THE CHURCH THAT WILL BE LEFT BEHIND TO FACE THE WRATH OF GOD

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“Thank you, Jesus”: Kenneth Copeland praises God for a new Bentley car. Prosperity gospel preacher Kenneth Copeland thanked Jesus for a dying man’s seed offering of a Bentley with a Breitling clock, which he had given in the hope that it would bring healing. It did not.

At Kenneth Copeland Ministries’ annual Southwest Believers’ Convention in Fort Worth, Texas, held from July 29 to Aug. 3, the 87-year-old televangelist regaled attendees with stories about his passion for Breitling watches, of which he owns around 36 coveted timepieces.

Speaking on “How to Walk by Faith and Not By Sight” two Mondays ago, Copeland delighted in showing off the diamond-encrusted Breitling adorning his left wrist to a man seated in the front row. “Do you think that one’s pretty?” Copeland asked the man. “It’s a Breitling. It has diamonds around the edge. Someone gave me that one.”

Copeland said he began gifting Breitling watches as seed gifts, adding that he and Pat Robertson, the late founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network and host of “The 700 Club,” had a “tradition” of gifting Breitlings to each other.

Bible scholar Justin Peters, a harsh critic of World of Faith prosperity preachers and the New Apostolic Reformation movement rebuked Copeland’s “wicked” teaching that sowing “a seed” will heal the sick.

“Kenneth Copeland knows full well that the people listening to him don’t follow him for exposition of Scripture; they are there for promises of health and wealth,” Peters said. “And there are a lot of sick people listening to him. Not just at this convention but all over the world. And they are sick; they are dying, some of them. And some have sick children, children who are dying.

As a warning to the televangelist who has boasted of being a billionaire, Peters quoted from Matthew:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'” Matthew 7:21-23,

Peters said he does not hate Copeland but was filled with “righteous indignation” because of the “audacity” the televangelist had to tell the story of a man who sowed a seed for healing from cancer yet died. “He’s dead,” Peters lamented.

Kenneth Copeland and all those he has deceived represent the seventh church of Revelation 3, the Church of Laodicea. It is the church that is left behind to face the wrath of God with the Trumpet and Bowl judgements. It describes the church in the seventh year of the 70th week of Daniel 9:24-27.

“For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Revelation 3:17-19

The sixth church, the Church of Philadelphia, is raptured. It represents the church in the sixth year of the 70th week of Daniel 9:24-27.

“‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name… Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.” Revelation 3:8,10

LATEST ON SMALL MODULAR NUCLEAR REACTORS

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There are already SMRs deployed and operating in China and Russia, as well as one test reactor in Japan.
Other first-of-a-kind SMRs are expected to be built this decade, followed by accelerated deployment worldwide during the 2030s, particularly as a source of reliable, low-carbon power generation and heat for hard-to-abate sectors. This includes notably the use of SMRs for on-grid baseload power to replace coal-fired generation, though market demand for SMRs continues to grow for other applications as well. The most promising include off-grid heat and power to replace diesel generators in remote regions for mining operations, fossil-fuel replacement for district heating, and high-temperature heat to replace fossil-fuel cogeneration in heavy industries. Other applications include replacing fossil fuels in cogeneration for ammonia and potash production for the fertiliser industry; hydrogen production for synthetic fuels and clean steel production; as well as marine propulsion to replace heavy-fuel oil for merchant shipping.

SMRs are driving innovation in the nuclear sector
The sector is witnessing significant innovation internationally. This includes SMRs at various stages of
development, from fundamental research on new concepts to commercial deployment and operation.
The innovation pipeline includes a range of reactor concepts – from incremental innovation in existing light water reactor technologies to breakthroughs in advanced Generation IV reactor concepts. It also includes SMRs in a variety of configurations – with land-based, multi-module, marine-based and transportable designs. These innovations incorporate new materials, a range of coolants, and, in some cases, innovative fuels. This is in turn expected to lead to the deployment of a range of SMRs of different sizes, with a range of outlet temperatures, and new attributes.

Nuclear energy supplies approximately 10% of the world’s electricity from 412 nuclear power
reactors in operation, providing 370 gigawatts of capacity. It is the largest source of non-emitting
electricity generation in OECD countries and the second largest source worldwide after hydropower.

The role of nuclear energy in meeting these pathways was emphasized at the 28th Conference of the
Parties (COP28) in Dubai on 2 December 2013 when the leaders of over 20 countries committed to
tripling global installed nuclear capacity by 2050, recognizing the critical role of nuclear energy in
achieving global net zero greenhouse gas emissions and keeping within reach the goal of limiting
the temperature rise to 1.5°C.

This commitment builds on NEA analysis that concluded in 2022 that to meet climate goals consistent with a 1.5°C scenario, global installed nuclear capacity needs to triple to 1 160 gigawatts by 2050 (NEA, 2022).

UNDERSTANDING THE DAY OF THE LORD

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The phrase “Day of the Lord” usually identifies events that take place at the end of history (Isaiah 7:18-25) and is often closely associated with the phrase “that day.” One key to understanding these phrases is to note that they always identify a period during which God personally intervenes in history, directly or indirectly, to accomplish some specific aspect of His plan particularly Jesus second coming and a time when God will pour out His wrath upon the unrepentant as He did with Noah’s flood.

