Revelation 1:1, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, Verse 2, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw. Verse 3. Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near.”
The Book of The Revelation was written around 95 A.D. Jesus had already ascended to the Father and had put the End of Days into motion.
Revelation, chapter 1, verses one through three tell us:
1. This is a revealing by God to His Son, Jesus, so He could show us, His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place, which mean it will happen soon, and it will happen quickly. (This has to do with the speed with which something happens.)
2. This message and these words were communicated to John by His angel, who then testified to this word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw.
3. The time for the fulfillment of these things is near, which has to do with the passage of time; it is very soon; the time is near; the time is at hand! (this was as of A.D. 95).
Revelation 3:11, “I am coming quickly; hold firmly to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Verse 12. The one who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.”
John has testified and written what Jesus has announced:
1. Jesus words are actually a warning and a threat. He is saying that He is coming speedily, without warning, without delay, suddenly and by surprise.
Jesus warns, again, that His coming will occur as fast as ‘the blink of an eye’. (Matthew 24:25), “Behold, I have told you in advance, if they say to you, ‘He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man.”
The time to prepare is NOW. There will be no time to prepare in that day.
PLEASE NOTE: Please do not think that the Bible is saying, “that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day” in these verses, (found in 2 Peter 3:8). When Jesus said “Behold, I am coming quickly”, it is not His intention to say it could be a day, or it could be a thousand years. He is saying it could happen at any time. His coming is imminent.
“For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it passes by, Or like a watch in the night”, found in 2 Peter 3:8, which is a reference to Psalm 90:4, is a reference to God’s POINT OF VIEW or FRAME OF REFERENCE and NOT a reference to the actual passage of a specific period of time.
He IS SAYING that that time has come. It is not coincidental that we find the Apostles teaching that ‘The Last Days’ had begun as early as A.D. 30:
There is, however, a sequence of events which must occur, in order, and may overlap in time:
Matthew 24:9. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.”
(This is so clear and in such plain language, I regret having to point it out: “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death”. So, “YOU WILL BE DELIVERED UP TO TRIBULATION”. How much more intense can this be, than being put to death for Jesus name’s sake? The tribulation, Seals 1 through 4 have been described as having started, by Jesus, Himself, in the year AD 30.)
Verse 10. “And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.
(First – This is the hallmark of the Great Apostasy, found in these verses and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4. Furthermore, “And then” translates from the Greek word, “tote”, in this case means of the future, also in consecution, i.e., the act of following, or the condition of being in a series; that which is consecutive; succession; sequence.
(Secondly – “fall away” is the Greek word ‘skandalizó’ and means to entrap, i.e., trip up (figuratively, stumble) or entice to sin, apostasy or displeasure).
This is further explained in the following verses and can also be found in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4. For more detail see“Has the Great Apostasy begun?”)
Verse 11. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. Verse 12. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. Verse 13. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Verse 14. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
(Verses 11 through 14 give us a major time line identifier through a concurrence of events: (1) many false prophets will arise and lead many astray; (2) lawlessness will be increased; (3) the love of many will grow cold.)
(“The one who endures to the end”, must be kept in context of the surrounding verses. So, the one who endures to the end of these events – Which Events? – The tribulation seals ONE through FIVE)
(“And then the end will come”. Once again, this is clear, plain, face-value language. After these first FIVE TRIBULATION SEALS, which began in or around AD 30, and have continued progressively to overlap and gain in intensity, THE END WILL COME.)
Matthew 24:29, says, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.”
(Perhaps it would be a good idea to read this verse again. It begins with “IMMEDIATELY AFTER the tribulation of those days”. This is rich with information.
( “The tribulation of THOSE DAYS” are the days from around A.D. 30 through the current day; This includes tribulation Seals ONE through FIVE.)
(“Immediately after the tribulation of those days”, should explain itself. But, just in case, let me say, “THOSE DAYS” refers to the days already discussed (tribulation Seals One through Five).
Now , Jesus is moving our attention to what follows the first 5 Seals of the tribulation: THE SIXTH SEAL.)
(“The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light” is also found in Revelation 6:12-16, and uses the exact language. It is the SIXTH SEAL of the tribulation, which is yet a FUTURE EVENT.)
NOTE: ANYONE, SUCH AS THE ‘PRETERSITS’ , WHO SUGGESTS OR SAY THAT THESE VERSES ARE SIMPLY METAPHORICAL OR HAVE ALREADY OCCURED AND WILL NOT PLAY OUT AS DESCRIBED, ARE FALSE PROPHETS, FALSE TEACHERS AND ARE AIDING THE SPIRIT OF THE ANTICHRIST. (Other places in Revelation, you will find metaphors, allegories, imagery and similes to describe what was indescribable, such as, “The Lamb of God” to describe Jesus, “The Dragon” to describe Satan, or “The Four Beasts” to describe Satan, Babylon and Lucifer. The reader must learn to distinguish the difference.)
