In December 2022, Family Research Council (FRC) released an extensive publication documenting a sharp rise in acts of hostility against churches in the United States. Analyzing publicly available data from the past five years, FRC found a total of 420 documented acts of hostility that occurred between January 2018 and September 2022.
The types of acts identified include vandalism, arson, gun-related incidents, bomb threats, and more. There also appeared to be an increase in frequency over the course of the reporting period. FRC’s report identified 137 acts of hostility against churches between January and September 2022. By comparison, there were 96 incidents in all 12 months of 2021. FRC also identified 54 incidents against churches in 2020, 83 in 2019, and 50 in 2018. Since the launch of that report, FRC has continued to track acts of hostility against churches. The fourth quarter of 2022 saw an additional 54 incidents, for a total of 191 in 2022. That number is nearly double the previous year’s total of 96. In the first quarter of 2023, 69 incidents have already occurred. If this rate continues, 2023 will have the highest number of incidents of the six years FRC has tracked, continuing the upward trend. Most of the 2023 incidents occurred in January (43); 14 occurred in February, and 12 occurred in March 2023.
Criminal acts of vandalism and destruction of church property are symptomatic of a collapse in societal reverence and respect for houses of worship and religion—in this case, churches and Christianity. Some people appear increasingly comfortable lashing out against church buildings, pointing to a larger societal problem of marginalizing core Christian beliefs, including those that touch on hot-button political issues related to human dignity and sexuality. The anger and division that increasingly characterize American society are endangering churches and eroding religious freedom. When congregants feel targeted by members of their communities or church buildings bear the brunt of outrage over political events, the very ability to live out one’s faith safely is under attack. Violent or destructive incidents that interfere with an individual’s lawful free exercise of religion at their house of worship present a significant nationwide challenge.
The above report is to be expected as we fast approach the Biblical prophesied time before Jesus returns to restore righteousness to the world. Lawlessness, deception, many abandoning the faith, apostasy, Antichrist, and the Mark of the Beast are all prophesied to take place before His return. Christians need to prepare for these coming events and be faithful to proclaim the GOOD NEWS, the “gospel of the kingdom” until Jesus returns to rapture faithful believers and pour out His wrath upon an unbelieving world.
“And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:12-14
“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.” Matthew 24:21-22
“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him … For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God … The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:1,3-4,9-12
I met Joel Richardson at a conference in Dallas where he was one of the speakers on End Times. He was introduced to me by Nelson Walters who I have known for a number of years. Joel spoke on “The Scriptural Case for an Islamic Antichrist“.
Since then a number of other books have been written that focus on the long-awaited Muslim Messiah, al Mahdi, and how he fits the Biblical descriptions of the Antichrist. One book that I have used to extract much of the information for this post is Ralph Stice’s book “Arab Spring, Christian Winter – Islam Unleashed on the Church and the World“
Forty-two percent of Muslims in a recent survey believe the Islamic Superman will appear in their lifetime (www.mahdi-watch.org). His name is al-Mahdi, the “Rightly Guided One,” who has been discussed since the earliest days of Islam. This Islamic messiah was referred to by Muhammad’s grandson, Ali, who said that Islam would “prevail over all religions when the Messiah of this ummah (Islamic nation) makes his appearance.” (Ed Hotaling, Islam without Illusions: It’s Past, Its Present, and Its Challenges for the Future (Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2003), 102).
The following quote is from what has been called the greatest Islamic history book from the pre-modern era:
“Let it be known that it is a narrated event by ALL Muslims in EVERY era that at the end of time a man from the family of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) will, without fail, make his appearance and will strengthen Islam and spread justice; Muslims will follow him and he will gain domination over the Muslim realm. He will be called al-Mahdi.” Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1967), 257-58.
Mahdi (also Mehdi or Maadi; the vowels are flexible in Arabic) will appear just as mankind reaches a stage of great suffering, to show the light of Islam when men and women need it most, and to prepare the world for Allah’s judgment just in time, according to accepted Islamic teaching.
One writer predicts: “The Mahdi will establish right and justice in the world and eliminate evil and corruption. He will fight against the enemies of the Muslims who would be victorious.” Sideeque M. A. Veliankode, Doomsday: Portents and Prophecies (Scarborough, Canada: Al-Attique, 1999), 4-5.
