Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
When God's long-promised "Elijah" comes, just before Christ's second coming, his first task in "turning hearts" will be reconciling those that are alienated from God. The means that "Elijah" will use will be the full revelation of "Christ and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:1, 2): (a) the Son of God "made Himself of no reputation" ["emptied Himself"] in giving Himself for the world (Phil. 2:5-7); (b) He died the world's second death (Heb. 2:9)--"what is the width and length and depth and height--to know the love [agape] of Christ which passes knowledge" (Eph. 3:18, 19). The world will take a fresh look.
The lesson that Job learned will be the lesson God's people worldwide learn, at last. Job thought that the abuse that Satan was pouring on him was coming from God. He didn't know the behind-the-scenes disclosure of chapter 1. "The great controversy between Christ and Satan" was being worked out in Job himself. Thus the afflicted man poured out his truly righteous indignation against God for His perceived or apparent injustice. Job didn't take Satan's cruelty lying down; he eloquently screamed his protest in God's ears. It was a massive case of mistaken identity. And God honored him for speaking up (42:8).
In spite of all the apparent evidence of "God's" cruelty, with no revelation in a Bible to guide him (he had none!), Job reasoned himself into what the Bible calls "the atonement": "though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (13:15).
In "turning hearts," "Elijah" will accomplish for the honest-hearted people in the world, as a corporate "body," a resolvement of all the mistaken identity in mankind's view of God. In the truest sense, we are living in the antitypical "Day of Atonement," the day of at-oneness with God. The history of the world will at last be seen in the light of Christ's sacrifice, and people will understand.
We have always thought all this will have to await the future life, but the "at-one-ment" must take place before Christ can come! Otherwise no one could face Christ personally, in His glory. Only "the pure in heart [can] see God" (Matt. 5:8). Father, please send "Elijah" soon!
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: October 20, 2006.
Copyright © 2016 by "Dial Daily Bread."
