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Days For Awe! By Malcolm B Heap, Midnight Ministries Copyright © Midnight Ministries Copyright of Midnight Ministries may be waived and this publication duplicated without asking permission, if full credit is given to the source (with the address) and if the contents are not altered. Likewise, publications of Midnight Ministries may be translated into any other language without asking permission, provided that the translation is as accurate as possible to the meaning of the original text, and full credit is given to the source (with the address). The distribution of God's truth should not be restricted by copyright. |
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If God struck someone dead before your eyes, how would you react? If you saw a man blinded or paralysed because of his persistent rebellion, how would you respond?
You shouldn’t need to see such awesome things to fear God, but physical people often don’t fear God before they experience something that induces such awe. It is written:
Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him, for He spoke and it was done... (Ps 33:8-9).
Yes, God spoke and it was done. God has taken the lives of individuals who blocked the spread of God’s truth. When people ignore the warnings, God’s judgement falls.
You know about some astounding judgments of God recorded in the Bible:
And there are several more shocking accounts. But most people think those remarkable happenings are biblical only, and that God doesn’t perform such terrible feats today. Well, they’re dead wrong!
God has just as much vehemence against wrongdoing today as back then.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! (Heb 10:31.)
We are all warned:
See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven (Heb 12:25).
These are days for awe. God is at work!
God speaks to call people to repentance, not to scare them out of their wits. In fact, that’s one reason you don’t see Him blitzing sinners on every corner. He would rather see them repent than destroyed.
But make no mistake, if you desert Him, He will desert you: Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away (Heb 2:1). How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation...? (Heb 2:3).
In September 2007, Alex Odhiambo in Kenya wrote:
"The day is truly at hand. We are not in darkness, but we are the children of the Light. We don’t have to be ignorant or asleep at the wheel. It is urgent that we remain AWAKE, watchful and sober-minded through the Holy Spirit, as it was foretold by Christ. The arrival of Jesus Christ is much nearer than when we first believed!”
I would interject: Therefore let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall (1 Cor 10:12). "Last time I was given a dream of the coming war with Iran. [God did not say with which country Iran will be at war – perhaps it will be Israel]. And now I was given a dream with some strange numerics in at night. It has disturbed me and for that reason it has forced me to write to you for more revelation on it. ” I will repeat that here, together with what God is cleverly conveying [my comments in square brackets]:
"...I saw, as if carried onto the top of a tree that had many branches with beautiful flowers on it. [The Tree of Life, a symbol of all that is good and wonderful that is in God. It depicts also His working with humanity, His kingdom on earth, etc. The top of this beautiful tree is where most truth is available.]
"At the top a Man appeared to me with pen and paper [reminiscent of the experience Ezekiel had when a Man appeared to him with a writer’s inkhorn by His side – Ezek 9:2,3,11. Interesting last reference in that chapter – 9:11!] The pen was like a bird’s feather [a quill]. This is what I was given:
"REMAIN VIGILANT FOR HE IS COMING AND IT WILL BE VERY SOON. REMEMBER 10 IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT NUMBER. Read Numbers 14:34. Count the Jubilee year from 1967, then add 10 years, which is DAYS FOR AWE, A YEAR FOR A DAY = COMING OF JESUS CHRIST.
"BE HONEST AND FAIR, AND TAKE NOTE OF WORLD EVENTS. CONTINUE PRAYING AS DIRECTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. [Underlined words explained later.]
"After that information the Man disappeared."
I explained previously, in a letter, some of what God was conveying. I repeat that here:
I want to explain what I can of that revelation from the Angel, besides the inserts I have put in square brackets above.
What a spiritually-minded person deduces from it will be totally different from what a physically-minded person takes from it. At first, you might think God is saying that Jesus’ coming is 50 years on from 1967, plus ten years. That would bring us to 2027. Immediately the heart sinks, and you think, "Oh no, not that long, please!!"
But His words are very urgent, telling us that IT WILL BE VERY SOON. The other thing that stands out to me is His mysterious emphasis of the number 10. Is He inferring that Jesus’ coming is merely ten years away? That would be 2017.
I don’t think so. God is not concerned like we are with all this pigeon-holing. He is trying to convey to the spiritually perceptive the SPIRITUAL purpose He is working out with man. He is not emphasising physical timing. That is not important. It is the spiritual that is important. His last words above about praying in the Spirit are most important! Shallacasema, hasamala.
