“My People are destroyed for lack of knowledge” Part 3: when the process of Consolation is not recognised

For any kingdom to function there must be order in that which is being established. The lack of order is obviously disorder. However, in this message we must redefine a word that appears sometimes in Scripture. Over the years in my study of God’s Word surprising experiences and discoveries have been had along the way. This one is the process of Comfort, for which in one of my messages we dealt with the “As it was in the Days of Noah” for which we shall touch upon the principles found with Noah, whose name means consolation.

Two men whose name means CONSOLATION

The Lord began to unpack to me the real meaning of CONSOLATION with me, and what I discovered was a process, that always started at the same spiritual place, and what God did. These two men are Noah and Nehemiah. Their stories are distinct and are very poignant.

For Noah, he is pre-warned that a judgment was coming to dismantle what the evil ones were doing on the earth. In my other message about 2 weeks ago, I spoke of the unholy union between fallen angels and the women of the earth of that time. God warned Noah of a judgment where something was coming, for which we take granted today, but in those days it did not rain, rather the earth was irrigated from underground springs. So when God tells Noah that a flood is coming, Noah knows not how. The breakdown of society, in terms of lawlessness and the proliferation of murder and other grave sins had taken over man. The Spirit was grieved and He was desirous of departing from man. So Noah prepares the Ark over 120 years, giving man time to repent. Noah is then warned to gather two of each type of animal, for which Ken Ham of Australia explains through his ministry how God created that first society. Male and Female. And God Himself closes the Ark, and for 40 days and nights God rained upon the earth. After which God steadily dries out the earth and brings out the family of Noah and the animals. God makes covenant with Noah. This whole process is consolation because God has to dismantle first that which has become lawless and disorderly. After the judgment God starts again to reestablish His people and give them specific guidelines.

The example of Nehemiah starts in chapter 1 with him hearing the state of Jerusalem.

The Temple had been demolished, the walls had been broken down and the city gates had been burned down with fire. This had happened because both Israel and Judah, now divided kingdoms had departed from the Covenant. They had worshipped other gods and their conduct had become wicked. God sent His prophets to the King and the people, but they would not hear. Jeremiah prophesied the invasion of Babylon, and the demolishing of Jerusalem. He was heavily persecuted for his warnings. Yet there were other prophets who were prophesying blessing and prosperity, which contrasted with Jeremiah. Yet his prophesying came about and what Nehemiah was hearing was the result of national and spiritual unfaithfulness. He is 7 days in fasting and prayer. He recognised that God had strategically placed him in the king’s palace, and was given favour to rebuild the city and see Ezra restore both priesthood and temple. Here again we have the same process that is described as consolation in that God’s judgment comes to correct the idolatrous heart of God’s covenant people. The 70 years which Jeremiah prophesied accurately, and for which Ezekiel gave credence describing the context as to why the Captivity had come, that God’s people experience expulsion from their homes and their nation, roughly and abruptly, it was to change their hearts so that the Spirit would write His Law on their changed hearts. This is found in Ezekiel 36. Then about the year 518BC Daniel, a wise man, to the kings of Persia, knows of the prophetic letter of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 29) begins to intercede as there is no change with God’s people. Through that intercession, Daniel meets with spiritual opposition, and he sees the movement of spiritual princes representing the kingdoms to come. His intercession is a part of this movement of spiritual kingdoms which would bring in new political powers to the world. So what consolation Nehemiah would be to Israel would be the rebuilding of their spiritual identity, their walls and Temple. Here we see the same dismantling for covenant breaking, the same destruction coming as a judgment to bring correction and restoration.

Simeon: He looked for the Consolation of Israel {Luke 2}

We come to another occasion of where Consolation comes up in God’s Word, where the old man, prophet called Simeon, and a prophetess called Anna, who stayed in the Temple 84 years in great prayer and fastings as this vision of the Consolation of Israel was to come forth. This comes after Malachi prophesied, there had been 400 years of silence, no prophetic voice was heard in the land, after the attitude of the people had changed, had become arrogant and proud.

