THE COMMISSIONING OF FORERUNNERS
I. THE FORERUNNER CALLING
A. God is on a collision course with this planet. The Lord Jesus is returning to set up God’s Kingdom and to restore
God’s dwelling with His most prized creation, the image bearers of God. As the Lord draws near, Hebrews 12:26-28 tells
us that He will shake all things in heaven and on earth to purify the saints and destroy all wickedness. He does this by
releasing the Word of the Lord, the prophetic word with biblical understanding. The Prophetic Word comes to clarify,
refine, warn, judge between the holy and the unholy. It sanctifies and empowers the Church to walk in fullness and it
hardens the heart of the stubborn and rebellious. The prophetic word comes and removes the ambiguity and enables
the crescendo of opposing passions. It empowers the remnant and hardens the rebellious. It provokes the rage of
Satan upon the remnant and releases the judgments of God against Satan and sin. It breaks in with force, “The
Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! Repent and Believe the Gospel!” As the return of Jesus draws near and God releases
His Word in the context of opposing passions, four realities will climax.
1. The Fullness of Grace on the Church – Gifts, Fruit, and Wisdom
2. The Sin of Humanity
3. The Rage of Satan
4. The Judgments of God – to check sin and to reveal the righteous nature of a Holy God.
B. Just as God released His Word through John the Baptist to prepare the earth for the first coming of Jesus, so too,
God will bring forth a company of forerunners throughout the Body of Christ to prepare the way for the Lord by preparing
people to respond rightly to Jesus in the End-Times. God raises up forerunners as a “mercy ministry” to the multitudes
before the intensity of the Lord’s End-Time activities begin in both positive (revival) and negative (judgment) ways.
C. As intense events begin to happen, many tend to lose their perspective and objectivity in seeing God’s love
and wisdom. Those who see what God is doing as biblical and as expressing His love and wisdom are able to participate
with the Lord in His purposes instead of resisting or neglecting them in fear, confusion and offense. by making known His
plans. The Lord Himself is inviting this generation to partner with Him to be a voice in the hour of climax, in the hour of
opposing passions.
D. Forerunners are “messengers” who function with a specific message in different spheres of life. For example,
they are preachers, evangelists, artists (singers, musicians, actors, etc.), writers (internet), media, marketplace or
intercessors as well as those who disciple people one-on-one in the church, marketplace, campus, or home (moms
are some of the most important forerunners).
II. PSALM 2 – THE END TIME DRAMA AND THE FORERUNNER CALLING
A. King David in Psalm 2 sets forth the end time scenario and gives insight into the violent resistance of the human
heart against God and His plans for redemption. Deep within humanity is a latent rage against God. The psalm is
broken into four clear sections.
1. V. 1-3 – The Rage of Humanity
2. V. 4-6 – God the Father’s Response
3. V. 7-9 – God the Son’s Response
4. V. 10-12 – The Forerunner’s Cry
B. The Psalmist begins with a bewildering question concerning a global conspiracy. The kings of the earth have set
themselves in opposition to God and His Messiah. They are plotting together to overthrow God’s plan for redemption.
Mystified he asks a revealing question, “Why do the nations rage? Why do the people plot a vain thing?” What in the
world would move the whole world to resist the eternal, holy God who made the heavens and the earth? David points
to a core reality deep within the heart of man – rage against God’s ways and plans. “Let us break their bonds in pieces
and cast away their cords from us.” The peoples of the earth have taken their stand. They do not want God’s tender
rule in the person of His Son.
1. You cannot understand the End Times without first staring at the mystery of iniquity – the stubborn refusal of
humanity to submit to God’s laws and leadership and the active aggression to cast off all of God’s restraints. Even as
Jesus returns in the sky, marches on land, and releases the last of the bowl judgments, men are still blaspheming God
and gathering together to fight against Him. This is unthinkable to us, but it is true nonetheless. When all is visible,
all is manifest, humanity will still resist. Not only will they resist, they will violently oppose Jesus’ rule.
2. For three and a half years the earth witnesses the disastrous rule of the Antichrist, the epitome of human
strength and ingenuity. The earth also witnesses the hand of God opposing the Antichrist and preserving humanity
through His manifest judgments. Even as the earth is in full fledged rebellion God is working to dismantle darkness,
break the delusion, and bring as many people possible to the saving knowledge of Jesus with the least severe means
possible. His judgments are His mercy to oppose darkness and bring persons to salvation. Yet, at the end of the
trumpet judgments and throughout the bowl judgments people still refuse to repent, blaspheming God. Instead, they
will blaspheme God, and the kings of the earth will be deceived by Satan in delusion to make war against the Lamb.
