Monthly Archives: May 2020

REMNANT – THIS is YOUR HOUR – A Word

by Andrew Strom

Deaths, job losses, closures. We are all surrounded by tragedy
at this moment – and as we all know, the damage will go on and
on – well after the deaths decline. Livelihoods ruined, homes and
businesses gone, millions devastated and left bankrupt. Most
do not realize exactly how much has been lost.

And so we will weep with those who weep. We cannot downplay
the tragedy of what is happening here. But I have a very different
word for the Remnant of God. You know who you are.

Despite all this tragedy, to those who have been “waiting” in the
caves and the rocks and the depths of the wilderness – I say,
“Lift up your eyes.” The very season you have been waiting for
is here. Your true ministry is about to begin.

We are living in the “sudden stop.” We are living in the great ‘Reset’.
In 100 years when they speak of this era, they will speak of this
as the moment when everything changed. Like World War II, like
the Great Depression – this is the hour after which nothing will ever
be the same. And Remnant – this is the season you were built for.

I am speaking to those who have been set apart. You have allowed
yourself to be broken. You have trained yourself for battle. You
know how to preach Repentance and Conviction of sin. You have
been trained in the healing of the sick and the moving of the Holy
Spirit. You know how to baptize, to pray powerfully – and to train
others. You are a fully-equipped preacher of the true gospel.

You have used your time well. You have paid down your debt. Your
hands are free of shackles – and you’re ready to go. You have a
boldness and an audacity about you. While others shrink back,
you will jump forward. You were built for such a time as this.

Some of you 65+ will come out of retirement. Your latter years
will be much more fruitful than the former ones. The old era did
not welcome you. The new era has no choice.”Fortune favors the
brave,” goes the saying. And this has never been more true than
it is now.

While others fear – you are bold. While others play it safe – you
see this hour for what it is – and you seize the moment. Those
who shrink back will miss out. Those who are alert – and move
forward with boldness – will have the field almost to themselves.

I say to the remnant, “Lift up your eyes.” Everything has changed.
Do not confine your gaze to your own nation. Many of you will be
headed overseas. “But,” you say, “The planes are grounded. Most
nations are closed.” Yes – for now that is true. But before long
there will be travel again. And the people will be hungry for a word
from the Lord. Especially the poor.

Where once you were ignored – now you will be welcomed. Where
once you were constrained – now you will be loosed. Where
once you were disregarded – now you will be respected. “Who
dares wins.” Go forth like Joshua and take the land.

Do not be distracted. Politics is a distraction. Current events are
a distraction. Social media is a distraction. Keep your eye on the
prize – the big picture. Today’s harvest is whiter than it’s ever
been. Be alert. Watch for the doors to open and for the Lord’s
timing. Act with boldness. Seize the day.

Most of the world will be in turmoil. Most of the people will be
shrinking back. Very few will be travelling. Many churches and
businesses will be in trouble. But you will be looking around with
alert eyes – for where the Lord may send you.

Do not fear. Go forth with boldness. The former things are passed
away. Remnant – this is the hour you were built for. Don’t let it
pass you by.

Special blessings to all,

Andrew Strom.

From: REVIVAL List <prophetic@revivalschool.com>

What Really Happened around 70 AD?

Many things.

In A.D. 70 when the Roman armies destroyed the ‘holy’ city of Jerusalem Including the magnificent Jewish temple, a wonder of the ancient world, they utterly wiped these from the surface of the land of Israel as Jesus predicted.

That momentous event, which was so devastating to the Jews, must have seemed like the end of the world to them. It was the single most climactic thing to have taken place in that period. Right?

A number of the Jews who witnessed this were followers of Jesus and had escaped out of Jerusalem and Israel when those terrible things took place.

Some of these believers then wrote down the words, actions and sufferings of Jesus in writings which we know and read today as the four gospels. Three of these authors, Matthew, Mark and Luke, recorded the many things Jesus told the disciples would take place and while some of them would be still alive.

