When the word “religion” is mentioned, countless thoughts come to mind. According to Wikipedia, there are roughly 4,200 religions in this world. They speak of churches, denominations, religious bodies, faith groups, tribes, cultures, movements, ultimate concerns, and so forth. It’s interesting that even atheism is considered a religion but without a god. (ESV – all emphasis mine)

One of the most interesting facts that the Bible gives is that our Savior had the most negative issues with the main Jewish religious body of His day. He constantly called them out for their non-godly worship requirements, and though He knew what the outcome would be, He called them hypocrites regularly.

Moses was God’s choice to formalize the Jewish faith through the 10 Commandments. The Father even provided plans for the worship temple and gave instructions for daily living that were meant to make their lifestyle easier. He wanted them to thrive and grow and to know that He was to be the only God they worshiped.

As time passed and different people became temple priests, they added to God’s word and took away from it to suit their own selfish desires. It would have been impossible to try and compare God’s original word to the temple rulers and what was actually in place when Jesus was here. In Matthew 23, Jesus gave the “woe-be’s” against the scribes and Pharisees. In verse 24, His condemnation of them was direct and to the point; “You blind guides; straining out a gnat, and swallowing a camel.” Needless to say, the majority of the Sanhedrin saw Jesus as a threat to their plush lifestyle.

After our Savior was crucified, buried, and rose from the dead, one might think there would have been a massive revival and acceptance of Him as their Savior. However, while there were some converts, many chose to deny the Savior and to hold on to their man-made traditions. Even today, with the worldwide Jewish population of about 15.2 million people, only about 1% to 2% are Messianic, which are those who accept Jesus as their Messiah.

This will change by the end of the 7-year tribulation/wrath. God will have disciplined His chosen people, and their outcome is described in Zechariah 13:8-9; “In the whole land, declares the Lord, two-thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one-third shall be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire and refine them as one refines silver and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.'”

We are currently in what is known as the “Church Age.” This is considered to have officially started at Pentecost and will last until the “fullness of the Gentiles has come in,” which will be the Rapture (Romans 11:25). Jesus established His “Church” and paid for it in full through His shed blood. His sacrifice for our sins was the only one the Father could accept that will last through all eternity. It was not meant for the Jewish people only, but everyone (John 10:16).

When Jesus said, “It Is Finished!” in John 19:30, His message was that everything had been done to complete the foundation for our Salvation. When the Holy Spirit, or “Helper,” came as Jesus said He would in John 16:7-14, all who would call on Jesus to be their Savior would be part of His church. This does not refer to any building made with human hands or any evangelical or other denomination but is made up of the very souls that each one of us has.

Though Jesus suffered a most agonizing death on a cross, His resurrection gave us the most “Glorious Day” ever. His death, burial, and resurrection conquered sin and death for all time, and we can choose to receive the gift He “bought” for us. Once we have done so, He sends the “Helper” to live within us until He comes to take us Home.

This is a free-will choice, and each individual person must make it for themselves. Unlike some so-called religions, our Heavenly Father will never force anyone to become a part of it, and the gift is free. There are no works or special rituals to be done, as that would say the Savior did not fully pay for our way. That would also be an insult against what Jesus did for all of us.

Even the angels rejoice when a sinner repents (Luke 15:10), and the Light of the Glorious Day becomes our true everlasting Savior.

A song by Casting Crowns released in 2009 also contains part of a 1910 hymn written by J. Wilburn Chapman. “Glorious Day – Living, He Loved Me.”

1.) One day when Heaven was filled with His praises, one day when sin was black as could be, Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin, dwelt among men; my example is He. Word became flesh, and the Light shined among us; His Glory revealed.

(ref) Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me; buried, He carried my sins far away. Rising, He justified, freely forever; one day He’s coming, Oh Glorious Day; Oh Glorious Day.

2.) One day, they led Him up Calvary’s mountain; one day, they nailed Him to die on a tree. Suffering anguish, despised and rejected, bearing our sins, My Redeemer is He. Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree, and took the nails for me. (ref)

3.) One day, the grave could conceal Him no longer; one day, the stone rolled away from the door. Then He arose, over death He had conquered; now He’s ascended, My Lord evermore.

Death could not hold Him; the grave could not keep Him from rising again. (ref)

4.) One day, the trumpet will sound for His coming; one day, the skies with His glories will shine. Wonderful day, my Beloved One bringing; My Savior Jesus is Mine! (ref)

John 10 tells us about our Shepherd and that once we truly are His, no one can take us from Him. The steps to receive and accept Jesus are found in Romans 10:9-13.

