When Jesus was addressing his disciples questions about His second coming, Jesus said, “the days of Noah would be like the days of His coming.”
“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
Jesus therefore tells us that most people will be living their lives as if life is normal, nothing unusual is happening for them. However, we know for Christians this time will be a time of get distress, even great tribulation, when they reject the Mark of the Beast/Antichrist.
“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
Jesus attests to the fact that the Flood narrative is an Old Testament account that parallels the return of Jesus. Does this even include parallels between the number of days of the Flood and the final Wrath? Does God’s Word tell us plainly how long the Wrath of God lasts, and will it be a surprise to almost everyone?
Nelson does a great job of answering all these questions and more.
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Where is your focus fixed? On the things that are transient or things that are eternal. Up to the age of 47 my focus was totally on things of this world. I was managing director of The Ramsay Group, at the time, the largest surgical, dental, scientific and medical educational company in Australia. I had a waterfront home and all the trappings of success. You can read my story in the book Build a Kingdom Business – Empowered by the Holy Spirit. What is my current focus? It is on living eternal now.
available on Amazon as an ebook and paperback from me ron@bakb.com.au
As Jesus return to this earth is not too far distant we need to start preparing to rule and reign with Jesus during the Millennium. Jesus has unfinished business with Israel. Every O.T. prophet was given a vision of their Messiah ruling and reigning the nations from a new Jerusalem. This will happen, but not prior to Christians being tested through a time of tribulation unlike anything experienced previously. Jesus told us to watch and be prepared (1 Peter 4:12-14).
God has also revealed that the resurrected saints will rule and reign with Jesus. The thousand years is a transition period from this current world which is largely ruled by Satan. He will be defeated at the end of this period, chained and cast into the Abyss for 1000 years. Even though Satan is not around to tempt people during the Millennium we are told that Jesus and the saints still need to rule with a rod of iron. At the end of the thousand years Satan and His minions are released and He is still able to raise an enormous army to come against Jesus and the Saints. Jesus of course destroys the army and Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire. God then destroys this earth with fire. The White Throne Judgement takes place after all the dead have been raised to life. Then what? John was shown the following vision.
“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. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”Revelation 21:1-4
“And he (Angel) carried me (John) away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia (2000 km/1250 m). Its length and width and height are equal. He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Revelation 21: 10-27
You need to connect with this excellent teaching on the Book of Revelation by Jeff Scwarzwntraub of Brave Church Colorado. There are 10 sermons in this Alpha/Omega – Revelation series. You will learn and be challenged by this teaching regardless of what you believe about end times eschatology. Jeff sticks to a historical-grammatical exegesis which strives to reveal the original authors intent.
For over 150 years the evangelical church has mainly been taught a pre-tribulational rapture of the saints, which theorizes the church will be raptured and then the 70th week of Daniel will begin. Some have been taught that Jesus returns at the midpoint of the seven years and still others believe He will return at the end. However, what is important is what do the Scriptures say will happen. God desires for us to know what to expect in the last days and therefore He has given us His Word to study. May the truth of these messages stir your hearts to love God more and prepare you for His second coming.
During the Passover observance in 2019, 19-year-old John Earnest allegedly walked into a synagogue in Poway, California and opened fire, killing one worshipper and wounding three others. It was later revealed that Earnest was an active member of an Orthodox Presbyterian Church congregation and specifically believed that he was doing God’s will by killing Jews.
The revelation that the lone suspect in the mass shooting was a devout Christian stirred reactions from many, including author and columnist Michael Brown, a proponent of Messianic Judaism and host of the nationally syndicated radio show, “The Line of Fire.”
Brown wrote about what he saw on social media from self-identified Christians and rhetoric espoused by modern Christian ministries and some theologians. “This is a book I wish I didn’t have to write,” Brown told the Christian Post in an interview.
“Sadly, there is a real rise in anti-Semitism in the church, even in America.”
“I felt I had to write the book to demonstrate what was happening,” he added. “The rising tide of anti-Semitism in the church today.” This includes the rise of the heresy Replacement Theology, the notion that the Church has replaced Israel as the new chosen people, with God no longer having any plans for modern Jews.
Below are excerpts from a conversation Christian Post (CP) had with Brown about Christian anti-Semitism and its apparent growing strength.
CP: You have written about anti-Semitism in the Church before; notably the 1992 book Our Hands Are Stained With Blood. How does this book differ from your earlier works?
And in doing so, that was very jarring because I was confronted with what had grown in recent years and how some of the dangerous trends of the past were back today. So Christian Antisemitism, the new book, picks up where Our Hands Are Stained With Blood left off. It gets much more in-depth into the wrong theology behind it. It traces some of the current conspiracy theories in the Church today about the Jewish people. It gets much deeper into the contemporary issues that the first book touched on.
