I like to direct people to read their own Bibles and come up with their own answers because I believe that, if you truly are of God and you are hungering and thirsting after the Truth, God will not allow you to be deceived. That's not to say that many, many so-called Christians throughout history have not been deceived. In fact, as we know, there are many strange doctrines out there to choose from. God help US not to be deceived!
Simply, what are the signs that would tell us when we are living in the "Last Days" or the "Last Seven Years" of world history?
Besides the entire chapter of Matthew 24, there are more details in Revelation to clue us in. In chapter 13, we can read a description of the new world dictator we Christians affectionately refer to as "The Antichrist".
Revelation 13
1. And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea,having seven heads and ten horns,and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Seven heads, ten horns and ten crowns. Crowns usually indicate kingdoms. It seems ten major kingdoms will join with him and horns usually mean a threat, don't they? So, ten kingdoms will be pushing his programme. Blasphemy is not a good thing, by the way. To blaspheme means to speak irreverently about God. There's a LOT of THAT going around these days!
2. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat,and great authority.
Some people have pointed out that the dragon is a very revered creature in China. Dragon dances are performed at Chinese New Year and when a family moves into a new house. People pay good money to have two guys in a van jump around in their house inside a dragon costume, making a LOT of noise.
3. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
4. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
5. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. (3 1/2 years)
6. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name,and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Here's another verse which, to me, indicates that the Tribulation is for Christians. Who are the saints that he is making war against? (You don't have to be perfect to be a saint. You just have to be saved. The true definition of what a saint is in God's eyes is quite different than what man calls a saint.)
8. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Here's the clincher! Why would people worship someone? Think about it.
Maybe he has convinced them he's a god, or he's controlling their food sources, their will to live. Maybe he has implanted a device in these people that can actually control their will?
9. If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Is your name written in the Book of Life of the Lamb? Make sure that it is brother! Make sure you are born again and believing in the power of the Resurrection of Christ, sister!
10. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity; he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
Again, this will be a time for true believers to showcase their patience and faith!
11. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
It seems that the Antichrist is going to be killed and them come back to life.
13. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.
14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
This "image" is going to have some sort of "life" and be able to speak! Modern technology has now made this quite possible. GPS has made it possible to track anyone on the planet up to five feet away!
16. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
That could never happen! Right? I mean, how could everyone on the planet be forced to receive a mark?
17. And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the Beast, or the number of his name.
18. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the Beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (A score is 20.)
People! The "Mark of the Beast" is on its way to your town as we speak. Don't be deceived. It won't save your life! It will destroy your soul! Don't receive the chip! Receive Jesus Christ instead. He will save your life and soul for eternity!
Saturday, April 13, 2013
3 1/2 Years of Tribulation
Revelation Chapter 12
1. And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2. And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
3. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
5. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Her child could only be Jesus. What do you think? Please feel free to leave comments!
6. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
How many years is that? 3 1/2 years of Tribulation.
7. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels.
8. And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Don't be surprised if your enemies accuse you day and night because you believe in Jesus!
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.
12. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
13. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
(a time = 1 year, times = 2 years, half a time = 1/2 year = 3 1/2 years Tribulation.)
If we are not going through the tribulation, then why did God make it so clear exactly how long the Tribulation lasts?
But, verse 14 seems to be a very comforting, encouraging verse that God will take care of His own Children!
15. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
This could be a flood of lies, since it's coming out of his mouth.
16. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Do you keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ? I hope so!
Friday, April 12, 2013
Post Tribulation Rapture
I'm going to share with you some of the reasons why I believe that Christians (born again believers) who are alive and on the earth at the time of the tribulation will go through the "Great Tribulation". The reason I'm doing this is because, if you are here and you don't believe in your heart that you're supposed to go through it, you may feel condemned, confused or even guilty for being alive during the worst time in earth's history.
It's better to be prepared and not need the preparation than to need it and not have it. Remember also, "God's grace is sufficient."
Now, if you have your Bible open to the book of Revelation, you'll see that the first three chapters are letters to the churches. The fourth chapter is about God's throne. Chapter five is where Jesus opens "the book" that is sealed with seven seals.
