Summary of Bible references on the Rapture
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Mark 3:25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
Hollywood is clearly part of the kingdom of darkness. Hollywood does not mock Buddhism, or Islam. However Hollywood does mock Christians, Jesus, the rapture, etc.
This shows you that these are the things that Satan hates and therefore the things that are clearly part of the Lord's house.
On the other hand Hollywood loves to make movies about the apocalypse, calamity, death, destruction, liars, cheats, UFO's, aliens, etc. There is a part of the Bible prophecy that Satan likes to own. Part of this is the "great delusion" and part of it is simply when the restrainer steps aside and allows Satan to run wild.
However, it is quite interesting that they never make movies about the mark of the beast or that would help people identify the antichrist as a counterfeit Christ.
Hollywood is clearly part of the kingdom of darkness. Hollywood does not mock Buddhism, or Islam. However Hollywood does mock Christians, Jesus, the rapture, etc.
This shows you that these are the things that Satan hates and therefore the things that are clearly part of the Lord's house.
On the other hand Hollywood loves to make movies about the apocalypse, calamity, death, destruction, liars, cheats, UFO's, aliens, etc. There is a part of the Bible prophecy that Satan likes to own. Part of this is the "great delusion" and part of it is simply when the restrainer steps aside and allows Satan to run wild.
However, it is quite interesting that they never make movies about the mark of the beast or that would help people identify the antichrist as a counterfeit Christ.
Prophecy Derangement Syndrome
1. Many people who are complaining about false prophets have no idea what they are talking about. If the prophecy is from the Bible it is an interpretation, not a prophecy. The watchmen for the most part are not prophets, they are looking at current events through the lens of the Bible.
2. I think every believer has been stunned at the extent of the prophetic word in the Bible. Prophecy is not limited to "thus saith the Lord". We are learning that "pattern is prophecy" with the Bible. For example, the first 12 verses of the Bible have a total of 153 words. In Hebrew the numeric value of the son's of God is 153. So in John when they drag 153 fish to the shore it is saying that the 12 apostle's ministry will bring in the Son's of God, and that word was prophesied back in Genesis 1.
3. Many who seem totally deranged take offense when we notice anything. For example one brother noticed the predictive programming in Hollywood movies. What does it mean? I don't know, but it seems foolish to me not to notice things like this. Yet they went berserk about false prophets over this. Another example is the discussion about our solar system being binary with a brown dwarf star. These are observations that can be tied to historical events and may shed light on some of the verses in the Bible. For example, the Earth stood still and we had a very long day at the time of Joshua. The gravitational force of brown dwarf passing by Earth could surely have that effect on Earth. There are prophecies in Revelation that may be describing this and the Vatican has purchased a very expensive telescope and observatory that is specially designed for seeing Brown dwarf stars in our solar system, yet we aren't supposed to make this observation?
4. There are other things that we can see very clearly, like the video evidence of these underground tunnels in the US that are being stocked with 18 wheelers, or the millions of plastic casket liners that the US is stockpiling. However, we are not told what they are for, what is the reason. So people infer, putting two and two together. Revelation talks about chopping off heads of those who won't get the mark, it also talks about famine and pestilence. Those are all plausible explanations for these casket liners. The underground tunnels sure look like they are planning for either a nuclear war or a catastrophic meteor impact. Again plausible explanations, and it is valuable to do this because you can then think of other things to look for based on certain scenarios.
1. Many people who are complaining about false prophets have no idea what they are talking about. If the prophecy is from the Bible it is an interpretation, not a prophecy. The watchmen for the most part are not prophets, they are looking at current events through the lens of the Bible.
2. I think every believer has been stunned at the extent of the prophetic word in the Bible. Prophecy is not limited to "thus saith the Lord". We are learning that "pattern is prophecy" with the Bible. For example, the first 12 verses of the Bible have a total of 153 words. In Hebrew the numeric value of the son's of God is 153. So in John when they drag 153 fish to the shore it is saying that the 12 apostle's ministry will bring in the Son's of God, and that word was prophesied back in Genesis 1.
3. Many who seem totally deranged take offense when we notice anything. For example one brother noticed the predictive programming in Hollywood movies. What does it mean? I don't know, but it seems foolish to me not to notice things like this. Yet they went berserk about false prophets over this. Another example is the discussion about our solar system being binary with a brown dwarf star. These are observations that can be tied to historical events and may shed light on some of the verses in the Bible. For example, the Earth stood still and we had a very long day at the time of Joshua. The gravitational force of brown dwarf passing by Earth could surely have that effect on Earth. There are prophecies in Revelation that may be describing this and the Vatican has purchased a very expensive telescope and observatory that is specially designed for seeing Brown dwarf stars in our solar system, yet we aren't supposed to make this observation?