CP: You devoted a fair amount of attention to refuting replacement theology. How pervasive a problem do you believe replacement theology is in the American church? Do you see it as more prevalent in some denominations than others?
Brown: Yes, it’s very prominent. It is certainly growing. It is very dangerous. It is more to be found in what would be called the mainstream denominations — so Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Methodist, etc. It is less found in Charismatic circles or in some aspects of evangelism. But the fact is it’s there. It’s certainly there in Catholic theology.
Those that hold to it don’t like to be put in the category of holding to replacement theology. They would rather say they believe in “fulfillment theology” or put another name on it. But the end result is the same: the promises that God once gave to the Jewish people as a people no longer apply to them, but rather apply to the Church.
This website livingeternal.net is about preparing the church for the end times tribulation and the coming Millennial reign of Christ from a restructured Jerusalem. Jesus will rule the world on this earth with the resurrected saints. A literal, grammatical and historical view of the Bible makes this truth crystal clear. Israel will finally have fulfilled all of the O.T and N.T. prophecies of its Messiah ruling the nations from Jerusalem. The book by Michael Brown is obviously an important contribution to this cause.
Satan’s kingdom is massing powerful forces of hate, anger and evil. They masquerade as good and fair values that liberate, confirm and advance culture and civilization. But they are doing the very opposite! Events and trends have reached a point of no return. If I denigrate in any way gay marriage, homosexuality and LGBT issues then this post would be censored. A Christian must be armed with a solid faith in God to withstand the battle of life before us. It is time to check our faith—protected by a shield that cannot be penetrated by doubt, fear or weakness. A strong belief and confidence in God’s firm hand in our life is the anchor we need during these times. Jesus asked a question with profound implications for each of us: “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8. Faith in Jesus is growing increasingly rare in our secularized society.
Many people today view the values and promises of the Bible as judgmental and archaic. The popular approach is to accept and validate all opinions, no matter what they are. But the same people don’t realize that such an approach inevitably produces doubt, which undermines faith. We may not deny the existence of God, but, because of the materialism, humanism and moral relativism of the world around us, we convince ourselves that God is not involved in human affairs. We see through a prism that leaves God out of the picture. The religion of many professing Christians is superficial. They have not received the Holy Spirit and therefore lack the power to live the Christian life. Moreover, as a result their knowledge of God’s Word is rudimentary. They certainly are not aware of the many prophecies concerning Jesus soon coming return. Far too many have come to believe that every aspect of life is simply a matter of personal choice and that nothing matters beyond their feelings. Instead of relying on God, they trust only themselves to solve their problems. Confirmation of the superficiality of faith is to be found in the fact that, although 90 percent of Americans say they pray, many are unsure that their prayers make any difference (National & International Religion Report).
Did Christ at His first coming fulfill all that God promised regarding the establishment of His Kingdom, Israel and the church? At Hisfirst coming, Christ provided the means for us to receive the Holy Spirit and be reunited with our Heavenly Father but our “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time“1 Peter 1:4-5. Peter makes it clear that our inheritance is future. Therefore, many of the covenantal promises of God are still awaiting fulfillment at His second coming. Most of the O.T. prophets spoke of their Messiah ruling and reigning the nations from Jerusalem. The Scriptures are not just focused on redemption. Of course redemption is important, but so is the judgment of Satan and the demons; so is the Kingdom; and so is the glory of God. Even redemption does not always refer to His first coming, as the books of Hebrews and 1 Peter make clear (e.g. Hebrews 1:13-14; 5:9; 9:28; 1 Peter1:3-9 ; cf. Romans 13:11).
The fast spreading Progressive Covenantalism does not see the church as directly extending or fulfilling Israel as did Replacement Theology. Rather, Christ is the antitype of Israel, who fulfills Israel’s identity, purpose, and mission such that in Christ the church inherits all the covenant blessings. It is Replacement theology with a twist and still fails to view Jesus second coming is when He fulfills all that God had promised. The driving assumption of fulfillment at the first advent endangers unfettered exegesis of “the texts in their context.”
Dr Paul Martin Henebury of Telos Ministries is the source for the information on Progressive Covenantalism. Paul is a Biblical Covenantalist (his description). I agree with his understanding of the Biblical covenants and of creation about 6000 years ago. Paul is a native of Manchester, England and a graduate of London Theological Seminary and Tyndale Theological Seminary (M.T.S., M.Div., Ph.D).
Dalton will challenge how you view Jesus. It is without doubt the most important issue you need to resolve in your Christian walk. You need to behold the magnificence of Jesus as revealed in Revelation and particularly what He will be like as a judge. We long for justice but have a deep hatred of judgement. We don’t like to think of a God who is going to judge us. We love His mercy but the reality is our only hope is in a Jesus who will restore justice. The Bible tells us Jesus will rule with a rod of iron in the Millennium when He will rule and reign for a thousand years with the glorified saints on this earth. How does that fit with your view of Jesus and the end times?
There is a reason why the prologue of Revelation includes these words: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”Revelation 1:3
There can be no better witness to others who are in fear. You and I were born for this very time, to be anointed by the Father with the Holy Spirit. This was only possible through Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. He alone made it possible for us to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit to those needing hope all around us. The Holy Spirit speaks to us today. He is our counsellor, teacher, and comforter He provides the gifts of the Spirit for ministry as we go He will lead and His power is evident.
“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1
That is a wonderful “assignment” each day from the Lord.As we submit our will to His will, we are perfecting holiness in Him and truly living eternal now.
The LORD is in charge. He’s allowing the Covid 19 pestilence and the economic and political chaos to shake us like never before, certainly in my lifetime. Hopefully, it will awaken Christians in all nations, so that His people called by His Name will repent and pray.
“if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
Our prayers and daily repentance will support this process for His Will to prevail.
Darkness will cover the earth. We now live in a world that largely denies God’s existence and His ability to judge us. A world that is under the control of Satan. Jesus acknowledged His current sovereignty over this word. Just as the first man, Adam, rebelled against God, the Bible reveals that Satan an angelic being (created by God to serve Him in the heavenly dimension but able to impact and even manifest in our earthly dimension) rebelled against God wanting to be God. We are told that one-third of the angels followed Satan in his rebellion and are now demons taking part in Satan’s demonic plan to subvert God’s redemptive plan.
“We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
A world that denies the true history of this world including the worldwide flood of Noah’s day when God judged and destroyed mankind and the animals except those on Noah’s Ark just 4000 years ago. Probably, the greatest lie that Satan has got the world to believe is the evolutionary origins of this universe.
The world also largely denies God ever established a nation to represent Him on this earth and from whom would come the redeemer, the one who can save mankind from sin, man’s rebellion against their Creator. The true history of this world from its beginning to its prophesied end has been given to us by God Himself through the prophets. Fulfilled prophecies already prove the Bible is God’s Word. Jesus came into His world and changed history forever. It is 2020 because God ensured this event could not be denied. When the resurrected Jesus departed this world He said He would return to the same place where He left it, Jerusalem. Extensive details of His second coming were revealed to the O.T. prophets and to the N.T. apostles particularly John in the book of Revelation. There are more prophecies about Jesus’ second coming to earth than there were about His first coming and there were plenty of those.
Christians we need to start living eternally now, ready for Jesus’ return. We can use the coming prophesied events to prepare the church for the coming tribulation and also for what I call apocalyptic evangelism.
available as an eBook on Amazon and from me ron@bakb.com.au in trade paperback format. Anyone who makes a donation of $20.00 will receive a book delivered anywhere in the world. You will need to email me your address.
We think much of the meek and gentle side of Christ’s character. Perhaps we do not think enough of the strength of it. We do not sufficiently realise the enormous strength that was required to complete that sacrifice. In Him was an iron will, unchanging purpose, strength from consecration, strength from righteousness. In Him was the heroism of prophets and martyrs.
Jesus hanging on the Cross is therein revealed as ‘the power of God’
The contrast between the characteristics of the historical Jesus at His first coming and the rider on the white horse of Revelation at His second coming is difficult to reconcile. The contrast between the suffering servant of the historical Jesus and that of the Divine Warrior, the Man of War, the Conqueror forces us to widen our conceptions if we are ever to understand the greatness of His love or the terribleness of His judgments. ‘The wrath of the Lamb’ sounds like an impossibility, but the righteous Judge is logically and chronologically the completion of the picture of the merciful Saviour. Sadly, the world today does not understand that the consequences of sin are terrible and that divine love must be in irreconcilable antagonism with it and must discipline and smite it. Throughout the Old Testament runs the longing that God would ‘awake’ to smite evil. That is the last and in some sense the greatest act by which He shows Himself ‘mighty to save His redeemed.’
Jesus coming with the saints to defeat the Antichrist army and to liberate Israel. He then begins His Millennial reign on this restored earth. In the same way that Jesus alone provided the atoning sacrifice for our sins, so will Jesus alone tread the winepress of God’s wrath and crush His enemies.
LIVING ETERNAL NOW 