Old Dog III
Back to: The Cities and the Byways
The Day of Tears
Bob Neumann
The Thunder and the Tears,
I was sitting at my key board a few nights ago when a low deep rumbling filled and vibrated my home. I went out to the patio in the early morning dark amazed because it was a continuous sound and shaking. Sometimes very low flying 747’s and C5’s have done this. And shortly after Hurricane Andrew low and slow Jolly Greens did the same. But now it was already unearthly long and there was no dopler effect. In my spirit I felt the vague uneasiness when I realize I am in need of time at ABBA’S FEET. Then I heard a faint weeping on the night breeze. It is something one can not grow used to. Either in THE SPIRIT or in the Natural.
There are many scriptures about crying and weeping. But at the time I could only touch two. The barren women and the verse that said “Jesus wept”. Not long ago the assembly of saints I worshipped with missed a “TIME OF VISITATION”. At least I believe that in my spirit and have wept bitterly. I pray I am wrong. Yet I began to wonder how many failed to notice HIS PRESENCE. How many failed to receive what HE OFFERED. How many refused to listen and obey. Now take this over the last year, the last 2000 years, the last 6000 years and it is painful.
In this depressing mood I turned to go into my home and found myself in a dark street. I was taken back quite dramatically as I slowly walked to what looked like an intersection but was not. What it was was a huge courtyard. I looked up some steps and through a huge gate and saw the porch of the temple and the VEIL. I walked from the inner court up the steps. As I walked I felt the sudden chill that this is real. Cold stone on bare feet will do it to you. So does the smell as I passed the ”killing ground” and the Brazen alter. The Laver stood there and I rinsed off my hands and feet like I knew what I was doing. My head was covered and my garments were white. When I stepped up and into THE HOLY PLACE I passed the Menorah and watched the 7 lights flicker. They were running out of oil. The Altar of show bread looked dry and stale. The loaves had been there all too long. The Altar of incense was cold and bleak.
As I stood before the ALTAR OF INCENSE I touched the closest horns and felt the tears run down my face. In my spirit I heard the words….WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN. I suddenly noticed the GREAT VEIL move a bit and wondered. On my face I sensed great heat in front of me. There was a glow coming through the VEIL and I fell to my knees at THE ALTAR. AS I WATCHED, THE VEIL TORE IN TWO and BEFORE ME WAS THE PILLAR OF FIRE. IT/ HE was centered around and on THE MERCY SEAT.
In my mind I could only think HAVE MERCY, LORD. But my mouth only stammered as I openly sobbed and sank to the floor. In my spirit I could see THE SHEKINAH going upward through the roof of the TEMPLE and filling the night sky. Then came the awareness that there was no one there to see it.
“ONLY YOU, AND THOSE WHO READ WHAT I TELL YOU TO WRITE.”, came HIS VOICE that filled both my ears and my spirit. “BUT WHY DO YOU PRAY FOR MERCY? AM I NOT MERCY AND GRACE, BLESSING AND FAVOR?”.
”Yes, LORD.”, I replied. ”But LORD, I also know that YOU ARE HOLY AND YOUR NAME IS JEALOUS. You have shown me YOUR CITY AND TEMPLE ABANDONED.
So I pray MERCY LORD…I don’t know what else to do.”
“ON WHOM DO YOU SEEK MY MERCY?”
”On YOUR PEOPLE, LORD”….
“BUT WHO ARE MY PEOPLE? THOSE WHO HEAR ME AND OBEY, OR THOSE WHO
DENY ME AND WAR AGAINST MY KINGDOM? THERE ARE ONLY TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE MY FRIEND, THOSE WHO ARE FOR ME AND THOSE WHO ARE AGAINST ME.”
”Forgive me LORD, but I am praying for those who have fallen away. The Prodigals who we are waiting to return to ABBA.”
“THEN YOUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED. ALL THOSE THAT WERE TO RETURN HAVE DONE SO.”
”LORD, what of those who have….” and HE cut me off….
”SHEMUEL, DO NOT PRAY FOR THOSE PEOPLE ANY LONGER. THERE ARE THOSE
WHO BLESS ME. THEY ARE YOUR FELLOW SERVANTS. THEN THERE ARE THOSE
WHO ARE AGAINST ME WHOM YOU ARE AT WAR WITH. AND THEN THERE ARE THOSE WHO MERELY IGNORE ME AND MARGINALIZE ME IN THEIR LIVES. THE ONES WHO GO THROUGH MOTIONS TO IMPRESS OTHERS LIKE THEMSELVES. THESE I NOW TURN MY BACK TO.”
With that THE FIRE rose up and moved above my head and forward. As I turned and walked out of the TEMPLE the lights of the Menorah had gone out. When I stepped out into the INNER COURT I knew I was watching Ezekiel play out. As THE GLORY/ FIRE stood above the porch I saw the men with swords and the one man with the inkwell. I watched as this one great angel come up to me and write on my forehead and turn to go into the city. I looked up and watched trying to decide what to ask and HE BEAT ME TO IT.
“WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, SHEMUEL. YOU WARNED THEM. THOSE THAT HEARD AND PREPARED MY ROOM WILL BE MARKED AND
SPARED MY JUDGEMENT. FOR NOW THE ONE WHO RESTRAINS HAS BEEN
REMOVED. MICHAEL, THE CHIEF PRINCE HAS STEPPED ASIDE AND NOW IT CAN BEGIN.”
With that the lone angel returned and bowed to THE MOST HOLY, and the six angels who waited with drawn swords left. as they moved into the city, THE GLORY ROSE AND DEPARTED.
I felt a tearing in my spirit and I heard those WORDS…”IT’S GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT”.
When I turned I saw ABBA sitting and I ran to HIS FEET. HE PUT HIS HAND ON MY
HEAD AND WHISPERED, “YOU’VE GROWN UP SHEMUEL IN MY HOUSE FOR I HAVE CALLED YOU TO SERVE ME. JUST AS MY ONLY BEGOTTEN SERVES ME. ALL BORN IN MY HOUSE WERE TRAINED WITH THE SWORD. ALL WHO SERVE ME ALONE WEEP AND MOURN. I WILL DRY THEIR TEARS AND THEY WILL DO AS I ASK. OBEDIENT CHILDREN ARE THE FATHER’S GLORY”.
As I looked into HIS FACE and SAW HIS SMILE I understood how HE GRIEVES once again. As HE KISSED ME I was back at home….in this so called real world. In obedience I wrote what I saw. and heard. and felt. and I send.
selah old dog