Joel 2:23 Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.
As always, when studying and interpreting prophecy history must also be studied, because what God has done in times past is often repeated in future events as He has declared in His word. Future events that are scheduled to take place during the closing days of earth’s history are often previewed in the former experiences of nations and individuals.
That’s one of the reasons why the scripture says we have “A more- sure word of prophecy” meaning that when precedent and prophecy converge, a person can be anchored more securely in the utterances of the Bible, and thus, faith gets the evidence needed, and becomes more firmly established.
For instance, whenever we see the issue of worship, diets and foods surfacing in the book of Daniel, with his companions, God is telling us to expect these to be a part of last day events upon our planet.
When we see the issue of worship surfacing on Mt. Carmel with Elijah the prophet, and then heavy rain falling right after, God is saying to us that the issues pertaining to worship in our day will call for copious showers of the latter rain, as prophesied by Joel. Again, when we see plagues upon Egypt, because of the issue of worship, we should also expect plagues in the last days, on account of worship and when we see frogs coming up out of the waters, and going in among the Egyptians, we must also expect frogs of some sort to surface again in the book of Revelation which deals with last day events. Let’s read:
Ecclesiastes 1: 9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
Similarly, when the Gospel was taken to the entire then known world by the servants of God. We must seek to understand the ways and means Jesus then employed for as with almost everything else, history is scheduled to be repeated.
Therefore, in the study of historical precedent we’ll observe some stunning similarities between sacred history and the here and now, as God wraps up the work of the Gospel throughout the world.
The first observation pertains directly to how Jesus chose His servants, who were scheduled to take the Gospel to the entire then known world.
[1] None of the twelve disciples were ordained by the religious institutions of the day for the work of carrying the Gospel. The establishment leaders were not responsible for their ordination, for it was Jesus, who laid His hands upon them and anointed them for the ministry. Let’s read:
Matthew 10:1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Similarly, when the great work of salvation is to be brought to a close, it will be the ordination of God upon the laymen He has chosen that will finish the work of the Gospel in all the world. This isn’t to say that great men would not be used, but for the most part, it will be ordinary people, whom God has set apart for the specific work. Let’s read:
[Last Day Events pp 204] In the last solemn work few great men will be engaged.... God will work a work in our day that but few anticipate. He will raise up and exalt among us those who are taught rather by the unction of His Spirit than by the outward training of scientific institutions. These facilities aren’t to be despised or condemned; they are ordained of God, but they can furnish only the exterior qualifications.
The twelve did not learn the ways and means of the orthodox teachings of the Rabbis, for their methods of studying and interpreting the Scriptures were too riddled and interwoven with tradition and sayings of men.
As a result, in their presentation of the word of God, the Rabbis tended to make persons worse off than they were before. That is because they had lost the simplicity of the Gospel, being bogged down with the baggage of sophistication. And as a result, their instructions were vague, and without authority, and they were not able to reach the heart.
When preparing their presentations, the Rabbis did not ask themselves the question: How will this draw persons closer to God, and how will it impact their lives in a manner that would produce growth, faith and obedience that comes from the heart?
Instead, they would spend hours fiddling with those linguistic technicalities that would give persons the impression that they were learned men. They would focus on tradition and technicalities of the law while the spirit of the law found no entrance whatsoever into their own everyday experience.
Thus, when individuals went to church, it was more format than substance, more husk than kernel that was being presented, and people often left church more frustrated, empty, and discouraged than when they first came. This is what prompted Jesus to utter the following words. Let’s read:
Matthew 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
Thus, when Jesus unleashed an entirely new brand of preaching, it was with authority and persons who were disposed to believe would then be sure of the doctrine.
Jesus used everyday references that persons could readily relate to for they were familiar with all of the illustrations He used, and His methods of teaching, as a general rule, would lead to a definite change of heart, in persons who were willing to receive Him.
Sermons and presentations are not so much about information, as they are about The Person of Christ, and thus, when preaching or giving Bible studies the servants of God, and the information they dispense should be Christocentric in nature. This leads us to our second observation, drawn from precedent.
[2] Laymen in our day must be able to start at any verse or chapter in the Scripture, and preach Jesus to persons.
