CHAPTER 4
Prophecy on the Edge of Time
I welcome your comments to my work in progress.
I wonder what Noah preached? Have you ever wondered what one of his sermons would have sounded like? I mean would he have been a fire and brimstone kind of preacher. Letting his listeners feel the conviction of sin and the terror of the coming judgment of the Almighty! Perhaps he was a grace man and let them know of God’s provision for them, if they would only accept the free passage on the cruise ship he was building. I wonder if preaching to his audience that joining the ‘Love Boat’ would mean you’d have your pick of the best farmland when things got dry. I mean, there would be zero competition!
Either way, what we have here is a picture of a man God called to warn a generation that it was time to get ready. It was the close of one age and the beginning of another. Noah and who ever decided to heed his call would have the responsibility to rebuild the world. They had a chance to remake it in the fashion that God would have them. Start anew with a Godly government. A Godly set of principals to lead a new generation into a ‘new world order’. Sorry… I couldn’t help but insert that.
Really though, when we think about it, that is what was going on. Noah was preparing himself and his sons for a totally new world. Noah was on one side of an event that would forever change the world. His sermons included the preaching that God was going to send rain. Something no one had ever seen or even heard of before. This was prophetic. This was looking into the future and proclaiming something God was going to do. Now it took 100 years to come to pass. But it did come to pass. For one hundred years Noah prophesied about coming events and spoke often of a new world. You don’t think that Noah didn’t ever imagine what life would be like after the floodwaters subsided. I am sure his wife did. They had to consider building their home again. They had to consider providing for themselves food and shelter. Now they had the ark. A ready-made hotel for whenever things got dry. However, I suspect customers would be far and few between. Seriously though, the point I am trying to make is that they had plenty of time to consider not only the judgment in the flood waters that were coming, but also the life that they would have afterwards. They knew that there was a great responsibility on their shoulders. Noah was born 1056 years after Adam left the garden. It was only 126 years earlier that Adam had died. Seth had died just 14 years earlier. Enoch was already watching from above. His son Methuselah, and his son, Noah’s Father, Lamech were alive and well. Noah was well acquainted with his family. They were a tight close-knit tribe as the line of the righteous followers of God’s precepts was. Noah was quite familiar with the stories of the Garden of Eden and what life was like back then in the beginning.
Sixteen hundred years ago, for us, it was the year 400 AD. Constantine III was the ruler of Rome at the time. Now imagine if he was still alive today. Yes, he’d be a pretty old man! Imagine you wanted a bit of a history lesson, so you looked up Constants, (as he is know by his buds), and you guys went out for a five dollar latte. He might need to get used to the price of a cup of coffee now… but he would certainly answer all your questions in fine detail, seeing he was there in 411 AD… ruling the place!
Well, Noah knew perfectly well what life was like when the first man walked with God. Noah knew so well that he too, had a close and personal relationship with God. It makes me smile when I watch movies about the flood, and God speaks to Noah. The actor always has this scared and surprised look on his face like it’s the first time he ever heard this voice. Hardly. Enoch, Noah’s great-grandfather knew what it was to have a close relationship with God. The Bible says he “walked with God” and he lived for only 365 years, and then he was not… for God took him. Noah’s family didn’t even have to have a funeral!
Why is it important to know that Noah knew what it was like to be the first man? Because he was about to be that first man again! Starting out all over from scratch. After almost a year in the ark it was time to open the door and step out onto dry ground and a very quiet earth. No neighbor’s kids fighting next door, no annoying dog doing some business on his front yard, just a quiet earth.
You see, Noah had been preaching about this for one hundred years. Every night his head hit the pillow his imagination would roll with the thoughts of what things would look like, how it would be and how he was going to like being a part of this new thing God was going to do.
He preached it and prophesied it for 100 years. He was looking at it from one side of the event. One time in history, into a whole new world and a whole new time. So much so that the flood left its mark on the land we walk on today and in the culture of tribes the world over.
Now here is the kicker. Sit down. We see this again in scripture. Remember Simeon and Anna, from Luke chapter two. Both these characters were waiting for and hoping for the Messiah. Simeon had heard from God that he was going to see Him. Now, I don’t know if it was a booming voice from the sky, but honestly were don’t know if that’s what Noah heard either. Nevertheless, Simeon waited. Anna too was anticipating the Messiah. Now, you remember that it had been pretty quiet on the prophet front for Israel for over 400 years. Nothing from above. Not a peep. Yet, we know that something beautiful was about to happen. Another earth shaking moment. An event, that from that moment on would so change the earth, that we would all, the world over, change our calendars and schedule time as of this event. Of course, we are talking about the birth of Jesus. But, what was this event in the respect of the age in which they lived. We know it marked the beginning of the end for the Old Covenant period and the start of the New Covenant age. The age of Grace many refer to it as. The marker of the cross standing between these two covenants. Many prophecies spoke of this event looking forward to it from the eons before. Now it was here. Simeon holds the child high and prophecies some more. Prophecies that span the time that Christ would live here on the earth and the times beyond the cross into this new world we live in, under the Grace of God.
