Finally, the answer they wanted to hear. Matthew 24:31-51 Part 9

Finally, he got to the answer they wanted to hear. “and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.”
I am assuming that what they really wanted to know was, when He was coming back as reigning Messiah, and here it is in all its power. All the other stuff He talked about was just depressing; deceit, beheadings, the nation they loved invaded, and barely anyone surviving.
Not only does he come in power, but He also gathers what is left of His people, the chose ones, from across the globe.

Matthew 24:31NIrV He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call. They will gather his chosen people from all four directions. They will bring them from one end of the heavens to the other.

Some things to ponder:

1. “He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call.” Jesus is standing right there, responding to their questions. We, as avid followers of Jesus Christ, should understand that it is Jesus that returns. (See Revelation 19:11-15) Yet, he explains it as though he is watching this himself, and referring to someone else. Ask yourself this question, how many times have you heard the statement, Jesus never said he was God. There is no doubt, He was and is God.
2. He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call. They will gather his chosen people from all four directions. Who is God’s chosen at this point? This becomes important considering God’s anger toward them for rejecting Him, and our foolish replacement theories about how the church takes the place of Israel. God told them how to act and they (in majority) chose not to; there are repercussions for that and God laid all that out. We, the church, are told we are grafted in. This is a common term in the nursery business. The stock is often a mature plant, with disease resistant qualities, on to which fresh stock is grafted. From that rootstock, we gain strength, while the graft may give us beauty or fruit. (See Romans 11: 17-30) Sadly, this is not some exclusive code for the elite of some cult.
3. “They will bring them from one end of the heavens to the other.” They = angels; them = the chosen, what is left of Israel, and there will be many. But with all the destruction, things like possible EMP blasts, stars falling from the sky, and a massive earthquake, there may not even be functioning airports anymore. How will they get to Jerusalem? (I said Jerusalem on purpose.) That massive earthquake I mentioned, it may be so large that the landmasses may reassemble and people will be able to walk. Imagine that, even if God manages to put Israel smack in the center, it is still a tremendously long walk, God has a time plan, but he never seems to be in a hurry.

Matthew 24:32MSG "Take a lesson from the fig tree. From the moment you notice its buds form, the merest hint of green, you know summer's just around the corner.”

            If Israel was that fig tree, when did it throw out its buds?
In May 1948, Israel became an independent state after Israel was recognized by the United Nations as a country in its own right, within the Middle East.

Matthew 24:33NASB “so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.”

The question was, when would these things happen. Again, Jesus talks as a spectator describing the end and yet he is an integral participant of those events, as he comes in the power of God. Keep your focus; this is beyond the rapture of the church, and during the seven years of wrath upon the earth. In terms of conversation, only moments ago, he spoke of himself coming in the clouds, and every eye will see him. Therefore, he described what his coming would look like and then explained how, at this point they (Israel) should be able to ascertain the timing.

Matthew 24:34AMP “ Truly I tell you, this generation (the whole multitude of people living at the same time, in a definite, given period) will not pass away till all these things taken together take place.”

 I looked up the definition of a generation in the dictionary. It is the average length of time between the birth of parents and the birth of their children. My assumption, here in America, is that youth do not get married until about age 18. If I round-up, for ease of doing the math, then we are talking twenty years. That puts the generational parallel for Israel at 1968. What happened in 1967 in Israel?

The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War, or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt (known at the time as the United Arab Republic), Jordan, and Syria. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Six_Day_War)

This war expanded the territories Israel to something comparable to what God had prescribed for them; if we use an average of twenty years that puts us at 1987. How do I apply this to anything? If, this is something we are to pay attention to, then we need to understand that we are running on overtime. There is nothing left chronologically to hold back the Father’s unleashing of His wrath upon the earth.
What if the generation He speaks of is the generation that is alive during this time of wrath? That does not work because the time of wrath only lasts seven years, and the specific period he focuses on is the last three and one half years.

Matthew 24:35KJV “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”

 This is in context with His return to earth, and it is going to be dramatic. I will show you some reinforcing details from scripture.

Joel 2:2 KJV A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

Joel 2:30-31 KJV And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. (31) The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

Joel 2:10 KJV The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

             This last verse is one with which we attempt to scare the world into believing because it speaks about Jesus coming back as a thief in the night. That concept conveys someone sneaking up on them, and that is not the case. He is very open and upfront about his coming. I believe he is trying to convey the fact life, for some, will just keep going on. Consider the period, and the context of his arrival, is there anything about this that does not tell you something huge is happening.

2 Peter 3:10 KJV But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

            What if Satan’s rebellion, and fall to earth, caused a far-reaching corruption that affected everything. Scripture tells us that even rocks are crying out for their redemption. Would it not make sense to purge everything and make it new, eliminating all the corruption? Sadly, much of the beauty we see because of the Hubble space telescope was caused by stars exploding or collapsing in on themselves, creating black holes, which suck everything close into its center. God has a solution for that.

Revelation 21:4-5KJV And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (5) And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, write: for these words are true and faithful.

Matthew 24:36GNB "No one knows, however, when that day and hour will come---neither the angels in heaven nor the Son; the Father alone knows.”

             If this were a ball game, in the last inning, down by one run, and God’s people have the last at bat, how much closer in terms of timing do you need. Again, I tell you that this applies to those that are here during the time of wrath; a time that the church bypasses.

 Matthew 24:37-39GNB The coming of the Son of Man will be like what happened in the time of Noah. (38) In the days before the flood people ate and drank, men and women married, up to the very day Noah went into the boat; (39) yet they did not realize what was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes.