Chapter six is "setting the scene" for the prophecies about the last seven years of man's existence on earth. Jesus (the Lamb) has opened five of the seals and released five horsemen.
Revelations 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the alter the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
These people were already dead and the seals are being opened. That's the time frame.
In Revelations 6:10 and 11 it says:
"And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord,
holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on
the earth?
11. And white robes were given unto every one of them; and
it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until
their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they
were, should be fulfilled.
"dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" signifies that they believe the righteous God is going to avenge their enemies. In fact, that's exactly what the wrath of God is going to do! And when is God going to avenge them?
after "their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."
Their fellowservants being killed before the Wrath of God means they are killed during the Tribulation. (There are 7 final years which is during the reign of the world dictator or the Antichrist, 31/2 of which will be called the Tribulation. More on this later.)
Their fellowservants being killed before the Wrath of God means they are killed during the Tribulation. (There are 7 final years which is during the reign of the world dictator or the Antichrist, 31/2 of which will be called the Tribulation. More on this later.)
When Jesus opens the SIXTH SEAL, the WRATH OF GOD begins. Remember that: In Revelation 6, the 6th seal begins the wrath of God. We believers will not be here for that. That is for the unbelievers! So, verses 12 -17 describe the wrath of God. Not a pretty sight. (This is covered in more detail later in Revelations.)
We will not be in the wrath of God.
I Thessalonians 5:9
For God hath not appointed us to wrath,
but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10. Who died for us, that,
whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
(Some people are confused about the difference between the Tribulation and the Wrath of God and I think you really should get it sorted out because there's a difference. The Tribulation is when the Antichrist and his ilk persecute people who don't receive the "Mark of the Beast". The Wrath of God is when God takes vengeance on the wicked as the Bible has prophesied from the beginning.)
Revelation 7
3. Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees,
till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
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.
We Christians are spiritual children of Israel. The dispute
down through history has always been, “Who are the hundred and forty-four
thousand?” Most people believe they are actual physical Jews of the children of
Israel. It’s possible. Any of us alive on the earth today could have any of the
twelve sons of Israel as our forefather because the Jews have been dispersed
throughout the world for generations, mixing their blood with other
nationalities of people.
On the other hand, Jesus was of the tribe of Judah (assuming
that Mary was of the same tribe of Israel as her husband, Joseph). So, if our
actual physical blood has no trace of Israel in it, our spiritual blood does.
Here's another verse that, to me, indicates we will go through the Tribulation:
13. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are
these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they?
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.
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.
16. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more;
neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
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 form their eyes.
Imagine that! "He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them!" What an honour! What a reward! Wouldn't you be willing to do just about anything to win that kind of a reward of having Jesus dwell with you?
Here's another verse:
Rev. 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave
out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city
shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
It says that the "Gentiles" or non-believers will tread the "holy city" or believers under foot 42 months. How many years is that? Three and a half years. That's the length of time that the Tribulation will last for.
Please don't worry that I've taken verses "out of context" because you can easily have your Bible on your lap as I point out these verses. Each verse stands on its own for the purpose I'm using it and that is to encourage you that, if you DO happen to find yourself in the middle of the Tribulation, you are not out of God's will! In fact, you will be among those blessed people that Jesus "dwells among"! And, whatever your calling or destiny is, God will give you so much of his grace that it will be a joy to you to suffer for his sake!
to be continued . . .
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Post Trib Rap or Pre Trib Rap?
From a dear Christian friend of mine, I heard that many, many Christians believe in the "Pre-tribulation Rapture". My reaction to that was,
"The majority is always wrong."
Now, this is something that needs to be addressed because WHAT IF THERE IS NO PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE AND CHRISTIANS DO GO THROUGH THE TRIBULATION?
ARE YOU PREPARED?
The Bible indicates several times that there will be Christians alive during the tribulation. Who else would the Antichrist be tribulating?He's going to go after those people who refuse to accept the mark of the Beast in their hands or foreheads. He's going to be persecuting Christians because we are the ones who will refuse the New World Order economic chip!
