To think about death is not something we like to do. Even though we know that we will die eventually, we love to concentrate on other and seemingly more important and pressing matters. It is indeed not pleasant to think about the inevitability of our death. Still, the Bible is filled with admonitions in this regard, and it gives us advice as to how to deal with this subject matter in a balanced and right way.

Death is unavoidable. Psalm 89:47-48 tells us: “Remember how short my time is… What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave? Selah.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 states as a matter of fact: “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die…”

King Solomon states in Ecclesiastes 9:5: “For the living know that they will die…”

In addition, we read in Hebrews 9:27:  “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” 

Death does not end it all. Rather, there will be a resurrection for all of us, followed by a judgment. Romans 14:10, 12 tells us: “For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ… So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.”

We need to keep this fact strongly in mind. An accounting is coming, and we decide now, by the way in which we live, how this accounting will proceed. 

That is why Moses was inspired to write in Psalm 90:10, 12:

“The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away… So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

The wisdom Moses is referring to relates to the way we live and conduct ourselves, knowing how short and fleeting life is and that an accounting is coming. Paul tells us in Colossians 4:5: “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.” Compare also Ephesians 5:15-17: 

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

A similar thought is expressed by King Solomon who wrote in Ecclesiastes 7:2:

“Better to go to the house of mourning Than to go to the house of feasting, For that is the end of all men; And the living will take it to heart.”

David was very much aware of the fact that his death was a certainty. He wrote in Psalm 39:4-5:

“LORD, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah.”

Knowing this, our whole outlook on life should be one of humility and submission to God. It should not reflect the attitude described in James 4:13-15:

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’”

The realization of the certainty of our death should motivate and encourage us to conduct our lives always in a manner “worthy of the Lord” (Colossians 1:10; compare 1 Thessalonians 1:12 and Ephesians 4:1).

When we are young, we might think of death as something so distant that we might not have to give it serious consideration. But Solomon encourages us even then: “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth…  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:1, 13-14).

But apart from this seemingly “distant” reality, it may not be that distant at all. The reason being, no one knows the time of his or her death. Ecclesiastes 9:12 tells us:  “For man also does not know his time.” Compare also Isaac’s words in Genesis 27:2: “Behold now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death.” Neither do we. For us, death may come at any time. Even though true Christians are never victims of time and chance, they still can die suddenly and unexpectedly when and if God allows it. We should therefore always live with that realization in mind. 

Of course, Christ knew exactly the time of His death. He knew that He would die at the age of 33 on Wednesday, the Day after the Passover evening on Tuesday, just before the First Day of Unleavened Bread in 31 AD. The Two Witnesses will know when they will die—3 ½ years after proclaiming God’s words during the Great Tribulation. As we explain in our free booklet, “Are You Predestined to be Saved?,” the time of our death has also been pretty much determined by God (even though we don’t know it), but this does not mean that circumstances might not change that time which had been allotted to us. When we fall away from God, we might die prematurely (compare, for example, Psalm 55:23). God may also give us some extra time to come to repentance (compare Luke 13:6-9).  God might add days to the [predetermined] life span of His people if this is reasonable and in fulfillment of the wish of the person.   

We read about King Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20:1-6:

“In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.”’ Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, saying, ‘Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.’ And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, ‘Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, “Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: ‘I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. And I will add to your days fifteen years…’”’’

Here, Hezekiah made it very clear to God that he would love to live longer and that he felt he was not ready to die, and God honored that. We even read that holy women received their dead husbands back in a physical resurrection (Hebrews 11:35). But this is up to God and His prerogative, depending on the individual circumstances. 

Returning one more time to Hezekiah, notice that God had told Isaiah to admonish Hezekiah to set his house in order. This is good advice for all of us at all times, since we don’t know when we will die. This would include taking care of our affairs, especially for those whom we may leave behind. A beautiful example can be seen in Christ’s words at the stake, when He told His beloved disciple John to take care of His mother Mary. 

