Political Predictions

I have not been regular about submitting blog articles which is a direct result of my getting caught-up in the busyness of life in these last days. But I had a conversation with a lady on a flight from Dallas that has prompted me to break my blog-drought. Things are still very busy for me but we should not let the things of this world distract us from why God put us here.

The lady I sat next to engaged me in conversation by commenting on how impressed she was with the battery life of my PC. But some how she bridged into politics and it quickly became clear that she was an Obama supporter. She was upset with Republicans because they were not working with the President and the majority party in Congress so things were not getting done. I did manage to point out that some things Congress wants to do shouldn’t get done. But for the most part I just asked polite questions and let her talk. I avoided a debate because I have found the liberal mind-set to be quite irrational and I didn’t want the discussion to escalate into something that gets reported on CNN (who just loves stories about air travel incidents).

I do regret not taking advantage of the opportunity to bridge to a more spiritual discussion. I need to be more prepared to do that which is the main reason I’m taking the time to make this blog post. There will be increasing opportunities to engage in politics-related conversations as we head into this election season. So the next time politics comes up in a conversation; I resolve to make a prediction…

The Republicans will sweep the elections this November giving a clear mandate from the public to reverse our trend toward socialism. But Obama will still be President and he will veto any initiatives the Republicans put forward to fix our problems. Thus nothing will reverse the path we are on and conservatives will be so disappointed in the Republicans that there will be a third party formed by the 2012 elections. This new party, maybe the Tea Party party, will divide the Republican vote so that Democrats will again be at the helm of government.

An increasing majority of people in this country believes that bigger government is the answer to our problems. They believe that despite all the evidence to the contrary. This just reinforces the trend of the world which is accelerating toward a global totalitarian government. The secular humanists who give God no credit for His provision will have a period of time to try things their way. This will result in what Jesus calls the Great Tribulation. Such a prediction is supported by a literal interpretation of the Bible which those who don’t know God despise. They will be shocked to learn that the Bible really is true and for many of them it will be too late for the God of the Bible to save them.

Now while bridging to spiritual matters from politics has the potential to escalate into an incident that gets reported on CNN, it is vastly more likely that it will just bring the conversation to a close. I’ve observed that when I’m talking to a liberal about politics, they are usually done talking to me when I bring up the spiritual implications of their view. But the Great Commission demands that we plant seeds of truth everywhere we go. It is worth it because some of these seeds will take root and grow.

Another reason we should take advantage of every opportunity God gives us to speak the truth about Him is that time is short. The Church may not even be around by the time of the 2012 elections. Knowing God’s grace, I wouldn’t be surprised if He delays His coming but don’t be deceived; the time is short… “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4, NKJ).

The 120th Jubilee

I recently watched a very interesting video by Dewey Bruton discussing Daniel’s timeline for the return of the Messiah. There were several problems with it since it sets dates for events associated with the Tribulation implying we are already in the 70th week of Daniel. This is certainly not the case because the Antichrist has not been revealed by confirming a 7-year covenant with Israel (Daniel 9:27). But the Bruton presentation was very instructive about feasts of Israel and it did include some details that deserve closer study…

Bruton pointed out in his video that we are coming up on the 120th Year of Jubilee. Isaiah 46:10 says that God has declared, “the end from the beginning” (NKJ) and so we should expect to find clues about the end of the age in Genesis. The Hebrew sages expect there to be 6,000 years of mankind’s struggle followed by 1,000 years of rest with the Messiah. This is reflected in their calendar which starts at when they believe was the beginning of creation. The current Hebrew year is 5770 so even by the Jewish calendar, we are coming up on 6,000 years of history. Of course God did not make it possible for us to determine the exact year of creation so there is sure to be some years missing in the Hebrew estimate of when creation happened.

It is reasonable to expect there to be 7,000 years of history based on the pattern God established in the Creation… “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day” (Exodus 20:11). This is especially significant when you consider that “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8).

Genesis 6:3 provides the timing of God pouring out His wrath in judgment of the earth, “the LORD said, ‘My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.’” While this is understood to refer to the flood, it may also establish a pattern that has meaning for God’s next judgment of the earth. Bruton applies this 120-year period to the cycle of Jubilees that God established. The Year of Jubilee occurred every 50 years and involved the land of Israel being returned to the original owners that God established. If we are coming up on 6,000 years of history, it is interesting to note that we are also coming up on the 120th Jubilee (120 x 50 = 6,000 years).

Bruton believes that the 120th Jubilee will occur in 2017. He bases that on a pattern of the key events that established Israel. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 ended the centuries-long rule of the Ottoman Empire over the land of Israel and laid the foundation for establishing “a national home for the Jewish people” which became the state of Israel. Fifty years later in 1967, Israel took over control of Jerusalem as a result of the Six-Day War. The fact that this war was concluded in six days attests to God being involved since it is tied to God’s work of creation.

So if 1917 and 1967 were the 118th and 119th Jubilees, then the 120th is coming up soon in 2017. This is amazingly close to the 2018 year I had come up with from two other completely different approaches to estimating the end of the age; see my blog on Date Setting Coincidences.

Unlike Burton who doesn’t appear to have a pre-Tribulation view of the Rapture, I’m excited about the seven-year Tribulation ending in 2017 or 2018. This means that the Tribulation could begin this year or next and thus we are on the very threshold of the Rapture. Let’s see, Rosh HaShanah in 2010 will start on Thursday, the 9th of September… be ready, we are in the zone!

Maturing Wheat

One benefit of the culture war is clarity as to where a person stands on their view of God as the Bible reveals Him. A good example of this is in Nevada U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle who is going up against incumbent and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Angle sees her campaign as a battle to stop Democrats in Washington who want to expand entitlement programs and "make government our God."

Reading public statement Angle has made makes it pretty clear she has a biblical world view and applies it in her life. This probably means that she doesn’t stand a chance against Reid because it is not politically correct to be a true Bible-believing Christian. However, people in Nevada are hurting worse than most from this recession and Reid has advocated policies that has made the recession worse than it needed to be. So this may be a good year for a Bible-believing Christian to run for public office after all. But enough editorializing…

Jesus told a parable about allowing the wheat and tares to growing up together in Matthew 13:24-30. The workers were told not to weed out the tares until the wheat was mature. The wheat represents the followers of Jesus and the tares are the imposters. I can’t help but think of mature wheat when I read about Sharron Angle so boldly proclaiming her faith. As the wheat and tares are maturing, it is getting easier to tell them apart.

The day is coming when the tares of the world will be uprooted and burned. Now is not a good time to be siding with the tares of the world.

Racism

The Connecticut beer truck driver who went on a shooting rampage at his place of work claimed racism as his motivation for murder. Apparently the racism in his workplace made him feel justified in stealing beer from his employer and ultimately murdering those who he hated. Those who accuse others of being racist should take note because this could lead to robbery and murder.

It seems to me that there is an increasing trend of people accusing others of racism. Those who usually do this are trying to make others fell guilty enough to agree with them that we need to make some special accommodation for a particular race or set of races. Often this accommodation is to simply look the other way when a person of a privileged race commits a crime. But what they don't realize is that this contributes to lawlessness and actually causes race-based resentment to build up. If this trend continues, anarchy will be the result. When the law is not just, people will eventually take the law into their own hands.

Racial tensions will eventually yield racial wars; where there is smoke, there is fire. And we can expect ethnic tensions to increase because Jesus said this would be one of the signs of His soon return: “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matthew 24:7, NKJ). The original Greek word translated into English as “nation” is pronounced “ethnos” which obviously refers to races. We can expect ethnic tensions to increase in frequency and intensity like birth pangs as the Tribulation approaches.

I have often mentioned my observation that when people only use human means to address a problem, they usually bring about the very consequence they are seeking to avoid. It has been my experience that most of those accusing others of racism have a materialistic world view so they are trying to solve the racism problem with a humanistic approach and the net result of this is that racism will actually grow.

