Vaccines, Chips, and the Mark of the Beast

  

I’ve been listening to a great series of messages by Dalton Thomas, from Frontier Alliance International, on the subject of end times. Since End-Times Scripture is focused on the Middle East, he is well-positioned to speak, being an American citizen spreading the Gospel in Golan Heights-along with a mentor, Joel Richardson, who has written several popular books such as The Islamic Antichrist.  So I would like to give you his take on end times, with my explanations, a Cliff’s Notes, as it were, of his lecture title, “The Mark of the Beast, Pandemic of Coronavirus, and the New World Order.”

 

Mr. Thomas, first, is responding to the fear expressed in Facebook, in emails, on whether the world-wide pandemic, and the vaccine, are a "mark of the beast," or will bring about a global restructuring, a New World Order. People are also worried about taking a “chip” to bring about a cashless society.  Some people are anxiety-prone, responding to hyper-sensationalism and news of conspiracies. But Scripture backs up a high level of concern for those days. 

 

Let's clarify a couple of things on this term "the mark of the beast."  The "beast," first of all, is another name for the antichrist, the man (I Think he's a man) who would rule the world in the End Times.  Just to give you a picture of him, see Revelation 13:4-6:

So they (a large number of people in the world) worshiped the dragon (another name for Satan) who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” ⁵ And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. ⁶ Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.

The beast will be victorious in war, and he hates God, since he is basically a son of Satan.  He kills Christians and Jews, and he commits the terrible sin of blasphemy against God. 

The "mark" of the beast is found in Revelation 13:16-18:

He (the beast) causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. ¹⁸ Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

This anticipates the beast will have control of the monetary exchange system throughout the world.  While that doesn't seem possible, here's a related fact:  the Federal Reserve just announced (Sep 2022) that they will build a "Fed Now" system starting in July of 2023.  This system happens to also be the infrastructure of the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) system.  Under that CBDC system, all "checkbook" and credit card transactions will be run through the Federal Reserve, a government central bank--higher than all other banks.  The government could throw a thousand dollars into your account a day after the President announces a stimulus, unlike the stimulus checks they sent out or placed into your bank during the pandemic--which took several months to get done, and was a huge burden on the IRS.  While that idea seems great, here's the downside:  They would know your income, when you receive it; they would know what your expenses are, and how much you are in debt.  They could take money away from your account and give to some group that is poorer, discriminated against in the past, or just because they don't like your conservative views.  Or just because they need the other groups' votes.  It's interesting that China is the only larger country that has this system in place.  And it's also true, though, that with facial-recognition cameras everywhere, they can track your every move there.  Monitoring is the name of the game.  Dissenters are put away in China.  So what I'm saying, is, that the "beast" will lay hands on that system in the U.S. too--and everywhere else in the world.  As computers are continually speeded up, it's probably not a large step to gather information in the world vs one country only.

Here's another eye-opener on the "mark:"  God's reaction to those who go along with the mark is contained in Revelation 14:9-10:

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb

It is clear that God considers it an act of worshipping the beast if you take his mark. And you would go to hell.  Well, for Christians, what is the alternative?  What if we don't take the mark?  That would be a terrible inconvenience.  One possibility would be a barter system.  If you have a talent for a certain good or service, you would exchange it for another person with a talent for another good or service that you need.  But for services, that would have to be a search done locally to find your person.  In some cases, you would have to pay gas money to travel farther away to find your person.  That's expensive--even worse if you don't have gas cars! Goods bartering can mostly be mailed, but at extra expense.  That would take trust for the opposite person to come through with their half of the deal. Here's hoping you wouldn't get scammed by not getting a return mailing.  IF the internet is allowed, you get on a barter system and offer up such an exchange.  If you don't find someone, you might have to learn how to fix it on You Tube, or a facetime helper. Or you live without it.

If the internet is banned, structures radically change.  With no easy correspondence, you have to phone several people, or write to get what you need.  For frequent needs, such as food, you would have to have a food grower locally.  You might have a lot of people moving to rural areas.

With all of this, I would imagine your standard of living would drop like a stone, since you would only be able, given the time-consumption and high costs, to pursue searching for only absolute necessities--food, shelter, or clothing--and maybe using, and repairing, only absolutely necessary appliances.  Paying stuff, if not services of your own, might involve gold or silver. I have no idea where students have anything to offer for an advanced education, or how medical services can possibly be paid for--especially by seniors, who some cold-hearted person may say, have "nothing to offer--they're just eaters."  Since God's Word says that those days are lacking love, you might see Christians as the only ones who have empathy; they would all draw closer, banding together for these things.  Hopefully they can thus reduce the scams, the spy games, the betrayal, the unreliable, and the lazy who don't do a good job. Note Bible verses like Matthew 24:10-12, which say that people would "betray one another...kill one another, and...the love of many will grow cold."

So what I'm saying is, to stay off the beast's bandwagon, you have to "get off the grid," or get off money.  It's a lot of inconvenience and a lot of work, but it can be done. I'd strongly suggest reducing living standards now, to pay off debt.  This increases free cash, and the increased costs would be less of an obstacle.

A big question that might arise in your mind is, "why does God consider that if I take the mark--an economic event--I'm necessarily committing an act of worship?"  What if I hate the beast, just take the mark, and yet I continue praying to God?  Isn't that all right? The answer is, first of all, Whatever God says, we do it, on faith that He knows best because He loves us.  If He says "here is my command, if you break it I will send you to hell," He doesn't lie; He will do it.  He is sovereign; He is the Judge of all the earth, and we have to pay attention to His standards.  I know that doesn't satisfy many people; we like to ask God "why?"  I don't advise that--it's mistrusting Him, it's judging Him.  He never did answer Job's complaint over why He allowed terrible things to happen to that godly man.  (But He led all of us to think about it, which is good).  Perhaps I could offer a humble answer for the rational mind:  Look at the definition of idolatry, according to Dr. Steven R. Cook:

Idolatry is the selfish sin of substitution in which we devote ourselves to something or someone in the place of God.  It is foremost a sin of a covetous heart that leads us to desire more than what God provides us, and to trust something or someone other than God to satisfy our wants and needs.

The "beast," remember, blasphemes God.  He will speak clearly that taking the mark is his way, and not taking it is God's "ridiculous idea."  Looking at that last sentence above, clearly acceding to the mark, given the angel warning, is definitely against God and preferring your life over God's sacrificial life for Him. We are thus bowing to the beast, liking his solution for our needs better than God's difficult or "partial" solution for our needs.  (We need to redefine "needs," though.)  God's idea, "no mark," the sacrifice in our standard of living is great.  But sacrifice is a way of life for those who love Christ.  Idolatry is a great sin; look at Revelation 21:8:

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Taking a vaccine or merely choosing an economic convenience like a chip, with no discriminatory comments or anti-God boasting, or totalitarianism involved, do not meet up to the "mark's" idolatrous worship.  God will not allow you to get sneaked into something where Satan says "Ha!  Now I got you."  No, God expects you to make a free choice against Him before you deserve hell.

Mr. Thomas adds that with the rise of Islam and their goal of making a 10-nation caliphate (another blog upcoming), and the responses of each government to the pandemic, we are indeed restructuring society. He makes it clear, though, that the vaccine or “chip” to go cashless are NOT the mark of the beast, then begins Scripture proof of this.

