With all of the messages of late that speak of the horrendous things that are to come, one needs to know that the people of God who trust in Him, will be kept safe.

I say this, because many seem to focus upon the storms that are coming without considering the light that will be shed abroad to those who believe.

This type of thing can be so prevalent and insidious particularly in the prophetic movement.

One must see and be aware that there is an increase in words of judgment and catastrophic events being posted.

I say this not necessarily as a sense of criticism of those words that are true, but that those involved in the prophetic, would also frame their words with a balance between the judgment expressed with an encouragement to the people of God and those who would trust in Him.

For even with the mountains that fall and the ocean waves that rise, there will always be shelter to be found under the wings of the Almighty.

Even within the scriptures of the prophets we see a balance in their words that they had spoken and written down.

For we see in the writings of Isaiah, a range from the downfall of the Assyrian and Babylonian empires, to the return of Israel from exile, to the coming of the Messiah, and finally to the recreation of a new heaven and a new earth, and the reign of peace in all of creation.

Isaiah balances judgment with hope as he addressed the ethical issues of the day as well as the eschatological concerns of the future.

For we see as Isaiah speaks of how God considers Judah as His beloved vineyard, but only produces bitter grapes.

“My well beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: and he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?” Isaiah 5:1-4.

And yet then we see the wisdom of God shown in Isaiah 28, where Isaiah along with Job, marvels at the knowledge and wisdom that is expressed:

“Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: for with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken,” Isaiah 28:9-13.

And then we see the judgment of God seen in this portion of scripture from Isaiah 2 as man will be humbled on that day, and he will hide from the majesty of the LORD.

All of the idols of man will be destroyed as the dust of the earth, to the lower regions of the earth where the moles and bats live.

“Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: and upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, and upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.
And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols he shall utterly abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” Isaiah 2:10-22.

To be sure, we are all different, each of us in our own way, created to express the gifts and abilities that God has given to us.

And it is always true, that there are those who prophesy encouragement and comfort primarily, and this is needed to be sure.

My overall point and mission in what I am writing here, is to instruct those who prophesy the words of judgment now, to consider how those in the past like Isaiah and others, spoke of judgment as well as hope.

For in the midst of the great calamities we need to always know there is hope.

In the midst of the fall of kingdoms and the separation of land masses, one must always be aware of the wings of the Almighty.

He will lift up the broken-hearted and release those who are in bondage. But even when everything comes in its greatest intensity of darkness, a way will be found for shelter from the storm.

 

Selah,
~ Stephen Hanson

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Stephen Hanson of In His Truth Ministries came to the LORD is a special way in 1975 and has prophesied regularly since. In these end-time birthing pangs we are reminded that judgment must first begin with the household of God. Will we be prepared and ready?

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