The Godhead -- LONG READ BUT , WORTH IT!!!!!

TheGodhead For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians2:9) The term “Godhead” occurs three times in the King James translation. Each time it translates a slightly different Greek noun, all being slight modifications of the Greek word for “God” (theos, from which we derive such English words as theology). Itessentially means the nature, or “structure,” of God, as He has revealed Himself in His Word. The first occurrence is in Acts 17:29: “We ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.” Men have been guilty throughout the ages of trying to “model” the Godhead, but this leads quickly to idolatry,whether that model is a graven image of wood or stone or a philosophical construct of the human mind. What man cannot do, however, God has done, in the very structure of His creation. “The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead” (Romans1:20). His tri-universe (space, matter, and time, with each component unique in definition and function, yet permeating and comprising the whole) perfectly “models” His triune nature (Father, Son, Holy Spirit—each distinct, yet each the whole). This analogy can be carried much further, for this remarkable triunity pervades all reality. The tri-universe is not God (that would be pantheism), but it does clearly reflect and reveal the triune nature of His Godhead. The last occurrence of the word is in our text. Although we cannot see the Godhead in its fullness, that fullness does dwell eternally in the Lord Jesus Christ. All that God is, is manifest in Him. “And ye are complete in him” (Colossians2:10). HMM ----------------------------- Christthe King �But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign overus.� (Luke19:14) In this parable, the nobleman who had gone into a far country to receive his kingdom is a picture of Christ in the interim between His first and second comings. The �citizens� of His Kingdom, however, refuse His Kingship. Nevertheless, He is the King, and whenHe returns, those �enemies, which would not that I should reign over them� (v. 27) will be slain. How much better to accept Him now! The first title ascribed to Him was �King of the Jews� (Matthew2:2). Long before that, however, He was King of creation. �For God is the King of all the earth,...a great King above all gods....The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land� (Psalm47:7; 95:3, 5). He is also King of redemption, providing salvation for the world He created. �For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth� (Psalm74:12). �[The Father] hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins� (Colossians1:13-14). He is not only King of all the worlds, but also King of all the ages. He is �my King of old� and also �King for ever� (Psalm10:16). He is �the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God� (1Timothy 1:17). He is �King of saints� (Revelation15:3), the �LORD of hosts, my King, and my God� (Psalm84:3). Indeed, He is �the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords� (1Timothy 6:15). Therefore, let His citizens say: �Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever� (Revelation5:13). HMM What Did Jesus Mean When He Said Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthani? Jesus knew what He was doing as He died on the cross, yet we can only imagine the pain He would have felt on the cross. The Lord took on all of the sins of the world and died the gruesome death on the cross. As Jesus was on the cross, around three o’clock, He cried, “Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthani,” which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew27:46). Upon first glance, it can be confusing as to why Jesus would say these words. Why would Jesus say He was forsaken by God? 1. The Crucifixion Jesus’ death by crucifixion was the worst death that anybody would have to endure. Despite the pain and agony of the cross, Jesus chose to die for the sins of the world because He loves us. While He was on the cross, He cried out, “Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthani,” which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew27:46). Jesus said, “Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthani” on the cross in fulfillment of Psalm 22. Psalm 22:1 says, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?” From these passages of Scripture, we are told that Jesus was asking the Father why He had forsaken Him. Jesus would have been in pain and in anguish when He spoke these words. From the Lord’s perspective, He would have felt forsaken by Hisdisciples and by the Father. He was left all alone on the cross. Jesus knew what He was doing as He died on the cross, yet we can only imagine the pain He would have felt on the cross. The Lord took on all of the sins of the world and died the gruesome death on thecross. He experienced all of the pain that we deserved. It was our place to die on the cross, yet He took our place in order for us to receive salvation through placing faith in Him. Jesus never sinned as He was God in the flesh (1John 3:5). It was only through Jesus’ sinless sacrifice that we could be saved (2 Corinthians5:21). It is hard to decipher what Jesus means when He says He has been “forsaken.” It is clear that the Father was pleased with Jesus’ finished work on the cross, and He dearly loved Him. It is best to conclude that Jesus says He was forsaken by the Father because it fulfilled the Psalm 22:1 prophecy. The Lord also could have said this because He did feel forsaken as He hung on the cross. Pain, agony, and abandonment would have pierced through Jesus’ heart and mind. Anyone would feel forsaken as they hung on the cross with no help in sight. Even though Jesus knew the Father loved Him, He could not help but feel the pain of death, agony, and abandonment. At the time of the incarnation, Jesus became fully man in addition to being fully God. Within the field of theology, this is known as the hypostatic union. The Lord was fully God, yet He was also fully man (Colossians2:9). Since the Lord was both fully man and fully God, He was able to feel the same emotions, pains, and anguish that we can feel as humans. Prior to the incarnation, no member of the Trinity took on human flesh and experienced what it was liketo be human. Only Jesus did; therefore, He was able to feel the pain and agony of being abandoned and forsaken. 2. Taking Up Our Sins On the cross, Jesus died for the sins of the entire world. Despite the fact that Jesus never sinned, He died on the cross for our sins. Ever since the fall of mankind, we have been separated from God because of our sins. It is only by Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection that we could be forgiven of our sins and be restored in a right relationship with the Father. Since we could not fix our severed relationship with the Father, Jesus fixed it for us. Now anyone can be saved by placing faith in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (John3:16-17). When we place faith in Jesus, we are given forgiveness of sins, redemption, and eternal life. There is no salvation apart from Jesus as He is the way, the truth, and the life (John14:6). The Lord endured such a bloody and painful death because of His great love for us. Jesus experienced and felt total separation from the Father so that we would not have to. This alone should cause us to be extremely grateful and thankfulto Jesus. Without Christ, we would be on the road to eternal separation from God in hell. Through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, we have the chance at a new life with Him. 3. The Suffering of Christ It is without a doubt that the Lord experienced intense pain on the cross. Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 53:4-5, Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peacewas on him, and by his wounds we are healed. As this passage of Scripture tells us, Jesus took up our pain and suffering in order to redeem us. He was stricken, afflicted, and crusted for our sins. Through Jesus’ suffering on the cross, it brought us peace, and through His wounds,we are eternally healed. It is too often that we overlook Jesus’ death on the cross. We can become so accustomed to it that we forget the importance of the death and burial of our Lord. Yes, Jesus is God, but He still felt the pain and agony of being crucified,being separated from the Father, and dying for the sins of the world. None of this was easy but rather painful and excruciating. Jesus suffered such a horrible death because of His great love for us. Through feelings of pain, agony, and abandonment, He still chose to die for us. Jesus’ love is unconditionaland eternal. His love for us will never change, alter, or waiver. Reading the account of Jesus’ distress in Matthew 27:46 can cause us to feel heartbroken for Christ. It can cause us to feel sad, and in anguish, because of the severe pain, the Lord went through for us. Jesus did not deserve to die such a horrible death, yet he endured suffering in order to bring us back into a right relationship with the Father. In the present time, Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, and He will return one day torule the earth for 1,000 years. What Did Jesus Mean When He Said Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthani? Jesus knew what He was doing as He died on the cross, yet we can only imagine the pain He would have felt on the cross. The Lord took on all of the sins of the world and died the gruesome death on the cross. As Jesus was on the cross, around three o’clock, He cried, “Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthani,” which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew27:46). Upon first glance, it can be confusing as to why Jesus would say these words. Why would Jesus say He was forsaken by God? 1. The Crucifixion Jesus’ death by crucifixion was the worst death that anybody would have to endure. Despite the pain and agony of the cross, Jesus chose to die for the sins of the world because He loves us. While He was on the cross, He cried out, “Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthani,” which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew27:46). Jesus said, “Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthani” on the cross in fulfillment of Psalm 22. Psalm 22:1 says, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?” From these passages of Scripture, we are told that Jesus was asking the Father why He had forsaken Him. Jesus would have been in pain and in anguish when He spoke these words. From the Lord’s perspective, He would have felt forsaken by His disciples andby the Father. He was left all alone on the cross. Jesus knew what He was doing as He died on the cross, yet we can only imagine the pain He would have felt on the cross. The Lord took on all of the sins of the world and died the gruesome death on the cross. He experienced all of the pain that we deserved. It was our place to die on the cross, yet He took our place in order for us to receive salvation through placing faith in Him. Jesus never sinned as He was God in the flesh (1John 3:5). It was only through Jesus’ sinless sacrifice that we could be saved (2 Corinthians 5:21).It is hard to decipher what Jesus means when He says He has been “forsaken.” It is clear that the Father was pleased with Jesus’ finished work on the cross, and He dearly loved Him. It is best to conclude that Jesus says He was forsaken by the Father because it fulfilled the Psalm 22:1 prophecy. The Lord also could have said this because He did feel forsaken as He hung on the cross. Pain, agony, and abandonment would have pierced through Jesus’ heart and mind. Anyone would feel forsaken as they hung on the cross with no help in sight. Even though Jesus knew the Father loved Him, He could not help but feel the pain of death, agony, and abandonment. At the time of the incarnation, Jesus became fully man in addition to being fully God. Within the field of theology, this is known as the hypostatic union. The Lord was fully God, yet He was also fully man (Colossians2:9). Since the Lord was both fully man and fully God, He was able to feel the same emotions, pains, and anguish that we can feel as humans. Prior to the incarnation, no member of the Trinity took on human flesh and experienced what it was like to be human. Only Jesus did; therefore, He was able to feel the pain and agony of being abandoned and forsaken. 