If you want to see how God can reveal Himself through judgment, study the Old Testament judgment of Egypt in the book of Exodus. God used signs and wonders to show the people of that nation that He, the God of Israel, is the one true God. He garnered the forces of nature for His own purposes so the Egyptians could see Him as the creator and ruler of the universe. He would hold each judgment in place (frogs, locusts, hail, et cetera) until Pharaoh acknowledged Him by calling Moses and saying, “All right! I’ll admit it. Your God is more powerful than ours are. Please ask Him to have mercy on us!”
And every time Pharaoh asked for mercy, God gave it to him.
That’s why I’m full of faith and expectation about the judgment of the nations. Although there will be dreadful aspects to it in the natural, I believe it’s going to open the door for a worldwide harvest of souls into the kingdom of God. People who never believed in God will believe and seek to get right with Him, because they’ll see Him demonstrating His power and might before their very eyes.
That may sound wildly optimistic, but according to the Scriptures, it’s exactly what is going to happen. Isaiah chapter 25 says that in the last days when the nations gather against Israel and God judges them by coming to Israel’s defense, cities will be made a heap and palaces will be destroyed; and at that time:
… in this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all people, a feast of choice pieces, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of well-refined wines on the lees. And He will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations.
(verses 6 – 7)
For years, the Devil has kept a veil over the nations of the earth. He has deceived them through false religions like Islam and thrown a covering over their eyes so they can’t see God! As a result, the Gospel “is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Cor. 4:3 –4).
But the Bible says a time is coming when God will destroy that coveringand reveal Himself to those nations. He will do it on Mount Zion, the mountain of Jerusalem. And the prophetic signs indicate that He will do it soon!
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 25:1 – 12
Source: Devotions for the Praying Heart by Lynne Hammond.
Excerpt permission granted by Lynne Hammond Ministries
On the chilly March night in 1972 when Lynne Hammond took her first step into a life of Spirit-led prayer, she had no idea what was about to happen. All she knew was the hunger in her heart for God wouldn’t let her sleep. In the few short months she’d been born again, her desire to fellowship with Him had grown so strong she could hardly contain it. “Help me, God!” she cried. “I want to know you. I want to be able to talk to you. Please, teach me to pray!”
Suddenly, a heavenly presence flooded the room. Lynne sensed waves of spiritual fire sweeping over her and a beautiful language began to flow like a river from within her. Although she’d never heard of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, she knew instantly, without a doubt—this was God!
What began that night soon blossomed into a life of prayer that ultimately became a ministry of prayer when, in 1980, Lynne and her husband, Mac, founded Living Word Christian Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Under Lynne’s leadership, the prayer ministry at Living Word has become an internationally recognized model for developing effective pray-ers in the local church.
A teacher and an author, Lynne publishes a newsletter called Prayer Notes, has written numerous books, and currently serves as the national prayer director for Daughters for Zion. Her passion for inspiring and leading others into the life of Spirit-led prayer continues to take her around the world to minister to believers whose heart cry, like hers, is “Lord, teach me to pray!”