As we discussed earlier in our study of Joel, Joel is unique because in a very brief book, we can read the entire future of the end times. Here in the end, we will see how that plays out.
Joel 3:17-21 So you shall know that I am Jehovah your God dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be a holy thing, and no aliens shall pass through her any more.
In this new millennial kingdom, Jesus will reign from His holy mountain. Only chosen people will come to Jerusalem to worship Him there, but there will once again be people throughout the world. While at the onset there will only be saints, after generations sin will again rise up and try to overthrow the King of Kings.
3:18 And it shall be, in that day the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of Jehovah, and shall water the valley of Shittim.
It will be a wonderful land and time to be with the Messiah. There will be abundance in the land and there will be no need for anything, nor will any go hungry, cold, or tired.
3:19 Egypt shall be a ruin, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, from violence done to the sons of Judah, whose innocent blood they poured out in their land.
Interestingly, Egypt and Edom will remain wastelands. Why? To remind everyone that God will and has punished those nations that have rebelled against Him and His chosen people.
3:20 But Judah will dwell forever, and Jerusalem to generation and generation.
3:21 And I will cleanse their blood which I did not cleanse; and Jehovah is dwelling in Zion.
Judah will be forever, both in the millennial kingdom and in the new heavens and earth. Why? Because the Lion of Judah, the King of Kings and our great High Priest will reign forever and ever.
Once again we study Joel. Just in three short chapters, the LORD once again reminds us and warns us of his soon coming outpouring of His holy wrath at the end of time and the beginning of the millennial kingdom.
Joel 3:1-16 For, behold, in those days and in that time, when I will bring again the exiles of Judah and Jerusalem, 3:2 I will also gather all nations and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will fight with them there for My people and for My inheritance Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and divided My land.
God will cause all who deny Him and worship the Beast (Satan) to challenge Him to war. God will once again call out to all of His chosen people to return to watch the swift and complete destruction of the physical lives of the wicked.\
3:3 And they have cast lots for My people, and have given a boy for a prostitute, and sold a girl for wine, so that they might drink.
This sounds a lot like the child abuse, sexual traffic, kidnapping, and sacrificing that is prevalent in the world today.
3:4 Yea, and what have you to do with Me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the borders of Philistia? Will you give Me a reward? And if you reward Me, swiftly and speedily I will turn your reward on your own head, 3:5 because you have taken My silver and My gold, and have carried My good treasures into your temples.
Many nations have plundered Israel and God has not forgotten or forgiven them.
3:6 You have also sold the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem to the sons of the Greeks, that you might remove them far from their border.
3:7 Behold, I am raising them out of the place where you have sold them, and will turn your reward on your own head.
3:8 And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off; for Jehovah has spoken it.
Your sins will find you out and God may pour out your sins back on your heads.
3:9 Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up.
3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, I am strong. 3
:11 Gather yourselves and come, all you nations, and gather yourselves together all around; cause Your mighty ones to come down there, O Jehovah.
3:12 Let the nations be awakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the nations all around. 3:13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, come down; for the press is full; the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.
3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision!
The battle lines are being drawn, the challenge has been sent out, the war will soon be swiftly and completely over. Just in case you have any concerns or fears, the battle will or has been over before it began.
3:15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall gather in their light.
This is a consistent theme and sign of His coming.
3:16 Jehovah shall also roar out of Zion and utter His voice from Jerusalem. And the heavens and the earth shall shake. But Jehovah will be the hope of His people and the strength of the sons of Israel.
There is only one true God. He alone is sovereign. He cannot be thwarted. He cannot be overcome.
As mentioned before, Joel gives a very summary complete overview of the last days. It does not have a tremendous amount of detail, which we find in other books, but gives us insight that is needed. The following are most likely the verses that are known the best from Joel.
Joel 2:28-32 And it shall be afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams; your young men shall see visions.
This event has yet to happen. Since God will pour out His Spirit on all flesh, then all ungodly, unrighteous flesh will have been removed from the earth, as we read last time.
2:29 And also I will pour out My Spirit on the slaves and on the slave women in those days.
Interesting that there seems to be slaves in the millennial kingdom. But, in reality they are bond-servants to the Lord not slaves as we might understand the term. In reality, all true believers are bond-servants of the King.
2:30 And I will show wonders in the heavens, and in the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke.2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of Jehovah.
This is one of the most repeated signs in all prophetic passages. God is making sure we don’t miss His signs of His coming. This is not the blood moons which false teachers are always commenting on and writing books about that fit their false theology.
2:32 And it shall be, whoever shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be saved; for salvation shall be in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, as Jehovah has said, and in the remnant whom Jehovah shall call.
Two closing comments on this verse. First, salvation is always being presented. The gospel is always available to the world. Secondly, there will only be a remnant, just as there has only always been a remnant.
Have you called on His name? Have all those you love called on His name? Time is short, no real time to waste.
The entire prophetic timetable is not revealed in Joel, but the main elements are. Joel is the one book that is most often quoted as to the signs of what the Millennial Kingdom will be like. So we will study this and then go back to the other books that discuss the last days.
Joel 2:18-27 Then Jehovah will be jealous for His land and pity His people. 2:19 Yes, Jehovah will answer and say to His people, Behold, I will send you grain, and wine, and oil, and you shall be satisfied with it. And I will no more make you a curse among the nations.
We go quickly from the Terrible Day of the Lord to the time of the Lord’s reign on earth. The great battle at the end of the Tribulation is over and the earth is now no longer under any curse.
2:20 But I will remove the northern army far from you, and will drive him into a barren and deserted land, with his face toward the eastern sea and his rear toward the western sea. And his stench shall come up, and his ill odor shall come up, because he was doing great things.
What is this army? Well there are two great battles, one before the Millennial reign and the other at the end of the Millennial reign.
Revelation 19:17-21 And I saw one angel standing in the sun. And he cried with a great voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid-heaven, Come and gather together to the supper of the great God, 19:18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of commanders, and the flesh of strong ones, and the flesh of horses, and those sitting on them, and the flesh of all, both free and slave, both small and great.
