Will You be Ready?

Revelation 19: 11-16. 2003. (Third painting)

Revelation Chapter 19 begins with these words. After this, I heard a vast crowd in heaven shouting, “Hallelujah! Salvation is from our God. Glory and power belong to him alone.

This above verse reveals that the saints were shouting loud and clear that their God had been all along the one true God. And that all other gods’ had been false, they could not save or bring Salvation, Glory and power that their God could bring.

Revelation 19: 11, Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. And the one sitting on the horse was named Faithful and True. For he judges fairly and then goes to war. Before the coming of the Messiah the trumpet will sound heralding His arrival but His arrival is one of war.

When I began this painting in 2003, two evangelists from Namibia Africa were visiting New Zealand. Before coming to N.Z. they had spent time travelling Israel. They said they had been led by God to take with them a trumpet, this they did. As they were travelling to the temple wall in Jerusalem, they felt the Lord asking them to blow the trumpet at the wall. They themselves didn’t blow it, but asked a young Jewish boy if he would blow it for them, he agreed and took their trumpet to the wall and blew it.

As they ministered through New Zealand people began telling them about the prophetic biblical paintings. After visiting the Elim Church where they were being displayed, they asked if they could visit my studio. At that time I had just started painting Revelation 19: 11-16. When they arrived at my studio they began to tell me about their journey to Israel and about the young Jewish boy who had blown their trumpet at the wall. They then informed me that the Holy Spirit was now leading them to blow the same trumpet across my land. I must admit I was a little skeptical at first, but I said “if that is what God is telling you, then you must do it”. They blew the trumpet, and (1) I was shown that it was a prophetic enactment of Revelation 19, it was as if the painting needed to be heralded in? and (2) it was without doubt the spiritual trumpet of Gods voice, the Lord of Hosts, sounding His protection over this commission.

(Psalm 24:8). Who is the King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. (Exodus 15:3). The LORD is a warrior the LORD is his name.

(Revelation 19: 11-16).

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider was called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth came a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has the name written; KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

THE TRUMPET, THE VOICE, THE PROPHECY.

I believe that we, today’s millennium Church are now entering into a time when we will begin to see the warring and fighting aspect of the LORD, He who is mighty in battle. He will bring justice to those who are His.

The end time Church at some point will face a spiritual battle unprecedented when the enemy begins to try and deceive even the elect if that is possible, Jesus reveals this in (Matt 24:24). (1 Timothy 4: 1) God’s Spirit speaks expressly, that in latter times some shall apostatise from the faith, giving their mind to deceiving spirits and teaching of demons.

As the Church moves towards its rapture, the battle between Christ’s Bride and the earth’s antichrist will become much greater. It took a unified army of fighting soldiers along with the hand and favour of the LORD of Hosts to overcome the enemy.

It is interesting to note, that the timing, completion and hanging of this painting coincided with the Feast of the Trumpets in Israel in 2003, it was something I had not realised until it was pointed out to me. At that time I didn’t have an understanding of Israel’s shadow feasts as I do today, they are just as the Tabernacle was, both a shadow and a pre requisite of the coming Messiah Jesus Christ. In the Jewish feasts, Trumpets announce the following, the Day of Atonement and Tabernacles. The Day of Atonement is the most solemn day of the Jewish ecclesiastical year. The Day of Atonement has to do with sin, redemption, and its removal from the camp. And Tabernacles has to do with the Messiahs return to earth to Tabernacle among men.

As followers in Christ, these three feasts, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles symbolise the Kingdom of God working in us. Trumpets are our voices, they are the prophets, those who pray in and by the Spirit, who advance with the kingdom of heaven. (Jude vs. 20) build yourselves up with your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Tongues, the heavenly language and voice of faith that the Holy Spirit translates for us unto God. (Romans 8: 26-27) We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with Gods will. And our sins are atoned by the blood of the lamb, Jesus. (Romans 3: 25) God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement.

This is why we need to hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches at this time. If we have quenched the Holy Spirit, then it is to our own peril, for Paul teaches us; that we “wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6: 12)

A disorganised, un-informed body of Christ, sadly will be open to attack, putting its soldiers in the most vulnerable position that any army could be in.

As a wildlife artist and photographer, I’ve studied flocks of sea birds perching high upon the cliffs tops. They are exposed to all weather’s and to the attacks of birds of prey, like eagles and hawks for example. When a bird of prey is seen by the flock an alarm call (trumpet) is immediately sounded, and at once the birds will lift off in unity which confuses the enemy making it hard for them to catch one. Generally it’s always the straggler, the late one who had been complacent about the warning that is captured.

Again, I believe that the trumpet is sounding for the many different denominations of Church on earth today, for where the gospel has been changed to create a following, they too will be tested and refined, for (1 Peter 4: 17) say’s “For it is time for judgement to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what the outcome will be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

The Trumpet is sounding to the shepherds who have separated the flock (Bride) from hearing the voice of her one true Shepherd (Bridegroom). What was once a natural occurrence throughout the New Testament Church, (prophecy, tongues and the interpretation of tongues to edify the body of believers) is now directed away from ears and out of sight so as not rock the boat adhering to those people who fear man and the manifestations of the Holy Spirit so to speak? Religion murders, (cross) the Spirit gives life. Romans 8.

(1 Corinthians 14; 1-4) Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for the strengthening, encouragement and comfort. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the Church.

I would like to finish with this thought: The disciples who became Apostles witnessed to people from their own personal experience and friendship that they had had with Jesus, and by the Holy Spirit that He gave to them after He left. He commanded them to wait until He the Holy Spirit had come to empower them. The New Testament had not yet been published as we know it today. They had knowledge of the truth because they were the disciples of the Truth (Jesus), it was written on their hearts and on their minds. They had a knowledge of the old scribes of law, but witnessed from the knowledge of the liberty of Grace and love of their Master’s ways. And it is only when we begin to know someone personally that we begin to form a relationship and that relationship forms a bond of trust.

JESUS LOVES HIS BRIDE, HE IS LOVE AS IS HIS FATHER. HE IS ZEALOUS FOR HIS BRIDE THE CHURCH, AND HE WILL FIGHT FOR HER AND OVER HER. IT IS HIS BATTLE. HE DOESN’T WANT HIS BRIDE TO GET LOST ALONG THE WAY, FOR THE ROAD IS A NARROW ONE. HE HAS PEPARED FOR HIS WIFE A FEAST OF GREAT BEAUTY AND MAGNITUDE.

GOD IS LOVE.