Jonathan Cahn’s book The Harbinger made a big splash years ago when it first came out. It spoke of the days following the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center towers and how our governmental leaders quoted Isaiah 9:10 in declaring how we would rebuild:
“The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.”
The problem was that Israel said these words in arrogance against God, and so did we. They never consulted the Lord as to His position on the matter, and we didn’t either.
It was fully expected that the Republicans would win the 2022 midterm elections in a landslide; in fact, it was being spoken of as a Red Tsunami.
With that, conservatives and Christians fully anticipated exacting justice from the Democrats and their Deep State handlers who have brought such misery to our nation. The way things look now as I write this, that big win supposedly didn’t happen, yet strangely enough, there were an incredible number of suspicious events in polling places around the country. These included voting machines being “down,” various “mishaps” in a number of locations, machines “not working,” and an astounding forty-four polling places that ran out of ballot-printing paper simultaneously in a single county.
Nothing to see here. Just move right along.
Now, I’m not aware of any similar declarations by Republican leaders such as Tom Daschle of the Democrats uttered with Isaiah’s quote, but the days are still early. Be that as it may, some members of the GOP were rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of taking down those responsible for the disasters that have plagued our nation for the last couple of years. Looks like that won’t happen.
A writer with The Atlantic magazine stated we need to all begin to get along in these post-COVID times by declaring a pandemic amnesty. That didn’t go over so well, with most people harmed by the destructive policies of the Left. Given the overwhelming love that citizens have apparently lavished on Democrats in this election for their various policies, and how not much will change in Washington, DC, it doesn’t seem like we’ll need that amnesty after all.
Looking at the world through the Biblical, prophetic lens that I do, I doubted that the revenge planned by some would transpire as hoped. Much of my thinking is encapsulated in the entire passage of Isaiah 9:8-21:
“The Lord has sent a word against Jacob, and it will fall on Israel; and all the people will know, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart: ‘The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.’ But the Lord raises the adversaries of Rezin against him, and stirs up his enemies. The Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.
“The people did not turn to him who struck them, nor inquire of the Lord of hosts. So the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed in one day—the elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail; for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up. Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men, and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is godless and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.
“For wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns; it kindles the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke. Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts the land is scorched,
and the people are like fuel for the fire; no one spares another. They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry, and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied; each devours the flesh of his own arm, Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh; together they are against Judah. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.”
We have a bigger problem in our nation than one people group oppressing another. Just like Israel had turned from the Lord their God and were on the verge of judgment, so have we. So are we.
Here’s the operative verse from the above passage:
“The people did not turn to him who struck them, nor inquire of the Lord of hosts.”
We have all these efforts to expose the evils of the day and many have put their hearts into this election process, but they fail to understand and then do what God requires in order for His hand of blessing to be upon us. Yes, one praying person, or a few, can change things on the ground. It wouldn’t surprise me if that has happened in numerous places around the nation. However, I’ve never believed that we will have any kind of widespread reprieve going forward. I think we had that with Trump’s first victory in 2016, but nothing changed in the hearts and minds of the people so that they would turn toward God.
Actually, I think that Barna’s and other poll numbers show that we’ve had further erosion of true Christian faith.
People inevitably point to God’s suspension of judgment upon Nineveh because of its repentance, and what might happen here if we followed the same route now. There are a number of differences. First, Nineveh was a thoroughly pagan nation to begin with, never having had the preaching of God’s Word.
They experienced a first-time realization of their everlasting danger. That’s not at all analogous to our situation in America. We’ve long had the Gospel, and long been rejecting it.
Additionally, the repentance in that city-state came from the top down. The king understood the Word of God that Jonah preached, and his leadership caused the rest of the people to follow suit. We’re thinking a grass-roots effort of prayer and repentance could change the course of this nation – and it could, under different circumstances. However, we have evil embedded throughout the land within government and every societal arena. God could certainly change the hearts and minds of all these people, but I’d frankly be surprised if He did. Why? Because our level of sin has risen so greatly that people are completely deceived and can’t even think straight. The sad truth is that God simply doesn’t have anything to work with in the hearts of most people, and He’s not going to force it.
Many Republicans, conservatives, and Christians were fully convinced this election would be a new harbinger of positive change to come. If they had considered the world and these elections through a Biblical, prophetic lens, I think fewer people would have been so hopeful in a solution coming from the hands of men.
The declarations “our side” makes continue to exclude God and His counsel. That has never gone well, and this time is no different. God literally reaches the point that He must bring judgment because He has no other real alternative.
I’m just thankful that despite our many flaws as His Bride, He loves without reservation those of us who love Him; He knows that our final refining will come when we’re in His presence.
The bottom line?
Despite the desire and attempts of many true Christians to continue holding onto this world, the time is coming very soon when the Lord will snatch us away and we’ll grasp at vain things no longer.
For those not looking, I guess it’ll be a big surprise – lucky them. For us who are watching and waiting, it’ll simply be our hope and His promise fulfilled.
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The transcript for this audio commentary is available at my website blog under the post with the same title: https://garyritter.com/biblical-audio-commentary-the-new-harbinger/
Gary Ritter website: books & blog
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