 

First, the Scripture is about the Middle East; so when we’re focusing on end-time events, we should be focusing on changes there, not in the Western Hemisphere, or in one country. Scripture clearly indicates the "mark" thing is a worldwide thing. Fact is, no political leader or techno CEO or health department from the USA or Germany, for instance, will implement the mark of the beast. The idea of having everyone take the “mark,” or the number 666, will come after a worldwide military buildup of power by this probably Islamic ruler, as Thomas believes--and his rulership of the world will affect every nation, every person, on the globe for at least 3-1/2 years.  Thus, as far as what is important in end times, the world no longer revolves around the United States or the EU.  We’re not saying the U.S. is irrelevant—but the point is, the U.S., in end times, is not in the Bible anywhere, so we conclude that it is not a worldwide military power anymore.  The focus is on Jerusalem, the city of the Great King, which the antichrist loves to do his damage in, using surrounding Islamic nations. 

 

We need a “baptism of study" in the Bible to know what to expect in our earthly future, and turn away from pop culture or people that just want to sell books to people they hope are Scripturally ignorant. We don’t have to fear as the world fears if we know His Word—therein is His truth.  It is our ignorance that breeds fear; our anxiety is way too great, comparing it to the truly horrible events of the future.  We Christians should not moan about how we are persecuted now, considering how we might someday be persecuted to death, to martyrdom. We desperately need to get regularly into the Word, get a daily relationship with God, to prepare ourselves for what’s coming.  Let’s continue our study with Revelation 13:4-10:

 

So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”...⁷ It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. ⁸ All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world...Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

 

A big question is: Why do so many people love the beast?  Since Revelation 6 and Matthew 24 speak of continual war, “nation against nation,” there are people who get stressed out of all the war and seeing death and knowing that their friends and family have lost a loved one.  They just want peace and order, and will allow violating their privacy. to obtain it They fear the beast so much that they learn to submit and let him set the rules. At the same time, hey will be happy that he could be successful militarily that he could restore order to us.  He will deceive us, and make us think that he is benevolent.  Only when he attacks Jerusalem is his satanic nature exposed.  Even then, most people don’t know (or don’t care) that he is the Scriptural beast, since most won't believe the Bible.  I suspect this is shockingly true. People will still revere him even if he blasphemed God and proceeded to make war with the saints. These  will pay dearly for this compliance to evil.  For most of them, their names “have not been written in the Book of Life.”  They will be in hell when they die.  They wanted a calmer life in the present, not thinking about eternity. Don’t let this be you. 

 

A second aspect of the verses above:  God will actually give the devil (the dragon) worldwide authority, even to kill the people of God, which Satan passes along to his 'son,' the beast. How could God do that? Is God not loving? But I ask you, who opens the seals in Revelation 6 for the horrible things to come?  Jesus, the Lamb of God. So the truth is, God does this to test our faithfulness to Him.

Consider Deuteronomy 13:1-3:

 

“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, ² and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ ³ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

 

This life-or-death testing by God is a heavy reality, but very true nonetheless.  This testing by God messes with our theology, but that’s because we’ve had it so good that we’ve developed “easy believism” in our “cotton candy Christian culture,” and don’t know of the two sides of God. As Paul says it in Romans 11, “consider the goodness and severity of God.”  Difficult times are coming; this will be the most severe possible test by God.  We must hold onto our faith, knowing by faith that He will win in the end, that He has ultimate sovereignty.  But remember, this testing at its worst will last for only 42 months. If we want heaven, we should not take up a sword as resistance to evil; that’s the way of the world. Note Jesus, who did not resist the Cross. We can flee to a remote place, but if confronted, we give all allegiance to God and none to the beast, whatever it costs. Be willing to be a captive; be willing to be slain.  Just endure in faith—even to the end of your life, if need be. Such brave and noble behavior could be an astounding testimony as well. The greatest harvest of new saints to heaven in the past came upon the martyrdom of His children.  God may call upon us to suffer—but is the servant greater than his master?  If Jesus suffered, shall we not also expect to suffer?

 

About the “mark,” Mr. Thomas adds (assuming the beast is Islam):  In the past, when Islam took over rule, those that wouldn’t bow to Allah were subjugated to second class—it was difficult to get a good job, hard to travel, especially internationally. They had to pay what they called the “jizya tax,” an extra tax, and had the letter “N” on their house (infidel worshippers of the Nazarene, Jesus).  Islamic governments rewarded their neighbors for spying on them.  Their rights as to freedom of speech would go away, their lawyers would have to learn Islamic law in court.  They became part of the house of the 'unfaithful.' It was simply a test of what God they would worship, and were they faithful enough to suffer for their God?  Perhaps when the antichrist, who might also be Islamic, takes over, Satan, or the beast, wants worship the same way.  So the “mark,” besides the ban on buying or selling, really asks: Can you live low in society, refusing to worship the antichrist, enduring for Christ, or do you bow to the beast and the dragon (Satan), and take the mark?    

 

So, do you do whatever you can to hang onto life and your worldly possessions, on an admittedly deranged earth, followed by an eternity in hell—or do you decide for suffering, perhaps dying, for a short period, for God, who will reward you with heaven? Who do you worship?  God cannot have any mercy on you if you have chosen to depend on the beast rather than God for your needs. Joining a group that is different, that is fanatical for a God that is letting His people die by the thousands, a group that is hated by most, would require a lot of faith.  Maybe God could send an angel giving food to you as a miracle of prayer—but probably that won't happen often. Sticking together with other Christians is probably what He wants.  Since it might be tempting to avoid all that life-endangering risk and take the mark, we must resist the urge, we must endure and have radical faith that God means every word He says. 

 

Another proof that you’re not going to hell by currently taking a vaccine, or a chip for a cashless society:  The last 7 years of life on earth is detailed in Scripture, and the real "mark" is explicitly mentioned as being in the second half of those 7. So the real question is, how can I tell when the 7 years begins?  Then I can count forward 3-1/2 years, and then start looking for the mark. 

 

For proof, Scripture explicitly divides the 7 years in two. See Daniel 9:27:

 

Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one seven; But in the middle of the seven He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,..

 

Here’s what happens in the first 3-1/2 years (another trio of blogs I have here explains this in detail).  It begins with a covenant of peace that the antichrist makes with the Jews.  He adheres to that for the first 3-1/2 years, also those years are called “the beginning of sorrows.” There will be many wars (but not the War to End All Wars, or Armageddon); there will be a huge increase in three other things: deception, famine, and earthquakes.  True, we have those 4 things sporadically even now—just not so many at once. Unfortunately, because these events happen off and on now, they cannot be signs for when the 7 years begin.  Only the covenant is an effective time test as to when the 7 years begin.  Start counting ahead for 3-1/2 years there.  You cannot be fearful of anybody calling something "the mark” during the first 3-1/2. Ignore their "prophecies."  Remember, again, even in the first 3-1/2 years of the 7, the antichrist is deceptively appearing as a friend to Jews and Christians, so he will not lower the "boom" on Christians during "peacetime."

 

The real hurt happens in the second 3-1/2 year, the tribulation.  Look what Daniel 7:25 says about it:

 

He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.

