Where Do We Stand Till The End Of The Days Come?
Most everyone interested in end-times issues gravitate more towards identifying where we stand in God's timetable than on matters related to theology/evangelism/revivals/awakenings,
because they know, by the spiritual condition of the world, that we are not going to have to wait much longer. Wars are inevitable, economic catastrophies scheduled for purposes of human control and death are in the air, and the peoples of the world sense it. We are going to focus first on where it is that we are today, give the reasons, make it as simple as possible while factually resting on Scripture to the exclusion of world political affairs nor events.
because they know, by the spiritual condition of the world, that we are not going to have to wait much longer. Wars are inevitable, economic catastrophies scheduled for purposes of human control and death are in the air, and the peoples of the world sense it. We are going to focus first on where it is that we are today, give the reasons, make it as simple as possible while factually resting on Scripture to the exclusion of world political affairs nor events.
The Clearing Of The First Hurdle: The Blood Moons
There, right at your fingertips is the very first clue, in large letters, and we take God at his word. In Joel 2:30, 31 as well as in Acts 2:19, 20, we are very clearly told that the day of the Lord will follow the revealed wonders in heaven, not just the solar ecclipses but more importatntly the blood moon lunar eclipses falling on specific feasts of Israel days! To a sensible mind it would be reasonable to believe that as the Lord told us in Genesis 1:14 that He would speak to humanity by the sun/moon/stars at certain times (feasts of the Lord days), that these eclipses falling on Passover/Sukkot on 2 consecutive years, are a sign of something for us to know.
And what is it that the Lord GOD wished us to know? That these very wonders in the heavens would precede the coming of the day of the Lord. Said differently, the day of the Lord could not come till first these wonders had been seen! Read the two references listed and know that is what the passages say in reference to the day of the Lord. The frequently appealed to concept of 'imminency' is close but not totally accurate, for all the writers of the New Testament wrote in terms of expecting the return of the Lord Jesus Christ for his Bride during the writers' lifetimes, and not that nothing needed to happen before the rapture which could occur on any day at any time.
And why have I introduced the rapture in this discussion? Because the rapture is intimately associated with the day of the Lord, so close indeed that the rapture immediately preceeds the day of the Lord. So the rapture could not come therefore until the very wonders in the heavens that have gone by in 2014/2015 had passed, hurdling over then the only obstacle that needed to be cleared for the rapture/day of the Lord to come.
And what is it that the Lord GOD wished us to know? That these very wonders in the heavens would precede the coming of the day of the Lord. Said differently, the day of the Lord could not come till first these wonders had been seen! Read the two references listed and know that is what the passages say in reference to the day of the Lord. The frequently appealed to concept of 'imminency' is close but not totally accurate, for all the writers of the New Testament wrote in terms of expecting the return of the Lord Jesus Christ for his Bride during the writers' lifetimes, and not that nothing needed to happen before the rapture which could occur on any day at any time.
And why have I introduced the rapture in this discussion? Because the rapture is intimately associated with the day of the Lord, so close indeed that the rapture immediately preceeds the day of the Lord. So the rapture could not come therefore until the very wonders in the heavens that have gone by in 2014/2015 had passed, hurdling over then the only obstacle that needed to be cleared for the rapture/day of the Lord to come.
Many have debated over what these wonders meant, and uncovered past occassions when they occurred in the midst of something happening to the nation of Israel or to Jewish people in the world. And many expected wars on earth and judgments pouring out from heaven, dates for the rapture figured out by present and equivocating calendars, assuming that the Church would have to be raptured in the very feast of Trumpets. Nothing happened. Why? First there is no way to deal with all the errors introduced in the calendars/almanacs, that have been tampered with for centuries.