“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.“ Luke 21:34-35

“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 24:38-39

“But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Matthew 24:43-44

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!” 2 Peter 3:10-12

“For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. (“Behold, I am coming like a thief!” Revelation 16:14-15

The Old Testament passages dealing with the day of the Lord often convey a sense of imminence, nearness, and expectation: “Wail, for the day of the Lord is near!” (Isaiah 13:6); “For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near” (Ezekiel 30:3); “Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand” (Joel 2:1); “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision” (Joel 3:14); “Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is near” (Zephaniah 1:7). This is because the Old Testament passages referring to the day of the Lord often speak of both a near and a far fulfillment, as does much of Old Testament prophecy. Some Old Testament passages that refer to the day of the Lord describe historical judgments that have already been fulfilled in some sense (Isaiah 13:6-22; Ezekiel 30:2-19; Joel 1:15, 3:14; Amos 5:18-20; Zephaniah 1:14-18), while others refer to divine judgments that will take place toward the end of the age (Joel 2:30-32; Zechariah 14:1; Malachi 4:1, 5).

The New Testament passages call it a day of “wrath,” a day of “visitation,” and the “great day of God Almighty” (Revelation 16:14) and refers to a still future fulfillment when God’s wrath is poured out on unbelieving Israel (Isaiah 22; Jeremiah 30:1-17; Joel 1-2; Amos 5; Zephaniah 1) and on the unbelieving world (Ezekiel 38–39; Zechariah 14). The Scriptures indicate that “the Day of the Lord” will come quickly, like a thief in the night (Zephaniah 1:14-15; 1 Thessalonians 5:2), and therefore Christians must be watchful and ready for the coming of Christ at any moment.

Besides being a time of judgment, it will also be a time of salvation as God will deliver the remnant of Israel, fulfilling His promise that “all of Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26), forgiving their sins and restoring His chosen people to the land He promised to Abraham (Isaiah 10:27; Jeremiah 30:19-31, 40; Micah 4; Zechariah 13). The final outcome of the day of the Lord will be that “the arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:17). The ultimate or final fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the day of the Lord will come at the end of history when God, with wondrous power, will punish evil and fulfill all His promises.

Much of the above comes from the website: http://www.gotquestions.org. It is a great place to go for answers to Biblical questions.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE 9TH OF ARV

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The ninth of Av is the Jewish Day of Mourning. Calamitous events occurred on Tisha B’Av. Tisha B’Av, the 9th day of the month of Av, is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, on which Jews fast, deprive themselves, and pray. It is the culmination of the Three Weeks, a period during which they mark the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

Calamitous events that occurred on the 9th of Av: 1. Poised to enter the Promised Land, spies are sent in to check it out, and they return with a bad report resulting in 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. 2. Both temples were destroyed on the 9th of Av. 3. In 133 BC, the Jewish rebels were brutally butchered in the final battle at Betar on the 9th of Av. 4. One year after their conquest of Betar, the Romans plowed over the Temple Mount, the nation’s holiest site on the 9th of Av. 5. The Jews were expelled from England and their possession confiscated on the 9th of Av. 6. The Jews were banished from Spain on the 9th of Av. 7. Hitler approved the “final solution” order, which was the Nazi’s death warrant for the Jews of Europe, on the 9th of Av.

The Jews know that these events were judgements from God and that is why they are still Jews, and why we should believe the Bible is God’s Word.

Considering we are in the end times Nelson Walters suggests we watch for what might happen this 9th of Av, on August 13th, 2024.

ADOPTION OF SMALL MODULAR REACTORS

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Britain’s new Labour government has said small nuclear plants will play an important role in helping the country meet its net-zero targets.

Britain’s Office of Nuclear Regulation (ONR) said the Rolls-Royce SMR 470 megawatt (MW) Small Modular Reactor (SMR) design had completed stage two of its three-step generic design assessment (GDA) – the formal process for approving a new reactor.

“The team will move directly into Step 3 of this rigorous independent assessment of our technology – ideally positioning us to deliver low-carbon nuclear power and support the UK transition to net zero,” said Helena Perry, Rolls-Royce SMR’s Safety and Regulatory Affairs Director.

The overall duration for the Rolls-Royce SMR GDA is expected to be 53 months, reaching completion in August 2026.

A unique approach

According to Paul Stein, Chairman of Rolls-Royce SMR, “The UK SMR heralds a new approach to the cost of nuclear power by broadly rethinking the manufacturing and construction methods and by the extensive use of digital twinning, keeping the physics package exactly the same. The SMR uses a pressurised water reactor, a type we know and love.”

The production will utilize commercially available, off-the-shelf components from within the UK supply chain, injecting revenue into the British economy and avoiding high-risk, complex construction principles.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

The second volume of The NEA Small Modular Reactor Dashboard is another milestone in the ongoing efforts of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) to comprehensively assess the progress toward commercializing and deploying SMR technologies. It is important to note that the present publication is not an update to the complement of reactors assessed in Volume I. Instead, the work extends the same methodology to a further 21 SMR designs worldwide to evaluate their progress toward commercialization and deployment as of 21 April 2023.

Australia is a member of the OECD and has access to the publications of its Nuclear Energy Agency on SMR’s and would be aware that the widespread use of SMRs is underway.

Notable public announcements, even in the intervening months since NEA published Volume I in March 2023, now reflect technology choices and plans by chemical manufacturers, oil companies, and copper mine owners. Market signals suggest that this trend will only continue to accelerate as awareness grows about the potential for SMRs to provide alternatives to fossil fuels for both power and non-power industrial applications.

Nuclear Energy allows us to use the existing transmission lines and infrastructure, which is extremely important in Australia with a widely distributed, small population in a large country. The proposal submitted by the Liberal Party for replacing cold fire power stations with SMRs and larger-scale nuclear reactors utilizes the existing transmission lines so is a cost-efficient option.