4. There are other things that we can see very clearly, like the video evidence of these underground tunnels in the US that are being stocked with 18 wheelers, or the millions of plastic casket liners that the US is stockpiling. However, we are not told what they are for, what is the reason. So people infer, putting two and two together. Revelation talks about chopping off heads of those who won't get the mark, it also talks about famine and pestilence. Those are all plausible explanations for these casket liners. The underground tunnels sure look like they are planning for either a nuclear war or a catastrophic meteor impact. Again plausible explanations, and it is valuable to do this because you can then think of other things to look for based on certain scenarios.
An Eschatology of Abandonment
One of the principle arguments against the rapture, particularly from genuine Christians is this idea that everyone must go through tribulation, trials and sufferings. The Lord said that we must take up our cross and follow Him.
Well if you study church history you will see that many, many believers have done that through the last two thousand years even though they are not going through the 3 1/2 years of tribulation at the end of the age. There are two ways to go through tribulation, you can willingly pick up the cross and follow the Lord, or during the tribulation you can be forced to choose between the mark of the beast or the cross of Christ.
But what about this idea of abandonment, why would the Lord pull out the saints who are fully committed to Him right when the battle becomes the fiercest? Perhaps that is a misunderstanding. Before we sent soldiers to the European theater they had to go through basic training in the US. No one considers that we were "abandoning" the US when we sent them to Europe.
I had an experience earlier in my Christian life that always comes to mind. Our church had a mission to build a large conference center in Irving, Texas. I was in Houston and about 100 of us from Houston moved to Irving for this mission. The church in Houston had about 200 members and it was as though the front two rows simply moved leaving the back two rows. Those of us who moved were full time on this construction project, and those who stayed in Houston quickly built the church back up so that it had 200 members again in about two years. I suspect the Lord knows what He is doing and those who are raptured will play a vital role in God's kingdom coming to earth and that those who remain will also play a vital role in the greatest revival in human history.
One of the principle arguments against the rapture, particularly from genuine Christians is this idea that everyone must go through tribulation, trials and sufferings. The Lord said that we must take up our cross and follow Him.
Well if you study church history you will see that many, many believers have done that through the last two thousand years even though they are not going through the 3 1/2 years of tribulation at the end of the age. There are two ways to go through tribulation, you can willingly pick up the cross and follow the Lord, or during the tribulation you can be forced to choose between the mark of the beast or the cross of Christ.
But what about this idea of abandonment, why would the Lord pull out the saints who are fully committed to Him right when the battle becomes the fiercest? Perhaps that is a misunderstanding. Before we sent soldiers to the European theater they had to go through basic training in the US. No one considers that we were "abandoning" the US when we sent them to Europe.
I had an experience earlier in my Christian life that always comes to mind. Our church had a mission to build a large conference center in Irving, Texas. I was in Houston and about 100 of us from Houston moved to Irving for this mission. The church in Houston had about 200 members and it was as though the front two rows simply moved leaving the back two rows. Those of us who moved were full time on this construction project, and those who stayed in Houston quickly built the church back up so that it had 200 members again in about two years. I suspect the Lord knows what He is doing and those who are raptured will play a vital role in God's kingdom coming to earth and that those who remain will also play a vital role in the greatest revival in human history.
https://www.joydigitalmag.com/everyday-life/tom-hughes-5-reasons-pastors-dont-teach-bible-prophecy/
Here are five reasons many pastors refuse to teach Bible prophecy:
1. They don’t understand it.
Maybe you serve as a pastor and you believe we live near the time of Christ’s return, but you don’t feel qualified to teach on such a large subject. Ask yourself this. Who qualified you to teach the Bible at all? The Lord did. His calling is His equipping. If He called you to be a pastor, He will equip you to teach all of the Bible.
I remember the first time I felt the Lord leading me to teach on the Book of Revelation. The thought of such an undertaking overwhelmed me. But God reminded me that I can teach Revelation just like any other Bible topic — through prayer and study.
Find a variety of commentaries. You will not agree with them all, so you will have to judge among them. Deuteronomy 19:18 describes the work of a judge in three words. “Make careful inquiry.” Deuteronomy 13:14 says that in judging, “You shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently.”
As a Pastor, you do those things regularly. Before you teach any part of the Bible, you “inquire, search out, and ask diligently.” This is the same thing. Do your homework and pray. Remember that He is your Teacher and your Qualifier.
