A Call to Stand and Prophesy

"My people who can hear My heart,
I am calling you to prophesy:
I am calling you to speak My words,
to cry aloud My truth,
to rebuke and call to repentance
those who call Me 'Lord, Lord'
but have forsaken My commands of love.

I am calling you to testify;
I am calling you to witness to who I am,
for many who call Me 'Lord'
do not know My ways or My heart.
I am calling you to proclaim
My teachings and My mercy,
and that judgment is coming:

I will raise up high those
who have been oppressed;
I will bring low those
who have been unmerciful;
I will uncover what has been hidden,
revealing the hearts of many
and judging those who love lawlessness.

Stand and prophesy, My people;
call your brothers and sisters
back to obeying My law
to love one another as I loved you
even while you were My enemies.
Stand and weep for the nations
their cold love has wounded in My name.

I am calling you to prophesy
because many speaking in My name
are prophesy falsely, as they serve
the gods of pride, nationalism, greed,
the image of Me they have made,
and the ungrace and violence
they believe earns My favor.

Do not be afraid, My people;
many will hate you in My name,
but many will also hear My heart,
and their hearts will turn to Me,
to their neighbors, to their enemies,
to the wounded and the least of these,
and I will save and comfort many."

*****

Art: "A Prophet's Reward"

"I Can't Bear It"

"My friends, My servants
who lean on My breast
and hear My heart—

You have been called
to speak and weep
before those to whom
I am going to send you.

You are carrying inside of you
a message which burns you like fire,
and you cannot bear to keep it inside
because I cannot bear to keep My heart inside.

I want to speak, I want to weep,
yet so few of My people
are willing to listen to Me
or take Me into their hearts.

Many are worshiping Me in name
but do not know Me or My heart;
they keep Me out of their hearts—
which are given to other things.

You must go
when I command you,
and you must speak
what I tell you to say.
You will weep
because I am weeping,
and I will pour out My heart.

Go! Go and weep
before My beloved people
who do not know Me!

Go! Go and speak
the cries of My broken heart
to their hardened hearts!

Go! Go and be broken before them,
just as I was broken before them
when they crucified Me.

I am with you always."

"I Want You To Be Free"

"My beloved,
you are at the center of My heart!

Though you have turned to prostitution,
though you have given yourself to other lovers,
though you have sold your soul for wealth,
yet I still love you!

I see you in your spiritual poverty,
captive to your lusts,
but I do not despise you!
You are still My beloved,
the one I want to be with forever.

"Is not Ephraim my dear son,
the child in whom I delight?
Though I often speak against him,
I still remember him.
Therefore my heart yearns for him;
I have great compassion for him,"
declares the Lord.
"Set up road signs; put up guideposts.
Take note of the highway, the road that you take.
Return, Virgin Israel, return to your towns.
How long will you wander,
unfaithful Daughter Israel?"

(Jeremiah 31:20-22)

Beloved, I want you to know
how much I love you;
I want you to be healed,
and I want you to be free."

*****

Art: "At the Center of His Heart"

The Root of Babylon

"There is a deep root
behind the blindness of many
who are being swept away
by the lust of Babylon.

Many believe that I love their the nation
and that it is is established upon My word,
but they do not know that they are seeking
a kingdom built on overturning the ways of My Son.

In place of His mercy they want law.
In place of His love they want enforcement.
In place of His grace they want judgment.

I desire to redeem sinners,
but they desire to reject them.
I desire to embrace the wicked,
but they desire to destroy them.
I desire to bring home the wayward,
but they desire to shame them.

My people do not know My heart!
I gave My Son to save those who are perishing,
but they have used His name to judge them!
My people do not know who they are serving!

When My Son returns,
He will bring justice
to those who were judged,
but He will bring judgment
for those who judged them.

Many will say to Him,
'Didn't we fight for Your name?'
'Didn't we advance Your kingdom?'
'Didn't we defend You?'

But He will answer,
'You did not know My spirit.'

Many will be last
who esteemed themselves first,
and many will be first
who were esteemed to be last."

