General Articles

Watching Bible Prophecy Unfold :: By Daymond Duck

Published on: by RR7

The prophet Amos said, “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).

God reveals what He intends to do before He does it.

Some, like myself, believe the Tribulation Period is being set in motion, and few realize how serious this is prophetically.

Those that are not Raptured before the Tribulation will probably die during the Tribulation Period.

Notice these things:

  • The Tribulation Period will begin with a covenant with many (Dan. 9:27). Following 72 years of hostility toward Israel, several Arab nations are discussing the normalization of relations with Israel (much depends on a trip to the Middle East by Jared Kushner and others, but it got off to a good start on August 29, 2020, when the UAE ended its economic boycott with Israel and opened the door for tourism, trade and financial agreements with the Jewish state).
  • The Antichrist will rule over all nations during the Tribulation Period (Rev. 13:7), and a never-ending effort is underway to dump Trump and establish a socialist/communist world government that sounds a lot like the government of Antichrist (The UN goal is to have that government up and running by 2030).
  • The Antichrist will blaspheme God (Rev. 13:5-6). There was no mention of God at the recent Democrat convention that nominated Biden and Harris, which led several pundits to say, “The Democrats have a God problem” (some actually want to replace Christianity with the Global Ethic; World Religion).
  • The Antichrist will be assisted by a religious leader called the False Prophet (Rev. 13:11-18; 16:13), and a high-ranking Catholic leader recently expressed concern that Pope Francis could be the False Prophet (Francis is calling for a world government and a world religion, protecting gay priests, compromising on abortion and other traditional Roman Catholic beliefs, etc. If Pope Francis is the False Prophet, events have to move fast because of his age).
  • During the Tribulation Period, people won’t be allowed to buy or sell unless they take the Mark, the name of the Antichrist or the number of his name (Rev. 13:17). A long list of influential people are calling for everyone on earth to be vaccinated and marked in the coming months.
  • For years, some Bible prophecy teachers have taught that tracking all buying and selling requires a cashless society. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has announced that it will hold its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2021 and its theme will be “The Great Reset,” which includes a plan to replace cash with a digital currency (and to redistribute your wealth; the cashless society is already shaping up all over the world at stores that do not have cashiers. Note: As I was preparing to send this article to the editor, I was told that the WEF has delayed its meeting until this summer, but I have not confirmed it).
  • Famine is a sign of the Second Coming (Matt. 24:7). It is being reported that the demand for food at food banks is up sharply (On Aug. 24, 2020, Pres. Trump increased the spending on certain food distribution programs by one billion dollars).
  • The Second Coming will be like the days of Noah (Matt. 24:37) when the wickedness of man was great (Gen. 6:5). People are rioting, looting, burning and injuring people, etc., in Democrat-run cities, and the Democrats in charge appear to be protecting them.
  • The Tribulation Period will be marked by hyper-inflation and an economic collapse (Rev. 6:5-6), and because of lockdowns due to the Coronavirus, the U.S. has borrowed trillions of dollars to stimulate the economy. The whole world is going broke, and some are saying if people don’t go back to work the global economy will collapse, and more.
  • Pestilence is a sign of the Second Coming (Matt. 24:7). It will be a worldwide pandemic (Rev. 6:7-8) that will cause multitudes to die, and the Coronavirus has been declared to be a worldwide pandemic that it is killing multitudes and will probably get worse.

Jesus was asked about the signs of His coming (Second Coming, not the Rapture) and He said, “Now learn a parable of the fig tree (Israel; Hos. 9:10); When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, this generation (perhaps 70-80 years; Psa. 90:10) shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled” (Matt. 24:32-34).

More could be said, but anyone that knows very much about the Bible should be able to see the existence of Israel, the fact that Israel has been a nation 72 years, and the prophetic significance of the current global situation.

My granddad would probably have said, “Anyone with one eye and half sense can understand that the last days are shaping up just like the Bible says.”

