|
|
|
|
The horrible end
times desolation, soon to come upon the earth, is real--and is on our doorstep.
Jesus prophesied this would happen shortly before His return in
about 2007 AD. About ninety percent
of mankind will die. These will be
the end times for most men. The only
subject of greater importance for men today is how
to escape the desolation.
Go to Day of the Lord
The term Apocalypse
refers to the end of mortal man after the Millennium.
Armageddon refers to the place
where the army that lays siege on Jerusalem, before Jesus return; and is
destroyed. Some use the term End
Times to identify this generation. The
terms Apocalypse and Armageddon will be used synonymously to address the
approaching desolation of the last days. Many people around the world are beginning to appreciate Apocalyptic events are real; and are in the near future. Most people remain oblivious to the horror and reality of these events; and why they are coming on the world. There has been a lot of information published on the subject, little of which is of any real value. Many writings have no real foundation in the Bible. I publish this warning in hope that some might understand and escape. "When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely
die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from
his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity;
but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness,
nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered
thy soul." (Ezek. 3:18, 19) If I am bold in this adventure, please understand my
love for all people of the world; and understand how my heart grieves for those
who will never understand, suffer, and die.
Appreciate the sadness in my heart for those who bring upon themselves
the horrible events that are on our doorstep; and understand my desperation in
trying to help those who have been deceived by the craftiness of men.
Those who continue to sleep will die.
My appeal is to those who are beginning to appreciate the coming
desolation; and are earnestly seeking answers.
This adventure into Apocalyptic events should offer an understanding of
the reality of these destruction's; and their almost unbelievable severity and
worldwide coverage. There are three distinct series of events during the
last generation. Jesus referred to
the first events as the days of sorrow.
"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. For nation shall rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and
pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of
sorrows." (Matt. 24:6-8) For
the most part, these are man-made events. This
is an accurate description of this generation.
The earth is beginning to display the distress caused by man's pollution.
These are the first warnings. Peace
will gradually be taken from the face of the whole earth.
War and terror will be the common discussion of the day. The second type of Apocalyptic events are to
begin near the end of this generation. The
destruction begins with asteroid/comet impacts ("a mountain on fire"
"great star on fire"), followed by hail and fire mingled with blood,
fresh and salt water being contaminated, all green grass being burned, famine,
locusts and pestilence, grievous sores, scorching heat, and a desolating
decease. It will be so horrible that
men "in those days shall men seek death, and shall
not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them." (Rev.
9:6) The third type of Apocalyptic event begins with
the return of Jesus. An army of the
world is to be gathered against The Days of Sorrow are not Apocalyptic events;
even though many will die. Someone
dies about every second as a product of war, water pollution, famine, and
related deceases. Apocalyptic
events of this generation are divided into two datelines:
(1) the days of tribulation before Jesus returns, (2) and the
judgments during the day of the Lord.
Both times include days of tribulation; and have also been spoken
of as the day of the Lord. The day
of the Lord will be addressed separately; as it most specifically refers to the
return of Jesus. Jesus taught the last generation of man, which
would see all things fulfilled, was to begin when Jerusalem was no longer
trodden down of Gentiles (Luke 21:24, 32). That
prophecy was fulfilled in 1967, after the six day war.
We now live in the last years of that forty year generation.
The importance and horrendous nature of Apocalyptic events made them one
of the most common and important subjects in Biblical prophecy.
The Prophets did not leave us in ignorance. Before the terrible tribulations fall upon the earth,
God is to gather a remnant of His saints to Zion and Jerusalem.
"Saying, Hurt not the earth,
neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants [saints] of our
God in their foreheads." (7:3) "And
I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people,
that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her
plagues." (Rev. 18:4) "Let
both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to
the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to
burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn." (Matt. 13:30)
"And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he
that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is
written among the living in Jerusalem." (Isa. 4:3)
The only way a person can be "sealed" is by worshipping the God
of Israel; and by obeying the gospel of Christ administered by one holding the
Melchisedec Priesthood. The days of tribulation provide the last
warning for mankind. "For
then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the
world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." (Matt. 24:21)
Yet, men will blame this desolation on natural events, refuse to repent,
and curse God for their pains. The
day of the Lord will come as a final judgment from the Almighty, will be swift
and without warning, and will cover the earth like a flood.
