God’s Mercy Strategy: End-Time Prophetic Messengers, Part 2
I. REVIEW – THE FINAL REJECTION OF THE NATIONS AND GOD’S RESPONSE
“And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My
menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. “And I will show wonders in the
heavens and in the earth; blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and
the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to
pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there
shall be deliverance (salvation), as the LORD has said, among the remnant whom the LORD calls.
(Joel 2:28-32)
And they (the rest of mankind that is raging against God) did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or
their sexual immorality or their thefts. I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed
with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.
(Revelation 9:21-10:1)
A. Revelation 6:12 (the opening of the sixth seal) and Revelation 9:21 (the sounding of the sixth trumpet) are part of
a terrifying progression in which God pours out His Spirit on all flesh as the earth is being filled with the fiery witness of
prophetic messengers (Revelation 6:16), singers (Revelation 5:13), and intercessors (Revelation 6:10) who are moving
with unprecedented power and authority to invite the peoples of the earth into God’s plan to establish His kingdom in
fullness on the earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). Thus what begins with great fear and trembling escalates to great
rage and defiance.
B. These terrifying expressions of God’s wrath and mercy have brought the events of this age to their conclusion –
and the nations make their terrifying choice in the face of God’s wrath against darkness to continue on in their embrace
of it (Revelation 9:21). The great shock of Joel 2:28-32 and Revelation 9:21 is that “most flesh” refuses the invitation with
great rage. Thus the progression of fear to defiance will come to a climax with great blasphemy and an open declaration
of war against Jesus after His coming in Revelation 16:12-16 (the pouring out of the sixth bowl).
C. It is at this point, as John is left breathless at the stunning refusal of the nations to repent, that a “mighty angel”
descends from heaven to provide an interlude, or parenthesis, to the unfolding events. He is adorned with a glorious
rainbow on his head, signifying God’s commitment to His covenant with the nations (Genesis 8:20-22). The desire of the
Lord is to establish His goodness and mercy in the heart of John and all “who have ears to hear” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17,
29; 3:6, 13, 22).
D. The Lord is establishing His goodness and mercy to the nations to remind us again for the reason for the seeming
severity of these unfolding events. All of us deserve eternity in hell because of our sins – these events are not severe
enough in that context. Though they may offend our minds at first we must remember that God is responding with a
surgeon’s precision to reach the nations.
E. That God would escalate the intensity of these judgments (the seven trumpet judgments) only in context to do
what is needed to set men free (if they would say yes) is evidence enough – but God wants to keep the hearts of those
who are “hearing” tender and leave no room for offence. His desire is that all agree with His leadership – and so, in
intimacy He tenderly provides a pause to give us a window into understanding His kindness towards all who are involved
in this drama.
F. In this passage, He reveals His goodness towards the many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings who are raging
against Him by promising to prepare, establish, commission and send prophetic messengers to “plead His case with all
flesh” (Jeremiah 25:31) to both stand and plead and judge (Isaiah 3:13) compelling any who will come to the wedding to
come in (Luke 14:23). These prophetic preachers are both vessels of mercy as well as “witnesses for the prosecution”
(Matthew 24:14) who will stand in judgment with Jesus during and after the choice of the nations.
G. Secondly, God is establishing His kindness and goodness towards the many peoples, nations, tongues, and kin
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who are joining with Him in worship and intercession – the saints who emerge from the tribulation from among these who
enduring the greatest fire of testing ever recorded. He gives them, through John, his solemn oath to bring their trouble to a
conclusion after the first two woes and not delay any longer (Revelation 10:5-6).
II. PROPHETIC MESSENGERS CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF THE FORERUNNER
10 Then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. (Revelation 10:10)
A. This is an allusion to the commissioning of Ezekiel as a prophetic messenger – he must do more than repeat the
message given to him by the Lord, he would have to become the message. He would have to be transformed by the Lord
to accurately convey the heart of God and be able to reach the difficult people he is being sent to – this is the commitment
of God to fulfill His covenant to the nations made through Noah, to establish in His mercy prophetic messengers able to
be “set against” the historic hardness exhibited by the nations at the end of the age:
1 Moreover He said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of
Israel." 2 So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll. 3 And He said to me, "Son of man,
feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you." So I ate, and it was in my mouth like
honey in sweetness. (Ezekiel 3:1-3)
B. This internal transformation was both transcendent and costly for Ezekiel – it required everything from him and was
not easy to “digest”, or synthesize, even though the words themselves were pleasant and sweet – not harsh or angry.
