Success and Failure Blog

Harold Camping’s failed May 21, 2011 end of the world prediction has presented the media with another golden opportunity to attack Christianity. But you’ve got to say this for the old guy – he’s stubborn. He now says that he made a miscalculation – just like he did in 1994 – and the world will positively end on October 21, 2011. He equates the end of the world with the Great Flood of Noah’s day, and claims that God has always given specific warnings of His judgments. There’s some truth in that. Noah is called a “preacher of righteousness” (II Peter 2:5) who undoubtedly warned those around himself that judgment was coming on the world. Jonah was sent to the great city of Nineveh to warn them that their city would be destroyed unless they repented, which they did, and the city was saved. On the other hand, we’ve already been warned about the coming judgment, when mankind will pay the price for its rebellion against God. We were also warned that only God the Father knows exactly when it will happen (Matthew 24:36), but Jesus gave us signs to look for like great storms, famines, wars and rumors of wars, etcetera. When the Great Tribulation gets here, if there’s anyone who can read the Bible and understand it, they’ll know in general terms when the end will come. But prior to that, we will never know, and speculation, as we’ve seen, only leads to error.

One of the reasons we haven’t been told the exact time of Christ’s coming is that some Christians wouldn’t straighten out their lives if they knew. They’d live just like the world until the last moment they could possibly do it, and then they’d try to get right with God. Unfortunately, that strategy would fail, because renewal is a function of the Holy Spirit, who brings people to the point of full faith and repentance again. He’s not going to grant that to someone who’s trying to use Him. But the Bible also talks about “The Apostasy” which is going to come. In fact, I believe it’s now here, and many, many people have already “fallen away” from the faith (see Hebrews 6). I have no doubt that many will fall away in the future, when they encounter persecution for their faith. My purpose is to turn as many all the way back to the Lord as I can before that time, so their faith will stand up to the testing.

But Harold Camping isn’t the only false teacher out there. Many teachers promise riches to their followers, but they’re the ones getting rich. They promise healing, but the healing they deliver can’t be verified in any real way. Jesus healed people who had well-known physical deformities, diseases, or were demon-possessed. He did these things where the people who were healed lived, right in their hometowns, where the people had known them from birth. We’re not talking about Los Angeles here. Those towns were small and most of those who lived there were related or knew each other well. His miracles and healings were tested by his enemies, who wanted to discredit Him, without success. And furthermore, we have no record of Jesus ever taking an offering. He didn’t do what He did for money. Those things served to establish His position as the Messiah; they were his credentials. What are Harold Camping’s credentials? Well, he used to own a construction company, and he now owns a broadcasting network. Oh yeah, and he’s rich.

What am I saying here? I’m saying that before we believe something we need to test it for truth. We have a measuring tape – a standard — that we can put up against the so-called teachers and apostles and prophets out there.

Jesus instructed us to be “wise as serpents and wary as doves” (Matthew 10:16). The word for “wise” actually means “to have practical wisdom”. This is something that my wife has tons of. I used to have a friend who often lied to me. I couldn’t see it because I wanted to see him like he was in the past, but my wife spotted the lies right away. She has this practical way of looking at things, measuring them objectively, not on the basis of her feelings. Asking her to shout out “a witness” in a worship service would be useless, unless she had measured the thing the preacher was asking her to bear witness to and found that it was true. That’s what Jesus was telling us in Matthew. He was saying to measure what you hear by the Word of God – not small parts of the Word of God, but the whole Word, which is the source of practical wisdom. When you really know the genuine, the counterfeit sticks out like a sore thumb. Like Harold Camping’s teaching about the end of the world, for instance. He claims to base it on the Bible and only the Bible, but in the end, it’s Harold Camping’s numerology theory that we’re asked to accept. That theory has failed on two occasions now, and will continue to fail because, when you lay it out next to the measuring tape, the Word of God, it doesn’t hold up. Get to know that tape very well, and it will reveal the false.

In the first study of Ezekiel, we looked at who Gog is, what nations will be under his military control, and how and when they will attack. This next part is a study of the actual battle that is to take place.  Text is taken from the NIV translation of the Bible.

⁹ You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.

