There is great debate and confusion, even within the church, regarding current events and issues, and how they relate to these latter days before the return of Christ. One thing is clear, however, more than ever before, we must seek God's face, and His direction for us.
From the beginning, man has tried to hide himself from God, when he has sinned, even though his healing and remedy could be found in God. After choosing to believe the lie of the serpent, and refusing to follow God's instruction, Adam and his wife tried to hide from Him:
"And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden." Gen. 3:8
The word "presence" in the above verse is the Hebrew word paniym, which means "face". In their guilt, Adam and Eve hid themselves from the face of their Creator.
From this beginning of scripture, we can go to the end of scripture, and find that man will still choose to remain in sin, and hide from the face of God, even in the midst of great wrath and destruction. Death and Hell will be loosed over the fourth part of the earth. Great natural calamities will be occurring in heaven, and on earth. Yet men will still be determined to hide from God's face:
"And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of His wrath has come; and who shall be able to stand?" Rev. 3:15-17
No one will be exempt from His wrath. Even the most powerful and wealthy will choose to hide with the lowliest among man. Zephaniah the prophet similarly said:
"Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy..." Zeph. 1:18
Prophet Hosea revealed that the LORD was waiting for men to acknowledge their sin and seek His face as He says:
"I will go and return to My place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek My face: in their affliction, they will seek Me early." Hos. 5:15
The people who decide to seek Him declare:
"Come and let us return unto the LORD...after two days, He will revive us: in the third day, He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight." Hos. 6:1-2
While the phrase "in the third day" prophesies the resurrection of Christ that will occur centuries later, it also refers to the latter days, the time in which we live.
Zephaniah wrote that mighty men shall cry bitterly in that great day of the LORD, even at the voice of the day of the LORD. He describes the day of the LORD as a day of wrath, trouble and distress, desolation and darkness (Zeph. 1:14-15). He, like Hosea, counsels men to seek the face of the LORD:
"Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger."
Zeph. 2:3
Zephaniah spoke above that in seeking the LORD, one may be hidden from the danger to come.
Prophet Isaiah also wrote that we should seek the LORD, rather than hide from Him:
"Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near." Isa. 55:6
Isaiah's words also imply a warning, that there may come a time when it will be too late to seek the LORD, so men must seek Him now, rather than later.
David, even before Zephaniah, wrote in the Psalms about seeking the LORD, and as a result, being hidden by Him in the time of trouble:
"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock....When Thou saidst, Seek ye My face; my heart said unto Thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek..." Ps. 27:4, 5, 8
The LORD, Himself, instructed His people in the day of calamity:
"If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chron. 7:14
The remedy, as we see calamity come upon our land, and upon the whole earth, is not to hide from God's face but to seek it. He is our remedy for sin, not only for us as individuals, but for the whole land. He is waiting for us to turn away from ourselves, and toward His face.
The LORD has even made provision for us to seek His face in these end times, by revealing His precious face upon the Shroud of Turin. It is the face of the One who died to provide our mercy, and rescue ( Seek His Face ).
Will you seek His face, or hide from it?
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Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior:Jesus, I want to know You as my Lord, and as my Savior, who covers my sins, and cleanses my heart. Come into my heart, and also fill me with the Holy Spirit, who will lead me into all truth, and will teach me how to follow You. I believe that You are the Son of God, the Messiah, that You were crucified for me, and rose from the dead to give me everlasting life. I believe that You are coming again. Lord Jesus, in Your name I believe, pray, and receive all of these things. Amen.
