God Blog

• "And the Dragon stood on the shore of the sea. I saw a Beast rising from the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads—on each horn a crown, and each head inscribed with a blasphemous name. The Beast I saw looked like a leopard with bear paws and a lion's mouth. The Dragon turned over its power to it, its throne and great authority. One of the Beast's heads looked as if it had been struck a deathblow, and then healed. The whole earth was agog, gaping at the Beast. They worshiped the Dragon who gave the Beast authority, and they worshiped the Beast, exclaiming, "There's never been anything like the Beast! No one would dare go to war with the Beast!" The Beast had a loud mouth, boastful and blasphemous. It could do anything it wanted for forty-two months. It yelled blasphemies against God, blasphemed his Name, blasphemed his Church, especially those already dwelling with God in Heaven. It was permitted to make war on God's holy people and conquer them. It held absolute sway over all tribes and peoples, tongues and races. Everyone on earth whose name was not written from the world's foundation in the slaughtered Lamb's Book of Life will worship the Beast. Are you listening to this? They've made their bed; now they must lie in it. Anyone marked for prison goes straight to prison; anyone pulling a sword goes down by the sword. Meanwhile, God's holy people passionately and faithfully stand their ground." Revelation 13:1-10 MSG

• "I looked up, I caught my breath!—a white cloud and one like the Son of Man sitting on it. He wore a gold crown and held a sharp sickle. Another Angel came out of the Temple, shouting to the Cloud-Enthroned, "Swing your sickle and reap. It's harvest time. Earth's harvest is ripe for reaping." The Cloud-Enthroned gave a mighty sweep of his sickle, began harvesting earth in a stroke. Then another Angel came out of the Temple in Heaven. He also had a sharp sickle. Yet another Angel, the one in charge of tending the fire, came from the Altar. He thundered to the Angel who held the sharp sickle, "Swing your sharp sickle. Harvest earth's vineyard. The grapes are bursting with ripeness." The Angel swung his sickle, harvested earth's vintage, and heaved it into the winepress, the giant winepress of God's wrath. The winepress was outside the City. As the vintage was trodden, blood poured from the winepress as high as a horse's bridle, a river of blood for two hundred miles." Revelation 14:14-20 MSG

2020 Update

The 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic, BLM rioting and looting, violence and murder have given Prophetic Christians ample opportunity to reevaluate the Times and Seasons in which we live. Some have understandable turned to Bible prophecy, and the Book of Revelation in particular. With the quantum nature of its rich literative and terrifying content, many have and continue to interpret much if not most of John’s message as metaphorical. Some do so attempting to distance themselves from Revelation’s clarion call to fear God, which is the beginning of wisdom, as well as the deep and abiding repentance necessary to endure Christianity’s ruthless final exam. Others, working through difficult truth and challenging allegory, plot the events and run the numbers. The global ruin and utter destruction seems unimaginable, thus arguing for a figurative template.

Never before has the spiritual and societal battle line been drawn so clearly. Even the genocide of abortion is largely unseen. More a religious and moral issue than a global seizure of emergency powers including economic and institutional shutdowns, shelter in place and social distancing ordinances. To say nothing of the Antifa and BLM's campaign of terror supplemented with the tearing down of monuments, while bestowing martyrdom and sainthood on felons. Again, with the approval of a majority of the most powerful individuals, corporations and organizations in the U.S., if not world.

All this as the specters of apocalyptic events appear looming on the horizon. Some, like Matt Walsh, a cultural and political commentator, pinpoint glaring lapses in judgment and common sense. Others forward more nefarious social and spiritual scenarios. As for a COVID-19 vaccine, there are a great many reasons for caution, up to and including genuine concerns in regards to efficacy and safety, not to mention medical professionals questioning plans to roll out genetic manipulation and even nano technology (if video link fails to play click here to download an important 20 min video).

Glaring lapses in judgment and common sense among world and church leaders abound. Others forward more nefarious social and spiritual scenarios, including the introduction of a final New World Order. Possibly even the ushering in of the long foretold Antichrist, as well as the Mark of the Beast. It's not hard to imagine a scenario where the primary, secondary and tertiary global effects of COVID-19 play a significant role in the beginning of sorrows warned of in the gospels, epistles and Revelation. Which again, according to Scripture and contrary to modern opinion, take place before rather than after the Rapture.

Some understandably question why Jesus references the pursuits of seeming ordinary life, like dining and marriage, while discussing the Great Tribulation. A main point often and mistakenly used to support the false Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory. The following points may be of assistance:

1. Matthew 24-25 are considered Christ’s Olivet Discourse.
2. From Matthew 24:1-13 Jesus offers insight into a variety of topics. These include the destruction of Jewish Temple, Times and Seasons (deceptions, wars, famines, plagues and earthquakes - the beginning of sorrows), Persecution, False Prophets, Lawlessness (love of many growing cold) all calling for the endurance of the saints while the gospel is preached to all nations before the end comes.
3. Matthew 24:15-22 may partially describe Rome’s destruction of Jerusalem while prophetically referencing the ruin at the coming of the Antichrist.
4. Matthew 24:23-26 warns of eschatological errors and offers insight regarding Christ’s Return.
5. Matthew 24:29-31 is a further reference to the Great Tribulation and Rapture. Matthew 24:32-35 uses the fig tree as metaphor for the entire period.
6. Matthew 24:36-39 explains only God the Father knows the day and hour, while using the days of Noah as a warning against being caught unaware, “For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
7. Many have used this verse to introduce a secret Pre-Tribulation Rapture conveniently preceding the Great Tribulation (supposedly negating personal concerns). Others, noting Jesus, Paul and John all teach a Mid Tribulation Rapture, consider Christ’s literative use of the days of Noah suggest a metaphorical interpretation of the entire Book of Revelation.
8. More likely, like the Fig Tree and the remaining passages, Matthew 24:42-51, may simply be Jesus addressing the hardness of mankind’s heart throughout the last days, if not the whole of human history.
9. From a Biblical point of view, few things are more certain than man’s propensity to deception from sin above (fallen angels and demons), about (society) and within (fallen nature). A sad but frequent refrain, reaching its crescendo when even after the judgment and destruction of Revelation’s seven seals and six trumpets we are told, “But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality (also a good fit for contraceptive abortion) or their thefts.”
10. The Olivet Discourse then concludes with Matthew 25’s account of Christs parables of the Ten Virgins, Talents and Sheep and Goats, interestingly placing ”eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage” about Mid-Olivet Discourse.
11. BTW: The casualty counts of 1/4 of mankind in Revelation 6:7-8 and 1/3 of mankind in Revelation 9:13-19 present strong evidence for a largely literal interpretation of the Book of Revelation.

See also:

• Rapture Timeline

• Great Tribulation

• Revelation List

• War In Heaven

• As In The Days Of Noah

• Armageddon

• Mark Of The Beast

• Deceiving God's Anointed

• Abortion And The Antichrist

• Eternity…The Wager

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