The Closing Act, the Short Work, and YOU?

Now is the time for Philadelphian Christians to
support the work and short work (UnSplash photo)

COGwriter

The Apostle Paul wrote (three translations are being shown):

25 As He says also in Hosea:

“I will call them My people, who were not My people,
And her beloved, who was not beloved.”
26 “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them,
‘ You are not My people,’
There they shall be called sons of the living God.”

27 Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel:

“Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea,
The remnant will be saved.
28 For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness,
Because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.”

29 And as Isaiah said before:

“Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed,
We would have become like Sodom,
And we would have been made like Gomorrah.” (Romans 9:25-29, NKJV)

27 And Isaiah doth cry concerning Israel, ‘If the number of the sons of Israel may be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved;

28 for a matter He is finishing, and is cutting short in righteousness, because a matter cut short will the Lord do upon the land.

29 and according as Isaiah saith before, ‘Except the Lord of Sabaoth did leave to us a seed, as Sodom we had become, and as Gomorrah we had been made like.’ (Romans 9:27-29, YLT)

27 And Isaias crieth out concerning Israel: If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.

28 For he shall finish his word, and cut it short in justice; because a short word shall the Lord make upon the earth.

29 And as Isaias foretold: Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been made as Sodom, and we had been like unto Gomorrha. (Romans 9:27-29, Douay-Rheims Challoner)

(Note: Lord of Saboath means “Lord of Hosts’ or ‘Lord of Armies’.)

We in the CCOG have been preparing for that short work, which is why we have our gospel booklet in numerous languages online. We prepare for it and God will finish it.

Notice that a short work/word/matter (matter is also in the LSV) will be cut off and proceed a time of destruction. The message of God’s word will go forth, and this will happen–Gentiles and Israelites are to be reached.

An important part of the short work relates to the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14, which, in a sense, is cut short as it triggers the end coming:

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)

So, there are connections between Romans 9:28 and Matthew 24:14.

Some with a Church of God background, as well as others, may be interested in seeing what the late Herbert W. Armstrong taught about this. Here is something he wrote about the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28:

Just as Jesus said God will cut short the days of the Great Tribulation, so He tells us through the Apostle Paul He will CUT SHORT THIS WORK! Listen! Read it carefully! “For He will finish the Work, and CUT IT SHORT in righteousness: because a SHORT WORK will the Lord make upon the earth.” (Romans 9:28.) …

There is precious little time left! We need to be stirred – to be frightened just enough to realize the SERIOUSNESS of the TIME – and the SERIOUSNESS of THIS WORK! This is GOD’S DOING! – not mine! YOU are privileged, as well as I, to have A PART in it! We need to dedicate ourselves to it, as the MOST IMPORTANT THING IN OUR LIVES, by far! (Armstrong HW. Co-worker letter, July 29, 1968)

Here is something that he wrote in letters in 1979:

In Revelation 7 is the prophecy of God HOLDING UP — DELAYING — world events until the sealing of the 144,000 and the other innumerable multitude out of all nations. But God says also: “For He will FINISH THE WORK, and CUT IT SHORT in righteousness, because A SHORT WORK will the Lord make upon the earth” (Rom. 9:28). From now on, things may happen SUDDENLY, RAPIDLY, to finish the Work God has called us to do. (Armstrong HW. Co-worker Letter, August 20, 1979)

God was HOLDING UP world events in Satan’s world, to give His Church more time to FINISH THE WORK, and be PREPARED ourselves for His coming. But now many evidences are appearing that prophesied world events are readying to move swiftly, bringing on the DAY OF THE LORD, and Christ’s divine interference preparing for His coming. Jesus has said “… He will finish the Work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short Work will the Lord make upon the earth” Rom. 9:28). (Armstrong HW. Co-worker Letter, October 26, 1979)

Almighty God has been HOLDING BACK the progress of prophesied world events. There is a time, foretold in Revelation 7, when He will do this again.

But then, again, “He will finish the Work, and cut it short in righteousness; because a SHORT WORK will the Lord make upon the earth”! (Armstrong HW. Co-worker Letter, November 9, 1979)

So, he felt then that a short and important work would later happen, but felt in 1979 that it was being held up. But he also said people needed to be PREPARED!