Do you pray in tongues? Then intercede like never before in tongues! These are days for awe. Seek Him for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit so that you can be more useful to Him, then you can pray as guided by the Spirit, even if He has not given you tongues for intercession.
Count 50 years – the Jubilee is the 50th year (Lev 25:8-11) – count 50 years from 1967, and you come to 2017. To this present year, 2007, 40 years has passed, the number of trial (4 x 10). [People must be tried.]
10 years remain until that Great Jubilee and full release. So, I deduce that we can expect the whole world to be fully released from the bondage of Satan by 2017. The day of Atonement depicts this release, which is the 10th day of the 7th month, nine days after the Feast of Trumpets on the 1st day of the 7th month. But that doesn’t mean Jesus’ coming is in 2017. Jesus’ coming PRECEDES what the Day of Atonement predicts. It will take some time for various nations to be brought to heel during the beginning of Jesus’ Millennium (Zech 14:16 onwards).
We don’t know how long. Perhaps a year? Only God knows.
But why did He say, then add 10 years? He’s not actually adding years to Jesus’ return, He’s adding mere days. Notice the wording carefully. Jesus did not say "a day for a year" as in Num 14:34. He said the reverse: "a year for a day." So, He is emphasising something else, and it’s not time in years.
For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks [much deeper] at the heart (1 Sam 16:7).
With the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd (Ps 18:26; 2 Sam 22:27).
God is not emphasising Jesus’ physical coming, but His spiritual coming – His invisible coming for JUDGEMENT. That’s why 10 (depicts man) is singled out as significant. He is dealing with mankind now in a dramatic and awesome way. You will read about the awesome things God is doing in Kenya, taking people’s lives where they have obstructed God’s Work.
The prophet Elijah called down fire from heaven on those who opposed him (2 Kings 1). ‘Elijah’ does the same today. The true prophet carries fire in his briefcase from heaven.
So, the "days for awe, a year for a day", not only refer to the time we are entering now of God’s incredible miraculous and powerful activity, leading up to the Great Tribulation and Jesus’ coming after 3½ years of those horrors, but could also refer to the awesome time of destruction of earth’s armies at Armageddon, which could take 10 literal days. His wording employs reverse or inverse symbolism, if that is the right way to put it.
What about now? What are the days for awe now? Jesus’ coming is a NOW thing, too, you know. He comes to fill our hearts with fire for Him, to purify us, to cleanse us, to anoint us, to distil us. [And He comes to JUDGE US for sin!]
These appointed times are times to come before Him, to prepare our hearts to worship Him. These are our days for awe now. And as we delight in Him, He will delight in us, and do His works on earth. We are getting so close to the days for awe, when dead people will arise and declare the awesome name of Jesus, the God who will soon rule this world and banish Satan and all evil.
Remember, you are commanded to come before Him, bringing Him an offering (Deut 16:16). But it is not merely pecuniary. It is to be "an offering made by fire" (Lev 23:25,36). An offering of sacrifice and praise brings you into His courts (Ps 100). As you give yourself, He gives to you. It’s awesome.
God bless you as you worship and praise Him – one of the commands for these occasions is to rejoice before Him (Lev 23:40). In a recent prophetic word in one of our meetings, the Spirit was saying we should all appreciate God more. We should appreciate Him, love Him, extol Him – let Your name be magnified forever (2 Sam 7:26).
I wrote the above just before the Feast of Trumpets in 2007, hence my closing comments.
In Jewish tradition, the 10 days from the Feast of Trumpets to the Day of Atonement, are known as the Days of Awe. You and I are called by God to self-examination and repentance before the Day of Atonement.
The angel said: “He is coming and it will be very soon!” This coming is not His physical coming. For Alex and Polycarp, and those near them in Kenya and Tanzania, His coming was to test them, to try them, to prove them.
That has now happened. God warns before He acts. He is purging sin from His people.
Revelations like the above can lift up, puff up, inject pride. A novice is warned (1 Tim 3:6), as are all. Pride destroys whatever God builds. So beware!
That’s why Alex was told Jesus would come soon – to test them (implied in 2007, when first written, 40 years from 1967). Jesus said in ten days, the number of man. There are many impurities in the heart of man.
God was seeing things in them that He was going to have to expose, for their own good. That’s why He said “Be honest and fair.” He knew they would not be honest and fair. They know what I am talking about. There is much deceit in Kenyan society, and in Christians!
