| Why A Prophet To The Gentiles |
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I have no more to do with it than nothing, no more than just a voice ...I wasn't the One that appeared down on the river; I was only standing there when He appeared. I'm not the One that performs these things and foretells these things that happens as perfect as they are; I'm only one that's near when He does it. .....It wasn't the seventh angel - it was a manifestation of the Son of man. It wasn't the angel, his Message; it was the mystery that God unfolded.William Branham - July 25, 1965m."Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper." 2nd Chron. 20:20. A Prophet To The Gentiles"Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures." Luke 24:45. It is my prayer for you, that the Lord Jesus Christ would open YOUR understanding to understand the Scriptures. The subject material covered in these pages is of tremendous importance for this "End-time" generation. If we consider ourselves to be among those who are waiting for "the Blessed Hope", the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus, the Resurrection and the Rapture, then we must needs be aware of what God has done and is doing in this end time age. That which the Word of God has to say about "this age" affects our highest interests and eternal welfare. It demands that we whole-heartedly and unreservedly accept the Revelation ordained for this generation. And without a doubt it will require a spiritual mind to recognize and act on the Truth contained in this discussion. To further understand our subject, we must be able to recognize how the unchanging God reveals and brings His Word to pass. He does all things decently and in order, and that order is laid out in the Bible. It reveals God's nature, character and methods of dealing with man. If we can recognize what God has done and is doing in this age, then make no mistake about it, we would have recognized what God did in the days of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, etc. God forbid that we would be found guilty of praising God for what He has done and what He will do, BUT ignoring what He is doing. The subject of these pages will of course meet with a decidedly mixed reception. Man is accustomed to speaking of God only in terms of the past or the future and not the present. They are definite about the 'past' and feel positive about the 'future' but only speak in 'general terms' about God in the 'present' - not able to recognize the "revealing of the Son of Man" or the awakening of the Bride of Christ in their day. They can look into the Bible and see that the hour in which we live are like unto the "days" of Sodom and Gomorrah and the "days" of Noah but they are not able to recognize the 'revealing of the Son of Man' (Luke 17:28-30). Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed [them] all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. Of course, some readers will have their minds already made up and no amount of persuasion or Scriptural proof will turn them into the path of Truth. Yet, others, with a deep hunger and thirst for the deeper things of God, will be thankful that, by Divine Grace, we endeavor to speak forth those things which bring God into the Present, declaring "all His counsel", putting man in his proper place before Him, and to emphasize those portions and aspects of Scripture which our generation is most in need of. According to the Bible, God's method of revealing Himself to man at all "junctions of time" or the beginning and end of major dispensations, has been through His servants the Prophets. So important is the office of a Prophet that the Bible speaks on this wise... "Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established, believe his Prophets, so shall ye prosper."2nd. Chron. 20:20. Again It is written..."Surely the Lord God will do nothing, BUT He revealeth His secret unto His servants, the Prophets."Amos 3:7. Note also this Scripture which speaks of God's faithfulness to Israel and to His Prophets... "He suffered no man to do them wrong; yea He reproved kings for their sakes, saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my Prophets no harm." Psalms 105:14-15. In these pages we will present prophecy after prophecy showing the Promise of a Prophet to the Gentiles in the last days - a prophet to close out the "Fullness of the Gentiles" and the "Pentecostal Feast"(The time of the Seven Church Ages wherein God deals with the Gentiles). Prophecy also speaks of one to come to usher in a time of judgement on the earth, preceding "the great and dreadful day of the Lord". We will also show the fulfillment of these prophecies in a man whom God has mightily used in this age - to deny it is to deny "manifested" Truth. God called the man! God vindicated the man! God used the man in a ministry of restoration to restore and reveal His Word to His Sons and Daughters. By no means does that Ministry add to the Bible - but rather the mysteries contained in Scripture are revealed and will ultimately give Rapturing Faith to the Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ in this Age. To God Be the Glory - Great things He hath done! May God, by