The Study Bible included the following comments:

“‘Put your house in order.’ This directive implies that Hezekiah should prepare for his impending death by settling his affairs, both personal and political. In ancient Near Eastern culture, this would involve ensuring a smooth succession, addressing any unresolved issues, and making peace with God and others. The instruction reflects the biblical principle of stewardship and responsibility, emphasizing the importance of being prepared for the end of life.”

When we live with the realization that death can come to us at any time, then Solomon’s statements in Ecclesiastes 7:1 really strike home: “And the day of death [is better] than the day of one’s birth.” He adds to this in verse 8: “The end of a thing is better than its beginning.”

When we are born, our whole life is in front of us, and it is up to us what to make out of it. When we live a life pleasing to God, then we have accomplished our purpose, when we die. That is especially true for us when we become converted. At that time, we just begin our travel towards eternal life and the Kingdom of God. When we die, having stayed faithful, we will enter into eternal life at the time of our resurrection. 

Job exclaimed in Job 14:14, focusing on the time of his death: “If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes.” And Isaiah 26:19 states with conviction: “Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise.” This is the hope and the power of the resurrection, which is taught throughout the Bible (compare Acts 23:6; Philippians 3:10-11).

With that frame of mind, we don’t need to be afraid of death. Even though death is our enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26), it has no permanent power over us when we are in God’s loving hands.  We read in Hebrews 2:14-15:

“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

The Apostle Paul was not overly concerned or afraid of his death if that meant, serving Christ. He told the brethren who were weeping for him, anticipating his arrest and captivity:

“What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13). He even said in Philippians 1:21-26:

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.” (Compare also 2 Corinthians 5:8). 

Paul was ready to die, whenever that time would come, because he knew that he had lived worthy of Christ and that his physical death did not end it all. He told Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:6-8:

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

He did not fight the time of his death. It seems he was more than ready to die, because he knew that he had qualified and that he would be in God’s Kingdom.

Some of the ancients are described as those who died “full of days.” They lived their lives, and in death they looked forward to their eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Psalm 116:15 says about them:  “Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints.” God says the same about us, as long as we can declare with confidence and conviction: “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

In previous Q&As, we have pointed out THAT God has given His end-time Church—the Body of Christ, consisting of all Christians in whom God’s Spirit dwells—the commission to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God as a witness unto all nations, which includes the proclamation of a warning message of impending disaster and the possibility of worldwide destruction in a prophesied nuclear war.

Before answering HOW the Church can fulfill that commission, let us quote some excerpts to show THAT it will be accomplished.

We say the following in our Q&A, “What is the Work of God? (Part 3)”:

“But after the death of Paul and the other early apostles, the preaching of the gospel to the world would gradually stop, and so, as we have said many times, for over 1900 years, the gospel was NOT preached to the world, until God began to motivate His church and giving it the strength and opportunities to begin so again. This way, that worldwide proclamation would become the sign of the end—of the return of Jesus Christ. This proclamation would continue during the Great Tribulation as well—including through the preaching of the Two Witnesses. As God’s prophets (Revelation 11:3, 6, 10), they will of course warn the nations and proclaim what will happen—including, what has been written down in the Bible…”

We also say in that Q&A that the proclamation will produce fruit, in God’s due time:

“When we do the Work of God by preaching the gospel message, we do not do it in vain. It will produce fruit, even though it may not be obvious right away. Notice Isaiah 55:10-11: ‘For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.’ What the gospel message contains will be accomplished, in God’s due time. This is also confirmed in Jeremiah 1:12, where God says: ‘You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.’…”

We also state in our Q&A, “What is the Work of God? (Part 5)”:

“… the Work of preaching the gospel to the world as a witness and the warning message to the end-time nations was decisively given to God’s end-time Church, because it was to be THE sign of Christ’s speedy return, once that aspect of the Work was fulfilled (Matthew 24:14). Today, this preaching has been made possible through the invention of the internet and many other means of electronic communication….”

The use of social media worldwide might be a major asset in proclaiming the message. The mobile phone is owned by huge numbers around the world, enveloping every country and continent, and could well be a significant part of how the gospel message will go out and be received by the world.

