The Philadelphia Church of God has done a lot of work in Jerusalem in recent years. We have sent several teams of students and volunteers to help with archaeological excavation in the City of David, and we retain a small office over there for reporting on news and archaeological developments. Now, we are taking concrete steps to expand our presence in Jerusalem considerably. We have a specific commission from God to declare to the cities of Judah: “Behold, your God” (Isaiah 40:9). We are working diligently to fulfill this commission—declaring to the Jews in the Middle East that the Messiah is coming soon! As we step out in faith, God promises to bless us with open doors (Isaiah 22:22).

I believe God has been using archaeological finds in Jerusalem for a number of years to attract the attention of that tiny nation of Judah. In 2009, a small excavation on the Ophel—just south of the southern wall of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount—uncovered a trove of 34 small clay seals, or bullae, dating to the first temple period. In 2014, subsequent study showed that one of the seals belonged to King Hezekiah; it was the first time ever that the name of a Judean king had been unearthed in controlled scientific excavations. Then in 2018, Dr. Eilat Mazar announced her belief that another of these bullae is that of Isaiah the prophet. These tiny bullae were used to seal important documents and bear the authority of these men. These two bullae, discovered in the same strata of soil only 10 feet apart, offer strong evidence of how closely these two men worked together.

We were honored to showcase those two seal impressions in a world premiere exhibit at Armstrong Auditorium for nearly a year. Many people visited from around the world. (You can request a free copy of the exhibit brochure, Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah Discovered.)

The fact that those two tiny seal impressions survived through more than 27 centuries, only to be revealed during our day, is remarkable. I firmly believe God ensured this discovery to thunder this mighty historical lesson to us in this end time! Those stones prove what the Bible records is true!

The history of the Isaiah and Hezekiah seals contains a potent lesson about how you as an individual, or even whole nations, can be saved from physical and spiritual destruction!

Ninety percent of Bible prophecy is for this end time. If you understand what is happening in the world, you can see that prophecy is being fulfilled by the week. Humanly, what is taking place can be frightening; the world can appear hopeless. Yet there are biblical examples that offer tremendous hope.

The Bible account of Isaiah and Hezekiah is buttressed by archaeology and by secular history. Prove this, and it will strengthen your faith in God’s Word! I can guarantee that if you do, remarkable miracles will occur in your life.

The kind of faith we need is faith that believes God and His Bible, and then moves forward and acts on that faith. Any faith short of that is a dead faith. Despite the abundance of proof, almost nobody has faith in God and His Word today. God commands us to live by His every word (Deuteronomy 8:3). Faith comes by reading, studying and knowing the Bible, and then applying what it says. That is how you build your faith. God blesses anyone who will live by His every word and strive to obey Him.

The Bible is the majestic, royal Word of God. I can guarantee that if you walk by your faith and act on that faith, God will bless you and will fill your life with miracles and blessings. That is an ironclad promise from God!