The Time of The Season

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The Prophet Daniel was aghast at the things he saw in his dreams and visions about the things to come at the time of the end of the last days, concerning especially the fourth Gentile kingdom and beast.  He fainted; he felt sick; he had no strength in his body; he was afraid.  It was only the Presence of the Lord with him — whether through the angel Gabriel, or by the Lord Himself — that gave him redemptive hope and assurance and peace in the inner man.  I believe that many who love the United States for what it has been — whether a believer or an unbeliever in Jesus — might feel a bit like Daniel now.  The same can be said for those who love Israel.

The Apostle Peter preached at that historic Shavuot/Pentecost to the people of Israel as a whole — to the covenant people of YHVH God. (Acts 2:34-43
“For David did not ascend into the Heavens, but he says himself:  ‘YHVH said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”‘  “Therefore, let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Yeshua/Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah/Christ.”

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, “Men, brethren, what shall we do?!”

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!”  Then those who gladly received this word were baptized…. And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the Apostles.” 

Do not those very same words apply today still to the whole House of Israel?  Do they not also apply today to the whole Body of Christ — the New Covenant people of YHVH God?  To the religious, the secular, the agnostics, the atheists, the conservatives, the liberals alike?  Across every stream and cross-section of society?  To people of every color, gender, status, right and left within the professing household of faith, where God’s judgment begins? 

Where is the fear of God?  Revival begins within those who have life, not among those who are dead in trespasses and sins, and who need to the miracle of resurrection life through new birth.  Maybe those who are ‘dead’ — when they see and hear a genuine revival of humble repentance back to the righteousness of living faith in the Word of God, and the living hope that is in us for who Jesus Christ really is — will then hear the Word of Messiah, and be born-again from Above by the Holy Spirit. 

Yeshua warned and rebuked the religious leaders of His people, who had all representatively misled them with the leaven of their teaching. (Mt 16:1-4

“…When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’  Hypocrites!  You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.  A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the Prophet Jonah.”  And He left them and departed.” 

God has His own plan for greatness and glory, not dependent on the temporal and partial fading glory of man or of kingdoms and powers of this world.  (“Sever yourselves from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for of what account is he.”)  He has His own timetable for completing His project for redemption of the people and the universe that He created and made in the manner revealed to us in the Scriptures.  He is orchestrating and allowing things which must take place to accomplish His holy objectives, which presently include waking up the sleeping virgins, bringing more Jewish people back to the land which He has covenantally promised to give them, to bring many more Gentiles and Jews to repentance and faith unto salvation, and to strengthen the redeemed to stand in that coming day of evil — all to the glory of God and the name of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ/Yeshua the Messiah. 

The Apostle Paul pastorally encouraged new and seasoned believers “to turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from Heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come”. (1Thes 1:9b-10

The Scriptures are written for us living at the end of the age.  Praise God that there is an end, a Sabbath rest for the people of God!  Thank God that we can know that Jesus reigns even now!  We have a peace that surpasses all understanding during these times of increasing lawlessness and turmoil. Let all His people say, Amen! 

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