His Grace, grant to you a revelation of what HE HAS DONE and IS DOING in your day. I encourage you to Stay with the Word. The Sign Of The Fig Tree.Every Serious professing Christian knows that the hour is desperately late. More and more emphasis is being place on the Second Coming of The Lord Jesus Christ. Bible students are attempting to interpret the "Signs" of His Coming. Jesus said to the Pharisees in His day, "Ye can discern the face of the sky; How is it that ye cannot discern the signs of the time?" Most of the people in that day were not able to discern the "signs" of Jesus' First Coming. So also today, the vast majority of the people are missing or mis-interpreting the "signs" of Jesus' Second Coming. Jesus was once asked by His disciples, "WHAT shall be THE SIGN of Thy Coming and of the End of the World?" (Matthew 24:3). He responded with a lengthy dissertation on the events to take place from that time to the End of the World and concluded with "the SIGN of the Fig Tree". And concerning the "fig tree" Jesus said, "Now learn a parable of the fig tree: When its branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh; So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." (Matthew 24:32). Therefore the "sign" of the "fig tree putting forth its leaves" would be "A sign" of the Second Coming of Jesus. Bible students agree that the "fig tree" represents Israel and that Jesus was indicating that it would be a "key sign" at the end of the world to awaken His [Gentile] elect (Matthew 25:5-6) to the awareness and consciousness of His Second Coming. This is further proven by the Words of Jesus in Luke 21:24, "And they (Jews) shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the 'times of the Gentiles' be fulfilled." Note that Jerusalem was to be under Gentile control only "until" God finished "calling out of the Gentiles a people, a bride for His Name. After the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 the world witnessed the scattering of the Jews to every nation. But the time of God's promise to the Jews drew nigh; and around the turn of the twentieth century, and especially since the Second World War, we have seen the "re-gathering" of the "so-called" lost tribes back into the Land of Israel. The "re-gathering" proves that they weren't "lost". God knew and knows the location of every predestinated Hebrew. He also knows to what tribe each one belongs. In Revelation 7 we find every one of them in their Tribal order again. Praise the Lord! The people of Israel, through great suffering, have been gathered from the nations and returned to the land of their heritage. A tiny fledgling nation, faced with insurmountable obstacles, astonished the world by winning a succession of wars and becoming the dominant military force in the Middle East. Only spiritual blindness would lead a person to deny that Divine providence played the key role in the restoration of the "fig tree" (Israel). The prophecy of Ezekiel 37 - the restoration of "the valley of Dry Bones" is almost completely fulfilled - a sign of the "last days"; a sign of the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ for His Gentile Bride; a sign of God coming on the scene to make an "end" of all things. And God is making an "end"of the "Fullness of the Gentiles" (Spiritual) and the "Times of the Gentiles" (Political) - the "Fullness", covering the period of the Seven Church Ages of Revelation chapters 2 and 3, comes to a climax with an "Indictment" of the religious systems of man (Revelation 3:14-22), followed by the Rapture of the Bride of Christ (1st. Thess. 4:16-17). The "Times" of the Gentiles, beginning with Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar, will conclude with the battle of Armageddon - the ultimate end of Gentile domination, control and influence over Israel. Other SignsThe restoration of the nation of Israel, of course, was not the only Sign foretold in relation to the end of the world and the Coming of Christ for His Bride. Actually, the prophetic list is quite lengthy including such things as... 1. The Increase of Knowledge - man running to and fro in the earth (Daniel 12:4). 2. The rise of an intellectual, but religious generation which are lovers of self more than lovers of God, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, unthankful, unholy, disobedient to parents, high-minded, lovers of pleasure - with a form of godliness, but denying the power of God preeminence in their lives (2nd. Timothy 3:1-7). 3. A return of the conditions that existed in the days of Noah, Sodom and Gomorrah - a time of pre-occupation with self, selfish interests and great immorality (Luke 17:26-30). 4. The ushering in of "the day of vengeance of our God" (Isaiah 61:2b). 5. The rise of the anti-Christ (1st. John2:18 and 2nd Thess 2:3); 6. Wars and rumors of war - Distress among the Nations (Matthew 24:6). 