One of my favorite hymns is probably one you’ve sung, or at least heard, many times before. It goes a little something like this:
These are the days of Elijah, Declaring the word of the Lord: And these are the days of Your servant Moses, Righteousness being restored. And though these are days of great trial, Of famine and darkness and sword, Still, we are the voice in the desert crying 'Prepare ye the way of the Lord!' Behold He comes riding on the clouds, Shining like the sun at the trumpet call; Lift your voice, it's the year of jubilee, And out of Zion's hill salvation comes.
These are the days of Ezekiel, The dry bones becoming as flesh; And these are the days of Your servant David, Rebuilding a temple of praise. These are the days of the harvest, The fields are as white in Your world, And we are the laborers in Your vineyard, Declaring the word of the Lord! There's no God like Jehovah. There's no God like Jehovah!
Oftentimes we put this song (not to mention the scripture and Bible stories from which is it derived) into a box, constraining it to the context described—famine, sword, and the quite literal days of Elijah.
We know that Elijah has long since ascended to Heaven, and no small number of the modern-day church believes that the anointing of Elijah—prophesy, miracles, and signs and wonders—has also faded, and because of this, we are left with little hope. We are no longer in days of famine (remember, we have grocery stores) or sword (guns, yes; swords, no—but the definition of this term would be persecution by means of death, which the Western church certainly does not experience), and therefore we are not in the days of Elijah.
Nevertheless, our time looks bleak. The church (and I mean the Body of Christ; not the building, mind you) is left wondering where we fit into this picture, what period we are in. Are we nearing the end? If so, what are we to do? Are we rather at the beginning of a longer journey? If so, what should we expect on the road ahead?
No man, nor Jesus Himself, knows the day or the hour of His coming, so I’ve little consolation for you on that part, but I truly believe that we have yet to approach the fullness time, when all shall be accomplished.
But there is no doubt that it is coming. Christ is coming.
And so we are left lodged in the middle, stuck in limbo. Shaken by the darkness of our past, but still patiently awaiting the future greatness.
Even my mother has asked me, what now? Where do we go from here? How do we—the Remnant—play into the grand scheme of things? The move of God we are praying for is just that—a move of God. As we await His working and not our own, what are we to do? What days are these?
These are days of disease (COVID-19), deception (concerning not just the election but most everything in our lives and country in this time), and darkness (y’all know where that comes from). In such a time as this, an Elijah must arise.
These are the days of servants like Elijah, one who will declare the word of the Lord. These are the days of leaders like Moses, restoring righteousness to the captives. These are days of David and Ezekiel, doing the will of God. These are the days of voices, like John the Baptist’s, crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord!”
Behold, He is coming—swiftly and with justice grasped firmly in His right hand—and, behold, as we watch His mighty will come to pass, we shall see mountains crumple, empires fall, and new kingdoms erected for His glory. As He moves, we cry out in a wilderness of blinded eyes, deceived minds, and thirsty souls, that our God saves!
The Third Great Awakening is coming, O people of God! And He is calling us to rise up and proclaim His victory, His salvation, and His almighty name!
We are at Mount Carmel with the prophets of Baal, awaiting God’s holy fire. And as we wait and pray for His providence, we cry out to an unbelieving people, “Our God reigns! Our God saves! Our God, Jehovah, Yahweh, Jesus Christ, the Lord Almighty, is the One True God who holds all of Heaven and Earth in His hands! Prepare ye the way of the Lord, for He is coming, riding on the clouds, shining like the sun, at the call of our trumpets as we herald the harvest. He will not come until we are prepared! Make haste and call up His army! Raise up a new generation who prophesy in His name, who dream dreams, who command mountains to move and storms to cease! Awaken the Kingdom!”
Elijah may now be in Heaven. Jezebel may have long since passed. But these indeed are the days of Elijah, the great prophet; Moses, the faithful leader; and John the Baptist, the voice in the wilderness. These are great and mighty days, America! These are days of glory, all tribes, tongues, and nations of Earth! We still wrestle with the very same principalities and powers Elijah did—and we again shall triumph over the forces of darkness and declare victory for the Kingdom of God!
Our job in these times is to pray for the great harvest of a billion souls (yes, a billion, the Father says) and to call out to the army of the Kingdom! Awaken their souls, O God! Open their eyes to see Your glory cast upon their faces! Reclaim this nation—this world—for You, Father!
Behold, a Kingdom arises, one whose might is unknown by man and who power is uncharted by the past. Behold, a Great King is coming to reclaim His throne upon the Earth—but only when His Kingdom is ready! Prepare the way for His coming! Set this world on fire for Christ!