Wind and Solar in remote locations means a whole new transmission infrastructure to get the power to where it is needed. Moreover, they only work when the wind blows and the sun shines, so the power output is unreliable.

Blocking nuclear is a major setback for Australia’s industrial sector. In the past with our own coal and natural gas Australia provided industry with comparatively cheap energy that will change dramatically without nuclear. Also, Australia has the world’s largest economic demonstrated resources of uranium. In 2021, it was the world’s 4th largest uranium producer. However, Australia has only one commercial nuclear power plant therefore, it has limited domestic uranium requirements. It has and will continue to provide excellent export income.

WHO WILL BE SAVED AND BE WITH GOD ON THE NEW EARTH?

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“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” Revelation 21:1-3

In all of the texts below, the necessity of faith is understood, but the existence of saving faith is credited to the Father’s prior initiative to give only some to the Son. The texts would have us understand that this is a limited number, since none to whom it is given fail to come, but none can come unless enabled by the drawing power of the Father.

“But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” John 6:36-37

“And this is the will of Him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:39-40

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.” John 6:44-45

“But there are some of you who do not believe. This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” John 6:64-64

None are enabled to come to Christ unless it has first been given by the Father, and no one who comes is ever lost.

The following comes from an article on http://www.mysteryofisrael.org entitled The Everlasting Covenant in John 6. I suggest you get your Bible to look at the multitude of verses used by Tom Quinlan.

We know that this drawing is effective in obtaining its goal because it ensures that each one who is drawn by the Father is also “taught of God”, and that “everyone” so taught comes to Jesus, never to be cast out or lost. What follows will show that this is all by Divine enablement that is not only the result but also the effectual cause of faith in those whom the Father has given to the Son from all eternity.

Of that foreordained number, not one is ever lost or cast out but is kept by the unfailing power of Jesus to be raised at the “last day” (Luke 14:14; John 6:39; 17:12; 1 Peter 1:4-5). These chosen ones whom the Father has specifically entrusted to the Son’s secure keeping (compare John 6:39; 10:27-29: 13:18: 15:16; 17:9, 12, 20) are also the special object of His unfailing intercession, most especially to the end that their faith “fail not” in the day of testing (Luke 22:32; John 17:9, 12, 20; with Hebrews 7:25).

Next is an observation that carries the most glorious implications for those who “love God and are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28-29). It is Jesus’ citation and application of Isaiah 54:13 in John 6:45.

Here Jesus extends to His sheep from every nation all the glorious eternal security of Yahweh’s long-promised, long-awaited “covenant of peace” (Isaiah 54:10 with Ezekiel 37:26), which is elsewhere equated with “the everlasting covenant” (compare Isaiah 55:3; 61:8; Jeremiah 32:40; Ezekiel 16:60; 37:26).

As you will observe by comparing the following verses, the “everlasting covenant”, as well as “My covenant of peace” are manifestly synonymous with Jeremiah’s “new covenant” (compare Jeremiah 31:31-34 with Jeremiah 32:38-40 & Isaiah 54:10, 13 with Ezekiel 34:25; 37:26).

This is the covenant that includes all the unilateral (some would say, unconditional) promises made to Abraham and to David concerning their seed. It will stand in its most public and plenary fulfillment with a fully renewed Israel in the future “Day of the Lord“.

This is when every penitent Jewish survivor of the final wrath of God (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12:1) will all “know the Lord from that day and forward” (i.e., the “Day of the Lord“; Ezekiel 39:8. 22), “never again to depart” (Psalms. 89:28-36; Isaiah. 59:21; 66:22; Jeremiah. 31:34; 32:40; Ezekiel. 37:25-27; 39:22, 28-29). Since “all Israel” will be a completely regenerated nation “in that day”, they will no longer stand under the continual threat of covenant judgment, subject always to the potential of curse and recurrent eviction from the Land.

In glorious contrast to past generations, post-wrath Israel will dwell securely in their own Land “from ‘that day’ and forward” (Leviticus 25:18-19; 2 Samuel. 7:10; Psalms 4:8; Jeremiah 23:6; 30:10;32:37; 33:16; Ezekiel 34:25,28: 39:26; Hosea 2:18; Micah 4:4; Zephaniah 3:13; Zech. 14:11).

This is made possible because, no longer will there be a mere remnant, at best restraining, but never long preventing the largely blind and backsliding nation from falling back under covenant judgment. In radical, unprecedented contrast, post-“Day of the Lord” Israel will all, without a single exception be righteous with the Lord’s own “everlasting righteousness” (Isaiah 45:17, 24-25; 54:13-14, 17; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Daniel 9:24).

This blessed unity in the Holy Spirit is promised to extend throughout all future generations unto “children’s children”, not one ever failing of the “everlasting righteousness” of the “everlasting covenant” (Isaiah 4:3; 44:3; 45:17, 24-25; 54:10, 13, 17; 59:20-21; 60:21; 65:23; 66:22; Jeremiah 31:34; 32:38-42; Ezekiel 20:40; 37:25; 39:22, 28-29, etc.)

From Jesus’ citation of Isaiah 54:13 in John 6:45, we can see that He is applying the eternal security of this everlasting covenant that will stand with post-wrath Israel to all whom the Father has given Him, now, and in the millennial age (http://www.millennialkingdom.net) to come. To be given by the Father to Jesus is to be secured in the everlasting covenant established with Abraham while he was in a deep sleep, signifying its unconditional surety of certain fulfillment (Psalms 89:35-36; Isaiah 55:3; 66:22).

