Jim's Eschatological Info

This post and those that follow are of critical importance in understanding a critical scripture. Revelation chapters 17-19 describe “Mystery Babylon” as an end-time “city” that Christians must flee from. She is going to be severely judged and, if we don’t evacuate from her, we’ll be subject to the same judgment reserved for her. That’s why it’s vitally important to identify this entity. Over two full chapters of the book of Revelation are devoted to the description and fate of Mystery Babylon emphasizing her importance. And then we have this command directly from heaven: “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.” (Revelation 18:4). If you’re a Christian, you are one of God’s people and are charged with coming out of her. The implication of this verse is that we Christians are likely in her and must flee from her or be included in her plagues. Positive identification is absolutely necessary if we are to obey God’s command. We can’t come out of her if we don’t know who she is!

Virtually all prophecy teachers define Mystery Babylon as an actual end-time city because of this verse: “And the woman whom you saw is that great (mega) city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17:18). However, they cannot agree on a specific city. They speculate on Rome, New York, Brussels, Mecca, Jerusalem, etc. The most common is Rome, due to the fact that Rome was the dominant city of the empire in control when John penned this verse in Revelation. However, John was pointing to a mystery city 2000 years into the future.

The first reason MB is not a specific geographical city is that there currently is no mega city that rules over the kings of the earth. Our world is comprised of hundreds of independent nation-states with no central city reigning. The second reason is this verse: “The waters which you saw (Chapter 17, verse 1), where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.” (Revelation 17:15). This indicates a world-wide pluralistic setting that cannot be attributed to a single geographical location.

So, if the apostle John is not referring to one future specific locale, just what is this “mystery” he calls Babylon and why did he call it a city, naming it after an ancient pagan empire-ruling city? In my next post (Part 2) I’ll prove to you that he is referring to a global class of people that is currently identifiable and has its origins in a city that certainly did exist in John’s day. If you can’t or won’t wait for that next post, you can click here to read a much more in-depth article I wrote about Mystery Babylon: A Biblical Tale.doc – Google Docs

Saints, it’s important that we get this right! Stay tuned. Part 2 in my next post.

Maranatha, Jim

Unless you’ve been living under a rock these days, I’m sure you’re aware of the Muslim dominance asserting itself across the world. Western Asia and Africa have already fallen with Europe not far behind. I’m writing this the morning after gigantic Islamic riots have virtually taken over Paris, France. Spain has already fallen. The large city centers of the UK are similarly dominated by Islamists enforcing Sharia law. Last night, massive demonstrations and public prayer filled the streets of New York city with a show of Muslim strength. This after the election of a Muslim mayor of the city. Western liberal politicians have largely turned their backs to this situation.

You might wonder why this is important. The answer is simple and should be concerning to all Christians. This rather sudden rise of Islam is a sign of the end-times in which we live. Islam is the religion of the antichrist. When he appears on the scene, these Islamic inroads will provide the political and religious backing he needs to establish control.

In this post I am updating content from a previous post back in March concerning the antichrists origins and religion. You can read it here: Islam is the Antichrist’s Religion – Jim’s Eschatological Info

Stay informed.

Maranatha, Jim

“For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.” (Isaiah 34:8-KJV).

This verse from Isaiah is all about the final judgment from God in the eschaton on a fallen world. And notice, it concerns the “controversy of Zion”. This controversy is something that is rampant in the news and social media, having exploded only recently, a sure sign that we are in the end times. The Jewish nation of Israel, Zionism, and Jews in general are reeling from a wave of antisemitism that seems to be pervading nations all across the globe, not the least of which is the US.

Joel Richardson does a good job of laying out this controversy in his recent teaching while tying it in with American politics. You can access it here: American Politics and the Emerging Controversy of Zion

This is an important topic that all Christians should be aware of. We need to be exposing Satan’s tactics is these last days.

Maranatha, Jim

“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matthew 24:36).

Most prophecy commentaries point out the obvious parallels of an unsuspecting populace and complete moral decay of Noah’s day with our modern condition. Of course, that’s true; our moral decay is unprecedented in modern times, and judgment from God is the farthest thing from secular expectation. But there’s one thing these commentators ignore or completely miss. There was only one righteous man on the entire earth in Noah’s day, and that man was Noah. (Genesis 6:9, 7:1). And that righteous man knew beforehand what was about to come upon the earth and precisely when it was going to happen.

