JUDGMENTby Harold Smith "And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters." Revelation 1:12-15 "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." Revelation 14:6-7 |
There is much being tossed around throughout the Body of Christ these days about how close we are to seeing God's Judgment upon the world and the end times we are living in. Every event, along with the actions of the principal parties involved in the planning and execution of that event are closely scrutinized and held up against scripture to see where on this timeline to the end we fall.
Angus Wootten (www.messianicisrael.com) reveals in his book, "Restoring Israel's Kingdom." that we are in the Jubilee Generation. He explains that the idea of "jubilee" comes from the Mosaic doctrine encountered in Leviticus 25:23-55 which holds that all things, creatures and land, do not belong to men but to Yahveh alone.
He goes on to say that. biblically, the year of Jubilee is celebrated every 50th year by the redemption of all land to its owner and the freedom of those in bondage. A generation is the period from a man's birth to the birth of his son. It can also refer collectively to the people who lived in a like period. Scripturally, a generation is generally considered to be forty years (i.e., in the wilderness all the men over twenty died within a forty year time frame). Y'shua came in the first Jubilee generation (the fiftieth generation from Noah, 6 BC to 34 AD - click here for a detailed explanation). His generation did not experience the ultimate jubilee but, He set the stage for that "acceptable year" when, at His return, He would assert His ownership of all the earth and its population. At that time, all creation would acknowledge His Lordship where every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He and He alone is Lord!
The first generation after Y'shua began in 35 AD. If we count forward from this point, we see that the fiftieth generation from Y'shua (the second jubilee generation) began in 1996 AD.
"But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." II Peter 3:8.
"Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the THIRD DAY he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." Hosea 6:1-3
"And the evening and the morning were the THIRD DAY". Genesis 1:13
"For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the THIRD DAY." Mark 9:31.
Today we are in the seventh year, soon to be eighth year, of the third day, 2007 - two thousand (two days) and seven; and we also live in the eleventh year of the fiftieth generation from Y'shua and the one-hundredth generation from the flood (the 2nd Jubilee Generation).
We truly are in "the acceptable year of the Lord." (Isaiah 61:1-3)
"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you…. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingers not ….Spots [they are] and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deception while they feast with you…" 2 Peter 2:1-3, 13.
That we are at the end is certain. End-time prophets mesmerize us with their knowledge of scripture woven in such a way as to tantalize us into buying their books and products so we might know more about the intrigue surrounding these events. All the while, the truth about this season, this hour we are in, is made very clear in Acts 1:6-8 - NOBODY KNOWS but the Father, not even the Son (Mark 13:32) when and how these things are to take place. We might surmise, we might guess - but nobody really knows.
Everybody will be touched by fire. Y'shua is coming for a Pure Church, one without spot or wrinkle or blemish (Ephesians 5:25-27); one whose purity has been refined in the fire of affliction. Yes - if we are part of this Church, we WILL be baptized with FIRE (Matthew 3:11). For those of you who have already secured your seat on the "Rapture Rocket", this message is not for you. These words are for that remnant that choose to be among the chosen - those who do not accept deliverance from this hour that a greater resurrection might be obtained (Hebrews 11:35b-40); those who refuse to compromise Truth with conventionality; those who do not fear the fire (Revelation 21:8).
To these who have ears to hear this Word, be encouraged - for it is through you who have been sanctified and set apart for this hour that this Kingdom of Righteousness you carry within will shine forth into this earthly realm (Matthew 6:10). It is through you that judgment will illuminate the darkness of this final hour. Y'shua will be manifest in the earth through His Body - not one man but through many people made one through His Spirit that abides in them. They will be known, set apart and distinguished by the Love they have for one another; Love that refuses to be divided by doctrine; Love that blankets a multitude of sin; Love that seeks the welfare of a brother above the welfare of its own; Love that judges not, but judges all.
It is from this remnant that judgment is loosed upon the globe - a judgment that is not called down, but is lived out. It is become as the shining of righteousness through these vessels into the darkness of this earthly realm. Where two kingdoms converge, there will be turmoil. Be not focused on the turmoil, rather, be focused on this King who lives within and be determined to manifest His Glory in the sphere you are given to occupy.