"AND I WILL WORK A WORK ......" Habakkuk 1:5
There were signs at the FIRST coming of the Lord Jesus to this
earth.
His birth was announced to Joseph and Mary. Shepherds in the fields
were told about it from angels. Wise men from the East came to
worship Him. The birth of John the baptist was told to his parents;
he would lead the way (Luke 1:67-80).
Those people would have shared all that news with at least some
others; certainly the shepherds would have told others what they
had seen and been told.
From the New Testament we know that some of John the baptist
followers were from the evidence around them, looking for the ONE
whom the prophets had spoken about - the Messiah. Some of John's
followers became Jesus' disciples.
John himself gave witness that Jesus was the Lamb of God (John
1:35-36).
When Jesus called Philip he went to Nathanael and said, "We have
found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write,
Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph (John 1:43-45). Jesus told
Nathanael he had seen him under a fig tree.....Nathanael said,
"Rabbi, You are the Son of God..." (John 1:47-49).
So from many things a number of people KNEW it was TIME for the
Messiah to appear in Israel and do God's work.
Oh yes, most of them had a number of things mixed up and not clear
in their minds. They knew the Messiah would restore Israel to a
world power and influence. They had most of the prophecies of the
coming of the Messiah in POWER and GLORY, mixed in with the coming
that was now in front of them. Many things, they did not have
straight about the coming of the Messiah that was at that time.
The Scribes and Pharisees taught something about a coming of Elijah
at the Messiah's coming. But they did not fully understand that
truth. The idea about it came out when Jesus was transfigured in
front of Peter, James and John his brother on the mount (Matthew
17). Moses and Elijah appeared in that VISION with Jesus (v.3,9).
Jesus told them to tell no one what they had seen. They answered,
"Why then say the Scribes that Elijah must first come?" (v.10).
Oh it was correct what the Scribes taught. Jesus went on to say
Elijah would come, and RESTORE all things. Yet Jesus further added
that Elijah HAD COME, and he suffered from persecution. The masses
of the "religious" people did NOT recognize the prophecy about
Elijah was fulfilled. The none religious.....well they certainly
did not know or even care or take any notice of this "strange" guy
in their midst telling people to REPENT, for the Messiah was near
at hand (v.11-12).
Ah then it came clear in the minds of Peter, James and John, that
Jesus was talking about John the baptist as the fulfilling of the
promised Elijah (v.13).
Now this prophecy about the Elijah to come is found in Malachi 4:4-
6.
So we should now be able to see that this prophecy of the Elijah
has TWO FULFILMENTS - one at the first coming of Christ and one at
the second coming, or to be specifically correct BEFORE the DAY OF
THE LORD. In end time prophecy that is the last year (day for a
year principle in prophecy) before the literal return of Jesus to
earth in glory and power. Sometime BEFORE - not given as to how
much before the day of the Lord, this prophecy will have its
reality.
Now if you are putting all this correctly in your mind; from
Matthew 17 and Malachi 4. You now know there will come a work of
Elijah (you should have seen already it's not the literal Elijah of
the Old Testament) that will RESTORE things and it will all happen
sometime BEFORE "the day of the Lord" at the end time. I've covered
and proved for you in other studies that the END TIME of the book
of Revelation is about 1260 days or 42 months. The "day of the
Lord" being about the last 12 months of the 42 months.
The religious world at Jesus' first coming basically knew there had
to be an "Elijah" before the Messiah came, BUT THEY SURE COULD NOT
RECOGNIZE THAT PROPHECY WHEN IT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM!
A lot of prophecy is DUAL in application, BUT the second fulfilment
does not have to follow EXACTLY like the first fulfilment.
But there will be a very SIMILAR "not recognize" application, even
as it was in the first fulfilment.
The SECOND fulfilment as Jesus said will "RESTORE ALL THINGS"
(Matthew 17).
