Another Year Closer

“For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The LORD will judge His people.”  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”  Hebrews 10:30-31  NKJV  

As I thought about what would be the subject for this weeks blog, I looked back to one year ago and was struck by the appropriateness of what I had written for the July 4th holiday.  The question of God judging this nation for its sins has never seemed so applicable than it does now.  We only need to see how far we as a nation have fallen in just one years time to wonder when God will choose to intervene in this worlds history as He has prophesied He will do.  So I chose to repost last years blog again today with the sure and certain knowledge that we are one year closer to seeing the judgment of the Lord.

What Happened to America?

 

While many will choose to celebrate America’s Independence Day on July 4, many if not more are wondering what in the world has happened to this once great nation.  Students of prophecy, I would suggest, are not as surprised by what has and is occurring in this country today considering the Bible does not mention our country in regards to the events of the end of this age.  The following article by Pete Garcia of rev310.net is one of the best on this subject and I thought it would be appropriate reading as all too many are asking today, “what has happened to America”?

American Pie

Updated: Jan 4

The people of the great nations of the past seem normally to have imagined that their pre-eminence would last forever. Rome appeared to its citizens to be destined to be for all time the mistress of the world. The Abbasid Khalifs of Baghdad declared that God had appointed them to rule mankind until the day of judgment. Seventy-years ago, many people in Britain believed that the empire would endure forever. Although Hitler failed to achieve his objective, he declared that Germany would rule the world for a thousand years. That sentiments like these could be publicly expressed without evoking derision shows that, in all the ages, the regular rise and fall of great nations has passed unperceived. The simplest statistics prove the steady rotation of one nation after another at regular intervals. Sir John Glubb, the Fate of Empires

 

America, the shining city on a hill. Her untamed lands offered for centuries, a home for the homeless. She became a nation of immigrants, who, fleeing the lawlessness of their ancestral homelands, embraced the ideals of a nation whose arbiter of freedoms, were not granted by some fleeting and transient government, but by the Creator of the Universe. She was the last best hope for mankind. She was the last great respite for the weary and beleaguered huddled masses. If she, as President Reagan once soberly noted, falls, there was nowhere else on earth to run to.

To our surprise, we learn of our own Ozymandias' end

Besides emerging victorious after two world wars, America’s long list of crowning achievements made her the envy of every empire and nation. How could she lose? She conquered all of her domains- land, sea, air, and space. She split the atom, thus ushering in the Atomic Age. She put men on the moon, thus, ushering in the Space Age. She invented the Internet and thrust the world into the Age of Information. She was as indomitable as she was charitable. She was an impregnable fortress, guarded not by walls, but by her elastic resiliency. 

 

America the beautiful could not fall, could she

The end of the American dream did not come with a whimper, but with a gasp. The divinely destined and hard-fought American dream, had by the mid-twentieth century, briefly offered life at the top of the geopolitical food chain for its patriotic citizenry. However, premiership came at a cost. Success would cause each successive generation to soften their moral resolve and despise their own position as the apex. Each new generation would feel, but ignore the birth pangs of gradualism, until finally; America gave birth to this generation’s hideous twins, immorality and socialism. Were we better off that these two remained orphaned. 

 

Holy Writ warned, sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind

 

This self-induced spiritual diaspora was by design. Unseen malevolent spirits wisely spent the previous centuries reintroducing the foundation of humanistic “enlightenment” and “reason.” These foul demons regurgitated Hedonism, Gnosticism, and Paganism to the 18th-19th century academics and ideologues, who in turn, recast these as new illumination on forgotten knowledge. In reality, they were just as vain and empty as the first time the pagan Greeks and Romans embraced them. 

 

However, piling onto these humanistic lunacies, was a new one brought about by emerging sciences. The new “scientific theories” prefaced that mankind’s existence here was accidental and by nothing more than sheer, dumb luck, we somehow climbed to the top of the evolutionary food chain. Simultaneous to this, Marxism made its debut and offered up an economic model that guaranteed the equal spreading of misery and death. For both, nihilism was its religion, and man himself became its god. It was here that the ungodly professors and ungodly pop culture iconoclasts religiously programmed their devotees to reject the good and embrace the growing counter-culture of Antichrist. 

 

The whirlwind of lawlessness is now all we see

 

The American malcontents began asking the question anew, “Why should we have it so good?” Of course, this insane reasoning led to the need to rewrite history to reflect their ever-evolving positions of intersectionality and social justice. Post-modernism dogmatically rejected the tried and true, for the theoretical and subjective. The further they pushed the boundaries, the further they diminished their ability to understand truth and reason (Romans 1:18-32). This began the inevitable slippery slope of incrementalism. What was questionable to one generation became acceptable to the next. Feelings and emotions soon replaced logic and reasoning for the moral standard. This abandonment of reason, led to the inescapable introduction of the cancel-culture type cannibalism, evoking the Kristallnacht tactics of the Ku Klux Klan, the Third Reich, and the Taliban. 

 

No one left to defend 

 

The “progressives” began chanting that all cultures are equal. This, of course, led to the demands that we abandon our own history and culture and embrace all cultures equally, especially, the failed ones despite the obvious and unavoidable conclusions. The result, of course, is the inescapable end to the American saga. What began in Godly faith, and the blood, sweat, and tears of a pilgrim people, ended in air-conditioned malls, fast food, abortion on demand, and easy credit. Despite our last minute revival to Make America Great Again, we were already destined to become a relic of a bygone age. While we think of this perhaps, as an age of leisure, comfort, and dominance, will be known only as a cautionary tale to those who follow. The experiment that was the United States of America, like all its predecessors, would join a long line of momentary, but deceased empires.

Nowhere left to flee 

 

Coda

 

To the unredeemed, this message reeks of doom, gloom, and biblical fatalism. 

 

And that is partly true. First and foremost, the Christian faith is an apocalyptic faith. The Bible is adamant in its promotion of the believer keeping a ‘loose grip’ on terra firma. This current earth is slated for a total overhaul. Not just earth, but the heavens as well. All of it will go up in flames. (2nd Peter 3:10-11) 

 

As Christians, we shouldn’t spend our time building our empires of dirt here, but rather, investing in our treasures in heaven, where neither moth, nor rust, nor thieves can steal or destroy (Matthew 6:19-20). 

 

That is not the message this world promotes. 

 

We are constantly bombarded with the inane propaganda to buy expensive things, wear expensive clothes, drink the finest drinks, and live in this place or that, to find happiness in this increasingly darkening world. We are told that unless we are living according to the world’s standard, we will never find fulfillment. Many churches in the West, and in particular, the United States, have jumped on board with the ludicrous notion that we have to invest “financial seeds” in human ministries in order to build the kingdom upon earth. We have mega pastor's promoting the ridiculous ideas of living our best life now, and/or being purpose-driven as if God needed our instruction. 

 

Juxtaposed to these faux–Christian heretics, are the Bible skeptics who are divided on their messaging regarding the fate of America. Half of them hate the nation and hope she fails. As of August 2020, they are still unclear as to what should replace America and whether or not that will be an improvement. The malcontent of their own American privilege burns like a hot coal on their consciousness. They want an endless revolution, they want to rage against the system that has given them the freedom to do so. What they really rage again, or should I say, whom they rage against, is their Creator. 

 

The other half of Bible skeptics believe America is indomitable, and that present troubles aside, we are just going through a “phase.” They will say, the way things are today, are the way things will always be. Life will go on as it always has. They say, even if Jesus were real, He is not coming back anytime soon. They are busy planning their 401Ks and retirements into the next fifty years, as if, all of this will remain as it always has. 

 

The truth is, God had a purpose for the United States, and nothing, not the British, not the Confederates, not the Nazis, not Mother Nature, nor the Progressives, will end this nation one second earlier than God has predetermined. God has used this nation in mighty ways in the past, most notably; both to help restore Israel back to the table of nations, and to produce some of the greatest revivals and missionary efforts the world had ever seen. 

