Dear friends, in writing the following I am not in any way seeking to diminish the reality of a virus that is causing immense suffering. I thank all those who are on the front lines fighting it, and those who are supplying us with essential daily items. I pray for those who are sick and suffering. I am being careful to obey all governmental recommendations according to Romans 13, and to pray for those in authority.
Yesterday morning I was praying with my husband. We came onto the subject of fear and panic. In a flash I saw that although the nations of the earth were fearful and troubled, there is one who is much more fearful and troubled. His name is Lucifer or Satan. May I take a moment to outline why he is so fearful and filled with fury, and why in this moment we can have great hope despite the difficult circumstances?
1. He knows that his end is near. Revelation 12 v 12
2. The gospel is nearing the ends of the earth. Matthew 24 v 14
3. The Jewish people are beginning to receive ישוע (Jesus) in ever great numbers, Romans 11 v 25 – 26, and are starting to cry out “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”. Matthew 23 v 39
4. The evangelistic thrust especially among young people is increasing in momentum, e.g. “The Send” Brazil where several stadiums housed 60,000+ people.
5. Revivals in Tennessee and in the Arabic speaking world and many other nations.
He is panicking!! He does not want to be locked and chained! There are some very interesting clues at the site of Banias/ Panias or Caesarea Phillippi, where ישוע (Jesus) first reveals His identity to His disciples in Matthew 16. Caesarea Phillippi formerly had another name: Pan, being named after the god Pan who was half goat, half man . From his name we get words like panic, pandemonium and pandemic!! The god Pan was worshiped at this location, that historically was known as the gates of hell! In this place, sacrifices would be thrown into the water and unthinkable acts performed near to the cave in order to encourage the gods of the underworld to come up onto the earth through the cave. People believed that this would bring fertility to their bodies and to their land so that it would be fruitful. They literally invited hell to come to earth at this place. As an aside, at the opening ceremony of the worlds longest railway tunnel in Switzerland, one stated objective was to “open the gates of hell.” Friends, truly there is nothing new under the sun!
In direct opposition to this, at or near to this place, ישוע says to his disciples that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church. This is so profound. Gates are a defensive feature of a city. This means that ישוע took His disciples to an evil, pagan place, where all manner of false gods were worshiped in order to teach them that in Him, the gates of hell itself were no match for His church! May we arise and believe this in the days that we are living in to bring light and life to the desperation around us. May we bring healing and hope and cast down the false god of Pan who is causing this global pandemic and its resulting panic and pandemonium. This was all defeated by the cross of ישוע (Jesus)!
Historically, Satan has tried to eliminate the Jewish people so that the word of God would be nullified/ “proven” to be false. Antisemitism has risen dramatically in recent years and has even increased during the season that we are now in. God wants every tribe and every tongue to be represented in heaven, the enemy needs to eliminate even one tribe or tongue to prevent this. This would seem to be a spiritual root of racism.
The lock down and the rules implemented during this period have made a dichotomy between what the Word of God commands us to do, and obeying the laws put in place by our governments. For example:
• Now the spread of the gospel is put on hold, except via technological means.
• The elderly are isolated in contrast to God’s heart for three generations. In some countries they are not receiving medical care if over a certain age due to the shortage of ventilators, and in other countries they have died alone.
• Biblically healing is administered by the laying on of hands: now we cannot touch anyone.
• 2 meters distance is prohibitive to even having a conversation.
• Our dependence on the internet has increased exponentially. Our entire lives are on line and can be and are being tracked/ monitored.
But God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. (Romans 8 v 28) In all of this, we get the gifts of:
• REST. An enforced sabbatical. (It was said during the initial lockdown, it was the first Shabbat in the modern state of Israel without buses, cinemas etc)
• Family time
• Time to worship, read the word together, pray together.
• Purification of our skies, water systems, air etc with so much less pollution.
• A return to a simpler, slower pace of life.
God is drawing men unto Himself (see reports on the online revival), He is exposing darkness and judging His enemies. The battle lines are being drawn. He is giving us a season of preparation for what is to come and a warning to prepare. Read Matthew 24, Daniel 9-12, Revelation.
God surely works in mysterious ways. May we enjoy the rest of His presence as we are shut in with Him. When we are released from the lock down, may we hold onto the lessons He taught us during this time, and may we be filled with the hope, trust and peace that our broken world so desperately needs.
