CELESTIAL SIGNS WILL SIGNIFY JESUS RETURN

Posted on by

In Acts 2, the apostle Peter explains that a new period in redemption (i.e. the beginning of the church age) occurs at Pentecost with the Spirit’s supernatural outpouring. But a lot of interpreters miss that Peter’s citation of Joel 2, and its celestial disturbances event linked to the great and magnificent Day of the Lord, gives us a clue to the completion of the church age.

Jesus confirms the same celestial signs in the Olivet discourse (Matt. 24, Mark 13, Luke 21) signaling His return to raise believers from the dead and to rapture the remaining Saints prior to pouring out His wrath on the unrepentant with the Trumpet (Rev. 8,11) and Bowl judgments (Rev.16).

Peter’s citation:

Joel 2:31

“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” Acts 2:17-21

Jesus Olivet Discourse:

“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

Isaiah

Look, the LORD’s day of judgment is coming; it is a day of cruelty and savage, raging anger, destroying the earth and annihilating its sinners.  Indeed the stars in the sky and their constellations no longer give out their light; the sun is darkened as soon as it rises, and the moon does not shine. I will punish the world for its evil, and wicked people for their sin. I will put an end to the pride of the insolent, I will bring down the arrogance of tyrants. I will make human beings more scarce than pure gold, and people more scarce than gold from Ophir. So I will shake the heavens, and the earth will shake loose from its foundation, because of the fury of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, in the day he vents his raging anger.” Isaiah 13:6–13

In Revelation 6 we see the same celestial signs linked to the sixth seal and the announcement that the great day of their (unrepentant) wrath has come.

“When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth… Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”” Revelation 6:12,16

It is at the trumpet blast of the seventh seal that the rapture occurs and John sees the Saints before the throne in their new bodies praising God the Father and Jesus.

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Revelation 7:9-10

PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND TARES

Posted on by

The Parable of the Wheat and Tares is a rapture timing key. It is also controversial and misunderstood. However, Jesus not only explained it to his disciples but told 3 additional parables to help them understand it. The Wheat and the Tares is not only a key to Rapture timing but also to who is saved and who is not, and who will be taken and who is left in the end time. So many theories surround the events of the end times, especially the rapture. How will you know when it is time? What does it look like to live with a hopeful expectancy? In this episode Nelson will help you learn about the timing of the rapture and how to be prepared for the return of Jesus.

RESPONSE OF SOME EVANGELICALS TO PERSECUTION

Posted on by

Many evangelicals in the USA have been anticipating some kind of confrontation with the changing social order. Crawford Griffen writes about it in his new book Survival and Resistance in Evangelical America – Christian Reconstruction in the Pacific Northwest. Over the last five years, he says, ” I’ve been writing about what might be one of the most significant trends among American evangelicals – a migration movement into the Pacific Northwest that has resulted in the formation of some very successful and increasingly influential intentional communities.

From small towns in northern Idaho, and elsewhere in the region, writers, artists and polemicists are publishing books with Penguin, Simon & Schuster and Random House, and broadcasting talk-shows on Amazon Prime. While offering different perspectives, they present a similar sense of crisis. The nation is no longer held together by common values, they explain. They argue that the teaching of evolution in public schools, the debates about abortion, gender and marriage, and the guidelines that shut down churches for reasons of public health are different fronts in a long war against Christianity. They recognize that the neutrality of the public square is an impossible ideal. They understand that politics is always about coercion. And so they proposed their solution. While, in the grand scheme of things, the believers who have migrated to the Pacific Northwest are not numerically significant – although they may number in the tens of thousands – they do project considerable soft power. Many of these believers live very visible lives. The community of several thousand members that has been established in Moscow, Idaho, for example, supports a publishing house, a music conservatory and an impressive liberal arts college. Led by Douglas Wilson, whose many publications include a book that he co-authored with Christopher Hitchens, this community sets out to make Moscow a Christian town.

Other migrants into the region prefer more secluded lives. They are attracted by the idea that this region could form an “American Redoubt,” as James Wesley Rawles has argued, a hold-out for those who want to resist the cultural powers that be. Rawles is the author of several novels and preparedness manuals, which are published by Penguin, and his website, survivalblog.com, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every month. His work sets out a more ambitious agenda for survival and resistance, in which readers are encouraged to adopt evangelical piety while being ready, if necessary, for less spiritual forms of defensive combat. For obvious reasons, those who follow Rawles’ agenda prefer not to attract attention. But for all their differences, Wilson and Rawles agree that believers need to expect an extraordinary cultural crisis in the short to medium term, and prepare for the new world that will follow. While their tactics for dealing with opposition are sharply different, their vision of the future is much the same. Dark skies are on the horizon, but they predict huge numbers of Americans will be converted, the social and political life of the nation will be renewed, and the policy of a renewed republic will be built around the demands of biblical law. Their optimism is appealing but I don’t believe Biblical prophecies such as these two by Jesus supports this optimistic view.