 

However, when God says that something will end, neither heaven nor hell, nor anything in between, will stop that thing from happening. Since the Bible makes no mention of a superpower like the United States in the pages of Holy Writ, we can conclude, the world’s greatest nation is not in the picture at the end. Some would argue that the US was not in view when the Bible was written; however, God (the true author of the Bible) was well aware of all the nations who would ever come and go across the span of history. As the Apostle Paul stated in Acts 17:26,

And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings 

Therefore, the end of our nation was foreseen and pre-appointed long before the first Pilgrim ever-set foot at Plymouth. In fact, our end was established long before God ever set the boundaries of the earth during Creation. The fact we as a nation, are not in Bible Prophecy, undoubtedly points to some less-than-desirable ending for our once-great nation. This thought has always brought me back, strangely enough, to the verse in Don McClean’s iconic song, American Pie. 

Bye, bye Miss American PieDrove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dryAnd them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye Singin’ this’ll be the day that I dieThis’ll be the day that I die

At present, our spiritual levee is dry. Whatever America was, is long dead. At present, around half of America seems determined to vote in national suicide Vis a Vis radical progressivism and socialism. At present, around half of the American churches are caught up preaching the false social justice gospel for the sake of social relevancy. Ironically, in the age of prophetic signs, many churches seem strangely detached from what is going on, preaching something akin to the normalcy bias gospel. 

Most of the world is not looking for Christ to return. Most in the West, but do not care. The most blessed nation to ever exist has almost conceded to wickedness in every quarter. Where it not for the remnant, she would have conceded decades ago. However, when the Rapture does happen, America will gasp at the horror of what just transpired, and she will finally succumb to the lawlessness she had so long toyed with. The United States of America must decline, so that another may take her place. 

Its name is The Beast. 

 

It will rise out of the sea of humanity. 

It consists of ten kings and kingdoms. 

It tramples all before itself, reducing them to residue. 

One man, The Antichrist, will eventually rise and lead it. 

He must come from the boundaries of the ancient Roman Empire. 

He will control ALL buying and selling in the world. 

He will be fatally wounded, but resurrected by the power of Satan. 

He will be possessed by Satan himself and will desecrate the newly rebuilt Jewish Temple. 

He will convince the armies of the world to finally rid the world of Israel. 

They will form in the Valley of Megiddo and will meet their inglorious end. 

Israel’s Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and followed by the armies of heaven, will tear open the sky, as Jesus pours out His judgment upon the world’s armies. 

The Beast and his False Prophet will then be cast alive into the Lake of Fire. 

Satan will be bound in chains for 1,000 years while cast into the blackest abyss. 

Christ will rescue the Jewish remnant and vanquish their foes. 

Christ will judge the nations in righteousness. 

Christ will bring His Kingdom to the earth. 

The Rock built without human hands. 

And we shall be His forever. 

And Ever. 

Amen. 

And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.” Daniel 2:44-45

https://www.rev310.net/post/american-pie

The question I believe we should al be asking is not “what has happened to America”, but rather “am I prepared to go home to be with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”?  Many would argue that what we are witnessing today is the final sign of just where we are on God’s calendar considering the obvious absence of this country in Bible prophecy.  Are you prepared?  

If you are reading this today and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I urge you to do it right now. Simply admit to God that you need His forgiveness because you are a sinner,  be willing to turn away from your sins, believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and invite Him to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit by praying a simple prayer like this;

 

Jesus I know I am a sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live and follow you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen.

 

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

John 1:12 NKJV

 

If you have prayed that prayer, or one like it, you can rejoice that you will spend eternity with God.

Keep watching.

More Than Coincidence

“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”  Luke 21:28. NKJV

I am on vacation this weekend but wanted to share a very good article with you from Pete Garcia of rev310.net. Now more than ever I believe we are living in the time Jesus was referring to in this passage where He warns us to lift our heads and be looking up.

https://www.rev310.net/post/prophetic-synchronicity

Keep watching.