A direct link to Jesus should be made, whenever a sermon, or Bible study is given by laymen in our day, because, salvation in the Bible is about The Person of Christ; His ministry, His character, His goodness and His love. It’s not so much about information.
This is what Phillip did when he was sent by God to help the Ethiopian eunuch find Christ. The man was reading from the book of Isaiah, and Phillip began with the passage he was reading, and led him to Jesus. Let’s read:
Acts 8: 29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Isaiah and said, do you understand that which you are reading?
31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he asked Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
In our day, the laymen who will finish the work must be able to start at any passage in the Scriptures, and preach Christ. The health message is to lead to Jesus and the three angel’s messages, complete with the commandments of God and the Sabbath, must lead to Christ.
In other words, all roads must inevitably lead to the Jesus of the Bible, or else the preaching will be void of substance, purpose, and meaning. This leads us to our third observation from historical precedent.
[3] The laymen who are ordained of God must also be able to draw from their own experiences, for this is how the Gospel is made to make sense to people, in real time, and in the most practical manner. Let’s read:
1st John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
The laymen in our day must be able to sing a “New Song”, for according to Revelation, it is the song of their own personal experience with The Lord. For instance, testimonies from ten, or twenty years back should be replaced with new, living experiences, as the relationship with Christ grows ever deeper.
In other words, the laymen in our day, who are to lead the charge in taking the everlasting Gospel to the ends of the earth, are to have an intelligent, and intimate knowledge of the Jesus whom they preach, and in addition to this, they would have to be living testimonies of the sermons they present.
This aspect of the layman’s life is of vital and critical importance, and cannot be stressed enough, for The Lord seeks laborers who are being brought to a full maturity, through the indwelling and working of The Holy Spirit. To properly represent Christ, the laymen should not be found lacking in any aspect of their lives.
By this we mean that the knowledge that is found in the Scriptures is to be applied in the most practical, and literal manner because laymen must be hearers and doers of the word.
In other words, not only are the laymen to strive for excellence in spiritual things, by the grace of Christ, through their conscious obedience, and intelligent understanding of the principles, and laws of God’s kingdom, but they should also have their temporal aspects of life under the control of The Holy Ghost.
This is of critical importance, so that when they are inspected like Daniel was, the world would discover a person who is well balanced in every aspect of life.
As such, they should seek to rid themselves of debt, wherever possible, the health message should be an integral part of their lives, and their interaction with fellow citizens of earth should be beyond reproach, when subjected to the closest scrutiny by all friends, foes, and frenemies.
In other words, the laymen must become the living, breathing embodiment of what God’s grace will do to those who trust and obey, so that their testimony cannot be gainsaid nor questioned, even by their bitterest enemies. Let’s read:
Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Malachi 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appears? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
There’s a form of preaching that can talk extensively, at a distance about truths that are not applied in the one who is making the presentation. In such cases, a lack of conviction and sincerity will be sensed by the people because the sermon was not the song of the person’s experience.
Describing Christianity is quite different than living out the principles and laws of God’s kingdom, for a person may be able to describe or define the many aspects of the Christian’s life, without them actually walking the walk.
To give out a lot of information just for information’s sake, does nothing to heal the wounds of the soul, neither do such methods prompt sinners to repent. And worse yet, Christ is hidden from view, under the mirage of intellectual sophistries that wearies souls.
Hence the reason why Jesus found it necessary to personally ordain the twelve, for He would be with them to not only instruct them but to give them the hands-on knowledge they would need, in order to effectively preach Christ and the Gospel. Let’s read:
[The Desiree of Ages pp 296] When Jesus had ended His instruction to the disciples, He gathered the little band close about Him, and kneeling in the midst of them, and laying His hands upon their heads, He offered a prayer dedicating them to His sacred work. Thus, the Lord's disciples were ordained to the gospel ministry.
This is the reason why, when those who were called by Christ to preach, opened their mouths to speak, their listeners took knowledge that they had been with Jesus. In other words, they could speak with authority, and conviction, for they had experienced a personal, deep seated relationship with Jesus. Let’s read:
Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
If and when the laymen in our day become sticklers for technicalities and information, the true word of God is buried under a maze of utterances that does not change hearts and minds, nor goads individuals to turn their lives over to the only One who would make a difference for the better.
