“Thirdly, before a Biblical Pentecost, there must be a praying people, a people waiting on God” (Ravenhill, 1962, p. 145).
Malachi penned, “”Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:1 ESV). Even the casual Bible student can see the reference to John the Baptist as the first messenger and Jesus as the second.
When it came to Pentecost the two-messenger plan continued. However, He who was second became first as the Lord “prepared the way” for the Holy Spirit: first by His incarnation and ultimate glorification, “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39 ESV); and then by instruction, “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49 ESV).
Now that the Holy Spirit is here, He prepares the way for the Lord’s return as He comes the second time without sin unto salvation (cf. Hebrews 9:28). And it is the Spirit that is now beckoning the church to pray for revival, to pray for the Lord’s return, to pray for man’s salvation. The Lord is coming again, the two-messenger practice has proven true. It’s time to get ready for He will come suddenly!
PRAYER FOCUS
Commit to watch and pray, knowing that the call to prayer is not something issued by rote or program, but a divinely-inspired initiative in preparing the way of the Lord.
