Carried off by force

As I have been trying to reconcile the many concepts of the rapture (pre, mid, etc.) in my mind I am hitting stumbling blocks. I have not changed my mind about the rapture, and our escape from the Great Tribulation period, but the timing seems to be paper thin, and is making the other theories at least a little more understandable. I am not sure what I thought the timing would be, but I sure did not get the impression that we, the church, would witness the entrance of the “the beast”.

An example of this paper thin timing, and the entrance of the beast, is the statement Paul made in his letter to the Thessalonian church.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 KJV (3) "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;"

I have many translations and almost all have included the words, “that day shall not come” in italics to indicate that they added them for clarity sake, but what day are we waiting for? The day of the Lord. But I thought we were waiting for the rapture, not destruction. The son of perdition has many names throughout scripture, the beast is one of them, so don't get all bent out of shape over that.

Read what the prophets of God had to say about the day of the Lord:

Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. (Joel 1:15 KJV)

Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand-- a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come. (Joel 2:1-2 NIV)

That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and sorrow, a day of wasting and destruction, a day of dark night and deep shade, a day of cloud and thick dark. (Zephaniah 1:15 BBE)

See, the day of the LORD is coming --a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger-- to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. (Isaiah 13:9 NIV)

There is not a thing about these passages that seem to bring me great peace for they all portray God's judgment upon the earth; they all portray the destruction that I have come to recognize with the seven week period in which Israel signs the peace treaty, the antichrist is predominant, and beheadings are the latest craze.

Nor do I feel as though I have a better comprehension about the rapture if I focus on them alone. Truth be known I think it confused me more, and God is not the author of confusion, therefore I keep going back to Jesus words, and you cannot argue with the statements that Jesus made.

In Matthew 24:37 Jesus said it would be as in the days of Noah, so ask yourselves, what do you know about Noah?: The thoughts of man were continually evil, violence filled the earth, and God shut Noah and his family, up in the ark before the floods came.

God seperated Noah's family from the destruction. Peter, in his second letter, uses Noah as well, but adds righteous Lot into the mix as examples of God rescuing the righteous from destruction.

We briefly touched upon Noah, so let's touch upon Lot since he is given for consideration. Peter calls him a righteous man, and although I strain to see that in him, God did. It is the final aspect of the Lot story that is hugely significant. When Lot and his family slow down packing their things and getting out, the angels had to remove them, saying “we can do nothing as long as you are here”. Read the story here:

With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished." When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" But Lot said to them, "No, my lords, please! Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I'll die. Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it--it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared." He said to him, "Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it." (That is why the town was called Zoar.) (Genesis 19:15-22 NIV)

I will tell you this, when I find myself confused, I run to Matthew 24:37, and 2Peter 2:7; primarily because Jesus said it, but also because Peter backed it up, and added one other witness. Now if you know your bible then you know that a thing must be established by at least two witnesses and we have them here, therefore I have my anchor, but I think that this concept of snatching should be more predominant. If not, how do you explain all the preaching and teaching, and wrong ideas that has inundated us since Christ left the earth.

Wishing to gain as much understanding as possible I read from the notes section of my study bible. The Life application study bible attempts to define the term: "The day of the Lord" as that period of time when the Lord openly intervenes in the affairs of men, when man's day has closed. It will be inaugurated with the rapture of the Church."

(I do not hold strongly to the commentaries, but use them as aids. I really am looking the Holy Spirit to open this up to me. I am also a firm believer in applying logic and reasoning, therefore is something man says, is not reasonable then I challenge it with God's word. If I feel that God's word is not reasonable then I challenge myself to understand it.)

Some have read the passage in 2Thessalonians 2:3 and concluded that the antichrist personage has to show up first and then we are removed from the scene. What is the logic and reason that you can apply to this thinking. If the man of perdition is reavealed then that would mean that:

1. He is most likely here and ready to emerge.
2. We, the church, will probably be aware of who he is.
3. And the most painful path of reason is that because of what he does during the seven years, we will most likely see evidence of that beginning to take place.
   Consider this, in reading about the battle for Iwo Jima, during WWII, even though this was only a piece of the war, the logistics it took to make that battle happen were mountainous. Do you not consider that the events happening in the world today are nothing more than logistics. God is making everything fall into place, and foolish minded men think that this is their doing.

I think I can see the problem and the source of confusion.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 NIV (1) Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, (2) not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us--whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter--asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. (3) Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.

Perhaps the confusion exists because there is a context issue when using 2Thessalonians 2:3 as a stand alone verse. The context really begins within the first chapter. In the first chapter Paul begins talking about the persecutions these people are suffering, and an appropriate way for them to look at those afflictions, but as with every other book of the bible, there is an integration of the conversation into end times salvation and the day of the Lord.

