Wake Up Church! the Bridegroom Comes! Part 1

Bible prophecy predicts a new age-a 1,000-year period on the Earth that will be characterized by peace, prosperity and mind-boggling progress. Consider just a few of the scriptures that describe this world ahead of us.

The prophet Isaiah whose prophetic "sight-line" extends further than any other prophetic writer, opens with a description of this world yet ahead of us. Thus, we read in Isaiah 2:1-5: "The word which Isaiah son of Amoz saw [revealed] concerning Judah and Jerusalem. It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be [firmly] established as the highest of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow to it. And many people shall come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge between the nations and shall decide [disputes] for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord." (All scriptures quoted from The Amplified Version unless noted otherwise)

Please note the closing invitation--"O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord." In his second general epistle to the Church, the apostle Peter described prophecy this way: "And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." (2Peter 1:19, The New King James Version). So Isaiah's closing invitation to the house of Jacob was for them to walk in the light of the prophetic word. Peter issued the same invitation to the Church more than 2,000 years ago.

Isaiah closes his prophecy in chapter 65 with another description of this world ahead whereof we speak: "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. And the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a rejoicing and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; and the sound of weeping will no more be heard in it, nor the cry of distress. There shall no more be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who dies permaturely; for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner who dies when only a hundred years old shall be [thought only a child, cut off because he is ] accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them, and they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat [the fruit]. For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, and My chosen and elect shall long make use of and enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain or bring forth [children] for sudden terror or calamity; for they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. And it shall be that before they call I will answer; and while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat sraw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy Mount [Zion],' says the Lord." (Isa. 65:17-25).

What a world yet ahead of us! What a tremendous opportunity for which we must prepare! We--the Church of God, the living body and the bride of Jesus, the Christ, constitute the kings and priests, the governmental leaders who will reign with Christ in this wonderful world tomorrow. Read this clear description in Rev. 5:10 "And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth." (The New King James Version).

God revealed an outline of this world ahead to and through a Gentile world leader during the waning years of the nation of Israel. This revelation came more than 200 years after God had removed the House of Israel, also known as the northern kingdom, from Samaria, by the Assyrians.

God revealed this new age sequentially and in symbolic terms to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon shortly after He raised up the Babylonians to take the Kingdom of Judah into 70 years of captivity. Let's set the background by looking at God's word through the prophet Jeremiah: "Then the Lord spoke to me, 'Look, Jeremiah, what do you see?' And I replied, 'I see a branch from an almond tree. And the Lord said, 'That's right, and it means that I am watching and I will surely carry out my threats of punishment.' Then the Lord spoke to me again and asked, 'What do you see now?' And I replied, 'I see a pot of boiling water tipping from the north.' 'Yes,' the Lord said, 'for terror from the north will boil out on the people of this land. Listen I am calling the armies of the kingdoms of the north to come to Jerusalem. They will set their thrones at the gates of the city. They will attack its walls and all the other towns of Judah. I will pronounce judgment on my people for all their evil-for deserting me and worshiping other gods. Yes, they worship idols that they themselves have made. Get up and get dressed. Go out, and tell them whatever I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them. For see, today I have made you a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall. None of the kings, officials, priests or people of Judah will be able to stand against you. They will try, but they will fail. For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the Lord have spoken." (Jer. 1:11-19.).

God fulfilled this prophecy in short order, even during Jeremiah's lifetime, because the fulfillment provided credibility for Jeremiah regarding prophecies that would be fulfilled thousands of years later. Pick up the story in 2Kings 24 and 25: "During Jehoiakim's reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. But then he changed his mind and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. The Lord sent Babylonian, Aramean, Moabite and Ammonite raiders against him. He sent them to destroy Judah, in accordance with the word of the Lord proclaimed by his servants the prophets. Surely these things happened to Judah according to the Lord's command in order to remove them from His presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done including the shedding of innocent blood. For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to forgive." (2Kings 24:1-4-New International Version).

