Revelation chapter 12 Is a type of simile a summary by metaphor recapping the entire tribulation period, beginning with the birth of Jesus, around B.C. 2 and continuing through the Sixth Tribulation Trumpet Judgment (This is useful and helpful for getting ready for Jesus’ return and the coming Great and Terrible Day of the Lord):
The Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension. (Matthew 27).
The Times of Distress – Breaking of Tribulation Seals 1 through 5).
At or immediately after the rapture of the church (which is concurrent with the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal – Matthew 24:29-31), the Antichrist enters a treaty with Israel. This begins the seven-year tribulation.
At the midpoint of the tribulation (1,260 days which is 3.5 years later), the Antichrist breaks the treaty, desecrates the temple, and begins to persecute the Jews.
At the end of the tribulation (1,260 days after the desecration of the temple marked by the blowing of the 6th Trumpet Judgment), Jesus Christ returns to earth and defeats the forces of the Antichrist.
During the next 30 days (leading up to 1,290 days after the desecration of the temple), Israel is rebuilt and the earth is restored.
During the next 45 days (leading up to 1,335 days after the desecration of the temple), the Gentile nations are judged for their treatment of Israel. The dispensation of the millennium begins, and it will last for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:3, 5–6).
Revelation 12:1, “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman (Israel) clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars (the 12 Tribes of Israel).verse 2. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth (the Christ Child).Verse 3. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon (Satan), with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.Verse 4. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child(Jesus, the Christ Child) he might devour it.Verse 5. She gave birth to a male child (The Christ Child), one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,Verse 6. and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days (equals 3 1/2 years when using the Hebrew calendar of 30 days per month).
The interpretation of the 1260 days, or 3.5 years, coincides here with Revelation 11:2, “But do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it shall be (future tense) given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.”
Not merely “leave out,” but “cast out.” The “court which is outside the temple” was entered only by Jews. It seems, therefore, to be part of the Church, but that part which is separated from the “inner circle of true believers” and this outer court will be given over to the world, which is here symbolized by “the Gentiles.”
The Gentiles, the nations, throughout the Apocalypse, signifies either (1) all mankind whatsoever; or (2) that portion of mankind which is left when the true Church of God is withdrawn, and therefore which embraces the unrighteous part of mankind in contrast to the godly (cf. Revelation 2:26; Revelation 14:8; Revelation 16:19; Revelation 18:23; 22:22).
This is further proof of the timing of the Fifth Tribulation Seal, the Great Apostasy of the Church, persecution of the saints, occurs prior to the 6th Tribulation Seal.
**It is also important to note that the 6th Tribulation Seal will not be broken and the rapture of the Church will not occur until after the anti-Christ is revealed:
Please read 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, Verse 2, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.Verse 3. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion (the apostasy, the great falling way from the faith) comes first, and the man of lawlessness is (the antichrist) is revealed, the son of destruction (the antichrist)verse 4, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.”
Now, back to Revelation 11:2, “And the holy city shall they tread underfoot.” The holy city – which is Jerusalem – is always a type of the Church in the Apocalypse. “The nations” (Gentiles or non-believers) are the instrument by which the Church is trodden underfoot, and the mention of the Gentiles in connection with the apostate portion of the Church leads to the description of the oppression of God’s faithful by the world.(This is referring to the present and growing great persecution of the saints during the 5th tribulation seal. The Church is removed – raptured – at the 6th Tribulation Seal and those who are left may appear to be the church (‘the Gentiles’) are not believers and the shell of the church is void of true believers and void of the Holy Spirit ).
In summary, following here is the timeline (in this color text):
At or immediately after the rapture of the church (which is concurrent with the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal – Matthew 24:29-31), the Antichrist enters a treaty with Israel. This begins the seven-year tribulation.
This Antichrist will bring false hope and peace to the world, and will do what no one else has ever done- bring Israel and Palestine together.
In fact, the king will make a 7-year peace treaty with the people and there will be peace for 3 1/2 years, which will bring us to the 6th Tribulation Trumpet – the mid-point of the 7 Year Great Tribulation. After that, the Antichrist will break his pledge and stop the Jews from all their sacrifices, and he will set himself in the temple proclaiming to be God. This is called the ‘abomination of desolation’spoken of by Daniel the Prophet.
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week – this ‘one week’, or 7 years, also known as Daniel’s 70th week, occurs at the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal – and in the midst of this week, or after 3.5 years, coinciding with the blowing of the 6th Tribulation Trumpet, he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. “And for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate”. Daniel 9:27.
“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), then let them that be in Judea flee unto the mountains.”
And when you see this, Jesus said to flee to the mountains for then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world or ever shall be. And, unless those days be shortened, no one will be spared.
Let him that is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house; neither let him that is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day.
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect’s sake, those days shall be shortened. Matthew 24:15-22.
At the midpoint of the tribulation (1,260 days which is 3.5 years later), the Antichrist breaks the treaty, desecrates the temple, and begins to persecute the Jews.
At the end of the tribulation (1,260 days after the desecration of the temple marked by the blowing of the 6th Trumpet Judgment), Jesus Christ returns to earth and defeats the forces of the Antichrist.
Revelation 9:12, “The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.
Verse 13, “Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet,(the first 3.5 years of the Great Tribulation is finished. This is the mid-point). and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, Verse 14. saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” Verse 15.So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind.
Verse 16. The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand(200,000,000 is the approximate size of the Chinese military in 2022); I heard their number. Verse 17. And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. Verse 18. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. Verse 19. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.”
Verse 20. The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk,Verse 21. nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.(No one is saved after the 6th Tribulation Trumpet is sounded)
(Note: When the 6th Tribulation Seal is broken, which could occur at any time, the will be 3.5 years until the battle of Armageddon.)
During the next 30 days (leading up to 1,290 days after the desecration of the temple), Israel is rebuilt and the earth is restored. • During the next 45 days (leading up to 1,335 days after the desecration of the temple), the Gentile nations are judged for their treatment of Israel. • The dispensation of the millennium begins, and it will last for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:3, 5–6).
The prophecy from Daniel 12;1 tells us that, “At that time shall arise(future)Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be(future) a time of troublesuch as never has been since there was a nation(also see the Words of Jesus in Matthew 24:21) till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, (upon the breaking of the 6th Seal, the beginning of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord, see Matthew 24:29-31) everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.
Verse 2. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Verse 3. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
Verse 4. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
Verse 5. Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream.
Verse 6. And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream,“How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?”
Verse 7. And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished.
Verse 8. I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?”
Verse 9. He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.
Verse 10. Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.
Verse 12. Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days (During the next 45 daysleading up to 1,335 days after the desecration of the temple), the Gentile nations are judged for their treatment of Israel).
Verse 13. But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.”
REPEAT – In summary, here is the timeline:
At or immediately after the rapture of the church (which is concurrent with the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal – Matthew 24:29-31), the Antichrist enters a treaty with Israel. This begins the seven-year tribulation.
At the midpoint of the tribulation (1,260 days which is 3.5 years later), the Antichrist breaks the treaty, desecrates the temple, and begins to persecute the Jews.
At the end of the tribulation (1,260 days after the desecration of the temple marked by the blowing of the 6th Trumpet Judgment), Jesus Christ returns to earth and defeats the forces of the Antichrist.
During the next 30 days (leading up to 1,290 days after the desecration of the temple), Israel is rebuilt and the earth is restored.
During the next 45 days (leading up to 1,335 days after the desecration of the temple), the Gentile nations are judged for their treatment of Israel. The dispensation of the millennium begins, and it will last for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:3, 5–6).
Matthew 24:29“Immediately after the tribulation of those days(i.e., after tribulation seals 1 through 5), the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Verse 30. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Verse31. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet-call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
AN IMPORTANT HISTORICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL MARKER:
“Immediately afterthe tribulation of those days”. It is important to take careful note of the wording, “immediately after”, and “the tribulation of those days” which is referring to something that came previously and that there is something to follow. We have already read and established that the “tribulation of those days“ is referring specifically to the time period known as ‘the days of distress’, the breaking of the first five tribulation seals, from around A.D. 1 to this current day, (footnote 1), (footnote 2).
Now, we will discover what follows the breaking of the first five tribulation seals,
IMPORTANT: Matthew 24:21, says, ”For then, there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be (again).
Specifically,
Matthew 24:29. The sun will be darkened, and
The moon will not give its light, and
The stars will fall from heaven, and
The powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Verse 30. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and
They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Verse 31. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet-call, and
They will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Jesus reiterates the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal in Revelation 6:12-17, this way, “And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the eminent people, and the commanders and the wealthy and the strong, and every slave and free person hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the sight of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;for the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel are seal by God;
then suddenly, from out of the tribulation, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” The long-anticipated Rapture of all the saints of God has occurred.
Each of these events should be carefully considered individually and then corporately. Each event is a summary of what is to come and gives great insight of EACH event, which is described in greater detail in the book of the Revelation. It is important to note that these events happen quickly and either concurrently or in rapid succession. (Some bible teachers erroneously say that Jesus will come back another time to finish these events and to rapture the church, which is patently false. There is only one second coming and only one 2nd appearing. Jesus will have already returned and continues to be present even up to the battle of Armageddon. Jesus does not appear, Matthew 24:30-31, disappear and then reappear in Revelation 19:11-21.) There are no three advents or ‘re-appearing’ for a third time!
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT and WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Why does it matter “when” the tribulation starts or “when” Christians are to be raptured into 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; He has said to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
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 may be 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. Because, as Christians, our faith, our convictions and our behavior are speaking louder than our words.
If you have bought into the “One and Done” doctrine of ‘saying a little prayer and accepting Jesus’ as being all you needed to do to be saved, you may have been deceived and may not ready for His return.
We are to ‘work out our salvation with fear and trembling’, repenting daily, following Him closely, obeying Him completely, confessing frequently, rejoicing regularly, praising Him and praying to Him without ceasing! (You will. Know the difference).
COMING NEXT: “The Rest Of The Story”, verses 7 through 17.
Please ask yourself these most important questions:
1. When did the tribulation begin?
2. When was the 1st tribulation seal broken?
3. Where are we in the tribulation seals (one through seven)?
4. When do the 7 years of Great Tribulation begin?
5. When does the “Great and Terrible Day of The Lord” being, and what is it?
6. And, When does the “midpoint” (3.5 years of the final 7 years) occur?
You may have heard or have been taught in certain denominations that these are future events which, if you are a Christian, you will never have to experience. But what if the Bible clearly is saying otherwise? What if Jesus, the Apostles Paul, Peter and Timothy say otherwise?
This can be a great mystery. But, it should not be. Remove the denominationalism and read the clear face-value teachings of the Bible:
You will read in Matthew 24:3-8, “And as He 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 [b]end of the age?”
“And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many people. And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.“
The phrase “the beginning of birth pains” is a statement made by Jesus in or around the year AD 30 and is a translation of the Greek archē ōdin (ἀρχή ὠδίν). The meaning of the phrase, translated in the KJV as “the beginning of sorrows” is a direct reference to preliminary birth pangs that ultimately lead to the full scale contractions and travail, which leads to the actual birth.
Recognizing the Old Testament reference that Jesus was hearkening to is an essential, but often overlooked, key to determining the timing of the prophecy. Jesus was pointing his disciples to two key passages from the prophet Isaiah.
The first passage is Isaiah 26, a portion of Scripture found in the middle of what is sometimes referred to as “Isaiah’s little apocalypse”. There, the Lord speaks through Isaiah, specifically contrasting the expectations of the Jewish people regarding deliverance, redemption and physical resurrection with the reality of the pain, suffering and travail that they had corporately experienced. In verses 16-18, the complaint of Israel is raised that despite having endured the great suffering of labor, the expected “birth” of deliverance, redemption and resurrection had not arrived.
This makes clear that the Last Days and the opening of the tribulation Seals began sometime between 2 B.C., and AD 30. Other references which confirm this date as spoken by Jesus and the Apostles Paul, Peter and Timothy, are found in :
Section A.2. With the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal we will see that THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. “And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. (Matthew 24:29-31 & Revelation 6:12-16)
Section A.3. Sometime after the rapture of the church, which occurs at the 6th Seal, the Antichrist enters a treaty with Israel. This begins the seven-year tribulation.
Section A.4. At the midpoint of the tribulation (1,260 days later), the Antichrist breaks the treaty, desecrates the temple, and begins to persecute the Jews.
Section A.5. At the end of the tribulation (1,260 days after the desecration of the temple), Jesus Christ returns to earth and defeats the forces of the Antichrist.
Section A.6. During the next 30 days (leading up to 1,290 days after the desecration of the temple), Israel is rebuilt, and the earth is restored.
Section A.7. During the next 45 days (leading up to 1,335 days after the desecration of the temple), the Gentile nations are judged for their treatment of Israel.
Section A.8. The dispensation of the millennium begins, and it will last for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:3, 5–6).
(Below here is a more complete description of the Tribulation Timeline. Concern yourself with the first SIX SEALS.)
the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and her enemies.
The 1st Seal of the tribulation was being broken perhaps sometime just after the birth of Jesus up until just after the death and resurrection of Christ. The succeeding seals (Seals 2 – 5) have been broken at various periods of time sometime since A.D. 1 and that we have now entered the time of the breaking 5th Tribulation Seal. Jesus refers to this period, the breaking of the tribulation Seals ONE through FIVE as “the beginning of the birth pangs”,and He points out that “this is not yet the end”.
The 6th Tribulation Seal, as described in Matthew 24 we see in Verse 29. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Verse 30. “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.
Verse 31. “And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
Section B.3. The “7 years of Great Tribulation” (aka Daniel’s 70th week) begins with the breaking of the 6th tribulation seal, and, will reach the mid-point of the tribulation period, (after 3.5 years) with the sounding of the 6th Trumpet of the Great Tribulation.
Section B.4. Then, the Great Tribulation will end with the pouring out of the 7 Bowls of Wrath.
THE TRIBULATION JUDGMENTS LEAD TO THE END OF THE AGE
The world has endured, and is enduring, the first four tribulation seals, and is now experiencing the intensifying of the 5th tribulation seal (the appearing of the Antichrist, martyrdom of Christians, the great falling away from the faith,).
Multitude from the tribulation before the Throne of God
I will continue through the ‘Bowl Judgments’ in part 2 of this article, but, for the Christian, The Rapture will have occurred by this point and Jesus has taken His Spotless Bride, The Church, to the Throne of God, Her eternal home.
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and surrender my heart and my life to you. I will trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior the rest of my days.
Eternally In His Grip – Your Brother and Friend
Mike Young
PS: Please don’t be confused or deceived by denominationalism. Trust the Bible.
(Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references. Each page link provides greater detail and important information on matters contained in this article. Please use all of them for a complete teaching and udnerstanding. This is an urgent message.)
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE EYES TO SEE
As it is written,
“God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”
My wife and I took a road trip around part of our country in 2011, starting in Florida, proceeding north, up the east coast to Virginia then west through Tennessee, to Oklahoma and all point between. We then headed north to Illinois, Minnesota, turning west again to South Dakota. Our return trip took a more southerly route, arriving back in Florida. I tell you this in order to mention that we each Sunday we would go to church.
We visited several different denominations such as Baptist, Methodist, Nazarene and non-denominational (which seemed to be more Charismatic or Pentecostal). I won’t critique each church experience, but I will comment on the one thing that was similar if not common in each and every church we visited: Shallow.
If I could grade my experience at most of them, on a scale from 1 to 10:
Score: 1 to 3 on greeting a visitor as we entered the building.
Score: 0 to 1 on ‘shaking hands during the greeting time’ in the services.
Score: 3 to 5 on the scriptural content and Biblical context of the sermon.
Score: 0 on follow up.
Score: 7 to 8 on polite.
Score: 0 to 1 on friendly.
But, to be fair, we are just visiting on a one-time basis. So how much can you expect, unless you are a returning visitor? (I wrote to one of the church pastors reflecting on our experience. ‘Crickets’.)
BACK HOME
We have moved locations three times and been members of six different churches over the last 44 years.
Castle Hills Baptist Church, 1975 to 1977. We were brand new Christians. This church was friendly (and I mean FRIENDLY). Non-judgmental. Outward focused. Biblically strong in practice of their faith, (bearing the fruit of the Spirit of God).Worship led you to worship God. Generous. Deacon led. Big on Sunday school and personal relationships. Sermons always fundamentally strong. Transparent. Score 9.
Bethany Place Baptist Church, 1978 to 1995. Friendly and family oriented. Outreach focused. Worship geared toward Jesus. A disciple-making Church. Score 8 to 9.
Oak Grove Baptist Church, 1996 to 2000. Friendly most of time, but firmly settled demanding on having their own way. Worship led by music minister, very traditional. Family oriented. Inward focused. Couldn’t keep a pastor on staff. Score 6 to 7.
Southside Nazarene Church, 2000 to 2002. Friendly. Family oriented. Outreach focused. Big on fellowship and personal relationships. Worship ‘team’ music focused on scriptures, very good presentation and Was being infiltrated by Emergent church heresy. Score 8 to 9, until Emergent philosophies introduced, then, Score 2 – 5.
White Stone Nazarene, 2002 to 2006. Clique oriented. Polite. Inward focused. Worship ‘team’ scripture oriented, consisted of guitars and drums. Began to teach a new age / Emergent church humanistic religion. Not dependable. Questionable moralities. Score 0 to 2.
Life, 2008 to 2020. Very ‘surface friendly’. Worship ‘team’ entertainment oriented; lighting effects, stage smoke, very loud and repetitive. Both inward and outward focused. Pastor-led polity, tightly controlled, manipulative at times. Members are cliquish. Uses ‘proximity to pastor’ as a punishment-reward method for control. Frequent turnover of members. Secretive-to-questionable financial management. Score 0 to 2.
Covenant Church, 2020 to present. Friendly. Worship team entertaining but always focused on scriptures and leads congregants to think on and worship God. Big on ‘small groups’ for relationships, outward focused. Elder-led church polity. Constant growth. Financially transparent. (Covenant Church left their major denomination PC USA, and aligned with the PCA. We have been at Covenant for just under 2 years as of this writing, so I cannot give my grade yet, but if I did it would be an aberration because it reverses the trend. It would be high.)
(Notice the trend of the scores over time is high to very low).
I realize that my view of these Churches are largely just opinions from my experiences, which would be affected by age, culture, life circumstances, personal preferences, etc., and probably only partially accurate, although this is how I recall them.
I also want to make sure that I am clear that ‘The Church’ is not just the ordained and professional clergy. They are just a small part of God’s Church. The Church is the everyday Christian who professes the Name of Jesus and claims to follow His teachings, and the one thing I am certain of regarding the Church, is the declension of the moral and the ethical life of the Church, that is to say, the loss of her righteousness, even as late as 1978 (when I was saved and became involved in church life), which is reflected in my ‘opinionated view’ and scoring of my ‘church experience’ over the last 44 years.
There is one thing common to all the churches I have listed, and in fact, from the majority of churches studied, since around 1995, has been a growing quiet-to-open-division, a fracture. Now-a-days, if you don’t agree on fundamentals of doctrine, you probably don’t hang out together, and there is more at work. Secular politics have invaded the church’s thinking and plays a role in this division. People have become galvanized in their opinions and are more self-centered and demanding.
Church members have gone from being quietly critical of one another to a form of open religious warfare, causing anxiety, suspicion, divisions and separation.
Cliques are a problem. The ‘religious birds’ within particular denominations are flocking together, and if you don’t wear their color of feathers, you are out! And, they aren’t even shy about it any longer.
Christians have become so judgmental, even of each other, that many are leaving these church ‘war zones’. A new convert is entering an almost impossible socio-religious maze of opinions, mores, traditions and attitudes and is subject to becoming a fatality before he or she can even settle in. So, it falls to the pastors of these Churches to sort out the mess and find balance and reason.
Jesus used the word “shepherd” interchangeably for overseers, pastors, elders, and presbyters. Historically and culturally speaking, the tasks of a Near Eastern shepherd were to watch for enemies trying to attack the sheep to defend the sheep from attackers to heal the wounded and sick sheep to find and save lost or trapped sheep to love them, sharing their lives and so earning their trust.
During World War II, a shepherd was a pilot who guided another pilot whose plane was partially disabled back to the base or carrier by flying alongside him to maintain visual contact.
Pastors and church leaders in our postmodern world, however, tend to deal with the pressures and stress of this ‘church fracture‘ (a.k.a., apostasy) using ‘distancing and insulating methods’. Assign the personal interaction taks to staff or volunteers; give programs priority over people.
Very few pastors actually ‘pastor’, they are CEOs, church leaders, insulated in their role as a survival method. Even with that, pastoral turnover is staggering in most denominations.
LOST?
In short, we, the Church, are lost. We are lost in a postmodern Socialist wilderness. We have been wooed and pursued by the ‘false messiah‘. We have drifted so far from the early Communal Church CALLING, CIRCUMSTANCE, INTENT, METHOD and MISSION, that we have no idea where it all began and really don’t care. We are held captive by and are living in the Great Delusion the Apostle Paul warned about. We say about the early church CALLING, CIRCUMSTANCE, INTENT, METHOD and MISSION, “those were old-fashioned methods and they don’t work any longer”.
We are mistaking function for form. We think because we still ‘do church’, sing hymns, go on mission trips, tithe, pray, have bible studies and wear religious symbols we are Christians like always. But that is not true. We have, without any doubt, lost our first love, both for Christ Jesus and for one another.
LOVE – AGAPE – PHILOS – EROS
Agape-Love
For Christians, Agape is considered a divine love. It is like the love that God had for his son, Jesus Christ. It is the love that Christ had for all human beings when he gave his life to redeem them from their sins. This is considered by many to be the best type of love in the Bible.
This is the love that God commanded all Christians to express for the rest of the earth. In your own life, you may have experience Agape for your spouse, parent or child. It is the kind of unconditional love that is never based on how someone looks or what they can do for you. It is an almost sacrificial type of love where you are willing to hurt yourself or take a risk if it means that you can help the one you love. You do not have to feel Agape to express it, but it is a wonderful kind of love to experience.
Philos-Love
Philos is a common type of love to experience. It is said to be the kind of love that you have for a close friend or companion. Basically, it is like loving someone like your sister or brother. It is the love you have for a friend who you feel like a brother to, and it often develops after two people share intense experiences together. This is the type of love that Christians are supposed to practice toward one another and the rest of the world.
Eros
Eros is a Greek word that is said to mean longing or desire. As we already mentioned, this is the kind of love that you typically experience when you are infatuated with someone or something. It also happens to be the name of the Greek god of love. Later on, Eros became the root word of the modern word, erotic. Basically, this is a selfish form of love that tends to be associated with sexual matters. It is the strong feeling you have for someone during the initial stage in the relationship. Often, Eros develops based on someone’s physical traits. For the relationship to continue, you have to develop other types of love. When Eros is not balanced, it can even lead someone to become possessive. This is the type of ‘love’ that produces the addictive hormones and bio-chemicals of adrenaline, dopamine,
The meaning of ‘love’ in the minds of most has fallen from ‘agape’ and ‘philos’ to ‘eros’. Even in the church, it is expressed in how we dress, how we talk, what we expect and the frightening rise of sexual abuse by the clergy and rampant immorality among Christians.
JEZEBEL
Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of Tyre and Sidon and priest of the cult of Baal, a cruel, sensuous and revolting false god whose worship involved sexual degradation and lewdness.
The term, “Jezebel spirit” likely comes from Jezebel’s obsessive passion for domineering and controlling others, especially in the spiritual realm. She married Ahab, king of Israel, and became the queen and began a relentless campaign to rid Israel of all evidences of Yahweh worship. She ordered the extermination of all the prophets of the Lord (1 Kings 18:4, 13) and replaced their altars with those of Baal.
She had such a single-minded determination to have her way, no matter who is destroyed in the process, is a characteristic of the ‘Jezebel spirit’.
So infamous was Jezebel’s sexual immorality and idol worship that the Lord Jesus Himself refers to her in a warning to the church at Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29). Most likely referring to a woman in the church who influenced it the same way Jezebel influenced Israel into idolatry and sexual immorality, Jesus declares to the Thyatirans that she is not to be tolerated.
Whoever this woman was, like Jezebel, she refused to repent of her immorality and her false teaching, and her fate was sealed. The Lord Jesus cast her onto a sick bed, along with those who committed idolatry with her. The end for those who succumb to a Jezebel spirit is always death and destruction, both in the physical and the spiritual sense.
Perhaps the best way to define the Jezebel spirit is to say it characterizes anyone who acts in the same manner as Jezebel did, engaging in immorality, idolatry, false teaching, and unrepentant sin. To go beyond that is to engage in conjecture and can possibly lead to false accusations and divisiveness within the body of Christ.
APHRODITE
Another Greek goddess is mentioned in the Bible, albeit indirectly. Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love, beauty, and sensuality. The Romans called her Venus. Aphrodite is not explicitly named in the Bible, but she still shows up in the name of Epaphroditus, who was a “brother, co-worker and fellow soldier” of Paul (Philippians 2:25). The name Ephaphroditus means “belonging to Aphrodite”—the name of the goddess is actually incorporated into his name.
ANTINOMIAN
Antinomian: an·ti·no·mi·an| ˌan(t)ēˈnōmēən | adjective relating to the view that Christians are released by grace from the obligation of observing the moral law. noun a person holding antinomian beliefs.
DERIVATIVES antinomianism | -ˌnizəm | noun ORIGIN mid 17th century: from medieval Latin Antinomi, the name of a 16th-century sect in Germany alleged to hold this view, from Greek anti- ‘opposite, against’ + nomos ‘law’.
I am reprinting a section of a book, “Paths to Power”, chapter 5, by Pastor A.W. Tozer, as a corroborating view:
“To any casual observer of the religious scene today, two things will at once be evident: one, that there is very little sense of sin among the unsaved, and two, that the average professed Christian lives a life so worldly and careless that it is difficult to distinguish him from the unconverted man. The power that brings conviction to the sinner and enables the Christian to overcome in daily living is being hindered somewhere. It would be oversimplification to name any one thing as the alone cause, for many things stand in the way of the full realization of our New Testament privileges. There is one class of hindrances, however, which, tends out so conspicuously that we are safe in attributing to it a very large part of our trouble…
“:Fundamental Christianity in our times is deeply influenced by that ancient enemy of righteousness, antinomianism.
“The creed of the antinomian is easily stated: “We are saved by faith alone; Works have no place in salvation; Conduct is works, and is therefore of no importance. What we do cannot matter as long as we believe rightly. The divorce between creed and conduct is absolute and final. The question of sin is settled by the Cross; conduct is outside the circle of faith and cannot come between the believer and God.”
“Such, in brief, is the teaching of the antinomian, And so fully has it permeated the Fundamental element in modern Christianity that it is accepted by the religious masses as the very truth of God.
“Antinomianism is the doctrine of grace carried by uncorrected logic to the point of absurdity. It takes the teaching of justification by faith and twists it into deformity. It plagued the Apostle Paul in the early Church and called out some of his most picturesque denunciations. When the question is asked, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” he answers no with that terrific argument in the sixth chapter of Romans.
“Right after the first World War there broke out an epidemic of popular (NEW or NEO) evangelism with the emphasis upon what was called the “positive” gospel… They talked about a “big,” “lovely” Jesus who had come to help us poor but well-meaning sinners to get the victory. Christ was presented as a powerful but not too particular Answerer of prayer.
“The message was so presented as to encourage a loaves-and fishes attitude toward Christ. That part of the New Testament which acts as an incentive toward holy living was carefully edited out. It was said to be “negative” and was not tolerated. Thousands sought help who had no desire to leave all and follow the Lord. The will of God was interpreted as “Come and get it.” Christ thus became a useful convenience, but His indisputable claim to Lordship Over the believer was tacitly canceled out.
