EARTH SHAKING NEWS

First, it means that, over the last 2,000 plus years, the first five seals of the tribulation have been broken.  This is referred to as the TIMES OF SORROWS or the BIRTH PAINS.

There are clear signs and evidence that the fifth tribulation seal is now in the process of being opened, or broken!

Secondly, it means that, according to the signs given in scriptures, that the Great Tribulation begins with the breaking or opening of the 6th Tribulation Seal.  Which, incidentally, marks the beginning of Daniel’s Seventieth Week, a.k.a., the “7 Year Tribulation period” and the “Time, Times and a Half Time” (three and one half years).

Again, This period of time, which begins with the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal, will reach the mid-point at the 6th Trumpet of judgment and will conclude after the 7th Tribulation Bowl is poured out.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT

It is important because, if you, as a Christian, think that you will be raptured off this planet and into heaven before the End of Days and before the “BIRTH PAINS” of the early tribulation period begins, you are holding on to a false hope.

You are now experiencing the breaking first five tribulation seals known as the “BIRTH PAINS”, and Jesus clearly says that you must “endure to the end” in the face of these disasters, calamities, famines, earthquakes and wars.

I believe our theologians, once again, have miscalculated the timing and urgency of this prophecy based on denominational bias and have left us pre-tribulation adherents vulnerable.

It is important because,  Jesus is very clear about what we are to be doing in preparation for these horrendous events. And, very few are even aware of this assignment and fewer yet are doing them.

It is important because the context with which we see the uses and meanings of these words and the timing of these events affect our attitudes and our motivation for GETTING and STAYING READY for His return.

It is important that we see and understand what Jesus is TEACHING corresponds with the unfolding of the Tribulation period as recorded in Revelation. It will give us clear instruction, not only of what is coming, but HOW TO PREPARE for these days.

WHY DOES IT MATTER

Why does it matter “when” the tribulation starts or “when” Christians are to be raptured into the heavens?

It matters because being ready for His Return is proof of True Christianity, and only a True Believer in Christ will be guaranteed to join Christ at the sound of His Great Trumpet call and escape the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.

It matters because being ready requires believing and doing what He has instructed us to do in preparation for His return

It matters because He has warned that “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

It matters because many Christians are sitting idly waiting for an event that has already begun, and they are not DOING what He told them to do and therefore are in grave danger

It matters because some of our family, friends and neighbors are completely unaware or just don’t believe that Christ will return and God’s final judgments will sentence them to outer darkness, and it is our job and calling, as Christians, to tell them.  It is our responsibility to “sound the Shofar“.

The Bible warns that in THESE LAST DAYS, “lawlessness is increased”. Never, in our history, have we seen such a striking call for the abolition of “Law and Order”, the permissiveness of anarchy and lawlessness. We are, indeed, in a time when “Good is called evil and evil is called good”.

Go here for the final part – “People’s Love will Grow Cold” – Part 5

THEN THE END WILL COME

Matthew 24:14  “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Verse 15.  “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

Verse 16.  “Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.

Verse 17.  “Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house.

Verse 18.  “Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.

Verse 19,  “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

Verse 20.  “But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.

FOR THEN, A GREAT TRIBULATION

Verse 21.  “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.

Verse 22  “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

Verse 23.  “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him.

Verse 24.  “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.

Verse 25.  “Behold, I have told you in advance.

Verse 26.  “So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.

Verse 27.  “For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

THESE LAST DAYS

Hebrews 1:1-2, says, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,  in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.”

THE LAST DAYS

Acts 2:17  ‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says, ‘THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS;

THESE LAST TIMES

1 Peter 1:18  “…knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, (v19) but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. (v20)  For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you (v21)  who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

These words by Jesus, the Apostles Paul and Peter were spoken (and written) in the 1st century, AD.  So, it is easy to see, by these scriptural references, that The Last Days began in the 1st Century AD – and this is earth-shaking news.

Go here for EARTH-SHAKING NEWS – Part 4

IT IS TO KNOW

“THE LAST DAYS“ – Take a close look at these words of Jesus and the Apostles Paul and Peter as they spoke of THE LAST DAYS or the LAST TIMES.

The words, when referring to THE LAST DAYS, THE LAST TIMES, THE END, which were spoken by Jesus, Paul and Peter, in the Greek language they were written, literally mean

• “an age” or
• “last in a series of places” and
• “last in a temporal succession of time”.

It is important to know that these LAST DAYS are not a sudden cessation of time.  Instead, they are an age or an era leading to and END OF TIME and ultimately to the end of the heavens and the earth.

• It is important to know that once a tribulation seal is opened or broken, the effects of that seal can go on for an indeterminate time
• It is important to know that once a tribulation seal is opened or broken, the effects of that seal can overlap with other tribulation seal judgments
• It is important to know that the intensity of God’s judgments increase in intensity and ferocity. 
  • The initial tribulation seals 1 through 5 are referred to as “BIRTH PAINS” or the “tribulation”  (small “t’ with the absence of the adjective “great”) 
  • Seals 6 and following are referred to as the “GREAT Tribulation” and “A time of Great Tribulation such as the world has never seen and will never see again”.

What The New Testament Says About

THE END OF THE AGE

Matthew 24:3  As He (Jesus) was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

NOT YET THE END

4  “And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.

5  “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.

6  “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.

MERELY THE BEGINNING OF BIRTH PANGS

7  “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.

8  “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

ENDURE TO THE END

9  “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.

10  “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.

11  “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.

12  “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.

13  “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

THEN THE END WILL COME

14  “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Therefore…

Go here for The Great Tribulation – Part 3

2 Timothy 3:1  “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. Verse 2, For men will be

• lovers of self,
• lovers of money,
• boastful, arrogant, revilers,
• disobedient to parents, ungrateful,
• unholy, unloving, irreconcilable,
• malicious gossips, without self-control,
• brutal, haters of good,
• treacherous, reckless,
• conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
• holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; 

Avoid such men as these.”

You don’t have to look very hard or very far to see that these verses from 2 Timothy describe much of society today.  But, it is nothing new.  Since these verses were written in the first century AD, these problems of character and behavior existed then as well as now.

Sadly, many of the people “in church” can be described this very way.  But, again, this was written to the people in the church in the first century AD, so again, the problem has been ongoing.

People who hold these view and demonstrate these character qualities always have reasons for their behavior, and they truly don’t see a problem, so they rarely see the need to correct their thinking or behavior.  This is why we see Jesus and the Apostles teaching on these matters – to correct people’s thinking, attitudes and behaviors.

More to the point, however, this is a description of “THE LAST DAYS”, and it has been ongoing since around AD 1.  Jesus and His disciples taught that “THE LAST DAYS” were underway in as early as AD 1.

Now, disturbingly, in 2020, even some of our medical professionals are advocating for a more progressive or liberal and accepting view of these behaviors.

THE LAST DAYS

Take a close look at these words of Jesus and the Apostles Paul and Peter as they spoke of THE LAST DAYS or the LAST TIMES.

The words, when referring to THE LAST DAYS, THE LAST TIMES, THE END, which were spoken by Jesus, Paul and Peter, in the Greek language they were written, literally mean

• “an age” or
• “last in a series of places” and
• “last in a temporal succession of time”.

It is important to know that these LAST DAYS are not a sudden cessation of time.  Instead, they are an age or an era leading to and END OF TIME and ultimately to the end of the heavens and the earth.

Go to “WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO ME?” here PART -2