Jim's Eschatological Info

When teaching His disciples about the time just before His second coming Jesus said this: “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, as it was also 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 it will be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” (Luke 17: 26-30)

It is evident from the above scripture that there will be a period of time late in the reign of the antichrist (final 3 1/2 years) when, at least where the non -Christian world is concerned, predominantly evil mankind will be thriving under his rule. The economic system of this man of sin seems to be allowing mankind a kind of normalcy after much war and destruction. The world will finally have the leader they sought after, and Satan will have his man on the throne. Mystery Babylon will have been destroyed, the two powerful Christian witnesses are gone, and the populace will be marrying, buying and selling, farming, building, etc. However, Jesus’ comparison to Sodom and Noah’s time indicates that their primary focus will be evil, moral corruption and lawlessness, all of the time. Even after the 4th and 5th bowl judgments are poured out from God, there will not be repentance for their actions. (Revelation 16:9&11). That’s how it was in Noah’s day and in the cities of the plains where Lot dwelt and that’s where we’re headed today at a furious pace. And I’m sure, that’ll be just fine with the son of perdition. At this time, the only item left on the antichrist’s agenda will be to defeat Christ Himself in the final battle for Jerusalem (Armageddon). We know how that ends!

Suddenly, likened to a thief striking in the night, the unsuspecting evil population in this world will be destroyed by fire from heaven. We know, however, that those belonging to Christ are not going to be surprised by these events. Just as Noah and Lot were not surprised, due to the fact they were the only righteous men in their habitation, they were both duly warned ahead of time. This is God’s MO. “Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to the prophets.” (Amos 3:7). “However, when He, the Spirit of truth comes….He will speak and tell you of things to come” (John 16:13). If you’re a Christian, you’re righteous because He is righteous, and, just like those righteous men Noah and Lot, you’ll have plenty of warning of what’s coming and when it’s coming. If you’re worried, don’t fret, God knows how to destroy evil while taking care of His own. More on that in another blog.

If your primary goals are similar to what the world is seeking, i.e., wealth, notoriety, power, satisfaction of temporal lusts, etc., you’re on a dead- end course. It will all come crashing down, and its end is assured. Your focus should be very narrow – Christ and His kingdom. Jesus gave us the examples of Noah and Lot for good reason. We can’t have one foot in the world and one in His kingdom. We need to leave this world behind and never look back. No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for His kingdom. (Luke 9:62). Remember Lots’ wife? She looked back.

Our world is progressing very quickly to a state mirroring that of Noah’s day as well as Sodom and Gomorrah. Don’t be a part of it. Be imitators of Jesus our Lord, the author and finisher of our faith.

Maranatha, Jim

Recent technological advances and archeological discoveries are more and more attesting to the truth of biblical texts. For example, a new non-destructive dating method has placed the age of the shroud of Turin at a date compatible with the life of Christ. This comes on the heels of a determination that earlier carbon dating of the shroud was flawed in that the samples used were taken from an edge area of the cloth that was repaired with new fabric after fire damage during medieval times. The shroud contains a photographic negative image of a crucified man with all the characteristic wounds suffered by Jesus described in the bible. The best efforts of an elite scientific panel were unable to determine how this image came to be. The best current guess is that it was from a burst unknown radiation. The resurrection?

The newly discovered lead ‘curse tablet’ from Mount Ebal in Israel near Shechem is amazing in that it not only verifies Joshua’s account (Joshua 8:30-35) but establishes the fact that the ancient Hebrews possessed the skills of a written language at that time. Most secular ‘scholars’ believe that Moses and Joshua could not have written the Pentateuch and Joshua as there was no written language during their time. It is now the earliest known archeological evidence of early Hebrew writing.

Following are some links to enhance your knowledge of these amazing artifacts:

Shroud of Turin

Italian Scientist Says New X-Ray Dating Technique Shows Turin Shroud to be 2000 Years Old — The Singular Fortean Society

The Silent Witness (A Documentary About The Shroud Of Turin) (rumble.com)

The Shroud of Turin Website – Home Page

Mount Ebal Curse Tablet

Yahweh Curse Inscription from Mount Ebal – YouTube

Archaeological find upends secular academia – Pod for Israel – YouTube

While we, as Christians do not revere artifacts or relics, these examples can be used to reassure us that good science and archeology will always confirm the biblical account. And they may be useful to us as conversation starters when witnessing to our lost friends and associates. The fact that these and other exciting finds are increasingly presenting themselves are further evidence that we are indeed living in the last days. Secular media, of course, under the control of the god of this world, is largely silent on these topics.

