(Isaiah 65-66; 2 Thessalonians 1)

To anyone who believes that God is finished with Israel, I say that you need to read your Bible through a different lens. The popular misconception – willingly construed, it seems, in many instances – is that because Israel was complicit in the death of Jesus, God finally had enough of His Chosen People and unchose them. Among other things, this leads many to reinterpret the Old Testament by declaring that every reference to the nation of Israel is actually to the future New Testament church. Talk about anti-Semitism! This is about as wrong a way of understanding God and the overall Biblical narrative as any ever concocted.

We have only to consider the history of Israel to see the truth. Yes, Israel was rebellious and disobedient throughout her history. Yes, God gave her over to her iniquities time and again to bring judgment upon her. But He also continually promised to restore her. The questions are: Did God restore Israel during the Church Age? Will He bring about a final restoration? To that, we can respond Yes and Yes.

In all of human history, no nation that had been completely destroyed and its people scattered has ever come back into existence. Yet, Israel did. In fact, the reestablishment of her as a nation was an absolute miracle of God. He foretold it, and He brought that prophecy to fulfillment. Isaiah 66:7-9 states:

“Before she was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she delivered a son. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?’ says the Lord; ‘shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?’ says your God.”

Can anyone dispute that this passage speaks about the rebirth of Israel that miraculously occurred on May 14, 1948? Of course, it’s evident to most of us that this resulting nation is secular, yet God intends to turn the hearts of the people to Him. Among other passages, Zechariah 13:8-9 speaks of this time of redemption that happens at the end of the Tribulation:

“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.'”

Is God through with Israel? Well, if you can read, it should be evident that the answer is a resounding No!

Let’s return to Isaiah above for what I’d like to convey and analogize in this essay.

The passage speaks of the birth process. In Israel’s case, that had actually occurred over a number of years. God had to shape the circumstances in the world to bring all the necessary pieces of the puzzle into alignment for this one-day fulfillment. World War 1 resulted in the Balfour Declaration. World War 2 resulted in the extreme persecution of the Jews. These events led to the sentiment that Jews needed their own homeland and that it should be where it had historically been in OT times. During these years, many Jews had also returned to that God-forsaken piece of real estate that Mark Twain in his book, Innocents Abroad (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004SQTBKC/) declared:

“The further we went, the hotter the sun got, and the more rocky and bare, repulsive and dreary the landscape became…. There was hardly a tree or a shrub anywhere. Even the olive and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country.”

“Many are Israel’s forsaken places, and great is the desecration. The more sacred the place, the greater the devastation it has suffered. Jerusalem is the most desolate place of all.”

These returning Jews had a lot of work to do because God had cursed Israel for a time so that no other people would find it a pleasant place to settle.

All this set the stage. The labor of a woman for Israel’s rebirth was the analogy God used. Birth pains had been growing, increasing in intensity. Suddenly, on a single day, through a miraculous set of circumstances, Israel was born on May 14, 1948. God said He would do it, and He did. He did it for a purpose because He wasn’t finished with Israel as a nation. The church was the church; Israel was Israel. Biblically, although there is a joining of believers in faith in Jesus Christ, each is dealt with separately.

Now, consider again what God said in Isaiah 66:9:

“Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?’ says the Lord; ‘shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?’ says your God.”

This is a critical point in understanding Bible prophecy. In fact, it is vital for us to realize that when God begins the birth process, He will bring it to completion.

What is the nature of that process? For a woman, when the birth pains begin, they signal the impending event of delivery. The contractions grow closer together and increase in intensity. Eventually, the pain is overwhelming, and birth quickly happens. Once labor begins, it doesn’t stop. A woman does not go into labor and then go out of it. It’s a forward-moving process that must be completed.

Why do I bring this up? How did Jesus describe what would happen at the time of His return? In the Olivet Discourse, He explains the various signs that will take place prior to His coming. In Matthew 24:8, Jesus says:

“All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.”