 

Get ready to hide, if you can.  The saints, all those who believe and follow the Lord (and the Jews), are hunted down and killed for 3-1/2 years.  This period is so important that from Revelation 6 to almost the end of the book, all the events take place in that second 3-1/2 years.  We know the 3-1/2 years is true because in Revelation 11:2, 12:6 and 12:14 all refer to periods called, variously, “time, times, and half a time”--and “1260 days,” which is 3-1/2 years, and of course, “42 months,” which is also 3-1/2 years.  This is how it will go. Right after the first 3-1/2 years is over, right after the increases in wars, famine, and earthquakes, then the deadly last 3-1/2 years is going to begin. What is the big event that starts it?  The answer is, in Revelation 11, in the city of Jerusalem.  It is attacked and trampled down, and the Jews flee—then you can start counting the last 3-1/2 years.  Measure it. The rapture, the Coming of Our Lord immediately follows that.  He is worth the suffering for 3-1/2 years, believe me. An eternity in heaven we get in exchange.

 

For a little more detail at the midpoint, the antichrist blasphemes on the altar of the restored temple in Jerusalem, see Matthew 24:15:

 

“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), ¹⁶ “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

 

What is this “abomination?”  Maybe he sacrifices a pig on the altar in the holy of holies, perhaps he erects an altar to himself. In any event, many Jews in Jerusalem are able to figure it out—they take flight, knowing he will go on a killing spree.  Consider Zechariah 14:1-2: 

 

Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst.² For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

 

Half (those who stay) will go into captivity.  The other half? Slain, fled, or hidden.  Only a small “remnant” is left there.  His saints, see Daniel 7:25, should also flee urban areas, since he is gunning for them too, and it is easier to kill those who are dense in number.  He is worse than Hitler, worse than Nero, worse than the Inquisition, all rolled together.  At the beginning of the second 3-1/2, the beginning of tribulation, upon blaspheming the Jews’ holy site, his true self is unmasked; he is an enemy of Jews, and Christians. 

Now you look for the mark he demands. 

 

Looking back for context, Revelation 12 has a broader storyline—it tells of the birth of Jesus, in metaphors. It reminds you of Genesis 3:15, of the conflict of Jesus and the devil.  Satan has tried throughout history to oppose God, but in this last 3-1/2 years, there is unprecedented war that Satan brings on Christ’s followers and on the Jews. See Revelation 12:12:

 

Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

   

You need to know that even now, with Kurdish groups under the oppression of Turkish proxy groups, or with Shia groups occupying Sunni populations in Syria, in those places you cannot buy or sell unless you take a knee to their Islamic religion and Shiite law.  But this one country problem is not the end time.  Isis did much damage, despite being a small band of rogue jihadists.  Imagine the damage that could be done by a 10-nation confederacy of jihadists with their scripture leading them to bloodlust, bent on one thing—killing and destroying. 

 

If we are living in this time of the invasion of Jerusalem, we know that this second 42 months, despite its horrors, is just before the edge of Eternity, the final countdown.  Those living then are on the brink of the glorious age to come, months away from heaven, to be (with those who loved Christ who died earlier) with our just and victorious and loving Lord forever.  A time of excitement, not fear. That rapture event happens on the Day of the Lord.

 

To quote Mr. Thomas, “the Day of the Lord is very great and very terrible. It’s going to be the most glorious hour of human history, but also the most difficult, terrible and challenging hour of human history.” It’s the great clash of the extremes. This is not about vaccines, which are minor; we’re talking about mass bloodshed, mass jihad, mass subjugation of the people of God. 

 

Mr. Thomas also makes a shocking statement:  He mentions the pre-tribulation rapture theory; he calls it “so destructive.”  If you have plans for being raptured while those on earth are clueless for a solution, during this horrible time, then think again.  You are wrong. You should start thinking about how to spiritually survive if you have to endure the tribulation. If your pre-trib wishes are wrong and you have not prepared, how can you educate your spouse or your kids correctly, or speak prophetically to the church, and how you can best mentally prepare those around you for the terror that could happen (followed by the best that could happen)?  Are you assuming this won’t be your concern—it’s irrelevant? “That’s what's destructive,”  Mr. Thomas says. The Book of Revelation repeats many times a call to endurance for the saints.  How can you line this up with the doctrine that God intends to rescue us painlessly beforehand?

 

Keep one thing in mind:  Yes, “it was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them.”  (Rev. 13:7).  But who is the ultimate overcomer?  We His children are:  As Rev. 12:11 says:

 

And they (saints) overcame him (the antichrist) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

 

This is how we obtain victory.  We simply set our mind to follow a crucified Messiah.  We shall be victors with Him.

 

Even better than this, thanks to Jesus, He raises our bodies as new bodies in His rapture to be with Him forever.  So we are the ultimate overcomers. So we must know this:  Self-defense by gathering guns and vigilante troops will kill, and God commands against that. Scripture only allows fleeing your enemy.  Your primary job is not self-defense, it is spiritual endurance and preparing your family as well. Keep in mind your revenge is this:  you will be in heaven, if you act righteously, but they will be in hell.  Unless they repent.  If you kill them, they will not have a chance to repent.  Vengeance is God’s.  Do not worry about giving up your life.  You will live again, in a much better body.  

 

Heaven

 Do you believe in heaven?  The Bible, God’s Word, attests to the reality of it, over 600 times; and it gives us some details about its location and who is there, and of course, which persons go there (and who doesn’t, and goes to hell—that’s also a real place.)  Grace Bible Church and Ministries do an excellent job of laying out Scriptural proof about heaven.  It doesn’t answer questions the Bible doesn’t answer, such as “will my dog go to heaven?”  We leave that for those who speculate, hoping they can sell more books.  The Bible doesn’t give much detail on things that we really want to know.  If it did, I suspect more people would go to fortune-tellers or attend seances, which are expressly forbidden by God in His Word. We should focus on what are the requirements for US to get there, since Scripture indicates clearly about that—and that a minority of people get there (Matthew 7:13-14), This lecture by one of their senior pastors does a great job of explaining, first of all, what’s between us and God’s heaven.  Let’s get into the details.

II Corinthians 12:2-4 says:

 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I donot know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. ³ And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— ⁴ how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 

This passage indicates that there are three heavens in total, one immediately above the other.  The highest, the third heaven, is the place of the personal dwelling of God—the most sacred place in the universe. The words uttered there are so sacred that they cannot be repeated outside that sphere.  We get a view of it from Nehemiah 9:6:

You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You.

There are strange creatures there, worshiping God; see Revelation 4:6-8:

Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. ⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. ⁸ The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”

By the way, God did not create these creatures to dispense flattery.  Flattery is, after all, telling lies to make someone feel better about themselves.  These creatures are speaking the truth, in an attitude of pure worship.

And let’s not forget the seraphim and cherubim. These angels are definitely different, and are also noted for worship, and are mentioned in Isaiah 6:1-3 and Ezekiel 10:3:

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. ² Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³ And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”

 

Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court. ⁴ Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the temple; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s glory. ⁵ And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like the voice of Almighty God when He speaks.

Just a word of note, cherubim are also a decoration on the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:17ff).  Cherubim, holding flaming swords, prevented Adam and Eve from re-entering Eden after they sinned (Genesis 3:24).

Revelation also introduces us to an area called “mid-heaven” called the “midst of heaven.”  This describes some sort of area in which different types of beings come and go, The following verses describe various powerful beings who proclaim themselves from the mid-heaven.  Such as Revelation 8:13, 14:6, and 19:17:

And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven (literally mid-heaven), saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven (literally mid-heaven), having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven (literally mid-heaven), “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God,

The Greek word used for mid-heaven is “mesauranema.” It is not vague in location; it really means “mid-heaven.” It seems reasonable to conclude that this is the second heaven.  We might assume finally that the visible heaven, including what we can see of space, all that is visible to our natural eyesight, is the first heaven.