Stay informed. Keep studying your Bible. The last days are here.

Maranatha, Jim

Jesus’ words recorded three times in the gospels: “But he who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22, 24:13, Mark 13:13). The word translated “endures” is the Greek verb hupomeno, which means to persevere patiently. It is used 17 times in the New Testament while the noun form of the word, hupomone, is used 32 times. It is extremely important for Christians to comprehend precisely what Jesus is saying here as our salvation is involved. The implication is that if we do not endure, we will lose our inheritance in His kingdom. So, just what must we endure in these last days? Let’s let the scripture speak for itself.

The three verses that precede Jesus’ admonition in Matthew 24 say this; “and then many will be offended, will betray one another, and hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” Clearly what we must endure according to these verses is the offensiveness, betrayal, and hatred shown to us by those around us, even those we may consider close friends or family. Also, we must be alert to the deception of false prophets and others who would lead us into lawlessness. The apostle Paul sums it up quite well for us in his letter to the Romans: “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation (hupomone), continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:9-18). In a nutshell, that’s what it means to “endure”. Not that difficult, is it? Well maybe. It may get a little dicier.

We may be faced with enduring things much more severe in these last days. When describing the reign of the antichrist during the great tribulation our very lives may be on the line. “He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; He who kills with the sword must be killed by the sword. Here is the patience (hupomone) and the faith of the saints.” (Revelation 13:10). Concerning the ‘mark of the beast’: “and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. Here is the patience (hupomone) of the saints who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” (Revelation 14:11-12). Fortunately, we do have a promise from God: “Because you have kept My command to persevere (hupomano), I will also keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth.” (Revelation 3:10)

Here’s some even better promises for those that endure to the end. “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12). “Eternal life to those who by patient continuance (hupomone) in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality.” (Romans 2:7). “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.” (2Timothy 2:12).

For we who are Christians, enduring to the end is not an option. Thankfully, God has given us all the tools we need to succeed. We’re born overcomers. Stay alert. Continue in good works.

Maranatha, Jim

The full text of what Jesus said is as follows: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14) In other words, Jesus said that the end (His return to set up His kingdom) will not come until the good news of His coming kingdom is preached in all the nations of the world as a witness. The question is, when will this be completed, or, is it already complete?

First, a few comments about that verse. Notice it is the ‘good news of the kingdom‘, not necessarily the gospel of salvation as it is usually interpreted. This gospel of the coming millennial earthly kingdom of Jesus is not widely preached today even from Christian pulpits. Also, the word ‘preached’ means heralded or proclaimed as from a public crier, not merely person to person. ‘Witness” means evidential testimony that is difficult to refute. ‘Nations’ is “ethnos” or gentile races thru ought the known world. When this is completed, the ‘end’ “telos” will come, defined as the uttermost limit of the age. Of course, this process began with the disciples who were commissioned by Jesus Himself to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature….and you shall be My witnesses in all Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8)

So, where are we in this process? In context with Jesus’ order of events in Matthew 24, it seems to culminate late in Daniel’s 70th week perhaps even during the last 3 1/2 years or great tribulation. Certainly, after the ‘beginnings of birth pangs’ (Matthew 24:4-14). There are a couple of somewhat obscure verses in Revelation that bring clarity. “Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of 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 the heaven and the earth, the sea and springs of water’.” (Revelation 14:6-7). Here we see a mysterious angel (messenger) proclaiming the gospel to the whole world just prior to the time when the final judgement from God is poured out on the earth. This seems to be the last major effort from God to make certain all mankind has heard the gospel. Notice the extent of this preaching, as defined by ‘those who dwell on the earth’. “Every nation-ethnicity or race”, “Tribe-offshoots of every race”, “Tongue-every language”, “People-general populace”. This covers everyone! At this point, when the messenger completes his assignment, all the earth will have heard the gospel. This messenger, whoever he is, will see to it that none are left out. Also notice that he “flies in the midst of heaven” to reach everyone. The word heaven here simply means sky, so he obviously travels by air. It seems as though his extensive preaching, done in every human language, is completed in a relatively short time, so he may have some supernatural help. God is merciful and long suffering, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to eternal life in Him.

