August 4, 2020: What in the World is Going On? (Part 5)

This is my fifth article in the series titled “What in the World is Going On?” and it covers Revelation chapters 14 - 16.

NOTE: I am not a Bible scholar. While I read the Bible everyday and I’ve read the books of Revelation and Daniel many times, I very well may not have the perfect understanding of them. Therefore, I urge you to please read the Bible for yourself, asking God to pour out the Holy Spirit upon you before you do and to provide you with wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of what you are about to read. I am very analytical and was a software tester for many years. I am all about the details, and I like things to have a clear understanding. However, in these books, I think in particular, there are some things that God just doesn’t want us to know exactly how they will play out. I think if we could figure them out, then many would not turn to Jesus Christ and would not be looking and ready for His return until the very last moment in time. I think this is one reason why Jesus always told us to be ready, and watching.

Jesus and the 144,000

John looked and saw Jesus standing on Mount Zion with 144,000 virgin men who had His Father’s name written on their foreheads. John heard music and the 144,000 singing a new song that only they knew and they sang it before the throne. They were redeemed among men and were firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. There was found no deceit in them, While the Bible doesn’t say these are the same 144,000 who were sealed from each of the 12 tribes of Israel, as mentioned in Revelation 7, it certainly could be those same men.

Proclamations of Three Angels

John saw another angel flying in heaven, “having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth - to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people - saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.’” Can you imagine seeing this and hearing these words from an angel? And yet, how many people will still deny Jesus Christ and not turn to Him but instead take the mark of the beast?

Another angel was proclaiming that Babylon, the great city, had fallen because “she has made all the nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” I will discuss Babylon in the next article that covers Revelation 17 and 18.

A third angel made a very important proclamation in a loud voice. I think it is so important that I have put all of it in bold because there are people today who are saying a person could take the mark of the beast and still be saved and go to heaven when they die. That is simply not true and is a bold-faced lie. Here is what the angel says:

“If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

I do believe that with the coronavirus, people are being conditioned for the mark of the beast and the world economies are being set up so that they are cashless. We are already seeing supposed coin shortages and businesses not accepting cash. By not having cash, all of our spending can be controlled and monitored. With cash, two people could agree to buy and sell something and no one else would know about it. While the Bible does not explicitly say there won’t be any cash, I do think it alludes to it.

John then says, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Based on this statement, I think it is clear that there will be people who are not raptured prior to the tribulation and who come to faith in Jesus Christ during the tribulation. They persevere in their faith in Jesus and do not take the mark of the beast. John then writes that a voice from heaven says, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” This means that they must die for their faith in Jesus Christ, meaning they must become martyrs. While it is horrible that they must be killed for their faith in Jesus Christ, it is better for them to die and have eternal life with Jesus Christ than to live and worship the antichrist but spend an eternity in hell. We can also remember others martyred for their faith in Jesus and how they did not fear as they were dying, such as Stephen.

Reaping the Earth’s Harvest and the Grapes of Wrath

John then saw someone I believe is Jesus Christ based on John’s description of Him. John describes Him as One like the Son of Man, sitting on a white cloud. He had a golden crown on His head and was holding a sharp sickle. An angel said to Him, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe. So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.”

Then one angel said to another angel who was also holding a sharp sickle, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe. The angel then trust in his sickle into the earth, gathered the vine and threw it into the winepress of the wrath of God. It says blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles for 1,600 furlongs, which is about 184 miles.

Some people believe Jesus’ reaping in Revelation 14:14-16 was that of Christians and the one in verses 17-20 is of unbelievers. However, others believe both reapings are referring to unbelievers. I have read several commentaries on this and of course the Bible itself and I can’t say with certainty that the reaping by Jesus is of believers or of unbelievers. but at least to me, it clearly contrasts with the next harvesting in verses 17-20. Jesus’ harvest speaks to the harvest of the earth whereas this harvest is referring to harvesting clusters of the vine of the earth and then throwing them into “the great winepress of the wrath of God.” Clearly, this is is for unbelievers and there is much blood as a result of it. We don’t see the word “wrath” mentioned in the harvesting done by Jesus.

Prelude to the Bowl Judgments

John then saw a sign in heaven with seven angels having the last seven plagues, and John says, “For in them the wrath of God is complete.” John saw something that looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and standing on it were those who had victory over the antichrist and they had harps of gold. “They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying:

“Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested.”

John then saw seven angels holding the seven bowls of wrath and a temple filled with smoke from the glory of God and His power. No one was able to enter the temple until the plagues were poured out.

The Seven Bowl Judgments

• First Bowl - Loathsome Sores: A fowl and loathsome sore came upon those who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. Today, there is speculation by some that the mark of the beast will change a person’s DNA composition and that this is why the sores would come upon only those who took the mark.

• Second Bowl - The Sea Turns to Blood: Although the second trumpet judgment turned 1/3 of the sea to blood, which could be seen as a warning to unbelievers, this time, the entire sea is turned to blood and every creature in it died. Can you imagine having to see and smell this? It would be putrid.

• Third Bowl - The Waters Turn to Blood: Unlike the third trumpet striking only 1/3 of the waters and making them bitter, this judgment turns them to blood, making them undrinkable and leaving mankind without any water to drink. The angel makes it clear why they were turned to blood:

  “You are righteous, O Lord, the One who is and who was and who is to be, because You have judged these things. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets and You have given them blood to drink, for it is their just due.”

  It is clear that the reason this is done is because they killed those who followed Jesus. They love blood, so God is giving them blood to drink.

• Fourth Bowl - Men are Scorched: Power was given to an angel to scorch men with fire from the sun. Men were scorched, and what did they do? Did the repent of their sins, turn to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and give Him glory? No, they blasphemed the name of God.

• Fifth Bowl - Darkness and Pain: The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the antichrist’s throne and his kingdom became full of darkness, and “they gnawed their tongues because of the pain.” We know that lack of sunlight can cause all kinds of health problems, including depression, bone and back pain, muscle pain, and other problems. Because they chose Satan’s evil darkness over God’s saving light, He is giving them exactly what they wanted. Once again, they did not repent but blasphemed God.