The Father wants no one to fail, as stated in 2 Peter 3:9. He will give us every opportunity to accept His Son, right up to our last breath on this earth. The repentant thief on the cross is a good example of this (Luke 23:39-43)

The unforgivable sin is to take your last breath on this earth without Jesus as your Savior. There will be no pardons, no do-overs, no forgiveness. That outcome is found in Revelation 20:11-15, and the results are for all eternity.

All who have Jesus will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, as given in 2 Corinthians 5:10. This is to receive or lose rewards for whatever we have done while on this earth.

There are no third options, which false prophets will try to tell you there are. Which judgment you will ultimately end up with will be totally your choice. Personally, I choose the Judgment Seat because no matter what, I will still be with My Lord and Savior forever. Meanwhile, I am not doing works to “earn” any part of Heaven, but anything I can do to honor my Lord and Savior is my greatest desire.

Tomorrow could be too late to avoid the wrath and to miss the calling us up to meet Jesus in the air. Today would be the best time to call on Him to ensure your eternity will be absolutely awesome.

Maranatha – Shalom! Come, Lord Jesus – Peace!

huebshman46@gmail.com

 

 

As usual, I’m a little late to the game discussing the possibility of America being – or not being – Commercial Babylon, which Revelation 18 states will be destroyed in an almost instantaneous move of God. My friend Terry James recently published the chapter discussing this from a book he wrote a couple of years ago. The name of the article is America: Babylon’s Mirror Image. In this well-reasoned piece, Terry answers the question of whether America is in the Bible as the Babylon described in this dramatic passage by saying, “Perhaps.” There are certainly pros and cons to this issue, and I thought I’d weigh in to give my perspective.

In Revelation 18:8,10,17 we see the relevant description of Babylon being laid waste:

“For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”

“Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

“For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.”

In a previous offering, I’ve argued that commercial Babylon portrayed here is the rebuilt literal Babylon from ancient days, primarily because John’s revelation echoes the prophecy of Isaiah, which was certainly pointing at that physical city. In addition, the necessary destruction of Babylon in order to punish the demonic entities inhabiting it has never occurred. So, right up front, you know where my bias lies in this regard.

However, let’s set that aside for a moment and consider the thesis that suggests America may in some manner be the “Babylon” referred to in the Bible’s last book. The two questions we need to explore briefly are:

1. Why could America be the target for the Revelation prophecy?
2. Why is it unlikely that our nation is the Babylon pointed to as being destroyed in one day, i.e., a single hour?

We can also ask – as an aside: Why does it matter? That’s actually quite pertinent given the dearth of Bible prophecy teaching today and the absence of its warnings to those blithely walking around both saved and unsaved.

Why could America be the target for the Revelation prophecy?

One of the most relevant answers to this question is the description of Babylon as a commercial center in which the kings of the earth have grown wealthy. America has been the engine of economic growth for many years and has produced numerous millionaires, plus not a few billionaires. Many of these people are highly influential because they’re so rich. They could certainly be called kings in this regard.

The luxury that we as a nation enjoy is the envy of the world. We’ve had lives that others can only dream about. Is it any wonder so many people have desired to come to our shores? However, this has resulted in a debauched lifestyle – one full of iniquities and abominations that indeed have been heaped high to the heavens. Our sins have been a stench in God’s nostrils. We’ve filled our cup to overflowing with poison that surely soon we’ll have to consume if God can be considered just and righteous.

We’ve traded with the world, fed it, evangelized it, and clothed ourselves in return with every kind of comfort imaginable, saying for our efforts, “Why do we need God? What has He ever done for us?” Our turning away from Him and indulging in every anti-God activity under the sun has actually kindled the fire of the funeral dirge. Can it be long before we go up in smoke and vanish from the earth?

Given all this, comparing us to Babylon and her sudden destruction doesn’t seem like a stretch. Our nation is everything described in Revelation that is worthy of God’s wrath in a single hour.

And yet, there are significant problems in equating America with this future city.

Why is it unlikely that our nation is the Babylon pointed to as being destroyed in one day, i.e., a single hour?

As I said earlier, I think the correlation with Isaiah’s prophecy and the need for punishment upon that demonic region are both significant.

Aside from them, we have the description of the Gog-Magog War in Ezekiel 38-39 that gives us another clue. As I previously pointed out, Ezekiel’s War is another near-term prophecy likely happening not long after the Rapture of the true church. Ezekiel is quite clear that no one comes to Israel’s aid when she is attacked by the forces of Gog, i.e., Russia, Turkey, Iran, and other willing nations. The best we’ve got is a few countries saying, “Hey, what’s up with this invasion?” and sitting back to watch. Under normal circumstances, Israel is supposed to be our ally. Given the military cooperation we’ve enjoyed between the two countries over the years, one would think America would come to Israel’s assistance. That’s not the case, and we must ask: Why?