Prophecy indicates only a third of Israel will survive; and most likely
less than ten percent of the Gentiles. John describes Apocalyptic events in Revelations,
beginning with the end of the sixth seal (six thousand years) and beginning of
the seventh. "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; 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... For the great
day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Rev. 6:12,
13, 17) At the opening of the seventh seal, seven
angels are to be given power over the seven last plagues.
"And I saw another sign in
heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in
them is filled up the wrath of God." (Rev. 15:1)
The sounding of each angel from the first to the seventh brings
unimaginable misery upon mankind. "And in those days shall men
seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee
from them." (Rev. 9:6) As the days of
tribulation progress, they should provide a last warning to the
world; but, man (as in the days of Noah) will blaspheme “the God of heaven because of
their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.” (Rev. 16:11) The seventh angel announces the return of
Jesus. The last opportunity turns to
reprobation. The final judgment will
fall upon the nations with a rod of iron (law of God) and the scepter of Jesus,
will "destroy
them which destroy the earth." (Rev. 11:19)
"And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was
a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an
earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and
the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before
God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And
every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon
men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and
men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was
exceeding great." (Rev. 16:18-21) The day of the Lord is the return of Jesus.
His second coming will neither be in Rome, London, New York, nor any of
the nations of the world. He will
return to His people at Jerusalem. When
the dead of Israel are resurrected, and Jesus stands on mount Olives, they will
praise their Savior. The day of the
Lord will come as destruction, especially on the Gentiles.
Not one nation that has held Israel captive has survived.
The Lord will return to fight for His people, gather them, and stand with
them for a thousand years in Jerusalem. When Jesus returns, all of the saints of God, that are
in their graves, will be resurrected. "Blessed
and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second
death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall
reign with him a thousand years." (Rev. 20:6)
Only those who obey the law of God will be left alive. Some preachers teach of a Rapture seven years
before the return of Jesus. The only
Rapture will be on the day of the Lord, for those who are still alive and have
the seal of God (know God and obey the gospel).
The saints of God who, "are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thess. 4:17)
The two witnesses (most likely Enoch and Elijah) will
be killed in the streets of Jerusalem; and their dead bodies will lie in the
streets three and half days before Jesus returns (Rev. 11:9).
They will be resurrected at the return of Jesus.
Mount Olives will be divided and a great valley created.
Israel will flee into the valley and meet Jesus, when he returns.
They will recognize their Savior; and He will destroy the army of the
world. Then, the army of the Lord (200 million immortals)
will come against the remaining wicked of the world, “And
the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the
earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the
winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress,
even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred
furlongs." (Rev. 14:19,
20) The house of Israel will rise, and smite those who
scattered and brought injury to her. "Fear
not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD,
and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Behold,
I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt
thresh the mountains [kingdoms], and beat them small, and shalt make the hills
as chaff." (Isa. 41:14, 15) It
is a day when most Gentiles die, "and they shall be as though they had not
been." (Obad. 1:16) "For the day is near, even
the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen
[Gentile]." (Ezek. 30:3) Those who are resurrected, and those who survive, will
live and reign with Jesus for a thousand years.
This is the Sabbath of Creation, a time of peace and rest for all
creation. "They
shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD." (Isa.
65:25) After the thousand year Sabbath of Creation, Satan is
released again for a short season, and then all mortal man is destroyed.
The rest of man is resurrected, there is a new heaven and a new earth,
and man enters his eternal state. This is not a time to stand boldly by the opinions
taught by others. "Study
to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Tim. 2:15)
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to
this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isa. 8:20)
"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." (Matt. 24:24)
Their followers will die. We must use every spark of intelligence; maintain
individual thought, and be the master of our own destiny.
Since the Bible teaches most Gentile Christians will die, we must
carefully scrutinize every doctrine of Christianity.