*****

Art: "In the Time of the End"

"My Prayer: Unity In Love"

"Who are the ones I gave My life for on the Cross?
Are there any that I have loved less than others?
Does one group mean more to Me than another?
Haven't I loved and carried the Cross for all?

I created each of you and set you
in the earth like stars in the night sky.
I called each of you forth because
in My eyes you are stars in the darkness.

My desire, My heart and My dream is for you
to love each other as I have loved you—
that you unite as one with Me
and with My love for each other.

But to many of you My dream seems
like an un-Christian creation of pagans.
You cannot believe that the unity I prayed for
is a unity in loving people with My love.

But still I share My dream with you.
For you are each an eternal treasure to Me
—you, your neighbor, and your enemy—
and I dream of having all of you as My bride."

*****

Art: "Share My Dream"

"From My Love"

"Weep! Weep, My prophets! Look!

I am a name that is used to condemn enemies
instead of to forgive them!

I am a name used to declare judgment
instead of to declare grace!

I am a name used to justify 'rights'
instead of to lift up the poor!

I am a name used to separate
instead of to reconcile!

I am a name used to bring contention
instead of to bring healing!

I am just a name to many who profess My name,
instead of a real Lord with a real heart!

Let your tears fall, My prophets!
I am calling you to testify in tears
to those who have closed their hearts to Me!

Sow with My tears, with My broken heart
and love for My beloved prodigal children!
I will not let any tear fall in vain."

*****

Art: "Alive to Him"

Seeing But Not Seeing

My complaint:

Lord, You fill me with Your breaking heart and tears,
and so I paint and write what You tell me to.
But then many people don't see what is painted and spoken;
instead they see what they want to see,
and say "amen" as if it affirms their beliefs.
Lord! I can't count how many times this happens!
I'm so tired of this!

Your answer:

"Don't My children do the same with My word?
Don't they look and see only what they want to see?
Don't they point to what affirms their beliefs
instead of listening to My heart?"

*****

Art: "Hearing His Heart"

Call For Wisdom

"Do you want to understand what has been sealed?
Ask Me, but only if you are willing to share My grief
and only if you are willing to wear sackcloth—
to repent to your neighbors, your enemies, and to nations.

Understanding the scroll of Daniel
—which only the Lamb can open—
will be sweet in your mouth
but bitter in your stomach.

You will taste the love of the Lamb
and see that all points to Him,
but you will also understand how those
who bore His name have left His love.

And you will weep,
even as I weep.

I will send you forth
to speak My heart,
to sow My word in tears.

You will weep during the night,
but rejoicing will come
in the morning, on the Day
when the Lamb comes."

*****

Art: "Understanding the Scroll"

"Can I Share My Love?"

"My people,
do you really want
to know My love?

Will you let Me
share My heart
with you?

Will you listen only if
I share 'positive' things
that make you feel good?

Will you turn away
if I share My
grief with you?

Will you tell Me to
be quiet if I say something
that makes you uncomfortable?

My beloved,
do you really want
to know My love?"

*****

Art: "Father's Call"

"Mourn With Me"

"Come, My servants,
come and weep with Me!
My precious children,
My precious children!

Many of them will walk out of their doors one day
not knowing that their time has come to an end!
Drunk on the wine of the old covenant
and drunk on their own righteousness,
they will not know when they no longer know Me
and when they have gone too far from My path!

I will wail for them and lament for them.
Can you see My tears, My servants?
I am wailing for those who leave My heart!
Do you know My heart and My love?"

*****

Art: "Beyond His Heart"

"My Heart Is All You Need"

"I am not seeking worshipers who will point to the circumcision,
I am looking for worshipers who will accept My heart—My Son.
My dwelling place is not in Jerusalem more than any other place on earth,
but in those who serve their neighbors and enemies in the spirit of My Son.

I am not calling My people to protect 'holy land'
or to prepare for 'the battle of Armageddon.'
Neither am I aligning Myself with any nation or people—
for I am He who gave His Son for the whole world.

Love one another as My Son loved you while you were My enemies.
I am calling you to live in the love of the Cross
and wash one another from all else—which is confusion.
My love in the Cross is all you need in the end times."

