As I have been reading my bible recently, I have been spending time in the O.T prophetic scriptures. Time and time again I find that the O.T prophetic scriptures speak right into the contemporary church world.

In spite of en masse spiritual, moral and doctrinal indiferance within the churches of God, scripture looks forward to a time when the Lord will raise up his house in far greater glory.

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” Isaiah 2:2

As I read this scripture a few weeks ago, I immediatly asked myself- when will this take place?

I was deeply encouraged, and surprised, when I later found within the pages of Jonathan Edward’s Religious Affections the same way of thinking. It seems that Edwards believed that scripture foresaw an increasingly purified and glorified church in the last days.

“Though there never will, in this world, be an entire purity, either in particular saints, by a perfect freedom from mixture of corruption; or in the church of God, without any mixture of hypocrites with saints-or counterfeit religion and false appearances of grace with true religion and real holiness-yet, it is evident, there will come a time of much greater purity in the church, than has been in ages past. 415415    This appears plain by these texts of Scripture, Isa. lii. 1 Ezek. xliv. 6,7,9 Joel iii. 17 Zech. xiv. 21 Psal. lxix. 32,35,36 Isa. xxxv. 8,10 iv. 3,4 Ezek. xx. 38 Psal. xxxvii. 9,10,11,29 And one great reason of it will be, that at that time, God will give much greater light to his people, to distinguish between true religion and counterfeits; Mal. iii. 3. “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.” With Mal. iii. 18.which is a continuation of the prophecy of the same happy times, “Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked; between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.”

What amazing insight, and what amazing scriptural references!

It is interesting that one of the marks of this process of purification is discernment.

I wonder if we are on the threshold of God’s plans and purposes in relation to his end time church? I wonder if the present shaking- and extreme mixtures of discernment and blindness within the body of Christ today are the signs that this may be the season that we are about to head in to?