Here, it says that God spoke warnings to Judah through prophets. We have seen God's word through Jeremiah. Let's consider another prophet that God sent to warn Judah of what was coming. Consider the word of the Lord through the prophet Habakkuk: "This is the message that the prophet Habakkuk received from the Lord in a vision,. 'How long O Lord must I call for help? But you do not listen! Violence! I cry, but you do not come to save. Must I forever see this sin and misery all around me. Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. The law has become paralyzed and useless, and there is no justice given in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous and justice is perverted with bribes and trickery.' The Lord replied, 'Look at the nations and be amazed! Watch and be astounded at what I will do. For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn't believe even if someone told you about it. I am raising up the Babylonians to be a new power on the world scene. They are a cruel and violent nation who will march across the world and conquer it,. They are notorious for their cruelty. They do as they like, and no one can stop them. . . . On they come, all of them bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a wind from the desert, sweeping captives ahead of them like sand. They scoff at kings and princes and scorn all their defenses. They simply pile ramps of earth against their walls and capture them. They sweep past like the wind and are gone. But they are deeply guilty, for their own strength is their god.'" (Hab. 1:1-11). That's not all, God also raised up the prophet Amos to bring a similar message: " 'O people of Israel, I am about to bring an enemy nation against you,' says the Lord God Almighty. 'It will oppress you bitterly throughout your land-from Lebo-hamath in the north to the Arabah Valley in the south.'" (Amos 6:14).

So you see, the house of Judah was not without ample warning from the Lord. This same fact holds true today. Consider what the prophet Amos said: "Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction? Does a lion ever roar in a thicket without first finding a victim? Does a young lion growl in its den without first catching its prey. Does a bird ever get caught in a trap that has no bait? Does a trap ever spring shut when there's nothing there to catch? When the war trumpet blares, shouldn't the people be alarmed? When disaster comes to a city, isn't it because the Lord planned it? But always, first of all, I warn you through my servants the prophets. I, the Sovereign Lord, have now done this." (Amos 3:1-7)

So prohecy reveals the Word of God just as surely as does the word of wisdom and the word of doctrine. King David referred to prophecy when he wrote in Psa. 119:105 " Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." The prophetic word serves the same purpose today--in the Church of God--the body of servants, born from above--as it did then.

Unfortunately, far too many of God's people today do not know any prophets-God's true prophets-in the Church of God (the body and bride of Jesus the Christ), even though the Holy Spirit declared through Paul that Jesus has given prophets a part of His ministerial gifts to the Church. "However, he has given each one of us a special gift according to the generosity of Christ. That is why the Scriptures say: 'When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people . . .He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the Prophets, the evangelists and pastors and teachers.

Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ." (Eph. 4:7-8,11-13).

John tell us in Revelation 19:10 that the testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy. The apostle Peter in his second general epistle to the Church wrote: "And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." (2Peter 1:19-NIV). Despite this, most of God's people today pay very little attention to prophecy. Most neither know, nor know how to recognize, God's true prophets today. Today, the prophet's ministry is not foretelling, but forth-telling, or exhorting the Church to align its work with the Divine Plan of God. In the NIV, Amos 3:7 reads: "Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets."

God's revealed prophecies include amazing and accurate specificity that makes this word greater than any guesses or estimations by people. Thus God's people can confidentally rely on prophecy as a guide through the ever darkening days on the rather immediate horizon.

Notice the specific warning to the people of Judah that God issued through His prophet Jeremiah: "The Lord spoke through Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malkijah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest to speak with him. They begged Jeremiah, Please ask the Lord to help us, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has begun his attack on Judah. Perhaps the Lord will be gracious and do a mighty miracle as he had done in the past. Perhaps he will force Nebuchadnezzar to withdraw his armies.' Jeremiah replied, 'Go back to King Zedekiah and tell him. This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: 'I will make your weapons useless against the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are attacking you. Yes, I will bring your enemies right into the heart of this city. I myself will fight against you with great power, for I am very angry. You have made me furious. I will send a terrible plague upon this city, and both people and animals will die. And then, says the Lord, even after King Zedekiah, his officials, and everyone else in the city have survived war, famine , and disease, I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He will slaughter them all without mercy, pity or compassion. Tell all the people, this is what the Lord says: 'Take your choice of life or death! Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who go out and surrender to the Babylonians will live. For I have decided to bring disaster and not good upon this city, says the Lord. It will be captured by the king of Babylon, and he will reduce it to ashes." (Jeremiah 21:1-10)