*****

Art: "Understanding the End Times"

"Cry Out To Babylon!"

"My testimony is being taken down and replaced
with the gospel of an earthly kingdom!
My commands are being set aside and twisted
into a licence for cold love!

"Who will weep for My wayward, rebellious children?
Who will be broken with My heart of love for them?
Who will go speak My word and My witness to them?

"Go! Go tell My lawless children
that they are following the great apostasy!
Tell them to come out of Babylon!"

*****

Art: "The Great Apostasy"

"Not The Way To My Heart!"

"My people, 'Israel' is not the way to My heart!
Why are you wedding yourselves to Israel?
Don't you know I am a jealous God?

"You don't have to prove your love to any nation
—circumcised or uncircumcised—
in order to win My favor and blessings!
I am already in love with you, My beloved!
All of your efforts to please Me by 'loving Israel'
have only turned you into a prostitute!

"The picture you have of Me is not who I really am—
I am He who died for all on the Cross.
If you want to abide in My love,
love your neighbors and enemies as I love you."

*****

Art: End-Time Fulfillments

"The Harvest"—Brought In By His Love

Part 13 of "Unsealed By the Lamb: Revelation Through the Lamb and His Love"
________________________

Just as the testimony of Jesus (the gospel) and God's commands (agape love) are the heart and center of Revelation, in the same way it is His testimony and obedience to His command of love which brings in the harvest of the earth:

The testimony: "'But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.' He said this to show the kind of death He was going to die." (Jn.12:32-33)

The command: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another... [Father,] may they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me." (Jn.13:34-35, 17:23)

WHAT DRAWS ALL PEOPLE

When Christ called His disciples to go out and make disciples of all nations, He sent them out as laborers into the harvest:

"Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Mt.28:19-20)

The goal of their labor was to carry the testimony of Jesus to the nations, and call all people to obey His commands:

"And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us." (1 Jn.3:23)

The "harvest" in God's eyes are those who, since the days He sent out His disciples, come to believe in His Son and obey His command of agape love. The way that He brings in the harvest is through the sharing of His testimony and obedience to His command:

When His people share how He was lifted up on the Cross in love for all mankind, He draws people to Himself (Jn.12:32). And when His command is obeyed to love one another as He loved us, all people recognize His disciples and see that God has loved the world even as He has loved His own Son (Jn.13:35, 17:23).

THE HARVEST IS NOW!

Jesus told the disciples in their day,

"Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together." (Jn.4:35-36)

In Revelation, the same truth is shown in this way:

"I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one 'like a son of man' with a crown of gold on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. Then another angel [messenger] came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to Him who was sitting on the cloud, 'Take Your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.' So He who was seated on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested." (Rev.14:14-16)

Today we see Christ seated on the throne, and we believe His word that "even now He harvests the crop for eternal life," and we who are His temple agree with heaven, saying, "Take Your sickle and reap, Lord, for the harvest is ripe!" Since the time He told His disciples that "the fields are ripe for harvest," He has been swinging His sickle and harvesting the crop for eternal life. Those who come into Him have been harvested: they have passed from death to eternal life and will not come into judgment (Jn.5:24, 1 Jn.5:13).

BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT

The harvest is now, and will be completed at the very end of the age. Since He walked the streets of Judea, Christ has been building His house: an indestructible spiritual temple of living stones, held together in His love by a unity in the Holy Spirit, who is unseen. But by faith we see a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, thousands upon thousands of angels and the spirits of the righteous made perfect (Heb.12:1,22-23).

