Today we remind ourselves why we are going through this exercise of heightened watching and readiness. Is it because someone had a "feeling" or was told "thus says the Lord..." or anything else of that nature? No. We watch and are ready out of obedience and respect for what the Lord has written. What has the Lord told us?
Mark 13
32“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Be on guard! Be alert e ! You do not know when that time will come. 34It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ”
Luke 21
34“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
He told us always to be watching for His unexpected return. In addition to being told this, He has also set certain "appointed times:"
In Leviticus 23:1–2, the Lord told Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: These are my appointed times, the times of the LORD that you will proclaim as sacred assemblies” (CSB). “Appointed times” were the holy days, feasts, and festivals that God required the people of Israel to set aside as consecrated to the Lord and to observe faithfully throughout the year.
Part of ancient Israel’s commitment to worship and holy living involved the proper observance of sacred days and annual religious gatherings. The appointed times corresponded with the Jewish calendar and were tied to lunar and solar cycles.
The Lord called these solemn observances “my appointed times,” indicating that the focus of the gatherings would be on Him. They included the weekly Sabbath and the monthly new moon festival. The annual spring festivals were the Lord’s Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Firstfruits, and the Feast of Weeks, which was called Pentecost in the New Testament. The fall festivals consisted of the Feast of Trumpets or New Year’s Day, the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths.
link to above text here.
Why should Christians be aware of the appointed times? We do not observe the appointed times per se the way Israel has been commanded to however we would be wise to be aware of them. Why? There is coming a time when the Lord's attention will switch back from the Church to Israel. The book of Revelation calls out the Churches by name in Rev 2-3, then there is a "come up here" at the very beginning of Rev 4 and the Church is not mentioned at all again...The Church is not mentioned again after Revelation 3 but flip forward to Revelation 7 and who is now being called out by name? The 12 tribes of Israel. Add to that the fact that the 7 year tribulation is called the "time of Jacob's trouble" not the time of the Church's trouble.
Yes, people still want to live in denial about these facts but they do so to their own detriment. We do not have to make stuff up to support pet doctrines. We can simply take the Word of the Lord at face value (like a little child) and make an iron clad case. The Word of the Lord means what it says it means which brings us back to our point. What else does the Word of the Lord say?
Luke 21
36Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
The Word of the Lord says there is an escape from all that is about to happen...
The Word of the Lord says we should pray to be part of that escape...
We do not need a 1000 page dissertation to tell us why the Word of the Lord does not actually mean what it clearly says it means at face value. When will this escape be? It will be before "all that is about to happen." Otherwise the statements made in Luke 21:36 are nonsensical. So, its back to obedience and respect for what has been written. That is why we are watching and practicing readiness in this season because we know what the Word of the Lord says and we plan to do what we were told to do (watch always and be ready).
We do not know what is going to happen in this season but we are convinced it is going to be world shaking whatever it is. The 3 scenarios that stand front and center are:
1. The Lord comes back unexpectedly and pulls the Church out: world turns upside down
2. The Lord does not come back unexpectedly but intervenes directly to stop the satanic genocide being orchestrated by the enemy: dramatic but life goes on somewhat normally for awhile longer (the Mr. T presidency was an example of this type of intervention that caused a delay in the enemy's plan).
3. The Lord does not come back unexpectedly and does not directly intervene: in this case the satanic psychopaths are allowed to move forward their world genocide and tyranny plans with predictable results. This scenario still has the Restrainer on the earth so "they" will not be allowed to implement their full satanic world order system however they will be allowed to inflict immense death and destruction.
Whichever of the 3 scenarios above ends up taking place, we will need the Lord's power, protection, provision and wisdom in increasing measure each and every day. This goes back to the reason behind what has been allowed (pre-tribulation tribulation). Increasing heat and pressure are being applied to the inhabitants of the world to get people's attention. The Lord will get people's attention one way or another....
Rev 6
15Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us f from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17For the great day of their g wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”
Some people have given the Lord their attention already. What does the Lord say about them?
Isa 3:10
10Tell the righteous it will be well with them,
for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.
Rev 3:10
10Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
So in conclusion, we do not know what is going to emerge on the other side of this season of appointed time but we do know we plan to do what we were told to do. If the Lord shows up, great we are outta here. If He does not show up we continue to watch and pray for His return and do whatever work the Spirit of the Lord has for us. We have a plan to leave and a plan to stay.
Lets see what the Lord has in store for this world. We do not have to wait long to find out.
Glory to God
Grace and Peace
