How Close Are We To The End of the Church Age and
the Great Tribulation of Revelation Chapter 6 to 19?
As a reference to the subject of the end times
I refer
you to the study of
Daniel
chapters 2, 7 and 9.
Chapter 2 and 7 cover the Gentile powers up to Christ’s
Millennial Kingdom. They are historically Babylon, Medo-Persia,
Greece, and the first phase of the Roman Empire. The final form of
the Roman Empire is presently forming and
will conclude with 10 kings or kingdoms from the area of the old
Roman Empire giving their power for a short time to the Anti-Christ
just prior to and through the 70th
week of Daniel.
Rev 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest
are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but
receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Rev 17:13 These have one mind, and shall give
their power and strength unto the beast.
Daniel chapter 9 v 24-27 speaks of the 70 weeks
of years given to Israel to conclude all national and Messianic
promises and bring in the 1,000 year millennial kingdom where the
lamb will lie down with the lion.
Isa 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the
lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf
and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child
shall lead them.
Isa 11:7 And the cow and the bear shall feed;
their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat
straw like the ox.
Isa 11:8 And the sucking child shall play on
the hole of the asp (deadly poisonous snake), and the weaned
child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den (brood of
vipers).
Isa 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in
all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the
knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
We know that 69 weeks of years have been
completed from the call to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem to the
Lord Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the foal of an ass. The time
clock has been stopped for the last week of 7 years or what is
called the 70th week of Daniel as God has been gathering
out of the Gentiles and Jews a bride for His Son for almost 2,000
years. The Church age began at the feast of Pentecost a few weeks
after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But we now observe that
signs of the times are gathering to end the Church age and conclude
the last 7 years promised to the nation of Israel.
My web site below has a good write-up on Daniel
chapters 2, 7 and 9
http://www.truedino.com/ch5plan.htm
I also recommend a commentary on the book of
Daniel by Renald Showers called The Most High God. In addition
because I believe that the end of the church age concludes with the
rapture before the 7 year time period I also refer you to a second
web site listed below called the Pre-Trib Research Center. It
provides an apologetic defense for this understanding as there are
many other aberrant views which bring confusion to Bible Prophecy.
But as usual be a Berean and search the scriptures yourselves. Hold
fast to what is clear, hold lightly to what is not yet clear.
Allan Ask http://www.truedino.com
Pre-Trib Research Center
http://www.pre-trib.org
And a final thought on this opening is the
uniqueness of the Bible. Only the Bible has prophetic scriptures
written centuries in advance which have been fulfilled with
remarkable accuracy. Only the Bible has the true fingerprints of the
infinite Creator who sees the end from the beginning. Keep this in
mind as we will only look at but a few prophecies and I have
mentioned the date in which they were written. Any good detective
will consider these words carefully. No other religious book
claiming to be from God has any worthy prophetic credentials to
match.
As we look around us the question becomes, where
are we on God’s prophetic plan for the
Church and for Israel. What is God doing? Can we know how close
we are to some of the major prophetic events laid out in the
Bible? How are we supposed to conduct
ourselves if we are in the last days of the church age?
Well, I believe there are a number of scriptures
that limit the amount of time left in the church age. As well, God
has identified a number of conditions of the world and the church
that would be present when the time left is moving to its end. And
briefly we hold to the event that ends the church age called the
rapture.
This event calls for the resurrection of all church saints and
the living Biblical Christians to meet the
Lord Jesus in the air. This event is mentioned in 1
Thessalonians 4 v 13-18 and John 14 v 1-3. This event is
called the Blessed Hope for the believer
for the 7 year treaty ushers in a time of unprecedented
tribulation upon the whole world and God has promised that
the Church will be removed first. And on
the other hand God also indicates that an apostate Christian church
will be left behind. See Revelation 3 v 14-22, the dominant but
compromising church of Laodicea.
Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of
my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation,
which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon
the earth.