Thanks to a series of books entitled, "The Left Behind Series", many dumb sheep have been convinced that all the Christians who are alive on the planet at the time will be suddenly raptured before the Tribulation begins.
We can always hope that that's true. I can't believe that's true. Not according to the Bible, I can't. And, really, I see the Tribulation as a platform for God to do his biggest miracles of all time! I believe it will be a time for the real believers to step up and show the world what they're made of!
Do you really believe in God? Do you really believe He takes care of you and provides for you?
Moreover, do you really believe what Jesus said about persecution in Matthew 5?
Matthew 5
10.Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
The Tribulation will be a time of birth pangs of the "Bride of Christ" who is getting ready to deliver, or, in this case, getting ready to be delivered! And then, Jesus will come to rescue her!
This is all exciting stuff. It's really nothing to be worried about at all! Well, not for true Christian believers, anyway. If you are a truly born-again Christian who believes that Jesus Christ died for you, you are "home free", no worries! Even if you are thrown into prison and tortured, you will come out shining like gold as long as you hold onto Jesus. In fact, you will come to know your Lord and Saviour in a way like never before! You will fall in love with the God of the Universe. You will know how real He is and you will ultimately understand that, as a Christian, you are in the center of God's hand.
Haven't you already been through trials and tests? Haven't you already suffered or at least become uncomfortable for you faith? Weren't there times when you didn't know for sure if you were going to make it? But you did! Right?
So, don't worry about the future. God is in control. Whether you believe that or not is irrelevant. He is. He knows what He's doing. If you are chosen to live through the last 3 1/2 years of this world's history, God will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear.
Get your Bible out and start memorizing verses. Get the Word of God deep down into your heart. Prepare yourself to fall on God. But, not only to fall on God, but to help lift up others who are weaker than you. Helping someone else to find the Lord will strengthen your own faith.
"The majority is always wrong."
Now, this is something that needs to be addressed because WHAT IF THERE IS NO PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE AND CHRISTIANS DO GO THROUGH THE TRIBULATION?
ARE YOU PREPARED?
The Bible indicates several times that there will be Christians alive during the tribulation. Who else would the Antichrist be tribulating?He's going to go after those people who refuse to accept the mark of the Beast in their hands or foreheads. He's going to be persecuting Christians because we are the ones who will refuse the New World Order economic chip!
Thanks to a series of books entitled, "The Left Behind Series", many dumb sheep have been convinced that all the Christians who are alive on the planet at the time will be suddenly raptured before the Tribulation begins.
We can always hope that that's true. I can't believe that's true. Not according to the Bible, I can't. And, really, I see the Tribulation as a platform for God to do his biggest miracles of all time! I believe it will be a time for the real believers to step up and show the world what they're made of!
Do you really believe in God? Do you really believe He takes care of you and provides for you?
Moreover, do you really believe what Jesus said about persecution in Matthew 5?
Matthew 5
10.Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
The Tribulation will be a time of birth pangs of the "Bride of Christ" who is getting ready to deliver, or, in this case, getting ready to be delivered! And then, Jesus will come to rescue her!
This is all exciting stuff. It's really nothing to be worried about at all! Well, not for true Christian believers, anyway. If you are a truly born-again Christian who believes that Jesus Christ died for you, you are "home free", no worries! Even if you are thrown into prison and tortured, you will come out shining like gold as long as you hold onto Jesus. In fact, you will come to know your Lord and Saviour in a way like never before! You will fall in love with the God of the Universe. You will know how real He is and you will ultimately understand that, as a Christian, you are in the center of God's hand.
Haven't you already been through trials and tests? Haven't you already suffered or at least become uncomfortable for you faith? Weren't there times when you didn't know for sure if you were going to make it? But you did! Right?
So, don't worry about the future. God is in control. Whether you believe that or not is irrelevant. He is. He knows what He's doing. If you are chosen to live through the last 3 1/2 years of this world's history, God will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear.