             If you did not realize it, the coming of the Son of Man, covers the entire seven-year period, but His physical touching down upon the earth is specifically at the end of the seven years (of wrath.)
I use this passage a lot, as I attempt to explain to people what it will look like for the church. (I realize, even more so now, that there is a context, but suddenly that context takes on a completely new meaning for me when I relate it to the last half of the seven years period.) If It is fair for me to use this as the direct analogy to the “rapture” of the church, then I refer to the immediate context of timing that Jesus referred to in Matthew 24: 36.
So many of the church anticipated that we would be gone, and legitimately, most scholars see no reason for our still being either. The only thing that makes any sense is that God is waiting for just a few more to come. If you were part of that few wouldn’t you want him to wait for you?
In trying to relate what it will be like for us, moments before the rapture, I point out that there was an unsurpassed level of violence. I believe we rapidly going to surpass that. There will be an attitude that says do not bother me with facts, and life will just go on. Really, what else can most of us do? How many of us have the ability, financially, to change the world around us? Yet, that is the majority of the problem, it is all about the individual. God told us that being wrapped up in the world would consume us.

1 John 2:16-17 GNB Everything that belongs to the world---what the sinful self desires, what people see and want, and everything in this world that people are so proud of---none of this comes from the Father; it all comes from the world. (17) The world and everything in it that people desire is passing away; but those who do the will of God live forever.

The last aspect in this comparison is that, should you look at Noah’s story in scripture, you will see that the day it rained, God put them in the Ark, and closed the door. The reality of this is that God will put us in the “ark” so to speak, as well, but you can plan to get your head a little wet. That means that tribulation, in excess of your having to get a new propeller for your bass boat, or typical everyday bullying of your children at school, is going to spill over on you. Just look around you, and or pick about any country that rims the Mediterranean ocean, and you will find people in horrid conditions of tribulation. In light of Noah, it is raining on their heads.

Matthew 24:40-41KJV “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (41) Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”

             In Matthew 24:40-41 we are back, deeply into the seven years. Who is doing the taking is not clear. Several commentaries imply that, much like the flood with Noah, the people are taken in judgment by God. Lets analyze this for a moment: God brought the flood, but God also gave the inhabitants of earth 100 years in which to repent.

1 Peter 3:20 NASB who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.

            You see, we make a huge assumption that God just wanted them dead, and that is not the case. If you consider these people in light of Sodom and Gomorrah, cities that God would have spared if 10 righteous people could have been found. In a world full of people, all that God was able to pull out of here was eight. Does that say anything to anyone? God relented (momentarily) from his destruction of Nineveh when they repented, and he would have relented from his destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah for 10; why would he be any different over the earth?
Because the context is a time of unsurpassed violence, with enemy nations overrunning Israel and the surrounding hills it is possible that this is a ghastly level of violence of which we are being informed.

Matthew 24:42NASB "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”

             He started the discourse with a similar warning, see to it that you be not deceived. This emphasis on being alert, on guard, and watchful of the time and timing of things, is repeated several times throughout this chapter. Perhaps we should pay attention to His warnings. Noah also warned the people of an impending destruction. Isn’t that amazing, the God we so lovingly think of as a nasty, destructive force, seems to have warned repeatedly, with methods of salvation included, of they all have to do with turning your life back over to Him. Considering that our lives were held captive by the enemy, why wouldn’t a God of benevolence be the better choice?

 Matthew 24:43-44NASB "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. (44) "For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”

            “But … if the head of the house had known.” Well, actually, we do, and the time is now. Yeah sure, I hear it all the time, but we cannot know the time, and sadly, we have far too many kooks that are more than willing to tell us the exact time of His return. (Here is a clue as to whether they are kooks or not. Who or what are they telling you to follow, and where is the money going.)

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NASB (9) but just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." (10) For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

Ephesians 3:4-5 NASB By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, (5) which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

            How about living like this, live as though He is coming at any moment, just as He said he would.
I am going to end by finishing off Matthew 24.

Matthew 24:45-51NASB "Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? (46) "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. (47) "Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. (48) ''But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,' (49) and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; (50) the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, (51) and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

• “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?” I suppose that could be us, or, it could be Israel. As poor of a job as they did, following after God, and getting wrath poured out on them (this is generalized), they are still engraved upon his heart, but then, so are we. The only way I can see us being faithful and sensible is to convey his heart and desire to others. If that includes commentaries in an effort to get people out of their tradition and lack of interest, then so be it. What do I consider his food? Jesus told his disciples, I have food that you know not of, he was referring to what he obtained from His continual, intimate communication with the Father.
• "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.” What are we as slaves doing? After being put in charge of His household, we given those of the household food (the word of God, and encouragement to get through to the end.) This is what we do all the way to the end, an end that is not precisely determined, and therefore demands that we stay on task whether we will see this end or not.
• ''But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,' (49) and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; (50) the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, (51) and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” This is typical conversation; I hear it all the time. I pick up enough news to know that the world is getting darker by the day, but if I act like those around me, then I am responsible. I am not backing down. Jesus is coming for his church, and shortly after, he will return as the triumphant and reigning Messiah.

You can know this Jesus Christ if you just ask him to make himself real to you. He will come into your life and remake your heart. From that moment forward your heart will be good, new, and His. Yes, life will still look tore up from the outside, it is the nature of the world we live in, and we have to deal with it. However, God gives us a power, especially if we ask Him to fill us with the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is described as rivers of living water flowing out of our inner most being. Do you realize that a live river is one that moves, swirls and has dangerous rapids as an integral part of it? Does that mean you will be dangerous? Some will think so. God is inviting you on an adventure, one that is alive, real, and filled with Him. This is a life worth living, and He is real. We have a hope and a promise of acceptance, and love in His arms, forever. Jump in!

I have told you before it happens. Matthew 24:30, Part 8

Today is 5/15/2014.