• Sixth Bowl - Euphrates Dried Up: Next, the sixth angel poured out his bowl to dry up the great Euphrates River “so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.” Unclean spirits like frogs came out of the mouths of Satan, the antichrist, and the false prophet. They are spirits of demons that performed signs that go out to the kings of the earth in order “to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty” to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon (Meggido). I believe this references the time when Jesus will destroy them at His second coming, as described in Revelation 19:11-21.

  Jesus then speaks and says, “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” Based on my understanding of the scriptures, I believe this to mean that we must always be looking and ready for His return. We should be drawing near to Him everyday, through prayer and by reading His word. We should pay attention to Bible prophecy and look for the things He told us would be signs of His coming and of the end of the age. We know that the rapture can happen at any moment and we must be ready to meet Him in the clouds.

  In 1 Thessalonians 5:4-11, it says, “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day [the Day of the Lord] should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day, We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” Again, this emphasizes that believers in Christ are not of the darkness but of the light of Jesus Christ and we should be ready always for Him.

• Seventh Bowl - The Earth Utterly Shaken: The seventh angel poured out into the air the last bowl judgment. A loud voice from the throne in heaven said, “It is done!” There were noises and thunderings and lightnings. I wonder if it could sound something like a tornado sounds when it’s approaching you. Then there was a great earthquake like never before since men were on the earth. As of August 3, 2020, the largest recorded earthquake in history was on May 22, 1960 in Bio-Bio, Chile. It killed 1,655 people, left 2 million people homeless, and caused a tsunami that killed even more people and caused major damage around the world. It is likely that even this earthquake won’t compare to the one mentioned here in Revelation.

  Next, it says, “Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell.” Some commentaries say this refers to Jerusalem in Israel, while others believe it refers to Babylon. I am not sure. Then it says, “And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.” We’ll discuss Babylon in the next article.

  It then says every island fled away and the mountains were destroyed. Clearly, the earth has been leveled at the hand of God. Finally, there were great hailstones falling from heaven upon men. The hailstones were about the weight of talent, which is between 75 - 100 pounds! Can you imagine the damage this type of hail would do? And yet, once again, men did not repent of their sins and turn to Jesus Christ and instead, they blasphemed God.

  Are You Ready for What is Coming?

  With everything going on in the world as I write this article, it is nothing compared to what is coming upon this earth. Never before have I seen people say things like, “What in the world is going on?” As I am writing this today at 11:15 am on August 4, 2020, I just read about an hour ago about a massive explosion and a huge shockwave in Beirut, Lebanon. It was horrific and brought back memories of 9/11 in the USA. It is clear that many must have been killed and many injured as a result of this explosion. As I read through some of the comments, here is what people are saying,

  • “This is just crazy! What is happening to this world?”

  • “2020 is the worse year.”

  • “I hope that the year 2020 will end quickly.”

  • “2020 is literally the worse year.”

  • “2020 is one of the worse year in human history.”

  • “2020 is worst for humans so far.”

  • “This just happened in Beirut, Lebanon. 2020 just won’t stop huh?”

  The answer to that last comment is, no, it is not going to stop; it will only get worse, much worse.

  If you have not accepted Jesus Christ, I strongly urge you to repent of your sins, believe in Him that He is the resurrected Messiah, the only One who can save you from your sins, before it’s too late. Things are only going to get worse, much worse, as you can tell from what’s written in the book of Revelation. Don’t wait another day; you may not have one more day.

  My Next Article

  Lord willing, my next article will discuss Revelation chapters 17 and 18. The scarlet woman, the scarlet beast, and the fall of Babylon the great and the world’s mourning of it.

June 1, 2020: What in the World is Going On? (Part 4)

Last edited June 30, 2020

This is my fourth article in the series titled “What in the World is Going On?” and it covers Revelation chapters 12 and 13.

NOTE: I am not a Bible scholar. While I read the Bible everyday and I’ve read the books of Revelation and Daniel many times, I very well may not have the perfect understanding of them. Therefore, I urge you to please read the Bible for yourself, asking God to pour out the Holy Spirit upon you before you do and to provide you with wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of what you are about to read. I am very analytical and was a software tester for many years. I am all about the details, and I like things to have a clear understanding. However, in these books, I think in particular, there are some things that God just doesn’t want us to know exactly how they will play out. I think if we could figure them out, then many would not turn to Jesus Christ and would not be looking and ready for His return until the very last moment in time. I think this is one reason why Jesus always told us to be ready, and watching.

Israel, Jesus, Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet

Before the seven bowl judgements are poured out upon the earth, John describes the woman (Israel), her Child (Jesus), the dragon (Satan), the beast from the sea (the antichrist), and the beast from the earth (the false prophet).

I’ve heard it said before that Satan always copies what God does. Since God has a holy trinity of Himself (God, the Father), Jesus (God, the Son), and the Holy Spirit (God, the Spirit), Satan has an unholy trinity of himself, the antichrist, and the false prophet. People who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will be deceived into believing that Satan is God when he is not; he is the great deceiver whose lies and deception cause people to reject Christ and spend their eternity in hell.

• The Woman (Israel), Her Child (Jesus Christ), and the Dragon (Satan): Revelation 12:1-6 tells us of a great sign appearing in heaven: “A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.” Catholics believe the woman described here is referring to Mary, the mother of Jesus. However, I and many evangelical Christians believe it is referring to Israel, and there is a strong correlation between this verse and the verses in Genesis 37:9-11. In the Genesis verses, Joseph, who is one of the 12 sons of Jacob, whom God called “Israel,” referred to his father, Jacob, as the “sun,” his mother Rachel as the “moon,” and his 11 brothers as “the eleven stars.” Thus, the 12 stars refer to the 12 tribes of Israel, which all began with Jacob’s 12 sons.

  Then another sign appeared in heaven that was a fiery red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems (crowns) on his heads. This is Satan. “His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.” Satan is referred to in the Bible as a “fallen star” and it is believed this represents the one-third of the angels that were cast out with him.

  Satan was waiting for the woman to give birth “to devour her Child as soon as it was born.” We know that when Jesus was born, King Herod, the Roman client king of Judea at that time, ordered all male children two years old and under to be murdered because he “was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” Clearly he was threatened by what he had been foretold of this Child. This fulfilled a prophecy by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:15).

