Reprieve: What?
In the face of war and judgments?
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.
Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him--
A grain offering and a drink offering
For the LORD your God?
Joel 2:13-14
Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.
Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him--
A grain offering and a drink offering
For the LORD your God?
Joel 2:13-14
In early October, after a powerful breakthrough gathering with the Scandinavian Watch in Oslo, I woke up in the morning with a sense of a “morning after” glow. Pondering the events and thrust of the gathering, I distinctly heard the words, “I am granting a reprieve.” The words were surprising and caught me off guard. “What? A reprieve in the face of war and judgments in the nations?” I tried to shake it off, but the word kept resurging with revelation and fresh hope. I thought about the USA’s recent restraints towards Israel and the subsequent destruction of Hurricane Helene and Milton sweeping across Florida and southern USA. Given escalating wars and natural disasters in the nations, what does a reprieve look like?
God is a righteous judge. The foundations of His throne are righteousness and justice, Psalm 89:14; therefore, He must issue His judgments on a world tossed in a sea of moral decay, deception, immorality, anti-semitism, and licentiousness for righteousness to prevail. Additionally, as the meetings in Norway were focused on the Oslo Accords, whose words effectuated the division of the land of Israel, judgments towards nations and their policies towards Israel, particularly those that divide the land, are being issued as well. This includes Norway, the USA, and Egypt in particular. However, many nations that have followed in agreement are also involved. God is faithful to His covenant promise to Israel, well articulated by Ezekiel, "Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again." (Ezekiel 37:25). See also Ezek 28:25-26; 36:28; Isaiah 54; Joel 3:1-3. There is an eternal covenant promise between Israel and God that has never been revoked. Bottom line, God is judging nations in their stance with Israel and their moral compass, not as a punishment, but to draw men unto His purpose. This requires shamar watchmen aligned with God's promises to contend for the covenant purposes of their nations. When judgments come, we can be comforted by the words of Isaiah, When Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants learn righteousness, (Isaiah 26:9). The ultimate result will be blind eyes opening and deaf ears unstopped... the harvest is at hand (Isaiah 35).
Thankfully, today, there is rising a wave of righteousness across America, contending for the resuscitation of its righteous roots. The “Million Women: An Esther Call on the Mall” mobilization to Washington DC took place on Yom Kippur, 12 October, 2024, as an example. The righteous roots of America are awakening and making their voices heard. Please note, this word is not just for America, but a "reprieve" in the nations is opening a narrow window of time for turning to righteousness. Much weighs in the balance, particularly in the governmental arenas and stance towards Israel. I believe we are at a significant time gate spiritually. What we do and what we agree with now will determine the trajectory of our lives and nations in the coming years. The court is seated and a verdict has been issued for a “Reprieve.”
So what does a “reprieve” mean?
The definition of "reprieve” from Cornell University’s Law School conveys: A temporary delay of a criminal sentence or a temporary escape from pain or trouble.(1) If God should graciously grant this, it does not mean going back to Laodicean ways or life as usual. Rather, it is a time to re-consider, review, and re-align with God and others to seek strategy for restoration and strength for the future. Cornell Law School’s definition further states: It (reprieve) does not imply that the sentencing and its legal effects are no longer enforceable. Once the reprieve expires, the criminal sentence will be executed… unless there are legal circumstances that change the initial sentencing.(2) The reprieve may not manifest in a dispelling of war. Reprieve does not relieve us of potential pending judgment but offers time to review and reassess our response and alignment with God.
How do we proceed in a reprieve?