We continue to state the following in the above-mentioned Q&A:

“The Work of God will be short in these end times, and God says that He will finish the Work and cut it short in righteousness (compare Romans 9:28)…”

In addition, we state this in our Q&A, “Who is to warn the leaders of the world? (Part 2)”:

“A warning must be given, and God expects and requires of His Church to do so… Today, the task of the watchman has been given to God’s Church, and we had better fulfill God’s command to warn the leaders and the people of coming disaster, unless they repent. This warning is being proclaimed today for everyone who is willing to see, hear and read… This end-time commission to warn the leaders and the people has been given to God’s Church today. But of course, it is prophesied that most will not listen, as they refused to listen to the prophets of old in ancient times.”

That the Church WILL indeed fulfill God’s commission to preach the gospel, which includes an emphasis of keeping His Law, and to proclaim a warning message of disaster to the rulers and nations because of their sinful conduct can be seen by the fact that the Church will be hated by all the people in the entire world.

Christ told us in Matthew 10:22-23:

“And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

Christ repeats this end-time prophecy in Matthew 24:8-13:

“All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

When we are hated by all nations for Christ’s name sake, this implies that the Church has become known to all nations for it to be hated by all of them.

At the time of Paul, certain Jews claimed that the Church, through its teaching, had “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6), and that “concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere” (Acts 28:22). Paul says in Romans 10:18: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.” He says in Colossians 1:23 that the gospel “was preached to every creature under heaven.” It was even said by Christ’s enemies about Him that “the world has gone after Him!” (John 12:19).

At that time, this had not literally occurred, but these are also prophetic sayings, which would be fulfilled in the future, and especially in our time.

We also read that the Apostle John, while being imprisoned on the isle of Patmos, was given a little book in a vision with the command to prophesy again about or to many peoples, tongues, nations and kings. There was no practical way for John to actually go to all those nations to proclaim to them God’s Word. Similar commands had been given to the prophets of old. While Ezekiel dwelt with the other Jews as captives in Babylon, God told him in a vision to go to the House of Israel to proclaim to them God’s Word.

By that time, the House of Israel had been taken captive by the Assyrians many years before; Ezekiel would have been unable to travel to Assyria to bring God’s message to the House of Israel. Similar commands were given to ancient Jeremiah and ancient Isaiah. It would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible, to physically deliver God’s message to all those nations.

We understand, of course, that the commission was primarily intended for the end time, and that God’s servants in our time were commissioned to proclaim the messages given to the ancient prophets. Still, John, Ezekiel, Jeremiah and Isaiah did receive orders from God, and they would not have dared not to carry them out. So what did they do, and how did they fulfill their responsibilities?

They WROTE DOWN what God told them, and God preserved their writings so that they could be read by everyone throughout the ages. The Old and New Testament prophets became worldwide “celebrities”—most everyone has heard of their name, but many did not and do not like what they proclaimed.  

As we will see, the same applies, to an extent, to the Church of God in our time.

We are told that Isaiah worked as a prophet and a minister for at least 40 years and perhaps as long as 64 years. Jeremiah is assumed to have worked for 40 years, but most do not take into account that he travelled with the daughters of the last Jewish King Zedekiah to Ireland where he ministered; he worked therefore longer than only 40 years. We are told that Ezekiel worked for 22 years. During all that time, they did what God had instructed them to do, and their commission did not last only for a few months or years. And as we said above, their writings are still available today.

Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, the former human leader of the now defunct Worldwide Church of God, worked as a minister for over 50 years, from about 1933 or 1934 until his death in 1986. He wrote many booklets and books, produced many recorded sermons and radio and television programs, and he visited many leaders and dignitaries. Even though dead, what he did lives on in our memories, and most of it can be found, in one way or another, on the internet.

The Church of the Eternal God came into being in 2001, with the declared goal to uphold and teach that “The major doctrines of the Church are those, which were taught by Herbert W. Armstrong, derived from the Biblical teachings as followed by God’s faithful servants, and originally established by Jesus Christ through the founding of His Church in the time of His chosen early apostles. Since we are to increase in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, we are committed to review and alter any of our teachings, if and when proven to be wrong by the Bible.”