All that happens in the run-up to Jesus’ reappearing and inserting Himself again into human history He likens to the birth process. Again, what is that like? As I noted above:

For a woman, when the birth pains begin, they signal the impending event of delivery. The contractions grow closer together and increase in intensity. Eventually, the pain is overwhelming, and birth quickly happens.

When the process begins, there is no stopping it. Times will grow worse; the world will become darker. All necessary circumstances contributing to Jesus’ return will intensify and grow closer together, and they will not relent.

What this means is that there will be no Nineveh revival. There will be no Great Awakening. This side of the Tribulation, there will be nothing that changes the hearts of men in any universal manner. Will there be pockets of people turning to faith in Christ between now and the Rapture? Absolutely. But no worldwide resurgence of belief will halt the inevitable march toward God’s judgment upon this world, i.e., the culmination of birth pains and the delivery of God’s wrath.

Before that happens, the Lord has promised to remove His true church, the Bride of Christ, from this hour of trial that is coming (Revelation 3:10).

This is our blessed hope. Nothing will delay these things because the birth process is in play. The signs are evident and available to all with eyes to see and ears to hear. Soon, and very soon, Jesus will bring us home!

Note: The Lord put it on my heart this year to write a daily essay relating to my practice of Reading Through the Bible in a Year. Last year, that resulted in my producing the Awaken Bible Study Notes, a 4-volume set correlating with each quarter’s readings. This year in my writings, truly through the grace of God, I’m producing the 4-volume Awaken Bible Commentary and Reflections series. Volume 1, which covers January – March (Genesis 1 – Judges 5; Matthew 1 – Luke 7), is now available on Amazon in both paper and Kindle e-book formats at this link:

Awaken Bible Commentary and Reflections series Volume 1

If these daily writings have been a blessing to you, I hope that you’ll acquire this first book and the subsequent ones as I finish editing them. My intent in all I write is to bring God the glory and to make His people think.

As in the Study Notes from last year, the Commentary and Reflections delve into the prophetic and supernatural nature of God’s Word, a combination you simply won’t find elsewhere. They attempt to show the parallels to our times and the peril from the past when God’s people turn away from Him and His commands. Scripture is very much a blueprint for today.

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Gary W. Ritter is a lay pastor, Bible teacher, and prolific author. His Whirlwind Series comprises three books: Sow the Wind, Reap the Whirlwind, and There Is a Time. These books are contained in the collected volume of the Whirlwind Omnibus. Gary has written many other Christian thrillers that will challenge you, and which you can learn about at his website:www.GaryRitter.com.

Recently, Gary wrote a novella for the new Kindle Vella platform called Tribulation Rising: Seal Judgments – The Coming Apocalypse. This seven-part short work can be found at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099Z462WD. You can also watch Gary’s video Bible teachings on Rumble at his Awaken Bible Prophecy channel: https://rumble.com/c/c-783217.

 

Revelation 6:12-17, Revelation 9:1-21, Revelation 16:8-9, Luke 13:3, Luke 15:7, Acts 26:20

Summary: The book of Revelation is God’s final warning to the sinner to repent and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation before His wrath and judgment come upon this wicked world. Even in the midst of hell on Earth, there will be many who will not repent to their eternal peril. Where do you stand?

Some time ago, I participated in an online study of the book of Revelation with a fellow pastor and dear friend in the LORD. He was explaining some of the possible scenarios that will appear on the earth during the time of what Scripture refers to as “the Great Tribulation” (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:21), a specific period of time where God will judge the world for its rebellion, wickedness, and hatred of all things holy and sacred as pertaining to the Gospel and its message of redemption solely through the work of Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12, 16:31; Romans 5:6-11, 10:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:7-12; Revelation 1:8).