After many years of God’s direction, Noah completed the ark which God had told him to build as protection from the devastating flood He would use to judge and purge evil humanity from the earth. As it neared the time for God to act, He told Noah to enter the ark with his family and the animals God sent to preserve. He then told Noah: “For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights…” (Genesis 7:4). Noah was not in the dark so that this day would come as a “thief in the night”. He was given precise guidance as to the timing by God Himself. The righteous on the earth (even if it was only one man) was expectant, fully aware of what God was doing, and when He was about to do it.

Now let’s consider today. Are there any righteous on the earth? Yes! The Church of Jesus Christ is considered by God to be righteous because of Jesus’s sacrifice. If we’re in Christ, we’re righteous, not because of anything we did, but what He did. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21). If we are to consider Jesus’s comparison of the time just before His coming to the days of Noah as accurate, we should assume that the righteous of our day will similarly, just as Noah did, know ahead of time when all the events leading up to and including His coming will take place. God’s people are not in the dark so that this day will overtake them as a “thief in the night”. (1 Thessalonians 5:4)

Noah was righteous in his day. Those in Christ are righteous in our day. As we draw nearer to God’s judgement of evil on this earth and the redemption of His saints, the righteous will know with increasing accuracy the timing of His return to set up His kingdom. “Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants…” (Amos 3:7). Stay tuned in to God’s prophetic Word. God has and will be sharing amazing things with His saints.

Maranatha, Jim

Ezekiel chapters 38 & 39 describe a war between the antichrist (Gog-chief prince of Magog and his allies) and Israel, resulting the culmination of this age and the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. At the end of the millennium, 1000 years later, Satan, who had been bound by God is released for one more battle also involving an enemy also named Gog and Magog. (Revelation 20: 7-9). Thus, there exists some confusion about whether these two wars are one and the same instead of one at the beginning and one at the end of Jesus’s 1000-year kingdom reign. This confusion is used by certain prophecy teachers to support their theologies such as preterism and amillennialism. A simple objective study of the scriptures involved, however, establishes clearly that these are two separate events.

Rather than going into detail here, I would refer you to a recent study given by Joel Richardson in his “Winepress” series. Joel does a good job of pointing out the significant differences between these two wars. His video is here: Ezekiel 38-39 Versus Revelation 20: NOT the Same Battle (Timing of Gog Magog)

You may also benefit by reading a previous post I published about Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39. Ezekiel’s GOG-Magog War is Armageddon – Jim’s Eschatological Info

Maranatha, Jim

Even the casual bible reader will remember the plight of Abraham’s nephew Lot. Lot was a righteous man living in the detestable cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, the entire population of which was given over to unspeakable sexual immorality. God destroyed these cities even after Abraham pleaded with Him to spare the cities if He could find even 10 righteous persons. He couldn’t. Lot escaped this destruction with the help of two angels sent from God. His two daughters escaped with him although his wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. God did this as an example of what happens to those who live this way. “…turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked.” (2 Peter 2:6-7).

Jesus compared this time of judgment to what it will be like at the time of His second coming. “Likewise, as it was in the days of Lot: They ate they drank, they bought they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be when the Son of Man is revealed.” (Luke 17:28-30). A recent news article in the Jerusalem Post caught my attention that attests to the fact that we are indeed approaching the time Jesus talked about. “FOUR DAY PRIDE FESTIVAL TO BE HELD AT THE DEAD SEA, LARGEST IN THE HISTORY OF THE MIDDLE EAST”. It claims to be the largest LBGT gathering ever in the middle east taking place around the clock over a four-day period called “Pride Land”. Not only is this upsetting that it is taking place in Israel, but it is taking place near the Dead Sea where Sodom and Gomorrah were located! It seems as though the organizers are intentionally delivering a direct slap in the face to the God of the bible. You can read the article here: Four day pride festival to be held at Dead Sea, largest in Middle East history | The Jerusalem Post .

I hope you’re just as disgusted to read this as I am, but be reassured, it is a blatant sign that we are fast nearing the arrival of our Lord. Come Quickly Lord Jesus!

Maranatha, Jim

The antichrist has a charismatic aide whose primary purpose is to exalt and force worship of his nefarious boss. He comes to prominence mid Daniel’s 70th week when he deceives the nations by performing great signs, sets up an image of the beast (antichrist), gives life to the image, and enforces the beast’s economic system by requiring a mark of allegiance to the beast and his image in order to buy or sell. He is responsible for this “Abomination of Desolation” referred to by both Daniel and Jesus. (Revelation 13:11-17).

In the news lately, you may have heard from a controversial podcaster (I won’t mention Tucker’s name) who stated the following: “The people in charge don’t want you to know this, but Muslims love Jesus. Islam reveres him as a major prophet and messenger of the Lord, believes he performs miracles, and states he will return to earth to defeat the antichrist.”