A Good Time To Watch

 

"Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. "So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near—at the doors! "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. "Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. "It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. "Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— "lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. "And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"

Mark 13:28-37 NKJV

 

I find it surprising when so many ask me why I choose to study and teach on prophecy when there are so many portions of scripture like this one from Mark that make it clear what Jesus expects from us. I try to explain to those who ask the question that this is not merely a suggestion from God, but a command repeated over and over again. As such, I try to get the point across that if God commands us to watch, it is because He intends to show us signs that we will recognize as harbingers of the end of this age. One of the points I have often contemplated concerning this passage is if it is possible God is giving us a clue as to when the rapture would occur when He chooses to use the season of summer as an illustrative tool.

 

“Woe is me!  For I am like those who gather summer fruits, Like those who glean vintage grapes; There is no cluster to eat Of the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires. The faithful man has perished from the earth, And there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; Every man hunts his brother with a net.”           Micah 7:1-2  NKJV

 

If you recall, we talked of this verse last week, and the possibility it gives us a clue as to the season of the rapture.  Today I would like to share another one for you to consider.

 

"The harvest is past, The summer is ended, And we are not saved!"
Jeremiah 8:20 NKJV

 

Both of these passages are laments of the nation of Israel regarding their prophetic future.  I believe for many reasons that the summer season is the most dangerous time for the Jewish people, both in the past historically and as well as in the future prophetically.

 

The term “dog days of summer” is familiar to most, yet many are probably not aware of what it means or of its origin. Actually, the answer to that question is hazy and debatable, while some believe it may date back as far as the Roman Empire. As to what it might mean, let me make a suggestion based solely on my own observations and educational experiences. Like many people, at one time I had a dog who was as friendly as the day was long. I also, though, live in a part of the country which experiences summers which tend to occasionally receive triple digit heat late in the season. Just like people, I used to notice my dog got a little testy during these days of excessive heat, exhibiting a marked lack of patience and a tendency to growl and lash out when disturbed.

 

As I considered that, I also was reminded of something I realized back in the day when I was a history major in college. Do you know the vast majority of conflicts in the history of the world have started during the summer months? What is my point? I can’t help but wonder if the conflict that God reveals in His Word concerning the future of Israel and the world, taken along with His command to watch with a reference to the season of summer, should be a major clue to those of us who choose to obey the command to watch?  Could it be that summer is the season that all the events we are told to watch for will converge and produce the conflict we are told so much about?

 

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD [is] upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to [those who are] bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,

Isaiah 61:1-2 NKJV

 

While many are familiar with the seven Feasts of Israel, which were celebrations appointed by God and revealed to Moses during the Exodus, not as many are familiar with the Fasts of Mourning which are days which commemorate a tragic event or events that have occurred in Israel's history. While these days of remembrance were not instituted by God, He does mention them when He reveals to the prophet Zechariah that the time will come when they will be turned into days of celebration after the tribulation ends and the Messiah begins His reign on the earth.

 

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'The fast of the fourth [month], The fast of the fifth, The fast of the seventh, And the fast of the tenth, Shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts For the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.'

Zechariah 8:19 NKJV

 

The seventeenth of Tammuz, which is the first fast day, or the fast of the fourth month referred to by Zechariah in the passage above, is going to arrive next month. This day begins a period of three weeks of national mourning in Israel that lead up to Tisha B' Av, or the ninth of Av which is the fast of the fifth month. When discussing this first fast day in his book “Armageddon: Appointment With Destiny”, the late Grant Jeffrey says that the events which have occurred on the seventeenth of Tammuz serve to show the nation of Israel that God's favor had been withdrawn from them because of their sin as a nation. It also served as a sign that God's judgment was soon to follow, which throughout history has certainly occurred on the ninth of Av.