Jesus told Daniel the wise will understand the Tribulation-Period events at the time of the end (Dan. 12:8-10).

Some global elites are planning to control people’s lives, incomes, religion, healthcare, education of their children, force people to live in smaller houses, force people to drive smaller cars, and control the kind and amount of heating and cooling people have, etc.

Some of this is part of the Green New Deal that Bernie Sanders and the Democrats are pushing in this current election.

I want to lovingly remind pastors and teachers that accepting God’s call to be a pastor or a teacher includes an awesome responsibility.

Pastors and teachers will be rewarded for faithfully preaching and teaching the whole Word of God, including the Second Coming (II Tim. 4:8; I Pet. 5:2-4), but pastors and teachers will receive a greater judgment if they ignore their responsibility (James 3:1).

We should not take these words of Jesus lightly, “O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky, but can ye not discern the signs of the times” (Matt. 16:3).

More recent current events are as follows:

One, natural disasters will increase in frequency and intensity (like birth pains) before the Second Coming. After Hurricane Laura tore through Louisiana and Texas with winds up to 150 mph, one survivor said, “It looks like 1,000 tornadoes” came through.

Two, on August 24, 2020, the president of the Barna research group said one in five churches could permanently close within the next 18 months because of the Coronavirus crisis. Church attendance and giving are down, and many pastors will lose their pulpits. My sympathy goes out to these churches and pastors.

But God’s Word cannot be silenced. The good news is that some of those pulpits were silent on prophetic matters, and large numbers of their members are tuning in on TV and the Internet to hear what some of the prophetic preachers of our day are saying. If a pastor does not want to preach the whole Word, God can close the pastor’s church and feed the members through another venue.

Three, on August 26, 2020, Amir Tsarfati reported a buildup of Russian naval vessels in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Syria. What this is all about remains to be seen.

Four, following the announcement that the UAE is ending its economic boycott of Israel, Rabbi Yehudah Glick, of Temple Mount fame, spoke out. It has been reported that he said, “A wave of peace agreements could be a harbinger of a period of peace more conducive to the construction of the Third Temple than the first several decades of modern Israel, which were characterized by wars.”

According to the Book of Daniel, there will be a peace treaty and the Temple will be rebuilt. However, the Antichrist will break that peace treaty at the middle of the Tribulation Period (Dan. 9:27). He will confirm that treaty, and people will declare peace and safety, but the Antichrist will go forth conquering and to conquer (Thess. 5:3; Rev. 6:1-2).

Rabbi Yehudah Glick made another interesting comment, “One of the most significant achievements in this agreement is that this will bring the Arab Muslim citizens of the UAE to the Temple Mount to pray.” They will not be allowed inside the Dome of the Rock to pray, but they can visit the Temple Mount and pray outside. Glick sees this as an opportunity for Jews, Muslims and Christians to pray together and, eventually, for the Temple Mount to become a place of prayer for all people (see Isa. 56:7). This will happen during the Millennium.

For those that are interested, I am not predicting the day or the hour of the Rapture, but a friend recently sent the following Ken Potter information to me:

Rosh HaShanah 2020 Key Times:

START: Sunset in Jerusalem, 9/18/2020 6:40 PM IDT = 9/18/2020 11:40 AM U.S. Eastern

FINISH: Sunset in Jerusalem, 9/20/2020 6:38 PM IDT = 9/20/2020 11:38 AM U.S. Eastern

SOLAR MIDNIGHT AFTER in Jerusalem, 9/21/2020 12:32 AM = 9/20/2020 5:32 PM U.S. Eastern

The following is a link to a video with loads of information about the Feast of Trumpets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=Rqe6iCzNif8

Finally, no one knows the day or the hour of our Lord’s return, but a growing number of the best Bible prophecy teachers believe one’s salvation is an urgent matter.

God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God, who died for the sins of the world and was buried and raised from the dead. Ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, and come into your heart and be your Saviour. Then tell someone that you have done this.

Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc.
Daymond Duck
duck_daymond@yahoo.com

 

 

What’s Wrong with Laodicea? :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: by RR7

 The Book of Revelation is a fascinating study. John saw Jesus, who gave him an amazing picture of things to come. As part of the prophecy, Jesus dictated seven letters to seven congregations of believers. “Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and undo Laodicea” (Revelation 1:11). 

These letters are recorded in Revelation chapters 2-3, and each letter addresses good things and bad things that were happening in those congregations. Although each letter was written to a specific congregation, each letter was to be read by all, which indicates that each letter was relevant to all seven. Those letters also show that there’s a little bit of each of those ancient congregations existing today. When read in order, and looking back through history, we can see that each congregation is representative of the various ages of Christ’s ekklesia… His church.

Many centuries before, Daniel had been given the prophecy of 70 weeks. In that prophecy there is a gap between when the Messiah was “cut off” at the end of the 69th week, and the beginning of the 70th week, which is the final page of history. The 69 weeks and the 70th week all focus on Israel, but the gap between those weeks has been filled by the Christian ekklesia. The letters Jesus dictated were sent to seven real congregations, but they also describe the various ages in Christian history.

The first letter was to Ephesus and describes the first Christians. They were the first to hear the Gospel and respond. In this letter, Jesus congratulated them on the things they had done, their patience, and the fact that they stood firmly on God’s truth. He also pointed out what they were doing wrong.

“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou has left thy first love” (Revelation 2:4). 

What was that love? Their service to Jesus. Religion had entered their life, and instead of doing good in order to serve Jesus, good works had become just that… works. This “era” lasted until about 170 A.D., but there’s a bit of their good and bad among Christians today. Good works are done because that’s what’s expected rather than being done to glorify Christ.

The next letter was sent to Smyrna. This letter talks of persecution they faced. Jesus said “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

Persecution comes from Satan. This letter encouraged them in their time of testing and told of a crown of life that they will receive. The historic era this letter covered lasted until around 312 A.D. We see persecution today and, though it grieves us, we admire the brave souls who face martyrdom rather than denying Christ.

Then came the letter to Pergamos, which held to two standards. They were strong in their faith but also very worldly. Instead of standing firm on God’s truth, they allowed pagan rites to enter their congregation. This era lasted until about 606 A.D. We see many of their errors in congregations today, such as claiming to follow Christ but embracing yoga, allowing homosexuals to be leaders of congregations, and New Age ideas are embraced. Instead of standing firm upon the ways of God, the ways of the world rule.

“Repent, or else I will come to thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth” (Revelation 2:16). 

We need to heed to Jesus’ words.

The next letter is to Thyatira. They did many things right, but they allowed sin into their congregation and deviated from Scriptural truth. The era described in this letter lasted until circa 1520 A.D., but the errors in that church are strongly evident today, especially in the Roman Catholic Church.

Then came the letter to Sardis, which hints at the Protestant reformation and a return to God’s truth. The Protestant revolution re-established truths that had been forgotten, but there were still problems.

“And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God” (Revelation 3:1-2). 

Sardis couldn’t point fingers of accusations at anybody. They seemed spiritually sound on the outside but were dead on the inside. To the outside world they looked like Christians, but inside they were lacking. Jesus told them to repent. We all need to examine our ways and see if we are just putting on a good front before other people instead of having a heart for God. Jesus knows the difference. This era lasted until around 1750 A.D.

The sixth letter went to Philadelphia. That name means “brotherly love,” and Jesus commended them for their love. “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name” (Revelation 3:8). 

History shows there was a Great Awakening as evangelicals brought fire back into Christianity, and missionaries went to remote areas of the world to spread the Gospel. There was also a return to a more literal interpretation of Scripture. No wonder so much good was written about Philadelphia. This zeal for God’s truth lasted until around 1900 A.D. There’s still a bit of that era left today, but it’s hard to find.