7. Earthquakes and pestilence, etc. (Matthew 24:7). The ever-increasing turbulent climate of the world, has convinced scientist, economists, politicians and psychics, as well as theologians that a major catastrophic happening is imminent. The End time GenerationIt is believed by the vast majority of Christians that "the" End time generation is NOW living. This belief is based upon the fact that certain historical events absolutely necessary to The Second Coming of Christ have but come to pass in very recent years. There is actually no major prophetic event that is not now already in progress or that must yet come to herald His return.There is left to us only the breathless hush of waiting as it was in the days of Noah when he entered into the Ark and the flood delayed yet seven days. ARE YOU in God's ark of safety - The revealed Word and Will of God for YOUR day? I encourage you to "make your calling and election (Salvation) sure today" by lining up with What God says in His Word - The Bible. Peter said, "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:" (2nd. Peter 1:10). Prayerfully consider the message found in the link on "Salvation In The 21st. Century"; remembering what our Lord Jesus said in John 8:31, "If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed;" God's PatternNo major event in the plan of God has been without a witness to that impending event. In the days of the flood, God sent forth The Prophet Noah, with a message to warn and prepare the people. In the Time of the Exodus God sent the Prophet Moses, with Signs and wonders and a Message of deliverance. In the days of Israel's backsliding, God sent the Prophet Elijah with Warnings, Judgments and a Message of Repentance. In the Days of the First Coming of Jesus, God sent forth the Prophet John the Baptist with the Word to forerun and introduce Jesus Christ to that generation. In this study, we will show that God, in maintaining His Divine continuity of sending Prophets, once again promised the world a Prophet-Messenger to forerun and announce the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It is This promise, as contained in Scripture, which will focus our attention on another important "SIGN" of the Return of Jesus. We will show that as it was during the First Coming, so is it in His Second Coming, only one ministry in 'that' century, and only one ministry in 'this' century could qualify to be that Messenger. We ask for your patience as we unveil "A Prophet To An Age". YES! A Prophet to the Gentiles! The Sign Of The ProphetThe purpose of these pages is to alert the reader to "THAT" vitally significant sign which has found its fulfillment in our day. This sign is unique in that it is God's traditional sign to precede any major, Scriptural happening. Ironically, it is God's most vivid sign and yet this True Sign is the most overlooked and misunderstood of all signs. WHAT IS THIS SIGN? It is the sign of "The Prophet". In the previous paragraph we have shown that God's pattern of dealing with His people has always included the sending of Prophets. We have already learned from Amos 3:7 that God does "nothing" without a prophetic forerunner and even a surface study of Bible history will show this to be the Truth. Rejected By The Majority Tragically, Bible and secular history also reveals that almost all of God's Prophets were greeted with skepticism and abuse. No matter how great their Divine Vindication, they suffered at the hands of the people to whom they were sent. Jesus expressed this to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:31-36 when He revealed that they and their forefathers were guilty of the blood of "all" the prophets from Abel to Zechariah. There has never been a time in Bible History that the people were ready and willing to listen to the witness of God relative to coming events of great magnitude. Therefore it is believed that only a few will be even a little aware of the witness God has already given to us and established as proof of His Coming. But it is hoped that every reader of this site will think awhile on the contents and ask God for guidance in this critical time. An Objection OverruledBefore we consider the Scriptural Proof of "A Prophet To The Gentiles", lets first focus on what has become in this age, a very prevalent opinion concerning prophets. The vast majority of professing Christians believe that since the First Advent of Jesus Christ, God no longer uses Prophets to minister to His people. A carnal interpretation of Scriptures such as Luke 16:16, "The law and the prophets were until John..." and Hebrews 1:1, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son..." is taken as proof of this. Let it be clearly understood that these Scriptures DO NOT point to a cessation of Prophets. They are stating only that the partial Word each Old Testament Prophet uttered was fully expressed in Christ, the (Logos) Word, when He appeared in flesh. The New Testament abounds with Prophets AFTER Christ, even aside from the prophetic ministries obviously manifest in the Apostles such as Peter, Paul and John. let the reader consider these Scriptures... "For this cause, I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ, for you Gentiles. If ye have heard of the dispensation of the Grace of God which is given me toward you: How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery....... Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, (prophets, i.e. Ezekiel 2:1), as it is NOW (After Jesus) revealed unto His Holy Apostles and PROPHETS by the Spirit." Ephesians 3:1-5. Acts 21:10 make reference to a New Testament prophet named Agabus. In listing the New Testament five-fold ministry, in Ephesians 4:11-12, the Apostle Paul includes the office of "prophets". Jesus, referring to the prophets which were sent to the Jews, said: "Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and [some] of them they shall slay and persecute:" (Luke 11:49). This was and remains the attitude of self-righteous "professed" children of God to the prophets he sends to them. Without a doubt the Scriptures show that New Testament Prophets not only exist but are ordained to preach the mysteries which the Old Testament Prophets under the law could only see as a shadow. The words "In these last days God has spoken unto us by His Son," defines the Message of all the Prophets and apostles which FOLLOW Christ's First Advent. God in His SON is still speaking through His ordained Messengers, even Prophets. A Prophet To The Gentiles*Background Information*The Bible clearly teaches that God does not deal with Jew and Gentile at the same time. For a more detailed study of this thought follow the link to Jews Versus Gentiles In Scripture. God has appointed a limited time wherein he brings Salvation unto the Gentiles - calling out of the Gentiles "a people for His name" (Acts 15:14). This time frame covers approximately 2000 years and is divided into Seven Church Ages. Again you may follow the link to An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages for a more detailed study of the Ages. In the book of Acts chapter 28 and verse 28, Paul makes this declaration to the Jews AFTER they had refused to accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah: "Be it known, therefore, unto you, that the Salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and they will hear it." In Acts 18:6 Paul bore witness against the Jews because of their unbelief... "He shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." From that time to the present age God has been presenting Salvation to the Gentile nations. When the "TIMES" and "FULLNESS" of the Gentiles be finished then God shall again turn to the Jews to restore them, not only nationally but spiritually. In our section on the "Fig Tree" above we have already considered the restoration of Israel as being a SIGN of the Second Coming of Christ. It is also a SIGN of "THE END" of the "Times" and "Fullness" of the Gentiles. It is written in Luke 21:24... "and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." The Last and Final Age wherein God deals with the Gentiles is the Laodicean Church Age. All evangelical Christians believe that we are living in this last age. In each of these ages God sent a Messenger with a Message to call the Gentiles back to Himself. The Last Age wherein God deals with the Gentiles also has its Messenger (Rev. 2:1,8,12,18; 3:1,7,14). In fact, he will be a PROPHET-MESSENGER. Unlike the other Messengers, his Ministry will be somewhat different in scope, power and purpose. In this Age the Lord, through His PROPHET-MESSENGER, will among other things..... 1. Restore the FULLNESS of the Word of God to the people - taking out what man put in and putting back what man took out. 2. Call the elected predestinated seed of God to come out from among the systems of man-made religion. 3. Finish the Mystery of God - the mysterious things and mysteries which other Messengers probed at through the centuries, is revealed and made plain through the Ministry and message of this endtime Prophet-Messenger. 4. Make an end of the Dispensation of Grace to the Gentile world. 5. Declare "The Day Of Vengeance Of Our God". 6. Introduce [through the Revealed Word] the earthly Bride to her Heavenly Bridegroom - the Lord Jesus Christ. 7. Quicken to the Bride of Christ the reality of the Second Coming, the Rapture and the Resurrection. Most professing Christians do believe in the Second Coming, the Resurrection of the Dead and the Rapture [catching away] of the living Saints. (1st Thess. 4:16-17; 1st. Cor. 15:51-57; Acts 1:11, etc.). BUT What most people don't know is that, even as John the Baptist foreran the First Coming of our Lord, there must come a Prophet, having the spirit of Elijah who will forerun Christ's Second Coming. Such a Ministry is Promised in the Bible. Of course, even now there are many false prophets in the world, leading many astray (Matt. 24:11-24). But the same God who said there would be the false, also said there would come a TRUE Prophet. We have to be cautious in our judgments lest we find ourselves "throwing the baby out with the bath water". It is absolutely Scriptural that a Prophetic [Elijah-type] Ministry is to come into focus at the end of the world - not once but twice: FIRST, to the Gentiles, and SECOND, to Israel during the Great Tribulation. (Revelation 11). With this understanding, let's proceed to the Scriptures which, as seen together, point to "A Prophet To The Gentiles" - A Gentile forerunner of the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. A Prophet To The Gentiles*Bible Proof*Two "key" Bible references will help us to more clearly see the picture. One from Malachi in the Old Testament and One from