A prophet’s duty is to “cry aloud, spare not, and tell My people their transgression” (Is 58:1). If you do wrong, and cover it up, deluding yourself that you are OK (Jer 17:9), you don’t fool God. If you do not turn from wrongdoing, He will turn away from you until you either repent, or you commit sins that are unpardonable, from which there is no return.
In October 2010, Alex died. God took him because he didn’t give up trying to deceive. He pulled the wool over my eyes for a while. God let him do that so that sin would reach a peak in his life. Then, judgement fell.
But that’s not the end of the story. God does some drastic things to wake people up, to bring them to their senses and to instigate their repentance and change. Then, He can properly use them in His service.
God raises the dead!
These are days for awe (fear), but which way will it be for you? There are two kinds of fear. One is positive, the other negative.
For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire; he blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord (Ps 10:3). But my heart stands in awe of Your Word (Ps 119:161).
From Kenya I received this report about a vision which a lady received during their worship meeting on the Last Great Day: 8th Oct 2007
...There was also a widow who was possessed by [inspired; strongly moved by the] Holy Spirit and she had a vision for the congregation.
The woman said that in that congregation, she saw that each of us had a bar-magnet in their body. Then we were all carried in a fast moving chariot whose pilot was not easily seen at the time. As the chariot was moving, some of the members started falling down and turning to ash, unless they had a strong magnet to hold them to the body of the chariot. Few people were remaining.
She was also told that the people who fell down in the race had a magnet which was iron mixed with clay.
Meaning: The fast moving chariot is MM’s work guided by God. Falling down and turning to ash depicts the result of the fiery trial that God was bringing upon them. It has now happened. Some in the group have fallen, and become like worthless ash. Their internal character was poor and was like the useless mix of iron and clay.
Now they need to repent and change; clinging to the chariot [bringer of truth that can defeat Satan] that can take them to the safety of going with God.
This dream, given to Kassahun Ayele in Ethiopia, depicts some of the rejection of man you must be prepared to accept to be true to Jesus, but the wonderful spiritual assurance that comes to those who are faithful:
Sept. 6/07. K. I was joined by Christians who were cast out of their churches. They were full of faith, and sang a very beautiful song. My spirit was inspired by their song and I began to sing with them. I felt the fire of God inside me and spoke with tongues. A revival broke out in our midst.
Comment: Pure truth is unacceptable to all organised churches. So, believers who want all that God offers are cast out of churches, as Jesus predicted (Jn 16:2) and Isaiah (Is 66:5). Their spiritual beauty is very appealing to others of like mind who want pure truth above all else. We rejoice with them, appreciate their praise, and we can all be revived by God, doing “great things”.
Sept. 14/07. K. In this dream a Man came to my home at Midnight with many gifts. I didn't expect such gifts. My heart filled with unspeakable joy.
Comment: This is the Midnight Hour, prophesied in Scripture – the few years at the very end of this age. God is doing a Work on earth (Matt 25:6; Mal 3:1; 4:4-6) that will be short. He will cut it short in righteousness (Rom 9:28) – because the majority will reject the outpouring of the Spirit with restoration of all God’s truths. Accompanying this is an outpouring of God’s spiritual gifts to those who accept all God offers! It brings wonderful joy.
The Feast of Trumpets, on the first day of the 7th month in God’s calendar, depicts Jesus’ coming to assert His rule on earth. Nine days later, on the 10th of the month, is the Day of Atonement, a time of fasting to “afflict the soul” (Lev 23; mentioned also in Acts 27:9).
Traditionally, this period of time between Trumpets and Atonement was known as the Days of Awe. A trumpet was blown as a warning sound, to alert the people. It warns of danger, of war; or in the spiritual it warns of sin. God wants to wake you up to your need for repentance.
The days of awe are meant to be days of self-examination and repentance, as you prepare to enter into the Presence of God.
On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest went into the holy place after having made a sacrifice of atonement for himself and the people (Lev 16). Sin must be atoned for. Sin must be recognised for the destructive evil that it is. No one can come into God’s presence without a recognition of personal unworthiness and of the awesome sacrifice of Jesus that paid for our sins.
As the High Priest went into the awesome presence of God in that inner sanctum, for the sake of the people, so Jesus has made a way for us to enter in with Him into the Holy of Holies. His cleansing gives us the privilege of accepting His Spirit and His holy ways, and of being taken into God’s holy place to dwell with Him (Heb 10). For without the desire for holiness you cannot see the Awesome God of Glory (Heb 12:14).