We are in a “Choose you this day,” type moment (Joshua 24:15). Though wars may pummel the news headlines, God is calling His remnant into this time gate to consider our ways. Life and battle are taking on new levels of trust and engagement for His Kingdom. Some thoughts for this "Reprieve" to consider:
God is a righteous judge. The foundations of His throne are righteousness and justice, Psalm 89:14; therefore, He must issue His judgments on a world tossed in a sea of moral decay, deception, immorality, anti-semitism, and licentiousness for righteousness to prevail. Additionally, as the meetings in Norway were focused on the Oslo Accords, whose words effectuated the division of the land of Israel, judgments towards nations and their policies towards Israel, particularly those that divide the land, are being issued as well. This includes Norway, the USA, and Egypt in particular. However, many nations that have followed in agreement are also involved. God is faithful to His covenant promise to Israel, well articulated by Ezekiel, "Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again." (Ezekiel 37:25). See also Ezek 28:25-26; 36:28; Isaiah 54; Joel 3:1-3. There is an eternal covenant promise between Israel and God that has never been revoked. Bottom line, God is judging nations in their stance with Israel and their moral compass, not as a punishment, but to draw men unto His purpose. This requires shamar watchmen aligned with God's promises to contend for the covenant purposes of their nations. When judgments come, we can be comforted by the words of Isaiah, When Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants learn righteousness, (Isaiah 26:9). The ultimate result will be blind eyes opening and deaf ears unstopped... the harvest is at hand (Isaiah 35).
Thankfully, today, there is rising a wave of righteousness across America, contending for the resuscitation of its righteous roots. The “Million Women: An Esther Call on the Mall” mobilization to Washington DC took place on Yom Kippur, 12 October, 2024, as an example. The righteous roots of America are awakening and making their voices heard. Please note, this word is not just for America, but a "reprieve" in the nations is opening a narrow window of time for turning to righteousness. Much weighs in the balance, particularly in the governmental arenas and stance towards Israel. I believe we are at a significant time gate spiritually. What we do and what we agree with now will determine the trajectory of our lives and nations in the coming years. The court is seated and a verdict has been issued for a “Reprieve.”
So what does a “reprieve” mean?
The definition of "reprieve” from Cornell University’s Law School conveys: A temporary delay of a criminal sentence or a temporary escape from pain or trouble.(1) If God should graciously grant this, it does not mean going back to Laodicean ways or life as usual. Rather, it is a time to re-consider, review, and re-align with God and others to seek strategy for restoration and strength for the future. Cornell Law School’s definition further states: It (reprieve) does not imply that the sentencing and its legal effects are no longer enforceable. Once the reprieve expires, the criminal sentence will be executed… unless there are legal circumstances that change the initial sentencing.(2) The reprieve may not manifest in a dispelling of war. Reprieve does not relieve us of potential pending judgment but offers time to review and reassess our response and alignment with God.
How do we proceed in a reprieve?
We are in a “Choose you this day,” type moment (Joshua 24:15). Though wars may pummel the news headlines, God is calling His remnant into this time gate to consider our ways. Life and battle are taking on new levels of trust and engagement for His Kingdom. Some thoughts for this "Reprieve" to consider:
- Stay aligned with the Holy Spirit. As deception is increasing, true discernment is vital to keep us from schemes of the enemy that would rob us of our time, joy, energy and even our identity in Christ. Paul's exhortation to the Philippians carries weight today, Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, (Philippians 4:6-7). By aligning with the Holy Spirit, no matter what the circumstances are, God will grant us His understanding and we will dwell in a place of peace that will provide wisdom and revelation to face the challenges. There is a Jeremiah call to stay aligned with the Holy Spirit no matter what the cost as watchmen contend for their nation's destiny.
Warning: Take care that spiritual pride emanating from your intimacy with the Lord does not sneak in and hold you in its grip. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians in Chapter 4, they were being torn apart by divisiveness. He exhorted them not to be divisive but rather be of the same mind, v. 2. How is this done? ... through humility and gentleness, v. 4. Spiritual pride can blind you of the lessons and wisdom God wants to impart in your situation. Spiritual pride is always divisive, particularly amongst believers. Humility leads to wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 15:33; James 4:6). When spiritual pride eeks in, our teachability is blocked and revelation of God's purposes is hindered. - Learn to war from a place of rest: We put out a word for 2024, “War from a Place of Rest,” outlining three battlefields: the tyranny of the urgent, crisis of identity, and our authority in Christ. That word is now coming into full swing! The war season ahead will be challenging in the natural, but in the spiritual, when we war from the place of rest, we are under the shelter of His wing. Rest requires trust and alignment with Him in whom is our hope and redemption. Be aware that the enemy wants to steal our peace. If he can do so, he will neutralize our effectiveness. Staying in alignment with God and continued seeking…even when He seems far away, Psalm 1 promises, Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper (Psalm 1:1-2). Now that is a great promise! Stay in the peace of God, trusting Him and His word, no matter how unnerving the news or circumstances and He will help you. He may not deliver you out of your circumstances, but He will take care of you. Psalm 36 is a powerful “go to” Psalm for such trust and alignment.