All is not well! There are
many deceivers among us. Our choice
is between either learning from God’s holy prophets and following the only
narrow path to survival, or suffering and dying a most gruesome death; and then
suffering spiritual punishment for a thousand years.
The world will be bathed in fire and blood; as it was with water. Man is easily deceived by commonly accepted beliefs.
Fish swarm together for protection and a feeling of security.
It is in vain when attacked by large prey.
People are the same. They
like to conform; and be, like the fish, part of a large group.
Surely, that earlier generation must have wondered how one man, Noah,
could be correct. "But
as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
(Matt. 24:37) People like what is easy-- what others believe.
They do not like extensive problem solving.
They say how can so many be wrong? Jesus
asked, "Nevertheless
when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luke
18:8) I ask, why are so many
to die? "For
the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen [Gentiles]: as thou hast done,
it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. For as
ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually,
yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as
though they had not been." (Obad. 1:15, 16)
Most people are followers and not independent thinkers.
Soon billions will die because they followed the great deceivers of this
age. Consider one example: the rapture. Some
teach of a rapture, in which all who accept Jesus as their Savior will be caught
up into heaven seven years before the day of the Lord.
It is contrary to Biblical teachings.
First, their timing is wrong.
They speak of Jesus returning in 2000 AD.
OOPS, wrong! The year 2000 AD
was actually 1996. A bishop, in the
sixth century, shifted the calendar by four years.
They should have all been gone by 1989.
Even if the dateline is 2007, they should already be gone. Why are they
still on the earth? Second, the rapture is for those alive when
Jesus returns. "For
the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them
in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the
Lord." (1 Thess. 4:16, 17) "And
it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that
remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written
among the living in Jerusalem." (Isa. 4:3)
Jesus returns to the Jews on mount Olives, not to the Gentiles. Third, it is not a simple belief that will save
men; but, complete obedience to the law of God.
"Thou believest that there
is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou
know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" (James 2:19, 20)
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to
observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you
alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
(Matt. 28:19, 20) An understanding of the reality, severity, and
worldwide coverage of these events is more frightful than any horror movie ever
imagined. Nothing that man has ever
imagined can compare with these events. "For
then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the
world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." (Matt. 24:21) Such desolation does not appear real.
Who can believe such horror? People
today share the sentiments of an earlier generation.
Those living in the days of Noah did not believe the prophecies of an
impending Great Flood. "But as the days of Noe
were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 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, And knew not until the
flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of
man be." (Matt. 24:37-39) Surely,
they must have cried why; and, without repentance, died!
The desolation of the last days is compared to the Great Flood.
The first died of water. Soon,
death will come by fire, famine, pestilence, decease, and other horrible events.
Surely, they too will cry why, and, without repentance, they too, will
die! "And
blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and
repented not of their deeds." (16:11) The validity of Biblical prophecy becomes an
absolute certainty for the earnest inquirer.
Every Biblical prophecy has been literally and perfectly
fulfilled. The prophecies concerning
the Apocalypse are simply history in the future tense.
The Bible provides the basis for belief in God, Jesus Christ, God’s
will toward man, man’s duty toward God and his fellow man, and the plan of
salvation for man in eternity. Do
you believe God is real? Do you
believe Jesus Christ is real? Do you
believe that God gave the gospel for the salvation of man?
Are we bound by the law of God? If
so, Biblical prophecy of Apocalyptic events should shake us to the very bottom
of our souls. "And it come to pass, when
he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying,
I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add
drunkenness to thirst: The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the
LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are
written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name
from under heaven." (Deut. 29:19, 20) The Bible is not the only witness among men of these
impending events. People all over
the world are having dreams of Apocalyptic events.
They are beginning to appreciate there is an impending desolation coming
on the earth. Some Jewish teachers,
modern seers, and Native American prophecies agree on the general date and
nature of this desolation. They are
similar to those found in the Bible. The human mind has difficulty understanding traumatic
events. It is difficult to
really believe such horror is real. What
soldier, even with the battle in sight, really believes that he may be the one
to die? The severity of the coming
desolation is so horrendous that men prefer not to consider the possibility that
it is real. Asteroid (comets) are to
strike on land and water; and kill a large part of living creatures.