Gog’s army will be like a cloud covering the land.  Imagine a dry dusty road that you drive down and picture the dust cloud behind your vehicle.  Now, picture an army of nations driving their vehicles and war machines.  There will be so many army movements that a cloud of dust will cover the land.  The imagery may also point to massive air forces.

¹⁰ ” ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. ¹¹ You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars

Gog will plan this attack. It will not be a spur of the moment type attack.  It’s possible that it may be a retaliatory or a preemptive strike against Israel. In either case it will be premeditated.  We also learn that Israel will be a land of security and peace.  Israel will not be suspecting an attack from anyone, which leads me to believe that it will come after the peace treaty is signed with the Arab nations, facilitated by Antichrist.

¹² I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land.” ¹³ Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages ^[d] will say to you, “Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?” ‘

The attack will come at a time when Israel is resettled, rebuilt, and wealthy.  If you look at the map of Israel, the city in the center of the land is Jerusalem.  In verse 13 it would appear that Gog has come to pillage and plunder the wealth of Jerusalem.  Perhaps this is the reason for the attack: Greed.

The physical location of Sheba is disputed, however modern evidence points towards Yeman in Southern Arabia (wiki). Dardan is now known as a city of Arabia, modern Al-’Ula (wiki). Tarshish is the name of a village in Lebanon. The village is located in the Baabda Kadaa at an elevation of 1400m and is 50 km away from Beirut.  It is also a province of Jerusalem. It’s interesting to not that even the Arabs are threatened by Gog (Dedan and Sheba both located in Saudi Arabia), however in Genesis 15:18, God makes a covenant with Abraham that God will give him the lands between the river in Egypt (the Nile river) and the Euphrates.

¹⁴ “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? ¹⁵ You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. ¹⁶ You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, O Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.

The attack will come from the far North.  Where is a good question, and I have no good answer to that, other than to wait and see.  We can only watch and be ready.  The army will largely be mechanized and machinery, and will be a massive horde. In verse 16 we see God’s purpose.  God has allowed this massive attack on Israel so that He will in the end be glorified through the battle, and so that Gog will understand the power and glory that is God.  This is how God operates, by the way, if you do not know.  Everything that has happened and will happen, does so according to God’s thoughts - Isaiah 14:24: The LORD Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand’; and it does so for the Glory of God.

¹⁷ ” ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Are you not the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel? At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them.

God tells Gog that this is not news. God’s prophets have been prophesying against Gog for a long time.

¹⁸ This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign LORD. ¹⁹ In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. ²⁰ The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground.²¹ I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. ²² I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. ²³ And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’

Verses 19-23 depict God’s retaliation to Gog’s attack.  It begins with a massive earthquake, so great that everything will be affected, even the birds and fish.  Mountains and cliffs will be flattened.  People will be terrified and there will be mass confusion and terror.  The armies of Gog will be so terrified that they will turn on each other. Gog’s army will suffer plagues and massive loss of life.   There will be torrents of rain and hailstone and burning sulfur, which could be in the form of a volcanic eruption. There are scientific reports of burning embers being in-cased in ice during volcanic eruptions from the blast shooting embers high into the atmosphere, giving one the impression of hail and fire falling from the sky, and many time massive earthquakes are contributed to volcanic eruptions.  The acidic plume of smoke that will cover the area is also known to cause skin sores, boils, and even death. Strangely enough, the nearest active volcanos are located around Madagascar, and South America.

As always, I would remind you that no one knows the hour nor the day. We can only watch and prepare.

God, open our eyes so that we may see the truth, and grant us wisdom to understand.  Amen.

The Fork in the Road – Choose Wisely (part three)

For the purpose of continuing this article I want to take a slight turn, a different direction, which will ultimately bring us back, full circle.

Most people at the local level who are serious about cleaning up their  environment, will watch news articles, maybe even buy a book or join a local environmental group. They may take part in a tree planting exercise, or take an active part in Clean Up Day happening cose by. They will use Envio Bags in preference to plastic bags at the supermarket, and they will recycle where they can. This is all part of being a good citizen of Planet Earth.

So far, so good…… nothing sinister to be seen!