“Much of the stream of gospel thought has been fouled, and its waters are still muddy. One thing that remains as a dangerous hangover is the comfortable habit of blaming everything on the devil. No one was supposed to feel any personal guilt; the devil had done it, so why blame the sinner for the devil’s misdeeds? He became the universal scapegoat, to take the blame for every bit of human devilry from Adam to the present day. One gathered that we genial and lovable sinners are not really bad; we are merely led astray by the blandishments of that mischievous old Puck of the heavenly places. Our sins are not the expression of our rebellious wills; they are only bruises where the devil has been kicking us around. Of course sinners can feel no guilt, seeing they are merely the victims of another’s wickedness.
“Under that kind of teaching there can be no self-condemnation, but there can be, and is, plenty of self-pity over the raw deal we innocent sinners got at the hand of the devil. Now, no Bible student will underestimate the sinister work of Satan, but to make him responsible for our sins is to practice deadly deception upon ourselves. And the hardest deception to cure is that which is self-imposed.
“Another doctrine which hinders God’s work, and one which is heard almost everywhere, is that sinners are not lost because they have sinned, but because they have not accepted Jesus. “Men are not lost because they murder; they are not sent to hell because they lie and steal and blaspheme; they are sent to hell because they reject a Saviour.” This short-sighted preachment is thundered at us constantly, and is seldom challenged by the hearers. A parallel argument would be hooted down as silly, but apparently no one notices it: “That man with a cancer is dying, but it is not the cancer that is killing him; it is his failure to accept a cure.” Is it not plain that the only reason the man would need a cure is that he is already marked for death by the cancer? The only reason I need a Saviour, in His capacity as Saviour, is that I am already marked for hell by the sins I have committed. Refusing to believe in Christ is a symptom of deeper evil in the life, of sins unconfessed and wicked ways unforsaken. The guilt lies in acts of sin; the proof of that guilt is seen in the rejection of the Saviour.
“If anyone should feel like brushing this aside as mere verbal sparring, let him first pause: the doctrine that the only damning sin is the rejection of Jesus is definitely a contributing cause of our present weakness and lack of moral grip. It is nothing but a neat theological sophism which has become identified with orthodoxy in the mind of the modern Christian and is for that reason very difficult to correct. It is, for all its harmless seeming, a most injurious belief, for it destroys our sense of responsibility for our moral conduct. It robs all sin of its frightfulness and makes evil to consist in a mere technicality. And where sin is not cured power cannot flow…
“The vogue of excusing sin, of seeking theological justification for it instead of treating it as an affront to God, is having its terrible effect among us. Deep searching of heart and a resolute turning from evil will go far to bring back power to the Church of Christ. Tender, tear-stained preaching on this subject must be heard again before revival can come.” – SOURCE: “Paths to Power” – by A. W. Tozer, Ch 5.
“Deep searching of heart and a resolute turning from evil will go far to bring back power to the Church of Christ. Tender, tear-stained preaching on this subject must be heard again before revival can come.” Tozer’s words, to the postmodern world, sound like strange and alien idealism spoken in a foreign language.
Read what 2 Timothy 3:1-8 tells us on this matter,
”But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.
“Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.”
It is known as the great Apostasy. “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit, or a message, or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? And you know what restrains him now, so that he will be revealed in his time. 7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is removed. Then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not accept the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be [p]judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.
Jesus was baptized, and the Spirit came upon Him. (Matthew 3:16) We must be baptized. (Acts 2:38)
Jesus was tempted, tested, by the devil. (Matthew 4) We must be tempted and tested. (Matthew 5)
Jesus began His ministry of calling people to Himself, making disciples, teaching and preaching the Gospel, practicing the Gospel.
Jesus instructs His disciples on the cost of following Him.
Leave your home and come with Me (Matthew 19)
Forsake your former life and follow Me
Leave your families and follow Me (Luke 14:26)
Give up all you have, or you cannot follow Me (Luke 14:33)
If you love your life, you will lose it (Matthew 10:39)
Jesus walks with His disciples, teaching and showing His Gospel.
Jesus sends His disciples to do His Work (Matthew 10)
Jesus continues to minister, teach and preach.
Jesus is crucified. (Matthew 27)
Jesus ascends to His Father and sends His disciples to continue His Works. (Matthew 28) We are to make disciples, baptizing them, preaching the Gospel, teaching them all He commanded. (Matthew 28)
A very abbreviated history leading to the Great Apostasy:
The Emergence and Progression of the False Church
AD 1 The Church of Jesus Christ, The Body of Christ, had no buildings, little money and no wealth. The Church was a Movement.
Jesus said to make disciples; collect no money except to make your journey.
The penalty for becoming a Christian was often death.
The Church grew exponentially.
AD 49 The Church expanded into Greece. The Church became a philosophy to many. The Church grew and size and influence.
AD 313 The Church expanded into Rome and it gained recognition. It grew in power and popularity. It obtained wealth, buildings, property and influence. It became an institution.
AD 380 The Church expanded into Europe. It was becoming a worldwide phenomenon. It grew in wealth, stature, power and influence. It had become a culture.
AD 1607 The Church reaches America.
AD 1681 The Church became corporate. It had become a business and incorporated. It became regulated by the government.
The Corporate Church grew. It needed money to support growth and expansion, which meant the Corporate Church needed more people.
AD 1777 The state of Virginia granted tax exemption to houses of worship.
AD 1894 The corporate church was granted tax exemptions by the Federal Government.
AD 1954 The Federal Government regulated what a church could and could not say in order to retain tax-exempt status.
The church continued to grow, and in order to attract more people the Corporate Church lowered its membership and doctrinal standards. More people became ‘members’ and gave more money to support more growth.
The Church corporation is complete with leaders, boards and membership and a business model.
Local churches compete against one another for members (customers). The church is selling itself in “three line slogans”.
The Church members now have choices and have become religious consumers. Church people can shop around for the religious brand and standards that best suits them. (2 Timothy 3)
The Leadership (pastors and preachers) have become CEOs, disciples have become church leaders, growing their 501(c)(3) business models.
Record numbers of pastors quitting because of stress, burnout or are being fired by their congregations (some stats say 1500 – 1700 leave “the ministry” each month).
Church debt in America soars; church foreclosures soar.
AD 1968 The church ordains homosexuals as clergy.
AD 1972 The United church of Christ ordains homosexual clergy
AD 2010 The Lutheran church ordains homosexual clergy
AD 2012 The Presbyterian church ordains homosexual clergy
Big Evangelical Churches, organizations and conferences, also known as “Big EVA”, have create an economy of power, people, and indeed money which is non-ecclesiastical but highly influential within evangelical churches. It is a populist movement of tremendous influence and minimal accountability. It provides an identity for its most passionate acolytes.
“And because it promises rewards to individuals and organizations – influence, students, platform – it is both very hard to criticize and functionally unaccountable to any but its own. The Trinity controversy of two years ago was a case in point: no church creed had ever taught the nonsense that had become so pervasive in evangelicalism. Quite the contrary – the creedal history of the church was arguably constructed to exclude precisely the kind of views that were being espoused. But key conferences and key organizations had a vested interest in sidestepping orthodoxy and demonizing any who pointed that out.
“An aspiring movement, to direct and shape the policies and testimony of the church, is quite another thing. (This is what has been done, or, put more bluntly, ‘What have we done?’ Selected and edited (comments from Carl Trueman, “Revoice, Evangelical Culture, and the Return of an Old Friend” July 31, 2018)
Here are links to several other notable and tragic recent SHIPWRECKS:
This article and its content was collected from various “identified sources” and is reprinted as originally posted by these “identified sources. Some parts are editorialized and contain the opinion of this author. White Stone Fellowship.
The Apostle Paul instructed Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:18, saying, “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them, you fight the good fight, 19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.”
This is advice to all Christians. Point out and call out evil wherever you see it. Name the by names. Warns others to flee these wolves and false teachers.
Perhaps you are one of the brave souls who have read this far and perhaps you have thought or are thinking, “maybe it is like you say in many churches, but it is not that way in my church. We are a friendly, loving, giving, generous, Bible-based, Bible teaching church”, and if you are, well then, great! Good for you. Would you mind completing a short survey, then?
Do you believe it is sometimes permissable to avoid another Christian because of a disagreement or a dispute? Yes No .
Do you believe it is sometimes permissable to hold a grudge against another Christian? Yes No .
Does you believe it is permissable for a Christian church to ordain homosexuals for ministry or allow homosexual laity to teach or hold office in a Christian church? Yes No .
Do you believe it is your responsibility to ‘witness your faith’ to others, daily? What I mean is, do you tell others about Jesus, frequently? Yes No I mean to, but usually do not .
Do you believe it is your responsibility to lead anyone to Jesus; that is, someone who becomes a Christian and follows Jesus, daily? Yes No I try, but no success yet .
If you have done either of the above, do you teach them about Jesus and what He has commanded of us? Yes No I don’t have to; my church does that .
Do believe it is permissible to have sex outside of marriage? Yes No .
Do you and your friends at Church believe the Bible is completely true and accurate? Yes No .
I encourage you, let’s return to our first love. Let’s return to a life of obedience to Him. A life of peace, love and joy. A life of abundance through and in Christ Jesus.
(This is a short panorama of the sudden rise of the Church of Jesus Christ, followed by the fall of the errant, compromised and false church and the rise of the Antichrist in these latter days.
Do not despair at what you are about to read. This is all part of God’s Glorious “Plan of Perfection”. We have an important part to play and we must fulfill our role. The End is nearer than you think. Rejoice!).
God’s plan is unfolding exactly as He purposed; from The Creation, through the Garden of Eden and the Fall of Man to the Great Flood, the Tower of Babel, the Exodus from Egypt, the possessing of The Promised Land, the Destruction of the First Temple and the Jewish Captivity in Babylon, the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus, the Destruction of the Second Temple, our steady march through time has been exactly as Bible prophecy has foretold. We have entered an era leading to the destruction and, eventually, a rebirth of the heavens and the earth.
The Purpose of God’s Eternal Plan is “Perfection”. He is maturing and perfecting His people into His image, ultimately to live in Perfect harmony with Him and with one another, in a New and Perfect heaven and earth.
“Because by a single offering He has made perfect for all time those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:14
Each and every chapter, verse and word in the Bible, when viewed within this context of God’s Eternal Plan of Perfection, begins to make perfect sense.
The advent and rise of Christianity were sudden, dramatic and explosive despite being birthed in a crucible of severe, violent and bloody persecution. (Despite the risks, the early Church did not, shrinkback to destruction, but followed Jesus in faith and practice for they had faith for the safekeeping of the soul. See Hebrews 10:39)
What was it about early Christianity that led so many to sacrifice everything, including their lives, in order to become a follower and a disciple of Jesus?
It was both a promise and a hope. A promise of forgiveness of one’s failed and sinful past. A hope of a future worth living, now, and an eternity with God in heaven. The promise and hope were played out in people’s lives through demonstrable love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit of God within you. (The early Church knew this and practiced it; the postmodern church seems to have forgotten.)
The Christian community was becoming known for its generosity, its humility and its commitment to a quiet and humble lifestyle of faith. The Christian community selflessly cared for one another and for others, giving and expecting little in return. (This was the way of life for the early church; the postmodern church has forgotten and has become self-serving in many ways.)
The greatest criticism of Jesus and His Church, (the Christian Community), was who they ministered to and kept company with the sick and the poor, the downtrodden, the oppressed and the outcast. Jesus responded, saying “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.” (This was the model and the way of the early church; today, the practice of this teaching and example of Jesus is sporadic at best.)
Although the penalty for becoming a Christian in the early church was often a beating, stoning and death, the Church grew exponentially. The Church was a movement of God.
Then something tragic happened.
AD 313 The Church expanded into Rome, and it gained recognition. It grew in power and popularity. It obtained wealth, buildings, property and influence. It became an institution.
AD 380 The Church expanded into Europe. It was becoming a worldwide phenomenon. It grew in wealth, stature, power and influence. It had become a culture.
AD 1607 The Church reaches America.
AD 1681The Church became corporate. It had become a business and incorporated. It became regulated by the government.
The Corporate Church grew. It needed money to support growth and expansion, which meant the Corporate Church needed more people.
AD 1777 The state of Virginia granted tax exemption to houses of worship.
AD 1894 The corporate church was granted tax exemptions by the Federal Government.
AD 1954 The Federal Government regulated what a church could and could not say in order to retain tax-exempt status.
The church continued to grow, and in order to attract more people the Corporate Church lowered its membership and doctrinal standards. More people became ‘members’ and gave more money to support more growth.
The Church corporation is complete with leaders, boards and membership and a business model.
Local churches compete against one another for members (customers). The church is selling itself in “three-line slogans”.
The Church members now have choices and have become religious consumers. Church people can shop around for the religious brand and standards that best suits them. (2 Timothy 3)
The Leadership (pastors and preachers) have become CEOs, disciples have become church leaders, growing their 501(c)(3) business models.
Record numbers of pastors quitting because of stress, burnout or are being fired by their congregations (some stats say 1500 – 1700 leave “the ministry” each month).
Church debt in America soars; church foreclosures soar.
AD 1968 The church ordains homosexuals as clergy.
AD 1972 The United church of Christ ordains homosexual clergy
AD 2010 The Lutheran church ordains homosexual clergy
AD 2012 The Presbyterian church ordains homosexual clergy
AD 2020 The church is losing and has lost influence. The church in 2020 is losing members.
AD 2021 The church-at-large is teaching and living a different Gospel than that of the Apostles.
A new and revolutionary message known as the Gospel of Jesus Christ had been largely abandoned, and as Aristotle postulated, “nature (and the world) abhors a vacuum”. This idiom is used to express the idea that empty or unfilled spaces are unnatural as they go against the laws of nature and physics and are soon filled. The same could be said to be true about human nature.
The teaching and practices of Jesus and the Bible were abandoned or replaced by self-serving methods of commerce, entertainment, comfort or exploitation people felt betrayed and they dropped out or rebelled.A void had been created.
Now, that void is being filled. Enter, Critical Race Theory. WOKE ideologies. The Emergent Church. Transgenderism. LGBQT ‘rights’. BLM. Gender Neutral ideologies. The ‘new Marxism’. Abortions-on-demand. Euthanasia of the elderly.
