“And at midnight a cry was heard: Behold the Bridegroom is coming; go out to meet Him!” (Matt. 25:6)

When a two-thousand-year-old prophecy sounds as current as today’s news it is time to pay attention. Three days before Passover Jesus taught His disciples that His return to set up His eternal Kingdom would be like a Jewish wedding in which the Bride and her bridesmaids wait until the Bridegroom comes in surprise to escort his Bride with her bridal party to the wedding feast. According to the parable, ten virgins awaited the Bridegroom but five were wise and five were foolish. The wise virgins were prepared for whenever the Bridegroom arrived by taking extra oil with their lamps. The foolish virgins only had a limited supply of oil. The Bible records that because the Bridegroom delayed his return all the virgins fell asleep. Suddenly they all heard a “midnight cry”: “Behold the Bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!” The wise virgins were ready and joined the wedding procession while the foolish virgins were left behind because they had lamps without light!

2020 has ushered in what seems to be the Biblical “beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8). The death of George Floyd due to racism like that of Emit Till of the Civil Rights era of the sixties has shaken the world. The world pandemic of Covid-19 continues to devastate populations around the globe. I find it no coincidence that again the whole world is sick (spiritually) and one man’s death has shaken the whole world. I find this as a message from God Almighty: This may well be a Midnight Cry! For the signs of the times prophesied so long ago are more evident and prevalent today than ever before!

In a book God inspired me to write in 2010, Signs of the Times, I wrote on Jesus’ prophecy about famines and pestilences in Matthew 24:7b: “…and there shall be famines and pestilences…”

“Health organizations are predicting future pandemics which could devastate populations in countries unprepared to confront them. So did Jesus Christ about 2000 years ago. We have become all too familiar with modern diseases such as avian flu, swine flu, SARS, AIDS, mad cow, etc… in spite of all that modern medicine can prevent, cure or treat, health professionals realize that an outbreak of disease(s) could sweep through multitudes in part due to technological advances that have made the world much “smaller” through travel and communication. In addition to pestilences, famines especially in third world countries devastated by natural catastrophes (tsunamis, hurricanes, typhoons, earthquakes, etc…) continue to ravage underdeveloped nations.

Jesus has prophesied that these crises will intensify as we approach the end of the age. Because many nations have developed weapons of biological warfare, it is easy to understand how future pandemics could actually be “man-made”. Bioterrorism is a Pandora’s box that must not be opened! However, it may be merely a matter of time before famines and pestilences wipe out millions due to man’s inhumanity to man!”

If indeed these recent events are Jesus’ “midnight cry” then it is surely God’s clarion call to the world and His Christian Church to repent! Repent of unbelief in Christ! Repent of racism, brutality, murder, immorality, falsehood, deceit, apathy, etc…! This world may be on the precipice of eternity! Are you ready?

Beware the sins of racism or any other sin! Consider a modern-day parable to share with any who hold to racist notions:

The end of days had arrived and the Father God commanded His holy Son to return to earth to retrieve His holy Bride (the Church of all Believers). Jesus gathered His holy Angels together and commanded them to return with Him and separate the people in two groups: The saved Christ commanded to be placed on His right while the lost He commanded to be placed on His left. The Angels requested how shall we know for certain who is righteous and who is lost? Jesus answered you will know by the expressions on their faces. The saved shall show expressions of joy while the lost will display expressions of fearful terror. Now go quickly and do as I have bidden you! The angels although they did not fully understand yet in faithful obedience to God went forth from Christ’s presence to do His bidding. Then Jesus performed a miracle: He transformed His Image in the form of each person’s enemy race. To the Jews, Christ looked like an Arab. To an Arab, Christ appeared as a Jew. To a White person, Christ appeared as a Black man, and to a Black person, Christ looked like a White man and so on. Then Christ appeared to the nations and every eye beheld His awesome glory! A white racist exclaimed in fear and trembling, “God is a Black Man and I am doomed to hell forever! A Black racist cried out, I’m in for it now! No wonder we had it so rough down here! Jesus is a White Man! A racist Jew shrieked in horror, I am doomed for God is an Arab- is He Jehovah or Allah? A racist Arab collapsed in fear and anguish screaming, I have hated Israel and the Jews all my life and now I see Jesus is a Jew; Allah is Jewish and He is Lord of all! Vengeance is Mine I will repay I heard Him proclaim! We are doomed to the depths of Hellfire and brimstone forever! Woe is me! Woe is me!

The holy Angels took every horror-stricken soul and cast them to the left hand of Christ for the eternal judgment of their souls. And they all were banished to the eternal torture of hell’s damnation. But those who loved their fellow human beings were joyful to receive Christ regardless of His appearance! They were gathered by the holy angels and placed on Christ’s right hand of glory where they would enter the eternal bliss of Christ’s eternal kingdom!

Remember God’s Word: “If someone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God Whom he has not seen?” I John 4:20

May this message from a midnight cry serve to awaken the spirits of the just to love one another regardless of our differences and prepare for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Father in Heaven in Your Hands are the times and seasons ordained from the foundations of the Earth. Have mercy upon our sinful souls as we repent and change our actions to obey the Gospel of Your Love. We acknowledge that You, God, so loved the world that You gave Your Only Begotten Son that whoever believes on Him will have everlasting life! Baptize us anew in this faith and teach us again to love one another in spirit and truth. To Your glory and for the good of all humankind we beg this blessing in Jesus’ Name, Amen!