Now consider, as a family, as a group, talking this through. WHY do we do the things just mentioned in the previous paragraph? More than likely, especially with children, the answer will include some reference to ‘saving the planet for future generations’, which is what they are being taught at school, on TV, and probably from their parents. But where did the original idea come from? How far back do we have to go? Is it a recent thing, or have we been doing it this way ‘since forever’?

Let me give you a clue – it is by no means the only answer, but it does form a good solid part of it. Are you familiar with The Earth Charter?

As practising Christians we know through biblical prophecy that the end times will see a system of global governance and one world religion. We know that this framework will be used by the Antichrist to deceive many. You may not realize, however, how close we are to these events coming to fruition.

Since 1995, Mikhail Gorbachev and Maurice Strong have co-chaired a global process with the purpose of implementing the Earth Charter on a global scale and ushering in the one world religion.

The Earth Charter Commission approved the final text of the Earth Charter in 2000, and it has since been embraced by the United Nations, many religious leaders around the world, the majority of world governments and countless Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) and activist groups. A little research into the principles and text of the Earth Charter document sheds new light on current political speeches, media reports, and news headlines of the day.

Environmental Groups and NGO’s who participate in the Earth Charter Dialogues are succeeding in their demand for more airtime of ecological disasters, environmental devastation and other sustainable development obstacles. Under the cloak of an environmental crisis and impending doom, they hope to gain wide acceptance of the Earth Charter, which contains much more than a new environmental policy.

How many times lately have you heard the terms “global community”, “globalization”, “world economy”, “sustainable development” or “interdependent world”? These are all phrases that appear throughout the Earth Charter along with other New Age terms such as “circles of compassion”, “triangles of meditation”, “reverence for Earth and Cosmos”, and “Mother Earth”.

Let’s go back several thousand or so years: You remember the Bible event recounting how the Ten Commandments were given to Moses and why?

To make a long story short, the Egyptian Pharaoh finally lets the Israelite slaves go free after Egypt experiences several nasty plagues. They miraculously cross the Red Sea and escape the pursuing Egyptian army, which is destroyed behind them. Moses then leads the people through the desert to Mt. Sinai where he goes up to receive “the Law” from the Creator.

Ten simple rules are inscribed on two stone tablets which Moses brings down with him. But, alas! In the 40 days that he is gone, the Israelites return to Egyptian style idol worship. Moses smashes their golden idol (and the tablets) to pieces, and the Earth opens up to destroy the idol worshippers.

The “covenant” (law) was a promise to the Israelites that their society would prosper if they observed the laws that had been revealed to them and would suffer the consequences if they did not. Moses was instructed to build a special wooden box with carrying poles in which the tablets of the Law were to be stored and transported whenever the tribes of Israel moved their camp. This box, referred to as the “Ark of the Covenant”, was the centerpiece of their tabernacle.

Here’s a synopsis of the basic rules as written in Exodus 20:1-17

• Respect the Creator, who is the only true “God”. Don’t create idols or worship any created thing.

• Respect the life and property of others. Don’t murder, steal, or tell lies.

• Respect the family structure. Honor your parents, and don’t engage in adultery.

• Rest without working on the last day of each week, and remember the Creator.

• Eat only clean, healthful foods.

• Avoid sexual perversion (incest, sodomy, bestiality, etc).

• Use honest weights, measures and money for all commerce.

• …and so on.

I think we are all familiar with the laws as given to us and we know that in our modern society, our governments, our leaders, our schools and learning institutions, even our courts of law, do not place much credence in them. But how does this show that the Earth Charter is going to lead us down the road to perdition?

In the late 1990′s, a document called the “Earth Charter” was drafted by a group of prominent Humanist-Socialists including:

Steven Rockefeller: Philosophy professor. Nephew of billionaire globalist David Rockefeller. Chairman of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Scholar on the works of Humanist patriarch John Dewey.

Maurice Strong: Canadian billionaire and energy industry executive. Long-time U.N. officer and “assistant” U.N. Secretary-General. Organizer of the U.N. Rio Earth Summit and promoter of subsequent “environmental” programs for global management.

Mikhail Gorbachev: Former premier of the Soviet Union and chairman of the Russian Communist Party. Head of the Gorbachev Foundation and the “environmental” group Green Cross International.

Follow the links and read about these people. Learn just which organizations they belong to and how much power and authority they do have.

Continued in part four……………….