2. They fear offending members of the congregation.
In today’s Church, pastors often feel more like referees than teachers. People find offense in so many things, the pastor becomes gun-shy. Maybe without realizing it, he begins to preach in ways he thinks will be least likely to offend.
Other pastors see preaching as a means of getting people to feel good. People who feel good will want to have that feeling again, so they come back. Caffeine makes people feel good, too, but church is not Starbucks.
We forget that God’s word is a sword, and sometimes it divides. Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34 KJV)
Adrian Rogers put it like this. “I would rather be divided by truth than united by error.”
The Bible offends. Jesus offended the elite and the religious. King Ahab paraded 400 false prophets before his throne. They told him the news he enjoyed hearing. But one prophet always told the truth, and King Ahab hated him for it. His name was Micaiah. He prophesied that Ahab would die if he went into battle. The king did die that day, and the 400 feel-good prophets fled in fear. (1 Kings 22)
Every pastor should remember that he is called to a stricter standard and is twice as accountable on judgment day. We must not seek to please men, but God. Whether it’s the Golden Rule or the Rapture, the truth always offends someone. But the fact remains — Jesus is coming again! Pastors have a responsibility to speak this truth, both to warn and encourage their parishioners.
However, offense for its own sake is never good. Much of the contentiousness over prophetic interpretation can be mitigated by simply preaching with humility. These are not matters to get high and mighty over. None of us knows it all. Don’t treat those who disagree like fools. Respect them. Present your beliefs with authority, but also in meekness, bathed in prayer.
3. People will be scared.
Bible prophecy can be unnerving. Hollywood makes money scaring people, so it loves to use apocalyptic themes. The truth can be scary. But isn’t it better to be scared and prepared, than happy and condemned?
For those who know the Lord, understanding the end times helps us to be faithful instead of fearful. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8 KJV)
Teach your congregation to “love His appearing,” and they will stop being afraid.
We humans fear the unknown, and yet, without divine revelation, we never know anything beyond the moment in which we’re living. We don’t exist in a state of perpetual fear because we are able to look at the past, and extrapolate some notion of the future. But we don’t know. We make educated guesses. You could be sitting in your home reading this, and a piece of “space junk” fall out of the sky, through your roof, and hit you on the head. None of us knows what the next second, or the next nanosecond, will bring.
Thankfully, God has not left us in the dark about the really important things. He has given us revelation. We associate the terrible things prophesied for the end times with the word “apocalypse.” That word means to “uncover, or reveal.” Literally, it means “revelation.”
Uncovering something allows us to see and understand. It gives us direction and a point of reference. We stop stumbling in the dark, and begin to walk in the light. Dorothy and her friends went through many trials in Oz, but they always had “the yellow brick road.” Because of that, they always knew where they were and where they were going. It gave them orientation.
To be lost in a dangerous land is infinitely more frightening than to be in the same place with a road map. You look at the map (Bible prophecy), and say, “Okay. That’s scary, but it’s happening as it was supposed to happen. Everything’s good. God is still in control!”
4. People might not tithe if they think we’re close to the end.
The study of end times Bible prophecy does not cause people to place selfish concerns ahead of Christ. It does the opposite. If your congregation believes the Lord is coming soon, they will be less self-centered and more God-centered. They will be better church-members, better husbands and wives, better parents, better people, and, yes, better givers. They will be less likely to build up treasure selfishly, and more likely to live generously. They will become more eternity-minded, and less temporally-minded.
Seeing prophecy fulfilled in our time, reminds us that the end will come, and may be coming soon. A reminder of His soon coming is a reminder to invest in eternity, and stop trying to build on that which will pass away. (Matthew 6:19-21)
While talking about His coming Kingdom, Jesus said, “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:34-36 KJV)
Christ’s answer to being “weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the cares of this life” is to “pray” and to “watch” for His coming. But you can only watch if you know what to look for.
Finally, if you’re a pastor preaching for tithe dollars, you need to rethink and repent. The Bible calls you some really bad things, the mildest of which is “hireling.” You need to study prophecy so that you and your parishioners will have an eternal perspective, and begin to store treasure of all kinds in heaven.
Remember that Jesus is the head of the Church. Be faithful to proclaim the whole truth and He will be faithful to take care of His Church.
