“To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.…And it shall happen… that they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.” (Isaiah 8:20–22)
The Prophet Isaiah spoke about a time and a people who would be so puffed up in their own arrogance and in their own ways, a people who thought they were so wise in their own eyes, that they would actually be supernaturally blinded and be driven into trouble, distress, and darkness through their own arrogance. Their “light” would actually be “darkness”, and that darkness would be an act of the judgement of God! Hear the prophet of the Lord as he cries out! “Who walks in darkness And has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD And rely upon his God. Look, all you who kindle a fire, Who encircle yourselves with sparks: Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled-- This you shall have from My hand: You shall lie down in torment.” (Isaiah 50:10-11)
Today, we are witnessing unrestrained lawlessness, wickedness, rioting and mayhem, along with murders and all sorts of evil being released upon our streets in towns and cities across America. Under the guise of justice gross injustice’s are being perpetrated. The very foundations of our social structures are being shaken to the core. For America, except for the Civil War perhaps, this is unprecedented. And even that was fundamentally different, it was not a general breakdown of the social fabric and structure, it was not a movement of anarchy and lawlessness, but rather a war fought between two opposing armies and soldiers over a singular issue. That being said, many now are asking, “What is happening to us today?”, and ‘Why is this happening?” There is without question a myriad of reasons as to “why” this is happening in America today most of which I cannot address here. However, as to the question, “what is happening?”, let me answer that question in the simplest of terms. America is under judgment.
I realize that some reading this will bristle and reject that statement. Nevertheless, I stand by it. And not only do I stand by it, I plead with you to recognize it and understand where we are at in this season and prepare yourself for what is yet to come. And, not only prepare yourself, but also warn others to flee from the wrath to come by preaching the undiluted Gospel of Jesus Christ! Time is quickly running out for people who need to embrace the salvation and hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ! These are dark days for America, and they are going to get even darker. There is and will be a deepening and increasing darkness that will envelop this nation! America is being driven into darkness and be assured it is a form of judgement. This form of judgement can be seen time and time again throughout the word of God. For example we read in Isaiah; “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ “Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:9–10).
Now, before you simply write me off as just some “doom and gloomer”, let me assure you that I have, and I hold on to a glorious hope in Jesus Christ. The Saved and Redeemed of the Lord have a bright and glorious future! However, that hope, and that future is not in this present world’s system, but is in His Kingdom which is coming, and which will consume all the other kingdoms of this world!
In the meantime, He will judge the nations of this world in His righteousness for their National sins and abominations, as He always has throughout world history. And America is no different. We have become a culture and a society, particularly in the public forum and in the governmental realm that has both rejected and mocks God’s Word. And as I quoted above in the heading of this article, ““To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.…(therefore) they will be driven into darkness.” (Is.8:20;22). And this darkness is a malignant cancer in the soul of this nation. We’ve mocked His word and His ways in our public policies, both legislatively and in actions. Many of our so-called “leaders”, both “spiritual” and “civil” leaders, are walking in a miasma of moral relativism. But worse yet, not only are they walking in this darkness, they are embracing the darkness and giving themselves over to it, believing it is “enlightenment”! They are exactly those ethically and spiritually blind leaders whom the Lord described this way, “…if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:23) How great is that darkness indeed! “Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.” (Luke 11:35).
Understand this! It is one thing to stumble and fall in the darkness, but it is quite another thing to embrace it! We all stumble and fall in many ways. But there is a difference between stumbling in the frailty of our humanity and openly embracing the evil of darkness. Take heed to what Jesus said regarding this! “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” (John 3:19–20). Do you understand what Jesus is saying here? There is an abiding judgement and condemnation on those who love and embrace the darkness! And this is precisely the place where we find ourselves in at this present time regarding this nation! There are evil forces in this country that are hell bent on destroying the Judeo-Christian foundations of this country, and they have all but succeeded. They purposefully seek to foment civil unrest and to tear apart and divide by class, race, or by whatever means they can. If there is one spiritual principle that they do understand and utilize to their advantage it is that “a house divided will not stand”. They do not care about the truth and they hate the light! They have completely given themselves over to the powers of darkness! They love the darkness! Therefore, they will be further driven into darkness! And they will stand for nothing but wickedness, deceit, godlessness, and blasphemies of every sort; all the while calling evil, good, and good, evil! All the while exchanging light for darkness and darkness for light! However, let there be no doubt that the Lord is Holy and full of justice and though He is also merciful, patient, and long-suffering, nevertheless he will not be mocked and, “…whatever a man sows that he will also reap.”. And that principle applies not only to individuals but to nations as well. If we sow to the wind, we will reap the whirlwind! And we are now seeing a very dark and fearsome whirlwind forming over our nation!
