In That Day - Part 6

The Minor Prophets Speak To Today

In That Day:

Zechariah 13:2-3 NLT

____________________________________________________________

 “And on that day,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will erase idol worship throughout the land, so that even the names of the idols will be forgotten. I will remove from the land both the false prophets and the spirit of impurity that came with them. 3 If anyone continues to prophesy, his own father and mother will tell him, ‘You must die, for you have prophesied lies in the name of the Lord.’ And as he prophesies, his own father and mother will stab him.

____________________________________________________________

A Prophecy Yet To Come -

You may ask, "What do you mean ? The Israelites have abandoned idol worship."

That may or may not be true. Whispered events throughout history, if true, place idol worship and the dark arts in practice among the Israelites. This may be true in the land yet today.

Certainly, idols persisted among the people who occupied the land during the depths of the diaspora. They may have been wiped out during the conquering of the land by the Muslims. Then again they may have been driven underground.

In any case, the false worship of the Samaritans has persisted down to this very day. The world of archeology certainly has not forgotten the names of those idols, even in Jewish archeology. Nor has the fountain of cleansing yet occurred.

But On That Day -

The day when the fountain of cleansing is poured out, then, God - the "I" speaking here - will wipe out the worship of idols from all groups within the land. Turning to God will be so wholehearted that with body, mind, and soul all the people in the land, even the Christians, will be so dedicated to walking, talking, listening, and serving God, that the former idols, whether of wood, stone or gold, whether interior within the hearts of men, will not even come to mind. Thus forgotten by people wrapped up in the holiness of the now, the names of the idols worshipped at the time of repentance will indeed, in reality, be forgotten.

How wonderful! How marvelous!! How beyond us in the Isreal of physical genesis and beyond us in the new Isreal of spiritual genesis!!!

Beware You Who Follow Other Men's Teachings Today -

Whether they claim the title prophet or not, many among the Jews and the Christians - the two Israels - claim to bring teachings from God. Some claim to get them directly. Some proof text them from scripture. Some merely lip-sync words passed down in the groups' traditions. Most, while containing some truth, are not pure. Pure in spirit. Pure in interpreted practice. Pure in truth.

Where Does The Impurity Among God's People Originate -

With the prophets among them. The prophets who are false. Who preach a mixed gospel. A prosperity gospel. A self-help gospel. A gospel of peace when there is no peace. A gospel of do this, do that, don't do this, don't do that - which Isaiah warned long ago leads to falling backwards and death.

God states clearly that impurity among his children comes from the false prophets we follow. We hold up as inspired teachers. Who divide us - even long after they are dead. Who excuse our lack of wholeness, our impurity, in the name of God.

A Great Unveiling Is Happening Among Us -

But in that day - we will see the truth we fight against now. We will see the truth about these men and women who we fight to defend in the battle of God against them. We will be cleansed from the impurity we now justify, when God reveals his Hand so clearly we are finally empowered to repent wholly.

And when the Unveiling comes, those who continue to speak these impurities will be stabbed - silenced by their own fathers and mothers.

Teach your children well.

Even So Come Quickly Lord -

Photo Credits:
How to Hold a Knife by BenFranzDale, some rights reserved @ flickr.com
Running Water by Theophilos Papadopoulos, some rights reserved @ flick.com