Gates of the City

One of my all time favorite books is Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan, so I am starting this post with a short excerpt from the beginning of the first chapter –

“As I walk’d through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place where was a Den, and I laid me down in that place to sleep; and as I slept, I dreamed a Dream. I dreamed, and behold I saw a Man cloathed with Rags, standing in a certain place, with his face from his own house, a Book in his hand, and a great Burden upon his back. I looked, and saw him open the Book, and read therein; and as he read, he wept and trembled; and not being able longer to contain, he brake out with a lamentable cry, saying What shall I do?

“ In this plight therefore he went home, and refrained himself as long as he could, that his Wife and Children should not perceive his distress, but he could not be silent long, because that his trouble increased: Wherefore at length he brake his mind to his Wife and Children; and thus he began to talk to them: O my dear Wife, said he, and you the Children of my bowels, I your dear friend, am in myself undone by reason of a Burden that lieth hard upon me; moreover, I am for certain informed that this our City will be burned with fire from Heaven; in which fearful overthrow, both myself, with thee my Wife, and you my sweet Babes, shall miserably come to ruin, except (the which yet I see not) some way of escape can be found, whereby we may be delivered.

“At this his Relations were sore amazed; not for that they believed that what he had said to them was true, but because they thought that some frenzy distemper had got into his head; therefore, it drawing towards night, and they hoping that sleep might settle his brains, with all haste they got him to bed: But the night was as troublesome to him as the day; wherefore, instead of sleeping, he spent it in sighs and tears. So, when the morning was come, they would know how he did; He told them Worse and worse: he also set to talking to them again, but they began to be hardened: they also thought to drive away his distemper by harsh and surly carriages to him; sometimes they would deride, sometimes they would chide, and sometimes they would quite neglect him.

“ Wherefore he began to retire himself to his chamber, to pray for and pity them, and also to condole his own misery; he would also walk solitarily in the fields, sometimes reading, and sometimes praying: and thus for some days he spent his time. Now, I saw upon a time, when he was walking in the fields, that he was, as he was wont, reading in his Book, and greatly distressed in his mind; and as he read, he burst out, as he had done before, crying, What shall I do to be saved?

“ I saw also that he looked this way and that way, as if he would run; yet he stood still, because, as I perceived, he could not tell which way to go…”

I believe the only wise way to “go” in order to flee the City of Destruction my friends is to “Come out of her My people.” Now please rest assured that I know John Bunyan was speaking about leaving the world and sin and seeking first the Kingdom of God. I love the book and I have read it joyfully and with tears many times. But in scripture, sometimes things we read are not just parables and proverbs for teaching us principles. Sometimes they are actual instructions revealing the will of God for His people their need to flee the wrath to come.

It is easy to find “believers” who readily acknowledge that the call to “come out from among her My people” applies to one’s spiritual life to live as it were separate from the world; I mean it’s a whole lot easier to find those who admit that than do it. But I am persuaded time is running out and it is rapidly becoming necessary (for all those who can) to wake up and literally comply with this call of God to physically, geographically, separate themselves from wherever He is getting ready to pour out His judgment and wrath, and right now it looks like it is America.

To me, that warning in Revelation 18 to “come out” appears to be the last call given to escape those judgments that are ready to befall the eight empire before it falls headlong into perdition. A similar call was given and heeded by the first century church because Jesus instructed them to “flee to the mountains.” Personally, I am persuaded this is what those who have an ear to hear are presently being told by the Holy Spirit, to obey the scriptures and this admonition just as literally as the early Church did… he that has an ear, let him hear.

Luke 21:20 – And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. 22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

In my opinion, it is high time for Christians in America to quit spiritualizing everything and come up with a real sound “scriptural” reason why this call to “Come out of her My people” should not be taken just as literal as it was meant to be in the verse above as well as in the ones below. For is this not the exact same word which was given by God back then when He was admonishing the Israelites to flee Babylon because His wrath was about to be poured out upon it? What makes it all just spiritual nowadays? Other than wishful thinking and covetousness.

Jeremiah 51:6 – Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD’S vengeance; He will render unto her a recompense.

Jeremiah 51:45 – My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the LORD.

I think many believers in America have become sinfully complacent mostly because they have been taught that verse is the rapture call of Christ coming to steal away His bride. Some bitterly refusing to believe they need to worry about tribulation or hard times because “I’m gonna be raptured.” But that theology isn’t holding much water for the brothers and sisters who are presently suffering and dying for their faith in the Middle East right now, does it? No, I am persuaded those words to “come out” are given as a holy admonishment intended to be taken just as it was by the saints in Jeremiah’s and Noah’s time; as a stern call to obedience by God for the righteous to prove their hearts and thus condemn the wicked for their disobedience. When the time of the rapture is at hand we’ll be leaving earth, but I don’t think that verse is the indicator.