Second the fall feasts are also reserved for Israel so there is no reason to believe that any of these apply to the Church (read the page on the rapture day as coming as a physical resurrection of all Church saints to complete the redemption of the body of each one already redeemed spiritually), and it is in this very redemption that we are taken to the Father's house. The rest of the astronomical dating and effort of prominent teachers and pastors we believe this has detracted from getting to the truths in the pages of Scripture. Not a surprise therefore that 'nobody knows' or that there is so much confusion in understanding the timing of the rapture in relation to the day of the Lord and of the 70th Week of Daniel's Prophecy (the tribulation or great tribulation years). Therefore the first hurdle has been jumped over: the wonders in heaven such that now the day of the Lord can come and thus the rapture occur. It is not unreasonable to believe that God means 2016, not several years downstream from today, in an unknowable year.
Second the fall feasts are also reserved for Israel so there is no reason to believe that any of these apply to the Church (read the page on the rapture day as coming as a physical resurrection of all Church saints to complete the redemption of the body of each one already redeemed spiritually), and it is in this very redemption that we are taken to the Father's house. The rest of the astronomical dating and effort of prominent teachers and pastors we believe this has detracted from getting to the truths in the pages of Scripture. Not a surprise therefore that 'nobody knows' or that there is so much confusion in understanding the timing of the rapture in relation to the day of the Lord and of the 70th Week of Daniel's Prophecy (the tribulation or great tribulation years). Therefore the first hurdle has been jumped over: the wonders in heaven such that now the day of the Lord can come and thus the rapture occur. It is not unreasonable to believe that God means 2016, not several years downstream from today, in an unknowable year.
If you are ready to find out in more detail when God has scheduled appointed times, you must get ready and be willing to get your kjv bible on hand and look up these verses in context so that all these things make sense scripturally and without stumbling come to some final conclusions. First let us look as that written of Paul's words to the Athenians to whom he preached about the God of Creation, sustainer of all things, maker of men and who needs no temple of this creation for he dwelleth not that of this world, and who "and hath determined the times before appointed", (Acts 17:22-26), calling the Athenians 'too superstitious' for even erecting a monument to "The Unknown God" so as to not miss anyone of the 'gods' and suffer for it. God has always been in control of all the appointed times, for all periods of history have been of his appointment, no one else's and no one can force his hand, Satan nor men. God has in the dispensation of the fulness of the times gathered all things together in Christ (Eph. 1:10) in the Church. He is responsible for the times of refreshing (Acts 3:19) and for the times of restitution of all things that will come, (Acts 3:21), for in due time ending the time of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24), and God sent forth his Son in the fulness of the time for our salvation (Gal 4:4). These are bible ensamples of the control of the times by God, absolutely, so that no one may doubt that what we are and will go through till the resurrection/rapture is not in the control by his hand.
Credit the author of the above image with it and not us, responsible only for adding the time of the falling away or apostasy, as something that we are presently in, for it is a period in which man will fall away from the love of the truth, and this statement must be broken down for it is way too good to overlook and get the meat clean off the bone. Lately the habit of using more slides/images has come in handy to give the reader a pause and let him by the use of this visual, grasp and digest what is being presented.
Credit the author of the above image with it and not us, responsible only for adding the time of the falling away or apostasy, as something that we are presently in, for it is a period in which man will fall away from the love of the truth, and this statement must be broken down for it is way too good to overlook and get the meat clean off the bone. Lately the habit of using more slides/images has come in handy to give the reader a pause and let him by the use of this visual, grasp and digest what is being presented.
In John 14:6 Jesus Christ said that he himself is the way, the truth and the life, and Paul fills more gaps by letting us that after that the kindness and the love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by our own works of righteousness but by 'his mercy, he saved us'! (Titus 3:4,5). Jesus is the truth and he loved us enough to die for us, for man.
What is to be grasped are the words in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 with regards to the falling away:
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,[the resurrection/rapture] 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [day of Christ, of the Lord] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, [apostasy] and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
**The falling away or the apostasy comes before the day of the Lord, which is that day of Christ when he takes away the Church at the resurrection/rapture. Now we begin to narrow our focus of attention with greater certainty, that before we are wisked away to the Father's house, there must be a falling away or apostasy in this world. The question remains, what are people falling away from, and moving to, if one may ask? Great question for God gives us the answers!
