overflowing stream,
Which reaches up to the neck,
To sift the nations with the sieve of futility;
And there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people,
Causing them to err.
29 You shall have a song
As in the night when a holy festival is kept,
And gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute,
To come into the mountain of the Lord,
To the Mighty One of Israel.
30 The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard,
And show the descent of His arm,
With the indignation of His anger
And the flame of a devouring fire,
With scattering, tempest, and hailstones.
31 For through the voice of the Lord
Assyria will be beaten down,
As He strikes with the rod.
32 And in every place where the staff of punishment passes,
Which the Lord lays on him,
It will be with tambourines and harps;
And in battles of brandishing He will fight with it.

Isaiah 60:1-2 – Darkness will cover the earth and simultaneously (and in apparent contradiction) the saints are told to arise and shine because glory will be upon us:
1 Arise, shine; For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the Lord will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.

We’re told that if we faint in the day of adversity our strength is small – these verses are eternal and apply to all times including the end times – the times our Lord (and Daniel) told us of the greatest adversity:
Proverbs 24:10-11
10 If you faint in the day of adversity,
Your strength is small.
11 Deliver those who are drawn toward death,
And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.

And meanwhile David offers us this eternal truth:
Psalms 27:13-14
13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
14 Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!

See what’s being revealed to us? Contradictions and dichotomies so that light is distinguished from darkness. We’re not to speak, teach, prophecy, ignore, or in any manner try to adjust the fullness of the word and plans of God to fit something we’ve been taught by men, hoping an “easier word” will work more effectively than the word of God.
The saints in fact are warned to not mess with what is written. And we are called to know what is written and to proclaim it, in and out of season.

We need not and better not dial-down the prophesied troubles in some futile (even if well-intended) effort to motivate others to continue expanding the Kingdom and doing good works (that has to happen at all times, btw), nor does the word tell us to hunker down and preach only angry warnings. The whole word is sufficient for its purposes. It is perfect. It is Echad.

God’s promised end-times shaking work (can you feel it beginning? I can) as spoken of in Haggai and reiterated in Hebrews tells us the troubling is purposed and intended by God to draw people to Him.

We are called to understanding and to accuracy, to prayerfulness and carefulness, not to add, detract, nor to imply God’s plan is too tough or too difficult to understand, or impossible to fulfill.

Here’s the famous verse in the famous Psalm:
Psalms 23:5
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.

That means the table is set for us, by God – WHILE the battle rages, WHILE the enemy is at war.
Double negative here: We are not advised to not enjoy our God’s feast in the midst of the battle.

Peter tells us our not being terrified by our enemy is to them a sign of perdition. That is bible-speak for the enemies of God being warned they are toast.

David (Ps 23) even put forth that the anointing of the Lord is upon us, right smack IN the battle. That’s the overflowing oil in our cups.

Today’s prophets, like all prophets, do well to pray into deep understanding of the word of God. It will keep them from ruin, from accountability of avoidable error. In some cases it might keep some from death.

God is not fooling around these days. The prophet who has a dream, let him tell the dream (Jer 23 – read the whole chapter – good stuff).

Jeremiah 23:28-29
28 “The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream;
And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully.
What is the chaff to the wheat?” says the Lord.
29 “Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord,
“And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

For God’s sake (and for our own sake), let’s work to get this right. There is grace for that. The world is relying on saints who will speak the work in truth, in accuracy, and in the fear of the Lord. In fact, that’s one of many reason why I believe the saints, mature ones to guide the new ones and to assist in the great final harvest of unsaved folks getting saved, will be here through the troubles, though of course not through the wrath.

All scriptures NKJV

Posted in Anointing, Apocalypse, End Times Related, Everything, False Teachers, Fear of the Lord, God's Word, Hearing God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Movement of God, New Testament, Obedience, Old Testament, Personal Relationship, Prophecy, Prophets, Psalms, Revelation(s), Salvation, Sin, Testing, Timing, Tribulation, Understanding & Knowing God, Wisdom, Word Of God, Worship | Comments Off

ez3728

Avner’s Excellent Post re the current pandemic, and God

Coronavirus and you

Here’s an interesting view forward….

Archives

Meta