God’s purpose in putting Abraham into a deep sleep before passing between the pieces was certainly NOT to ignore or circumvent the indispensable conditionality of the inheritance. Rather, it is God’s own pledge of Himself that He would unilaterally engage to meet and fulfill all required conditions, first through the atoning sacrifice of the curse-reversing seed of the woman on behalf of “all the seed” (Psalms 18:50; 89:29, 36; Isaiah 41:8; 45:25; 53:10; 65:23; Jeremiah 33:25-26; Romans 4:16; Hebrews 2:16). Then by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, a new nature will invariably, necessarily bear fruit “after its own kind” (Matthew 13:23).

At the “set time”, “when it pleases God” (Galatians 1:15-16; Psalms 102:13; 110:3), whether for the Jewish remnant at the end of the wrath of God, or the calling of any individual in this age, God will “put” His Spirit into the newly recreated hearts and spirits of the heirs of the everlasting covenant. He retains this free sovereign right to quicken “whom He will” (Matthew 11:27, John 5:21; Romans 9:18), when, at His own sovereign timing, He has prepared the right conditions for the final and everlasting salvation of His elect nation (Isaiah 30:18).

By Jesus’ applying the covenant promise of Isaiah 54:13 to all whom the Father has given Him to save and keep (John 6:37, 39-40, 44-45, 65), He is thereby uniting “the called according to His purpose” of every generation to the same secure covenant inheritance that will come to the “natural (Jewish) branches” in the coming day of their great national deliverance when “all Israel shall be saved” (Romans 8:28-29; 11:26-29).

For the elect remnant of Jewish survivors of the final tribulation, covenant failure resulting in more than temporal discipline will be a thing of the past. Scripture is very clear that from this time forward, not one of the heirs of the everlasting covenant will ever again depart (Isaiah 59:21; Jeremiah. 32:40; Ezekiel 39:22, 28-30).

Neither can any of the chosen seed of Israel’s race ever fall fatally or finally away from what they have irrevocably and irreversibly become, namely, an everlasting “new creation … born of the indestructible Word of God that lives and abides forever” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15).

One can see how the NT writers will often describe personal salvation in all the terms and colours that the prophets use to describe the eschatology of post-wrath Israel. For the apostles, Israel’s eschatology is the model and pattern for the soteriology (doctrine of salvation) of the new/everlasting covenant as applied to the salvation of the individual.

But how might such assurance be mistaken and misused by persons who are yet in the body of this flesh? Wouldn’t this give them a sense of license to misuse their liberty? Well, as believers in the “fight of faith” are reminded to take due diligence to make their calling and election sure (2 Peter 2:10), this danger of presumption is certainly warned against in scripture (Galatians. 5:13; 1 Peter 2:16).

But so far as one may have evidence that they are bearing the fruits that witness to the reality of “the righteousness of faith” (Romans 4:13), it is also to be understood that the holy fear of God (“my fear”; contrast Jeremiah 2:19; 32:40) is built right into the everlasting covenant. This is what God has promised to “put” into the heart of every heir of new covenant righteousness (Isaiah 59:21; Jeremiah 31:33; 32:40; Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26-27; 37:6, 14).

Because of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the regenerate seed of Abraham will vigilantly guard their own hearts. This is not because they will be in any doubt of the security of their everlasting inheritance, but because the love of God has been shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, and also the sure knowledge that God will faithfully chasten His own, which is the distinguishing badge of true sonship (Psalms 89:30-33; Hebrews 12:7-8).

Not only post-wrath Israel but all of God’s elect are contemplated as the “seed of Abraham” and heirs of His everlasting “covenant of peace” (Isaiah 54:10; Ezekiel 37:26). These things cannot be said of all persons, but only those whom Paul calls, “the election of grace” (Romans 11:5). Indeed, the gift of “everlasting life” (John 6:40) is promised to faith, since unbelief forms the contrast between those to whom it has been given and those to whom it has not been given, in verses 36-37 and 64-65.

But faith is not the basis for God’s sovereign, pre-temporal initiative to this limited number. Rather, faith is the result of the Father’s eternal choice to divinely enable all whom He would give to Christ to both come to Him and be kept forever by Him (John 6:37, 39, 44, 65)

This enablement is preceded, not at first by faith that we supply, but by the Father’s “good pleasure” to “quicken whom He will” (John 5:21; 6:39; Romans 9:18; Ephesians 1:5; Philippians 2:13). This is a Spirit-quickened faith that must invariably and necessarily “overcome the world”, precisely because it is “born of God” since it is a rule that “whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world” (1 John 5:4).

While many, such as Judas (John 6:64, 70; 13:10-11; 17:12) and the tares sown among the wheat, may move undetected among the sheep for a season (“Lord, who is it?”, John 13:22, 25), Jesus said these are “Not of My sheep” (John 10:26; 1 John 2:19). None of God’s true sheep who are truly “born of God”, and thus in living union with the Divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) can ever fatally or finally fall from the Father’s grip (John 10:28-29; Romans 8:28-39).

This is just one example of a pervasive biblical doctrine taught in many places throughout both testaments, but it is far more than a doctrine among doctrines. In, Romans 9:11, it is called “the purpose of God according to election”.

Paul is clear that for that purpose “to stand”, it must not be influenced by any virtue found or foreseen in one more than another (Romans. 9:11). The only difference distinguishing the two brothers is a difference that is made by God (1 Corinthians 4:7)

According to Paul, and no less John, any difference that is not perceived as given from above is dangerous ground for the pride of presumption (John 3:27; Romans 11:35-36; 1 Corinthians 4:7). In 2 Timothy 2:19, Paul will call this doctrine the very “foundation of God”. That unshakable foundation has “this seal, the Lord knows them who are His”.