You see prophecies are seamless. They are not structured into our calendar nice and neatly for us to box up. Noah prophesied about the life and abundance of the new world to come. Jesus did the same thing. There was a new world to come, which would be full of joy and the miraculous. God’s Spirit being poured out on all flesh as the prophet Joel spoke of.
Now, all that to say this, what time is it? When do you see yourself living? It was not that long ago the nation of Israel was formed and nations around the world had to change their maps. Prophecies began unfolding in our lifetime and continue today. As I write this a 500 foot statue, the largest man has ever built, is being constructed in India which will house 100,000 deities. It is being built, so they say, to stand for 1000 years and usher in a millennium of peace on earth. Interesting. It is being built in a high mountain village where the day and night temperatures fluctuate significantly. Due to this dramatic temperature change the British contractors, hired to build this modern wonder of the world, had to build the bronze body panels to expand and contract six inches every day, thereby giving the appearance of the giant statue actually breathing! They also had to guarantee that it could stand for a thousand years. Does that sound like something out of Revelation? It should.
We as the church hear prophecies in the Body of Christ pertaining to the Kingdom, Kingdom living wealth transfer. We hear many great prophecies being spoken over the Body and I wonder if anyone is thinking how these may very well span time as we know it. It is critical that the Body of Christ learns these Kingdom principals at this time. We need to understand what it means to be Daniels in this evil empire for the Kingdom of God requires Ambassadors that know how to walk in the faith and principals of Godly leadership needed for the government of the new millennium.
Personally I think we are close to some dramatic events. Now it just may be me. But, as I watch; the economic collapse of the world’s system, the centralization of the world’s military, the globalization of the world’s corporations and their tentacle reach, and I think to myself, how much time is left? Perhaps you’re like me. I would think there are a few of us who sense the moving of the Spirit and a great anticipation in the Body. Is that wedding bells I hear?
Yet, there will be a young man standing at the alter, freshly saved as tears roll down his cheeks. The wrinkled faced minister lays his hands on this new converted soul and begins to prophecy over this young man. Great words of a future and a calling to Africa are given as God speaks through this elder statesman in the Body of Christ. Somewhere else, a young woman leading worship is moved by the Spirit and delivers a great word from God over her church, on how they will be used to build up families and establish a business school for local individuals to be trained up in the art of successful entrepreneurship.
But wait, what’s that… a trumpet. Hold the phone, Gabriel, didn’t you just hear what God was saying to this young lad? Don’t you know that God has some plans for this church?
Now, what do you think of that? Do all prophecies go on hiatus when the rapture takes place and the bride is caught up? What about you? What about the things you have felt in your heart that God is directing you to do? The Spirit of the Lord puts desires and dreams into us, for us to accomplish things here on earth. Yet, as in the times of Noah and in the days of Jesus… we too, are in this stream of time. It is seamless. The rapture does not stop time, no more than the cross did. People walked away from the cross and went home to have dinner. The sun rose the next day and life went on. Now fifty days later 120 folks were forever changed and were, according to 2 Corinthians 5:17, made into new creations. Sound familiar. We too will be changed, in the twinkling of an eye. Yet we will all be as unique as we are now. Filled with passionate and diverse desires to do things for the Father. He knows this, as He is the one who birthed these inside of you.
We stand on the edge of time, the close of a season, on the edge of the beginning of something very new. The millennium is a real period of time in which the church will have a very important role. We are to rule and reign with Christ under His government and His economy and His health plan. Many of the prophecies you have heard recently, and will hear in the months and years coming up… when you hear them, put on your ‘millennium ears’. Listen to these Words from God with the mindset of … yes Lord. These things will be fulfilled. One that comes to mind is a word brought by Johnny Enlow, revealing the displacement of 7 mountains in our society, Government, Media, Education, Economy, Celebration, Religion and Family. The Church will take these mountains. Now will that happen next week? Will it happen next year? I suspect it will fully happen upon the Lord’s return.
Some of the words that will are coming forth and will come forth will be for us here and now. Some are for us, who will be returning to manifest the Kingdom of God on this earth in a mighty and dynamic way. I imagine that some too, will stand as a witness to those who are ‘left behind’ as today we have very effective tools to archive these prophetic utterances, ie. Youtube and the internet.
We cannot be this close to the millennium without God speaking to His Bride and getting her prepared for her period of ruling and reigning. Listen to how He is speaking to us. Recall some recent Words from God spoken in your church. Some mighty prophecies are rolling out, some big ideas. Big thoughts. Designed to expand your mind, heart and spirit --- designed to enlarge your tent.
Listen, now I am not saying ALL prophecies are for the millennium, so we can forget about bringing the Kingdom to earth in the now! No. By no means! Bring it now! I love that. I believe that. It is trilling to see how we are being challenged to develop Kingdom principles in our businesses and our social or political arenas. Can’t you see how we are being trained up to take the Kingdom and apply it to our world? This will be a millennium reality much more than we can see on this side of it.