We are committed to this goal and have tried to faithfully carry it out. And so, all our literature is posted on the Web; and so are all our audio and video messages. We have been in operation a little bit longer than Ezekiel, but much shorter than Isaiah and Jeremiah, or Mr. Armstrong. The point being, God has given His Church an allotted time to do the Work. And that Work will produce fruit. It always will, if it is of God.

As we stated before, when talking about the Church in this Q&A, we speak about the Body of Christ, consisting of all Christians in whom God’s Spirit dwells. We recognize that in addition to the Church of the Eternal God and its international affiliates, there are others who also claim that they have continued to uphold the true faith as revealed to Mr. Armstrong. As Jesus said, each will be known by their behavior and works:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:15-20).

This test applies to all who claim to be doing God’s Will.

People will remember what they might have heard, or they will be led to the Church’s literature and recorded messages at the appropriate time. Word will spread, and many won’t like what they will hear and read. Then it will become true that God’s Church will be hated by all nations in all the world. This does not mean that each and every individual member will be known by everybody, but they will be hated by association when it becomes known that they are part of this “crazy” and unpopular “unchristian” “Jewish” Church—and that especially, since anti-Semitism will reach unparalleled heights.  

We also read that in the end time, Two Witnesses will proclaim God’s Truth. They will obviously be part of the Body of Christ, and their teaching will be in line with the teachings of the Church which had been proclaimed before for many years. People will recognize this, and they will connect the dots. Most will hate the Two Witnesses, and as they see the connection between them and the Church, they will hate the Church even more than they had already before.

The Two Witnesses will begin their public proclamations at the beginning of the Great Tribulation which will last for 3 ½ years. There will be those who recognize their teaching as being in line with what the Church had been teaching before, and they will become converted. They will be protected by God from the great and terrible Day of the Lord—a one-year time period which will begin 2 ½ years after the beginning of the Great Tribulation. But realize the impact which the Two Witnesses and the Church will have: 144,000 Israelites will become converted along with a great multitude from all nations “which no one can number” (Revelation 7:9).

Inasmuch as no one can become converted unless God draws them, God is obviously blessing the Church’s labor of the proclamation of the gospel in all the world, and a mass calling will occur before Christ’s return. God has been involved with the Church’s efforts all along. Even just prior to Christ’s return, we see God’s continued involvement, as mentioned in Revelation 14:6-7:

“Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth–to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people–saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.’”

Even then, God and His angels support the proclamation of the gospel message through His Church and the Two Witnesses. The Scriptures are clear that all of that will occur. God will reveal, in due time, how exactly He will bring it about.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Inasmuch as none of the political and religious leaders of our nations will repent of their sins and stand in the gap to tell the people to repent of their sins and turn to the true God, calamity will follow. What a contrast to the king of Nineveh who, responding to Jonah’s warning, repented of his evil deeds and told the people to do likewise.

Notice God’s pronouncement in Isaiah 63:4-5:

“For the day of vengeance is in My heart, And the year of My redeemed has come. I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; And My own fury, it sustained Me.”

God’s Church must be different. A warning must be given, and God expects and requires of His Church to do so. And so, God demands of His Church to plead the cause of the needy and to show the leaders of our nations and the people following our leaders their sins with the hope that they will repent and turn. Isaiah 58:1 says:

“Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.” 

He continues to list some of those sins—brutal and violent conduct; disregard of the poor and needy; as well as Sabbath-breaking. This warning message of impending disaster, because of the sins of the leaders and the people, is to be proclaimed by God’s Church, like the blowing of a loud and mighty trumpet. 

We read in Ezekiel 33:2-7:

“Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’ So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.”

Today, the task of the watchman has been given to God’s Church, and we had better fulfill God’s command to warn the leaders and the people of coming disaster, unless they repent. This warning is being proclaimed today for everyone who is willing to see, hear and read. Again, God’s commission to His Church is stated in Ezekiel 3:17-19:

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.”

Jeremiah repeats this commission to God’s Church, but also points out that most will not listen. We read in Jeremiah 6:17-19:

“Also, I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’ Therefore hear, you nations, And know, O congregation, what is among them. Hear, O earth! Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people– The fruit of their thoughts, Because they have not heeded My words, Nor My law, but rejected it.”