It is the knowledge that Jesus has of His own sheep (John 10:14). He warns of those who will count themselves as His sheep whom He “never knew” (Matthew 7:22-23). So 2 Timothy 2:19 is clearly not merely speaking about God’s obvious knowledge of one’s present spiritual condition, but an eternal foreknowledge that reaches back to the covenant that always existed between the persons of the Godhead before creation (Romans 8:28-29; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2; Revelation 13:8).

Not only is this great truth precious to the believer’s comfort; but it is also vital to the upholding of the integrity of the Word and the vindication of the “everlasting covenant” of grace.

John Newton who wrote, “Amazing Grace”, believed this truth, as nothing else so plucks from man any presumption of entitlement, simply because this decision of God, so unbiased by anything in man, cannot be impugned as in any way unjust (Romans 9:14-21). Notably, Paul does not undertake to satisfy all the natural questions that might arise. Rather, he simply answers the anticipated protest with the surprising retort, “Who are you, O man, to reply against God?”(See Romans 9:18-23).

Ironically, it is in the place of greatest offense that God has plainly declared the incomprehensible goodness of a grace that was moved by nothing found or foreseen in man, except this unique love for His own that existed before time. Its source, its working, and its goal begins and ends as wholly the work of God alone, for the glory of Christ alone.

He is both author and finisher of a faith that is “given from above” (John 3:27; Romans 11:35-36; 1 Corinthians 4:7; Ephesians 2:8; Philippians 1:20) and upheld to the end by the power of God and the indwelling of the indestructible, ever-abiding seed of the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23), establishing an eternal, irreversible union between the believer and the Divine nature (1 Peter 1:4-5; 2 Peter 1:4). This means the truly regenerate believer is not ‘becoming’ a new creation; he or she ‘is’ an eternal new creation (Isaiah 66:22; 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 6:15).

In conclusion, Israel’s eternal covenant is our eternal covenant.

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! “For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to Him that it might be repaid?” For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:33-36

We are fast approaching the end of Satan’s rule over planet Earth, next on God’s agenda is Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom. Jesus and the resurrected Saints will rule the nations with a rod of iron for 1000 years. This world has had 6000 years of Satan’s dominion. It will now have 1000 years with Jesus’ rule from the nation God established for His purposes, Israel. Israel will finally realize her destiny as head of the nations. A new Jerusalem on the highest mountain will be Jesus’ capital city and the leaders of all nations will come to pay homage to Him there. Satan is bound for most of the thousand years but at the end of it he is released and he still raises an army like the sand of the sea to come against Jesus and the Saints. “Fire came down from heaven and consumed them.” Revelation 20:9. “Then I saw a great white throne and Him (Jesus) who was seated on it. From His presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Revelation 20:11-12. “Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.” Revelation 20:13 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,” Revelation 21:1

END TIMES PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES BEING FULFILLED IN OUR DAY

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We must remember that the Biblical N.T. revelation of the mystery of the gospel is built around Christ’s coming, departure, and return to Israel, specifically to the Mount of Olives from where He ascended. He must return to the place where He was crucified under the placard that said, “This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

I have said many times before that 300 prophecies of Jesus’ first coming to Earth were fulfilled to the letter so it is reasonable to assume the 2,000 prophecies of His second coming will also be fulfilled. Moreover, many have already been fulfilled particularly the main prophecy that Israel would be a nation again and that it and Jerusalem would be the center of the world’s attention. Before 1948 Israel did not exist and therefore many of the end times prophecies made no sense. Israel’s miraculous rebirth proves the Bible is God’s inspired Word.

Reggie Kelly on the Mystery of Israel website (http://www.mysteryofisrael.org) explains the following verse well. Get out your Bible and look up the Bible references as you read through the article.

“Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it.” Zechariah 12:2-3

Why has God constructed the end of the age around an ancient land dispute that is divinely calculated to plunge the nations into an insoluble crisis from which none can extricate themselves? (Zech. 12:2-3). Why would God bind together the issue of the mystery of the Gospel with the mystery of Israel?

I would submit that part of the answer regards His deliberate intention that both comings would be surrounded by an element of mystery, designed to elude the pride of self-reliance (Mat. 11:25-26), just as Paul warns in Rom. 11:25. Just as the mystery of Christ’s twofold coming so deeply searched and tested Jewish hearts, just so, the mystery of Israel is designed to test and sift the hearts of the nations, even gentile believers.

But there is one important difference: The mystery of Christ’s cross and twofold coming was not only hidden from Peter and the disciples (Mat. 16:22; Luk. 18:34); it was hidden even from the angelic powers (1Cor. 2:7-8). Not so the mystery surrounding the Lord’s return.

Those well-marked days will only come “as a thief” upon the unregenerate church and the unbelieving world, but not upon the faithful children of the light (1Thess. 5:4). We know this because Daniel’s prophecy is clear that the vision will be unsealed and known to the wise (maskilim) at the time of the end. They will be doing great exploits, instructing many, and turning many to righteousness, even a countless number will be saved out of, “the great tribulation, (Rev. 7:14).

But the larger answer to the question has all to do with the completion of an ancient covenant promise. It is the age-ending climax of the “everlasting covenant” that forms the framework of the future. In the larger context of God’s eternal purpose in Christ, this is what defines how and why the age ends just as the prophecy of both testaments so fully describes.

Towards the goal of seeing the big picture, I believe the Lord Jesus Himself has given us the key to establishing what I like to call a “plumbline of simplicity” that will align and pull many of the strands together into a coherent clarity. The object will not only be to know what is most important to know, but how best to show others how to make the case from scripture without getting bogged down in details, in a way that will equip others to equip others.