The popular cry from Christians in the postmodern 21st century is to “put prayer back in schools” or to “return to the Bible”. But until we, Christians, forsake sin and return to the ways and attitudes of Jesus, no outward practice will bring us a saving relationship with God; we are saved only by God’s grace, through obedient faith in Jesus Christ.
Matthew 24:3, records, “And as 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?”
Then, in Matthew 24:4, Jesus recounts to His disciples, the breaking of the first four Tribulation Seals which had begun in or around A.D. 30 and would continue to intensify and overlap with one another and the 5th tribulation seal, until the arrival of The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord (The 6th Tribulation Seal).
“And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. Verse 5. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many people. Verse 6. And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. Verse 7. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. Verse 8. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.
It is urgent that “The Church”, that is the members of Christ’s Body, you and I, must turn away from the apostate church and surrender ourselves as bondservants of Jesus, in His service, as did the early Church. The time is short.
Jesus continues in Matthew 24:9, describing a great persecution of the church, the great apostasy and the rise of false prophets and the spirit of antichrist. “Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. Verse 10. And at that time many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. Verse 11. And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people. Verse 12. And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold”.
The point is that God will finish what He had started: The Perfecting of His Church, through purging, cleansing and purifying by way of the first half of the 7 yeare tribulation period (beginning with the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal.
Then comes judgment of all the earth, beginning with the 7th Trumpet Judgement. We need to be ready and understand what God is doing in these last days leading up to the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal and the rapture of the Church.
Read Daniel 12:5-12,“Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the stream and the other on that bank of the stream.And someone said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “How long will it be until theend of these wonders?” And I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time (12 months),times(12 months), and half a time,(six months, or a total of 42 months = 3.5 years; the first half the 7 year tribulation period); and as soon as they finish smashing the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed. But as for me, I heard but did not understand; so I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?” And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words will be kept secret and sealed up until the end time. Many will be purged, cleansed, and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. And from the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.Blessed is the one who is patient and attains to the 1,335 days! But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will rest and rise for allotted portion at the end of the age.” These are of Daniel’s 70 Weeks.
NOTES: For clarification, please first read Daniel 9:27, “And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come the one who makes desolate, until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, gushes forth on the one who makes desolate.”
The “seventy weeks” prophecy is one of the most significant and detailed Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. It is found in Daniel 9. The chapter begins with Daniel praying for Israel, acknowledging the nation’s sins against God and asking for God’s mercy. As Daniel prayed, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and gave him a vision of Israel’s future.
The Divisions of the 70 Weeks
In verse 24, Gabriel says, “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city.” Almost all commentators agree that the seventy “sevens” should be understood as seventy “weeks” of years, in other words, a period of 490 years. These verses provide a sort of “clock” that gives an idea of when the Messiah would come and some of the events that would accompany His appearance.
The prophecy goes on to divide the 490 years into three smaller units: one of 49 years, one of 434 years, and one 7 years. The final “week” of 7 years is further divided in half. Verse 25 says, “From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’” Seven “sevens” is 49 years, and sixty-two “sevens” is another 434 years:
49 years + 434 years = 483 years.
The Final Week of the 70 Weeks
Of the 70 “sevens,” 69 have been fulfilled in history. This leaves one more “seven” yet to be fulfilled. Most scholars believe that we are now living in a huge gap between the 69th week and the 70th week. The prophetic clock has been paused, as it were. The final “seven” of Daniel is what we usually call the tribulation period.
Daniel’s prophecy reveals some of the actions of the Antichrist, the “ruler who will come.” Verse 27 says, “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’” However, “in the middle of the ‘seven,’ . . . he will set up an abomination that causes desolation” in the temple. Jesus warned of this event in Matthew 24:15. After the Antichrist breaks the covenant with Israel, a time of “great tribulation” begins (Matthew 24:21, NKJV).
From this we can find the answer to the question in Daniel 12, “How long will it be until the end of these wonders?” In the middle of the ‘one week’ which is equal to 3.5 years, the wonders of purging, cleansing and refining of His Church is completed, the abmonination of desolation will take place, and the begins the second 3.5 years of the Tribulation period when God will pour out His Wrath, cast Satan, the Beast and those not found in the Lamb’s book of life, into the eternal lake of fire.
The breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal will usher in the final 7 years of the Great Tribulation, also known as Daniel’s 70th Week. (See Matthew 24:21, “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again.
And Matthew 24:29-31, tells us, “But immediately after the tribulation of those daysTHE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET BLAST, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
It will be at the end of the Age that Jesus will have defeated the the Antichrist and the beast and cast them into the eternal lake of fire. God, then will create a new heaven and a new earth. The walls will be jasper; and the city will be pure gold, like clear glass. The foundation stones of the city wall will be decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone will be jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. And the twelve gates will be twelve pearls; each one of the gates will be a single pearl. And the street of the city will be pure gold, like transparent glass.
There will be no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city will have no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God will illuminate it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation 21:18-27).
Rather than pointing out the state of the church in this postmodern age, I am appealing to you to come out of the church lethargy that is so prevelant, and enter the ministry God has given you; discover and employ the Spiritual Gifts given you by the Holy Spirit.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
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).
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.)
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.
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 wouldbe 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:
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.
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).
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 “IMMEDIATELYAFTER 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.)
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.
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 wouldbe 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:
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.
You and I need to be ready for what is at hand, because we are expected to endure to the end of our appointed time, then God will intervene and take us home.
Where Do We Go From Here?
I am certain that many theologians and Bible teachers are either underestimating the urgency of our mission and the severity of what is at hand or they really don’t know what to do.
Jesus is clear. The heavens and the earth are on a collision course and we are on a Mission. Most of the Church, however, is woefully unprepared.
God has never, ever, been happy with or gentle to those who shirk or draw back from the Mission. Even Jesus says, “Why do you call me Lord, when you do not do the things I have told you? I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work lawlessness.”
Somehow, many preachers think the ‘End Times’, (more correctly, Last Days), won’t intensify until after the Church is raptured off the earth, (Pre-Tribulation rapture). But, even the casual observer can see that many of the signs Jesus warned about are coming to pass, already and the Bible tells us that the judgments of God will intensify even more as He moves from the Seal Judgment to the Trumpet Judgments and then into the Bowl Judgments.
(Please note: This is a long article, but, there are important and urgent links and videos later on this page. Also, to avoid confusion, I have put my commentary in parentheses and color coded them blue.)
Matthew 24:4 says, “And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray.
Verse 5. “For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,and they will lead many astray.
(1) This can be someone literally saying ‘I am the Christ’, (2) but, it is more likely it will be someone who considers themselves as an emissary of Christ – such as ‘ordained pastors’ – who speak for Christ, but are blindly following denominational doctrine which are incorrect; or, (3) as we are clearly seeing, now, in our day, it is ‘institutional deception’, where entire denominations fall away from the clear teachings of Jesus and lead millions astray)
Verse 6. “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
(There have been wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes since recorded history. So, concerning the ‘End Times’, which wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes should we refer to? These things must occur in conjunction with ALL THE SIGNS and WARNING from Jesus and the Bible
(And, don’t miss the little phrase, “but the end is not yet”, as verse eight will elaborate.)
Verse 8. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
(1) The phrase “the beginning of birth pangs” is a statement made by Jesus in or around the year AD 30 and is a translation of the Greek archē ōdin (ἀρχή ὠδίν). The meaning of the phrase, translated in the KJV as “the beginning of sorrows” is a direct reference to preliminary birth pangs that ultimately lead to the full scale contractions and travail, which leads to the actual birth.
Recognizing the Old Testament reference that Jesus was hearkening to is an essential, but often overlooked key to determining the timing of the prophecy. Jesus was pointing his disciples to two key passages from the prophet Isaiah.
The first passage is Isaiah 26, a portion of Scripture found in the middle of what is sometimes referred to as “Isaiah’s little apocalypse”. There, the Lord speaks through Isaiah, specifically contrasting the expectations of the Jewish people regarding deliverance, redemption and physical resurrection with the reality of the pain, suffering and travail that they had corporately experienced. In verses 16-18, the complaint of Israel is raised that despite having endured the great suffering of labor, the expected “birth” of deliverance, redemption and resurrection had not arrived.
This makes clear that the Last Days and the opening of the tribulation Seals began in our around AD 30. Other references which confirm this date as spoken by Jesus and the Apostles Paul, Peter and Timothy, are found in :
(Also please see this teaching by Pastor and Teacher, John Piper on the timing of the End Times. This is an “Ah Ha” moment for Pastor Piper!).
Verse 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).
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 AD 30 through the current date; 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 WHO SUGGESTS OR SAYS THESE VERSES ARE SIMPLY METAPHORICAL 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.)
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.
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 wouldbe 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:
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.
Jesus tells us that He came into this world to testify to the truth, (John 18:37), and for that ‘crime’, He was spit on, mocked, criticized, hunted down, condemned, beaten and murdered.
Jesus was and is, to this very day, a threat. He is a threat to false religions including Gnosticism. He is a threat to a rebellious, stubborn, perverted and unbelieving world. He is a threat to paganism to hedonism, to all forms of Marxism including Globalism. Jesus is a threat to all forms of illnesses, diseases, sickness, poverty, loneliness and depression.
Greater yet, Jesus is the greatest Hope and Friend to the orphan, the widow, the oppressed, the lonely and the lost. He is The Merciful, Kind, Loving, Forgiving Savior offering His life to redeem a lost and perishing world.
Despite the fact that Jesus was a demonstrable threat to the rulers of this world, a stumbling block to the Jew and foolishness to the Gentile, His Church grew.
AD 1 The Church of Jesus Christ, The Body of Christ, had no buildings, little money and no wealth. The Church was a Movement.
Matthew 16:18, says, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. verse 19. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” verse 20. Then He gave the disciples strict orders that they were to tell no one that He was the Christ.”
Jesus said to “make disciples; collect no money except to make your journey.”
Although the penalty for becoming a Christian was often death. The Church grew exponentially, creating the greatest threat ever to the rulers of darkness and of this world. But then, in or around AD 49 something began to change.
AD 49. The Church expanded into Greece. The Church became a philosophy to many. Still, the Church grew and size and influence.
The seeds of distortion were sown. Satan and the world knew they could not overcome Jesus directly, so the enemies of Christ appealed directly to the hearts and minds of sinful men with money, influence and power.
AD 313. The Church expanded into Rome and it gained recognition. It grew in power and popularity. It obtained wealth, buildings, property and influence. It became an institution.
AD 380. The Church expanded into Europe. It was becoming a worldwide phenomenon. It grew in wealth, stature, power and influence. It had become a culture.
AD 1607. The Church reaches America.
AD 1681. The Church became corporate. It had become a business and incorporated. It became regulated by the government.
But that was not enough. There are those who doubted that Jesus’ ways and methods could fulfill His Great Commission, so they would stop and nothing to make the Gospel and Jesus more palatable, more entertaining, more sensual.
The Corporate Church continued to grow but it needed money. Money to support growth and expansion, which meant the Corporate Church needed more people.
AD 1777. The state of Virginia granted tax exemption to houses of worship.
The state sponsored 501(c)(3), ‘government leash’ was introduced and the Church willing submitted to this tether.
AD 1894. The corporate church was granted tax exemptions by the Federal Government.
AD 1954. The Federal Government regulated what a church could and could not say in order to retain tax exempt status.
The church continued to grow, and in order to attract more people the Corporate Church lowered its membership and doctrinal standards. More people became ‘members’ and gave more money to support more growth.
The Church corporation is complete with leaders, boards and membership and a business model.
Local churches compete against one another for members (customers). The church is selling itself in “three-line slogans”.
The Church members now have choices and have become religious consumers. Church people can shop around for the religious brand and standards that best suits them. (2 Timothy 3)
The Leadership (pastors and preachers) have become CEOs, disciples have become church leaders, growing their 501(c)(3) business models.
Record numbers of pastors began quitting because of stress, burnout or are being fired by their congregations (some stats say 1500 – 1700 leave “the ministry” each month).
Church debt in America soars; church foreclosures soar.
The Bible tells of the beginnings of the idea of a One World Government and warns this system is coming again – in the Last Days.
“They said, ‘Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.’
“The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.
“The LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.” Genesis 11:4-6
DON’T BE DECEIVED
The agenda of this “migration” and Globalism or One World Government is not the stuff of just any book. It is stuff of THE BOOK, that is The Bible.
THE TOWER OF BABEL REEMERGES – ONE WORLD?
Genesis chapter 11 gives us the prophecy, the foreshadowing of the coming One World Government.
The Tower of Babel, built around 2242 B.C., was a post-Flood rebellion against God by Noah’s descendants. As told about in Genesis 11:1-9, it is meant to explain why the world’s peoples speak different languages. According to the account, a united humanity in the generations following the Great Flood, speaking a single language and migrating eastward, comes to the land of Shinar (שִׁנְעָר). There, they agree to build a city and a tower tall enough to reach heaven.
(NOTE: “tall enough to reach to heaven” can be a metaphor for “man reaching to heaven, making himself god, to accomplish his own desires. This is the ‘Utopian dream’ of the Socialist and Communist manifestos; the State being our god – from cradle to grave)
This effort of uniting in a global community has been underway for about 4,200 years, about 100 years after ‘The Flood’, but before Abraham was born.
This is ‘forecast’ or what is Prophesied in the Bible. Is it underway? Should we PREPARE? (More on this, later).
These are exciting times in which we live! But we must be prepared to ‘endure to the end’, most likely the end of the 5th Seal of Revelation, as Jesus said in Matthew 24. And by all accounts, it would seem we are at that stage!
AD 2010. The Lutheran church ordains homosexual clergy
AD 2012. The Presbyterian church ordains homosexual clergy
Millions of people(approximately 52 million) “attend church” in one of the 300,000+ churches in America, at least once a week each month. However, when people were asked the topic of the “sermon” they heard after 24 hours, only about 10 percent could tell you. When asked to cite the most important lesson they received, most just shrugged.