Note what these two Ayatullahs say, “He will reappear on the appointed day, and then he will fight against the forces of evil, lead a world revolution and set up a new world order based on justice, righteousness, and virtue … ultimately the righteous will take the world administration in their hands and Islam will be victorious over all the religions.” Ayatullah Baqir al-Sadr and Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari, The Awaited Saviour (Karachi, Pakistan: Islamic Seminary Publications, 2013), 4-5.
He will be assisted by prophet Isa “Jesus,” who will descend from heaven to work miracles and preach Islam. “Isa will testify against those who had called him son of God, the Christians, and those who had belied him, the Jews.”
This Islamic version of Jesus’ end-times role fits the description of the Antichrist’s assistant (False Prophet) in Revelation 13 perfectly. While Mahdi straightens out the ummah by “freeing Islam from the hypocrites who have corrupted it,” this Jesus will handle the evangelization of the Jewish and Christian communities. (http://www.awaitedmahdi.com/mahdi01.html, November 15, 2013).
If this sounds like the Antichrist and the False Prophet, you can see why many of us who have studied Islam for years believe that Mahdi will be that man. One Muslim Background Believer who has done a lot of speaking and writing about al-Mahdi, Walid Shoebat, says that as he read scriptural prophecy for the first time, he was astonished by the description of the Antichrist.
His conclusion? This is the Mehdi that we have long talked about in Islam.
It is no coincidence that the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947 just prior to Israel being re-established as a nation in 1947. The Dead Sea Scrolls provided proof of Israel’s right to the land they were about to occupy and what is ahead for God’s nation. Jesus will eventually rule all the nations of the world from a renewed expanded Jerusalem. Israel will be the prime nation of the world during Jesus’ Millennium Kingdom.
There is one prophecy in the Dead Sea Scrolls that explains all of history from Noah to Jesus to the Tribulation and even to the Millennial Kingdom. Known as Enoch’s 10 Weeks Prophecy (200 BC), it is amazing in its accuracy about all the seasons of man’s history from the antediluvian period, the flood, the founding of Israel to Jesus to where we are today to the Tribulation. Whilst the Book of Enoch is not in the canon of Scripture the 10 Weeks Prophecy is accurate to date so we need to look at what it says about the age we’re in today and the coming Tribulation. Watch this Nelson Walters video to find out.
Overall, there were reports of 69 tornadoes across eight states including Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service. More than 400,000 homes and businesses were without power as of 7 a.m. EDT Saturday, according to poweroutage.us.
Power Outages across the midwest
Homes were ripped off their foundations, storefronts shattered, vehicles tossed like Matchbox cars and, in Belvidere, Illinois, the roof of a theater collapsed during a concert, killing one person and injuring 28.
Seven people died in Tennessee’s McNairy County. At least five people lost their lives in Arkansas, where there was extensive damage in the Little Rock metro area. Two deaths were reported in Crawford County, Illinois, and three were confirmed in Indiana’s Sullivan County. One person died in Madison County in northern Alabama and one in Pontotoc County, Mississippi.
Coralville, Iowa tornado damage
The toll appeared to be highest in Arkansas, where officials in Pulaski County announced a confirmed fatality in North Little Rock. There were also four deaths in Wynne, Arkansas. At least 40 people were injured in the Little Rock area, and five of them were in critical condition.
One person was also killed when the roof collapsed at the Apollo Theatre in Belvidere, Illinois. Two others died in Illinois, three deaths were confirmed in Indiana, and one in Alabama. Dozens of homes have been wiped out, storefronts destroyed and vehicles, including semitrailers, tossed like toys.
The storms were part of an outbreak of severe thunderstorms that took aim at a wide area of the Midwest and South.
This follows massive earthquakes that have killed thousands of people in Turkey and Syria and previously in Haiti in 2020 and 2021.
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake kills up to 5,000 people across Turkey and Syria
The most powerful earthquake in nearly a century struck Turkey and Syria on Monday morning (afternoon AEDT), levelling buildings and causing tremors felt as far away as Greenland. It was quickly followed by a powerful 7.6 quake and dozens of after-shocks that wiped out entire sections of major Turkish cities in a region filled with millions who have fled the civil war in Syria and other conflicts.
A global food crisis
Conflict, economic shocks, climate extremes, and soaring fertilizer prices are combining to create a food crisis of unprecedented proportions. As many as 828 million people are unsure of where their next meal is coming from. We have a choice: act now to save lives and invest in solutions that secure food security, stability, and peace for all, or see people around the world facing rising hunger.