Then God will complete his promises to the nation
of Israel and usher in the Millennial Kingdom with the Lord Jesus
Christ ruling and reigning from Jerusalem.
Let’s look at a number of passages that limit the
amount of time left for the Church age. We
can start with the birth of the nation of Israel. The 12 Tribes of
Israel in the past has been exiled out of the land once to
Assyria (10 tribes, circa 721BC) and Babylon (last 2 tribes, circa
600BC) and a second time to all the nations (70AD). The return of
Israel after the second dispersion is specifically linked to the
last days or the time of the end.
The rebirth of Israel in unbelief – Ezekiel was
written circa 600-570BC ie means before Christ, so 2,600 years ago.
Ezekiel 37:1
The hand of the LORD was upon me,
and carried me out in the spirit of the
LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which
was
full of bones,
Eze 37:2 And caused me to pass by them round
about: and, behold, there were very
many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
Eze 37:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can
these bones live? And I answered, O Lord
GOD, thou knowest.
Eze 37:4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon
these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry
bones, hear the word of the LORD.
Eze 37:5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these
bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall
live:
Eze 37:6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will
bring up flesh upon you, and cover you
with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall
know that I am the LORD.
Eze 37:7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and
as I prophesied, there was a noise, and
behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his
bone.
Eze 37:8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and
the flesh came up upon them, and the skin
covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
Eze 37:9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the
wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord
GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these
slain, that they may live.
Eze 37:10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and
the breath came into them, and they lived,
and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
Eze 37:11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these
bones are the whole house of Israel:
behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost:
we are cut off for our parts.
Eze 37:12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them,
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my
people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up
out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
Eze 37:13 And ye shall know that I am the
LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my
people, and brought you up out of your graves,
Eze 37:14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye
shall live, and I shall place you in your
own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it,
and performed it, saith the LORD.
Eze 37:15 The word of the LORD came again unto
me, saying,
Eze 37:16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee
one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of
Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it,
For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of
Israel his companions:
Eze 37:17 And join them one to another into one
stick; and they shall become one in thine
hand.
Eze 37:18 And when the children of thy people
shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou
not shew us what thou meanest by these?
Eze 37:19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD;
Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph,
which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his
fellows, and will put them with him,
even with the stick of Judah, and make them one
stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
Eze 37:20 And the sticks whereon thou writest
shall be in thine hand before their eyes.
Eze 37:21
And say unto them, Thus saith the
Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children
of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone,
and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their
own land:
Now I want you to note in this passage that God
says that the nation of Israel had been dead as a nation a long
time. And he identifies this re-gathering in verse 21 as from all
the heathen nations. So by this we know that God is referring to the
dispersion from Israel to all the nations in 70 AD. The first
dispersion and regathering were only from 2 nations, Assyria and
Babylon. And phase one of these passages was fulfilled on May 14
th,
1948 as Israel became a nation in
one day after a long sojourn of suffering among the heathen nations,
almost 1,900 years. In fact God records prophetically in Isaiah 66 v
8 that the nation of Israel in the future would be born in one day.
Isaiah was written circa 700 BC.
Isaiah 66:8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath
seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day?
or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion
travailed, she brought forth her children.
The tribulation of Israel in the 70
th
week of Daniel (one week of
years- see
Daniel chapter 9 v 24-27 for the 70 weeks of
years) – at the time of Israel signing a 7
year peace treaty with her Arab and Islamic enemies she would
face an invasion from them shortly thereafter.
Ezekiel 38:1
And the word of the LORD came
unto me, saying,
Eze 38:2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,
the land of Magog (Southern Russia), the
chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
Eze 38:3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD;
Behold, I am against thee, O Gog,
the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
Eze 38:4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks
into thy jaws, and I will bring thee
forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed
with all sorts of armour, even a
great company with bucklers and shields, all of
them handling swords:
Eze 38:5 Persia (Iran), Ethiopia, and Libya with
them; all of them with shield and helmet:
Eze 38:6 Gomer, and all his bands; the house of
Togarmah of the north quarters (area of Turkey), and all his bands:
and many people with thee.