2 Thessalonians 1:4-10 NIV (4) Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. (5) All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. (6) God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you (7) and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. (8) He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. (9) They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might (10) on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

While we, in the “modern church” are looking for an escape, this body was in it deep. Deep enough for Paul to attempt to encourage them, and by extension, encourage us. In 2Thessalonians 1:6 Paul states, it is "a just thing with God to pay back tribulation to the ones troubling you,". When is that going to happen? On the day of the Lord, a time of judgment and gloom, and none of us associate our relief from this present world with a time of horror, and yet at the same time as the horror to come we have this admonition –

2Thessalonians 1:7 "to those afflicted, relief with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from Heaven with the angels of His power,".

Again, I would like to be able to demonstrate a significant separation between our rapture (I assume our rapture here) and the day of the Lord, in which he brings pay back to those that have afflicted us, but look at verse 8 there is no break in thought, those angels mentioned a moment ago are coming with flaming fire.

2 Thessalonians 1:8 LITV (8) in flaming fire giving full vengeance to those not knowing God, and to those not obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Isaiah 66:15 NIV See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.

Jeremiah 10:25 NIV Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him completely and destroyed his homeland.

It is difficult to understand how some of this vengeance does not splash over on us, unless we who belong to Him, at that time, are removed from harms way. This is exactly what Peter was talking about when he described how God rescued Lot and Noah, and he will rescue us.

Here are other passages in which I find demonstrable hope, not necessarily a huge separation from the grief to come, but salvation none the less.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 CEV (10) ... you are waiting for his Son Jesus to come from heaven. God raised him from death, and on the day of judgment Jesus will save us from God's anger.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 NIrV (9) God didn't choose us to receive his anger. He chose us to receive salvation because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done.

Romans 5:6-9 NIrV At just the right time Christ died for ungodly people. He died for us when we had no power of our own. (7) It is unusual for anyone to die for a godly person. Maybe someone would be willing to die for a good person. (8) But here is how God has shown his love for us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (9) The blood of Christ has made us right with God. So we are even more sure that Jesus will save us from God's anger.

One last thing crosses my mind as I write this, and just so you know, I write this because I believe that if I struggle then someone else does also.

Look at this:

Ephesians 2:4-10 NIV But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, (5) made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. (6) And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, (7) in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (8) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- (9) not by works, so that no one can boast. (10) For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Colossians 2:6-13 NIV So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, (7) rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (8) See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. (9) For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, (10 KJV) And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: (11) In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, (12) having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. (13) When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,

Jesus, was brutally murdered for our sins, rose from the dead to bring us new life with the Father, and he volunteered to let that happen; why? For you alone! Through our acceptance of that act of salvation we are placed in him.

Will God brutally punish the Son anymore? Absolutely not, and we are in Him, therefore he is not going to pour out judgment upon us either.

He is the King; he is majesty; he is upholding all things by his word, and he is our mediator, presenting himself on our behalf. He is the King of glory, and he has sat down, next to the Father, awaiting all things to fall into place, so that at the appropriate time he can present us, the bride, adorned for her husband.

Hebrews 1:2-3 KJV Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (3) Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

If there is a logical path here, it is that if we are in Christ then we are not to be subject to what is to come. Make a distinction, the Great Tribulation includes the time of God's judgment upon the earth. Read Revelation chapter 6 onward and you will find the wrath of the seals, bowls, and trumpet judgments upon the earth. This is all happening during the seven years called the great tribulation. It also includes the horrors that man places upon man. Driven by Satan in a last ditch attempt to conquer anything that looks like Jesus Christ, he empowers men with the same powers he tempted Jesus with after the wilderness experience. These man on man events are covered by the acts of the beast/antichrist, false prophet, and the harlot. I believe that I could make those characters much more realistic for you if time permitted.

My hope is that I have promoted God's word, not only as a resource but life itself. He is life, and he is alive.

John 1:1-3 AMP IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. [Isa. 9:6.] (2) He was present originally with God. (3) All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.

These following just excites me. Possibly because the thought that all anguish shall cease, and peace that I have never known will come, instantly.

I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

(1 Corinthians 15:50-58 NIV)

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NIV)

As the church throughout the ages has looked at it's circumstances they have all said the rebellion is here. They might have been right, for I do not think that God looks at any of this as segmented time, it is just time, such as a day. And yet there is such a marked falling away today. Religious bodies that have been standards are giving in to pressure and allowing homosexuals to hold pastorates. Several generations of children have now grown with absolutely no desire to know God, and Islam is rising as the super power of religions and govermental authority. I believe that the time is now and the man is about to be revealed.

Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. (2 Thessalonians 2:3 NIV)

Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?

(2 Thessalonians 2:5 NIV)

Did Paul tell them this to encourage them of the hope to come, or to warn them? Knowing that persecution is coming can steele you against trouble. Someone or something has brought them doubt. That is really not necessary for it is man's nature to doubt (we are of course still broken).

