To understand biblical prophecy, we need the mentality of a poet rather than that of a mathematician, or that of a prophet more than a teacher. Many theologians and theological schools are mathematicians more than poets. They have trouble understanding, or even giving credibility to, a language for the heart more than the mind. Although necessary when establishing doctrine, this doesn’t work when applied to prophecy.

         Last week, I brought up a few aspects of Count Zinzendorf’s life that I think made him one of the extraordinary Christians of the church age. We will continue surveying other great Christian lives, but first I want to review why studying them can reap benefits beyond mere inspiration.

        Jesus was crucified between two thieves—yesterday and tomorrow. One of these was in bondage to his past—things he had done. The other was in bondage to the future—asking Jesus to remember Him when He came into His kingdom. While on the cross, Jesus honored the second thief’s amazing faith but corrected his understanding. He said, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Many can only see Jesus in the past, the biblical, historical Jesus. Others focus almost entirely on His coming again.

Almost daily, there is evidence that the foundations of world governments and institutions are crumbling. In biblical prophecy, the primary cause of what is called, “the great tribulation” (see Matthew 24:21; Revelation 7:14), which will come at the end of this age, is the result of human problems exceeding human remedies. With this increasing shaking, questions are being asked with increasing frequency: Should we work to help shore up these foundations? As the salt we are called to be, should we help to preserve them?

We are still speaking in generalizations, but let us back up a bit and think about what the army of God will look like when it is fully equipped and ready for battle. To really understand it, we must first understand how it will relate and not relate to a human army. First, let’s list just a few general similarities:

Ways that God’s army will be like a human army:
 

Last year I was given a dream in which I saw a cloud of death sweeping the earth. To escape this cloud, I had to enter a house, which I knew was the house of the Lord. When I got to the door, even though I knew I had the key to the house, I could not find it quickly enough, and the dream ended with me frozen in panic. This dream, along with other words and visions that I received from the Lord, gave me an urgency to encourage all believers to find their place in His house, the church, without delay.

This year we have been devoted to understanding the coming kingdom of God and the many ways in which we are preparing the way for the Lord by building a highway. This highway has been under construction since the church was born on the day the Lord walked the earth and began calling those who would follow Him. To perceive this highway, we must have an expansive vision. Once we begin to see it, we will see it almost everywhere and will be astonished at how great and expansive it is. This is the heart cry of Psalm 90:16-17: