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It's Time To Go
Or, Providence and Our LORD's Second
Coming
"The LORD is at hand"
(Philippians 4:5).
by Tom Stewart
Prologue
rovidence
is the hand of God ordering the affairs of man. "A
man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps" (Proverbs 16:9). We are to use whatever talent, skills,
or capacities that we possess to accomplish the LORD's will, but we must understand
that only God can bring it to pass. "Commit
thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass" (Psalm 37:5). That process of God's arranging of all things
to accomplish His will is the Providence of God. "9 Remember the former
things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none
like Me, 10 Declaring
the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done,
saying, My Counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure: 11 Calling a ravenous bird
from the east, the man that executeth My Counsel from a far country: yea, I have
spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do
it" (Isaiah 46:9-11).
The Only Wise God Our Saviour (Jude 25) has ordained a vast prophetic program for
His Second Coming with the design of "finish[ing] the transgression,
and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring
in Everlasting Righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint
The Most Holy" (Daniel 9:24). God insists
upon our voluntary cooperation with Him to accomplish that purpose. This can best
be seen in the conduct of the Son of Man. "But
Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (John 5:17).
So then, all of our LORD's masterful use of His Universe to bring to pass His prophetic
program, all of our cooperative labor for the Gospel of the LORD Jesus Christ, and
even the uncooperative "wrath of man" (Psalm 76:10), all of these will the Most Holy One (Daniel
9:24) use to accomplish His purpose and to bring us to the conclusion that IT'S
TIME TO GO!
Hastening Our LORD's Coming
t is a strange thought that mere mortal Christians
can have any part in hastening the Coming of our LORD Jesus Christ, but that is the
testimony of the Scripture of Truth (Daniel 10:21). "Looking
for and hasting unto the Coming of The Day of God
[or, hastening the Coming of The Day of God],
wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt
with fervent heat" (2Peter 3:12). Our
finite minds struggle to understand how we can possibly hasten the Coming of the
Infinite KING of Kings, but He has demonstrated His absolute sovereignty over the
affairs of man by openly enjoining us to command Him concerning the fulfillment of
His prophecy. "Thus saith the LORD, the
Holy One of Israel, and His Maker, Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons, and
concerning the work of My hands command ye Me"
(Isaiah 45:11). Blessing and honor to the LORD God Omnipotent (Revelation 19:6),
who has condescended to allow His people to "drive the car while sitting on
Daddy's lap".
Our participation in the fulfillment of prophecy was directed by the Master when
He instructed us to pray, "Thy Kingdom
come" (Matthew 6:10). Surely, this was
also the understanding of the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos as he reported our
LORD's closing Words in the Revelation. "He
which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come,
LORD Jesus" (Revelation 22:20). The Holy
One of Israel is so desirous of our participation in the fulfillment of His prophetic
program that He has placed on the table His longstanding request that we "stand in the gap"
(Ezekiel 22:30) with Him as an "intercessor" (Isaiah 59:16). Again, our God requires our intercession
to hasten His Coming. "Thus saith the
LORD GOD; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for
them" (Ezekiel 36:37). Our intercession
can only lead us to the conclusion that IT'S TIME TO GO!
Epilogue
Katie and I (Tom) would like to thank you, Berean Christians, for visiting the What
Saith The Scripture website. You have "received
the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those
things were so" (Acts 17:11). Because
we sense that our time is short that our Sovereign LORD would translate us all into
His Blessed presence, we look forward to the joyful prospect of meeting you by sight,
whom we have only heretofore perceived by faith. "And
that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is
our Salvation nearer than when we believed"
(Romans 13:11). With the knowledge that we will soon be in the presence of the Lamb
of God, Who not only redeemed us from our sins, but rescued us from this present
evil world, we bow to Him in thanksgiving and adoration. "Worthy
is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength,
and honour, and glory, and blessing" (Revelation
5:12).
Amen, and Amen.
.
Big Chart
- The tribulation timeline displayed all at once.
Index - An in-depth index of
all topics displayed on the Big Chart, but in small chart form.
Print - It is recommended that
you print out the Big Chart, to help you see an overview easier, and for future reference.
Section Index for Timeline
Readers are permitted and encouraged to copy and freely share this article with others.
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