19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth and their armies, being gathered to make war against Him who sat on the horse, and against His army. 9:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet doing signs before it, (by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast), and those who had worshiped his image. The two were thrown alive into the Lake of Fire burning with brimstone.
19:21 And the rest were slain by the sword of Him who sat on the horse, it proceeding out of His mouth. And all the birds were filled from their flesh.
This carnage will be horrific to witness. Billions of dead people strewn across the land will produce a stench for some time, even with the birds of the air cleaning the bones. Satan and all who were deceived to following him are instantly slain by the Lord. Satan is also imprisoned in chains.
Revelation 20:1-3 And I saw an angel come down from Heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 0:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. 20:3 And he cast him into the abyss and shut him up and set a seal on him, that he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years should be fulfilled. And after that he must be loosed a little time.
So for the next 1000 years, Jesus reigns from His holy city, Jerusalem. It will be a time of peace until Satan is once again allowed to return.
2:21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice. For Jehovah will do great things. 2:22 Do not be afraid, beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness grow green; for the tree bears its fruit, and the fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
2:23 Be glad then, sons of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah your God. For He has given you the former rain according to righteousness, and He will cause the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain in the first month.
2:24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
The land will produce plenty and the people who survived the Tribulation will have families and the earth once again will be full of people.
2:25 And I will restore to you the years which the swarming locust has eaten, the locust larvae, and the stripping locust, and the cutting locust, My great army which I sent among you.
2:26 And you shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of Jehovah your God, who has dealt with you wonderfully; and My people shall never be ashamed.
2:27 And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am Jehovah your God, and no one else; and My people shall never be ashamed.
While this may seem like the end of the story, there is more to come.
What is coming from the Lord? Joel’s message is one of urgency, yet it was written hundreds of years before Jesus Christ’s ministry on earth. With prophecy we have to deal with many often confusing images, metaphors, and symbols. We also have to discern when the passage talks of things soon coming to pass and those coming when Jesus returns to claim His kingdom on earth. We also have to contend with partial revelation within any one passage.
No one passage completely details the end times and the Day of the Lord. So we now go to Revelation to help us gain greater understanding of Joel and the Day of the Lord.
Revelation 9:1-12 Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. 9:2 He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. 9:3 Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
Where did they come from? From the bottomless pit, where they have been confined since early in the history of the world.
Jude 1:6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,
So now, Satan is allowed to release them to torment the world of the ungodly.
9:4 They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 9:5 And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man.
These creatures from the bottomless pit will torment men for five months. Even though they are demonic in nature, God still uses them as His army.
9:6 And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.
9:7 The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men.
9:8 They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions.
9:9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle.
9:10 They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months.
This description is very similar to that in Joel 2. Language is totally inadequate to accurately describe such beasts. Notice both Joel and John use words such as ‘like the’ and then go onto to try and bridge the connection. Still words fail to give us the real picture and horror of these demonic beings.
9:11 They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.
His name means destroyer. This is exactly the type of world Satan has desired since the beginning. Death, pain, destruction are his tools to gain total control.
9:12 The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.
Things will get far worse before they get better.
God has given us His Word that is not silent on His plans for the end of history. No one verse, passage, chapter, or book of the Bible contains all He has told us or what we need to know to prepare. This is not a study for information only, but what are we to do as we see the end coming? We are not to be silent of asleep. We have too often been cautious and timid about offending man, but totally unconcerned about offending God. Joel continues to reveal more about what is coming.
Joel 1:13-20 Gird yourselves with sackcloth And lament, O priests; Wail, O ministers of the altar! Come, spend the night in sackcloth O ministers of my God, For the grain offering and the drink offering Are withheld from the house of your God.
God is calling out to the spiritual leaders to repent in sackcloth all night long. The world is in a God ordained famine and there is not even enough to bring offerings into the house of God.
1:14 Consecrate a fast, Proclaim a solemn assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land To the house of the LORD your God, And cry out to the LORD. J:15 Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is near, And it will come as destruction from the Almighty.
God wants or commands all to join in this national outpouring of repentance, fasting, and confession. Who will begin this call in the U.S.? Too many think this could never be true of us. Are any pastors or shepherds concerned about the times? If they are not, what are they concerned with most?
Joel 1:16 Has not food been cut off before our eyes, Gladness and joy from the house of our God? 1:17 The seeds shrivel under their clods; The storehouses are desolate, The barns are torn down, For the grain is dried up.
There is already comments and concerns about food shortages coming to or in the U.S. Who would orchestrate this and why? Satan would and his servants obey him totally.
1:18 How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle wander aimlessly Because there is no pasture for them; Even the flocks of sheep suffer. 1:19 To You, O LORD, I cry; For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness And the flame has burned up all the trees of the field. 1:20 Even the beasts of the field pant for You; For the water brooks are dried up And fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
This would create riots, food shortages, and desperate attempts to survive are just a few things that could follow such a famine.
Joel 2:12-17 "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning; 2:13 And rend your heart and not your garments."
Joel continues in Chapter 2 with the same message, return to God with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Have you ever heard anyone else speaking like this?
Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil. 2:14 Who knows whether He will not turn and relent And leave a blessing behind Him, Even a grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God?
God again reminds us that He is slow to anger and has no limits on His lovingkindness. But, His righteous wrath is as holy as His lovingkindness.
2:15 Blow a trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,
2:16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber.
2:17 Let the priests, the LORD'S ministers, Weep between the porch and the altar, And let them say, "Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not make Your inheritance a reproach, A byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, 'Where is their God?'"
It is time to fast, repent, cry out to God. Blow the trumpet, gather friends, gather family, try and get the pastors involved. It is time for us to declare that God has called us to repent.
As we continue our study of the terrible, awesome Day of the Lord, we will find references and warnings throughout the Bible. One such OT Book is Joel, which is often quoted and even misquoted. We will try and gain a more accurate, biblical understanding in the next few lessons.