An estimated 1.2 million hours each week (1) are spent in sermon preparations; it takes about another 300,000 hours in delivery of these sermons (2) at a staggering potential cost of over $750 millions dollars nationally, each week (3). Yet, only 5% of those hearing these sermons, remember anything about them after 72 hours.
SCANDALS IN THE CHURCH
A quick Google search for scandals just in the ‘mega church’ shows 1,910,000 hits. Omit the words ‘mega church’ and you’ll get 39,200,000 hits. What is going on?
In order to save space here, I am giving you a link to an article “SHIPWRECKED – Enemies Within the Church”, detailing Satan’s invasion of and work within the postmodern church.
AD 2019. The church is losing and has lost influence. In addition to church scandals, false teachings, drift and malaise, fueled and aided by the ‘Covid-19 pandemic’ the church in 2019 is losing members and adherents. Much of the church is teaching and living a different Gospel than that of the Apostles. (George Barna research; Pew Research). When confronted with their sins, the church erupts in finger pointing, denials and blame-placing rather than demonstrating a humble self-evaluation and repentance.
AD 2020. Agenda 2030, is the completion of Agenda-21. A One-World Socialist movement, grounded in Marxism, merging all nation’s governments and consolidating all forms of technologies, food production, healthcare systems, banking and financial systems, currencies and more.
The breadth, depth and complexity of this once-covert operation is breathtaking. This is dealt with in great detail by clicking THE ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT EMERGES – 2022. The only matter standing in the way of the completion of Agenda 2030 and complete global control is Christianity and that final obstacle is being effectively neutralized and transformed into a New Age One World Church.
AD 2022. THE ONE WORLD CHURCH EMERGES.
The foregoing photo has great eye appeal when trying to describe a New Age One World church. But it is just a pictural metaphor. The REAL THING, however, is this:
Introducing themselves as a “Human Fraternity”, Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church, and His Eminence Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, issue and sign the Document on “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together”, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity is jointly bestowed on His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence Ahmed Al-Tayeb.
Their stated mission is “to inspire all people to live the values of human fraternity.” Their statement goes on to say that, “we believe the values of the Document on Human Fraternity are key to promoting peace on all levels: between individuals, organizations, nations, and even between humanity and the environment. As our increasingly fragmented world continues to suffer from extremism and intolerance, our innovative initiatives aim to put human fraternity values into action by inspiring leaders and empowering youth, women, and vulnerable communities, to pursue and realize a more peaceful future.”
Granted, on the surface, these are worthy sounding goals. Problems emerge when you realize the endemic differences between Christianity, Islam and the Judaism in matters of faith and God and how those matters are played out in daily life. Most will say those differences are irreconcilable.
Inspired by the meeting between His Holiness Pope Francis and Grand Imam Al-Tayeb, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, allocates a plot of land on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi to build an Abrahamic Family House – a concrete implementation and physical manifestation of the Document on Human Fraternity. These three religions will be represented in the construction this Abrahamic Family House, which is suggested be a ‘beacon of mutual understanding, harmonious coexistence, and peace among people of faith and goodwill’.
Three religions, Catholicism (1.2 billion), Islam, (1.9 billion), and Judaism, (15.2 million), are represented. What is glaringly absent is (non-Catholic) Christianity, (1.3 billion).
This cooperation or merger of religions is more than an a ‘document on human fraternity for world peace and living together’. This is a merging of three of the world’s most populous religions who, in one way or another, are historically in opposition to, or hostile to, the Superiority and Supremacy of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, Lord and Savior of the World.
Catholicism clearly states supremacy and superiority lies within the Catholic Church. Biblical Christianity and Roman Catholicism are two different religions that practice and believe different things about how one is saved, the authority of the Bible, the priesthood of believers, the nature of man, the work of Christ on the cross, etc. The list of irreconcilable differences between what the Bible says and what the Roman Catholic Church says make any joint mission between the two impossible. Those who deny this are not being true to what they say they believe, no matter which side they are on. Any Catholic who is serious about his faith will reject what a serious evangelical Christian believes, and vice-versa.
Likewise, Judaism rejects Jesus as God and Savior or the world. Islam stands in opposition toward Christ and Christianity and advocates for the destruction and eradication of Israel.
It has begun. There are completed plans to merge government and religions into a One World system. This is a “must watch” twenty-seven-minute video by David Rosenthal of Zion’s Hope Ministries, titled “The Mystery of Babylon” which highlights and explains the rebuilding of Islam’s Mecca as a leading shipping port, entertainment center and the premier Muslim religious site in the world with the intention of drawing millions of young people to Mecca.
THE TAMING OF JESUS?
If you were to visit most of the postmodern churches around America or the western world, you might wonder if you wandered into a religious night club or a media event. Tattooed preachers with the latest haircuts, hip jeans full of holes, giving elaborate speeches, accompanied by flashing lights, and a crowd swaying in time with adrenaline producing music.
Church leaders, production managers and CEO’s may have been tamed and transformed into the likeness of this world, but don’t be deceived. Jesus is untamed. He is the same yesterday, today and forever! He is returning soon, as the Lion of Judah, to collect His redeemed, to rapture His Church and to exact judgement on a wicked and rebellious world.
OUR RESPONSE?
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”James 4:7
Gird up for War!
WHY DID JESUS COME INTO THE WORLD?
TO TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH
John 18:37“Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose, I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”
TO BRING A SWORD
Matthew 10:34, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Verse 35, For I came to TURN A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; verse 36, and A PERSON’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.”
TO FULFILL THE LAW
Matthew 5:17 “Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.”
TO CALL SINNERS
Mark 2:17 “And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
TO SAVE THE WORLD
John 12:47 “If anyone hears My teachings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”
TO CAST FIRE & BRING DIVISION UPON THE EARTH
Luke 12:49 “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! Verse 50, But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Verse 51, Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather to create division; “
“WHAT HE REALLY MEANT?”
Jesus has told us, in John 14:12, “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. Verse 13. And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Verse 14. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”
I have heard so many preachers, bible teachers and detractors alike, try to justify or explain away these Words of Jesus because they just cannot fathom the gentle and sweet ‘dashboard Jesus’ saying such things as we find in the verses cited. These same confused preachers really get tied in a knot over John 14:12. They will begin their commentary of teaching it with, “what this really means is…”.
Jesus said what He meant and meant exactly what He said. He is our model for our counter cultural resistance to the growing global threat of Communist-Marxist-Globalism, And we need to get on with it.
Jesus had a divine appointment with a cruel Roman cross. Read what He said when Peter proposed to get in the way of His mission:
Matthew 16:21- 23, “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
We do not literally have an appointment with a crucifixion, but, the Bible is clear in Galatians 5:24, that “Those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” and again in Galatians 2:20, the Apostle Paul reminds us that, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” which must be true for all who follow Jesus because we are on mission with Jesus. Our ‘old self’ must die so our new selves can follow and serve Him.
Jesus always, taught the Will of His Father, then, demonstrated what He taught. He expects us to do the same. Ephesians, chapter six, gives us a clear teaching and picture of the type of preparation and resolve we are to assume.
Ephesians 6:10-17,tells us, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Stand, i.e., continue safe and sound, stand unharmed: Acts 26:22.
Stand ready or prepared: Ephesians 6:14. One who does not hesitate, does not waver, of one who vanquishes his adversaries and holds the ground, also of one who in the midst of the fight holds his position against the foe, to persist, continue, persevere: (so as not to fall from thy faith).
Jesus’ example of steadfast, unmovable courage which is our example and our command to be and to do the same:
CONFRONTING THE STORM
Mark 4:35-41, “On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
This is our model, our method and our calling in these last days!
CONFRONTING DEMONS
Luke 8:26-33 “Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.” For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss.
“Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission. And the demons came out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.”
This is our model, our method and our calling in these last days!
CONFRONTING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
John 19:8-12”Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So, Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason, he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.”
This is our model, our method and our calling in these last days!
BEFORE THE RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT
Matthew 24:57-67, “Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. But Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.
“Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on, two came forward, 61 and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’” The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless, I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!” Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him.”
This is our model, our method and our calling in these last days!
Jesus did not draw back. (He proceeded boldly to the Cross and secured our salvation!) We must not draw back. Jesus has all authority in heaven and on the earth and is with us until the end!
Remember, Jesus came to earth for these stated reasons – and these same reasons are our method and our calling:
TO TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH. We are to testify to the truth!
TO BRING A SWORD. We are to bring the sword of the Word of God!
TO FULFILL THE LAW. We are to fulfill the same law!
TO CALL SINNERS. We are to call sinners!
TO SAVE THE WORLD through Jesus. In a very real sense, this, too, is our calling, by lifting the Name of Jesus, telling others and leading them to Him
TO CAST FIRE & BRING DIVISION UPON THE EARTH. This, too, is our calling! The Word of God is a stumbling block to those who do not believe, dividing A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; (Matthew 10:35-36)
Dear Brothers and Sisters, this is not hyperbole, a philosophy or metaphor. Now is the time to gird ourselves up with the full armor of God and follow our Lord, the King of Kings into battle.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places and must be fought with Spiritual Armament!
(Please note that I use page links in lieu of references and footnotes. You can listen to this article by audio and pause the audio to follow page links then resume the audio when you are ready.)
THERE IS A COSMIC STORM COMING
You and I need to be ready for what is at hand, because we are expected to endure to the end of our appointed time, then God will intervene and take us home.
Where Do We Go From Here?
I have admired and listened to Dr. David Jeremiah for 35 years. Over the last 14 years, however, I have not agreed with his view of Bible eschatology. I listened to a recent message by Dr. Jeremiah, on his website, titled, “Where do we go from here?” In that message he gave 3 points on HOW we are to respond to the troubles in these Last Days:
#1. Worship the Glorified Christ – the more you worship, the less you worry
#2. Embrace your Global Mission – We have a mission that is global. Take the Gospel to the entire globe.
#3. Anticipate your glorious Hope – Never fear. He is coming back to establish His eternal Kingdom.
(Oh. And, yes. #4. Buy his books.)
So, this is the answer of “Where we go from here”?
(1) We stare skyward, worship, embrace evangelism and anticipate Jesus’ return. Let’s get honest, here.
(2) We sit. We do that pretty well.
(3) We worship. We do that OK, probably once or twice a week for about 15 minutes each time.
(4) We evangelize the world. We are not doing too good at that one. We actually ‘give, because we can’t or won’t GO’. We tend to stay separate from the world and leave this one up to the ‘professionals’.
(5) We are really good at anticipating Jesus’ return, because most Christians just ‘stare skyward’, but do very little more than that.
So, I guess what Dr. Jeremiah is saying is nothing new for the 20th and 21st centuries. But, he is not alone in this type of teaching and assessment. (Could this be reason the church and church attendance is in decline?
The pastor of a church we used to attend, is preaching on these same matters. His advice is the same.
(1). When asked, ” when are the end times?”, his anwser is, “Near”. (However, If you read Acts 2:14-21 you will see it is NOW, not near)
(2). When asked, “What are we to do?”, his answer is, “Thrive Love Worship.”
All good things.
But, I am certain that they are either underestimating the urgency of our mission and the severity of what is at hand or they really don’t know what to do beyond what they have listed (and, for certain, those are good things).
However, we are on a Mission. And, God has never, ever, been gentle to those who shirk or draw back from the Mission. Even Jesus says, “Why do you call me Lord, when you do not do the things I have told you? I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work lawlessness.”
Somehow, these preachers think the ‘End Times’, (more correctly, Last Days), won’t intensify until the Church is raptured off the earth. It is true that the Judgments of God will intensify as He moves from the Seal Judgment to the Trumpet Judgments and then into the Bowl Judgments.
(Please note: my commentary on the following Bible verses are in parentheses and color coded blue)
Matthew 24:4 says, “And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray.
(this includes misinformed pastors, preachers, bible teachers)
Verse 5. “For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,and they will lead many astray.
(1) This can be someone literally saying ‘I am the Christ’, (2) but, it is more likely it will be someone who considers themselves as an emissary of Christ – such as ‘ordained pastors’ – who speak for Christ, but are blindly following denominational doctrine which are incorrect; or, (3) as we are clearly seeing, now, in our day, it is ‘institutional deception’,where entire denominations fall away from the clear teachings of Jesus and lead millions astray)
Verse 6. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
(There have been wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes since recorded history. So, concerning the ‘End Times’, which wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes should we refer to? These things must occur in conjunction with ALL THE SIGNS and WARNING from Jesus and the Bible
(And, don’t miss the little phrase, “but the end is not yet”, as verse eight will elaborate.)
Verse 8. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
(1) The phrase “the beginning of birth pangs” is a statement made by Jesus in or around the year AD 30 and is a translation of the Greek archē ōdin (ἀρχή ὠδίν). The meaning of the phrase, translated in the KJV as “the beginning of sorrows” is a direct reference to preliminary birth pangs that ultimately lead to the full scale contractions and travail, which leads to the actual birth.
Recognizing the Old Testament reference that Jesus was hearkening to is an essential, but often overlooked key to determining the timing of the prophecy. Jesus was pointing his disciples to two key passages from the prophet Isaiah.
The first passage is Isaiah 26, a portion of Scripture found in the middle of what is sometimes referred to as “Isaiah’s little apocalypse”. There, the Lord speaks through Isaiah, specifically contrasting the expectations of the Jewish people regarding deliverance, redemption and physical resurrection with the reality of the pain, suffering and travail that they had corporately experienced. In verses 16-18, the complaint of Israel is raised that despite having endured the great suffering of labor, the expected “birth” of deliverance, redemption and resurrection had not arrived(the preceeding paragraph was taken from the “Daniel Training Network”)
This makes clear that the Last Days and the opening of the tribulation Seals began in our around AD 30. Other references which confirm this date as spoken by Jesus and the Apostles Paul, Peter and Timothy, are found in :
(Also please see this teaching by Pastor and Teacher, John Piper on the timing of the End Times).
Verse 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).
Verse 11. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 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 AD 30 through the current date; 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 theSIXTH SEALof the tribulation, which is yet a FUTURE EVENT.)
NOTE: ANYONE WHO SUGGESTS OR SAYS THESE VERSES ARE SIMPLY METAPHORICAL 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.)
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.
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 wouldbe 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:
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.