On earth, before Christ returns, we may see some of His harvesting at times; but whether we see it or not, we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor.5:7). We know that He is sowing and reaping, and that nothing we do in Him is in vain (1 Cor.15:58). The brightness and fullness of His harvest will not be seen until after He has removed evil from the earth:

"The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father." (Mt.13:41-43)

THE GREAT 'MOVEMENT' IN THE LAST DAYS

The heart of God's harvesting is the testimony of His love and grace in His Son, and His command to love one another (and even enemies) with the same love. But in the last days among God's people a great movement away from these, a rebellion, proclaims other righteousnesses and overturns His law of agape love. Many follow and bring the truth into disrepute (2 Pet.2:2), and the love [agape] of most grows cold:

"Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but those who stand firm to the end will be saved." (Mt.24:11-13)

God's harvesting may or may not be visible at times, and may or may not be accompanied by miraculous signs—because His primary and most powerful ways of drawing all people are His Son's testimony (Jn.12:32) and the agape love seen in His people (Jn.13:35). But the movement away from His righteousness and His law of love looks for and points to miraculous signs to support its authority:

"False Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible." (Mt.24:24)

"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." (2 Thes.2:9-12)

"Then I saw another beast... he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth." (Rev.13:11-14)

NOT BY MIGHT OR POWER

For those who seek power in the end times instead of His heart, God gives it to them: a "great delusion" which confirms the course their hearts have chosen, just as He sent a lying spirit to speak through Ahab's four hundred prophets (1 Kg.22:1-28). They see "the Holy Spirit" in terms of producing displays of power and confirming authority. The heart (the spirit) of Christ is less desirable and not as exciting. Their hearts scoff at the message of the Cross as something which is 'elementary'; the real goal for them is acquiring power, authority, prosperity, and other ungodly desires.

"In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires. These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit: keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." (Jude 18-21)

"Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength." (1 Cor.1:22-25)

The greatest power and wisdom of God revealed to us is in the 'weakness' of Christ crucified. It was by dying on the Cross that Jesus triumphed over and made a public spectacle of every power and authority (Col.2:15). In the same way, His people defeat the dragon not through great displays of power, but through His blood, the word of their testimony, and not shrinking from losing their lives (Rev.12:11).

It is by the foolish "weakness" of the Cross (the testimony of Jesus) and the foolishness of obeying His command of agape love (even loving, forgiving and blessing enemies) that God brings in His harvest. By seeking these, all people will know His His love for them. But seeking power and might put us on the wrong side of His harvesting.

SEEKING "THE HARVEST" ...AND MISSING IT

The heart of God's harvesters is His intense love for all people and His desire to be with them forever. But the rebellion seeks a great "end times harvest" movement not for the sake of the people, but as a means to other ends— power, authority, and fulfilling prophetic mystery.

In the midst of wars, disasters and tribulation, the rebellion attempts to fulfill its interpretations of prophecy by maneuvering into position with "sides" and nations that they believe God supports, believing that this will bring about the harvest and Christ's return. But by looking to sides and nations, the rebellion chooses the kingdoms of the earth instead of the kingdom of God—and misses the harvest!

God hasn't call us to an earthly inheritance, but to a heavenly inheritance—our neighbors and enemies! The things of the earth pass away, but the hearts of the nations are treasures so valuable to Him that He died so He could be with them forever! The nations are His inheritance (Ps.2:8), and the nations are our inheritance, too, because we share His inheritance (Rm.8:17, Gal.4:7).

Our neighbors and enemies are our inheritance!
Our neighbors and enemies are the harvest!

God draws the nations to Himself through His Son's testimony of agape love, and through the obedience of His people to His command of agape love; but the rebellion, in seeking to trigger "the harvest", sets aside Christ's law of agape love (becoming "lawless") and actually works against His harvesting.

RECOGNIZING THE HARVEST

The harvest is now, but it is not as many of God's people have imagined. The harvest is in forsaking the righteousness of our "sides" for His alone, and in loving all people as He loved us (especially including our enemies).

The harvest is not large numbers coming in because of performing great signs and wonders—that's the hope of the great delusion! The harvest now is as it has always been since He first said, "the fields are ripe for harvest." It is brought in by sharing the word of His love in the Cross, and by obeying His command of love.

There is no shortcut to speeding up His harvest, and we are called to be faithful to the field He has called us to, whether we see large numbers or small, and whether our part is sowing, reaping, or watering.