Get your Bible out and start memorizing verses. Get the Word of God deep down into your heart. Prepare yourself to fall on God. But, not only to fall on God, but to help lift up others who are weaker than you. Helping someone else to find the Lord will strengthen your own faith.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Powerful Messages
I was just reading a quote that said, "Mahatma Gandhi was a man that left many powerful messages for humanity."
Now, not to take anything from Gandhi, but I ask myself, "What is a powerful message?"
To me, the most powerful message that a person can leave with humanity is this:
Now, not to take anything from Gandhi, but I ask myself, "What is a powerful message?"
To me, the most powerful message that a person can leave with humanity is this:
"Jesus Christ is the Messiah!"
It may not be an "original" thought. (Is there any such thing as an original thought?) But, this is the one message that God wants passed down to all the generations that ever existed on this planet. This is the ultimate message and the most powerful message to humanity!
If you could ask the martyrs who willingly (and oftentimes joyfully) laid down their lives for this Truth, they would agree with me.
No matter what powerful messages men of renown have left, unless those men or women emulated Christ, their messages lacked the true power. Unless their message directed us to Jesus, they were missing the mark.
We need to be very careful about man worshiping. This is a pitfall seen throughout history to ultimately bring about the worship of false gods.
Buddha is one example of a man who apparently gave many "powerful messages" to humanity. People got their eyes on the man and his words and it became man worship to the point that now, millions of people around the world bow down to images of this human being. To add to the folly, it presented an inroad for many evil demons to jump on the band wagon of receiving adoration and sacrifices from deceived and deluded worshipers. It all started with a man. But, men were never meant to be worshiped as God.
When Caesar spoke so eloquently that the audience cried out, "It is the voice of a god!" guess what happened to him? He fell down dead and was eaten with worms! God did not like it. And, you can understand why.
False gods send people to hell. Besides which, they sure do waste a lot of their followers time and consume their devoted sacrifices. What a waste! To spend your time chasing a lie!
So, that's why we have to be careful not to get our eyes on men/women. If someone does do something "wonderful", give God the glory for working through that person! Give God all the glory all the time because, really, He's the Only One Who deserves it all!
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Signs of the End
Matthew 24, continued . . .
37. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
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.
It doesn't sound that terrible. People were eating and drinking and getting married. What's wrong with that? Well, in my opinion, I believe gluttony and alcoholism are wrong. And, in my mind, when they say "marrying and giving in marriage", I'm thinking it's talking about elicit sex, a marriage of two (or more) bodies, not a respectful marriage. (Although, I could be wrong.) They're putting it politely but these must have been naughty things people were up to in those days. -- Just like today!
39. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45.Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46. Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49. And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50. The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51. And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
37. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
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.
It doesn't sound that terrible. People were eating and drinking and getting married. What's wrong with that? Well, in my opinion, I believe gluttony and alcoholism are wrong. And, in my mind, when they say "marrying and giving in marriage", I'm thinking it's talking about elicit sex, a marriage of two (or more) bodies, not a respectful marriage. (Although, I could be wrong.) They're putting it politely but these must have been naughty things people were up to in those days. -- Just like today!
39. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45.Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46. Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49. And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50. The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51. And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
What ARE the Signs of the End?
Given that so many uncanny and amazing events are taking place these days, especially in the last few months, I thought we should skip over to Matthew 24 to find out exactly what Jesus listed as the signs that the end of the world is near. (I don't say "end of the age" because I believe the world as we know it will be drastically changed.)
Matthew 24
1. And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Note: Solomon's temple was indeed destroyed by the Romans who burned it in 70AD and the bricks were taken apart one by one to recover the gold that had melted down in between them. Although the Jews claim that this was a false prophecy because part of the temple wall remained, the wall they are referring to, which is known as the "Wailing Wall", is a retaining wall and was never part of the temple.
3. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7. For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places.
Note: This is what we are seeing now: famines, pestilences and earthquakes! War is nothing really new, is it? But, all these things are escalating, especially recently.
8. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
What an honour, to be hated for Jesus!
10. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
We have certainly seen that!
13. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Has every nation heard the Gospel? Is there any place left on the planet that has not heard it?