Joel 2:1 Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near, 2:2 A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a great and mighty people; There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it To the years of many generations.
This is a very serious and terrifying warning. God has been warning the world for thousands of year. The end of His warnings is fast approaching as the warnings are close to turning into reality.
2:3 A fire consumes before them And behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them But a desolate wilderness behind them, And nothing at all escapes them.
Fire always figures importantly in His prophecies of the soon coming end of this age. It will also be prevalent at the close of the Millennial Kingdom when the heavens and earth are totally destroyed by fire.
2:4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like war horses, so they run. 2:5 With a noise as of chariots They leap on the tops of the mountains, Like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble, Like a mighty people arranged for battle.
Who are these warriors? Are they men, demons, unclean spirits? What ever they are, they are fearsome, deadly, and evil. Who can escape from these beasts?
2:6 Before them the people are in anguish; All faces turn pale.
2:7 They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like soldiers; And they each march in line, Nor do they deviate from their paths.
2:8 They do not crowd each other, They march everyone in his path; When they burst through the defenses, They do not break ranks.
2:9 They rush on the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter through the windows like a thief.
2:10 Before them the earth quakes, The heavens tremble, The sun and the moon grow dark And the stars lose their brightness.
Clearly they are supernatural and demonically inspired, directed, and controlled. We will search the Scriptures to see if we can come to understand this better next time.
2:11 The LORD utters His voice before His army; Surely His camp is very great, For strong is he who carries out His word.
The LORD’s army cannot be defeated. The LORD’s army will not be deterred nor frightened. The LORD’s army in actuality does not even enter into the fight or battle. More next time, but first another reminder that God has been warning us clearly and repeatedly.
The day of the LORD is indeed great and very awesome, And who can endure it?We just studied this in Matthew 24, but will tie it together with a few verses.
Matthew 24:21 "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 24:22 "Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
While many in the U.S. are praying that God will overturn the evil that has been recently exposed throughout our country, few take time to consider that instead of deliverance, we may be receiving God’s righteous judgment upon our land. Too often, many believe and proclaim that since God is sovereign, He will bring our country back from the evil path it is now on. He will overturn evil, bring back peace, and restore our prosperity and freedoms. That is not only not biblical but can lead us to being disappointed in God. What has He promised? What has He done in the past? What has He told us about the future?
First, one more example on being saved in the middle of His divine, holy, righteous outpouring of His wrath.
Genesis 6:1 Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, 6:2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.
6:3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."
6:4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
This is a very sad account of how Satan once again tried to destroy all that God had created as good. In just 1500 years, all the people on the earth had left Him to do evil. Fallen angels certainly contributed to this worldwide evil.
Could these demonic spiritual beings be once again trying to destroy all that is truly good to rule in a world that is entirely evil?
6:6 The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
6:7 The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them."
6:8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
God only found one righteous man in all the world. God’s response was to destroy all of the evil throughout the world. That is also God’s soon coming future plan.
6:11 Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence.
6:12 God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.
6:13 Then God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.
Couldn’t God offer them salvation instead? There is nothing to say that they weren’t offered salvation, as none could say they had never heard of God.
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; 2:5 and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;
So what has God just revealed to us? Noah was God’s instrument to warn the world, preach to the world, and to build the ark. The ark and his preaching should have convinced and convicted some! But, none came other than his three sons.
Luke 17:26 "And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 17:27 they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
1 Peter 3:20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.
God gave them adequate warning, sufficient teaching, and godly examples, but to no avail. In effect, no one was interested in listening, as their lives kept them self-satisfied, self-indulged, and self-deceived. The world today looks, sounds, and acts in a very similar self-centered, ungodly fashion.
7:12 The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights.
7:13 On the very same day Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark, 7:14 they and every beast after its kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, all sorts of birds.
7:15 So they went into the ark to Noah, by twos of all flesh in which was the breath of life. 7:16 Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the LORD closed it behind him.
7:17 Then the flood came upon the earth for forty days, and the water increased and lifted up the ark, so that it rose above the earth.
God’s patience, i.e. long suffering, had come to an end. Jehovah personally closed the door of the ark and then the rain came for forty days and forty nights. All perished except those who God protected in the ark. The wrath of God literally was poured out upon the world, yet Noah and his family, plus the animals, were protected.
More next time.
Many in the U.S. teach a very easy and comforting message that is not true. That message is deceiving in that it teaches that the U.S. ‘christian’ will not endure any hardship, persecution, or tribulation i.e. trouble. That is not only unbiblical, it is not even seen in all of history. Actually, the history of the church is full of persecution, hardship, and trouble. The next example of God protecting His people from His wrath can be found in Exodus. As you most likely already know, the Lord brought 10 plagues upon Egypt, which literally destroyed the land. It also clearly made a mockery of all of the many false gods of Egypt, none of which intervened to stop any of them.
Exodus 7:19 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their reservoirs of water, that they may become blood; and there will be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.'"
7:20 So Moses and Aaron did even as the LORD had commanded. And he lifted up the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and all the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood.
7:21 The fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile became foul, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. And the blood was through all the land of Egypt.
7:22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
I will not go into this detail for all of the plagues, although we could learn alot about our God, the nature of sin, and the eternal risks of hardening your hearts. But, we can set the pattern and tone with the first plague.
First, the world has all of its own gods and doesn’t seriously consider someone else’s gods as important or necessary.
Second, Satan is not only very clever and very evil, he also can do many ‘miracles’. We know that in the end, his signs and wonders will amaze and entrap many.
Third, miracles rarely produced true belief during the days our Lord was on earth. They also rarely produce fear or obedience to God’s warnings. Just like with Noah.
Exodus 8:22 "But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that I, the LORD, am in the midst of the land.
After the frogs and gnats, the Lord brought flies. But, this time, there would be no trouble or tribulation in Goshen. Even though you would think flies would not or could not be herded or contained, they were.
