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by Jim and Marcella Wies
Many of us have been hearing this declared, or have sensed it in the Spirit. But one of the things we need to understand is the nature of prophetic terminology. While this is not an exact science, I have discovered that a new hour, prophetically speaking, is usually from three to five years in length. And a new day seems to be from 10 to 20 years long.
Another interesting fact about prophetic terminology is that the Scriptures tell us that God’s version of a new day begins in the dark. When God created the heavens and the earth, He declared that “the evening and the morning were the first day.” So His day starts with an evening, or a period of darkness.
With that in mind, I believe we HAVE stepped into a new day. I believe it began about a year ago, but most people still feel like they are pretty much in the dark. A Scriptural example of that was when the baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem. That was not only the beginning of a new day but a whole new dispensation; yet only a handful of people knew it for at least 12 years, and it took 33 years for the reality of it to be fully known.
The year 2008 was a time of darkness and confusion for much of the Body of Christ. The winds of change have been blowing, but it is yet to be seen what the full implications will be . You might even say it this way: The landscape around us has changed, but during the dark part of the day, it is hard to make out what is in our surroundings. Fortunately though, as the dawn comes, there comes a progressive clarity.
“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” Proverbs 4:18
So, we HAVE stepped into a new day. This IS a new day, and our need is to persevere to see the dawn and the full light of day. While 2008 was a time of darkness and confusion for many, I believe there is coming fresh clarity in 2009.
Seeing Jesus as a Refiner’s Fire
The first time Jesus appeared, most religious people of the day missed Him because they were looking for a conquering king (based on their selective reading of prophetic Scriptures). But instead, He came as a suffering servant (also found in the prophetic Scriptures). Next time, He will appear as the Conquering King, while most are still expecting Him to be the suffering servant. The first time He came, He was the Lamb of God. But now He is about to be revealed as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
We have a Savior who loves us with an everlasting love but who is, at the same time, a refining fire. It was said of Him in Malachi:
“‘And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like launderers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the LORD an offering in righteousness.’” Malachi 3:1-3
An honest and full examination of Jesus will have to show Him to be both grand and dreadful. He is grand to those who love and put their trust in Him but, at the same time, dreadful to His adversaries. He is a loving God and a gracious Savior, but He is also a consuming fire, as is plainly spoken in Hebrews 12:28-29: “Therefore, since we are receiving a Kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.”
The fact that our Lord is a dreaded warrior is great when we consider His vengeance against our adversaries. But one of the Scriptures that should strike fear into our hearts is the section of Hebrews, Chapter Ten, where we see a warning for those who despise the Lord’s gift of grace.
“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
“Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the Blood of the covenant by which He was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:19-31
The Lord is About to Show Himself
as a Man of War
“Now I saw Heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.” Revelation 19:11
“The LORD will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry (King James Version says “roar”). He will prevail against His enemies.” Isaiah 42:13
The prophet Joel, whose prophetic words apply directly to the end times, shows a “last days” Jesus roaring as a Lion who calls His saints to war as well.
“The LORD also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake; but the LORD will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Zion My holy mountain.” Joel 3:16-17
Joel 2:28-29 describes the days we are currently in: “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”
It is in this context that we begin Joel, Chapter Three, so we need to see Joel 3 as a very significant Scripture for us as we come to the end of the age. It describes the happenings that will be going on “in those days and at that time” (Joel 3:1). We see that this will be a significant time of battle as the Lord comes forth as our Lion, our mighty Warrior. And here we see Him calling us to the battle as well.
“Proclaim this among the nations: ‘Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD. Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.” Joel 3:9-13
The Lord and His Kingdom
“He (Lord Jesus Christ) who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords; who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen” 1 Timothy 6:14-16
“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” Matthew 9:35
“Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Luke 9:1-2
The message that Jesus preached was the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. A simple definition of a kingdom is a domain where a king rules. The Kingdom of God implies a King, and Jesus is that King. Simply put, wherever Jesus has rule, there the Kingdom has come. Not only did Jesus preach the Kingdom of God, but His disciples were instructed to preach the Kingdom. In fact, Jesus connected the accomplishment of the Church’s mission to the full declaration of the Gospel of the Kingdom to all the nations as a witness before the end will come (see Matthew 24:14).