  Revelation 12:5 states the woman “bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.” We know there are other Bible verses that speak to Jesus ruling with a rod of iron, and we know that after Jesus was resurrected, He ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9-11) to sit at the right hand of God the Father.

  It then says the woman fled into a safe place in the wilderness prepared by God, and she stayed there 1,260 days (3-1/2 years). Many believe this place is in Petra, Jordan, and Israel will flee to it during the mid-point of the tribulation, after the abomination of desolation by the antichrist when he breaks the peace treaty/agreement he had with Israel.

  Then the archangel Michael and his angels fought with the dragon and his angels. Satan and his followers were cast out of heaven, down to the earth. They are currently here on earth and Satan is deceiving many. When he will be cast out of heaven, as John describes, there will be great rejoicing in heaven but it also says “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” During this time, Satan will only have access to the earth and he will do everything he can to steal, kill, and destroy because he knows his time is short. He persecutes Israel, but she escapes when she is given “two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished…” I’m not sure what this represents but whether it be Israel’s defense forces and/or another nation, perhaps the USA, Israel is protected for 3-1/2 years from Satan. This enrages him and then “he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” I understand this to mean that Satan persecutes those people still alive on earth who were not raptured but have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

• Antichrist (The Beast from the Sea): John saw a beast rise up from the sea that had seven heads, ten horns, and ten crowns on the horns and on the heads a blasphemous name. The beast looked like a leopard but had the feet of a bear and a mouth like a lion. Satan gives the beast, who is the final antichrist, his power, his throne, and great authority. The Bible speaks of other antichrists but this is the final antichrist.

  One of the antichrist’s seven heads looked as though it had a mortal wound but it was healed. All of the world was amazed and followed the beast. Some Christians believe that the seven heads and ten horns represent a future one- world government that will be led by ten countries, possibly an expansion of the Group of Seven (G7) that currently includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, and the USA. There is also an existing Group of Ten (G10) that exists for economic reasons and actually includes the 11 nations (not 10) of Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the USA. Thus, you can clearly see we already have a foreshadow of this future one- world government. In fact, people now are calling for it amidst the coronavirus and race wars chaos. They want a “Mr. Fix It” to lead this one-world government and come and fix everything.

  It is interesting to note that in Daniel 7:1-8, and 7:15-28 it describes four beasts. The first was like a lion and had eagle’s wings, the second was like a bear, and the third like a leopard, and the fourth was different from the other beasts and Daniel described it as “dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong.” It is interesting to note that the beast that John described in Revelation has the same appearance as the first three beasts that Daniel described. Daniel goes on to say that the beasts are four kingdoms. It widely accepted that these four kingdoms are: 1) Babylon, 2) Medo-Persian Empire, 3) Greece, and 4) the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire, the fourth kingdom, has 10 horns that are 10 kings that arise from this fourth kingdom. Another king rises and he subdues 3 of the 10 kings. This is mentioned again in Revelation 17:7-18. Since the Roman Empire no longer exists, it is widely believed that Revelation is referring to a revived Roman Empire, from which the antichrist will arise. You can see there are many similarities between the books of Daniel and Revelation.

  The world worshipped Satan, who gave authority to the antichrist, and they worshipped him. They asked, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” If they had read their Bible, they would know that he is nothing like the one true God, who will destroy not only the antichrist but also Satan, the false prophet, and all those who follow them.

  The antichrist spoke great things and blasphemies against God and against those who live in heaven, and he continued for 3-1/2 years (42 months). The antichrist was given authority to make war with the saints (believers in Jesus Christ) and to overcome (kill) them. He has authority over the entire world. Everyone who has not had their name written in the Lamb’s Book Life, meaning all unbelievers, will worship the antichrist.

  It is interesting to me that I’ve heard that in the Bible, the sea or oceans represent division. The seas divide the world into separate continents and divides countries. It separates people. Also, remember that Moses divided the Red Sea. In the new heaven and the new earth that God will create, there will be no sea. I’ve heard the reason is because the world will no longer be divided. Perhaps this is why the antichrist is represented as the beast of the sea because he seeks to divide people, to turn them against each other, as we are clearly seeing in today’s world.

• False Prophet (The Beast from the Earth): John then saw another beast but this one came up out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. I believe this means the false prophet will pretend to be gentle and unassuming as a lamb but he will be vile and full of hate. He has all authority of the first beast (antichrist) and makes everyone on the earth worship the antichrist. The false prophet performs great signs and even makes fire come down from heaven to the earth. He deceives people and tells them to make an image to the beast. It is interesting to note that in this verse (Revelation 13:14), it says “…telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.” Thus, it sounds like the wound the beast had suffered was from a sword. The false prophet then gives breath to the image of the beast/antichrist that it should “both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.”

The false prophet then makes everyone living on the earth receive a mark on their forehead or their right hand. No one can buy or sell except those who have the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. It then says the number of the beast is a number of a man: HIs number is 666. There has been much speculation about this number and I won’t go into that but the Bible is clear, particularly in Revelation 14:11 that those who take the mark and worship the beast will spend their eternity in hell, where they will be tormented forever and ever and will have no rest day or night. If anyone tells you otherwise, do not listen to them; they are liars.

My Next Article

Lord willing, my plans are to cover Revelation chapters 14-16, where I’ll discuss the Lamb (Jesus) and the 144,000 sealed of Israel, the reaping of the grapes of wrath, and the seven bowl judgments.

April 20, 2020: What in the World is Going On? (Part 3)

A Thorough Study

While I thought this would be a somewhat brief article to write about what is going on in the world and relate it to Bible prophecy, particularly in the books of Matthew and Revelation, as I dug further into it, I realized that an in-depth study is needed. I realize most people don’t read long articles and some likely won’t read this in its entirety. However, I am hoping that there are some who are seeking the Lord and really want to know what the future holds. This article will describe chapters 6 - 11 of the Book of Revelation that tell about the seven seal judgements and the seven trumpet judgements.