15. When ye therefore shall see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Ok, here's some important stuff because it's in capital letters and it says, "Whoso reads, understand!) So, what the heck is He talking about here? Well, it's something that "stands" in the Holy Place. Jerusalem was the "Holy Place" in those days.
16. Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17. Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house:
18. Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
It looks pretty seriously like you are going to have to SCRAM and very quickly, when you see the "Abomination of Desolation" standing in the holy place. Now, some people suggest that this is a large computer base and some people think it could be a statue type thing in the same image as the Antichrist. Really, if you are a true believer, I believe God will show you exactly what it is when the time comes!
19. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20. But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
21. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
That is a good verse to claim! I remember being on a flight across the ocean, thinking that this was going to be a long, drawn-out flight which was going to cause a lot of discomfort. I was gritting my teeth and trying to grin and bear it at the same time. Then, I nodded off for what seemed like a second and when I woke up, six hours had passed! I was amazed! ... The strange thing is that, when I mentioned this to another passenger afterwards, she said she had had the exact same experience!
By that, I'm saying, God is more than able to make the time pass quickly!
23. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Ever seen someone like that? Ever experienced some prophet or false Christ who was really convincing?
25. Behold, I have told you before.
26. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
This is a good verse for the Bahais who think that Baha'ullah was Christ reincarnated. Sorry. Nope.
27. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
I don't think you're going to miss it! (If you're still alive, that is.)
28. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
When? Immediately before? No! Immediately AFTER the tribulation!
30. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
YES! Hallelujah!
31. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
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:
33. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
We don't know the day or hour, but in a previous verse, he says "This generation" shall not pass until these things be fulfilled. We are now IN the generation of many of these things that are coming to pass. NOW is the TIME.
Matthew 24
1. And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Note: Solomon's temple was indeed destroyed by the Romans who burned it in 70AD and the bricks were taken apart one by one to recover the gold that had melted down in between them. Although the Jews claim that this was a false prophecy because part of the temple wall remained, the wall they are referring to, which is known as the "Wailing Wall", is a retaining wall and was never part of the temple.
3. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7. For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places.
Note: This is what we are seeing now: famines, pestilences and earthquakes! War is nothing really new, is it? But, all these things are escalating, especially recently.
8. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
What an honour, to be hated for Jesus!
10. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
We have certainly seen that!
13. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Has every nation heard the Gospel? Is there any place left on the planet that has not heard it?
15. When ye therefore shall see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Ok, here's some important stuff because it's in capital letters and it says, "Whoso reads, understand!) So, what the heck is He talking about here? Well, it's something that "stands" in the Holy Place. Jerusalem was the "Holy Place" in those days.
16. Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17. Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house:
18. Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
It looks pretty seriously like you are going to have to SCRAM and very quickly, when you see the "Abomination of Desolation" standing in the holy place. Now, some people suggest that this is a large computer base and some people think it could be a statue type thing in the same image as the Antichrist. Really, if you are a true believer, I believe God will show you exactly what it is when the time comes!
19. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20. But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
21. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
That is a good verse to claim! I remember being on a flight across the ocean, thinking that this was going to be a long, drawn-out flight which was going to cause a lot of discomfort. I was gritting my teeth and trying to grin and bear it at the same time. Then, I nodded off for what seemed like a second and when I woke up, six hours had passed! I was amazed! ... The strange thing is that, when I mentioned this to another passenger afterwards, she said she had had the exact same experience!
By that, I'm saying, God is more than able to make the time pass quickly!
23. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Ever seen someone like that? Ever experienced some prophet or false Christ who was really convincing?
25. Behold, I have told you before.
26. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
This is a good verse for the Bahais who think that Baha'ullah was Christ reincarnated. Sorry. Nope.
27. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
I don't think you're going to miss it! (If you're still alive, that is.)
28. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
When? Immediately before? No! Immediately AFTER the tribulation!
30. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
YES! Hallelujah!
31. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
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:
33. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
We don't know the day or hour, but in a previous verse, he says "This generation" shall not pass until these things be fulfilled. We are now IN the generation of many of these things that are coming to pass. NOW is the TIME.
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