Many protestant pastors, preachers and Bible teachers adhere firmly to the John Nelson Darby version of the pre-tribulation rapture. These people with good intentions and most are good men and women, yet, they are sorely misinformed; or, perhaps, some are lazy in their study of scriptures or they could be ignorant about what scriptures say and mean. None-the-less, they are guilty of false teaching and of teaching a false prophecy. (I know this sounds harsh and perhaps even arrogant, please forgive me. But this matter is so very urgent that I believe strongs words and a stronger empasis is needed.)
What I have described is generally known as the Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church. Here is a link and several videos and teachings explaining the Pre-Tribulation Pre Wrath Rapture of the Church. PLEASE watch.
Please hear me, friends. Things are getting worse, even as I write this, and, things are going to get a lot worse as the time of the Rapture (The 6th Tribulation Seal) draws near. You and I need to prepare, both Spiritually and physically, for these difficult times.
I have presented the Spiritual side of the coming day of the Great Tribulation and of the coming day of God’s Wrath in this article.
Please go to these links, “New World Order”, also, “Agenda-21, Cover of the U.N., One World Government”, and Agenda 2030, find the physical and earthly manifestation of this cosmic battle and of the spirit of anti-Christ, which is already at work.
The Bible tells us to be ready, for we do not know the day nor the hour when the Lord will return, and if you did know, you would be on the alert, “and would not have allowed your house to be broken into”. For the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
In conclusion, let me ask you, if you knew a hurricane or a major destructive storm was coming, what would you do to get ready? (Please answer this. Make a short list using these lines). I would:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Well, A Major ‘Storm’ is Arriving as I write these words. We must be ready!
Your Brother and Friend
Mike Young
Additional resource: When does the 7 Years begin?
PS: What we should be doing while we expectantly await His Return to take us to our Eternal Home?:
- Prepare the Storehouse for the Saints (Bible reference Matthew 24:42-46)
- Come Together in Community (Bible reference Hebrews 10:25)
- Make Disciples (Bible reference Matthew 28:16-20)
- Find and connect with Christians (Bible reference Hebrews 10:25)
- Plan and coordinate with families (Bible reference Matthew 24:42-46)
- Organize “readiness” training classes, and more...Until He returns to take us to our Eternal Home. (Bible reference Acts 2:42-47)
IMPORTANT FOOTNOTE: Don’t be deceived. There is only ONE Second Coming of Christ. There will be only ONE Rapture. There will be only ONE Armageddon.
Know your Bible. Know the sequence. Be Ready, found doing as He has said. Endure to the end and be saved !!
The 2nd Advent of Christ (the second coming of Jesus) is one event which can be seen from TWO PERSPECTIVES: One perspective as seen from the earth; the other perspective, from John’s prophetic vision, is seen as it unfolds – a Spiritual and Heavenly perspective!
Look at it this way: When Hurricane Irma hit the U.S. it was a category 5 storm; As Irma progressed up the peninsula of Florida, it became a category 4 storm; then as it entered Alabama it became a category 3 storm; and finally as it entered Georgia, Irma became a tropical storm; and later as it entered Tennessee, it became a rain event.
To those in the various states which hurricane Irma entered, it would have appeared to them that Irma might have been 5 different storms, occurring consecutively; first a Category 5 storm, then, a Category 4 storm, then, a Category 3 hurricane, then, a Tropical storm, and, finally, a rain event. But if viewed “From Above” it was ONE CONTINUOUS STORM, progressively unfolding to its conclusion.
SO IT IS WITH THE ‘LAST DAYS’ AND THE 2nd COMING OF JESUS as seen in the breaking of the ‘Seven Seals of the Book’ as recorded in Revelation chapters 5,6,7 and 8; although, the breaking of each Seal may seem like seven different events, if viewed “from above” it is ONE CONTINUOUS EVENT (eschatological STORM), progressively unfolding to its conclusion.
- Breaking of the 6th Seal of the Tribulation,
- The beginning of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord,
- The beginning of Daniel’s 70th Week also known as the final 7 years of the Great Tribulation,
- Jesus’ SECOND ADVENT,
- The Rapture of the Church,
- The heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True,
- From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and
- He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty
Why does it matter?
- Jesus tells us that it matters because we must ‘endure to the end’ and know the sequence of events will help us to ‘not lose heart and faint’.
- The apostle Paul tells us that it matters, because “God takes no pleasure in the one who shrinks back”, and knowing that our ‘salvation draw near’ will help us endure to the end.
- Jesus tells us it matters and that we must stay alert be found doing what He has commanded when He returns, or we may be “assigned a place with the hypocrites”. Knowing the day is near will help us stay focused and ready for His return.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
Additional Reading:
THE JOURNEY TOWARD PERFECTION – Prophecy, World History, The Tribulation.
Whitestone Fellowship 