Correlation Between the Books of Daniel, Jeremiah, and the Book of Revelation

Before describing the events of the 7-year tribulation period, with the last 3-1/2 years being called the “Great Tribulation,” it is important to note the correlation between the events described in Revelation and:

- Abomination of Desolation (Daniel 9:27): This is the event that starts the Great Tribulation. It is mentioned in Daniel 9:27 and by Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:15. Daniel was probably one of the greatest prophets in the Bible.  Have you ever heard of “Daniel in the Lion’s Den?” That is one of the events described in the book of Daniel. Many of his prophecies were so accurate that there are secular scholars who believe the book of Daniel had been written after the events Daniel described had already happened. However, that is not true. Chapter 9 verses 20:27 describe the 70-weeks prophecy. I encourage you to read them. In verse 27, it describes the last time period in history for Israel, which is the last week of the 70 weeks. Many believe each week is referring to a 7-year period and in this case, the 70th week represents the 7-year tribulation period. At or near the start of the tribulation, the antichrist will confirm a covenant or treaty with Israel for 7 years. However, in the middle of the 7 years, or 3-1/2 years into it, the antichrist will force the Jews to stop their sacrifices and offerings in what will be the new Jewish temple since the prior two temples were destroyed and a new one has not been built yet. It says “And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate…” “Abomination” is defined by dictionary.com as “A vile, shameful, or detestable action, condition, habit, etc.” In Matthew 24:15-21, Jesus referred to what Daniel 9:27 says as the start of the Great Tribulation, “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place… For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be…”

- The Time of Jacob’s Trouble (Jeremiah 30:3-7): Jacob is the name of the man who fathered the 12 tribes of Israel, and God gave Jacob the new name of “Israel.” Thus, “Jacob’s Trouble” means “Israel’s Trouble.” The main purpose of the Great Tribulation is to bring Israel to salvation. However, all those living on earth will go through the tribulation period. Because of Israel’s rejection of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, God blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts (John 12:40 and Isaiah 6:9-10) until the fullness of the Gentiles [non-Jews] has come in (Romans 11:25). We are in a time period now known as the Times of the Gentiles. Israel as a nation has rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah and they are still looking for what they call their Messiah. Many Christians believe the Messiah that the Jews are currently waiting for will be the antichrist, as prophesied in Revelation. During this time period, non-Jews, or Gentiles, all around the world will also have the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, However, this does not mean that no Jews can accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Some have but most reject Him as Messiah. As stated by an article on gotquestions.org titled “What are the Times of the Gentiles”:

“This partial hardening of heart for Israel doesn’t preclude individual Jews from being saved, but it prevents the nation from accepting Christ as Messiah until His plans are finished. When the time is right, God will restore the entire nation, and they will come to faith in Him, once again, ending ‘the times of the Gentiles.’”

Jeremiah 30:3-7 speaks to the time period when God will bring Israel back into their land and they will be saved. On May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation again and Jews started coming back to the land after thousands of years of being scattered across the globe. Verses 5-7 speak to a time like no other, when men will act like women in labor because of pain.  This is similar to the birth pangs described by Jesus in Matthew 24. Verse 7 says “Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.”

The Seven Seal Judgments

As I mentioned in my last article, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, the only One who is worthy to open the scroll and loose its seven seals, took the scroll from the right hand of God and Jesus opened the first seal. Before we get to them, you may have heard of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. This comes from the first four seal judgments since they all describe riders on horses. As a reminder, this John saw all of these things when he was caught up to heaven and in the Spirit (Holy Spirit). John would write the things down that he saw. Jumping ahead to Revelation 22:10, John was told by an angel, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.” Thus, God wants us to read this book and know what is coming and to turn to Jesus Christ, before it’s too late.

1. First Seal - The Conquerer: A rider on a white horse, who had a bow and a crown was given to him and he went out conquering and to conquer. Some believe this is Jesus Christ but I think most believe this is in fact the antichrist. He comes on a white horse to make people believe he comes in peace and imitating Christ but as one commentary on gotquestions.org states, his true intentions are shown by the fact that he carries a bow (a weapon). Notice also that the crown was given to him. I and many believe that prior to the tribulation, things will become so bad that people will cry out for someone to fix everything. In fact, we are at that point currently in the midst of this coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis. On March 26, 2020, former United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown called upon world leaders to consider creating a temporary global government to fight COVID-19 and others have joined with him, including United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Something like this would be the first step in appointing a single person to lead the global government. This would, in effect, be giving a crown of authority to this person. When he is given that authority, he then conquers. Jesus Christ in contrast, as described in Revelation 19:11, wears many crowns and it does not say they were given to Him; rather, He has them.

2. Second Seal - Conflict on Earth: The second rider was on a fiery red horse and he had the authority to take peace from the earth and that people should kill each other and he was given a great sword.

3. Third Seal - Scarcity of Earth: The third rider was on a black horse and held a pair of scales/balances. It indicates that food would be very expensive and one could only buy a quart of wheat or three quarts of barley, the less desirable grain, for a denarius, which is a full day’s wage. It also says “do not harm [damage] the oil and the wine.” Some have interpreted this to mean the famine won’t affect the wealthy while others say that because food will be so expensive, the poor won’t be able to buy wine and oil. It may also indicate that the foods we enjoy now won’t be available and only the cheapest foods that can keep one alive will be available. As we go through this COVID-19 crisis, we are already seeing food shortages and it is expected to get worse. However, this will pale in comparison to what will happen during the tribulation period.

4. Fourth Seal - Widespread Death on Earth: The fourth rider was on a pale horse. “Pale” is translated from the Greek word chloros and can also mean green or ashen. This is similar to what a very sick or dead person would look like. Power/authority was given to kill over a fourth of the earth by sword, by hunger/famine, by plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. As of March 2020, it is estimated that the world’s population is 7.8 billion. Thus, if 25% of the population was killed, that would be nearly 2 billion - that’s billion with a “b” - people killed. Yes, we are seeing these things happen on earth today but nowhere near the scale that will happen during the tribulation.