In April 1995, Terry Law, World Compassion (Terry Law Ministries), wrote this lovely piece to his mailing list:
We are now ready to enter the presence of God!
In our journey through the Tabernacle of Moses, we have finally reached the golden altar of incense. The only thing separating us from the presence of God in the Holy of Holies is the final veil!
Here at the altar of incense, we release the love that's in our hearts for the One who made us, redeemed us and blesses us. Our heart-felt adoration rises up from the altar of incense. Suddenly, a divine connection is made and our praise is changed to worship, which carries us into the Holy of Holies, into the very presence of God.
The golden altar of incense stood in the Holy Place immediately in front of the veil. This golden altar was 18 inches square and stood three feet high, with a golden horn on each corner. Every morning and evening, the priests burned a special incense here, and a beautiful, fragrant, white smoke rose up from the altar before the curtain into the Holy of Holies.
This incense represents our emotions – our heart-felt praise.
To Enter The Holy Of Holies
The high priest could never approach the presence of God without bringing two things: blood to sprinkle upon the mercy seat, and incense from the golden altar to burn before the Lord. If he tried to get into the presence of God without either one, he would be struck dead! These are also the two things that bring you to God: the awareness of the work of the blood of Jesus in your life, and your praise and worship [which is also shown in your submission and sincere obedience]. These are two vital components of true worship. When you express your gratitude to God for the blood of Jesus, something happens in your spirit that propels you into the presence of God.
An Example Of Worship
A powerful illustration of this is found in Luke 7. While Jesus was eating at the home of Simon, a Pharisee, a sinful woman of the city entered with an alabaster box of ointment. First, she stood weeping at Jesus' feet, then...
...she washed his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. She kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
Here is a picture of a true worshipping heart. This woman knew she had nothing to be proud of. She knew her mistakes – in fact, the whole town knew her mistakes! She came with brokenness and tears.
She washed Jesus' feet and kissed them again and again. What an incredible display of emotion! She didn't care what other people thought. She was there to lavish the love of her heart on Jesus.
Who Loves Most?
At this point, Jesus said something very significant. He said, "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much." (Lk 7:47.) The woman poured out her heart to Jesus. And He forgave her sins... Praise God!
Then Jesus turned to Simon, the proud Pharisee, and rebuked him, saying, "Simon, you don't think you've been forgiven much because you're so good. So you don't love very much. This woman knows she has been forgiven a whole lot and that is why she loves so intensely." You see...
The fervency of your worship is directly related to how much you know you need the grace of God. If we start trusting in our own reputation, and in what we've done for God, we will miss out, because a person filled with pride cannot worship! So examine yourself. Then come to God knowing that even though you were a sinner, you have been given the awesome privilege to actually be in the presence of the Holy God.
The Alabaster Box
When the woman brought the alabaster box of precious ointment, she had to break the box. That was the only way the perfume could flow out. In like manner, some of us keep our emotions stored up in an alabaster box. We need to break the protective walls that surround our feelings, so we can let them flow out and lavish them on the Lord.
Breaking Through Barriers
In our culture it is hard for some of us to express what we feel in our hearts towards someone else. Your reluctance to express the passion and love of your heart will stop you from embracing the Lord and moving into where He is, into the power of His presence. If you're going to worship God you've got to be willing to let the barriers down and to throw yourself in adoration upon the Lord.
How do you begin? Let me explain it this way: Worship is like love – if conditions are right – you will do it naturally. If you love someone, you will want to hug or kiss them as an expression of the way you feel; but if you don't love them, hugging and kissing them won't cause love to grow. The hugs and kisses are an expression of something you have inside, not a performance you do to stir up love.
In the same way, you don't 'perform' worship. Rather, when you love God, you are going to express that love. You may sing or clap, you may dance, or you may be absolutely silent and do nothing. Each individual has his own unique response. It's the presence of God that actually creates worship... (End of excerpt.) In God’s presence you will have nothing but awe! Malcolm B Heap
Bible quotations are from the New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise stated
Further Reading: Our Sabbath Rest (S) The Controversy Concerning Law and Grace (LG) The Faith Once Delivered To The Saints (FOT) Sunday Versus Sabbath: The Final World Crisis (SS) Revelations From God About The Judgement Of Britain (Jud) |
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