Eze 38:7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for
thyself, thou, and all thy company that
are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
Eze 38:8 After many days thou shalt be visited:
in the latter years thou shalt come into
the land
that
is brought back from the
sword, and is
gathered out of many
people, against the mountains of Israel, which
have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the
nations, and they shall dwell safely all
of them.
Eze 38:9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm,
thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the
land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.
Eze 38:10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also
come to pass, that at the same time
shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil
thought:
Eze 38:11
And thou shalt say, I will go up
to the land of unwalled villages; I will
go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling
without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
This Islamic coalition aided militarily by Russia
will attack Israel and be destroyed during the time of the 7 year
treaty. This coalition continues to form as Russia has provided
Syria and Libya military equipment and forgiveness of debt in
exchange for 2 Russian ports on the Mediterranean. Russia has a
strong alliance now with Iran (whose ancient name is Persia). Turkey
has turned from looking west back into the Islamic fold as she is
predicted to be part of the Ezekiel chapter 38 and 39 coalition.
Talk about falling in with bad company!
In the historical past cities were walled to
protect from invasion, in our time Israel will achieve a temporary
peace and because of modern weaponry lives in unwalled cities, a
thing unheard of in the time of Ezekiel. What type of prophetic
foresight is this?
There is some dispute as to the timing of this
invasion but I presently place it during
the 7 year tribulation but I leave room for a different timing as
God for his reasons and purposes has not made it as crystal clear as
he has other prophecies, at least not yet
to me anyways.
The conversion of the nation of Israel - at the
end of the 7 year tribulation when Jesus
himself delivers them and judges the nations (see Revelation
chapter 19)
The book of Zechariah was written circa 500BC.
Zechariah 12:9 And it shall come to pass in that
day, that I will seek to destroy
all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Zechariah 12:10
And I will pour upon the house of
David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they
shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall
mourn for him, as one mourneth for
his
only
son,
and shall be in bitterness for him, as one
that is in bitterness for
his
firstborn.
The restoration of the kingdom to Israel - the
final phase of Israel’s ingathering to
start the 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ.
The book of Isaiah was written circa 700BC.
Isaiah 11:11 And it shall come to pass in that
day,
that
the Lord shall set his
hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his
people, which shall be left, from Assyria,
and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush,
and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the
islands of the sea.
Now the question becomes as to how long after
this event (Israel’s birth) do we have before the Church age is
closed and the 70th week of Daniel is started? I think that here we
have God limiting the length of this period and a number of
scriptures point to this.
There are 4 main lines
of scripture that indicate a time limit on the end. The first is
that all will be completed in one generation, the second is that the
end will be completed like a woman giving birth, and the third is
that we born again believers will see the day approaching, and the
fourth is the growing pressure on Israel to sign a 7 year peace
treaty. At the same time there is
also great detail given as to accompanying signs and world
conditions that will be present and accelerating in parallel with
the move towards the 7 year treaty. The great apostasy of the
visible church with many false teachers denying pretrib prophecy,
denying the book of Genesis, setting aside sound doctrine, seeking
after false signs and wonders, seeking after mystical experiences,
promotion of humanistic psychology rather then the sinful nature of
man, false dreams and visions, false anointings, turning back to
fellowship with Roman Catholicism, the rise of the Revived Roman
Empire, the rise of the Islamic enemies of Israel, the moral decay
of the world as in the days of Noah and Lot,
the rise of atheistic evolutionary humanism, the
ability to destroy the planet with nuclear weapons, the rise of the
technology to view events live and transmit them around the globe as
well as the ability to mark each person with a chip in their right
hand or forehead in order to conduct commerce. This is the first
generation in history where all end time players, world conditions
and technology are present at the same time and accelerating as a
woman that gives birth.