5. Fifth Seal - Cry of the Martyrs: All believers who had been martyred/ murdered for their faith in Jesus Christ asked Jesus how long it would be until He judges and avenges their blood on those who dwell on the earth. They were told it would be a while longer until both their fellow servants and their brethren would be killed. When one first hears this, it sounds harsh and uncaring. However, this is Jesus giving everyone the final opportunity to repent and turn to Him before He executes His final wrath on all who hate Him and who hate those who love Him. In our world currently and during the tribulation, Christians will be killed for their faith in Jesus Christ. As my first article mentioned, persecution of Christians is growing at an alarming rate. Christians, including women and young children, have been beheaded, set on fire, kneaded to death by being placed in a bread machine, and have been subjected to other atrocities by ISIS , Boko Haram, and other terrorist groups. Most recently here in the United States, on March 27, 2020, New York Times reporter Katherine Stewart wrote an op-ed that blamed evangelical Christians for crippling the United States’ coronavirus response. And, we see church members being singled out and fined $500 for driving to their churches, and listening to the online services in their cars with their windows rolled up. It is not a stretch to imagine what people who hate God will do to Christians when the world is going through the tribulation and Great tribulation.

6. Sixth Seal - Cosmic Disturbances: There was a great earthquake, the sun became black and the moon became like blood. The stars fell to the earth, the sky receded like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of its place. Everyone on earth - rich and poor, free and slave - hid themselves in caves and in the rocks of mountains, crying out to be saved from Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. They said, “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” How many people have purchased “bug-out homes” and so-called disaster-proof homes and will flee to them during this time on earth?

   Before the seventh seal is opened, two things happen:

   - The Sealed of Israel: Before the four angels who have the power to harm the earth, sea, and the trees could release that power, they were told by another angel not to do so until they sealed the servants of God on their foreheads, 12,000 of each of the 12 tribes of Israel will be sealed: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin.

   - Tribulation Saints: John then looked forward after the Great Tribulation and saw many, many people who would become believers in Christ during the Great Tribulation and would have to die for their faith in Him. They would be “a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues” and they are before the throne of God, where they will never hunger or thirst anymore “and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

7. Seventh Seal - Prelude to the Seven Trumpets: When Jesus opened the final seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. John saw seven angels standing before God and they were given seven trumpets. There was smoke from incense with the prayers of the saints (believers), and the smoke ascended before God. An angel took a golden censer, filled it with fire, and threw it to the earth. Then there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake and the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared them to sound.

The Seven Trumpet Judgements

1. First Trumpet - Vegetation Struck: Hail and fire, mingled with blood, were thrown to the earth and a third of the all trees and all green grass was burned up.

2. Second Trumpet - Seas Struck: Something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown to the sea and third of the sea became blood and a third of all sea creatures died and a third of the ships were destroyed.

3. Third Trumpet - Waters Struck: A great star called Wormwood fell from heaven and a third of the rivers and springs became wormwood. Many men died from the water because it was made bitter. Can you imagine how people will react to this, given the current outcry about climate change? As they will see, God controls the climate.

4. Fourth Trumpet - Heavens Struck: A third of the sun, moon, and stars were darkened and a third of the day and night did not shine. Imagine what this will do to the food supply when crops have less daylight in which to grow. An angel cried “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

5. Fifth Trumpet - Locusts from the Bottomless Pit: An angel opened up the bottomless pit and smoke arose out of it like a great furnace. Out of the smoke locusts came up that were shaped like horses ready for battle, with the faces of men, hair like women’s hair, and teeth like lions’. They had on armor and made loud sounds with their wings. They were commanded not to harm the grass or any green thing or tree but only those men not sealed with the seal of God on their foreheads. They could not kill them but only torment them for five months and the torment was like a scorpion when it strikes a man. In those days, men shall seek death and not find it; they will desire to die and not be able to. A king led them who is named Abaddon (Destruction) in Hebrew and Apollyon (destroyer) in Greek.

6. Sixth Trumpet - Angels from the Euphrates: The four angels who were bound at the Euphrates River and had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. There is an army of 200 million armored horsemen and they killed a third of mankind by fire, smoke, and brimstone that came out of their mouths. Their power was in their mouths and in their tails, which are like serpents. Those people not killed by them did not repent of worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood which can neither see nor hear nor walk. They did not repent of their murders, drugs, sexual immorality, or thefts. Can you imagine, after having seen all these things happen, that they wouldn’t repent and turn to Jesus but instead, they continue to reject Him and worship false gods instead and continue in their sin?

   - The Mighty Angel with the Little Book: Before the seventh trumpet is sounded, John saw a mighty angel coming down from heaven and was clothed with a cloud. The angel had a little book open in his hand. He had one foot on the sea and one foot on land and when the angel spoke, it was like a lion roaring. When the angel cried out, seven thunders spoke and John was about to write down what they spoke. But a voice from heaven told him to seal up the things that were spoken and do not write them. Then the mighty angel raised his right hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever and ever that there should not be anymore delays and when the seventh angel would sound his trumpet, the mystery of God would be finished.

   - John Eats the Little Book: John was then told to go and take and eat the little book. It would make his stomach bitter but it would be sweet as honey in his mouth. John ate it and it was as the angel said. Then the angel said, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

   - The Two Witnesses: John was then given a measuring rod and was told to measure the temple of God, the altar, and all who worship there but to leave out the outside court as it had been given to the Gentiles (non-Jews). The Gentiles would tread the holy city for 3-1/2 years. The angel said he would give power to his two witnesses to prophesy for 1,260 (3-1/2 years) and they would be clothed in sackcloth [defined per dictionary.com: coarse cloth worn as a sign of mourning or penitence]. If anyone sought to harm them, fire would come out of the two witnesses’ mouths and devour them. The witnesses had the power to prevent rain from falling, to turn water to blood, and strike the earth with plagues as often as they desired.

   After they had finished their 3-1/2 years of prophesying, the Bible says the beast, which likely is the antichrist, will come out of the bottomless pit and kill them. Their dead bodies will lie in the street of Jerusalem for 3-1/2 days as no one is allowed to put them into graves. Revelation 11:9 says “Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days.” People will celebrate their death and give gifts to one another “because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.” Not until communication satellites could the entire earth watch something live on TV, or more recently on the internet. Thus, this is yet another Biblical event that shows we are closer than ever before to the events happening in Revelation. After 3-1/2 days of lying dead, the breath of life from God will enter the two witnesses and they will stand to their feet. Everyone who sees them will be filled with great fear. A loud voice from heaven will call them up to heaven and they will ascend to heaven in a cloud. In the same hour, there will be great earthquake and 7,000 people will be killed. The rest in the city will be afraid and give glory to God. I find it very interesting that on August 4, 2019, the Israeli navy and 10 foreign navies took part in an exercise that simulated an earthquake that would kill 7,000.