“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

“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

I believe the Bible reveals that those Christians that adopt a praying church as it was in the Book of Acts intent on making disciples in their own communities, loving their neighbours and honouring Jesus regardless of the cost, will have the most impact for the Kingdom in these last days. The power of the Holy Spirit will be once more evident in this Home Church environment.

JESUS SECOND COMING

Posted on by

“After He had said this, while they were watching, He was lifted up and a cloud hid Him from their sight. As they were still staring into the sky while he was going, suddenly two men in white clothing stood near them and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way [houtōs eleusetai hon tropon] you saw Him go into heaven.” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called the Mount of Olives (which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away).” (Acts 1:9–12)

Jesus was taken up into the clouds, and just as He was taken up, He will come back in the clouds as both the following Scriptures testify. His first return is to take the Saints to heaven just prior to God’s wrath being poured out on an unbelieving world with the Trumpet and Bowl judgments in opened Scroll. He does not return to the Mount of Olives on this occasion as some commentators have mistakenly believed. Jesus meets the saints in the air, in the clouds.

One reason for this misinterpretation is another misinterpretation from Zechariah 14:4. Note the following passage does not say that Jesus will descend to the Mount of Olives. It is an entirely different event when Jesus returns with the saints to rescue and restore Israel. It occurs after the wrath of God is poured out on an unbelieving world.

“On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives that lies to the east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in half from east to west, leaving a great valley. Half the mountain will move northward and the other half southward.” (Zech 14:4)

“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

“For the Lord, himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

The Rapture of the Saints gathered by the Angels

PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE & HOSEA PROPHECY

Posted on by

Throughout the Scriptures the fig tree is used as a symbol of Israel. Jesus spoke the “Parable of the Fig Tree” (Matthew 24:22-25) to the disciples as part of His response to their questions concerning when He would return to establish His Kingdom on earth. The parable states that when the fig tree blossoms again, the generation that witnesses that event will be the one that will be living when the Lord returns.

Mark 11:12-14, 20-25

Just the day before as Jesus and His disciples were walking on the Mount of Olives, they came across a fig tree that was barren. Jesus pronounced a curse upon it, and it withered (Matthew 21: 18-19). This was a symbolic prophecy that because the Jewish people (represented by the fig tree) had rejected Jesus as their Messiah (and were therefore barren), their nation would cease to exist. Then, the next day, Jesus reminded them of the tree and said when it blossoms again (when the nation is re-established), the Lord will return. That prophecy, like the prophecy of the Millennial Days covered in a previous post “History of the World”, indicates we are living in the season of the Lord’s return.

“I (Jesus) will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me. Hosea 5:15

Come, let us (Jews) return to the Lord; for He has torn us, that He may heal us; He has struck us down, and He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live before him.” Hosea 6:1-2

This amazing rarely considered prophecy in Hosea indicates His return is soon. The passage says the Messiah will return to Heaven and remain there until the Jewish people acknowledge their guilt in rejecting Him and earnestly seek His face — this will happen during a time of severe trouble for them (Great Tribulation). The Messiah will be gone for “two days.” He will return on “the third day” and will raise up the Jewish people, refreshing them like a spring rain. As God calculates time, it has been “two days” since Jesus ascended to Heaven, for to God, “one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day” (2 Peter 3:8 and Psalm 90:4).

TIMING OF THE END TIMES RESURRECTION

Posted on by

Nelson Walters reveals that the Resurrection of Lazarus story is full of hidden symbols of the End Time Resurrection. One important question Nelson asks is why Jesus delays two days before he went to raise Lazarus from the dead. Also, Nelson shows us a Scripture from Hosea that reveals details of the future resurrection. This video will help you form a more complete picture of the end times when Jesus returns first to raise the dead in Christ then rapture the saints prior to Him coming to earth with the saints after the Trumpet and Bowl judgements (wrath of God) to rescue and restore His nation Israel.

TOTALITARIANISM IS INEVITABLE SAYS ROD DREHER

Posted on by

“Conservative Christians and their churches and institutions are seen as an obstacle to progress. If you stand against LGBT rights for example, if you stand against abortion rights, if you stand against critical race theory you are a problem,” said Rod Dreher, Senior Editor of The American Conservatives.  Alienated and stressed over COVID-19 restrictions, American youth are readily taking to the streets to demand social change. A radical doctrine called critical race theory is inflaming their frustrations.

American youth are readily taking to the streets to demand social change.

Dreher said, “All Christians ought to be against racism. We are, but Critical Race Theory is something very different. It draws a line between good and evil between the races and alienates the races and turns us against each other when we ought to be standing together.” And instead of resorting to harsh tactics to control people, Dreher sees this future US government taking a softer, less violent approach. “We are going to see something develop in this country like the Chinese have today, the social credits system where they monitor everything the Chinese citizens do, they get all the data from their computers, from the internet and so forth and they assign them a rating,” he explained. “The more socially positive you are, from a communist point of view, the higher your rating, the more your privileges.”