The last days are upon us. Look around you and see for yourselves. Jesus, the living one, is coming soon, I can feel it and see it. If you do not know him I strongly suggest that you humbly ask him into your life. Allow him the opportunity to reveal himself to you for things are only going to get worse. He loved you before you were born and gave his life to rescue and redeem you. In a sense you are his anyway. God bless.

Understanding Joel 2: Hope Amid Darkness

Jerusalem - Image via Wikipedia

Call me what you wish, but know this. I will deliver what I feel the Lord is telling me to say. The day of the Lord is upon us. Even in the midst of darkness, His word and His Spirit will still be active. I have chopped up this passage below because of its length, and I have highlighted those things that my spirit feels strongly about.

Although the time to come is not going to be pretty, God will show himself strong through the life of the person who will call upon Him. 

The word of God will never pass away, and the Holy Spirit of the living God will remain upon this earth, drawing all who will turn to Him.

Joel 2:1-32 NIV Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand-- (2) a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. ....a large and mighty army comes, ..... (6) At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; every face turns pale. ...... (10) Before them the earth shakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. (11) The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys his command. The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? (12) "Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." (13) Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. (14) Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing-- ......... Let them say, "Spare your people, LORD. ...... (28) "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. (29) Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. (30) I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. (31) The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. (32) And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.

We, the pathetic Laodicean church, the one He calls lukewarm, who have expressed their distaste for the power and presence of God, will now witness those who have had enough mediocrity rise up in power like never before. This is not about money but my presence in the lives of willing people. 

I am crying out in the streets for the lost and wayward to come, and I will respond to those who turn to me and press into me. 

I will, says the Lord, Rise upon the land and show myself strong. 

Never again will people mock my name. 

I am calling forth my army. The call has gone out; come. 

If you will turn to me, desiring me, I will overwhelm you with my presence, and you will know me as you have never known.

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The Lord knows how to deliver the Godly out of temptations.

A word study on the phrase "the day of the Lord" landed me here in 2Peter.

2 Peter 2:9-10 AMP Now if [all these things are true, then be sure] the Lord knows how to rescue the godly out of temptations and trials, and how to keep the ungodly under chastisement until the day of judgment and doom, (10) And particularly those who walk after the flesh and indulge in the lust of polluting passion and scorn and despise authority. Presumptuous [and] daring [self-willed and self-loving creatures]! They scoff at and revile dignitaries (glorious ones) without trembling,

(The Amplified bible places words in brackets and italics that they felt would enhance your comprehension of the subject matter. An example: “all these things are true, then be sure” is a reference to Peter's address of Lot and Noah. Peter verbally demonstrated how God rescued them, therefore God has established a precedent, and will continue to rescue the godly.)

While this passage takes in some clear aspects of end times (“the day of judgment and doom,”), there seems, in my mind, to be other things in the passage that can be tied into end times events too.

I had been involved in the faith movement for a short time. During that time I was excited to share what I had been learning with anyone who would listen. I went to a bible study one evening many years ago, and I spoke out in prayer over the life of a person who had requested prayer. Immediately after the prayer, and in front of everyone, I was verbally acosted, with the "leader" using 2Peter 2:11 (out of context) as his club of choice against me. Somehow he took passage this to mean that I had no right to speak against satanic influences in someone's life. Having the room's attention he made himself look very pious. I never went back. (This situation had the beginnings of a cult, as the leader reigned supreme and no one dared challenge him.)

A study of God's word tends to demand that we examine the context of what is being said. That might even require that you back up a chapter or two to really understand the thought process of the writer. Peter, in this letter, shifts quickly between subjects (believers, Jews in general, and the nations) several times and requires our attention in discerning the focus of his attention. Think of this like a magician. A magician is able to do what they do primarily by distraction as fast movement tends to distract people, not because Peter is trying to deceive, but because different subjects, rapidly take center stage as he is delivering a message that the Holy Spirit wanted us to hear.

These two verses in particular intrigue me.

2 Peter 2:9-10 ASV the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment; (10 NIV) This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority.

There are those that seem to want to want to go through the tribulation, if not they strongly believe that we must all go through it, not just tribulation, but the GREAT TRIBULATION. My guess is that they feel that they must be punished, and we therefore, all have to be punished alongside them.

Perhaps they do not understand something; the day of the Lord, is a time period, not just a day. It is, in the majority of instances, a time of judgment upon the world. Contemplate this verse then if you choose not to believe that concept.

Isaiah 13:9 NIV See, the day of the LORD is coming --a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger-- to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.

God is not coming to have a picnic lunch with the Christian community on that day. He is coming with vengeance against those who have rejected him. While the verse does not exclude the possibility that Christians are in the land, it does say the sinners within it. In my mind, it would be easier to wipe out the sinners if I did not have to waste time dodging the Christians that are mingled amongst them. A person I know goes to church, primarily for the sake of her children, but takes every opportunity to hit the bars with her friends. Recently she made a public comment that she and company were at at the “Congregation”. Someone responded back to her with, “oh, you are at church?”. She replied, “yeah, and we are drinking some Jesus juice!”. Does she still belong to God regardless of where she is at? I believe so, but she is certainly blending in rather well with the “sinners” that will be destroyed.