(You can listen by audio and pause the audio to follow page links for important details on these teachings; then resume the audio when you are ready. Please note that I use page links for important details and in lieu of footnotes and references.)
Chapter 11 – THE PRE-MILLENNIAL PRE-WRATH RAPTURE
There are several eschatological views of the End Time and The End of The Age. The most traditional views, (which are in constant competition and conflict), are:
The Traditional Pre-tribulation Rapture view says that the rapture will occur before the beginning of a seven-year tribulation period, before the breaking of the first tribulation seal.
It describes the second coming of Jesus as occurring at the end of the Tribulation period, that is, it will occur after the 7 Seal judgments, the 7 Trumpet judgments and the 7 Bowl judgments.
The Pre-tribulation Rapture describes the rapture as Jesus coming for the church – then, Jesus’ second coming, as Him coming with the church.
The first three on this list adhere to the doctrine of the rapture and a fixed seven-year tribulation period. Post-millennialism omits the rapture.
(One of the first, most accurate, and most persistent advocates of the Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church can be found at Zion’s Hope, with videos on this site.)
Finally, in this 21st century, there are a few prominent Bible teachers who are now arriving at this same conclusions (John Piper, and Corrie Ten Boom)
The Bible says, in plain language, that the rapture will occur after or during the 6th tribulation seal.
This view holds that the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21) or a Great Distress (Luke21:23) begins during the 6th seal, being Daniel’s 70th week, when the Antichrist is revealed in the temple. This is not a “mid-tribulation view” because it occurs after or during the 6th Seal, but, well before the three- and one-half-year mark of the Great Tribulation.
Again, this period is defined, in the Bible, as the Great Tribulation or the time of Great Distress as opposed to “the tribulation” which began as early as AD 60.
The danger of the first four Tribulation and Rapture views are that they leave the believer in an unprepared state for the Tribulation and the Rapture. They teach that a believer need to do nothing more than make a statement of faith, and he or she will escape any and all of the Tribulation period. There is no further need for preparation, evangelism or ‘enduring to the end‘, which are clearly spelled out in scriptures.
The Pre-wrath Pre-Tribulation Rapture teaches that the tribulation period began in or around AD 30 and tribulation seals 1 through 5 have been progressively broken to this day and the effects are overlapping continuing and intensifying. We are near the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal which marks the beginning of the Day of the Wrath of the Lamb, the sealing of the 144,000 of Israel, the Rapture of the Church and the pouring out of God’s wrath on earth.
As a believer, you have responsibilities while you are waiting for Jesus’ return. (If you die before His return, your efforts will be judged, later. Matthew 24:42 – Matthew 25:29.
You must ‘endure to the end‘ which, for believers, is the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord, (a.k.a., the Wrath of the Lamb or the End of the Age).
In support of the Pre-Wrath Rapture view, here is a quick scan of time and history as it relates to the Bible. Read carefully, and study.
WARS AND RUMORS OF WAR
Jesus says, in Matthew 24:6, “And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.”
Jesus, in agreement with His statement in Matthew 24:6, again says in chapter Revelation chapter 6,“one who sat on a white horse had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
“When Jesus broke the second seal, the second living creature said, “Come!” And a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that people would kill one another; and a large sword was given to him.”
There have been thousands upon thousands of wars and conflicts since the time of Christ. Most notable for their scope and breadth are the
Religious Crusades (1095 – 1291, Muslims vs Latin Church, almost 2 million dead),
“Wars and rumors of war” is nothing new. So, when Jesus says, in Matthew 24:6-8, “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. “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”
First, we should ask “WHICH wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes and famines” was Jesus referring to? Those in AD 30? Those in AD69? Those later wars? The answer is, ‘No’. Jesus was speaking in the present about an unfolding present and future event. These wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes and famines were already occurring, have continued to occur and will increase with intensity until the end!
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
FAMINES AND EARTHQUAKES
Again, famines and earthquakes are nothing new in history. So, how do we determine TO WHICH famines and earthquakes was Jesus referring?
Compare what Jesus said, found in Matthew 24 and what John said in Revelation about these matters.
But that is not yet the end…all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
Wars and rumors of wars have been ongoing since the 1st century.
The breaking of the 2nd Seal brings outright warfare on a Global Scale.
We have now seen two world wars
We have seen ‘the sons of Ishmael’ warring with ‘the sons of Isaac’ on a global scale since the time of Christ.
Once again, if we are not to endure these ‘tribulations’ why is Jesus warning us to “endure to the end”?
Matthew 24:15tells us, “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.
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.”
The Prophetic Word of God will be manifested in the physical realms of the heavens and the earth.
There is one more important clue to the timing of the rapture and the beginning of the Great Tribulation period found in
2 Thessalonians 2:1 “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, verse 2, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit, or a message, or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
Verse 3. No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, verse 4, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.”
We can also see references to these events in Matthew chapter 24 and in Revelation chapter Six. This is referring to the breaking of the 5th Tribulation Seal.
(You can listen by audio and pause the audio to follow page links which are important to this teaching, then resume the audio when you are ready.)
There are many Evangelicals and ‘Reformed’ Bible teachers, as well as Pentecostal, Charismatic, et al., who propose a “patchwork-quilt-type-of eschatology” regarding The Second Coming of Jesus based solely on denominational bias, These folks say the account in Matthew 24 which describes Jesus’ “appearing on the clouds of the sky” when everyone will see Him, is NOT the second coming;
Matthew 24:29, “But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.Verse 30. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.Verse 31. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET BLAST, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
Notice that ALL the tribes of the earth will mourn and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY…but, many of these denominational teachers and preachers won’t call this the rapture, either!
They may go on to say that Revelation chapter 19 is where you can find Jesus’ 2nd coming, BUT, which, according to scriptures, is seen only by John the Revelator.
Revelation 19:11“And I saw (John the revelator) heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.Verse 12. His eyesare a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.Verse 13. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. Verse 14. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, whiteand clean, were following Him on white horses.Verse 15. 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 press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. Verse 16. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Verse 17. “Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great feast of God, Verse 18, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slaves, and small and great.”
Verse 19. “And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse, and against His army.”
Here is an example of this widespread mistaken and false teaching:
Jesus begins His teaching with, “Don’t Let Any Man Deceive You”. Later, Paul the Apostle then reminds Christians what Jesus warned about with these 2 Bible verses,
“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him… ” (2 Thessalonians 2:1)
“And then shall the wicked One be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” (2 Thessalonians 2:8)
(a) Notice, there is a coming in verse one,
(b) and a coming in verse eight.
(c) At the coming in verse one, the church is gathered to Him,
(d) but at the coming in verse eight, Jesus will destroy the Antichrist by the brightness of His coming.
(e) In verse one we have the rapture of the church and
(f) in verse eight we have the Second Coming. In verses two through seven we have all the events that occur between the two comings.
“That you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, that the day of Christ is at hand.” (2 Thessalonians 2:2)
Paul is simply saying, “There is a mindset that seems to have spread throughout the church that you are living after the Rapture. Do not be moved by the different winds of doctrine that are circulating. Also, people are distorting the Word of God to support the theory that the Rapture has come.” Paul continues, “I don’t care if there is a letter contradicting my first letter, it is wrong. Don’t let anyone shake you up and convince you that the Rapture has arrived, because it has not. Don’t be soon shaken in mind.”
Every time any major war arises, people begin to shout, “We’re in the Tribulation!” When Hitler rose to power, many said, “He is the Antichrist.” When Mussolini rose to power they said, “Mussolini is the Antichrist. He is a ruler from Rome, and Rome is the revived Roman Empire, therefore he must be the Antichrist!” Not too long ago, people were saying that the Russian leader, Gorbachev was the Antichrist because he had a birthmark on his head.
Then Yandian concludes, “In our generation and throughout the centuries, people try to take circumstances and make them fit the Word of God, when instead the Word of God should be the standard by which circumstances are judged.” So, Yandian, and many others in the reformed theological camp, lecture us about using the Word of God as the standard to judge these things, then they deny those plain words of the Bible which do not fit their denominational theology and doctrines.
So, which ‘Glorious Return’ is it? Let’s take a look at the ‘PLAIN LANGUAGE OF THE BIBLE’ and decide.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
(a) It is important because Jesus tells us we must ‘endure to the end’ and knowing the sequence of events will help us to ‘not lose heart and faint’.
(b) The apostle Paul tells it is important 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.
(c) Jesus tells us that it is important because we must stay alert be found doing what He has commanded us, 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.
What is “the tribulation of those days”? See Matthew 24:2-14 & Revelation 6.
(a). Matthew 24:5 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the [d] Christ,’ and they will [e] mislead many people.”
(b). Matthew 24:6 “And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. verse 7. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,”
(c). Matthew 24:7 and there will be famines
(d). Matthew 24:7. and earthquakes in various places. verse 8. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.
(e). Matthew 24:9 “Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
(f). Matthew 24:10 And at that time many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another.
(g). Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people.
(h). Matthew 24:12 And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold.
(i). Matthew 24:13 But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved.
(j). 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.
Matthew 24:29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days
(see Matthew 24:2-14)REPEAT:Matthew 24:29 THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Revelation 6:12.“I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; verse 13. and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.”
REPEAT:
Matthew 24:30.“And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky,
and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn,
And they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.
REPEAT:
Matthew 24:31.“And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET
and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
Or is it…
Jesus’ Glorious Return #2
Revelation 19:11-20: And I, (John the revelator), saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. Verse 12. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. Verse 13. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. Verse 14. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. Verse 15. 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. Verse 16. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Verse 17. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in mid-heaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, Verse 18, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.” Verse 19. And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Verse 20. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. Verse 21. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.”
OR, IS IT “BOTH”?
NOTE: There is only ONE “2nd ADVENT”. There is NO secret rapture, and every eye will see Him!
What we see in Matthew 24, as narrated by JESUS, is the following:
(a) Breaking of the 6th Seal of the Tribulation,
(b) The beginning the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord,
c) Which is the beginning of Daniel’s 70th Week also known as the final 7 years of the Great Tribulation,
(d) Jesus’ SECOND ADVENT,
(e) The Rapture of the Church,
(f) The heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True,
(g) 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
(h) He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty
NOTICE: In Matthew 24, ALL EYES SEE HIM, – but In Revelation 19, JOHN SEES HIM.
This is one event being seen from TWO PERSPECTIVES, as it unfolds: One from earth, one from John’s prophetic vision of the Heavens!
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: Cat 5, Cat 4, Cat 3, a Tropical storm, a rain event. But if viewed “From Above” it was ONE STORM, progressively unfolding to its conclusion.
SO IT IS WITH JESUS’ SECOND COMING
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.
Don’t be deceived. There is only ONE Second Coming of Christ. There is only ONE Rapture. There is only ONE Armageddon. Know your Bible. Know the sequence. Be Ready, found doing as He has said. Endure to the end and be saved !!
“Russia invades Ukraine in Europe’s ‘darkest hours’ since World War II”
IS THIS THE SPARK?
Headline, Reuters:
KYIV/MARIUPOL, Ukraine, Feb 24 (Reuters) – “Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Thursday in a massed assault by land, sea and air, the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two.
“Missiles rained down on Ukrainian cities. Ukraine reported columns of troops pouring across its borders from Russia and Belarus, and landing on the coast from the Black and Azov seas.”
This headline could have read, “The forces of God and Magog invaded Scythia on Thursday in a massive assault by land in an apparent attempt to rebuild the empire.”
Putin issues nuclear warning, as Russia’s assault on Ukraine hits second year. , Fox News,
With the nuclear card in his back pocket, Russian President Vladimir Putin believes Russia will out-suffer and outlast its adversary as Friday marks the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. ( Click here on HEADLINE UPDATE above)
The Book of Ezekiel is a prophecy about the end of days, filled with bizarre visions and puzzling revelations. There have been precursor events, foreshadowing events to the final fulfillment of this prophecy. There is much speculation about the meaning and the fulfillment of the words of Ezekiel, but there has never, in all of history, been a convergence and a concurrence of both historical and prophetic events as we see them now.
Is this the early preparation for the final dramatic act of The End of the Age?
Ezekiel
Ezekiel 38:1, “Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, verse 2, “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, verse 3, and say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “Behold, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Verse 4. So I will turn you around and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them magnificently dressed, a great contingent with shield and buckler, all of them wielding swords; Verse 5. Persia, Cush, and Put with them, all of them with buckler and helmet; Verse 6. Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops, many peoples with you.”
Theme
Ezekiel the priest, assures his fellow Jews, through this prophecy, that God will one day return them to Jerusalem and restore the temple. The Jews were restored to Israel in 1948. The temple is yet to be rebuilt, but that day is drawing near.
Beneath the surface and you’ll find timeless lessons about God and his relationship with you: He’d rather forgive you than judge you. He remains faithful even if you don’t. He can use anything—even something bad—to accomplish his greater good. Ezekiel wrote this book to the Israelites living in exile. They needed to know that the God of Israel was God even in pagan Babylon. Ezekiel warned the people that their idolatry would be judged. Later, after Jerusalem’s destruction, he wrote to encourage them that God would bring them back to Judah and Jerusalem. (excerpt from Biblegateway.com).
Audience: Jews who were taken captive to Babylonia in 597 BC.
WHO ARE THE ‘PLAYERS’?
Gog – Gog and Magog appear in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran as individuals, tribes, or lands. In Ezekiel 38, Gog is an individual and Magog is his land; in Genesis 10, Magog is a man and eponymous ancestor of a nation, but no Gog is mentioned; and centuries later Jewish tradition changed Ezekiel’s “Gog from Magog” into “Gog and Magog”.
The Gog prophecy is meant to be fulfilled at the approach of what is called the “end of days“, but not necessarily the end of the world. Jewish eschatology viewed Gog and Magog as enemies to be defeated by the Messiah, which would usher in the age of the Messiah. Christianity‘s interpretation is more starkly apocalyptic: making Gog and Magog, here indicating nations rather than individuals,[3] allies of Satan against God at the end of the millennium, as described in the Book of Revelation. (From Wikipedia).