Now notice how specifically the prophecy was fulfilled even during the days of Jeremiah. "So on January 15, during the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon led his entire army against Jerusalem. They surrounded the city and built siege ramps against its walls. Jerusalem was kept under siege until the 11^th year of King Zedekiah's reign. By July 18 of Zedekiah's 11^th year, the famine in the city had become very severe with the last of the food entirely gone. Then a section of the city wall was broken down, and all the soldiers made plans to escape from the city. But since the city was surrounded by the Babylonians, they waited for nightfall and fled through the gate between the two walls behind the king's gardens. They made a dash across the fields, in the direction of the Jordan valley. But the Babylonians chased after them and caught the king on the plains of Jericho, for by then his men had all abandoned him. They brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where sentence was passed against him. The king of Babylon made Zedekiah watch as all his sons were killed. Then they gouged out Zedekiah's eyes, bound him his bronze chains and led him away to Babylon." (2Kings 25:1-7). In verses 8-21, you read of the final destruction of Jerusalem, the Lord's temple and all other important building in this city of peace. The Babylonians slew all the important officials, except for a number of exceptional young men who were taken to Babylon to serve the king. In verses 20-21, we read: "Nebzaradan the commander took them all to the king of Babylon at Riblah. And there at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon had them all put to death. So the people of Judah were sent into exile from their land."
Yet, in an amazing twist, God revealed Judah's rescuer more than 200 years before the Eternal caused the Jews to be taken captive by the nation of Babylon.

During the prophetic ministry of Isaiah, before God warned Judah through Jeremiah, Amos and Habakkuk of that nation's captivity, He had already pronounced Judah's rescue and challenge to return to rebuild Jerusalem. "Pay attention, O Israel, for you are my servant. I, the Lord, made you, and I will not forget to help you. I have swept away your sins like the morning mists. I have scattered your offenses like the clouds. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free. Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done this wondrous thing. Shout, O earth! Break forth into song, O mountains and forests and every tree! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob and is glorified in Israel. The Lord, your Redeemer and Creator, says: 'I am the Lord, who made all things.

I alone stretched out the heavens. By myself I made the earth and everything in it. I am the one who exposes the false prophets as liars by causing events to happen that are contrary to their predictions. I cause wise people to give bad advice, thus proving them to be fools. But I carry out the predictions of my prophets! When they say Jerusalem will be saved and the towns of Judah will be lived in once again, it will be done! When I speak to the rivers and say, 'Be dry!' they will be dry. When I say of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd,' he will certainly do as I say. He will command that Jerusalem is rebuilt and the Temple be restored. (Isa. 44:23-27). (Emphasis Mine). Now pick up the story in chapter 45: "This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates will be opened, never again to be shut against him. This is what they Lord says: 'I will go before Cyrus and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness-secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name." (Isa. 45:1-3)

Take note that God gave Isaiah this prophecy to write down more than 200 years before Cyrus was born. Now notice how specifically God fulfilled the prophecy.

"In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled Jeremiah's prophecy by stirring the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation into writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:

'This what King Cyrus of Persia says: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build Him a temple at Jerusalem in the land of Judah. All of you who are His people may return to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you! Those who live in any place where Jewish survivors are found should contribute toward their expenses by supplying them with silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock, as well as a freewill offering for the Temple of God in Jerusalem." (Ezra 1;1-4)

With that background, let's pick up the story in the book of Daniel, where God continued to reveal a general overview of what would happen for the next 3000 to 4000 years in human events, even unto The World Ahead.

During one of his earlier sieges of Jerusalem, King Nebuchadnezzar captured a number of the most promising-looking young men of Jerusalem, took them to Babylon and enrolled them in a three-year training program to prepare them to serve as the king's advisers in the royal palace. Four of these young men were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. You know Daniel's three friends as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

God worked through these four young men, particularly Daniel, for more than 100 years, providing him prophecies that if God's people could correctly recognize the signs of the times, we would know more about where we are in God's plan.

In the next part of this series, we will consider why God's people today do not understand His plan and the signs of the times by the confirmed word of prophecy.