 

I have always believed that if God goes to the trouble of telling us a specific day or time that something has happened, there is probably a very good reason for it. The first passage we looked at this morning comes from the book of Isaiah, and is noteworthy because it was also quoted by Jesus during His ministry here on earth. If you look in the fourth chapter of Luke you find this account;

 

“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:”

Luke 4:16-17 NKJV

 

Jesus then reads the passage from Isaiah 61 but does an interesting thing; He stops reading in the middle of verse two where it begins to talk about the day of vengeance. Then Jesus explains to the people;

 

“And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

Luke 4:21 NKJV

 

Almost every commentator I have read agrees that this is because the day of vengeance that Jesus does not talk about is the future tribulation period that will come upon Israel because of their rejection of Jesus as their Messiah. It is during this time of tribulation that the rest of verse two comes into play because what it describes is that period of time which the passage from Isaiah calls “the day of vengeance of our God“. If you are at all familiar with the events described in the book of Revelation concerning this coming time of judgment you might think that there will be plenty of reasons to mourn, yet the Bible makes it clear that God intends for the world and the nation of Israel to know the real reason to mourn;

 

"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Matthew 24:30 NKJV

 

"And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for [his] only [son], and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

Zechariah 12:10 NKJV

 

We as believers understand that the next time Jesus returns will be the rapture when He comes in the clouds to take His bride the Church, made up of all who believe in Him, back to Heaven. Now if this were to occur in the month of Av, you would think that this would be a cause for celebration and not a time to mourn, yet the thought that immediately crossed my mind when I read this was one which applies to everyone and not just Israel. You see, while it will be a time of celebration for those who go, don't you think it will be a reason to mourn for those who don't? Of all the events which have occurred throughout history during the three weeks of mourning in Israel, they would all pale in comparison to being left behind when the rapture happens.

 

The summer solstice, the beginning of summer, arrives this Monday/Tuesday. Considering all that is happening in the world right now, not to mention the fact that we have just entered the period of time where God has historically demonstrated His displeasure with His children’s disobedience, I would certainly conclude this is an especially important season to be watching. Will the summer of 2022 be the time of rekoning for the nation of Israel?  Many believe that this will prove to be the case, and it would certainly appear that the passages we have looked at today point to the summer season with foreboding. As such, I think it seems even more important than ever for all of us to consider our eternal destiny and make sure we know we will accompany our Lord when He returns for His bride.

 

If you are reading this today and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I urge you to do it right now. Simply admit to God that you need His forgiveness because you are a sinner,  be willing to turn away from your sins, believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and invite Him to come in and control  your life through the Holy Spirit by praying a simple prayer like this;

 

Jesus I know I am a sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live and follow you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen.

 

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”

John 1:12 NKJV

 

Keep watching.

https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/3523774-israel-and-iran-five-minutes-to-armageddon/

Where Did the Faithful Go?

 

“Woe is me!  For I am like those who gather summer fruits, Like those who glean vintage grapes; There is no cluster to eat Of the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires. The faithful man has perished from the earth, And there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; Every man hunts his brother with a net.”           Micah 7:1-2  NKJV

 

I believe the Bible makes it clear that the rapture of the Church could happen at any time.  That does not mean, however, that there might not be a clue in the Word as to the season in which it might occur.  For quite a few years I have felt that this passage from Micah suggests that at the time of the first ripe grape harvest in Israel, usually at the beginning of summer, all of the faithful men of the earth have suddenly disappeared by virtue of the rapture of the Church.  Considering that the Holy Spirit was given to the Church to indwell her on the first Pentecost, the belief of many is that this feast day would seem to be a perfect time for the Spirit to also be taken.

 

There is a saying popular with many teachers of the Bible today which I find not only very true, but also extremely helpful in understanding both the Old and New Testaments.  You are probably familiar with it but even so I will repeat it here; “the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed”.  I am continually amazed as I study the scriptures to find how much of the New Testament is actually hidden in plain sight in the Old Testament, and this passage from Micah is a perfect example. One meaning of the Hebrew word translated “perished” in the NKJV means “to vanish”.  From the teachings of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament, I am convinced that what Micah is describing is the rapture of the Church, and the state of the earth after all believers have been taken. 

