article: the midnight hour

THE MIDNIGHT HOUR

...Watchman, what of the night... The Morning is coming!
Isaiah 22:12

The Midnight Hour

At the New Year, I felt the Lord giving a word of encouragement from different sources, which I would like to share with the saints. It concerned the 'Midnight Hour'.

By a series of events and incidences this word seemed to be confirmed several times, perhaps for emphasis. Things have been getting steadily darker in the world, as Isaiah 60 might allude to - darkness covering the earth and its people. (Isa 60:1-3) But we were now coming up to the Midnight Hour when we would, as God's people, move into a season of new hope and expectancy, like the watchman who watches for the morning. (Ps 130:6) The psalms also tell us, 'Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.' (Ps 30:5) Darker in the world, more light in the church!

We would go on through the darkness, and, although the darkness would increase in the world, we, the Church, would have MORE LIGHT, as in Egypt when it was light in all the dwelling of God's people, while a thick darkness was on the Egyptians. (Ex 10:23)

A cry to see the glory of the Lord

Moreover, we would experience at midnight a visitation or deliverance from God.

God came at midnight to judge the gods of Egypt. (Ex 12:12,29) A great cry went up in all Egypt, the scripture tells us (Ex 12:30) For the ten virgins in the parable, the cry came at midnight, 'Behold the bridegroom comes'. (Matt 25:6)

Isaiah asked, speaking of John the Baptist, 'What shall I cry?' The answer was, all flesh is like grass that withers... but the word of the Lord endures for ever... the glory of the Lord would come. (Isa 40:5-8)

Like the children of Israel and the five wise virgins we need to be watching and waiting for the coming of our Lord, (Mark 13:35-37), with the loins of our mind girded and our lamps burning... Preparing His way.

The Lord will give us the oil of the Spirit as we serve Him and wait patiently for Him, with a warning that we do not turn away into sin and be overwhelmed with the cares or pleasures of this world. (Matt 24;42-51)

Light at Midnight

A Prophecy received here in Dundee in 1961 spoke of light coming at midnight - the light was lightning! Lightning bolts of power came from Christ's own hands. The bolts like arrows would reveal God’s plans and purposes to each one...

Revival in the Nation?

Jean Darnall's vision of Revival for UK and Europe spoke of twinkling lights all over the UK. These lights were seen through a green haze or fog (spiritual confusion from the enemy?) The lights were actually fires.

Jean said the lightning represented a sudden awakening to the nation.

Jean stressed that all the saints would be involved—it would be a grass-roots movement. Communicators would be raised up to carry the revival into society. Hugh Black in his book comments that Rev Henry Brash Bonsall of the Birmingham Bible Institute had a similar conviction of such a revival back in 1933.

Terry O'Reilly
Feb 2007

NOTE:

2007 sees the 300th anniversary of the Union of crowns of Scotland and England, the 200th anniversary of the beginning of abolition of slavery (UK parliament) and the 40th anniversary of the liberation of Jerusalem by Israeli troops in the 1967 war. We pray it may indeed be a time of unity, freedom from bondage and oppression, and of heavenly liberty to worship God!