Jeremiah 4:1-9 -- What to do if you are left behind
The Lord said that no one knows the day or the hour, many believers take that to mean that we can ignore this since no one knows the day or the hour. However, the Lord says that because you don't know the day or the hour you need to watch and he gives three illustrations: a pregnant woman, a farmer prior to the harvest, and the bride in a Jewish wedding. A pregnant woman does not know the day or the hour that she will give birth, therefore she needs to watch. She should be going to the doctor, arranging for the birth, planning, etc. A woman who did not do this would be considered a very irresponsible mother. Second, a farmer does not know the day or the hour that they will reap the harvest. As a result he must carefully inspect his crops everyday while also watching the weather report and preparing. He might need to rent harvesters and hire extra laborers. Finally, the bride in a Jewish wedding doesn't know the day or the hour, her betrothed is building a house (or spare room) for them to live in. He needs to prepare that before he can come and take the bride. But just because she doesn't know the day or the hour doesn't mean she can't visit him with lemonade or a sandwich while he works and see for herself. She can get a very good idea of when it will be finished if she is visiting him regularly. If your bride didn't care enough to do that you would think she really doesn't love you or care about you.
1 “If you, Israel, will return, then return to me,” declares the Lord. “If you put your detestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray,
Many want to know what they should be doing to prepare to meet God. First, get rid of the detestable idols. I discussed this a little when I talked about the frogs in Exodus 8. Also, know that money is a “graven image”. It is made out of wood (paper money) and it is a molten image (coins). This call to return or to repent is how the Gospel of Mark begins. The thought is that Luke presents the gospel to those who are taken prior to the tribulation and Mark presents the gospel to those who are left behind. The tribulation will divide those who put their trust in Jesus from those who trust in money, or their bunker, or position, power, etc.
2 and if in a truthful, just and righteous way you swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ then the nations will invoke blessings by him and in him they will boast.”
Walk according to the truth (word of God), in a just and righteous way (the Lord’s commandment to do unto others as you would have them do unto you). Boast in the Lord, rejoice in Him, praise Him, testify of His goodness.
3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem: “Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns.
In the gospels the Lord let us know He was talking about our heart. If our heart is consumed with the world it is like thorns choking the word of God. Do not sow the word of God among the thorns.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, circumcise your hearts, you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire because of the evil you have done—burn with no one to quench it.
Circumcision was the sign that we have a covenant with God. A wedding ring signifies you have a marriage covenant, circumcision signifies we have a covenant with God. In the New Testament the cross of Christ is the sign that we have a covenant with God, it is the New Testament “circumcision” and it is on our hearts. You need to apply the cross of Christ to your hearts or you will invoke the wrath of God. This covenant with God "scars us". The election in Arizona was crooked. They had witnesses at every polling place testifying to this. Yet the Mohave election commission said that they were certifying it because they were being threatened with a felony. If you are going to stand for the Lord you will bear the scars, this is what it means to "circumcise yourselves to the Lord".
5 “Announce in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem and say: ‘Sound the trumpet throughout the land!’ Cry aloud and say: ‘Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities!’ 6 Raise the signal to go to Zion! Flee for safety without delay! For I am bringing disaster from the north, even terrible destruction.”
There are two possible references here. We know that the high holy days are a shadow of things to come, that the first four feasts were key events in the beginning of this age (Passover -- crucifixion of Jesus, Feast of unleavened bread -- burial of Jesus, Feast of the first fruits -- resurrection of Jesus, and Pentecost -- birth of the church). The sound of the trumpet can be both an alarm and a sound of rejoicing. The idea is that at the rapture it will be a sound of rejoicing for those who are raptured, whereas for those who are left behind it will be a sound of alarm. This chapter is dealing with those who are left behind. This isn't a reference to the pandemic, this is a reference to the need to flee. After the first rapture you will have chaos, anarchy. In a situation like that it will be much scarier than it is today. Already we can see videos in large cities that are scary, imagine if you remove all those Christians who would step into the gap to help someone being attacked. Right now the evil and wicked are outnumbered and are scared of the light. After the first rapture that will change. If you can't see that terrible destruction is coming upon these cities today, you will be able to see it then.
7 A lion has come out of his lair; a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his place to lay waste your land. Your towns will lie in ruins without inhabitant.
There have been several prophetic visions concerning this. First, it appears that China will have a terrible flood, their harvest will be devastated resulting in a famine. This will cause them to go to war, and before they can do that they need to take out the US. Other prophecies say Russia will do that by setting off EMP devices strategically placed to cause the US power grid to collapse. Also, once the rapture takes place the man of lawlessness will be revealed and the “riots” you have been watching will roar to life blazing with violence, bloodshed, looting, and terror. One man died and the entire country was filled with violent rioting in the streets in the US. Eleven people died in a fire in China and the entire country erupted into protests. Imagine what this event will do, it will take it to a whole new level.
8 So put on sackcloth, lament and wail, for the fierce anger of the Lord has not turned away from us.
This is the seven years of the tribulation. The goal for all those who believe in the Lord Jesus and confess His name is that they will be taken by Him in three and half years. This is a time to convince God that you belong in the book of life. It is a little confusing so let me try and explain all these dates as simply as I can. September 21-22 in 2017 was the Festival of Trumpets. On September 23rd 2017 the great heavenly sign of the woman crowned with 12 stars, clothed with the sun and with the moon beneath her feet travailing to give birth was seen in the heavens. This was the sign spoken of by John in Revelation 12, the last time it appeared in the heavens was 3915 BC and was prophetic that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head. That is the first prophecy concerning Jesus. Revelation begins with Jesus saying “He is the first and the last, the alpha and the omega”. It is interesting that this sign would appear at the beginning and then again at the end. It did not appear on the day of the Feast of Trumpets but immediately after. Signs appear on the highway before you get to the exit.
9 “In that day,” declares the Lord, “the king and the officials will lose heart, the priests will be horrified, and the prophets will be appalled.”
The people who run the country fall into three groups. The president would be viewed as the king, the CDC would be seen as the priests, and the press would be seen as the prophets.