An expected 345.2 million people are projected to be food insecure in 2023 – more than double the number in 2020. This constitutes a staggering rise of 200 million people compared to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. More than 900,000 people worldwide are fighting to survive in famine-like conditions. This is ten times more than five years ago, an alarmingly rapid increase. An immediate response is needed. The global community promised to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030.
Signs of the End of the Age
“There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.” Mark 13:8b
“There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” Matthew 24:7
“There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences.“Luke 21:11
The Coming of the Son of Man
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, 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. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:29-31
Further to my post on March 14th: BIBLICAL HISTORY: 1. IMPACT OF WORLDWIDE FLOOD ON NATIONS AND 2. GOD ESTABLISHES HIS NATION – ISRAEL, which included an article by Gavin Cox that revealed the Egyptians revered the eight people (Noah’s family) that survived the flood as God’s. They were referred to as the OGDOAD. Bearing in mind Noah’s sons lived for another 500 years post-flood, is it any wonder they were considered God’s by the post-flood people who had life spans up to 120 years. “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.“ Genesis 6:3.
Moreover, the Ogdoad, these eight people that came off the Ark were the source of all information that came from the pre-flood people who built cities, worked with iron and bronze, and played musical instruments.
“Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of all those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. Zillah also bore Tubal-Cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron.” Genesis 4:21-22
Additional proof is provided by the Ben Ben stones taken from the top of pyramids seen here in the Cairo Museum. The Benben sacred stone represents the primeval mound, the first land that appeared from the primeval ocean, called the Nun. It was upon this land that the eight ‘gods’ (OGDOAD) sprang into being; four males and their wives, headed by the chief god ‘Nu’ which is phonetically similar to Noah.
The pyramids were themselves extensions of the Benben. We know this to be a fact linguistically because the Egyptian word for pyramid is bnbn.t which is the female version of the bnbn sacred stone.
This explains the size and shape of the pyramids. They were a constant reminder to the Egyptians of the worldwide flood and the rebirth of the world from the deified eight occupants of Noah’s Ark.
This post will show that Ham, Noah’s third son was the Egyptian God Horus. It is part 1 of a two-part series by Gavin Cox.
One of the most famous and ancient of Egypt’s many deities was Horus, the falcon sun god. In two articles Gavin explore 12 key motifs of the life of Ham (Noah’s third son) drawn from the Genesis text. He then compares them to Horus drawn from Egyptian evidence, concentrating on the oldest evidence first.
Part 1 looks at the following motifs: 1) Ham is 11th from Adam; 2) the etymology of Ham’s name; 3) Ham came from a family of eight, and 4) Ham is the youngest of three brothers. These comparisons support the thesis that Ham was deified by the pagan Egyptians as Horus.
Egypt is eponymously called “the land of Ham” (Noah’s third son) in the Psalms (105:23, 27; 106:22) and “tents of Ham” (Psalm 78:51). Ham and Mizraim (Ham’s third son) appear together in Psalm 105:23 as designations for Egypt: “… Israel came to Egypt (miṣrāyim); Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham (ḥām).”
‘Mizraim’ is the common name for Egypt throughout Scripture. Ham was a first-hand witness of the Flood, and likely lived to a similar age as his brother Shem (500 years post-Flood, Genesis 11:11). Via Noah’s teaching, Ham knew about creation and the pre-Flood world, a knowledge that he would naturally pass to his descendants. All this became paganized by the Egyptians. Ham’s great post-Flood lifespan, involvement in re-establishing of post-Flood civilization, and knowledge of the pre-Flood world, likely meant he had divine status conferred upon him by the Egyptians.
Twelve key motifs of Ham’s life
Twelve key motifs of Ham’s life extracted from Genesis 5–11 (listed in table 1) will be compared to Horus. If Ham was deified as Horus, then the latter will likely reflect these motifs in some discernible, though paganized way. Article 1 will explore motifs 1–4, Article 2 motifs 5–12.
Both articles will set out to explore these connections, concentrating on the oldest Egyptian textual evidence in each case. Before this, a brief discussion of who Horus was is in order.
Introducing Horus—the falcon-solar deity
Horus is one of Egypt’s oldest and most important deities, attested to from at least the beginning of the Dynastic Period, where the familiar form of the Horus falcon appears on the Narmer Palette (figure 1).
Figure 2. Horus statue in black granite, Temple of Horus, Edfu.