Racism is a spiritual problem that comes from an incorrect view of who God is and who people are. Many who have an evolutionary view of origins expect certain races to be superior, or more "evolved," than others. But if you have a biblical world-view, you know that we are all descended from the same parents, Adam and Eve. The races came about as a result of God causing people to disperse and form groups due to the different languages God gave them as punishment for rebellion at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11). As people stayed in their common-language groups, different racial characteristics emerged due to dominate genes being segregated from the complete gene pool. So we are all related despite our different appearances.

The more I see racism growing in our day, the more this reinforces how sorely this world needs Jesus Christ to return. The growing racism is just one more indicator that we do not have long to wait.

Lawlessness

One of the problems with big government is that is generates a great preponderance of laws and onerous regulations. What we are seeing here is a materialistic world view that denies God as the ultimate Lawgiver and replaces Him with government. This is today’s version of idol worship and it should be noted that God hates idolatry (Exodus 20:4-5).

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering a crackdown on farm dust, so senators have signed a letter addressing their concerns on the possible regulations. This new regulation makes you wonder how the EPA intends to enforce it… will they have roving dust police in agricultural areas out writing tickets? Maybe they can staff up using the small farmers that are forced out of the business due to regulatory conformance expenses.

We have more laws than can be enforced now yet our bloated government churns out an increasing flow of laws and regulations. They pass two-thousand-page laws that no one has even read. There are enough laws on the books that everyone could be found guilty of something. All the laws can not really be enforced so government officials have to be selective. This is what is going on with illegal immigration. The Federal government refuses to enforce the law so the state of Arizona is trying to do it for them.

The problem with the government playing fast and loose with the rule of law is that people no longer respect the law. When the government no longer enforces the law uniformly, people start taking the law into their own hands and anarchy is the result. Seeing laws produced that are increasingly being enforced at the whims of government bureaucrats is like seeing a bulb that burns brightest just before it burns out. Producing more laws doesn’t result in more law keeping; it actually has the opposite effect as we will no doubt see soon.

Jesus warned of lawlessness in the time leading up to His return… “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12, NKJ). I get the sense that if the next serious crisis is coupled with an inept governmental response, people will take the law into their own hands in this country. I’m praying that God will protect us from such a melt-down which gives me more peace than hoping the government will deliver us.

Another promise that gives me peace about the growing lawlessness in the world is in 2 Thessalonians 2:7… “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.” The Holy Spirit who indwells true Christians is restraining lawlessness in the world. This restraining ministry of the Spirit will end when He is taken out of the world with followers of Jesus that are removed at the Rapture. It helps to remember that God is restraining lawlessness while I’m in the world.

Infanticide

There is a report about the growing cases of French women killing their babies. And there are indications that this in not purely a French problem.

Jesus said in Matthew 24:37, “as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (NKJ). Going back to Genesis 6:11, we find that the days of Noah were like this: “the earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” So we can expect to see growing incidences of violence in the time-frame leading up to the Tribulation.

When we think of violence, we usually think of wars and murderous criminal behavior. Infanticide is not what we usually think of so seeing it become a problem should certainly be recognized as a sign of the times. And this is a particularly egregious sin in God’s eyes; shedding innocent blood is called out as one of six sins that God particularly hates in Proverbs 6:16-17.

Infanticide is a bigger problem than most people realize because the attitude of not valuing human life that causes it is the same that accommodates abortion. Modern medical technology makes it clear that life begins at conception so taking a life prior to birth really is no different than after a baby is born. And there are currently about 1.3 million abortions per year in the United States alone. As 2 Timothy 3:1 says, “in the last days perilous times will come.”

The Prophet Malachi also identified the erosion of parental love as an indicator of living in the time prior to the return of the Messiah…

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6).

We know that parents not loving their children become a problem because hearts have to be changed prior to the Messiah’s return.

Followers of Jesus should be aware of these trends in society and make sure we don’t get swept up in them ourselves...

“Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you’” (2 Corinthians 6:17).

Crisis Mode

Maybe we are just so used to earth shaking crises that we are quick to accept the media hype on the next big disaster. Or maybe we are all more susceptible to liberal agendas than we realize. Case in point: the BP Deep Water Horizon oil spill disaster in the Gulf. I certainly thought it was a major catastrophe. Indications are now that the Gulf oil spill was not as big an issue as we all thought.

It looks like the warmer temperatures and natural presence of oil-eating microbes in the warm gulf waters has made this spill less of a disaster than the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. It is certainly good to know that this is not the beginning of an ecological Armageddon. It does foreshadow a disaster to come but it is hopefully many years away.

The bigger issue is why we were all so ready to see this spill as a major disaster. The trends in this world tell us we are headed for disaster so we are becoming conditioned to expect it. And this is not helped by the liberal government and media being quick to hype a crisis to in order to convince the public to accept the changes they want to foist on us. The liberal ruling class will get the public to accept fewer freedoms until they have total control because there are plenty of crises and rumors of crises for them to make use of in this time leading up to the Tribulation… As Jesus said in Matthew 24:8, “All these are the beginning of sorrows” (NKJ).

Liberals fear having Christians in power because they think we will make decisions that fulfill the end time prophecies. In reality, it is their decisions that are fulfilling prophecy. It is an amazing thing but I have observed the pattern that when people try to solve problems apart from God, they bring on the very consequences they are seeking to avoid.

The Gulf spill incident is a reminder to me that while the world is in crisis mode, there is no reason for followers of Christ to be caught up in it. It is comforting to remember Jesus’ promise, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Luke 21:33) which serves to reinforce this blessed promise: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). And there is also this…

“He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.’ Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.” (Hebrews 12:26-27)

It helps to remember that my born again spirit is my assurance that I’m among those who will not be shaken.

Itching Ears

Columnist James Lambert had a hard time finding a pastor willing to speak out on California Proposition 19 which puts the legalization of marijuana to a vote. This reveals the apostasy of the church when church leaders are afraid to take a stand on a moral issue. And using marijuana is a moral issue because its use is generally an intoxicating escape from reality.

Pastors avoiding moral issues is not just an issue in California. For example, it is rare to hear a sermon on hell. There seems to be a concern among church leaders that it is not polite to make people uncomfortable. But that was not the attitude of Jesus when He was here. Jesus when out of His way to make people uncomfortable with their sinful condition...

"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." (Matthew 10:34-37, NKJ)

The Bible tells us there will be a falling away from faith in Christ among those professing to believe in Him. This will get so bad that Jesus asked, "when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8 NKJ). The church reveals a lack of faith in Christ when it compromises with the world. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables" (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

While Christendom is in a sorry state from a biblical perspective, God is still working through the church since followers of Jesus have the only solution for a doomed world. What the preponderance of pastors scratching the ears of their constituents reveals is that we are getting ever closer to the return of Christ.

WikiLeaks Treason

Among the signs that we are in the perilous times leading up to the return of Christ is that traitors will be more common. This comes to mind from the news that the recent release of sensitive information on the Afghanistan war by online "whistleblower" WikiLeaks could undermine the U.S. mission there and bring harm to U.S. troops.

One of the factors causing there to be more traitors is the growth of the worldview that we need to be citizens of the world and thus distinctions between nations is holding us back. This motivates world citizens to undermine the United States so that this nation would have less power in the world and need to be more of a team player in the world's community of nations. Indeed this is the same mindset of the ten kings who will yield their sovereignty to the Antichrist... "These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast" (Revelation 17:13, NKJ).

Every day there are little reminders like this for the discerning that all things will not "continue as they were from the beginning of creation" (2 Peter 3:4).

The Nuclear Season

Given that we are in the time-frame leading up to the Tribulation, the next world-shaking event is due to happen some time soon. A good candidate for this is some nation using a nuclear weapon. This may be Israel against Iran and/or Syria but it is beginning to look like North Korea may be the first to release the nuclear genie. The North Koreans have threatened using a nuclear weapon as part of a “retaliatory sacred war” in response to the joint U.S. – South Korean war games.