9:3 …behold, the hand of the LORD will come with a very severe pestilence on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks. 9:4 "But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel."'"
This is now the second time we read of God’s wrath being poured out on Egypt, but right next door God protected them. This was a devastating disease that immediately killed the Egyptian livestock. A blow to their wealth and survival.
9:24 So there was hail, and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very severe, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 9:25 The hail struck all that was in the field through all the land of Egypt, both man and beast; the hail also struck every plant of the field and shattered every tree of the field. 9:26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, there was no hail.
Now we read for the third time who God’s wrath poured out upon all of Egypt but not in Goshen. The Israelites could see the hail come down over Egypt, but must have been in awe to be spared such destruction.
10:21 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt." 10:22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. 10:23 They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings.
I am sure there are many unbelieving ‘scientists’ who can theorize a host of ‘illogical and natural’ reasons for Goshen being spared or for even Egypt experiencing these disasters. But, who can block out the sun over Egypt but let light shine in Goshen? We know; the God who created the sun, the moon, the stars, and all of this planet we call the world!
12:12 'For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the LORD. 12:13 'The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
12:14 'Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. 12:15 'Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses; for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.
12:16 'On the first day you shall have a holy assembly, and another holy assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them, except what must be eaten by every person, that alone may be prepared by you.
12:17 'You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent ordinance.
This was a terrible night in Egypt. This was also the first outpouring of God’s wrath that carried a requirement with it for all of Israel. The only way to be saved from this last outpouring of God’s wrath was to kill a lamb without blemish and put its blood on the doorposts and lintels. Obedience saved them from God’s wrath.
So what have we learned about being rescued from God’s wrath?
God can protect you without removing you from earth.
God will provide a way for you to remain safe from His wrath.
God will save us if we obey Him. If we disobey, we will experience His wrath.
More next time.
Has God ever pored out His wrath over a people while protecting His people from His wrath? How could that be accomplished? Let us study some passages to determine if this is indeed true. We will start with the account of Lot, Abraham, and Sodom and Gomorrah.
Genesis 18:22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the LORD. 18:23 Abraham came near and said, "Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
Abraham asked the Lord this very same question we are trying to understand ourselves. Sodom and Gomorrah will be destroyed for their horrendous, abominable sexual practices. But, Abraham is very concerned as his nephew Lot and his family who have chosen to live in Sodom.
18:32 Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the ten."
Abraham asked the Lord 5 times about whether the Lord would destroy this city if 50,45,30,20, or 10 righteous people could be found in Sodom. The Lord knew that there were not 10 to be found, but demonstrated His divine mercy by clearly declaring that for 10 He would not destroy Sodom.
19:1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 9:2 And he said, "Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant's house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way." They said however, "No, but we shall spend the night in the square." 9:3 Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
Lot had two concerns, one was the nature of hospitality in that time and place, but the overriding concern was the safety of these two, as he knew the evil that the men of Sodom practiced.
19:4 Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; 19:5 and they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them."
What does having relations with them mean? What did God condemn them for? Why would God destroy two whole towns? The answer is that they practiced what God condemned as abominable. The penalty for these practices was death.
Leviticus 20:13 'If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their blood guiltiness is upon them.
Sexual sin is viewed by God as deserving of the death penalty.
19:10 But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 19:11 They struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway.
Even when blinded by the angels, these man did not stop trying to find them. Their evil passions blinded them more than their physical blindness.
19:12 Then the two men said to Lot, "Whom else have you here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place;
19:13 for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the LORD that the LORD has sent us to destroy it." Gen 19:14 Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, "Up, get out of this place, for the LORD will destroy the city." But he appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting.
19:15 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city." 19:16 But he hesitated. So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the LORD was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city. 19:17 When they had brought them outside, one said, "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away.
What have we read and learned?
First, God will send warnings.
Secondly, the world will not understand, believe, or care for God’s warnings.
Thirdly, God will make sure His people escape, even if He has to send angels (messengers) to drag them away from experiencing His divine, holy, righteous wrath.
We will study another example next time.
Unfortunately, the emphasis on the false pre-trib rapture includes being saved from any pain or suffering. This uniquely held belief found primarily in the U. S. implies that the believers in this period of time will escape any discomfort or persecution, which these false teachers confuse with God’s righteous wrath. Let us try and understand what God has said on the issues of persecution, His discipline, and His wrath. These two passages both in Thessalonians are the primary sources of these beliefs.
1Thessalonians 1:9 For they themselves witness what kind of entrance we had to you, even how you turned from idols to God in order to serve the living and true God, 1:10 and to wait for His Son from Heaven (whom He raised from the dead), Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come.
What does this say? Wrath can also be interpreted as anger. It’s primary use is in regards to God’s wrath toward the unrighteous. It has a few uses as it relates to our wrath or anger. But, in terms of prophetic emphasis, it always points to God’s wrath which He will pour out on the unrighteous. This is clearer in the next passage.
5:9 For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 5:10 who died for us, so that whether we watch or sleep we should live together with Him.
Here we read how Paul is trying to comfort the church. The church has always been persecuted and will always be persecuted. Jesus gave us a number of references on this very point.
Matthew 5:10 "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 5:11 "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
This teaching of Jesus was from His sermon on the Mount; His first teaching and it warned of being persecuted.
Luke 21:10 Then He continued by saying to them, "Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, 21:11 and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
21:12 "But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name's sake. 21:13 "It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. 21:14 "So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; 21:15 for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.
21:16 "But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, 21:17 and you will be hated by all because of My name.
In Luke, Jesus is again telling His disciples of what it will be like as we near the end, but also as we live for Him in the present time. Even our family will turn against us, as many of you may be able to attest.
John 15:20 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 15:21 "But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.
Why would anyone think that they would not have to suffer for their faith? The more challenging question may be; if you are not being persecuted does that imply you are not doing the work God has prepared for you?