Horus appears in Old Kingdom Pyramid Texts (OK PTs), along with his sons, father, and mother (see part 2). Horus is depicted as a falcon (figure 2) or falcon-headed man, who was considered a creator god, as well as a form of the sun. His father was Osiris/Geb, with a notable brother, Seth. Much could be written regarding Horus; however, my two articles will be limited to a discussion of Horus’s possible connection to Ham, Noah’s third son.
Eleventh from Adam: Ham cf. Horus
The Genesis 5:1-32 chronogenealogies place Ham (with his brothers) 11th from Adam. Can a similar chronological relationship be discerned in Egyptian mythology, regarding Horus?
Gavin’s previous article made the case that Atum is the Egyptians’ paganized memory of Adam. Although the Ennead was considered a unified group (typically of nine), evidence suggests (e.g. PT-600§1655), that they were simultaneously considered consecutive offspring of Atum.4 All had long life spans like Noah’s sons.
Like biblical Ham, Horus is synonymous with concepts of; a) (physical) “violence” (tkk); b) (earthy) “blackness” (km)/“darkness” (kk)/“twilight” jḫḫ.w; and c) (sun’s) “heat” (bḫḫ.w).
Family of eight—Horus cf. Ham
Genesis (6:18, etc.) informs us that Ham belonged to a family of eight—comprising four males and their wives. Ancient Egypt had a group of eight gods—comprising of four males and their wives (the Ogdoad) whose names (see later) appear in OK PTs. In previous articles,25 I concluded this group represented the paganized memory of Noah’s family. The question to be asked is, if Horus is the deified Ham, is he also connected to a family of eight? The evidence presented below suggests he was. Specifically, the Ogdoad, whose names include the couple Kek and Keket (kk and kk.t).11
Like the semantic meaning of Ham, as discussed above, Horus is also connected by similar concepts: “attacker” (tkk), “darkness/twilight” (kk, jḫḫ.w) and phonetically similar bḫḫ.w “heat”. Ogdoad kk can be understood semantically from words containing the phonetic root kk, (compare ḫḫ). Thus, a shared semantic range exists between biblical Ham, Horus, and Ogdoad couple kk(.t).
Additional textual and pictorial evidence connecting Horus to the Ogdoad comes from the Hunefer BOD vignette. As Ham came from Noah’s family of eight, Horus also comes from a group of eight gods.
Scripture states Noah had three sons: Ham “his youngest” (Genesis 9:24) and “Shem … brother of Japheth the elder” (Genesis 10:21 YLT). Here Scripture employs the adjective: קָטָן (qāṭān) HALLOT-8338 ‘small, youngest’ to describe Ham. Can similar relationships be discerned in Horus’s family? The following evidence suggests this is so.
Horus had a brother, Seth, (both sons of Osiris) with whom he struggled violently for political dominion (see part 2, motif 8). A closely aligned god called Thoth is described as a brother of either Seth, or Horus in the PTs, and one example in the Coffin Texts of Horus, Seth, and Thoth being described as brothers. In BOD, Thoth shares the same father (Osiris) as Horus and Seth. When these examples are considered, then Horus is comparable to Ham in having two other brothers, and himself being described as the ‘youngest’.
Conclusion
This article has looked at four motifs from Ham’s life and compared them to Horus, the Egyptian falcon sun-deity. We have found positive connections in the following areas: motif 1. Ham was 11th from Adam. The case can be made that Horus is 11th from Atum when Osiris as the fatherly bystander is included from evidence in PTs regarding the Great Ennead. Motif 2. The etymology of Ham’s name includes concepts of (physical) “violence”, (earthy) “blackness/darkness”, and (sun’s) “heat”. These concepts compare favourably with divine epithets of Horus. Motif 3. Ham came from a family of 8—four males and their wives. The case is made here that Horus ascended from the Ogdoad, who are four males and their wives. Specifically, Horus is connected to Ogdoad member kk (darkness) in which case kk follows the natural ascension of darkness to light, to transform into Horus as the sun. Motif 4. Ham was the youngest of three brothers, Shem, and Japheth. The case can be made that Horus is the “child” who has a notable brother, Seth, and closely aligned to Thoth, another brother-(like) god. The connections are intriguing and so merit further study. Part 2 will analyze motifs 5–12.
The history of the world that is taught to our children in schools and universities is made up, based on the presupposition that the world evolved from pond scum. God told us in advance that the world would deny the truth about His world so that we can know He is in total control of all history from its watery beginning to its fiery end.
