FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:
WILL LIFE ‘RETURN TO NORMAL,’ IF AND WHEN THE COVID PANDEMIC ENDS? (Part VI)
“The time of thy visitation.” Yesterday we read that “these VISITATIONS will become more and more frequent and disastrous.” When Jesus went to visit the city of Jerusalem for the last time, the Bible says (emphasis mine):
“And when He was come near, He beheld the city [symbol of the world in the last days], and WEPT over it, saying, IF thou hadst known, even thou, AT LEAST in this thy day, THE THINGS WHICH BELONG UNTO THY PEACE (Needed for peace, margin) but NOW they are HID from thine eyes. But the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee about, and keep thee in on every side, and lay thee even with the ground [leveled], and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because THOU KNOWEST NOT THE TIME OF THY VISITATION.” Luke 19: 41-44, KJV.
“Visitation,” as translated to English in the KJV from the Hebrew in the Old Testament or from the Greek, both particularly mean, “go and official account; reckoning; inspection.”
When Jesus wept over Jerusalem, then made the mournful announcement of its impending desolation, 40 years later, by the Roman armies, led by its commander Titus, He added that it also was because “they knew not their time of visitation.” They did not pay attention to the ominous signs of the times, fails to heed and even rejected the warnings mercifully sent through His chosen messengers.
They were given the precious opportunity to be warned and prepared but they did not grab their early, merciful “time of visitation” and therefore God’s “day of visitation,” God’s “purposed time” of reckoning” for that time and people, was soon upon them. Consider the following prototypical examples and their final application-fulfillment in these last days!
“Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees [enact man-made religious laws, specifically the coming Sunday law], and that (who) write grievousness which they have prescribed; to turn aside the needy from judgment, and TAKE AWAY THE RIGHT FROM THE POOR OF MY PEOPLE [the inalienable rights, freedoms, and liberty to worship God according to dictates of conscience]……and what will ye do in THE DAY OF VISITATION, and in THE DESOLATION WHICH SHALL [not may or might] COME from far? To whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?” Isa. 10: 1-3, KJV.
In short, too late. You were given opportunity after opportunity but you despised the life-and-death (not peace-and-safety) messages, the messengers, and actually, the divine Giver Himself!
Here’s another:
“THE DAYS OF VISITATION ARE COME, the days of recompense are come; Israel [both ancient and literal, and modern, antitypical, spiritual Israel] shall know it; the (false) prophet is a fool, the (counterfeit) spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity [transgressions of God’s law] and great hatred [towards the faithful Sabbath-keepers].” Hos. 9: 7.
Here’s the last example for now:
Micah 7: 1-5: “Woe is me! For I am AS when they have gathered the summer fruits….there is no cluster to eat: my soul desires the first ripe fruit. The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is non upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood: they hunt every man his brother with a net. That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince [civil powers-that-be) asketh [for bribes], and the judge [justices, jurors, etc.] asketh for a reward; and the great man [even “the man of sin,” “the son of perdition”], he uttereth his mischievous desire: so that they wrap it up. The best of them is AS a BRIER [like a thorn]: the [counterfeit] most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge.
[Therefore] THE DAY OF THY [false] WATCHMEN AND VISITATION COMETH [is coming] NOW SHALL BE THEIR PERPLEXITY.” Micah 7:1-5, KJV.
To be continued. Bless all, NMF