 

I should make the point here that I am a firm believer in the doctrine of imminency, yet I have often wondered just what this world would look like when the restrainer, the Holy Spirit, is removed from the earth at the rapture.  I believe this passage from Micah tells us exactly what will happen.  Most of us are familiar with the observation of the philosopher Edmund Burke when he said “all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing”.  Well, what happens when, according to this passage, there are no faithful men?  Every man is against his own brother, and evil is rampant on the earth. This certainly appears to be all that is necessary to create the “perfect storm” of evil. God simply removes His Church along with the Holy Spirit and there is nothing left to fight against Satan and his forces.

 

Since history has shown that Satan’s priority is the destruction of Israel, what do you think he tries to do first?  Is it possible this passage from Micah refers to the rapture of the Church?  I think it certainly may well do that, considering the description it gives as to what the world looks like with the absence of the faithful.  Without the Holy Spirit present on earth in the body of the true Church, the evil that is presently being “restrained” will manifest itself in a fury this world has never seen, most assuredly in the direction of the nation of Israel. This evil, however, will not appear out of nowhere and I believe what we are witnessing today is somewhat like the filling up of a lake behind a dam until the point is reached where the dam will fail and a flood consume all that is before it.

 

Although some might disagree, there is considerable scholarship which supports the premise that the future tribulation period begins on the Jewish holiday of the Feast of Trumpets.  Those who hold the pre-tribulational position of the rapture of the Church look to this day as the time of our deliverance, and this has been taught for many years.  Yet although this would obviously be the point in time where the Church would by necessity have to be taken, there are many who have suggested over the years that there is no reason that there couldn’t be a period of time between the rapture and the beginning of the seven years of tribulation.

 

I believe a close study of the events that the Bible tells us lead up to the “peace” that the coming man of sin brokers between Israel and its enemies supports the idea that there are some very serious conflicts which take place first.  The majority of scholars I have studied believe that the attempted invasion of Israel outlined in Ezekiel 38, 39 and the deliverance by the direct intervention of God is the event which allows this peace agreement, and the tribulation, to begin.  Considering this, my question for years has been, “what is holding back Israel’s enemies right now”?  If your answer is the restrainer, then it follows He has to be removed before this attack can go forward.

 

If we accept that there might be a period of time between the rapture and the beginning of the tribulation, it is reasonable to consider the possibility of a summer rapture when the most likely day for an attack of this nature is on Israel’s national day of mourning.  That day is Tisha B’ Av, or the ninth of Av on the Jewish calendar.  This day normally occurs in the middle of the summer and this year it will begin at sunset on the evening of August 6th.  This day is unique in Israel as the day that many national tragedies have occurred throughout their history.  It seems reasonable considering this history that an attack of the type revealed in prophecy which is still to come would most likely occur on this date.

 

While we might look at the world right now and consider much to be truly evil, it holds no candle to what it will look like when the Church, along with the Holy Spirit is removed at the rapture.  The restrainer is right now holding back Satan’s full fury and the evil that he has planned for this world, but according to the Word of God it won’t last forever.  The Church will be taken and be spared from having to endure the evil which will come upon mankind and the most important question which needs to be asked is are you part of the body of believers which make up the Church?   

 

If not, you can do that right now and receive the guarantee that you will spend eternity with the Father in Heaven, and escape the evil which is to come.  Simply pray a prayer like this; Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Amen.

 

Keep watching.

Coming for His Bride

“Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’ “  Isaiah 46:9-10  NKJV

I would be the first to say that I am sure someone could write an entire book expounding these two verses from the prophet Isaiah.  This is my “go to” passage when someone tells me we don’t need to study the Old Testament anymore because we have the New Testament to rely on.  In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth for there is so much to be found in the stories of the Old Testament, especially as it relates to the future of this world in general, and the Church in particular.  Paul even discussed this in his letter to the Corinthian church when speaking about all that happened to the nation of Israel during their history.

“Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”   1 Corinthians 10:11  NKJV

Typology is the term used to describe the study of past events as a picture revealing the truth of a future event.  In essence what this means is that many of the events in the Old Testament were actually pictures of what was to occur in the future.  Many scholars see the rapture of Enoch, which occurred just before the flood of Noah, as a type or pattern of the rapture of the Church, which will also happen just before the start of the final period of God’s judgment of an unbelieving world.  

Other examples would be the story of Abraham being told to sacrifice his only son Isaac, and God providing a lamb as a substitute. Or Joseph, sent by his father to visit his brothers and being “killed” in a sense by his imprisonment in Egypt only to reappear as second only to Pharaoh as ruler in Egypt. Also, there is Jonah, being thrown overboard allowing the others to survive while he suffers the punishment of God's wrath in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights. There are many more, but hopefully these are enough for you to begin to see what is meant by the study of typology.

I have often talked about the relationship between the Church and Jesus, especially as it has been described as a relationship between a bride and her groom. If we consider that picture, and apply the study of typology, what we would do is look for stories of weddings in the Old Testament and examine them closely to see if there might be an application to the future wedding of Jesus to His bride, the Church. Using that perspective, the story many have found most applicable is the one we find revealed in the book of Ruth.  Many believe that the story it tells, especially in light of typology and the Church, reveals some amazing truths that say much about our future, and quite possibly even the timing of the wedding.

Why is that?  Consider just a few of pictures we find in this little book.  Naomi, (as a picture of the nation Israel), Ruth, (as a picture of a Gentile bride, the Church), and Boaz, (the kinsman redeemer who restores Naomi’s land and then marries Ruth the Gentile bride).  If we look closer at the wedding between Boaz and Ruth, many believe we can also discover clues concerning the future rapture of the Church.  The wedding occurs after the harvest season, specifically the wheat harvest, which in Israel would usually be at the very beginning of summer. 

“So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.”  Ruth 2:23  NKJV

Coincidentally, one of the seven feasts of Israel occurs at this same time which is the Feast of Shavuot.  Shavuot means literally “weeks” and it is a celebration of the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai which according to the Torah, was a journey from Egypt that took exactly seven weeks.  It is one of the three “pilgrimage” festivals where travel to the temple in Jerusalem was required.  Shavuot is also considered to be a harvest festival as during the temple period this is when Jews would bring their firstfruits to the temple.  It is also a Jewish tradition that the book of Ruth be read on the Feast of Shavuot, the sixth of Sivan, as they stay up all night.  Is it any coincidence that the Church is admonished to wait and watch, using illustrations like the “thief in the night”? 

Speaking of the Church, another name for this holiday is the Feast of Pentecost, the word for fifty being penta.  Many will recognize this holiday by that name, especially considering what occurred on this day, just fifty days after Jesus rose from the dead.

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”  Acts 2:1-4 NKJV

The sixth of Sivan, the Feast of Pentecost, is the day the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples, and also the day many consider being the birthday of the Church. Could this be significant?  Just as there always is when studying the scriptures, there is more to the story if we take the time to look a little deeper. There is a Jewish rabbinical tradition that Enoch was not only born on the sixth of Sivan, but was taken on his birthday as well.  As we are approaching Pentecost, if we look at Enoch as a type of the rapture, is it possible the Church could be raptured, taken to Heaven as a bride for her wedding along with the Holy Spirit (restrainer) being removed on its birthday, the Feast of Pentecost, just as Enoch was?

Whether or not this proves to be true, the book of Ruth is not only a wonderful love story but also beautiful picture of Jesus redeeming His Gentile bride, the Church.  He is our kinsman redeemer who chose to give His own life as a sacrifice to pay for our sins. If you have never accepted this gift, I urge you to do it today. Jesus paid the price for His bride, and the Church could disappear at any time.  Simply pray this prayer or put it in your own words but tell God you believe He sent His Son to pay the price for your sin, and that you will turn control of your life to Him.

"Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Amen."

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