There has been a rash of stories in the news lately that are related to religion. Many of them show moral failure and spiritual depravity in the world. They also show that multitudes are being misled.

The Pink Cross Publishing Company announced plans to start placing their Queen James Bibles next to Gideon Bibles in hotels and motels. The Queen James Bible is a Bible for gays, and the publishing company changed eight verses to hide the fact that homosexuality is a sin.

Some of the problems with this is that the Scriptures were given by God (2 Tim. 3:16). He cannot lie (Heb. 6:18), the Bible as originally given is true (Jn. 17:17). Changing verses that some don’t like introduces errors that lead people astray and God will hold people accountable for changing His truth into a lie (Rom. 1:25).

China announced plans to create a Chinese Christian theology to guide Christian activities in the nation— to ensure that all Christian activities conform to China’s national condition and culture. A big problem with this is the fact that China is officially an atheist nation.

Those who create this Chinese Christian theology will probably be atheists and the theology they come up with will probably be politically correct. Any theology that conforms to political correctness instead of the Bible is not Christian theology. If Chinagets away with this, other nations will soon follow.

Earlier this year, Pope Francis held meetings with Shimon Peres, Mahmoud Abbas, Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, James Robinson and others to pray for peace in the Middle East, and to discuss the unification of the world’s religions. Some reports said the Pope read from the Koran and prayed to Allah.

One report said the Pope rejected fundamentalist Christians (those who believe in a strict literal interpretation of the Bible). The problem here is that those who voluntarily pray to Allah are religious, but they are not infallible and their hearts are not right with God.

Shimon Peres had another meeting with Pope Francis and asked him to call for a United Nations of Religions to represent the major religions in the world. Mr. Peres wants this United Nations of Religions to serve as a global moral force with authority that cannot be questioned. He wants it to be able to tell the world what God wants and what God doesn’t want.

One problem with this is that God gave the Bible to the world to tell us what He wants and doesn’t want. And what Mr. Peres wants to do would set aside the Bible and pave the way for the False Prophet to head up a one-world secular religion during the Tribulation period (Rev. 13:11-18).

Vice Pres Biden recently spoke out about the beheading of two journalists and said, “As a nation, we’re united. And when people harm Americans, we don’t retreat, we don’t forget.” He added, “We take care of those who are grieving (the reporter’s families) and when that’s finished, they (ISIS) should know we will follow them to the gates of hell until they are brought to justice because hell is where they’ll reside.”

I agree, but if those in Washington don’t stop trying to divide Israel, spread homosexuality, spread humanism, support abortion, rewrite the Bible, etc., and if the church continues to be lukewarm (Rev. 3:16; 2 Chron. 7:14), America could very well wind up at the gates of hell without having to follow ISIS.

John Kerry said the book of Genesis gives America the command to save Muslim majority countries from Global Warming. But the book of Genesis does not mention America, Muslims or Global Warming. Just because someone says the Bible says something that does not mean the Bible says it.

In this case, John Kerry added to the Word of God even though God warned us not to do that (Rev. 22:18-19). Mr. Kerry is an embarrassment because he showed a lack of knowledge and disrespect for the Word of God. Man’s fall came when Adam and Eve distorted and misquoted Scripture (Gen. 3:1-5).

What people say reveals what is in their heart. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh (Matt. 12:34). Those whose hearts are right with God will respect the Scriptures and try to speak the truth. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things (Matt. 12:35).

Anyway, as I think about these things, I don’t think the real enemy is Pink Cross Publishing, China, Pope Francis, Shimon Peres, Vice Pres. Biden or even John Kerry. The apostle Paul said, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:11). Satan is real, he is a liar and the father of lies (Jn. 8:44).

These stories are examples of Satan’s efforts to replace true Christianity with a false religion (Rev. 13:7-8). This battle over the truth and sticking to it is here and it will get much worse. The world will eventually wind up with a global false religion (Rev. 17). When that false religion’s cup of iniquity is full God will put it into the hearts of the Ten Kings to destroy it (Rev. 17:16-17).

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck

The writer of a recent e-mail asked, “Is Matt. 24:36-44 about the Rapture? He thought the verses might be about the Rapture because He was not aware of any Scriptures about the lost being removed from the earth. Before I give my opinion, here are the verses in question.

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matt. 24:36-44).

Some say these verses are about the Second Coming and some say they are about the Rapture. I believe they are about the Second Coming and here are five reasons why:

First, the verses leading up to Matt. 24:36-44 are about the Tribulation period so it seems logical to me that Matt. 24:36-44 continues to be about the Tribulation period. The gospel will go all over the world (verse 14) during the Tribulation period (Rev. 7:4-8; 11:3-12; 14:6). The Temple will be defiled by the Antichrist (verse 15) during the Tribulation period (Dan. 9:27).

Those in Judea (verse 16) will flee into the mountains during the Tribulation period (Rev. 12:14). The Great Tribulation (verse 21) refers to the last half of the Tribulation period. The feast of the eagles (verse 28) will be at the end of the Tribulation period (Rev. 19:17-18). The sun turning dark(verse 29) will be at the end of the Tribulation period. I believe in the Pre-Trib Rapture so I believe Matt. 24:36-44 refers to the Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation period.

Second, Matt. 24 is about Israel not the church. The “holy place” (verse 15) refers to the Temple in Israel. “Those in Judea” (verse 16) refers to people on the West Bank in Israel. The “Sabbath” (verse 20) refers to the day of rest and worship in Israel. The gathering of the “eagles” (vultures; verse 28) refers to the Battle of Armageddon in Israel (Job 39:27-30; Rev. 19:17-18).

The “Fig Tree” (verses 32-33) refers to Israel (Jer. 24:1-10; Hos. 9:10). The “elect” (verses 22, 24 and 31) refers to Israel (Isa. 45:4). So because Matt. 24 is about Israel and not the church verses 36-44 are about the Second Coming not the Rapture. The Tribulation period is about Israel (Dan. 9:24).  The Second Coming is about rescuing Israel (Zech. 14:1-5; Rev. 19:11-21). The Rapture is about the dead in Christ (church not Israel) being caught up into heaven (1 Thess. 4:1-13).

Third, the Rapture is about the removal of the saved (dead in Christ) from the earth (1 Thess. 4:13-18). But Matt. 24:36-44 ties the coming of the Lord to the days of Noah (verse 37). In the days of Noah, the lost were removed from the earth. Those “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage” (verse 38) refers to the lost being removed by the Flood.

Fourth, in Jesus’ interpretation of the Parable of the Wheat and Tares (Matt. 13:36-43) the tares (the lost) will be gathered out of the world by God’s angels and cast into a furnace of fire at the end of the age  (NKJV). And, in the Parable of the Dragnet (Matt. 13:47-50) the bad fish (the lost) will be taken away by God’s angels at the end of the age (NKJV). These parables clearly teach the removal of the lost at the Second Coming.

Fifth, the admonition to “Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (verse 42) is significant. There are no signs of the Rapture so there is nothing to watch for. But there are many signs of the Second Coming and people can watch for them. We cannot know the day or hour of His Coming (Matt: 24:36), but those who watch, can see the Second Coming approaching (Heb. 10:25) and know when it is getting close (Luke 21:28)

In conclusion, Matt. 24:36-44 refers to the Second Coming not the Rapture.

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck