Birth Pangs and Appointed Times*

There is an increased amount of signs of the (end) times: Pestilence, increased wickedness, etc.. These signs that have been prophesied in scripture are like the birth pangs of the return of the Lord. Birth pangs are an indication that you are about to be delivered when they occur in the natural, and the same is true in the Spirit. However, the Church has for the most part ignored these signs and appointed times of the Lord's return. As Jesus met with His disciples after His resurrection and gave to them The Great Commission, it was at an appointed time and place: "Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain, where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (age)." (Mt. 28:16-20). Even while seeing Jesus at this appointed time and place on the mountain in Galilee, we notice that some of the disciples doubted. Doubt and unbelief are also present today in the Church regarding the return of Christ. Regarding another appointed time and place, Jesus assembled with His disciples, and instructed them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come upon them, as promised by the Father (Acts 1:4-5). They began to question Him if it was at this time that He would restore the Kingdom. He answered, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (v. 7-8). While the disciples did not receive a specific date regarding the restoration of the Kingdom of God from Jesus, the fact that He spoke of the future outpouring of the Holy Spirit in answer to their question, connected the outpouring and the coming Kingdom. This meant that the outpouring was both a sign, and an enpowerment of them to do the work of The Great Commission, that Jesus had spoken to them about earlier (see Mt. 28 above). After speaking with them, Jesus then ascended into heaven into a cloud from the mount upon which He had met them, Mt. Olivet. Two men in white apparel then said to the disciples, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (v. 9-12). This is the appointed place of the return of the Lord, from the clouds onto the Mount of Olives, not only as promised at this time by the two men in white, but as prophesied in both the Old and New Testaments. On an earlier occasion when questioned about the timing of His return and the end of the age, Jesus began describing to His disciples, again from the Mount of Olives, the signs or "birth pangs" that would indicate that the appointed time was approaching (Mt. 24:3). Jesus again said that only His Father knew the day and hour, "But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." (v. 36-39). Jesus described the wicked in Noah's day being removed. He then described a similar and specific removal that will take place before His return (v. 40-41). This "removal" was taught by Jesus to be of the same kind as experienced by the wicked during the flood. Up until that moment in Noah's time, life continued "as usual", with most being unaware that the moment would soon be upon them. His warning regarding this appointed time: "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come...Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man cometh." (v. 42,44). Since most of the Church today lives as if Jesus is not about to return, this again is one of the signs of the appointed timing of His return. This kind of indifferent attitude, along with getting caught up with the wickedness and cares of this world, causes that day to come upon you unawares (Lk. 21:34). Jesus describes it as a "snare" that will come upon all of them that dwell upon the face of the whole earth (v. 35). "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (v. 36). When warning of these things, Jesus taught in the temple during the day, and dwelled upon Mount Olivet at night. The Jewish understanding of the history of man on the earth is broken down into 2,000 year periods totaling 6,000 years, as patterned after the six days of creation, and a seventh day of rest, which is also referred to by the Apostle Peter (2 Pet. 3:8): First 2,000 years= Age of Chaos, before the Torah; Second 2,000 years= the Age of the Torah, and living by the Law; Third 2,000 years= the Age of Messiah. The last 1,000 years is the Sabbath rest of the Kingdom. The prophet Daniel also wrote of the events of the last days, even specifically in numbers of years, and even days. As he prophesied the events, Daniel was told, "...for the time appointed, the end shall be", and "...the time of the end, because it is yet for a time appointed." (Dan. 8:19, 11:35). The end time events that we are now seeing, and the return of Jesus Christ, are not set for a vague time in future history, but these things are set for an appointed time, even appointed specific places, as spoken by the apostles, prophets, and Jesus Himself, so that God's people will be aware and prepared. We are not meant to be overtaken, indifferent, ignorant, or spiritually asleep regarding these apponted times and places. *Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 5/2/21 message to the Church. To contact: PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com Find us also on Facebook, Twitter and endtimeschool.com

Purim- Now is the Appointed Time

Esther exposes Haman before the King

 

Because of her great beauty, Esther was chosen to become the new queen of King Ahasuerus. He was the king of Persia and Media. His kingdom stretched from India to Ethiopia (Esther 1:1). Esther entered the palace, and lived a pampered, luxurious life. Esther, whose real name was Hadassah, hid her Jewish identity by posing as a Gentile on the advice of her uncle, Mordecai.
 