"This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come." (Mk.4:26-29)

"Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near." (Jas.5:7-8)

There is no need to wait for a special "anointing", a special "power" or "time of favor":

"I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor,
now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor.6:2)



Christ is waiting for us today in the poor, in the needy, in the outcast and in our enemies! They are His priceless treasures that are worthy of our love today, regardless of the timing of His coming! Can we see Him there in the hungry and the thirsty, in the stranger and the sick, in the naked and the prisoner? (Mt.25:31-46)

"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore,
to send out workers into his harvest field." (Lk 10:2)

Lord, please wake up Your people! Send us out to love the nations, our neighbors, the 'least of these' and our enemies, too! For so long we've thought of "the harvest" as something very different from what You do, and our vision of it has set us up for the great delusion instead! Forgive us for seeking "the harvest" for any reason other than for their sake! Forgive us for not seeing them as Your priceless treasures, and for wanting to convert them just to make You come quicker! Forgive us for not wanting to be with them like You do! Burn in our hearts with love for our neighbors, for the poor, and for our enemies! In Jesus' name, amen.

The Wrath of the Lamb

"My wrath is against all that stands between Me and My children.
My wrath is against all that strives against My agape love.
My wrath is against all that hurts My beloved children.

"I am the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world.
I gave My life for My enemies and those who crucified Me.
I took the punishment for your rebellion.

"Who is able to understand My wrath?
Do not be deluded into thinking that you are called
as messengers to declare the wrath of the Lion of Judah,
for you cannot understand My wrath until you are consumed by My love.
My wrath comes from My love—from the Lamb who was slain.

"Do not attempt to understand My wrath
if you are not willing to be broken
with My love and My grief for the lost.
Do not forget that My death was for them
just as much as it was for you."

*****

Art: "Having Chosen"

Following the Image

"My people have turned to an image instead of to Me!
They have set up an image of the circumcision
as My unconditionally chosen and favored people.
They turn their eyes from the sins of the circumcision
and see only their righteousness among the nations:
righteous in heart and action, lacking only a belief in Christ.

"My people prophesy My favor for those who bless the image
and judgments for those who curse the image.
Instead of declaring that My heart is My Son,
My people declare that 'Israel' is the center of My heart!
Instead of teaching the commands of My Son,
My people preach honoring the circumcision as My command!

"Woe! Woe to My people who have become prostitutes!
"Woe! Woe to My people who give authority to the circumcision
and put themselves under the image they have made of them!
Woe to My people who pressure others to join in their adultery!
Return! Repent and return, My people!
Leave Babylon and return to the everlasting gospel!"

*****

Art: "Adultery"

Understanding the Scroll

"My child, feel My hand on your face,
folding you to My breast.
I am telling you what is coming
and what is written in the scroll—
and I know the pain is overwhelming at times.

"I am with you, and I will be with you
in all of these things to the end
Be strong and courageous,
for I am leading many to My righteousness.
I am unfolding My broken heart,
and I am calling you to share My broken heart.

"I will use your words and your tears,
and I will bring about an end
more wonderful than you can imagine.
Be comforted and know that I have overcome!"

*****

Art: "Unfolding the Heartbreaking Truth"

"Be Patient"

"I will give you strength to be patient in the last days.
You will have great need of patience and love—
for I am calling you to endure not only in truth,
but to endure in My command of love.

"Be patient and bear with one another
just as I have loved you.
I am not going to come as quickly as you would like,
because I want many to come to repentance.
Ask Me for My love for them and for My patience."

*****

Art: "Preach the Gospel!"

"My Heart For My People—Not a System"

"Many of you have tried to unseal prophecies before their appointed time,
and have created systems of interpretation founded on error.
None of your systems of interpreting the end times are correct,
for I have not called you to systems, but to relationship with Me.
If you have Me, then you do not need any 'system' of interpretation.

"Every effort to interpret sealed prophecies
has removed My Son from the center.
Every system has marginalized the Cross
and diverted your attention away
from My command of agape love.

"Therefore I am calling My people out—
out of systems of end-time interpretation.
I am calling My people back to the testimony of My Son
and His command to love one another as He loved you.
I am calling you back to My heart!

