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Following the Lamb withersoever he goes is an opportunity offered the final generation. But to truly follow the Lamb wherever he leads requires a willingness to set aside cherished beliefs. |
Zephaniah opens with a solemn warning that has a special application to the final generation: “And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, Yahuwah will not do good, neither will he do evil” (Zephaniah 1:12).
“Lees” isn’t a word most of us are familiar with. I once heard a preacher say that it means “haunches.” Yahuwah, he said, was telling believers not to settle down on their haunches and be at rest. While the intent is there, the actual definition is something completely different. Lees is another word for dregs which is the sediment that appears at the bottom of wine bottles. Sediment is actually a natural byproduct of the process of making wine.
Complacency—feeling so satisfied with your current level of knowledge that you’re unaware of possible dangers—is endangering many souls today.
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Natural it may be, but no one dumps out a bottle of wine just to savor the dregs at the bottom. Zephaniah is warning people not to be complacent with what they think they know to be the truth. Complacency—feeling so satisfied with your current level of knowledge that you’re unaware of possible dangers—is endangering many souls today. In fact, the final generation is more at risk of settling into self-satisfied complacency than all previous generations combined precisely because we also have greater light than any previous generation.
This danger is spelled out in Revelation 3:15 to 17: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.”
It takes commitment to the truth, it takes actively searching and digging for more truth to avoid the pitfalls of self-satisfaction and complacency. Or, to use Zephaniah’s illustration, it takes commitment to the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth to refuse to be satisfied with the dregs that have settled out. The dregs may be a natural byproduct of the process, but Yahuwah’s people are not to be content to settle for the lees. We are to press on to receive the pure wine of divine truth.
This can come at a high cost. Relationships may suffer. Others may misunderstand and judge, but for all who would follow the Lamb wherever he goes, it is essential that truth is actively sought for and not just passively accepted. John describes those of the final generation who do this: “These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to [Yahuwah] and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of [Yah]” (Revelation 14:4-5).
Do you wish to be found without fault before Yahuwah’s throne? Do you wish your mouth to hold no deceit? It takes being willing to study with an open mind and accept new light. It also means being willing to admit when you’ve been wrong and not be too proud to admit it.
Revelation 17 contains an extremely important prophecy: “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.”
WLC has long taught that the seven mountains/kings are seven popes, with the late Benedict XVI being the seventh king. However, new light on the prophecies of Ezekiel has revealed to us that our assumption that Pope Francis was the eighth king was incorrect. Ezekiel 38 foretells of a coalition of many nations, led by Russia, that will invade Israel.
Yahuwah will intervene powerfully to destroy Israel’s enemies. Ezekiel 39:7 states unequivocally that the aftermath and recovery period will be seven years. Adding this time period to Russia’s current actions in Ukraine and the demilitarization of NATO would require more time than the current age of Pope Francis could permit. As he was born in 1936, he does not have enough years of life left to be the eighth pope with all the international political movements that entails.
“The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18).
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We do not, at this time, have a full understanding of all the details of Revelation 17. For example, we do not understand what Revelation 17:11 means when it states that “The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.” This could possibly be referring to a demonic impersonation of the late and widely beloved Pope John Paul II. This would fit the description of the eighth being one of the seven, but at this point, that is purely speculative.
Pope Francis, then, is a transitional pope. He is not one of the seven. On the world stage, nations are aligning to fulfill Ezekiel’s prophecy that will climax with the return of Yahushua but we’re not there quite yet. Yahuwah wants as many to be saved as possible. Therefore, He delays as long as possible to give all the best chance possible to be saved.
This side of eternity, while we still have fallen natures, perfection even among the most sincere of believers isn’t possible, but we can learn and continue to learn. “The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18). Let us commit to laying aside error as it is revealed to us, and following the Lamb wherever he goes.