Let us for a moment say that I know nothing aside from: what the Spirit of the Lord has shown me, what I have read, asked questions about, probed a little deeper into the word than most, I have a burning desire to see God’s people excited about reading God’s word, and I love to teach it. What does that have to do with anything?

Recently, at a bible study I attend, the leader says, we are probably going to close down the bible study for the summer. I responded with, good, because God takes the summer off too. Seriously, get someone to open the door and I will be here. One of the ladies that attend suggested that the leader have me teach while she is gone. I got the look that said no. I have enough wisdom to consider all the weird ramifications, but I if I wanted you to teach, my attitude would be, let me see if I can make it happen.

What is it in our heads that makes us think that we are better than others? If that is our attitude then we are wrong, and at that point, we are trying to take control of the throne of God by judging people. Do you not know that you will be judged too, based upon our own standards?

I am wondering why I wrote this, because it seems so random at times, but there is a motivation behind this. People, just trying to make small talk, will ask me how it is going. Those who know me well know that I have been through what seems like a twenty-year battle. I have had not had a decent job since 1994, and once again, I am out of work, and that is only the tip of my iceberg. I know that this last 20 years have contributed greatly to who I am today. As I look back on it now I can tell you that I am keenly aware that the enemy has tried to eliminate me. Why would he feel a need to do that? (I know the answer.)

I was about 23 years old when Jesus appeared to me. This was not expected, but because God had put this burning passion inside of me I had invested serious time in God’s word. As I read the Bible I was drawn to the lives of the prophets, and Elijah was one that always came quickly to my mind. He was a powerful man, and I wanted to know what it was like to have that kind of relationship with God, and to be conscious of that kind of power.

Power is not the purpose of our existence, but there has to be something more than this muddling through life that we do.

Thanks to the earthquake driven Tsunami that hit Japan in 2011, the world has witnessed the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, the Fukushima power plant melt down. By now we should all understand that uncontrolled power is extremely dangerous. Just look at people as you pass them on the street, they all want something more, power, even if it is merely the power to control the circumstances around their own lives.

How does this apply to the life of the believer? Jesus told us all that after the Holy Spirit comes on you, you shall receive power. The Greek word is dunamis. This is the base word for our word dynamite.

Yet, it is rare to find a “Christian” that is not afraid of God’s power. They essentially refuse to accept anything and anyone that displays the evidence of power in their lives. Come on, it is power that motivates you to believe, lay your hands on someone in faith, trust that God will do what he says, and moves you forward in the gifts the Holy Spirit gives you.

As Jesus spoke of what was to come, you have the suggestion that multiple persons are performing signs (the evidence of power). Our first assumption is that it is demonically oriented (think fallen angels here), and we would not be far off [Revelation 6:8, 13:2], but the same assumptions are assigned to fellow believers that have the faith to exhibit the peculiarity of the Holy Spirit’s giftings. However, the false prophet is not the only one displaying power, something that Matthew 24 does not tell us.

The series is about Matthew 24, and I am aware of that, but I feel compelled to expound about things related, things we as a body should be repenting of because of our unbelief.
Jesus was asked specific questions about what it would look like when he returned, and so, as an acquaintance said to me, to explain the two witnesses that appear during this time would be going down a rabbit trail.

I address the two witnesses here because they are not only an example of God’s power, but they are also a display of what people operating in the power of God looks like; they are also a testimony of God, in opposition to Israel’s rejections of him, and a testimony against the nations. While this is a scripturally established time of wrath, it is against specified people, and therefore must also be understood to be a revelation of God’s mercy toward those who will come to him.

Revelation 11:3-12 GNB I will send my two witnesses dressed in sackcloth, and they will proclaim God's message during those 1, 260 days." The two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lamps that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and destroys their enemies; and in this way whoever tries to harm them will be killed. They have authority to shut up the sky so that there will be no rain during the time they proclaim God's message. They have authority also over the springs of water, to turn them into blood; they have authority also to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish. When they finish proclaiming their message, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will fight against them. He will defeat them and kill them, and their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, where their Lord was crucified. The symbolic name of that city is Sodom, or Egypt. People from all nations, tribes, languages, and races will look at their bodies for three and a half days and will not allow them to be buried. The people of the earth will be happy because of the death of these two. They will celebrate and send presents to each other, because those two prophets brought much suffering upon the whole human race. After three and a half days, a life-giving breath came from God and entered them, and they stood up; and all who saw them were terrified. Then the two prophets heard a loud voice say to them from heaven, "Come up here!" As their enemies watched, they went up into heaven in a cloud.

Rather dramatic wouldn’t you say. Why would God need to show such flare and violent reaction? Maybe it is because we foolish mortals have downplayed the ferocity of the anger against anything that represents God. I, on several occasions, have attempted to show how Islam fits precisely into the characteristics of these biblical peculiarities, not only in my writing, but in discussion as well, and what a shock (I am being facetious) it is to get angry responses back. An example would be, “but they are not all radicals!” and you would be right, but as a Muslim, a follower of the Qur’an and Allah, then you have specific commands that are compelled of each devotee, and in Jihad (the method is prescribed by the Imam), deception is huge tool in their arsenal.

Open your bible to Matthew 24: 25 -

Matthew 24:25 ESV See, I have told you beforehand.
Once again, the context: Jesus is answering a question about what it will look like when he returns to earth as the Messiah, and when. He could not tell them when, merely to give them as many clues as possible, so that they could have a clear understanding. None of those men would ever live to see the time He was describing. I believe that you and I shall.