Let’s look at our first time limiting verses
related to a generation. Here we want to look at the parable of the
fig tree. Jesus in the previous verses of Matthew
chapter 24 has just described all the birth pangs of the end
times such as religious deception in the
name of Christ, wars, earthquakes, pestilences in
various places but then abruptly switches to the parable of
the fig tree.
Mat 24:32
Now learn a parable of
the fig tree; When his branch is
yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye
know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all
these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation
shall not pass, till all these things be
fulfilled.
Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but
my words shall not pass away.
Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no
man, no, not the angels of heaven, but
my Father only.
Mat 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so
shall also the coming of the Son of man
be.
Mat 24:38 For as in the days that were before the
flood they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into
the ark,
Mat 24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and
took them all away; so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be.
Luke chapter 21 is a parallel passage to Mathew
24 describing the end times in a slightly different way.
Luke 21:29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold
the fig tree, and all the trees;
Luke 21:30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and
know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
Luke 21:31 So likewise ye, when ye see these
things come to pass, know ye that the
kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
Luke 21:32 Verily I say unto you, This generation
shall not pass away, till all be
fulfilled.
Who is the fig tree and all the trees? Well, I
believe it is Israel and all the other
nations lining up for the end times.
Luke 13:6 He (Jesus) spake also this parable; A
certain man had a fig tree (Israel) planted in his vineyard
(the nations); and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
Luke 13:7 Then said he unto the dresser of his
vineyard, Behold, these three years I come
seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why
cumbereth it the ground?
Luke 13:8 And he answering said unto him, Lord,
let it alone this year also, till I shall
dig about it, and dung it:
Luke 13:9 And if it bear fruit, well: and
if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
In the Old Testament Israel is symbolically
identified with a fig tree and the fruit thereof in Jeremiah 24 v
1-10 and Hosea 9 v 10.
During the 3 years plus earthly ministry of Jesus
Christ the nation of Israel rejected his
message of repentance and trusting in the Messiah for salvation but
instead were trusting in their good works and their heritage for
entrance into heaven (Romans 10 v 1-3). Therefore they were bearing
no fruit that God would consider worthy. In Galatians 2 v 16 God has
said by the works of the law shall no man be justified.
Now if the fig tree is the rebirth of Israel how
are we to understand the phrase "this
generation will not pass away"? Is this a time limit verse? I
believe it is.
Some have tried to interpret "this generation" as
meaning that the Jews as a distinct people
will survive until the completion of all things, however this is
known as a tautology. A tautology is a useless repetition of
something that has been obviously stated before. The prophetic plan
throughout the Bible has the nation of Israel back in her land,
witnessing the one whom they have pierced, and repenting of their
sins. It would be meaningless to say "this generation" refers to
Israel's survival when she is clearly on center stage in order for
God to complete his promises to her.
If this understanding is correct and the
generation which witnesses the rebirth of Israel is the last one
then where does that leave us? Well, I believe it was my
father’s generation which witnessed the rebirth of Israel and
his generation is almost passed away. So I
believe we are right at the door of the rapture. Do
current conditions warrant my saying this?
Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and
pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers (various) places.
Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of
sorrows. (the term sorrows means birth
pangs)
1Th 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and
safety; then sudden destruction cometh
upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not
escape.
In our second time limiting verses
the development
of the signs of the times for the 7 year tribulation are said to
picture a woman giving birth. Not
that I am much of an authority on a woman giving birth, and correct
me if I am wrong but birth pangs will begin but they will be spaced
apart at a certain time interval, then as these birth pangs develop
they become more intense and the time interval is closer together,
then at a certain point the end is near and things are most intense
as the baby is delivered. You see once the birth pangs begin to
develop they are not going into remission for a hundred years,
things will not slow down they will speed up. And who cannot say
that the signs of the times have not both intensified and sped up.
Again a time limit on the last days.
Our third line of reasoning on time is that the
believers of that generation will see the day approaching.