Looking again at our three verses above, one thing they have in common, they are all sent by God for His purposes. This makes sense, since hat word is derived from the Greek “angelos,” which is the standard word for messenger.  Therefore angels are considered messengers sent from heaven.  A good example is the angel Gabriel, who in Daniel 8 and 9 explains future events to Daniel.  But that’s not the only purpose of angels.

Scripture lets us know that there are also evil angels sent forth by Satan for his purposes.  Sometimes there are conflicts among these two groups of angels.  These are described in the book of Daniel.  The angel bringing Daniel a message in the 10th chapter is unnamed, (could be Gabriel again), but when the evil angels against him are stronger, he gets help from Michael, a warrior angel.  The evil angel is called the “prince” of Persia (modern day Iran).  It’s possible that a stronger evil angel, a “king,’ was asked to help fight the angel Michael, who has greater power than the messenger angel.  The verses are in Daniel 10:11-13:

And he (a messenger angel) said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. ¹² Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. ¹³ But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

The term "archangel," a higher good angel, is used in I Thessalonians 4 and Jude 9.  Michael here is called a "chief prince."  So it’s possible that there is a hierarchy of warrior angels, both good and evil (since the evil ones are called "prince" and "king"), classified by their power on both sides.  It’s also possible that smarter evil individual angels are in charge of countries, and they are responsible for enticing men in that city or country to greater evil.

The inescapable fact confronts us that our world lies beneath a scene of conflict.  God, according to other Scriptures, sometimes restrains Satan—sometimes using His angels to do that.  And sometimes He does not--if he sees the wickedness of men to be too great (see Romans 1 for the phrase "gave them up"). Satan has evil desires for our lives, to ruin it by enticing us to sin, to even to kill us.  It is also true, however, that all angels, evil and good, are immortal, and the evil angels can persuade people to commit such sin and such blindness to Christ that they effectively take our soul.  While our lives run to their end, we have the ability to choose which side of each moral decision we are confronted with, to make; so that determines which side, God or Satan, gain more control over our behavior.  Little by little, we thus choose our ultimate destination, heaven or hell.

The angels sent forth by God have three main tasks:  As already stated, some are His messengers, and some are warriors.  Thirdly, there are God’s agents, sent forth to protect those who may be in danger--these are normally described as guardian angels.  Matthew 18:10 says:

“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

In this verse, we see that the Father’s watchful eye directs those angels on behalf of potentially vulnerable children.

I have to say, at this point, that when tragedy happens to children, or to anybody, it does not mean that “God does not exist” or “God messed up.” We do not know all we should about sorrow and suffering that happen in our lives. If it is a child, it could be a comfort to know that God will always accept the innocent to heaven; they pass from death to a wonderful life; their end is finer there than anywhere here.  And if we are in heaven, Scripture does show that we will recognize relatives and loved ones (Luke 16:19ff).  Perhaps even miscarried or aborted children will be recognized if we are in heaven too. We could have more children there than we think!

Many Christians believe that heaven is a place of unbroken peace and harmony.  This may be true of the third heaven; but as we have seen, it does not apply to the second heaven.  It is also likely that Satan pours out a stream of slanderous accusations against the Christians on earth from the mid-heaven.  Revelation 12:10 attests to that:

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God, day and night, has been cast down.

This verse in Revelation speaks of the future. Satan is not cast down to hell at this time, as you might think.  It is speaking on him as being cast down from mid-heaven to earth.  Satan’s role as the accuser of our brethren (and us, possibly) will end in the End Times, according to this verse.  Likewise he will be kicked out of his place of accusation, currently in mid-heaven.  But on the earth, he will be devastating in his effects.  The verses following are a warning to the inhabitants of the earth about what to expect when the devil is cast down from his mid-heaven place. Revelation 12:12:

Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

That “short time” reference, according to this writer, begins the Tribulation, a seven-year period where Satan “struts his stuff,” causing wars, famine, death and misery. Christians will need to have a good relationship with God to persevere and keep our allegiance on our Lord to survive this terrible time.  Scripture is clear for those living in those times; we will only win heaven if we persevere for Him. We cannot take the mark, or give ourselves over to selfishness and greed in a day where love is lacking.  Love cannot be lacking in Christians—real Christians.  This event will be in the future; but we don’t know exactly when.  Scripture gives signs, but it does not precisely say.  (More on this in upcoming blogs).

Many Christians believe that Satan is confined to hell.  But that is not true.  There are two satanic princes, named Death and Hades, who rule in hell; but Satan roams freely throughout the universe.  See Revelation 20:13:

The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

Job 1:6&7 adds more:

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. ⁷ And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

Your writer would like you to notice Satan is included in the phrase “sons of God.”  The Hebrew words for that suggest these are of the original creations of God.  Adam was a son of God in that sense.  And all the angels were.  But then some went bad.  But be careful.  This does NOT mean that Jesus, God’s Son, was in the same order as these evil angels.  Nor does it mean that Satan is Jesus’ brother; such nonsense is in the Mormon doctrine.   Also keep in mind that Jesus, despite His name as “Son of God,” was NOT created by God.  The phrase has a different meaning.  All Scripture indicates that Jesus was eternal, and is 100% God (but He was also human on earth).

When Adam and Eve were created, the earth was “perfect,” God said.  We only get a glimpse of its beauty.  It was created for Adam and Eve to enjoy.  But they rebelled.  Eve wanted “to be as gods,” Satan’s Lie that is most seductive to us. This was sin; they decided not to obey God’s simple instructions about avoiding one tree. This appearance of sin was not tolerable to a holy God.  So they were deprived of His fellowship.  Sin, like a plague, invaded mankind, and was transmitted through the generations, so we all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory and acceptance as we are.  Sin has caused corruption in men and the earth. Romans 5:19a states it bluntly:

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners

The continual leaning towards sin, this rebellion against God is spoken clearly in Genesis 6:12:

So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

The earth groans because it has been marred by sin. We are the cause. But there will be a new heaven and a new earth; those who love God will experience resurrection and see the deliverance of earth, per Romans 8:21-22:

….the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

Like a crippling disease, sin distorts and devastates everything it touches.  But the  heavens express the opposite. As Psalm 19:1 says:

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament (the visible sky) shows His handiwork

God cannot look upon sin without judgment.  Habakkuk 1:13 says:

You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness.

But God’s love is so great that He has provided a way for the curse of sin to be removed. God crucified sin on the cross by the blood of Christ, Who redeemed us. He died in our place, so He could present us faultless to His Father in heaven. He is the only one who can bridge the gap between heaven and earth.  It is difficult, but necessary, for us to be humble and admit that we are sinners by choice and practice, and never deserve heaven.  God’s grace for salvation and entrance to heaven can only be applied for those who admit that there is no way that we can be reconciled to God by our efforts.  We must place our trust in Christ for that.