Matthew 24:26ESVSo, if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.
The only thing that helps me to comprehend the gullibility of the Jewish nation at this point will be the panic, and the desire for a Messiah. Because Islam makes it clear that there will be a huge, deceptive forgery, performing signs, then it does not surprise me that people will flock to this guy. Keep this clear in your head, this is not about the church, and as a believer, you have nothing to panic about, but if you did not make the rapture, and you are reading this, then the chances of you becoming a martyr for Christ are extremely high.

Jesus tells them plainly, why they do not need to go looking for him in bizarre and obscure places. This is one of the reasons that I think he said things like Matthew 24:25 records –I have told you before it happens.

Matthew 24:27ESVFor as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

He will show up, and the entire world will know that it is He.

This next one took me a few seconds to figure out.

Matthew 24:28ESV Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
In trying to figure it out you could first start with the general context, and included in that is a tremendous amount of killing of anyone not complying with Islam. That alone could be the corpse he speaks of, but the statement follows on the tale of two conflicting things: people chasing around false Messiah's, and his real return in a way that all will see. If I allow the corpse to be the false prophet, then the buzzards could easily be Israel.

The Life Application New Testament Commentary explains it like this:
“This verse, probably quoting a well-known proverb of the culture, looks to the Second Coming as a time of judgment. Jesus was telling his audience that, just as you know a carcass must be nearby if you see vultures circling overhead, so his coming will be unmistakably marked by various signs.”
The next string of passages seems to be a culmination of events, happening at the end of the seven years.

Matthew 24:29-30 CEV Right after those days of suffering, "The sun will become dark, and the moon will no longer shine. The stars will fall, and the powers in the sky will be shaken." Then a sign will appear in the sky. And there will be the Son of Man. All nations on earth will weep when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Those days of suffering, could specifically be talking about:
Matthew 24:21-22 CEV This will be the worst time of suffering since the beginning of the world, and nothing this terrible will ever happen again. If God doesn't make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of God's chosen ones, he will make the time shorter.
Every one of these passages speaks of the darkness we see in
Matthew 24:29.

• Isaiah 13:6-11 CEV Cry and weep! The day is coming when the mighty LORD will bring destruction. * (7) All people will be terrified. Hands will grow limp; courage will melt away. (8) Everyone will tremble with pain like a woman giving birth; they will stare at each other with horror on their faces. (9) I, the LORD, will show no mercy or pity when that time comes. In my anger, I will destroy the earth and every sinner who lives on it. (10) Light will disappear from the stars in the sky; the dawning sun will turn dark, and the moon will lose its glow. (11) I will punish this evil world and its people because of their sins. I will crush the horrible pride of those who are cruel.

• Isaiah 24:21-23 CEV On that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens and the kings of the earth. (22) He will put them in a pit and keep them prisoner. Then later on, he will punish them. (23) The moon and sun will both be embarrassed and ashamed. The LORD All-Powerful will rule on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, where he will show its rulers his wonderful glory.

• Jeremiah 4:22-23 CEV I heard the LORD say, "My people ignore me. They are foolish children who do not understand that they will be punished. All they know is how to sin." (23) After this, I looked around. The earth was barren, with no form of life. The sun, moon, and stars had disappeared.

• Ezekiel 32:7-8 CEV I will cover the whole sky and every star with thick clouds, so that the sun and moon will stop shining. (8) The heavens will become black, leaving your country in total darkness. I, the LORD, have spoken.

• Joel 2:30-31 CEV I will work wonders in the sky above and on the earth below. There will be blood, fire, and clouds of smoke. (31) The sun will turn dark, and the moon will be as red as blood before that great and terrible day when I appear.

• Amos 5:20 CEV The day when the LORD judges will be dark, very dark, without a ray of light.

• Zephaniah 1:14-15 CEV The great day of the LORD is coming soon, very soon. On that terrible day, fearsome shouts of warriors will be heard everywhere. (15) It will be a time of anger-- of trouble and torment, of disaster and destruction, of darkness and despair, of storm clouds and shadows,

• Revelation 6:12-14 CEV When I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal, I looked and saw a great earthquake. The sun turned as dark as sackcloth, and the moon became as red as blood. (13) The stars in the sky fell to earth, just like figs shaken loose by a windstorm. (14)Then the sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all mountains and islands were moved from their places.

Matthew 24:30 NASB "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.

Will this change the mind of the atheist, or the nations in general? Will there be a moment when Yashua allows for people to still bow before him? Tradition tells us no, but if you know me at all, then you will understand that this journey life has taken me on, has shown me a God more merciful than anything man has ever tried to tell me. Not having a solid answer to the questions I put forth tells me that waiting and gambling on hope is not the way to treat this scenario.

This is my voice, and it is crying out, as one that cries in the wilderness. John the Baptist had this acclaim primarily because few listened to him. My calling is to the weak and feeble in the Christian body. They are that way because they are unwilling to pick up their bibles and read for themselves. Because they are lax, they are taken captive by the enemy, at his leisure and will, and there is little they can do to stand up to him. They have no support system, because the enemy has clouded their minds to the truth, and they do not believe that there are people out there that will support you, and not judge you.

How do I know that? Because I was one of them, but someone cared enough, and took an extra few minutes to guide me into Celebrate Recovery, and then into a 12-step group. I will tell you that it is in the 12-step group where the real healing begins; this is where, if you will be honest, you pour out your real heart, the one that is busted and does not want to trust anymore, and you allow God to move into the brokenness and begin to heal it all. It happens gradually, but you have to trust and allow it to happen. You will also be prompted to get a sponsor (someone who has been through the 12-steps) and they will aid you as you migrate through some of the tough sections.

Can you make these life-altering changes somewhere other than Celebrate Recovery? Sure, many people have. The main difference between us and AA or other programs, is that in CR we openly and unashamedly declare that all our hope is in Jesus Christ, our higher power.