Where’s the Church

“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” Revelation 4:1. The Apostle John was given a special preview of future events as they would occur in Heaven. John wrote the book of Revelation approximately 2,000 years before the events he was allowed to see would actually occur. Our Lord Jesus Christ allowed this Apostle a very special gift and John wrote about all He saw as he gazed into the future.

The book of Revelation can be a little mysterious for believers who don’t understand what it’s all about. Many denominations just write this book off as allegory or dismiss it as past history with no bearing on the future of the Church. When I was first saved I asked my pastor about the book of Revelation hoping, as a new believer in Christ, to get some clarification about a book that had fascinated me for years, long before my becoming born again. I was seeking answers from a man who I presumed would be able to enlighten me as to the mysterious writings in that book; he had been a pastor for many years. His response to me was simple, “I don’t understand the book of Revelation therefore I just ignore it.” Consequently I never asked that man another question about the Bible and after a few more painful years at that church, my family and I left that non-denominational denomination. I went on to study my Bible and to place much emphasis on eschatology. I now understand the book of Revelation, and you can too.

There are 22 chapters in the book of Revelation, but after the first five chapters the only people who need concern themselves with the next 17 are those who will be left behind after the Rapture of the Church. Within the first three chapters Jesus addresses believers as well as others who think they are His followers but who are actually living a lie. As we can see from the verse above John is told to explain to all who will read this book of prophecy some of what Heaven is like and also who’s already there.

Remember, the voice which called to John in verse one above told him he would show John the things that must occur “hereafter”, in other words, things that must happen (in the future). John couldn’t have had any idea how far in the future this would occur, but he is sure of his location. He records the events as they occurred as the Holy Spirit directed.

“And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.” Revelation 4:2. John was in the spirit. Why? Because no sinful flesh can enter Heaven “…and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…” Isaiah 64:6. Jesus Christ is in Heaven, and in the flesh, but He was and is sinless. His righteousness is perfect.

John was given an awesome gift as was the Apostle Paul; they were both given a glimpse of Heaven, an advance look if you will, into the Throne room of God Almighty. John goes on to explain what he saw there and his explanation is what assures all believers in Christ that they will not see the tribulation week unfold.

“And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.” Revelation 4:3. John was looking upon the Throne of God as God sat on His Throne. He uses the most descriptive terminology possible at that time to provide readers with understanding as he views God’s glory. John hands believers in Christ a most glorious insight into what awaits all those who place their trust, their faith, their lives in Christ’s hands, a peek at Who awaits us at the Throne of God.

John’s next view is quite significant for those who will be Raptured. “And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.” Revelation 4:4. The elders spoken of here by John are representative of Christ’s Church. This is where we who follow Jesus Christ realize that we are, at this point and from here on until sometime just after the end of the tribulation week, assembled before the Throne of God worshiping Him and giving Him all glory, honor and praise.

In Revelation 5:9-10, the twenty-four elders sing a song of praise to Jesus, and they cry out: “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:9. In that passage, the twenty-four elders are clearly speaking as representatives of all God’s people, of the great company of the redeemed (Christ’s Church).

“The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:10-11.

“The white robes and crowns of the elders seem to indicate that they are indeed human beings – in glory, of course. Angels are sometimes presented in white robes or garments (Mark 16:5; John 20:12; Acts 1:10), but saints also have white robes (Revelation 6:11; 7:9; 7:13-14) as a picture of their imputed righteousness (Isaiah 61:10; Revelation 3:5-18). However, we never see angels crowned, but believers are and will be (1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Peter 5:4).

Therefore, redeemed, glorified man sits enthroned with Jesus, on lesser thrones, to be sure, but thrones none the less. We are joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), and we will reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12). John, through Jesus’ insistence, gives the Church a wonderful picture of the saints in Heaven, and kneeling before God, and recognizably way before the wrath of God is unleashed on a Christ rejecting world.” – David Guzik

“… four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb…, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:8, 10. At the end of the Great Tribulation the saints will return with Jesus Christ as He assumes His visible position as King and reigns over all of earth for 1,000 years. This is proof positive for all the scoffers and naysayers who reject the Rapture that the saints (those who belong to Jesus Christ) are in Heaven and that we are made kings and priests and that we will reign with Christ on earth. If we are to come back with our Lord to rule and reign with Him, at some point we must have left earth to be able to return to earth. Clearly, the Church will not be here during the seventieth week spoken of by Daniel the prophet.