There is a real sense that it is just a matter of time before nuclear weapons are used. Certainly there seems to be a rush amongst Islamic nations to have nuclear weapons. Besides Pakistan and Iran, we now know Turkey has been secretly pursuing nuclear weapons. Saudi Arabia and Egypt have also expressed interest in acquiring nuclear weapons. Where there is smoke, there is fire and just a matter of time before some country uses a nuke preemptively before their enemies can get their own WMDs.

The use of a nuclear weapon by any nation will make it more likely that other nuclear weapons will be used. The results of such an action would be economic turmoil which would enable governments to enact the population control measures that are necessary for the coming world-wide totalitarian regime. We know that our government certainly will not let a good crisis go to waste.

Whether a North Korean nuclear attack on a U.S. Naval fleet or some other world shaking event happens, there is a real sense that we are on the cusp of some dramatic changes in the world. It is easy to dismiss projections of what could happen as being too fantastic to comprehend but the trends we are seeing coupled with what the Bible says is going to happen tells us that pretty incredible events have to happen eventually, if not this year than probably in 2012. Indeed, God said in Habakkuk 1:5, “Look among the nations and watch-- be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you” (NKJ).

I really believe that a great time for the Rapture of the Church to be during a time of world turmoil. The removal of the Church is necessary for the Antichrist to come on the scene at the beginning of the Tribulation (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8). It is wise to be ready, especially in this nuclear season.

Pot versus Alcohol

It occurred to me that I should have elaborated more on the distinctions between alcohol and marijuana in yesterday’s blog post titled “Escaping Reality.” Another notable difference between alcohol and pot is that it is possible for the vast majority of people to drink in moderation. That is not the case with marijuana where a person may become functionally impaired from just one lungful of pot smoke.

It is possible to have one or two drinks without any degradation of performance as recognized by legal limits for blood alcohol content when driving. Certainly, alcohol is abused all the time and it can be every much an escape from reality as pot. People with a propensity for alcoholism shouldn’t even allow themselves one drink because this can tempt them to drink enough where they become impaired.

Many Christians are convicted that they should not drink any alcohol. I agree that should certainly be the case for alcoholics and when Christians are with an alcoholic. Romans 14:21 says, “It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak” (NKJ). That is why it is correct for churches not to advocate alcohol drinking in their social gatherings; we might have an alcoholic brother or sister in our midst and not be aware of it.

However, outside of church, I think that a drink or two socially can serve to break down barriers between people to advance the cause of Christ. The risk Christians have in abstinence is that this can be perceived as being a demonstration of “holier than thou” which does not help build relationships with others. Christian Legalism harms the Body of Christ because it leads people to think salvation requires one to earn favor with God. That is not the gospel of Christ; our good works do not save us, see Ephesians 2:8-9. And as Paul said…

“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” (1 Corinthians 9:19-22)

Jesus certainly did not condemn drinking in moderation. Indeed He facilitated its use in social gatherings by turning the water into wine at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1-10). And He chose wine to represent His blood as one of the two key elements of the Lord’s Supper. The key here is moderation; Christians have freedom to use alcohol but when use becomes abuse, it is a sin. In contrast, no where in the Bible is the use of mind altering drugs advocated; indeed intoxication is condemned as sin.

It bears repeating that using anything to escape the reality of this mortal world is dangerous. And this danger increases as we get closer to the return of Jesus because the day will come when it will be too late to get on-board with God (see Proverbs 29:1). It is much better to look forward to the ultimate escape from this world… the Rapture will be a glorious beginning to our eternity with the Lord!

Escaping Reality

California keeps pushing the limits of the law to legalize marijuana. The latest development is the Oakland city council licensing pot factories. Before we dismiss this as “left coast lunacy,” it is hard to ignore that much of our popular culture originates in California because of the influence of Hollywood. And the economy in California is huge; it has been said that as California goes, so goes the nation.

Proponents of marijuana legalization point to the failures of alcohol Prohibition as justification. But there are differences because legalization of marijuana will vastly expand the base of new users. Prohibition attempted to alter the behavior of an already large base of alcohol users; a significantly different situation than with marijuana today.

If you step back from this and ask yourself why there is demand for legalizing marijuana, it comes down to seeking another means of escape from the realities of this world. This is dangerous to the soul when you understand that the realities of this world are intended to drive us to Jesus Christ as deliverer. Those who pin their hopes on a worldly deliverance from the distresses of their mortal lives are less inclined to seek Jesus. Thus using reality-escaping medication keeps us from fulfilling our purpose and potentially has serious eternal consequences. Indeed, the Bible warns us about the dangers of using mind altering substances… 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (NKJ).

As we get closer to the Tribulation there will be more and more reasons people will seek to escape reality. And the Bible tells us that the “war on drugs” will be lost. “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6).

Nation against Nation

I’m getting real tired of hearing liberals label conservatives as racists trying to squelch opposition like the tea party movement. Liberals are classic hypocrites often being guilty of the very thing they accuse others of. Their kind of vicious rhetoric actually stirs up racism when it would otherwise remain dormant. As my Daddy once told me, shit doesn’t stink unless you stir it.

It does however look like I need to buck up and accept that racial wars and rumors of racial wars are coming… they are a characteristic of the pre-tribulation age we are in. Jesus told us that preceding His return, “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matthew 24:7, NKJ). The original Greek word translated into English as “nation” is pronounced “ethnos.” It is pretty obvious that nations rising up against each other refer to races opposing each other. And we can expect to see these instances increasing in frequency and intensity like birth pangs as the Tribulation approaches.

The liberals in this country seem to be intent on stirring up racial animosities. I have been amazed at the pattern of secular humanists “inadvertently” bringing about the very consequences they are trying to avoid simply by trying to solve spiritual problems through human means. This is particularly concerning when you consider that these liberal race-baiters are in power in our government…

Case in point; there is a report that the President has approved a list of suspected terrorists for assassination abroad. This hit list includes "dozens of Americans" who "pose a threat" to the United States. American citizens are targeted for killings based exclusively on unchecked accusations and without due process of law. Now I think we should be tough on terrorism but not making a special distinction for American citizens is dangerous and will be abused. If tea partiers are effective in opposing Obama’s policies, it is just a matter of time before they too are considered by the government to be a threat to the United States.

One of the fruits of postmodernism is totalitarianism. We are already seeing the beginning of this. When words are subject to interpretation, the Constitution isn’t worth the paper it is written on. When we have massive bills passed into law that no one in Congress has read, the executive branch is free to interpret and enforce whatever they chose to. Congress is pretty much irrelevant. We are just one major crisis away from being governed by a dictatorship.

Please pray for our governmental leaders that God would help them with their spiritual needs. The only salvation for this country is in people turning to Jesus Christ. The best thing each of us can do as individuals is to be faithful in representing our Lord as the spiritual darkness grows in this world. Indications are that we will not have long to persevere; the Rapture will precede the dark days of the Tribulation… “for God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Thessalonians 5:9).

Pre Trib Rapture Apologetics

Following my 7/9/10 post on the Pre Trib Rapture, I was asked to comment on various articles arguing that the pre-trib rapture view is a relatively recent populist idea. These arguments are disputed by others who do more than just a superficial investigation; see this article by Thomas Ice.

The Apostle Paul certainly believed that the Rapture was imminent (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). But even if it wasn’t clear that the early church expected the rapture to be pre-trib, that would not be reason to dismiss it… Daniel 12:4 says, “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (NKJ). So I expect our understanding about end-times events will increase as we get closer to their fulfillment.

My reaction to the articles arguing against the Pre-Trib Rapture I looked at is that we are better served to consider what Scripture actually says rather than just accepting what eloquent commentators have to say on a subject. That is the problem people get into when they think Scripture is not to be taken literally… they are dependent on commentators who take things out of context and spin interpretations to support their case. I include myself in this as a commentator… if something I write does not ring true; check it out in Scripture and point it out to me. I like finding apparent contradictions in Scripture; there are always things to learn from such discrepancies.