But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should
not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21
And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. (Rev. 9:20-21)
And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and
they did not repent and give Him glory. 10 Fifth Bowl: Darkness and Pain Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the
throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. 11
They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
(Rev. 16:9-11)
These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and
those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful." (Rev. 17:14)
C. In section two the Father responds. The divine response to this challenge of authority comes in five ways.
1. He who sits in the heavens shall laugh. The psalmist first notes through contrast the insanity of the situation.
God sits in the heavens! The highest heavens cannot contain Him. His throne is in heaven, and He commands the
armies of heaven whom He made.
For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while
and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. 11 But the meek
shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12 The wicked plots against the just,
And gnashes at him with his teeth. 13 The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming. (Ps. 37:9-13)
2. The Lord shall hold them in derision.
3. He shall speak to them in His wrath.
4. Distress them in His deep displeasure.
5. Reaffirms His commitment to restore righteousness and justice to the earth through the rule of His Son. God will
restore all things through His Son. He will not be moved in His plan of redemption.
D. Section three reveals the Son’s commitment to fulfill His Father’s decree and bring forth God’s Kingdom on the
earth as it is in heaven. Jesus’ intercession on the Cross has opened the way of salvation for everyone who believes
and has secured His leadership over the nations. Jesus came the first time as the Lamb of God to die for the sins of
the world. The second time He will come to crush all the enemies of love as He sets up God’s eternal Kingdom of love
and righteousness. The first time He was broken on the Cross for our sins. The second time He comes He will break the
rebellious nations and dash them to pieces like pottery.
E. In section four the psalmist as the forerunner lifts up His voice to instruct the peoples, “In light of the coming
scenario, rulers and kings, this is what you need to do! Serve the Lord with fear, rejoice with trembling, kiss the Son!”
1. Serve the Lord with Fear. Tremble before the awesome eternal God. His power is unending and His ways are
unsearchable.
Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the
isles as a very little thing. 16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering. 17 All
nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless. 18 To whom then
will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? . . . . 22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a
tent to dwell in. 23 He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless. 24 Scarcely shall they
be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on
them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble. (Is. 40:15-24)
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: 7 "Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and
you shall answer Me: 8 "Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified? 9
Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His? 10 Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor,
And array yourself with glory and beauty. 11 Disperse the rage of your wrath; Look on everyone who is proud, and
humble him. 12 Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low; Tread down the wicked in their place. 13 Hide them
in the dust together, Bind their faces in hidden darkness. (Job 40:6-13)
The voice of the LORD is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The LORD is over many waters. 4 The voice of
the LORD is powerful; The voice of the LORD is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars, Yes, the
LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes them also skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire. 8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; The LORD shakes
the Wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth, And strips the forests bare; And in
His temple everyone says, "Glory!" (Ps. 29:3-9)
2. Rejoice with Trembling – Tremble with fascination before the beautiful God. Have you ever noticed how many
things shake in God’s presence? Have you ever observed the vast amount of trembling around the Almighty? We
were made to tremble. We were designed to be awestruck by power and beauty in such a way that produces shaking
in our bones and quivering on our lips.
a. The example of the hyenas saying the name, “Muphassah” in the Lion King. The influence of the Almighty
produces shaking and trembling among every created thing as He draws near. Nothing escapes the trembling influence
of the Lord. His Holiness, the consummation of all His perfections, is terrifying in its grandeur.
b. All Old Testament worship, including the priestly and prophetic ministries, was birthed out of confrontation with
the Holy. When God unveiled Himself to the children of Israel, He revealed Himself as Holy. He displayed the luster
and beauty of all His attributes in order to fascinate the heart and produce the response of worship. It is the encounter
with the beautiful, terrifying God that produces worship, ushers in faithfulness, and writes the covenant on the hearts of men
and women.
"Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?
(Ex. 15:11)
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall praise Your
works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. 5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on
Your wondrous works. 6 Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness. 7 They
shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness. 8 The LORD is gracious and full
of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. 9 The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His
works. 10 All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, And Your saints shall bless You. 11 They shall speak of the glory
of Your kingdom, And talk of Your power, 12 To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, And the glorious
majesty of His kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all
enerations. (Ps. 145:3-13)
They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are Your
works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! 4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and
glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments
have been manifested." (Rev. 15:3-4)
3. Kiss the Son. You were made for intimacy with this beautifully terrifying King of glory. Draw near. Join your
heart to His. He is the One who fought for you unto death. Do not resist His tender love. Do not cast off His loving
leadership. His nearness is our good!