“I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”2 Peter 3:1-7
Is the following good news an indicator that the world is turning back to God’s values? Sadly, God’s Word, the Bible tells us that godlessness and lawlessness will increase as we approach the time of Jesus’ Second Coming. God has given us at least 1800 prophecies of His return to earth, first to raise the dead in Christ and then to rapture believers to heaven before God pours out His wrath upon an unrepentant world.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced on Monday that he has implemented an emergency regulation imposing what his office calls “guardrails” on gender transition interventions for minors as the push to ban the controversial practices continues on a state-by-state basis. “Even Europe recognizes that mutilating children for the sake of a woke, leftist agenda has irreversible consequences, and countries like Sweden, Norway, and the United Kingdom have all sharply curtailed these procedures,”
The new regulation “clarifies that state law already prohibits performing experimental procedures in the absence of specific guardrails” and requires medical professionals to inform patients that the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones “is experimental and is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)” and that “the FDA has issued a warning that puberty blockers can lead to brain swelling and blindness.” Bailey’s office says the move was necessary “due to the skyrocketing number of gender transition interventions despite rising concerns in the medical community that these procedures are experimental and lack clinical evidence of safety or success.”
Despite this information, the LGBTQ agenda is being promoted and adopted widely
Dylan Mulvaney appeared on the Drew Barrymore Show Monday imparting wisdom to fellow transgender people just starting their “gender journey,” and encouraging parents of so-called “trans kids” to support their confused children in their belief that they are members of the opposite sex.
At one point, Barrymore, one of the most famous women in the world, kneeled before Mulvaney in a gushing display of deference to the male who shot to fame performing an over-the-top ditsy-woman persona in the TikTok series 100 Days of Girlhood.
Trans activists like Dylan Mulvaney, whose painfully offensive internet content shows each day of his life of “girlhood” using outdated female stereotypes, may merit our compassion and an invitation to redemption — but Barrymore’s behavior was more akin to worship. She appeared to wholeheartedly celebrate everything that Dylan falsely proclaims himself to be, perpetuating the same façade that both she and everyone watching knew to be a lie.
Contrary to Barrymore’s example, in a culture where the existence and privacy of women are increasingly thrust into question by transgender ideology, it is more important than ever that women stick together in defending the dignity of our sex against those who parody it in the public square.
In a similar act of kneeling to transgender ideology, Wellesley College made headlines this week due to a student referendum that supported welcoming all transgender and so-called nonbinary-identifying students to the traditionally all-female institution. If adopted, this change would mark a significant departure from the original intention of the school, which was founded in 1875 with the goal of expanding higher education opportunities to women; notably, Ivy League universities didn’t accept female students until they began in the late 1960s. In more recent years, women’s colleges have offered young women an oasis of privacy, particularly for students with a prior history of sexual trauma and a desire to minimize the risk of suffering the all-too-common experience of campus sexual assault.
This is clear evidence we are living in the last days before Jesus returns to set up His millennial reign on this earth. As I mentioned before, there are more than 1800 Bible references to Jesus’ second coming so know it is next on God’s agenda for this earth. If you want to know more about what is coming next for this planet go to http://www.millennialkingdom.net.
“They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4-6
Stanford Law School’s website touts its “collegial culture” in which “collaboration and the open exchange of ideas are essential to life and learning.” Then there’s the culture Justice Stuart Kyle Duncan experienced when he visited Stanford last week. He had been invited by the student chapter of the Federalist Society to discuss the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, on which he had served since 2018. He has spoken at law schools across the country, and he was glad to accept this invitation. One of his first clerks graduated from Stanford. He also has friends on the faculty. He gave a talk there a few years ago and found it a warm and engaging place, but not this time.
When he arrived, the walls were festooned with posters denouncing him for crimes against women, gays, blacks, and “trans people.” Plastered everywhere were photos of the students who had invited him and fliers declaring “You should be ASHAMED,” with the last word in large red capital letters and a horror-movie font. This didn’t seem “collegial.” Walking to the building where he would deliver his talk, there was loud chanting a good 50 yards away, reminiscent of a tent revival in its intensity. Some 100 students were massed outside the classroom as he entered, faces painted every colour of the rainbow, waving signs and banners, jeering and stamping and howling. As he entered the classroom, one protester screamed: “We hope your daughters get raped!”