So, my conclusion is that while it can be said that the gospel has already been preached thru ought the world as a witness in all nations, God Himself will make sure the job is complete by sending His messenger to preach the gospel to everyone as a final warning just before He wipes out evil on the earth. Not until then can we say with certainty that this prophecy is fulfilled. Then, as Jesus said, the end will come.

Maranatha, Jim

This winter’s Los Amigos bible study of The Book of Isaiah has been completed. It was a study of the “highlights” of the prophet’s work. Emphasis was given to prophecies concerning Messiah’s 1st coming and also the 2nd coming and millennial kingdom. Fifteen videos are posted that should be of help to you as you study the major prophets. Here is a link to the Isaiah studies:

The Los Amigos Bible Study – YouTube

Maranatha, Jim

The attached article from the Federalist sums up the certainty of the resurrection of Jesus

Jesus’s Resurrection Is Probably The Best-Documented Historical Event (thefederalist.com)

Happy resurrection day, Jim

If you’re a Christian, expect it. That is unless you hide your Christianity and live outwardly as the world does. Jesus told His disciples they hated Him, so they’ll hate them also. “If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of this world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:18,19). That statement by Jesus applies to us also, as we are all His disciples in this age. In these last days, we must prepare for ever increasing hatred of Christians and Christian values. Jesus put it this way in His Olivet discourse about the days just preceding His coming and following right after we see the ‘beginnings of birth pangs’; “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” (Matthew 24:9). He also said this to those who will be testifying in His name; “And you will be hated by all for My names sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22). Most assuredly, one of the things we must endure till He comes is hatred by the world. I, of course, could give you many examples of this hatred rearing its ugly head in our day from public ostracism, banning of Christian discourse, and jailing of individuals for public preaching from the bible. And that in so called countries that supposedly espouse free speech. In much of the world, preaching and teaching about Jesus leads to imprisonment and even death. And as the great tribulation approaches, it will get worse, much worse.

But Christian, as you go through these times of hate from the world, always remember this: “Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven.” (Luke 6:22-23)

Maranatha, Jim

Over a year ago, I published a series of posts about the “Beginnings of Birth Pangs”. This was Jesus’ metaphor describing what the world will be experiencing prior to the “Great Tribulation”. This time I’m going to combine these six posts into one article and permanently link to it so you can have this information quickly at your fingertips.

Listed below are the signs of these beginning birth pangs spoken by Jesus:

1. Deceptions
2. Wars and Rumors of Wars
3. Nation against Nation
4. Famines
5. Pestilences
6. Earthquakes
7. Troubles
8. Commotions

1-6 come from Matthew 24:5-7, 7 from Mark 13:8, and 8 from Luke 21:7

I believe we are currently experiencing these beginnings of birth pangs. This article will elaborate on why I believe as I do. If we are genuinely in these early contractions as Jesus described them, what comes soon after this will be truly earth shaking.

Deceptions:

Jesus: “Take heed that no one deceive you” (Mt. 24: 4). In the next verse He warns of false Messiahs. He goes on to include deceptive false prophets in verses 11 and 24. As most end-time prophecy is Israel-Jerusalem centric, we must view it as though we were living in Israel watching events unfold from that perspective. The Jews have had their share of false messiahs, just as Jesus predicted. Following is a partial list of last names of false Jewish Messiahs since New Testament times: Bar Kochba, Moses, Abu Isa, Serene, Yudgham, Abidafia, Abraham, Reubeni, Lammlien, Alroi, Zevi, Russo, Mokia, Querido, Cardosa, Prossnitz, Frank, Guibbory, Schneerson. Other than a small percentage of Messianics, the Jews have rejected the real Messiah, Jesus. They may even, for a short time, fall for the ultimate false messiah, the antichrist. The false prophets Jesus also warned of seem to be everywhere these days. The Apostle Paul wrote Timothy about them. “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (2Tim. 3:13)