1Thessalonians 5:1 But of the times and the
seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I
write unto you.
1Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly
that the day of the Lord so cometh as a
thief in the night.
1Thessalonians 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace
and safety (when the 7 year treaty is
confirmed by Anti-Christ); then sudden destruction cometh upon
them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not
escape.
1Thessalonians 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in
darkness, that that day should overtake
you as a thief.
1Thessalonians 5:5 Ye are all the children of
light, and the children of the day: we are
not of the night, nor of darkness.
1Thessalonians 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as
do others; but let us watch and be
sober.
1Thessalonians 5:7 For they that sleep sleep in
the night; and they that be drunken are
drunken in the night.
1Thessalonians 5:8 But let us, who are of the
day, be sober, putting on the breastplate
of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
1Thessalonians 5:9 For God hath not appointed us
to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our
Lord Jesus Christ,
Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together (with like minded
believers not the compromising and apostate church of Laodicea), as
the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the
more, as ye see the day approaching.
In the past when I was studying prophecy trying
to put it all together certain individuals
would throw me off by saying well you can’t really know "it’s like a
thief in the night" or they would quote "no man knows the day
nor the hour only the Father". It wasn’t until I read the passage in
Thessalonians above that I realized what group the "thief in the
night" reference was for. The reference is for those unbelievers in
the world who are unaware of God’s word and plan. They are planning
and building and partying it up as the storm clouds gather on the
horizon. It wasn’t until I understood the Jewish wedding ceremony
that I clued into the "no man knows the day nor the hour only the
Father" reference. In a Jewish wedding the son would pay the price
for the bride and then return to his fathers house to build a home.
The son could only go get his bride when the father gave the okay
that all preparations were complete. In Jewish culture it was custom
that the father held the authority to say when his son could go get
his bride. Jesus came to earth and paid the cost for his bride,
returned to Heaven to prepare us a place and will return at His
Father’s word to get His bride.
John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye
believe in God, believe also in me.
John 14:2
In my Father's house are many
mansions: if
it were not
so,
I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you.
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I
am,
there
ye may be also.
So we see the day approaching but the unbelieving
world does not, they are in spiritual
darkness and the rapture (the calling home of Christ’s bride) will
be like a thief in the night to them. We see the peace treaty
approaching but the world does not understand its real meaning. It
will not be "peace and safety" as they declare but it will mean the
rapture of the church has taken place prior to this and their
declaration will usher in the worst time of tribulation the world
has ever seen as God pours out his righteous wrath on a planet full
of rebels who would not repent though given many many opportunities.
How immensely patient has God been with the millions of murders of
unborn children, the increase in sex outside of marriage, the rise
of unashamed groups that flaunt their moral perversions, the murder
of innocent people by religious zealots (Islam) thinking they are
going to be rewarded in heaven for these acts, the rise of
pornography, and on and on. It is only God’s mercy giving time and
space for people to repent that delays his judgment. For when God
finally judges the cost is eternal separation from him and this he
does not want. He wants people to confess and turn from their sins
and settle out of court thru His Son. And yet there is a timetable
where the window of opportunity will close for the Church age as
God’s program for Israel must start.
The fourth time limit is the development of the 7
year peace treaty with Israel and her enemies.
We, who hold pre-tribulation view, as we see this treaty develop,
know that the rapture of the church will take place sometime just
prior to its finalization. The stronger the pressure upon Israel
becomes from all nations especially the EU, Russia, the USA, the UN
and other Middle East nations, the closer the end of the church age
approaches. Have you been following the peace process? It is moving
along as prophesied. And we know from Daniel chapter 9 that it is
not finalized until after the rapture with the Anti-Christ
guaranteeing Israel’s security. Were you aware that there is
agreement in principal to divide Jerusalem, the only outstanding
issue is the Temple Mount and this may be left to the Anti-Christ to
finalize.
Comments on the peace treaty process by Michael
Mickey, formerly with Rapture Alert.
