FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:
FROM NOAH TO JOHN THE BAPTIST TO THE LAST WARNING FOR OUR FINAL GENERATION
“And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words…..nor be dismayed by their looks….And thou shalt speak My words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.” Ezekiel 1: 6, 7, KJV (read chapters 2, 3 and 9)
Do you know what the specifics of what God’s last warning for our time is? If not, it’s about time:
“God knows the future, and He has set ‘time for every purpose and every work.’ (Acts 15: 18: Eccl. 3: 1,17.). He has also pledged Himself to ‘do nothing’ that vitally concerns this world ‘but He revealer His secret unto His servants the prophets’ beforehand (John 15:14,15; Ps. 25:14: Amos 3:17.), and then HE HOLDS HIS SERVANTS RESPONSIBLE FOR WARNING the world (Eze. 33:1-8). They are watchmen on the walls of Zion, who should be able to READ THE SIGNS of the prophetic clock, so that that they can tell the TIME and give WARNING [not peace-and-safety messages] at the HOUR OF CRISIS (Isa. 21: 11,12; 2 Pet. 1:19; Rom. 13:11; Matt. 16: 2,3); and when God’s hour STRIKES, He has His AGENCIES in READINESS to carry His message to the world.
“Before the world was destroyed by the Flood, Noah WARNED the people for 120 years (Gen. 6:3-13,22; 2 Pet. 2:5); before the destruction of Sodom, Lot gave the warning message to that wicked city (Gen. 19:12-14); and before Christ’s FIRST coming, John the Baptist heralded the coming of the Messiah (Luke 1:13-17). Then WHY should not so important an event as Christ’s second coming be given proper notice, and a WARNING MESSAGE be sent to PREPARE the world for its FINAL DESTRUCTION?
“It is true that the world in general has NEVER received FAVORABLY any of God’s warning messages in former ages, and Christ declares that His FINAL WARNING will not be heeded ANYMORE than His warnings sent through Noah and Lot. (Luke 17:26-30). YET the message MUST be given though there are BUT FEW who receive it. Here is Christ’s message for our days [even right now!]:
“‘I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches’ Rev. 22:16. ‘Behold, I come quickly: Blessed is he that keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book.’ Verse 7. Here we see that the message is to be given just before Christ’s second coming is found in the ‘book’ of REVELATION. This is specifically given in chapter 14, verses 6-14.
“Here is presented the EVERLASTING GOSPEL, connected with the WARNING that ‘THE HOUR OF HIS JUDGMENT IS COME,’
and an appeal for a RETURN to the loyal WORSHIP of the Creator, COMBINED with a warning against the ‘worship of ‘THE BEAST AND HIS IMAGE,’ and against ‘TAKING HIS MARK’ [of the beast].’ Those who RECEIVE this message are CHARACTERIZED by the FACT that they ‘keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.’ Rev. 14: 6-13. The VERY NEXT SCENE is the coming of the Son of man in the cloud to REAP the HARVEST of the earth, and ‘the harvest is the END of the world.’ Verses 14-16 and Matt. 12:39.
“The PEOPLE who give this message to the world MUST THEREFORE KNOW what is meant by ‘THE BEAST,’ ‘HIS IMAGE,’ and ‘HIS MARK.’ This we find clearly presented in Revelation 13.” Facts of Faith, Edwardson, pp. 216, 217. We will study Revelation 13 in the coming days. God and His time willing. Bless all, NMF