the not yet.

⁷ How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!
⁸ The watchmen shout and sing with joy, for before their very eyes they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem.

Isaiah 52

None live more in the “not yet” than the prophet. In Old Testament times the prophet was chosen among the people to see and hear about things that were to come. Many prophets suffered great persecution and rejection. They lived believing God at His word. None of the prophets of the Old Testament ever saw, in their life on earth, the messiah come to fulfill all their prophecies. Yes, some of there prophecies were fulfilled, but they never found comfort on this side of heaven. They died being rejected and hurt by the people and by their awkward circumstances.

Today, although we are not looking at the circumstances through the dim glass like the Old Testament, we are still seeing and hearing prophecies of what is yet to come. We are living on a belief in the invisible God. Some of us have suffered great rejection, some of us have prophesied the things to come and may never see them fulfilled in our lifetime. Some look at us with the same scorn of the prophets of old. Waiting and believing, watching and hoping, speaking things we have heard from the God of heaven and earth.

Having this all in mind, one things stands true, none in all creation will be more happy than the prophet to see Christ fulfill every prophecy as He makes all things right. None will be more happy to have been rejected and disrespected than the one who believed when everyone else thought they were crazy. None will rejoice more, none will weep more, none will find more fulfillment than the prophet. Indeed, “how beautiful are the one who brings the good news.” “The watchman rejoices”, indeed.