When we consider the upheavals that had come whilst both Simeon and Anna prayed in the Temple, whilst Herod the Great dismantled the Latter house of Zerrubabel, around them, whilst Roman generals came into the land to occupy and subjugate it. What they knew was that their prayers and their Communion with the Holy Spirit in waiting and preparing, would prepare the greatest spiritual change recorded throughout the whole of eternity. They were not priests nor part of the Sanhedrin, because this had become rigid and full of traditions thought up by men. And they were both filled first with the substance of this Consolation. It had to come through 400 years of silence. A Temple consecrated without a visitation, inhabited without a glory. Their prayers prepared a Virgin womb, and a sterile womb, for birthing the changes which had taken decades for prayer and weeping to bring to fruition.

We are in the same preparation of Consolation

The world is being shaken, dismantled, and whilst this shaking is going on the madness of the political, philosophical, economic, media world is being made manifest. Romans 1 tells us in very strong language to what God is responding to this depraved human society. He is giving them over. I have mapped out historically 3 occasions where Consolation is mentioned in strong terms in which the concept of CONSOLATION must be redefined in our minds. It must first comes as a SHAKING AND DISMANTLING. The temples, the securities must become unstable so that men lose the things they humanly depend upon. They have built a Tower of Babel in their modern times, hoping by their own efforts reach, have renown, have rest. Yet God comes down to see, and confound. All the scandals, corruption even behind Church walls is the beginning of a greater work of Consolation. For God’s judgment starts in His own House.

The second phase to the Consolation work is the BIRTHING OF THE CONSOLERS, who each come from their own place in the preparation. For some the preparation is prayer, years of waiting in obscurity. For some it is organising groups with the same vision, to intercede. For some it is to believe and have faith that even in impossibility that which had died in them would come back to life, and bear again, and the womb of a Virgin who had never given birth was prepared to face down the scandal to birth the Saviour and Consoler of all of mankind. And Simeon spoke of the Sword which would cause Mary to also pass through some of the pain that Jesus would pass through. Zacarias would also prophesy beyond normal bounds of knowledge to prophesy the end of covenant exclusivity and bring the Gentiles within the Covenant. The Lord preserves the Consolers until the judgments end and restoration is put in place. Zechariah, a prophet who lived in the same time as Nehemiah, speaks of God’s gaze change toward Zion to show mercy. So there comes a time in the judgment that God’s gaze will turn in the direction of “Zion”.

God causes His Consolers to rest within His ARK of rest until the judgment is over. Whether this be hidden in the Temple, within the hills of Judea, or in prayer in one’s own house in Persia. God will give us His “Ark” whilst His indignation passes over. We have experienced in an intense way the shaking since 2020, and the warnings I have from the Lord is that it will intensify. However there is a time when the tide will turn and God will bring out those He has prepared. This series is to give you the Knowledge from God so that you are not DESTROYED in ignorance. There is so much not preached in Churches, and much is preached, like in the days of Jeremiah that all will be well, but we know that the heart of men has grown cold, and apostasy is abroad. This only brings judgment in the nation. It is not for the heathen that judgment comes on a nation. No, it is because God’s covenant people break that covenant and worship the things of the world. And now we have a greater covenant, with a greater access, and greater blessing, yet in the day Jesus returns His Judgment will be upon covenant breakers and heathen alike.

Judgment is but for a moment

No judgment on the earth is perpetual. It lasts whilst God deems necessary. For Noah the flood lasted 40 days. For Nehemiah there had been 70 years of Captivity. For Simeon the upheavals lasted the time of God’s silence. But even when God was silent, God was preparing people. We have experienced a intense 3 years where intense shaking on every side is happening. But know as we seek Him, turn our hearts to Him, He will take us through in His “Ark” to the restoration.

The end of this process is restoration and a new covenant

There is coming a restoration to His People. There is a new earth and a new heaven.

This last state is no temporary CONSOLATION, no it shall be eternal. It is in Jesus Christ. Let us not be ignorant of this PROCESS, because it is rough when it starts, but the rewards for those who walk with God will be eternal. Let us not be destroyed by our lack of knowledge. Let us commit to seek Him, His Word.

Maranatha!