From this point and throughout the remainder of the book of Revelation, the tribulation and the wrath of God is clearly portrayed with no further mention of the Church (the body of Christ) being on earth. The seven year tribulation week becomes the point where God once again turns His attention to Israel. Even though the majority of Jews are blinded to the truth of the Gospel during the first half of the tribulation week, at the 3 ½ year point of the tribulation week, when the anti-Christ introduces the abomination of desolation, we’re told that all remaining Jews on earth will be saved. And not only Jews but many gentiles will also come to faith in Christ during that final week.

The Bible clearly tells us that through Jesus Christ, and only through Him, can we ever expect to enter Heaven. John was a believer, a follower of Jesus Christ and he was allowed a trip to Heaven before his death. To be in the presence of God Almighty we must be purged of our sins. The only way to be purged of sins is to believe in Jesus Christ; to believe is to accept His truth and His Gospel through faith, faith in the fact that His sacrifice on that cross was to pay the price for the sin of the world, that all might be saved. The Bible is written to everyone and everyone can either accept it as truth or reject it as a fairy tale. Believing the Bible to be a fairy tale, though, doesn’t negate the fact that God’s word is true. Unbelief and the rejection of the truth will only act as a catalyst in the condemnation of that person.

Rejecting the Bible and thereby rejecting the Gospel of Jesus Christ will automatically place you or your loved ones in the next chapter of the book of Revelation. “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” Revelation 6:1-2. Enter the anti-Christ, not Jesus Christ, although Jesus Christ does return on a white horse in Revelation 19:11-16. This is not Him, this is a satanic dictator who imitates Jesus. He rules (a crown was given), he rules with a bow not a sword, and he exercises dominion over the earth (went out conquering and to conquer). But the results of his rule show that this is not the reign of Jesus Christ.

I think we can tell much about how a person understands the book of Revelation and God’s prophetic plan by seeing how they understand this first rider. Those who think Revelation is mostly a book of history believe that this rider is Jesus. Those who believe that this is a prophetic passage, yet to be fulfilled, mostly account this rider to be the antichrist. This final satanic dictator over men will be more terrible than all previous dictators. He will rule over men as a false Messiah, and lead man in organized rebellion against God.

This (anti-Christ) guy is going to demand everyone take his mark and worship him and if they don’t they will be killed (beheaded). From this point on the Revelation of Jesus Christ gets very disturbing, even gruesome. There won’t be any place to hide from the coming horrors, they will be worldwide, fierce to behold, and completely consuming in their vastness. No one on earth during this time will escape the tidal wave of tribulations. Those who miss the Rapture yet become believers during the tribulation week will fall prey to some of the horrors spoken of in those remaining chapters. Most will be martyred for their faith.

Only by becoming a born again believer in Christ now, before the Rapture, can we be assured of our non-involvement in all those horrors. The book of Revelation is God telling all who will read it that they will be blessed by it and that they should see their need for a savior and repent while there is still time. That’s the blessing. Read it for yourself and tell others to read it also. Keep in mind that you only have the first five chapters as a time frame for repentance and avoiding all those judgments which will ultimately prove God’s displeasure with those who’ve rejected His only begotten Son.

Those first five chapters of this awesome book speak of blessings, churches doing well and churches doing not so well, about things going on in Heaven, and about who is surrounding God’s throne. There’s no doubt about who’s there and who isn’t. Besides God Almighty, only angels and believers in Christ are there.

“…to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass…” Revelation 1:1. The word “shortly” in this verse means quickly or speedily. In other words, what John was about to witness were things that once they began their succession would bring quick and speedy results. Jesus said the signs we were to be watching for would come on this planet like a woman in labor (birth pangs). We are currently witnessing the beginning of many end times signs spoken of by our Lord Jesus. It seems, according to the book of Revelation, we’re now in the ninth month of labor.

Many will ignore the book of Revelation as my ex-pastor has. Many others will write it off as simply an allegory. Some will read it and dismiss it as having already taken place. God, on the other hand, is quite specific when it comes to this book and its wonderful blessing, and the future it holds. “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” Revelation 1:3. Folks the time is at hand for the prophecies that have been spoken of.

