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phecy > Rapture And Judgment Are At Hand by Tom Stewart |
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Rapture And Judgment Are At Hand
Or,
It Shall Be No More Prolonged
"For I am the LORD: I will
speak, and the Word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged:
for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the Word, and will perform it, saith
the LORD GOD"
(Ezekiel 12:25).
by Tom Stewart
Preface
he Watching
and Waiting Saints need to be encouraged to continue their abiding in the LORD Jesus
Christ. "And now, little children, abide
in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before
Him at His Coming" (1John
2:28). We must stand confident in hope and
in His Word. "Uphold
me according unto Thy Word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of
my hope" (Psalm 119:116). Coming judgment for America and the world, will be preceded
by the Rapture deliverance of the Saints. "To
slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked,
that be far from Thee: Shall not the Judge of All the Earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25).
However, the modern prophecies of America's soon destruction-- have also drawn the
attention of skeptics and mockers. "17 But, beloved, remember
ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our LORD Jesus Christ; 18 How that they told
you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly
lusts. 19
These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit" (Jude 17-19).
We would do well to evaluate our present circumstances in light of the Scriptures. "Now all these
things happened unto them [historical Israel
in the wilderness] for
ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world
are come" (1Corinthians
10:11).
Ezekiel Compared to Today
zekiel prophesied
concerning the coming judgment of the nation of Israel-- both the northern ("house of Israel")
and southern ("house of Judah") kingdoms. The iniquity of Israel and Judah had to be punished
by a longsuffering but holy God. Though the 430 Days of Ezekiel prophecy-- 390 days
for Israel plus 40 days for Judah-- dealt with the ancient history of Israel, it
also pointed to events of the 20th century. [See the
"Ezekiel
Predicted the 1967 Recapture of Jerusalem" section
of our article, "1998:
Year of the Apocalypse (Part 2)", for a discussion
of Ezekiel 4:1-8's time oriented prophecy.]
"4 Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity
of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou
shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. 5 For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity,
according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt
thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 6 And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy
right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days:
I have appointed thee each day for a year"
(Ezekiel 4:4-6).
As in these Last Days, the prophet Ezekiel was faced with the plague of scoffers. "Knowing this
first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts" (2Peter 3:3). There were perhaps
other Godly prophets warning of coming judgment, but Ezekiel had to contend with
the "foolish
prophets" that "prophesy out
of their own hearts" (Ezekiel 13:2). "Thus saith the LORD GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that
follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!" (13:3). No doubt, Ezekiel was lumped together with the "foolish prophets" by the "scoffers"
who sought to discredit him. On the other hand,
"Believe in the LORD your God, so shall
ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper" (2Chronicles 20:20).
The Days Are Prolonged, And Every Vision
Faileth
he mockers of Ezekiel's day coined their own parable
about all the prophecies and visions that predicted a coming judgment for the iniquity
of their nation-- "The days are prolonged,
and every vision faileth" (Ezekiel 12:22). In other words, the scoffers were saying that
the prophesied days are extended to some future time-- if at all. Besides,
all the other visions and prophecies have failed to materialize, as well. The LORD's
response is to silence the scoffers' parable with the fulfillment of the vision.
"Tell them therefore, Thus saith the LORD
GOD; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb
in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect [fulfillment] of every vision" (Ezekiel 12:23). Again, today,
we must remind ourselves of the imminent fulfillment of our Rapture, America's destruction,
the judgment of the world, and the Second Coming of our LORD. "For yet a little while,
and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry"
(Hebrews 10:37).
But, to continue, the LORD made clear that He would not tolerate any more "vain vision
[or] flattering
divination within the house of Israel" (Ezekiel
12:24). This is in reference to the "foolish prophets" (13:3). The commentator, John Gill (1697-1771), believed that there was
a period of "three years time" between Ezekiel's prophecy of the besieging
of Jerusalem (4:6)
and its fulfillment-- from "An Exposition of the
Old and New Testament" (1760), commenting
on Ezekiel 12:23.
In the meantime, Ezekiel would have been open to the mockers' criticism of giving
a failed vision or prophecy, i.e., the "days are at hand"
(12:23). Perhaps
the scoffers would have even turned the LORD's words against Ezekiel, i.e., saying
that his prophecies were a "vain vision" or a "flattering
divination" (12:24). This is akin to some attacking the Christians, who are
preaching the LORD Jesus' message, "Behold, I come quickly"
(Revelation 22:12),
when the LORD has yet to return all these years later. But, "Wisdom is justified
of her children" (Matthew
11:19).
It Shall Come to Pass
oses asked the question, "Who
is on the LORD'S side?" (Exodus
32:26), when calling the people to separation
from the sin of the golden calf. Likewise, we are
"in meekness instructing" (2Timothy 2:25) the Body to be "sanctified,
and meet for the Master's use, and prepared unto every good work" (2:21),
as well as to be living in expectation of our LORD's Coming. "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself,
even as He is pure" (1John
3:3). This sanctified living must be in keeping
with the force of the LORD's Words to Ezekiel,
"The days are at hand" (Ezekiel 12:23).