Many have told how they, at their lowest point in life, cried out and said, Jesus, if you are real show me. He will do that for you if you ask him.

If anyone says to you.. Matthew 24:23-26 - Part 7

Matthew 24: 23-26 may be Jesus attempt at clarifying his opening statement to the disciples.

Matthew 24:4-5 KJV And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

            The idea of deception was not a new concept to them.

Jeremiah 14:14 NASB Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds.

             Pay attention to what is being said here in Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 13:1-3 NASB "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

            This false prophet, demonstrating signs and wonders, to the casual observer would give the impression that the person has some intense relationship with God or an intensely powerful spirit. What was the test of a false prophet in the Old Testament, their word coming to pass? Does this test work with signs? That is not clear, but what they use it for is. In the passage above, the worker of signs then misleads, because they now have followers. I think the greater question might be, will you have time to stand around, as you wait to prove this guy. One other thing, that Jesus made it clear that people will be operating in powerful signs, indicates that it is not exclusive to the demonic; Joel chapter two, the one that Peter quoted an excerpt from, tells us about followers of God moving in power gifts.

Key words: “Let us go after other gods and let us serve them,” Israel had direct instructions against doing something like this, and from several sources.

Deuteronomy 28:14 NASB and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

 Jeremiah 25:6 NASB and do not go after other gods to serve them and to worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands, and I will do you no harm.'

The subtle problem here is that the message is not always so direct, because an aspect of brainwashing is the gradual breakdown of moral rules and sensibilities. 

Mug shot of David Koresh. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My mind keeps going back to the people who stand out most in my mind, David Koresh, and Jim Jones. David Koresh, the leader of the branch Davidians, was able to get married couples to give up their spouses to him so that he alone could father more sons of god. I can tell you that there would have been many red flags long before that happened, and he and I would have had a brief, but convincing talk, ending with my wife and I leaving.

            The consensus would be that the disciples should have memorized these things in the synagogue schools, but I have heard, repeatedly, that Jesus disciples had probably been kicked out, because they were not the cream of the crop. That does not prove anything, and that Jesus spoke to them in this way, something he would not have done if he had thought for a second that they are not going to understand this. Therefore, I think it is safe to say that they knew exactly what he was saying to them.

            If it is safe to assume they understood then where did the mind immediately go when he said this.

Mark 13:22 KJV For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

            Whom would they have perceived as the elect? You got it, the scribes, Pharisee, and priesthood of Israel. (The same guys that would soon put Jesus on the cross.) When we throw ourselves back into the context, then they perceived that who ever this character is, and whatever he represents, is going to be monumental in its deception.

            Sorry about the long introductions but it fits.

You should have your bible open by now so turn to Matthew 24: 23-26.

Matthew 24:23-26 CEV Someone may say, "Here is the Messiah!" or "There he is!" But don't believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will come and work great miracles and signs. They will even try to fool God's chosen ones. But I have warned you ahead of time. If you are told that the Messiah is out in the desert, don't go there! And if you are told that he is in some secret place, don't believe it!

            If we mentally place ourselves in this period to understand, we are 3-1/2 years into the middle of wrath being poured out upon the earth, and it just worsened with the advent of the false prophet.
The wrath of God, in actuality it is the wrath of the Lamb – Jesus Christ, primarily begins with the sixth chapter of Revelation.

Revelation 6:16-17 NASB and they *said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"

 Are there still believers on the earth during this time, you can count on it, as they have chosen to follow

Jesus the Messiah since the removal of the church from the earth, and not whatever this person is selling. True, they missed the rapture, but how glorious a hope they will have, and they will rule and reign with Christ over this earth.

Mark’s gospel gives us a parallel version with a slightly different spin.

Mark 13:21-22 GW "At that time don't believe anyone who tells you, 'Here is the Messiah!' or 'There he is!' False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will work miraculous signs and do wonderful things to deceive, if possible, those whom God has chosen.

Do an Internet search for people who called themselves Jesus. Conservatively, there have been over 50, and I mentioned two of them a few paragraphs ago. Still this should strike you odd because we do not have people running around, claiming to be God’s son, as this implies without thinking them insane.
If we stick with key words, such as Messiah then we are hit with a problem immediately when we look up the Greek word translated Messiah. It means anointed, and though we typically ascribe that designation to Jesus Christ, it is easy to see why for the word is khristos. That coincidence does not give Jesus exclusive rights to the word, just as many, during his days on earth, had his name, Yashua, transliterated Joshua.

“For false Christs and false prophets will arise” False Christs = pseudochristos. Seems like it should be self-explanatory, but why so many? Is there money involved; perhaps power? Consider that during this period an entity is hell-bent on killing off anything that resembles a follower of Christ, so what advantage would that be.

The Greek wording for false prophets is rather eye-opening pseudoprophētēs, and can have several possibilities - a spurious (counterfeit) prophet, that is, pretended foreteller or religious impostor:

The word translated “arise”, is the Greek word egeiro, and means to waken. Now this immediately grabs my attention and here is why. Four angels, apparently large and vicious in their capabilities, are to be released from the chains they have been bound with and kept in the Euphrates River.

Revelation 9:14-15 NASB one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind.

You might say these were awakened. However, we are talking about humans acting as false messiahs.
You are going to have to look at Islam, once again, to gain some clarity.

List of Mahdi claimants

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In Muslim eschatology, the Mahdi is a Messianic figure who, it is believed, will appear on Earth before the Day of Judgment and, will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny. People claiming to be the Mahdi have appeared across the Muslim world – in South Asia, Africa and the Middle East – and throughout history since the birth of Islam (610 CE).