If observed, I believe God has given us an amazing, and now especially timely provision, to equip the body, not only to escape the manifold forms of end-time deception but to have the Lord’s own, personally commended key of interpretation that will enable them to “instruct many” and “turn many” to righteousness” (Dan. 11:32-33; 12:3, 10).

I would like to expand a little on how Daniel aligns and sets in order, not only the end-time events but also the whole covenantal framework of the judgments and promises, as traced from Gen. 3:15 to the final perfection of the last two chapters of Revelation.

Daniel is the key to organizing the whole of scripture around the main themes of kingdom, covenant, and mystery. But it is Jesus’ Olivet prophecy given in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, in particular, and the emphasis He puts on one centremost event, that becomes the key that opens not only Daniel but also sets all the prophecies spoken concerning the coming day of the Lord in clearest covenant context.

Referencing and building upon Moses and the earlier prophets, Daniel gives us not only the timeline and the order of events related to both comings, but he also reminds us of the covenant curses that must continue until Israel’s everlasting deliverance and final security in the Land, all in glorious analogy to the story of Joseph and his brothers (compare Mic. 5:3-4, with Zech. 12:10).

Rightly instructed believers will weep with those who weep, not only in their bitter distress but in the glory that will break upon the beleaguered survivors of Israel when they will look upon Him whom they pierced and say with one voice, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mat. 23:39).

In this way, we can begin to see God’s mind and purpose behind the great judgments and the unrestrained evils that would be otherwise inexplicable, and the occasion for the greatest offense to the natural mind.

In my experience, I found that when I chose to take very seriously Jesus’ command to read and understand Daniel’s prophecy concerning the abomination of desolation, I was challenged when I saw that this light did not come to him until he first, “set his heart to understand”. Looking to understand this particular event and its full significance, I would be astonished at just how much more this simple obedience would open to discovery in pulling the great strands of biblical themes together. Jesus well knew what simple compliance to His wise directive to pay attention to Daniel would set in motion.

Not only did I discover the event, and the events that follow throughout the second half of the week, I discovered a number of events that would mark and distinguish the first half. What a priceless advantage this first half of the week will provide the body for their readiness for the second half. We will see it coming!

But more than all of this, Daniel became the key to what I like to call, “the glory of the story”. This is because Daniel, like no other book, reaches all the way back to Israel’s beginnings and outlines the whole sweep of Israel’s history of crisis and covenant discipline, reaching to its glorious resolution in the kingdom that has come on earth as it is in heaven.

It is important to note that the abomination of desolation is the very event that Paul was careful to elaborate during his short, three-week stay with the Thessalonians. This should underscore the importance he attached to Jesus’ Olivet prophecy and His emphasis on Daniel’s order of events.

We know this because when the false alarm arose that Christ’s return was immediately imminent, he corrected the error by appealing to what he had gone over with them on his earlier visit. “Do you not remember that when I was yet with you, I told you these things?” (2Thess. 2:5).

Paul speaks of a coming man who is yet to be revealed. He will be possessed of “all power”, capable of signs, wonders, and cunning deception. He will enter the temple of God in Jerusalem (Mat. 24:15-16), and there, exalt himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped (2Thess. 2:4). But there are some dots we need to connect.

Jesus doesn’t mention the man, but only this event and its location (“Judea”). But both Paul and Jesus use language that is taken almost verbatim from Daniel chapter 11, where both the man and the event are described within four verses of each other (see Dan. 11:31-37). So the scripture itself shows us how the dots should be connected.

Manifestly, Paul did not regard knowledge of the basic order of end-time events as a matter of no serious concern. Notice Paul’s urgent tone when he echoes the Lord’s similar grave warnings concerning the peril of deception on this very matter. “Let no man deceive you by any means!” You can almost hear the exclamation point.

That sounds like the beginning of Jesus’ opening answer to His disciple’s question, “What shall be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?” Significantly, Jesus’ first words were, “Take heed that no man deceive you!”, again, the exclamation point. No other theme is so repeatedly reinforced throughout His prophetic discourse.

Paul’s response to the error concerning the order of events preceding the Lord’s return implies that something far more serious was being threatened than to merely prompt the slackers and busybodies to return to their ‘day jobs’ and occupy till He comes, as some commentators seem content to assume. Rather, Paul is seeing where this error can lead in light of the confusion that Jesus warned would reign, particularly over the time and manner of His return (Mat. 24:23-31).

The abomination of desolation is THE prophetic key to the believer’s preparation to instruct many of the meaning, not only of the events of those days, but the great issue of the promise of an “everlasting righteousness” that is the Lord’s own righteousness, available to believers now, but promised to come to all the penitent survivors of Israel in that great day (Isa. 45:17, 24-25; 54:17, Jer. 23:5-6; Dan. 9:24). This is the glorious free gift that gives hope and meaning and comfort, even in the face of the staggering evil, deception, and suffering of those days, like the shattering Hamas invasion we so recently witnessed on October 7th, a tragic foretaste of Zech. 14:2.

But clarity concerning this decisive event achieves much more than might first appear. The abomination of desolation cannot happen in a vacuum. It must be preceded by certain definite, traceable events and preconditions.

For one thing, before a sacrifice can be removed it must exist. If it does not now exist, it must start. But before it can start, a long-standing stalemate must yield to a radical change in the current status quo. For these kinds of necessary preliminary conditions to come about, we may expect seismic changes to come to the region, sufficient to move nations from their former intransigence to make unprecedented concessions for peace.