5. Fear of looking like the loony-tune fringe.
False and unbiblical teachers of prophecy abound. They’re on the radio, on television, and boy, are they on the internet! But these are not reasons to avoid teaching prophecy. Errors, exaggerations, and charlatans are among the best reasons for teaching the real thing. Your congregation is going to hear a lot of goofy stuff. You need to teach them the truth so they won’t be vulnerable to lies.
Here are five reasons many pastors refuse to teach Bible prophecy:
1. They don’t understand it.
Maybe you serve as a pastor and you believe we live near the time of Christ’s return, but you don’t feel qualified to teach on such a large subject. Ask yourself this. Who qualified you to teach the Bible at all? The Lord did. His calling is His equipping. If He called you to be a pastor, He will equip you to teach all of the Bible.
I remember the first time I felt the Lord leading me to teach on the Book of Revelation. The thought of such an undertaking overwhelmed me. But God reminded me that I can teach Revelation just like any other Bible topic — through prayer and study.
Find a variety of commentaries. You will not agree with them all, so you will have to judge among them. Deuteronomy 19:18 describes the work of a judge in three words. “Make careful inquiry.” Deuteronomy 13:14 says that in judging, “You shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently.”
As a Pastor, you do those things regularly. Before you teach any part of the Bible, you “inquire, search out, and ask diligently.” This is the same thing. Do your homework and pray. Remember that He is your Teacher and your Qualifier.
2. They fear offending members of the congregation.
In today’s Church, pastors often feel more like referees than teachers. People find offense in so many things, the pastor becomes gun-shy. Maybe without realizing it, he begins to preach in ways he thinks will be least likely to offend.
Other pastors see preaching as a means of getting people to feel good. People who feel good will want to have that feeling again, so they come back. Caffeine makes people feel good, too, but church is not Starbucks.
We forget that God’s word is a sword, and sometimes it divides. Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34 KJV)
Adrian Rogers put it like this. “I would rather be divided by truth than united by error.”
The Bible offends. Jesus offended the elite and the religious. King Ahab paraded 400 false prophets before his throne. They told him the news he enjoyed hearing. But one prophet always told the truth, and King Ahab hated him for it. His name was Micaiah. He prophesied that Ahab would die if he went into battle. The king did die that day, and the 400 feel-good prophets fled in fear. (1 Kings 22)
Every pastor should remember that he is called to a stricter standard and is twice as accountable on judgment day. We must not seek to please men, but God. Whether it’s the Golden Rule or the Rapture, the truth always offends someone. But the fact remains — Jesus is coming again! Pastors have a responsibility to speak this truth, both to warn and encourage their parishioners.
However, offense for its own sake is never good. Much of the contentiousness over prophetic interpretation can be mitigated by simply preaching with humility. These are not matters to get high and mighty over. None of us knows it all. Don’t treat those who disagree like fools. Respect them. Present your beliefs with authority, but also in meekness, bathed in prayer.
3. People will be scared.
Bible prophecy can be unnerving. Hollywood makes money scaring people, so it loves to use apocalyptic themes. The truth can be scary. But isn’t it better to be scared and prepared, than happy and condemned?
For those who know the Lord, understanding the end times helps us to be faithful instead of fearful. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8 KJV)
Teach your congregation to “love His appearing,” and they will stop being afraid.
We humans fear the unknown, and yet, without divine revelation, we never know anything beyond the moment in which we’re living. We don’t exist in a state of perpetual fear because we are able to look at the past, and extrapolate some notion of the future. But we don’t know. We make educated guesses. You could be sitting in your home reading this, and a piece of “space junk” fall out of the sky, through your roof, and hit you on the head. None of us knows what the next second, or the next nanosecond, will bring.
Thankfully, God has not left us in the dark about the really important things. He has given us revelation. We associate the terrible things prophesied for the end times with the word “apocalypse.” That word means to “uncover, or reveal.” Literally, it means “revelation.”
Uncovering something allows us to see and understand. It gives us direction and a point of reference. We stop stumbling in the dark, and begin to walk in the light. Dorothy and her friends went through many trials in Oz, but they always had “the yellow brick road.” Because of that, they always knew where they were and where they were going. It gave them orientation.
To be lost in a dangerous land is infinitely more frightening than to be in the same place with a road map. You look at the map (Bible prophecy), and say, “Okay. That’s scary, but it’s happening as it was supposed to happen. Everything’s good. God is still in control!”
4. People might not tithe if they think we’re close to the end.
The study of end times Bible prophecy does not cause people to place selfish concerns ahead of Christ. It does the opposite. If your congregation believes the Lord is coming soon, they will be less self-centered and more God-centered. They will be better church-members, better husbands and wives, better parents, better people, and, yes, better givers. They will be less likely to build up treasure selfishly, and more likely to live generously. They will become more eternity-minded, and less temporally-minded.