Even when these terrors come upon the world, man will still curse God--
and die! A desolating scourge, similar to Ebola, is to cover
the earth shortly before Jesus returns. "From
the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it
pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand
the report." (Isa. 28:19) Horrible,
but real. "And
except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for
the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." (Matt. 24:20) Many do not appreciate the reality of Apocalyptic
events; because they are perceived in the distant future. The Bible tells
us we are living in the last generation of man; when these events are to become
reality. Jesus gave the key to when
the horrible days of tribulation, and the terrible day of the Lord, will occur.
“ Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD by the Roman Army
(exactly forty years after Jesus was crucified).
From that time forward, Jerusalem was trodden down of the Gentiles.
In 1948, Israel took control of half of Jerusalem.
They took complete control of Jerusalem after the six day war in 1967.
This signaled the end of the times of the Gentiles; and began the final
generation of man. All of the
prophecies of the Bible regarding the Apocalypse, the return of Jesus,
resurrection of the righteous, and beginning of the Sabbath of Creation
(Millennium) are to occur in this generation.
Such Biblical generations last forty years; even as it was in the days of
Moses, and for the Jews in 70 AD. All
of the Apocalyptic events could come upon the world by 2007! Before Jesus returns, there will be wars, severe
lightning and thundering, hail and fire mingled with blood, a plague of hail,
all green grass burned, famine, a mountain on fire cast into the sea, a great
star on fire, locusts and pestilence, grievous sores, every living soul dies in
the sea, fresh water turned bitter and deadly, scorching heat, a desolating
plague, the most severe earthquake and hail storm to come upon the earth, and
finally the (immortal) army of Lord brings the sword against the nations of the
world. "And
the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress,
even unto the horse bridles." (Rev. 14:20)
This generation is faced with asteroid (comet) impacts, horrible
earthquakes and tidal waves, fire, famine, pestilence, and death. The Apocalypse is as real as the God of Israel.
These events are in the near future.
They will fall upon this generation; and be the most terrible events to
come on the earth. "Therefore
hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate:
therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left."
(Isa. 24:6) God does not act
without just cause. When men turn
from God and ripen in inequity, they are destroyed.
Is not the condition of man today even as it was in the days of Noah?
Every nation that has held Israel captive has been destroyed.
Ignorance is not bliss. Survival
depends on our understanding of these events, why they are to fall upon us, and
how we can be counted among the very few that escape.
Intelligence and knowledge separates life from death.
Survival will require an open mind; and a desperate, sincere search for
spiritual truth. We must use our
intelligence to appreciate their reality; while at the same time remaining
dedicated to finding a true resolution. Biblical prophets spent considerable effort providing
us with the conditions of man, and the world, shortly before the return of
Jesus. "But as the days of Noe
were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 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, And knew not until the
flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man
be.” (Matt. 24:37-39) "This know also, that in the last days perilous
times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous,
boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce,
despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of
pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the
power thereof: from such turn away." (2 Tim. 3:1-5) "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the
last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 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. 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: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in
store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly
men." (2 Pet. 3:3-7) Do these same conditions not exist today?
The last hundred years has seen a dramatic increase in the number of
wars; with two world wars. Terror
and war are spreading like a flood across the globe.
The last twenty years has seen a dramatic increase in the number of
earthquakes. Global warming is
causing devastating weather around the world.
War is no longer between military men; but, includes indiscriminate
killing of civilians, women, and children. The
use of nuclear bombs was killing taken to the absurd.
Children are killing other children just to find out what it is like.
Millions of mothers kill their unborn children.
Mothers even kill their newborn children; because they lack natural
affection. Now, all people must
appreciate the real personal threat of worldwide terrorism.
These are truly days of sorrow. Biological warfare is the most vicious and
indiscriminate of killers. There is
to be such a plague; which will nearly annihilate mankind, "and
it shall be a vexation only to understand the report." (Isa. 28:19)
It appears to be an Ebola type scourge.