The logic is clear. For the Jews to have sufficient access to the forbidden Temple Mount, some kind of political peace arrangement, however presently remote, seems necessarily implied, and indeed foretold in scripture (compare Isa. 28:15, 18; Eze. 38:8, 11, 14; 39:26; Dan. 9:27; 11:21, 23-24, 31; Mat. 24:15-16; 1Thess. 5:3). You see then how those who will have obeyed the Lord’s command to search out and understand this particular event foretold by Daniel, will also be able to recognize at least some of the preceding events that signal its approach.

This is where an understanding of Daniel’s 70th week will prove invaluable for the church’s readiness. For this, we must see God’s investment in the first half of the week as a divine strategy to prepare the church for the second half. But for this, we must see that the 70th week did not follow the 69th week in unbroken succession.

I will give only the briefest possible argument as to why the 70th week must be seen as future. The basic, highly condensed argument is this:

Dan. 12:1-2, 7, 11, particularly verse 11, will show beyond reasonable dispute that the abomination of desolation, with the simultaneous removal of the daily sacrifice, starts the last 3 ½ years (the half week of Dan. 7:25; 9:27; 12:7; Rev. 11:2-3; 12:6, 14; 13:5). It is the ‘time like no other’, also called, “great tribulation” and “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7; Dan. 12:1; Mat. 24:21: Rev. 7:14).

Observe that this last and greatest tribulation on earth ends with nothing short of the final deliverance of Daniel’s people and the resurrection of the righteous dead, including Daniel’s personal resurrection (Dan. 12:1-2, 13). Thus, it is not far to see that this is the event that divides the final week into two equal halves in Dan. 9:27.

So far as it is agreed that the 69th week terminates at the cross of Christ (i.e., Messiah “cut off”; Dan. 9:26 with Isa. 53:8), nothing within the range of the seven years following the cross arrived at the kind of “end” / “consummation” as described in Daniel, most particularly Dan. 12:1-2. Advocates of the unbroken continuity of the 70 sevens are hard-pressed to identify what events within that time frame can be said to fulfill the goals reached at the end of final the 3 ½ years, most specifically and undeniably the deliverance of Daniel’s people (Jews / “natural branches”) and the resurrection of the righteous (Dan. 12:1-2, 7, 11).

Therefore, to speak of an unbroken continuity between the 69th and 70th weeks is highly anticlimactic, to say the least. Such would be a complete short-fall of the end goals, not only of Dan. 9:24 but of Daniel’s apocalyptic visions in general, all of which were aimed at the final and eternal end of exile and the coming in of the post-tribulation kingdom of God on earth (Jesus Millennial Kingdom) at the end of the last persecution.

Space forbids an account of the genius and logic of all six goals of the seventy-sevens (Dan. 9:24) and the mystery of the interim that divides the 70th seven from the former 69 weeks of years, but for now, our purpose must be limited to underscore how invaluable this knowledge will be in preparing the church, now, but even more especially in the first half of the week for what it must be to Israel and the nations in the second half that ends in Christ’s post-tribulation, pre-wrath return at the Day of the Lord.

This strategic advantage threatens to be lost to the church’s benefit unless we can identify the distinguishing markers that show we have entered into the first half of the week. I offer this brief quote from G. H. Lang (beloved mentor of F. F. Bruce) from his, “The Histories and Prophecies of Daniel”:

“When this peace agreement shall have been confirmed, the wise will know that the final seven years have commenced, that the end days are present, that the consummation of the age has arrived. They will expect the violation of the covenant after three years and a half, and will not be overwhelmed with surprise, having been told beforehand by this prophecy. Then will it be seen in fullness that the knowledge of prophetic scripture is simply priceless.”

I conclude with this appeal: certainly, every inch of ground in the confusing smorgasbord of eschatological options is hard-fought and hard-won, but there are keys of simplicity that make a plain path through the maze. One of those keys I have mentioned, but just how best to use that key to equip the church belongs to another discussion.

Regardless, whether you believe the preterist position that the abomination and the great tribulation are past already or the classic dispensational view that the Olivet prophecy is to be seen as “Jewish ground”, not directly applicable to the church that is expected to be gone during this time. In any event, I soberly appeal to you to at least treat the grave warnings of deception and the antidote that Jesus prescribes with at least a ‘just in case’ sense of responsibility for the sake of your flocks.

If Jesus put such stress on the relationship of this event to offset some of the prevailing deceptions of “those days”, such as the present massive upsurge of antisemitism, just reflect on how regrettable it would be if you had failed to prepare those under your care with at least the means to recognize these things if you might just happen to be sincerely mistaken.

All’s to say, a careful knowledge of Daniel’s prophecy of the end is a pain well worth taking. It is only as we are instructed that we will be in a position to instruct (Dan. 11:33; 12:3).

If Paul can rightly call the living church of the living God “the pillar and ground of truth” (1Tim. 3:15), it would seem inconceivable that the last witness of the gospel to Israel and the nations would be made in its absence. If we take the view that to be alive “in Christ”, whether before, during, or after the tribulation, is necessarily to be part of His body, then it follows that “the voice of the bridegroom AND of the bride” (Rev. 18:23) will be heard far and wide during a final witness, sealed in the blood of the tribulation martyrs (compare Dan. 7:21; 11:35; 12:10; Mat. 24:14; Rev. 6:10-11; 12:11; 13:7, 15; 14:6; 20:4).

“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. 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

THE FALLEN ANGEL FROM THE ABYSS AND THE BEAST OF REVELATION

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Can we know the name of the Beast of Revelation, and is that name cryptically found in the Bible, from the Tower of Babel to Isaiah, Micah, Daniel, and Numbers? What did the Beast do in the past, and what will he do when he is released from the Abyss (Bottomless Pit) at the time of the end. Watch this Nelson Walters video to discover our future written in advance.

