Hour of Power

But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. (John 16:4)

This one is going to be very Scripture heavy, so if that tends to bore you I just want to alert you right up front. I know what that feels like from experience so I understand if you skip it. But when I read this verse it triggered my mind back onto a subject that has increasingly captivated my interest for some time now and continues to grow more important as additional clues appear on this subject.

For some time now I have been more aware that one of the key aspects of the Great War between Christ and Satan is over who is authorized to represent this world before the universe. I will not go back to review a lot of what I have studied previously on this except to say that the more I learn about it the closer I feel it should be to the center of our theology.

I am coming to believe that the issue of who we perceive as the lawful, duly appointed representative of humanity will have enormous impact on our personal relationship with both the world around us and with God. Because the enemy of our souls majors in deceptions and we are born in his culture of deceptions about reality, religion and what is really going on, it only stands to reason that our enemy wants to keep us in the dark as much as possible about this vital issue.

The more aware I become about this the more allusions I notice in Jesus' teachings that seem to be meant to alert us the the seismic importance of this issue that occurred at the cross 2000 years ago. And as I trace this word 'hour' used by Jesus in the above verse, I began to see even more inferences about a major regime change. I have been collecting information about this idea in a folder for some time now and the evidence just keeps coming in making it more convincing than ever.

What I decided to do here was to compile all of the verses that I came across in the Bible that I sense may have important contributions for better understanding this idea. If you choose to take the time to explore and ponder these I believe it might prove to be time well invested.

There seems to be categories of 'hours' indicated in the passages listed here. The first one has to do with one of the early very important 'hours' in the Great War, the 'hour' when Jesus took on the full force of the armies of Satan as well as evil human beings to dispute Satan's despotic control over this world. This was His 'hour of testing' when it would be decided who would be recognized as having legitimate claim to the position of representative of the human race for the rest of eternity.

And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come." (John 2:4)

So they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. (John 7:30)

These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come. (John 8:20)

And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." (John 12:23)

Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. (John 12:27)

Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. (John 13:1)

When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. (Luke 22:14)

Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You." (John 17:1)

Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. (John 16:32)

And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?" (Matthew 26:40)

And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. (Mark 14:35)

Then He came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners." (Matthew 26:45)

While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power of darkness are yours. (Luke 22:53)

Jesus referred a number of times to future 'hours' when other significant events would transpire in the Great War. You can draw your own conclusions as to how these hours might be defined and the implications they may have in our own lives today.

Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers." (John 4:21-23)

These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. (John 16:25)

When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. (Mark 13:11)

They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. (John 16:2)

But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. (John 16:4)

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. (1 John 2:18)

The following verse I believe might apply to several, if not all of the hours spoken of in these passages.

Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. (John 16:21)

These passages speak of an 'hour' that appears to engulf the world very near the end of history just before the climactic return of Jesus at His Second Coming. This 'hour' evidently will involve every human being alive at that time, unlike the previous 'hours'.

'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 3:10)

And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe." (Revelation 14:15)

The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. (Revelation 17:12)

...standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.' (Revelation 18:10)

'...for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!' And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance... (Revelation 18:17)

And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!' (Revelation 18:19)

Then there is the 'hour' of Christ's Second return that has been the hope of Christians ever since He returned to heaven. This is the hour we must prepare for diligently by coming to know Him intimately and allow Him to transform us so that when He comes will will not shrink back. Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. (1 John 2:28)

For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. (Matthew 24:44)

But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. (Luke 12:39)

Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. (John 5:25)

Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice. (John 5:28)

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. (Matthew 24:36)

And he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters." (Revelation 14:7)

Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. (Romans 13:11)