So clearly, persecution from the world under the deception of Satan should be expected. The world will experience God’s righteous wrath, but we will be protected from it. This does not mean being taken out of the world in some divine escape plan.
We will study that teaching next time.
Now we come to one of the most misunderstood passages in the Bible on when Jesus returns for His bride. Without the other passages we have already studied and the rest we will study, this passage alone drives the pre-trib rapture traditions. Let us start.
1Thessalonians 4:13 But I would not have you ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, that you be not grieved, even as others who have no hope. 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will also bring with Him all those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.
First, apparently some in the church thought they had either missed the rapture or that those who died missed the rapture. This caused great concern and confusion. So Paul tried to add to his previous teachings and clear this up.
14:15 For we say this to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall not go before those who are asleep.
The saints who have died will have their physical bodies resurrected before the remaining living saints rise up to meet the Lord.
4:16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first.
The Lord is only coming back once not twice as pre-trib teachers proclaim. As we studied from Matthew 13 the saints are gathered up when the Lord returns.
Matthew 13:28 He said to them, An enemy has done this. The servants said to him, Then do you want us to go and gather them up?
Matthew 13:29 But he said, No, lest while you gather up the darnel you also root up the wheat with them.
13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest. And in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, First gather together the darnel and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my granary.
4:17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall ever be with the Lord.
As we just studied in Matthew 24, this is confirmed and is in perfect alignment with 1 Thessalonians.
Matthew 24:29 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
24:30 And then the sign of the Son of Man shall appear in the heavens. And then all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of the heaven with power and great glory.
24:31 And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
Here we find the great sound of the trumpet as the Lord descends and all the saints ascend to meet Him. He is coming with His army clothed in white, but they as we, are there just to watch the Lord destroy His enemies with His word.
Revelation 19:11 And I saw Heaven opened. And behold, a white horse! And He sitting on him was called Faithful and True. And in righteousness He judges and makes war.
19:12 And His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head many crowns. And He had a name written, one that no one knew except Himself.
19:13 And He had been clothed in a garment dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
19:14 And the armies in Heaven followed Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
So we are to take comfort in these things, which all occur at the end of time.
First, the Lord will come to gather us to Him, those who have already died and those who have survived the persecution during the Tribulation.
Second, the evil, disobedient servants of Satan will be gathered and condemned, never to persecute us again.
Lastly, the Lord will completely, perfectly, swiftly vanquish all of His enemies.
4:18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
What will this terrible day be like? How much warning will we receive? Who will be ready and who will not be ready? Will anyone be looking or waiting? This follows the last study.
Matthew 24:39 And they did not know until the flood came and took them all away. So also will be the coming of the Son of Man.
24:40 Then two shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
24:41 Two shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
24:42 Therefore watch; for you do not know what hour your Lord comes.
This clearly reveals that no one will know exactly when our Lord will return. Just as with Noah and the flood, life will go on right until the waters starts rising and the door of the ark of redemption is forever closed to them. No one got in after God closed the door. You may be working right next to a friend when the end comes. Will you be ready?
24:43 But know this, that if the steward of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched and would not have allowed his house to be dug through.
24:44 Therefore you also be ready, for in that hour you think not, the Son of Man comes.
This just makes the point more clearly. You won’t be watching or may not even be awake. We won’t get a warning so we can get ready, we must always be ready. What does ready mean?
4:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord has made ruler over His household, to give them food in due season?
24:46 Blessed is that servant whom his Lord shall find him doing so when He comes. 24:47 Truly I say to you that He shall make him ruler over all His goods.
Ready means doing what the Lord has appointed us to do; His work, His will, obeying His commandments. God has saved us to do the very work He has prepared for us.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.
Mat 24:48 But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delays His coming, 24:49 and shall begin to strike his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken, 4:50 the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he does not look for Him, and in an hour which he does not know.
The world, under the control of Satan, has convinced nearly everyone that since God has delayed so long, He is not really coming or does not really exist. God clearly is coming and those who deny Him, disobey Him. or don’t believe in Him are facing a terrible eternal destiny.
24:51 And He shall cut him apart and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Many false teachers deny the reality of Hell, the eternal nature of Hell, and all references to any eternal punishment in Hell. Jesus taught most of what is know about Hell and He did not fail to make it very clear. If He wanted to introduce any other understanding, such as annihilation, second chances, intermediary re-education or repentance opportunities, etc. He failed to do so.
Weeping is a very profound sorrow over a loss or injury. Gnashing of teeth is evidence of anger and rebellion. Both clearly portray a consciousness and continuance of life and the reality of eternal torment and punishment.
How have you prepared yourself for this day? Are you truly ready?
No one knows that day and hour that will reveal the return of our King and the beginning of His earthly reign for 1000 years. His return and the end of his 1000 year reign will both include the battle with evil and those who follow Satan. Satan knows the end, but like many, refuses to believe that he cannot challenge God and defeat God.
Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not the angels of Heaven, but only My Father.
This is one more contested and often misinterpreted verses relating to prophecy. This could also be understood as at this time, Jesus was in His flesh and had given up His independent use of His power, glory, and majesty. All of which have now been restored to Him.
24:37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall be the coming of the Son of Man.
24:38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark. 24:39 And they did not know until the flood came and took them all away. So also will be the coming of the Son of Man.
It is a good time to once again remind ourselves of what this means.
Genesis 6:1 And it happened, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and when daughters were born to them, 6:2 the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were good. And they took wives for themselves from all whom they chose.
As was studied months earlier, fallen angels are the sons of God. As they left their domain, i.e., in Heaven as created spiritual servants of God, they bred with women, daughters of Adam. What was the result of this evil?
6:3 And Jehovah said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, in his erring; he is flesh. Yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years. 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days. And also after that, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore to them, they were mighty men who existed of old, men of renown.
6:5 And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6:6 And Jehovah repented that He had made man on the earth, and He was angry to His heart.
A new type or breed of man was created. These evil, demonic giants created a world that soon became devoid of the ‘fruit of the spirit’ and full of immoral, ungodly, unrighteous desires and practices.