"And this shall be the
plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against The most significant change to come upon man is his spiritual
condition. “For,
behold, the [spiritual] darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the
people.” (Isa. 60:2) “9 Stay
yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with
wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. 10 For the LORD hath poured out
upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the
prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered...13 Wherefore the Lord
said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their
lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear
toward me is taught by the precept of men.” (Isa. 29) “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants
thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance,
broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the
earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of
the earth are burned, and few men left.” (Isa. 24:1-6) “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; And they shall turn away their ears from the
truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Tim. 4:3, 4) “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I
will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for
water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from
sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to
seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.” (Amos 8:11, 12) "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? 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. And he opened his
mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and
them that dwell in heaven. 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. 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.” (Rev. 13:4-8) The Bible does not teach of Gentile Christianity
standing as the people of God in the last days.
Instead, “Gross [spiritual] darkness” covers the earth.
The church who sits upon seven hills was given power to “make war with
the saints, and to overcome them.” Gentiles
and Jews “have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the
everlasting covenant.” The
Gentiles do “not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they
heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.”
“O
LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles
shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our
fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.” (Jer.
16:19) Two fundamental reasons for the coming tribulations
are the failure of man to worship the God of Israel, and to obey the gospel of
Christ. Jesus will soon return, “In
flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey
not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thess. 1:8)
When have you heard a Christian call on the God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob? “And
God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel,
The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my
memorial unto all generations.” (Ex. 3:15)
"Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be
known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD."
(Ezek. 38:23) The gospel of Christ included baptism by water and the
Spirit. "Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of
the Spirit, he cannot enter into the This and the other laws of God were given to a
thousand generations. “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God,
the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and
keep his commandments to a thousand generations; And repayeth them that
hate him [do not obey His laws] to their face, to destroy them: he will not be
slack to him that hateth him [loves less], he will repay him to his face.”
(Deut. 7:9, 10) Christian evangelists would have us believe that
heaven is filling with those who have only to believe Jesus is their Savior.
"...the devils also believe,
and tremble." (James 2:19) The
Bible tells only a few will enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus said, "Enter ye in at the strait
gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow
is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware
of false prophets [preachers], which come to you in sheep's clothing [as
ministers of God], but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” (Matt. 7:13-15) Jesus asked, “Nevertheless when the Son of
man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)
The prophet Isaiah wrote, “And
the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden
of cucumbers, as a besieged city. Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very
small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like
unto Gomorrah.” (Isa. 1:8, 9) We are living in the days of sorrow; and are fast
approaching the days of tribulation. The
days of sorrow are primarily man-made. Even
the increase in the number of earthquakes and changes in climate may be caused
by man's destroying his environment. Evil
men are causing peace to be taken from the earth.
War and terror are becoming worldwide scourges.
In time, no one will be safe; anywhere in the world.
Fear will soon be in the hearts of everyone. These two witnesses may provide the transition from
the “days of sorrow” to the “days of tribulation."
These prophets will most likely keep the army of the world, that comes on
“And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and
they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in
sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing
before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out
of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he
must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not
in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood,
and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they
shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the
bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill
them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which
spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And
they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead
bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put
in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make
merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented
them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of
life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear
fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying
unto them, Come up hither. And they
ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. And the same
hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in
the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were
affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past; and,
behold, the third woe cometh quickly.” (Rev. 11:3-14) The days of tribulation bring judgments of God similar
to those that came on the antediluvians, Egypt, Sodom, and Gomorra.
Here is destruction from the Almighty.
Billions will die. Tribulations
will first appear as natural events: asteroid
(comet) impacts, earthquakes, severe weather, fire, famine, decease, and
pestilence. They are to begin near the end of this generation of
1967 - 2007. A sign of this time was
given by comet Hale-Bopp in 1997. On
its previous trip it was the birth star of Abraham.
Its three tails reflected the three divisions of the House of Israel
(Israel, Judah, and Joseph). Was it
coincidence that this important dateline event occurred exactly thirty years
after the end of the times of the Gentiles?
