We can miss a huge piece of God’s puzzle when we don’t ask him questions. For instance, there are some verses in the book of Acts that, in my opinion, have a vital connection to the day and age we’re living in.
The time of shaking.
Look at the following passage. James and the other “pillars of the church” quoted from Amos 9:11 when they said…
And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
“‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.” (Acts 15:15-18 ESV)
Did you notice the part that says, “after this”? Why would it read that way? I asked the Lord that question, and he directed me back to Amos.
The Lord speaks of a rebuilding, a revival, of the Presence of the Lord, which will draw the nations into the kingdom of God. But something MUST come first. Before the tent can be completely and entirely finished, Amos prophesied a shaking, a sifting, must occur.
For behold, I will command, and shake the house of Israel among all the nations as one shakes with a sieve, but no pebble shall fall to the earth. All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, ’Disaster shall not overtake or meet us.’ “In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name,“ declares the Lord who does this.” (Amos 9:9-12 ESV)
“I will shake the house of Israel…as one shakes with a sieve…”. In other words, shaking precedes building.
Yes, God has shaken Israel, but I believe he’s ready to shake his church. Why? So he can finish building on an unshakeable foundation. He knows we’ve tried to build into it our ideas, our beliefs and doctrines which he never sanctioned. They’ve got to be shaken loose. And, they will be.
“At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken – that is, things that have been made – in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:26-29 ESV)
Here’s another passage that prompted me to ask my Heavenly Father a question.
“How does this apply to my world?”
And he directed to Haggai, chapter two.
“For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.” (Haggai 2:6-9 ESV)
Now a lot people, well meaning people, like to look at Haggai’s prophecy and talk about the end time transfer of wealth. Yes, they do. And maybe, I emphasize MAYBE it has something to do with it. But I doubt it.
Why do I doubt it? Because there’s nothing in the New Testament (that I know of) that corroborates that teaching.
So WHAT DOES IT MEAN? Take a look at these next passages.
“And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My peculiar treasure). And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.” (Malachi 3:17 AMP)
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10 AMP)
The first verse of Isaiah 61 is what Jesus quoted in Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…”. Well, he kept on talking, clear down to verse 10! “Adorns herself with jewels…”
What’s he saying? Basically, and prophetically, this: “the silver and gold, the precious jewels, will come into my house from every nation. My special treasure, my peculiar people, shall make my house much better than the former one. The glory of God shall fill my house as never before! AFTER the shaking!”
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1
“Whose house are you…” Hebrews 3
The shaking precedes the final completion of the “latter house.”
Want more proof? How about Malachi chapter 3?
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:1-5 ESV)
Briefly, this tells me the Lord is coming TO his house before he comes FOR his house. What’s the purpose of the house, anyway? To be the place where God and man commune, AND to be the place that welcomes all the nations into the kingdom of God. His house, a house of prayer for all nations, right? It’s a praying house so it can be a FILLED house!
Forget about the transfer of wealth, will you? Yes, God will supply what we need to bring in the nations.
But we need to see the nations as the wealth God is adamant about finding, rescuing, and showing off.
I can just see him, saying to the devil, “Lucifer, take a look at these precious jewels! See how they shine? Take a good, long look; I want you to remember their beauty for all eternity!”
People, there’s coming a shaking. If we’ll yield to the work of God, we will see the greatest harvest in the history of the world. Yes, many will be shaken, and some will barely make it. An apostasy spirit is growing and becoming more influential as each day goes by.
But he who endures to the end shall witness the Desire of the Nations welcoming nation after nation into his house. The house that is his welcoming, glorious house.
People like you and I.
Wow!
Hey, let’s discuss this some more! Write your comments, and see where the dialogue takes us.
Jan Grace 