2. Taking Up Our Sins On the cross, Jesus died for the sins of the entire world. Despite the fact that Jesus never sinned, He died on the cross for our sins. Ever since the fall of mankind, we have been separated from God because of our sins. It is only by Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection that we could be forgiven of our sins and be restored in a right relationship with the Father. Since we could not fix our severed relationship with the Father, Jesus fixed it for us. Now anyone can be saved by placing faith in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (John 3:16-17).When we place faith in Jesus, we are given forgiveness of sins, redemption, and eternal life. There is no salvation apart from Jesus as He is the way, the truth, and the life (John14:6). The Lord endured such a bloody and painful death because of His great love for us. Jesus experienced and felt total separation from the Father so that we would not have to. This alone should cause us to be extremely grateful and thankful to Jesus. Without Christ, we would be on the road to eternal separation from God in hell. Through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, we have the chance at a new life with Him. 3. The Suffering of Christ It is without a doubt that the Lord experienced intense pain on the cross. Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 53:4-5, Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, andby his wounds we are healed. As this passage of Scripture tells us, Jesus took up our pain and suffering in order to redeem us. He was stricken, afflicted, and crusted for our sins. Through Jesus’ suffering on the cross, it brought us peace, and through His wounds, we are eternallyhealed. It is too often that we overlook Jesus’ death on the cross. We can become so accustomed to it that we forget the importance of the death and burial of our Lord. Yes, Jesus is God, but He still felt the pain and agony of being crucified, being separated fromthe Father, and dying for the sins of the world. None of this was easy but rather painful and excruciating. Jesus suffered such a horrible death because of His great love for us. Through feelings of pain, agony, and abandonment, He still chose to die for us. Jesus’ love is unconditional and eternal. His love for us will never change, alter, or waiver. Reading the account of Jesus’ distress in Matthew 27:46 can cause us to feel heartbroken for Christ. It can cause us to feel sad, and in anguish, because of the severe pain, the Lord went through for us. Jesus did not deserve to die such a horrible death, yet he endured suffering in order to bring us back into a right relationship with the Father. In the present time, Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, and He will return one day to rule the earthfor 1,000 years. After His 1,000-year reign, God will create the New Heaven and New Earth, which will be the home of righteousness. Never again will Jesus have to undergo suffering or pain again. His death on the cross is sufficient to save us from our sins. Romans 6:10 says, “The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.” One day in the future, when we are with Christ, it is possible that the Lord will share with us His feelings as He hung on the cross for our sins. He may even tell us the exact account of His words of “Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthani.” The Lord loves all people and He willingly died for us in order for us to live with Him forever in Paradise. Allow this to motivate you this year to share the gospel andto live for Jesus. ------------------------------ Why Did Jesus Say, ‘Father, Forgive Them’? This was the kind of forgiveness Jesus was praying for from upon the cross — eternal reconciliation. Exactly what He was about to provide in the moments ahead. Not just for those before Him that day, but for all the world. The ESV translation of Luke 23:34 says, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” These were the first of our Lord’s final words upon the cross, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke. An unlikely response to the matter at hand as Jesus, an innocent man (1 Peter 2:22), hanged condemnedupon a Roman crucifix. Itself a method of death that historians can only sum up as the most humiliating, cruel, and wretched way to die. What we see spoken in the midst of such things is a small, yet mighty, prayer. Its significance magnified as these words of compassion and pity reach the ears of Jesus’ own executioners — Roman Soldiers below who were unphased by the peripheral bodies, fatallytraumatized and exposed. Beyond those whose responsibility it was to carry out a death sentence, Jesus’ prayer was also spoken in sight of the very Israelites who plotted to take His life in the first place. His own kinsmen who had just finished beating Him, mocking Him, and spitting in His face before handing Him over to the Roman guard. These men were the ones who vehemently insisted on Jesus’ guilt, despite lacking any such verdict in the court (Luke23:14-15). Still, they persisted, “Crucify Him!” (John 19:6) Even though they were not the ones physically driving the spikes that affixed Christ to the cross, the Apostle Peter later says in Acts 2:23 that they indeed were the men who crucified and killed Him, continuing that their insistence was due to ignorance (Acts3:17). For this reason, it is likely that Jesus also had them in mind as He said, “They know not what they do.” Why Did Jesus Say, ‘Father, Forgive Them’? In light of what is known about the process of ancient Roman crucifixion, it’s incredible to think that the world’s Greatest Defender was not once found to be defending his own innocence or even returning an angry word upon His deserving accusers. Rather, the One who came to save, having Himself been forsaken by God in this moment (Mark 15:34), was foundinterceding for the souls that put Him there, pleading that they themselves would not also be found forsaken. But why? We need only look at the surrounding context of Scripture to see there are quite a few reasons Jesus would pray a petitioning prayer of forgiveness the way he did. Let’s look at some of them now. It’s Who He Is Jesus, born of God, into the flesh of man, was without the sin nature of man (Luke 1:35). One side effect ofhis truly holy nature, within His own humanity, was the fact that He did not and could not live within the bondage of things like resentment, bitterness, hatred, or even self-centeredness. His prayer was the prayer of a free man, someone who isn’t controlled by an automatic sin-filled and emotionally charged response. This resulted in a prayer of unadulterated forgiveness, despite a lack of remorse or acknowledgment of sin from His offenders. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens (Hebrews7:26). It’s What He Does Jesus, Himself, free from sin and its consequences, is forever an advocate of sinners (1 John 2:1), alwaysliving to intercede (Hebrews 7:25). And as the only mediator between God and men, it makes sense that Jesusdoes just that, by praying for those who had sinned against God (1 Timothy 2:5). “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38). It’s Why He Came Jesus came as a man with a purpose, which included doing away with the excuse of ignorance (Acts 17:30). Beyondthat, He came knowing that He would suffer (Acts 3:18) and that He had to die for those who were still sinners(Romans 5:8). The reason? Because it was only His blood that could fulfill what was needed to receive the everlasting forgiveness of God (1John 4:9-10). This was the kind of forgiveness Jesus was praying for from upon the cross — eternal reconciliation. Exactly what He was about to provide in the moments ahead. Not just for those before Him that day, but for all the world (1John 2:2). “For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew26:28). It’s What God’s People Were Waiting For By interceding for His transgressors through this prayer, Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy that was foretold by Isaiah, hundreds of years prior. This prayer, from upon the cross particularly, would have been a confirmation of His identity to those awaiting their beloved messiah, as described by the prophets of God. Because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors (Isaiah53:12). It’s What He Taught Jesus’ prayer is one example of our Lord practicing what He preached. He didn’t actually teach anything that He wasn’t willing to live out Himself. Some examples of Christ’s teaching we see displayed in His prayer would be that of loving your enemies and praying for those who abuse you (Luke6:27-28). Also, that one, we ought always to pray (Luke 18:1). These are themes we see repeated throughout the New Testamentand put clearly on display as Christ prayed in the face of His enemies, and death itself. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted (Hebrews2:18). It’s the Church’s Example to Follow In Ephesians 5:1, Paul tells the Church of Ephesus to be imitators of God. While Peter’s call to believers is to be holy in all conduct, “just as he who called us is holy” (1Peter 1:15). Of course, Christians do not live this out by their own power but only through regeneration, sanctification, and reliance on the Holy Spirit. Such fruit, which can be seen right away in early church history. Particularly through a disciple named Stephen who was publicly stoned to death for preaching the Gospel of Christ shortly after Jesus’ death, resurrection back to life, and final ascension into heaven (Acts 1:9). Stephen’s story comes a few chapters later where, from underneath the crushing weight of rocks, he utters his final, yet familiar, words, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts7:59-60). Just like Stephen, many others have since been martyred for their faith, even doing so happily, following in the footsteps of their Lord and Savior. It appears that a path already taken is a path made easier to follow. And in light of Christ’s resurrection and ascension — knowing that He is the first fruit of those who die in the Lord (1Corinthians 15:20), we can all take His words to heart, trusting completely when He says, “Fear not those who kill the body,” and “Blessed are you when others revile you…rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven” (Matthew10:28; 5:11-12). Beloved, no one knew more about the joy that was set before Him than He who came from heaven. It was for this joy Christ endured the cross, doing so in love, through and through (Hebrews12:2). Primarily because of who He is and what He came to do, but also because His Church is called and empowered to do the same. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you… for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruitshould abide” (John 15:12-16). Jesus' Ministry Opened and Closed with Prayed His public ministry had opened with prayer (Luke 3:21), and here we see it closing in prayer. Surely He hasleft us an example! His hands would no longer minister to the sick, for they are nailed to the cross; His feet would no longer carry him on errands of mercy, for they are fastened to the cruel tree; He would no longer instruct the apostles, for they have forsakenHim and fled. How then does He occupy himself? In the ministry of prayer! What a lesson for us. In praying for his enemies not only did Christ set before us a perfect example of how we should treat those who wrong and hate us, but He also taught us never to regard anyone as beyond the reach of prayer. If Christ prayed for his murderers, then surelywe have encouragement to pray now for the very chief of sinners! Never lose hope. Does it seem a waste of time for you to continue praying for that man, that woman, that wayward child of yours? Does their case seem to become more hopeless every day? Does itlook as though they had gone beyond the reach of divine mercy? Perhaps that one you have prayed for so long has been ensnared by one of the Satanic cults of the day, or he may now be an avowed and blatant atheist, in a word, an open enemy of Christ. Rememberthen the cross. Christ prayed for his enemies. Learn then not to look on any as beyond the reach of prayer. One other thought concerning this prayer of Christ. We are shown here the efficacy of prayer. This cross-intercession of Christ for his enemies met with a marked and definite answer. The answer is seen in the conversion of the three thousand souls on theday of Pentecost. I base this conclusion on Acts 3:17 where the apostle Peter says, "And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers." It is to be noted that Peter used the word ignorance, which corresponds with our Lord’s "they know not what they do." Here then is the divine explanation of the 3,000 converted under a single sermon. It was not Peter’s eloquence which was the cause but the Savior’s prayer. -------------------- Preachedin All Creation “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, whichye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.” (Colossians1:23) Many times Christians piously say, “Why get worked up over creation, why don’t you just preach the gospel?” But such a question reveals a faulty knowledge of what “the gospel” consists of, for, as has been noted many times on these pages, the gospel consistsnot only of the redemptive work of Christ but His entire person and work as well. The message of the “everlasting gospel” is to “worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters” (Revelation14:6-7). Elsewhere, the gospel includes His coming Kingdom (Matthew4:23, for example). From creation to redemption to ultimate restoration, all is “good news,” all the work and person of Christ. In our text we see that the gospel “was preached to every creature,” or perhaps better translated “in all creation.” What was the message of the gospel for which Paul was so jealous? The answer is found in the preceding verses. Christ is preeminent, literally “the firstborn of every creature” (v. 15), totally God (v. 19). He is the Creator of all things, both physical and spiritual (v. 16), and continues to maintain His creation (v. 17). He leads the church, assuring victory overdeath (v. 18). He is the Redeemer, the perfect sacrifice for sins (vv. 20-22), providing each believer total sanctification (v. 22). He will ultimately restore all of creation to its original created intent (v. 20). Only as we recognize and believe the teachings of His Word on the entire “good news,” from creation to consummation, can we hope to victoriously “continue in the faith grounded and settled.” JDM ---------------------------

7 Signs for Rapture

 7 Signs for Rapture – Bill Perkins - https://compass.org/7-signs-for-rapture/ Watching the news is quite exciting these days. The Bible has very specific prophecies to watch for in the latter days as Jesus' return grows closer. Is this exciting orwhat! There are actually numerous prophecies about this time in which we live, but there are seven big ones that stand out... 1) Israel Back In Her Homeland Say to them, "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bringthem into their own land;'" Ezek. 37:21 In 70 AD, Jerusalem was conquered by the armies of Rome led by Titus in a brutal five-month battle. In 132 AD, the Jews bravely took back Jerusalem. But in 135 AD, the Jews were defeated again and Abraham's offspring were scattered around the world for some 1800 years. In 1948, motivated by the Jewish deaths in the German gas chambers during World War II, the Jews took back the land that God had promised them...except the most importantpiece of land, the Temple Mount on Mount Moriah, which would not be regained until 1967. Today, none of the Bible prophecies would matter if Israel had not returned to her homeland. 2) Huge Worldwide Inflation And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; Rev. 6:6 In the above verse we see it takes an average day's wage, a denarius, just to buy food for a day. And guess who will control who gets the food... What's happening around the world today is not about health, it's not food, it's not energy and it certainly is not about war in Ukraine. The purpose of everything happening is for the Globalists/Satanists to gain more and more control. They want to be your god, like it or not. Once they got President Trump out of the way, by hook or crook, the Globalists/Satanists have been spending trillions of dollars everywhere they can. It is unbelievable how they are spending money. Everyone seems to be getting billions and we just went over $30 trillion in national debt. Biden just sent $11 billion to sweeten the pot for Iran to secure a new treaty.(1) Obama sent Iran his billions in cash in the middle of the night...ostensibly to settlean old American debt. That's the official story. The purpose of all Biden's spending, in addition to lining his friends pockets with side deals, is to ultimately collapse the United States dollar in order to have no otherchoice but to issue a new digital wallet. Expect them to loudly claim it's the only way to save the nation. But prior to the coming digital wallet, we get to deal with all their inflationary tactics. It's been said that everyone on the planet is only nine meals away from foodriots. When the food gets so expensive only a few have the means to afford it, law and order will break down. They're just warming up with the smash and grab at your local jewelers.It'll get to the point just carrying groceries to the car will be dangerous. However, I personally don't think all this will come about until after the Rapture. 1) https://canadafreepress.com/article/bizarre-biden-restores-iran-deal-w-11-billion-gift-during-ukraine-crisis 3) World-Connected Banking System And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, andhe provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Rev. 13:16-17 In the not-too-distant future, we know from scripture there will be a one-world currency. The question is when? History records when other countries inflated their paper money so badly to the point it was worthless, government officials simply started over with a new money, calleda reset. This reset, this implementation of a new currency, was always done without warning. People just woke up one day and a new currency was in place at the local banks. Usually when this happens, about 80% of the present worth of their cash in banks is confiscated/converted to the new system. All this talk today about getting to a reset is for a global reset, not just a reset in the United States. The Globalists/Satanists want all the currencies of the worldrolled into one digital system. A digital reset would, of course, give the Globalists/Satanists complete control of who gets what, and when. Every transaction can be monitored. Just like they froze the bank accounts in Canada of those who donated to the trucker convoy, once the digital system is in place, it won't be long before the Globalists/Satanistscan lock you out of the system. And naturally, you have no recourse. For instance, if you don't get va((inated, they could block your monthly Social Security deposit. Maybe they'll let you have half of it for a while to give you some timeto think about your decision. And the system is already worldwide...currently Mastercard and Visa just froze all their accounts in Russia. If they can do it to innocent people in Russia and Canada, it means they do it to anyone. Which means they can control ALL buying and selling. This is unlikely to be totally implemented before the Rapture. But it sure is uncomfortable watching this prophecy come together. 4) Russia and Iran as Enemies of Israel “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh" Ezek. 38:2 Persia, Ethiopia and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Ezek. 38:5 Much has been written about the Russia/Iran invasion of Israel. This invasion appears to happen just after the Rapture and is outlined in Ezekiel 38/39. It's safe to say that this is one amazing prophecy that was written roughly 2600 years ago. Rosh/Russia and Persia/Iran are today lining up nicely as enemies of Israel. God says He will put "hooks" in their jaws and pull them into war with Israel... all in His timing. But the point is, Russia and Iran are ready to be hooked! 5) Increase in knowledge “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.” Dan. 12:4 One of the things that God didn't like during the building of the Tower of Babel was that people's knowledge had increased to the point God remarked: "...now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them." Gen. 11:6b The world's one language made it possible for humans to accomplish anything they desired. Satan could easily herd sinful man into elevating sin exponentially. So their language was mixed to slow humans down. Now, 4000 years later, we're back to that same point of sinful humans being able to do anything they want. The Globalists/Satanists have, to date, hacked the DNA of some 5 billion people on the planet. They changed God's design in order to reduce the world's population throughpremature death. They expect to blend man and machine in the future, so sinful man can live in bliss forever without needing a Savior. I think this Satanic direction qualifies for that prophecy being fulfilled. 6) Worldwide Drug Use and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries Rev. 9:21 Having grown up in the 50s and 60s, I always thought that what the Bible calls "sorcery" (Greek word "Pharmakeia"), meant there would be a lot people hooked on drugs inthe last days—like marijuana, heroine, cocaine, meth, etc. And I guess there is a lot of drug use these days. But sorcery/pharmakeia is actually a word connected to the dark side, so we're talking drugs from Satan that change who you are. And as we just saw, some 5 billion humans just took a fake va((ine that they likely will regret having taken. Their God-designed DNA has been permanently altered and/ordamaged in this life. Not to mention the first of the four horsemen of the apocalypse at the beginning of the seven-year tribulation (Rev. 6) has drugs in this hand.(1) So this prophecy is being fulfilled right in front of us this very day! 1) https://compass.org/a-bow-without-arrows/ 7) Israel Rediscovers Her Gold & Silver Riches We've covered this extensively in the past (1), and very few others are even talking about it. But I believe the vast treasures of silver and gold from Solomon's era willbe found prior to the Ezekiel 38/39 invasion by Russia, Iran, et al. This is the treasure that Israel had 100+ years to hide from the invading Babylonians. In 1948 the list of these dazzling riches was found on a copper scroll, along withother Dead Sea scrolls written on kosher animal skins. The copper scroll lists 16 connecting caves with instructions on how they are linked. But no instructions as to where the first one is located. But when they find one, they'llfind them all. This treasure, worth somewhere around $50 trillion today, would be so eye-popping that Russia will move to steal it once the Restrainer is removed at the Rapture. They areactively searching for this treasure today. Russia loses badly when they invade for the gold and silver spoils, but the Antichrist/Satan steals it at the middle of the Tribulation. ‘For behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.’ Jer. 30:3 The Bible says when Jesus returns at the end of the Tribulation He will restore the "fortunes" of Israel, which in the Hebrew means restore "the former state of prosperity."And ole Solomon was quite prosperous! 1) https://compass.org/israels-coming-mind-blowing-gold-riches/

Can One Man Save the World?