Meshech, Tubal: Meshech (also spelled Meshek) and Tubal were sons of Japheth, one of the three sons of Noah who survived the flood with him (Genesis 10:1–2). Meshech (whose name means “long, tall, or drawn out by force”) is the sixth son of Japheth. The land of Meshech is closely associated with that of Tubal, especially in a prophecy of Ezekiel. The region of Meshech is often identified as being north of the Black Sea (southern Russia and Ukraine and possibly the Republic of Georgia), and Tubal as an area in central Turkey.
The land of Meshech is used in Psalm 120:5 as a generic reference to barbarous regions where “those who hate peace” live (verse 6). The lands where Meshech’s and Tubal’s descendants settled figure significantly in some prophecies of Ezekiel, and it is in that book where they are mentioned most. In the prophecy of Ezekiel 38, Meshech and Tubal are ruled by Gog, a prince over those territories: “The word of the LORD came to me: ‘Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him and say, “Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal”’” (Ezekiel 38:1–3). Ezekiel repeats God’s words of judgment against the descendants of the two sons of Japheth when he prophesies that God will defeat them in a war against Israel (Ezekiel 39:1–5).
Many biblical scholars equate the land of Gog in Ezekiel’s prophecies with Russia, who will attack Israel “from the far north” (Ezekiel 38:15). Meshech and Tubal could be two of the “many nations” joining Russia in their invasion of Israel (verse 6).
The advance of the alliance involving Meshech and Tubal will be like “a cloud covering the land” (Ezekiel 38:9). Some commentators believe this war, often called the Battle of Gog and Magog, will be one of the events leading up to the end-times’ tribulation. Others believe it will occur close to the midpoint of the tribulation, since Israel will feel secure at the time, “dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates” (verse 11).
God will defeat this powerful alliance (Ezekiel 38:22) to reveal His greatness to all the world (verse 23) and restore the people of Israel to a right relationship with Himself (Ezekiel 39:21–29). Meshech and Tubal, despite the strength of their numbers and help of their allies, will fall. (GotQuestions.org)
Cush: The Kingdom of Kush; Assyrian: was an ancient kingdom in Nubia, centered along the Nile Valley in what is now northern Sudan and southern Egypt.
Gomer: The Hebrew name Gomer refers to the Cimmerians, who dwelt in what is now southern Russia, “beyond the Caucusus”, and attacked Assyria in the late 7th century BC.
Beth-togarmah: Togarmah is a figure in the “table of nations” in Genesis 10, the list of descendants of Noah that represents the peoples known to the ancient Hebrews. Togarmah is among the descendants of Japheth and is thought to represent some people located in Anatolia. Medieval sources claimed that Togarmah was the legendary ancestor of several peoples of the Caucasus -including Armenians and Georgians.
The Prophecy against Gog – Future Invaders Destroyed
Ezekiel 39:1 “And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “Behold, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; verse 2, and I will turn you around, lead you on a rope, take you up from the remotest parts of the north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel. Verse 3. Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows fall from your right hand. Verse 4. You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops, and the peoples who are with you; I will give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and animal of the field. Verse 5. You will fall on the open field; for it is I who have spoken,” declares the Lord GOD. Verse 6. “And I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands in safety; and they will know that I am the LORD.
Verse 7. “And I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not allow My holy name to be profaned anymore. But the nations will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. Verse 8. Behold, it is coming and it shall be done,” declares the Lord GOD. “That is the day of which I have spoken.
Verse 9. “Then those who inhabit the cities of Israel will go out and make fires with the weapons and burn them, both bucklers and shields, bows and arrows, war clubs and spears, and for seven years they will make fires of them. Verse 10. They will not take wood from the field or gather firewood from the forests, because they will make fires with the weapons; and they will take the spoils of those who plundered them and seize the plunder of those who plundered them,” declares the Lord GOD.
Verse 11. “On that day I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea, and it will block the way of those who would pass by. So they will bury Gog there with all his horde, and they will call it the Valley of Hamon-gog. Verse 12. For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. Verse 13. And all the people of the land will bury them; and it will be to their renown on the day that I appear in My glory,” declares the Lord GOD. Verse 14. “They will also select men who will constantly pass through the land, burying those who were passing through, those left on the surface of the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will conduct a search. Verse 15. As those who pass through the land pass through and anyone sees a human bone, then he will set up a marker by it until the burial detail has buried it in the Valley of Hamon-gog. Verse 16. And even the name of the city will be Hamonah. So they will cleanse the land.”’
Verse 17.“Now as for you, son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Say to every kind of bird and to every animal of the field: “Assemble and come, gather from every direction to My sacrifice, which I am going to sacrifice for you as a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel; and you will eat flesh and drink blood. Verse 18. You will eat the flesh of warriors and drink the blood of the leaders of the earth, as though they were rams, lambs, goats, and bulls, all of them fattened livestock of Bashan. Verse 19. So you will eat fat until you are full, and drink blood until you are drunk, from My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. Verse 20. You will eat your fill at My table with horses and charioteers, with warriors and all the men of war,” declares the Lord GOD.
Verse 21. “And I will place My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them. Verse 22. And the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God, from that day onward. Verse 23. The nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their wrongdoing, because they were disloyal to Me, and I hid My face from them; so I handed them over to their adversaries, and all of them fell by the sword. Verse 24. In accordance with their uncleanness and their offenses I dealt with them, and I hid My face from them.”’”
Future Israel Restored
Verse 25. Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: “Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on all the house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name. Verse 26. They will forget their disgrace and all their treachery which they perpetrated against Me, when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them afraid. Verse 27. When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall show Myself holy through them in the sight of the many nations. Verse 28. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then I gathered them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer. Verse 29. I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,” declares the Lord GOD.
NOT YET THE END
Ezekiel was written between 593–571 B.C., about 2,600 years ago and refers to a climatic battle between God and the forces of evil, as recorded in the book of Revelation. The word, “Armageddon” ultimately comes from the Hebrew word Har-Magedone, which means “Mount Megiddo,” the predicted location of the battle.
the Battle of Armageddon will be a real battle in the future, near the end of the tribulation. Demonic influences will cause the kings of the earth to gather their armies for an all-out assault on Jerusalem. The Antichrist will be leading the charge (Revelation 16:13–16). Jesus Christ will return to earth with the armies of heaven (Matthew 25:31; Revelation 19:14); His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4); He will defeat the forces of evil (Revelation 19:15–16); He will cast the Antichrist and the false prophet into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20); He will bind Satan; and He will set up His kingdom on earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1–6). At Armageddon the Lord Jesus Christ “treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty” (Revelation 16:19), and all things will be made right.
The placement of the future and final battle of Armageddon, as foretold in the book of Ezekiel and as described in greater detail in the 16th chapter of the Book of the Revelation, will occur after the pouring out of the 7th Tribulation Bowl of Wrath – at the end of the Great Tribulation period.
WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT?
We are now, by all accounts and appearances, experiencing the breaking of the 5th Tribulation Seal.
1. There are those who will be martyred during this 5th Seal. (Revelation 6:9-11)
3. The Day of The Lord will not come until the man of lawlessness is revealed and he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).
First, you must be prepared for what is upon you. It is my desire to keep this short and to the point:
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Secondly, you can take heart. The Lord Jesus will take His Own from the earth to dwell with Him in His Father’s House. He will wipe away every tear from your eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4)
(You can listen to this by audio and pause the audio to follow important page links for greater detail on this teaching; then, resume the audio when you are ready. Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references.)
An Urgent Message of Hope and Encouragement
GIRD UP – (From Strong’s Bible Concordance): encompass, equip, prepare for confrontation or for war, as in to gird oneself “tighten the belt and tuck up loose garments to free the body in preparation for a task or journey.” To jeer at.
Our world is quickly descending into a dark and evil chaos; the call for wars and rumors of wars is escalating and the ability to wage devastating and destructive wars and to end all life on earth has never been greater. There is an increase in earthquakes, famines and diseases. Evil is being called as good, and good evil; We substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; We substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! We have become wise in our own eyes and clever in our own sight! And, it is not just the world-at-large, but the postmodern church has fallen into a great and terrible state of apostasy.
God told Job, in response his lament, “Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me.” (This was God-sized sarcasm at its best.)
Job had begun to listen to his wife and friends assessment of his maladies, diseases and torment. They said his situation was his own fault because of something he had done wrong. They said God was angry with him. They were wrong on so many levels.
Can the same be said about the Christian Church at large? Have we been listening to the “religious-know-it-alls”, and the hirelings, for much too long now, these religious people ‘who tithe mint anddillandcumminbut neglect the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness’? Have they influenced our thinking so that we too are complaining, finding our own reasons for suffering under a greater spiritual malaise? Have we allowed ourselves to become self indulgent, self righteous and lazy toward the things of God, taking on a form of Godliness which lacks power?
Are we living in fear, obsessing and telling God about the sins of others, about what we need to happen rather than humbling ourselves, and praying and seeking God, turning from our wicked ways, so God will hear from heaven, and will forgive our sin and heal our land?
Soon after considering his error, Job lamented that “the very thing I have feared has come upon me”. (Job 3:25). Are we so different?
Is it past the time that we should have humbled ourselves and sought the face of God?
THE REMNANT
The Bible speaks of a remnant of God, being raised up at the right time in the closing days of this age. A foreshadowing of this was Noah and his family when were the remnant saved out of the millions on the earth before the flood (Genesis 6). There was also Lot and his two daughters survived the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, a very small remnant, indeed (Genesis 19). When Elijah despaired that he was the only one left in Israel who had not bowed down to idols, God assured him that He had reserved a remnant of 7,000 “whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him” (1 Kings 19).
Is God now saying to us, as He told Job, as a response to our lament, “Now gird up your loinslike a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me.”
If so, this time it is not sarcasm. It is our time.
HIS GLORIOUS RETURN – THE END OF THIS AGE
Matthew chapter 24 records Jesus telling His disciples then and now, of the sign of His coming, and of the end of the age. Jesus’ narrative throws back to the tribulations of the world between AD 1 and AD 69 and gives a panorama of the coming tribulation, concluding with these verses in Matthew 24:29-31:
“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
To repeat, “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
Revelation 7:1-13, says, ”After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, holding the seal of the living God; and he called out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.”
The 144,000
“And I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
“from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, and from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.”
A Multitude from the Tribulation
“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they *cried out with a loud voice, saying,
“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
“And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying,
“Amen, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
“Then one of the elders responded, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. They will no longer hunger nor thirst, nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
“Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation.
You have made them into a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”
“Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing.”
“And I heard every created thing which is in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, or on the sea, and all the things in them, saying,
“To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever.”
And the four living creatures were saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.”
THE ARMIES WHICH ARE IN HEAVEN
Revelation 19:11-21,says, ”And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 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. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
“Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid-heaven, “Come, assemble for the great feast of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slaves, and small and great.”
“And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse, and against His army.”
“And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
“And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”
Take comfort. Be at peace. It is finished.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
Eisegesis: The process of interpreting text in such a way as to introduce one’s own presuppositions, agendas or biases. It is commonly referred to as reading into the text. It is often done to “prove” a pre-held point of concern, and to provide confirmation bias corresponding with the pre-held interpretation and any agendas supported by it.
This is the method (eisegesis) by which many Bible teachers, preachers, pastors and theologians try to prove their predetermined point of view of the Biblical raputure.
If, however, you start with no predisposition on this matter, read and study scriptures, taking them at face value, studying the Greek words used, and keeping the matter in the context of the entire Bible, you can find the truth.
There are many who teach that Jesus ‘appears in the sky’ as told in Matthew 24:30, secretly raptures the Church, only to come back again, implying a third advent, to defeat Satan in the End of Days war at Armageddon.
There is no scripture which says that Jesus, after appearing in the air to gather His Elect (Matthew 24:31), will then ‘disappear’, only to reappear later to wage war on the antichrist.
Jesus does not ‘appear’ then ‘disappear’ and then ‘reappear’ later.
His appearing (2nd Advent) and the events to follow, are continuous and will be completed. (see notes on Rev 19:11, below) You must be ready or you will perish.
Here is what the Bible teaches about Jesus’ Return and the rapture (corollary verses color coded):
Jesus appears in the sky, in the heavens, in the clouds, with great glory, at the sound of the archangel and the sound of a trumpet, and He will gather His Elect together, both those who are ‘asleep’ and those who are alive, and they will meet in the air, and so they will be with Him forever.
Jesus’ appearing will be continuous, whether you see Him continuously or not, as He raptures or gathers His Elect, takes them to Heaven, seals the 144,000 from the tribes of Israel, and then wages war on the Antichrist and his forces.
Revelation 1:7 “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.”
Scriptures do not support a secret rapture. Scriptures do not support a third appearing.
Here are many of the scriptures referenced when most denominational preachers and teachers try to explain a ‘secret rapture’ and later a third, and, public appearing of Jesus during the tribulation period.
Matthew 24:29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30“And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31“And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
IMPORTANT for understanding: The context and Jesus’ emphasis in Matthew 24 is to give His disciples, then and now, an answer to their question “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3) It is an outline or an overview of coming events, IN ANSWER TO THEIR QUESTION. This must be kept in context as it is not an exhaustive explanation of ancillary events.
Jesus redirects His attention, in Matthew 24 verse 33, from the events of The Tribulation and the Day of the Lord, and onto the disciples and what it means to get ready for His Return and those end days.
1 Thessalonians 4:13“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.Verse 14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.Verse 15. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. Verse 16. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.Verse 17. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.Verse 18.Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
Let’s take a second look at these verses from the Amplified Bible version:
1 Thesslaonians 4:13, “Now we do not want you to be uninformed, believers, about those who are asleep [in death], so that you will not grieve [for them] as the others do who have no hope [beyond this present life].
Verse 14.For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again [as in fact He did], even so God [in this same way–by raising them from the dead] will bring with Him those [believers] who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
Verse 15.For we say this to you by the Lord’s [own] word, that we who are still alive and remain until the comingof the Lord, will in no way precede [into His presence] those [believers] who have fallen asleep [in death].