6:7 And Jehovah said, I will destroy man whom I have created, from the face of the earth, both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air. For I repent that I have made them.
So God destroyed them all and only saved 8. God will always save a remnant, but the majority then, as well as now, will be destroyed.
6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of Jehovah.
So few are actually true followers of the King that most will not believe they are not included in the ark of Salvation.
2Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare sinning angels, but thrust them down into Tartarus, and delivered them into chains of darkness, being reserved to judgment.
2:5 And He did not spare the old world, but saved Noah the eighth one, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.
2:6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, He condemned them with an overthrow, setting an example to men intending to live ungodly.
2:7 And He delivered righteous Lot, oppressed with the lustful behavior of the lawless. 2:8 For that righteous one living among them, in seeing and hearing, his righteous soul was tormented from day to day with their unlawful deeds.
Noah preached for over 100 years, while he made the ark. But none believed! Maybe it was like today when these same truths are given out to an unbelieving world; they mock the truth and all who proclaim it. For those who don’t want to believe in God’s divine wrath, judgment, and condemnation, Peter provides another example. Of course, people deny that one as well.
2:9 The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust for a day of judgment, to be punished, 2:10 and especially those who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise dominion. They are darers, self-pleasing; not trembling at glories, speaking evil.
The righteous before God will be saved just as they are known by God. The unjust, the unrighteous, the ungodly, the disobedient will be punished. This is an eternal punishment that is far beyond what anyone can imagine.
God’s warnings are for our benefit, just as our earthly parents warned us, to save us from pain, suffering, and even death.
It is my sincere, biblical opinion that we are closing in on these last days. Lawlessness is everywhere and condoned by the army of Satan. Yes, these mayors, governors, legislators, and even police are all firmly deceived to do Satan’s bidding. When billions of dollars or property can be destroyed, 47 people lost their lives, police headquarters and vehicles burned, and yet no one is charged or arrested!!! It is hard to say this is not the beginning signs of the end of time.
Let us continue where we left off last time. The Coming of the Son of Man is introduced by Jesus in Matthew.
Matthew 24:29 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
This will not be missed nor misunderstood. There has never been a time like this and never will again. This will signal the end or the terrible tribulation and herald the return of our King.
24:30 And then the sign of the Son of Man shall appear in the heavens. And then all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of the heaven with power and great glory.
24:31 And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
This is the great gathering that so many have written about, preached about, and taught about. But if you remember what Jesus said in Matthew 13, you will identify this as Jesus coming with His army to defeat Satan. His angels will gather us as we all meet Him in the air.
24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree. When its branch is still tender and puts out leaves, you know that summer is near. 24:33 So you, likewise, when you see all these things, shall know that it is near, at the doors.
Everyone in Israel would probably have known when all about fig trees. It is something you could see unfold in front of your eyes.
24:34 Truly I say to you, This generation shall not pass until all these things are fulfilled.
Now to the passage that keeps many in confusion. But, there is a very easy to understand explanation. This generation are those He is speaking to about those who will be alive when He returns. When they see the signs mentioned, they will see the end as well, i.e. not pass away.
24:35 The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but My Words shall not pass away.
Jesus is the Truth, God is Truth, His Word is Truth, and we have inherited the Spirit of Truth, all eternal truth.
So far, we have learned that there is coming a day when the great tribulation will begin and will eventually end. What can we expect? How will we know the times and seasons? God has not left us without any information, but has not given us an exact day or year. We must therefore, we vigilant, ready, and continually in prayer. It will be preceded by strife, persecution, and even death for many true believers.
Last time we studied some general signs and some troubling warnings.
Matthew 24:15 Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand).
First, as we get closer to the end, we see Jesus referencing the prophecy given to Daniel some 600 years earlier. This is a very specific sign that should not be overlooked by the true believers.
24:16 Then let those in Judea flee into the mountains.
24:17 Let him on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house; 24:18 nor let him in the field turn back to take his clothes.
24:19 And woe to those who are with child, and to those who give suck in those days!
24:20 But pray that your flight is not in the winter, nor on the sabbath day;
Notice where this prophecy is occurring. It is in the land of Israel. For the abomination to enter into the holy place, it must be seen in Jerusalem.
So, it begins with those in the area, i.e. Judah, to flee into the mountains. It is not a general warning for everyone in the world to flee into their local mountains. However, there is a very real sense of urgency, a desperate emergency. No looking back or going back! Much like with Lot’s wife, you are fleeing for your life.
This doesn’t mean God is not sovereign or not looking after His people, but we all must be obedient to His warnings and commandments.
24:21 for then shall be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time; no, nor ever shall be.
This is a terrifying event that signals the end of the world as we currently know it. The 1000 year reign of Christ on earth is close to commencing. But, the turmoil and evil that attends this end, will be very hard to endure.
24:22 And unless those days should be shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened.
24:23 Then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ! Or, There! Do not believe it. 24:24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders; so much so that, if it were possible, they would deceive even the elect.
At this time of stress and terror, false prophets and false Christs will try to keep many deceived unto their eternal damnation. Satan will basically pull out all stops with great signs and wonders to gather support for his great battle against the Lord. The only ones who will be able to resist these deceptive signs, will be spirit-filled believers.
24:25 Behold, I have told you beforehand.
24:26 Therefore if they shall say to you, Behold, He is in the desert! Do not go out. Behold, He is in the secret rooms! Do not believe it.
People will falsely claim sightings of Jesus everywhere and false Jesus’ will indeed be everywhere.
24:27 For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man. 24:28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gatherer.
Here, we end for today with a very important truth, all will know when Jesus does indeed return. He will be seen by all and no one will be able to deny His appearing. It will as visible as lightning. All the other false Jesus’ will be seen for who they were.
There is no one like the real, glorified King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, no one!
The many references to God’s prophetic timeline have baffled scholars for centuries. They are very confusing and some may never be fully understood until Christ returns. However, we can learn from them and so we will study them one by one. Jesus taught much of what we can understand and referenced both Daniel and Noah in Matthew 24.