 Can One Man Save the World? – Pete Garcia - https://www.rev310.net/post/can-one-man-save-the-world Over the past 120 years, Satan has been subtly laying the foundation for the creation of new world order (NWO), specifically, at the cost of the United States of America.What is of interest to this article, is not that it’s happening (we know that already), but who Satan is sacrificing our nation for, what the past five presidents have done in expediting this process, and who, of our current crop of leaders might take on themantel of Antichrist. While we (the Church) will not be here to identify who this coming world leader is specifically, we can look at the traits the Bible says this man will have, and see, if any, of the present crop of global leaders fits the bill. However, before we go there, let us remember there have already been three new world order events in our nation’s history alone (1776, 1865, 1945). Each of these NWO eventsbegan with a slow-boiling crisis that culminated in open warfare, resulting each time in great bloodshed. We know these are NWO events because the end was always vastly different than the beginning. Acts 17:26 states rather clearly that it is God who appointsthe kings and the kingdoms, and sets their times and boundaries. Given our understanding of history and God's purposes, the United States has existed for two purposes: First, to be the greatest vehicle by which the Gospel of Jesus Christcould be spread throughout the world. We saw this through the 1st and 2nd Great Awakenings, the Missionary movements, and the great evangelists and biblical scholars that have come forth from this once great nation. The second was for the safeguarding of thenation of Israel, which began in 1947. But God wasn't the only one using the United States. Like cancer that has quietly been metastasizing within our national body all these many years, the political left is beholden to Satan. Now, they won't admit that, but ultimately,we know their purposes align with his, just as the Church (the true body of Christ) is aligned with God's. Arguably, the left has only ever had two tactics - corruption and crisis. Satan has been these simultaneously to bring our nation to the point of todaywhere we have: an impossible national debt, weak and porous borders, political correctness in every institution, aggravated racial divisions, radical progressive ideologies, despotic technocracies, and imbecilic politicians, just to name a few. Thus, the furtherwe drift from God, the closer the embrace we have with Satan. He is using this nation to implement his own agenda of laying the foundation for a global totalitarian government. Satan has been dreaming of this since the tower of Babel. Admittedly, he’s come close several times. At the heights of each of the respective Persian, Grecian, and Roman Empires, much (not all) of the known world was subjugated to the whims of a singular emperor thru militarymight. As massive as Alexander the Great’s empire was, or Julius Caesar's, or Genghis Khan’s, it was physically IMPOSSIBLE back then for one man to rule everywhere. But God used other kingdoms and powers to keep other kingdoms and powers in check. (There wasa very good reason why God separated mankind into 70 families when He did!) Next, Satan tried imposing his global domination through religion, particularly those spread by political power and sword (e.g., Holy Roman Empire, Islam, various pagan/barbarianbeliefs, etc.). Nevertheless, there was sufficient push back by the Church Jesus Christ was building. Over the 20th century, there was kingdom-building under the guise of money and economies. Look at the vast wealth, power, and empires acquired by the titans of industry.Whether we are talking about commodities such as oil or steel, or banking and financing, money quickly became the currency of power between the years 1900 to 2000. However, this time is different. What each of the empires before lacked was the convergence of all three (military might, religion, and financial control) into one system.The vehicle which makes convergence possible is technology. This is how and why Satan combines the three (political power, economic might, and religious devotion) into the coming final human kingdom. This became a reality when the world moved from the thirdindustrial revolution into the fourth, finally connecting humanity together in a way that hadn't been seen since Babel. This was the opportunity Satan had waited for millennia to happen. But let us briefly see how this process came to be. 1.0 - First was the invention of the machinery by which man could convert human/animal power, to machine power. By necessity, this created the need for the energy to drivethe machine (such as steam, fire, and water). By doing this, mankind could greatly increase the output of whatever effort was being exerted. 2.0 - The second was converting the machines to create the process to mass-produce "things" like vehicles, weapons, bombs, etc. Thus, the capacity for business and war mustmatch the population in which it is to be executed. But more than just war were the multi-trillion dollar industries dedicated to global logistics and supply chain technologies. Armies have to eat and sleep, and war provided opportunities that helped createsome of the major industries still thriving today. 3.0 - The third was the increased lethality of the weapons. What once was the premier projectile weapon of choice, the bow and arrow, eventually fell victim to the musket.The musket gave way to the repeating rifle, which later gave way to the machine gun. The same could be said for: vehicles (horses, automobiles, tanks, planes, jets, now space-based weapons); artillery (catapult, cannon, artillery, nuclear missiles, hypersonicmissiles); and communications (messenger, telegram, radio, digital messaging, cyber-physical). There are always improvements made to weapons with regards to lethality and deliverability. 4.0 - The last is the cyber-physical age, in which man is not content to just have the machinery or the lethality, but now is dependent upon the 'real-time' information bywhich to deploy its weapons (albeit military, political, or economic). Not only does the information need to be instantly accessible, but must be protected (encrypted) by the most secure means possible. Moreover, man is now working overtime to get informationthat hasn't even happened yet through forecasting/warcasting. This is done by wargamingscenarios ahead of time (e.g., Event 201, Sentient World Simulation Program, AI-driven data mining, etc.) so when it happens, a 90% solution can already be presented. Justthink about how quickly the Orwellian Patriot Act was signed into law only 30-days after 9/11. As previously stated, Satan is not just content with destroying the United States, he wants to sacrifice her on the altar of the new world order for the sake of global domination.Why else would he try so hard and for so long to destroy her both from without and within? As for the lifespan of nations, the average is 250 years. Also of interest to this discussion, is the timeframe in which these new world order events seem to come about,which is roughly every 80 years (+/- 10 years). (Seealso the Theory of Generational Dynamics) Thus, we are as follows: 1.In the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Cyber-Physical Age) 2.We are 246 years old (as a nation) in 2022 3.We are 81 years removed from our start in World War II (the last NWO event) We appear to be in the prime window for both the ending of our nation and an NWO event. No wonder the World Economic Forum (WEF) is pushing so hard for a Great Reset, andthe United Nations so hard for Agenda 2030. While most Americans seem to be in the dark about what is coming, the leaders of this world are of 'one mind' in seeing the opportunities that will soon present themselves in our (the USA's) global absence. Assessment “What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the alliances of all people and to lift us out of the economic morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man,and be he god or devil, we will receive him.” Paul Henri Spaak, NATO Secretary General 1956-61 As the title alluded to, Satan has always had a man/ or men in place in every generation who will accept the offer Jesus rejected nearly two thousand years ago (Luke 4:5-8).When Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, notice that Jesus didn't deny Satan's authority to give them. Rather, Jesus told him to pound sand (so to speak) for trying to get Him to worship him. Nevertheless, Satan has been in the business of king-making ever since. He's tried over and over with limited success, because something, or rather, Someone, has alwaysbeen holding him back. The Restrainer (God the Holy Spirit through the Church) has always presented some challenge to Satan's dream of global domination. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock (Peter's confession that Jesus was the Christ) I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevailagainst it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Matthew 16:18-19 (my emphasis) You see when true believers pray, and that prayer aligns with God's agenda for kings and kingdoms, Satan and his plans will either be bound or thwarted. I'm not trying tosound like one of those apostate, name it and claim it wackos on television, but our prayers are powerful, even if we don't see the fruits of it right away. Nevertheless, God wasn’t ready to allow Satan to take over the world just yet because other thingsneeded to take place first (the age of the church to wind down, the rebirth of Israel, geopolitical alignments, modernization, etc.) From the Caesars to Hitler, Satan has used many people to achieve his goals of both consolidating his power and wealth, as well as persecuting the Church. Every time Satanpersecuted the Church, it spread. Every time he tried to corrupt it, either the apostates were forced out, or the faithful remnant started new elsewhere. Even though Satan failed each time, he still used his failures in ultimately building his coming kingdom. Satan's new world order will be controlled by the Beast and the confederation of Ten Kings. These will all be answerable to the False Prophet and the Antichrist, who inturn, answer to Satan. Just because Satan knows he cannot stamp out the Church this side of the Rapture, doesn't mean he's just going to sit on his hands and wait until his time comes. No, he is actively and aggressively preparing his kingdom because he knowsone day very soon, the trifecta of prophetic variables will all be in place and he needs this horror show ready to go: •The right man •The right time (on God’s prophetic calendar) •The right place (the revived Roman Empire) So before moving forward, let us look at the past five presidents to see what has transpired under each of their respective administrations to further enable the comingBeast system. 1992-2000: Bill Clinton •permanently entrenched the deep state by fostering corruption at all levels of the government •created the need for a Global War on Terror by ignoring Al Qaeda •promoted treasonous regionalization plans (NAFTA) •pushed for the disastrous land for peace initiatives (Israel-Palestinians) resulting in numerous violent Intifadas •Overall, a scandal-ridden and terrible president who enabled a highly corrupt deep state. 2000-2008: George W. Bush •empowered the deep state with the Orwellian Patriot Act shortly after 9/11 •began two unnecessary wars which 1) burned out our military forces, and 2) allowed for two decades of foreign interventionism under the guise ofthe “War on Terror” •he continued the "land for peace" facade between Israel and her enemies •he mismanaged the greatest economic collapse in US history to then. •Overall a distracted and ineffective president who refused to deal with the greater threat of internal enemies. 