The way of a hardened heart into God’s ways is bitter and difficult – there will be much internal turmoil and struggle:
8 Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their
foreheads. 9 Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them,
nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house." (Ezekiel 3:8-9)
C. Ezekiel had to fully receive all the words spoken by God – they had to be fully integrated into his very being,
transforming and shifting him completely. As God is calling and inviting man into deep unity and union with His person,
men must agree to submit to the process of unity and union with His Word as well. The process of becoming a prophetic
messenger is one of the most difficult and exacting in the entire Word of God:
10 Moreover He said to me: "Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear
with your ears. 11 And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell
them,' Thus says the Lord GOD,' whether they hear, or whether they refuse." 12 Then the Spirit lifted me up,
and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: "Blessed is the glory of the LORD from His place!"
(Ezekiel 3:10-12)
D. John is re-commissioned by the angel under the authority of God to take the scroll from the angel and consume it.
He had been commissioned initially to record and proclaim, but now he is being asked to consume the words and live
wholly according to what is contained within.
E. That John the beloved, mature apostle is being asked to move to another level of wholehearted abandonment
and agreement speaks of the great need for the prophetic church to fight for (“contend earnestly” – Jude 3) the faith that
was “once for all delivered to the saints.” If John, nearing the end of his life, is still being challenged to “come up higher”
and “draw nearer” than how much more must we recognize the vast gap between message and messenger in our own
lives?
F. The depth of the calling of the prophetic messenger is not to see John the Apostle as the “bar” that we are called
to reach for; the nature of all prophetic messengers is to reach towards being conformed into the image of the Forerunner,
Jesus. He is the ultimate picture of the One whom we are looking to join with in a place of deep agreement and loyalty to;
specifically in regards to His ministry of preparation:
Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until
the Son of Man is risen from the dead.” And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes
(prophets) say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first
and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to
him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” Then the
disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist. (Matthew 17:9-17)
G. Jesus is the ultimate forerunner. He is the One who will come to the earth and “prepare the way” for the coming
of His Father at the end of the millennium (1000 year reign of Jesus on the earth). He will make the nations ready for the
Holy Fire that is coming to the earth to dwell with men.
H. Why would the disciples ask if Elijah was coming first - and what would be the context of his coming? Why would
Jesus correct their understanding of who "Elijah" actually was?
1. Because they had just seen Elijah - literally, as he appeared on the mountain. Why is this important? Because what
happens when three Jews who had been waiting for Elijah to come (in an eschatological sense) prior to the establishment
of the kingdom of Israel actually see Elijah on a mountain in the midst of God the Father authenticating Jesus as His Son
(Psalm 2).
2. For the disciples, this was surely a significant sign pointing to the long-awaited events of Malachi 4:1-6, in which the
coming of Elijah is knit to the day in which the Lord will destroy the nations and establish the kingdom of Israel (and the
righteous) in fullness.
3. Jesus follows this experience by referring to Himself as the Son of Man (having just been validated as the Son of
God), which is a very “loaded” Jewish phrase. It is the phrase that Jesus would use to link Himself to the human messiah
who approaches the Ancient of Days in Dan. 7:13 and receives dominion and glory and a kingdom in Daniel 7:14.
4. It is in this light that they ask the question about Elijah, who was prophesied (and expected) by Malachi to come as a
messenger who would prepare the way before the "coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." (Malachi 3:1; 4:5) They
had just seen Elijah - and he didn't do much except stand around. Their question, in part, was something along the lines
of "what was the point of that?" In essence, they were asking, "what did Elijah actually do back there?" It seemed as if
Jesus with His comment about the Son of Man coupled with the appearance of literal Elijah was speaking of this long
awaited Daniel 7 moment - they had just heard the voice of God!
5. With these factors in mind, Jesus' answer is critical. He is correcting their paradigm in two critical ways:
a. To confirm that Elijah is coming - in other words what they had just seen on the mountain was not the fulfillment of
the Malachi passages. That fulfillment was still to come (future). He will restore all things. In other words, there was a
function for the Elijah to come - and it is in context to Malachi 4:6, or a restoration knit to a healing the family unit in a
manner that will be indicative of widespread revival conditions that accompanied the prophetic expectation of the coming
kingdom. They were still to expect that coming, future function of Elijah to come.
b. To confirm that the spirit of Elijah had come: "But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know
him..." In other words those looking for Elijah (the Jews) had already missed the messenger who would prepare the way
(Malachi 3:1) in the person of John the Baptist. A "non-literal" Elijah had come to prepare the way for the coming of the
Messenger of the Covenant - the One in whom they would delight. In the same manner, a “non-literal Elijah”
(Jesus Himself) was coming - not the man they saw on the mountain - to fulfill the function Malachi prophesied.