Hebrew 11:7 – By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Similarly, the obedience of the Christian to this admonishment to “come out” may well prove to be not only their final, but their most effective witness of the Spirit against the wicked in America; serving as divine evidence that they have gone too far. For America weighed in the balances again is found lacking, and the judgment Jonathan Edwards once preached that brought about “The Great Awakening,” surely now hangs like a sword above her once again because the people are asleep and in a stupor because of their unbridled indulgence in immorality and drunkenness.

I wish every Christian would fast and pray on their faces, and in a state of brokenness and contrition honestly open their hearts and minds and consider afresh this “Come out of her, My people.” But do it in the light of the words Jesus’ spoke when He sent forth the seventy, giving them POWER TO BE WITNESSES that the Kingdom of God had in truth come unto man.

Luke 9:5 – And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.

Luke 10:10 – But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, 11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. 12 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. 13 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. 15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell. 16 He that heareth you heareth Me; and he that despiseth you despiseth Me; and he that despiseth Me despiseth Him that sent Me.

Now in the light of that witness of scripture, consider Paul’s actions towards the rebellious Jews when he was in Macedonia.

Acts 18:5 – And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. 6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.

I have come to believe that call to “come out” is the greatest witness nowadays that the Church of Jesus Christ in America can give to the unbelievers of the world. I personally know that If the body of Christ in America would exercise the same faith as Abraham, and leave their natural country and trust God who has prepared for them an eternal City, that He would also provide for them wherever He leads them in their obedience. I know, because I left and now live outside the USA.

However beware, there cannot be a survivalist motive or mentality in “coming out,” that’s not faith. That’s self-preservation. We can’t come out to the glory of God seeking to save our own lives, nor can there be any trusting in the wisdom of man, or the strength of the flesh, or vain and shallow confidence in silver and gold for which many will foolishly lose their lives over. It needs to be just simple obedience for the glory of His Name alone, for that is the nature of true faith; and God will be their God who follows His leading.

This call to “Come out of her My people” is to be a testimony of God’s righteousness and a witness against the wicked, similar to Noah’s faith in his days, of whom scriptures says he condemned the world to its destruction by his own obedience, or that of just Lot who left all his possessions obediently fleeing Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction.

We all know sincere believers who have been preparing for the hard times they have seen coming to America, but with many it is out of fear and not faith and is done in the wisdom of their flesh. Hording up silver and gold trusting in its earthly worth, stockpiling food, buying guns and ammo, getting ready to fight in order to survive and to keep what is theirs. But what does any man have that is truly his? Or when did God ever deliver His people through filthy mammon or the arm of the flesh?

As it was with Babylon of old, America’s sins and pride have overtaken her. The rebellion has been steadfast too long and now judgment is certain and the tree condemned. As with the cutting down of any tree, there comes a time when the axe-man can stop striking the tree, for its strength is broken and ready to fall. All the axe-man needs to do is lay his hand against the tree and gently push and its descent begins with what seems to be slow motion as it will soon come crashing down in a whip like fashion.

It cannot be ignored when considering “the axe is laid unto the root of the tree,” that America has experienced profound noteworthy events with significant trees that I would assert are undeniable prophetic testimonies to her fate. First, on February 19, 2011, a Colorado Spruce which served as the National Christmas Tree, planted in 1978 in the Ellipse south of the White House was snapped by high winds, leaving only a broken stump standing.

Another event regarding significant trees in America happened on September 11, 2001, when a steel beam falling from one of the collapsing towers struck that sycamore growing on the grounds of St. Paul’s Chapel in New York City and destroyed it. Later the tree’s root system was casted and recreated for a memorial to the 9/11 event in New York City. The dying stump with its withering roots was removed and treated for preservation that it might then be displayed in the churchyard at St. Paul’s. Really?

What makes all this overwhelmingly important is that George Washington commenced the office of his presidency by escorting the Vice President and all members of the Senate and House of Representatives on foot to St. Paul’s Chapel for the sole purpose of dedicating America to both God’s sovereign care and service.

Since that sycamore tree was destroyed, it was later replaced in November 2003 with a 20-foot Norway Spruce that was confidently given the name “Tree of Hope.” However, though the spruce was ceremoniously planted with another public reading of Isaiah 9:10, having refused to grow, it withered and died and was therefore quietly removed and all this remains virtually unknown to sleeping Americans.

According to Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, the author of The Harbinger, “The keepers of the Tree of Hope did everything they could to save the withering tree. They even changed the soil in which it grew. But no matter what they did, the tree continued to wither away and die. Finally, in the spring of this year, the tree planted in the place of the fallen sycamore of Ground Zero, the symbol of a rising America, was uprooted. … The seventh harbinger is no more.”

So, America’s “Tree of Hope” that was planted defiantly in the face of God’s judgments on the most hallowed ground of America where she was birthed as a nation and dedicated to God, has withered and died, it’s been uprooted and destroyed. Are you listening? Are you watching and praying?

Brothers and sisters in America, I think it is time to “Come out of her, My people, that you may not be partakers of her sins, and that you may not receive of her plagues.”

Ezekiel 33:2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: 3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.