7. Seventh Trumpet - The Kingdom Proclaimed: The seventh angel and loud voices in heaven proclaimed, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” The 24 elders who sat before God and on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:

“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned.

“The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.”

Then the temple of God in heaven was opened and the ark of His covenant was seen in it, and there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

My Next Article

Lord willing, my plans are that the next article will cover Revelation chapters 12 - 16. These chapters talk about the nation and persecution of Israel; Satan, the antichrist, and the false prophet; the 144,000 sealed of Israel; the events leading up to the seven bowl judgements; and finally the seven bowl judgements.

April 11, 2020: What in the World is Going On? (Part 2)

Revelation from and of Jesus Christ

I am sure most of you have heard of the term “apocalypse,” as it’s been popularized in the movies. It brings to memory movies like “Armageddon,” “2012,” “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome,” “Apocalypse Now,” and many other Hollywood blockbusters. However, “apocalypse” is not what you think. The book of Revelation was written by the apostle John in the Greek language. The name of the book in Greek is Apokalypsis Ioannou, and it means the “Revelation of John.” “Apocalypse” is a transliteration of the Greek word apokalypsis and it means “unveiling,” “disclosure,” or “revelation.” The very first words in this book are “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” It is both a revealing from Christ and a revealing about Christ. The revealing from Christ is in the first three chapters where Jesus spoke to John about the seven churches in existence at the time John was alive. It is also a revealing about Christ and it speaks to His second coming and His reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. However, before His second coming and when He takes His righteous reign, the entire world will go through a time period that makes all of the wars and all catastrophic events that have happened previously pale in comparison.

Revelation…the Only Book in a Bible with a Blessing to its Reader

Out of the 66 books in the Bible, only the book of Revelation has a blessing to those who read and hear it:

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

Satan (the devil) does not want you to read this book because it tells of the future for him and all who follow him. It’s not a good future for them but for those who believe in and put our trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it’s a future so amazing we can’t even fathom…yet. Satan doesn’t want people to know about hell. He wants people to think it’s not real and that no one will go to it.

About the Apostle John

Approximately 95 AD, John was on the Greek island of Patmos, where he had been being exiled by the Romans, when he wrote the book of Revelation through the Holy Spirit. John was one of Jesus’ 12 apostles, and John had also written the gospel of John and three other books (i.e., 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John). John had been very close to Jesus and referred to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” several times in the book of John. John, along with Andrew, were the first two people who became disciples (followers) of Jesus after Jesus was baptized by another John, called John the Baptist. The apostle John was one of Jesus’ closest and most faithful disciples. He and his fellow apostles Peter and John’s brother James were the three apostles who were with Jesus when He was transfigured before them and He talked with Moses and Elijah who had died hundreds of years beforehand. During the transfiguration, the voice of God said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” [Matthew 17:5]

John was the only one of the 12 apostles who was there with Jesus when Jesus was crucified on the cross. Judas Iscariot had betrayed Him to the Jewish leaders, who had Jesus crucified by the Romans. The rest of the apostles had left Jesus after He had been betrayed and arrested for they were afraid. Before Jesus gave up His life on the cross, He said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then Jesus said to John, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple [John] took her to his own home. After Jesus had been buried in the tomb after He died, it was John and Peter who ran to Jesus’ tomb when Mary had reported to them and the other disciples in the upper room that Jesus’ tomb was found empty on the third day after Jesus’ death. Jesus fully trusted John, and that I believe is why the book of Revelation was given to John to write. Finally, John was the only apostle of Jesus who did not die a martyr’s death.

The Revelation from Christ to the Seven Churches

Before getting to the horrific events of the tribulation that are described in Revelation, I think it’s important to mention that Jesus spoke to the angels (or messengers) of the seven churches in existence at the time John wrote Revelation. John said he was in the Spirit (i.e., the Holy Spirit) on the Lord’s Day and he saw Jesus. When he saw Jesus, he said he fell at Jesus’ feet as if he were dead. Jesus told him,

“Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”

Jesus then told him to write down the things he had seen, the things which are, and the things which will take place.

The seven churches Jesus spoke to were: 1) Ephesus, 2) Smyrna, 3) Pergamos, 4) Thyatira, 5) Sardis, 6) Philadelphia, and 7) Laodicea. Out of the seven churches, He commended only two or 29% of them. The ones He commended were Smyrna, for their undergoing persecution and Philadelphia for their faithfulness. For the remaining five, He found issues with them and called them out:

1. Ephesus the Loveless Church: They left their first love (of Him) and focused on good works instead. Doing good works does not save anyone.

2. Pergamos the Compromising Church: They had people that held to false doctrine,

3. Thyatira the Corrupt Church: They allowed a woman named Jezebel who called herself a prophetess to teach and seduce His servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. He had given her time to repent and she did not.

4. Sardis the Dead Church: They did works and had a name but were dead inside.

5. Laodicea the Lukewarm Church: They were neither cold nor hot; they were lukewarm. Because of that, Jesus said He would vomit them out of His mouth. Jesus wants us to make a decision: are we for Him or against Him?

To every one of these five churches, Jesus told them they needed to repent and change their ways. There are many churches today that fall into one or more of the five categories above. Perhaps that is why Jesus has allowed all of the churches to be shut down during this time of COVID-19/coronavirus. There are many, many churches teaching false doctrine, omitting doctrine so that people don’t get offended by hearing that the Bible teaches their acts are sinful, allowing women pastors when the Bible teaches there should not be, and there are many churches that teach that the way to be saved is by good works. We must repent and follow the commands of Jesus to those five churches.

To all seven of the churches, Jesus promised each of them something amazing if they overcame the challenges they face and stay faithful to Him:

1. “I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

2. “He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.

3. “I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.

4. “I will give power over the nations - ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’ as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star.

5. “He shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

6. “I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

7. “I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Clearly, Jesus wants us to be overcomers so that we may be with Him and the Father and not have to experience the fate of those who reject Him as Messiah and the only way to God the Father.