What is to be grasped are the words in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 with regards to the falling away:
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,[the resurrection/rapture] 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [day of Christ, of the Lord] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, [apostasy] and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
**The falling away or the apostasy comes before the day of the Lord, which is that day of Christ when he takes away the Church at the resurrection/rapture. Now we begin to narrow our focus of attention with greater certainty, that before we are wisked away to the Father's house, there must be a falling away or apostasy in this world. The question remains, what are people falling away from, and moving to, if one may ask? Great question for God gives us the answers!
These later verses give us the answers to the question of what it was that these that were
falling away were doing. Here one answer is given: "they received not the love of the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:10). Tread this matter carefully for the verses are intended in this order to give you the answers you are seeking. Who is the truth if not Jesus Christ? Who is the One who loves us if not Jesus Christ? The ones falling away are the ones that are rejecting and not receiving the love that Jesus Christ has for them! This means that people at this time will not be willing to come to Christ, for they are rejecting his love! So much for an end times pre-rapture revival, as many teachers/pastors are prognosticating with less than a shred of biblical evidence. Understand that pastors who peddle for funds, if these do not preach the false hope of a revival coming soon!, their congregations may start to thin out and their future be at stake. But God rewards when the truth is trutfhfully exposited and proclaimed, in more ways than one.
Now to the next question, for if peoples of the world are rejecting the love of the truth, of Jesus Christ, what is that they are doing then? The Spirit tells us by Paul's very next epistle, that is, 1 Timothy:
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;(1 Timothy 4:1). This even explains our present situation when the many are dabbing in the occult, one way of another, thinking it harmless or otherwise being totally ignorant of what is or has happened to them. People are falling victims and ending subjected to one or another degree of demonization, being seduded and either passively or actively controlled, and mostly are totally unwares of what is happening to them. A brother joined us in extensive and deep bible study for an entire year three times a week and at the end all he had learned was taken away. Demons can and do manipulate the brain and take away the word as the birds of satan do (see parable of the sower). Demons deal in the outer man, for in a born again believer, the Indwelling Holy Spirit dwells in the inner/inward man, a place where demons can not go. But the outer man is open if the individual so choses willingly to do, even if ignorantly to relinquish ground to the enemy.
People today even in most churches do not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears, turning their ears away from the truth, and turn unto fables (2 Timothy 4:3, 4). But we are after now the exposition of the timeline, not going after the seekers of insane doctrines, nor going after the ones falling into demonization, even if now we point out to you in the very verse 2 Thesslonians 2:10, that specifically tells us why the ones falling away are apostatizing, and that is they are full of all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them. These folks are demonized and that is why these are not receiving the love of the truth Jesus Christ!
falling away were doing. Here one answer is given: "they received not the love of the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:10). Tread this matter carefully for the verses are intended in this order to give you the answers you are seeking. Who is the truth if not Jesus Christ? Who is the One who loves us if not Jesus Christ? The ones falling away are the ones that are rejecting and not receiving the love that Jesus Christ has for them! This means that people at this time will not be willing to come to Christ, for they are rejecting his love! So much for an end times pre-rapture revival, as many teachers/pastors are prognosticating with less than a shred of biblical evidence. Understand that pastors who peddle for funds, if these do not preach the false hope of a revival coming soon!, their congregations may start to thin out and their future be at stake. But God rewards when the truth is trutfhfully exposited and proclaimed, in more ways than one.
