A Timely Message: The Mystery of Iniquity is Working Part 3

God is in control in spite of the mystery of iniquity

Psalm 2 is a great Messianic Psalm which assures us that God is Sovereign and in complete and absolute control and nothing, absolutely nothing, that is happening is taking Him by surprise. He knows the beginning from the end and tells us what will happen hundreds and in the case of the end times thousands of years before it comes to pass. Isaiah 42v9.

The clear message in the Psalm, is that the world leaders are plotting and conspiring to replace God's sovereign rule with a godless and humanistic form of government. This has happened throughout history, as evidenced in Acts 4, when the apostles and early church pray and quote Psalm 2 after being threatened by the religious leaders to speak no more in the name of Jesus.

The ultimate fulfilment of Psalm 2 is happening in our day, as we enter the very last days and Daniel's 70th week.

The Hebrew word used for imagine in v1 is "hagaw" and means to plot, meditate, mutter, imagine, study, roar. It gives the sense of plotting, conspiring and muttering between each other with an evil intent, in this case to remove all semblance of God's control and rule.

v3 "Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us" NKJV

Are we not seeing this being fulfilled before our very eyes, as every wicked and immoral law is passed and the Word of God and Body of Christ are marginalised, as evil is accepted and even celebrated with PRIDE!

Truly Isaiah 5v20 is being fulfilled in this day:

"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter"!

v4 and v5 tells us that the Lord shall:

1. Laugh at them

2. Hold them in derision

3. Speak to them in His wrath

4. Distress them in His deep displeasure

In v6-9 we read God's answer to their plotting and the Satanically inspired rebellion.

He has set His King, Jesus, upon His holy hill of Zion.

He has declared the decree "You are my Son today I have begotten you"

v9

"You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel".

This mirrors Revelation 19v15 when Jesus as the Rider on the White Horse returns as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to defeat the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet. Revelation 19v11-21.

Psalm 2 assures us that in spite of how it seems and how much the denizens of darkness seem to be prevailing that our God who is all powerful, all knowing and Almighty is in complete and total control.

Take No Thought

Regarding the current economic situation and likely collapse of the world economy to facilitate the introduction of a cashless digital economic system we are instructed to not be anxious.

I want to encourage and reassure you, that in spite of it all, God is in control and He will not leave or forsake us. Our heavenly Father knows exactly what we need. In Matthew 6 Jesus told us to take no thought for our life, what we would eat, drink or wear. He used the example of the birds and said they didn’t sow or harvest crops yet God took care of them and He reassured us that we are of much greater value than they are. Jesus also used the analogy of the lilies of the field. He said they don’t toil or spin yet King Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like them.

31¶“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

32“For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

33“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

34“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Be not Deceived

Jesus warned us concerning the last days in Matthew 24v4&5 that we needed to be on our guard against deception.

4¶And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

5For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

He then went on to detail the signs of the times in v6&7

6And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

He called this the "beginning of sorrows"

8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

This deception will lead to many departing from the faith and the great apostasy or falling away. 2 Thessalonians 2v3, 1 Timothy 4v1, 2 Timothy 4v3&4

The word for falling away in 2 Thessalonians 2v3 is

A — 3: ἀποστασία (Strong's #646 — Noun Feminine — apostasia — ap-os-tas-ee'-ah )

"a defection, revolt, apostasy," is used in the NT of religious apostasy; in Acts 21:21 , it is translated "to forsake," lit., "thou teachest apostasy from Moses." In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 "the falling away" signifies apostasy from the faith. In papyri documents it is used politically of rebels. Note: For "mighty fall," Revelation 18:21 , RV, see VIOLENCE.

A Prophetic Type in Scripture

In 1 Kings 17 through 19 we read the account of great prophet Elijah, the Tishbite. Elijah lived during days of great wickedness and apostasy in the nation of Israel under the leadership of King Ahab and his evil Queen, Jezebel. A weak and easily manipulated King, Ahab was under the control of Jezebel, a Sidonian princess, turning to the worship of Baal.

The result was that Elijah called for a drought upon the land, one which would last 3.5 years. Those who know their bible will immediately recognise the duration of the drought aligning with the second half of Daniel's 70th week and reign of the Anti-Christ. Revelation 13

Consequently, we can see a prophetic type and pattern between this period in history and what has been prophesied in relation to the final 3.5 years of world history.

The key similarities are:

1. Unchecked evil and wickedness

2. Rebellion against God

3. Idolatry

4. Marginalisation of God's people

5. Apostasy cf 2 Thessalonians 2v3

In the midst of this Elijah challenges the false prophets of Baal and Ashtoreth (850 in all) on Mount Carmel. 1 Kings 18

The God who answers by fire is the true God.

There are so many gems of truth in this chapter but we haven't time to cover them in this message. Read it for yourself and see how Elijah prays, when he prays (at the time of the evening sacrifice), how he rebuilds the altar that was broken done (this must happen in our day before Christ's return), the number of stones he used etc.

The bottom line is that in spite of being outnumbered by the false prophets and in spite of their obvious zeal and the time they took crying out to their God that Elijah as the prophet of the Lord was vindicated and God demonstrated to the people that He and He alone is the Almighty God of the universe.

v38-40

"Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”

And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there".

The key takeaway from this is, that in the midst of the onslaught of evil and apostasy, God intervened on behalf of His remnant people. He demonstrated that He and He alone is the God who answers by fire. Hallelujah!!

