PRÉCIS ON THE ONLY SAFE SHELTER IN THE UNIVERSE FOR THE DAYS AHEAD

SCRIPTURE. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust! For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day,nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked.Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, there shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent. For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].” – PSALM 91:1-11, AMPC

KEY TERM: “DWELLS.” ‘Yashab’ [יָשַׁב]: “A primitive root, ‘To sit down in the Quiet [of God’s Presence];’ to settle, to marry; to continue or endure; to keep house.” NOTE: “The Hebrew verb ‘Yashab’ primarily means ‘to sit’ or ‘to dwell.’ It conveys the idea of remaining in a place, inhabiting a location, or taking a seat.’ This verb is used extensively throughout the Old Testament to describe both physical sitting and the more abstract concept of dwelling or residing in a place. It can refer to individuals, groups, or even God dwelling among His people.”

QUOTATION. “THE EYE OF THE STORM. Fear not that the Whirlwind will carry you hence, Nor wait for its onslaught in breathless suspense, Nor shrink from the blight of the terrible hail, But pass through the edge to the heart of the tale, For there is a shelter, sunlighted and warm, and Faith sees her God through the Eye of the Storm. The passionate Tempest with rush and wild roar and threatenings of evil may beat on the shore, the waves may be mountains, the fields battle plains, and the Earth be immersed in a deluge of rains, Yet, the soul, stayed on God, may sing bravely its Psalm.

‘For the Heart of the Storm is the center of Calm!’ Let Hope be not quenched in the Blackness of Night, Though the Cyclone awhile may have blotted the Light, for behind the Great Darkness the stars ever shine, and the Light of God’s Heavens, His love will make thine. Let no gloom dim your eyes, but uplift them on high to the Face of your God and the blue of His Sky. ‘The Storm is your Shelter from danger and sin, and God Himself takes you for Safety within.’ The Tempest with Him passes into deep calm, and the roar of the winds is the sound of a Psalm. Be glad and serene when the Tempest clouds form; God smiles on His child in the Eye of the Storm.” ― MRS. CHARLES E. COWMAN, Streams in the Desert Morning and Evening, 1925; edited

COMMENTARY. “‘He that dwelleth in the secret place,’ &c. — He that makes God his Habitation and Refuge, as He is called Psalm 91:9, that has recourse to Him, and relies on Him in his dangers and difficulties; that has access to Him, intercourse with Him, and worships within The Veil, living a life of constant communion with Him; ‘shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty’ —He shall not be disappointed of his hope, but shall find a quiet and safe Resting-place under the Divine Care.

A ‘shadow,’ in Scripture, often signifies protection. But there evidently seems to be an allusion to the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle and Temple, and to the outstretched wings of the Cherubim covering the Ark and Mercy-seat: See notes on Psalm 27:5; Psalm 32:7. And it is as if the Psalmist had said, ‘He shall dwell like the Ark in the holy of holies, under the immediate shadow and protection of the Divine Majesty.’ It is justly observed here by Dr. Horne, that: ‘In all dangers, whether spiritual or corporal, the members of Christ’s mystical body may reflect, with comfort, that they are under the same Almighty Protector.’” – JOSEPH BENSON, Notes on the Holy Bible, 5 vols., 1811-1818; edited

DK’S TAKE. Without a reasonable doubt, America – and later the entire World – are entering upon the Dark Hours of the Biblical Era of the Tribulation. We have not yet been visited with “The Great” Tribulation, but clearly, we are in the Early Stages:

‘The Seal Judgments Runup to the Opening of God’ Wrath in the Sixth Seal’ (Revelation 6:1-17). 

I have argued for nearly ten years now that while true followers of Christ shall not face God’s Anger, we are already confronting Satan’s wrath through persecutions from the Establishment Church. Thus, we cannot ever say we are fully “protected” from the World’s hatreds. And the First Five Seals make that clear: Antichrist, War, Famine, Pestilence, and limited Martyrdom.

CODA. For now, therefore, the Psalmist and the great theologians tell us in a single voice that our Greatest Protection is ‘Sheltering in, abiding in, remaining in, sustaining communion in, and ultimately trusting in His Providence. Whether we are appointed to live or die – all is in His Plans for us in these Last Days and Hours.’

There is Peace there, beloved, that transcends the awfulness of The Times and the violence of The Beast. And no dark thing my come to our door lest The King permit it. He has us tight in His loving, powerful Grasp, and I am deeply satisfied in that wondrous Truth.