A Plague of Darkness
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt." So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. (Exodus 10:21-23)
I would have you to consider that just as Egypt was judged by the Lord with incrementally worsening plagues, similarly America’s judgments are likewise being measured out. And like the Egyptians, with each passing “incident”, we have momentarily responded with a feigned repentance, but then quickly go back to “business as usual”. With each judgement plague God was trying to get the Egyptians attention and to get the rulers of Egypt to repent while at the same time He was preparing His people for their deliverance! One of those plagues was a deep and palpable darkness. And there is a real, deep, and palpable darkness that is encroaching both upon our nation and this world! Yes, a “...darkness which may even be felt." Can you not feel it? Yes, and there is no doubt that many are feelng it! And just as the Egyptians so many are even now being overwhelmed and paralyzed by the fear of the darkness! I’ve even spoken with Christians I know who are falling into this fear as they see the evilness of this darkness being manifested right in front of them! Fear and trepidation gripping their hearts!
However, I want to encourage you who believe the Lord! Take hold of what Jesus said, and “… do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known. “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.” (Matthew 10:26–27). In these dark days God is revealing His purposes to those of His People who are listening! He's saying don't fear the darkness! Do not fear what the darkness is doing! I am going to speak to you in the darkness! I am going to give you wisdom and insight in the midst of the darkness! I am going to tell you of things to come! And what I speak to you in the darkness proclaim it from the rooftops!
The writer of Proverbs observed that, “The way of the wicked is like darkness. They do not know what makes them stumble.” (Proverbs 4:19)
To be driven into darkness is to be handed over to a reprobate mind. (cf./Rom.1:28). This darkness is both supernatural and incurable! Having rejected the truth, God blinds them even further into believing the lie! (cf/2 Thess.2:1012). It is not merely a passive blindness produced by the god of this world, a mere blockage of light. No! It is an active resistance that comes from God Himself! It is a judgement where God Himself drives the wicked further and further into darkness! Does that horrify you? It should! You may even refuse to believe that God would do that to anyone! But the Word would refute your unbelief! For He says,“Then My anger shall be aroused against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured. And many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ And I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they have done…” (Deuteronomy 31:17 -18 ).
I need to say it again! There is a great darkness coming upon America! And I need to emphasize I am not just speaking spiritually or metaphorically, but this darkness will be manifested in the physical and the natural. I am somewhat reluctant to describe exactly how it will manifest, other than to say it will manifest in a multitude of ways. War fought on our own soil, economic collapse, pestilence, plague, and famine. Many of you reading this will reject this, thinking it cannot happen here in America. I am telling you it is already begun!
Therefore, as the Lord said; "A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them. (John 12:35-36). “Yes, woe to them when I depart from them!” (Hosea 9:12) "The light of the wicked indeed goes out, And the flame of his fire does not shine...He is driven from light into darkness...”(Job 18:5 ;18)
How terrible it is that our nation is being driven into darkness by its own political leaders! But even worse yet! By even many of its so-called spiritual leaders! Woe! Unto to these blind guides! Those who are apostate and those who are afraid to call out the apostates! Now, I both know and realize that there are literally thousands of good, righteous, preachers and pastors out there, (God always reserves unto himself a remnant!) but where are the National Leaders who are calling out the sins of the nation? Both in the pews and in the public square! Where are leaders who are speaking truth to power and light into the darkness? They are few and far between! Tragically most of our “leaders” today are morally bankrupt and intellectually vacuous. They have mostly become moral cowards and wolves in sheep’s clothing. Beware! The wolves come out in the darkness of night! Furthermore, weakness invites the wolves. When a nation is as hopelessly divided as we are the threats of roving wolves are many. The threats from within of civil war, revolution, or a coup become heightened. And the threats from without become even more heightened as well. Our enemies will seek to exploit our division either directly by surprise attack or indirectly by moving and advancing in other parts of the world while we are distracted by our own infighting.
“But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” (Exodus 10:23)
There is so much more that needs to be said regarding these things, but I must leave it here for now. But be assured of this! There is despite this present darkness a glorious new day approaching for the redeemed of the Lord! I like the way the New Living Translation renders Proverbs 4:18; “The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.” As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we are called to be heralds of hope! It was an English theologian, Thomas Fuller in the year 1650 who first said, "it's always the darkest before the dawn." And we must be those beams of the light of the coming dawn piercing through the darkness. The darkness is no doubt terrible and frightening, but fear not! The darkness will neither win nor prevail in the end! For, “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned." From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:16-17)
Andy White - Open Up The Doors
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