This is a Prophetic word from the Lord for the end-time Church:
In the Book of Joshua, we see the children of Israel walking in obedience to the Law of God. We observe them walking in the statutes and the judgments of the written Law of the Lord. Because of their obedience to the Lord, they conquered and defeated every enemy that rose against them, and everyone they set their hands against. As the Bible transitions into the Book of Judges, however, the children of Israel turn from their path.
Judges 2:7
So the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord which He had done for Israel.
The Word of God says that the people of God “served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua…” It goes on to say that the people of God served Him while the elders were still alive; the elders who saw the mighty works God did for them. Yet when all the elders died, the children of Israel turned from following the Law of God, and fell into sin and unfaithfulness before the Lord.
Judges 2:10-14
When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel. Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals; and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger. They forsook the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel. So He delivered them into the hands of plunderers who despoiled them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies
After the generation who saw the mighty works of the Lord died off, a new generation of people arose who did not know the Lord. This generation led themselves into sin and idol worship, as well as other foul sins before the throne of the Lord. So over the course of the next 1000 years or so, God sent Prophet after Prophet to warn the people of the judgment and doom to come upon them, and to guide them back into a lifestyle of holiness and obedience before the Lord. From Samuel to Malachi, the Lord called for Israel to come back into obedience to His Word. Yet even after all of His patience and love, the people of Israel did not listen. Israel did not heed the words of the holy Prophets of God. So God went on to finally send His Son to the Earth to accomplish His work. Yet before Jesus was manifested in the “sight” of the people as the Son of Glory, God sent a FORERUNNER named John the Baptist. John the Baptist prepared the people of God, as well as sinners, for the coming of the Christ. John the Baptist spoke a message of holiness and righteousness to the people. He stressed the importance of repentance from dead works and turning away from sin. He opened the eyes of those who were confessing to be holy, causing them to realize that they were some of the most sinful people on the face of the Earth.
Luke 3:7-9
Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children of Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
John the Baptist preached Jesus, and constantly and consistently spoke of His arrival. He urged the people to turn from their wicked and perverse ways, because the coming of the Christ was soon upon them. This sequence of events is exactly what we see now in the Body of Christ. While people of God such as William Seymour, Smith Wigglesworth, Kathryn Kuhlman, Maria Woodworth-Etter, and John G. Lake (among others) were walking on upon the Earth, the people of God were living lives of holiness and deep devotion before God. Christians were following the Word of God and living lives that were pleasing before the throne of God. This is because (as Judges 2:7 states) the people saw the mighty works which God was doing. Now when these men and women of renown, along with the generation who saw the works of God through them, left the Earth to be with the Lord, another generation arose who did not know the Lord. People began rejecting the Word of the Lord and began walking in their own way. People began falling into deep sins and unholy acts before God. Brethren, we are living in that generation.
NOW IS THE TIME FOR THE FORERUNNERS TO ARISE AND DO THE WORK OF THE WORK OF THE LORD! We must preach a message against sin and lawlessness. We must open the eyes of the “church folk” to see that they are some of the most sinful people upon the face of the Earth. We must speak to the world and Church about preparing themselves for the second coming of Jesus Christ. We must preach a message of repentance from dead works and salvation before God. God has become hot with anger against the Church, America, and the world, and is ready to breathe down fire from Heaven. We must do the work He has called us to do. YOU ARE THE FORERUNNERS! Do the work of the Lord, for Jesus is coming, and it’s our job to get the people ready. As we saw, it was obedience to God, His Word, and His servants that produced victory over Israel’s enemies. Here is a spiritual truth for you: you can determine your level of obedience by your level of victory. We must do the work of the Lord, for the world is waiting, and victory will only be won through our obedience to the Lord.
Prophet Jonathan Herring