(Editor) But not only that, we cannot maintain our salvation without an actual continual relationship with God.  We must learn to obey His commandments, and bear fruit for Him (Galatians 5:22-23 for a list).  We’re not just talking about the 10 Commandments, though they are a start.  Jesus gave many examples of God’s standards at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).  See the Sower parable for how some seed starts out good, then loses its life, being bogged down by continued attachment to the ”world;” i.e., lusts of spending or sex while single, or other condemned things.  By not persevering to make God’s right decisions, by not really living any differently than before we dedicated our life to Him.  Or read my “Vineyard” blog.  Christ talked more about hell than you could imagine.  You need to meditate on the Gospels, on those particular verses, thoroughly, to learn how easy it is to deceive yourselves.  Many will be shocked when denied heaven, in that Judgment Day, as Matthew 7:21-23 points out:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not...done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

We only have this life to prepare, intelligently, for our eternal future.  Heaven or hell? The differences are so stark and radical that several days of Biblical study are worth it, don’t you think? Read the Gospels with an open mind.  Every word that Christ says helps to form the right doctrine for salvation.  I assure you, most pastors do not get this right.  Do not assume anything; be a good investigator and find proof of obtaining and keeping salvation.  Do not be many of the ignorant ones who were complacent and presumptuous, assuming God was a nice guy that will let their behavior pass.  God knows who loves Him enough to make hard decisions for Him when they come. You may believe in “once saved, always saved.”  I have upcoming blogs to prove that’s a lie.  You may believe if End Times come, Christ will rapture us before things get messy.  How convenient.  Well, that’s a lie too, as I’ve already shown in my three End Times blogs. As it says, in II Timothy 2:15:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

How can you resist verses like these, in Revelation 21:3-4?

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

God loves us, but must be a God of Justice too. Get on the right side of this.  Have some faith, enough for action for Him. Find your gift that the Lord gives His people.  Work it. Not having or doing any is a ticket to hell.

May you come to some changes in your life, if need be, and stick to them. God bless your quest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vineyards and Presumption

 Today, we’ll treat you with a sermon by Derek Prince, a long-time preacher who started out back in the ‘40s.  He preached all over the world, and wrote 51 books.  This lecture (in 1990) is just excellent Christian doctrine (he died in 2003).  I’ve shortened it a little, but not eliminating his main theme. It is titled, “The Banquet;” it is a study in self-deception and humility.

He begins by saying, This message is a warning; a warning against presumption—presuming on a relationship with God that you don’t actually have.  This discussion will be based on a parable about banquets.

But first we lay the groundwork in Matthew 21:33-46:

There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. ³⁴ Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. ³⁵ And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. ³⁶ Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. ³⁷ Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸ But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ ³⁹ So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?” ⁴¹ They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” ⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

⁴³ “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. ⁴⁴ And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” ⁴⁵ Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. ⁴⁶ But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

The landowner rented out his vineyard to others.  He expected them to bring some of the fruit as payment for the use of the vineyard.  They refused, and this describes how the landowner dealt with them. The listening Pharisees perceived, correctly, that the rebellious renters were them.  The renting vinedressers assumed they could take over ownership of the vineyard for themselves.  They didn’t realize that they were only stewards, appointed by the owner, and they had an obligation to him.  The real issue, too, is the issue of fruit.  The vineyard is for those who bring forth the fruit.  Jesus was really telling people that if you don’t bring forth the fruit that God requires, the fruit of righteousness, the fruit of faith, the fruit of mercy, God will remove you from His vineyard and give it to another nation (v.43).

Thinking of the Jews, the Greek word for “nation,” ethnos, is normally translated “Gentile,” or non-Jews. The Hebrew word is “goyim.” The Hebrews tended to look down on the goyim, the non-Jews.  So when Jesus effectively said, “You Jewish people are in danger of losing your inheritance.  This vineyard God has provided for you, already planted, and all ready to bring forth fruit—if you don’t bring forth the fruit, if you don’t give God the fruit that is His due, God will take it from you and give it to a Gentile nation.” (PS:  Mr. Prince did not believe in Replacement theology—another blog forthcoming).  These were terrible words for Jewish ears; considering all their special privileges and background God had bestowed upon them. They couldn’t conceive that they would lose their privileged position.

Mr. Prince cautioned that he did not believe that Jesus’ word “nation” refers to a specific country; the nation is God’s Kingdom, His saved people. He has a kingdom all over the world.  Consider the Scripture that says, paraphrasing, “You are a holy nation, a special people, a people that belong to God” (I Peter 2:9, written to all believers).

The problem with the Jews of that time period, especially the leaders, the Pharisees, was that they presumed that they had a special relationship with God, but actually, by their behavior, they forfeited their inheritance.  They presumed because of thinking of their background.  For 14 centuries, they had been a privileged people.  They had the Law, the Temple God designed, the prophets, the only priesthood God had blessed.  All true, but men’s hearts, receiving all this, become presumptuous.  They take these things for granted. In subsequent years, God did exactly what Jesus warned them He would do. He gave the Kingdom of God, through the evangelistic message, to the Church (not speaking of Catholics, but His people everywhere).  A new part of God’s “nation” began.

And then Jesus reminded them that this forfeiture had been predicted, through their own prophets. Verse 42 is a quote from Psalm 118.  (Yes, David was also a prophet). The ‘stone which the builders rejected’ meant He was the Stone, rejected by most Jews. Then He said, Whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.  This meant, “You builders may reject Me, but I Am the chief cornerstone, and the whole building is built on Me.  There are two ways you can respond to This Stone:  You may fall on the Stone, that is, kneel in repentance, and cry out to a holy just God for mercy from your sin.  You will receive mercy.  You ‘will be broken’ means your pride, your arrogance, your religious assumptions will all be smashed—but you will be saved.  But if you refuse to bow before This Stone, refuse to humble yourself, refuse to acknowledge your need for God’s mercy, the Stone will fall on you—and crush you to powder.  It will destroy you.

So you can find mercy through brokenness, or you can be crushed in divine judgment.  There are only two ways that anybody can respond to Jesus.  A lot of people don’t want to make a commitment, but they don’t want to be accused of rejecting.  They feel they can best get along with neutrality.  But Jesus never offers that as a third way.  He said “He that is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad” (Matt 12:30).

So I ask you, search you hearts:  where are you in your relationship with Jesus Christ?  Don’t presume; you may have a Christian background, you may even know a lot about the Bible.  But that’s not the question.  If you’re with Him, you’ll be gathering fruit, or serving Him, doing what He commands. Or you’re against Him, whether you know it or not; and your activities are as wasteful as scattering abroad. They are being used on things that have no permanent value.  You’re missing the privilege of investing in the kingdom of God.