The Revelation in the New Testament. First let's go to the book of Malachi. It is written... "Behold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." (Malachi 4:5-6). Here is one of those most peculiar Scriptures that in one sweep encompasses TWO widely separated events dealing with one person. The person involved is Elijah. The TWO events are his manifestation before the First and Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Before going further let's understand that the Scriptures are not saying that the original Elijah himself would come (there is no reincarnation in the Bible) BUT rather that a man with that type of anointing and ministry would appear on the scene - an Elijah Ministry. An angel said concerning John the Baptist: "And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah..." The Word explains what the Elijah Ministry is to accomplish Note the Phrases: "And he shall turn the heart (Get the people ready) of the..." 1. Fathers to the Children. (reverse) 2. Children to the Fathers. The FIRST Part, "And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children," is a reference to John the Baptist as set forth in Luke 1:17, "And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Note, the angel says nothing of John turning the hearts of the "Children to the Fathers". That was reserved for the Elijah Ministry at the end of the ages. It was John's commission to forerun and introduce the Messiah and "turn the hearts" of the Pharisee and Sadducees fathers to the children who were proclaiming the First Coming of Christ - "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." This is exactly what John did. In those days the religious leaders were trying to determine who John the Baptist really was. Jesus plainly declared that John the Baptist was a Prophet and more than a Prophet... "For this is he of whom it is written, behold, I sent my Messenger before thy face, who shall prepare the way before thee...For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elijah who was to come" (Matt. 11:10,13-14). The Priest and Levites sent and enquired of John... In John 1:19-21 we read: "And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not: but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he answered,No." Jesus said John was "Elijah" and John said he wasn't. WHY the seeming contradiction? To understand this is to understand what we have already stated, that Malachi 4 speaks of TWO comings of Elijah. When Jesus said John was Elijah, He was referring to the first part of Mal. 4:6 - John would turn the heart of the "Fathers to the Children". When the Priest and Levites ask John if he was Elijah, they were looking for the Elijah who would come at the end of the ages and "Restore all things", introduce a Messiah in Power and restore the nation of Israel. The Priests and Levites had the "TWO" Comings of Christ mixed up and also the "TWO" Comings of Elijah. They were expecting the Elijah who was to come before "the great and dreadful day of the Lord". John declared himself to be "The Voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord." (John 1:22-23 and Isaiah 40:3). Even the disciples were at first confused over the TWO comings of the Elijah Ministry. In Matthew 17:10-12 they questioned Jesus: "...Why then say the Scribes that Elijah must first come?" Notice HOW Jesus answered their question. In simple language He told them that Elijah WOULD come and that Elijah HAD come. He explained the Mystery of Malachi 4:6 as TWO comings of Elijah. Jesus said, "...Elijah truly SHALL first come,"(future tense) "and" restore all things" (John didn't do this). But I say unto you, that Elijah is come already," (Present tense-John) "and they knew him not..." There it is - the world would have to wait almost 2000 years for the Ministry that would "Restore ALL Things". Jesus, definitely spoke of a FUTURE Elijah Ministry to bring a complete restoration of all things. In the Book of Acts we have further vindication of this truth. It says, "And He shall send Jesus Christ, who before was preached unto you, Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution (restoration) of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His Holy Prophets since the world began." (Acts 3:20-21). Surely, there's no doubt in our hearts! Surely we are now persuaded by the Word that at the time of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (before the great and dreadful day of the Lord), an Elijah-type Ministry is to rise on the scene and "RESTORE ALL THINGS". Realizing that Jesus, in His Second Coming, comes to receive His Gentile Bride unto Himself, therefore the Elijah Ministry promised would have to be to the Gentiles to prepare our hearts and make us ready for the great event. Allow me answer a Question which no doubt some will have on their minds - What about an Elijah Ministry to the Jews? This is a valid question since most interpret Malachi 4:5-6 to be 'to the Jews'. There is an Elijah ministry to them - it is promised and spoken of in Revelation 11:3-7. An Elijah-Type ministry in conjunction with a Moses-Type will minister the Gospel to the Jews, calling out the predestinated 144,000 Jews to receive the true atonement