I also believe that we are on the edge of a mighty shift. Events that will transpire that have never in history taken place, rather like the flood or like God coming down to die on the cross. Now those were historic events, don’t you think? We are a generation that will make the transition from the Church Age into the Millennial Age. Where the Bride becomes the wife. What’s that you say? Listen, when was the last time you were at a wedding? Remember how lovely the bride looked when she walked down the isle? Freaked out and as nervous as a hamster chewing on an electrical wire, she strolls forward, leaving her old life behind and walking into a completely new life. The day before, she was introduced as the fiancé, today she is the bride, in about an hour she will be the wife. As the fiancé she had no say in her future husband’s household. No say in how he spent his money, and no say over his servants. Legally she had no say. Her thoughts were on her future with him for sure. But they were still the thoughts of a young girl, looking forward to the wedding. Isn’t that a consuming event in the minds of most brides? On the day of the wedding, still she had no say. But after those I do’s, everything changed. Now, if you were engaged to a prince, your engagement period would be full of training for how to walk, how to eat, what to say and how to dress. You would have it down by the time the wedding day took place. So you could be presented properly as the princess. You see your thinking; speaking, acting… all would have been transformed. For after the wedding your responsibilities were going to be completely different.
We are engaged. Our wedding is coming soon. After the wedding, then what? I think our vision of heaven needs a bit of tweaking. We are focused so much on heaven, I think we just breeze past a bit of history as outlined in throughout both the old and New Testament. It’s not over folks. There is a thousand years of ministry ahead. A thousand years of preaching the cross yet to come. Are your eyebrows up? Are you thinking, what is he talking about? I want the rapture and then an eternity with a cold beverage and good rocker on my mansion’s front porch.
Get real. Seriously? Jesus gave a neat parable about a king who went on a journey and left some talents with three of his servants. Two of them were faithful and invested these talents and one guy’s thought it’d be a good idea to make a time capsule out of his and dig it up when the king returned. When the king did return he said to the first two, “Well done. You have been faithful in these little things, I give you cities to look after”. If you really want to know what happened to the bright knob that buried his talent, look it up, but it isn’t really that good. The point is Jesus had these neat messages in His parables, which as you may know… are earthly stories with heavenly meanings. I can’t help but see some millennium messaging in here. It may interest you to know that there is more prophecies regarding the millennium in scripture than any other single subject. One would think it might require a bit more of a peek from us.
If you lived in the times of Christ and knew what you know now. Were standing beside Simeon as he made his prophecy regarding this little baby, would you not slide up to Joseph and ask him if the house next to his was for sale? Would you not follow that family around like some ancient paparazzi? Come on, now. Sure you would. Just like you would have moved a hundred miles to join the first carpenters union and begin building pens for the pigs. By the way… if God didn’t want the Jews eating pork, why didn’t He drown the piggy’s?
Anyhow. You would have heard the prophecies of those ancient times and accepted them. You would have joined Noah, followed the child Jesus everywhere He went. Looking forward to the future work of God in the new world to come, and would have prepared yourself accordingly. Do likewise in this present age. The time is short, shorter than you think. Hike up your dress and role up your sleeves, you bride, there is much to do and times a wasting. But keep in mind that the things He is birthing in your Spirit are not temporal. When was the last time you ever heard of God doing something temporal. He works in the eternal. You are eternal.
We won’t get to heaven and stand before God and hear Him say, “Well, I am so glad you’re here, (scratches His head), what are we going to do with you now?”
God has plans for you. Plans to give you a future. Remember. It goes on and on… as long as you do. Your role and responsibilities as the bride do not stop with the rapture. They don’t stop at the marriage supper of the Lamb. They don’t stop in heaven. Listen, folks… if conservative estimates are to be believed, about 2-3 billion are making it through the tribulation. These are those who will witness the King of Kings returning, not as a baby, but as a Ruler, a King, along with a few of His friends. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge… that’s you and me! We will have quite a task ahead with this earth, as Noah did as well. As the disciple’s did when they walked the streets of Jerusalem as new creations.
What am I saying? I am saying that God’s purpose; His calling on your life is not something in the flesh. Hardly. It is something He is doing in your spirit. Something He starts there that thrills you to your core. Perhaps you haven’t found that yet. But believe me, its there. There is something in your spirit that will keep you awake at night with an excitement and a thrill that energizes you and makes you smile just thinking about being able to do that. This is God’s purpose in your life. When I say life of course, I am not talking about just this earth life, this time here, while our fleshly earth-suit trucks around our ‘spirit-man’. I am talking about your eternal, everlasting, created this way to never die – life.
As any good father knows his child. God knows you. He knows the things that excite you and He has plans and a purpose for you that will reach far beyond this realm.
Remember that young man at the alter? Newly saved, he has been restless for many nights with the thoughts of playing in a band and singing the praises of God. Perhaps he has been thinking about helping people build sustainable homes in Africa.
Well, if it was the band thing… I know a lot of you would be saying… “yes, and when he is caught up to be with Jesus in the air, he can play music in heaven before the Father all he wants”.
Yes. I know, and perhaps he will. Or perhaps, there will be 1000 years of God’s governance on the earth and billions of people who will need to hear the ministry of music here.
You see we need to understand the role of the Church/Bride during this time period. It’s not about resting on our hind parts in heaven. There is yet work to do.