History records the tragedy of those Jewish people. They presumed that which they didn’t have—a relationship with God.  If they had that, they would not be a part of the killing of God’s Son.  (But God had planned ahead for that).  Remember, privilege should be taken with humility.  We do not deserve the extra blessings. It is supposed to also confer responsibility; Jesus said “to whom much is given, much shall be required” (Luke 12:48). The more privileges we receive (ed. I’m thinking of the United States), the more God expects of us. Mr. Prince launches into a praise of many people in nations that have little to start with, but they become mighty witnesses for Him—they generate much fruit for God.  They are hungry for His Word, and love to pray, and stay long at church.  They are excellent vinedressers.  They do not waste “endless hours before a television set.” (We needs to update for “iphone and social websites”).  We need to exchange that time for Bible study and prayer.  You’ll be surprised how you grow spiritually.  In churches where there were honest times of prayer, many sins were confessed, including adultery, fornication (sex though single), but the worst was idolatry—the idol is most often the TV!  Remember the warning that God led Paul to write in II Corinthians 5:10 about our accountability to God for our behavior:

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Now Mr. Prince moves on to the banquet parable. Matthew 22:1-14:

And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: ² “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, ³ and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. ⁴ Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ⁵ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. ⁶ And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. ⁷ But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. ⁸ Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. ⁹ Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ ¹⁰ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. ¹¹ “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. ¹² So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴ “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The king is God the Father; the son was Jesus. He was to be married to His bride, which is the Church, the saved of all humanity.  The Jews were the first to receive the invitation for the wedding. This invitation and conditions of it, were made most clearly by the previous prophets, who pled with them to the sacrifices and cease their sin so they could attend the wedding. But the Jews refused, and even killed God’s prophets.   Mr. Prince asserts that verse 7 has been fulfilled in the Jewish nation in 70 AD, when the Roman army killed a million of them and destroyed the Temple.  The wedding had to be postponed, until new invitations were sent out—this is referring to bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles.  (The church age, which we are now in, was hidden from the Old Testament, since that volume was about the Jews). Jesus gave the order of Gospel rollout in Acts 1:8:

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Note the Gospel goes to the Jews’ prime city, then to the two Jewish nations (Israel was split in two after a dispute with Solomon’s son).  Finally it includes Gentiles, both “bad and good.”  Interesting that the “bad” is put before the “good.” Mr. Prince knows that people who were “bad” in the past, get invited into the Lord’s kingdom—he was one.  Many times, the “bad” accept the terms of the invitation before the “good.” Jesus said to the religious rulers in Matthew 21:31:  tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you! Why? The religious people have a hard time dealing with the humility required to gain God’s invitation because they think that they are good enough already. If God has blessed us financially and physically, that means we are bound for heaven forevermore, right?  No. In verse 11, the king is suspicious because a guest at the wedding did not have on a wedding garment.  In that culture, the Inviter provided you with the appropriate garments to wear.  The wedding garment means that if we live for Him, He will award us clothing of the righteousness of Christ. Isaiah 61:10 says:

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness…

God, the great Inviter, clothes us with Christ’s garments, and thus His righteousness is imputed (transferred) to us.  The transfer, or imputation, is on two levels.  Not only are we clothed with the righteousness of Christ, but secondly, God amazingly imputed (transferred) our sin onto Christ.  The double imputation was so we can be righteous in Christ, and the Father can be holy by punishing sin (on Jesus), so He can accept us despite our sin. That’s why Jesus died.   That is atonement.  II Corinthians 5:21 puts it so well:

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Meditate on it.  Think of the Love that God had to give His Son, to gain poor old us for fellowship.  Think how lavish His love is, that better, sweeter things are still before us in heaven.  But God doesn’t do this if we have no relationship with Him. Think of His fierce Justice; if we ignore this, the horrors of hell await us. That's clear in v. 13 above.  For this man not clothed in Jesus' righteousness, he was in improper wear; he should have understood that the Father would question.  But he was shocked speechless at the question.  His problem was, he presumed that he was invited. He presumed, and never thought that he would not be given a pass.  He underestimated God’s Justice, or didn’t understand the Word.  Note the importance of this wedding, it was to get to be with Christ in heaven.  So to "sneak in" will be  treated with intense severity.  The importance of obeying the rules of invitation cannot be underestimated; he was bound hand and foot (in public), and cast into outer darkness.  The phrase “weeping and gnashing of teeth” says he was consigned to hell. Jesus was saying, in effect, that God extends the invitation, which is the marriage of Jesus, to all who are properly saved (by faith and by fruit from relationship, as we saw above.  You cannot be in heaven and ignore His commands while you live on earth.  Our righteousness doesn’t cut it.  Only His righteousness.  That offer will see if you are humble in the Lord to accept those terms.  What is your relationship with Jesus the Christ?  Your answer to that tells whether you get an invitation to heaven for the wedding to His Son.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Long Do Christians Have to Suffer in the Great Tribulation?

 The order of End Times events we left off Part II was: Deception, wars, famine (these 3 are called “the beginning of sorrows”), then the abomination of desolation (perhaps an idol glorifying the antrichrist) in the holy place (i.e., in Jerusalem's rebuilt temple), then the tribulation with death and martyrdom of Jews and Christians. Then the cosmic disturbance, blackening the sky, then the sign (like bright lightning), then His Coming in the clouds, visible to all, with angels blowing the trumpet. Believers are rescued, gathered in the sky—and then on the same day, the Day of the Lord’s wrath on the rest begins.

Now other questions arise: “How long do all these End Time events take? How long will the tribulation—the death and martyrdom--be? What event triggers these horrors?” The answers to those three questions are in Daniel 9:24ff:

 

“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression... 25 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

Very difficult verses, but here are likely the main points:

a. Since the word "seven" (an accurate NIV translation of the Hebrew) isn't "seven what," we will change the word “seven” above  into “seven years,” and you'll see why. Follow that assumption below and you'll see what I mean:

 

b. To explain (a): the span of time from the command to “restore and build Jerusalem,” until “the Anointed One” (the Messiah, Jesus), was prophesied to be "seven sevens," or, we're saying, 7x7 years=49 years, plus"62 sevens," 62x7 years=434 years.  So the total is 49+434=483 years. That is Daniel's prophecy.  For you to see the miracle of this prophecy, we have to go further:  These are Hebrew years, of 360 days each. To translate it to our years, with leap year every four years, we measure a real year as 365.24 days. So converting Jewish calendar to our calendar, we simply do 483 times 360/365.24 and get 476 of our years. So 483 Hebrew years is 476 of our years, being predicted for the span of time between those events. (I.e., the years between the order to rebuild Jerusalem and the Anointed One.)

c. As it turned out, the 476, if stated in years, the prophesy was dead-on, which is why "seven years" fits for the unexplained Hebrew "sevens." This 476 years is based on the following:  The actual command to restore Jerusalem happened under the Persian emperor Artaxerxes, in 444 BC. Jesus, the Anointed One, died (as proven on another blog I have) in 33 AD. Keep in mind, you only count a year from 1 BC until 1 AD (there was no “year zero,” so you lose a year in the count. So the span of time goes like this: Adding 444 BC to 33 AD, minus 1, you get—476! As Daniel prophesied! Well, why should we be surprised—that’s the way God does it.

d. As you may have noticed, only 69 (7+62) of the 70 required “sevens,” or 7-year periods (see Dan. 9:24), of Jewish suffering has happened already. Only 483 of the required 490 Hebrew years. So the 70th seven-year period has not happened yet. So it makes sense to assume the last 7 years prophesied is still in the future. (The phrase “Anointed One will be put to death”—verse 26--suggests a stop to the counting of years at 33 AD, with the final seven reserved for the future--we're assuming that). I’m also suggesting (with proof for this idea, below) that the six events, or “seals,” we’ve talked about in Revelation 6 and confirmed in Matthew 24 (deception, wars, famine, death, martyrdom, rescue), are all in the future, and will take 7 years to happen—so you can see why we make it the 70th “seven.” I’m finally suggesting (with more proof below) that the last 3 seals last for half the seven years, or 3-1/2 years. That means, of course, that the tribulation (seals 4 and 5—death and martyrdom) are in those last 3-1/2 years, before Christ comes again in the 6th seal.