The Revelation About Christ

After Jesus spoke to John about the seven churches, John saw an open door in heaven and was told, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” He was in the throne room of heaven and it was absolutely amazing. I encourage you to read about this more in Revelation 4. He saw God the Father on His throne and He was surrounded by 24 other thrones on which sat 24 elders in white robes with gold crowns. Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. In the middle of the throne were four living creatures with eyes in the front and back. One creature looked like a lion, the second like a calf, the third like a man, and the fourth like an eagle. They sang this song of praise day and night, without rest,

“Holy, holy, holy,

Lord God Almighty,

Who was and is and is to come!”

In the right hand of Him who sat on the throne was a scroll that had seven seals on it. John wept when an angel asked “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” because there was found no one worthy to open it. However, one of the 24 elders who were in heaven said to John, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll, and to loose its seven seals.” John then looked and saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slain. The Lamb, Jesus Christ, then took the scroll from the right hand of the Father. The 24 elders and the four creatures then fell down before the Lamb and worshiped Him and sang a new song of praise to the Lamb, saying,

“You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”

Then ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands more of angels, the four creatures, and the 24 elders, and every creature in heaven, on earth, and under the earth and in the sea all praised Jesus again and again in songs and worship.

Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who came to this earth the first time to offer a way of salvation through His life, blood, death, and resurrection, is the only One worthy to loosen the first seal, which starts the tribulation. It will be like no other time on earth, nor will ever be again. Men will want to die because it will be so horrific but won’t be able to. The tribulation is also known as the “Time of Jacob’s Trouble” and will last for seven years, with the last 3-1/2 years known as the “Great Tribulation.” The Lord Jesus Christ will execute His righteous judgment on those who have chosen lies over truth, evil over good, and sin over salvation.

What is the Rapture of the Church?

I wanted to mention that there are quite a number of believers in Christ who believe the Bible indicates that those who are saved by Jesus Christ will not have to go through any of the events of the tribulation but will be raptured by Jesus before the tribulation begins. This is known as the pre-tribulation rapture. I do agree that there are certain verses in the Bible, including in Revelation and other books in the Bible, that seem to support a pre-tribulation rapture. Others believe the rapture will happen in the middle of the tribulation at the 3-1/2 year mark when the Great Tribulation begins, while others believe it happens at the end of the tribulation. Finally, some do not believe in a rapture at all.

I am certainly not a Bible scholar but based on everything I have read, I do support the pre-tribulation rapture view. There are three key reasons for my belief. The first is from 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17:

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up [“caught up” is transliterated from the Greek word harpazo, which means to seize, carry off by force; to snatch out or away; take by force; pluck] together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

If believers in Christ will go through the tribulation, I am not sure how we would be comforted by these words.

The second is that the word “church” is mentioned 19 times in Revelation chapters 1-3 but not used again until chapter 22 after the seven years of the tribulation have passed. Thus, this may indicate that the church is not present when the tribulation occurs.

The third is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 that is discussing the Day of the Lord. This verse states, “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” and also 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, “For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for HIs Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

I am not God and I do not know everything that is in the Bible, nor do I understand the exact timing of all the events. God is in control, and He knows the future. I do not worry about fully understanding the timeline of events in Revelation. Rather, I trust in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that whatever happens, if that means I’m here when the tribulation and Great Tribulation happen, then so be it. He will be with me, as He has promised that He will never leave me or forsake me. As Philippians 4:6-7 says, I don’t have to be anxious about anything and I can have the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. If I die during the tribulation, then I trust that I will be like Stephen, who was martyred for his faith. Before he was stoned to death, Acts 7:55-56 states, “But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” As they stoned him to death, Stephen called on God, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Stephen was full of faith. He saw his Lord and Savior, waiting to receive Him. Whether we must go through the tribulation or we are raptured, we know this: we will see and be with Jesus Christ.

Read the Book of Revelation

I highly encourage you to read the book of Revelation for yourself. It describes the three sets of seven judgments that will be poured out over the entire globe during the seven-year tribulation. Chapters 17 - 22 describe when Jesus Christ conquers and destroys the one world system, reigns on earth for 1,000 years with His saints, casts the devil into the lake of fire, and then creates a new heaven and a new earth, where all those who believed and accepted Him as their Lord and Savior will live with Him forever and ever. A place where, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” - Revelation 21:4

March 30, 2020: What in the World is Going On? (Part 1)

Global Events of 2020 as of 3/30/20

It’s only the end of March in the year 2020 and many are wishing this year would end already. Here are just some of the events that have made world headlines:

• COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

• Beginning collapse of global economies

• Australian fires

• Ongoing wars and ethnic conflicts

• Locust plagues in Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Yemen, Iran, Sudan, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq, Pakistan. Entire farms have been devastated. Famine is surely to come in future months.

• Global famine, particularly in Africa but also in Afghanistan, Venezuela, Syria, and Yemen.

• Deception/false teaching in the churches

• Earthquakes in various places, including 7.7-Jamaica on 1/28/20; 7.5-Russia on 3/25/20; 7.0-Russia on 2/13/20.

• Multiple volcanoes erupting, including the Taal volcano in the Philippines on 1/12/20 and most recently in Indonesia on 3/3/20.

• Nashville, Tennessee tornadoes on 3/24/20

• Historic, unprecedented flooding in southern USA and Mississippi on 2/17/20 with widespread flooding expected this spring in 2020, per NOAA.gov.

• Multiple asteroids making close approaches to earth.

Foretold in the Bible - Beginning of Sorrows/Birth Pains

“All these are the beginning of sorrows.” - JESUS CHRIST, MATTHEW 24:8

Many people, including on social media, have asked what in the world is happening? If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ or you may be a believer but don’t know the Bible very well, you may not know that everything that is currently happening was foretold in the Bible nearly 2,000 years ago. First, as told in the books of Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, before Jesus had been crucified, died, resurrected and ascended to heaven, where He is now, at the right hand of God, His disciples asked Him what would be the signs of when He would come again and of the end of the age. Jesus described to them a list of things, discussed below, and said they are the beginning of sorrows, which is translated from the Greek word that means birth pains.

In Matthew 24:4, Mark 13:5, and Luke 21:8, the first thing he said to them was: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” There have been and there are many people today who claim to be Jesus Christ.