David caught a glimpse of this King and wrote of Him in Psalm 2:
“Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us’…
“…’Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.’ I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession…’
“…Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” Psalm 2:1-3, 6-8, 10-12
Daniel saw Him in a night vision:
“I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of Heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a Kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14
At His ascension, Jesus said, “All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Me” (Matthew 28:18). The implications of that are staggering. His supreme rule extends over all. He rules over space. He rules over time and eternity. He rules over nature. And, although there are pockets of rebellion currently remaining in the hearts of men, His rule shall eventually and inevitably extend to every individual, for Scripture states in Philippians 2:10-11, “…that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow…and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Lord of All
Scripture points to the fact that a belief about Jesus as Savior is not the same as a surrender to Jesus as Lord. In fact, one very grave problem within much of western Christianity has become an “easy believism” that is void of repentance and Lordship. That is, faith without repentance; salvation without sanctification; mental assent without life-changing surrender. He is not a Savior whom we have the option of establishing as Lord of our lives; rather, He must be acknowledged as Lord, then He will save us.
In our zeal to be theologically proper regarding the grand theme of grace, modern Christianity has often been guilty of presenting a “Gospel” of faith without Lordship, a cheap grace that’s not really grace but licentiousness (which means absence of restraint, indecency, wantonness) – note Jude 1:4: “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Costly grace recognizes the call to discipleship that Jesus expects in light of our redemption. Christ gave all for us and expects nothing less in return. Our relationship with Him is the “treasure in a field” for which a man sells all he has to purchase; or the costly pearl a man gives all to acquire. It is the call of Jesus for which a disciple leaves his nets, forsakes all, and follows. Such Gospel demands total surrender. It says, “If you receive Me as Lord, I will save you.” It is costly because it costs us our life, but is redemptive because in exchange we gain that which is true life eternal.
We find Jesus introduced as Lord and referred to as Lord close to 3,000 times in the New Testament. Jesus demonstrated His Lordship – His rulership over creation – by turning water to wine, through bread and fish multiplied, and even through His authority over the elements. He commanded the wind and waves, He exerted authority over demons and the domain of darkness, sickness, and disease, etc.
He was the Lord God who now had interposed His presence into the human condition in the form of Jesus, the Son of God. The Scripture indicates that Jesus came to intervene, and through His coming, bought back that one last, lost domain, the wayward heart of man, thus being established as Lord of all, once and for all.
This final dimension of His Lordship is clearly stated in Acts 2:36: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” and… Philippians 2:5-11: “Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name” – THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, THE LORD!
This final establishment of Jesus as Lord by the Father – even over the hearts of every man – gives the conclusion of the matter. He is Lord of all. We are all destined to acknowledge it by the confession of our tongue and the bending of our knee. Acknowledging Him as Lord implies putting faith in His saving power while giving Him right to rule over our lives. It is a Gospel that includes both repentance and faith. The fact is that everyone will acknowledge Him as Lord. He is Lord!
(Scriptures to meditate on: week one: Malachi 3; week two: Psalm 2;
week three: 1 Corinthians 10:1-15; week four: Hebrews 10:19-39.)
Jim and Marcella Wies
Extreme Prophetic Ministries
Email: jwies@xpwebchurch.com
Trust in The Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5,6
by Callibee
Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19
Sound the alarm! Arise and Shine! Open your eyes and see the manifestations of the Lord!! Across the nation (e.g. Maryland and Tennessee) “the waters are breaking!” God is doing a new thing…will you not be aware of it? Count it all joy for the Kingdom of God is here! The birthing of a New Season, a New Year, a New Manifestation of God’s grace and mercy…the ushering in of a “new” wineskin has arrived! Position yourself for the birthing process. Position your hearts. Position your minds in the manner of the prophet Elijah and get in the “birthing” position and P.U.S.H. (pray until something happens) for God is making a “roadway in the wilderness…rivers in the desert (dry places).” For the Spirit of the Lord says to His people, “this is not a time to fear but to look up for your redemption draws neigh. I have redeemed you from the curse of the enemy. I have redeemed you and will protect you in the days to come. Bear fruit and occupy. Bring in My harvest. Stand firm and trust me. Listen and obey when I speak for I will surely bring My people through even the darkest night!”
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”
(Colossians 2:6-7)
Established in the faith and abounding with thanksgiving. These days it seems that’s a rare combination.
A lot of people have been taught faith over the last several years, and a lot of people have been taught to abound with thanksgiving. But it’s been hard to set the two together. Faith folks want to confess the Word all the time, but they don’t praise God very much. And those who like to praise God just want to jump and shout and dance and have a good time in the Lord. You can’t get them to get very serious about the Word.
Success comes from combining the two.
So, do it! Put them together in your life. When you run into a challenge, don’t just stand around grim-faced and white-knuckled holding onto your faith. Raise your hands high and praise. Start thanking God in the midst of what’s happening around you. Keep thanking Him for the answer until it comes.
Instead of just standing on the Word, let the joy of the Lord enable you to dance around on it a little. It will get you where you’re going a whole lot faster…and both you and God will have a much better time on the way.
Scripture Study: Colossians 2:1-10