What amazing ignorance!!

What Muslim eschatology teaches is that our Jesus of the bible is not who we think he is, but that he did not really die on the cross as atonement for our sins. What they teach is that Jesus (they call him Isa) is really a Muslim prophet of allah who will surely return shortly. When he comes, he will debunk traditional Christianity and proclaim allah as god and Mohammed allah’s prophet that came after him. Muslim eschatology seems to be a mirror reflecting anti-Christian eschatology. While we have Jesus returning to defeat the antichrist and his false prophet, Islam has their “Mahdi” (perhaps a restored Caliph ruling the Muslim world) returning to defeat their version of the antichrist (whom they call Dajjal), with the help of Isa. The actual returning Jesus they would term the antichrist (Dajjal).

If any of this Islamic eschatology takes place, we can easily envision this caliph (Mahdi) as the actual antichrist and Isa as the actual false prophet. So, what this podcaster is stating in ignorance is that who the Muslims call Jesus might in reality be the false prophet of Revelation. While the false prophet is the antichrist’s chief enforcer, Isa will be the Mahdi’s chief enforcer. We need to be alert if this scenario plays out.

Identifying both the antichrist and the false prophet as Islamic fits perfectly with Christian eschatology. For a detailed look at this theology, have a look at Joel Richardson’s books “Islamic Antichrist” and “Mideast Beast”. Both are available at Amazon or for free on his website. Joel’s Trumpet

Maranatha, Jim

Down through the centuries and particularly in modern times, Christians of various persuasions have set dates for Jesus’s return. They typically base their conclusions on prophetic biblical texts they presume to be definitive for this purpose. Of course, all previous dates set earlier than today have failed because, obviously, Jesus hasn’t returned yet. The question is, should they even be doing this?

Though there have been many, one missed prediction in particular comes to mind. In the 1980’s when I was still a young Christian, a man by the name Edgar Whisenant, a bible student and NASA engineer published a book titled “88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988”. He based his prediction on his particular approach to biblical numerology and the fact that Israel became a nation again in 1948. One “generation” from then, which he mistakenly concluded was 40 years, gets one to 1988. He proceeded to back that up with his interpretation of many Old Testament prophecies, largely from Daniel. He stated that he had amassed 23,000 clues from biblical sources that proved his conclusion. However, the only thing he was successful at was selling his book which was published by the World Bible Society. He sold over 4 1/2 million copies and shipped 300,000 free copies to ministers across America. He was famously quoted as saying “I would stake my life on Rosh Hashana 1988.”

So, using Whisenant’s example, what’s wrong and what’s right about this?

Let’s start with what’s wrong. If Whisenant had simply stated “it’s my opinion that Jesus will return in 1988″, he would have merely been sharing his conclusions based on his personal studies, laying them out for all to judge. But that’s not what he did. He presented his conclusions as firm and undeniable and if it didn’t happen as he stated then the bible is lying to us. Unfortunately, many of his followers believed him and took action such as selling their properties and blindly taking his advice. When Jesus didn’t return, they were not only devastated, but many rejected Christianity altogether. Whisenant meanwhile basked in the millions he reaped from vulnerable easily deceived Christians. A significant portion of Christianity became a laughingstock in secular and Christian media. So, altogether not a good experience.

Let’s look at what could have been right about this incident. If Whisenant had humbly and honestly shared his studied opinion and opened it to scholarly debate, it could have served to educate Christians and the world about prophetic scriptures. It might have spurred Christians into serious bible study which ultimately could only have positive effects. Surely, Christians need to be informed about biblical prophecy so they can be alert and watching for the signs Jesus taught and how they fit with Old Testament teachings. We cannot fulfill Jesus’s command to watch if we are ignorant concerning what to watch for. In other words, even errant teaching such as Whisenant’s could have value if it prompts Christians into deeper study. And that is exactly what it did for me. It made me aware that prophetic scriptures just might be pointing to Jesus’s return, perhaps even in my lifetime. It sparked a curiosity in me that led to a deeper study of eschatology. But the question remains: should I use scripture study to put a date on the second coming?

It seems quite unlikely that God through His prophets and His Son would provide for us a wealth of clues to determine the timing of Jesus’s coming if He expected us to ignore them. Jesus severely criticized the Jews for not recognizing the time of His first coming. (Luke 12:56, 19:44). They certainly had plenty of biblical precedent. We have even more. We not only have the entire New Testament, but Jesus also gave us His Holy Spirit who will tell us of things to come. (John 16:13). There simply is no spiritual reason why we should not be fully engaged in attempting to ascertain the timing of our Lord’s return as part of our Christian experience. Once assured of our salvation, we should long for and “love His appearing”. (1 Timothy 4:8, Titus 2:13).