Now to the next question, for if peoples of the world are rejecting the love of the truth, of Jesus Christ, what is that they are doing then? The Spirit tells us by Paul's very next epistle, that is, 1 Timothy:
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;(1 Timothy 4:1). This even explains our present situation when the many are dabbing in the occult, one way of another, thinking it harmless or otherwise being totally ignorant of what is or has happened to them. People are falling victims and ending subjected to one or another degree of demonization, being seduded and either passively or actively controlled, and mostly are totally unwares of what is happening to them. A brother joined us in extensive and deep bible study for an entire year three times a week and at the end all he had learned was taken away. Demons can and do manipulate the brain and take away the word as the birds of satan do (see parable of the sower). Demons deal in the outer man, for in a born again believer, the Indwelling Holy Spirit dwells in the inner/inward man, a place where demons can not go. But the outer man is open if the individual so choses willingly to do, even if ignorantly to relinquish ground to the enemy.
People today even in most churches do not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears, turning their ears away from the truth, and turn unto fables (2 Timothy 4:3, 4). But we are after now the exposition of the timeline, not going after the seekers of insane doctrines, nor going after the ones falling into demonization, even if now we point out to you in the very verse 2 Thesslonians 2:10, that specifically tells us why the ones falling away are apostatizing, and that is they are full of all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them. These folks are demonized and that is why these are not receiving the love of the truth Jesus Christ!
With summary words say we, that the passing of the blood moons makes it possible for the day of the resurrection/rapture on the day of Christ or day of the Lord to come, but yet awaits a period of delay for the falling away to be, people rejecting the love of Jesus Christ by means of demonization, and not coming to him in faith for salvation. Paul had told them so in their first epistle/missionary visit, and now they were concerned that the tribulations they were suffering were due to their missing of the rapture. Paul gives them assurance that it has not happened for what was withholding back the rapture, was for the apostasy to be and the restrainer to get out from the way. [I understand here that the heat, persecutions, will be raised on Christians/Bride of Christ, but Paul gave them assurance in 1 Thess. 5:3-5, that the day of the Lord with sudden destruction, galloping behind approaching them will not overtake/catch up to them, in that day ]. The he to be revealed in v.6 is the same one to be revealed in v. 8, the man of sin, the son of perdition, that Wicked. But the he written of twice in v. 7 is the one who hinders, or restrains the revealing of the man of sin, the Holy Spirit of God. It is the Spirit that has been hindering the mystery of iniquity all along and will do so until he is taken out of the way. The mystery of iniquity is the world's denial of the mystery of godliness of 1 Tim. 3:16: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the world, received up into glory".
Worthy to be noted is that nothing has been said at all about the tribulation, nothing at all, and the time for the Church to be taken out is around the corner in the context of the passage. Next let us go on to the next verses to see who it is that comes on the world stage, when the Spirit steps aside, for he is not taken out, but out of the way. And verse 8 begins by saying that after that the HS steps aside, "And then shall that Wicked be revealed..." for he, Antichrist/Assyrian, has not yet entered the world stage, nor yet therefore signed any covenant with the many to begin the tribulation time. The church therfore is taken out at the pre-trib time, not to suffer the day of the Lord judgments nor enter the time of the tribulation.
Worthy to be noted is that nothing has been said at all about the tribulation, nothing at all, and the time for the Church to be taken out is around the corner in the context of the passage. Next let us go on to the next verses to see who it is that comes on the world stage, when the Spirit steps aside, for he is not taken out, but out of the way. And verse 8 begins by saying that after that the HS steps aside, "And then shall that Wicked be revealed..." for he, Antichrist/Assyrian, has not yet entered the world stage, nor yet therefore signed any covenant with the many to begin the tribulation time. The church therfore is taken out at the pre-trib time, not to suffer the day of the Lord judgments nor enter the time of the tribulation.
What Are We To Expect Between Today And The Rapture At The Day Of Christ?