And yet why is that event never once mentioned as having happened anywhere in the New Testament? Not even in the book Revelation.

That leads us to believe that these 27 documents were penned before this awesome historical event took place–all penned around 68 AD.

It is also a fact that 40 years previously, Jesus accurately foretold his sufferings and death at the hands of the Roman occupying forces and the collaboration of the Jewish leadership of the day which took place about 30 A D.

Not only did he predict his death and how and where it would take place, but also he would be raised up from the sealed tomb within three days.

These historical events changed everything. The shockwaves are still rebounding right around the world and even more today in 2020 (AD).

How does it affect you?

Isn’t it time you turned back to God, to acknowledge and confess Jesus as Lord?

To dig? To research? To do your own thinking? To cease following the crowd?

The “End of the Age”?

Fact: In Matthew 24, after Jesus declared ‘not one stone of this temple will remain on another’ he answers His disciples’ two questions: when will this happen? what is the sign of your coming and the end of the age?

Fact: Jesus was using in the typically dramatic language of OT prophets prophesying God’s coming judgment. He spoke to Jews whom He had taught and not to modern thinkers or English speakers.

Fact: In Matthew 24 the phrase ‘the end of the age’ occurs many times. The Greek word for ‘age’ is aion and not  kosmos (‘world’). Hebrews 9:26 says ‘Jesus appeared at the end of the age, to put away sin.’ 

Here are six passages in Matthew’s Olivet Discourse chapter 24, which raise relevant questions about this phrase.

v15 “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee  

  1. ‘Those in Judea must flee’ (not ‘in the world’). Jesus told his followers to flee Judea when the Romans occupy the Holy place. Can this be the end of the world if they can escape Judea and survive?

 v17 Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get things out that are in his house.  Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak . . .  pray that your flight will not be in winter, or on a Sabbath.

  1. We have already seen it’s Judea/Jerusalem that is in focus. Jesus talks about people working in the field (rural Judea) and Sabbath keepers (Jews)—right? So how can this be the end of the world?

 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.  Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. 

  1. Jesus spoke about a great time of suffering (not the Great . . ) coming unprecedented in the world which would again never be as awful. So doesn’t that mean there is life after this? Further, can you see Jesus talks about the time being cut short so the elect would survive? This is the end of the Mosaic age—what apostate Israel will suffer under the wrath of God. How can this be the end of the world?

 v23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him.  For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. . . . if they say to you ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.

  1. Jesus tells them His coming is not seen with physical eyes. As in the O.T., His coming in judgment won’t be optically seen. So they are not to take any notice of people exclaiming He is ‘here’ or ‘there’.

 v27 For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.  

  1. Lightning is limited geographically. Could a flash of lightning cover much beyond Judea? Its coming is unpredictable, instantaneous, swift. It is mostly seen at night. Jesus ‘comes like a thief in the night’, swift, hidden. Do you imagine the form of the glorious, unapproachable, terrifying Son of Man would be seen? He remains at the right hand of the Ancient of Days—right? Do you really think his enemies would see him and still live? Come on!

The insignia of the Roman might was the eagle and the army carried standards of eagles, idolatrous to Jews.

Graphic descriptions in the writings of the ancient historian Josephus talk about piles of dead bodies and blood flowing in the streets of Jerusalem in AD70. Have you read Josephus’ ‘Wars’?

 v 30 then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven, and then all the tribes of the land will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

  1. Jesus said ‘tribes of the land’ (not peoples but tribes). Isn’t this all about the apostate Jews who rejected Jesus Messiah realising their fate and mourn ‘seeing’ their doom? Can you see this is a Judean context, the land of Israel? Isn’t this about the end of the long Mosaic age? Facts and logic. Plain thinking?

This very short article raises many implications and many questions will be raised which we cannot deal with here.

What do you really think?

‘Let God be true though all men are liars.’