Prophet Among Them

A terrible day is coming. It will be a day of horror and pain for many people in this world. It is a day described for us in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9. “And to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”

I cannot imagine the terror that will go through the person who has had opportunity to obey the gospel in their life and chose rather to let that opportunity pass, when they hear the shout of the archangel and the trumpet of God. What absolute helplessness they will feel, knowing full well that they let countless opportunities to be saved pass them by. What a terrible site the Lord must be on that day, surrounded by His angels and vengeance on His mind. What dreadful irony will go through their brains as they realize that their fate is all their own doing. It almost causes me to shudder just writing these words.

I know that many people would read these words and roll their eyes at what I have said thus far. They would say something about my believing in silly fairy tales and letting pure nonsense dictate and determine what I do in my life. They may say, as one employee from the ABC television network recently said to a Christian, “How about getting your nose out of the Bible (which is ONLY a book of stories compiled by MANY different writers hundreds of years ago)...Or better yet, try thinking for yourself and stop using an archaic book of stories as your lame crutch for existence.” This is the sentiment of a very large number of folks in our world today.

Hearing these sort of statements really only serves to do one thing--make me very sad. What is coming upon those who ignore the truths found in God's Word, and through their irreverent statements teach others to do the same, is a fate that I could not wish upon my proverbial “worst enemy”. In Ezekiel 33, God is using His prophet Ezekiel to warn Jerusalem about what is about to come upon her. He makes the point, in verses 31 and 32, that even though they are hearing the warnings from Ezekiel, they pay them no mind. That leads to a Ezekiel 33:33, and one of the more powerful statements found anywhere in the Scriptures. “When this comes--and come it will!-- then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

The truth of the matter is that I fear greatly for people like that ABC employee. My flesh quite literally crawls as I listen to their blasphemous words about the Bible and what it contains. I cannot help but wonder if the apostle Paul did not have warnings similiar to the one we just read in Ezekiel in mind when he wrote 2 Corinthians 6:1-2. “Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, ?In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.' Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” There is a constant “now” in the message of the gospel. We are guaranteed only one thing and that is “now.” How do we know if we are to have a “later?” This is why Paul says “now” is the favorable time and “now” is the day of salvation.

The end is coming. I do not know when it will be, no human does. God the Father has set a time when the Lord will return to this earth. Coming with Him will be His angels, fire, and vengeance. Concerning this, my mind is forced to folks like the man from ABC and the words of God to Ezekiel: “When this time comes--and it will come!--then they will know that a prophet has been among them.” The statement from that man to the Christian in his e-mail really only serves to tell us one thing--we Christians have got a great deal of work left to do in this world, don't we?

Whenever we talk about the return of the Lord it is important that we do not fail to mention the other side of the story as well. Yes, the disobedient and unbelieving will be dealt with at that time, but so too will the righteous. It is with this in mind that Paul wrote the words found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

Yes, brethren; that day is coming for you and I as well. God will completely vindicate Himself and all will know that every word He said was true. I have no idea what it is going to be like to meet the Lord in the air, surrounded by my brethren from throughout the centuries, as we gaze upon the object of out love and devotion and worship Him together. No, I don't really know what to expect. I can tell you this, however; I want to be part of that number more than I could possibly want anything else and I have dedicated my life to that aim.

“When this comes--and come it will--then they will know that a prophet has been among them.” That day is coming. On which side of this statement do you stand? Will you be one who realizes that everything you have denied has been true as the Lord's vengeance comes upon you? Or will you be one who realizes that everything you have believed has been true and now you go to meet Him in the air?