A QUICK (SHORT) WORK (Denis from Canberra)For the Lord will execute His sentence upon the earth…close His account with men completely and without delay…rigorously CUTTING IT SHORT in His justice.  Romans 9: 28, 29

I would like to reflect on the (temporary) stopping of Big Ben (see news item from Reuters below):  The "bongs" of London's Big Ben stopped on Saturday for up to six weeks as the clock's chimes were shut down for maintenance work.  The stoppage will be the longest suspension of Big Ben since 1990. There were previous stoppages of both the hour and quarter bells in 1956 and 1934.

While we should not draw too much into this, it may well (given other signs) mark the transition into God’s time speeding up, as noted in recent posts.  Readers may be interested in two previous letters that I have edited and reproduced below.  Unless we understand how quickly God can move, we will be caught out in the rapidity of change.  The floods in England were exacerbated by heavy rain in just one hour (and the day before release of the final Harry Potter book).  As most of us know, the three 911 attacks occurred within one hour.        

ACCELERATION OF TIME - EZEKIEL'S EXPONENTIAL CURVE

We are in a period when God's eternal purposes are accelerating towards the consummation of the ages.  Is there an exponential curve in the Word of God, that predicts the acceleration of His work on earth.  The answer is yes - in Ezekiel 47:1-5.  The 'guide' measures out for Ezekiel four equal distances of 1000 cubits; first to the ankles, second to the knees, third to the loins and the fourth - 'a river that I could not pass through - for the waters had risen - waters to swim in - a river that could not be passed over or through (verse 5, Amplified).  Now, if the height on the body were plotted against the four equi-distances you would have four points on an exponential curve - with the last observation off the scale and moving towards infinity.  The fullest context of this is the full restoration of Israel to its God-given land - but the acceleration principle applies to His purposes for the Church, Israel and the world.  This comes through strongly in Romans 9:28  'for the lord will execute His sentence upon the earth - conclude and close His account with men completely and without delay - rigorously cutting it short in His justice' (from the Greek root suntemno - cut in pieces, cut down, cut short).The exponential curve is not, however, a smooth one - there are birth pangs that get closer and more painful as we draw near to the unveiling - the revelation of Jesus Christ in His fulness.  The next birth pang, that many of us are feeling deep in our hearts, will jolt us further into His eternal purposes. 

GETTING CLOSER - SECOND HAND WATCHERS

I clearly saw the face of a clock, and the Holy Spirit saying that to most Christians the ‘second hand’ was not visible.  But those who are ‘watching’ have been observing the second hand and know that the time for a visible (to all) shift of the minute hand is imminent - and a shift of the hour hand to midnight. 

I believe that we are about to enter the time of shaking and darkness spoken of in Isaiah 60 (Darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness all peoples).  We may not know exactly what is to transpire, but we know that He is at the Door and that He is in control.  Importantly, we are watchers of the second hand who have been watching patiently the movement of God’s clock, and He loves us for being those who love His appearing.  In the words of the hymn, ‘Time’s clock is striking the hour, Jesus will soon descend'.