Seeing prophecy fulfilled in our time, reminds us that the end will come, and may be coming soon. A reminder of His soon coming is a reminder to invest in eternity, and stop trying to build on that which will pass away. (Matthew 6:19-21)
While talking about His coming Kingdom, Jesus said, “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:34-36 KJV)
Christ’s answer to being “weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the cares of this life” is to “pray” and to “watch” for His coming. But you can only watch if you know what to look for.
Finally, if you’re a pastor preaching for tithe dollars, you need to rethink and repent. The Bible calls you some really bad things, the mildest of which is “hireling.” You need to study prophecy so that you and your parishioners will have an eternal perspective, and begin to store treasure of all kinds in heaven.
Remember that Jesus is the head of the Church. Be faithful to proclaim the whole truth and He will be faithful to take care of His Church.
5. Fear of looking like the loony-tune fringe.
False and unbiblical teachers of prophecy abound. They’re on the radio, on television, and boy, are they on the internet! But these are not reasons to avoid teaching prophecy. Errors, exaggerations, and charlatans are among the best reasons for teaching the real thing. Your congregation is going to hear a lot of goofy stuff. You need to teach them the truth so they won’t be vulnerable to lies.
Now let’s look at it from the other side.
1. Prophecy is an amazing apologetic.
The prophecies of the first coming of Christ were fulfilled. They stand as evidence that the Bible can be trusted. Prophecies of His second coming work the same way, except we get to witness these events in our time, often with our own eyes.
The nations of the world seem moved as though by a hidden hand into exactly the right positions on a global chess board. What an amazing thing to see it happening before our eyes! It builds faith and draws our attention God-ward. Error, group does not exist! Check your syntax! (ID: 13)
2. Prophecy is the best evangelistic tool today.
The future fascinates us all, because we’re all headed that direction. The Bible says a great deal about the future, so people are likely to listen when you talk about prophecy. Evidence that Jesus is coming soon forces listeners to recognize the veracity of the Bible and gives them a glimpse of the enormity of Christ’s claims.
If Bible prophecy is being fulfilled in our day, it means that the rest of the Bible is also true. Jesus really is God the Son and really did die in our place so that our sins can be forgiven. The truth of Bible prophecy leaves no room for the wannabe messiahs of this world. It quickly becomes obvious that there is salvation in no other name.
3. Rightly taught, it is a motivator to do good and have a ready heart.
Understanding prophecy gives us an eternal perspective on life. It shows us the proper context in which to view the things that happen in our lives. Prophecy makes us less attached to the temporal and more willing to invest in the eternal.
Peter wrote, “the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God,” (2 Peter 3:10-12 KJV)
Teaching prophecy emphasizes what manner of persons we ought to be — holy in conduct and godliness.
4. Other reasons to teach end times prophecy.
Again and again, Jesus told his disciples to use Him as their example. In John 13:15, He washed His disciple’s feet. Then He said to them, “I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”
Let Jesus also be the example in what we teach and preach. He taught a great deal about His Second Coming and the signs surrounding it. We should, too.
Jesus often said to “Watch!”
Paul wrote, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night… But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2, 4-6 KJV)
https://www.joydigitalmag.com/everyday-life/tom-hughes-5-reasons-pastors-dont-teach-bible-prophecy/
1. Prophecy is an amazing apologetic.
The prophecies of the first coming of Christ were fulfilled. They stand as evidence that the Bible can be trusted. Prophecies of His second coming work the same way, except we get to witness these events in our time, often with our own eyes.
The nations of the world seem moved as though by a hidden hand into exactly the right positions on a global chess board. What an amazing thing to see it happening before our eyes! It builds faith and draws our attention God-ward. Error, group does not exist! Check your syntax! (ID: 13)
2. Prophecy is the best evangelistic tool today.
The future fascinates us all, because we’re all headed that direction. The Bible says a great deal about the future, so people are likely to listen when you talk about prophecy. Evidence that Jesus is coming soon forces listeners to recognize the veracity of the Bible and gives them a glimpse of the enormity of Christ’s claims.
If Bible prophecy is being fulfilled in our day, it means that the rest of the Bible is also true. Jesus really is God the Son and really did die in our place so that our sins can be forgiven. The truth of Bible prophecy leaves no room for the wannabe messiahs of this world. It quickly becomes obvious that there is salvation in no other name.