I. Jesus is the One, according to Peter, who will come and restore all things:
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come
from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom
heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all
His holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:19-21)
1. At His Second Coming, Jesus will usher in the “times of the restoration of all things” to bring both Israel and the
nations of the earth into the fullness of their destiny. What Jesus began with individuals in the kingdom of God at the cross
He will bring to completion through the redemption of entire nations, kingdoms, and peoples. Creation itself will find
renewal and redemption during this coming restoration:
Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established on
the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people
shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob;
He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion (Jerusalem) shall go forth the
law (the heart of God), and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:2-3)
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;
because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of
the children of God. (Romans 8:20-21)
III. THE MISSION OF THE PROPHETIC MESSENGER:
11 And he said to me, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings."
(Revelation 10:11)
A. In that same spirit God will raise up a people who will function according to this forerunner anointing – in the same
manner that John the Baptist functioned as a forerunner in a limited manner (compared to the forerunner anointing Jesus
will operate in); the Bride at the end of the age will function like her Bridegroom, “preparing the way” for the church, the
nations, and ethnic Jews to enter into an unshakable kingdom. The preaching of these forerunners will contribute to the
movement of hearts throughout the earth towards or away from a Bridegroom God. Three groups will either joyfully
receive or angrily reject the message of God’s end-time messengers:
B. Forerunners will prepare the church for unprecedented shaking, during which many will fall away from the faith:
…but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once
more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which
cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace,
by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.
(Hebrews 12:25-29)
And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false
prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow
cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. (Matthew 24:10-13)
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the
man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition…(2 Thessalonians 2:3)
C. Forerunners will prepare the nations for the judgments of the Lord, during which many will defiantly fall away into
great rage and hatred for God:
Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the
rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break Their bonds
in pieces and cast away their cords from us.” (Psalm 2:1-3)
And he said to me, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings."
(Revelation 10:11)
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the
end will come. (Matthew 24:14)
And they (the rest of mankind that is raging against God) did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or
their sexual immorality or their thefts. (Revelation 9:21)
And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them (dead bodies of the two witnesses), make merry, and
send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
(Revelation 11:10)
D. Forerunners will prepare the Jews to endure with hope their greatest trial, during which many will fall away and
perish having refused the invitation with offense and bitterness:
“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God. “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that
her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the LORD’S hand double for
all her sins.” (Isaiah 40:1-2)
O Zion, you who bring good tidings, get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, you who bring good tidings,
lift up your voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”
(Isaiah 40:9)
1. The great forerunner passage, Isaiah 40, will find its fullest expression through end of the age messengers who will
cry out to the Jewish people as John the Baptist did during the time of the first coming of Jesus to “behold their God” and
receive Him, though many will not receive this message during this time of testing:
And it shall come to pass in all the land (earth),” says the LORD, “that two-thirds in it shall be cut off and
die, but one-third shall be left in it: I will bring the one-third through the fire…(Zechariah 13:8-9a)
E. Thus the mission of the prophetic messenger is difficult – they will be sent to peoples who will mostly refuse them
with rage and a spirit of murder flowing from a place of deep self-preservation – men will be “lovers of themselves”
(2 Timothy 3:2) who will express the darkness of their hearts to its fullest extent during what Paul called “perilous times”:
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of
money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving,
slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God…(2 Timothy 3:1-4)
1. Though most will brutally and murderously refuse the messengers of God, we will be called to express and reflect
the tenderness of God in mercy as He continues to send His voices back into the great and furious conflict:
F. Specifically, Revelation 10:11 is relating to the same “peoples, nations, tongues, and kings of Revelation 11:9 who
rejoice over the dead bodies of the two witnesses. Relating this to Ezekiel 3, the Lord is divinely setting him to go to a
people who are “not of unfamiliar language” (Ezekiel 3:6) – language or difficulty of understanding will not be the barrier,
but hardened hearts.
G. This hardening is the point of Revelation 9:21, as well as 11:7-10. That they “will not hear” is the reality that every
prophetic messenger commissioned by God (i.e. Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc.) must face. God promised to establish a
supernatural resolve within Ezekiel to confront this reality and walk in a supernatural boldness – this is the essence of
the promise of the angel to John as well as the messengers that will be established by grace at the end of the age.
H. The peoples, nations, tongues, and kings will not listen, but John must prophesy, “whether they hear, or whether
they refuse”. This is the burden of the prophetic messenger, yet the proclamation (and hearing) is just as much a key
component of God’s plan as the reception of the message – for refusal is part of the righteous judgment to come.
IV. THE FRUIT AND THE REWARD OF A PROPHETIC MESSENGER: REVELATION 14:12-16
Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” Then I looked, and
behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and
in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat
on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth
is ripe.” So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.
(Revelation 14:12-16)