Yet with the world of the Internet you can go on there and find
MANY people or organizations that will tell you, THEY have the
truth of the word of God. Now we not only have the Internat but
also YOUTUBE, with all kinds of "preachers" of God's word on there
- probably a few hundred at least that "preach and teach" in a
somewhat large way (we'll count out the many on there who only
preach and teach just a little). For to do as Jesus said "restore
all things" I think you'd have to be pretty large in your teaching
and preaching, for MANY truths would have to be taught I think to
qualify for "restore all things." And if you are still thinking
logically, it would also mean, many FALSE "Christian" teachings
would need to be exposed as false teachings. So again thinking
logically the "run of the mill" the "popular" Christianity that has
been around for centuries, would not qualify as "restore all
things." For why at the end time would you restore all things if
all things have been restored for centuries of even for one or two
hundred years already?
Yes common logic should tell you MANY of God's truths HAVE BEEN
PERVERTED by the end time, and certainly need to be restored before
the day of the Lord comes on this earth.
Logic would tell you that they need to be restored so a people at
the end time can BE PREPARED to WITNESS FOR TRUTH before the day of
the Lord and also witness for that truth during the day of the
Lord, right up to the coming of the Messiah in glory and power.
There is something very important, important in a sad way really,
to this end time Elijah prophecy.
It's what is the heading of this little study. It is found in
Habakkuk chapter one. For starters how many people read the book of
Habakkuk? If I was a betting man I'd say very very few Christians
indeed read the book of Habakkuk today.
The book of Habakkuk is an end time book, yes it is. It will have
an end time fulfilment. Look at chapter 2 and verse 14 -- "For the
earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters
cover the sea." Now tell me if that has EVER been fulfilled since
the days of Adam and Eve. I've expounded for you the book of
Habakkuk FOR TODAY on this website.
Before all that will take place in the book of Habakkuk right up to
the knowledge of God covering this earth like the waters cover the
seas ...... well notice what God says, "BEHOLD YOU AMONG THE
HEATHEN AND REGARD, and wonder marvellously: FOR I WILL WORK A WORK
IN YOUR DAYS, ***WHICH YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE, THOUGH IT BE TOLD
YOU*** (V.5).
Only a very FEW, relatively speaking, AT THE TIME OF JOHN THE
BAPTIST, recognized the prophecy of Malachi was in fulfilment, and
it was then the age of looking for the Messiah to come. And most
important it was a time as never before to GET IN HARMONY WITH GOD
AND HIS TRUTHS AND TURNING THE HEART OF THE FATHERS TO THE CHILDREN
AND HEART OF THE CHILDREN TO THE FATHERS.....WHICH WAS A WAY OF
SAYING HUMBLE YOURSELF AND COME TO REPENTANCE.....FOR INDEED THAT
WAS WHAT JOHN WAS DOING.....BRINGING PEOPLE TO TRUTH AND
REPENTANCE.
SO NOW YOU KNOW A WORK WILL BE DONE BEFORE THE MESSIAH COMES AGAIN,
A WORK THAT WILL RESTORE THE TRUTHS OF GOD, BRING PEOPLE TO HUMBLE
REPENTANCE, PREPARE A PEOPLE FOR THE FIRST RESURRECTION AT THE
COMING OF THE MESSIAH IN POWER AND GLORY.
MOST AT CHRIST'S FIRST COMING DID NOT HAVE THE RIGHT
HEART, THE RIGHT MIND, THEY COULD NOT COME TO THE
KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH. THEY COULD NOT SEE THE TRUTH WAS
BEING GIVEN TO THEM, THE WORK OF GOD WAS BEING DONE BUT
IT WAS NOT BELIEVED, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS TOLD TO THEM.
SO WHERE ARE YOU FRIENDS? DO ***YOU*** HUNGER AND THIRST
AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUTH? DO YOU DESIRE THE TRUTH OF
GOD'S WORD MORE THAT ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD? DO YOU
DESIRE IT MORE THAN GOLD OR SILVER, MORE THAN ANY PERSON,
MORE THAN ANY JOB OR HOBBY? ARE YOU WILLING TO SPEND
TIME SEARCHING FOR THAT TRUTH, SOMETIMES MANY HOURS OF
BIBLE STUDY MIXED WITH PRAYER AND MEDITATION, EVEN ADDING
SOME FASTING NOW AND AGAIN?
I CAN TELL YOU ONE THING GOD'S TRUTHS IN HIS WORD CAN
BE FOUND.
DO NOT BE ONE OF THOSE WHO WILL NOT BELIEVE IT THOUGH
IT BE TOLD YOU.
Keith Hunt - May 2012
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