3. Rightly taught, it is a motivator to do good and have a ready heart.
Understanding prophecy gives us an eternal perspective on life. It shows us the proper context in which to view the things that happen in our lives. Prophecy makes us less attached to the temporal and more willing to invest in the eternal.
Peter wrote, “the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God,” (2 Peter 3:10-12 KJV)
Teaching prophecy emphasizes what manner of persons we ought to be — holy in conduct and godliness.
4. Other reasons to teach end times prophecy.
Again and again, Jesus told his disciples to use Him as their example. In John 13:15, He washed His disciple’s feet. Then He said to them, “I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”
Let Jesus also be the example in what we teach and preach. He taught a great deal about His Second Coming and the signs surrounding it. We should, too.
Jesus often said to “Watch!”
Paul wrote, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night… But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2, 4-6 KJV)
https://www.joydigitalmag.com/everyday-life/tom-hughes-5-reasons-pastors-dont-teach-bible-prophecy/
Malachi
1:1 The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.
2 I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob,
3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.
4 Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever.
This is the last book before Jesus comes, so the warnings we see in this book we can see how well they were heeded in the gospels. This verse reminds me of 911, after the towers came down both Bush and Obama said that we would "build back better". Instead of seeing this attack as a rebuke from God, that He was no longer a hedge of protection and perhaps He was pointing to the World Trade Center as something He hated, something of Esau.
I was in NYC at the time of 9/11 and there is a story that no one knows about this. One year prior to the attack we held a rally outside of the UN prior to the opening of the session, about 1 year before 911 to the day. We had a coffin and were raising awareness to the persecution of Christians in Sudan and how terrorists were trying to drive the Christians out so that the country would adopt Sharia law. The point of our rally was that if we don't confront this in Sudan it will come to the US. A year later we were going to have a second rally but because of 9/11 all events were cancelled.
It was as though we had built this altar to the Lord and He answered by fire falling from heaven.
This 9/11 event is the focus of the book "The Harbinger" which points out that this was God's judgement and the purpose was that we would repent. However, if you don't repent, if you say "we'll build back better" then 19 years later you get the judgement you were warned of. According to the history Israel fell to the Babylonians and then 19 years later Jerusalem fell. Well 19 years after 9/11 was the pandemic. God has determined judgement against the US because of the World Trade Center (perhaps the globalists attempt to make one world order) and because of the Pentagon's sins.
5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel.
6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.
8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.
When the Lord came to Israel the first time He told them judgement would fall and their house would be left desolate "because you did not know the hour of your visitation". They were blind and there was no reason for it. Daniel had told them the year the Lord was coming. They had John the Baptist ministry, they had Jesus ministry. They had the prophecies. But the problem was the priests were offering blind sacrifices and lame sacrifices.
When I come to the Lord I want to be able to see what is going on and I want to be empowered to respond appropriately. For example, at the time of the pandemic I dove into the word, I dove into the prophets, and by the time DeBlasio mandated the vaccine I was clear that the day of the Lord was at hand, that these people were lying to us, and there is no reason to lie about a vaccine if it is a life saver. So I was also clear not to get the vaccine, especially since I had already had Covid and both my wife and son had been fully exposed. This meant that I had to retire 12 years before I wanted to, and it meant my wife had to resign her job, and we had to sell our house, and my son would not go to the University he had been accepted to. So we did all that, we moved somewhere else. But it turns out we sold our 401k at the top of the market, we sold our house at the top of the market, and my son is in a very good university at half the price of what he would have paid in NYC. The Lord's word was a light to my path and it empowered me to act. A year later we would not be able to sell our house at all and if we sold the 401k now we would be crushed. We are also happy we didn't get the vaccine, especially for my son, based on all the data that has recently come out on the dangers of that shot.
But in churches today you don't get that light. They do not talk about the prophecies even though more than 25% of the Bible is prophecy. They talk about the Bible as long as their is no prophecy, so they offer up blind sacrifices. They also don't want to empower you to do what I did. The goal of that church in NYC and their board of directors is to increase membership, not to empower everyone to leave. So they give you lame sacrifices.
9 And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the Lord of hosts.
10 Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.
12 But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.
13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the Lord.
14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.
This is what happened due to the lockdown. The churches were cursed. Why do you think membership is down? If the church had been the only place that was shining a light on what was going on so that the members were getting light on what was happening and being empowered to make the right moves do you thing membership would be down? Right now all those watchmen who are warning about the prophecies and the things happening, their channels are exploding. Look at this blog, no advertising, no gimmicks, no click bait, and a title designed to repel anyone not interested in this topic and yet there are 130,000 visitors. There are people all over the world desperate to know what is going on and the church is supposed to be the place to go to find out. They have failed in that assignment and so they got judged.