A claimant Mahdi can wield great temporal, as well as spiritual, power: claimant Mahdis have founded states (e.g. the late 19th-century Mahdiyah in Sudan), as well as religions and sects (e.g. Bábism, or the Ahmadiyya movement). The continued relevance of the Mahdi doctrine in the Muslim world was most recently emphasised during the 1979 seizing of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, by at least 200 militants led by Juhayman al-Otaibi, who had declared his brother-in-law, Muhammad bin abd Allah al-Qahtani, the Mahdi.

To make this short, I counted 26. I am sure it is longer as history is always given an appropriate spin convenient to the tellers’ point of view.

We have not eliminated people claiming to be Jesus, but neither have we excluded Islam from having many claiming to be “the Mahdi”. There would certainly be some advantages in terms of power, authoritative decisions, and money (although Islam will deny that.)

Matthew 24:24 NASB "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.

 False though they may be, they will put on a good show. Many will bow their knee to Allah because of the signs. It would seem that they are focused heavily on deceiving the elect, the leadership of religious Israel. 

As a side note, I will show you a commentary by John MacArthur. I have gone through my phases with him, ranging from disgust to respect, and now, slowly finding it difficult to waste my time hunting for the good with him.

to deceive, if possible, even the elect. “This warning clearly implies that such deception is not possible” (Joh_10:4-5).

It seems that John MacArthur is choosing to ignore the emphatic tone, and concern in Jesus response. “"See to it that no one misleads you.”

There is a context. I know I keep saying that, but deliveries lacking a solid context have led the church into a lifelong state of confusion, and in some, depression. Most do not know if we are coming or going.

This time is not about the church. It is most definitely about Israel and the nations. The nations, a generalized statement, especially Muslim nations, are at odds with Israel. I do not think that America can be excluded from the nations at odds with Israel, especially when the Secretary of State, John Kerry, is actively telling Israel to stand down as they attempt to gain support in protecting themselves. That conveys nothing short of animosity toward Israel, in my thinking.

The theme in part seven is a serious concern about deception by people claiming to be Jesus. Again, the Muslim world will only be focused on one thing during the last 3 ½ years, and that will be the elimination of anyone that represents Christ, Jews, or challenges the will of Allah merely by not being a Muslim.
This is not a time for civilized people, for as ugly as this wanton slaughter sounds, we will also see deadly weather elements, stars falling from the sky, darkness across the land, rain being shut off, an earthquake that impacts the entire earth, and a mind bending level of violence. You can avoid this by turning to Jesus Christ and giving him your life. Sure, you can wait, if you think you have the backbone for it.

Related articles

• The Pharisees therefore said unto him; Who is your witness
• And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached. Matt 24, part 5
• The Abomination of Desolation. Matthew 24: 15-22. Part 6 of the series
• . . .And The Kingdom Comes
• Why the Jews did not see Jesus?
• Jesus Is in Every Book of the Bible!
• Living Our Loud For Christ

The abomination of desolation; it could be seen as an attempt to deny the reality of God's presence. Matthew 24:15

I assume many of you just stumbled upon this page and have not been following the series. With that in mind, I must recap. 

Matthew 24 is the preeminent source of prophecy for end time’s event in the Gospels. These words from Jesus' mouth are worthy of our attention.

Everything in scripture has a context, but some things can be used outside of the context and still carry a valid meaning for your personal issue. That is not the case with Matthew 24, for it is about a specific time, and it is almost upon us.

The question asked was from the lips of the disciples and was a question that had an intentional and direct Jewish mindset. They asked Jesus when the temple would be destroyed, what kind of signs they could expect to see indicating His return as the Messiah, and when this would happen. Did you catch that part about the Messiah? When you read John’s gospel, you get a sense that they did not understand that he was the Messiah, but really their question was not wrong, He would come back some day in that role, but not any time soon as far as they were concerned.

He knew when the temple would be destroyed. How vital that was to the real question I do not know, but he did not give them a specific timing on that. What he spoke about, at depth, were the signs preceding His return to earth. Scripture tells us that not even the Son knows the day or the hour, but Jesus told them, “it is given unto you to know.” If not even Jesus knew the precise timing, can we? No, but scriptural evidence, common sense, and attention to your surroundings should get any of us in the ballpark.

Matthew 13:11 KJV He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Mark and Luke’s gospels recorded essentially the same thing.

Mark 4:11 KJV And he said unto them, Unto you, it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

If I take the time to look at a passage like 1 Corinthians 2: 9-12, then I open a rather distinct door to understanding God's ways and purposes.

1 Corinthians 2:9-12 KJV "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man, which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit, which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God."

Legalism will try to tell you that this applies only to the revealed word of God (the words written and collected in these books we call the bible), but how can that be since the context of the verse has everything to do with the Spirit (an intangible aspect of God). Notice how it tells us that the Spirit (we often presume of man) searches the deep things of God; that idea can work for man because the Spirit of God comes into man when he receives Christ, and even more specifically when the Holy Spirit comes into a person. There is a distinction between the two events, and I will show you.

Acts 8:14-17 CEV The apostles in Jerusalem heard that some people in Samaria had accepted God's message, and they sent Peter and John. When the two apostles arrived, they prayed that the people would be given the Holy Spirit. Before this, the Holy Spirit had not been given to anyone in Samaria, though some of them had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Peter and John then placed their hands on everyone who had faith in the Lord, and they were given the Holy Spirit.

          

In this example, some in Samaria had accepted God’s message. Okay, that should imply that they received Christ and therefore received the Spirit of God too. Why then would Peter and John feel the need to go there and lay their hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit, because it is something over and above.

