“Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us:
In the third day he will raise us up, (Restore us) and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.” Hosea 6:1-3
Old Testament prophecies can be hard to understand, but this one really makes sense to me and backs up so many other verses on the End Times. This prophecy in Hosea is in the process of being fulfilled in our day, and its really exciting to be part of it. These verses speak of 3 Prophetic Days that bring us up to the time in which we live. The key is to understand ‘Prophetic Time.’
In 2 Peter 3:18 it says that a day with the Lord is as 1000 years. If you apply this principle to these verses in Hosea from the birth of Christ, then it brings us to the 21st century. We are now in the 3rd Day.
“But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” 2 Peter 3:8
From the birth of Jesus in 0 AD until 1000 AD would be the 1st Day. From 1000 AD to the year 2000 AD would be the 2nd Day, and now we are in the 3rd Day.
In the 1st Day (1000 years) we see that all the Church had accomplished was stolen from them by Satan and they entered into the Dark Ages. They were torn and beaten up with a need of healing and binding. The Church lost its way and needed to repent. It all started with the persecutions of Pagan Rome and then Papal Rome.
The Church ended up being steeped in Priest Craft, idol worship, superstition, and the word was kept from the masses. They were indeed dark days, for the Devil had robbed the Church blind.
The promise was given at Pentecost that there would be a Restoration of all the things that the Church had lost before Jesus returned.
“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” Acts 3:19-21
Praise God later in the 2nd Day (1000 to 2000AD) things began to change through the printing of God’s word in 1450 AD making the truth available to everyone. This led to the Reformation in 1517 AD and a gradual restoring of all that had been lost. Water Baptism was one of the first.
With faith rising in the hearts of the people, there were Spiritual Revivals in the 1700s and 1800s, along with the formation of Bible and Missionary Societies to try and reach a lost world. Great preachers were raised up that helped change the spiritual landscape, with men like Wesley, Finney, Hudson Taylor, and Spurgeon just to name a few.
At the turn of the 20th Century there was a significant shift in the Spirit realm with a resurgence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues. There was also a restoration of healings, prophecy and miracles to the Church.This move of God led to the Azusa Street Revival which was a significant milestone in Church history.
In 1904-05 we had the Welsh Revival that also had a impact on the world. Miracles and healings were now being restored to the Church and great ministries were raised up such as George Jefferies, William Branham, A. A Allen, T L Osborne and Oral Roberts just to name a few. Billy Graham was also a powerful Evangelist who led countless 1000s of souls to the Lord in the mid to late 1900s. All these ministries helped revive a dying Church but God still has something even greater reserved for the 3rd Day.
You may say. “Here we are in the 3rd Day (2000 AD onward) and things appear to have stagnated?” I would like to point out that God is still working. Jesus said that Evil (Tares) would increase near the time of the End along with Good (Wheat) so don’t be surprised.
“Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” Matthew 13:24-30
Jesus also said that He would build His Church and nothing would be able to stop it from happening. The Devil thought He had won with Pagan Rome and again with Papal Rome, but the truth still prevailed.
“I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail.” Matthew 16:18
Proverbs 4:18 says that the Path of the Just will get brighter and brighter, not weaker and weaker as we get closer to the Lord’s Return, for Christ will build His Church and the Gates of Hell will not prevail.
“But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18
Here in the West things look dry, but did you know that in China there are over 44 million Christians. That’s not counting those in the underground Church, which some say would bring the figure up to around 100 million Christians. That’s more than the whole population of Australia and New Zealand combined - 31 million plus the population of the United Kingdom. - 67 million.
After the year 2000 the Lord says He will Raise the Church up. She will be made complete.
“in the third day he will Raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.”
The Lord wants to Raise the Church onto a whole new level.
This reminds me of Ezekiel 37 and the Valley of Dry Bones. Everything looked hopeless, for the bones were very dry, but God turned things around, raising up an Great Army.
In Ezekiel 37 it tells us that the ‘Dry Bones’ needed to be prophesied over and a calling forth of the Holy Spirit to breath life into them.
There now needs to be a prophetic word spoken over the Church along these lines, for the Lord does nothing without first revealing it to His servants the Prophets.
“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD:” Hosea 6:3
Something significant is also meant to happen during the 3rd Day, and that is to really ‘Know’ the Lord. This speaks of a having intimacy with Him. It’s the word ‘Yada’ in Hebrew which speaks of ‘knowing’ a person intimately. In Genesis chapter 4 it says that Adam ‘knew’ (Yada) Eve. He had an intimate marriage relationship with her.
If we are getting close to the Lord’s return then in stands to reason that the Bride of Christ will get herself ready and develop a deeper love relationship with her Lord. If you have been paying attention you will notice that this is exactly what the Spirit has been trying to show His Church in these days. The Song of Songs is being opened up to us, revealing how much the King loves His Bride (The Church). There are so many beautiful worship songs being written now, with Radio Stations completely dedicated to Christian music.
..”and we shall live in his sight.”
It says that we shall live in His sight. We will not be walking afar off anymore, but drawing close to Him. ‘Sight’ in Hebrew is ‘Paniym,’ which means His face, His presence.
The fruit of this intimacy will be a Great End Time Revival. Greater than that of the Early Church, for the Bride will ‘know’ God in all His fullness.
“But the people who do KNOW their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” Daniel 11:32
“and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former (early) rain unto the earth.” Hosea 6:3
The Bible tells us to ask the Lord for this rain when its the right time. It’s now the 3rd Day and it’s time to favour Zion.
“Ask the LORD for rain in the time of the latter rain. The LORD will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, Grass in the field for everyone.” Zechariah 10:1
Its always been God’s plan to have revival before the Return of the Lord, as we see in James 5:7-9.
“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” James 5:7-9
It’s the Lords desire that His Church be restored to its former glory and even more so. He wants us to really live in His Presence and Know Him. Knowing Him will bring about the Latter Rain.
Some teach that the Church will get weaker and weaker before the Return of the Lord but this isn’t true to scripture. Yes we do live in a time of great temptation but all is not lost for those who seek the Lord. Even if it seems like there is no hope, Ezekiel 37 shows us that God can turn everything around through prophecy. Even for those who are very dry can be changed.
I believe something unique is going to happen for the Church in the 3rd Day, and especially for those who seek the Lord with all their hearts. It’s not the time to just be a spectator or a ‘couch potato.’ It’s time to be a Participator. The call is going out. ‘Bride get yourself Ready.’ Hear the word of the Lord.