In Chapter 19 Elijah flees in fear from the threats of Jezebel. He is overcome with fear and wants to die as he believes that he alone is left as the prophet of the Lord.

v10

So he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

God corrects Elijah's mistaken conclusion that He stands alone in v 18

Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

The Lord assures Elijah that he has 7,000 who have not bowed the knee to Baal.

In every generation God has a remnant who will not bow to the spirit of the age.

In these last days, before His return, He is raising up a remnant people, who will not cave in or be overpowered by the anti-christ spirit and will overcome the personage of the Anti-Christ and his mark, image and the number of his name.

Revelation 15v2&3

And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.

They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvellous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!

We are Promised Victory and Deliverance

The book of Revelation has a very specific structure and it’s not by chance.

It is has:

1. 7 Seals Chapters 6&8v1

2. 7 Trumpet judgements Chapters 8,9&11v15

3. 7 Vial or Bowl judgements Chapters 15v1&16

Before Revelation ever deals with the opening of the 7 seals (this covers up to and including the Great Tribulation (5th Seal) and the the cosmic signs that signify the Day of the Lord (6th seal) and the opening of the 7th seal which leads to the 7 trumpet judgements and 7 vial judgements which constitute the Day of the Lord or God's wrath, we have the following revelations:

1. The Risen, Ascended and Glorified Christ (Chapter 1)

2. The Throne of God (Chapter 4)

3. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah who alone is worthy to open the Seals (Chapter 5)

Chapter 1v1 states that the book is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Yet many people are afraid to read or study Revelation.

God is revealing to us the very consummation of the age and what will happen as Jesus destroys all His enemies and establishes His Kingdom on earth (1000 year reign).

The assurance we have from the very outset, with the focus being on God's throne and the revelation of Jesus as the Risen and Glorified Son of God and Triumphant and Worthy Lion of the Tribe of Judah, is to convey to us, that God is in absolute control and He has assured us of this fact. Everything that follows is either permitted by God (the 7 Seals) or initiated by Him as with the 7 Trumpet and 7 Vial judgements.

We must read and study Revelation, from the prospective that God is sovereign and omnipotent. He has seen fit to share every detail of what will happen at the end of the age but He does not want us to live in a state of fear or anxiety but from a position of knowing.

In Revelation 1 Jesus is revealed to us as:

1. The Faithful Witness

2. The First Begotten from the dead

3. The Prince of the kings of the earth

4. The Lover and Redeemer of our souls

5. The Coming King

6. The Alpha and Omega (the First & Last)

7. The One who was, who is and who is to come

8. The Risen, Ascended & Glorified Christ

Everything John saw afterwards was from a Christ revealed, Christ centred and Christ focused prospective.

He saw everything - Satan's wrath against the church, the devastation and destruction of the Day of the Lord and severity of the judgements, the fall of Babylon, the rise of the Beast system and of the AntiChrist - with the revelation of Jesus burned into his spirit.

His prospective was totally and absolutely Christ centred.

As such, we like John, will only be able to do so, with the revelation of Jesus Christ so pervading every part of our being and with such a focus on Him and love for Him, that we, like Paul, will not count our own lives dear (Acts 20v24).

A tall order you may say and no doubt it is impossible in our own strength.

I am convinced, that if we prepare and position ourselves to be part of the last great move of God in the earth, then we will be so endued with power from on high, that we will be supernaturally enabled, empowered and equipped to overcome. Remember before the day of Pentecost the disciples were hiding in fear. Peter had denied Christ. Powerless, fearful and unfaithful. However after the day of Pentecost and the Upper Room encounter they became fearless, faithful and powerful, so much so, that they turned the world of their day upside down (or the right way up depending how you look at it!).

Personally, I am persuaded from scripture, that the true church will experience the Great Tribulation.

Revelation 12 calls this period, which Jesus told us would be shortened (the Greek word actually means amputated, which indicates that the 3.5 year period will be cut short and immediately followed by the Day of the Lord) Satan's wrath. We are told there is a war in heaven between Satan and his angels and Michael and God's angels and Satan is cast out of heaven (where he currently rules as the Prince of the power of the air Ephesians 2v2).

This war will take place in the near future and Satan will then come down having "great wrath" knowing that his time is short".

It is in this context, that we read the oft quoted verse;

And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death 12v11

Even in martyrdom, the promise is that the saints who must endure the Great Tribulation (Satan's wrath) and war against them, are promised victory (not in the natural/physical sense but in the spiritual realm). Their victory is over the Anti-Christ. They overcome the mark of the beast, the number of his name, his image and the intense pressure to renounce Christ (Revelation 15v2) by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, even to the point of dying for their faith. They receive supernatural strength and ability to overcome.

Jesus said that he who endures unto the end shall be saved.

We will never be able to do so in our strength or ability. However the latter day outpouring of the Holy Spirit will equip and enable us to endure and overcome.

2 Corinthians 4v7

7¶But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

Colossians 1v27

Christ in you the hope of glory

Daniel 11v32-35

32“Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.

33“And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering.

34“Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. 35“And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.

In the account of Stephen the first martyr, the Word tells us that he being full of the Holy Ghost, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Acts 7v54-60. Stephen triumphed in spite of how it seemed. Like many since his death, his was more than a self absorbed life, which was governed by his own will and self preservation. Stephen, like Paul and Peter and millions more like them, loved not their lives unto the death. There's was more than a religious experience. They were so in love with Christ and so full of the Holy Ghost, that they were willing to pay the ultimate price. In the days that lie ahead, we too may be asked to demonstrate such love and allegiance to Christ. My prayer is, that like those who have gone before, we will be so full of God and so sold out to His will and purposes, that we will overcome in that day and be counted worthy to stand before the Son of Man.