Attending church would lower your social credit score and a lower rating means fewer privileges like sending your child to college. Dreher feels it doesn’t matter who is elected president because neither Biden nor Trump will be able to reverse the course. He believes we are living through the birth pangs of a cultural revolution.  “This sort of thing is marching through all the institutions, it’s marching through churches, it’s marching through universities, seminaries, corporations, and we Christians have got to be prepared for it by building networks among churches to endure persecution. Hope for the best, but we also have to remember ours is a religion of martyrdom. Those who suffered and even died for the faith, they received a crown of glory,” Dreher explained. “That may well be our calling and we need to accept that as believers.”

Source CBN News.

GOD WILL ACCOMPLISH “ALL MY PURPOSE”

Posted on by

“I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,” Isaiah 46:10

God’s interventions in history to alter reality are a given for born-again believers that know God’s Word is inerrant. All traditional Christianity has always believed and taught that such interventions occurred and their occurrence is necessary for our salvation. It seems that for many liberal theologians those “mighty, saving acts of God” are symbolic, images, rather than extra-mental realities.

“Truth itself” is debatable—as to what the word or concept even means. One can no longer even know what a truth claim is without a somewhat extensive discussion about the meaning of “truth.” This is why communication is breaking down in postmodern Western culture. 

Reality exists outside the mind and “truth” is correspondence between our thoughts and claims and reality itself. Reality does not depend on its being known. Reality was, is, is yet to be…independently of any mind.

The Bible, God’s Word is truth and it provides the only true truth. The many fulfilled prophecies, Jesus coming to earth fulfilled many of them, are proof conclusive the Bible has been given to us by God so we can know the true history of the cosmos and our place in it. We are made in the image of God and were meant to be in relationship with Him as sons and daughters. Man’s rebellion caused the death, suffering and pain we see in todays lost world. The good news is Jesus is planning to return to rule and reign on His earth with a “rod of iron”. He does so with His resurrected and transfigured saints. Much of Bible prophecy gives us details of the events preceding His return, particularly of the last seven years.

Massive Earthquake Measuring 7.7 on Richter Scale Jolts Miami, Caribbean Dec. 29th 2020

“There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.” Luke 21:11

IS THIS THE BEGINNING OF BIRTH PANGS?

Posted on by

Maybe so, if it is, then it is exciting, because that means Jesus’s return may even be in my lifetime! But it is also sober because much of the church is utterly unprepared, ignorant, and distracted. Two relevant scriptures are:

“He said, ‘Watch out that you are not misled. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them! And when you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be afraid. For these things must happen first, but the end will not come at once. Then he said to them, ‘Nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and famines and plagues [loimoi]* in various places, and there will be terrifying sights and great signs from heaven.’” (Luke 21:8–11)

“You will hear of wars and rumours of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these things are the beginning of birth pains.” (Matthew 24:6–8)

The following thoughts from Dr Alan Kurshner of Eschatos Ministries are worth considering:

“The recent locust storm causing some famine in Africa may meet Jesus prediction but it may suggest a broader geographical famine. If the recent global virus is identified with “plagues” (loimoi), it might qualify, but I think the biblical statement indicates an exponentially more devastating plague. There certainly is a spike of earthquakes but not frequent “great earthquakes.” If these are all part of the beginning of “the beginning of the birth pangs,” then we should expect two more events: a spate of wars and a spate of false christs emerging.

Until then, I don’t believe we are experiencing “the beginning of birth pangs”. Keep in mind that the beginning of birth-pang events will not unfold piecemeal but rather will be a cluster of these events that will occur at the same time, which only makes sense of Jesus’s admonition: “Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come.” In addition, I am inclined to believe the beginning of birth pangs (which I identify as the first three seals) will occur during the first half of the seventieth week of Daniel after the Beast will confirm a covenant for seven years (Dan 9:27). However, I have never been dogmatic on this, since the beginning of birth pangs may begin before the seven year period.”

In the meantime, as saints of the Most High, we live with holy expectation of our Lord’s return. This should inspire us to make sure that we daily seek God’s will and wisdom in all things. To be about our Father’s business to warn the lost that they need to repent of their sins. To recognise they have rejected their Creator, our Heavenly Father and the sacrifice of His son, Jesus, so they may have eternal life.

“Remember, I have told you ahead of time” (Matt 24:25).

NATIONS RAGE AGAINST GOD AND HIS VALUES

Posted on by

Biblical prophecy is accurate, God has told us how events will unfold prior to His return to rule and reign from Jerusalem.

PSALM 2 gives us an accurate picture of the nations today, the rulers have taken counsel together against God and His people. They have cast away God’s values and commands. We can make up our own rules about sex, marriage and gender.

Look what God says and what He will do. They will face His wrath and Jesus will rule and reign from Zion’s Hill (Jerusalem). Notice what Jesus will do to the nations “break them with a rod of iron and dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel”.

Fortunately, Christians have been given a detailed picture of the “last days” and know that God is going to first refine His church with tribulation. Sadly, Jesus told us that many church goers will fall away from the true faith and compromise with the world and its values. This is already happening as gay marriage and homosexual pastors are being accepted in some denominational churches.

“Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.”
He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision.
Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: “Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.”
“I will declare the decree: the Lord has said to Me, you are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ” Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little.” PSALM 2