From reading the Ezekiel 38/39 account of a Confederacy of nations that are to come against Isreal, we learn that in identifying the nations confederated, one thing is obvious, and that is that everyone is an Islamic nation, but not Arabic but non-Arabs. And we also know that it is Arab Islam that is the engine of the hegemony of this system whereby the use of religion, economics, political and military means these plan to take over the world. The attempt to form a Caliphate in the liberation from tyrannies in Arab nations, the called Arab Spring of the news casters, has flopped, failed thus far. So for non-Arab Islam to take over the slack from Arab Islam in a confederacy, it can only mean that the latter could not get their act together or were soundly defeated. This is where the Psalm 83 prophecy warring against Israel, an undateable confederacy, given that historically this has not occurred, it must reasonably precede Ezekiel 38/39 war. Why? Because in Islam an Arab failure must be the catalyst to bring about a non-Arab takeover of the responsibility to move Islam forward in order to conquer the world. The issue in all this is that we can time the date for the Ezekiel 38/39 war, and time it to the time after the day of the Lord has started, and before the time of the Tribulation has begun. And since the Arab Confederacy of Psalm 83 has failed vs. Israel, then in order to bring in a non-arab assumption of the leadership of Islam, this Ps. 83 must occur before the Ezekiel 38/39 conflagrations take place.
So what is written in the Ezekiel 38/39 Confederacy war account? Let us list some points:
From reading the Ezekiel 38/39 account of a Confederacy of nations that are to come against Isreal, we learn that in identifying the nations confederated, one thing is obvious, and that is that everyone is an Islamic nation, but not Arabic but non-Arabs. And we also know that it is Arab Islam that is the engine of the hegemony of this system whereby the use of religion, economics, political and military means these plan to take over the world. The attempt to form a Caliphate in the liberation from tyrannies in Arab nations, the called Arab Spring of the news casters, has flopped, failed thus far. So for non-Arab Islam to take over the slack from Arab Islam in a confederacy, it can only mean that the latter could not get their act together or were soundly defeated. This is where the Psalm 83 prophecy warring against Israel, an undateable confederacy, given that historically this has not occurred, it must reasonably precede Ezekiel 38/39 war. Why? Because in Islam an Arab failure must be the catalyst to bring about a non-Arab takeover of the responsibility to move Islam forward in order to conquer the world. The issue in all this is that we can time the date for the Ezekiel 38/39 war, and time it to the time after the day of the Lord has started, and before the time of the Tribulation has begun. And since the Arab Confederacy of Psalm 83 has failed vs. Israel, then in order to bring in a non-arab assumption of the leadership of Islam, this Ps. 83 must occur before the Ezekiel 38/39 conflagrations take place.
So what is written in the Ezekiel 38/39 Confederacy war account? Let us list some points:
- It will happen in the latter years/latter days (38:8, 16)
- It is called Gog/Magog for the leader is Gog of the land of Magog
- To Gog an evil thought will "enter", to rob Israel now that she has more territory unprotected, newly acquired (38:10), without bars nor gates
- Gog is said to be he of whom the prophets had written many years: the Assyrian/Antichrist himself, a demon or Abaddon, the king of the bottomless pit (Rev. 9:11). So Gog is a demonized man, by Abaddon meaning destruction, destroyer (38:17)
- This confederacy will occur "in that day" or day of the Lord, meaning the Church has alredy been raptured, the Holy Spirit stepped out of the way and the Antichrist turned lose on the earth's stage
- The nations of the Gentiles will see the wrath of God kindled against this confederated one and He will defeat them so that the world will see that the Lord is God and not Allah.
- Only 1/6 of the non-Arab islamic forces will survive God's onslaught so that these return to their nations and tell their own who defeated them supernaturally (38:23, 39:1,2)
- It will all happen in the day of the Lord of which the Lord had spoken, a time appointed (39:8), the day. And Israel will appropriate their weapons to be used as an energy source for 7 years: this speaks of this event being before the tribulation while still in the day of the Lord.
- Gog will be killed (39:4,5, 11) and buried in Israel, in that day. God's reputation will be vindicated, in that day.