I feel as though I have lived under a cloud of ignorance most of my life. I listened to, and adopted the mis-representations that people passed on to me about God; the worst being “God is mad at you”.

(Do not get me wrong! Jesus died that we might live, he is coming again for us that we might live with him, and he will judge the world for rejecting him. My misconceptions have been clearing up as I take the time to READ God's word for myself.)

If you are going to lean toward your thesis that we all must go through the great tribulation then it would seem you are throwing many aspects of God's word out the window. The Jews were bold enough to do that, and right in Jesus face. They stated, openly and boldly, that the works he did were of the devil; for that, Jesus called them blasphemous and warned them that they were in danger of hell's fire.

(Long before modern day theologians got involved with God's word the Jews firmly understood and believed that hell consisted of a fiery torment. The idea that many of you do not believe in hell is not going to negate its existence. Your arguments come off like this: Why would a loving God throw his own creation into a place like that? I suggest you rethink that question: Why would a God created being, with a free will, reject such tremendous love and grace by following Satan (the deceiver, and accuser of the saints; your surrogate father,) into hell, the place created for him?)

2Peter 2:9 Comes across so clear to me. The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation.

One might read that and think about some base, human desire as your temptation, but you could not be more wrong. Remember we are thinking context. The word translated temptation is peirasmos, and means a trial or proving.

Now what would God be trying to prove?

God does not have to prove anything, he is though allowing the world the opportunity to return his love back. If you are his (that would have happened as you put your trust in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.) then you have become the Godly and removed out of the proving that is the great tribulation. One might think that God is waiting for us to prove our love for him. The answer to that lies in Paul's letter to the Romans: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NIV)

Consider the possibility that there is a mis-representation of God's intent behind this dark, bloody period that is coming – the day of the Lord. What if God in his mercy is still trying every means possible to demonstrate that His word is true, therefore believable, and that there is still an opportunity to come to Him. John tells us that an uncountable number of people do come (Revelation 7:9,10), therefore the period called “the day of the Lord” is yet another drive to save those that will choose to see the truth. One of those mis-representations is tied in with the Prophet Joel. He wrote: “The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? "Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. ... "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. (Joel 2:1-30 NIV – I have greatly shortened the reading, but I encourage you to read it in it's entirety.)

“The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of trials”

If the game plan is one in which the rapture takes place first, then the next events that are to happen will be the entrance of the anti-christ/beast, the false prophet, the peace treaty with Israel, the great tribulation, the beheading of those who stand for Christ, Jesus return to earth, and judgment. I did not mention that this event (the rapture) seems to be associated with a time of chaos and confusion. This is also what Islam believes, and the Iranian President believes that it is his calling to bring about this chaos.

Why would there need to be a peace treaty with Israel if there is no war or perhaps an impending threat of war? Yes, the middle east is awash in warfare as we speak, but this war has to be significantly different. Scripture seems to describe two major wars. One we refer to as the battle of Armegeddon, the other will be at the end of the millineal reign (1000 year reign). It is probably safe to assume that a warfare of major proportion, directed against Israel, is looming on the horizon. You can expect to see 10 Islamic nations joined together in this venture. I feel strongly that you will see Iran, Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad, Somalia, Lybia, Tangiers, Algeria, Turkey (Turkey may include the southern muslim nations of the former Russian empire), possibly Iraq, and Egypt.)

“and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.”

The judgment then, or trial, would seem to focus on weeding out those who truly do not believe.

In one regard that would seem so obvious, to whom? You and I? As I sat in church recently, the preacher said, “who is the first person that comes to mind when you think of someone who given so much, helped so many, and asked for nothing?” The majority answer was Mother Theresa, and yet as I sat there I could remember the concepts taughts me that condemned that woman to hell because she was a Catholic, and not of OUR faith.

What does scripture say the requirements are? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved. The thief on the cross merely stated, “This man has done nothing wrong, and yet they are killing him; we have. Lord receive me into your kingdom.” His statement tends to imply that he had an understanding of what Jesus represented.

So if the day of the Lord, a time of judging and weeding out the bad from the good is what this is all about, how do you back this claim up.

In Revelation there is a white throne judgment.

Rev 20:11-12 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

Daniel saw this time of judgment also, and what he and John both describe is God reading their lives back from the books.

God separates them into groups, and this is what happens. Look for the mercy of God in this.

Matthew 25:32-40 MSG Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, (33) putting sheep to his right and goats to his left. (34) "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. (35) And here's why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, (36) I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.' (37) "Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? (38) And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' (40) Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me--you did it to me.'

Those that receive mercy seem to be shocked at the mercy of God, as they are granted entrance into the kingdom. The goats, those that showed no mercy upon others, on the other hand are sent into outer darkness, along with their leader, as God says: “depart from me, I never knew you.”