Since God used Bible prophecy to lead me to Christ, I have always had a special interest in the doctrine of the Rapture. So I checked out for myself the Scripture commentators used to support the various views on the timing of the Rapture. I became convinced that the pre-trib rapture doctrine is correct because I have found it to be derived from the most literal interpretation of Scripture. Jesus fulfilled prophecies about His first coming literally so we should expect His return to be fulfilled literally as well.

One verse that some Pre-Trib Rapture advocates often use to support their positions is Revelation 3:10: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” A good example of an article that disputes that interpretation is here. I agree that Revelation 3:10 does not make the case for the Pre-Trib Rapture. No doctrine should be formed or rejected on the basis of one Scripture passage; instead doctrines should be established on the broader context of Scripture as a whole which means there should be multiple supporting passages. There is ample support for the Pre-Trib Rapture outside of Revelation 3:10.

I have found the pre-trib rapture doctrine to be a great blessing… “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:12-13). If the Rapture does not precede the Tribulation, we are not looking for the Lord to return until the Antichrist emerges first. Being ready for the Lord to return at any moment gives us a sense of urgency to get on with what He has called us to do. And life in this world is much better looking for Jesus Christ rather than the Antichrist.

Materialism

As I consider what is keeping people from responding to Christ these days, it seems to me that materialism is the biggest issue. Most materialists will deny that they even have this problem because they often associate this term with a love of money which they may not have... and it is easy to think you do not love something if you don't have much of it. But materialism is the belief that this material universe has always existed; as Carl Sagan articulated, "The cosmos is all there is, or was, or ever will be."

Even when materialists acknowledge the possibility that God directed evolution to bring about living things, they have a deistic view of God; that He just set things in motion and doesn't much care about what people think of Him. They deny that God created us for a reason and that failure to recognize our purpose to prepare for eternity comes with severe consequences. They justify their rationale with the retort, "why would a loving God send anyone to hell." But God does not send people to hell, people chose eternal separation from Him when they refuse to accept Jesus Christ as His provision for salvation; see John 3:18. The root problem of course is sin... loving yourself so much that you refuse to acknowledge any authority in your life other than yourself.

Materialists reject the simple logic of "Pascal's Wager" which challenges us to weigh the potential upside against the downside of believing the Bible assuming it really does turn out to be from God. Betting against the Bible being true has the severest of consequences while wagering that the Bible is true leads to eternal blessings. It is simply illogical not to take a chance on believing the Bible. Materialists insist on entertaining a myriad of potential explanations for the universe instead of recognizing the truth of God's Word for what it is: the Creator reaching out to His creation so that we may know Him.

Materialists see the negative trends of this world and are hopeful that things will work out OK anyway... they always have in the past; indeed, "all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation" (2 Peter 3:4, NKJ). But God poured out His wrath on the earth in the worldwide flood of Noah's day and has warned us about the time He will judge the nations during the Tribulation. Materialists do not recognize the evidence for the worldwide flood and instead hold to their belief that "the fossil record" was built up over great periods of time instead of the result of a single cataclysmic event. So materialists are headed for a rude awakening some day and indications are that this day is rapidly approaching.

The good news for materialists is that if they are still alive, it is not too late to "come out from among them and be separate" (2 Corinthians 6:17). We don't have to suffer the fate of the broad majority of this world (Matthew 7:13-14). Our mortal lives is a test to see who will turn away from our predisposition of putting ourselves ahead of God. The decision of where we spend eternity is ours to make... "unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).

As a former materialist for most of my life myself, I can testify that knowing Jesus Christ does indeed lead to an abundant life (John 10:10); even in the here and now. Those who don't know Him don't know what they are missing. It behooves everyone to, “taste and see that the Lord is good” as Psalm 34:8 invites us to do.

The “Resurrected” Antichrist

A popular expectation for the Antichrist is that he will be resurrected from the dead. People get that from Revelation 13:12 which says the Antichrist’s “deadly wound was healed.” It is likely that rather than referring to the person of the Antichrist, this healed wound pertains to the kingdom of the Antichrist since it is in context with Revelation 13:1-3 which clearly refers to an empire that has been revived.

However, it would not surprise me if there were not some sort of deception associated with the Antichrist that he would be some person from long-past history. Jesus proved that He was the Son of God by His resurrection. Satan will be compelled to pull off some stunt for his man that could be seen as equally remarkable. Satan is not God so he does not have power to give life but he likes to masquerade as being from God; “For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14, NKJ).

Another reason I would not be surprised if some sort of resurrection or reincarnation might be among the Antichrist’s credentials is that this is consistent with what Muslims expect for their messiah. The more I consider the idea that the Antichrist will be a Muslim, the more I find this helps explain the geopolitical trends of our times. Muslims disagree on many details of their religion but they are all looking for a deliverer to come who will unite the world under Islam.

Most Muslims expect their messiah to be someone born of the Prophet Muhammad’s family. But “Twelfther” Shiites like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have a more specific expectation that their messiah to be the Twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi who was born in 869 A.D. Tradition has it that the Twelfth Imam did not die but was hidden by God so Twelfthers expect he will reemerge in the midst of a great Jihad. That is why Ahmadinejad wants to incite an existential war with Israel.

Jesus warned that there would be great deception during the Tribulation… “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:5). If there will be false christs during that time, another potential scenario is that there could be a false Muhammad. What better candidate for the Muslim messiah than a “resurrected” Muhammad. I think it is highly likely that during the Tribulation someone claiming to be Jesus Christ will come on the scene saying he is only a prophet and not the Son of God but people should worship the “resurrected” Muhammad who is. Muslims certainly expect Jesus to put in an appearance in conjunction with the last Jihad.

Certainly some of this is speculation but it is consistent with what the Bible tells us about the Antichrist and False Prophet as well as what Muslims have been taught to believe. And this scenario is reinforced by the geopolitical trends we are seeing today. There is no question that the world is in for some serious changes in the not-too-distant future.

Will the Antichrist be a Jew?

It is easy to dismiss as irrelevant questions about the Antichrist’s various characteristics because the Church will not be around when the Antichrist comes to power anyway. However, these are useful questions to consider because we will be around for the birth pangs of the Tribulation…

It helps us to better understand our times when we see the world’s geopolitical environment becoming aligned with what the Bible tells us about the Tribulation. And this helps the representatives of God to know what we should be doing as, “the children of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” (1 Chronicles 12:32, NKJ).

Many have thought that the Antichrist would be a Jew because Jesus said, “I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another shall come in his own name, you will receive him” (John 5:43). It is hard to imagine the Jews accepting anyone but Jews as their Messiah. But Scripture does not say the Jews will think the Antichrist to be the Messiah. They will put their trust in him as a great political leader until he reveals who he is to them by desecrating the yet-to-be-built Jewish Temple (Daniel 9:27).

The Bible in fact represents the Antichrist as a Gentile. Revelation 13:1 illustrates him as a “beast coming up out of the sea.” The sea is a consistent symbol of the Gentile nations in the prophetic Scriptures; some good examples are Daniel 7:3, Luke 21:25, and Revelation 17:1.

However, Scripture does describe the Antichrist's chief promoter, the False Prophet, as a Jew. Revelation 13:11 says the Apostle John saw, “another beast coming up out of the earth.” The earth is the land which is associated with Israel. I actually expect the False Prophet to claim to be a specific Jew: Jesus Christ. Jesus warned that, “many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:5).

The idea that the Antichrist would be a Jew also conflicts with other indications in Scripture that he would be a Muslim. It is interesting to note that this line of thinking is consistent with the Muslim belief that Jesus would return to convince “Christians” to worship the Islamic messiah, al-Mahdi. The False Prophet will claim to be Jesus Christ and thus will have to be a Jew to support that claim.

Among the major Tribulation stage setting developments we see taking shape today are the world community of nations ostracizing Israel and moving closer to a global government. These trends are consistent with what the Bible says we can expect in the lineage of the Antichrist. Details matter and the more we see the peaces fit together, the closer we know we are to Jesus returning for us because “knowledge shall increase” at “the time of the end” (Daniel 12:4).