The word deep also implies the full extent, and that includes the timing (at least within the ballpark) of what is to come. If the meaning of Spirit, as used here, applies to the Holy Spirit, then it makes sense as an aspect of God and, like Jesus, God itself, which in turn would search out the deep things of God since it is God. However, what good does that do us unless that same Spirit is conveying that information back to us? Fortunately, this verse tells us that the Spirit (of God) that has searched out the depths of God has revealed them to us. Now that should be a source of excitement to you unless, of course, you take the legalist point of view and decide that the depths of God are nothing more than the words on the pages of the Bible, which most of the “religious” community do not read, and fewer understand. If you take the open-minded approach and not just read your Bibles, but make it a daily aspect as important as eating, where you dissect it, challenge it, absorb it, and find out what it is saying to you, then I say yes, the Holy Spirit will show “it” to you.

It is entirely up to you. You can listen to wisdom, the voice of the Holy Spirit, and pay attention to the signs going on around you, or you can be legalistic and argue against every point I make. The choice is yours. If I am right, then we need to be preaching a victorious message about our eternal hope in the arms of the Father. Explaining how we are free from the wrath that is coming upon the earth, instead of the gloom and despair we so readily preach, as we try to beat the fear of God into people, in trying to get them to repent of sins that God has already forgiven.

Do I know the exact time and date of when He will return in Glory as the reigning messiah? No, no man knows that, but with intelligence and clues, we can come close.

 That was a long introduction to the passages I wanted to cover. Open your Bible to Matthew 24, and let us pick up at verse 15.

Matthew 24:15 KJV When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso reads, let him understand:)

           

Jesus refers to a prophecy by Daniel. I am going to dig this up for you, but you have to take off your legalistic hat. Keep in mind the context of what Jesus is talking about, an end time’s event. As followers of Christ, we will not experience this event.

The Life Application Study Bible gives us this:

What was "the sacrilegious object that causes desecration" mentioned by both Daniel and Jesus? Rather than one specific object, event, or person, it could be seen as any deliberate attempt to mock and deny the reality of God's presence. Daniel's prediction came true in 168 B.C. when Antiochus Epiphanes caused an altar to be erected on the altar of burnt-offering, on which was sacrificed a pig to Zeus on the sacred Temple altar (Dan_9:27; Dan_11:30-31). Jesus' words were remembered in A.D. 70 when Titus placed an idol on the site of the burned Temple after destroying Jerusalem. In the end times the Antichrist will set up an image of himself and order everyone to worship it (2Th_2:4; Rev_13:14-15). These are all abominations to God.

As you can see there are three events, two of which have happened, all of which will be deemed the abomination.

1. Antiochus Epiphanes desecrating the temple in 168 B.C.
2. The temple being destroyed in 70 A.D.
3. However, there is another desolation of the temple, and as of yet, there is no temple.

 Daniel 11:30-35 KJV For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore, he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that makes desolate. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people who do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be helped with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.

 Where else can we find this theme in scripture?

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 NIrV Don't let anyone trick you in any way. That day will not come until people rise up against God. It will not come until the man of sin appears. He is a marked man. He is sentenced to be destroyed. He will oppose everything that is called God. He will oppose everything that is worshiped. He will give himself power over everything. He will set himself up in God's temple. He will announce that he himself is God.

What do we have around us, as we speak, that opposes everything that is called God? To answer the question you have to think with a “Christian” worldview. Although we call him God, and I think he is okay with that, his name is Jehovah, Yahweh, and Hebrew names I struggle to pronounce, and yet the one name God never introduced himself by was Allah (along with a few others.)

         

If the “he” of 2 Thessalonians 2:3,4 is a staunch follower of Islam, and a person that has a global authority, then he can decree that there is no god but Allah and demand that he alone must be worshiped. 

Now how would he enforce that? Only by an overwhelming and well armed force, much as we have witnessed in the Middle East, and northern African nations.

         

If we apply the knowledge and logic aspect, as I mentioned earlier, to what Islam believes, then this picture becomes clearer.

Most of what I am going to show you comes from Wikipedia. Pay attention (if you read it) to keywords that are common to our understanding of the gospels. I am giving you all this because this person is the false prophet that will set up the abomination in the new temple at 31/2 years into this time known as the Great Tribulation, time of wrath, and day of the Lord.

`Îsâ Ibn Maryam ( Arabic: عيسى, translit.: ʿĪsā ), known as Jesus in the New Testament, is considered to be a Messenger of Allah and al-Masih (the Messiah) in Islam who was sent to guide the Children of Israel (banī isrā'īl) with a new scripture, al-Injīl (the Gospel).  

The belief that Jesus is a prophet is required in Islam, as it is for all prophets named in the Qur’an. This is reflected in the fact that he is clearly a significant figure in the Qur’an (appearing in 93 ayat [or verses]), though Noah, Adam, and Moses appear with even greater frequency. It states that Jesus was born to Mary (Arabic: Maryam) as the result of virginal conception, a miraculous event that occurred by the decree of Allah.

To aid in his ministry to the Jewish people, Jesus was given the ability to perform miracles (such as healing the blind, bringing dead people back to life, etc.), all by the permission of Allah rather than of his own power.

According to the Qur’an, Jesus, although appearing to have been crucified, was not killed by crucifixion or by any other means; instead, "God raised him unto Himself".

Like all prophets in Islam, Jesus is considered a Muslim (i.e., one who submits to the will of Allah), as he preached that his followers should adopt the "straight path" as commanded by Allah.

Islam rejects the Trinitarian Christian view that Jesus was God incarnate or the Son of God, that he was ever crucified or resurrected, or that he ever atoned for the sins of mankind. The Qur’an says that Jesus himself never claimed any of these things, and it furthermore indicates that Jesus will deny having ever claimed divinity at the Last Judgment, and Allah will vindicate him.