 

What is my proof for these claims? Let’s start with the “ruler who will come," under whose orders "his people---will destroy….the sanctuary” (v. 26). That can’t be speaking of Jesus, who doesn't destroy His sanctuaries. It’s talking of the deceiver, the antichrist, who is trying to take His place as God. (See Revelation 13:4-8 for proof of his great military power, influence, and blasphemy.  He probably gained his status from his victories in the Wars--Seal #2).   He will “confirm a covenant” (v.27), presumably with the Jews, to protect them as he pretends to be their friend (that's his deception). This will happen at the beginning of the seventieth 7 years, since he covenanted with the Jews “for one seven” (v.27), a 7-year covenant. But then “in the “middle of the seven” (v.27), or after 3-1/2 years, he breaks the covenant, doing sacrilege (an “abomination,” as Daniel 9 calls it--perhaps an idol in the Holy Place), thus revealing his true nature as an enemy of Jews. He thus is a deceiver, II Thessalonians 2:3-4.  Jesus then warned Jews to run for their lives when they see this blasphemous abomination--he will do something really terrible, possibly erecting a statue of himself in the temple, or sacrificing a pig on the altar (Matthew 24:15-16). Now you can easily assume that the antichrist will spend the last 3-1/2 years, from the middle to the end of the 7 years, hunting and killing Jews and Christians. See Rev. 13:7 for proof of Christians being involved:

It was granted to him (the antichrist) to make war with the SAINTS and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.

 

There is NO Scripture that limits the word "saints" to Jews. Saints always refer to any and all of God's children.  Since there was no previous rapture, the saints living at the time have to go through the tribulation--as we have proved in other ways.

Proof of the second 3-1/2 year time period is how it is prophesied in several Biblical passages. It’s variously called “time and times and half a time” (which is 3-1/2 times), it's called “42 months” and “1260 days,” all meaning 3-1/2 years (these references are in Rev. 11:2,3; 12:6, and 13:5, and Daniel 7:25). That’s the length of the Death and Martyrdom —and the length of the tribulation (the Tribulation is not 7 years, it is 3-1/2, read Jesus' words in Matthew 24). This perfectly proves our prior idea that the whole time period is 7 years.  As you can surmise, the first 3-1/2 years of the 7 year period was the deception period, the wars, and the famine. Then is the antichrist's unveiling as our enemy in the middle. Since the antichrist boasts that he is God (Rev. 13:6), he gets his commands from Satan, and we can fairly presume he was probably the biggest reason for those first three seals, or disasters, too. As we pointed out before, Revelation 12:2 shows how Satan will be enjoying himself causing such grief and death.

In summary:  For the first 3-1/2 years he makes a peace pact with the Jews, pretending to be their friend. But then he makes war, consolidating his power. War's destruction helps bring on famine. Then in the middle of the 7 years, he does sacrilege, the abomination, and reveals himself as their (and saints') enemy, then in the last 3-1/2 years--the tribulation--he goes all-out to kill all Jews and Christians. Don't forget, this order of events is proven in Matthew 24 AND Revelation 6 (see Part II). After all that, at the end, the rapture saves remaining genuine Christians from physical death and the wrath of God is reserved for those who have ignored God and ignored His laws.

If you have not made Jesus the whole of your life, if you do not love Him for paying for your sin, and given your life to His care and rely on His comfort through the Holy Spirit, do it now.  Read the Gospels, where Jesus lays it all out plainly.  Or read my blogs on the subject.

 

Jesus, in Matthew 24:15-21, clearly says the antichrist’s revealing himself (which is in the middle of the 7 years) begins the tribulation.

 

“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains… 21 For THEN there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

 

Thus, to repeat this for emphasis, the real tribulation is not 7 years, but only the latter 3-1/2 years. This latter period is also called “travail” in Rev. 12:2. Also, this is not God’s wrath, and also remember, Christians go through the tribulation, see Parts I and II in my blogs of the two weeks for more proof of that.

 

Some interesting additional facts: In the tribulation will come the most audacious move of the antichrist’s reign. He will evidently have the world’s worship and control of the world’s money system—because he will implant, on the hands/foreheads of everyone who submits to him, a “mark.” Thus, buying or selling food, etc. is impossible unless you submit to his lordship and receive the mark (Rev. 13:16-17). Let us never submit to that, because as an angel will warn everyone (Rev. 14:9-11), anyone who thus submits to the antichrist WILL WRITE HIS OR HER TICKET TO HELL:

 

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” 

 

You may ask, cynically, "If I want to follow God and reject the mark, will God "reward" me by allowing me to starve?" or "Will God send me to hell for eternity just because I wanted food, and took the mark?" I'm betting God will show many of His faithful ones a separate way to get food. Maybe even by miracles. Waiting out starvation, exercising this kind of resolve and faith will be challenging for Christians, but saving your soul will be definitely worth it. Yes, in saving your soul, your body may be martyred. Yes, there will be many who will be weak and fall away. (II Thess. 2:1-4). Do not join them! You must endure to the end to be saved! (Matthew 10:22).

 

Another interesting additional fact: Two "witnesses" (maybe Elijah and Moses) will appear for the last 3-1/2 years, prophesying God's truth and performing miracles (Rev. 11:3,5-12), such as fire from their mouths destroying their enemies, stopping rain from falling, and rising from the dead.

 

***So here is our final course of events: At the very beginning of the 7-year End Times, Antichrist makes a covenant to protect Israel, deceiving the world--and the Jews. This begins Daniel’s 70th 7-year period. First 3-1/2 years are the “beginning of sorrows:” Deceit by the antichrist, Wars, and Famine. Then the antichrist desecrates the holy place in Jerusalem, reveals himself as an enemy of Jews and saints, and we begin the last 3-1/2 years, the tribulation, the “travail”: Death and Martyrdom of Jews and Christians. The antichrist institutes a mark--you must worship him to buy or sell. Two witnesses speak up for God and perform miracles. Then at the end of the 7 years, we have the cosmic disturbance, and the Coming, which is: the sign (bright lightning), then His appearance in the skies with angels blowing the trumpet, believers rescued, they are gathered to be with Him. On the same day, then the Day of the Lord’s wrath begins on the unsaved.

 

Let’s say this one more time: As you can see, from our three-week analysis: (1) the tribulation is not the same as God’s wrath; and (2) Christians are not raptured until the end—we have to endure the tribulation. Many of them will die first. (3) Saved people (rescued) and unsaved people (wrath) are dealt with on the same Day of the Lord—there is no one “left behind.” Other theories some theologians give are popular simply because they say just what you want to hear, as II Timothy 4:3-4 says:

 

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

 

The most popular alternate theory is the pretribulationist, or “pretrib” theory—that Christians are raptured before the tribulation. Escaping such devastation sounds so nice. But don’t fall for this; as this 3-part study proves, the order of events is otherwise. Read the Scriptures yourself. (Consider this too: The pre-trib theory feeds an “AWOL” mentality; see my comments in part I). Even their best pre-trib mind, John F. Walvoord, from Dallas Theological Seminary, admits their theory is shaky and has no real Scriptural proof. In his book, The Rapture Question, page 16 and 148, he says: “Neither posttribulationism nor pretribulationism is an explicit teaching of the Scriptures…it is therefore not too much to say that the rapture question is determined more by ecclesiology (what different church denominations believe) than eschatology.” (Wait a minute…this is supposed to be a study of eschatology--a study in the future! Mr. Walvoord, you’re admitting you can’t find Scriptural support in future studies?) Richard Mayhue, also a proponent of the pretrib view, told the Grace Theological Seminary “perhaps the position of pretribulationism is correct although its proof at times has been logically invalid or at least unconvincing.”