It seems that God has many names depending upon your nationality, understanding, and language. With Israel having only one language and understanding I suppose it was a little easier to say “tell them my name Yah Veh.” Islam believes that his name is Allah. I always thought of this as “Christian religion” standing there crying out “but Lord! What about these things we did.” Now I suspect that cults and false religions, who make their chants, hoping that a god will respond to them, might well be who he is talking about here.

The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation.

Peter intiated this conversation about God knowing how to save the righteous, by giving you examples of those previously delivered out of TRIALS. He uses “righteous” Lot, and Noah as a pattern. In legal terms we have a precedence.

Ponder the man Lot for a moment with me. You need to know straight out that I have heard plenty of sermons berating Lot for his decision to go to Sodom. Read the 13^th chapter of Genesis.

Lot, Abraham's nephew, is living among his uncle's men and possessions and his workers are beginning to have clashes with Abraham's workers. Not so much a rivalry as it is an expansion of businesses bumping into each other. Abraham gives Lot the option of taking the best land and moving on. (Note the quiet display of power when Abraham volutarily steps aside in humility, giving Lot the choice)

What does Lot choose? Sin city. He might as well have said "I am moving my operations to Las Vegas. How difficult would that be for someone to live there and not have a little of that rub off on you.

What do we know about Lot? Not much prior to Sodom and Gomorrah. We have no placid tales of him reading his torah by the streambank, dreaming about heaven, offering up sacrifices to the most Holy. What we do have is snapshots of him in Sodom, and the response of the men in town as he tries to calm them down. When the angels come to Sodom to get Lot where do they find him? Sitting in the gate. That might not seem like much, but that was typically a place comparable to the city council. He was sitting there in the decision making spot, making himself available. Does that make him a righteous man? Not at all, and yet Peter aligned him with God as a righteous man.

When the angels are brought to Lot's home the men of town attempt to get at them. Lot speaks to the men who have come to have sex with the angels, and they respond to Lot saying, that they are not interested in him telling them what to do and how to live anymore. Intriguing isn't it.

Genesis 19:9 LITV And they said, Stand back! And they said, This one came in to visit, and must he always judge?

One might think that with impending doom quickly headed his way, that Lot would make haste and leave, but that is not the case; the angels have to escort him, his wife and two daughters out of town. Why? Because they say, "we (the angels) cannot do anything until you are safely away from here.”

Genesis 19:22 LITV Hurry, escape there, for I am not able to do anything until you have come there. So the name of the city was called Zoar.

Does this speak to our theme: “then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials” absolutely.

Noah was our other example. Briefly: Noah, at God's instruction builds an ark, because rain, something that none of them had ever experienced, was coming. God placed Noah in the ark, safe from the destruction that came quickly after that, and Noah was not touched by it. One might deem that a great tribulation, testing, or perhaps trial. It clearly was a judgment, and yet God was not the least bit interested in judging one of his righteous ones.

Genesis 7:16 MSG male and female of every creature came just as God had commanded Noah. Then GOD shut the door behind him.

"and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished;"
Jesus Christ's life as a sacrifice was enough, there was no more sacrifice to be made on our behalf. On that day he purchased us out of bondage to sin and death, and released us from the demands for judgment against us, therefore God is not coming back to judge those who have received him; he is coming to judge the unjust. Beside that, if God were coming back to judge us horrid persecution, then since we are in Him (as Paul tells us), wouldn't he then be coming back to judge his own Son?

Colossians 2:9-12 BBE For in him all the wealth of God's being has a living form, (10) And you are complete in him, who is the head of all rule and authority: (11) In whom you had a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; (12) Having been put to death with him in baptism, by which you came to life again with him, through faith in the working of God, who made him come back from the dead.

“...and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment ...”

The word unjust here is: ad'-ee-kos

By extension wicked; by implication treacherous. The NIV used the term unrighteous.

Webster's defines unjust as those: acting contrary to the standard of right established by the divine law. Vines NT words states, “not in conformity with (Grk: dike) what is right.

Here we are, back to the age old question, right based upon what? The obvious answer to me is God's word.

2 Peter 2:10 AMP And particularly those who walk after the flesh and indulge in the lust of polluting passion and scorn and despise authority. Presumptuous [and] daring [self-willed and self-loving creatures]! They scoff at and revile dignitaries (glorious ones) without trembling,

The word walk in Greek conveys the general activities of life. This could apply to anyone, but this is speaking about leaders or teachers of God's word. This is where context is important. Looking 2Peter 2:1-3 Peter switched from writing about false prophets of the past to false teachers in the present, their teaching was the same-heresy. Peter tells us that the false teachers will introduce destructive heresies. Have you ever wondered what in the world is a heresy. As Easton's bible dictionary puts it, it is as simple as a choice or an opinion. Now could it be so bad to have choices? It could be detrimental if the choice leads you off a cliff. We are not talking about choosing a car color here. A teacher, bringing in some other choice or opinion, clouds the truth that is in God's word. Then you find yourself doubting whether God really intends to rescue you, as Peter was teaching, or will he leave you to suffer. If I can get you confused on this issue of salvation then in time I can have you doubting that God is even real.