Matthew 24:1 And Jesus went out and departed from the temple. And His disciples came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple. 24:2 And Jesus said to them, Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, There shall not be left here one stone on another that shall not be thrown down.
This is one of the reasons some may be confused about timing. Jesus begins this with a prophecy that will soon come into view, that is the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. But, the rest of the chapter leads into the timing of the end of the world as we know it.
24:3 And as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the world?
This question has been on the minds and lips of true and false believers for thousands of years. I firmly believe that the whole world, deep down in their hearts, knows that this world will someday come to an end, a fiery end.
24:4 And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
This is a very revealing introduction. The first part of His answer begins with a warning.
24:5 For many will come in My name, saying, I am Christ, and will deceive many.
Notice who will come and how they will come. Not just a few, but many. Perhaps the most revealing verses in the Bible on many and few can be found in the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 7:13 Go in through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there are who go in through it. 7:14 Because narrow is the gate and constricted is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
24:6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must occur; but the end is not yet.
24:7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in different places.
24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
You may think, wars and rumors of wars have been a part of every generation throughout history. That is true, but it is especially true during the last days. Jesus clearly states that this is indeed some of the first signs.
24:9 Then they will deliver you up to be afflicted and will kill you. And you will be hated of all nations for My name's sake.
24:10 And then many will be offended, and will betray one another, and will hate one another.
Mark 13:12 And a brother will betray a brother to death, and a father his son. And children will rise up against their parents and will cause them to be put to death. 3:13 And you will be hated by all for My name's sake, but he enduring to the end, that one will be kept safe.
Have you seen any recent evidence like this in the US? Seems like the governors and mayors are encouraging it for this ‘pandemic’.
24:11 And many false prophets will rise and deceive many.
This is the real problem today. The many are indeed the many, or in reality should be called the majority. There are far more false teachers today than true men of God. Unfortunately, those who only come to be entertained and distracted from the worries of the world are clueless and therefore easily misled.
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord! Lord! shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. 7:22 Many will say to Me in that day, Lord! Lord! Did we not prophesy in Your name, and through Your name throw out demons, and through Your name do many wonderful works? 7:23 And then I will say to them I never knew you! Depart from Me, those working lawlessness.
These are the mis-believers. They do many ‘right’ things, proclaim the name of Jesus without being known by Jesus, and are self-righteous in their self-affirmation of their godliness. But, what does Jesus say to them? Depart! Where? Where do the lawless go; to Hell. Many will come of ‘that’ day, the day of final judgment. This is too late to change their eternal destiny.
24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many will become cold.
This seems like an indictment of the many in our world today.
24:13 But he who endures to the end, the same shall be kept safe. 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in all the world as a witness to all nations. And then the end shall come.
This ends with two truths.
First, you must endure, that is, persevere, contend, struggle and overcome adversity.
Second, the gospel must go out to all the world. Some contend that this occurred during the time of the early church, as it refers to the ‘known’ world not the entire world. That doesn’t make any sense in context of the entire chapter.
That being said, today that may be true. If it is, the soon coming of the Lord may indeed be soon coming. More later.
Now we must see if God has given us any idea of timing or the ‘rapture’ of the church. Many, within the Christian ‘community’, ascribe to an overall ism in regards to understanding biblical truths and doctrines. Unfortunately, the ‘ism’ often has to bend scripture, be selective in using scripture, or/and reinterpret scripture to make their ‘ism’ appear to be the one and only correct one.
The Pre-trib rapture is such a doctrine of the Dispensationalism belief system. Let us see if this doctrine can be supported by scripture.
First, why did Jesus use parables so often in His teaching.Mat 13:10 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"
Matthew 13:11 Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 13:12 "For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.
This is a very chilling revelation from Jesus! There are some, even the majority, that will not understand because God has prevented them from understanding.
13:13 "Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
Just, as God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, after he had hardened his heart, God keeps some people in the dark and out of His kingdom.
13:14 "In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, 'YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
13:15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.'
So here we come up to another element of the created trying to understand the Creator in areas that escape our abilities and finite concerns with justice and fairness in our eyes.
13:16 "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 13:17 "For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. In this chapter of John, Jesus used a number of parables; Matthew 13:3 And He spoke many things to them in parables…
13:24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 13:25 "But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. 13:26 "But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.
This is a parable that references wheat farming, which is one of the primary occupations within Israel at the time and one everyone should have had some understanding.
It is also an example of the spiritual battle that rages around us even to this day.
13:27 "The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'
This could very well reach back to the creation story in Genesis. God did create everything and called it good, but Satan quickly came to destroy the good that God had created.
13:28 "And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!' The slaves *said to him, 'Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?' 13:29 "But he *said, 'No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. God’s mercy is seen in the long-suffering He exhibits by not immediately all who disobey Him. He knows which is the wheat and which is the tares, as does His heavenly messengers, angels.
13:30 'Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"
This parable ends with a question that the ‘isms’ often miss. What or who is gathered first?
Rapture proponents maintain that the ‘church’ is raptured first, to keep the godly from the wrath of God. But, here we read that at the time of the harvest, the last days, the ungodly are gathered up first! Since this is true, the godly must still be on the earth i.e. gathered second.
The great judgment separates the godly from the ungodly. The ungodly are gathered up first, to eventually face their eternal punishment.
We will go to other passages to make sure we correctly understand this parable and the truth of the timing of the godly being gathered unto the Lord.
More later.
Last time we read about the end of the great harlot and the destruction of Babylon. This leaves a few open questions for us to consider.
First, as a reminder, the harlot is the final, ecumenical one world religion that controls the one world order of government.
Secondly, what city is Babylon? This is the city associated with the harlot as well. So the city and the religion are the same in their identity. What city could this be? There are numerous cities mentioned in the Bible, but only one is identified with God which is Jerusalem. Babylon was once a great city, but the Bible consistently refers to Babylon as the wicked city, which Jerusalem has been for some time. Just how wicked is Jerusalem in God’s eyes?