Verse 16.For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel and with the [blast of the] trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Verse 17.Then we who are alive and remain [on the earth] will simultaneously be caught up…
(raptured = the Greek word, ‘har-pad’-zo’, meaning to seize, catch up, snatch away, ‘obtain by robbery’. From Strong’s Bible concordance. #726, ‘harpázō’, seize by force; snatch up, suddenly and decisively – like someone seizing bounty (spoil, a prize); to take by an open display of force, i..e. NOT covertly or secretly.
See Matthew 24:30, “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.”;
Also see Revelation 1:7,“BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.” )
…together with them [the resurrected ones] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord!
Verse 18.Therefore comfort and encourage one another with these words [concerning our reunion with believers who have died].
IMPORTANT for understanding: See the similarity in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 ‘the heavens with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet of God” with Matthew 24:31. This is the same event.
Paul writes this in the context of encouraging and comforting believers that the Second coming of Christ and the Rapture has not passed, but is yet to come. This must be kept in context as it is not an exhaustive explanation of ancillary events.
Zechariah 12:10 says, “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. Verse Verse 11. “In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo. Verse 12. “The land will mourn, every family by itself; the family of the house of David by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself and their wives by themselves; Verse 13, the family of the house of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself and their wives by themselves; Verse 14, all the families that remain, every family by itself and their wives by themselves.”
Zechariah 14:1, says, “Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. Verse 2. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. Verse 3. Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. Verse 4. In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. Verse 5. You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!
Verse 6. In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. Verse 7. For it will be a unique day which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light.
Verse 8. And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter.”
IMPORTANT for understanding: This is a prophecy from Zechariah explaining how Jesus, after He has gathered His Elect and sealed the 144,000, will wage war against the nations and will defeat Satan, the antichrist and their legions.
Revelation 19:11“And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. Verse 12. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. Verse 13. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. Verse 14. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. Verse 15. 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. Verse 16, “And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Verse 17. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, Verse 18. so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.”
Verse 19. And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.”
***IMPORTANT for understanding:Rev. 19:11 says “And I saw heaven opened”. It is very impotant to note that the word OPENED is in the aorist tense which is characterized by its emphasis on punctiliar action; that is, the concept of the verb is considered without regard for past, present, or future time.
In other words, it did not ‘open just then’, nor did it ‘re-open’. It was already OPENED and has stayed OPEN and will remain OPEN until Jesus’ Mission is complete.
This shows, again, that Jesus does not “appear”, “disappear” and then “re-appear”.
Jesus appears in the sky, in the heavens, in the clouds, with great glory, at the sound of the archangel and the sound of a trumpet, and He will gather His Elect together, both those who are ‘asleep’ and those who are alive, and they will meet in the air, and so they will be with Him forever.
Jesus’ appearance will be continuous as He raptures or gathers His Elect, takes them to Heaven, seals the 144,000 from the tribes of Israel, and then wages war on the Antichrist and his forces.
If you are interested, here is a peek at the rapture events in a little more detail:
Revelation 7:12 says, “And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Verse 13. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Verse 14. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Verse 15. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Verse 16. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Verse 17. For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
The events following the Rapture and during Jesus 2nd Advent or appearing
FIRST, the sealing of the 144,000: Revelation 8:1 says, “And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
Verse 2. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
Verse 3. Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
Verse 4. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
Verse 5. Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
Verse 6. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
Verse 7. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
Verse 8. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
SECOND, a panorama of the Gathered or Raptured Saints in heaven:
Revelation 8:9, says, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Verse 10. And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
Verse 11. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
Verse 12. Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Verse 13. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
Verse 14. And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Verse 15. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
Verse 16. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
Verse 17. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Revelation 9:1, says, “And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.’
THIRD, Jesus will wage war against the nations
Revelation 19:11,says,“And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. Verse 12. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. Verse 13. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. Verse 14. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. Verse 15. 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. Verse 16. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Verse 17. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in mid-heaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, Verse 18, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.”
Verse 19. And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.”
Why does this matter?
Why does the sequence of events matter? After all no one can change or affect what is coming and is already at hand.
It matters because there will be no second chances. You must understand the seriousness of this moment. You must understand how swiftly and devastatingly sure these events will unfold, at the breaking of the SIXTH SEAL. That time is at hand!
It would strongly suggest that the ‘ “Time, Times and a half time” or the Seven Weeks of Tribulation will actually begin with the breaking of the 6th Seal.
Jesus is coming and He will complete His Mission. If you are not ready and found doing what He has commanded, you will not survive. You will be left behind and you will be caught up in a truly hellish nightmare of real events.
Satan, the antichrist and the legions of evil will be defeated, as well as those who do not believe in Jesus and have not confessed Him as Lord and Savior and are not found doing what He has commanded.
PLEASE, LISTEN: If you are not ready, you will endure seven years of unspeakable horror and torment and will finally be cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
And the remnant will be slain with the Sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
Please. Understand the gravity of this message and make preparations.
It has been written for thousands of years. It is coming to pass before your eyes. Yet many have misunderstood or misstated this message. I am trying to make it plain.
这进一步证明了第五个苦难印记的时间，教会的大叛教，对圣徒的迫害，发生在第六个苦难印记之前。 **同样重要的是要注意第 6 个苦难封印不会被打破，并且教会的被提要等到敌基督被揭露之后才会发生： 请阅读帖撒罗尼迦后书 2:1-3，“论到我们主耶稣基督的降临，以及我们被聚集到他那里，弟兄们，第 2 节，我们劝你们不要心急摇动，也不要惊慌，无论是因 精神或口头的话，或一封似乎来自我们的信，大意是主的日子已经来到。第 3 节。不要以任何方式欺骗你。因为那一天不会到来，除非叛乱（ 背道，从信仰上大堕落）首先出现，不法之人（敌基督者）被揭露，毁灭之子（敌基督者）第 4 节，他反对并抬高自己反对每一个所谓的神或 敬拜的对象，甚至坐在神的殿中，自称是神。” 现在，回到启示录 11 章 2 节，“他们必践踏圣城。” 圣城——耶路撒冷——一直是启示录中教会的预表。 “列国”（外邦人或非信徒）是教会被践踏的工具，在与教会的背道部分相关的外邦人的提及导致描述世界对上帝信徒的压迫 . （这是指在第 5 个苦难印记期间，目前对圣徒的日益严重的迫害。教会在第 6 个苦难印记时被移除 – 被提，剩下的人可能看起来是教会（“外邦人”） 不是信徒，教会的外壳没有真正的信徒，也没有圣灵）。 总之，以下是时间线（在这个彩色文本中）： • 在教会被提之时或之后（与第 6 个苦难封印同时被揭开 – 马太福音 24:29-31），敌基督与以色列签订条约。 七年的苦难就此开始。
这个敌基督者将给世界带来虚假的希望与和平，并将做其他人从未做过的事——将以色列和巴勒斯坦团结在一起。 事实上，国王将与人民签订为期 7 年的和平条约，将有 3 1/2 年的和平，这将把我们带到第 6 个苦难号角 – 7 年大苦难的中点。 之后，敌基督将违背他的誓言，阻止犹太人的一切献祭，他将自己置身于圣殿中，自称是神。 这就是先知但以理所说的“行毁坏可憎的”。 他将在一周内与许多人确认盟约 – 这个“一周”或 7 年，也称为但以理的第 70 个星期，发生在打破第六个苦难印记时 – 以及在本周中，或 3.5 之后 年，恰逢第六次苦难号角的吹响，他将停止献祭和供奉。 “为了可憎之物的蔓延，他要使它荒凉，直到终结，而那决定的将倒在荒凉的人身上”。 但以理书 9:27。 再次在马太福音 24:15-16 中： “你们看见先知但以理所说行毁坏可憎的站在圣地里（读这经的人要明白），在犹太的就当逃往山上。” 当你看到这个时，耶稣说要逃到山上，因为那时会有大苦难，这是世界开始以来没有的，以后也不会有。 而且，除非那些日子被缩短，否则没有人能幸免。 在房顶上的，不要下来拿家里的东西； 在田里的，也不要回去取衣服。 当那些日子，怀孕的和哺乳的有祸了！ 但请祈祷你们的航班不要在冬天，也不要在安息日。 因为那时必有大苦难，从世界开始到现在没有，以后也不会有。 除非缩短那些日子，否则没有活人会得救； 但为了选民的缘故，那些日子将被缩短。 马太福音 24:15-22。 . 
今天（2022 年 11 月 12 日），这会将我们置于何地？ • 启示录第 6 章 – 对应 – 马太福音第 24 章 • 第一个苦难印记——全球征服和政治阴谋自耶稣诞生以来一直在进行。 • 第二个苦难封印- 战争和战争谣言自耶稣诞生以来一直在进行。 • 第三个苦难封印- 饥荒。 自耶稣诞生以来一直在进行。 • 第 4 个苦难封印 – 死亡。 自耶稣诞生以来一直在进行。 • 第五个苦难印记——殉道者、迫害、敌基督、离弃。 在过去的 75 年里，我们正在并且一直在目睹第五苦难封印被打破的时期，而且它正在加剧。 （见马太福音 24：9-13 和启示录 6：9-13。） • o 这包括大叛教，远离对基督的信仰 o 对基督徒的巨大迫害， o 沉沦之人的显露 o（有关详细信息，请参阅此链接：“7 年什么时候开始？”） 接下来是什么？ 马太福音 24:29 “那些日子的灾难一过去（即灾难印记 1 到 5 之后），日头就变黑了，月亮也不放光，众星要从天上坠落， 诸天都要震动。 第 30 节。那时人子的兆头要出现在天上，地上的万族都要悲哀，他们要看见人子有能力，有大荣耀，驾着天上的云降临。 第 31 节。他要差遣他的使者，吹响号角，从四风中，从天的一端到另一端，招聚他的选民。 一个重要的历史和年代标记： “那些日子的苦难之后”。 重要的是要仔细注意“紧接着”和“那些日子的苦难”的措辞，它指的是先前发生的事情，还有要发生的事情。 我们已经阅读并确定“那些日子的苦难”特指被称为“苦难的日子”的时期，从公元 1 年左右到今天，前五个苦难封印被打破，（脚注 1), （脚注 2）。 现在，我们将发现前五个苦难封印被打破后的情况， 重要提示：马太福音 24 章 21 节说：“那时，必有大患难，从创世以来到如今没有，也不会（再）有。 具体来说， • o ▪ 马太福音 24:29。 太阳将变暗，并且 月亮不会发光，而且 群星将从天而降， ▪ 诸天的力量将被撼动。 第 30 节。那时人子的兆头要出现在天上，然后地上的万族都要悲哀， ▪ 他们将看到人子带着能力和大荣耀驾着天上的云降临。 第 31 节。 ▪ 他们将从天堂的一端到另一端，从四风中聚集他的选民。 . 耶稣在启示录 6:12-17 中重申了揭开第六印苦难的印记，“揭开第六印的时候，我观看，不料地大震动，日头变黑，像毛麻布一样， 整个月亮变成血一样；天上的星辰坠落在地上，好像无花果树被大风摇动，落下未熟的果子。天空裂开，好像卷起的书卷，每一个 山和海岛都从原来的地方移走了。地上的君王和显赫的人民，将领和富人和强者，以及所有的奴隶和自由人都藏在山洞和岩石中； 他们对大山和岩石说：“倒在我们身上，把我们藏起来，躲避坐宝座者的视线，和羔羊的忿怒；因为他们忿怒的大日到了，谁能 站立？” 重要提示：然后，紧接着（见启示录第 7 章），
为什么苦难“何时”开始或基督徒“何时”被提到天堂很重要？ • 这很重要，因为为他的回归做好准备是真正基督教的证明，只有真正的基督信徒才能保证在他伟大的号角呼唤声中加入基督，并逃离主的大而可怕的日子。 • 这很重要，因为做好准备需要相信并按照他的指示去做，为他的再来做准备； 他说：“所以你们要去，使万民作我的门徒，奉父、子、圣灵的名给他们施洗，凡我所吩咐你们的，都教训他们遵守。 看啊，我永远与你同在，直到世界的终结。” • 这很重要，因为他已经警告说“那一天会有许多人对我说：‘主啊，主啊，我们不是奉你的名传道，奉你的名赶鬼，奉你的名行了许多神迹吗？ 然后我会向他们宣布，‘我从来不认识你； 离开我吧，你们这些行事无法无天的人。’” • 这很重要，因为许多基督徒正无所事事地等待已经开始的事件，而他们没有按照他告诉他们的去做，因此可能是严重的危险。 • 这很重要，因为我们的一些家人、朋友和邻居完全不知道或根本不相信基督会回来，而上帝的最终审判会将他们判处在外面的黑暗中。 因为，作为基督徒，我们的信仰、信念和行为胜于雄辩。 如果你接受了“做一点祷告，接受耶稣”的“一劳永逸”的教义，认为这是你得救所需要做的一切，你可能被欺骗了，可能还没有准备好迎接他的回归。 我们要“恐惧战兢，作成我们得救的工夫”，天天悔改，紧紧跟随祂，完全顺服祂，常常认罪，经常喜乐，不住地赞美祂，向祂祷告！ （你会的。知道区别）。 接下来：“故事的其余部分”，第 7 节到第 17 节。 你的兄弟和朋友 – 准备好
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE EYES TO SEE
Life, 2008 to 2020. Very ‘surface friendly’. Worship ‘team’ entertainment oriented; lighting effects, stage smoke, very loud and repetitive. Both inward and outward focused. Pastor-led polity, tightly controlled, manipulative at times. Members are cliquish. Uses ‘proximity to pastor’ as a punishment-reward method for control. Frequent turnover of members. Secretive-to-questionable financial management. Score 0 to 2.
What I have described is generally known as the 
Jesus said to “make disciples; collect no money except to make your journey.”
There are many Evangelicals and ‘Reformed’ Bible teachers, as well as Pentecostal, Charismatic, et al., who propose a “patchwork-quilt-type-of eschatology” regarding The Second Coming of Jesus based solely on denominational bias, These folks say the account in Matthew 24 which describes Jesus’ “appearing on the clouds of the sky” when everyone will see Him, is NOT the second coming;
Whitestone Fellowship 