Multiple Judgments

People don’t like to give much thought to the return of Christ because they know it is associated with God’s judgment. A lot of the fear and loathing for God’s judgment comes from the misconception that this is a single event. But Scripture tells us there are different judgments associated with multiple resurrections.

Those who look forward to Jesus returning know that they will not be judged for their sins. That judgment already happened when Jesus died on the cross on behalf of all who trust in Him. Hebrews 9:28 says, “Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (NKJ).

While believers will not be judged for our sins, we will be judged, “for God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). All of us will have an ultimate performance review; Romans 14:12 says, “each of us shall give account of himself to God.” God will judge believers for what we have done to advance His kingdom. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 describes this judgment:

“No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

The purpose for God judging His followers will be to determine our reward. That is why sin-forgiven believers don’t do just any wild thing that enters their mind because we know we will be judged for what we do and we don’t want to lose any of the reward God has in mind for us. Not only will God judge the quantity and quality of our works; He will also consider our motivations. 1 Corinthians 4:5 says, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts.” Many good works will merit no eternal reward because their motivation was to be “seen by men” and thus their reward was already received (Matthew 6:5).

The Bible says our rewards will include crowns (2 Timothy 4:8) and apparel (Revelation 19:8) which reveal how much we have contributed to God’s Kingdom. But as the parables of the talents and minas reveal, we will also be rewarded with a greater capacity to participate in what the Lord will be doing in eternity (Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:12-27). Just being in heaven will be great but our experience will be enhanced by having more authority there which only comes as a reward for our good works in the here and now.

Our rewards in heaven will become apparent at “the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10). Our rewards ceremony takes place at the marriage supper of the Lamb… “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (Revelation 19:7-8).

The judgment you don’t want to be a defendant in is the Great White Throne judgment…

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)

As there will be degrees of rewards for the good works of Jesus-followers, there will also be degrees of punishment for unbelievers. Luke 12:47-48 says, “that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few.” Jesus also said in Luke 20:46-47 that those who make a great show of their piety, “will receive greater condemnation.”

So everyone will be judged for their good works and will receive rewards (or lesser punishment) as a result. The most important question is whether you will experience these results in the Lord’s presence or separated from Him for eternity. As Jesus said, “behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12). We are here to prepare for eternity, making sure we spend eternity with the Savior by believing that He paid the penalty for our sins when He died on the cross is the most important thing we can do.

Multiple Resurrections

One reason why so many Christians have a wrong view of the timing of the Rapture is that they assume there will only be one resurrection event “at the end of time.” This comes from either a superficial regard for Scripture or a failure to take literally what Scripture says. Either way, such error is a symptom of unbelief.

The passage that most clear reveals there will be multiple resurrections is 1 Corinthians 15:20-24:

“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.” (NKJ)

The harvest imagery is used here to help us better understand the sequence. Jesus was the firstfruits of the resurrection. In the Law God gave Israel, the firstfruits of the harvest were always offered as a sacrifice to God and this was certainly the case with Jesus going to the cross. The main harvest resurrection is the Rapture we look forward to in the Church Age. And in the Hebrew Law there were to be gleanings that followed the main harvest; see Leviticus 19:9.

Among the resurrection gleanings to be harvested will be those who come to Christ during the Tribulation and are killed for their faith. Revelation 20:4 says, “Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” Thus this group is resurrected either during the course of the Tribulation or at the end of the Tribulation prior to the Millennial reign of Christ on earth.

Another resurrection gleaning will be the Old Testament saints. Daniel 12:1-2 says:

“At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

The “time of trouble” is the Tribulation. While two-thirds of the world’s Jews are killed during the Tribulation (Zechariah 13:8-9), God preserves a third of Israel to enter His Millennial Kingdom. The Old Testament saints will be resurrected to join in the Millennial Kingdom. This passage seems to indicate that those who lived in Old Testament times that did not have faith in the Lord are resurrected at that time as well but Revelation 20:13 indicates that the unredeemed are all resurrected together at the end of the Millennial Kingdom.

Many are surprised that the Church Age saints are resurrected ahead of the Old Testament saints but this is clearly taught in Scripture. Jesus did say, “the last will be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:16).

There will not be a resurrection of believers who survive the Tribulation or are born during the Millennial Kingdom because they will not die. In context Isaiah 65:22 has to be referring to the Millennial Kingdom and it says, “for as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people.” There are many trees that live over a thousand years old. I take it that these believers will be translated into their eternal bodies when God ushers in the eternal state: “the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up… according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:10-13).

Scripture teaches us that there are two types of resurrections, the just and the unjust: “there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust” (Acts 24:15). Jesus put it this way in John 5:28-29, “the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth-- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” While the resurrection of life occurs in multiple phases, the resurrection of condemnation occurs at one time…

The resurrection of condemnation is further described in Revelation 20:12-13:

“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.”

The resurrection of condemnation is the last resurrection and based on the context in the book of Revelation, it occurs at the end of the Millennial reign of Christ and the beginning of the eternal state.

You don’t want to be in the last resurrection because all who are judged for salvation on the basis of their works will spend eternity separated from God in the lake of fire. If you have not previously trusted that the work of Jesus on the cross has paid the penalty for your sins, now would be a good time to do that… “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31).

Pre-Trib Rapture Benefits

Having a correct understanding of the order of key End Times events is essential to be able to “discern the signs of the times” as Jesus expects us to be able to do per Matthew 16:3. The Rapture of the Church that concludes the current Age of Grace is the next major event in Bible prophecy. The term “Rapture” is derived from the Latin word for “caught up” used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. At the Rapture, true Christians will be instantly changed into resurrected bodies when Jesus comes for us (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

Alternative views about the timing of the Rapture have it occurring during the Great Tribulation, after it, or at the end of the millennial reign of Christ. But all these views put the Church in the dubious position of looking for the Antichrist rather than our Lord (see Matthew 25:1-13). Both the Great Tribulation and the millennial reign of Christ have very clear periods of time tied to certain key events. If the return of the Lord for His Church was directly associated with the Tribulation, it would not be imminent and it would be possible to have a pretty good idea when it will happen.

Living with an expectation that Jesus could return for us at any moment is strong medicine against procrastination about what God is calling us to do (or rationalizing about what we should not do). One of the paradoxes of the Christian faith is that we must live as if the Lord is returning today and also be executing a plan that recognizes He may not come back during our life time.

Thinking that the Church will have to go through some or all of the Great Tribulation has turned some people into survivalists stock-piling weapons and food in anticipation. Now having a ready reserve is wise because there will be birth pangs foreshadowing the Tribulation but hoarding enough to make it through that time-period rises to the level of sin. This is a dangerous doctrine because it teaches people to depend on their own resources for deliverance rather than the power of God.

Another dangerous doctrine is thinking that the Church has replaced Israel in the promises of God. This is one of the roots of anti-Semitism which is devil-inspired and it keeps people from discerning prophetic truth. Anti-Semitism is a key sign of the End Times… “it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it” (Zechariah 12:3).

It isn't necessary to agree with a particular timing of the Rapture to be saved. What is important is putting your trust in Jesus Christ, "there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). If you haven't already yielded to this call, don't put it off. The Bible is clear that there will come a time when it will be too late (Matthew 24:36-44).

Pre-Tribulation Rapture

It occurred to me that no where has the News Wisdom blog made the case for the Rapture of the Church occurring prior to the Tribulation. This post should remedy that…

There are no prophetic events which must occur before the Rapture. This is the doctrine of imminence which says the Lord could return for His Bride, the Church, at any moment. As Jesus said, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42, NKJ).