2008-2016: Barack H. Obama •oversaw the massive transfer of wealth vis a vis Omnibus Bills 1-3 which, to date, remains largely unaccounted for adding massive debt to our alreadyover-bloated national debt •unconstitutionally nationalized healthcare (1/6th of the US Economy) •starved and eroded morale within the US military and intelligence agencies •did more to speed up the collapse of the American civilization than any president before him. 2016-2020: Donald J. Trump •managed to unleash the American economy •strengthened Israel’s claim over Jerusalem and the Golan Heights •eradicated ISIS and tamed (temporarily) North Korea, Russia, and China •brought normalization to the Middle East vis the Abraham Accords •Overall, the globalists unleashed COVID-19 on the world before blatantly stealing the 2020 election from him before Trump could do any more damageto their NWO plans 2020-20??: Joseph Biden Jr. •overseeing the very obvious attempt to initiate WWIII by both provoking our enemies (China and Russia), and terrifying our allies •further exacerbating our economic decline through massive spending (i.e. inflation) providing the necessary economic crisis to force the US to replaceour aging fiat currency with a digital one •by doing this, the left can minimize the shift in Congressional power (post-midterm elections) effects and further entrench dictatorial power inthe Executive Branch (similar to how Rome went from a Republic to an imperial dictatorship) •Overall, Biden is a useful idiot in the waning moments of a dying republic. The minute he becomes useless (i.e., Build Back Better), they will declarehim medically unfit and replace him with someone they think can get the job done (not Kamala). Perhaps the Biden administration's sole purpose was in providing the necessary contradistinction between the government we have, versus the government the worldwants Spoiler Warning- The rest of this article is complete speculation.It is not intended to give a definitive answer to who I think the Antichrist is, as we (the Church) will not know the answer to that question this side of the Rapture. I'm simply continuing the ongoing conversation regarding a growing list of candidates whoseem to be trying out for the role of the coming world leader. However, what is not speculation is that if the 70th Week of Daniel is as close as many of us suspect, then the Antichrist of the Bible MUST be alive today. Furthermore,if the Antichrist is alive, then so are the Ten Kings from whence the Antichrist rises up and subdues. Dr. Dave Reagan has an excellent article here detailing the rise and fall of the Antichrist and all of his attributes. Side note: Pros mean things that make this candidate a more likely candidate for the Antichrist. Cons mean things that make him less likely for the person of the Antichrist. Antichrist Candidates (in no particular order) 1. Barack Hussein Obama 44th US President serving from 2008-2016. A radical progressive who helped lean the Democrat Party hard left and further racially divide the nation. He permanently taintednumerous government and intelligence agencies with corrupt Deep State officials that would come to haunt the next president. Pros- globally popular, faux Christian (in name only), committedglobalist, pro perversity agenda, has a cryptic background shrouded in secrecy/inconsistencies, and strong connections to really wicked people Cons- viewed by many as weak, incompetent, and vague. Althoughhis origin of birth is debatable (either Hawaii or Kenya), both fall outside of the biblical boundaries of the old Roman Empire (Dan. 9:26) Summary: I have never believed Obama was the Antichrist. Aboutthe only thing that even makes him worthy of this list, was his meteoric rise from obscurity to global popularity. Likewise, the rise of the Antichrist will be similar. He does have global aspirations so I don't count him out of the entire mix entirely. Antichrist status potential: Highly unlikely Ten Kings potential: Highly likely 2. Volodymyr Zelensky Pros- War-tested political leader, who has shown great resolveand competence in the face of existential danger. This is what distinguishes him from the other Antichrist candidates on this list such as Macron and Obama. However, his willingness to lie and deceive other nations to get them involved in this potentiallyterrifying conflict comes very easily. The globalist's agenda to prop this man up as a savior means he is not working alone but has the backing of other world leaders behind him (primarily those WEF types). He has pop culture already hailing him as a politicalmessiah. He also comes from within the boundaries of the old Roman Empire. Cons- The only cons I see now is that he is current relianceupon the Azov Battalion and their very public associations with Nazis. This however may be written off as a necessity, rather than a choice. Summary: Volodymyr Zelensky is an interesting candidate overall.He has extensive grooming from Klaus Schwab's World Economic Forum (WEF) and Young Global Leaders' school. He has global accolades. Like other current WEF global leaders, his present position as Ukrainian PM (should he survive the war), seems more like a launchingboard than an end-state. Antichrist status potential: Highly likely Ten Kings' potential: Moderately Unlikely 3. Jens Stoltenberg Jens Stoltenberg is a Norwegian politician (former Prime Minister for Norway from the socialist Labour Party), long-serving NATO Secretary-General, and was a newly appointedgovernor of the Norges Bank (however, he has recently been extended for an additional year as NATO Secretary-General in light of the current Russian provocation into Ukraine). He really only has two publically attributable things that would put him in therunning for an Antichrist candidate. Pros- First is that he is very comfortable with antisemiticand anti-Zionist propaganda, as well as radical Islamist groups. Second, he is a huge proponent of vaccinating every child on the planet. Given our recent experiences with mandatory mRNA dictates, you could see where this becomes problematic. Nevertheless,he has largely managed to stay out of any controversy over a very long political career, meaning, he's a smart political operator Cons- His anti-semitic/anti-Zionist background would not endearhim to Israelis, making the Dan. 9:27 'covenant' less feasible. They would largely be skeptical of anything he had to offer. Norway sits outside of the boundaries of the old Roman Empire Summary: Jens Stoltenberg is an interesting candidate for oneof the Ten Kings primarily because he is considered a European elite, well connected with many governments around the world, and largely viewed as a competent leader. Either way, I see him in some sort of leadership role in the coming Beast system. Antichrist status potential: Highly unlikely Ten Kings potential: Highly likely 4. Alexis Tsipras Former Greek Prime Minister (2015-19) who was head of the Syriza Party (Radical left). A self-described atheist, and lives with his registered partner (Peristera "Betty"Baziana) and their two sons. Pros- While in the office as PM, he made strong connectionswith Israel and Cyprus at the Beersheba Summit agreeing on numerous issues such as defense, cyberspace, energy, and education. Cons- Has remained largely silent and politically off-grid sinceleaving office in 2019 Summary: Alex Tsipras was a popular Antichrist candidate whenhe first came to office back in 2015 but has largely faded from the spotlight. While not a leading contender any longer, one of the strengths of the coming Antichrist is his seeming emergence/re-emergence on the scene as a global fixer. Alex Tsipra's mainstrength is his close ties to Israel which will figure largely in the coming 70th Week of Daniel. 5. Emmanuel Macron Formerly dubbed "Europe's Savior," the French PM from 2016-present, likened his leadership to that of the Roman God Jupiter (distant, yet dignified and weighing his pronouncementscarefully). Heavy on the image-bearing, Macron has been seen as cryptic and esoteric, presumably doing so to mirror former French PMs of the past such as Charles de Gaulle and Jacques Chirac. Pros- Strong occult and esoteric ties giving conspiracy theoristsa field day Cons- largely seen as weak and ineffective (the pandemic hasnot been kind to his leadership), and may lose the upcoming election to Marie LePen, barring any election fraud Summary: Again, a strong Antichrist contender back in 2017 whenhe first rose to prominence (even from Newsweek no less), yet, he is one whose star quickly lost its luster when the reality of governing set in. Hard to say where he ranks now amongst the other candidates nowadays. Yet...you never know. Maybe he will getto play Jupiter one day. Antichrist status potential: Moderately unlikely Ten Kings potential: Highly likely 6. Justin Trudeau (Canada) Liberal Canadian PM from 2015 to present. Largely seen as aloof and even persona-non-grata amongst other world leaders (see here, here, and here). WATCHVIDEO HERE Pros- proven highly despotic tendencies, groomed by globalists,admires other totalitarian regimes Cons- seen largely as weak and feminine, does not hail frominside the boundaries of the Old Roman Empire Summary: Justin Trudeau has shown his true nature recently withregards to the actions of some liberty-loving Canadian truckers. He, like Zelensky and others, are a group of the newer leaders who were groomed via the WEF to think and act globally. Antichrist status potential: Highly unlikely Ten Kings potential: Moderately likely 7. Jared Kushner Jewish Son in law to President Donald J. Trump (#45) and husband to Ivanka, Jared has proven to be a skilled political figure and negotiator, overseeing one of the mostmiraculous peace deals of either the 20th or 21st century with the Abraham Accords. (See here for an interesting video montage of JK). Pros- a former democrat, independent, and now Republican, heseems politically pliable to whichever benefits him at the time; practicing member of Orthodox Judaism, viewed favorably amongst most Israelis, Kushner bought 666 Fifth Avenue (across from the Rockefeller Center) for $1.8 billion in New York City, which waslater resold and rebranded (660 Fifth Avenue). A skilled negotiator and political insider, has managed to successfully navigate the treacherous waters around his father-in-law's targeting by the political left. Cons- (so far as we know) not from within the boundaries ofthe Old Roman Empire Summary: Jared Kushner is an interesting candidate for his politicalbonafides alone. He is one to watch in the coming political cycle. I don't really see him settling for just as a member of the Ten Kings. Perhaps an advisor to the Antichrist? Antichrist status potential: Moderately unlikely Ten Kings potential: Moderately unlikely 8. Elon Musk South African-born American, Elon Musk is the single richest man in the world. Inventor and founder of SpaceX, Starlink, Paypal, and Tesla (and possibly Twitter), Elon isan innovative entrepreneur the likes of which we haven't seen since Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller, and Steve Jobs. He is also terrified at the prospects of an Artificially Intelligent dictator and believes arming humans with his neural link upgrade willkeep humans competitive in our cyber-physical age. Pros- Insanely wealthy, creative, popular, and intelligent Cons- Does not hail from the boundaries of the Old Roman Empire Summary: Elon is a viable candidate only in the sense that Ithink any unsaved (unregenerated person) has the potential to be used by Satan to further his agenda. If he remains an unbeliever until after the Rapture, he will likely be used in the coming Beast system to marry up his Starlink and Neuralink technologieswith regards to the Mark of the Beast system. Again, he may serve as science and technologies advisor to the Beast system (should he remain unsaved) Antichrist status potential: Highly unlikely Ten Kings potential: Moderately unlikely 9. Unknown Candidate Here is to that unknown candidate we didn't even see coming. He's likely in government or business now, and has so far, stayed under everyone's radar. He will remain anunknown entity until the time is right (likely after the Rapture) and the opportunity presents itself for him to rise to prominence. It's likely that this candidate already feels compelled to bigger and better things as if he were fated to greatness. He willachieve what no human leader before him ever did- world domination. But it will be short-lived. He'll trade seven years of power for an eternity in the lake of fire. Conclusion As I said earlier, if the end is as close as we think it is, then the Antichrist is alive and well today. He will be the one who is presented as the man who can save theworld. At present, he is just as unknown to us, as a young unknown Adolph Hitler was to his generation before his ascendancy. Still, Hitler didn't grow up in a vacuum. He was shapedby his experiences of World War I and its aftermath, as well as being mentored by the likes of Dietrich Eckart, Georg Ritter von Schönerer, Karl Lueger, and Guido von List. Likewise, this Antichrist is being shaped by his current environment. He is being mentored by the right globalists (Soros, Rothschilds, Schwab, et. al.). If we know anything,let us know Satan is currently grooming this coming leader, opening all the right doors of business and government, and preparing the way for this man to quickly ascend to power when the time is right. Right now, he is watching the world today and carefully studying what our current crop of bozos are doing, and will likely do the exact opposite. He will not allow his wokenessto supersede his pragmatism, which will be to garner as much power as quickly as he can. After the Rapture, he will be armed with the supernatural powers from hell and will be accompanied by his Luciferian aide-de-camp, the False Prophet. Satan will unlock all the world's unfixable problems for him to fix. Since Satan is behind all of the world's unfixable problems and impossible quagmires, it will be nothingfor him to simply give him the "keys to the kingdom." This will embolden him to think he is the one actually doing it. But at the midpoint, he will succumb to an assassination attempt and will either die or appear to die. Meanwhile... And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for themin heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren,who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woeto the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” Revelation 12:7-12 Even so, Maranatha!