In my personal studies, I am currently of the opinion that while we can speculate about certain dates, it’s too early to be exacting. I do believe, however that we can determine the “season” of His return, which I also believe we are in now, even as I write this. It seems obvious to me that the biblical events leading up to Daniel’s 70th week (the last 7 years of this age) are current, such as the “beginning of birth pangs” Jesus talked about, the maturation of “mystery Babylon”, and the alignment of key individuals and nations. Once we are in the middle of the 70th week, the timing of which will be unmistakable, we will be able to accurately predict a date. I address all this in detail in my book; “Last Days Events-Sequence and Synchrony“. You can get it at Amazon Books both in paperback and Kindle format. It’s also on Kindle Unlimited for zero cost.

So, to address the title question, I would say yes, have a go at it. But don’t be rigidly dogmatic about your conclusions so not to be disillusioned. You’ll likely be wrong but better off because of the scripture study involved. Just remember that the odds of being correct on a specific date are quite small at this time but will increase as we near His return. Be sure to use proper scripture exegesis guided by a sound objective hermeneutic, and you’ll profit as one always does when studying God’s Word. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get it right!

Maranatha, Jim

Where is your punishment, O death? Where is your sting, O Hades? (Hosea 13:14 – Septuagint)

O death, where is thy Sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (1 Corinthians 15:55 – KJV)

HE IS RISEN!!

Happy Resurrection Day

Maranatha, Jim

The primary concern the Church has to deal with in these last days is deception. The significance of this was highlighted by Jesus during His comprehensive discussion of what it will be like as we near the end of the age. His teaching is commonly referred to as the Olivet Discourse. He began His treatise by saying: “Take heedthat no one deceives you.” (Matthew 24: 4). His message was not lost on His disciples as they frequently remind us how the “god of this world” blinds our eyes to the truth. I’m going to give you one example from the teaching of the Apostle Paul that demonstrates pervasive deception in our Christian church.

Both of Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians deal extensively with Jesus’s second coming and events leading up to the resurrection of the just. The Thessalonians were troubled about the timing of the resurrection (rapture of the saints) which some were deceptively teaching had already happened. Paul answered them plainly in easy-to-understand language. “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus and our gathering together unto Him, we ask you, not to be shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come, let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” (2Thessalonians 2:1-4). When Paul says “the coming of our Lord Jesus” on the “day of Christ” when “our gathering together unto Him” takes place, he is clearly speaking of the second coming and the resurrection of the saints. “Our” gathering together identifies the future resurrection of those Thessalonian Christians, Paul himself, and all the righteous. Notice, he said “let no one deceive you by any means”. Obviously, there were false teachers in their presence that were deceiving them. Before that “gathering together unto Him” can happen, according to Paul, several things must first take place. One, a great falling away (apostacy). Two, the revealing of the antichrist. Three, the abomination of the antichrist demanding worship on the temple mount. Paul says “don’t be shaken in mind” or deceived by something supposedly from us (Paul and his associates) either from the spirit, spoken word, or written letter. Nothing like that had originated with them.

I’m sure most reading this are aware that many in our modern church teach that the next event in the biblical timeline is the “rapture” of the church (the resurrection or the gathering together of the church to Him). They teach that Jesus’s coming for His people is “imminent” in that nothing needs to happen before that can take place. This is precisely the deception that Paul so clearly refers to in 2nd Thessalonians. That same deception that confronted the Thessalonians is hugely present in the church today. Much has yet to happen before the resurrection of the saints which is not imminent nor has already happened as some preterists teach. Those that adhere to these deceptive teachings are likely to be ill-prepared for the tumultuous events of Daniel’s 70th week we are all going to face.

This is but one of many pervasive teachings and deceptions that are sweeping through God’s church. Many theological and exegetical gymnastics are employed to give supposed biblical support to these deceptive teachings. It’s up to us to be ever vigilant and confront false and deceptive teaching wherever we encounter it. Study effectively and become someone God can count on to “rightly divide the Word of truth”. When studying, use an objective hermeneutic that will keep you from error and counter deceptive teaching. Scroll down to an article linked below (Links to Articles) covering the hermeneutics I use when studying the bible. You may find it helpful. We all need to avoid deception by all possible means. God has given us all the study tools we need including the Helper-the Holy Spirit, the author of our bibles and Teacher Who abides in us and leads us into all truth. You have the mind of Christ and need not be subject to deception of any sort.

Maranatha, Jim