Facing the Time

 "Elohim is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah" (Psalm 46:1-3).

As you know, I’m not one to write about doomsday forecasts, but let's face it, for years the world has been challenged by many crises. This has been especially true most lately. Some of the recent episodes which have been played on the world stage are obviously orchestrated by the nations themselves (or a 'higher power' imposing its will on a given nation), or as a consequence of natural phenomena.  Yet ultimately everything is under the guidance and subject to the sovereign will of the Almighty Elohim of Israel, who is faithful to fulfill all that He has spoken, and that which He has put in the mouths of His prophets of old.

Of late the Northern Hemisphere nations have been experiencing record heat.  Obviously, the cause is attributed to global warming and fossil fuels.  The solution of course is the elimination of natural oil and gas and their resultant products.  The fact that the world economy is totally dependent on those antediluvian life forms, leaves the world’s decision-makers under a lot of pressure to do something about this situation, and other current challenges. Their solution to the global problems has been waiting in the wings for many decades, and it is focused on central world governance.

In order to bring this about, advantage has to be taken of chaos caused by these compounding situations such as war, food crises, natural disasters, alarming pandemics, and more. 

When considering the above-mentioned or other situations that have the potential of becoming calamitous, and viewing all of them in face of today’s world, the ingredients for what is called the “tribulation” all line up. Such scenarios are not new to the Christian world. We’ve been warned about this for centuries. The question is, are we prepared, or are we like Jonah sitting under a prosperity vine waiting to be raptured while looking for the wicked to experience the wrath of Elohim?  Or, to use another scriptural example, are we like Hezekiah who when told that the Babylonians were coming to take Jerusalem, pleaded with YHVH to not let it happen during his lifetime?  How sad that this king didn’t seem to care about the generation that would see the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple!  I’m wondering if some of our prayers are motivated toward the same end.  Are we trying to preserve the lifestyle of yesterday?

By now we have all heard the term “the great reset”, the idea of which was actually formulated way back in history.  The first reset was in the days of Noah, another was at the end of the Bronze Age when YHVH took Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.  Probably the greatest of all resets occurred with the death and resurrection of Israel’s Messiah.  So, although the rich merchants of the earth are planning their “reset”, it isn’t really anything new. The beasts of Daniel are not any different from the ones mentioned in Revelation.  As with all of YHVH’s resets, they are accompanied by great upheavals and shakings, which are described in many of the texts of the prophets and by Yeshua, making it very clear that we are living in the times of YHVH’s next phase of impending changes. 

Recently a friend shared with me a word that he received during a worship service at his congregation.  The abbreviated version of that word goes something like this: “You are the clay, and as such you have been on the potter’s wheel and now it is time for you to be fired". 

But not to worry - there is a fourth Man in the fire!

Back to Psalm 46: "…Be still, and know that I am Elohim; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! YHVH of hosts is with us; The Elohim of Jacob is our refuge. Selah" (vs. 10-11).