Will Heaven Be Boring?

 Will Heaven Be Boring? - By Grant Phillips - https://www.raptureready.com/2022/04/23/will-heaven-be-boring-by-grant-phillips/ Just to ask the question, “Will Heaven be boring?” almost seems like an affront to God, but surprisingly, there are those who think Heaven will be boring. There are thosewho think we will be floating on a cloud, playing a harp for eternity. Then there are those who think all we will be doing for eternity is having endless worship services. First of all, we will not be lying on a cloud playing a harp, period. That erroneous concept has come from movies, television shows, commercials, and even comedic jokes.Secondly, we will be worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ, but we will be doing so because we will be so grateful and in awe of Him as God. We will want to worship Him, but that is not all we will do. When thinking of God, we need to look around us at His creation and consider how diverse it is. Most of us don’t appreciate what is around us, maybe because we see it everyday and don’t really give it much thought. Allow me to offer just a few points to consider. How many different types of grass are there? The botanists tell us there are about 12,000 different types of grass. How many different species of trees are there? As of2013 the Amazon rain forest alone is thought to have nearly 16,000 different species of trees. It is estimated that our earth has 3-30 million (why such a wide range, I don’t know) different species of animals. Even with the lowly rock, there are three different types:igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. There are over 400,000 different types of flowering plants and over 100 different types of bushes and shrubs. If there are so many different species and types of everything on earth, why would it be any different in Heaven? Have you ever noticed that we all don’t like the same foods, and we don’t necessarily like the same food prepared the same way? Consider the omelet. There are many differentways to prepare an omelet for breakfast. Not everyone likes their steak rare, or well-done. Not everyone likes steak, for that matter. Even a salad can be prepared many different ways. I personally believe thatmany of our likes and dislikes will change, but should there not remain some diversity? Most certainly. What about people? There may be similarities in looks, but none are exactly the same. As human beings, we also do not have the same likes and dislikes. Some folks love music,while some do not. Some enjoy sports, but others do not. Some like to climb mountains, while others prefer swimming. Some prefer to swim in the ocean, while others prefer to just sit on the beach and watch the waves while enjoying the warm sun. Not everyone worships the same way. Some are quiet and laid back, while others are more boisterous. Will the Lord change our personalities so that we are as mere zombies?Of course not. Have you ever looked at pictures of outer space and seen how beautiful it is? Did you notice how God made the planets, stars, galaxies, etc., all “different” from each other? My point in all this is that God’s creation, including people, is so varied, nothing could ever be boring because nothing is exactly the same. The apostle Paul said of Heaven, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—sucha one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter” (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). Paul went on to say in Philippians 1:19ff that his desire was to be in Heaven with the Lord. Would he have felt that way if Heaven is a “black and white” world comparedto our world of color? Speaking of color, I believe colors will be more vivid and varied than we can presently imagine. God has given us all special gifts and talents. Why would He change that? Don’t you think we would actually be involved in what He has gifted us with to serve Him? Lest we forget, there will be no aches and pains, no need for doctors and hospitals. There will be no hatred, jealousy, greed or selfishness. In other words, there willbe no sin and none of anything that comes from sin. We will all truly love each other with a love we cannot currently fathom. The glory of Heaven is so beyond our puny minds, but the greatest of all is that we will be with Jesus, face to face. The very One who has created all we know and much morewe do not know has provided an eternity for us who know Him that will not be boring. To the contrary, we will be busy in many different ways, joyfully serving Him. I believe we will see Jesus as the Son of man when He came in His first advent and also as the Son of God as He will show the world in His second coming. In other words,we will see Him as He is … God. Can any of us imagine seeing our holy God face to face? Anyone who will be honest in their reply cannot look around them at this present world and believe there is no God. Nor could they think for a moment that His grandeur islimited by our vision of Him or His creation. The greatest wonder of Heaven, however, isn’t the creation but the Creator, the Savior of all who come to Him in true repentance. Will Heaven be boring? How could Heaven be boring when looking upon the face of the Lord of lords and King of kings? How could Heaven be boring when beholding the One whopaid our sin debt? The apostle Paul summed up Isaiah 64:4 and Isaiah 65:17 by saying: “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him’” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Grant Phillips

Will Heaven Be Boring?

 Will Heaven Be Boring? - By Grant Phillips - https://www.raptureready.com/2022/04/23/will-heaven-be-boring-by-grant-phillips/ Just to ask the question, “Will Heaven be boring?” almost seems like an affront to God, but surprisingly, there are those who think Heaven will be boring. There are thosewho think we will be floating on a cloud, playing a harp for eternity. Then there are those who think all we will be doing for eternity is having endless worship services. First of all, we will not be lying on a cloud playing a harp, period. That erroneous concept has come from movies, television shows, commercials, and even comedic jokes.Secondly, we will be worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ, but we will be doing so because we will be so grateful and in awe of Him as God. We will want to worship Him, but that is not all we will do. When thinking of God, we need to look around us at His creation and consider how diverse it is. Most of us don’t appreciate what is around us, maybe because we see it everyday and don’t really give it much thought. Allow me to offer just a few points to consider. How many different types of grass are there? The botanists tell us there are about 12,000 different types of grass. How many different species of trees are there? As of2013 the Amazon rain forest alone is thought to have nearly 16,000 different species of trees. It is estimated that our earth has 3-30 million (why such a wide range, I don’t know) different species of animals. Even with the lowly rock, there are three different types:igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. There are over 400,000 different types of flowering plants and over 100 different types of bushes and shrubs. If there are so many different species and types of everything on earth, why would it be any different in Heaven? Have you ever noticed that we all don’t like the same foods, and we don’t necessarily like the same food prepared the same way? Consider the omelet. There are many differentways to prepare an omelet for breakfast. Not everyone likes their steak rare, or well-done. Not everyone likes steak, for that matter. Even a salad can be prepared many different ways. I personally believe thatmany of our likes and dislikes will change, but should there not remain some diversity? Most certainly. What about people? There may be similarities in looks, but none are exactly the same. As human beings, we also do not have the same likes and dislikes. Some folks love music,while some do not. Some enjoy sports, but others do not. Some like to climb mountains, while others prefer swimming. Some prefer to swim in the ocean, while others prefer to just sit on the beach and watch the waves while enjoying the warm sun. Not everyone worships the same way. Some are quiet and laid back, while others are more boisterous. Will the Lord change our personalities so that we are as mere zombies?Of course not. Have you ever looked at pictures of outer space and seen how beautiful it is? Did you notice how God made the planets, stars, galaxies, etc., all “different” from each other? My point in all this is that God’s creation, including people, is so varied, nothing could ever be boring because nothing is exactly the same. The apostle Paul said of Heaven, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—sucha one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter” (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). Paul went on to say in Philippians 1:19ff that his desire was to be in Heaven with the Lord. Would he have felt that way if Heaven is a “black and white” world comparedto our world of color? Speaking of color, I believe colors will be more vivid and varied than we can presently imagine. God has given us all special gifts and talents. Why would He change that? Don’t you think we would actually be involved in what He has gifted us with to serve Him? Lest we forget, there will be no aches and pains, no need for doctors and hospitals. There will be no hatred, jealousy, greed or selfishness. In other words, there willbe no sin and none of anything that comes from sin. We will all truly love each other with a love we cannot currently fathom. The glory of Heaven is so beyond our puny minds, but the greatest of all is that we will be with Jesus, face to face. The very One who has created all we know and much morewe do not know has provided an eternity for us who know Him that will not be boring. To the contrary, we will be busy in many different ways, joyfully serving Him. I believe we will see Jesus as the Son of man when He came in His first advent and also as the Son of God as He will show the world in His second coming. In other words,we will see Him as He is … God. Can any of us imagine seeing our holy God face to face? Anyone who will be honest in their reply cannot look around them at this present world and believe there is no God. Nor could they think for a moment that His grandeur islimited by our vision of Him or His creation. The greatest wonder of Heaven, however, isn’t the creation but the Creator, the Savior of all who come to Him in true repentance. Will Heaven be boring? How could Heaven be boring when looking upon the face of the Lord of lords and King of kings? How could Heaven be boring when beholding the One whopaid our sin debt? The apostle Paul summed up Isaiah 64:4 and Isaiah 65:17 by saying: “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him’” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Grant Phillips

For Such a Time As This