Jews in Israel are facing wide-spread deception in all areas of life, just as we are here in the US. Not very long ago we could read a news story about whatever and trust it was mostly objective reporting. Virtually all news sources today are incredibly biased and are served up with an agenda, a deceptive method to sway your thinking to their particular politics or moral philosophy. We must be ever vigilant of their methods which have been highly successful in molding public opinion. Examples, of course, include the recent “cancel culture”, advancement of the LGBTQIA etc. movement, critical race theory, increasing acceptance of abortion, evolutionary teaching, and gay and trans lifestyles in “Christian” churches, et al. In Israel, acceptance of these lifestyles is already mainstream. Their deception is already quite advanced. Paul gives us this warning: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1Cor. 6:9&10) Fortunately, we know what and who is behind all this deception and we know how to resist him. “….that serpent of old, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world…”(Rev. 12:9)

Deception is coming at us from everywhere these days and we must be prepared to root it out and replace it with truth. Yes, its even coming from the pulpits in our churches, so you need to arm yourselves with the sword of the Spirit, God’s Word, and judge everything by what is written in the bible. It’s the Standard by which we can expose and avoid all deception. Remember, Jesus said “Take heed that no one deceives you”.

The current level of deceptive teaching and media influence is surely fulfilling the first of the beginnings of birth pangs prophesied by Jesus.

Wars and Rumors of Wars:

Second in the list given by Jesus of “the beginnings of birth pangs” is wars and rumors of wars. “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” (Mt. 24:6). Wars (destructive conflict) in Scripture are most always determined to be judgments from God. All of the Old Testament wars Israel was involved in were used by God for judgment on the nations they were fighting or judgment on them by other nations for their Godless behavior. I am certain this is also the case with modern wars and prophesied wars to come. God’s M.O. is well established. Again, to best understand this prophecy, we must imagine ourselves in modern Israel, as most biblical prophecy is Middle East centric. In Israel today, wars and rumors of wars are a daily constant. Israel is surrounded by hostiles such as Hamas and Hezbollah and endures daily threats and rocket attacks. Enemies such as Iran are an existential threat with their constant vitriol and development of nuclear weapons. The IDF is constantly reminding Israeli citizens to prepare for potential war. Currently, the world is focused on the conflict in Ukraine initiated by Russia.

The bible seems to indicate that there will be several future wars that must happen prior to the “Great Tribulation” or the final 3.5 years culminating with the return of Jesus. The prophet Daniel speaks of a ram-goat war in chapter 8 out of which the antichrist eventually emerges. This is likely a war between modern day Turkey and Iran (Yavan and Persia). Also, as the 10 nation confederacy of the antichrist is forming, three nations are subdued by the antichrist (Da. 7:8). These and others are likely “beginnings of birth pang” wars. But, as Jesus said, the end is not yet. The wars of the great tribulation (full contractions) ending at Armageddon will be of unimaginable intensity. Once Jesus releases the four horsemen (Rev. 6) judgment of the whole earth will begin. A third of humanity will be killed during the time of the sixth trumpet/bowl alone. (Rev. 9:15,18). In world war 2, the worst war known to mankind, deaths totaled over 50 million. Assuming a world population of 7.5 billion means one third or 2.5 billion will perish in this future war – 50 times ww2 ! This prophecy is certain. Zechariah describes the type of warfare deployed which seems to be nuclear – specifically neutron radiation. “And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.” (Zechariah 14:12). I’ve had personal work experience handling neutron radiation, and that is exactly the physical effect expected if accidently exposed.

Yes wars are rumored, present, and coming. We can be assured that this sign of the beginnings of birth pangs is current and ongoing. But, remember that Jesus said these things must come to pass, but don’t be troubled. We simply need to be on the right side, the Lord’s army.