It is during the period of excessive judgment and wrath that God will allow evil and the devil who birthed it to run its course in the person of the Antichrist (1 John 2:18, 22, 4:3; 2 John 7; Revelation 13:1-10). Sometime before this period of judgment is poured upon the earth, all people who have genuinely placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation will have been taken away to heaven by the Lord Jesus in the event known as “the Rapture of the church” (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, 4:13-18).

In reading Revelation, we see that there is a specific flow of historical and supernatural events that occur on Earth and in the portals of heaven. When the saints of God arrive in heaven, we witness, as did John and Paul (2 Corinthians 12:1-10; Revelation, Chapters 4, 5), the magnificent glory, wonder, holiness, and majesty of God Almighty and the heavenly realm offering Him praise and worship. We will see with our own eyes the Sovereignty and plans of the LORD come to pass and be fulfilled for His glory and grace.

In the book of Revelation, we read that He will not tolerate sin and sinful people and beings any longer. His justice will come upon the rebels of both Earth and the underworld who have maligned, blasphemed, denied, and hated Him and His plans since the Fall in Eden. His promise to make all things new will come to pass (Revelation 21:1), evil will be judged and punished (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:11-15), and the Paradise that was in the beginning (Genesis 1, 2) will be created again and last for eternity.

From the point where the redeemed enter heaven, God opens the floodgate of a series of judgments on the world that progress in their intensity. For a period of seven years, the unredeemed will both witness and suffer with plagues upon the wildlife, plants, waters, and overall living conditions. Upon reading what He has posted in the Scriptures, these coming judgments and their eternal consequences ought to terrify and awaken every person in this world. Everyone should tremble over their sins, repent, and surrender their lives to the saving grace, mercy, and peace offered by God through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and to listen to the guiding voice of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 6:2).

There will be multitudes in the period of the Great Tribulation who will come to Christ (Revelation 7:9-17). These people were non-believers who had been left behind at the time of the Rapture, and by the mercy of God the Holy Spirit, had their eyes opened to what has occurred. They lost loved ones who were saved beforehand, or had read one of the many copies of the Scriptures that had been left behind, or watched a video on social media (provided that none of these had been confiscated by the governing powers at that time), or other means that the LORD used to draw them to the cross and to salvation. These are the “Tribulation Saints,” and many of them will be killed for their faith (Revelation 20:4). These dear brethren in the LORD are part of the redeemed but at a great cost.

What amazes me as I read through Revelation is that even with all of the literal hell on Earth that God promises is coming, there will be a majority of people who will nonetheless harden their hearts and turn against the very God who loves them and offers them an eternal home free from sin, sorrow, wickedness, and all the ills that cling to us like a loathsome sore that will not heal.

What I want to do from this point on is focus on one chapter in Revelation that perfectly illustrates the progression of demonic evil in this world and the fate of those who foolishly decide to embrace it and reject the only hope of rescue that God Almighty offers during that terrible time.

Chapter 9 of Revelation describes the ascension of an angel to the earth to open what is referred to as a “bottomless pit (9:2), a symbol of the horrors and abandonment of hope that is eternal hell, and allow fierce demonic beings to bring torment upon the wicked population of the world who have rejected the saving offer of God. These beings are given an order not to touch the foliage of the world (what’s left of it by this time) but to hit the unredeemed with pain that is equal to that of a severe scorpion sting. This will be an agonizing pain that will be so unbearable that people will want to die in order to relieve themselves from the agony.

For a period of five months, these horrid malevolent beings from hell will continually hurt and torment all who will not surrender their lives to Christ nor acknowledge the truth of God.

This is all bad enough, but reading further, four malevolent angels who had rebelled against God at the start of history and been bound at the River Euphrates since that time are now released to slaughter a third of humanity. On top of this, an army of 200,000,000 marches upon the world, along with an outbreak of plagues. Whether this is an actual human army or one of demons is a point of discussion. But whatever their origin, the consequences of this demon-led onslaught is that — out of a population estimated as of 2021 to be 8 billion — the body count is over 2 billion at this point in Revelation, and the full force of judgment is yet to come.