The book of the Apocalypse is a book of prophecy in which we are given the events that lead up to Christ’s return. “Apokalypsis” in the Greek is transliterated Apocalypse, which is translated Revelation in English. Its meaning is more simple than what many perceive it to be. It literally means “uncovering, unveiling, revealing or laying bare a mystery, of things before unknown”. The book of Revelation was never meant to confuse or scare anyone away; on the contrary, it was written to benefit each and every believer in Christ and to open the eyes of the lost.

So, the question is, how will you respond to God’s blessing as it’s associated with reading this book concerning “things before unknown”?

God bless you all,

Ron Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

All scripture is from the KJV

Ever since the crisis over the flotilla trying to get through Israel’s blockade, tensions have been very high.  It appeared at times recently that there could be peace in the Middle East. However, real peace seems very far away at times, too.

Why is there such violence?

Four thousand years ago, the Bible says God told Abraham he would make him a great nation. (Gen. 12:1-3, Gen. 15, and others) Abraham “ran ahead” of God’s plan, you might say. God planned to bless his son through his wife, Sarah.  Abraham got impatient though, and he and Sarah’s servant, Hagar, produced a son, named Ishmael. (Gen. 16-17) Abraham later had a son through Sarah, though, named Isaac. (Gen. 21-22) When God blessed Abraham’s son, Isaac – the one he had with Sarah – it started 4,000 years of violence in the Middle East.

God said that Ishmael, too, would be a great nation, though, and live in the presence of his brethren. (Gen. 16:10-12) Obviously, as with Abraham, this means founder of a great people. God still blessed Ishmael’s descendants – but He prophesied correctly that they would not accept living in the presence of Isaac’s seed. “His hand wil be against every man, and every man’s hand against him.” (Gen. 16:12) God is saying here that He knows there will be violence in that region – and there has been for thousands of years.

The Bible predicts correctly things will get more intense

That long ago writing predicting continued violence is helpful in understanding it, you say. But, it seems like things are getting more and more out of control

Yes, they are. I wrote in this blog about a lot of different prophesies dealing with the end times. But, here are just a few things which show how close we are to something major. Look at the following, which was only a few years ago, and compare it with prophecy:

Here are just a few signs – think about the world a couple years ago versus today

* Turkey was still alligned with the Western Nations, and was friendly to Israel
* Iran and Russia weren’t alligned as allies

Today: Turkey ajnd Israel are very hostile. The Bible predicts various nations which occupy modern Turkey (among others) will war against Irsrael. (Ezek. 38-39) Iran and likely Russia are also among those who attack Israel in this war.

* The U.S. was supporting Israel, selling them arms, standing up to Israel’s enemies, etc.

Today, there is great tension between the two. The Bible predicts in varous places that all nations would turn against Israel in the end times. And, that Jerusalem would be a “cup of trembling” which would crush all who tried to deal with the problem. (Zech. 12:2-3)

* Little to none of the One World Government stuff was being discussed in the open

The Bible tells of one final world empire with a world leader at the head (Daniel 7-11, Rev. 13, 17-18, etc.)

* There was no talk of a One-World Currency – now a lot of the world is calling for it
The Bible predicts a world economy will exist. (Rev. 13, 18)

* The RFID chip was in it’s infancy as far as usage in humans – now there are video ads promoting it

The Bible predicted 2000 years ago that technology would exist to put a mark in everyone’s hand or forehand, and nobody could buy or sell without it. (Reve. 13, etc.) While the RFID chip itself may not be the mark, it could still contain the mark later.

* Most countries in the world were financially sound

This isn’t just about a world government. The Bible clearly states (Rev. 6) that there would be great famine, disease, and other things that kill well over a billion people.

All this is not to mention all the earthquakes, volcanoes, and now the oil spill this year. Yes, there have always been natural disasters, but they are increasing in itnensity.