Also notice Isaiah 48:6, charging His Church with declaring what  God reveals to it: “You have heard; See all this. And will you not declare it? I have made you hear new things from this time, Even hidden things, and you did not know them.” Also note verse 20: “Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! With a voice of singing, Declare, proclaim this, Utter it to the end of the earth…”

Yes, God’s people are commissioned to leave the evil systems of this world, and to admonish others to do likewise. God’s people are not supposed to be part of the world. But they are in this world, shining as lights among an evil and adulterous generation.

When God told Jeremiah that He had ordained him a prophet to the nations, He commanded: “Therefore prepare yourself and arise, And speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, Lest I dismay you before them. For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, And bronze walls against the whole land– Against the kings of Judah, Against its princes, Against its priests, And against the people of the land. They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,’ says the LORD, ‘to deliver you’” (Jeremiah 1:17-19).

Jeremiah spoke first to the people, but they did not listen. So he concluded: “Therefore I said, ‘Surely these are poor. They are foolish; For they do not know the way of the LORD, The judgment of their God. I will go to the great men and speak to them, For they have known the way of the LORD, The judgment of their God.’ But these have altogether broken the yoke And burst the bonds” (Jeremiah 5:4-5). 

A devastating example of the rebellion of the leaders and the people of our nations can be found in the end-time prophecy in Psalm 2:1-12. We read:

“Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD [God the Father] and against His Anointed [Jesus Christ; in Hebrew: Messiah], saying, ‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens [the Father] shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: ‘Yet I have set My King [Jesus Christ] On My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The LORD [the Father] has said to Me [Jesus Christ], ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son [Jesus Christ], lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.”

We see how the leaders and nations of this world are in total defiance of God—the Father and the Son—and none of that will change until Christ returns to this earth to establish the Kingdom and government of God, thereby replacing all human kings and rulers. They had received the warning and admonition from God, but as it is prophesied, they chose to ignore them.

Still, God told Jeremiah—and He tells us today—to continue warning the rulers and the people of terrible disaster which would strike them (Jeremiah 5:20-21: “Declare this in the house of Jacob And proclaim it in Judah, saying, ‘Hear this now, O foolish people, Without understanding, Who have eyes and see not, And who have ears and hear not…’”).

The rejection from the leaders and the people did not stop Jeremiah or the other prophets to continue proclaiming God’s warning. 

The prophets of old were charged to tell the leaders with whatever means available to them that they were doing wrong. John the Baptist did the same later when he told Herod that he was living in adultery. In Revelation 10:11, John is given a little book with the admonition, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.” This verse can also be understood that he had to proclaim a warning message before, concerning and against many peoples, nations, tongues and kings. Inasmuch as this is an end-time prophecy, this commission is given to God’s end-time Church. 

This includes, preaching against fighting in war. We read in Isaiah 28:6 that God gives “strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.” Also note Isaiah 54:15: “… they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.” The Good News Translation says: “Whoever attacks you, does it without my consent; whoever fights against you will fall.” This is why Christ says that we will perish by the sword if we take the sword to fight (Matthew 26:52; also note Revelation 13:10).

It also includes not voting in elections for our leaders. This should be self-evident when considering how God views them, and we are admonished to abstain from every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Note also Hosea 8:4:  “They set up kings, but not by Me; They made princes, but I did not acknowledge them…”

This end-time commission to warn the leaders and the people has been given to God’s Church today. But of course, it is prophesied that most will not listen, as they refused to listen to the prophets of old in ancient times. In fact, we read in Micah 2:11: “If a man should walk in a false spirit And speak a lie, saying, ‘I will prophesy to you of wine and drink,’ Even he would be the prattler of this people.” In other words, he would be the kind of prophet whom the people would like to have and listen to.

Also note God’s words in Ezekiel 33:30-33:

“As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.’ So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. And when this comes to pass—surely it will come—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

Still, this must not discourage or prevent us from proclaiming what we are called to do, thereby following God’s direct commission to the Church—realizing that this is part of the Work of God which God has given us to carry out. 

Lead Writer: Norbert Link