The Qur’an emphasizes that Jesus was a mortal human being who, like all other prophets, had been divinely chosen to spread Allah’s message. Islamic texts forbid the association of partners with Allah, emphasizing a strict notion of monotheism (tawhīd). An alternative interpretation of this theology is held by Messianic Muslims.

Numerous titles are given to Jesus in the Qur’an and in Islamic literature, the most common being al-Masīḥ ("the Messiah"). Jesus is also, at times, called the "Seal of the Israelite Prophets" because, in general, Muslim belief, Jesus was the last prophet sent by Allah to guide the Children of Israel. Jesus is seen in Islam as a precursor to Muhammad and is believed by Muslims to have foretold the latter's coming.

Muslims believe that Jesus will return to earth near the Day of Judgment to restore justice and to defeat al-Masih ad-Dajjal ("the false messiah," also known as the Antichrist).

According to Islamic texts, Isa was divinely chosen to preach the message of monotheism and submission to the will of Allah to the Children of Israel (banī isrā'īl).

You need to keep it clear in your head that what I just gave you is what the Qur’an teaches, and Islam believes. It is only meant to show you that Islam is looking for similarly named personages to show up at corresponding times with what we see in scripture, and, if you allow yourself the freedom to see these characters fulfilling some of these roles, the scriptures about end times that eluded you will begin to make sense.

Revelation 13:11-17 KJB:PCE "And I beheld another beast [this is the man with so many titles: the lawless one, the son of perdition, the false prophet, and beast] coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. And he exercises all the power of the first beast before him and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that, as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." [Emphasis, mine]

Answer me this; what is the “Holy Place” that Matthew 24:15 refers to? This is the third temple that must be rebuilt. What is up there now, and who controls it? The second most holy site to Muslims is the Dome of the Rock, and they own the temple mount. If you understand their attitude and pay attention to events that happen in Jerusalem, then you know that they will not relinquish the temple mount under any normal circumstance. How will Israel be able to build a third temple on that mount? Short of God’s intervention, it is not happening, therefore something huge has to happen.

One of the methods of interpretation is to let scripture interpret scripture. Since we already have a huge head start, and that is the context of the question and the answer, then let us continue to pursue the passages that meant to define what will take place as a result of this abomination period.

Matthew 24:16-21 CEV If you are living in Judea at that time, run to the mountains. If you are on the roof of your house, don't go inside to get anything. If you are out in the field, don't go back for your coat. It will be a terrible time for women who are expecting babies or nursing young children. And pray that you won't have to escape in winter or on a Sabbath. This will be the worst time of suffering since the beginning of the world, and nothing this terrible will ever happen again.

 Jesus told his disciples, “If you are living in Judea at that time”, well of course none of them would be. The abomination committed by Antiochus Epiphanes had happened over 168 years earlier, and yet it was an event hugely significant because it mirrored something that was to come. What Jesus described was the Great Tribulation, an event exclusive to the last 3-1/2 years of this 7-year period.

One of the things that denotes this as the Great Tribulation is this: Matthew 24:22 KJV And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened.

Whoever this hellish tyrant is, he will try to have everyone who is not a follower of Allah killed. How can I be so bold to say that?

• Revelation 13:11-12 CEV (11) “I now saw another beast. This one came out of the ground. It had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon. (12) It worked for the beast whose fatal wound had been healed. And it used all its authority to force the earth and its people to worship that beast.”

• Now you must have an understanding of what the beast that sustained a fatal wound but was healed is. Started as the Rashidun Caliphate in 632 A.D., Islam continued overpowering and dominating the Middle East, Europe, and Northern African nations until the demise of the Ottoman Empire in 1922. The world thought Islam was dead at this point, but they were wrong. The Muslim Brotherhood quietly came back to life, starting in Egypt in 1928. Islam erupted on the scene with a full and relentless force with the Iranian revolution of 1979, where they overtook the American Embassy. Islam is your beast whose fatal wound has been healed.

• Revelation 13:15 BBE “And he had power to give breath to the image of the beast, so that words might come from the image of the beast, and that he might have all those who did not give worship to the image of the beast put to death.” Because the passage calls it he, we get confused. Revelation 13:11,12 speak of a beast, but there it is an ideology. Here, the “he” is the Antichrist character that we all seem to comprehend. Islam calls this guy the Mahdi, or the 12^th Imam. He, at least for 3-1/2 years, will come off as a statesman, but as you can see, he gives tremendous power to the second person, whom we call the false prophet.

• “He” has access to the altar within the newly built temple, but no one seems to be caring about that or paying attention. Doesn’t that strike anyone else as odd? Unless he is exactly as the Islamic prophecies describe him: A Jew, who happens to be a Muslim (does that even sound right?), of the lineage of Aaron and therefore entitled to be a priest (there’s a huge clue), someone who performs extraordinary signs – like calling fire down from the heavens.

• Under Islamic prophecy, he will be the enforcer of Sharia and will demand that all bow their knee to Allah. This may be what we are seeing in Revelation 13:15

A time of violence, so violent that God has to shorten the time or no one decent will survive. And while April of 2014 has proven to be deadly for thousands of Christians living in Syria, that region, and Northern African nations, it is only a drop in the bucket in comparison to what is coming.

Where is the hope in this? Oh, it is there, we may get into it in part seven, but for the believer that will not be here during this time of horror, our hope is in Christ returning to gather us home to himself, obviously right before the worst of the seven-year period breaks out.

You can have this solid hope in you as well by accepting Jesus Christ as the Messiah, and invite him into you heart.

Related articles

• The Pharisees therefore said unto him; Who is your witness
• Cult Leader Jesus
• Revelation of THE WORD Produces Faith.