Jesus then listed signs of His second coming and what would happen at the end of the age:

• Wars and rumors of wars

• Nation (actual translation is ethos or ethnicity) against nation

• Kingdom against kingdom

• Famines

• Pestilences (defined by dictionary.com as “a deadly or virulent epidemic disease; bubonic plague; or something that is considered harmful, destructive, or evil”)

• Earthquakes in various places

When I talk to people about this, most often they say, we’ve always had those things happening in the world. There’s always been wars and earthquakes, etc. Yes, that is true. However, the difference now is that all of these things are happening at the same time AND the technology that is needed in order for the things foretold in the book of Revelation that describes what happens after the birth pains is now either being developed or is already in place.

In Matthew 24:6, after Jesus told them they will hear of wars and rumors of wars, He then told them, “See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”

The books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke recorded Jesus telling His followers what will happen to them: “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” In an article from BBC news on 5/3/19 it states:

- “The persecution of Christians in parts of the world is at near ‘genocide’ levels, according to a report ordered by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt. The review, led by the Bishop of Truro the Right Reverend Philip Mounstephen, estimated that one in three people suffer from religious persecution. Christians were the most persecuted religious group, it found...

- “It warned the religion ‘is at risk of disappearing’ in some parts of the world…

- “Evidence shows not only the geographic spread of anti-Christian persecution, but also its increasing severity.”

Have you heard about this lately on mainstream news channels?

We can certainly see that many people today hate Christians and all that we stand for. They say we are narrow-minded, homophobic, transphobic, hate abortion, believe in a mystical sky daddy, science deniers, and the list goes on and on.

It also says that many people will be offended and betray and hate one another. Doesn’t this sound like our society today?

Further, it says “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.” How many of these false prophets do we see in “churches” today? There are many, many churches today, particularly mega churches, that are teaching a corrupted version of what the Bible says and the majority of pastors do not even preach on Bible prophecy. Some “churches” are even changing what the Bible says by removing things that the Bible says are sins in order to appease its sinful congregations. Many churches are putting on “Christian” concerts and what feels like Broadway shows in order to provide entertainment. The pastors preach sugary words that make its attendees feel good about themselves. They are too worried about offending people and they want to keep them coming back so they can keep on putting donations into the offering plate. Many pastors have put money above God and live in very large mansions and some even have their own private planes. Sadly, they are leaving congregants completely devoid of the truth of the Bible, which will ultimately lead them into thinking they are saved Christians when in reality they are not and they will spend an eternity in hell, a real place and a place no one spoke of more in the Bible than Jesus.

Finally, Jesus told His disciples that because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. I am 54-years old and old enough to remember that crime has never been like it is now. Most crime was committed by men and rarely by women. Now, it seems women commit crimes much more than it used to be, and now you have even young children committing murder. Some will say it’s just because the news is real time and we hear about it now when we didn’t used to but I think one has to argue that in their own cities, they are seeing an increase in crime by women and children. How many stories have you heard recently of parents killing their own children and even children killing their parents or someone else? It never used to be like this.

Will it Get Better?

Based on my extensive reading of the Bible, I believe the answer is no. Both Matthew 24 and Mark 13 describe what is to come in a seven-year time period known as the tribulation, with the last three and one-half years called the “Great Tribulation.” The tribulation is what is to come after the birth pains/beginning of sorrows. This time period will be the worst time in human history and Jesus said in Matthew 24:22:

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”

My next article will explain what is prophesied in the book of Revelation, which is the book that describes the tribulation and what is to come upon the whole earth.

Is There Any Good News?

Yes, believers have the promises of Jesus Christ:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son [Jesus Christ], that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” - John 3:16-18

Notice He says you must believe and that He doesn’t say you must be a good person or go to church to be saved.

If you feel a tug on your heart after reading this article, that is the Holy Spirit, prompting you to turn to Jesus Christ, before it’s too late. Do you know when your last day on this earth will be? None of us do. If you are ready to turn to Him and accept Him as your Lord and Savior, say something like: “Jesus, I believe you are the risen Christ and that only You can save me from my sins. I repent of my sins, please forgive me. I turn to You as my Lord and Savior. Please reveal Yourself to me so that I may know You. Amen”

Will it get better? Only time will tell.

October 29, 2018: Boiling Point

Boiling Point

Our country, our world is at a boiling point. Wars, threats of war, violence, disease, famine, natural disasters, lawlessness, suicide and depression, rampant drug addiction, and people pretending to be godly and yet rejecting the one true God who can save us all - Jesus Christ. Something is happening to our world. Many can sense it, even people who don’t call themselves Christians know that something is very wrong. The world has never been like this before with so many things in the world today happening all at the same time, converging just at the right moment. The right moment when many will look to a person, a world leader, to just make all of this pain and suffering go away. That person will gladly step in, to take power over all. But he won’t be who they think he is. We are in a deep and fierce spiritual battle. Satan is roaring about, seeking whom he may devour. He wants your soul. He wants to make you so comfortable in your sin that you are blinded to the truth and will not seek the One and only who can save you from your sins. Oh, how I pray for those whose eyes are blinded to the truth, that they will listen to that still small voice that is telling them there is something more, much more than this world can offer and it is like nothing they have never known before. Turning to Jesus offers true freedom, it breaks the bondage from sin, and Jesus paid for that freedom with His blood and His suffering on the cross. He died because He loves you and wants to offer you true freedom. I know that many who read this will disagree and say that I’m foolish and stupid for believing in some sky daddy, and that’s okay. Call me a fool for Christ, for “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise…” (1 Corinthians 1:27).

May 25, 2017: Waiting for Home

Last week, I posted on YouTube a new Christian Rock song I wrote and recorded called "Home."  The previous three songs I had written and recorded were all about telling people about Jesus and encouraging them to turn to Him before it's too late.  For this song, I felt like the Holy Spirit was telling me to write a song about encouraging Christians not to give up hope, especially as the world grows darker and darker, because Jesus is coming soon to His children home.  Time is drawing nearer and nearer.  People must decide soon - are they for Him or against Him.  We who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior are hearing His voice, we are seeing the signs He told his disciples about in Matthew 24, and we can feel that something is coming - and that something is Him!  Even unbelievers sense something is happening but they don't know the truth - that Jesus is coming back for His church and the world will suffer great tribulation such has never been known to mankind.  Please don't miss the opportunity to accept Jesus while you still can because one day, time will be up.  Will you be with Jesus, at home?