Persian "pur" or lot

One of the king's most honored counsellors, Haman, an ambitious and evil man, had persuaded the king to sign a command that all of the Jews in the kingdom should be destroyed, and the spoil taken into the king's treasury. Haman cast lots (dice) called pur, to determine the date when the Jews were to be destroyed (Est. 3:7). The root word pur, means to break, crush, bring to naught, to utterly take. The king even gave his ring of authority to Haman to accomplish this terrible deed (Est. 3:9-12). Although Haman cast lots to find the best date for the Jews' destruction, the lots were really forecasting the date of his own destruction, as we shall see.

Mordecai came to Esther, and asked her to intercede with the king to stop Haman's plans. She was reluctant and afraid, because anyone who approached the king, without being summoned by him first, was subject to death. Mordecai convinced her by saying:

"...who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"  Est. 4:14

Esther told Mordecai that he should have all of the Jews pray and fast before God for three days, and on the third day, Esther entered the king's inner court, where he was enthroned. 

The next problem for Esther was how she might expose Haman, the king's closest advisor, and change the king's mind. However, in order to expose Haman, she would have to expose herself, and reveal her own Jewish identity. The dangerous situation was a great risk for Esther, but the people of God had fasted and prayed. Haman was successfully exposed by Esther, and he was ordered to be killed by the king. Esther rose in great authority in her husband's kingdom:

"Then Esther the queen....wrote with all authority, to confirm....these days of Purim in their times appointed,...and the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book."   Est. 9:29-32
Not only was Esther's authority established in her husband's kingdom, but also the authority and favor of all of God's people:
"For Mordecai the Jew was next unto King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews,...seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed."  Est. 10:3
During this time of Purim, we are reminded that God's people, like Esther, are set in specific places, even king's palaces, for appointed times and purposes.
The prophet Daniel received revelations from the LORD regarding appointed times, and the vital role played by God's believing people. As it was with Esther, these appointed times are dangerous, and risky, but this is exactly when the people of God are called to impact these times with the power of the Kingdom of God. It is interesting to note that Daniel's king, Darius, was the son of Esther's husband, Ahasuerus.
The point of impact into the perilous times spoken of by Daniel, began with his fasting and repentance on behalf of himself, and all of God's people:
"And I set my face unto the Lord (Messiah: Ps. 110:1, Mt. 22:42-46)) God, to seek...and I prayed unto the LORD (YHWH, Jehovah) my God, and made my confession, and said,...We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments,...yet made we not our prayer before the LORD God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth....O Lord, hear; O Lord forgive; O Lord, hearken and do...for thy city, and thy people are called by thy name."  Dan. 9:3-5, 13, 19
Prayer and repentance should also be our beginning point in impacting our appointed times. Daniel's heartfelt prayer of repentance was answered immediately with the appearance of the angel, Gabriel, who explained and revealed to Daniel the awesome purpose God would fulfill through His people in the appointed time of the perilous last days. God wants His people to know and understand the appointed times, and the role we are to play in them.
As revealed by the angel to Daniel, the appointed time dealt with the last week of Jeremiah's seventy weeks of years. This is the time in which we are now living. According to Daniel, desolations and war, and "troublous times" will come to God's people, and to the city of God (Dan. 9:25-27).
However, in the midst of this time of intense spiritual and natural warfare against the saints, "the time came that the saints possessed (root- to lay up in store, to heap up, to be strong) the kingdom" (Dan. 7:22). Even though a "king" will arise speaking against the Most High, seeking even to change the appointed times, and wearing out the saints (v. 25), the saints of this time shall "take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it unto the end" (v. 26):
"And the kingdom, and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him. Hitherto is the end of the matter...but I kept the matter in my heart."  Dan. 7:27-28
During this appointed time of which Daniel prophesied, though wickedness seems to be prevailing, God's people will be a people of understanding, and will instruct many, and "the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits"  (Dan. 11:32, 33, 35).
The Book of Revelation also talks about an appointed time of great spiritual warfare that begins in the heavens, but soon impacts the earth. The enemy uses deception, persecution, and accusation against the brethren (Rev. 11:7-8, 12-13). However, this appointed time will also be the time of the overcoming of this evil enemy by the brethren in the power of Christ:
"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ"...and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
                                                                                                Rev. 12:10-11
As we see the signs of the times around us during these days of Purim, we also know that we, the people of God, have been called for this appointed time of Daniel and Revelation. We, like Esther, have come into the kingdom for such a time as this. Let us begin our impact upon this appointed time as Daniel did, and as the Jews of Esther's Purim did, with fasting, and prayers of repentance on our own behalf, and on behalf of our nation, which is covered with iniquity and wickedness. Like Esther, we are Jews (Rom. 2:29) hidden amongst the Gentiles. We are the beautiful Bride of the King, called during this appointed time to accomplish, through the power of Christ, a great work of deliverance. AMEN.

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