"You believe you have understood the 'puzzle' of the end times,
and now you are waiting for things to unfold.
But things will not happen as you expect,
for Revelation is not about events or 'things happening'—
understanding Revelation is understanding My broken heart!

"My heart breaks for you because you have sold yourselves—
to what you believe will prepare you for 'the final conflict,'
to making sure you're on the 'right side' with the 'right people,'
and to 'moving things into place' according to your interpretations.
In so doing, you have left your first love, My people!

"You have separated yourselves as those who believe you know My plan,
and do not realize that you are sitting in darkness—in prostitution—
trying to buy favor that will keep you from being 'left behind.'
Yet though My people are confused and divided by your interpretations,
many will hear My heart and leave Babylon to follow the Lamb."

*****

Art: "Broken"

The Bittersweet Scroll

Part 8 of "Unsealed By the Lamb: Revelation Through the Lamb and His Love"
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The heart of Revelation is God's call to share in His heart—to know His Son, the Lamb, and to share His love as He commanded.

The testimony of Jesus: "We have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God." (1 Jn.4:14-15)

The commandments of God: "Beloved, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (1 Jn.4:11)

SHARING IN HIS HEART

"We have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in them." (1 Jn 4:16)

God's commands are not 'orders' from the commander to be obeyed. Instead His commands ("believe in Christ" and "love as He did" - 1 Jn.3:23) are an invitation to step under the waterfall of His passion for us, and to let that same passion carry us where He wills to pour down like a torrent on others.

God is calling us to share in His heart of love, to be smitten by His love for us, and to allow ourselves to be smitten by His love for others. He gave and showed us His heart on the Cross, and calls us to simply believe in His love for us—for all humankind. Then, He calls us to abide in that love—the love of the Cross, loving humankind so much that He gave His all for them.

'HURRY UP AND COME, LORD!'

It's natural for us to want Him to come back, for us to want to see Him face to face. And part of us groans because of the pain and suffering that continue in life until He returns. And then, part of us wants to know what we can do to "hasten" His coming, forgetting why He waits:

"The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Pet.3:9)

"The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let the one who hears say, 'Come! Whoever is thirsty, let them come; and whoever wishes, let them take the free gift of the water of life.'" (Rev.22:17)

The "Come!" that the Spirit calls us to cry out is not to Jesus. He is not waiting for us to cry out more passionately for Him to return. Instead He is calling us to be filled with His love for people, to desire as He does that they know and accept His life-giving love. The "Come!" that He calls us to cry out is to them, not to Him.

The nations are His inheritance (Ps.2:8), and He wants us to share in His inheritance (Rom.8:17, Gal.4:7). Jesus wants to have our neighbors—and our enemies—as His beloved bride forever. And He wants us to want them, too, just like He wants them.

While He has called us to eagerly await His coming (2 Pet.3:12), if we try to look in Scripture and prophecy for the things we need to do to 'hasten' or help arrange things for His coming, subtly we begin to miss His heart for people and can even lose sight of who He really is:

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
(1 Jn 4:8)

PROPHECY THAT SEEMS SWEET

Before He returns, there are things that will happen, and His testimony must be spoken (His two witnesses) in the midst of these things to many peoples, nations, languages and kings.

"The voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: 'Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.' So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, 'Take it and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.' I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. Then I was told, 'You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.'" (Rev.10:8-11)

When we read Revelation, we see that He triumphs in the end and that He brings His beloved people safely through great tribulation, persecution, and earth-shaking calamities. We hear that He is the victorious Lion of Judah and we are His beloved bride. This is good news, and it is truly sweet to our taste!

Naturally we assume, then, that when He sends us to prophesy to 'the world', it's because they have grown more wicked, and He wants us to preach righteousness to convict them of their sins, and call them to repentance because judgment is at hand.

That sounds sweet to us through and through. But the scroll He gives us, though sweet in our mouths, will make our stomachs bitter and cause us to put on sackcloth—the garment of repentance—as we prophesy.