Nation Against Nation, Kingdom Against Kingdom:

As a natural follow-up to wars and rumors of wars, Jesus added to His prophecy of BBP’s (beginning of birth pangs) by saying this: “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. “ (Mark 13:8) The word “nation”, as translated from Greek, is somewhat misleading, as the actual word is “ethnos” or race, primarily gentile race. Mostly, in the NT it is generally translated as gentile or sometimes heathen or nation. The best translation here would be gentile race. Jesus was simply saying that gentiles (non-Jews) of different races would be coming against one and another in the last days. Can you think of where that’s happening now, at this time? It seems that here in the US, with the election of a recent past president and our current one, racial issues have come to the forefront. If one disagreed with their politics, the race card is immediately played, and one is promptly accused of being racist. The Trump presidency was accused of racism no matter what he did. Actions taken to control our borders, control of travel to the US by Islamic radicals, support for Christian morality, labeling China as the source of the pandemic, etc. were all called by the leftist politicians, and main-stream media as racist. This has carried over to our current leftist in the white house, where just being Caucasian is racist. The extreme rise of things like “critical race theory” is alarming and is being taught in our public schools. All this in a country where systemic racism has been largely eradicated, and only exists in the minds of the radical left. Unfortunately, what’s happening here, has not gone unnoticed by the rest of the world, and perceived racism is causing all sorts of division. Unlike the US which is a melting pot of ethnicities, most of the other nations of the world are populated by a dominant nationality and culture. A little research shows that many, if not most, of these nations consider their indigenous population to be a superior race, though not often publicly stated. This is also true in much of the middle east. Without going into many specifics, I think you can see the problem here. Racially motivated strife is bubbling to the surface all over the world. Truly, as Jesus said would happen, gentile race against gentile race is prominent, world-wide, in our day. This, of course is anti biblical and anti Christian. God created only one race, the human race. We differ only according to the amount of melanin in our skin.

The other part of Jesus prophecy pits “kingdom against kingdom”. Kingdom here means a “realm ruled by royalty”. In other words, a nation or country ruled by a single authoritarian, such as a king, despot, or head of a theocracy. It would leave out countries led by democracies or parliamentary systems such as the US and most European countries. Again, the middle east is rife with this sort of despotic rule. To name just a few kingdoms against kingdoms in the ME: Iran vs Iraq, Saudi Arabia vs Yemen, Iran vs Saudi Arabia, Turkey vs Syria, Armenia vs Azerbaijan, etc. etc. I don’t think there is any question that this aspect of BBP’s is currently being fulfilled.

Earthquakes and Famines:

Included in the beginnings of birth pangs spoken of by Jesus were earthquakes and famines. He said this: “….And there will be earthquakes in various places and there will be famines….” (Mark 13:8). First, lets talk about earthquakes. After doing much research on earthquakes both historical and current, the frequencies at various levels seem to be rather static over the period where valid measurements have been recorded. Most bible commentators are looking for increasing intensities and frequencies due to the fact that Jesus included them as birth pangs, which, of course, increase in intensity up to birth. But, is this really what Jesus meant ? While certain data can be manipulated to show current increases in earthquakes, it is probably not necessary – the text in all three synoptics does not demand it. Jesus simply said earthquakes will be occurring in “various” places. Its this word “various” that is interesting. The KJV translates it “diverse places“. I think what Jesus meant was that earthquakes would be happening in parts of the world other than in Israel and you will hear about them. Diverse is the Greek word kata which can be translated as apart from or throughout. Check out this map of powerful earthquakes over 8.0 magnitude from 1900 till recent. Latest Earthquakes (usgs.gov). Notice that the middle east around Israel is lacking activity. I think this demonstrates what Jesus was saying. The occurrences shown on this map are certainly in diverse places. Make no mistake. Major earthquakes are coming to the ME and Israel specifically, but these are prophesied to occur during the great tribulation, the final birth contractions.

Famines are another story. Famines are described as a lack of life sustaining necessities due to many possible factors, such as drought, crop diseases, harvesting problems, wars, natural disasters, political instability, etc. A search of historical data reveals that severe famines have been less wide-spread in the last few decades, due to a variety of factors, with the exception of central Africa. However, a new threat has emerged in this last year, and I’m sure you can guess what it is – the covid 19 pandemic. Because of the effect of restricted world-wide transportation of food stuffs and nutrition assistance programs, parts of the world that depend benevolent sources of food assistance are suffering greatly. Currently, world news sources are filled with ominous warnings of food shortages due to international reaction to the Ukraine conflict. Certain countries are already rationing food items. Again, Jesus did not say that famines would be increasing in intensity, only that they would be happening, “but the end is not yet”. Yet He included them along with earthquakes in His list of beginnings of birth pangs. We can surely add them as ongoing along with the other items He talked about for us to keep abreast of as we draw near to the real birth pangs.