On the very day of the U.S. elections, something
I've told my readers to watch for to occur for years was physically
requested by the European Union, namely the EU being given a more
influential role in the world to include "more engagement with a
resurgent Russia and more emphasis on peacemaking in Afghanistan and
the Middle East."
How many times, those of you who have followed
along with me through the years, have I
told you we should watch for a turn of events to occur that would
place the revived Roman empire of Bible prophecy in a posture
to potentially resolve the troublesome
issue of Middle East peace? I have to tell you, brothers and sisters
in Christ, that I got chills and am right now as I type these words
to you. Why? Because the
EU Observer
report that details this request on the
part of the EU states the following, in part (emphasis added mine to
stress the relation to Bible prophecy):
The letter urges the new US administration to put
the Middle East peace process at the top of its agenda and foresees
a "useful role" for the EU as co-guarantors of a future
Israeli-Palestinian accord.
The European Union as co-guarantors of a future
Israeli-Palestinian accord? This language reads as though it was
ripped from the pages of Bible prophecy!
Comments on the peace treaty process by Chris
Perver of Prophecy in the News
Sunday, 09 November 2008
http://www.prophecynews.co.uk/
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators arrived in
Sharm el-Sheik
this morning to brief the Quartet
(EU, US, UN, Russia) on progress that has been made since the
Annapolis peace
conference one year ago. At
Annapolis, Maryland, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had pledged to begin
final status negotiations that would result in the establishment of
a Palestinian state in Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem. Since that
time there have been several international gatherings in support of
the creation of a Palestinian state. In December of last year, world
leaders gathered in Paris for the
Palestinian Donors
Conference, at which over $7
billion was pledged to fund the establishment of a Palestinian
state. In May of this year, a
Palestinian economic
investment conference was held in
London, in an effort to boost the flagging Palestinian economy. And
in June of this year, Germany held a
Palestinian security
conference, in an effort to
bolster the Palestinian institutions, security services and judicial
system. It had originally been hoped that a Palestinian state could
be created within one year of the first Annapolis summit. When it
became clear that the deadline could not be met, the goal was
revised to formulating an agreement before the end of US President
Bush's last term in office. But not even that goal could be met, and
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators have now pledged to continue the
negotiations into 2009. The Quartet released a statement of support
for the continuance of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. They
stressed that their support for the Palestinian leadership depended
on its recognition of Israel's right to exist, relinquishing
terrorism and reaffirming previous accords made with the Jewish
state. They also urged both sides to abide by the Roadmap to Peace
document.
Well we know that the peace process has had many
stops and starts but prophetically speaking it will shortly arrive
to its completion per God’s overall timetable.
So how are the other signs of the time moving
along? Are things dovetailing together?
Days of Noah – eating, drinking, building and
giving in marriage - Matthew 24 v 37 - 39
Days of Lot – advancement of the sin of sodomy
Days of Apostasy – the move back to joining into
fellowship with Roman Catholicism despite
the false gospel they teach (Jesus plus the sacraments)
and the watered down gospel of Protestantism/Evangelicals
which excludes the ploughing of the heart to bring the conviction of
sin and real repentance, following after signs and wonders to
experience false manifestations of God’s presence, psychology and
occultic techniques
2Timothy 4:3
For the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine; but after
their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having
itching ears;
If you would like to see those who are itching
the ears of people these days do a study on the teachings of Rick
Warren, Bill Hybels and Joel Osteen leaders of what are now called
Mega-Churches. Joel Osteen from a Word Faith background and pastor
of a 40,000 member church in Houston recently came to Calgary and
10,000 sheep showed up at the Pengrowth Saddledome to hear him say
that all is well and there are "good days ahead". Of course this is
directly opposite to what is really coming, the worst time of
judgement in all of history. Of course if you are a speaker that
tickles the ears of people with flattery, lies and a watered down
gospel you can draw the big crowds. The same thing happened in
Jeremiah’s day. Jeremiah spoke the truth about the sins of Israel
and how God was finally going to judge them by exiling them to
Babylon. Now did Jeremiah get his 40,000 member following? No, they
said we don’t want to hear what this guy is saying and he was thrown
in the dungeon and threatened with death. But there were false
prophets in Jeremiah’s day who said peace and safety and prosperity
is coming!
