338. Zerubbabel

“So He answered and said to me: This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” Verse 6.

Not by the spirit of man or by cleverness. Not by the memories of an old baptism of the Spirit, after which the promptings of the Spirit were ignored. Not by theological education, or as a priest employed by the government, but by My Spirit, says the Lord.

“Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall be a plain!” Verse 7.

When revival breaks out, when the Spirit of the Lord is at work, just then a great mountain rises before Zerubbabel. Who are you, O great mountain?

The mountain is the flesh in people, and it always strives against the Spirit. The mountain consists primarily of carnal priests who consider it their duty to defend the sleep of death, so that nothing changes from year to year. If they can destroy the life-giving Spirit of Christ among people within their own parish, then they have done their duty, and they can sleep securely. Next in line are the carnal preachers who are zealous to protect their own livelihood. They love their own dead congregation which provides them with a livelihood, more than they love the life-giving Spirit of the Lord which gives life to the dead. Then there are caring, wealthy, worldly people who, because of their wealth and influence, believe that they are entitled to intervene with their imagined wisdom. After them are the parents, siblings, and other relations who threaten and entice with their reasonable, well-meaning words which work against the blessed work of the Spirit of God.

This is the great mountain that rises up against Zerubbabel (the minister of the Spirit of God). But what does the Lord say to this mountain?

“Become a plain!” Verse 7.

I have never read in the Bible that Satan sends revival with sanctification as the goal, or that he leads sinners from darkness unto God’s marvelous light—which is what some people are zealously proclaiming in our days both in their preaching and in their writings.

The first time this great mountain rose up was before Abel, when Cain killed his brother because of envy. It rose again in the days of the Patriarchs, during the reign of the Judges, and in the days of David. The mountain became extremely great in the days of Jesus Christ. Luther’s powerful labor provoked the whole Catholic church to rise up against him, but his successors in the pulpit became stuck on the mountain once again and then rose up against Hans Nielsen Hauge. Priests and paid preachers who are out to defend their livelihood and their own party clearly belong to the mountain which rises up against the workings of the Spirit of God.

Apostasy and death have long been reigning in the movement which began in 1907. People have formed parties and created a livelihood for themselves. Many of the leaders now belong to the mountain and are pulling together in the same yoke with the unbelievers. They certainly have some memories of an outpouring of the Spirit years ago, but now they write books and preach against the work of the Spirit. They belong to the mountain that is rising, and they have a part in strengthening the ungodly hands that persecute. I say this to your shame. You should know better, but now you are in darkness.

The Spirit of the Lord will bring all this down; for God says: “Become a plain!”

The work on the temple will succeed by the hands of Zerubbabel, and He will finish the work and the capstone will be brought forth with loud cries: “Grace, grace to it!”

So what happens to the great mountain that makes such a noise and threatens so terribly? It will become a plain!

Be therefore of good courage, you Zerubbabel; keep on working. For the hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands shall also finish it. Verse 9.