In the past there were false prophets among God's people. It is the same now. You will have some false teachers in your group. They will teach things that are wrong--ideas that will cause people to be lost. And they will teach in a way that will be hard for you to see that they are wrong. They will even refuse to follow the Master who bought their freedom. And so they will quickly destroy themselves.

(2 Peter 2:1 ERV)

2Peter 2:9-10 (ERV)...And the Lord will hold evil people to punish them on the day of judgment. (10)That punishment is for those who are always doing the evil that their sinful selves want to do. It is for those who hate the Lord's authority. These false teachers do whatever they want, and they are so proud of themselves. They are not afraid even to say bad things against the glorious ones.

I have asked you to pay attention to context. 2Peter 2:1 states that there were false prophets among God's people, just as there will be false teachers among us. Sadly that could be just about any of us, but look for the clues. What is that the flesh wants? To be in control. When man took on his new masters nature in the garden failure, selfishness became the theme of life. Yes, God gave us an out through his Son, but the struggle still remains. So the desire for control is common with man, therefore this is not necessarily a church leader as we might understand, but could easily be a “religious” leader.

2 Peter 2:1-6 NIV But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies [choice or an opinion], even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. (2) Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. (3) In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories, [and good-sounding arguments]. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. (4) For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; (5) if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; (6) if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;

But there were also false prophets among the people,

Who were the people that Peter was referring to? Israel. Balaam is one predominant example of a false prophet. Balaam, was a prophet for hire and had been asked to curse Israel. God would not let him do it. He figured out a way to gain a profit and potentially circumvent God's directive by giving this king the way to push God right out of Israel. He, by his instructions was able to bring about the downfall of Israel. God eventually had Balaam killed for what he did. Did Balaam, by his words and actions, lead Israel to their destruction? You bet he did; does this excuse Israel's actions and responsibility? No way.

2 Peter 2:1 NIV But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves.

We just slid from prophets to teachers. In my mind the prophet carries a bit more weight, as they are generally perceived as speaking on God's behalf, but doesn't a teacher do that as well? Policemen break the laws too, and yet they represent the law of the state in which they serve. Are they to be held responsible for misrepresenting the state? You bet, just as a false teacher is held responsible by God for misrepresenting him. I can think of many bible teachers that might be deemed false, because they are misrepresenting God by teaching people to focus on money as a demonstration of God's goodness toward you, when God's word tells us that everything in the world is working in opposition to God. God has made it very clear that his goodness toward us is based upon his love toward us. He demonstrated that by the giving the very life of His son as the price for our redemption.

Let's take this concept of false teachers a step further. I think that we, in the religious world, focus on false teachers within the church, but what if this is an outside influence. Islam, is a religion, and they are converting people at a rapid pace. People who convert are often saying, they want something with a strong moral structure, and Islam enforces that. There are of course liberties that a man can take that a woman can't, such as, a woman has to have her body covered in public; a man can beat his wife for no reason at all, if he so chooses, but he will attribute the beating to some breach of the Qur’an, and Islamic men, in the name of Jihad (holy war) can rape christian women with no repercussion. So is Islam then covered under the blanket of false teaching? You bet. Do a little research into what they believe about Jesus, the Son of God (you won't find that description in Islam). They do believe in an end time scenario just as we do. If you compare Islam to Christianity, it begins to sound like Satan copied everything God prescribes in scripture, with an evil and sinister twist, all in the name of destroying anything that looks, acts, and sounds like God or the Son. And by the way, it is all happening slowly, although I have seen a rapid acceleration, by attempting to change the opinions of people.

2 Peter 2:10 CEV The Lord is especially hard on people who disobey him and don't think of anything except their own filthy desires. They are reckless and proud and are not afraid of cursing the glorious beings in heaven.

The Amplified bible says they despise authority. The Grk word is: kataphroneō

Thayer Definition:

1. to contemn, despise, disdain, think little or nothing of

The King James version says they “despise government”. What is government, but the ruling body. Webster's defines it as control or restraint. I seriously doubt that there are too many of us, here in the United States, that are content with what the Obama administration is doing to us, with their medical plan and every other plan they are dishing out. In a word, most of us are despising government. If it were that simple.

1. We have people walking after the flesh. Fulfilling their own desires and agendas.
2. They are false teachers and in some cases prophets. I am telling you, keep a watchful eye on Islam (Islam fulfils one of the major themes in Revelation by providing a false prophet. His name is Isa or to gain your confidence, Jesus the son of Mary).
3. They despise restraint. While that can apply to most anyone, the lack of restraint sounds more like a person despising God, and that is what Islam does. Don't be mislead, they believe in one supreme being too, but his name is Allah, and he has no son.
4. And though one translation says: despise government, the majority speak of cursing glorious beings in heaven. If the government is God, and we are not talking about prayer against Satan, then we are talking about people speaking out against God. That is really much to lite a way to put it. Scripture tells us that the anti-christ spews out abominations against God.