This is not to set a date or anyting. It is, however, stating that things are getting pretty bad. Bad enough that, even if this current crisis dies down, what Jesus terms birth pangs are increasing, and will continue to intensify. The economies of the world will one day get so bad that a one-world government is formed, and a world ruler will take over that will sign a peace treaty with Israel – a new one or strengthening a current one – for 7 years. Then, in the middle of that 7-year stretch, he will break the covenant, and go to war against Israel. (Daniel 9:26-27)

God warns us so we can escape

You know how you watch an action or horror movie, and if you know what’s going to happen, you want to yell “Get out of there!”? You think it at first, then the action gets a little tenser, you get more scared, and finally, if you’re in the theater, someone might actually blurt it out! Well, God knows how this will all end, too. And, He’s warning us the same way. “Get out of there!”

Only, He will be the one to get those out who have called on Him.

See, He gives people free choice, so we’re not mindless robots. He also knows people, because of their sinfulness, will lead this world to destruction, though. He made people perfect, but mankind chose to bring sin into the world, and it’s been getting worse and worse. That sin was like an infection that brought on all kids of natural disasters. And, it’s what causes all the man-made disasters, wars, and so on. Just like the tensions in the Middle east.

But, sin is a problem we all have. We don’t all go out and war against others, or steal, or really bad sins. However, we all sin, and come short of the glory of God.

Think of how awful that sin is. It’s what causes all the greed, corruption, war, hatred, and such in the world today. It will all, one day, be destroyed. Along with all those who practice it. Including us, unless we heed God’s waring to “Get out of there!”

We have to make a choice. A choice to let God cleanse us from our sin.

See, God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son – Jesus Christ. Anyone who believes on Him will not perish, but will have everlasting life. (John 3:16) that means they can be sure of it. They won’t perish – they won’t suffer for their sins, because Jesus has already done so. He went to the cross willingly, died for our sins, then rose from the dead, so we could be free from sin.

All anyone has to do is receive His free gift of eternal life. (Rom. 10:13, Eph. 2:8-9, etc.) That is done by simple faith, trusting Jesus to change you on the inside, making you a new creature. (2 Cor. 5:17) We are saved so we can do good works here on Earth, but remember, the only thing we’ll take with us to Heaven are the souls of others. God will make this world new, after the horrible wars and destruction that will be brought about in that final seven-year period.

But before that destructiveness gets too severe, God will not just cry “Get out of there!” (that’s what He calls us to do now, warn others) God will rescue us, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” (1 Cor. 15:51-52, 1 Thess. 4:13-18) as he will come down for us, to rescue us from this world, before His final wrath is poured out on the horrors of sin.

To escape that, you just need to call out to Him to forgive you and save you from your sins, trusting that He bled and died ont he cross for you, then rose from the dead, so you could get to heaven someday.

A Middle East war will come sooner, rather than later. Every prophecy of the Bible has come true, and we can see the signs now. That doesn’t mean it’ll be tomorrow for sure. But, it will come.

Will we be here for it? The Bible doesn’t say for sure.. But, we must be ready, because the Lord will come in an instant. In the meantime, we must bring others to Christ, warning them, in essence, to “Get out of there!” Because true peace in the Middle East won’t come till Jesus reigns over the world. (Rev. 20)

First Haiti has a devastating earthquake. Then, a large quake hits near Japan. Now, Chile has one of the largest in recorded history, at 8.8! The number of major quakes in recent years seems to be increasing. These three came in just 2 months. An enormous 2004 quake not only caused the Asian tsunami, it sped the earth’s rotation momentarily. It’s enough to make people wonder if the end of the world is near.

Earthquakes are scary, as unlike bad weather, they come without warning. Aftershocks can occur for days, weeks, sometimes months. They cause terrible destruction. The increase in intensity in recent years is much like that of birth pangs that a woman feels before giving birth. Interestingly, Jesus uses the same analogy when he speaks of the end. And, “earthquakes in diverse places” – very different places, some of which don’t normally have them, thouhg some will – are one of the signs.

In Matthew 24, Jesus tells his disciples of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. They ask Him several questions. First, they ask when that destruction would happen, and then they ask about the signs of the end of the world. Jesus takes much more time on the second question than the first. He knew He would inspire His Word to be written, and that it was much more important to answer the second. Matthew 24-25 and Luke 21 each cover different aspects of what Jesus said.