What did it tell us? Accounts of Apocalyptic events are found both in Old
and New Testament prophecies. The
Apostle John left some of the most common descriptions of apocalyptic events
used by Christian teachers. Old
Testament prophecies emphasize the promises to Israel; and the destruction of
the Gentiles. The words heathen and
Gentile are synonymous. When reading
Biblical prophecies, we must be aware they are not always in proper time
sequence. Different events may be
addressed in the same prophecy; and even in the same verse.
Some of these time shifts may be the result of translation. Others, are
the result of the nature of prophecy. Major
prophets of God are able to see across time from beginning to end.
They often look across time like viewing rolling hills at different
distances. The opening of the seventh seal (thousand
years), by our calendar, should have occurred about January 1, 1997.
Our calendar is in error by at least four years.
Jesus was most likely born in 4 BC. The
dateline given by Jesus for His return (Luke 21) is about 2007 AD.
“But
of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in
heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” (Mark 13:32) After John saw the opening of the seventh seal, he saw
“seven
angels” (Rev. 8:2) that were to bring the apocalyptic desolation
upon the earth. In chapter fifteen
he identified them as the “seven angels having the seven last plagues.”
(15:1) The plagues of
chapters 8 and 16 are the same. Therefore,
they will be combined. John first tells of another angel who “...took
the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth:
and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.”
(8:5) Then the seven angels
prepared to sound. When the first angel sounded his trumpet, “there
followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the
earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt
up.” (8:7) “An the first
went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and
grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which
worshipped his image.” (16:2) When “the second angel
sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the
sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the
creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the
ships were destroyed.” (8:8, 9) “And
the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as
the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea." (16:4) When “the third angel
sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a
lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of
waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the
waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made
bitter.” (8:10, 11) “And the third
angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters;
and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art
righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged
thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given
them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar
say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.”
(16:4-7) “...the fourth angel sounded, and the third
part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third
part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone
not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven,
saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by
reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to
sound!” (8:12, 13) “And the fourth
angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him
to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed
the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to
give him glory." (16:8, 9) When “the fifth angel
sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given
the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose
a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air
were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the
smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the
scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should
not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but
only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it
was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five
months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he
striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it;
and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. And the shapes of the
locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as
it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had
hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they
had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings
was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had
tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power
was to hurt men five months. And they had a king over them, which is the angel
of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the
Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. One
woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter." (9:1-12) “And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon
the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed
their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains
and their sores, and repented not of their deeds." (16:10, 11) When “the sixth angel
sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is
before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four
angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were
loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for
to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were
two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw
the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of
fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the
heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By
these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the
smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their
power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto
serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. And the rest of the men
which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their
hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and
brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their
fornication, nor of their thefts.” (9:13-21) The “sixth angel poured out
his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up,
that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the
dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false
prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth
unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the
battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief.
Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk
naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place
called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon." (16:12-16) The tribulations from the first angel through the
sixth angel represent the first phase of the days of tribulation.
It is easy to see how these events build one on another; and how they
form a series of final warnings. (1) The
first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and
they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all
green grass was burnt up. (2) And
the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was
cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood. (3) And
the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it
were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the
fountains of waters. (4) And
the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the
third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars. (5) And
the fifth angel sounded... And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the
earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have
power... their torment was as the
torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. (6) And the sixth angel sounded... And there was fire,
smoke, and brimstone; and a third part of men were killed. Consider a most likely scenario.
The first three angels record three asteroid (comet) impacts.
The result of such impacts would cause hail and fire to fall from the
sky. First, everything would be
burned. Second, the earth would
enter a type of nuclear winter. It
would become a dark and cloudy time. It
would snow in the middle of summer. Famine,
pestilence, and decease would cover the earth. Man will refuse the warning.