God made the angels and a third of them fell with Satan. Even though Michael and Gabriel are magnificent, they would tell you not to worship them. John got a taste of this when he was taken up into heaven.

What is left to despise in terms of glorious beings in heaven? God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Jews despised Jesus when they attributed his actions to the devil. They caught an earful on that one, as he called them blasphemous, and told them they were seriously close to hell's fires. The beast/anti-christ/Mahdi/ and False prophet of Islam do just that, cursing God, his Son, and imitating God's actions in an effort to lead people away from truth; this primarily after the rapture of the active church.

Chain of events, as I see it.

While we are seeing the fingerprints of Islam's influence upon the world even now, the worst is yet to come. Islam is going to raise its ugly head even further. There will be a 10 nation Islamic confederation under the guise of global order, but there are two undertones that cannot be missed. One is the establishment of a global Caliphate; Islam is advocating this on a daily basis. The other is what some refer to as: “the new world order”. While masked in a cloak of economic success and free enterprise, it is a collection of powerful men, driving for a centralized, one world government where they control the people, and gain more wealth. This should not be a new thing to anyone, while we treat these clouded governmental concepts as we do “area 51”, something of a hoax, the men who have run this country have, with few exceptions, all have been associated with things like the Masons, or the Bohemian Woods. Meetings shrouded in secrecy where decisions are made there that circumvent the voice, and votes of the people. This idea of a new world order may fall under many names but the primary ideals are tied into man's lust for money and power.

Revelation speaks of the harlot riding upon the back of the beast. (Read Revelation 17 – In it you find a description of the prostitute/harlot, what the true draw is, the global effect she has on the world's leaders, and shock on the world's face when they realize how they had been taken in by her.) Satan is the power and motivation behind all of this, but people will not see it. The Harlot then, is the drive for money and power under whatever guise you want to call it.(Revelation 17:5 seems to be screaming out the name and definition, calling the harlot BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF ALL WHOREDOMS. Folks, there has to be something here that God is wanting us to pay attention to. That term Babylon is used for several things, the primary aspect is the satanic spirit behind it.) One of the aspects of this meeting place in the Bohemian Woods is 20 foot tall, cement owl called Moloch - also rendered as Molech, Molekh, Molok, Molek, Molock, or Moloc. As a god worshipped by the Phoenicians, Moloch had associations with a particular kind of propitiatory child sacrifice to which the Jews fell prey and sacrificed their own children to. The Bohemian Woods is not a singularity, this kind of “retreat” can be found around the world, and they have been ongoing since the collapse of the Ottoman empire. One of the predominant players in this world of greed, power, and deceit is a Jewish man, that hates God and all he represents, named George Soros. In his attempts to control and gain wealth he has been a major player in the collapse of several national economies, and you will find his name in the headlines sporadically.

The nations rising against, and surrounding Israel, ten in particular; a possible atomic war against Israel; economic collapse; Islam taking control of nations at the same time; pure pandemonium, and the rapture of the church. Much of this will take place so quickly that many would call it simultaneous.

The Mahdi/the beast, and the anti-christ characters of scripture. He is a man, so do not go looking for some hideous creature; this guy will be charasmatic. He is a muslim, and a religious leader. He will make a peace treaty with Israel that allows for them to rebuild the temple. The peace treaty will be for a seven year period, which he himself will break at 3 and half years into it. Islam believes that the treaty will be bartered by a Jewish priest, this becomes significant when the false prophet becomes predominant. Things to note: Even though he is a religious leader, that is not his pure motive. He too is driven by control and power. Military might is his backbone, and he will use, for a time, the harlot of Revelation 17. He eventually destroys the harlot; that means that they (kings, governments, and their money) will be used and cast aside. If you look at the descriptions of the harlot you will see that wealth is a primary draw with her. Islam appears to shun wealth for spiritual status.

There is another beast/anti-christ that comes.

I saw another beast come from the earth, and it had two horns like a lamb. It talked like a serpent. (Revelation 13:11 GW)

Again I warn you, you are not looking for something hideously ugly. He will represent himself much like Jesus, the Son of God, might have when he walked this earth. Revelation even says he has two horns like a lamb. Who is the lamb of God? Jesus Christ the son, the one who became the sacrificial lamb. Islam describes this man in minutia. He will be a man, a Jew, a muslim, a Jewish high priest of Aaronic decent, that Islam calls by many names: Isa, and Jesus the son of Mary, being two of them. He will by virtue of his name, lineage, and by powerful signs deceive many into following Islam, proclaiming Allah as the only true god. This is a hard one because I find it difficult to believe that anyone would follow after someone named Jesus in this day and age, especially if he suddenly shows up and does what this guy does. To follow someone like this demonstrates to me how little the world knows or cares about scripture.