There is a great deal of new information in this video, you may need to watch it several times as I did to fully understand how it fits God’s end times story.

DISNEY+ ‘STAR WARS’ SERIES FEATURES COVEN OF LESBIAN WITCHES PROCREATING

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The conservative family advocacy group One Million Moms criticized Disney+’s new series, “Star Wars: The Acolyte,” for promoting LGBT themes and witchcraft. The series, which debuted on Disney+ last month, has sparked controversy for its portrayal of lesbian characters using supernatural elements to conceive children.

“The Acolyte,” the latest addition to the ‘Star Wars’ franchise, incorporates a narrative in which characters harness the mystical “force” to initiate childbirth among lesbians. According to One Million Moms, this element signifies a clear stance by Disney+ in the ongoing cultural conflict over media content standards.

The group contends that such themes are inappropriate for a platform widely regarded as child-friendly but also indicative of a larger agenda by Disney to engage in the cultural war rather than provide neutral, family-oriented entertainment.

“Disney+ has been under pressure from the gay community to portray openly gay relationships in its TV shows and movies, including those created for families,” the group said in a statement. This new series is a response to those demands, with its overtly lesbian storyline.

“The Acolyte” has been designed to appeal to a progressive audience from its inception. The series creator, Leslye Headland, has been vocal about her intentions to create a narrative that resonates with queer individuals, inspired by personal experiences and previous Disney works like “Frozen,” which portrayed non-heterosexual love as true love.

In an interview posted on X, Headland explained that her desire was “to make something like this that is, you know, for lack of a better term, Disney, meaning something that like my parents would have allowed me to see when I was younger as a queer person, that I would have been able to understand as a queer person.” She asserted that had such a program existed, she “would have had a completely different life.”

Headland’s approach to “Star Wars” was not just about adding new characters but about reshaping the understanding of familial and romantic relationships within the narrative framework of the “High Republic” era of the “Star Wars” universe.

The portrayal of diverse sexual orientations is not isolated to “The Acolyte.” Other franchises, such as DC Comics, have also embraced similar narratives. For instance, DC announced on National Coming Out Day in 2021 that Superman’s son, Jon Kent, would be depicted as bisexual in the “Superman: Son of Kal-El” series. Earlier that year, “Batman: Urban Legends” featured Robin in a romantic relationship with a male friend.

Consider also the takeover by LGBTQ of the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympic Games, it demonstrates that the move to take God and His values out of society is worldwide. Biblical prophecy foretells this lawlessness and persecution of Christians before Jesus returns to restore righteousness and usher in His Millennial Kingdom (http://www.millennialkingdom.net)

“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

ALBANESE HAS BEEN WARNED BY DR ADRIAN PATERSON: HE SAYS, NUCLEAR WILL PROVIDE THE LOWEST ENERGY COST

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Why is Dr Adrian Paterson, the former chief executive of the Australian Nuclear ­Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), which operates the Lucas Heights reactor in Sydney being ignored.

Dr Paterson has written to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese demanding urgent action to keep the nation’s lights on.

Paterson asks: “Why are we as a modern democracy banning nuclear at the federal and state level when low-carbon nuclear provides the cheapest consumer costs? Nuclear would transform an electricity grid which is getting … less reliable plus getting very, very expensive.

“Your electricity plan, for a massive expansion of the grid with wind and solar sources is deeply flawed and expensive. It will fail to deliver quality, 24-hour electricity,” Dr Paterson warned.

Dr Paterson said nuclear energy production stands apart from wind and solar because it doesn’t require a “massive expansion” of the grid – the cost of which would easily fund the first nuclear power plants.

Regarding a CSIRO report that claims nuclear will be too expensive, Paterson says: “CSIRO has no expertise in the cost of generation.

“What they do is take publicly available figures of the construction costs of nuclear power plants – usually in countries that have got regulatory environments that are kind of designed to stop nuclear – and convert them into a generation cost using an algorithm which is provided to them by a private sector firm that is not an expert in the nuclear industry,” he says.

“I’ve engaged the CSIRO for several years both directly and also through the press to say that we can work together to sort this out and they have no inclination to do it. People don’t know that to build all of the planned solar panels and wind turbines we’re going to have to double the size of the grid, which is 40 percent of electricity bills.

“The eastern grid in Australia is the most complex machine in the southern hemisphere. The policy of this government is to make it twice as big as it is and twice as complex if you have to integrate intermittent sources into it.

“How do people believe that we can create a grid that’s double the size with lower energy density and still have the current quality of life?

“The current policy is based on a failure to get proper engineers in the room. Engineers are being banned from giving talks as we speak,” Paterson says.

Commenting on his letter to the PM, Dr Paterson said Australians should be given a choice in how their electricity is generated.

“We shouldn’t be making decisions based on the personal preference of Anthony Albanese. This ‘Captain’s Pick’ mindset is stuck in the 80s when he was an antinuclear campaigner at Sydney University.

“It’s time Australia had the option to join the rest of the world, who are already using nuclear to stabilise the grid and power their economies.

“Why should Australia miss out on cheap, clean fuel? Why should Australians pay more to keep the lights on at home? Why not keep businesses doors open and unemployment low?”

Dr Paterson served as chief executive of ANSTO for 12 years, has degrees in chemistry and engineering, sits on the board of HB11 Energy, a company developing laser hydrogen fusion technology, and is now the principal and founder of energy advisory Siyeva Consulting.