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Saturday, February 26, 2022
The Second Half
Saturday, February 19, 2022
The Power Behind the Man
Saturday, February 12, 2022
Him You Will Receive
“I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive." John 5:43 NKJV
In this passage we see Jesus making a statement to the Jewish leaders who were seeking to kill him because He claimed to be God. Here Jesus prophecies that while they will reject Him and His claim, a time will come when the Jews will accept another man as their messiah. This person is, of course, the man most often referred to as the antichrist, who comes as a man of peace but will ultimately plunge the entire world into war and suffering on a scale never before seen. If the world is as close to the tribulation as many believe, obviously this person is currently active on the world scene and in a position to assume his ultimate role.
I have been surprised in the past few years by what some might consider an obsession by others to positively identify this coming world leader. In many ways, it might seem appropriate given the times in which we live, and the overwhelming evidence pointing to the nearness of the rapture of the Church. Truthfully though, I and many teachers believe it is a fruitless endeavor to attempt to identify him simply because the Bible makes it clear that his identity will not be positively revealed until he tries to convince the world that he is God.
"Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 NKJV
This event occurs halfway through the seven year tribulation period so the question which should be on everyone’s mind is why is he not recognized before then? I cannot say for certain that this man of sin is who Jesus is referring to in the passage from John, but the fact that this coming world ruler will be not only received with open arms, but embraced as the answer to all the world’s problems should certainly give one pause for thought. There is obviously something about this individual which makes him stand out from the other leaders of the time, and the result is that he will succeed in gathering a following which will propel him to a position of immense power.
"Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?" 2 Thessalonians 2:5 NKJV
The fact that Paul had already taught the believers in this church about the antichrist raises a question many people overlook which is simply this; where did Paul learn about this man of sin? Now you could certainly say that that it was part of the teaching he received from the Holy Spirit, but I would also like to suggest that it might have come from studying the book of Daniel which was readily available to him when he studied as a young man in the synagogue. Remember what Paul said in his own words;
“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today." Acts 22:3 NKJV
So then does it not make sense that Paul knew what Daniel had written concerning this coming world ruler, and that he used that knowledge to teach the church at Thessalonica? Whether that assumption is true or not, the fact remains that Daniel was the first to give us a detailed description of this individual and of his future attempt to conquer the world. With this in mind I thought we could spend a little time in examining what Daniel told us about him, not to try and identify who he might be but rather with the idea of becoming familiar with what he is like and how he is able to do what he will eventually do.
"I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." Daniel 7:8 NKJV
Here Daniel introduces us to this coming man of sin by calling him the “little horn”. In the Bible, a horn is used to signify a strong ruler and in this verse it would seem applicable because the first thing he does is uproot three other horns as he starts to consolidate his power. Most scholars agree that the scenario here is that this leader demonstrates his power by conquering three of the ten kingdoms (plucked up by the roots) and the remaining seven simply capitulate because they believe resistance is futile. Obviously he has an agenda and his intent is for it to culminate in world domination.
I find it curious too that we are given descriptions which not only give insight into his physical appearance but personality as well. Remember we have already found that a horn signifies a strong ruler, yet notice also the passage mentions his eyes and his mouth. Eyes signify intelligence and insight, along with a shrewd and clever personality which can deceive. Also the mouth which can speak “great things” which people will find attractive and believable, but in the end will be misleading and deceitful. Remember his ultimate goal is to rule the entire world, so anything he says or does is to that end.
"The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie," 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11 NKJV
In the end, after all is said and done, you have to ask yourself why in the world do people accept this man of sin as their leader and embrace him with open arms? Is he really so deceitful that the world is completely taken in by his lies and deception or is something else going on here? A fact sometimes overlooked is that this man of sin somehow manages to rise from whatever position he now holds to the absolute ruler of the entire world in only three and one half years, when he sits in the temple and proclaims himself to be God. Looking at the world as it is today, most if not all would say that the chances of that ever happening are virtually impossible. Yet the Bible tells us it will happen, and many are convinced that it is going to happen very soon.
So just how is it that the coming man of sin is able to accomplish the impossible? I think from what we find in scripture it would be safe to say he has a little help, whether or not he realizes it at the time. Next week we will explore that question, and the answer might not be as simple as you believe.
Keep watching.
Saturday, February 5, 2022
The Four Horsemen Approaching?
“Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.” Revelation 6:1-8 NKJV
Shortly after the beginning of our ongoing health troubles a couple of years ago, I wrote an article speculating on the possibility that this was part of a “dry run” by the forces of darkness to prepare for what will occur during the tribulation period. Of late, I have become even more convinced that this may indeed be the case considering where we are seemingly going and the news of late suggesting some of what will happen in the near future. If you follow the news, and I admit it is becoming more and more difficult to do so, you may have noticed a correlation between what the mainstream news claims is on our horizon, and what the Word of God tells us is coming.