The Apostle Paul certainly believed the Rapture to be imminent. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 says, “the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” Paul expected to be included among those who would not face death and be taken in the Rapture when he said, “we who are still alive and left…”

Among the reasons the Rapture must happen before the 70th week of Daniel is that it is a comfort to the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:18) as our blessed hope (Titus 2:13). It wouldn't be much of a comfort knowing that we might have to suffer through the Great Tribulation first. We are comforted knowing that "God did not appoint us to wrath" (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

The first century Christians expected Jesus to return at any moment even then. The Apostle Paul wrote the second epistle to the Thessalonians to put their minds at ease that their persecution was not the Great Tribulation which would have meant they missed the Rapture as described in his first epistle. A key verse reinforcing the pre-Trib Rapture is 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 which tells us the Holy Spirit Who indwells the Church restrains the lawlessness in the world. Once the Lord removes the Church from the planet, the restraining ministry of the Holy Spirit will be removed with us and the Lawless One who is the Antichrist will be permitted to come to power.

Jesus is coming back in two phases, first for His Church and next to establish His Kingdom on earth. The significant differences between these two phases can only be explained as two separate events; it is impossible to reconcile them as the same event. At the Rapture, only believers will see Jesus (Hebrews 9:28); at His Second Coming all people will see Him (Revelation 1:7). At the Rapture, we’ll meet Jesus in the air (1Thessalonians 4:17); at His 2nd coming, Jesus will set foot on earth (Zechariah 14:4). At the Rapture, all believers are resurrected (Colossians 3:4); at the 2nd coming, no one is resurrected (1Thessalonians 3:13). At the Rapture, the works of believers are judged 1 Peter 1:7); at the 2nd coming, the nations are judged (Matthew 25:31-32). As I already mentioned in the doctrine of imminence, the Rapture is not predictable (1 Thessalonians 5:2); the 2nd coming is associated with key events that have time-frames given for them (Daniel 12:11-13). There are many passages referring to timing of the Rapture as being before the Tribulation such as Revelation 3:10 while the 2nd coming of Jesus is shown to be afterwards like Revelation 19:11.

In addition to these distinctions, there are prophetic types in Scripture that reinforce the idea of a pre-Tribulation Rapture. For example, embedded within the genealogies of Genesis, we see that, “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). Enoch did not die; God took him to heaven prior to pouring out His wrath on earth in the world-wide flood. God protected Noah’s family as he will protect Israel during the Tribulation but Enoch represented the Church who will not see God’s wrath on the earth.

Another type was seen in the vision God gave the Apostle John… “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this’” (Revelation 4:1). This occurs after the letters to the seven churches which were chosen by God to describe the history of the church. We know that the book of Revelation is in chronological order because God told John to “write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this” (Revelation 1:19). The idea that John being called up to heaven is a type of the Rapture is reinforced in the fact that the Church is not referred to except as being in heaven between the Revelation 4:1 Rapture passage and Christ’s return to earth in Revelation 19.

Knowing that there are no prophetic events that must precede the Rapture makes it a great blessing. As bad as things get in this world, we are just a heartbeat away from a wonderful future with Jesus… “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Deception Channels

While the viewer ratings of mainstream media outlets have been dropping for years, a huge portion of the population continue to trust these traditional news sources. Most people do not appreciate how much the liberal bias of the mainstream media taints their reporting. Case in point: people who get their news from the mainstream media will have no idea that President Obama wants NASA to spend its efforts reaching out to Muslims to make them feel good about their lack of technological achievements. This revelation should have ignited a firestorm of reporting but has been met with silence from the mainstream media... because it just doesn't fit the politically correct image that the media has made for our president.

This is why most people will be surprised by the developments related to the return of Christ. Any time you don't have an accurate view of the world, events that don't fit your world view will not be expected. In order to avoid being deceived, it is necessary to have a good working knowledge of the prophetic Shriptures... "But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief" (1Thessalonians 5:4, NKJ).

Today's deceptions of the mainstream media foreshadow the even greater deceptions of the Antichrist during the Tribulation. "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect" (Matthew 24:24). The Tribulation news media will certainly represent the Antichrist for something other than what he really is. The practice they are getting with our president is setting the stage for that dark service during the Tribulation.

"Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36)>

The Coming Tyranny

One characteristic of totalitarian control by tyrannical dictators is that they can not tolerate dissent. So it is a bit disconcerting to hear that one U.S. government agency, the TSA, is taking steps to prevent their computers from accessing web sites that express a “controversial opinion.” It is not clear how they will determine what constitutes a “controversial opinion” but this is clearly a step that nibbles away at the free speech we have enjoyed in this country.

Many will dismiss the TSA blocking controversial opinions from their employees as only a small loss of free speech that doesn’t affect them. But it reveals an attitude by our government that they will not tolerate dissenting opinions. All it will take is an appropriate crisis and such control will be fanned out to the public at large. Indeed, a new U.S. Senate bill would grant the president far-reaching emergency powers to seize control of or even shut down portions of the Internet. All they need is a good crisis that they can’t let go to waste. And with the increasing birth pangs of the Tribulation, it will not be long before they will have to wait for an appropriate crisis.

The government of the Antichrist will certainly be tyrannical… Daniel 7:7 describes it as, “a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet” (NKJ). The erosion of the freedoms we have enjoyed in this country foreshadows the Tribulation to come which will be significantly worse. It is a good thing for today's followers of Jesus that Scripture tells us the Rapture will occur ahead of the Tribulation.

NASA’s New Mission

The United States going to the moon was a great achievement that rallied us around a national goal and enabled technologies that have benefited mankind. But since then, I’ve had a sense that NASA has been “workfare” for rocket scientists. NASA no longer has a critical mission that serves mankind and thus is struggling to find a reason to exist. The demise of NASA is symptomatic of the problems with big government that can not reduce is bloated budget.

Proof that NASA no longer has a critical mission that serves mankind is seen in recent comments by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden that his "foremost" mission as the head of America's space exploration agency is to improve relations with the Muslim world. Bolden went on to explain that President Obama assigned this mission to him when he took the job in overseeing NASA.

We live in amazing times. This incident is just one more thing that shows the extent to which Islam has increased in significance in this country since September 11, 2001. Such developments reinforce my understanding from Scripture that Islam has a critical role to play in the coming Tribulation. The growth of Islam and its progress toward getting others to reach out to them is nothing short of amazing. This success is supernatural and the sort of thing that will so astonish people during the Tribulation that they will say, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:4, NKJ).

It is hard to imagine seeing all that is going on in this world today and not being a follower of Jesus. In order to keep from being depressed, one would have to pretty much live in denial that our governmental officials really are as inept as they appear to be. I guess this is how a postmodern perspective helps; you don’t have to believe that what a person says really reflects the actions they will take.

For me, the down side to all the silliness going on in the world today is that it is getting increasingly hard for me to plan for the future since there is so much change on the horizon. The upside is that any planning very far out is very likely to be mute anyway; the day followers of Jesus will be with Him is fast approaching… Come soon Lord Jesus; this world sorely needs You!

The Coming Persecution

It is well known that converts to Christianity are not tolerated in Islamic nations. These are among the darkest places on earth with the Bible being banned and missionaries being barred from preaching God’s Word under threat of death. Yet despite this, people even in these countries are turning to Jesus for salvation even by direct revelation because God is sovereign and, as Jesus said, “all that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37, NKJ).

Jesus warned us to expect persecution as a result of following Him; He said, “a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). This persecution will reach a climax during the last half of the Tribulation. Speaking of the Antichrist, Daniel 7:25 says, “he shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.” Persecuting Christians is a symptom of the spirit of Antichrist.

The United States has been a beacon of religious freedom in the world. That is the reason we were founded and why people want to come here more than anywhere else in the world. But as we get closer to the end of the Age of Grace, there is growing discrimination against Christians in this country. This is how persecution begins, by excluding a group of people on the basis of some characteristic, in this case a belief. The conviction that a personal relationship with Jesus is the only way to heaven can not be tolerated in this postmodern era where all opinions must have equal value.

