Ministry leader, if you’re not already fired up and looking up, now is the time! We are at the beginning of the biggest outbreak, revival, and spiritual outpouring the world has ever seen. James 5:7tells us to Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold [look], the husbandman [gardener] waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth until he receive the early and latter rain. God is the husbandman [gardener], and the precious fruit of the earth is a harvest of souls. Be patient. It is about to break forth!
The Significance of End Time Prophecy Today
When the subject of end times prophecy arises, some people take a preterist view. They believe that many or all of Biblical prophecies have already been fulfilled. Interpreting Scripture, particularly prophetic verses, requires us to do what Paul told the young pastor, Timothy to do: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15) For example, in Matthew 24:1-2, Jesus prophesied the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. However, in the next verse, the disciples asked two questions; one had to do with the destruction of the temple. The other had to do with Jesus’ return and the end of the world. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (Matthew 24:3) When we rightly divide prophetic Scriptures, we observe that never in human history have all the signs of the end been as prevalent as they are now. Certain prophecies seemed to be fulfilled in one nation or another as dictators and governments rose and fell, but for the first time ever, the signs are apparent on a world-wide scale.
God is a God of Order
Some people think that the more chaotic something is, the more Holy Ghost is involved. For example, running a church service with no plan, no one in charge, and no parameters of behavior might sound like freedom in the Spirit, but it's not; it's chaos. The Holy Ghost can flow within order if He is only given the opportunity. I'm not condoning planning the Holy Ghost out of your church service! Always let Him lead; provide him with time and room to speak. He will manifest God's glory in an atmosphere of order. He was with the Father at the creation of the world where God made order out of chaos! I'm thankful that God is orderly! Otherwise, our eyes, instead of being on our face, might be on our legs, or the earth could fluctuate in its distance from the sun. God, in His orderliness, put the earth the perfect distance from the sun. If we were any further away, the earth would be frozen; any closer and we would be crispy critters!
Hebrews 1:1-2 describes another aspect of God’s order.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. (Hebrews 1:1-2)
Sundry times means many portions or different ways. Hebrews 1:1-2, which was written to Hebrew Christians, explained that God used different portions and different ways in dealing with mankind throughout time. The believers of the first century were accustomed to God dealing with them and their ancestors according to the Law of Moses, but, here and in other letters, Paul told them that God’s methods of dealing with people had changed under the New Covenant. Theologians use the term dispensationsto describe seven different Biblical eras during which God made a Covenant with man; man broke the covenant, then God, in His great mercy, began anew under a new Covenant, and new guidelines for man.
The Dispensation of Grace
We are now in the sixth of seven dispensations. Theologians call it the Dispensation of Grace or The Church Age. The first dispensation was that of innocence. It lasted from the creation of Adam to his fall. The second was the dispensation of conscience. It lasted from the fall of man to the flood of Noah. The third was the dispensation of human governmentthat lasted until the call of Abram. The fourth was the dispensation of promise; it lasted until the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. The fifth was the dispensation of law that began with the issuance of the Mosaic Law. When Jesus died and rose from the grave, God began to operate with man from a position of grace. This is the final dispensation before Jesus’ return. The seventh and last dispensation is the Millennial Kingdom of Christ when Satan will be bound for 1,000 years, and God's kingdom will reign on the earth.
According to God’s orderly system, we are in the sixth of seven dispensations. It won’t be much longer now. So, ministry leader, be fired up and look up! It’s time for the greatest harvest of souls the world has ever experienced. Jesus is coming soon, but we still have much to do!