That brings us to the final letter, which was written to the congregation at Laodicea. This letter describes most congregations today, and isn’t anything to be proud of. The address here is different than the other letters. Each one was written “to the angel of the church” in each city, but Laodicea isn’t addressed that way.

“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot” (Revelation 3:14-15).

The name Laodicea means “justice of the people,” and the letter is addressed to “the angel of the church of the Laodiceans.” It was the people’s church, not God’s. The people made the rules instead of Scripture being the guide. The people in this congregation were lukewarm in their faith, and Jesus will spew them from His mouth.

There’s always been lukewarm followers of Christ who look like they’re following Jesus but are far from belonging to Him. Judas was one of those people. He hung out with Jesus, followed Him, and seemed to be one of the disciples. Was he? He may have looked like a follower, but it was Judas who betrayed Christ. How many “Christians” today like to go to youth groups or Sunday services, but betray Christ on Monday morning? They are not true Christians, and Jesus will spew them out.

The people in Laodicea thought they had everything they needed in life. “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou are wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17).

Laodicea was a very wealthy place where people were comfortable. There was no real persecution or suffering. Because they were comfortable, they relied on themselves rather than Christ. There’s no doubt at all that Jesus knows what’s truly in the heart of a person. Sitting in a pew and following rituals doesn’t make a person a Christian. If the coziness of our worship services is taken away, how many people will risk worshipping Christ? Will Christ be rejected when your faith is tested?

“I counsel thee to buy of the gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness to not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see” (Revelation 3:18).

Faith that hasn’t been tested can never be trusted. How many Christians profess faith in Christ when life is good, but deny Him when sickness strikes, or the death of a loved one? What happens when you have a nice job that earns enough money to pay bills, but that job is suddenly taken from you? We see this happening today as quarantines and isolation put many people out of work. The riots that are happening in many cities today destroy businesses and take jobs away, causing financial difficulties.

Do you turn against God, or do you draw nearer to Him? It’s easy to profess faith when there’s no trouble in your life. Today’s congregations are full of unbiblical practices and sin is accepted because it shows us to be non-judgmental. These sinful ways are wrong, and God is ready to show us what judgment is really like.

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Revelation 3:19).

Repent means to change your mind. God will rebuke those who live in a way that’s not Scriptural. If a congregation is happy with homosexual members, fornicators, liars, thieves, and such, God will rebuke them. Sinners must be witnessed to and encouraged to repent, but their sin cannot be accepted. This last letter describes what’s happening in congregations today.

Does this mean that there’s no hope? Jesus hasn’t given up on us. He’s still there calling to people to come to Him.

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” Revelation 3:20-21.

While you have breath, it’s not too late to come to the saving grace of Jesus. He’s knocking but won’t force His way into your heart. Don’t wait for your pastor to wake up and lead the congregation back to the path of righteousness, but you answer the knock on the door yourself. Do it today because tomorrow may be too late.

These letters describe Christianity which has filled the “gap” between Daniel’s 69th and 70th weeks. Revelation chapter 4 describes the Rapture.

“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold a throne was set in heaven, and one say on the throne” (Revelation 4:1-2).

It’s a wise person who accepts Christ and lives for Him now. One day soon we will hear that voice calling Christians Home. Are you lukewarm and putting off surrendering your life to Him? If you reject Jesus now, you’ll find it nearly impossible to accept Him at a time when faith in Him will cost you your head. Answer His knock today.

What’s wrong with Laodicea? Everything. Jesus is not inside, but on the outside knocking to be invited in. They don’t see a need for Jesus, they are lukewarm in their faith, they accept sin as normal because they want to please the world, and their faith has never been tested because they’ve never done anything for Christ to cause persecution.  A question we might ask is what’s wrong with the church of San Francisco, or the church of Seattle, or the church of London? “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Revelation 3:22). These words were written to you.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos” – God breathed.

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