He seemed to have a similar view about being delayed in 1983 as the following transcription from one of his sermon’s states:

God has delayed certain events, but He says that He will make a short work and cut it short suddenly. Jesus gave us the expression of how it will come when it is least expected. And like a rat getting caught in a trap that snaps, when it didn’t even know it, until it is caught. And that’s how suddenly things are going to happen very, very soon. How much longer God will delay before He does that, I don’t know. (Armstrong HW. Success Based On God’s Law Sermon Date: July 30, 1983 http://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?action=getsermon&InfoID=1330874371&SearchWhat=KeyWord&SearchFor=god%27s%20true%20church&page=97&return=search#.Ug-Q6T_NvXA)

Yes, there was a delay, and that delay continued for decades after he died. Jesus warned that many, including Christians, would not expect what is happening and warned that we need to pray to be counted worthy (Luke 21:34-36). Could that not also include preparation?

John the Baptist prepared for the first coming of Jesus (Mark 1:1-7), and the Philadelphian faithful in the Church of God are preparing for His second coming–and the full number of Gentiles must come in before Jesus returns per Romans 11:25-27 (see also What About Romans 11:25 and the Full Number of the Gentiles?).

Here is something Herbert W. Armstrong wrote in a letter dated September 17, 1982:

It is written in Romans 9, concerning this very END TIME, “For he (Christ) will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth” (verse 28).

While we were not in the very end time then, we are much closer to it now. In a letter dated October 18, 1983 he wrote that he realized that the ‘short work’ was for the future:

I feel God will move swiftly soon to make a short work preparatory to Christ’s coming.

The short work most definitely involves preparation now. This is part of why more materials, literature, articles, books, booklets, and websites are being developed and/or added to.

Here is what was in Herbert W. Armstrong’s last letter:

The greatest work lies ahead … Never before in the history of the Church has it been possible to reap so great a harvest. It has only been made possible through modern technology, beginning with the printing press, radio, television … Each of you must commit yourself to support God’s Work…God’s work must push ahead as never before. God is opening up new doors in television (Letter, 1/10/86).

Presuming he was correct that the greatest work lies ahead, that is consistent that more needed to happen to fulfill Matthew 24:14. New doors, like internet television have been opened during the 21st century. And we in CCOG do use various forms of radio (see Does the CCOG go through the ‘door’ of radio to reach the world?).

Is there any shortness connected with a work in anywhere else in the New Testament?

Notice something that Jesus said would happen:

12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:14-21, NKJV)

Individual Philadelphian Christians are part of the witness. A witness related to the gospel of the kingdom of God, a witness when instructing many, a witness when being persecuted, a witness when fleeing, and a witness by being in the place of protection in the wilderness (Revelation 12:14-16).

Notice how the Literal Standard Version translates the following:

32 And those acting wickedly [against] the covenant, he defiles by flatteries; and the people knowing their God are strong, and have worked. 33 And the teachers of the people give understanding to many; and they have stumbled by sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil-days. (Daniel 11:32-33, LSV)

These are end time Christians supporting the work of God!

One of the reasons that our sermons in the CCOG are more scriptural, historically, and prophetically-focused than other churches is to help train you so that God may use YOU to instruct many (Daniel 11:33) and be a witness (Matthew 24:14).

But there will be persecution. Others are NOT being trained like this–other churches do not focus on preparing their congregants to instruct many–at least none that I know of.

Notice that the LOVE OF MANY WILL GROW COLD. They will not care enough about sacrificing and going through the open door (Acts 14:27; Revelation 3:7-8).

Most will not realize that the end cannot come–and Matthew 24:14 fulfilled–until more of the fullness of the Gentiles have come in:

25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (Romans 11:25)

The Gentiles who God will call in this age MUST come in, hence planting the seeds for that is part of the short work! More on the Gentile component of Matthew 24:14 can be found in the article: The Final Phase of the Work.

The Apostle Paul also wrote:

14 … Judeans, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, 16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16)

Many today, instead of forbidding it like the Jews, downplay and/or ridicule reaching Gentiles in places like Africa. But, they do not seem to understand that the Bible teaches that WE MUST INSTRUCT MANY INCLUDING GENTILES!

Are YOU one supporting the preparation of the final phase of the work and the short work?

Most Christians will NOT.  Most Christians prophesied to NOT be Philadelphians in the end before the start of the Great Tribulation. Most Christians still not have the same zeal or love of the truth and proclaiming it that they should–although the Book of Hebrews teaches:

1 Let brotherly love (Philadelphia) continue (Hebrews 13:1).

Jesus noted that there were Laodiceans after the Philadelphians who could not see their problems and had the wrong work (Revelation 3:14-18).

Notice also that Matthew 24:14 ties the successful proclamation with the coming of the end. There is a certain shortness in passages of Matthew 24:14-21.