 For Such a Time As This - Pete Garcia - https://www.rev310.net/post/for-such-a-time-as-this I received a notice from my mortgage servicing company the other day that said someone had illegally accessed files from their server and my information (along with manyothers) had been compromised. Between the Russian war, supply chain issues, out-of-control national debt, skyrocketing inflation and crime rates, mandatory mRNA mandates, gender-confused Supreme Court Justices and college swimmers, and about a billion otherthings wrong with the world today, all I can say is, welcome to 2022. As messed up as the past few decades have been, it’s no wonder why one of the most popular genres of movies is period pieces and fantasy. Who doesn’t want to go back tothe 17th century, or the Shire of Middle Earth, and forget all about 21st century cancel culture? That is until they began putting leftist ideology into your favorite movies. I mean, the left has already ruined: the NFL, college football, children’s storytimelibrary hour, elections, churches, universities, female sports, and so on…why not ruin the movies as well. Maybe they can add in some transgendered dwarfs and social justice elf warriors to the new Amazon adaption of the Lord of the Rings. Ah well, it seemsthere is nothing sacred anymore to the left. Why should anything remain sacred though? I mean, the left's first target was the unborn baby way back in 1973. Since then, tens of millions of babies have been slaughteredon the altar of convenience. If they weren’t safe, then nothing else should be, right? These days, the left isn’t even stopping at killing the unborn…they’re going after the perinatal (post-birth) as well in California. It seems like the leftists in Californiaare just begging God to go full-Sodom and Gomorrah on them. (See Genesis 19:23-25 for more insight) But California is not alone in its pursuit of the title "most wicked state," New York, Vermont, Maryland, Illinois, Rhode Island, and Virginia (under the previousgovernor) are also championing, or have championed, their own versions of barbaric infanticide bills. The argument used to be that since men can't have babies, men can't have any say on the issue of abortion (my body, my choice!). Ironically, since adult female leftistscan no longer identify what a "woman" is anymore, then I guess men can have a say now on the issue. Well, that and the hijacking of all women's sports since gender is a variable shifting spectrum instead of a biological reality. So much for all the gains,the feminist movement has made over the decades! And the left's obsession with the normalization of sexualizing children has finally come out into the light. But we really shouldn't be surprised at all this, I mean, if gender is not real biological reality,then neither is age. As the old John Wesley quote goes, what one generation tolerates, the next will embrace. We've seen this with abortion, divorce, homosexuality, transgenderism, and now, pedophilia with Disney of all companies, leading the charge. Contrastingly, the pro-evolution crowd is squirming uncomfortably in their university-tenured seats, unsure of what to do now that biological truths can simply be sweptaside with the right mob of angry "wokesters." I guess the "settled science" of Darwinian evolution, climate change, big bang theory, covid-19, vaccinations, etc. isn't really settled after all. Furthermore, in all the serious discussion regarding the perilsof climate change, do any of the "experts" bring that gigantic ball of fire in our sky into ANY discussion? They act as if the Sun has nothing to do with the heating and cooling of the planet. Globally speaking, our present administration is obsessed with protecting Ukraine's border, but not our own. We have a president who should be on hospice care at a nursinghome, and not leading the free world. His mouth has begun cashing checks that the rest of the country is now having to pay for. Not even his own administration can walk back the nonsense he’s spewing on a minute-by-minute basis. Even if he manages to serveout a full term in office, the geopolitical damage he’s done (Afghanistan withdrawal, Ukraine) will be virtually impossible to repair. Not only that, but the rotation between the Obama-Trump-Biden presidencies has confirmed what Vladimir Putin has been sayingall along to the rest of the world— the USA is agreement incapable (meaning it will constantly renege on treaties as it changes administrations). But what if that is all by design? What I mean is, what if the powers-behind-the-throne (i.e. deep state globalists) wanted a guy like Biden in office to do exactly what he’s doing...deliberately trashingthe US? I mean, Joe “Corn pop Dogface pony soldier” Biden couldn’t fill a high school gym before the election, and somehow the mainstream media want us to believe he got 80 million votes? Come on man! I’m not intending to sound harsh, but our current president is visibly demonstrating 13 of the 15 signs of dementia. He has no business being president. The fact that hishandlers have him out in the spotlight at all is ‘elder-abuse.’ Nope, they got him in there to do one thing—sign everything in front of him regardless of what it is. The fact they (NYT, WAPO, FBI) are bringing the Hunter Biden Laptop scandal out in the sunlight,can mean only one thing- they intend to use him until they have no more use for him. If that weren’t bad enough, we have virtually every Fortune 500 company tripping over themselves to be more politically correct than the company next to them. From mandatoryDIE training (Diversity, Inclusion, Equity), to blatantly anti-white propaganda, the race is on to get woke. Airlines, government agencies, and basically everything within blue states is still rigidly enforcing mask mandates, which the CDC has now admittedto be both unscientific and ineffective. (See here for just how "effective" masks really are). Right about now, having to face Sauron in the Shire, or Vikings in the 9th century sounds far more appealing. So why am I here? Did God mess up and put me in the wrong decade, or even century? Conclusion As appealing as it would be to not have to put up with the sheer insanity going on in the world today, our Christian forbearers would have killed (not literally) to livein our day. They would love to have seen the rebirth of Israel. They would love to have seen the coalescing of the revived Roman Empire. They would love to have seen all of the birth pangs we are witnessing today. True, it’s no fun living through it, but weare right at the tippy-point of the spear where the metal meets the fleshy body of the 70th Week of Daniel (aka…The Tribulation). And that is something they could only have imagined in their wildest dreams. Furthermore, we know the Rapture has to happen before the Tribulation begins (yes the Tribulation begins with the first Seal Judgment), and I’m betting they would love tohave seen that too. We are so close to the end we can not only hear the hoofbeats of the four horsemen, we can hear their horses snorting. We’re at that point where nothing left has to happen before the Tribulation begins. Like many of you, I’m actually surprised we are still here. Consider all that has already happened. •Rebirth of national Israel—check •Revived Roman Empire—check •Wars and rumors of war—check •Earthquakes, pestilences, famines—check •Deception and false messiahs—check •Global Digital Currency—check •Antichrist candidates lining up—check •Global desire for a one-world-government—check •Technology to enforce worldwide surveillance—check •Gog and Magog lining up—check •Lawlessness and the love of many grown cold—check •Global wickedness and the normalization of perversion—check Seriously, I’m surprised, no, shocked we are still here. But surprise or not, God intended for you and I to live in such a time as this. In fact, before the world began, He assigned you and I to live in this exact moment of timeto be the ‘salt’ in an increasingly rotting world, and a ‘light’ in the day growing dark. Yes, things today suck. Yes, the wicked seem like they are always winning. Yes, the tide of evil seems like it’s not just some rogue wave, but a tsunami that just keeps flooding in. But we are to be busy about the Lord’s work because we are quickly running out of time to work. One day very soon, we are going to hear that shout and the trumpet, and weare going to be called up into immortality…and then, we will forever have to live with the work we did in this life. Will you be like that lone soldier who has but one ribbon on his chest, or will you be the one decked out like a North Korean general? (I know I know—we’ll get crowns but, you get the point!) I told one of our readers that in ten million years, who’s going to care what anyone thinks about our sharing the Gospel with them. Either they will have ignored and mockedus, and are now in eternal damnation (hopefully not!), or they will be with us in glory and eternally grateful that you did. But the more honest truth is, one second after the Rapture, you’re not going to care what anyone thought about you sharing the GoodNews of Jesus Christ with them. You’re going to be transformed from mortality to immortality. From corruptible to incorruptible. And then, you will become fully recognized citizens of the eternal kingdom. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to Hisglorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. Philippians 3:20-21 Now, that is not to say it won’t matter in the Bema Judgment, because it will, but what I’m speaking about is not the results of our efforts, but the faithfulness of ourefforts. You see, we aren’t judged for the results, just the effort. We can’t make anyone come to Christ- that is solely on God the Holy Spirit to draw men unto Christ. We can only plant and water. If we are fortunate to bring some souls with us, all the better.But we can’t change hearts- that is a God thing. If God knows the plight of the sparrows or knows every star by name, then He chose Esther to live when she did. That also means He chose Daniel and the rest of the Old Testamentprophets to live when they did. He chose the Apostles to live when they did. If that is true, then if you are alive and reading this today, you were chosen by our Creator to live in such a time as this. If you are fortunate enough to be a student of Bible prophecy, then you are even more blessed, because you are not only living to see the days so many longed to see, butare also that wise servant who is watching and waiting for their Master to return. We are not just discerners of the skies, but discerners of the signs of the times. So be thankful to God that you live now, instead of the 13th century. Be thankful that youlive now, instead of the early 20th century. God has chosen us to live in such a time as this, to be His heralds of the age to come. Now, get busy. We are running out of time. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and willcome and serve them. Luke 12:37

The Days of Noah: And the Ark Is Security