Man's tendency is to measure things by himself, and not to measure things by God. "My thoughts
are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD" (Isaiah 55:8). When the Alpha and Omega declares, "I will speak, and the Word that I shall speak shall come to
pass; It shall be no more prolonged" (Ezekiel 12:25), "those that
oppose themselves" (2Timothy
2:25) will attempt to find a way to despise
that "Word of the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 5:24).
To emphasize the fact that the fulfillment of the LORD's prophecy through Ezekiel
was certain, the LORD said, "In your
days, O rebellious house, will I say the Word, and will perform it" (Ezekiel 12:25). "19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of
the land: 20
But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of
the LORD hath spoken it" (Isaiah 1:19-20). In their life span, every hearer of Ezekiel's prophecy
concerning the LORD's judgment of Israel and Judah's iniquity, would know the reality
of the prophecy's fulfillment. "For all the Promises of God in Him are yea, and in
Him Amen" (2Corinthians
1:20).
Because man is not inherently good, apart from the LORD Jesus Christ, "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving,
and being deceived" (2Timothy
3:13). For this reason, the rebellious house
of Israel said, "The vision that he seeth
is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off" (Ezekiel 12:27). They opposed not only God, but themselves as well. "Behold, NOW
is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of Salvation"
(2Corinthians 6:2). God always calls men to
faith and obedience in the present tense. "Again,
He limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time;
as it is said, To day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts" (Hebrews 4:7).
In simple response to the gainsayers, the LORD declared through Ezekiel His opinion
of their statement that the "vision that [Ezekiel] seeth is
for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off" (Ezekiel 12:27). The LORD said, "There
shall none of My Words be prolonged any more, but the Word which I have spoken shall
be done, saith the LORD GOD" (12:28). "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man,
that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and
shall He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19). In Solomon's dedicatory prayer of the First Temple, Solomon
rightly stated the certainty of the Good LORD's Words.
"Blessed be the LORD, that hath given
rest unto His people Israel, according to all that He promised: there hath not
failed one Word of all His Good Promise, which He promised by the hand of Moses
His servant" (1Kings
8:56).
What This Article Has Not Attempted to Prove
My intention in this article:
- has not been to demonstrate if there is a Rapture
before the Tribulation. "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted
worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the
Son of Man" (Luke 21:36).
[See our article, "Must
There Be a Pre-Tribulational Rapture?" for that proof.]
- Neither did we intend to prove that America is
a type of Babylon the Great. "For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her
fornication, and the kings of the Earth have committed fornication with her, and
the merchants of the Earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies" (Revelation 18:3).
- Neither did we endeavor to demonstrate that we
have good reason to hope for deliverance, even in 1999. "Where
is the promise of His Coming?" (2Peter 3:4). [Take a look at "Promises for: HIS Coming"
to see why we are hoping.]
- No attempt was made to demonstrate that a false
prophet is one who speaks "to turn you
away from the LORD your God" (Deuteronomy 13:5), and not
just one who seems to be mistaken or seems to be inaccurate. [See "A
Prophet Hath Been Among Them" for a discussion of
true and false prophets. And, our article, "Does
GOD Test People Like That?", deals with Biblical examples
of failed prophecy, testing, and refinement.]
- Also, we did not attempt to prove that the End
Time chronologies can be delayed without adversely affecting Tribulation Week events.
"And except those days should be shortened,
there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened" (Matthew 24:22). [Read our article, "For
the Elect's Sake", to see how God can accomplish this
amazing feat.]
Conclusion
owever, what
we are desirous of accomplishing is your encouragement. "For
now we live, if ye stand fast in the LORD"
(1Thessalonians 3:8).
If you become discouraged and quit hoping that the LORD will fulfill His Word in
your soon Rapture, as well as the other End Time events associated with His Second
Coming, then you will "come short" (Hebrews 4:1) of entering into
His Rest. We must be like Abraham, "who
against hope believed in hope"
(Romans 4:18).
We must stagger "not at the Promise of God through unbelief" (4:20); but instead, we "have need of patience, that, after [we] have done the will of
God, [we] might
receive the Promise [that is, the promised
results]"
(Hebrews 10:36).
We need to "continue in prayer" (Colossians 4:2) that we would be
"accounted worthy to escape all these
things that shall come to pass" (Luke 21:36). Praying not only
for ourselves, but that the Body would be "ready" (12:40) to answer the Rapture Call,
"Come Up Hither" (Revelation 4:1). "Watch and pray, that
ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). What intercession we give at this time will be the difference
between many going or not going. "Stand in the gap"
(Ezekiel 22:30)
through intercession and a "word fitly
spoken" (Proverbs
25:11) in "due
season" (Galatians
6:9). Continue to obey our LORD's command, "Occupy till
I come" (Luke
19:13).
May our entrance into His presence be with great rejoicing! "He that goeth forth
and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing
his sheaves with him" (Psalm 126:6).
Maranatha!
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