Every day there is more evidence that Christians are being excluded from the religious freedom upon which this nation was founded. A Florida school has banned the free distribution of donated Bibles during off-hours on Religious Freedom Day claiming they have no educational value. I can’t imagine them doing the same thing regarding the Koran. In an even more consequential case, the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a ruling by a lower court that the Hastings College of the Law (part of the University of California) may deny recognition of the Christian Legal Society student group because it required accepting a statement of faith to be a member. CLS has been the only group ever denied recognition by the school.

A lot of people will dismiss these developments as minor but they are significant for the discerning with a biblical worldview. Christians are under increasing assault in the country that has been the primary impetus for religious freedom on earth. I thank God for the freedoms we still have in this country and incidents such as these only encourage me to step up my efforts to help people to know Jesus while I can. As Jesus said, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).

Discerning the Times

When religious authorities asked Jesus for proof that He was the Messiah, He rebuked them for not being able to discern the signs of the times…

“Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed.” (Matthew 16:1-4, NKJ)

Jesus effectively told the sign seekers that if the miracle of His resurrection did not convince them, nothing would. Unfortunately miracles do not convert people as Abraham told the certain rich man who wanted Lazarus to warn his brothers about eternal consequences: “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead” (Luke 16:31).

In order to discern the signs if the times, it is necessary to know God’s Word and believe it. The only way to believe God’s Word is to know Him. Only those who know God through Jesus Christ have a correct understanding of who He is (John 14:6). And this is necessary to appreciate that God is Almighty enough to declare “the end from the beginning” in His Word (Isaiah 46:10).

As even religious people missed recognizing Jesus as the Messiah because of their inability to discern the times when He was here the first time; so too will there be people who think they are Christians left behind at the Rapture. I’d expect the Rapture to shake many of them up enough that they would become believers but there will be a convincing enough explanation that most will embrace (2 Thessalonians 2:11).

We live in "perilous times" (2 Timothy 3:1). Don’t think you can skate by having only a superficial relationship with Jesus. There are great deceptions coming… “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24). The only way to prepare for such times is to have a good working understanding of God’s Word. It is an exciting time to be alive for those truly alive through Jesus Christ.

Growing Deception

Once upon a time it mattered what a person said or didn't say. But apparently this is no longer the case in our postmodern era where the perception is that words don't always mean what they say and are thus subject to interpretation. Politicians have learned to take advantage of the postmodern perspective by saying things that the public wants to hear while secretely intending to remain faithful to their ideology as revealed in their past actions and associations. The public just accepts such cognitive dissonance and embraces the politically correct false image portrayed by the mainstream media. This is why the Big Lie has worked so well and will grow in use as a tool of governmental leaders to force their will on people.

We saw this process in the election of President Obama and also now in the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan. The Senate hearings haven't been able to get Kagan to describe her judicial philosophy since she has been deflecting questions using one rationale or another. Public officials with Leftist ideologies need to portray themselves as being more conservative than they are or they will not be accepted by their constituents.

The incidence of governmental leaders deceiving the public is growing worse in our day and this reveals the spirit of Antichrist. It is one more trend that contributes to the birth pangs of the Tribulation where such deception will be rampant. Jesus said, "for false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect" (Matthew 24:24, NKJ). Governmental officials have not used "signs and wonders" yet but that day is coming. The Antichrist will also use deception to "come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue" (Daniel 11:21). Once in power, the Antichrist will certainly not rule conservatively since he "shall intend to change times and law" (Daniel 7:25).

The growing deception in our day is just one more thing that shows how sorely this world needs Jesus Christ to return. "It is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed" (Romans 13:11).

Inflation or Deflation?

Pundits are expecting a second-dip recession for the world economy but they are divided as to what will cause it. European leaders are anticipating the risk to be inflation and U.S. leaders think it will be deflation. Thus Europe is cutting back on governmental spending and taxes while the U.S. leaders want to do just the opposite.

The economic crash that happens during the Tribulation will certainly start out being an inflationary problem… “a quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius” (Revelation 6:6, NKJ). A denarius was a day’s wage in biblical times. Thus at the beginning of the Tribulation demand for what people need like food will exceed supply. But there is also Revelation 18:11, “the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore.” This certainly sounds like a deflationary problem where supply outstrips demand.

The Bible does tell us that the Roman Empire will revive in the time leading up to the Tribulation so this would tend to indicate that the European response to cut spending is the more correct one. If we are close to the Tribulation then their inflationary expectation is the correct view of the world economy. The fact that the U.S. must wane as an economic superpower is reinforced by our government having exactly the wrong view of how to deal with the coming second-dip recession.

The Bible also tells us that God will reward those who make the effort to avoid inflation over those who think indebtedness is the solution to looming deflation. Proverbs 22:7 says, “the rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”

Collectively this tells me that the Europeans have a more correct read on the world economy and the U.S. is wrong. Europe's star is rising while America's is fading making way for the Revived Roman Empire and the coming global government. Also, what the pundits are pretty much agreed on is that the world economy is headed for a second-dip recession and the best we can do is avoid making it worse.

The only consolation to suffering through these birth pangs is that followers of Jesus will be with the Lord during the Tribulation. I can’t help but look forward to that Day.

The Hidden Agenda

It is well known that those who neglect the lessons of history are destined to repeat it. It seems the United States is determined to duplicate the high unemployment and stagnant economy of Europe. At the recent G-20 meeting in Toronto, President Obama was the lone voice advocating more government spending.

It seems that most of Europe has already figured out that government indebtedness is no path to prosperity and is trying to reverse their big-government spending practices. Of course once big-government social practices are in place, it is next to impossible to reverse them. Since history has shown what happens when big-government social policies are embraced, our governmental leaders must be seeking these same low-employment, stagnant economic outcomes for the United States despite their rhetoric.

President Obama’s not-so-hidden agenda is that he wants to make the United States more of a team player with the rest of the world. This was in fact one of his campaign promises. People wouldn’t have supported him so enthusiastically if they knew how he intended to accomplish his vision of a level playing field between nations.

President Obama reinforced his vision for a level playing field between nations at the G-20 meeting indicating that he sought to end the “undue advantage” some countries have over others in the global marketplace. Of course the context of this statement was that he wanted to create jobs and boost U.S. exports. I am not convinced that he really means it. If he did, he would stop pursuing a government tax and spend strategy which has never worked to grow jobs anywhere it has been tried.

Actions speak louder than words. Our President has been perpetrating the Big Lie that he wants to grow jobs, but what he does has actually had the opposite effect. These actions reinforce our President’s priority is to make the U.S. more of a team player in the world community of nations. To do that, he must shrink our economy. Adding taxes and regulations to businesses, growing our debt which causes inflation, and pursuing strategies designed to increase the price of oil all have a chilling effect on the economy.

The prophetic implication of President Obama’s strategy to shrink the economy of the United States is that this action helps set the stage for the worldwide government of the Antichrist. There can be no worldwide government if there is an economic superpower around to force its will on others. A level playing field of nations is necessary to make it easier for the coming G-10 to be, “of one mind, and… give their power and authority to the beast” (Revelation 17:13, NKJ).

If we are as close to the Rapture as the collective Tribulation stage-setting developments tend to indicate; I think it highly likely that there will be a second-dip recession. This will be necessary in the interests of not letting a good crisis go to waste for the government to take radical actions to crash our economy beyond repair. Of course, ultimately God is in control of our economy so when the U.S. suffers economic Armageddon, it’s purpose will be to shake us up from our materialistic ways. And it will also indicate the likelihood that the Tribulation preceded by the Rapture is coming soon. In fact, the Rapture would itself contribute to the severity of a serious economic crash.

The best way to be prepared for what is coming is to have an eternal perspective of what is going on in this world… “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Afghanistan Failure

The situation in Afghanistan is under increasing scrutiny these days since the commanding general of U.S. forces there resigned due to a scandal over revealing too much about what his staff really thought of their mission. If anyone can put things back on a better course, the new commander, General Petraeus can.