After the plagues of the fourth angel, man “blasphemed
the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to
give him glory." (16:9) After
the fifth angel, they "blasphemed the God heaven
because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of the deed [like
Pharaoh]." ( "And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD
will smite all the people that have fought against "The remnant shall return, even the remnant of
Jacob, unto the mighty God. For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the
sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall
overflow with righteousness [leave the righteous]. For the Lord GOD of hosts
shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land." (Isa.
10:21, 23) "And your covenant with death shall be
disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the
overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning
shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to
understand the report... 22 Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be
made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even
determined upon the whole earth." (Isa. 28:18, 19) Only a few are to survive the apocalyptic events.
Every nation that has held Israel captive has been utterly destroyed.
First, Egypt held Israel captive. Second,
Assyria captured Israel. Next was
Babylon; and then, Rome. Where are
those glorious kingdoms today? Possibly the best similitude can be drawn from the
destruction of the Jews by the Gentiles (Roman army).
Flavius Josephus gives us an account of those terrible times in books
five through seven (Complete Works of Josephus, Wars Of The Jews).
Concerning Jerusalem, alone, he wrote, "Now the number of those that were carried
captive during this whole war was collected to be ninety-seven thousand; as was
the number of those that perished during the whole siege, eleven hundred
thousand [1.1 million]." (p. 587)
Titus pursued the Jews to every corner of Rome and Egypt took them as slaves; where they were
later scattered among the whole world. Egypt
made her own bed. "And
they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and when
all her helpers shall be destroyed." (Ezek. 30:8)
Last, the world has held Israel captive.
Less than ten percent of the Jews survived the destruction of the
Gentiles. "Then
Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter
of persons." (Acts 10:34) Will
the Gentiles fare better? "...as
thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee." (Obad. 1:15) Only one-third of the house of Israel is to survive
the apocalypse (Zech. 13:8). Gentiles
are to suffer the same as they persecuted Israel.
Over ninety percent of the Jews were killed by the Roman army in 70 AD.
Is it not most likely that less than ten percent of the Gentiles will
survive? The books of the Apocrypha were not included in the
Bible by Saint Athanasius. Its
teachings may be no less authoritative. Consider
one account of the world during the days of apocalyptic events. "17 Wo is me! woe is me! who will deliver me in
those days? 18 The beginning of sorrows and great mournings; the begining of
famine and great death; the beginning of wars, and the powers shall stand in
fear; the beginning of evils! what shall I do when these evils shall come? 19
Behold, famine and plague, tribulation and anguish, are sent as scourges for
amendment. 20 But for all these
things they shall not turn from their wickedness, nor be alway mindlful of the
scourges. 21. Behold victuals shall be so good cheap upon earth, that they shall
think themselves to be in good case, and even then shall evils grow upon earth,
sword, famine, and great confusion. 22 For many of them that dwell upon earth
shall perish of famine; and the other, that escape the hunger, shall the sword
destroy. 23 And the dead shall be cast out as dung, and there shall be no man to
comfort them: for the earth shall be
wasted, and the cities shall be cast down. 24 There shall be no man left to till
the earth, and to sow it. 25 The trees shall give fruit, and who shall gather
them? 26 The grapes shall ripen, and who shall tread them? for all places shall
be desolate of men: 27 So that one man shall desire to see another, and to hear
his voice. 28 For of a city there shall be ten left, and two of the field, which
shall hide themselves in the thick groves, and in the clefts of the rocks... 73
Then shall they be known, who are my chosen; and they shall be tried as the gold
in the fire... 77 Woe be unto them that are bound with their sins, and covered
with their iniquities, like as a field is covered over with bushes, and the path
thereof covered with thorns, that no man may travel through! 78 It is left
undressed, and is cast into the fire to be consumed therewith." (2 Esdras
16) "And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog
shall come against the "Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy
spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations
against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses
rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into
captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought
in the day of battle. And his
feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before
Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof
toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and
half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the
south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley
of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from
before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my
God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall come to pass in
that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one
day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come
to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. And it shall be in that day,
that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former
sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it
be. And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall
there be one LORD, and his name one." (Zech. 14:1-9) "And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamon-gog. And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land. Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD. And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search. And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog. And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land. And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every |