• This Jesus of Islam sets up the image of the beast, and causes it to speak. He will be the enforcer of Sharia law against any that refuse to commit to Allah, and demonstrate their allegiance by most likely wearing something that indicates such.

This entire scenario is horror to me and should be to you too, because of all the misrepresentations that God has had to endure, this is the worst. Jews, those that claim to have been looking for the conquering Messiah, will fall for this person's deception, throwing logic and reason entirely out the window.

A Mormon man said to me, “doesn't scripture tell us that God is the happy god?” While there is a passage that indicates that God has laughed at some point, he is coming back to this earth to judge it, and he is coming in rage and fury. At three and half years into the peace treaty with Israel the Mahdi breaks the treaty and Jews will be slaughtered. Only a handful will remain. The false prophet of scripture, this Jesus of Islam, will begin systematically killing those who refuse Allah.

Scripture says that nations will be flattened by earthquakes; the sky will go dark; celestial objects will strike the earth, and 100 pound hailstones will fall. (Try reading Revelation chapters 8, 9, 16) Yet people will still make it through, many cursing God as they go.

Jesus, the Son of God, the King of Ages, will come, plant his feet on the Mount of Olives, and split that mount in two. He will come with an army and there will be a great slaughter in the valley of Megiddo. (Some call that the battle of Armegeddon). For those of you who mock, saying I do not believe in your God, beside that I am homosexual and no harm to anyone. Trust me on this, Islam despises you as well. Islam will give you a choice, worship Allah or die. If you are homosexual you will be killed with no options for Allah does not tolerate that kind of behavior, and violent death is what the Qur'an prescribes for homosexuals.

One last thing you might take note of. If, and I believe that this is the way, the rapture of God's church takes place, there will of course be about a billion people suddenly gone. Oh sure, you can blame it on aliens, but the thing to pay attention to is how quickly all these horrid things will suddenly fall into place. They are falling into place as you read this, assuming that we are not already gone.

While the Mahdi is making a treaty with Israel there will be two prophets from God standing in the streets of Jerusalem proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ, the risen one. New life in him will still be available, and I would suggest that you grow a backbone and take advantage of that. No, there will be no opportunity for a rapture rescue, you are now going to have to take a strong stand against Islam's Allah, and you will probably lose your head over it. Scripture tells us in Isaiah 13 that they (Islam) will smash your children's heads against the stones in front of you. DO NOT ACCEPT ALLAH AS GOD. I am telling you, you can do this. The same Holy Spirit that has walked this earth, for all these years, compelling you to come to Christ while you had the chance at grace, will still be here, and scripture tells us that he will give you the strength to stand and the words to say. Do not be afraid. I know that is easy for me to say now for I am not facing violent death, nor having to watch my children held before me, screaming daddy, as I am pressured into giving into the worship of a false god, accepting some indicator, a mark that I have given in, and giving up my last chance in the hands of the merciful God, who created me, and sent his only Son to die that I could live. Take his hand, close your eyes, saying no to Allah, and yes to the one who loved you from the beginning of time, Jesus the Christ.

This all started with “the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of trials” and surely a bigger one is coming. I have been facing a hard, but minor one at work. Lot, live among these same people that wanted to take the angels and have sex with them; try telling me that was not difficult. Times will be difficult, that is a by product of broken people and the earth we live on. As long you have someone around you they have the potential to act out in their flesh, and the flesh is always selfish. The point in this is that God has not removed us from the daily grind, therefore there has to be something more. We look forward in hope toward our snatching away. 2 Peter is a very strong argument for this concept. Yes, I am painfully aware that believers, all over the, not so free world, are being tortured and killed on a daily basis. If God knows how to deliver the righteous then how about them? I do not have the answer to that, and reality that Christians suffer brutal things for their faith has been with us for as long as there has been Christianity. Paul, while his name was Saul, had to have stood among those crowds of pharisees as they taunted Jesus, declared his works to be of the devil, and attempted to kill him. After Jesus death, Saul the pharisee made it his goal to remove the pollution of Christianity from the earth. God stopped him, and made it clear that what he was doing, he was doing to Jesus. Look this up in Acts 9:4.

Paul later told us that we will suffer for our faith. God has given you the privilege not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for him. (Philippians 1:29 GW) What should I make of this? God's gave us a hope, and false teaches have tried to strip that away. Always cling to hope and faith in His word. As for the suffering, at least make sure it is only for your stand as a believer. We broken humans will have ample opportunity to demonstrate how broken we are. Know that God has you in his hand, and do not make you brokenness a lifestyle.

Swiss Politician Speaks Out Against Radical Islam in Europe | Fighting Radical Islam

Swiss Politician Speaks Out Against Radical Islam in Europe | Fighting Radical Islam