You would think that common sense and the obvious collapse of everything around them would bring people to their knees begging God for forgiveness of sins and embracing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I am afraid not, and the trouble is that many of you who come across this sermon will perfectly fit into what Scripture describes about this situation:

“And the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, DID NOT REPENT of the works of their hands, so as to not worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor their immorality nor of their thefts” (Revelation 9:20-21, NASB).

Let me put it to you as plain as day, friend:

• If you have spent your life in denial of God’s existence,
• or have used His Holy name only to curse someone or something,
• or have only used Him as a weapon to protect your political ideology or lifestyle,
• or have turned against Him in order to serve Satan and his so-called “offers of power and control” over people and events,
• or have done a host of things to denigrate, revile, blaspheme, slander, and mock Him or deny that He even exists, no matter that creation and your own conscience tell you otherwise (Romans 1:18-22),
• and you deliberately through indifference, disbelief, or outright rebellion turn Him away, along with His free offer of salvation and grace (Matthew 11:28-30; John 10:28-30, 11:25, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Hebrews 4:14-16, 7:25),

then you are in the group that will witness this taste of eternal hell on Earth, and it won’t affect your conscience or soul one little bit.

God Almighty, in His Holy Word (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21), has given you a written warning of what awaits you eternally as you go through the horrors of the Great Tribulation. The release of these wretched beings from the pit, along with the death and misery they will inflict upon you, will be a preview of both the torment you will endure and the company you will keep in hell when all is done, judged, and made final at the end of days according to Scripture. This chapter is describing just a few of the horrors to descend on this world, and the time is fast approaching for everything to fall into place. Don’t deny it, and do not doubt me.

Right now, there are many of you who have “just found” this website and these messages who are dabbling if not totally absorbed in witchcraft, Satanic worship, and all kinds of unspeakable evils, and you think you will get away with all of the malevolent deeds and thoughts you have committed in your life and be rewarded by the devil for your faithful service. You have been the victim of a lie, a con job, and an assault on your eternal soul by the devil, who is nothing more than a created, limited, spiteful creature (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19). He has nothing to gain from his rebellion and wickedness except to somehow think that He can “spite” God by taking you to the same hell he and his demons will head at the end of time (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).

God does not take any pleasure in the death or judgment of a wicked person (Ezekiel 18:23), but at the day where you and all who reject Jesus Christ stand before Him at the Great White Throne for final judgment and sentencing, He will put you in a place of your own choosing, having rejected Him and His offer of mercy and grace.

The reason you will end up in hell is because you chose to rebel, follow the devil and your wicked ways, and paddled your own canoe down to perdition forever.

Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross to prevent you from ending up in hell and facing eternal judgment. He took your sins and mine upon Himself willingly to rescue us from the sin debt that we cannot pay in our own strength or ways (Ephesians 2:8-9). He offers you forgiveness of sins that will no longer be remembered or held against you (Psalm 103:12). He offers you cleansing from your sins, a new life, a new purpose, and a new world to come. Why would you choose to throw that offer of love and compassion away? Why would you want to stay in a state of rebellion and witness the approaching hell on Earth that is the sum and substance of God’s wrath, of which we are seeing a foretaste right now?

I implore you as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ — and probably the only person who is willing to be truthful and honest with you at this moment — to PLEASE repent of your sins, seek the forgiveness of God, and surrender your life to the Lord Jesus Christ right now! If what we read in Revelation is true (and it is), why would you want to delay or deny what is obviously upon us? All this, and yet you will not repent? Do not make that foolish and eternally deadly decision.

donaldwhitchard@gmail.com

www.realitycityreverend.com

My YouTube broadcasts titled “The Reality City Review” will be posted on Facebook, GETTR, Parler, and on my website when completed. My main area of discussion will be on the basics of the Christian faith but will also deal with prophetic issues and other topics as the Lord impresses upon me to handle.