1:1 The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.
2 I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob,
3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.
4 Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever.
This is the last book before Jesus comes, so the warnings we see in this book we can see how well they were heeded in the gospels. This verse reminds me of 911, after the towers came down both Bush and Obama said that we would "build back better". Instead of seeing this attack as a rebuke from God, that He was no longer a hedge of protection and perhaps He was pointing to the World Trade Center as something He hated, something of Esau.
I was in NYC at the time of 9/11 and there is a story that no one knows about this. One year prior to the attack we held a rally outside of the UN prior to the opening of the session, about 1 year before 911 to the day. We had a coffin and were raising awareness to the persecution of Christians in Sudan and how terrorists were trying to drive the Christians out so that the country would adopt Sharia law. The point of our rally was that if we don't confront this in Sudan it will come to the US. A year later we were going to have a second rally but because of 9/11 all events were cancelled.
It was as though we had built this altar to the Lord and He answered by fire falling from heaven.
This 9/11 event is the focus of the book "The Harbinger" which points out that this was God's judgement and the purpose was that we would repent. However, if you don't repent, if you say "we'll build back better" then 19 years later you get the judgement you were warned of. According to the history Israel fell to the Babylonians and then 19 years later Jerusalem fell. Well 19 years after 9/11 was the pandemic. God has determined judgement against the US because of the World Trade Center (perhaps the globalists attempt to make one world order) and because of the Pentagon's sins.
5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel.
6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.
8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.
When the Lord came to Israel the first time He told them judgement would fall and their house would be left desolate "because you did not know the hour of your visitation". They were blind and there was no reason for it. Daniel had told them the year the Lord was coming. They had John the Baptist ministry, they had Jesus ministry. They had the prophecies. But the problem was the priests were offering blind sacrifices and lame sacrifices.
When I come to the Lord I want to be able to see what is going on and I want to be empowered to respond appropriately. For example, at the time of the pandemic I dove into the word, I dove into the prophets, and by the time DeBlasio mandated the vaccine I was clear that the day of the Lord was at hand, that these people were lying to us, and there is no reason to lie about a vaccine if it is a life saver. So I was also clear not to get the vaccine, especially since I had already had Covid and both my wife and son had been fully exposed. This meant that I had to retire 12 years before I wanted to, and it meant my wife had to resign her job, and we had to sell our house, and my son would not go to the University he had been accepted to. So we did all that, we moved somewhere else. But it turns out we sold our 401k at the top of the market, we sold our house at the top of the market, and my son is in a very good university at half the price of what he would have paid in NYC. The Lord's word was a light to my path and it empowered me to act. A year later we would not be able to sell our house at all and if we sold the 401k now we would be crushed. We are also happy we didn't get the vaccine, especially for my son, based on all the data that has recently come out on the dangers of that shot.
But in churches today you don't get that light. They do not talk about the prophecies even though more than 25% of the Bible is prophecy. They talk about the Bible as long as their is no prophecy, so they offer up blind sacrifices. They also don't want to empower you to do what I did. The goal of that church in NYC and their board of directors is to increase membership, not to empower everyone to leave. So they give you lame sacrifices.
9 And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the Lord of hosts.
10 Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.
12 But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.
13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the Lord.
14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.
This is what happened due to the lockdown. The churches were cursed. Why do you think membership is down? If the church had been the only place that was shining a light on what was going on so that the members were getting light on what was happening and being empowered to make the right moves do you thing membership would be down? Right now all those watchmen who are warning about the prophecies and the things happening, their channels are exploding. Look at this blog, no advertising, no gimmicks, no click bait, and a title designed to repel anyone not interested in this topic and yet there are 130,000 visitors. There are people all over the world desperate to know what is going on and the church is supposed to be the place to go to find out. They have failed in that assignment and so they got judged.
Jeremiah 10:19-25 They have devoured Jacob
19 Woe is me because of my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is my grief, and I must bear it. 20 My tent is destroyed, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth from me, and they are not: there is none to spread my tent any more, and to set up my curtains. 21 For the shepherds are become brutish, and have not inquired of Jehovah: therefore they have not prospered, and all their flocks are scattered. 22 The voice of tidings, behold, it cometh, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a dwelling-place of jackals.