 

And all the pre-tribbers say, “Thanks for the support.”

 

Let’s believe the Bible, not theological suppositions which have as their highlight, that you can escape suffering. After all, Jesus and Paul said we would suffer for Him (Romans 8:17, among many others).

End Times Part II--God's Wrath and Tribulation are Not the Same Event

 In Part I last week, we showed the End Times chronology had this order of events: 

Deception, wars, famine—called “the beginning of sorrows”—then the “abomination of desolation” (blasphemy performed by antrichrist) in holy place (that means in Jerusalem's restored temple), then the tribulation, consisting of systematic death and martyrdom of Jews and Christians, then cosmic disturbance; then on the same day, Jesus appears, a rescue (rapture) and then Day of the Lord’s wrath. We spent time proving, Scripturally, that Christians do not get raptured, have to live through the tribulation. Today, that point gets further proof. 


1. Let’s take a closer look at Jesus’ Olivet discourse in Matthew 24:27ff: 


"For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be… 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven... 30 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. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.


What Jesus is saying is, immediately after the tribulation (v.29), here’s what happens: first the cosmic disturbance (v.29) prophesied in Joel 2 (See Part I). It has completely blackened the sky—everywhere--so that then can be clearly visible a sign, like a huge bolt of lightning stretching from the earth’s east to the west--this would be visible in all the world. This rivets everyone’s attention upward—and then will appear our Lord, in glory, visible to all--it is His return. The first event of that return is the rapture, with angels and trumpets to gather His children (though it’s not mentioned until v. 31, see Part I for proof of this order); Jesus has come to rescue righteous men. But His coming, secondly, is to judge disobedient men (as intimated in v.30 with the word “mourn.” More on that later). Thus, five events happen on the Day of the Lord, in order, from these verses and in Part I: Cosmic disturbance blackens the sky, then lightning or a highly visible sign showing the Lord’s appearing in the sky, then the rapture, and the mourning of rebellious men who know judgment is coming.


2.Note the details of the rapture, vv.30b-31: (a) Jesus appears on the clouds of heaven in visible glory, and can be seen by all in a blackened sky lit up by huge sign--thus there is no secret rapture; (b) angels will sound a trumpet; (c) His elect (genuine Christians) will be gathered “from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other;” i.e., in the air. 


3.For anyone who would argue that Matthew 24 isn’t the rapture, look at I Thess. 4:16-17, which all acknowledge are rapture verses: 


For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 


Note the important events: (a) Jesus appears from heaven, with some noise--a shout and the voice of an archangel--so there is no secret rapture; (b) angels blow the trumpet; (c) believers are gathered in the sky, to meet the Lord in the air. Note that these are the very same critical three elements as Matthew 24:30b-31. Is this not the SAME EVENT? Of course it is. Thus Matthew 24 presents the Rapture.  


4.***Now the order of End Times is: Deception, wars, famine, then the abomination of desolation (antrichrist's blasphemy) in the holy place, then tribulation--systematic death and martyrdom of Jews and Christians, and then—on one day--cosmic disturbance blackens the sky, then the sign (like bright lightning, seen by all), then His Coming in the clouds with angels blowing the trumpet, believers rescued, gathered in the sky—and on the same day, other people mourn, the Day of the Lord’s wrath begins on them (more on that wrath later).


5. Now let’s spend some time on a second proof of this order of events.As you will see, this will confirm the Matthew order. In Revelation 6:1-11, the order of the seals 1-5 correspond exactly to the same five events in Matthew 24 (read Part I for more). Here are the Revelation verses:


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.” 2 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. 3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 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. 5 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. 6 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.” 7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 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. 9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.


6. In verse 1 we have seal 1, with the white horse. The rider has a crown, and goes forth conquering. If you think this is Christ, you are deceived—this Greek word for “crown” (v. 2) is “stephanos.” But the Greek word for the crown Christ wears is “diadema,” for kingly or imperial dignity. Stephanos, on the other hand, is given for triumph in the games or for military prowess—it is a garland of oak, ivy, parsley, myrtle or olive. The wearer is an aggressive conqueror, not a king. The crown-wearer of verse 1 wants us to think he is Christ, but he isn’t. Thus seal 1 is deception.


7. Seal 2, the red horse, is clearly wars. Seal 3, the black horse, where they are carefully handling and measuring expensive food, suggests famine. Seal 4, the pale horse, is death. The seal 5 refers to martyrs. Now turn back to Part I’s analysis of Matthew 24:5-9—the order is the same! Revelation 6 and Matthew 24 refer to the same events!  Deception, wars, famine, death, and martyrs is the order in both.


8. Now observe how these two sections of verses, the same thus far, suddenly part in how they detail seal 6: Matthew 24:30-31 (see #1 above) gives us the rapture, and only hints at the wrath of God (it just gives you the word “mourn.”) Since we’ve looked at Revelation 6:1-11 in seals 1-5, let’s see how Revelation 6:12-17 handles the sixth seal. This seal begins with our familiar cosmic disturbance--a further proof that these are the same events as Matthew, since Matthew also has that. But Revelation 6 details the judgment, the second part of the Day of the Lord, skipping the rapture. Whereas Matthew 24 detailed the rapture, and only hinted at the judgment (“mourn”). Here’s Rev. 6:12-17's key phrases:


I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth…. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men…every slave… hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” 


Please note v.17! God’s wrath, even at the 6th and last seal, is only set to BEGIN—yet this is AFTER the tribulation, seals 4-5, as our Matthew 24 study in Part I also outlined. Thus, we conclude the following:  Matthew 24, after tribulation, details the rapture, and hints at the wrath. Rev. 6, on the other hand, also after tribulation, details the wrath, not the rapture. The solution to this “controversy” is simply to put both events—rapture and wrath—after the tribulation, at the same day. Both these sections of verses talk about these events—they just each emphasize a different one on the final Day.


Now let's re-emphasize some important points for those "pre-tribbers" to chew on:  

9. Clearly, after reading the previous note and Revelation 6 and Matthew 24, the tribulation is NOT the wrath of God.  Actually, the tribulation is the wrath of Satan, per Rev. 12:12, as we proved in Part I. 


10.Here's another proof that the tribulation is not the same as the Day of the Lord.  In the tribulation, Satan is having a field day through his antichrist, killing Jews and Christians. But the wrath of God is different: In His wrath (particularly seen in Revelation 8 and 9), only the person of God is mentioned. He does not allow Satan to strut his stuff like the antichrist does who dominates the scene in the tribulation. Proof of this differing emphasis is found in Isaiah 2:11-Let's see what it says about the wrath: 


The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 12 For the day of the LORD of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up—And it shall be brought low. 


The image we get for the wrath of God in the Day of the Lord is this: unanswered destruction which centers only on God, glorifying His holy nature and cleansing the earth. That’s not the tribulation, where Satan is having a gay old time sticking it to the saints. The wrath and the tribulation are just not the same event. As we have abundantly shown, the wrath of God is after the tribulation, after the rapture. As we have shown you here and in Part I, you have the tribulation, then on the day of the Lord, you have the rapture, then the wrath of God. 
NEXT WEEK: HOW LONG IS THE TRIBULATION? God's Word is abundantly clear on that, too.