F. God is raising up forerunners like the Psalmist who will declare with understanding the coming activities of God.
They will expose the mystery of iniquity latent in the human heart. They will declare with insight the knowledge of God,
the motives of His heart, the beauty of His name, and the wisdom of His ways. They will give the proper interpretation
of the moment and call persons to come into joyous communion with the beautiful God and His beautiful Son.
III. COMMISSIONED BY HEAVENLY VISION – IS. 6
A. In the year King Uzziah died Isaiah is invited into the Holy. It is the day of commissioning into the prophetic office. It is
the day that Isaiah is swept up into God. The day beauty will leave His mark upon Isaiah. I believe Isaiah is seeing the
manifestation of Is. 2:1-4 and Is. 4:2-6. John 12:41 tells us that Isaiah was seeing the glory of Jesus. Shown here is a
picture of the Millennial Temple in Jerusalem, which is the Throne Room of the Great King.
But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled, which he spoke: "Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been
revealed?" 39 Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: 40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened
their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I
should heal them." 41 These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. (John 12:37-41)
B. Isaiah sees the King in all of His glory. Isaiah tells of the throne, the height of His glory, and the vastness of His
robe’s train, but the brilliance of the King Himself is beyond his words. The description of the King escapes him. This
is the loftiest of all subjects – God Himself. How do you describe eternal greatness and glory, unending majesty, self-
replenishing beauty and grandeur? The Primal, Raw, Uncreated, Original Deity. Isaiah can mention the throne, the
height of the throne, and the expanse of the glory filling the heavenly Temple, but he cannot as of yet utter the holiest
words of all. As of yet, he cannot speak of the King Himself. He is beholding Someone so beautiful and terrifying that
he can only describe the surroundings. Words fail him. He simply does not have the capacity to speak these holy
words.
Ps 95:3 For the LORD is the great God, And the great King above all gods.
Ps 96:9-10 Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. 10 Say among the nations,
"The LORD reigns; The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously."
Ps 97:1 The LORD reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad!
Ps 99:1-5The LORD reigns; Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved!
2 The LORD is great in Zion, And He is high above all the peoples. 3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name --
He is holy. 4 The King's strength also loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed justice and
righteousness in Jacob. 5 Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His footstool -- He is holy.
Jer 10:10 But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will
tremble, And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.
Mal 1:14 For I am a great King," Says the LORD of hosts, "And My name is to be feared among the nations.
C. Seated on the Throne
Ps 47:8-9 God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne. 9 The princes of the people have gathered together, The
people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted. NKJV
Ps 93:1-2 The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely
the world is established, so that it cannot be moved. 2 Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.
NKJV
Ps 103:19 The LORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all. NKJV
Dan 7:9 His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire; NKJV
D. High and Lifted Up
Ps 47:2 For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth. NKJV
Ps 97:9 For You, LORD, are most high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods. NKJV
Ps 113:4-6 The LORD is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like the LORD our God,
Who dwells on high, 6 Who humbles Himself to behold The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? NKJV
2 Chron 2:5-6 And the temple which I build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. 6 But who is able to
build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? NKJV
E. Train of His robe filled the Temple
IV. THE HEAVENLY WITNESS OF THE SERAPHIM
A. Beholding Ministry - First, they continually behold and perceive the holiness of God's beauty. In other words, they
have the anointing to perceive the beauty of the Lord. It takes God to see God. God grants the supernatural anointing
to perceive God.
B. Proclamation Ministry – A Covering Ministry. Ezekial 28. It is the ministry of reverence, the holy proclamation of
uttering words about God.
1. It is a burning proclamation. The Seraphim – literally, “burning ones.” Isaiah’s eyes are drawn above the heavenly
throne to the Seraphim, the burning ones who are filled with revelation. They are consecrated by revelation and give
witness to the King to the rest of created order. They are the heavenly governmental witness of the King on His throne
to the rest of creation.
2. It is a reverent proclamation. The wings covering the face and the feet is the equivalent of laying prostrate for
angelic beings that fly. It is a statement of their reverence and awe before the majesty of the King.
3. It is a pure proclamation. Also, their witness depends not on those before them. Their faces covered they do
not give sway to opinion of their testimony. They proclaim that which is true independent of creation’s response.
4. It is a thorough proclamation. They fly around and cry out to one another in every direction. It fills the heavens
and serves as a witness and covering to the rest of creation. This is the ministry of reverence and proclamation.
The statement that the seraphim were calling to each other is probably an indication that the singing was antiphonal,
but it may also be a way of saying that they were delighting with one another in the glory of God (Ps. 145:11).