Jeremiah called the people to account for their
sins and called them to repent or else God was going to send the
King of Babylon to judge them and remove them from the land for 70
years.
Jer 6:12 And their houses shall be turned unto
others, with their fields and wives together: for I will
stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the
LORD.
Jer 6:13 For from the least of them even unto the
greatest of them every one is given
to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one
dealeth falsely.
Jer 6:14 They have healed also the hurt of the
daughter of my people slightly,
saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
Jer 27:9 Therefore hearken not ye to your
prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to
your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which
speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve
the king of Babylon:
Jer 27:10 (For they prophesy a lie unto you), to
remove you far from your land; and that I
should drive you out, and ye should perish.
Jer 27:14 Therefore hearken not unto the words of
the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the
king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.
Jer 27:15 For I have not sent them, saith the
LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name;
that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the
prophets that prophesy unto you.
Jer 29:8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the
God of Israel; Let not your prophets and
your diviners, that
be
in the midst of you, deceive you,
neither hearken to your dreams which ye
cause to be dreamed.
Jer 29:9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my
name: I have not sent them, saith the
LORD.
Eze 13:1 And the word of the LORD came unto me,
saying,
Eze 13:2 Son of man, prophesy against the
prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say
thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the
word of the LORD;
Eze 13:3 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the
foolish prophets, that follow their own
spirit, and have seen nothing!
Eze 13:16 To wit, the prophets of Israel
which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and
which see visions of peace for her, and
there is
no peace, saith the Lord
GOD.
You know our generation of Christianity is filled
with false teachers and false prophets who
say peace and safety and claim their vain dreams and visions are
from God. Joel Osteen is just one of many. There is a worse bunch
filling the pulpits as they graduate from apostate seminaries and
bible colleges.
2Timothy 4:4
And they shall turn away
their
ears from the truth, and shall be
turned unto fables.
Titus 2:1 But speak thou the things which become
sound doctrine:
If you know the Lord follow after Titus 2 v 1 and
separate from these deceivers who flatter
you for gain and seek to make merchandise out of you. God will
enable you to stand even if it is alone.
Rise of Atheistic Evolutionary Humanism – 2 Peter
3 v 3 – 6
2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall
come in the last days scoffers, walking
after their own lusts,
2 Peter 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of
his coming? for since the fathers fell
asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning
of the creation.
2 Peter 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant
of, that by the word of God the heavens
were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the
water:
2 Peter 3:6
Whereby the world that then was,
being overflowed with water, perished:
War and Environmental Birth Pangs - Mat 24:7
For nation shall rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be
famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes,
in divers (divers means various) places.
Mat 24:8
All these
are
the beginning of sorrows (or birth
pangs)
Alignment of the Nations – the Islamic coalition
of Ezekial 38,39 (Russia is providing arms
to Syria and Libya for 2 ports in the Mediterranean), the Asian
army of the Kings of the East, the EU as it morphs into the
Revived Roman Empire – see the European
Mediterranean Economic group of 16
How close must we be?
Rev 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are
ten kings, which have received no kingdom
as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
We know from birth pangs that things will
accelerate. We know from Revelation 17 v 12 that the rise of
Anti-Christ will be very rapid so there need not be a long drawn out
process after the rapture.
Acts17:31
Because he hath appointed a day,
in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by
that
man whom he hath ordained;
whereof
he hath given assurance unto all
men,
in that he hath raised him from the dead.
We know by Acts 17 v 31 that God has already
fixed a date for the end of the 7 year
tribulation where the Lord judges the nations to start the
millennial kingdom.