Notice, first, that He answers the part about the destruction of Jerusalem in Luke 21:9. This is important because it gives us context to assure us that Matthew 24-25 is about the future, His coming and the end of the world. There are false Christs now, but there were also false Christs back then. There was lots of commotion, but the end – that is, the end of the world – did not come in 70 AD. Luke 21 talks more about the end, but also says that “before these things” – before the great earthquakes, famine, etc. – the disciples would be persecuted, and there would be a time of great trouble in Jerusalem.

However, the destruction of Jerusalem was horrible, but it was not the worst ever in history, as Mat. 24:21 says the end will be. That event in 70 AD was a picture of something that would happen in the future. We know because Matthew 24:15 says that before the end – during the Tribulation – there will be another temple. An abomination – a horrible, blasphemous thing – will be set up in the temple. That didn’t happen in 70 AD. Quite the opposite, in fact; no stone was left upon another. (The “Western Wall,” or “Wailing Wall,” now in Jerusalem is from an old Roman fort built after that.)

There’s another reason we know Jesus is speaking of the end of the world in Matthew 24. the first word of Mat. 25 – “Then” – shows Jesus is talking about the same subject. He’s drawing an analogy to situations in the end times. Yes, the parable of the talents later in that chapter has numerous spiritual applications for the Church, but there is a plain, literal meaning to Scripture, too.

“So, wait,” you ask, “you mean these earthquakes in diverse places are a sign we’re definitely near the end of the world?” Not quite. We are close – I don’t know how close. It is not given to us to know the day or the hour.

But, other signs also point to us being near, if not in, the end times: Famines, pestilence (major diseases), iniquity (lawlessness) running rampant, the love of many becoming cold (we talk about love, but that true, unconditional love isn’t there), and so on. These things are increasing more and more, just like birth pangs. There is, in fact, a site called “Rapture Ready” with a “Rapture index” that measures all of these. (The entire site is filled with good material, and forums, for those who wish to know more.)

“So, wait,” you ask, “are we really that close to the end? How do I prepare?” Like Jesus with His disciples’ questions, I will only gloss over the first, because the second is most crucial. Yes, we are getting close, but unlike a sonogram, these “birth pangs” can only be estimated. We just know they keep growing.

As for how to prepare, be confident that the Church has not replaced Israel. There will be another temple – in fact, Israelis have been preparing for it for years. God will once again deal with his chosen people as a nation, not just as individuals. Before He does this, though, something will happen which you can prepare for: The Rapture. “For the Lord Himself will descend with a shout, and the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then, we which are alive and remain shall be caught up with them in the clouds, to be meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thess. 4:16-17)

To know you’ll be caught up with Him, it’s as easy as ABC.

Admit you’re a sinner, that you fall short of God’s perfect glory. When sin was brought into the world through man’s disobedience, it spread everywhere, and caused all things to start decaying. We all fall short of His perfection through our sin. We don’t’ always mean to sin, and some people try really hard to be nice al the time. But, we can’t; we’re not perfect. That sin keeps us out of Heaven, except a price was paid to get us in.

Beleve that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose from the dead. He is God in flesh, and he paid that price to get you into Heaven. It was the perfect sacrifice, the just for the unjust. He took the punishment you and I and everyone else deserves for our sin – for the fact we fall short of God’s perfection.

Choose to receive Him as your Savior by simple faith. That means heart knowledge, not just head knowledge. Call on Him to save you from your sins, receiving what He did by simple faith, as being for you personally. Because, He died for each of us personally. He had each person on mind who ever lived when he died on that cross, and frose again. All you have to do is receive Him.

If you do, He will come into your heart and change you on the inside, helping you be more like Him in His love, compassion, goodness, peace, and so many other wonderful things. He’ll give you peace so you wojn’t have to worry about all the problems of this world, and so you can get through them with His help. Because, we don’t know how long it will be before He comes for us. But, whether we rise first, or meet Him in the air, we have His promise that He will come for us before things get as horrible as it will in the Tribulation.

These things we see here, these massive earthquakes and such, are only the beginning of sorrows. But, Jesus has promised to help us through, if we just trust Him – with our souls, and then with our lives. And, if He says it’s our time to leave this world, by knowing Him as Savior, we can be certain that we will be forever with Him, in that awesome place where there is no pain, no suffering, and no tears.