THE BITTER TRUTH

As He guides our eyes to the center of the throne, where we expect to see this Lion who has triumphed, instead we behold the Lamb who was slain—the center of who He is. He begins to show us that it is only the Lamb who unseals the scroll for us. We are eager to see Christ returning victoriously, but He calls us to look back to Him crucified in weakness. He reminds us that He calls us to walk in His steps, to carry our cross. He calls us to love our enemies just like He loved us. The scroll begins to become bitter in our stomachs.

By showing us Himself—dying, in love with His enemies—He shatters our simple "righteous vs. wicked" view of the end times. He stops our rejoicing in trying to figure out or point out who the "good guys" or "bad guys" are in the end times. He's calling us to intercession, not triumphalism. He is calling us to share His heart of agape love—His sacrificial love given even for His enemies—because He is agape love.

And He said that the nations would know us by His agape love in us (Jn.13:35). But in the last days, the agape love of most believers will turn cold (Mt.24:12). The 'rebellion' begins among those who had once submitted to Him; it happens 'in His temple'—and we are His temple (2 Thes.2:3-4, 1 Cor.3:16-17). 'Lawlessness' means forsaking Christ's law of agape love—to love one another as He loved us on the Cross while we were still His enemies.

We want to prophesy to the nations of 'the world' about their sin, but God tells us that judgment begins with us first instead (1 Pet.4:17).

And as we look, we behold grievous things among us:

We put our place and nation ahead of His law of agape love.
We profess His name but bend His word to support our righteousness.
We put our earthly kingdom first over the heavenly kingdom.
We seek power to keep our prosperity and gain even more.
We tell the world to seek God's favor through earthly alliances.
We prophesy in His name but turn away from His command.

He gives us more understanding than we bargained for. He shares His heart with us—not only His joy, but also His grief.



He shows us that we have taken the Lamb and His love out of the center of the throne in our hearts, and we have pursued His attributes in the four living creatures instead:

We have wanted to be "the lion", having the place of power.
We have wanted to be "the ox", performing His righteous works.
We have wanted to be the "face" of man, declaring worthiness.
We have wanted to be the "eagle", declaring His judgments.

And so He sends us out in sackcloth to repent for our prostitution. We have been Babylon, not the world! We have taught an "anti-Christ" made in our own image, supporting us and our ways, rather than following in His agape love for our neighbors and enemies. We have been the "False Prophet", declaring His favor for one nation above all others, and trying to persuade other nations to favor that nation, too.

PUTTING ON SACKCLOTH

Father, forgive us. We have taken Your words in Revelation and interpreted them in a way that makes us feel good about our righteousness and vindicated about the wickedness of the world. We have wanted Your Son to return, and we've wanted to enjoy Heaven, but we have wandered from Your heart, Father. We don't like the idea that You love our enemies just as much as You love us, and that You want us to love them. Somehow we think that we've earned Your favor, and they have to earn it, too.

Forgive us, Jesus, for trying to 'conquer' in Your name. You have already conquered on the Cross, calling all people through Your love. But we have tried to use law, politics and power to make people righteous and obedient to You. It didn't work for ancient Israel, but we have forgotten and returned to the ways of the old covenant anyway. We have tried to speed up Your coming, expecting a 'Messiah' just like the one Judea expected and the one that Jerusalem expects today. We have tried to move pieces into place for that 'Messiah' to come, preaching the values of that 'Messiah' and subverting Your command of agape love, Jesus. We have lost sight of the Cross, Jesus, and have tried to arrange for a kingdom that is not Yours. And just like ancient Israel, below the surface all kinds of desires steered our course. We have claimed Your name, Jesus, but have sought power and profit. We have served Mammon in Your name.

Forgive us, Holy Spirit, because we have testified to the righteousness of a nation as the way to the favor of God instead of testifying to Jesus as the only way. We have broken from Your testimony of Christ, Holy Spirit, and have welcomed among us the spirit of antichrist. We have rebelled against the spirit of prophecy, and we have rebelled against Your heart of agape love.

Lord, send us out in sackcloth—in repentance—to those we have wounded in Your name. Even to our enemies. In Jesus' name, amen.
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Part 9: "The Third Seal"—Unfair Scales