Troubles and Commotions:

These two BBP’s are often overlooked and not discussed. Luke’s gospel says this: “But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.” (Luke 21:9) Mark puts it this way: “….there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles.” (Mark 13:8) (Note: some modern translations using the Nestle- Aland underlying Greek text do not have “troubles” in Mark 13:8.)

The words troubles and commotions are different Greek words but translate as very similar. They mean, instability, disorder, confusion, chaos, tumult, sedition, a roiling as from a mob. They indicate the opposite of order and peace. The book of Acts contains examples of this. Probably the best one is found in chapter 19 about the riot in Ephesus. You can read the whole account in verses 23-41. Paul’s preaching had converted many to the gospel, much to the chagrin of the idol worshippers who made much money from the idols they manufactured. Therefore, they instigated a riot. Here’s a few quotes to illustrate what happened. verse 23: “And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way“. Verse 29: “So the whole city was filled with confusion“. Verse 40: “For we are in danger of being called into question for today’s uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering.”

I’m sure you’re already thinking about certain troubles and commotions in our day. Quite evident here in the US is the demonstrations and riots that have swept our cities in the wake the George Floyd incident in Minneapolis. Or you might be thinking about the march on our Capitol in January. The rest of the world is not exempt from similar troubles. As I write this, rebellious demonstrations are occurring in such diverse cities as London, Paris, Hong Kong, Moscow, Caracas, and Myanmar. The more we see the success of some of these tumults, the more they will occur. In fact, by the time the great tribulation starts; “….and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth….” (Luke 21:25-26)

I don’t know about you, but I’m convinced that the increase the troubles and commotions the world is currently experiencing is surely of the type Jesus said would precede the time of “Jacobs Trouble”. These are definitely part of beginning birth pangs as He described them.

Pestilences:

“And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences……” (Luke 21:11) Pestilences here is the Greek word loimos which means plague – usually disease. In the Greek version of the Old Testament (LXX) the prophet Jeremiah uses this word several times to describe the plagues that God would use to afflict the Jews who would not listen and stay in Israel rather than go to safety in Babylon. This was not unlike the plagues Moses called down on Egypt, that included physical disease, and pests such as frogs, gnats, and locusts. That these things are happening in the world today is what I would call a “no-brainer”. While in various parts of the world plagues of pests are occurring (locusts in the ME, mice in Australia ?), the most obvious is the covid-19 pandemic. Past pandemics, some quite broad in scope, typically left some part of the world unscathed. This ongoing pandemic, however, has reached every corner of the globe. Even past pandemics such as polio are recurring in significant numbers in Israel. It’s certainly reasonable to conclude that these fit well with Jesus’ heads-up on BBP’s .

The reason I’ve focused this article on the beginnings of birth pangs is so that you consider just where we are on God’s eschatological timeline. Jesus indicated that following these signs, would be increasing turmoil and “great tribulation” leading up to His second coming. After all, He wanted us to use simple logic. Shortly after the beginnings of birth pangs come the real pains of birth contractions. That’s why He used the birthing metaphor. Gods’ kingdom will be delivered in the earth with the coming of our Lord. I hope you realize by now that I think there is more than sufficient evidence to state with a high degree of certainty that we are currently experiencing these beginnings of birth pangs. The “eschaton” (last days) is upon us! If you want to pursue a more detailed possible chronology of coming events, read the permanently linked article ‘Discerning the Time of Jesus’ Second Coming’.

So, what does all this mean for us? Simply, the eschaton is upon us! Assuredly, we need to prepare and become ready for what’s coming next. Watch here for upcoming posts on what we should be doing to prepare. And keep watching as our Lord commanded.

Maranatha, Jim

Jesus: “Therefore when you see ‘the abomination of desolation‘ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” (Matthew 24:15)

Jesus is clearly saying to us that there is a specific time coming (when you see) that all will see an object/event that takes place at the “holy place”. There is little doubt that this place is the very spot where the “holy of holies” stood on the temple mount in Jerusalem. This may or may not be a newly rebuilt Jewish temple.