 The Days of Noah: And the Ark Is Security - By Ron Ferguson- https://www.raptureready.com/2022/04/08/the-days-of-noah-and-the-ark-is-security-by-ron-ferguson/ What was it like in the days of Noah? Before that question is answered, we must put it into context, and here is that setting – {{Matthew 24:37 “The coming of the Son ofMan will be just like the days of Noah, 38 for as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood cameand took them all away – so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.”}} The Lord’s Olivet Discourse is entirely set in the Tribulation and the Second Coming, and what happens immediately after. I have argued that frequently, and if people can’tsee that, then I can’t help it. In verse 37, the coming is the Second Coming, not the Rapture, so what does that then tell us? The Lord makes the parallel, which is, His coming will be like the coming of the flood. Both are connected with judgment and a neworder. The flood was the greatest catastrophe to hit mankind since creation, and the Second Coming will be the greatest catastrophe to hit mankind since the flood. The two climaxesgo hand in hand. The connection is so close, and the NASB uses “just like.” This is all about the wrath of God on sin, nothing whatever to do with the Rapture. With that established, what are the details we know about the days of Noah? 1.From Matthew, they were eating and drinking and marrying, so what does that mean? Only one thing, they continued in life with no regard to the future,no heeding the warnings of God, and probably mocked Noah (the believer). In the Tribulation, they will persecute the preachers and blaspheme God’s servants. 2.It says they did not understand until the tragedy overwhelmed them. The flood was the judgment, so after the Rapture, the Tribulation judgment willfall on the earth. In Noah’s time, they did not understand. Our world is so sinful, it too won’t understand when the Tribulation judgments arrive. What they will not really understand is that great climax coming, which is the Second Coming along with Armageddon,for every nation has its army and troops in Israel, summoned there by the three frog spirits in Revelation 16. That is when final destruction falls on the world. 3.We have a verse from Genesis that tells of something so bad that we will never see the like of it again, not even in the Tribulation – {{Genesis6:5 “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”}} Great wickedness on the earth, yes, we will have that in the Tribulation, and the makings of it are herenow. However, the part, {{“every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,”}} I don’t think will ever happen again. It is hard to conceive of that, that the entire thought process of the human mind and nature was continually evil withoutexception. Not even one “good” thought. 4.Consider these verses from {{Genesis 6:11 “Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence, 12 and God lookedon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. 13 Then God said to Noah, ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me for the earth is filled with violence because of them, and behold, I am about to destroy themwith the earth.'”}} I know others have written on the wickedness that is taking over the world, but consider how it was in Noah’s day. As I read those verses, the thought I get is that violencewas just everywhere. It is as if the world was saturated in violence. Today we have the satanic Putin, Islamic violence frequently, and civil wars around parts of the world, but I do not think the world is overwhelmed by violence as it was in Noah’s time. However, let us remember that the days of Noah apply to the Tribulation, not to our current world. Of course, we may see the beginnings of this like a lot of things, asif they have hatched and are starting to find legs. Once the Church is raptured and the Holy Spirit goes, then I expect there will be an onrush of violence as men and evil will be unrestrained, and then in the Tribulation, it will be like the days of Noahregarding violence. There we have it, just a glimpse of what it was like in Noah’s day. The days of Noah ended in the flood judgment; the days of man’s wickedness will end in the Second Coming.The Lord Jesus used the words “the coming of the Son of Man” to equate with the Flood. His 2nd Coming Armageddon judgment will break over this world like a flood. The gathering clouds (that must have happened at Noah’s time) to herald something ominous canbe compared with the gathering clouds of the great destruction, such as this ominous example – {{Revelation 16:18 “and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake such as there had not been since man cameto be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty. 19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.”}} There is one verse I want to come back to, one I have spoken on before, but I feel it is not often understood. This is the verse – {{Matthew 24:39 “and they did not understanduntil the flood came and took them all away – so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.”}} Who were taken away? Well, they were ALL taken away. Those who did not understand, because they were evil continually. They were taken away in judgment. Now look at these two verses that follow straight on and look at how the verse begins – {{Matthew 24:40 “THEN there shall be two men in the field – one will be taken andone will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill – one will be taken, and one will be left.”}} Verses 40 and 41 are tied into verse 39. Based on verse 39, that can mean ONLY that those who are taken away are taken away in judgment. They are the unrighteous ones. Andwho are left? Well, I will ask you a question, who were left alive in Noah’s time? It was the righteous ones, and they inherited the cleansed earth, the redeemed ones of the Lord. So shall it be at the end of the Second Coming. The wicked are taken away, judged, and the righteous ones are left to inherit the cleansed earth under the reign of the KingMessiah in the Millennial Kingdom. It is so simple that I wonder how people can’t see it. Second Coming, not Rapture. PRECIOUS LESSONS FOR US There is a great lesson in the ark for Christians. Enoch was taken up from the world before the judgment came (albeit some time before), but he walked with God and was removed.Some time afterward, the judgment came. Enoch is a type of the rapture. Now a question – Did Noah go through the judgment? The answer is important. No, he did not go through the judgment. He was lifted up above it. He was secure, totally safein the ark. Noah was raised from the earth, and the judgment raged below. It was the ark that separated Noah from judgment. There is a great lesson for Christians. We will not be on earth when the judgment rages here. We will be lifted up above it, lifted up to Jesus in rapture, protected inthe ark. Jesus is our Ark, the One who is our protection. Think of the ark that sheltered Noah for a moment. It was the ark that was battered that went through the fiercest storm and did not fail and came out safely on the otherside. Christ is the Ark who battled the storm of Calvary and was battered as the fierce judgment of sin raged against Him, as the wrath of God beat upon Him. But He never faltered and came out victoriously on the other side. Christ is our Ark, our shelter from the storm. He is our Protector and our Saviour who went through the wrath of judgment for us but who holds us secure in Him. What a beautifulapplication and type that ark of Noah was. THE PITCH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE {{Genesis 6:14 “Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood. You shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch.”}} The Hebrew word for “pitch” in the book of Genesis is the same as the word for atonement. Here is Strong’s reference to that – Strong’s Hebrew 3722: וְכָֽפַרְתָּ֥ (wə·ḵā·par·tā) to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation, cover over with pitch, to coat or cover with pitch, to cover over, pacify, propitiate, to cover over, atone for sin, make atonement, to cover over, atone for sin and persons by legal rites, to make atonementfor, to be covered. It is amazing that God introduces so early in the piece the truth of atonement. It is a covering, and in our case, a covering for sin. Here we have atonement in the faceof judgment. What more could we ask for? That is so beautiful. You will see as well that God required the ark to be pitched inside and outside. That is a double pitching, but it had such a deep meaning, for it was atonement inside andout. God looked at the ark (as if on the outside), and in the judgment, he saw atonement that preserved those inside. Noah looked at the inside, and he saw atonement. He knew judgment was not for him. It satisfied both God and man. The atonement through theprecious blood of Christ has satisfied both God and man. God sees the atoning sacrifice of Christ that has covered our sins, and man sees the atonement Christ made and knows he is secure. THE WINDOW IN THE ARK {{Genesis 6:16 “You shall make a window for the ark and finish it to a cubit from the top and set the door of the ark in the side of it. You shall make it with lower, second,and third decks.”}} Have you ever thought about the window in the ark that Noah was in? Well, God placed it so high up, not low. It was high up because while the storm raged on, Noah couldonly look up to see from where the storm came (to heaven as it were) and to know there was no storm for him. He was not permitted to look on the earth at the destruction and mayhem. In the Tribulation, we are all sheltered in the Lord, our Ark, removed from the earth. We won’t look down at a sinful earth destroying itself. We will only look up to ourLord. In heaven, the whole focus is on the Lamb of God. For many decades I have loved the writings of C H Macintosh, and I want to quote him on the matter of the window and the door: We read in Genesis 7:1, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark”; and when he had taken his place there, we read, {{“the Lord shut him in.”}} Here, assuredly, was fulland perfect security for all within. Jehovah kept the door, and no one could go in or out without him. There was both a window and a door to the ark. The Lord secured, with His own omnipotent hand, the door, and left Noah the window from which he might lookupward to the place from whence all the judgment had emanated, and see that no judgment remained for him. The saved family could only look upward, because the window was “above” (Genesis 6:16). They could not see the waters of judgment, nor the death and desolation which thosewaters had caused. God’s salvation – the “gopher wood,” stood between them and all these things. They had only to gaze upward into a cloudless heaven, the eternal dwelling-place of the One who had condemned the world, and saved them. Nothing can more fully express the believer’s perfect security in Christ than those words, {{“the Lord shut him in.”}} Who could open what God had shut? None. The familyof Noah was as safe as God could make them. There was no power, angelic, human, or diabolical, which could possibly burst open the door of the ark and let the waters in. That door was shut by the self-same hand that had opened the windows of heaven and brokenup the fountains of the great deep. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for battling the storm of wrath for sin, and doing it for me. You are my precious ARK. ONE FINAL POINT I said that Noah and his family were left to inherit a cleansed earth. That was true, but the heart of man is always bent to wickedness. That will never change until Satanis cast into the lake of fire with his demonic hordes and there is a new heaven and earth where righteousness will dwell. It was but a short time until sin appeared in Noah’s family, awful sin. And it has continued right down to our time, and it will, beyond our time. When Christ sets up HisMillennial Kingdom in a cleansed earth, the “saved” of the tribulation will enter – those who are “the left” from Matthew 24:40-41. However, sin is still present in the old natures, and during the Millennium, some/many people will be of a rebellious spirit.At the end of the Millennium, Satan rounds up the malcontents, and they are destroyed as the Gog of Revelation 20. There are such wonderful parallels from Noah, his time, his ark, and the actions. ronaldf@aapt.net.au