While the world seems obsessed with our never ending health crisis, the rhetoric surrounding the possibility of a major war on several fronts has intensified to the point that many are saying it’s not a question of “if”, but “when”. Russia and the Ukraine, China and Taiwan, and Israel and Iran are mentioned frequently as situations primed to explode. Also of late, while it is no secret we in this country are suffering under what many would describe as runaway inflation, there are reports that as a result of many different factors, a worldwide famine is staring humanity in the face.
As I thought about these things this past week, God reminded me of my post two years ago and asked me a logical question that somehow had escaped my attention. That question was, if we are indeed watching a dry run for the events of the tribulation, maybe I should take a closer look at the beginning of that period of time to see what, when, and in what order they occur. Imagine my surprise when I found that when Jesus opens the seals at the start of the tribulation, what He tells us will happen by the four horsemen of the apocalypse seems to be exactly what we are seeing today.
While I had indeed considered our calamities as a precursor to the tribulation, I confess it never occurred to me to compare them to the four horsemen so today I want to review what we are told about them and you can decide for yourselves if it sounds familiar. “He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer”. The first horse John describes is a white horse ridden by a man carrying a bow but no arrows. That fact is the Bible’s way of telling us that this man will conquer with peace rather than by war. While that might seem odd to some, the truth is that many nations would be willing to give up sovereignty for a guaranteed peace.
The rider of course, is the antichrist and Daniel describes him this way.
“And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.” Daniel 8:25 KJV
While the antichrist conquers through peace and political means, the result will be war and violence as symbolized by the red horse. “Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another.” Obviously there will be those people who see the antichrist amassing power and will be threatened by it. Their resistance will create a conflict which not only will result in the death of many, but also prepare the way for the next horse to appear.
One of the usual consequences of war, which many do not realize, is economic difficulty and runaway inflation for the common man. While many of the elite will profit, most people will suffer greatly from scarcity and need. “..and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” Most agree this passage describes an entire day’s wages being required just to have enough to eat for that day. While that might seem unbelievable, just this morning I read an article stating close to 25% of Americans are spending up to 1/3 of their monthly income just on food because of inflation and scarcity.
In conditions such as those described by the red and black horse, it comes as no surprise that the pale horse, which symbolizes death, appears on the scene. “…behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.” While trying to process the thought that one quarter of the earth’s population is going to die just in the first part of the seven year tribulation is difficult enough to fathom, my thoughts somehow went to something I had never noticed before.
This part of the passage describes people being killed by the sword, killed by starvation, killed by the beasts of the earth, but also uses the phrase “with death”. Since methods of dying are being listed, I had to wonder what is meant by the use of this phrase as one of the ways people die. In the Greek, it is translated as a separation of soul from the body, which while describes death, certainly doesn’t help by giving a cause. Or does it? Now while I would never claim to be a Greek scholar, does it not make sense that what John is trying to tell us is that some people simply drop dead?
Are we witnessing a dry run for the events in the tribulation? Am I the only one who has read articles lately about someone trying to defuse a potential major war by negotiating a peace? How about the number of conflicts around the world just primed to explode into war? Let’s not forget runaway inflation and a supply chain crisis threatening food shortages on a scale unheard of and famine coming later this year to many parts of the world. Last but not least, the articles about life insurance payouts skyrocketing 258% above normal as people are dying for no reason they can ascertain?
While I would never describe myself as a conspiracy theorist, there is a conspiracy occurring before our very eyes. Satan is preparing this world for his end game and the signs of the rapidly approaching end of the age are all around us. Things are never going to return to “normal”, and Satan has no intention of giving back any of his gains from the past year or two. The only question anyone should ask themselves is am I prepared for Jesus to call His people home? The rapture of the Church precedes the events of the tribulation which simply means we could see it happen at any time.
God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth
for the sole purpose of sacrificing Himself so we can spend eternity with Him
in Heaven. The signs of His imminent return for us are all around
us. If you have never taken the step of accepting this gift of eternal
life, I urge you to do it right now. Simply pray a prayer like this one
and confess to God your need for salvation, and accept the gift He provided for
you by the death and resurrection of His own Son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus
I know I am a sinner. I have sinned against you, but I know you loved me enough
to send your Son, Jesus Christ to die for my sins and then rise from the dead
so that I may live forever with You. Lord forgive me of my sins and come into
my life and help me to begin to live for You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Keep
watching.