All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, And Your saints shall bless You. 11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom,
And talk of Your power, 12 To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations. (Ps. 145:10-13)
The LORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless the LORD, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. 21 Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You
ministers of His, who do His pleasure. (Ps. 103:19-21)
5. It is a wholehearted proclamation
C. Three-fold Proclamation
1. The Beauty of the King – Holy, Holy, Holy
a. The “Trisagion” emphasizes the completeness or perfection of God. God is eternally happy as the consummation
of all perfection. In His Presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand there are pleasures forevermore (Ps. 16). The
radiance of all His attributes, working in perfect harmony, perfect purity, perfect potency, and perfect gladness, is His
holiness. He is beyond all things. No one can compare with the God who lacks not, yet overflows with all His excellencies.
b. God is transcendent in His majesty. Nothing in all of creation is comparable to Him. He alone is God, transcendent
in power, glory, and purity.
As here used, qadosh signifies the entirety of the divine perfection which separates God from His creation.
Yet, we must not compare the being of God with any other as we just now compared the mountain with the
child. We must not think of God as highest in an ascending order of beings, starting with the single cell and
going on up from the fish to the bird to the animal to man to angel to cherub to God. This would be to grant
God eminence, even pre-eminence, but that is not enough; we must grant Him transcendence in the fullest
meaning of that word. Forever God stands apart, in light unapproachable. He is a s high above an archangel
as above a caterpillar, for the gulf that separates the archangel from the caterpillar is but finite, while the gulf
between God and the archangel is infinite. The caterpillar and th archangel, though far removed from each
other in the scale of created things, are nevertheless one in that they are alike created. They both belong
in the category of that-which-is-not-God and are separated from God by infinitude itself.
c. This encounter forever marked Isaiah. Isaiah is called the prophet of holiness. Isaiah uses the
adjective “holy” more than the rest of the Old Testament combined, 33 times. He uses the title, “the Holy
One of Israel,” 25 times.
2. The Power of the King – is the Lord of Hosts. He is the Lord of the Angels. He commands all the
angels and as the executor of the resources of heaven holds absolute sovereignty over all things.
3. The Dominion of the King – The whole earth is full of His glory! Later, in Is. 40 Isaiah declares that
his glory will be revealed and all flesh will see it together.
D. The Response to the Witness – This weighty, glorious message releases the shaking and invokes
the majestic Presence.
1. Shakes the door posts.
2. The house is filled with smoke.
V. ISAIAH’S RESPONSE
Isa 6:5 So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of
unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts." NKJV
A. Isaiah reduced by the weighty glory cries out, “Woe is me, for I am undone!” This word “undone” can be
translated “destroyed.” He is destroyed by the revelation.
B. After seeing the King, the Lord of Hosts, Isaiah realizes that his witness and the witness of his nation are not
consistent with the Holy. Whatever was spoken in the past did not produce the reverence, the weight. It did not invoke
the majestic Presence. It shook nothing. It provoked nothing. He sees the beautiful and the paltry, famished theological
prayers, songs, and sermons of his day that are laced with accusation and unbelief have not given the Holy One the
witness due His name. Woe is me, I am destroyed. I am dead, consumed by Someone greater than I ever imagined.
Oh, the greatness of the gap between God and our witness!
C. He cries out for cleanness of speech. He will not accuse. He will not speak less of God than what God truly is
and he will not speak more of man than what he truly is in his sinfulness.
D. A Burning One takes a coal from the altar and touches his lips. His sin is atoned for so that he is not destroyed. Divine
love and mercy keep him alive. The burning coal, most probably from the altar of sacrifice, points to the providing of
atonement. A sacrifice is made for sin and applied on behalf of Isaiah. His sin is atoned for, and inevitably points to the
sacrifice of Christ for the sins of all those who will humble themselves and believe.
E. Isaiah enters the intercession. He sees the Holy. He glimpses the King in His glory and hears the unfallen,
uncompromised testimony of heaven. He sees the depths of humanities iniquity, their absolute inability to see God in
His greatness, in His transcendent beauty. And, finally He discovers the kindness of the King to close the gap in
atonement. He enters the intercession. Now He is ready to go and not a second before.
F. The Holy Spirit is longing to give the guided tour of the God-man. He is longing to cleanse our speech, to take
what is of Jesus and give it to us. We need prayers and songs born out of burning revelation. We need clean speech.
We are headed into an hour of indescribable conflict and the very climax of the ages. We must begin to reorient our
worship leaders and intercessors to hear the heavenly witness, to give voice to the glory of the King.