So, just what is this abomination? The Greek word for abomination is “bdelugma“, defined as something God detests, specifically, idolatry. Further it’s idolatry that causes “desolation” or lays waste or despoils. Since Jesus referred us to the Book of Daniel, let’s go there for more info. Speaking of the appointed time of the end, Daniel says this: “And forces shall be mustered by him (beast-antichrist), and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.” (Daniel 11:31) “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.” (Daniel 12:11) A few things are obvious from these passages in Daniel. First this AOD takes place in the eschaton or last days-our future. The forces of the antichrist take control of the temple mount, ban traditional Jewish sacrifices, and ‘set up’ an idola trice symbol ‘placed’ in a holy spot. This action is facilitated by someone called the false prophet or the antichrists right hand man. (Check out my recent post “What can we know about the False Prophet of Revelation 13?”) In Revelation, this ‘beast from the earth’ will; “deceive those who dwell on the earth …. telling them to make an image to the beast (antichrist) …. he was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the beast to be killed.” (Revelation 13:14-15) So, the AOD is described here by John as an ‘image’ that can speak and require worship that is directed to the antichrist whom it represents.

The Apostle Paul also refers to the AOD: “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day (Jesus’s second coming) 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 in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” (2Thessalonians 2:3-4)

The setting up of this idolatrous image of the antichrist in the very spot where God’s presence has been manifested to Israel thru ought the centuries will indeed be an abomination to God. However, as this time period is ‘his time’ (antichrist’s), God will allow this to continue for 1290 days. This is the period Jesus called “great tribulation”, a time period that we will need to ‘endure to the end’.

The sign of the AOD is the most specific sign given to us to determine the time of Jesus return. It will be crystal clear to all and surely unmistakable when it occurs. We then will know that we have till the end of the great tribulation before our Lord comes in glory. We have ample scripture telling us it will be in ‘times, time, and half a time’, or three-and one-half years, or 42 months, or 1260 days. Are you prepared? Stay alert. Keep your lamps filled.

Maranatha, Jim

The short answer is; America as part of the western nations is at times indicated, but never mentioned directly. The American continents were, of course, unknown to biblical writers unless referred to indirectly by the Spirit.

Some modern prophecy teachers tend to opine about the US as the “eagle” who will protect Israel during the great tribulation. They refer to Daniels description of eagle’s wings being plucked from the back of a lion. The lion as they posit is England and the US the eagle which came out of Britain. This because the modern symbols of these two countries are the lion (UK) and the eagle (US). They then combine that with Revelation 12:14 where Israel is transported to safety during the tribulation on the “wings of a great eagle”indicating assistance from the US. This, however, is a huge stretch and mere opinion without objective scriptural support.

Another teaching from prophecy circles is that the US is “Mystery Babylon”. Or, perhaps, New York City or Washington D.C., might be the prophesied “woman riding the beast”. I believe this to be completely inaccurate (see the permanent link to Mystery Babylon article to find out her identity). However, there is some truth here in that many of Americas wealthy politicians and “merchants” are already part of the hierarchy of MB.

More directly the western nations are referred to by the biblical prophets collectively as far off “coastlands” or “sea lands” or “isles (islands)”. The Hebrew word is simply “ee” a far- off desirable land for gentiles. It is used 36 times in the Old Testament to describe far-off lands of the gentiles. Thus, if you live in the Americas, or actually any land far from the middle east, you can assume, when you see this word, that the prophecy/message is specifically for you.

These following passages typify prophetic references of the far- off gentile coastlands. The prophet Isaiah of the coming Messiah; “Listen, O coastlands to Me, and take heed, you peoples from afar……I will also give You as a light to the gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:1,6) Jeremiah says this: “Hear the Word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off…..” (Jeremiah 31:10) Concerning judgment, Ezekiel prophecies: “And I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in security in the coastlands. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 39:6) Jesus prophesied about His disciples thus; “and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

There are enough indirect references to the Americas in scripture to indicate they are not exempt from any of God’s directives from preaching the Gospel to ultimate judgement and destruction. If you live in the Americas or even the far east such as China, God has specifics for you in His Word. Although much of coming prophecy is middle east centric, even if you live in these remote areas of the world, you can expect the effects of an antichrist world government and the resulting judgments from God to impact your livelihood. Be prepared. Be ready to endure to the end. Keep studying your bible that you might conform yourself to the example set by Jesus.

Maranatha, Jim