“For
the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will
do so until He is taken out of the way.” 2 Thessalonians 2:7 NKJV
noun: dry run; plural noun: dry
runs
- a rehearsal of a performance or procedure before the real one.
As
you might expect, the subject of the fallout from the coronavirus is front and
center in most of the media today, as well as in conversations between most of
us when we do get together to talk. One of the subjects which I find is most
often overlooked by pastors teaching from the pulpit today is what exactly we
should expect to see in the time leading up to the rapture of the Church and
the beginning of the tribulation.
Considering that more and more believers are coming around to the belief
that we are nearing this point in time, I would like to suggest that what we
are seeing around the world today is Satan, in effect, practicing for what he
intends to do during the tribulation.
That
said, I think it important to address the movement we are seeing as more and
more people begin to push back on the restrictions being imposed on us by what
many describe as a “governmental overreach”. Overreach or overreaction aside, what I believe is important here is the
fact that many simply feel that the response by those in power to what has occurred,
has in fact, infringed on our rights.
Those thoughts have resulted in the protests we have observed which have
begun to take many different forms and actions throughout not only our nation
but the world as well.
While
the power to govern rests on the consent of the governed, there is going to
come a time, perhaps much sooner than many believe, where the majority of the
people will deliberately choose to give this power to one man, which the Word
of God calls the antichrist. This man
will attempt to control the entire world by whatever means necessary and the
result is a time of trouble the likes of which this world has never seen. The following is an exerpt from an article by
Jack Kelley of “gracethrufaith.com”.
“People will always choose repression over anarchy. History
shows that revolutionary governments always wind up being more repressive than
the the ones they overthrew. They come to power by promising to meet the basic
needs of their subjects. They stay in power by suppressing individual rights.
The one world system will impose these conditions on a world
wide scale. It will come to power by promising peace and safety in a time of
chaos (Daniel 8:25). It will stay
in power by suppressing freedom. It will not tolerate religious freedom. It
will not tolerate democracy. It will not tolerate a free market economy. And
for a time it will appear to have succeeded (Rev.
13:4).
But the man at the head of this one world system will have
an agenda of his own, and that’s to be worshiped as God (2
Thes. 2:4). The One who is God will have none of that and will
respond decisively to this challenge (Matt.
24:15-21).
Before then, there are just a few obstacles standing in the
way of this one world system. The first is the United States which with all its
flaws has really been the antithesis of the one world system. It was founded
upon the principle of religious freedom, it’s the closest thing to a democracy
the world has ever seen, and its power was built with a free market economy. It
became too powerful to be defeated so it had to be destroyed from within. For
nearly a century, powers behind the scene have been working diligently to
accomplish that. Today they’re so close to success they no longer bother to hide.
The second obstacle is the Church. But soon God will have
had a belly full of this world and will take us out of harm’s way in
preparation for His judgment (1
Thes. 1:10). For a time it will look to the world as if their desired
utopia has finally arrived, but just as they’re saying peace and safety
destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman,
and they will not escape (1
Thes. 5:3).
The one world system’s final obstacle will be Israel, the
people of the God they’re so desperate to be free of. Thinking to prevent the
Lord’s return by destroying His people, the world will unite in their common
goal to wipe Israel off the map (Zech
12:3).
But the Lord has never left His people, always remaining
close enough to hear their cry for help (Hosea
5:15). As soon as they ask He’ll come to their rescue,
destroying the one world system and capturing its leaders (Rev.
19:19-21). He’ll return to Earth to set up the kingdom He promised
them, one that will never be destroyed or given to another (Daniel
2:44). Finally, the world will have peace (Isaiah
9:7).
You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.
02-26-11”
|
I personally cannot
help but wonder if the events we are witnessing today are simply a “dry run” in
which Satan is orchestrating events in an attempt to finalize his strategy for
what he will attempt to do during the tribulation period. It then follows too, that the reason it is
not succeeding is the presence of the Holy Spirit, the “restrainer” which is
present in every member of the body of Christ.
While in the past it may have been difficult for many to understand how
the antichrist accomplishes his control over this world, I believe after what
we have witnessed in the past few months it becomes a much more believable
scenario.
The present situation
we find ourselves in is certainly troubling, and much of what the media chooses
to share with us can be unsettling, yet we as believers rest in the knowledge
that our Savior Jesus Christ is the one with ultimate power and control. The restrainer is holding back the powers
granted to Satan, and his plans for this world are on hold for a time. Yet his time will come, understandably so
when you take into account that it occurs after the rapture when the body of Christ
is removed from this world, and there is virtually no one left to oppose him.
Now more than ever, it is time for those who have never
made the decision to give their lives to Christ to make that choice before it
is too late. Jesus has promised to take
us home to be with Him before this world descends into that time which the Word
calls the tribulation, and from all that we are witnessing today, it could
happen at any time. If you are unsure of
being a member of Christ’s family, you can be sure today by praying 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 to you. I confess
You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me. Amen.
Keep
watching.