Revelation 11:8 And their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
So finally the city of Jerusalem is destroyed, not physically, but it is no longer useful for Satan to continue to deceive the nations. Eventually it will be eternally destroyed physically, which will make way for the new Jerusalem. Now let us continue.
Revelation 18:20 Rejoice over her, Heaven, and the holy apostles, and the prophets, since God judged your judgment on her. 18:21 And one strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, So on an impulse the great city, Babylon, will be thrown down and not at all will be found any more.
When Jesus Christ returns, He will reign in Jerusalem for 1000 years. God has judged Jerusalem and the false religion that resides within its walls. Interestingly, the Pope has a castle there, the Muslims have a mosque there, the Christians have a stake there, and the Jews have always been there. They will all come together in a worldwide false religious system under Satan.
18:22 And the voice of harpers, and of musicians. and flutists, and of trumpeters will be heard no more at all in you. And every craftsman of any craft will not be found any more in you. And the sound of a mill will never more be heard at all in you. 18:23 And the light of a lamp will never more shine at all in you. And the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride will never more be heard at all in you.
All of the worldly attractions and affections that have permeated every aspect of worship and living in Jerusalem will be gone.
For your merchants were the great ones of the earth; for by your sorceries all nations were deceived. 18:24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all those who were slain on the earth.
Didn’t Jesus remind the Pharisees that the blood of the prophets was on their hands?False religions and the nations under their control, have killed more people, especially true Christians, than all the wars.
Matthew 23:27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside they are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
23:28 Even so you also appear righteous to men outwardly, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
23:29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous, 23:30 and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
23:31 Therefore you are witnesses to yourselves, that you are the sons of those who killed the prophets; 23:32 and you fill up the measure of your fathers.
23:33 Serpents! Offspring of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?
Since this was true in Jesus’ day, how much worse will it be near the end?
Once again God reminds all of us of the power and pervasiveness of the deception. All the nations will be deceived. The great ‘reset’ is fulfilling Biblical prophecy.
Here we come to the last chapter referencing this ‘little horn’. We may now have enough revelation to know when he begins to take his place on the world stage.
Revelation 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from Heaven, having great authority. And the earth was lighted up from his glory. 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great has fallen, has fallen!
And it has become the dwelling-place of demons, and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a cage of every unclean bird which has been hated, Rev 18:3 because of the wine of the anger of her fornication which all the nations have drunk.
And the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her. And the merchants of the earth became rich from the power of her luxury.
Here we read of the great ending of this political system, this nation state, and one world religion. Since they are all intertwined, they go down together. It is a frightening world in which to live. A dwelling-place for demons sounds terrifying, evil, and dangerous.
It is also filled with every unclean spirit. What is the difference between demons and unclean spirits is not really provided, but it cannot be anything but murderous, unmerciful, uncaring, selfish, and brutal.
Also, the love of money, the attractions of power, and the desires of the flesh are all available till the very end.
18:4 And I heard another voice from Heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that you may not be partakers of her sins, and that you may not receive of her plagues. 18:5 For her sins joined together, even up to Heaven, and God has remembered her unjust deeds.
Come out is an oft-mentioned warning by God. God has continually warned everyone to come out of the love of the world and into His kingdom. He has consistently, routinely, and carelessly been ignored for centuries. God’s last call for redemption falls on a deaf world.
18:6 Reward her as she has rewarded you, and double to her double, according to her works. In the cup which she mixed, mix double to her. 18:7 As much as she has glorified herself and has lived in luxury, so much torment and sorrow give her. For she says in her heart, I sit as a queen, and I am not a widow; and I do not see mourning at all.
This unified world doesn’t need God and is deceived that the attractions of this ungodly, fleshly world are the only things worth pursuing. Interestingly, the Roman Catholic Church often refers to itself as a queen.
18:8 Therefore her plagues will come in one day, death and mourning and famine. And she will be consumed with fire, for the Lord God who judges her is strong. In one day, one moment of time, God will judge and destroy the physical city and then the Lord will descend to destroy all who come to fight with the Lord of Lords.
18:9 And the kings of the earth who have committed fornication and lived in luxury with her will weep for her, and will wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning; 18:10 standing afar off for fear of her torment, saying, Woe! Woe to the great city, Babylon, that strong city! For in one hour your judgment came.
18:11 And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their cargo any more;
18:12 the cargo of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and every ivory vessel, and every vessel of very precious wood, and of bronze, and of iron, and of marble,
18:13 and cinnamon, and incenses, and ointment, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
18:14 And the fruits of the lust of your soul have departed from you, and all the fat things and the bright things departed from you, and you will find them no more, not at all.
What are they doing? Why are they so sad? What will they do? First, these precious cargoes are still available till the very end. The world has not destroyed itself through carbon footprints, global warning, or global pandemics, or over population. Secondly, they mourn the passing of their great economic provider. It is the end of all of their dreams of living happily ever after.
18:15 The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, will stand afar off because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning 18:16 and saying, Woe! Woe to the great city which was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!
18:17 For in one hour such great riches was desolated. And every ship-pilot, and all the company on the ships, and sailors, and as many as work the sea, stood afar off.
18:18 And they cried out, seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, What is like the great city?
18:19 And they threw dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, Woe! Woe to the great city, by which all who had ships in the sea were rich out of her costliness! For in one hour she was ruined.
In the Bible, the tearing of clothes, dust cloths, and ashes are all signs of humble remorse, repentance, and an honest seeking of reconciliation to a Holy God. This is not the reason for their dust, crying, weeping, or mourning. God doesn’t even get mentioned in their losses.
It has nothing to do with God, but with their being deceived in thinking the world is their only home and they only have a few years to make the most of it. They will have eternity to remember their being deceived, punished, and condemned.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 2:16 because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 2:17 And the world passes away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever.
What are you seeking with all of your heart?