Two major reasons come to mind, and they may actually meld into a single explanation.

#1 – America has turned so anti-Israel because of our anti-Semitic leadership that we wouldn’t lift a finger to help because of our hostility toward her and approval of Islamic objectives.

It’s no secret that Israel hatred has been rising. There has always been the contingent of politicians and celebrities who would be quite happy to see Israel destroyed in the same manner their good friends in Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran have long desired. Our current political regime has no love lost for Israel. Under the current administration – with the egging on of pro-Palestinian Congress-people (think “The Squad” among others) – can we truthfully picture America getting involved in a conflict Israel appears sure to lose?

#2 – America is in no position to help because our nation has effectively been destroyed from within.

If we’re honest with ourselves, life in America will never again be “normal” as we’ve known it. In fact, given our downhill trajectory, there may not be an America much longer. I’ll expand on this more, but if what many of us see happening before our very eyes is actually the deliberate demise of our nation (which it is), we will be in no position to do anything to support Israel.

Obviously, these two reasons coalesce because the same people are responsible for both scenarios. We’re experiencing a deliberate takedown by the very individuals elected to serve and protect this once great nation.

Here’s the issue we must grapple with: Can America continue to exist in any sort of prominent manner? The globalists – that satanically inspired group of elites calling the shots of everything wicked that happens in this world – have determined that NOW is the time to make their move to implement their New World Order. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has actually stated that America won’t be a superpower by 2030, having been cut down to size and insignificant as a global power.

We know what this looks like. The last 2 1/2 years have brought us COVID and the understanding that a large number of people will do exactly what their government demands, regardless of the harm.

A large measure of that damage has been effected by the faux vaccines that (for those of us who see this because we’re awake) kill and maim. An extinction protocol has been enacted.

Integral to this elimination procedure is what has been done to our military. The COVID jabs have proven to cause serious adverse effects, yet what do our leaders insist upon? They stress that the men and women serving in uniform all take the jab or be run out of the military on a rail.

Adding insult to injury, the leadership in our armed services has decided the most crucial preparation for the troops is to use proper pronouns so that each person is correctly gendered. If having the most woke military – along with being the most sensitive to others’ feelings – won wars, we would conquer hands down against every other army in the world. But we know they’re all laughing at us as our most powerful enemies actually train to fight and win in any hostile engagements.

Two other major problems that are on display are the open border policies that are causing us to lose our national-structural integrity, and the political schism that has been fueled by charges of racism, etc., for years.

We are close to the point with so many illegal aliens swarming into our country that, before long, the idea of “America’ will be lost. If there is no melting pot and no common ideal, America as the grand experiment to propagate individual and national liberty for all is gone.

Adding to this sovereignty disaster is the fact that never again will the American people ever come together in unity. We are far too bifurcated into left-right concepts. Given the recent overturning of Roe v Wade, that could be the catalyst for civil war.

We could also talk about the schools and how they’ve created little Marxists. In this forum, we could speak of the apostasy in churches that has separated them so successfully. I doubt if we’re even at a 20-80 split of Bible-believing churches versus those which choose their own beliefs, let alone a 50-50 divide, which might still provide some hope.

Add all these terrible forces together, and we come to the conclusion that America cannot be so-called commercial Babylon because this nation will have long since slid down into the status of a nonentity.

No kings mourn and cry for America when Babylon’s destruction occurs in Revelation 18. Their wails and lamentations will be for another. Don’t cry for me, Argentina, says America, for I am no more, long before Babylon’s final end results.

Finally, what is the implication of this for believers? Why should we care about far-away Babylon? The reality is that, because America isn’t that pagan-demonic city in the pages of Scripture, what we’re seeing now in this nation is its demise that will soon result in the pre-Tribulation Rapture.

Our end is near as a most favored nation. Marxists have taken control at the instigation of global elitists who require America gone from the nationalist scene. As globalism rises, so does anti-Christian fervor. Those who follow Jesus Christ are a nuisance and a threat. We must be disposed of. Thus, persecution will come. Are you ready?

Yet, at some point, when everything seems darkest, light will shine down from heaven upon us who love Jesus, and we’ll be called into the clouds to join our Lord and Savior. I think we’ll be required to practice the patience of the saints for just a little while longer. Then our perseverance will pay off in the greatest joy imaginable.

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Gary Ritter website: books & blog
http://garyritter.com/

Kindle Vella story: Tribulation Rising
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099Z462WD