This describes an attack from the North on the US. One might think "Canada?" But it seems this is really a reference to missiles that fly over the North Pole from Russia. Ironic since we typically hear about Santa flying from the North Pole on Christmas eve. Also, this past Christmas is the 30th anniversary of the Fall of the USSR which Russia blames on the IMF, so they also could think that this would be very fitting. It sounds absurd that Russia would do this, but only a few years ago Germany had the audacity to do this and Russia is bigger than Germany. Not only so but we see their alliance with China, India, South Africa, Brazil and Saudi Arabia. Consider that, between China, India and Russia they have 2.5 billion people, between Russia and Saudi Arabia they have the lion share of oil exports, and with South Africa and Brazil they have the dominant country in Africa and the dominant country in South America. Now even so one would think the alliance between the US, Europe, Israel, and Australia would be a fair match. However, if you can cripple Europe by cutting off food and oil then it changes the entire equation. If you can destabilize the US with 5.5 million illegal immigrants, open the prisons to cause crime to spike, weaken the military and then hit the US with a surprise attack this also could change the equation significantly in favor of the Russian alliance.
The shepherds are become brutish. This could refer to the government officials who are supposed to be shepherding the country or it could refer to the pastors of these denominational churches and mega churches. Once again this sounds to me like the response of those in the apostasy when they wake up and realize they have been left behind. Imagine what would happen to US cities if the US dollar collapsed and we were hit with missiles from Russia. They would become a desolation like Detroit, a dwelling place of jackals which is what these videos of the smash and grab robbers is telling us.
23 O Jehovah, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 24 O Jehovah, correct me, but in measure; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. 25 Pour out thy wrath upon the nations that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name; for they have devoured Jacob, yea, they have devoured him and consumed him, and have laid waste his habitation.
19 Woe is me because of my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is my grief, and I must bear it. 20 My tent is destroyed, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth from me, and they are not: there is none to spread my tent any more, and to set up my curtains. 21 For the shepherds are become brutish, and have not inquired of Jehovah: therefore they have not prospered, and all their flocks are scattered. 22 The voice of tidings, behold, it cometh, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a dwelling-place of jackals.
This describes an attack from the North on the US. One might think "Canada?" But it seems this is really a reference to missiles that fly over the North Pole from Russia. Ironic since we typically hear about Santa flying from the North Pole on Christmas eve. Also, this past Christmas is the 30th anniversary of the Fall of the USSR which Russia blames on the IMF, so they also could think that this would be very fitting. It sounds absurd that Russia would do this, but only a few years ago Germany had the audacity to do this and Russia is bigger than Germany. Not only so but we see their alliance with China, India, South Africa, Brazil and Saudi Arabia. Consider that, between China, India and Russia they have 2.5 billion people, between Russia and Saudi Arabia they have the lion share of oil exports, and with South Africa and Brazil they have the dominant country in Africa and the dominant country in South America. Now even so one would think the alliance between the US, Europe, Israel, and Australia would be a fair match. However, if you can cripple Europe by cutting off food and oil then it changes the entire equation. If you can destabilize the US with 5.5 million illegal immigrants, open the prisons to cause crime to spike, weaken the military and then hit the US with a surprise attack this also could change the equation significantly in favor of the Russian alliance.
The shepherds are become brutish. This could refer to the government officials who are supposed to be shepherding the country or it could refer to the pastors of these denominational churches and mega churches. Once again this sounds to me like the response of those in the apostasy when they wake up and realize they have been left behind. Imagine what would happen to US cities if the US dollar collapsed and we were hit with missiles from Russia. They would become a desolation like Detroit, a dwelling place of jackals which is what these videos of the smash and grab robbers is telling us.
23 O Jehovah, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 24 O Jehovah, correct me, but in measure; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. 25 Pour out thy wrath upon the nations that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name; for they have devoured Jacob, yea, they have devoured him and consumed him, and have laid waste his habitation.
2Timothy 3:8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their's also was.
Be encouraged, we have a promise that their folly shall be manifest unto all men. Lord Jesus we pray that those who were involved in mandating this vaccine, we pray their folly will be made manifest to all. We pray that those who were involved in cancelling and censoring those who raised concerns about the vaccine, we pray the folly of all those who tried to hold down the truth in unrighteousness, that their folly would also be made manifest to all.
Be encouraged, we have a promise that their folly shall be manifest unto all men. Lord Jesus we pray that those who were involved in mandating this vaccine, we pray their folly will be made manifest to all. We pray that those who were involved in cancelling and censoring those who raised concerns about the vaccine, we pray the folly of all those who tried to hold down the truth in unrighteousness, that their folly would also be made manifest to all.