in Jesus Christ, their Messiah. But concerning the Elijah ministry to the Gentiles let's consider the second "key" reference from the Book of Revelation. It is written... "But in the days of the Voice of the seventh angel (Messenger), when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants, the prophets." Revelation 10:7 Another Objection Overruled.Some, by mis-interpreting the Word, have stated that this 'seventh angel' of Rev. 10:7 refers to a heavenly angel sounding on a trumpet. On the contrary, this verse refers to the MESSENGER (a man) TO THE LAODICEAN AGE SPEAKING TO US THE WORD OF GOD. The proof of this is set forth in Rev. 9:13 and Rev. 11:15. HERE are the Two heavenly trumpeters. Notice that with the sixth trumpet the terrible woes come upon the earth in Judgment. Notice in the seventh trumpet that Christ is set forth as taking His rightful Kingdom. BUT in Rev. 10:7 the Messenger there is still sounding, and his sounding is declaring the Mystery of God to the Church. Notice too, that in Rev. 10:1-6 we do not have the Lord Jesus taking a throne but He is portrayed here as standing on earth with His head in Heaven. John saw "another Mighty Angel" come down from heaven and placed one foot upon the sea and one foot upon the land. John, further states that this Mighty Angel is clothed with a cloud and there's a rainbow upon His head - This is the Lord Jesus. The Bible says that He cries with a loud Voice declaring that time should be delayed no longer. In 1st. Thess. 4:16 we are told that, "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a Shout ..." BUT preceding all of this is an Elijah Ministry, the Voice of the Seventh Angel revealing the Son of Man to the Endtime believers - setting in order, the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Luke's Gospel we are given more information concerning the Endtime conditions and the Endtime Ministry..... It is written... As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. As it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son Of Man is Revealed." Luke 17:26-30 There's no disputing the fact that as it was in those days so it is in this day. The sin, perversion and unbelief of that day is rampant in this Age. It is in these circumstances and under those conditions that the Elijah Ministry begins to sound to "turn our hearts back" to the True Word of God and make us ready for the Second Coming of Christ, the Resurrection and Rapture. According to our Scripture references, this "endtime" Elijah's ministry is essential. We cannot by-pass these things and still expect to please God. Jesus himself reminds us that "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4). There was One and Only One Ministry which was vindicated by God in the Twentieth Century to be the Revelation 3:14 Angel-Messenger to the LAODICEAN Church Age, the Elijah Ministry of Malachi 4:5-6, and the Voice of the Seventh Angel Ministry of Revelation 10:7. Allow me to put it this way... The Angel-Messenger of Rev. 3:14-22: Called For Repentance. The Elijah Ministry of Mal. 4:5-6: Turns Our Hearts Back To The True Word. The Seventh Angel of Rev. 10:7: Speaks Forth The Mysteries Of The Word, Finishing The Mystery Of God - it's one and the same Messenger to the Gentile Church. Why Do We Need A Prophet?In brief, God sent us a Prophet BECAUSE: 1. It was His Pattern. 2. It was His Promise to this age. 3. We needed a Prophet. Having already covered the first two in our study, let's take a brief look at reason number three and answer the Question: WHY Do We Need A Prophet? This question is justified and deserves an answer, especially in light of the fact that there are almost a thousand different denominations, inter-denominationals and non-denominational groups in the world today. No other generation has been so bombarded with religion and different theology as this generation. It's everywhere - Audio tapes, Video tapes, Television, Radio, the Printed Page and now the Internet! All of these Voices are claiming (without Divine Vindication) to have the correct interpretation of the Word of God. This confusion in itself is proof that this generation needed a "Divinely Vindicated" prophetic ministry like that of Elijah to come and set the record straight. In the midst of all this religious confusion, (GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF CONFUSION) surely there's a need for a Voice in the wilderness to lead us out of the mess? The Bible tells us that "The Word of the Lord comes to the Prophet" and God vindicates (certifies, justifies, and defends) His Prophets. God vindicated Moses (He gave him two signs); God vindicated (backed up) Samuel (He did let none of his words fall to the ground); God vindicated Elijah (What he spoke, the Lord brought to pass); In this LAODICEAN Age, the vindicated Prophet of Mal. 4:5-6 and Rev. 10:7, is the mouthpiece of God instead of the church - this you will see as we continue to probe into our need for a prophet. We live in a very religious world - not very "spiritual", but religious enough to know that there is a God, but not spiritual enough to discern Him revealing and fulfilling His Word in this age. It reminds us of the man in Scripture who was healed by Jesus. He marvelled that the "religious leaders" weren't able to "recognize" Jesus as being sent from God. Responding to the leaders he said, ".....Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and [yet] he hath opened mine eyes" John 9:30. The religious leaders of that day weren't able to recognize the Divinely vindicated ministry of "The Word Made Flesh". WHY??? Because they were religious, but spiritually blind. So, also, in this religious age, (all due respect, but) the religious leaders are spiritually blind - not able to recognize a Divinely Vindicated prophetic ministry. In the early beginnings of most of the religious moves now represented in the earth, God was in control and it was spiritual, producing spiritual sons and daughters of God. BUT today its run by the leadership of man instead of the Holy Spirit. CHRIST HAS BEEN OUSTED from His position of headship and leadership. How do we know? BECAUSE much of what the churches are doing and allowing others to do, is contrary to the Word of God. Give them the "WORD TEST" and most will take tradition over the Word; Others will take emotion and sensationalism over the Word. BUT the True Believer judges "All Things" (doctrine, emotion, sensations, dreams and visions) by the Word. Other than gathering more and more members unto themselves, WHAT are these denominations, non-denominationals and inter-denominationals accomplishing? In considering these things, let's be honest with God and with ourselves. About one hundred years ago William Booth, the founder of The Salvation Army, prophesied of this Age saying, "In the Twentieth Century they (the churches) will preach 'heaven' but no 'hell'; 'Forgiveness' BUT no 'repentance'; and they will end up with a form of 'Christianity' BUT 'NO CHRIST'." His prophecy has been fulfilled to the letter. Surely the spiritual conditions of the Age, would warrant that God send us a Prophet. Without a doubt we know that we are at a "junction of time" when God is changing His course - the course of nature, the course of the nations, and the course of time itself. We know, that according to the Divine Plan, some major event is about to take place. Earlier in our study we learned that AT SUCH A TIME AS THIS, God ALWAYS sends a prophet with His Word to Call the people to repentance and prepare them for what is about to happen. Let's probe deeper into the spiritual condition of the Age we now live in. To do this we will go back to the Bible to consider what God says of the Endtime Age. Our first reference is found in Revelation 3:15-17 and is a Message to the Church in this Seventh and Last Church Age - LAODICEAN... It is written... "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would that thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked,..." WHAT A CONDITION TO BE IN! Its there, in black and white, for all to see. The Church sees itself in an A-1 condition, but God , looking through His Word, sees the Church in a deplorable condition. There are five important points which The Lord would have us to consider in this portion of Scripture: 1. The Church says: I am RICH, increased with goods, have need of nothing. 2. Jesus Said: You are POOR, BLIND, Naked, Lukewarm and Wretched 3. Because they are in this condition Jesus said, "I Will spew you out of my mouth". This has tremendous implications . If God spewed the church out of His mouth this means that the church in this LAODICEAN Age is no longer God's mouthpiece. Then who is His mouthpiece? It would have to be the Prophet-Messenger He Promised for this day. That's another reason WHY we Needed a Prophet. God is no longer speaking through the Church. Like Judas, they have betrayed their Lord for 30 pieces of silver. According to Rev. 3:17, the church boasts in its wealth, mistakenly thinking that it's the blessings of God. For the sake of prestige and acceptance by the world, the churches and their followers have compromised with sin. Not many are identifying sin and preaching "against" it. A few might dare (from the pulpit) to preach against abortion or homosexuality, but other sins (worldiness, pride, common-law relationships, etc.) are ignored and allowed to run rampant. Remember! The Churches change their standard to suit the times, BUT God NEVER changes His standard. 4. This brings us to the next point to notice concerning the condition of the Church in this Age - Four words show the wretchedness of the Church, "AND KNOWETH IT NOT". They are so caught up in their own ideas and ambitions that "they're not aware" of their POOR, BLIND and NAKED condition in the Presence of God. Billy Graham stated that "the Holy Spirit could leave the church and it [the church] would go right on doing 60-70 percent of what it was doing and NOT EVEN REALIZE that the Holy Spirit had left." This brings us to the reality of point number 5. 