- Develop your community of trust. This is an hour to align yourself with a community and friends you can trust. Jesus warns us of days when many will be offended and even betrayed, Matthew 24:10. We are in those days. Trust is a big deal both with God and man. You cannot rally help standing alone on the wall. To sound the trumpet effectively, we must be connected. The platforms of the world are important for rallying vision and causes; however, it is around the coffee tables of the nations where the seeds of the Kingdom are sown into reality. God is calling forth communities of trust so that when the trumpet sounds, we respond with accuracy, iron sharpening iron on foundations of trust. For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? 1 Cor 14:8. Such is the role of the watchman. God is calling for watchmen who will build their communities of trust and connect with others across the nations. Why? There will be a day when a trumpet shall sound, and those with oil in their lamps, ready to move, will respond. (Isaiah 52:8).
- Take action to influence the world around you. Whatever that means to you, do it. Whether sending off an encouraging note, reaching out to a friend in need, feeding the hungry, running for office, writing a book or even just speaking up for the Lord, do what the Lord is calling you to do. It is a time to take action and put feet to what God has called you to do. You will know it because you will go out with joy and be led forth in peace (Isaiah 55:12)! It is His promise!
- Educate yourself in the biblical end-time narrative. Be a light in the midst of an increasingly dark world. The biblical end-time narrative gives such encouragement that it yields hope and even joy in the midst of devastations around us. In the Global Watch, we have done several studies on the end-times and would encourage you to review them as they are valuable sources, biblically based, and well-researched (see below).
![]() Many following the end-time narrative are seeing the Ezekiel 38-39 war beginning to unfold. See the map taken from Joel RIchardson's book, The Mideast Beast (3). Even from this map you can see the Mid-east centricity of the narrative but it will have global influence. The more you understand the biblical end-time narrative, the more hopeful you become and less likely to succumb to off-grid theories. That being said, end-time eschatology should not be a dividing point amongst believers but rather a point of love, acceptance, and healthy conversation. In the Global Watch, we do espouse the Mid-east centric but global influence of the antichrist with a pre-wrath or post-trib rapture time frame:
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Yes, we are in a battle zone and war as the end-time narrative unfolds. However, Jesus comforts and exhorts us, See that you are not troubled for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet, (Matthew 24:6). As such, God is granting us a reprieve. Whatever happens on the international scene, there is a call and time to refresh, re-align, and renew ourselves in Christ so that our spiritual life and sight can be envigorated and sharpened for the future. Reprieve does not mean to go back to life as usual, but rather to continue to seek the Lord in ways that yield a sustaining force in our lives...to know the revitalizing effect of warring from a place of rest. It means that no matter what happens in the coming days, it is critical for us as believers to respond to this hour and not fall back into old patterns of thinking and ways of doing things. Though we rejoice in certain judgments being held back, we are in sober vigilance to the fact that God is calling us into a new response system. Much is hanging in the balance before a righteous judge. Do not go back to life as usual, but press into God and what steps of faith He may want you to take to influence your world. The end-time clock is ticking…the call to attention is real...and the watchmen are responding!
I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.
Daniel 7:21 |
On the wall and building, Isaiah 62:6-7
Susan Rowe
1) “Reprieve” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/reprieve
2) ibid
3) The Mideast Beast, Joel Richardson, WND Books, pg 231.
Susan Rowe
1) “Reprieve” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/reprieve
2) ibid
3) The Mideast Beast, Joel Richardson, WND Books, pg 231.