It is not a floating day out there somewhere. If
this date is fixed so also is the start of
the 7 years. And I believe we are rapidly approaching it. The world
is highly motivated through economic
incentives to push the peace treaty to its
conclusion. The world knows that if ever the world is to experience
a man made peace they must exert great pressure on the nations in
the Middle East and this I believe they are starting to do.
So how then shall we live out whatever time we
have left?
First and foremost examine yourself to see if you
are really saved. Have you come to real
repentance? Do you hate sin in yourself and desire to be free of
practicing it? In that repentance have you truly turned your
will over to the Lord Jesus? Have you recognized that on your own
running your own life you are more like the devil in behavior than
like God? Do you still love the world, the music of the world, the
movies of the world, the thinking of the world? Have you recognized
that your sin caused an innocent man to be put to death in your
place. Have you personally recognized this, have you understood this
was the love of God manifested for you by satisfying the justice of
God who cannot let sin go without dealing with it? Do you have a
desire to be loyal to Jesus and his commands? Do you have a desire
to be free of the sins of your tongue? Do you separate from
falsehood or those who misrepresent the Lord? Has Satan taken an
interest in you and is opposing you, tempting you, attacking your
mind? Are you experiencing freedom from sin, self will and Satan? Do
you quickly confess your sins to the Lord Jesus and to any others
you have offended to be free and again under the Lordship of the
Holy Spirit or do you excuse yourself or justify yourself by blaming
someone else or just sweep things under the rug? Do you have the
fruit of the Spirit and the correct teaching of Holy Spirit so you
are able to discern truth and to exercise discernment between good
and evil. Do you desire above all that the person and character of
the Lord Jesus may be manifested in your life through yielding daily
to the Holy Spirit. Do you have real and personal assurance that you
have trusted Christ and that payment in God’s courtroom has been
given to you? Getting truly saved is a hard narrow process of
evaluation and meditation on the word of God not a quick thoughtless
emotional prayer. Don’t deceive yourself as many many people are
deceived and on the wide road of religious Christianity lead by
false teachers who are experts in watering down the Bible. They make
the road wide but false with all their sins of compromise. God says
to seek him with all your heart until you know that you are saved.
You have to personally know that you are saved and know that you
have had the new birth. Don’t settle for anything less no matter how
horrific your sins look to you when God reveals them as a first step
in the road to conversion.
Don’t sweep them under the rug and hide, face
them, ask God for deliverance into his
Son’s kingdom. Time may be so short!
If you are saved God wants each one of us to
serve him faithfully and loyally each day
knowing that we shall give an account for rewards, to avoid being
ashamed at his appearing, that he may say well done good and
faithful servant.
Luke 19:13
And he called his ten servants,
and delivered them ten pounds, and said
unto them, Occupy
till I come.
Invest your time in things to advance the
kingdom. Turn away from the lusts of the
world and don’t defile yourself with unholy things such as
hellavison and unholywood. Ask God for
opportunities to speak the truth. Don’t compromise with the
Laodicean church but separate from it or else you will be guilty of
joining their misrepresentation of the gospel and the Christian
life. Seek to be filled, directed, and controlled by the Holy Spirit
for apart from Him we can do nothing but things of the flesh, even
if they are Christian in appearance. Put on the armor of God for
Satan will make effort through attacking you through your mind and
your eyes and your own fallen flesh to bring you back under his
thinking. He will seek to intimidate you off your ground of freedom
that the Lord has given each believer. Keep short sin accounts with
the Lord to maintain your freedom ground and yielding control moment
by moment to the Holy Spirit. Expect trials and troubles from those
waving the same Christian flag as you. Satan is an expert in
discouragement and will use false believers to attack your walk and
bring confusion to sound doctrine. Seek to be a worthy ambassador
for the Lord so he may give you a reward for service, for no other
choice will yield worthy fruit.
Maranatha! Maranatha!
