Into the Gauntlet

Daniel 12:1-3 "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of troubles, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting shame and contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."

This is a passage of scripture that I refer to often, however, there's a specific reason to referring to it here. The saints of God; those who have been to calvary and know Jesus Christ; we need to keep our hearts on the world to come and be aware of the things which are coming to pass. The end time events which are coming to fruition even as you read this will be more tragic than any other notable events in history. I'm striving to avoid debate over rapture timing in this post; it's being written for anyone who "has ears to hear" concerning this matter. My exhortation to all is to pray over, and search the scriptures. Do it with all sincerety; take off the goggles of tradition encased in doctrinal teachings and really "hear what the Spirit sayeth unto the churches." You owe it to yourself to seek the truth and not just follow the concensus. If the concensus is accurate than uphold it, however, if it's an error, you're setting yourself up for shipwreck. A "white lie" can destroy you faster than cyanide.

In referring to the end times, the bible speaks primarily in broad concepts which often get misassigned to various events in history. For example, if you lived in Europe around 1939, it would have been "blatently clear to you" that Adolph Hitler was the man of sin. While it is true that Adolph Hitler was a foreshadowing of the man of sin, he wasn't the one to cause the whole world to follow him. While he, like the antichrist, had a charismatic personality coupled with a very occultic belief system, there was never a false prophet to perform false signs and his regime never consumed the whole world. He did enter peaceably, but conquered through war until his demise. Nonetheless, the picture set forth by the Nazis gives us a blueprint of how the beast government will operate. (You may not know this, but Adolph Hitler was elected into office)

Daniel 8:23 "And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.

What does this tell us? Simply this: in the last days there will be a vile person who will put himself into the fray. Until that moment he will operate in the shadows. He will have an extensive understanding of the occult and will use these entities to his advantage. Just a note concerning this. Anyone who'se playing with ouija boards, tarot cards or any form of divination, consulting with mediums, or whatever it is that one might do for the sake of "fun" or so called "enlightenment;" you are interacting with entities which are unbelievably dangerous. Entities which may pose as a "spirit guide" or an "angel of light" but in reality, want you to share their fate; that being an eternity in a lake of fire. There are people, very close to me, who have been ruined by such forces.

Daniel 8:24 "And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.

This man will be very powerful but the power wont be of himself. He's going to destroy and "be prosperous" for a season. He will make war with the saints as also told in Daniel chapter seven and Revelation chapter thirteen. I believe that this is the time in which the great falling away will take place. The "great falling away must transpire before the man of sin is revealed. As I write this, I realize that 98% of the church is expecting a pre-tribulation rapture. (I'm sorry; it came up and must be addressed) When the man of sin is revealed, and these folks find themselves still here, I wonder how many will still hold to their faith; knowing of the events that they had been told would only befall the carnal christians who were "LEFT BEHIND." In the days to come, the faith of the saints will be tried in ways that we can't imagine and it's imperative to establish the heart NOW! You must understand how deceptive this man will be. He will be empowered directly by Satan. Satan is so deceptive that he caused a third of the angels to abandon their first estate in heaven. He's a smooth operator and we live in a generation that's fasinated by "smooth operators." Smooth talking preachers draw tens of thousands as they proclaim an earth-based fleshy gospel that keeps the heart anchored to the "here and now" instead of longing to be in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Daniel 8:25 "And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

This verse is packed full of insight. Once again, there's a reference to the occultic background that will be made to prosper during this time. If you look at the United States, our culture is already on board. Movies, books, and television programs which feature diverse forms of sorcery, extraterrestrials, or anything with a supernatural theme that's apart from God, top the lists of popularity. This gives us a clear picture as to what's lurking in the hearts of men these days. The one world religion that will emerge from the "big ecumenical tent" derived from every faction under the sun, will have a very anti christian theme supported by false signs and lying wonders. It's going to look like the "real dea"l and undiscerning will flock to it. As I write this, the pope (you know, the next to the last one) is visiting Turkey in an effort to "unite" islam and christianity. As this process unfolds, both here and in other venues, it will take on a nature that's blatantly anti-christian. I was just pondering this. We quote the verse where "strong delusions" are mentioned, on a regular basis. But when you begin to analyze the various facets, it boggles your mind as to the scope of it. Truly, the stage is set; this cannot be denied.

Also learned in this verse is how the man of sin will destroy through peace. The ecumenical movement is one of peace. (Can't we all get along?) The United Nations professes to be an entity of peace. Peace should be breaking out all over. We know that peace is definately NOT breaking out all over, however the antichrist will instill a pseudo peace and the masses will flock to him. He will also magnify himself in his heart, according to Daniel 8:25. He may come across as one who only wants to serve, but in his heart, he will be king and his policies will reflect this self-perception.

"HE SHALL BE BROKEN WITHOUT HAND! What does this mean? Simply this. Jesus Christ will return with the saints. The antichrist; along with all who follow him will be utterly destroyed by the brightness of his coming. Yesterday I did a post on the other site on what happens when folks have a close encounter with God. It can be viewed at:

www.timbob.wordpress.com

The Day of the Lord will be a day like no other day in history. The false prophet will send forth devils working miracles to draw the armies of the earth into battle at Armageddon. It is at this time when Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords will appear and utterly defeat them. The beast and the false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire and Jesus will establish the millenial reign. This will be a time of heaven on earth as complete righteousness covers the earth. In an earlier post I remember commentiong on what it would be like if everyone just abided by the principles set forth in the sermon on the mount. (Matthew chapters 5-7) When Jesus reigns, this will be the norm. There will be peace on earth. The devil will be locked up in the bottomless pit and unable to deceive the nations. (Until the thousand years are over and he must be loosed a short season. This is a different topic that will be equally important as that moment approaches.)

The conclusion is this: Jesus is returning sooner than you think. Prior to his return there's going to be unparalleled tribulation in the world. Tribulation so horrific, that if the Lord didn't return at the appointed time, there would be nobody left alive. In other words, the population of the earth would drop from 6.5 billion down to zero. FOR THE ELECTS SAKE those days are shortened as there will be some standing here who shall not taste of death until Jesus returns. Saints of God; we need to stay focused on the things that REALLY MATTER and not get caught up in all of the frivilous sideshows of this generation. These things are coming to pass. Establish your heart, seek the Lord Jesus Christ wholeheartedly and abide in him continuously. Don't go wandering off. (I wandered off once. It was very dangerous and definately NOT FUN) The hour is upon us; this I feel with an urgency like never before. My sincere prayer is that anyone who should pass by this would seriously ponder these things.

Mark 13:35-37 "Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, watch.

Revelation 16:15 "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."