"If It Seems Slow, Wait For It!"

"Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!  For in one hour such great riches came to nothing."  (Rev. 18:16, 17a)

The Amplified Bible says, "Because in one [single] hour all the vast wealth has been destroyed (wiped out)."  Can it possibly be, "in one [single] hour?!?"  Most Christians look at the world situation and say, "Yes, the signs do reveal that we are near the close of the age."  But in reality, most believe it just still seems as though the catastrophic events of Biblical passages such as our text are too many, too global to be, say,------------------------------ fulfilled in our life time!  The result?-- They go on with "business as usual."

But the prophetic decree of our text, "in one hour," shouts, at the same time, a warning and encouragement to all the earth, that all of history, whether it is 6000 years, or 6,000,000,000 years, all history is headed toward that, "one hour."  In the late 7th century BC, Habakkuk admonished the Jews, "For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end-- it will not lie.  If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay."  Hundreds of centuries later, Paul admonished the Corinthian Church, "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all [die], but we shall all be changed--in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible...."

Habakkuk's encouragement, "Wait for it," does not mean, "Do nothing." The Hebrew word means, "Carve it out, be entrenched in it, adhere to it."  We are commanded to be active in our obedience to Jesus Christ revealed in the Prophetic Word.  Jesus closed His "Olivet Discourse" with the admonition, "And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"-- literally, "Keep awake!"  Watchmen are to be alert, never sleep, always vigilant.  The United Brethren on Zinzendorf's estate had the rule, "No one works unless someone is praying."  It would serve the Church well today to adopt such a rule.  This time/space world is racing toward that---------------------------------- "in one hour!"

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to be faithful to my place "on the wall" to "Watch!"  Amen.
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News to help you, "Watch!"-- www.antipasprayerforce.blogspot.com



"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2



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