What Stuart Duncan experienced is mild by comparison with what persecution lies ahead for followers of Jesus Christ prior to His return to earth to rule and reign with the resurrected Saints for 1000 years. Jesus’ coming Millennial Kingdom is a transition period when Jesus will rule the nations from a new Jerusalem to fulfill the covenant God made with Abraham and all the Biblical prophecies made by the O.T prophets and the N.T apostles.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away, betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:9-14
“But understand this, that in the last days, there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5
“They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4-6
156 Comments including this comment: We commenced a Christian School in our city in the early 80’s knowing what was ahead with the secular humanist pagan state school system.Sadly our decision has been confirmed as the “blackboard jungle” is now out of control.
Violent parents, suicidal students, and teacher shortages are pushing stressed school principals to quit at record rates, a survey of nearly 2500 Australian school leaders reveals.
At least 44 percent of principals were victims of physical violence last year – the highest level since the Australian Catholic University began its annual Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety, and Wellbeing Survey in 2011.
School leaders are now 11 times more at risk of experiencing physical violence at work than the general population.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said the findings were “alarming’’.
For Christians who understand that God is in control of all that happens on His earth, this does not take us by surprise. Why? Because God has told us beforehand in His Word, the Bible that lawlessness will abound in the days before Jesus returns to restore righteousness and usher in His Millennial reign on earth with the resurrected Saints.
“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.”2 Timothy 3:1-5
“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him,… Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 3-4
“And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:12-13
“They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4-6
Aaron Edwards, a 37-year-old Christian theology lecturer at the Methodist-run Cliff College in England has been dismissed after tweeting that “homosexuality is invading the church. The institution, which touts itself as a global center for evangelism, dismissed the father of five for misconduct last week, deeming his tweet had brought the institution “into disrepute.”
This is a ‘Gospel issue,’ by the way. If sin is no longer sin, we no longer need a Saviour.
United Kingdom MPs voted 299-116 to continue criminalizing even silent prayer in the vicinity of Abortion Clinics. A lawyer for the U.K.’s Alliance Defending Freedom stated: “Today’s vote marks a watershed moment for fundamental rights and freedoms in our country. Parliament had an opportunity to reject the criminalization of free thought, which is an absolute right, and embrace individual liberty for all. Instead, Parliament chose to endorse censorship and criminalize peaceful activities such as silent prayer and consensual conversation.
Washington Elementary School District, a public school district in Arizona, recently severed ties with Arizona Christian University over the university’s biblical views on marriage. The district, which had long partnered with ACU, decided to ban student teachers from the classroom. “The most alarming or shocking part of this meeting was that, despite the recommendation of the staff of the district who are the on-the-ground players in this, the LGBT agenda-driven board decided that it was just not safe,” Christian Post author Leonardo Blair explained. These student teachers have been in the classroom for 11 years without incident. And yet the Board decided that they just could not trust the student teachers not to be biased when they haven’t had any sort of incident in the classroom before.
Charlie Kirk is the Founder and President of Turning Point USA, a national student movement dedicated to identifying, organizing, and empowering young people to promote the principles of free markets and limited government. In anticipation of Charlie Kirk’s speaking engagement at the University of California, Davis, Chancellor Gary S. May released a remarkable video, expressing the hope that no one would show up for the event. Yes, he said, “we can work together to neutralize and negate their influence” — and we do this in the name of free speech. Talk about doublespeak! Chancellor May made clear that he personally considered Kirk’s views to be “loathsome and hurtful.” And he referred to Kirk as “a well-known proponent of misinformation and hate and who has advocated for violence against transgender individuals.” This last claim cannot be substantiated and is in fact a lie.
These are just four incidents reported today that I have seen. Persecution of Christians is now becoming commonplace. Jesus told us that this would be the case prior to His return to set up his Millennial Kingdom. Jesus and the resurrected Saints will reign on this earth for 1000 years prior to the second resurrection, the White Throne judgement, and finally a new heaven and new earth where only the righteous dwell.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:9-13
“They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4-6
Jesus said the days of His second coming would be like the days of Noah. How will the time before Jesus’ return be like the days of Noah? For one, Jesus tells us that the unsaved will be totally unaware of God’s coming wrath as they were in Noah’s day. The people will also be lawless, a total rejection of God and His values.
“For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”Matthew 24:37-39
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.” Matthew 24:9-12
Does the comparison with Noah’s Day even include parallels between the number of days of the Flood when God poured out His wrath for the first time on this earth and the coming Wrath of God that will be poured out with the Trumpet and Bowl judgements?
Does God’s Word tell us plainly how long the Wrath of God lasts, and will it be a surprise to almost everyone? Yes, God does with a number of Scriptures so that we can know for sure.