Even Paul had to be anointed by Christ for the work of the ministry he was going to be called to, because by him coming up under the teaching, or instruction of Gamaliel, he would tend to make his preaching more information based, instead of the food for the soul as God intends.
Thus, Paul must first encounter Christ before he can preach Christ with conviction and his anointing must come from God directly, not merely from the Rabbis or even Gamaliel. Even if Gamaliel might previously have laid his hands on him, Paul would need a fresh anointing from God, in order to be outfitted for the work of carrying the Gospel. Let’s read:
Acts 9: 3 And as Paul journeyed, he came near to Damascus: and suddenly, there shined round about him a light from heaven.
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord
said, I am Jesus whom you persecute. It’s hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as you came, has sent me, that you might receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
Institutions of learning such as the many theological seminaries are not to be despised, for they generally do a very good work in the world. There they teach proper exegesis, old and New Testament linguistics, and many other nuts and bolts of ministry.
But the laymen should be careful not to fall into the snare of graduating with honors in theology, while receiving an F grade in the Holy Ghost, for whenever this is the case, much personal instruction from God will be needed, in order for such persons to preach Christ effectively.
Again, charisma is not truth, and those laymen, who are scheduled for the last days, to take the message of mercy to a dying world, must steer clear of using charisma to reach hearts and minds. Instead, let the pure, unadulterated word of God be prioritized, and The Holy Ghost will take it from there to the next level. Let’s read:
[L.D.E pp 205] The laborers will be qualified rather by the unction of His Spirit than by the training of literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives them.
This leads us to our final observation, that is drawn from the precedents found in the Scriptures:
[4] The laymen who will finish up the work should be able to support themselves by the grace of God, either through employment, or by their skills.
Every one of the disciples had their skills, trade, or profession. Peter, James, and John were fishermen, Luke was a doctor, Mathew worked for the IRS, even Judas was an accountant, and Christ who set us the example was a carpenter. None were found idle. Let’s read:
Matthew 4:18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
Matthew 9: 9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
Later on, when Paul was called to the ministry it was discovered that he also was a tentmaker, and thus, he could support himself if and when he needed to. In other words, if it became necessary, as a result of low funding from the ministry, for Paul to support himself, he could always fall back on the skill, trade, or whatsoever he specialized in. Let’s read:
Acts 18:1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;
2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.
3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and worked: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.
1st Corinthians 9:11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Never the less we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
15 But I have used none of these things…
1st Corinthians 4:11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place;
12 And labor, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
Currently, pastors are paid by their employers, but with inflation so high, it is a valid question whether or not some could make ends meet on the salaries they receive. But the laymen who are independent of employers, can help themselves if they needed to or if God so directs.
That model manifested by Paul and other laymen, of preaching the Gospel while laboring with their own hands, with their specific skills or trade, may just be the answer we need for Gospel workers in our day.
God is much more down to earth, and is practical in His ways than many realize, and for this reason, the laymen who are scheduled to finish up the work of the Gospel, might very well have to follow the Paul model, if they are led to do so by God.
Therefore, as the shortage of pastors deepens, and as less and less persons enter the ministry, it will be seen that the predictions made by God through His servant will become more and more of a reality. Let’s read:
[Last Day Events pp 204>205] The Comforter is to reveal Himself, not in any specified, precise way that man may mark out, but in the order of God—in unexpected times and ways that will honor His own name.
He will raise up from among the common people men and women to do His work, even as of old He called fishermen to be His disciples. There will soon be an awakening that will surprise many. The laborers will be qualified rather by the unction of His Spirit than by the training of literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives them.
Therefore, let the laymen in our day therefore step up to the plate, being willing and ready to be led by God in the ways of His choosing, and the latter rain that is promised for the finishing up of the work, will fall upon those whom God chooses, fitting them up to carry the gospel to every inhabitable place on the earth.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reminds us that that which is prophesied will surely come to pass, and because of this, the laymen and ordinary people in our day should be found ready, willing and able if and when God calls them to stand in the gap. Let’s read:
Joel 2: 29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.
God Bless!