But then you hear news about how an Afghani government minister has made a recent call to execute Christians living there because of their beliefs. It makes you wonder what we are doing in that country. It doesn’t look like they are making any progress toward becoming a place of freedom which I thought was our goal in that national building exercise. Of course we will not hear stories about Christian persecution in the mainstream media because failing there is not politically correct. And besides, Christians are used to being persecuted, why should the media make a big deal about it?

One thing our being in Afghanistan does do is tie up our ability to project military power in other places. And that makes it more likely for a war to break out in any of the various hotspots where tensions are building.

The report on Christian persecution in Afghanistan also makes it look like there is nothing we could do to reverse the growth of radical Islam. This is more evidence that Islam will be the religion of the Antichrist. Certainly the form of execution Muslims prefer is the same that will be used by the Antichrist and his minions during the Tribulation… “Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image” (Revelation 20:4, NKJ).

I regularly pray for my brothers and sisters in Islamic countries; they are already experiencing Tribulation conditions. The growing assembly of martyrs in heaven is already crying out to God, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:10)

The accelerating pace of Tribulational birth pangs indicates that it will not be long before the Rapture of the Church. Stay ready!

The Looming War

Every day there are more reports indicating that war in the Mideast is imminent. Herbert London wrote a good article summarizing all the factors that are combining to build the tensions between Israel and her Islamic enemies.

There is also an unsubstantiated report that Israel is prepositioning supplies in Saudi Arabia to support an air attack on Iran.

“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:6, NKJ). However, this particular wars is very likely to bring dramatic geopolitical changes that will fulfill prophecies the Bible tells us will happen in the time-frame of the Tribulation… and the Rapture has to happen before that because there are no prophecies that must be fulfilled preceding it!

People will scoff at this thinking Israel has had wars before and nothing much has changed. But with the accelerating pace of other prophetic developments, it is hard to shake the sense that this time things will be different.

So it behooves us to be ready… “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is” (Mark 13:33).

Class Wars

We are used to seeing good win out over evil but indications are that we are on the cusp of an era where evil will have its day. A prime example of this is seen in emergence of the Orwellian term “social justice.” This term sounds righteous but it is code for transferring wealth and privilege from the producing class to those who are non-productive. Social justice rewards mediocrity and punishes the successful.

I have often thought that it would be fairer if only active tax-paying citizens were allowed to vote. Now that almost half of all U.S. citizens pay no taxes, we are rapidly reaching a tipping point where entitlement seekers will outweigh benefit providers.

Gregory R. Copley, Editor, Global Information System has published an interesting analysis of the impact of the growing class warfare that threatens the integrity of all Western nations:

“By deifying "democracy" above justice, the enfranchised non-producers could always outvote the producers. We are at this point. The result can only be collapse, or restructuring around a Caesar or a Bonaparte until, eventually, a productive hierarchy reappears, usually after considerable pain.”

The “justice” Copley refers to is true justice, not the convoluted “social justice” which is the result of a debased mind.

The impact of our current class warfare is that it sets the stage for western nations to embrace a strong central ruler with a plan to fix all our problems. Speaking of the Antichrist, Daniel 11:21 says, “he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue” (NKJ). The Antichrist will certainly not let a good crisis go to waste.

Copley believes the two years of anti-business economic policies of our Leftist government has done so much damage to the U.S. economy that it will take more than a decade to recover. With the United States being so focused on our domestic problems, we will be hand’s off in throttling evil as it grows in the world. This too sets the stage for the major geopolitical changes that are looming on the horizon.

The only consolation to all this I see is that with the rapid pace of change on so many fronts, it can’t be long before the Lord concludes this Age of Grace in the Rapture of the Church. Thus, we should double our efforts to, “live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:12-13).

Blasphemies

It is hard to not have noticed the increasing rate of secularization of our nation. The United States was founded on biblical principles but our leaders and the media are doing their best to deny what is obvious to anyone who considers more than a superficial look at our history.

The secularization of America is following the path of Europe which has a lot of classic church buildings but few active Christian congregations who recognize the authority of God’s Word. This trend is a sign of the times and evidence of the growing spirit of Antichrist. As we get closer to the person of the Antichrist coming to power, we can expect to see more of his spirit being embraced in preparation.

Among the characteristics of the Antichrist is that he will blaspheme God and things of God. Revelation 13:5 says, “he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies” (NKJ). And Daniel 7:25 says, “he shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law.”

Today we are seeing a purging of all references to God and His Word in the public discourse due to the vision to separate Church and State. We have convoluted the vision of our nation’s founders who did not want the government to endorse any denomination to mean that we should not even acknowledge God. Politicians often invoke “god-talk” to entice religious people to vote for them because it helps them stand out and appears as though they will be different from the worthless shepherds we’ve been getting. But true Christians can tell the difference; actions do speak louder than words.

We are seeing more and more instances where there is a battle to recognize the Ten Commandments as the basis for our laws. This is not just a front in the culture war; it is a symptom of the growing spirit of Antichrist and people resisting it. The day is rapidly approaching when the Secular Humanists will have their way and the world will experience the consequences of their collective blasphemy.

The media usually depicts Bible-believing Christians as ignorant undesirables holding society back. This aspect of the spirit of Antichrist sets the stage for the Tribulation when people who become followers of Jesus will not be hunted down and killed. People who scoff at this only need to look at Islamic countries like Somalia and Sudan where that is happening today. And you have to ask yourself why linking Islam with terrorism is not politically correct.

Attacking traditional Christian values as antiquated and oppressive is a symptom of blasphemy. As the Antichrist “shall intend to change times and law,” we are seeing the biblical concepts of marriage being distorted in our day. Children are suffering as a result and this manifests itself in increasing crime rates and further degeneration of society.

Exclusively promoting a materialistic world view of our origins in the public schools is also blasphemy against God. The result of this is God giving people over to irrational thinking… “and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind” (Romans 1:28). Our public schools are churning out indoctrinated children that have not been taught critical thinking and so are easily deceived by the media. All this sets the stage for the Tribulation when “false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24).

It is a great blessing knowing that Jesus is coming for His followers before His turns the world over completely to depraved minds. That Day is rapidly approaching.

No Discernment

A news item that caught my eye today was regarding Mosab Hassan Yousef, a Christian and the disowned son of a Hamas co-founder who is facing a deportation hearing in San Diego on June 30. Yousef’s recently released book, “Son of Hamas” should make it perfectly clear that he is now an asset of the United States, not a threat.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security only knows about Yousef because he told them who he was in 2007, seven months after he had been admitted to the U.S. on a tourist visa. He told them to expose gaps in their security. Instead, it looks like Homeland Security cannot tell the difference between a terrorist and a man who spent his life fighting terrorism. This certainly does not make me feel very secure.

Of course ultimately it is the Lord who provides our security… Psalm 127:1 says, “unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain” (NKJ). The gaps that we see in our security are symptoms of a bigger problem and a warning of things to come. I am not convinced that the top officials in the U.S. government really know who the threat is in the “war on terrorism.” They certainly go to great pains to avoid people making a connection between Islam and terrorism.

It also seems like Homeland Security is hyper-focused on dealing with the “home-grown” terrorist threat and don’t seem to care so much about people with real terrorist connections. The exception to this is in their dealing with Yousef who converted to Christianity and proved his anti-terrorist credentials by working for antiterrorism forces in Israel. There will be consequences for confusing our friends and enemies. Isaiah 5:20 says, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

The reason we are seeing so many instances of bad decisions from our governmental authorities is that God is allowing more people to think irrationally. Romans 1:28 says, “even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.” As we see this thought process proliferating, we know that the Tribulation can not be far away.

I am praying that Judge Rico J. Bartolomei of the Homeland Security Immigration Court makes a wise decision regarding Mosab Yousef. Our country is better off with Yousef than without him. The sooner our governmental officials start recognizing the difference between the friends and enemies of this country, the better off we will be.

This world will not be a pleasant place to be during the rapidly approaching Tribulation as this issue shows. Whatever happens to Mosab Yousef, I look forward to meeting him in heaven at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb during the Tribulation (Revelation 19:9).