5. NOTICE this startling revelation in this portion of Scripture: Jesus has been put out of the Church. According to verse 20 He's on the OUTSIDE, knocking and calling to the INDIVIDUAL in the church. HOW does Jesus do this? He is calling his "elect" in and through the Ministry of Malachi 4 and Rev. 10:7 - A Prophet to the Age. "In the days of the Voice of the Seventh Angel Messenger" God calls to His children to "COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE" Rev. 18:4). Come out of this MODERN SPIRITUAL BABYLON and be not a partaker of their unbelief. Like Cain they Worship; Like Cain they offer their sacrifices BUT God has not respect unto their offering. Abel, by faith, according to the will of God, offered unto God, a more excellent sacrifice. Cain's offering was a product of a private interpretation of the Word and Will of God. Abel's offering was by faith [revealed by the Holy Spirit, in his heart] and it dovetailed exactly with the Word and Will of God. Because the church is in this condition, it is every indication that they no longer walk in the Light of God's Word. Instead of preaching the PURE Word of the Lord they now teach for doctrine the commandments of men - taking part of the Word and mixing the thoughts and ideas of man with it. They end up with a form of godliness but no power. The whole thing has become "A Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil". This brings a famine in the land, not for bread and water BUT for the True Word of God. It is Written... "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the Words of the Lord; And they (the ones described in Rev. 3:15-17) shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the Word of the Lord, and shall not find it." We, of our own abilities, could never find the Word of the Lord. We must needs stand still to see and hear the Voice of God sounding through His servant the Prophet. The 'famine' conditions mentioned in the verse above leads to still another condition which would require A Prophetic Ministry to sort out... Again it is Written... "For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples, but the Lord shall rise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee." With "gross darkness" upon the people, we now see that End Time conditions according to what we have read thus far, are becoming progressively worse. In 2nd. Tim. 3:1-7, the Apostle Paul sums up the spiritual condition of the people in the Last Days... "...in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereoff; from such turn away ...Ever learning, and "never able" to come to the knowledge of the Truth." WHAT A STATE TO BE IN! Remember, Paul isn't speaking of unbelievers. He is showing the condition of the professing believers - the Bible says they are "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God". They profess to have a love for God BUT they love pleasure more. This is further confirmed by verse 5 - they have a form of godliness But deny and resist the power which changes their old nature. They want to profess Christianity and still live the same kind of lives they always lived. What happened to the church in Rev. 3:15-17? WHAT happened to the people in Isaiah 60:2? WHAT happened to the people in 2nd. Tim 3:1-7? They Put emphasis on the church instead of the Word of God: They put emphasis on temporal blessings and gifts instead of eternal things (1st. Cor. 13:8-10; Romans 1:21-25). According to Matthew 6:23 and John 9:39-41, THE LIGHT THEY HAD BECAME DARKNESS - And how great is that darkness!!! And Because they receive not the Love of the Truth, the Lord shall send them a strong delusion that they might believe "the lie" ; that they all might be damned who believe not the Truth. [2nd Thessalonians 2:12]. But In The Midst Of This... There Is Hope... Beyond any shadow of doubt - this Laodicean Age above all others needed a Prophet - One who would catch the thought of God, "Restore All Things" and "Turn Our Hearts" from the churches and systems of man to the Living Word of the Living God. Faith that please God, comes, not by hearing the church BUT by hearing the Word of God. According to our need God has sent us a Prophet in this Twentieth Century. It is Written... And it shall come to pass, in that day (a day of denominations, etc), that the light shall not be clear nor dark (twilight - hazy) ...but it shall come to pass that, at Evening time, It shall be Light..." Zechariah 14:5-6 Light (Revelation and Understanding) of the mysteries of God's Word is promised, NOT in the morning time when Light usually breaks, but it's in the "Evening Time". WHY? Because He promised to 'shorten the days' for the Elect's sake (Matthew 24). The Elijah Ministry was sent with Light at Evening Time, revealing The Son Of Man, the Great Light of the World, our Lord Jesus Christ. It is written... "And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. ALSO as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. EVEN THUS SHALL IT BE IN THE DAY WHEN THE SON OF MAN IS REVEALED." Luke 17:26-30 The same conditions that existed in the days of Noah and Sodom, are NOW rampant in the earth. Therefore, the Messenger that " restores ALL things" and "reveals" the Son of Man has also made his appearance and sounded his Voice. Indeed that Prophet has come and gone; And the church world did unto him whatsoever they determined among themselves to do. Like John the Baptist, this Prophet was also rejected by the religious leaders of the Age. WHO is this Prophet? |
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