“A GREAT MULTITUDE OF ALL NATIONS AND KINDREDS AND PEOPLES AND LANGUAGES” (REV. 7:9). tscnyc.org VOL XI / ISSUE 5 / MAY 2015 Dear Friend, THE YEAR THAT KING UZZIAH DIED Yesterday during a live radio by Carter Conlon interview, the host made an interesting observation. She said “In the year that King Uzziah the Lord, God made him prosper” words to this effect: “It seems to died, I saw the Lord sitting on a (2 Chronicles 26:5). The people me that this country (America), throne, high and lifted up, and the flourished, giftings were bestowed, like the Titanic, has struck an train of His robe filled the temple. and their ability to invent and iceberg and we are rapidly sinking. Above it stood seraphim; each one produce new weapons of war made However, many of our churches had six wings: with two he covered Judah the marvel of the nations. are like cabins below deck where his face, with two he covered his soft music is playing and people feet, and with two he flew. And You and I can lay claim to are just relaxing and enjoying one cried to another and said: something similar in America. ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of We are a young nation compared themselves. Where is the alarm hosts; the whole earth is full of to most on the face of the earth among God’s people?” His glory!’ And the posts of the door today, yet it is indisputable that were shaken by the voice of him who people who came to this country Interesting question. I suppose cried out, and the house was filled from all over the world were made the deeper issue is whether or with smoke” (Isaiah 6:1–4, NKJV). strong by the hand of God. We were not we can still be stirred to action. marvelously helped, wonderfully Those of us who legitimately have What an incredible encounter gifted, and became the envy of the Spirit of Christ within us cannot Isaiah had with the Lord! And the world in many respects. possibly sit idly by while multitudes notice that it took place in the face the consequences of our national year that King Uzziah died. However, there is an important disregard for the ways of God. If In order to understand the lesson that we must learn from God has given us a voice, then we significance of the timing, it Uzziah. His death was an ominous must speak now. If we will ask Him, is important to know a little warning to the nation that greatness He will assuredly lift us all into His bit about Uzziah’s life. without godliness opens the gateway presence again and give us the heart, to a sorrowful and tragic finish. mind, passion and power we need to Greatness without sound the alarm and call those who n PRIDE GOES can hear back to the mercy of God. godliness opens BEFORE DESTRUCTION Though the ship may sink, thank the gateway to What exactly happened to Uzziah? God the cross still floats—and The Scriptures explain it rather there is plenty of room for all! a sorrowful and clearly: “He was marvelously helped till he became strong. But when tragic finish. he was strong his heart was lifted up, Press on, my dear friend, press on! to his destruction, for he transgressed The book of Second Chronicles against the Lord his God by entering Yours, in Christ, tells us that Uzziah was sixteen the temple of the Lord to burn years old when he took the incense on the altar of incense” Pastor Carter Conlon throne, and he went on to (2 Chronicles 26:15–16, NKJV). reign in Jerusalem for fifty-two years. Under his leadership, the Although it was an act clearly nation rose to incredible heights forbidden in the law, Uzziah of political, financial and military decided to go into the temple to power, for “as long as he sought offer incense. This act was a type THE YEAR THAT KING UZZIAH DIED tscnyc.org of a society and its leadership With the censer still in his hand over to a debased mind, to becoming its own judge of what and anger rising in his heart, the do those things which are not is right and what is wrong. He Scriptures tell us that Uzziah’s fitting” (Romans 1:18–21, 28). had known success for so long forehead broke out in leprosy. It that his heart was lifted up in pride; was a visible sign of the spiritually Once the envy of the nations, he had reached a place where diseased condition of his mind— America is now becoming the he assumed he could do nothing an outward expression of what had mockery of the nations. We are wrong in God’s sight. Of course, long ago started to ferment inside becoming increasingly weak and the Bible warns us that pride of him. He found himself shamed confused; we are paralyzed socially, always goes before destruction for the rest of his days, and he died politically, and morally. It is obvious and a haughty spirit before a in a leper colony. that the hand of God is not upon us fall (see Proverbs 16:18). in the way it once was. Once the envy Eighty priests of the Lord went n GOD’S RESPONSE in after Uzziah, warning him, “It of the nations, So how does God respond when is not for you to burn incense to the a nation finds itself in such a Lord!” (see 2 Chronicles 26:17–19). America is now perilous condition? First of all, In other words, “What you are doing becoming the remember that it was “in the year is not right. God has not prescribed that King Uzziah died” that Isaiah it to be done this way. You are taking mockery of saw the Lord. In other words, it was something that is wrong and calling the nations. the year when all hope seemed to it right; taking something evil and be gone. It was the year when trying to call it good.” Yet, as these This goes to show that the disease military might was failing, the men who represented the truth of of the soul first manifests in the economy was in tatters, and God withstood this king of pride, minds of the people and then in enemies were laughing. It was he became furious with them. their subsequent behaviors. For the year when greatness and glory What a stark difference from example, where did we ever get the seemed to be something relegated those early years when he had idea in this nation that we were as to history, leaving people afraid sought the Lord in humility! God—that we could declare what for their future. It was the year is good and what is evil? Why did that God responded with a final we assume we could transgress the act of mercy to that generation, Why did we Word of God, which was once our and He did so by drawing someone assume we could own foundation, and not pay a price into His presence. That is what for it? We suppressed the truth we He always has done, and that is transgress the once knew and, as a result, we have what He always will do. Word of God, subjected ourselves to living in an illusion and opened ourselves to a “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, which was diseased mind. high and lifted up, and the train once our own of His robe filled the temple. Above It is just as the Apostle Paul it stood seraphim; each one had six foundation, warned in the book of Romans: wings: with two he covered his face, “For the wrath of God is revealed with two he covered his feet, and and not pay a from heaven against all ungodliness with two he flew. And one cried price for it? and unrighteousness of men, who to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, suppress the truth in unrighteousness, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole Similarly, you and I are living in because what may be known of earth is full of His glory!’ And the a time when a fury is mounting God is manifest in them, for God posts of the door were shaken by against those who speak for God. has shown it to them...Although the voice of him who cried out, We are somewhere between they knew God, they did not glorify and the house was filled with persecution and prosecution in Him as God, nor were thankful, smoke” (Isaiah 6:1–4). Isaiah the house of God in this nation. but became futile in their thoughts, was drawn into God’s presence Those who stand for truth, as Isaiah and their foolish hearts were where he was given a revelation said, have become a prey of the darkened...And even as they of the majesty, power, holiness and ungodly—something to be vilified did not like to retain God in glory of the One whose purposes and cast down (see Isaiah 59:15). their knowledge, God gave them were being fulfilled in the earth. tscnyc.org THE YEAR THAT KING UZZIAH DIED Upon having this encounter with touched him, and he became aware it would make an eternal difference God, Isaiah immediately became that it was the delight of God to in one out of ten people that he aware of his own uncleanness as forgive and cleanse.